Dear Readers,

As campus curls in on itself, with people retreating indoors to escape the snow, I can’t help but reflect on what creatures of habit we are—how dependent we are on weather, on seasons, on holidays to dictate what we do and how we spend our time. We wait for Valentine’s Day to make heart shaped crosswords, to write about our love of math. I waited for a snow day, classes canceled, post- moved to Zoom, to do the things I had been wanting to do for ages—bake banana bread, sleep in late and watch The Bachelor—when really these are things that we could have and that we could do every day. Part of me loves order, routine, everything in its place (flowers in spring and sun in summer and apples in fall) but a bigger part of me, perhaps, thinks we should celebrate and enjoy everything all the time.

This week, our writers are pushing boundaries as well. In Feature, the writer rejects the idea that love is only for the young, advocating giving flowers as gifts at all ages, at all times. In Narrative, one writer fights back against the idea that you shouldn’t text your ex, revisiting a piece she wrote for post- in 2021, a love letter to math, while our other writer finds solace in the midst of anxiety, using color and love to ground herself. Our Arts & Culture writers are firmly pushing back against notions of femininity, writing into existence an ode to feminine care and a wrenching testimony to the movie Bottoms and sexual assault on college campuses. Finally, a Lifestyle classic: a guide to putting together outfits using prompts, and a heart shaped crossword puzzle, the second of the semester. 

I’m still torn—I love having the excuse to celebrate, to treat snow days like a vacation or to spend Valentine’s Day being whisked away, but I can’t help wishing that we didn’t need an excuse to celebrate. As you make your Valentine’s plans, readers (a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum or a romantic dinner at Olive Garden, perhaps) remember that we don’t have to think of these as indulgences that we must wait around for a year to do again, but as normal ways we deserve to spend our time. Read our sweet Valentine’s week edition of post-, but read it again next week. Do a heart shaped crossword for Valentine’s Day, but do one the week before too. Subvert the notion that joy and love must be prescribed and constrained. I’ll work on this too, upping my weekly sweet treat allowance and celebrating my favorite things and people every week, not just this one. Luckily, new Bachelor episodes come out weekly.

XOXO,
Klara Davidson-Schmich
Feature Managing Editor