BY MAXINE MOORE and VIRIDIANA CAMACHO / VN STAFF WRITERS
Many Detroit Mercy students have mixed feeling about Valentine’s Day.
Some think that the day is a must-celebrate holiday whether you have a partner or not.
Others think of the love-filled holiday as a way to get people to spend their money.
Senior Zoey Oatis suggests to fellow students looking to get a date for Valentine’s Day to get rid of any boring date proposals.
“Don’t just go up to someone and ask them to be your valentine,” she said. “Put some thought into it.”
Oatis doesn’t want the traditional flowers and chocolates, either.
“I don’t want anything that’s eatable,” she said. “I want something I can look at and think about how much it means to me because my valentine gave it to me.”
Senior Marina Manzo is a criminal justice major.
Her wishes are straightforward and heartfelt.
“All I would want from my valentine is loyalty, honesty and respect,” she said. “If you can’t do that, I don’t want you.”
Senior Savannah Sloan, also a senior criminal justice major, emphasized the importance of not doing too much in an attempt to impress the person, but to do enough to show you care.
“You should want to show your partner love all the time but get them something meaningful to them,” she noted.
Senior Savannah Lee, a nursing major, added a strong caution.
“Do not get that person a gift if you are not exclusively dating them,” she said.
Some students feel Valentine’s Day is superficial.
Junior Logan Shamblin suggested: “Just don’t get them a bad gift, like a pencil from a gas station”
He also suggested that ladies think about getting their beaus moisturizing beard oil.
Senior Matt Turner personally wouldn’t mind a small gesture like a candy gram.
He also mentioned making a video of all your favorite memories with your partner or even creating a playlist with songs that the two of you enjoy or songs that make you think about said valentine.
Giovani Olivo, a third-year robotics major, has been in a relationship for six months.
He thinks of Valentine's Day as a mainstream holiday, but he still celebrates it.
When it comes to gifts, Olivo said, “Don't just be basic, like a box of chocolate and flowers. If you are going to do something, you have to do something more creative.”
Something creative and from the heart usually goes a long way.
Freshman Valerie Hernandez offered more general advice.
“If you are not happy in the relationship, you shouldn’t continue it, especially around this time,” she said. “It can be very heart-breaking to you and them.”
In the Titan Dining Room, sophomore Raymond Barber, majoring in political science and economics, had an unusual recommendation.
“Take your valentine’s date to TDR,” he said.
Barber said that last year he would not have recommended a TDR date, but this year is supposed to be different.
Another word of advice from Barber: “Don't hang out with the boys, as much as you want to. Don’t do it. Spend time with people you care about.”
Freshmen Sylare Starks is a hopeless romantic.
She said she would want her valentine to leave a trail of rose petals leading to a lovely candlelit dinner.
Junior Aly Reiff is all about grand gestures.
However, she doesn’t want an obsessive valentine.
“I don’t want a level-five stalker,” she said. “No, thank you!”
For senior Kara Smallagen, the little things go a long way.
She would prefer a night in, having a Disney movie marathon with her valentine.
The biggest take-away this Valentine’s Day: Be yourself and don’t go too overboard.
