Saniya Johnson
February 13th, 2023
Valentine’s Day brings several things to mind: love, cupid, the color red, cute gifts. However, at UC Clermont College, one could argue that on Valentine’s Day, if anything comes to mind at all, it is thoughts of loneliness and lack of connection. A week before February 14th, several students were asked about their thoughts on this widely celebrated day of love. Due to the personal nature of the subject matter, their identities were kept confidential, but their responses may reveal something that not only pertains to this particular greeting card holiday, but to bigger issues surrounding campus (and perhaps even society), as well.
There were many questions and a lot of uncertainty on how this article would go. For some, Valentine’s Day might be a personal topic. After all, love can mean many things, but in this instance, as it pertains to Vday, it is generally alluding to that of a romantic and/or sexual nature.
The first thing that came to mind for most students in reference to Valentine’s Day was, in fact, the word “Love.” But, who at UC Clermont really knows what that means in that they have actually experienced it? A majority of students surveyed for this article said that they had never been on date. Most students prefer to spend Valentine’s Day going on picnics with their friends or spending time with family. Other students merely get their kicks by watching friends open letters and receive flowers. Out of the three students interviewed for this article who were actually in relationships, none of them met their current partners on campus.
At UC Clermont, personal relationships often take a back seat to academics – and when those relationships do take priority – it is often in the form of stress and anxiety. One student responded, “I feel like I worry more about personal relationships, but academics are more important.” Students explained how it was difficult for them to maintain personal relationships while also putting 100 percent into academics.
If there is anything that UC Clermont students look forward to is that “there’s more chocolate available.” Hypothetically, students said that their ideal date would be “going to see a movie” or “going to the park and having a picnic.”
Alas, perhaps not all hope is lost. Students do tend to agree that romantic love can be found on campus. One student stated, “I think this is a good place to meet new friends or find a partner because there are so many people in a similar age group and you can find people who have similar interests to you.” This notion was quickly dismissed, however, with “Women mature much faster than men, but in this day in age, men in college are looking for you know….wrong things.”
So, where is the love, and, if it can’t be found here, then why is that so? The college campus has traditionally been fertile ground for many rights of passage for young adults. At UC Clermont, it is only a place to go to class and study.
