On Friday, Feb. 1 Gentlemen Organized for Achievement & Leadership (G.O.A.L.), Ladies with Emphasis on Achievement & Distinction (L.E.A.D.) and Alternative Breaks (AB) hosted the Valentine’s Dance.
While the banquet doors were open, the lights were off and the music was thumping, the tables were empty.
However, tucked together in front of the DJ booth, about three dozen people were dancing, waving and tapping their feet.
The circle of men and women in suits and dresses, ties undone and high heels kicked off, breathed, bounced and rippled with the beat.
“I had a great night,” Erin Arney, president of L.E.A.D., said. “We were pretty happy with the turnout earlier and we were able to raise money for the AB trip. Overall I’d say it was a pretty good event.”
Darnell Miller, president of G.O.A.L. and the dance’s DJ, confessed that club participation was disappointingly low, or at least spread thin over the five-hour timespan.
“We wanted to have a dance that was diverse, that had different people that you don’t usually see together,” Miller said. “I feel like a lot of people complain about not having fun things to do on the weekends and so this is something that we provided for them.”
The Valentine’s Dance was also a chance to promote healthy relationships, Darnell said, and on that point he thinks they succeeded. “A lot of people went on dates, a lot of people came to have fun. It was a good time. I feel like everyone that came enjoyed themselves while they were here.”
For a while, the hosts considered shutting down the dance early because of the low attendance. However, after the intimate crowd conti.
Word only got out a week in advance, and in the future he hopes their events will be promoted more-and earlier. He also added that G.O.A.L. plans on holding another dance sometime later this semester.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025