Valentine’s Day originated from the ancient Romans who slaughtered two men on February 14 named Valentine. Emperor Claudius II outlawed love while Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies which eventually led to his death. Heh, how lovely..

Presumably everyone has the idea of love, romance, gifts, and a loved one for Valentine’s Day, but what if that is not how we all feel? We asked a few of our fellow students and even some staff members about what they had to say.

Have you ever wondered if adults preferred to celebrate Valentine’s differently? Or even how they feel about the day? I mean that is a decade or so ago, things could have been done differently.

“I don’t celebrate it, I think it’s a made up holiday, a Hallmark holiday used to sell balloons, flowers, and chocolates. I celebrated it once when I was a teenager, we probably went out to eat or a movie,” science teacher John Reinowski said.

To our surprise, other teachers felt that way as well. “I don’t care for it that much and I know the teens in high school nowadays value this holiday to show appreciation, but I don’t think I need a day to show my loved ones how much I appreciate them,” English teacher Anne Scheff said.

On the other hand, students gushed about the holiday and how they plan to celebrate it.

“I love it, it’s just so special, I think it’s the romance part about it. I actually have a Valentine already, but no one in this school,” sophomore Jordyn Montroy said.

Although some may not have sweethearts, that does not  mean they are not planning ahead in case one might show up.

Another friendly face, senior Carlos Fullwood, says Valentine’s Day is simply alright.

“I don’t really spend Valentine’s Day with anyone, but if I did I would take her out to a movie or dinner,” Fullwood said.

Based off this input, it is evident that the older you get, the more you look at the holiday in a practical way.

Regardless of our differing views and opinions of this precious holiday, we still acknowledge the origin and intent. See while Emperor Claudius the II attempted to destroy romance in all its entirety, love still persisted and overcame it. All in all, we should set our experiences aside whether good or bad and instead put our Valentine’s Day pride in full effect.