Solo this V-Day? No worries, recess has your back

Just because you don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Whether alone or with a group of friends, the single Duke student has many options for a memorable Valentine’s Day. Food Any of the restaurants listed on Page Five can serve as the venue for dinner with a group of your closest friends. Pick your favorite restaurant and recognize that you can still have fun without that special someone. In addition to its prix fixe menu for two, the Washington Duke Inn is offering a special menu that will be just as delicious shared with seven other people than with just one person. Some restaurants also work better with a group than a date. Cookout and Bakus—both mentioned on Page Five—are particularly appealing contendors. A Japanese restaurant like Kurama Japanese Seafood and Steak House Sushi Bar in Durham also offers a fun alternative to traditional cuisine. If you’re spending the evening in, you can still have a good meal. Consider cooking dinner either for yourself or for you and a group of friends. Use Valentine’s Day to try out that recipe you haven’t had time to explore and discover that you’re a whiz in the kitchen. If you’d rather not cook, or have already discovered that you can’t, call up your favorite local eatery and have Valentine’s dinner delivered. Event For girls, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to rent or go see the sort of sappy romantic comedy you’d have a hard time dragging a guy to see. We recommend classics like Sixteen Candles, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones Diary and Serendipity. If you’d prefer something more current, check out Hitch at your local theater. And for those who want to get their quirky Valentine’s fix the weekend before, Freewater Films is showing The Crying Game, Chasing Amy, High Fidelity and Fatal Attraction as part of its Valentine’s Weekend Festival. The festival runs from Thursday through Sunday and a pass for all four films only costs $1. You can also get out and get active this Valentine’s Day. Triangle Sportsplex, located just down I-85, offers ice skating, a perfect activity for groups, or even by yourself, if you’re looking to work on your triple axle. Closer to home, you can work on your bowling at AMF Durham Lanes. Afterwards Continue to use Valentine’s Day as a chance to catch up with your friends by retreating to someone’s room or a coffee shop to reconnect over good conversation. And if you’re tired from your long night out on the town, turn in early and kick it solo. Spend a little quality time with the only person that matters: you. — Hilary Lewis