Once again, St. Valentine’s universal day of affection has arrived. It is traditionally a day of euphoria, during which recipients of Cupid’s arrows go about their day lulled by the warmth of romantic love and bubbly floating hearts that fill the air.

Reality check: It’s freezing outside, and for many, Valentine’s Day is not always the stereotypical love-fest it is sometimes made out to be. As these students prove, some of the most amusing stories are those of romance gone awry.

Premature proposal

Debbie Reedy’s boyfriend could not wait until Valentine’s Day to propose to his girlfriend of nearly a year, so he popped the question on Feb. 1 of this year.

Reedy, a sophomore early childhood education major, said she never even suspected he was going to ask her to marry him.

“I had just got out of the bath tub and he came in, and I was like wait a minute I’m not ready yet!” she said. “He was like, ‘Don’t make me yell at you before I propose to you.'”

Reedy’s boyfriend did not have to yell, but instead told her he wanted to be her “only Valentine.”

“I cried and said yes,” Reedy said.

Too much love?

The men’s chorus at Kent State University has traditionally provided a singing telegrams service on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes members of the group practice their skills on unsuspecting victims.

Sophomore nursing major Lindsey Eble was one such victim. Two members of the chorus happened to be resident assistants in the hall she was living in.

“I got serenaded by my RAs in the middle of the Student Center,” she said. “They were trying to advertise for it (singing telegrams). It was a little embarrassing.”

Motherly love

Valentine’s Day is known to be a day of love, but it doesn’t always have to be romantic. For some, it can be about love between friends and family as well.

“My mom’s always been my Valentine,” said Patrice DeLeon, Kent State alumnus and volunteer for the university health center.

DeLeon said it started with a bad week she had during her senior year of high school. She failed a test, was a having problems with a guy she liked and was nervous for her brother, who was competing in an upcoming wrestling tournament — all during the week of Valentines Day.

“My mom actually bought me a half dozen roses and a Scooby Doo twin bed set that glowed in the dark,” she said.

Now her mom calls her every Valentine’s day, she said.

No “yolking”

Differing beliefs can be a big hurdle in relationships, but for Nik Kolenich, a freshman interior design major, and his ex-girlfriend, it was a deal breaker.

Kolenich’s girlfriend of six months was a Christian who came from a Christian family. He was not.

“I took her out to this fancy Valentine’s Day dinner, and I could tell there was some tension,” he said.

During the dinner Kolenich’ girlfriend broke up with him, citing their conflicting beliefs as their biggest problem.

“She said, ‘We’re not evenly yoked,'” Kolenich said. “It had something to do with religion, but all I could think about was scrambled eggs.”

Bitter irony

Maddie Richards, freshman justice studies major, knows all too well that Valentine’s Day can prove to be a painful experience.

“Last Valentine’s Day I got a broken nose,” she said.

Richards said another girl had a crush on Richards’ boyfriend and was jealous of their relationship.

“She came over to his place while I was there,” she said. “I told her to leave because it was my day with him.”

Richards said the girl jumped on her, punched her in the face and then left.

Richards called the police, but when they arrived she was dealt another blow: Her boyfriend, who had a warrant out for his arrest, walked away from their celebration in handcuffs.

Contact features reporter William Schertz at [email protected].