It’s February 14. You’re in your dorm room, eating your way through that Valentine’s Day chocolate gift tin you got for $40 at the Village Target. It was a bit of a splurge; you told yourself that you would share the chocolates, but that didn’t happen. Another year will go by, and you’re still alone.
“I’m gonna buy a bunch of frozen food and the Trader Joe’s mini ice creams and go home and cry myself to sleep,” said Sanjana Senthil, a junior studying business of cinematic arts.
Valentine’s Day is a day of chocolate, flowers and love — for some. But for USC singles, it’s just another reminder of their relationship status.
Single students shared their sentiments about the holiday, criticizing its sensationalized nature.
“If you celebrate [Valentine’s Day], that’s good for you,” said Weilian Zhang, a junior majoring in business administration. “But you know, me personally, I’ll be in the gym, working on myself ... if I see a couple walk by I’m gonna use that anger, because I’m single, to get that extra rep in.”
Zhang said he sees Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to harness the pain of heartbreak to focus on self-improvement. He says he’s too busy to even think about love.
“I’m loyal to the dumbbells,” Zhang said.
While Zhang dials in at the gym, Senthil finds it hard to stay motivated on the fated February 14.
“If anything, it makes me shut down completely, but I guess I do work harder when I’m trying to avoid my own thoughts,” Senthil said.
Zhang said the capitalistic and materialistic underpinnings of the holiday aren’t lost on him.
“You have all these anniversaries and Valentine’s Day and Christmas,” Zhang said. “It’s just another way to spend money.”
Others are looking to turn their luck around by taking a shot in the dark — going on a date on Valentine’s Day.
“I’m going on a date with a guy from Hinge, I don’t even know him,” said Michelle Rojas, a graduate student. “We’ve been talking for a few weeks, so we’re going to Tartine in Santa Monica and just having coffee, talking about our lives and I don’t know, hopefully we hit it off.”
But if push comes to shove, students said they will always have their friends to fall back on for support. “We’re painting and drinking wine and we’re eating cake and pizza and just talking, gossiping, I don’t know, talking about boys I guess … I’m more excited for that,” Rojas said.
Jazz studies doctoral student Yafeu Tyhimba is a hopeless romantic. He said he’ll be playing soulful jazz at Wilshire Ebel Theater while dreaming about his perfect date.
“You’re outside, you see the stars, you hear some sort of music. You’re at a really nice restaurant, and you’re just looking in somebody’s eyes,” Tyhimba said.
While lovers may spend time seeking out the best date spots, lone peas in the pod look to other activities to take their minds off of the festivities. Some students are taking it upon themselves to host events that both singles and couples can attend.
Leyla Akgedik, a junior majoring in fine arts, will spread the love on Tuesday by offering free roses to students in the Village. She said she celebrates the holiday by showing compassion and love for everyone.
“I think of love, and not in a personal relationship kind of way,” Akgedik said. “But more human values, bringing people together and bringing communities together instead of one-to-one relationships.”
She is also hosting a poetry night on Valentine’s Day through Erguvan Art & Academy, a youth program advocating for world peace through fine arts. Her Roommate Compassion event aims to promote kindness and harmony through singing songs, reading poems and celebrating with friends.
Here are some other events located on campus to enjoy the festivities.
Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention services (RSVP) will host tables throughout the student community centers in the Student Union Center. Each table will have five jars, each filled with a different color of Hershey’s Kisses. Every color represents a different relationship value. RSVPS hopes students will learn what their “Valentine’s Values are.”
If that doesn’t float your boat, you could also go to the Farmer’s Market in the lawn space between Doheny Library and Pardee Tower. There, USC Student Health will have a special booth where students can win prizes and learn more about their services.
If all else fails, the USC Peace Garden will be open from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. There, students can garden, study, relax or even cry.
“To the single people out there, I believe in you,” said Sanjana Senthil, a junior studying business of cinematic arts. “You may not have anyone and you may be alone, but that’s okay, I’m always here for you. And to the people in relationships, good for you.”