Staff Raves
On Romantic Comedies
By Hanna Khosravi, Opinion Editor
Why not take full advantage of the open opportunity to take pleasure in the graces of a comfy, cozy romantic comedy? Any excuse to do so is a good one. And your opportunities are endless! It’s the perfect way to celebrate, even if you aren’t really celebrating. So which route will you take? You can go down the Meg Ryan path (“When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle” or “You’ve Got Mail”) and delight in all of the mystical Upper West Side imagery these options have to offer. Or, hey, you could go back to Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant and make it “Roman Holiday” or “Sabrina.” You can also, of course, elect to engage in some more recent flicks. There are the Emma Stone selections (“Crazy Stupid Love?” “Easy A?” Bend the genre and give in to the wonder of “La La Land?”) Fancy a zany, witty option driven by dialogue? Maybe “500 Days of Summer” is your forte. Maybe you need some Hugh Grant in your life. “Notting Hill,” or “Bridget Jones Diary.” And then there’s Colin Firth! Speaking of which, you could just go full force, act like it is still December, and give in to a dribble of holiday spirit — because “Love Actually” is still on Netflix. Tie two holidays into one. There are no rules here! Go forth, my friends. The options are endless; bask in the glory.
On Having an Excuse to Send Your Mom Flowers
By Melanie Pineda, Opinion Editor
My mom and I are freakishly close. Think Lorelai and Rory in “Gilmore Girls” close. Both of us have kind of sworn off men forever and have made it a tradition to be each other’s “galentines” every year. We get each other flowers, eat a whole bunch of chocolate — which we immediately regret — and binge watch whatever seems enticing enough on Netflix that night. The first year I went off to college, however, my mom assumed that this tradition would be no more. So the look on her face while we were video chatting that fateful day when she opened the flowers I sent her was honestly priceless. And imagine my surprise when I walked back to my dorm after our call, only to have dozens of flowers waiting for me at the Resource Center with a card signed by my mom. So now, no matter how far away we are from each other, we always promise to send each other ridiculously sweet messages and gorgeous flowers on the 14th that’ll make any die-hard romantic jealous.
On Valentine’s Day Cliches
By Sarah John, Deputy Opinion Editor
As someone with a sentimental streak, I love Valentine’s Day, and all the time-honored cliches it brings to mind. Valentine’s Day is about something very sweet: earnest expressions of love. So it’s more than a little disappointing to me when people reduce this holiday into yet another thing to be cynical or annoyed about. Hating Valentine’s Day won’t stop it from happening. So this year, ditch the attitude, the wallowing and the tirades on how this whole holiday was designed by Corporate America. Instead, ignore all that! Just eat a heart-shaped cupcake, call your mom or do anything else that’s wholesome and in the holiday spirit. I’m speaking it into existence: no more Valentine’s Day cynics!
Staff Rants
On Long-Distance Relationships
By Faith Marnecheck, Culture Editor
This is the first Valentine’s Day that I am in a relationship, and I have always thought that having a boyfriend would make this holiday so much better. But my boyfriend lives hundreds of miles away in Cleveland, so it is not exactly the Valentine’s Day I imagined. Long distance relationships make everything complicated. The excitement and signs all over the city just give me a weird mix of sadness that I can’t see my boyfriend, but happiness that I am in a relationship with someone I love. We sent each other gifts and we will Skype, but it’s not the same as seeing each other. But really, isn’t the point of Valentine’s Day just celebrating your love for someone? We can still do that even from almost 500 miles apart. Maybe it’ll still be a pretty good Valentine’s Day anyway.
On Letting People Enjoy Things
By Joel Lee, Under the Arch Deputy Editor
It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m just indifferent. If anything, the holiday is an excuse to go out and have a themed night out on the town or a stay-in movie kind of night. I don’t mind the concept of Valentine’s Day as much as the way brands and companies market goods to us. I appreciate the people who take the time and effort to do something fun for their loved ones for the day. I hate the “you should appreciate your partner every day” counter rhetoric. Do you, dude, but also let others do their own thing.
Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
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