Love isn’t Dead, even with COVID-19 in the Air
Ashley Opina ® Staff Writer |
Photo by Jenna Peterson ® News Director |
Among the list of national holidays that most people impatiently wait for and are just itching to celebrate, Valentine’s Day falls short of that enthusiasm.
The reasons for it varies, but it is safe to assume that the excitement surrounding the day of love, or lack thereof, have to do with one’s relationship status.
In order to get a glimpse into the minds of others regarding the holiday, students at Minnesota State University, Mankato were asked about it.
Taylor Milos, a sophomore at MNSU, openly discussed her relationship status and her plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her boyfriend, junior at MNSU, John Marcella.
“We’ve been dating for a little over a year,” Milos said.
In their first year of dating, the couple chose to celebrate Valentine’s Day at home with only the company of each other to enjoy.
“We ordered pizza and stayed in,” Milos said. “We watched some movies too.”
This year, the couple intends to keep it simple as well, but decided that going out would be a good change of scenery from being kept at home all year due to COVID-19.
“We’re going to go out for food and watch a movie afterwards,” Milos said.
When asked how she felt about Valentine’s Day overall, Milos was indifferent.
“I look forward to it but it’s not a big deal to me,” Milos said. “I do think it’s nice to have a set aside time to spend with your partner.”
Her boyfriend, Marcella, felt the same way.
“It’s definitely fun to have a day to make time for your significant other,” Marcella said.
Another sophomore at MNSU, Jennifer Nguyen, finds herself in a happy relationship during Valentine’s Day with her long-distance girlfriend, Danielle Annunziata.
“We’ve been dating for a little over seven months,” Nguyen said.
Due to the length of time the couple has been dating, this year marks their first Valentine’s Day together.
“We actually celebrated early since we’re in a long-distance relationship,” Nguyen said. “I took her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant where we had to dress all classy.”
According to Nguyen, the couple looked amazing, and the food tasted just as good.
When asked how she felt about Valentine’s Day overall, Nguyen announced that she was a newly proclaimed lover of the holiday.
“I thought it was corny when I was single and I didn’t enjoy it,” Nguyen said. “Once I got into a relationship, everything changed.”
Nguyen added, “Everything you do in a relationship is considered corny and I’m all for it.”
Her girlfriend, Annunziata, went through the same realization upon getting into a relationship with Nguyen.
“I used to hate Valentine’s Day and thought of it as a fake holiday made up by Hallmark to sell cards,” Annunziata said. “But now I get to spend it with my love, my person.”
The two lovebirds are far from the only couple that grew fond of Valentine’s Day after finding their soulmate, but for the singles that have yet to run into theirs, their opinions on the holiday differ.
Jonathan Charlton, a junior at MNSU, takes pride in his independence and plans to enjoy his time alone on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s on a Sunday this year so I’ll probably be watching TV in bed,” Charlton said.
When asked how he felt about Valentine’s Day as a single man, Charlton did not seem to pay the holiday or his relationship status any mind.
“I don’t look forward to it but it’s not like I despise it either,” Charlton said. “Having someone has never been a need for me since I can always just vibe by myself.”
His roommate and fellow junior at MNSU, Dylon Taubert, plans to enjoy Valentine’s Day as a single man as well.
“I’ll probably just stay home and cook something that night,” said Taubert.
Taubert rarely dwells on the fact that he is single, but he finds himself thinking about it from time to time.
“It is a little discouraging seeing all my other friends in a relationship,” Taubert said. “But I figure I’d much rather be single than with someone who doesn’t feel the same way I do or vice versa.”
When asked if he felt the same way as Charlton did about the holiday, Taubert said he was indifferent.
“I do normally get a card and cash from my grandma on Valentine’s Day though so that’s always nice,” Taubert said.
Although the two roommates will not be celebrating Valentine’s Day in a relationship, they at least have each other to spend it with.