Valentine’s Day memories both touch and trouble the heart

For some, Valentine’s Day is about snuggling up next to their partner, eating over-priced chocolates and pretending they’ll be able to keep flowers alive for more than a day, but for others, the ghost of Valentine’s Day past haunts them at night, carrying memories of cringe-worthy middle school days and angsty romantic endeavors. Whether February 14 leaves you warm and fuzzy or just awkward, you’re in good company.


“So I was in middle school and I had a crush on this really cute boy, but I was never going to do anything about it. He was one of the popular kids, and he was going around to a bunch of girls and to me, too, and was like, ‘Hey, do you want a kiss?’ and then everybody freaked out, like, ‘What? What did he say?’ And then he would whip out a Hershey kiss and that was what he was giving as his valentines, and it made me blush a lot.”

Maria Vassanelli

First-year undecided major


“So, in fourth grade, when it was still allowed to bring in treats for Valentine’s Day, I brought in Snickers, and everything was going well until one of my best friends said he was home sick the next day because of his peanut allergy.”

Joe Thomas

First-year sports marketing major


“My freshman year of high school I bought a boy a bear and chocolates, and when I got to school and took them he said, ‘Thanks,’ and then walked away with nothing to give to me. I thought we liked each other.”

Elizabeth Garnes

First-year psychology major


“So, every year I’ve dated someone briefly, but it just so happened that I broke up with my girlfriend a month before Valentine’s Day each year, basically because of all the pressure and I knew things weren’t going to go far so I just ended it before that romantic evening.”

Robert Richards

Senior political science major


“One of my best memories of Valentine’s Day is always waking up to a card from my mom and my dad. It was always just a very loving day in our house, and my parents just went above and beyond to make it a happy day… Every Valentine’s day, even since coming to college, I’ve gotten a Valentine’s day card from my mom.”

Cereys Edwards

Sophomore early childhood education major


“This one time in kindergarten, I gave this guy I liked a valentine, and then he told his mom, and his mom called my mom. It was just awkward.”

CJ Buckles

First-year music education major


“In middle school, me and my best friend, we had little boyfriends, and so my boyfriend brought me, like, a bear and some chocolates, and then my best friend’s boyfriend didn’t bring her anything, so my boyfriend gave him a bear to give to her, and it was the bear that was supposed to go to me.”

Deja Jones

First-year entrepreneurial studies major


“In second grade, we used to make little Valentine’s Day bags to put the little valentines in, and this girl next to me ruined mine so I started crying.”

Naiyah Williams

Sophomore business analytics and marketing major


“On Valentine’s Day is the only day my fiancé buys me flowers because he thinks they’re stupid normally because all they do is die, but on Valentine’s Day he got them for me because he knows I like them.”

Kesea Noahr

Sophomore Psychology Major


“So I went to this really nice restaurant that was on a hill overlooking Cincinnati (Prima Vista). We were sitting at dinner, and she took a picture on her phone, which was much, much nicer than mine, and she was like, ‘Now you take a picture,’ and I accidentally took a picture with the flash on, so everyone in the restaurant looked at us. Oops.”

Donald Foley

Senior social work major


By: Brittany Wells | Staff Writer