V-Week in review: Cupid Hits His Mark

Joshua Goodman Guest Writer

This past Valentine’s Day, approximately one billion Valentine’s Day cards were exchanged worldwide, according to the Greeting Cards Association. The holiday, synonymous with heart-shaped candies and Cupid, marks the formal day of affection for significant others. For many, Valentine’s Day is a cause for celebration; yet for some non-committed Vassarians, it is a sarcastic celebration of “Singles Awareness Day.”

Valentine’s Day festivities on campus included a series of official events, some aimed at entertainment and others at education. On Friday, Feb. 10, VCTV screened several romantic classics as part of their V-Day movie marathon, including favorites like Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride, teen classic Ten Things I Hate About You, and the hipster love story, High Fidelity.

The College Center was bustling with Valentine’s Day activity on the 14th, with carnation sales, anti-valentines, and heart-shaped candy at every turn.

Events for V-week included the highly anticipated lecture by Courtney Esposito, entitled “What’s Love Got To Do With it?” Esposito, a clinical social worker, gave couples a relationship check-up as she explored the makings of a healthy relationship. The event, sponsored by CARES, took place on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. CARES also offered their “Take Back the Mug Night” on Feb. 16 from 9-10:30 p.m. This open mic was modeled after Take Back the Night, a national event for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

For those lonely on the eve of Feb. 14, the dance floor of Jazz Night was open at the Mug. Vassar’s up-and-coming bluegrass and old-time trio, The Powder Kegs, performed at 10 p.m. They were followed by the M Shanghai String Band, who played on into the evening.

Another option for Tuesday was the film screening of “Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women.” Famed director Dai Sil Kim-Gibson screened her film at 6 p.m. and took part in a discussion afterwards in the Sanders Auditorium.

The holiday also stirred up the old debate on the merits of Valentine’s Day. Many students do legitimately believe in the ideas for which Valentine’s Day stands. On the other hand,
some feel that the holiday creates unfair pressure to live up to a romantic ideal, and a mounting frustration over the commercialism of the holiday should not be overlooked.