by Emily Meester
meesterem@mnstate.edu
As Valentine’s Day approaches, students are making plans. For some, this means a romantic weekend or a day to appreciate relationships, new and old. For others, it means a weekend of Netflix and excitedly running to the store the day after to buy discount candy.
Whichever category you fall into, a Friday event could make the weekend even better. This year, Dragons After Dark and Saturday Soirée are teaming up to kick off the Valentine’s Day weekend with the Gatsby Dance 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. in the CMU Underground.
But it’s more than just a dance. Not only will there be a DJ and an opportunity to dress up in your best 1920s themed outfits, there will also be great food, a photo booth and the opportunity to make your own 1920s headpieces and fedoras.
“It’s a great thing to do on a Friday night for all of our students living on campus and off,” said Corin Puhalla, Dragons After Dark marketing coordinator. “A lot of students complain about not having a lot of things to do on campus, and we try to provide that opportunity.”
He says the Gatsby Dance gives students a fun and cheap option for a pre-Valentine’s Day date.
“It’s the night before Valentine’s Day, and we’re hoping people will come, bring their Valentines, dance, get some crafts and food and take some fun pictures,” Puhalla said.
The dance is scheduled near the end of a week of activities called DragonFrost. Organized by the Homecoming committee, it’s designed to add some fun for students who may be getting the mid-semester blues.
Tuesday features a soup feed in the CMU from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and on Wednesday an ice cream social takes place in the same place from 1 – 3 p.m. Later are two free screenings of Space Jam, one at 6 p.m. and the other at 9 in Langseth room 104.
On Thursday, MSUM Intramurals is again hosting “Battleship H20,” a real-life twist on the classic board game which features players in canoes in the Nemzek pool, equipped with buckets and shields.
Those interested in participating can sign up in teams of four on imleagues.com.
Friday will include a “Go Pink” silent auction in Nemzek at 5:30 p.m., the DragonFrost royalty coronation and the Gatsby Dance.
Ending the week Saturday is the “Run Your Heart Out Fun Run” at 9 a.m. at Nemzek that will collect free-will donations for Go Pink scholarships.
The day’s events also offer a ski trip. Interested students can sign up at the Info Desk in the CMU. The cost is $30 for rentals, a lift ticket and transportation. The bus leaves at 11 a.m.
All in all, Puhalla says it will be a fun week full of events to brighten up the semester.