Sunday, February 15, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five -a..F ..iv PERSPECTI VE Valentine's ay: Old custom runs amok By ELAINE FLETCHER or have bad memories from the 'S A DAY dedicated to Eros' past. Some are just too busy [T' d DAY decad o. Er, or object to it. But whatever the god of sexual love. Per- the cause, Valentine's Day only haps because it ranks higher brings to mind fourth grade and than Groundhog Day in an oth- heart-covered shoe boxes. erwise dull holiday month, or "It used to be the worst time perhaps because of greeting of year for me because nobody, cards, Valentine's Day draws ever gave me a valentine," re- people out of the winter dol- members one such person, drums. who'd rather see the whole prac- Yet despite candy, cards, and time junked. our seemingly active interest in "It's worse than Christmas," the "softer sentiments," Valen- complains another, "because it tine's Day never made it as a has no tradition behind it-it's big-time holiday event, solely supported by commercial "I'd still give my girlfriend interests." a card, but it's not like when But although Valentine's Day I was younger," remarks one has lately been perpetuated al- young Valentine's Day observer. most totally by Hallmark and "I used to run around seeing flower shops, it is steeped in a how many valentines I could tradition that dates back to the collect-now if I get more than time long before the idea of one I'm in trouble." Christmas ever existed. Some send flowers, candied hearts, and their love a la Hall- THE ANCIENT ROMANS be- mark. They write mushy poetry gan it all with a spring love- and cling adoringly to their ov- fest, called Lupercalia, held just ers. Others retain the holiday's one day later than now-Feb. 15.' form but not quite the same As part of the ceremonies, two' sentiment. "Sure I got a valen- noblemen's sons would be chos- tine for someone," remarks one en from the eligible bachelors woman, "I stole it - how could you not steal something like that?" _ of the town, to run about near- young couples were wed. It was ly naked carrying long goatskin a people-centered holiday among' whips and lash at all the young a sea of saint and heaven-cen-' women who came into their tered celebrations. path. Although no one ever both- ered to ask the women wheth- KEPT ALIVE in this manner, er they in fact liked this prac- Valentine's Day was brought; tice, they succumbed quite read- to the New World with the Euro- ily to the chase because the pean immigrants. Somehow strokes were supposed to make managing to slip past our Puri- them more fertile, tan ancestors, it found a rather In view of its background, it exploitive haven in Hallmark is not too difficult to under- and the school system. stand how this festival of love, drinking, and dancing might "Valentine's Day? I don't have sat on the consciences of think I've really thought about the early church fathers. They it since fifth grade," comment- christianized it along with all ed another student. of the old pagan rituals dub- It was thanks to the fond sup-: bing it with a martyr's name port of many a third or fifth' - St. Valentine. They desig- grader that Valentine's Day es- nated the day for celebration, tablished itself with lacey cards: then tried to forget about it. and candied hearts. Yet, the Yet the people hung on to this occasion always makes some day of love, perhaps because sweat. Schoolchildren, unsurel of its lustiness or perhaps be- about these strange rites of love, cause it was more fun than oth- often send out cards to every-' er holy days. In the old Roman! one except the object of their' colony of Britain, the ancient infatuation. Or they may skip rites became the objects of half the class and give them tamer games and dances, and only to those of the same sex. Feb. 14 became a day on which ,'Some send cards but don't get any back. While teachers preside over these relatively new and strange customs, Hallmark has taken the other last remnants of the 'Sure I got a valentine for someone. I the powers above. It has more potential than Christmas for true hedonistic celebrating-just hours of eating, dringing, danc- ing and love-making. stole it - how could you not steal some- thing like that?' -'U' student nosy ay d dc turned it into a But such a time will never small but proper part of con- happen. Any real revitalization temportry courtship. Valentine's of the old event would kick a Day has become just a bottle last final breath from it. Mer- of perfume, cigarette case or chants would offer coupons, po- handkerchief from a convenient litical candidates would use the admirer. day to campaign, the airlines would come out with Valentine STEEPED IN ALL the extrem- tour packages. Hallmark would es of bad tradition from silly not like it. sentimentalisms to Roman sex- We can't touch it without ex- ual practices, Feb. 14 combines ploiting the concept even more a bit of lore from all ages. than we have. And without re- Although it was intended as a ligion to back Valentine's Day day of loving, frivolous cele- up we're at a loss about how bration, it is often seen as a!j to celebrate such a day. As a cruel custom, particularly to result, Don Juans will continue the lonely third-grader who re- to gloat over it, shy fourth ceives nary a Valentine or the graders will sweat, nice young older peon ho ha sno ler women will wax coy and mys- with whom to share sentiments. terious - all the old symptoms But, the day does retain some ' of "love." saving graces. It's one of the few holidays dedicated to peo- laine Fle/cher is a Daily ple, sex, and fun - rather thanI s/aff writer and night editor. .., .. __ . _ . _ ._ _ T_ i Minority Affirmative Action .......-"' ....rr"'" II- ________ ii; ii ij ,, WOMEN'S STUDIES- NOT EVERYONE chooses to celebrate the day howevver. Martha Tradlitions die sloWly; (Continued from Page 3) a fur coat - and nothing else. But, to Vivian Jones, head of the dorm's housekeeping -staff, there's only one kind of wo- man that lives in Martha Cook -- "upperclass." And Jones says she likes that. She's work- ed there for 25 years now and says, "If the dorm were to loosen up its rules, it would lose some of its prestige." After,-a year or two at Mar- tha Cook some women flee the dorm's security. Loran Cutsing-. er, 21, moved into a co-op last year when she decided Martha Cook was too sheltered. Junior Mary Cybulski, 20, de- cided Cookies were too wrapped up indating and not enough concerned with the outside world. She also went off to a co-op, with the parting remark, "I can small-talk better with my grandmother's friends now." "There's a certain class to this place," comments another resident. "It becomes part of_ you." SHE APPRECIATES the same things other Cook residents have appreciated over the years - garden terrace, the giant magnolias, the plush bro- caded chairs, and the quiet, re- fined, yet sometimes zany at- mosphere., WhenrHuebner was honored by the academic society Phi Kappa Phi in 1935, her Martha Cook friends told her to hide the society's key if she wanted to get rnarried. Last year the Martha Cook women staged an elaborate wedding reception in the Red Room. They baked and care- fully decorated a two-foot tall, four-foot wide wedding cake. They put on their best dresses and invited their male .escorts to put on their best suits. Only two things were miss- ing from the proper recet ion -a bride and a groom. There; was no wedding; only a crazy party. The Cookies of 1935 would have been shocked. A MAJOR MEETING Introducing the WOMEN'S STUDY PROGRAM Its opportunities and its students WE'LL BE DISCUSSING WHAT'S A WOMEN'S STUDIES MAJOR? WOMEN'S STUDIES FOR THE NON MAJOR WOMEN'S STUDIES-STUDENT POINTS OF VIEW IT'S YOUR PROGRAM. FUTURE PLANS AND GOALS i : ! ' ' in Co-Operatives " MEMBER-CONTROLLED r FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE 0 LOW COST Think about us for next FALL-WINTER For more information, call 662-4414 or come to the INTER-COOPERATIVE COUNCIL OFFICE rm. 4002 Mich. Union I WE'LL GET TOGETHER TUESDAY, Feb. 17, at 4:00 p.m. at the UNION'S KUENZEL ROOM! QUESTIONS Call the Women's Studies Pro- gram, 763-2047, M-F 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. H V~)T HE U NIVE RS ITY ACTIVITIES CENTER (U A C) seeking qualified people to fill Senior Office positions for 1976-1977 9 President 9 Coordinating Vice-President " Public Relations Vice-President e Chief Financial Officer Please stop by UAC 2nd floor, Michigan Union for an application Deadline for Application is Feb. 20th (9 IM THIS WEEK AT: Dailv Photo by STEVE KAGAN A clerk at Wild's Men's Shop holds up some valentine's underwear Fun and Money-Join The Daily " - Ann Arbor's Premium Rock and Roll Night Club LIVE MUSIC AND DANCING EVERY NIGHT SUNDAY Featuring: FRIENDS ROAD SHOW -PLUS-- PITCHER NIGHT 1/a PRICE on Beer All Night MONDAY Featuring: SAM and DAVE --PLUS- TEQUILA NIGHT: All Tequila Drinks 1/ PRICE All Night TUESDAY Featuring: BRAINSTORM -PLUs 50c DISCOUNT on All Drinks BETWEEN 9 & 10 P.M. ThK Uight house TA CHRISTIARf K PERFORminG COmPAnY Combining song. dance and drama r to communicate the love of God. uancer's seven warning Signls 1. Change in bowel or bladder habits. u u 2. A sore that does not heal. i 3. Unusual bleeding or discharge. 4. Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere. 5. Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing. * 6. Obvious change in wart or mole. I 7. Nagging cough or hoarseness. Featuring: BRAINSTORM --PLUS-- STUDENT NIGHT, ONLY 50c Admission for Students WEDNESDAY THURSDAY thru SATURDAY Featuring: BRAINSTORM Bring a New Friend, Meet an Old Friend, at: VIO IAR! . - I ,I I.