The winter holidays are over, we?re finally getting back into the groove of going to classes again and here comes Valentine?s Day.

This is either a holiday that we anticipate with vigor or dread like next month’s mid-terms. Tonight will either mean a romantic candlelight dinner for two, or a lonely night watching “The Way We Were,” with a box of tissues. Either way, the day has come and we will all face it however we choose.

For the romantics who thrive off the sweetness of cupid?s day, we have collected some stories from Sacramento State students on their most romantic moments. These range from the most thoughtful acts of kindness to dreamy wedding proposals.

For others who despise the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that everybody else is receiving or just like to thrive off of other people?s misery, we have also collected stories from students’ worst romantic experiences.

Just try feeling bad for yourself after reading about the prom dates from hell or the suspicious gift.

Either way, try to enjoy your day?.the roses will be dead and forgotten a few days from now anyway.

The Best

M y boyfriend and I went to Santa Cruz for a couple of days, and one evening he took me to the beach, we sat on a blanket, and he poured us both glasses of wine. He kept encouraging me to drink my wine, and I thought he was trying to get me drunk. He also kept shivering, and I was making fun of him because it wasn?t that cold outside.

Finally, I finished my glass of wine, and he had to tell me to look in the bottom of it. Inside was a platinum diamond engagement ring and he then asked me to marry him. I felt really bad about making fun of him shivering because he wasn?t cold, he was nervous about proposing!

Christine, Sac State Senior

For the first day of every semester, my boyfriend buys me a big bouquet of flowers and cooks me my favorite dinner as a way to support me in my educational pursuits and it’s really sweet because usually the first day of class is the most hectic and stressful.

My best Valentine?s Day was when he took me and drove me to a cabin he had ready in the woods and he had the fire going and chocolates, and champagne and we hung out there for the night.

Lindsay, Sac State Junior

I was going to San Francisco and my hands were always cold, and I was kinda complaining about it. So my boyfriend surprised me with a pair of purple fuzzy gloves and purple is my favorite color. It was just a really sweet thing for him to do for me.

Lauren, Sac State Freshman

One time I was having a really bad day and I called my boyfriend from work and told him that I was really upset. Before I got home that evening he had gotten into my house and left a trail of rose petals from my front door into my bedroom and onto my bed.

On my bed was a teddy bear and two red roses with a note that read I just want to let you know that I was thinking about you and hope you have a better day- I love you.

Tara, Sac State Senior

I was dating a girl, and she was really into relaxing and looking at the ocean. So one night, out of the blue, I put her in the car and said we were going for a drive. We drove to San Francisco and looked out over the cliffs, I pulled out a Martinelli?s bottle and two glasses and just made a toast to her beauty, and then we drove back.

Chris, Sac State Junior

My boyfriend asked me out for the first time by leaving a note on my car that said that he thought I was cute and to call him. I saw him several days later at school and then he asked me out.

Chanda, Sac State Senior

My wife and I were dating for about a year and then she ruthlessly dumped me the day after the semester ended. So we had this really, terribly awful summer.

While we were still broken up and not dating, and weren?t together, I asked her to marry me and she couldn?t help but say yes.

Matt, Sac State Senior

When I lived in San Diego, I went to La Jolla for a date. We ate at a seafood restaurant by the water and then walked through the city and walked along the beach. Then we went and got our palms read and it said we had just started dating, so it was like, okay, this is turning into a real relationship.

The palm reader said that we had a strong future together. We weren?t together forever, but we were together for a year and a half. It was neat because it was different.

Parneille, Sac State Senior

Two Christmas? ago, my boyfriend was going to be gone in Ireland. So I said something to him about being sad that he was going to be gone and he told me that I didn?t need to be because he was taking me with him! So he took me back and introduced me to all of his friends, because that?s where he is from.

Cyndi, Sac State Graduate Student

Well, one of the sweetest things a guy ever did for me was make me a tape. My name is Angel and it had all angel songs on it.

Angel, Council Travel Manager

During my freshman year in high school, I dated the nicest guy that ever walked the earth. Which is why, of course, I had to break up with him. Willing to go to great lengths to get me back, he rode his bike to my house on a Saturday morning, which was about five miles away.

He brought me a teddy bear holding three roses and a tape recorder with my favorite slow song on it. He asked me to dance, so praying that my parents wouldn?t come in from doing yard work, we slow danced in my living room.

After the song was over he gave me a card that told me how much he still liked me and asked for me back.

I still said no, and yes, I do feel bad to this day for being so ruthless. But, even eight years and many boys later, I still think that was the sweetest thing a guy has ever done to prove his “love” to me.

Jennifer, Sac State Senior

The Worst

I was a junior in high school, and we had dinner plans before our junior prom. He was two hours late, our reservation was given to other people and the whole thing was that I dressed up for this and I never dress up.

When we got there we ate somewhere else, and he had locked the keys in the car. So we had to walk a mile to get another key made to get into his car. Then his car wouldn’t start. So we missed everything else that we were supposed to do that night, like the dance.

We ended up having to call his parents to pick us up. I had heels on and he didn?t even care. Oh, and I had to pay for the dinner!

Monica, Sac State Junior

I was with this guy, my boyfriend at the time, and we went out to dinner with my friend and her boyfriend. The bill came to $80, so my boyfriend put in $20 for both of us and if you do the math, that?s not right. So I gave my friend’s boyfriend $25 to cover the rest of our meal.

Three weeks later, it was Valentine’s day and I told my boyfriend that I did not want a box of chocolates because I don’t eat that much chocolate and I would just end up throwing it out. Well, Valentine’s day comes and he buys me a big ol’ box of chocolates. And I was so mad, I was like, what are you doing, I don’t want this, and I ended up giving it to his mom. And his dad was joking around and said, “Aren’t you going to take her out to dinner and do something nice for her?”

And he said “Well, I took her out to dinner.”

And I said,” When did you take me out to dinner?”

And he said, “Don’t you remember, three weeks ago, we went out with your friend and her boyfriend?”

And I said, “That doesn?t count. That was like three weeks ago and I paid for it.”

And he said, “You didn?t pay for it. I paid like 10 bucks for you. That covered you, you didn?t eat that much. Well, I broke up with him like right after that.

Nicole, Sac State Junior

I went to prom with a guy whose dad had a butt fetish. And in the bathroom, imagine it, he had butt everywhere. You know, like someone who loves cats would have pictures of them everywhere, well everything was butts. When I saw that, I was like, okay, this is a really bad idea.

Angel, Council Travel Manager

When I was younger, I went out on a date and I tried to really dress up really nicely and the guy I went out with said I had leprechaun shoes and an Indiana Jones hat on.

Kizzy, Sac State Senior

When I was a senior in high school, I was supposed to go out with my girlfriend (at the time) for Valentine?s Day, and I went to pick her up and she wasn?t there.

What sucked is that she didn?t call. Come to find out, she went out earlier that day with a good friend of mine. They ended up just hanging out and missed our dinner.

Shaun, Sac State Senior

For my junior prom, we had just gotten off the Golden Gate on the North Side of the bay and we were just taking a tour around the Bay Area, because we had an hour to kill before we had to go to our prom.

And just as we were coming up by San Quentin, our limo broke down and we were stuck there for three and a half hours. We got to the prom at 11:45 and it was over at 12:30. It had started at 9 p.m.

Shaun, Sac State Senior

Once, I had a first date with this girl and we went out to dinner and then I took her to a buddy?s of mine. So I was shooting some pool and stuff and all of a sudden my date is kissing my other buddy?s girlfriend.

So, I was like whoa! Everyone seemed to like it, so we let them continue and everybody watched. My friends told me to keep bringing her cause it was fun entertainment, so I did that. I went on more dates with her, but wasn?t really too excited about the fact that she was kissing other people.

Mike, Sac State Senior

My best and worst experience was when I hooked up with a girl from vacation. We dated for a while, and then she moved here from Seattle, and we were still dating. The worst part was trying to break up with her after all the hassle she went to move here.

Ray, Sac State Senior

I dated a girl for four years and she ended up hooking up with my friend and took off to TJ (Tijuana) with each other and this was all through Valentine?s Day.

Carlos, Sac State Senior

We were on and off boyfriend/ girlfriend for most of my high school career. We always broke up right before a holiday and usually the day before; Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and he did the dumping.

The last time we broke up was Valentine?s Day of 1998, but he actually waited until the end of the day, which was a really good record for him. We went for a drive out to the lake and he had flowers for me and then that night he said I don?t think we should be together, etc., etc., and now he regrets it which I?m kinda glad about.

Layla, Sac State Senior

This one time I was on vacation with some friends and we went to a bar, and it was gay night, but we didn?t know it until we had paid and gone in.

So my buddy and I went around to find a straight girl and there was one I started talking to. I asked if she was gay and she said no, so I asked her if she wanted to dance, and she said no. Luckily I was drunk and I didn?t care.

Keith, Sac State Senior

My friend had this boyfriend that I guess he did something terribly wrong to her, so what she did, and I kid you not, she defecated in a box, wrapped it up like a present, and had somebody else deliver it to his house.

He opened it up in front of his family. And it was a big mess after that- a big Chicago feud. A love story gone terribly wrong.

Tony, Sac State Senior