About 100 UF students will meet on Turlington Plaza Sunday afternoon to chalk up the campus with inspirational messages and Bible verses to show love to those who need it most on Valentine’s Day.
Lacey Duncan, a UF junior, plans to participate in the event, which will run from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Duncan sees the event as a good way to give encouragement to those who will be lonely or have low self-esteem on Valentine’s Day.
“I believe knowing that God, whose love is much greater than any boyfriend or girlfriend, loves you is the best encouragement if you are lonely,” Duncan said.
While the main idea is to write Bible verses, students also plan to write simple messages like “you are special,” “you are loved” and “you are beautiful” all over the campus.
Realizing you have friends and family and being with them can help relieve the feelings of loneliness and depression on Valentine’s Day, said Manuel Lopez, an intern with the UF Counseling Center.
To cope with depression on Valentine’s Day, Lopez advises students not to sit at home alone, but to go out and find other friends that are single and stick together.
“I would imagine walking around and seeing positive messages would be very helpful to those with low self-esteem on Valentine’s Day,” Lopez said.
