Valentine’s Day is celebrated differently for people all around the world, but how are Redwood Rangers celebrating it this year?
By: Serenity Ceja and Jazlynn Borda Delgado
Here at Redwood we are celebrating Love Week! The week of self, and pure love for our Rangers. Everyone around campus celebrates the holiday in many different ways, whether if it’s with a significant other or friends.
A popular trend this year is having a Galentine’s party, this party consist of hanging out with your friends in a loving atmosphere.
Emma Hernandez, ’28, is planning her own Galentine’s party. She says, “I feel like it’s important to have a Valentine’s party because there are a lot of single people who don’t have a Valentine, and we want to enjoy Valentine’s Day too.”
Hernandez makes a fair point, Valentine’s Day isn’t only about having a significant other, it’s about loving your peers and everyone in your life who makes you happy.
Hernandez says, “I want my friends to know and feel that they are loved.” Deep down, we all need love from someone, and that’s what a valentines party is all about. Loving, caring, and appreciating those in your life who make you feel special.
While yes, Valentine’s with friends is fun, but how does Valentine’s with your significant other go?
Natalie Doran, ‘28, has just been asked out to be her boyfriend’s Valentine. Many boys ask out girls with a sign, a basket, and flowers, going above and beyond to get that yes. For Doran this was the situation.
In Doran’s perspective, she says she felt, “excited and I was really happy because I have been waiting a while, so it caught me by surprise.” These Valentine’s proposals seem to make a lot of people feel noticed and cared for, but what goes behind making these proposals happen?
Emiliano Banda, ‘28, Doran’s boyfriend says, “It was kind of just surprising her.” That was the main goal, Banda says, he made the basket and everything.
However, does everyone feel happy on Valentine’s Day? People who are in a relationship get gifts and the opportunity to spend quality time with the one they love, but people not in a relationship may see valentines diffrently, like a useless holiday.
Doran says, “I don’t think it’s an overrated holiday, but I do think that like people who don’t have relationships kind of like, don’t like it as much, I didn’t used to like Valentine’s Day, I didn’t have anyone, but now that I do have someone, I smile a lot more and it’s just, like, a really happy and exciting time.”
Doran says that being in a relationship can change your perspective on a holiday you thought you once hated.
Not only do students have the joy of celebrating Valentine’s Day, but our office staff also celebrate this special day, but in what ways?
Margie Casilla, one of Redwood’s office staff, says, “So, my husband and I have been married. We’re going on 35 years this June, and I will tell you, at the beginning we did, we celebrate Valentine’s Day. He’d get me cards and flowers, and I would do something. As we got older and the bills started coming in, I now say to him, I paid the bills. Happy Valentine’s Day. And he’s okay with that.”
Over time, Valentine’s Day becomes less stressful because when you are in love, you shouldn’t have to label a day to love your significant other, if your love is real, every day you will love each other just as much as you do on Valentine’s Day.
On the topic of love, it’s important to remember self love is stronger than any other. You should love yourself every day, one of our Redwood educators, Mr. Jacob Avilia, the business teacher, says, “making it more known that self-worth and self-value are important for people and that could be like what Love week is for us at Redwoods, so that’s kind of cool.”
What is Redwood’s supervisor’s view on Love Week? Mr. Cifuentez, a Redwood supervisor, was asked about his genuine impression of how Valentine’s Day is celebrated on campus. He said, “I believe Redwood did a really good job this week of Love Week. I think the lunchtime activities were fun. The dress up days were fun. I just feel like it made everybody want to participate and bond.”
Mr. Garcia, a Redwood supervisor, was asked if he noticed any new trends or changes in students’ approach on valentines over the year. He said, “back in the day it was a little different, you would wait until after school to ask, I think a lot of more kids are getting, a little bit more brave, and they’re building a little more courage to ask out a Valentine, you know, whether it be a guy or a girl and I think that it’s a cool idea. I think that whole basket thing is cool.”
Valentine’s Day, it’s about loving, caring, and appreciating everyone around you who shapes your happiness. Love Week at Redwood is about being loved by peers and having fun. Mr. Cifuentez, said, “You can live without a lot of things, but you can’t live without love.”
Serenity Ceja
jazlynn borda delgado
Tags: clubs & lifestyles, love week, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, valentine's day, visalia ca
