Dear First Call Lovers and Haters,

Welcome to the first First Call Valentine’s Week issue. Now, most of my FC team here would fall into the second half of my addressees: the snarly haters who believe that the glass is half empty and the sun won’t come up tomorrow. That is, in fact, the reason behind our issue title: Valentine’s Week.

As it seems, most of the First Call team believes that Valentine’s Day has become way overblown and far too big of a deal. C-O-M-M-E-R-C-I-A-L. Too much branding (see Michael’s article). They say it’s not a day anymore; it’s a week. An expensive week. A stressful week. A useless week. Speaking in extremely vague electoral terms, the majority of the FC team hates Valentine’s Day. They really hate it.

But, they aren’t here to introduce you to Valentine’s Day — I am. You might be on a suicide watch list if they were. So we, the real lovers of Valentine’s Day, aren’t going to talk about all of those “we hate Hallmark” cynics. Instead, we will chat about Valentine’s Day’s fabulosity. Yes, fabulosity.

On Valentine’s Day, everyone can wear pink and red from head to toe. How many other days can you do that without looking like an Easter Bunny? Okay, you might still look like an Easter Bunny, but people can’t poke fun at you for it. If they do, send them my way. I’m tough, you know. (See the SEPTA article inside this issue.)

If you are miserable and alone in your room because there are absolutely no pink or red clothing items in sight, don’t stress. But, don’t call one of those lame depressed people hotlines either. (If there was a jkjkjkjkjk smiley face, I would be inserting one here.) Read First Call and listen to some Radiohead (see Steve’s review) It is okay if no one else loves you, because we do. And we are better than everyone else anyway.

So now that we have poured our hearts out to you, read on. Don’t leave us unrequited in our lovin’. We are a fun-loving bunch of writers - not so much of a Romeo-and-Juliet-killed-themselves crowd. It’s not like reading us is hard work. Our articles rock, and you know it.

And in this issue we tackle new, modern, racy issues. Like interspecies relationships (see Shira’s article). Seriously, no one else on campus will teach you about that. Maybe the Bio Department, but they definitely won’t be as entertaining. You might even sleep through their version.

If Valentine’s Day was like Christmas, not reading First Call would leave you with lots of coal in your stocking. Maybe we can work something out with Godiva. “You’ve been naughty, now you get coal in your chocolates.” Eww. As I have already established, we here at FC are real lovers. Don’t make us go all doom and gloom because we have to punish you.

Lots of lovin’ from the glass-half-full side of FC,

Erica Tobin

Editor