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| FEATURES
FEB. 10, 2015 LOUISVILLECARDINAL.COM
8 things better than having a Valentine SA RAH RO HL E DE R NEWS@LOUISVILLECARDINAL.COM
1. Making money You know every single one of your coworkers is going to ask off for Valentine’s Day. This is your chance to make bank at work, when no one else will. Plus, if you’re a waiter, you will have an unending dinner rush, which means an unending flow of tips. Everyone loves music, including our Editor-in-Chief. PHOTO
BY JACOB ABRAHAMSON / THE LOUISVILLE CARDINAL
Bring back the mixtape
Why you should adopt an oldschool habit this Valentine’s Day SEI LER SM ITH NEWS@LOUISVILLECARDINAL.COM
The mixtape is an ancient art form, born in the murky musical depths of the 70s and 80s. It is a symbol of close-knit companionship between two people intertwined so deep, they know each other’s exact music taste. The mixtape was a romance power move and, if done perfectly, would guarantee that you and that special someone would at least make it to the next date. But perfect wasn’t easy. You had to get the tape just right, with all of the other person’s deep loves and likes. Not just the standard “she likes rock,” or “he loves jazz” kind of knowledge, but a sentimental understanding which goes into the complexities of lyrics, beats, placement of songs, artists, genres and histories. The mixtape withstood the shift from 8-tracks to cassettes to CDs, and became the teenager’s Cupid’s arrow in the days of MySpace, when brightly-colored blank CDs could hold about 18 carefully selected tracks. If you really wanted to impress your partner, you would even slip a handdrawn cover into the slip in the CD case. Where did this esteemed art go? It has seemed to crumble away with the digital age. I propose we bring back the mixtape. Now, some renovations will have to be made, as tape players and CD-ROM
drives are obsolete. So, you have two options: an external CD drive (or internal if you were smart enough to buy a laptop with one) or Spotify. It may sound dumb, but nowadays, a Spotify playlist is just as acceptable as any CD in your car. Now to get it just right, mix in all your special person’s likes, your history with them and of course songs for the occasion. But I know that is quite a feat, so I will give you a head start.
Remember, these songs will not just cut it, you must also incorporate your own and your relationship into the rest of the playlist. Good luck, and happy Valentine’s Day.
No Valentine? More like no one to buy chocolates and flowers and giant teddy bears for. It’s not like you wanted to fight the line of people who also waited until Friday night at Kroger to get their significant others low-quality boxes of chocolates anyway. Hallmark doesn’t need anymore money from you. (Bonus: you may also save money on birth control, because you don’t have to buy birth control when you’re going solo.)
3. Galentine’s Day Personally, I know few guys who know my tastes as well as my best girl friend does--even if that means lounging in hand-me-down sweatpants and eating Graeter’s black raspberry chip in front of Netflix together. Note: The G-A-L of Galentine’s Day can also refer to the gallons of black raspberry chip ice cream you may accidentally consume in one sitting on this day.
4. Sleep No matter who your significant other is, he or she is not cuddlier than your pillows after a long week of tests and quizzes.
6. Not having to shave Let’s face it: no one actually enjoys saving. There is nothing enjoyable about spending $7 on an item that is destined to draw blood on your knobby knees--or jawline, for the fellas. Valentine’s Day + no date = furry legs 4eva <3 <3
10 songs every Valentine’s Day mixtape should have: 1. Gracefully- Vintage Trouble 2. This Magic Moment- The Drifters 3. I’m Shakin’- Jack White 4. This I Promise You- NSYNC 5. Came Out of A Lady- Rubblebucket 6. Tiny Dancer- Elton John 7. Ain’t No Mountain High EnoughMarvin Gaye 8. Sunshine of Your Love- CREAM 9. You’re All I Need Baby- Method Man (ft. Mary J. Blige) 10. We Found Love- Rihanna
2. Saving money
7. Post-Valentine’s Day candy sales If you don’t have a date, then you don’t have to rush to the store for overpriced candy. Instead, wait until the day after, which will allow you to stock up enough candy to transform your dorm into Willy Wonka’s factory.
5. Spontaneity Having a valentine pretty much eliminates the option of just going and doing something adventurous on a whim. People who are consumed with the pressure of planning the perfect Valentine’s Day date will be jealous of you.
8. Low expectations Between the high-budget movies and your highly-filtered Instagram homepage, Valentine’s Day may look pretty magical, but that only leads to unattainable expectations. Face it: we’re all on college budgets here. You’re not getting a wall of white roses, circa Kimye.