Be the light: Five Towns College celebrates P.S. I Love You Day
Students gather in the Upbeat to create self-worth boxes, spread positivity, and build community ahead of Valentine’s Day
By Grace Bonamico
Five Towns College brought a little extra light to campus this week.
In honor of P.S. I Love You Day, a movement dedicated to spreading love, kindness, and mental health awareness, students gathered in the Upbeat on Thursday for a “Be The Light” celebration centered on self-worth and community.
The event invited students to create and decorate their own self-worth boxes. Inside each box: a mirror as a reminder to look inward, a paper heart with one quality they admire about themselves, and a healing stone symbolizing strength and renewal. The activity encouraged students to pause, reflect, and practice self-love, especially meaningful as Valentine’s Day approaches.
“What I think is really important about this event is that we don’t have a lot of community in the dorms, I feel sometimes,” said Theatre Arts major Maggie Spencer. “So having big events like this be able to bring things with people, being able to sit down and enjoy each other’s company is very nice.”
For many students, the message behind the day resonated deeply. “I think it’s a really cool thing to, for how we’re doing it today, spread positivity,” said Darryl Bryce, a Film & TV major. “You know, there could be a lot of negativity in the world these days. And sometimes, all it takes is getting a little note and hearing, ‘Hey, I love you’ as a friend or, you know, just a really good, ‘I appreciate your company.’” Bryce added that, to him, the event serves as a reminder that even small gestures matter. “There’s a lot of negativity in the world,” he said. “It’s good to see some positivity in today’s age.”
Beyond the crafts and decorations, the celebration created space for students to connect, especially around Valentine’s Day, which often focuses on romantic love. This event shifted the spotlight to self-acceptance, friendship, and mental wellness.
Through mirrors, handwritten affirmations, and shared conversation, Five Towns College students were reminded of a simple but powerful message: be the light, for yourself and for others.
