Thursday, NIU will undoubtedly be submerged in Valentine activities galore, and the residence halls will definitely be joining the fun and excitement.

Students who can’t afford the flowers, candy and other gifts that are required on Valentine’s Day can save money while taking advantage of the services the different residence halls are offering.

Most of the halls are selling balloons, flowers, or cookies, and some have also organized special Valentine programs.

Grant Towers South, for example, has a different activity planned for each night this week, culminating in a showing of “Pretty Woman” Thursday in the A Formal Lounge.

Wednesday night, the hall will have a question and answer forum in which student couples will talk about their relationships. All NIU students are welcome to join in these activities. Throughout the week, GTN will also sell balloons and carnations at $1 each.

Grant Towers North will also offer a variety of Valentine activities, one of which is the “Valentine Wish Tree.” Over the next two days, GTN residents can put their names and their Valentine wish on the tree. Wednesday night, the students can pick up the wish they want to fulfill, and begin making plans for it. Thursday night will be movie night at GTN too, with Valentine movies (like “Mystic Pizza”) being shown in the hall’s formal lounge.

In Stevenson Towers South, residents can “send a kiss” to their loved ones. The “kiss” is actually a Hershey’s Kiss wrapped up in lips of red construction paper. Three members of the hall’s staff will dress up as cupids and deliver singing telegrams for 25 cents. Residents can sign up for this service through today, and can pick the song they want their cupid to perform.

Douglas Hall will sell balloons and cookies to residents this week, and, in addition, the hall’s staff has sent about 160 Valentines to the troops in Saudi Arabia—all written by students.