February 14th: Valentine’s Day, a holiday which can be with friends, family, partners or not at all. The Seahawk community is no different and celebrated in almost every way imaginable.
After conducting a poll on Instagram, the results revealed that the majority of students stayed home for the holiday. The vast majority, 44%, stated they had no plans for the 14th, opting to spend time with themselves instead. Riya Potluri, a sophomore, spent the day doing her schoolwork, and said “[she] had an [assessment] the next day [to study for].”
Thirty eight percent of the respondents said that they were going to hang out with their friends for Valentine’s Day. Sophomore Sam Tristan was a part of the group who opted for a Galentine’s celebration, going out with her friends on the 13th. “We went to the shopping center afterschool and exchanged valentines that we made. We got Starbucks, and we just hung out and talked. We wanted an excuse to do stuff for each other.” She added, “It’s important to celebrate each other and how much you love each other, even if you aren’t dating.”
Twelve percent said that they would be spending time with their family, while only 6% said they would be hanging out with their romantic partners. According to a Pew Research study, 14% of teens are in a serious relationship. This statistic is surprising, considering that the holiday is usually thought of as a celebration of romantic partners.
Sophomore Grace Decker explained why she wasn’t spending the holiday with her boyfriend, saying, “He has practice, and I have something after school.”
While being busy might be a hurdle for some couples, others cleared their schedule to spend the day with their significant other. Emilie Fiske said that she and her girlfriend were going to “recreate [their] first date.”
Whatever way students choose to spend their Valentine’s day, it is always a good excuse to celebrate themselves and their loved ones.
