‘He broke up with me on FaceTime’: Students Offer Their Best and Worst Valentine’s Day Experiences

Love. Chocolate. Booming Hallmark sales.

All of these encompass the general idea of Valentine’s Day. With Feb. 14 swiftly approaching, it’s only natural to begin to wonder what the day of romance has in store this year.

Whether the love bug has left you “speechless, over the edge and breathless,” or has you saying “God, it’s brutal out here,” Valentine’s Day undoubtedly has disparate effects on us all. 

The Phoenix asked Loyola students to recount their best and worst Valentine’s Day experiences — and some of these lovers were anything but star-crossed.

‘He broke up with me on FaceTime, which I certainly would not recommend’

Kate Sullenberger, first-year economics major, was in eighth grade when she experienced the crushing blow of a middle school relationship just days before Feb. 14. 

The three-month-long relationship “wasn’t super serious,” Sullenberger said. In typical middle school-romance fashion, she recounted how the two couldn’t drive so their dates were minimal and much of the relationship occurred over text.

But if the sting of a breakup over FaceTime wasn’t enough, Sullenberger found out on Valentine’s Day that his new girlfriend was one of her best friends at the time. 

“He didn’t really give any reason for the breakup which made it worse,” the 18-year-old said. “But we were on the same sports teams which made practice weird.”

Reflecting on the situation years later, Sullenberger said she finds humor in it all and holds no bad feelings toward her middle school love. 

‘It’s still the most romantic thing to ever happen to me’

Fiona Rowe, a 20-year-old communications studies major, said her best Valentine’s Day experience was when she was 14.

In middle school and throughout high school, Rowe said she knew of a boy who had a crush on her. 

Rowe recounted how the two were “streaks” on Snapchat, which means that they had been engaging with each other for a continuous amount of days on the platform. 

Leading up to Valentine’s Day, Rowe experienced a severe scoliosis injury from cheerleading and was hospitalized because of it.  

“Me being me I was wearing my hospital gown and I just sent it to my streaks thinking I was really cute or funny,” Rowe said. “I just wanted attention really bad — I was 14 — but I didn’t tell them what it was for.”

Drawing much concern from the hospital-gown streak picture, Rowe had seemingly alarmed her two-year crush. 

“A week later I got two cases of flowers in the mail with ‘get well soon’ cards in them from him,” Rowe said. “It’s still the most romantic thing to happen to me.”

The two rekindled a romance two years after the incident and briefly maintained a casual relationship. Ultimately, things fizzed out amicably between the two. 

“He was really really sweet,” said Rowe. “But I almost felt pressured to keep things going because he was just so nice to me.” 

‘Every year I bake her a cake’ 

On a holiday that’s often overrun by expensive gifts and restaurant reservations, some students said it’s easy to forget that Valentine’s Day is all about showing love.

What better way to honor the holiday than to spend time decorating a cake with your mom, as was the case for first-year communications major Grace Wallace. 

“Her birthday is on Valentine’s Day so every year I bake her a cake and to be festive I bake it into a little heart shape,” Wallace, 18, said. 

Wallace recounted how decorating a cake was something the two have always done together and how she has grown to associate the holiday with spending time with her mom. 

“Sometimes I don’t communicate the best so I find baking is a great way to show my appreciation for her,” Wallace said. 

Wallace plans to go home Feb. 12-13 and honor the cake-baking tradition since she won’t be home for Valentine’s Day this year. 

Featured graphic drawn by Hanna Houser | The Phoenix.