Opinion: So, It’s Love Appreciation Day Now?

 

It’s that time of year again and love is in the air. For centuries people have celebrated Valentine’s Day all over the world with their friends, family, significant others and every other person they love. But this year at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA), instead of love being spread, there is widespread sensitivity. So much sensitivity that Valentine’s Day is no more. In fact, February 14th is now “Love Appreciation Day ” at FSSA.

Apparently, Valentine’s Day is a non-inclusive holiday and because Sinatra is so accepting and wants everyone to feel included we’ve changed the holiday’s name that we’ve always celebrated in the school community solely due to sensitive students.

There are bigger issues in our school that need addressing. People are so overly sensitive that they pick the wrong issues to focus on. Picking a petty argument such as a Valentine’s Day name change takes away from the real issues.

We asked around the school to see who is open for the name change and it was quite difficult to find someone who was in favor of “Love Appreciation Day.” After some searching, a student who prefers to remain anonymous said: “Valentine’s Day has such a prominent connotation that you have to have a significant other, but when you make it ‘Love Appreciation Day’ then it gives people more leeway to create their own new meaning for the day.”

Isn’t celebrating Valentine’s Day, which is already a holiday to celebrate the people you love, enough? Why do we need to change the name to show that it’s just about couples? In our view Valentines Day doesn’t have to be about couples to begin with. It’s about showing your love for someone and it doesn’t need a name change to express that sentiment.

Some have concluded that the students of the LGBTQ+ community are the ones who wanted the name changed. However, according to Nina Martin-Jenkins, the student council Treasurer, a member of the LGBTQ+ community: “There’s no direct implication of any type of sexuality or romantic affiliation with Valentine’s Days it’s just a day to love and appreciate the people you care about.”

So who were the people that wanted to name change? Was it someone who is looking at it from a religious point of view? Someone with actual reasons who would rather celebrate “Love Appreciation Day”? Or is it seen from the eyes of lonely teens who feel excluded in the realm of relationships?

– by Lenny Yaller ’20 and Sofia Ares ’20

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those solely of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Bennett as a whole.