Psychological Effects of Valentine's Day

Throughout the country, and especially among teens, Valentine’s Day is a day people feel like they need to share with someone. The day is promoted in ads that litter television commercial breaks, Internet sidebars, and even emails. Campus businesses are even getting in on the holiday spirit: Campusfood.com, for example, is giving $5 off of every order from February 11 until the 14th.

"Ads and market in general is design to create stress, and a way to get rid of that stress it to buy," said Daniel Z. Lieberman, M.D., a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. All of this results in a very hyped up Valentine’s Day, which for many can be psychologically detrimental if they feel the pressures of not sharing the day with someone.

For Rachael Holbreich, Valentine's Day has become all about expectations.

"Do I need to do something for someone, or will someone do something for me?” said Holbreich.

The fact that a person may not know what will occur can add to psychological tension.

"It makes people think they need to have someone to spend it with,” she said. But for Rachael, the holiday is just about telling someone you care about them.

Asked if Valentine's Day is really a day to be treated differently than others, Lieberman said, "I think it is different. If were to compare it to Mother's Day, a classic marketing-driven holiday, it is pretty easy to meet the expectations - buy a card and make a phone call." But Valentine's Day is "fundamentally different," he said.

"Valentine's Day is about feeling loved. If we don’t meet the expectations that are placed upon this holiday, it can make us feel either unloved or, even worse, unworthy of being loved," Lieberman concluded.

Elizabeth Kennedy feels that there is a healthy way to approach Valentine’s Day, even if you are single on the day.

"Instead of focusing on your lack of date or the amount of flowers you have not received, put on a larger smile than you normally would and take advantage of the special holiday which underlines love,” she said.

Valentine’s Day can be a stressful day, but if approached correctly, it can be easy and fun for all.

Obama Stumps for Maryland Candidates

On Thursday, October 7^th, Organizing for America held a rally for Democratic congressional and state candidates at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland. Organizing for America, a community organizing project of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and founded by after President Obama’s inauguration, had announced the rally one week prior to the event which hundreds attended. The schedule consisted of speeches by several candidates and an appearance by President Barack Obama.

Obama specifically addressed the needs of college students during his speech. Obama stated he was in favor of a permanent $10,000 college tax credit as well as an increase in student aid. The president left room in his speech to attack Republicans, saying they would give more power to insurance companies, credit card companies, and wall street banks while leaving students in the dust if Republicans took back Congress. Obama characterized the Democrats in Congress as hard-working individuals who dug our economy out of a ditch, while Republicans stood around not wanting to help and instead were “sipping on a slurpee”.

Among the attendees were Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen. Mixing hot weather and a standing-only audience led three dozen individuals to faint during the duration of the event, with several being transported to local hospitals.

DC Mayor, MD Governor Races Heat Up

With primary elections only five months away, races at every level are beginning to heat up, DC and Maryland included.

In DC, Mayor Adrian Fenty's reelection bid appears to dace a formidable challenge in DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray. Gray, who officially announced his candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for Mayor on Tuesday, appears poised to mount a campaign challenging Fenty's sway over African American voters, a group with which Fenty has recently struggled.

Due to DC being an overwhelmingly Democratic city, the Democratic party's primary is widely considered the true competitive race for mayor. Despite this sentiment, Rob Noel, GW college Republicans communications director refused to rule out the possibility of a strong Republican candidate.

"The citizens of DC are beginning to warm to many republican positions, perhaps most notably the school choice program that republicans advocate," Noel said in an email to WRGW, "Parents are tired of sending their children to DCs (sic) failing public schools and would greatly benefit from the ability to send their children to thriving private schools. A Republican mayor would likely work hard to give them that opportunity."

Michael Garber, Noel's counterpart in the College Republicans, denied to throw support behind a particular candidate in the primary, vowing to support whoever wins that election during the general contest.

In a more traditional partisan race, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, appears to most likely face Republican Robert Ehrlich in a rematch of the 2006 contest. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Ehrlich plans to ride a wave of "anti-incumbent, anti-spending" sentiment among voters to the statehouse.

Despite these sentiments, polls show Ehrlich behind O'Malley by 6.5 points, a margin similar to his loss in the 2006 election.

The College Republicans described Ehrlich as "a strong candidate...[with] a strong platform to run on," specifically noting his previous stint as governor of Maryland. They demurred when asked to explicitly support him, however, electing to await the result of the state's Republican primary.

The College Democrats expressed support for O'Malleys candidacy, and are "looking forward to the challenge" posed by his reelection campaign.