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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1996)
ary 14 ( 1S| m L The Battalion Wednesday ebruary 1 4, 1 996 Aggielife Page 3 The Cupid Question of biocheu dviser, m will bei t. A&M fron “And tk i that tli tially, tti! 1 Valentine's Day has a deep meaning r; r > ^ Holiday ruined by commercialization o celebrate Valentine’s Day, I’m going to valk around campus n black and hand out lead roses and poi- oned candy. Tonight, I’m going th doctoti x) follow my ex- joyfriend to the ■ograra de- o increasi Amy Collier Aggielife Editor ts will I i they e studenti iservatiori they hail commuii >r becaus they b,” Castm m under i the sair.; s to get i als of doc i commit A officers one inter- cided they jld share, ig another ve decided .her would ;s said, ey will jo ners, ex- d time to st of this mtic with said. “We >m antics nail tech- ills, said r the holi es. le comiri! want re: • to go out said, sr natur- does not ine, said s, read a 1 family to iday. cidedto ay with about' ’estaurant where he is having dinner with his new girlfriend and put sugar in his gas tank. After that, I’m going to go home, cry all night and eat a gal lon of ice cream because I don’t have anyone to love me. OK, maybe not... but some people might, or they will at least fantasize about it. Over the past month, I have constant ly heard peo ple’s dement ed stories about how they can over come their misery on Valentine’s Day “Valentine’s Day sucks,” they say. “I don’t under stand why there has to be one day out of the year where you have to celebrate love.” “If you don’t have a sig nificant other, it makes you feel like you’re nothing.” People should stop whining. Many people act like Valen tine's Day is a conspiracy to make them feel like a piece of dirt. They treat people who cele brate the holiday like they’re terri ble and cold- hearted be cause they’ve found some one special. But Valentine’s Day is not bad. It is not meant to make people feel worthless. And it is certainly not a day to make people feel excluded. Instead, it should make peo ple feel fulfilled — even the single ones. No, I’m not insane, and I’m not one of those mushy people who walks around smiling and exclaim ing with joy, “Isn’t life grand?” People should realize there are many more im portant things in life than finding someone to exchange overpriced flow ers with on Valen tine’s Day. We need to focus on the positive things in life — like the people who love us. Our thoughts should not be con sumed by wonder ing when we’re go ing to find that special person.” Valentine’s Day is not just a time for romantic love. It is also a time to celebrate the love of families and friends. We all have someone who loves us or someone we love, and we should all be thankful for it. But some people, the pes simists, may think there is noth ing positive in their lives. Every thing is bad, bad, bad. They have a dark cloud constantly hanging over their heads. Well, we all got up this morning, and we’ve all seen something that made us crack a smile. Things are getting much bet ter already. If we start focusing on the posi tive things in life, we will ob viously be happier, creating a friendlier look on our faces. A smile is a lot more attractive to a prospective date than a frown that reflects bitterness. We shouldn’t punish people who have a sig nificant other. We should n’t cringe every time we see heart deco rations, mushy Valentine cards or even heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. People should be happy for others who have found someone to love and look forward to a Valentine’s Day when they will have someone to love. Believe it or not, it will hap pen one day. But until then, we need to remember there are more im portant people to love, like the person inside. True love will never happen until we love ourselves. And we surely aren’t going to learn to love ourselves if we sit around and act bitter. Amy Collier is a senior journalism major. V alentine’s Day. A day set aside to honor of the greatest emotion of all — love. It seems like such a great concept, but it isn’t. I hate Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not as much of a scrooge as I seem. But since I don’t have a boyfriend, this holi day basically excludes me. Not that other holidays don’t ^ exclude people, but this is different; other holi days have the air of being optional — you can skip ^' out on them if you don’t be lieve in them. Pitifully sin gle people like myself, however, are not graced with such options on Feb. 14. What’s worse than the exclusionary nature of this holiday is the commercial ism. I am almost fearful to go to the mall this time of year. I’ve had to deal with the little reminders that my least-fa vorite holiday is coming since the week after Christmas. You know — the smattering of red and white teddy bears, satin hearts, the valentine decor in the Bus Stop Snack Bar, even “sweethearts week” on Wheel of Fortune — somehow the com mercial cheese of this holiday is stalking me at my every turn. What was once potentially a beautiful and meaningful day has turned into the cheesiest, most over-commercialized day of the year. Although it’s true that all holi- Amy Uptmor Asst. Aggielife Editor days have become more or less com mercial ized, I at least still find my self in church around Christmas, or with my family on Thanksgiving. But that isn’t the case around Feb. 14. The single masses make elaborate plans to eat and drink too much, watch Singles for 24 hours straight, and bond while cursing the oppo site sex. Then there are the people who have signif icant others that they complain about for the other 364 days of the year, but who somehow fall in love all over again on Valentine’s Day be cause they are bom- barded with flow ers, presents and a romantic dinner. For them, what disguises itself as the most romantic day of the year is usually just a cop- out designed to make up ground with their significant others for whom they don’t do anything nice for during the rest of the year. You have been warned. There’s just no need for this cursed holiday. It’s sappy, expensive, de pressing and serves no signifi cant purpose other than to keep the card shops and florists in business. But as bitter as I may sound, I’ve decided not to be hateful to those of you who are in love today. I’ve given up on my prayers for rain today (I wanted all the picnics in the park to be ruined). I’ve even decided not to wear black, a tradition on this day for me since I was about 16. Instead, I’m going to channel my negative energy into something positive. I’m having dinner with my friends, and then I’m going to call my mom to see if she got the bouquet of spring flowers I sent her. She always sends me a card on Valentine’s Day, and that means more to me than any cheesy present. In other words, I’m spending Valen tine’s Day hon oring the people I truly love — the people I will love forever. No candy, no teddy bears and no pink balloons; just a little sincerity, thank you. That’s the way it should be. Amy Uptmor is a senior journalism major. Messina Hof brings Sicilian tradition to winemaking s Editor ; Editor or Colvin, Kendra S. n, Amber aad, )ere- ?s: Helen rher, I ark, Erin is Miller, rowning, , Jill Maz- : er Lynne \ Amber n the Di- 2647 le Battal- rlassified id office i a single J $50 per il and ept on ostage A&M Libe Goad The Battalion S icilians believe in tradition. Like in Mario Puzzo’s God father, the Messina Hof winery in Bryan celebrates a wedding Sicilian style. The festivities are warm, and everyone is treated like family. Those who come to witness the nuptials are overpowered with the sense of tradition and heritage that owner Paul Bonarrigo brings to the winery. Of course, the daughter in this wedding is not young and shapely like the one in the Scorcese film. Bonarrigo’s daughter is an 80-gallon, 600-pound oak barrel filled with red wine, and the groom, a nine- inch bottle filled with crystal clear brandy. The union comes from a long-standing tradition that Bonarrigo carries on from his Sicilian heritage. The formal name is Marriage of the Port. Perhaps curiosity drew visitors last weekend to the unique wedding that honors the blending of brandy and red wine to make port, a strong red wine best served at room temperature with something sweet. “I wonder what people think when they hear about a 600-pound bride and a nine-inch tall groom,” Bonarrigo said. The ceremonious event took place in the winery’s fermentation room where barrels of aging wine line the walls. Chris Lane, retail salesperson and official port priest, conducted the marriage. A mock bride and groom were chosen from the tour group to assist with nuptial rituals. In a humorous ceremony, the groom poured a bot tle of brandy into the wooden barrel of wine, and the volunteer bride stirred the two liquids together. After the marriage ceremony, the barrel was sealed and the marriage will be consummated Feb. 14, 1998, when the barrel will be reopened to the drinking public. After the wedding was official, the wedding party celebrated with a wine-tasting lecture and wedding cake. And to celebrate the most romance-ridden day of the year, Messina Hof sold personalized wine labels. One man made a label for his sweetheart that said, “Like a bottle of wine,” the label read, “You’ve aged beautifully.” Bonarrigo brought the romance of the Marriage of the Port from Sicily to Messina Hof, but the Por tuguese are given credit for performing the original Marriage of the Port. Thanks to the Portuguese, port wine became a necessity on merchant ships, while Portuguese wine en route to England rarely reached its destination in a drinkable state. To solve their problem, sailors added copious amounts of brandy to the wine barrels. The wine Dave House, The Battalion See Marriage, Page 4 Messina Hof makes personalized wine bottles. «§1 ATLANTIC it * DEBUT RECORDING lg | ALBUM ARTIST Ll! “GET OVER IT LIVE IN CONCERT WOODY LEE Sat. Feb 17, 1996 SHADOW CANYON Show Starts @ 10:30 For More Info Call (409)-8467-4440 presents THE 1996 BRIDAL SHOW & BENEFIT SUNDAY • FEBRUARY 25th 1 - 6 PM • COLLEGE STATION HILTON THREE EXCITING FASHION SHOWS coordinated by MARY BRYANT. Featuring selections from Als Formal Wear, Dillards, Ladies &: Lords, Sir Knight, The Gallery Salon, Signature Dressing and Special Occasions. 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Tickets are $10 at the door, or may be purchased in advance for $7.50 at Als Formal Wear, Ladies & Lords, Party Tune Rentals, Vogue Hair Salon, Wenonahs Pantry, University Flowers and Special Occasions Proceeds will be donated to The Girls Club ofThe Brazos Valley Platinum Sponsors The Eagle Gold Sponsors Associated Publishing • KORA • KTEX • TV FACTS • Party Time Rentals Silver Sponsors Signature Dressing • Memoir Photography • University Flowers Vogue Hair Salon • Wenonah’s Pantry Hett)£ine~~^ pm p w w m w Student Counseling lummmwwww Weekdays 4 pm to 8 am Q /I Cl O ”7 fl fl Weekends 24 Hours a Day O iO"Zl/UU © I'm upset. We just broke up & I need to talk to someone. © I think I hate my major. How can I find the right one for me? © I'm stressed out! What can I do? © I'm on scho pro-worried about grades. 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