Clever
VDay gifts help student budgets
By Catherine Chen
Online Forty Niner
Contributing Writer
A holiday to celebrate with friends, family or a sweetheart, Valentine’s
Day is a time to express love to those who fill life with treasured moments.
In the midst of the pink and red heart-shaped merchandise and the college student’s
waning wallet, how does one find an inexpensive and unique gift for his or her
valentine?
“
I think really the key is just to think about the other person and know that
it’s not about the cost or the expense of the gift and it’s really
something that you get for the other person knowing that they would appreciate
it or enjoy it,” said Susanna Speirs, an art professor and head of the
metals program.
She said making a card for someone is a very accessible and creative project.
“
Nowadays, there are so many exotic papers and exciting things to put together
in a card format,” Speirs said. “There are a lot of art supply places
that you can go [to]. I think a card can move from a two-dimensional form into
a three-dimensional sort of piece.”
She considers a book of poetry and pastries from the kitchen thoughtful gifts,
too.
Speirs remembered a past Valentine’s Day when she encountered small, colorful,
paper hearts hidden in obscure places around her home.
“
I’d lift up the phone receiver and all these hearts would sort of flutter
out or I’d go over to one of my favorite books and open the pages and
these hearts would come out as well,” Speirs said.
She believes the key to finding the right present is to not feel self-conscious
and have fun. One year, she created a heart-shaped medal for a runner who participated
in several marathons.
“
I took all the fortunes that I’ve gotten over the years from fortune
cookies and I made a collage,” Speirs said. “Then that collage
was etched into a sheet of copper and then hydraulically formed into a sort
of heart form.”
Knowing a valentine’s interests and hobbies can certainly help with the
gift hunt.
“
I’m into electronics,” said Michelle Murphy, a senior linguistics
major. “Little gadgets, cell phone [and computer] stuff.”
For Husain Almansour, a graduate from Saudi Arabia currently studying English
at CSULB, this will be his first Valentine’s Day.
“
[I would like] perfume…a greeting card, that’s fine,” Alman
sour said.
“
I could always go for a box of chocolates,” said Paolo Lamelza, a freshman
international studies major. “Just say ‘Happy Valentine’s
Day’…That’s nice.”
When it comes to poetry, creative writing-poetry professor Eitan Kadosh joked, “Screw
the poems and buy a big present!” With a little more sincerity, he added, “Love
poems are a timeless way to lure the hearts of the ones that you wish to ensnare.
You can’t go wrong with a good love poem.”
Kadosh recommends speaking from the heart and finding unusual ways to say “I
love you.”
“
The fresher the metaphor, the better,” he explained.
For those who struggle with poetry, he offered an easier alternative:
“
You could put together a collection of other people’s poems, make them
into a little book and give them to your sweetie. Or, handwrite them…Spend
an hour or two at the library or at your bookstore, for free, and get a few pieces
of paper and decorate it up.”
In the area of gifts, Kadosh also suggested a CD of mixed songs and a box of
candy.
“
In my experience, ladies love candy. If you took a little box of hearts and
wrote a little message on each little heart and then put it in there, that’s
cute.”
Kadosh once started preparing a gift two months prior to Valentine’s Day
by writing thoughts and poems about a girl in a spiral-bound notebook. The finished
product was a scrapbook of pictures and kind words for his valentine to look
through.
Perhaps a simple, unexpected surprise is enough to convey affection.
“
I like surprise.“For example, say you have a class with somebody, you could
plan a study session and then surprise them with lunch and flowers instead,” said
Tina Santos, a sophomore pre-nursing major.
“
[I’d love it if someone would] sneak into my house and fill it with balloons,” Cybil
Quiming, a freshman psychology major, said, Selecting a present for Valentine’s
Day need not be stressful or
costly.
Whether it is an item from a gift shop or a self-made creation, the recipient
will feel special on this loving occasion.
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