Love in the Air at Rose Hill

Love was in the air last Sunday, as Valentine's Day plans flooded the minds of many Fordham University students. With Arthur Avenue in our backyard and Manhattan at our fingertips, the possibilities for Valentine's Day plans were abounding. Students devised plans involving extravagance and simplicity, creativity and even rebellion.

 Valentine's Day is not actually a national holiday, but a commercialized one, burdened with expectation, emotion and often disappointment. It's a love-hate holiday, in all senses of the words. Fordham students celebrated, or ignored the holiday, in many fashions.

A classic date, like dinner and a movie, seemed ideal for many Fordham couples.

Rickey Hazelton, CBA '12, said he enjoyed a simple Valentine's Day with his girlfriend.

"She did not want any gifts, so we went to a restaurant in the city called 7," Hazelton said.

He said he also included flowers, a card and a picture to create a traditionally romantic Valentine's Day date.

Though a traditional date like Hazelton's might seem attractive to most students, Elliot Talbot's, CBA '12, European charm inclined him to choose a quaint approach to Valentine's Day. 

Talbot said that because he loves to cook, he treated his girlfriend to a homemade breakfast on Sunday morning. Talbot said he pulled the breakfast together in his dorm, Finlay Hall, as he can "do a lot with a little."

Surprises were key in many students' plans this year. The idea of completely catching your loved one off guard with something romantic and spectacular is the typical vision of a perfect Valentine's Day.

Joshua Rhein, FCRH '10, said he spent weeks perfecting his surprise Valentine's Day plans. Rhein said that his romance style is a balance between humorous and charming; he believes dates should never be uptight and too serious. For his first Valentine's Day with his new girlfriend, he planned fine wining and dining, and gifted a great piece of jewelry.

"You can't possibly go wrong with that combo," he said. "Like most guys, I've never been extremely fond of the holiday, but if you have someone special it can be a nice evening."

Rhein's girlfriend, Melissa Brumer, FCRH '12, said that she was pleasantly surprised by the evening.

"He wouldn't budge about the surprise," she said. "But it was all worth it in the end."

Many Fordham students are part of long-distance relationships. Like the compromises they make every day, couples in long-distance relationships compromised to share Valentine's Day.

Cindy Poiesz, CBA '11, celebrated the holiday with her boyfriend last Friday.

"He came in from Penn State, and we got drinks and dinner in the city before spending a quiet night at home," she said. "The special occasion forced us to forget our schedules and celebrate."

For couples, appreciating Valentine's Day seems effortless. In popular culture, singles on Valentine's Day indulge in chocolate and self- pity, but the sometimes-despised holiday did not stop most Fordham singles from celebrating. For Fordham singles, Valentine's Day was a continuation of a well-deserved three-day weekend.

Some singles, like Dan Kessler, CBA '12, looked for love in all the wrong places this Valentine's Day. Kessler said that he took a girl out, hoping something would come of the date, but unfortunately nothing availed.

 "My Valentine's charm works 99 percent of the time all the time," he said before the date.

Brittanny Bradley, CBA '10, said that Valentine's Day actually made her realize the great friends who surround her every day.

"Some of my girlfriends and I created our own Valentine's Day date," she said. "We went to dinner, to the new Valentine's Day movie and even grabbed a Magnolia cupcake on the way home."

"It was the perfect excuse to stay in and do my homework for the week –I guess being single has its advantages," Stacey Barnaby, FCRH '11, said.

Other students embraced the holiday as a time to spend with their families.

Matt Van Orden, CBA '12, was single this year and spent the day with his family in New York.

"Valentine's day is a special holiday for people who want to spend time with those they love most," he said.

Despite their relationship statuses, Fordham students celebrated Valentine's Day in a personal style this year. Keeping plans relatively modest allowed students to appreciate the meaning of the day.