It is that time of the year again: Valentine’s Day. No other holiday brings about so many strong feelings, both good and bad.

There has long been a conflict of interests between people who love Valentine’s Day and all the red roses, chocolate and love that it imparts, and the people who view the holiday as overdone and commercialized.

The fact that stores like Hallmark begin preparing for this holiday months in advance, with a multitude of gift boxes, cards and flower selections, suggests that it has become more about the gifts and less about the sentiments.

Student opinion varies, with people on both sides of the spectrum. Some are proponents of the holiday for its sentimental value, while others are more against the idea of it due to its focus on gifts and materialism.

“I think Valentine’s Day is a moment for couples to have together that is memorable and romantic,” sophomore Abby Gebremichael said.

While there is the argument that Valentine’s Day can be too commercialized, some students say that its appeal is gift giving and receiving, especially when it comes to sweet treats.

“I like valentine’s candy,” freshman Nelson Bersal said.

However, not all people share this view.

“I think it’s a waste of time and money,” junior Visoda Heng said. “It is stressful and it is just like every day.”

Other reasons for the lack of solid support for the holiday include the confusion can disparity between genders concerning expectations of the holiday. This can be attributed to today’s culture and the gender roles associated with it.

Girls are often depicted as expecting gifts or grand gestures.

“I want to watch The Vow with my sophomore boyfriend,” freshman Rochelle Kenney said.

On the other hand, guys are generally less eager to express their feelings so strongly.

“I think Valentine’s Day is pointless,” junior Kurtis Neal said. “If I had a girlfriend I would get her flowers and chocolate.”

Part of the reason this occurs is because of the commercialization of the holiday. There is a huge selection of candy and flowers available at numerous stores. Coupled with the mass advertisement of romantic comedies in movie theaters, date-night ideas and gifts, this causes an expectation in some that may be considered exaggerated by others.

Not all students are affected by this, though.

“I would expect a guy not to do anything big, but to take me out somewhere,” junior Michelle Park said.

“I am getting flowers for my wonderful girlfriend,” sophomore Ronald Romero said.

This is yet another example of conflicting student views and expectations, both of which are positive and refflect the idea that the holiday still does retain value among today’s generations.

Regardless of the debate over specifics, the core idea of Valentine’s Day still appears to be present among students.

“It’s a time to show each other love,” Gebremichael said.