A distribution of flowers, poems, and stuffed hedgehogs can only mean one thing: it’s Valentine’s Day at THHS.
Every year starting at the beginning of February, clubs such as The Phoenix and Glamour Gals converge to sell small gifts to students to buy for their special someone. This year, The Phoenix created a concept of ad-libs, a fill-in-the-blank poem that students were able to fill out and send to others as a special something. This quickly caught on, spiking a great demand amongst the student body and making the Phoenix print more than expected.
Junior & Editor-in-Chief of The Phoenix Yelena Dzhanova found that this new form of expressing a Valentine caught the eye of not only couples, but friends as well as admirers, causing an unexpected profit. “We printed 300 cards because we didn’t think we’d sell more than that, but really we’ve been printing more and more everyday to support the growing demand,” Yelena said.
“These cards are intended to give the student body a way to quickly express their love, friendship, or crush in a cute, expressive way. It’s amazing how much of a response we got to them… it seems like everyone has something to say to someone they appreciate or love,” she concluded, pleasantly surprised.
As done in previous years, the Glamour Gals are selling flowers, but have included a fluffy little twist this year; the club has now added a small plush hedgehog to sell for an additional price. According to junior & Glamour Gals club member Lucy Lim, Glamour Gals felt they should add something that lasts longer to the lovely exchange and found that the little plush toy would do just the trick.
“We added the hedgehog because we realized that flowers are nice and dainty, but nowadays something cute and fluffy will really contribute to the whole vibe of ‘love and appreciation,’ whether its for a friend or a loved one,” Lucy said.
Glamour Gals also found that the use of a little plush animal could make these special memories last longer, making these moments even more special.
“Stuffed animals will last a lifetime (if taken care of) and flowers will wilt away, a part of love that’s almost paradoxical, and sad in a way. We don’t want people to think that affection will fade away,” Lucy added.
Although Valentine’s Day seems to be a day dedicated around couples, some students have found a way to celebrate another way. To some, the idea of being single on Valentines Day is unpleasant, but many have chosen to look on the bright side and enjoy this love-filled day with friends.
Junior Kimberly Newman decided that a girls’ night out was all she needed. “I’m gonna spend my Valentine’s Day with my friends watching a romantic movie. Just because we aren’t in relationships doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t celebrate!”
While some students are choosing to celebrate, others have decided it’d be best to leave this day in the hands of the couples and just continue as if it were any other day.
“I’m going to spend time with at home with my kids, maybe buy my wife some flowers,” Humanities teacher John O’ Malley said.
Although exchanging small gifts and candy is fixture of Valentine’s Day celebrations, many schools across the nation have begun to ban sweets during it. Students at Horace Mann School are to only exchange cards or pencils, not sweets, since the principal sent out a letter stating that the sugary treats interfere with regular school activities, as stated in a report by Fox Boston. In Harwinton School in Connecticut, students cannot exchange candy of any kind due to the concern of food allergies by parents.
THHS continues to allow students as well as faculty the use of days such as Valentine’s Day to publicly appreciate each other. Student’s feel as though the selling of these ad-libs, flowers, and treats only bring more excitement.
Freshman Mehrose Ahmad said, “ I like the flowers and hershey kisses, because those are some classic Valentine day gifts.” Still fairly new to the rituals of THHS, Mehrose also felt that there seems to be an equal balance of spirit and conduct without going overboard. “I think THHS shouldn’t really change its interpretation on Valentines day, because the stuff that we are doing now seems appropriate in a school setting but at the same time expressive,” she added.
