By Tory Hyde
Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day coming up this week. For women, Valentine’s Day can mean chocolates and flowers (even if you have to buy them for yourself). But, what is Valentine’s Day like from a guy’s perspective?
“To me, Valentine’s Day is a day for me to spend time with someone I truly care about,” said James Benedetto, a junior from Kings Park, New York. “I don’t notice any pressure for having a valentine each year. I feel that if guys try to live up to a societal expectation we lose sight of what the day is all about. It’s a holiday to spend time with people you love.”
“I think Valentine’s day is great when you’re in a relationship but sucks when you’re not,” said Jared Vandermyde, a freshman from Orange City, Iowa. ”There’s not really pressure to have a girlfriend (or) date for Valentine’s Day, (but) it can still suck to see your friends with dates. If I don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day, I just do whatever I’d normally do and treat it like a normal day — probably text my mom and tell her I love her or something cheesy like that.”
“There is always the sense of something missing when Valentine’s Day passes and you don’t have someone in particular to spend it with,” said Seth Eriksen, a sophomore from Delaware City, Delaware. “I’ve always managed to be single on the day, and I usually have friends who aren’t busy. I do look forward to a year I do get to spend it with someone. I don’t necessarily always have plans for the day itself, but I do usually have a Valentine’s Day brunch sometime around it with friends.”
“Personally I don’t feel any pressure to have a date for Valentine’s Day because I’m not going to ask a girl out just for a day where it’s expected,” said freshman Will Dunn from Southlake, Texas. “I don’t really feel like I’m missing it on anything. I plan on hanging out with my buddies just like any other day because most of us are single and 100 percent OK with that.”
Guys may not buy themselves gifts on Valentine’s Day, but they seem to agree if you are feeling lonely on the holiday of love, you can still enjoy it by spending it with friends.