Love was in the air as students gathered around the Rally Court during lunch on Feb. 14 dressed accordingly in pink, red, and purple, for an assortment of activities that charmed the hearts of many this Valentines Day.  

Arcadia High School (AHS) celebrated Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. AHS ASB held their Lovestruck By You event, organized by the Sophomore Council. 

Upon arriving at the Rally Court, students were greeted by three different tents containing three different stations to choose from. At one of the stations, ASB distributed small cups of pink lemonade to help students get into the sweet spirit of the occasion. Immediately, students were quick to grab a cup and enjoy the lemonade while they walked around the event.

“The Sophomore Council is in charge of the Valentine’s lunch event every year,” said sophomore ASB Vice President Serena Guo. “Our first task was coming up with a name for the event. After deliberation, we decided on the title: Lovestruck By You. We then thought of activities that would be relevant towards the holiday, and bought the materials to carry the event out!”

“I loved how there were drinks provided while we worked at other tables. It was a great way to promote an initial positive outlook among the students upon entering and definitely influenced me to stay at the event until the end of lunch,” junior Talia DeVera shared.

Shifting your glance to the left side of the event, there was a “notes of appreciation” section hosted by The Writer’s Den, the school’s creative writing club. The materialism of Valentine’s Day often overlooks the true meaning of the holiday, which is to appreciate all the loves in your life. Because of this, at the “notes of appreciation” station, students could write and decorate cards expressing their gratitude towards their loved ones. 

“My favorite part had to be the ‘notes of appreciation’ station,” sophomore Avery Gu said. “Valentine’s Day is about celebrating all the loves in your life, especially self love, so I thought it was really sweet how ASB was able to incorporate that into the event.”

Behind these two stations included a tissue paper, bouquet-making table, where students gathered around to make flower arrangements of violets, roses, and tulips that are sure to stay fresh even throughout months following Valentine’s Day.

“I thought the idea of making paper flowers was so creative,” senior Delaney Avise exclaimed. “A lot of typical gifts given during Valentine’s Day like chocolate and bouquets are likely gone within a matter of days so I loved being able to make flowers that you can keep as memories forever.”

During the event, members of ASB interviewed participating students, broadcasting their answers through the Rally Court.

“The event was really fun!” said sophomore Katherine Zhu. “I really liked how ASB interacted with event participants, as it made it more fun and enjoyable for all. The questions they asked were related to Valentine’s Day and pretty funny as well.”

Zhu added, “I loved to see everyone in Valentine’s spirit. Personally, my friend group and I matched pink tops and it was great to see other friend groups at the event match clothing as well.” 

“I really enjoyed Lovestruck By You. The songs played set the mood, the pink lemonade was delicious, and the paper bouquets were so fun to make!” said sophomore Issy Tran. “The positivity notes and notes of appreciation were such a nice addition to the event. I saw so many kind messages written to staff, friends, family, and other loved ones. It really captured the essence of Valentine’s Day well and I can’t wait for next year.”

All in all, the Lovestruck event exceeded expectations and successfully achieved its goal of spreading the Valentine spirit to all the students. Regardless of whether you celebrated Valentine’s Day with significant others, friends, or alone, the holiday commemorates the celebration of all types of love. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Photos courtesy of AHS ASB