Single

Valentine’s Day is coming up this Friday, Feb. 14. If you have a date or a partner, then you may be eagerly looking towards the end of the week. If you’re single, however, you might be feeling indifferent towards the holiday or even feeling self-conscious if you don’t have plans. Well, not to worry; being single on Valentine’s Day is totally fine. Here are just a few reasons why:

Since coming to Columbia, I have been in far too many romantic entanglements. But once I realized that I was actually unhappy with myself as a person, I finally gave up on love. It wasn’t just my personal experiences that led me to this conclusion, though. After seeing a friend of mine leave an abusive relationship and watching another friend develop an unhealthy codependency on her significant other, I decided that relationships are not worth the hype. (To any of my ex-boyfriends reading this right now, hey, how are ya?)

A couple weeks ago, David Hanzal had a bout of déjà vu. Someone came into People Against Landlord Abuse and Tenant Exploitation, the West Harlem nonprofit better known as P.A.’L.A.N.T.E., asking for advice—someone like Hanzal, four years ago. “He walks in, he says, ‘I’ve organized my building, I’ve done 311, I don’t know what to do, the landlord’s doing this.’” The client lives right near Columbia’s 17-acre Manhattanville expansion, in the neighborhood of the same name. “He's got a long road ahead of him. You know, he’s where I was in 2014.”

If this past year has taught me anything, it’s that I am incapable of being a “smooth” human being. The first “date” I went on this year set the tone for nearly every single one that followed: After having spent the first half of a double feature movie date awkwardly not discussing that it was, in fact, a date, I decided to make a move when I noticed that she was cold in the theater. But I couldn’t simply be so forward, could I? I didn’t want to leave her feeling uncomfortable if she wasn’t game.

It’s not getting any warmer out, but the semester is definitely moving along. Not too long ago, we were telling you how to get back in the swing of things post-winter holiday; last Friday, we were helping you fall in love.

As February quickly approaches, so does the one holiday all of us singles would shove out a window if we had the chance. That's right -- Groundhog Day! But also, Valentine's Day.

And what should we name this place?

It's Valentines Day Singles Appreciation Day. On the off chance that you actually feel like leaving your dorm today, we've compiled a list of places to avoid and safe zones for the forever alone among us. Places to avoid like the bubonic plague: 1. Artopolis: Expect to see scads of cheery couples feeding each other strawberries and chocolate sauce. Do not come here if you have a gag reflex. more 2. Parks without significant hobo populations. Couples will be strolling along, hands laced, pixelated birds flying around chirping little love songs while back up dancers waltz dreamily on the sidelines. 3. Chocolate and floral stores to avoid the stampede of forgetful significant others on the phone swearing "of course I didn't forget, honey" while frantically jamming roses and truffles into the fanciest plastic sack they can find. This includes Duane Reade; if you need to stock up on toothpaste, do it tonight! 4. The stacks. Because. 5. The Vine, Thai Market, Massawa, etc. Couples shipping the whole "Ethnic Valentines Day" will flock here. Beware. Where to go when you are unfettered by the burden of a plus one: 1. Go to Maoz! Garlic sauce wards off vampires, vampire romances, and romance in general. 2. Koronets, because as Jenny said, "If someone took me on a date to Koronet's, I would bitch slap them. And then dump them. This goes for Famiglia's, Ollie's, and Five Guys as well. Chipotle---that one's negotiable." Saccharine lovey-dovey couples free, guaranteed. 3. Noco. While the sci-fi-ness is super cool  to study in, the feeling of Big Brother watching is kind of a turn-off. Unless you like that kind of thing, that is. 4. Go to Washington Square Park to pick up hot NYU guys/gals. 5. Sandya and Jenny's dorm rooms respectively, there is going to be absolutely no action going on in there at all. Safe space.

Earlier today, we published a piece about being a college virgin. If you haven't had a chance to read it, this article is about how having sex should be a personal decision, and there is nothing wrong with choosing to wait. I would like to expand this discussion to the idea of relationships in general. Since middle school, there has been unending pressure on people to "text that cutie" or that "its sexy to make the first move." In other words, Seventeen Magazine and Cosmopolitan have taught me from a young age to always keep my eye out for a potential hook-up/boyfriend/husband. Or, as my Jewish mother never fails to tell me before I leave the house in my sweats, "you never know when you'll meet prince charming, now go put on some lipstick."