The superficial displays of Valentine’s Day romance have become exhausting over the years. Where’s the holiday for platonic love and community? The Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) will be putting a twist on Cupid—during Campus Life Days, students can subvert the norm and order a “consensual valentine,” a sweet treat to be delivered by the student to their friend, at no cost.
“A consensual valentine is a valentine that you are able to make the choice whether you accept it or not,” says CCSS clubs and events assistant Amy Lee-Radigan. “It’s really just a way of promoting consent culture and creating more awareness about consent.”
Consent awareness around Valentine’s Day is not only about receiving informed consent when propositioning romance with a crush, but also encapsulates an overarching environment of respect and trust.
“So often with holidays that have that kind of romantic nature, there can be increased pressure in romantic situations,” says Lee-Radigan. “Creating an ongoing respectful and safe environment for everyone is especially important to keep in mind.”
With consensual valentines, Lee-Radigan says that the focus can be shifted away from romance.
“They can absolutely be platonic—there’s nothing better than telling your friends that you care about them,” they say. “There’s so much focus on Valentine’s being a very romantic holiday, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity for students to also bring it into the friendship realm. We’ve had some students order them and then organize in a group so that their entire class has received them on the morning of.”
CCSS advocacy and outreach coordinator Michael Glover thought up the idea for the event several years ago, but this year, the CCSS is changing it up a little.
“We used to hand-deliver the valentines to different classrooms for students, but simply due to the event expanding, we’ve had to stop that,” says Lee-Radigan. “This year, students can pre-order their valentines in advance, and then go pick them up on the 11th [at Interurban] and 13th [at Lansdowne] of February. Then they can give them to their friends themselves.”
Students can sign up to have either candy, a flower, or an orange with their valentine.
“It’s lovely to give and receive, especially if it’s a free event,” says Lee-Radigan. “If you are a student who doesn’t feel like they can afford to splurge on their friends, this is a wonderful opportunity to get them a little treat.”
Campus Life Days, which go on every week from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, happen in the Centre for Business and Access foyer on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Interurban campus, and in the Fisher building foyer on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Lansdowne campus. From Monday, January 27 until Thursday, February 6, students can drop by the CCSS table at Campus Life Days and pre-order their valentine. There will be a few available on the day of, but it’s recommended to pre-order, says Lee-Radigan.
“The Office of Student Support will be joining us [at Campus Life Days] to have one of their consent information booths set up,” says Lee-Radigan. “So not only can you get a valentine, you can also have trained professionals give a little bit more information on consent culture.”
So if you’re feeling down and the romantic pressure is high around this Valentine’s Day, it could be an opportune moment to see a friend and take a break from homework.
“It’s so easy to get bogged down in schoolwork and everything going on in the world and all around us right now,” says Lee-Radigan. “It’s nice to have that person-to-person connection highlighted.”