Page 54 - ThePhoenix1991-92

February 14, 1992 Western Maryland College PageS Editorial: Lupercalia, Whips, and Saint Valentine's Day 60 Seconds ~~~~~~~~~~~~Jl.4W jiliJm .0=dll\l on Campus - gests that Valentine's Day is the Christian carry over of fertility. Valentine's Day is a time when lovers and Another theory was that Valentine was an Bob Kirkendall friends exchange affectionate messages and gifts early Christian who made friends with manychil- to one another. dren. When Valentine refused to worship pagan Most of us have come to accept this as a given Gods, he was imprisoned. While he was in jail, How far should the press go into a holiday. Yet, how many of us know what this the children missed him and tossed love notes to political candidate's private life? holiday is and where it came from? him over the iron bars. Saint Valentine's Day was the name given in Then there is the theory that suggests valen- Where do you draw the line? recognition of two early Christian martyrs. Val- line was a man who disobeyed the Emperor's or- entine of Rome and Bishop Valentine ofTemi. ders and married young couples who were deeply The exact know ledge of these two early Chris- in love. The emperor did not want young men to Karen Downs '94 tians is unclear. Some sources believe Valentine marry because he needed them to right strong and Communications was only one man; who had been convicted in hard for his army. Valentine went against the Rome and executed in Temi. Nevertheless, the emperor in the name of love and was conse- 'They should go as far name of Valentine is commonly regarded as the quenuy, beheaded. as to what will affect patron saint of lovers. And the last and most accepted theory centers their job." If Valentine is a man (or men) who was be- on birds. This theory explains that early Europe- headed for his early Christian beliefs, how did we ans believed that birds began to male on the dale begin 10associate sending love messages with this of February 14 :"When every fowl cometh there holiday? to choose his male," as Chaucer wrote in the There are several theories that try 10 explain Partemeni 0/ Routes. This led to the notion that this question. human lovers should exchange gifts and notes in One theory suggests that it is a day which was recognition of there own bond. Elisabeth Bideaud '93 carried over from the Roman pagan holiday of This theory suggest that Saint Valentine, who Lupercalia. died for his early Christian beliefs, was somehow Communications Lupercalia was a celebration in remembrance accidentally linked with the mating of the birds "In France, we know of the founders of Rome who were believed to due to the same dale. Shakespeare echoes this in they are not angels, but have been nurtured and raised by wolves. On A Mid Summer Nighrs Dream, "S1. Valentine is Lupercalia, naked men would run around and past, begin these wood birds but to couple now." their private life is sepa- whip women with cow hides. This act was be- Whatever theory you choose to believe, let rate." lieved to make women fertile. The theory sug- yow- Valentine's Day be one of love. Q Writer's Block Ann Ogle '94 Please submit poems and very short stories to The Phoenix 10 be considered/or the newly created Wriler's Block. Due 10 the volume of requests, poems cannol be returned or guaranteed printing. History Hillbilly Harvard Winter Elegy "I don't think they shouldgo into their pri- I saw them planting, Snow glimmering softly under porchligfus ivy just the other day. fields blanketed with wool vatelife. Everybodyhos And Ipractically realized preserving for us pilgrims their own sense of pri- that the value of the lambskin, the treks of dcer and squirrel who came before vacy." hanging on your office wall and 0 yes streams stopped straight in their tracks is determined by the word of mouth tempting liule boys to try the ice of us all. while high above birds nests capped with cotton or overburdened pine cones decked with lace The old schools fall into the paths of daring sledders roaring by Tolga Oktay '94 of New England And then a few days of sun grow stagnant BusinessAdmin. & Econ. dying from praise and few days of heat blotting out the picture "Some of their private While the Hillbilly Harvard turning white to grey advances in its young age by some inverted alchemy life is related, but most and if only we too might So on the outside melt so placidly away of it shouldn't he dis- if asked about the quality of education, and drift into the wailing ground cussed." stress excellence and more excellence peacefully on top of excellence without so many thoughts of Slay By Joshua Stuart By Jay Taylor Matt Wanniski '92 Political Science "Unless the issue deals with the candidate's ability to act in office, the press shouldn't pry."