Pink and white balloons spread Valentine’s Day cheer around campus as Cam High singles, couples and yet-to-be couples prepare for the long-awaited holiday.

Students plan various activities or gifts for the “day of love”, spending their time with their dates, families, friends, or even to themselves. “I’m thinking about taking my girlfriend to the beach and we will think about what we will be doing after that,” said junior Dante Dellalibera.

Despite apparent social pressures, enjoying time without a significant other is also an option for many. “I am going to sit home and play video games, because I am single,” said junior Katrina Batelaan.

Junior Sonali Mayer said that Valentine’s Day doesn’t necessarily need to be spent with a significant other. “When I was dating somebody, I thought Valentine’s Day would be a day to spend with them,” she said. “Now that I’m single, though, I think Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to get together with my friends and have a really fun night.”

“I will definitely enjoy, making little funny cards for my friends, just because it’s fun to see them smile and laugh at something goofy,” said Haelley Hogan, junior, about her plans for the day. “I made one for my dad and my grandma as well, since it is just a thing in our family that we make cards for holidays.”

There are many ideas of the ideal romantic Valentine’s Day date. “[I would spend Valentine’s Day on the beach with somebody, watching the sunset together,” said Mayer. “Genuinely spending  time with them and wanting to get to know them is important- liking them for who they are.”

Izzie Van Tassel, sophomore, said that an exciting date would be best. “[My date would] take me to a theme park, and we would go on roller coasters and scream our heads off together,” she said.

Cam High students have diverse perceptions of what love is-  from overlooking flaws to making one’s significant other happy. “I would say love is when you care about somebody so much that you put them in front of yourself. You want them to be happy more than you,” said Dellalibera.

“Love is the complete overlook of any flaws you would find in someone else,” Batelaan said.

“Love is just the wanting to make someone happy. The feeling that you get when you see someone and how they are different,” said Hogan. “It’s knowing that if you got mad at that person, even if you were going through a rough patch, you’ll want to fix things because you want to see them happy.”

“When you see a person, and your heart just skips a couple beats and your heart just went really fast: I would describe that as love,” said Van Tassel.

Dellalibera said that Valentine’s Day should mean more than commercialism and superficial actions. “Valentine’s Day is a good day to mention [your love for someone], but it is not a good day to overuse it. Because the whole purpose of the Valentine’s day is to show your love, not go overboard,” Dellalibera said. “It just means sharing your love for those whom you appreciate and giving them different gifts and tokens to show you care about them.”