2 | February 10, 2011

Opinion The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Valentine’s Day still Romantic focus should

worth celebrating not require special day
from everyone According to Women’s The problem I needs a greeting card or a
in the class Day magazine, approxi- have with Valen- dozen roses to validate it?
Shauna Banks too. If they mately 190 million cards Barry Grubbs tine’s Day is the One year I decided to
Editor-in-chief had a Tootsie are sold for Valentine’s Day Opinion editor fact that it has experiment with ignoring
sbbanks@mail.txwes.edu Pop or Fun each year in the United bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu been transformed Valentine’s Day. It was a di-
Dip attached States. into a ridiculous saster I didn’t live down for
to them—even Sadly, it can be a make- commercial farce. many years to come. I did
better. or-break holiday for some If you just have learn from the experiment
In high couples. to celebrate Val- however.
A visit from cupid is just school, there was always Fifty two percent of men St. Valentine’s Day, or as entine’s Day, you can usu- Here’s an idea for you
around the corner. that one rah-rah organiza- propose on Valentine’s Day, most people know it, Val- ally get your cards the day guys and gals who want to
This Monday, florists tion selling Love-o-grams, and 53 percent of women entine’s Day was established after Christmas. Seriously, show that special someone
will have customers out the chocolate roses or carna- will dump their boyfriends by Pope Gelasius I in AD the card displays go up in how important they are to
wazzoo, and every woman tions, for any student to if they don’t receive any- 500. discount stores in late De- you. Tell them every day.
in even a semi-serious re- send to a special someone. thing on the holiday. Over the years it has been cember. Give them flowers when
lationship will hope her As an adult now, and as However, simply ac- over commercialized in the Let’s face it. If you find they don’t expect flowers,
significant other at least cliché as it sounds, I really knowledging how you feel same way a lot of other reli- yourself in a meaningful instead of when they do.
remembers that it’s Valen- think it’s the thought that about your significant oth- gious holidays have. relationship worth celebrat- Don’t make a big deal out
tine’s Day. counts. er can make the day a spe- I’m not against reserving ing, there is hardly any need of Valentine’s Day. Instead,
Being a fan of anything Gifts don’t hurt, but a cial one—which we can all a certain day to remember for you to wait until Feb. 14 make a big deal out of your
romantic, I must say, I’m simple homemade card use once in a while. a special event or an impor- to get your romance on. relationship.
completely smitten by the with a heartfelt message With the stresses of ev- tant person. I am amazed at how eas- I have been around long
holiday. can brighten someone’s at- eryday life, it’s good to be Exchanging cards in el- ily retailers cash in on this enough to learn what works
My boyfriend, like most titude for days to come. reminded how much some- ementary school still seems cheesy pseudo-holiday. If in relationships. A sappy
men, thinks the holiday is a Of all the gifts I’ve ever one else cares about us. a little creepy to me, but you’re a man, you’re faced greeting card with someone
scam, and that love should received on Valentine’s Day, Of course, a six-foot ted- I never paid much atten- with two choices: either you else’s love poem is a weak
be shown every day for that I have to say the homemade dy bear and dozen red roses tion to Valentine’s Day back go all out and deliver the move. Candy and flowers
special someone—not just cards I’ve gotten from my never hurt anyone. then. flowers, chocolate or lin- are nice, but I see no rea-
Feb. 14. boyfriend the past gerie, or you son to make the florists and
And although I love the two Valentine’s Days take the risk chocolatiers rich just so
man to no end, and we have been the best. sleeping on you can stay out of the dog
both make it a point to ex- For those a little the couch. house. Do something origi-
press our feelings on a daily less creative with If you’re a nal for that special someone
basis—I still can’t dismiss creating cards on woman, you instead of being predictable
the big hooplah that’s made their computer or by hold all of the and corny.
over this lovey dovey holi- hand, I think a store- ammunition. I struggle with most mod-
day each year. bought card is com- There seems ern holidays but it’s be-
Most people want to feel pletely acceptable, to be an un- cause the original meaning
like they’re important to as long as a personal spoken ex- in most of them has been
their significant others, or note is written inside. pectation that replaced by frivolous com-
anyone else in general. There’s nothing men must go mercialization.
Even in elementary worse on Valentine’s out of their I’m not saying we
school, when we were all Day than opening a way to be ro- shouldn’t do something ro-
writing names of class- card to read a generic mantic on this mantic for those we care
mates on our Power Rang- message that more special day. about, I just can’t stand the
ers, Disney Princess and than a million other How groovy notion that I’m lining the
Rugrats valentines, we se- people may be get- is the rela- pockets of some money-
cretly hoped we’d get one ting at the same time. tionship that grubbing profiteer.

Technology evokes mixed feelings What are you going to be

was in complete
darkness.
homework because I am scan-
ning my news feed on Face-
doing for Valentine’s day?
I reached for my book or watching videos on
Stephanie Mejia cell phone to use YouTube. All hopes of finish- “I will be cheerleading because we have
A&E editor as a flashlight and ing any assignment on time are two basketball games that night.”
smejia@mail.txwes.edu stepped into the gone. - Baily Williams, sophomore,
hallway. I saw dim Aside from distracting us, psychology,history
light coming from computers also lessen our abili-
I had never really paid much the living room. My mom be- ty to be patient. When a website
attention to how much time I gan lighting every candle she takes more than a few seconds “I’ll be at the basketball game because we’re playing
spend glued to my computer or could find. to load, we quickly become LSU Shreveport, winning with confidence.”
my cell phone. I used to think the candles in frustrated. - Taylor Pokluda, senior,
In today’s society using these the living room were pointless Cell phones are a little bit exercise science
devices is a part of our daily decorations. But at that mo- worse. Not only can we use
routine; almost second nature. ment, I was grateful. However, I these small devices to text “I’m going to try to go back home
Everything runs smoothly could not help but feel like I was friends, but we can also connect and surprise my girlfriend.”
when our technology works in the dark ages. to the Internet. I sometimes - Matt Castill, freshman,
properly, but when our gadgets I sat on the couch next to my think that in a few years we will business management
start to malfunction our lives dad and he surprised me when all have twitching fingers be-
enter a state of chaos. This is he said in a sarcastic tone:“It’s cause of the amount of time we
what happened to me when the good to finally see you away spend texting every day. “I’m going downtown with my boyfriend
electricity went out at my house from the computer.” Although, I appreciate tech- and go to Texas de Brazil.”
for two hours last Friday. I rolled my eyes and laughed nology for all the ways in which - Taylor Peters, sophomore,education
It was around 8 p.m. and I a little, but then I began to it facilitates our lives, such as
was in my room using my com- think. saving us from having to re-
puter to check my e-mail when As college students, we spend member so many phone num-
“I’m planning on doing something special for a young
suddenly the lights in my room several hours a day consumed bers; I also despise it for dis-
lady, a nice candle lit dinner, just me and her.”
started to blink on and off. Af- by our laptops and phones. tracting me and consuming so
- Earnest Williams, junior,exercise science
ter a few seconds, everything Although computers can be much of my time.
went black. The electricity... out. used to help us with school I have to admit that when the
I ran my fingers across the work, they also give us access to electricity in my house went out
keyboard, but it did no good. things that distract us from get- I was bored at first, but it felt re- “I plan on going out to eat with my boyfriend
I had no Internet connection ting tasks accomplished. laxing to sit in the living room and then we are going to see the Roommate.”
and my computer turned off I cannot count the times I with my parents and have a - Blanche Giquinto, freshman, biology
because it was not charged. I have had trouble focusing on conversation.

The Rambler
Shauna Banks, editor-in-chief
Barry Grubbs, opinion editor
Eliana Mijangos, sports editor
Meisa Keivani Najafabadi, photo editor
Stephanie Mejia arts & entertainment editor
Jonathan Resendez, multimedia editor
Erica Estrada, graphic designer/cartoonist
Wendy Moore, faculty adviser
Dr. Kay Colley, faculty liaison
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