It’s that time of year again: red and pink candy hearts, chocolate and flowers. The day that is not merely tolerated, but either wholeheartedly loved or hated: Valentine’s Day.

I think Valentine’s Day is really just supposed to be about reminding others that you care about them. Why there is even a day set aside for this is, and has always been, beyond me. In my opinion, appreciation and love can and should be shown all the time. But I digress.

Are you serious about getting a Valentine, Gaels? Well, look no further than the Internet! I present to you datemyschool.com.

Basically, DateMySchool is a social network that you must have a college email address to join. They boast that this requirement ensures that people are who they claim to be and that it keeps out the creeps.

Okay, I’m all for keeping out the creeps, but I have several problems with this Web site.

First of all, upon arriving at the DateMySchool homepage, you are greeted with text that reads, “Sign up to get…” with the last word continually changing. The sentence ends with words like ‘a boyfriend,’ ‘a free dinner,’ ‘a family,’ ‘a green card,’ and many more.

Several things are implied here.

If you’re signing up to get a free dinner, you’re assuming that the other person is going to pay.

If you’re signing up for a family, then you’re probably really intent on meeting the right person.

If you’re signing up to get a green card, you probably have bigger problems than where your date goes to school.

Basically, I don’t understand what college-age person sits around on the Internet trying to find their future spouse. Don’t we have other things to worry about? Class, an internship, organizations on campus, a job… or having fun?

Another problem I have with this site is the video that greets visitors. The video lays out what the site is all about and explains that you have complete control over who sees your profile.

The narrator cheerfully informs you, “So if the only people you want to see your profile are 20-something year old guys in the political science department and Stanford, that’s all who will see your profile!”

Okay, so now people think that they know someone will be a good match for them because they go to a certain school or they’re pursuing a certain major? Sure, why not. It’s not like a business major from Hagan might hit it off with a mass communications major who studies in Murphy anyway.

What happened to spontaneity? Meeting someone in class or at through a friend? Do people really think that they know who they are going to like and feel a connection with so much that they’ll disregard anyone who’s not a political science major from Stanford?

I don’t have a problem with dating sites in general. However, in my opinion, dating sites are where people turn to when they have graduated, gotten a job, and are ready to settle down and have a family.

Yes, I know some people just can’t stand the thought of being alone on Valentine’s Day. But I think that you’ll have a much better chance of meeting someone who you enjoy spending time with at a school event or through a friend than by typing in your specifications online.

Not to mention, there is plenty of time once you get out of college to find a spouse. On ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ Ted isn’t telling his kids, “I typed my specifications into a dating site in college and picked out the best girl.”

Gaels, give chance a chance! Don’t close yourself off to other people because of arbitrary characteristics like their major, and don’t be so desperate to get a date that you forget to have fun.

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day.

To contact The Ionian’s Julie Donato, e-mail her at [email protected]