I know what you’ve all been thinking: when will Social Media Manager Sara Green ‘23 give us love advice? Luckily for you, the time has come. In January, I asked our loyal @veritasshield Instagram followers for their pressing Valentine’s Day questions. Below is what was submitted, along with my two cents on each question (Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any love liabilities that occur after following my advice.)

How should I get out of my situationship? Yikes. For those unfamiliar with the term, a situationship is when you’re romantically involved with someone but still unofficial. Obscurity about if you guys are talking to other people, hesitance about asking the big “are we dating?” question and millions of other uncertainties make situationships a teenage nightmare. Because of all of its complications, I’m sorry if you’ve ever caught yourself in the middle of one. My advice to anyone in a situationship is that you’ve got to make a choice. Either stop flirting with them, or ask them what the heck you guys are ASAP. You can do it!

This guy likes me, I don’t like him back. How do I let him down easy? Apparently love is not in the air! Just kidding – it’s totally okay not to like someone even if they like you. Honestly, the best thing you can do is to be transparent and let this guy know swiftly and gently. It’s a “the-sooner-the-better” situation with these kinds of things. Something along the lines of “Hey, I know you have a crush on me, but I don’t feel the same way. I really appreciate you telling me though and I hope you know this doesn’t make things awkward between us!” always works well. Obviously, the way you phrase it can vary based on how close of friends you are with the guy, how long you’ve known him, etc., but the bottom line is that you should let him know ASAP so he’s not holding on to false hope.

How should I ask my crush to prom? Finally someone in a promising romantic situation! The key for this one is getting to the bottom of what your crush likes and going from there. Are they a guitar player? Write ‘I pick you! Prom?” across four guitar picks and you’ve got it made. Baseball or softball player?  Hit ‘em with the classic “Let me pitch you an idea … Prom?” You know, on second thought, that one is versatile. It could even work if you have a crush on a journalist or a screenwriter. The flexibility is astonishing. No matter what bad pun you end up making, there’s one thing we all know. The best way to ask a crush to prom is just by being yourself. After all, they (hopefully) like you for you, not for a cool sign you can make. Do something close-to-the-heart that feels comfortable to you and I can guarantee it will mean just as much, or maybe even more, than any flashy pun will.

Whats something nice I can do for my platonic friends this Valentine’s Day? I will always love a classic Friends-Valentine’s Day celebration. There’s no one who you can count on more, and why not turn a holiday that makes some feel lonely into an event to spend time with your favorite people? A good, handwritten letter is always a lovely token of appreciation to give. Not only is it a fun gift for the receiver, but it’s also a good exercise for you to spend time feeling grateful for the people in your life and let them know! Maybe, if you’re feeling especially extravagant, you can call in the 2000’s nostalgia and make candy grams for your friends (thinking of you, Madison; see her article earlier in the issue). Overall, anything that you decide to give your friends, whether it be a material present or just some kind words, I’m sure they will love!