Owls celebrate all kinds of love

By Noah Berz     2/13/24 10:03pm

If you’re like me and get most of your valentines from your mom, then you know Valentine’s Day isn’t always about romance. From anonymous singing-valentines to tacos to a match-making Crush Party, student organizations and clubs across campus are pulling out all the stops to put on a diverse array of Valentine’s Day celebrations. According to Rice PRIDE co-president Cole Holladay, that’s why the organization started Pal-Grams, valentines for loved ones of any kind.

“There are a lot of people in the queer community that are either aromantic or asexual, and might not resonate with the idea of sending romantic messages to people,” Holladay, a Martel College junior, said. “We wanted to try to make it as inclusive as possible … Even if it’s a professor that they appreciate a lot and want to send a little message to, that’s what we do.”

Pamela Duarte, vice-presidenta of the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice, said that she looks forward to sharing the Latine perspective on Valentine’s Day at Dia de Amor y Amistad, an event put on in collaboration between HACER and the Rice chapter of the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers.

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“Dia de Amor y Amistad … is what they call Valentine’s Day in most Latin American countries,” Duarte, a Will Rice College junior, said. “We thought it would be really special to mention that it wasn’t just a day of love, but also a day of friendship.”

Duarte said that she and SHPE president Noe Martinez worked hard to plan an event that showcases the Latine celebration of love and brings people closer together, complete with heart-shaped traditional treats, friendship bracelets and speed dating. 

Sid Knits committee co-heads Anuska Santra and Evelyn Chiu said they hope to bring Sidizens closer together with Candy Grams, knitted hearts with short messages delivered to students’ mailboxes on the morning of Feb. 14. Last year Santra and Chiu knitted the Candy Grams themselves. The increase in orders this year requires all hands on deck. 

“We’re taking on the help of a lot of different Sidizens and other people in the Sid Knits committee,” Santra, a Sid Richardson College junior, said. “This year it’s a much more collaborative thing, and it’s bringing the community together.” 

Chiu said knitting, sending and receiving Candy Grams also makes for a good stress break.

“I think Sid Knits and other clubs like this that try to bring some small happy moments into students’ lives … [are] really valuable,” Chiu, a Sid Richardson junior, said. “When we actually interact with those people and see them smiling and having a good time, I think that’s really important.”

For graduate students like Graduate Student Association Wellbeing Director Thao Nguyen, finding community and spending time with friends is often more challenging than it was in their undergraduate years. Nguyen said that she hopes the GSA’s Valentine’s Day card making event will bring graduate students together and give them a much-needed opportunity to relax and get creative.

“I think these events are important for grad students to have a space where we hang out because … people are busy,” Nguyen, a Ph.D. candidate in applied physics,  said. “A lot of people are a little bit older, too, so they have families and stuff, so even if you want to, it’s really hard to get together sometimes.” 

Rice Program Council Socials Committee co-chair Christopher Rodriguez said he also hopes the RPC’s Crush Party will help bring together students who might not normally interact. Before Crush Party, attendees fill out a form and get ten possible matches, romantic and platonic, which they can get to know over heart shaped candies, making DIY tote bags and taking pictures together in a photo booth. 

“It definitely helps people get out of their little [residential] college bubble,” Rodriguez, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “I feel like most people stay in their college and never really reach out, so this is one way people can be like, ‘Oh, that’s someone from a different college, wow!’”

Another way students can spread the love this Valentine’s Day is with a singing valentine. Each year, the Rice Philharmonics take song requests and send a quartet to deliver anonymous musical messages around campus. According to Phils soprano Karis Lai, they even bring their talents beyond the hedges. 

“[There] was actually a kid sending [a singing Valentine] to their parents,” Lai, a Wiess College sophomore, said, “so we called the parents and sang for [them], which was cute.”

Lai said that she has seen a range of reactions from recipients in her experience performing singing valentines, but that she enjoys it every time. 

“It’s funny to see the different peoples’ reactions,” Lai said. “Some people love it, and they are like ‘yes, sing to me!’ and some people turn so red because it’s at the servery, so they’re just trying to eat by themselves and then their friend sends us to find them.”

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate this year, Valentine’s Day gives everyone the opportunity to remind each other that they are loved, Holladay said.

“I think that Valentine’s Day is a really great time to just appreciate people, regardless of whether you might be attracted to them or interested in them romantically,” Holladay said. “In actuality, we can appreciate people whenever we want.”

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