Celebrating the Season of Love

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there are people on both sides; some think it’s a wonderful day to show that significant other some extra love, while others believe it’s a wasted holiday and isn’t necessary in order to express love. Nevertheless, no matter which way you look at it, February 14th is still a universal celebration of candy hearts and secret admirers.

Chris Anderson, an Arrowhead senior, says he’s planning on celebrating Valentine’s day with his girlfriend, Becky Hobson, also an Arrowhead senior.

“We are going to Olive Garden for dinner and then to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. We both really like Olive Garden, and we’ve both been dying to see the Strauss concert at MSO, so it’s perfect,” Anderson says.

He says he hasn’t picked out a gift for Hobson yet but will probably get her flowers and a nice card.

“I’m getting her blue and purple flowers, but not roses because she doesn’t really like them. I’m also going to make her a card with a nice note inside,” he says.

Anderson says he has been dating Hobson for almost a year and a half and last year they went to dinner and the school play, It Happens Every Summer, to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

“[For couples] it’s a nice way to celebrate the relationship. I really enjoy having a day to show Becky how much I love her, but I think people who aren’t in relationships look at Valentine’s day bitterly because they don’t have a significant other to spend it with,” Anderson says.

He says he is excited to spend the day with his girlfriend going to one of their favorite restaurants and seeing one of their favorite musicians perform live.

Alyssa Athas, an Arrowhead senior, says she is also looking forward to spending February 14th with her significant other, Mitchell Ortlieb, a Hamilton High School senior.

Athas says she is spending the day with Ortlieb by first going to his dad’s house to spend some time with him, then going to a hibachi restaurant and a coffee shop in Milwaukee, and then baking cookies at her house.

“Mitchell really wants to get hibachi, and I really want to go to a coffee shop, so we compromised and are going to do both,” Athas says.

She says they have been together for a little over a year but didn’t do anything last year for Valentine’s Day because it’s also her mom’s birthday, so she wanted to spend time with her.

“I got him a sweater and boxers from American Eagle. The boxers have pickles, pizza, and Valentine’s themed hearts on them,” Athas says.

“I think Valentine’s Day is kind of just a stupid Hallmark holiday, but I also think it’s nice to have a day I get to spend with my boyfriend,” she says.

She says she likes having an opportunity to have fun and celebrate her relationship with Ortlieb for a reason other than an anniversary.

“No matter how you look at it, Valentine’s Day is a day of showing and feeling love. But that doesn’t mean love shouldn’t be expressed every other day, too,” Athas says.