With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is all around campus this week. Stores throughout the USC Village are decked out in red and pink, while Trader Joe’s and Target sell roses and candy bags in preparation for the holiday.
But at USC, it seems finding a Valentine can be a real problem these days.
Despite a multitude of dating apps, like Tinder and Hinge, students are opting to attend fraternity date dashes and sweetheart parties scheduled across the city, including a blind date event that matches UCLA with USC students … on a yacht.
But are people really finding love on campus?
For USC freshman Savannah Garrison, finding the right person to spend the day with is is all about being yourself and about being outgoing.
“I think you just got to put yourself out there and just be open,” she said. “Be open to it all.”
Other students, however, said they aren’t aren’t looking for a Valentine’s date, choosing instead to celebrate with their closest friends — something commonly referred to as a pal-entine’s or gal-entine’s celebration.
Freshman economics student Andrea Ripamonti and her friends will be following a “gal-entine’s theme” this weekend.
“I don’t receive valentines, nor do I give valentines,” said freshman Andrea Ripamonti, who studies economics. “I am celebrating with some girls … we’re gonna go out to dinner and have a good night.”
Love can be seen on a global scale too, with one couple who tied the knot during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show Sunday. Just earlier this week, a Norwegian Olympian biathlete admitted his infidelity Tuesday, calling it the biggest mistake of his life — on live television.
While the day is typically marked by flashy shows of affection, students who spoke with Annenberg Media felt the holiday should be more about quality time and shared memories than materialistic things.
The National Retail Federation predicts that Americans will spend about $29.1 billion this year on Valentine’s Day gifts including candy, flowers, gourmet chocolates, cards and jewelry.
Junior Kelli Matsumura plans to go “out for dinner” with her partner.
“On Valentine’s Day, honestly spending time with people you love is what’s most important,” she said.
This Valentine’s Day falls on Saturday, but some students say expressions of affection are appreciated year round.
“I think that [kindness] should be practiced more often, instead of just one day of the year,” said Ripamonti.
For other students, Valentine’s Day is just February 14.
“It’s just a normal day,” said Joshua Umana, a 21-year-old from Los Angeles. “It’s not stupid. It just exists.”
But when asked what his ideal gift would be, Umana smiled as he said, “A LEGO set.”