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Stop Complaining About How You're Single And Remember That 17 People Lost Their Lives On This Day

February 14th isn't just Valentine's Day anymore. It's the anniversary of the Parkland Shooting.

Emma Barrera

Feb 14, 2019

Temple University

136

Stop Complaining About How You're Single And Remember That 17 People Lost Their Lives On This Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hp6poCzjw&t=169s

On February 14th, 2018, 17 high school students were killed in the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Yet social media is full of people complaining that they're single. And it really pisses me off.

I never really understood Valentine's Day. What makes February 14th so special when it comes to celebrating love? Whether it's friendships, romantic relationships, or yourself, that kind of love is celebrated every day.

One year ago, 17 individuals lost their lives. They won't ever get the chance to love again. And we're over here complaining that no one is sending us flowers or taking us out to dinner.

I opened Twitter and was disgusted to see that "Valentine's Day" was trending higher than Parkland, with 3.42M tweets versus 246K tweets, respectively.

Thoughts and prayers, hugs and kisses, I'm just not here for it today.

While the rest of the country is caught up on the commercialization of love, the Parkland community is remembering, mourning, and probably reliving.

So many of us will never be able to understand the emotions they are dealing with not only today but every day.

Too easily, we forget about the tragedies that people across our country face. We speak up when it's convenient for us. Sure, flowers and teddy bears are nice. But Parkland doesn't have that luxury today. Parents are missing their children, students are missing their friends.

Put it into perspective. The conversation about gun reform doesn't get put on hold just because today is a "holiday." For the victims and survivors of the Parkland shooting, it's not easy to focus on love today; I'd imagine their thoughts are plagued with loss.

My heart, my love, goes out to the students at MSDHS today. They are my Valentines. They are the ones that need our love most today.

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Stop Complaining About How You're Single And Remember That 17 People Lost Their Lives On This Day

February 14th isn't just Valentine's Day anymore. It's the anniversary of the Parkland Shooting.

While the rest of the country is caught up on the commercialization of love, the Parkland community is remembering, mourning, and probably reliving.

My heart, my love, goes out to the students at MSDHS today. They are my Valentines. They are the ones that need our love most today.

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No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

Told through Parks & Recreation GIFs

Because who understands your bitterness better than April?

1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

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