Outside the Chazen Museum of Art on the Friday before Valentine’s Day, a booth of students were handing out free roses. The catch? Write your most romantic confession on a heart-shaped slip of paper to be read aloud by one of the next strangers in line.
“We’re just trying to celebrate love, type shit,” said Arnov Stivastav, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student and member of the club YesUW — a community-building organization that aims to push students out of their comfort zones — which ran the booth that day.
The idea was refreshing. No promotional gear, no financial incentives, just free flowers and crush confessions — a sweet lull in the marketing overload of a, let’s be honest, consumer-centric holiday.
But on that sunny Valentine’s Eve, the holiday that often equates material items with real affection actually felt genuine. That day, it wasn’t just the students running the booth who were falling head-over-heels for the holiday. Instead, it seemed like almost everyone in Madison was feeling the love.
Among the short-sporting students and vitamin-D-induced smiles stood Theo, a middle-aged dad with a bouquet of flowers and a stony face.
“Valentine’s Day is alright I guess,” Theo said as he looked into the distance of University Avenue for his tardy bus, “As long as you love somebody.”
For Theo, that somebody was his daughter, and his stoic appearance crumbled instantly at the thought of her. “The flowers are for her. I wanted it to be a surprise,” he said, cracking a smile and hopping onto the C bus heading west — back home to his daughter.
This Valentine’s Day felt different, and not just because of the warmth. People seemed to be relishing the romantic spirit of St. Valentine rather than rushing around for last-second gifts.
Across the street from the bus stop, Alexander Resendiz, a student at Edgewood College and cashier at Fresh Madison Market, was on the clock. Resendiz has been working at the grocery store long enough to see the hurried boyfriends who grab cheap gifts in a last ditch attempt to woo their girlfriends every February. This year, Resendiz said the boyfriends are improving.
“Last Valentine’s Day, I did not see the same thing,” said Resendiz while he eyed the self-checkout lanes. “I’ve seen a lot of guys putting in the effort this time — genuine and thoughtful gifts instead of generic ones.”
Love was definitely in the air that day, but don’t let the romantic aura of Feb. 14 convince you the holiday is only for couples. While the boyfriends were busy roleplaying Romeo, three girls on an impromptu Galentine’s date held the roses they received from Stivastav at YesUW’s booth.
“We fall for all the Valentine’s Day stuff,” UW-Madison freshman Kalissa Thach said as her friends twirled their roses. “I still love it — doesn’t matter if I’m single or not.”
