Harvard students may say they are too cynical, too sophisticated or simply too cool to celebrate Valentine's Day, but area merchants and several successful love-oriented events this weekend tell a different story.

Many Harvard students vehemently deny the power of love, or at least the power of Valentine's Day commercialism.

"[Valentine's day] sucks. It's too hyped and commercialized. All the hearts stuff, red and pink all over the place, it's gaudy," Michelle Lai '97 says.

"I don't celebrate Hallmark holidays," Ethan B. Cohen-Cole '95 says.

Harvard undergrads who neglect the holiday's traditional celebration do have alternate options, however.

James R. Haney '94 will spend the 14th watching "Valentine sitcoms" in his dorm room, he says.

And several campus groups institutionalized the anti-Valentine's sentiment with alternative events for the lonely and those hostile to the holiday.

A Saturday Leverett House dance drew more than 150 people to celebrate the anti-spirit of the season of love, says house committee co-chair Delphine L. Chen.

Harvard Hillel last night showed Woody Allen's "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but were Afraid to Ask" as an option for students rejecting the holiday.

"It's an angst-ridden time," says Hillel Social Chair Deborah K. Finkel, who organized the event for those without significant others who might "feel upset."

"We have this to get people together...to get away from the Valentine's Day pressure," she says.

But the pressure got to enough Harvard students to sell 350 tickets to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO)'s Saturday Valentine's Day waltz, HRO President Jeannie Kim '95 says.

"Love at Harvard is maybe not well-developed, but it's definitely around!" Kim says.

But the real proof of Harvard students' attachment to Valentine's Day, whatever their cynical comments, is perhaps in the pocket book.

Square vendors of such cupid day constants ascards, candy and stuffed animals say they aredoing a brisk business among love-sick--orlove-lorn--Cantabrigians, many of whom arestudents.

"I see a lot of men buying gifts this year,"says Kim Munsey, a salesperson at Paper Mint inHolyoke Center. "You can suggest anything [to themen] and they'll buy it."

If Munsey's customers are any indication, manyloved ones will receive pope-up-cards and cherubhat boxes this Valentine's Day.

A couple of doors down at local candy storeSweet Stuff, people are also searching for thatperfect gift, and again most of them are men,salespeople say.

"Most men would say, "What do you have forValentine's Day for a girl like this?" says SaraBalloffet, who works at Sweet Stuff.

But the store with the most student costomersis perhaps the one whose wares fit best within thestudent budget.

CVS Pharmacy on Mass. Ave. has sold almost allof its Valentine's Day merchandise, shiftsupervisor Karla Colato says. Teddy bears, candy,chocolate and cards were the top sellers, withmusical cards selling out