Hundreds of books, movies, and TV shows outline the perfect date. We grew up watching rom-coms like 10 Things I Hate About You, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and … is there another rom-com with “10” in the title? Do people care about celebrating all that much? What do Obies think of Valentine’s Day?

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Alaina West, College second- year:

I think it’s cute. I love love. Why not love love? I think red and pink are getting a little old, though. I think you could switch up the colors, but other than that, it’s a fun holiday. I would love to go to a jazz club with hot pot. If we could combine those two, that would be the ideal date.

Lorelei McCarthy, College third-year:

I don’t care that much about Valentine’s Day, but it’s a nice excuse to get dressed up and go out for a nice date. I haven’t talked about it with my girlfriend ’cause she just got out of tech. We’re probably gonna go out to dinner, maybe go back to her room and watch a movie. 

Gabriel Semrau, College third-year:

As a holiday, I think Valentine’s Day is cute and fun, and I like doing it with my girlfriend. But there’s also the heavy, “buy chocolates, buy the big stuffed bear at Walmart,” element to it. I don’t think it’s controversial to say that I don’t like that part of it very much. But the fact is that I’m gonna hang out with my girlfriend and have a nice time. It’s great. It’s an excuse to have a fun, romantic night.

I wouldn’t imagine my opinion is too different from other students. I know a lot of people who will do stuff for it, but those same people will also present the caveat: “I don’t like the capitalist part of it.” So I think I’m in the majority. But I also haven’t had too many conversations about it.

Eve Anderson, College third-year:

I love Valentine’s Day. I had a crush on this guy when I was five years old, and he was into me, so we both got each other Valentine’s Day gifts that year. My dad once got my family t-shirts for Valentine’s Day, like different t-shirts he thought we would all like, and the one he got me just randomly became very special to our relationship. That was nice.

My favorite Valentine’s Day was eating at a white-person Mexican food restaurant and then going to a college production of Waitress with one of my best friends. That was a really nice day. 

Marcus Jensen, College third-year:

I think it’s a capitalist product trying to paint an ideal picture of love. Also, so many massacres have happened on Valentine’s Day over the years. It’s a terrible holiday. To celebrate, I think I’d just like to be by myself. I very much enjoy my own company. I’d like to have a nice date with me. 

You can still celebrate Valentine’s Day against the system, but the overarching tendency is to be like, “Oh my gosh, buy things. Otherwise, you hate your partner.” And that’s just not cool. I think I’ll get myself a good book and treat myself to Blue Rooster Bakehouse or Slow Train Cafe, get a lovely window seat, and have my book and music and a treat.

Clay Sinclair, College fourth-year:

I think just a normal date is chill. I think that’s fun. It’s a cool holiday, but I seem to have been avoiding the Valentine’s Day propaganda. Or I just don’t feel like buying things. 

Isabelle Ricardo, College third-year:

I like Valentine’s Day. I think everyone gets to have their own opinion about Valentine’s Day, just like everyone has their own opinions about other holidays. Your partner’s birthday is for celebrating them as an individual person, not just within your relationship. Like, “These are all the great things about you.” Valentine’s Day is when you get to celebrate the person that they are to you in your relationship.

I think where I notice myself getting slightly unfairly judgmental is when there’s more of a counter-culture mentality around Valentine’s Day. It’s capitalist, I guess, but so is every other holiday. When you do Valentine’s Day with your friends, I think that it is just a nice holiday to celebrate people in your life for how they foster your relationship with them.