The weekend before Valentine’s Day will be spend a little differently for St. George’s students this year. The upper school student government has planned a Valentine’s Day dance, dubbed the “Heart 2 Heart Dance.” This is the first time that St. George’s has held a Valentine’s Dance, and members from student government are assuring students that it will be a great time.

Junior Emily Grace Rodgers, one of the eleventh grade representatives, got the idea while watching the popular TV series, “Gossip Girl.”

“I watched an episode of “Gossip Girl” and it was a masquerade dance. I was like ‘we need to have a Valentine’s Day dance,’” Rodgers said.

Senior Alton Stovall, the student government president, knew there was a demand for an extra dance in the school year, so student government decided to plan the dance around Valentine’s Day and add elements representative of the international holiday.

“We are encouraging people to ask dates or come as a couple,” Stovall said. “There will definitely be more slow songs.”

While slow songs will be played, Rodgers wants to make it clear that the dance is for anyone with or without a date.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, so there’s the stigmas that you need to take a date,” Rodgers said, “but we are trying to steer away from that.”

The dance will include food, music, games and a photo booth. As with the Homecoming dance in September, the dance will be catered by Zaxby’s and also have card games, board games and cornhole for those who either want to take a break from boogying or want to stay off the dance floor altogether.

“There’s going to be something for everyone,” Stovall said.

Rodgers hopes the decorations will make this dance stand out from previous St. George’s functions.

“The decorations are going to go all out this time,” Rodgers said. “We are going to try to make it not seem like it’s not the gym when you walk in. It’s going to be all transformed, like a whole new world.”

Another aspect of the dance will be the King of Hearts Competition, which is replacing the Frosty Fellows competition. This week students in each grade will vote on two guys to represent their class in the competition.  

“A King of Hearts is someone you believe to be a truly admirable person,” the Student Government said in an email to the upper school. “This includes, but is not limited to, anyone who exemplifies outstanding qualities of things such as kindness, chivalry, and overall excellence.”

Unlike the lower grades, the senior class will have three nominees, one of whom will be crowned the King of Hearts at the dance.

Junior Ginny McCarroll, who has never been to a Valentine’s dance, plans on attending the soirée.

“I am expecting to have a good time with all my friends and my pals,” McCarroll said.

The dance will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 in Stokes Field house from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. It is semi-formal dress, so boys can wear button downs while girls can wear short dresses.

Student government is hoping that all of the students will have a great time.

“[We want to] make this not just an ordinary dance, make it something to remember and hopefully something that can be a St. George’s tradition,” Stovall said.