“When I think of Valentine’s Day I think of showing people I care and how much I love them,” said Janell Love, a music education sophomore. “For special people I think gifts are appropriate. I sent cards and a couple of gifts, myself. Love is also expecting to receive some.”
In relating Valentine’s Day today to younger days, Love felt the idea carries more significance today but added, the whole idea is “too commercialized.”
Jared Hill, a 2nd grader at Westpark Elementary, responded to the question by saying: “It isn’t really any bid deal.” Jared did report the party planned at school for Valentine’s Day. “We usually have cookies - heart cookies.” Comparing Valentine’s Day to Christmas, Jared could only come up with one reason for preferring Christmas: “gifts are better than exchanging Valentines.” Jared went on to say he has no girlfriend, has learned nothing in school of the history behind Valentine’s Day, and “I’m giving Mom a special card.”
Andrea Beeker is a 1st grade student at Westpark in Mrs. Hunter’s class. She prefers Valentine’s Day over Christmas at school “because you get Valentines - it’s the funnest. We bring Valentines before school starts and put them in our Valentine mail boxes we made during art.” Andrea doesn’t have any boyfriends and is making her special Valentine for Mrs. Hunter. As for the destiny of the valentines she receives, Andrea said “My mom might let me save a little, but we’ll throw away the rest.”

Various perspectives on Valentine’s Day from the February 14, 1980 edition of the University of Idaho Argonaut.