Love is in the air on the St. Thomas campus this Valentine’s Day. Although the world is still living with the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Thomas has many ways students can get involved in the Valentine’s Day spirit this year.
Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine of Terni, who was a bishop in the Catholic church. He performed secret marriage ceremonies for lovers after Emperor Claudius II decreed that young men could not get married because they were better suited to be soldiers. Saint Valentine was martyred for his actions, but his legacy lives in the holiday society celebrates every February.
The St. Thomas create[space] offered fun Valentine’s Day grab-and-go crafts for students, such as Valentine string art and screen-printed t-shirts. The create[space] also provided free-to-use art supplies for students to get creative on their own.
St. Thomas Activities and Recreation hosted two grab-and-go days with goodie bags filled with fun Valentine’s Day treats, such as candy and bath bombs.
Despite the pandemic, St. Thomas students are still finding ways to celebrate February 14th.
First-year student Sarah Messer said, “Hopefully my mom sends me chocolates, but otherwise I will be alone watching a movie.”
On the contrary, second-year student Julia Lindell said, “We are going to our friend’s place to make heart-shaped pizzas and then go to dinner!”
Valentine’s Day is not just a day to celebrate love between romantic relationships. Students can team up with their friends to decorate heart shaped cookies, make their own Valentine’s Day cards or watch a beloved rom-com.
This year presents itself as difficult to be able to get together with friends and foes to celebrate Cupid’s favorite day, so here are a few fun online activities students can use to still connect with those they love this Valentine’s Day:
Netflix or Hulu watch party: a virtual way to connect with friends and family to watch movies and TV shows on streaming platforms
Bank Heist: an online escape room game where players use their quick problem solving skills to complete a mission to unlock a safe and successfully complete the heist
Cards Against Humanity (virtual edition): PlayCards.io made a fun and easy platform to play rounds of the classic Cards Against Humanities while being on a video chat with friends
BuzzFeed quizzes: Buzzfeed offers thousands of fun and quick quizzes to match you with your dream job or what ice cream flavor you resemble most
St. Jude’s Valentine’s Day card: send an e-Valentine’s Day card to a child patient at St. Jude’s hospital
So take the opportunity to make this Valentine’s Day your own and find a way to celebrate. Send a card to your mom, text funny heart GIFs to your friends, eat a cliche box of chocolates and spend the day watching cheesy rom-coms in your pajamas. Do whatever you need to do to prove that even in a pandemic there’s lots of love to spread.
Macy Berendsen can be reached at macy.berendsen@stthomas.edu.