Hearts, chocolate, and various shades of red and pink are what come to mind when Valentine’s Day comes around. For most, Valentine’s Day is just like any other holiday with extra sweets and love floating about. To the members in Student Council, however, Valentine’s Day signifies a very special and unique event: the Special Needs Valentine’s Dance.

Planning for this event began earlier in January; Student Council block officers juggled both monthly committee events and preparations for the dance. Despite how simple the event sounded, it proved to be very time demanding. Not only did the officers have to contact the entire Round Rock district schools, but they also had to create visually appealing invitations for every student attending.

“The member in charge of the dance booked the cafeteria about a year ago, but we started actually planning about 1 or 2 months after Homecoming,” Eesha Nayak ‘19 said. “This included designing invites, writing grants, looking for sponsors, and cooperating with the special education programs in the other schools in the district.”

On the day of the dance, a large number of attendees showed up, several familiar faces appearing here and there. The cafeteria was carefully decorated with streamers, a plethora of hearts, and colorful banners. A photo booth, paired with a number of fun props, was located towards the entrance. Towards the center of the stage was a dance floor, where attendees, volunteers, and parents alike could break into the music being played by the students backstage.

“I had a different point of view from the back as the DJ,” Frank Lai ‘20 said, “The atmosphere was really energetic and you sort of lose yourself to the dance.”

The event ended a few minutes past nine, suggesting that the attendees had a good time. Likewise, the helpers themselves felt that the event had ended successfully, as done in the past years. Not only did students get the opportunity to spend time with others from around the district, but they also shared a special memory that would be cherished for the years to come.

“We saw so many happy faces not only on the Special ED students but the students volunteering and being buddies as well,” Nayak said. “They were all extremely appreciative along with their parents. It was very satisfying to see the impact we had made on them.”