PRIDE tabled for two days, both the day before and on Valentine’s Day, to bring awareness to important topics often overlooked in the aura of the holiday. On Monday, they tabled for Aromantic Day to raise awareness about aromanticism, when a person experience little or no romantic attraction.

“Many people get romanticism and sexuality mixed up – we wanted to express the opposing sides,” said PRIDE President, Steven Soler.

Sam Paquette, Executive Assistant of PRIDE also added that it is important for people to know, in a time so involved with love, that not everyone is interested in that. “It helps them know they are valid and important,” she said.

Many students on campus are not educated on aromanticism, and the tabling sought to change that. They had flyers to hand out with more information, as well as candy to draw students in. “I actually got some interesting reactions as they were taken aback that aromanticism actually exists,” said Soler.

Tuesday, for Valentine’s Day, they celebrated Freedom to Marry Day with ring pops and a proposal station. Students could take ring pops, and even dress up with top hats and roses at the table to ‘propose’ to their friends and loved ones. The club also offered valentines grams for no cost that students could send to whomever they wanted.

“Everyone should be free to marry whomever they want at any time. Love is what’s important and it shouldn’t matter who the other person is. We just want to promote that and promote inclusion,” said Paquette when asked about Freedom to Marry Day.

“The purpose of it is to show people that no matter what, love is love, and your ability to marry (either imaginary or literally) should not be taken away,” agreed Soler.

The two day tabling event was successful, both in further educating campus and in creating a fun, accepting atmosphere across the student body. Throughout the day on Valentine’s Day students could be seen proposing to their friends in a top hat, complete with a rose. This was the typically favorite part, and the highlight of the two days.

“Creating our little proposal station is so much fun. We ran around like crazy people trying to find the ring pops today and it was totally worth it,” stated Paquette.

Soler also agreed that, while he enjoys Aromantic Day, Freedom to Marry Day is his favorite part. “It’s fun watching people have a good time,” he explained.

PRIDE’s next big event is Second Chance Prom on March 25.