School Counselor Dr. LaTasha Sarpy, unofficial carrier of “The Matchmaker” and “Love Doctor” titles, holds the ultimate key to help all lonely souls find a “boo thing” by this Valentine’s Day. According to Sarpy, in order to actually find a boo thing, you must understand how not to make the same mistakes as so many other failed romantics.
“The first mistake, I would say, is students getting into relationships because they want a certain clout or status, [they think] ‘I’m a part of this group, so I gotta date the people in this group,’” Sarpy said. Take this as your sign to not believe the typical Disney movies, with the romanticization of dating that one person who has angels singing for them when they walk past you, or a gleam of gold when you look at their face. Don’t be fooled by the façade we have been subjected to while growing up; it is okay not to force yourself to clout-chase and like someone just because you think you have to.
“I think the second mistake is that students may like someone, but they don’t talk to the person. They don’t try to get to know them. They just wait, thinking, ‘Hopefully this person will acknowledge me, even though they don’t know who I am.’ Like, yeah, they [obviously] don’t know who you are. You haven’t even said ‘hi’ to them!” Sarpy said. Despite the fact that telling someone how you feel about them may be a scary task, there is nothing scarier than having to be alone on Valentine’s Day with no one to share your spaghetti with, other than the spider likely sitting on your dinner table keeping you company.
Another critical step of landing a boo thing is realizing that there is never a time like the present to tell your special person how you feel. “The only true way of finding out [if your crush likes you] is asking … I had a crush on a boy, and I thought I was going to marry this boy, but I never told him I liked him. And when we went to our high school reunion, he said, ‘You know, I had the biggest crush on you,’” Sarpy said. Take this wholesome anecdote as your sign from the universe that, chances are, the person you have feelings for and are thinking of right now feels the same exact way, and you should shoot your shot.
When it comes to actually speaking to that special someone of yours, knowing the right words to say may be difficult, which is why Sarpy proposed some advice on pick-up lines and other nonchalant enough ways to start a conversation. “A good pickup line [has to be] personal, like if somebody is silly, you want to give a corny pickup line. For example, ‘You must be tired. Why? Because you’ve been running in my mind all day,’” she said.
Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with the gift of being funny, so if that is you, charming your special someone must be done with confidence. Sarpy said, “Be confident enough to say, ‘Hey, what’s your Snap?’ I mean, right now you all have so many ways to gain access to somebody.” However, with so much social media access to people, you may want to be careful not to like a post from 2017 and potentially scare your target away.
Confidence is undoubtedly the true key to success in anything, not just love. However, if a romantic relationship doesn’t work in your favor, then everyone should be okay with having a Plalentine’s Day (Platonic Valentine’s Day). Sarpy said, “You know, I think everybody should have a platonic friendship Valentine this year.”
If both humor and charisma fail, then seeking official love expert guidance is likely in your best interest. Sarpy said, “If you don’t know what to say, then come to one of the school counselors, and we’ll help you, because it’s not about us helping you find a date, but it’s just us helping you find confidence in yourself.” Take this as your sign to go to Sarpy for help securing your boo thing; most people who do are quite successful. She said, “I don’t want to toot my own horn, but people who listen to me usually have good results.”
So to the entire Nobles community: 2026 is the year when you should send that risky rose, add that person on Snap, or just text them about the homework, because if you’re a fortunate patient of “The Love Doctor,” Sarpy, then your special someone likely feels the same way.
Happy Valentine’s Day! ♡
