Valentine’s Day: Elon students find ways to express love

Kelly Jeffrey / Reporter

Many students will be partaking in Valentine’s Day activities today. Some students have a significant other to spend the holiday with, while others are out searching for their own valentine. Most likely, groups of single students will congregate and enjoy the holiday with friends. No matter how you decide to celebrate V-Day, Elon and the surrounding area can provide you with activities that will make the day one to remember.

For an Elon student with a boyfriend or girlfriend who attends a different school, spending the day together can be hard to arrange. Some students even feel that the holiday is unimportant.

“I’ll go down [to Orlando] for her prom and her birthday,” says sophomore Jason Barrett of his girlfriend Kim. “But to be honest, we don’t really think we need a holiday created by the gift card companies to tell us when to love each other and send each other gifts. We’re pretty good at doing that by ourselves.”

Barrett and his girlfriend, who still lives in their hometown of Orlando, have been dating for more than two years. This year they will simply send each other care packages to acknowledge the holiday.

Other students plan to see their special someone this Valentine’s Day. Freshman Katie Leister’s boyfriend, Grant Christman, attends Ohio University, but will be at Elon University Friday. For Leister, this is a great way to see her boyfriend, as well as split up the long months between school breaks.

“This way I only go two months instead of four,” she says.

As for their plans when Christman arrives, Leister says, “I am sure we will do something nice, but it will probably be a surprise. He always has something up his sleeve!”

Elon students are also making trips off campus this Valentine’s Day.

Junior Ali Razgha will be traveling to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte to visit the special someone she has been dating.

“I’m going to visit him because he’s the one person I want to spend Valentine’s Day with,” says Razgha. “I’m not a really big fan of Valentine’s Day because I believe if you truly love someone, you don’t need a specific day to remind you to tell them or show them that. You should do it regardless.”

On Friday, award-winning entertainer Michael Christian will be on campus, presenting “The Art of Kissing.” He will wow the audience with kissing fads and customs, as well as how to get over kissing jitters. According to Amy Jones, Elon’s director of student activities for the Student Union Board, Christian will even bring up volunteers to kiss on stage.

Some lucky students don’t have to leave campus at all this Valentine’s Day. Junior Lauren Foster has a boyfriend at Elon. The couple looks forward to having a low-key but fun day.

“I like it, it’s good to get some time alone,” says Forster. “We’re both pretty laid back and just like to eat a lot, so we go to dinner for hours!”

The movies are a great way to spend Valentine’s Day, whether it’s on a date or with friends. Sure to be the date movie of this Valentine’s Day, however, is romantic comedy “50 First Dates,” coming out Friday.

Don’t feel like leaving campus or spending money this Valentine’s Day? Today through Sunday, the Elon University Department of Performing Arts is presenting “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” in McCrary Theatre. Tickets are free to Elon students with a valid student ID, and performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

While some single students will be going out on the town, others will be staying in with good friends. Freshman Rebecca Patterson plans to.

“Valentine’s Day is a lot of fun with friends,” she says. “You’re still spending time with people who mean a lot to you.”