As formal season approaches, the students of FC are faced with the task of acquiring a date for Night of the Stars (NOTS), the annual event that, for one night, pairs students up for an evening of glitz and glamor.

It is during this time that creativity flourishes, as students — usually guys — attempt to invite their dates in the most innovative way imaginable. For the brief span of two months it is not uncommon to witness one of these propositions develop, and everything from cheer routines to rubber ducks is game.

In recognition of the efforts of future NOTS attendees, The Feather has collected several anecdotes featuring the original ideas of students searching for a date. Over the next several days, additional stories will be published below.

The Feather encourages readers to email their own accounts to us until Feb. 10.

Additionally, the Student Leadership class is holding a contest to see who most creatively asks someone to NOTS. The winner will receive two free tickets to the event. For more information, email Leadership Advisor Robert Foshee.

Pick me?
Chloe Duerr, ’14
Feb. 2, 2012

I went to my locker during lunchtime and found two roses in there. A note said to pick one and then go to another locker. In that locker was two nots tickets and another note that told me to pick one and go to room 206. In the room, my boyfriend Johnathan Nyberg, ’14, had a sign that said: “Pick me?”

Plan B: Tebow and NOTS
Sabrina Henderson, ’15
Jan. 31, 2012

Chris Grossman, ’15, asked me on the announcements, but I’m in gym class during second period, so I didn’t hear it. So when I was walking to my next class I saw that he had a sign that said: “NOTS.” The sign also had a gator on it because we call each other “gator buddies” because of our love of Tim Tebow. Needless to say, I said yes.

TPing my way to formal
Trevor York, ’12
Jan. 31, 2012

I tried to think of an idea that was personal to me. Unfortunately for Lizzie [Williams, ’12], I have TPed her house several times, so I figured I would do it once again for the sake of NOTS. But this time would be different. For the prep work I had to figure out her favorite movie in order to tie in a reference to the note that I left on her door. So I come to find out that her favorite movie is Chocolat, which to no surprise is about chocolate. So I TPed her house and left a note that was covered with chocolate candies in order to incorporate her favorite movie. Also, on her lawn I spelled “NOTS” with toilet paper. The note that was left on her door told her to meet me at a Starbucks when she got up in the morning to see her lawn — on a side note, the letter also said that I would clean up her lawn later. However, there were some complications and she arrived at Starbucks at a much different time. I do feel that I failed in that department but Lizzie was gracious enough to accept my offer regardless of its flaws. I am just lucky to be able to spend NOTS with someone so fantastic and beautiful as Lizzie WIlliams.

Diet Coke to spare
Callista Fries, ’15
Jan. 30, 2012

I got home and walked in the door to find a trail of Diet Coke leading to my room — the Cokes got bigger every bottle. The last one had an arrow pointing to my room and then on my bed was a 20-pack of Diet Coke and a bouquet of flowers that had notes on them that said: “NOTS?”

Boys ask Girls
Matt Adams, ’13, David Casuga, ’12, Zed Fries, ’12 and Brandon Porter, ’13
Jan. 27, 2012

As a group, we asked by playing “The Great Escape” by Boys like Girls in chapel. We wanted to put on a concert-like effect for how we were asking, but we also wanted to have a flashmob incorporated into it. We wanted it to be epic, so we got together and practiced the song for six hours, made a video — where we wrote each of our dates’ name on a whiteboard — and presented everything in chapel. We had the girls asked out of class before chapel, and when everyone was coming into Ground Zero we asked them to start rocking out when we started playing, so that the only people left sitting would be our dates. We didn’t want it to be a sentimental thing, but we wanted it to be visually-pleasing and entertaining, and we think it turned out great. After all the stress and the freaking out, it went better than we thought it would, because we didn’t think many people would get involved, we didn’t think we would perform as well as we did and we honestly didn’t think we would finish the video in time. But, in the end, everything worked out.

40 NOTS balloons
Bobby Christopher, ’14
Jan. 26, 2012

I got 40 balloons and attached it to a poster board with two strings to control it. I flew it up to the window in the science room and had someone in her class point out that there was a sign outside. Downstairs I was waiting with flowers.

Chapel chant
Stephan Melendez, ’13
Jan. 26, 2012

Well I had spoke to the basketball guys beforehand about helping me ask my date in chapel. I had already written: “HANNAH NOTS?” on separate posters and gave them to the guys on the team. I asked T.K. [Tyler Krigbaum, ’12] to act like the guys were there to rile up the crowd for Friday’s basketball game, but that was only a front to chant her name in chapel. When they had finished, I came walking from the back of the room with roses, and when I reached the front I asked if she would like to go to NOTS.

Mr. Goodbar
Brady Lee, ’12
Jan. 25, 2012

I think I might have been the first person to ask this year. Our A.P. English class was about to start an assignment when Mrs. [Molly] Sargent brought out a large poster from behind the whiteboard. On the poster was a message made out of candy. Mrs. Sargent asked Brooke Stobbe to come and read the message aloud to the class. Here’s what it said:

“Dear Queen Brookie, U-No that famous geyser that spring up every 45 minutes … Whatchamacallit? Oh yeah, Old Faithful. Well, I am gonna burst if I don?t ask you something. It?s a Whopper of a question with a little Bit-O-Honey and GooGoo mixed in for fun. However, before I ask, I want to Take 5 and express my thoughts. I hope that this message brings you many Chuckles. I could go to Mars and back and not find a Smarty like you. This is nothing to Snicker about, you are truly worth more than 100 Grand. I would fight off one, two, or even 3 Musketeers to get to you. I think you’ve had time to connect the Dots. I am asking you to NOTS! I am not playing any Twix on you. There are Good & Plenty of Reeses why you should go with me. For one, we will have Mounds of fun and an Extra good time. Now and Later we will Look back on the night as simply magical. Having you as my date would be such a Skor. In conclusion, I have one last thing to say: There are plenty of Big Hunks who would like to ask you to NOTS, but alas, there is only one Mr. Goodbar.”

Sweetly Yours,
Brady Lee

Your lucky numbers are…
Kristen Rosenthal, ’13
Jan. 25, 2012

Someone brought Panda Express into my Pre-Calc class and it turned out that Chandler [Vargas, ’12] had slipped a note into my fortune cookie that said: “Will you go to NOTS with me?” The lucky numbers at the bottom of the fortune was his phone number, so I called it and he asked me over speaker phone.

Posters and flowers
Emily Shakeshaft, ’14
Jan. 24, 2012

My date hung up poster boards along the tennis court fence saying: “Will you go to NOTS with me.” At the very end he had flowers and, as I was coming to school, I saw everything. I thought it was creative, thoughtful and I appreciated that he asked me instead of someone from another school.

Trail of chocolates
Jordan Boudreau, ’13
Jan. 24, 2012

I had a trail of chocolates that led down the school’s hall downstairs and outside. There, I came up from behind her and surprised her with flowers. I think it was classic even though it’s one of the most traditional ways to ask.

A Parisian invitation
Gaby Siqueiros, ’15
Jan. 24, 2012

My date put a shirt in my locker that said: “Paris holds the key to my heart.” Then he came up behind me and gave me flowers. I thought it was creative; I never would have thought of it.

A poem at dinner
Annalise Rosik, ’14
Jan. 23, 2012

I was at a soccer team dinner at Red Robin and my friend, Brooke Stobbe, ’12, asked me to go into the bathroom so I could show her a bruise on my leg I got from a game. Eric [Cowin, ’14] gave Tynin [Fries, ’14], who was also at the dinner, a poem he wrote, which she put under my glass. At the bottom it said to go outside and Eric was waiting with flowers and a sign. It was funny that all 22 of my teammates were in on it and followed me outside of the restaurant. And Eric thought only Tynin and Brooke were with me at dinner, so he was pretty surprised too.

Softball surprise
Daniel Andrew, ’12
Jan. 23, 2012

I asked my girlfriend, Danielle [St. Marie, ’12], by waiting at the catchers mound before her softball practice began. Girls like to be asked when they’re around their friends, and it presented itself as a good opportunity. I had flowers, a sign, chocolate and I was all dressed up, so I thought I did a pretty good job.

A Bubl