On Wednesday, Feb. 14, ASB hosted a Valentine’s Day-themed Candy Gram event. Students purchased candy and roses and had them delivered to their friends or significant others. Initially, ASB planned to host several Candy Gram events leading up to Valentine’s Day, but due to scheduling difficulties, they reduced the dates to one.
The event occurred at the Senior Tree during lunch, where ASB set up a table for students to purchase candy and roses. Roses and Ring Pop candies cost one dollar each and lollipops cost 50 cents. ASB members waited for students to leave class, and a line formed with students who wanted to show love to their friends by buying a Candy Gram for them.
After a gift was purchased, ASB attached a card made by the sender. Each card displayed a message from the student who bought the gift, the name of the student to whom it was addressed, and the room number for the gift to be delivered.
One of the organizers of the event, freshman and ASB member Caelan O’Neil, made sure the event was advertised more than it had been in past years. She hoped the event would be more successful due to the additional promotion.
“We did something similar to [the Candy Gram event] a couple of years ago, but I don’t think it was as advertised. Therefore, not as many people knew about it, and not as many people participated in it. So I’m really glad that it’s getting out there a lot more this year, [because] it’s going to be more accessible for a lot of people,” Caelan said.
Freshman Quilla Ross attended the lunchtime event to purchase Candy Grams for her friends. Quilla appreciated that the event allowed students to show support towards their friends through gifting.
“I plan to send some Candy Grams to my friends because I think everyone deserves a Valentine on Valentine’s Day,” Quilla said.
Archie Williams Wellness Center Outreach Specialist Beatrix Berry saw that this event could positively impact students at Archie Williams. However, Berry worried that some students may feel left out if they do not receive a Candy Gram.
“I think [the Candy Grams are] a really sweet idea. I think it’s a way for students to be thoughtful and to connect in a way that’s not via phone, so I think it’s a creative way to do that, but I do worry about the students who won’t receive one,” Berry said.
Berry believes that students should focus their attention on the act of giving and the positive feelings it invokes, rather than the fear of being left out.
“The feeling of giving someone [a gift] and making their day is the more powerful feeling than whether or not you receive one or how many you receive,” Berry said.
ASB members hope to use the Candy Gram system in the future and regard this event as a success. Although there was only one Candy Gram date this year, students enjoyed the lunchtime holiday event together with their peers.
