It almost seems like a headline you would read in The Onion: "Angry female columnist writes anti-Valentine's Day article." Ha ha, so predictable. But could it be that I, Marianne Gosz, the girl who hates everything, actually like this Hallmark holiday which makes single people feel like losers year after year? Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I have to say that as many things as I've stopped believing in (e.g. God, dinosaurs and democracy), I haven't given up on the idea of love.

Valentine's Day used to be fun. In third grade, the teachers would let you ditch your uniform for jeans as long as you wore a red shirt, and you were required by elementary school law to give everyone a Valentine, even the nose-picker that nobody liked. You would strategically place the "Be Mine" and "Kiss Me" conversation hearts in the Valentine envelope of the boy that you liked. Usually you would take the entire afternoon to deliver Valentine cards and eat cupcakes, and overall the day was pretty eventful.

Then came middle school. Valentines were no longer mandatory, and if you tried to secretly leave conversation hearts in the locker of the boy that you liked, someone would see you and within a half-hour you'd be the laughing stock of the school.

Then came high school, when the dance team would always have a carnation sale to try to raise money for new uniforms. You know the type: Red is love, pink is like, yellow is friend and white is secret admirer. If I went home with any flowers, they were all yellow. And I only got them because I suckered some poor guy into buying it for me so I didn't look like a total loser.

Then came college. You know the scenario. You go to a party, you meet someone who you think you really can connect with and then you spend the rest of the party making out. Maybe you exchange numbers. Maybe you get together when you're sober. Maybe you met your soul mate, but usually not. There's just no time for love on top of 18 credits and a part-time job. But there's always hope.

I am clinging to that hope. I've dated a fair amount, and I've had my share of winners and losers. There was the Billy Joel/James Bond obsessed egoist who cheated on me, the tortured Emo boy who couldn't get over his dream girl and the video game obsessed stoner who actually turned out to be the best one in the lot. I've been in love, out of love and angry at love, but most importantly I believe I am in love with love.

And now that I've bared my soul and you're all saying to yourselves, "Man, that was corny," I leave you with the greatest quote from the greatest band ever: "All you need is love."

Wow, I feel so out of character. I need to go find something to get mad at. Happy Valentine's Day!