Whether single or in a happy relationship, UF students will have to face Valentine’s Day today.
Single students are celebrating without a significant other, while long-distance couples plan for reunions over the weekend. For some on campus, the holiday doubles as their birthday.
Diana Long, who serves Krishna Lunch on the Plaza of the Americas five days a week, will celebrate her 72nd birthday with the thousands of students she’ll encounter. In addition to the usual halava for dessert, she plans to bring chocolate cake decorated with frosting and strawberries, and chocolate chip cookies.
“It was God’s plan for me to be born on this day, and it was to show love to other people,” Long said.
Every day, Long smiles as she hands out plates of vegetarian and vegan food. She said everyone is welcome to have a piece of cake or a cookie.
She plans to bring 10 sheet cakes and about 300 cookies.
“Are you coming to lunch Tuesday?” she asked students last week. “It’s my birthday, and I’m bringing cake.”
Tuesdays are typically a slow day for Krishna Lunch, she said. As a birthday gift, she said she would like to see more than 1,000 students come and eat cake with her.
But some students aren’t planning to celebrate the holiday until this weekend. Ryan Totten, 22, is driving to Orlando on Saturday to celebrate with his girlfriend of five and a half years, Katie Gauger.
Although his plans are delayed, Totten, a UF mechanical engineering senior, said he’s not upset he won’t be able to see his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
“It will be easier to get dinner reservations,” he said.
Totten said he usually sees Gauger about every other week, but this trip will be special. Valentine’s Day is a good excuse for the couple to treat themselves to a nicer-than-usual dinner.
But for 19-year-old Andie Utset, the holiday is just a Hallmark money-maker. The UF English sophomore said she won’t celebrate and plans to catch up on a few episodes of the TV show “Westworld” and order herself a rib dinner.
“(Today) should be a normal day,” she said. “If anything, I’ll try to avoid leaving the dorm.”
Utset said she’s most looking forward to buying the candy on sale Wednesday.
“I’ll hit up Wal-Mart and Target for all the 75-percent-off candy,” she said.
