Members of the Chi Delta Theta sorority, Hermanos Unidos and approximately 50 children made St. Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens Tuesday at Isla Vista Elementary School.

Using construction paper, stickers, glue and scissors provided by the school, the kids made about 100 valentines for senior citizens living at Friendship Manor. After the cards were made, around 30 people from Chi Delta Theta and Hermanos Unidos walked over to the retirement home to give the cards to its residents.

Melodie MaGhinay, Chi Delta Theta president, said initially the kids “were very rowdy – eating crayons, glue and fighting each other for scissors.”

To calm the kids down, members of Hermanos Unidos initiated a game of Heads Up 7-Up.

“I told them they could get a piece of candy if they were quiet for 10 minutes,” said Edwin Moraila, Hermanos Unidos community service chairperson.

Sixth-grade student Dixie said she did not have anyone to make a personal Valentine for.

“I used to have a boyfriend, but he dumped me and I don’t know why and I’m very, very, very disappointed because [our teacher] Miss Hinkley isn’t having an in-class Valentine’s Day party,” Dixie said.

Timothy, another sixth-grader, said he did not enjoy all of the “girly” hearts and pink paper.

“I just folded my cards,” Timothy said. “No stickers or hearts or glitter for me.”

Dixie also said there are several important rules for Valentine’s Day.

“You have to make sure that you don’t give the boys in the class those candy hearts that say ‘I love you’ or ‘be mine’ or else they might think you like them,” Dixie said.” You have to check what the hearts say before you put them in the envelope.”

Chi Delta Theta usually sponsors several events per year at Friendship Manor and I.V. Elementary, MaGhinay said, but “this is the first time that we have done an event that involved both groups.”

This is also the first event Chi Delta Theta has co-sponsored with Hermanos Unidos, Moraila said.

“Our guys had a lot of fun,” Moraila said. “We got to play all these little kid games like hide-and-go-seek.”