Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and love is in the air at Olympia High School! Titans, full of teenage spirit and endorphins, are preparing to surprise their significant others with a sweet gift for this special day. Some are already on a hunt for the biggest teddy bear and a bouquet of a hundred and one roses. However pleased we might want to make our other half, we should still be mindful of the rules.
The OCPS policy states that “no Valentine’s Day gifts should be brought to school that are any larger than a half sheet of paper.” If you still choose to bring a gift that doesn’t adhere to the rules, it will be collected before entering the campus and can only be picked up at the end of the day. Just imagine standing in line of fifty other students that also chose to disregard the rules. After school, picking up those wilted roses that have just spent the day lying on a table in a conference room with no water or sunlight will be very disappointing. Imagine your flowers slowly decomposing and rotting away, waiting to be picked up, missing the bus and having to walk home, and getting your very special day ruined. All because of the unrealistic image of high school romance presented to us by the 2000s rom-coms, students think they can bring whatever they want to school. Unfortunately, you can’t fill the halls with candles and carry your high school sweetheart to the Titan Cafeteria for a romantic dinner instead of class, so put those rose petals down. If that was the only option you had in mind, then I have sad news for you. To avoid complete anarchy and keep Olympia a safe and distraction-free environment, you will have to fit all your love and feelings on a half sheet of paper, but fear not, this is your ultimate guide for a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, Titan style.
Sadly, your declaration of love can only be within the boundaries of half a sheet of paper, so now is the time to get creative. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Valentine’s Day gifts is a simple greeting card. You can get one from any grocery store and pick and choose your favorite design out of hundreds offered, or you can pull out your markers and glitter and make one yourself.
On the same note, any type of personalized art is always welcome. You can draw a portrait of your loved one or of something that reminds you of them in your own style. Make a clay sculpture, sew, knit, or crochet a heart-themed piece – the options are endless. In case you are not the craftiest one, there are always tiny trinkets that can serve as a reminder of you to your loved one, think Smiski and Sonny Angel figurines. Those can get on the pricier side, so I personally recommend fishing them out on resell websites like Depop, Vinted, or Facebook Marketplace.
Another option would be to find their cheaper alternatives in record stores or vintage markets, for example, that figurine collection of cats on a playground on my nightstand, $8 each. You can also opt for simple keychains or pins bought from any gift shop from the places you’ve recently visited, or found in those same vintage markets. If worse comes to worse, and you remembered about Valentine’s Day at 10pm on February 13th, then your last chance to not mess this day up for your loved one would be to wake up earlier that morning and drop by at the grocery store for a small bag of your significant other’s favorite candy. These are all more materialistic gifts, which are great options, but for me, lack creativity. After all, either of these were mass-produced at a factory and sent to the stores for nation-wide distribution, so I would bet that you are not the only one getting your date a greeting card or a keychain. So, how about walking an extra mile and making this day truly special for them?
Since the beginning of time, every girl’s dream was to be serenaded by that one special person. Don’t take my word for it, just think about Patrick singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to Kat (10 Things I Hate About You), or Tony performing “Maria” to her after meeting her at a dance (West Side Story), and what about Romeo famously serenading Juliet by her balcony? If you have enough confidence and a guitar, then I have the perfect option for you. Don’t let traditional gender stereotypes get in the way of romance. Girls will arguably make far more poetic and rhyming serenades, and who said that guys don’t deserve a personalized ode in a musical form?
If you skipped every choir practice or just can’t bring yourself to (let’s be honest) embarrass yourself in front of the entire school, then a simple poem will do. Don’t overthink it, just say everything exactly how it is and sprinkle some literary devices on top. You can always ask your English teacher for some tips and comments to make your ode to your loved one even more poetic. In case you’re only good at picking out music and not writing the lyrics yourself, then you can utilize your exceptional taste and a music service subscription to make a personalized playlist dedicated to that one special person. Throw in some hits by their favorite artist and add a little bit of your own favorites, maybe that one song that they promised to check out months ago and still haven’t. Don’t forget the classics like “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths, “Something” by The Beatles, “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, “All I Need” by Radiohead, an all-time favorite, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, and make sure to include that one “us” song.
These are just some of the ideas for how to make this extra special for that one extra special person. Don’t let this guide restrict you to a certain type of present. There are tons of resources for you to explore to craft the most perfect Valentine’s Day gift, so go out there and show love! Remember that actions speak louder than words, so even the simplest acts of kindness can make somebody’s day. Valentine’s Day is about expressing care and appreciation, no matter the size of the gift, so remember that love is love, and don’t let anybody else’s opinion navigate you in how to express it.
