by Emma Shuster ‘18

According to tradition, girls care more about Valentine’s Day than boys do, possibly because the day is a perfect opportunity for a boy to show how much he cares about a girl by performing extravagant romantic acts and buying lavish gifts.

With the big day less than a week away, we decided to put this stereotype to the test by interviewing Valerie Smith and Nathan James, who have been dating for nearly two years. We separately asked them the same questions about what they expect from the other on one of the most romance-oriented days of the year.

What gifts do you expect to receive or give?

Valerie: He’ll most likely buy me the Tiffany necklace I’ve been eyeing since the fall. It may be a lot of money, but it is Valentine’s Day and almost our two-year anniversary! When he picks me up for dinner, I expect a box of chocolates and a giant teddy bear! A dozen roses would be nice too!
Nathan: I just don’t see the big deal with this holiday. If I just ignore it, she’s going to think I have something huge planned … truth is I don’t. I don’t expect a gift from Val. She’s explained to me several times how this holiday requires the guy to please the girl, not the other way around.

What kind of evening do you expect?

Valerie: A super special, romantic evening. I’d prefer a fancy dinner at Cheesecake Factory, but if he doesn’t feel like taking me out, it would be super cute if he made dinner! Or if he planned a scavenger hunt throughout the day! I’ll be sent to different places and will make my way to a nice restaurant or my room, where I’ll see candles, flowers, and chocolate! OMG, I’m so excited!
Nathan: Why wouldn’t we do what we always do? Order a pizza and watch a movie in her parent’s basement. I’ll even offer to make the popcorn in the microwave. How do you plan on sharing the experiences with others?
Valerie: I want to post on Instagram and Snapchat about how special our relationship is and brag about everything he does for me. I want my feed to be filled with people commenting about how cute we are. I hope it rains so he can kiss me like in The Notebook… how romantic! That’d make the perfect picture!
Nathan: I mean, I guess Val will make me take a pic, or two, or a thousand. But there won’t be anything to share because we’re just staying in. Maybe I should drop by Safeway and pick up candy or a rose or something she can hold up for a picture. That’s ok, right?