For many students across campus, Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolates, cards and carefully selected gifts meant for loved ones.

But for the BGSU Women’s Chorus, this V-day weekend is one that will hopefully be associated with dancing shoes.

In an effort to fund their first-ever tour, the Women’s Chorus will be throwing a Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball complete with formal wear and optional masks.

‘We’re hoping that this turns into as much of a success as we think it will be,’ said Jamie Telmanik, the public relations officer for the group. ‘It’s just a way for students to come out and have fun with an organization they may not know that much about.’

The idea for the ball was thought up last semester when the Women’s Chorus officer core committee was brainstorming ways to fund the girls’ first singing tour. They sent out a survey asking the 61 members what they wanted to do and almost everyone suggested putting on a dance, Telmanik said.

After the results were collected, the core committee decided the dance would have to be both formal and fun. As a result, the masquerade idea was born.

The dance, which will be disc jockeyed by Cliff DJ Services, also offers a dinner course for students who purchased separate tickets for $20 in advance. The meal will consist of Italian entrees which will be catered by Dining Services.

‘We needed something that would attract students to come out and support us,’ President Amanda Chamberlin said. ‘Not only that, but this is also a fundraiser to get us out and singing in a different state, which is of coarse, really important.’

So far, ticket sales have impressed members of the chorus. Although at least 25 more tickets are expected to be sold at the door, 100 tickets have been purchased already.

As a result, members of the group are hoping their tour will be a success.

For the first time in its two years of existence as an official organization, the Women’s Chorus will be traveling to Michigan to perform with both high school and community choirs.

They will be singing a variety of songs, which include lyrics in both Russian and Irish.

One of the songs, entitled ‘Set Me as a Seal,’ will be performed with both Big Rapids and Traverse City Central High Schools.

‘We wanted to share the song with other schools because it’s a social piece,’ Telmanik said. ‘I think the combined effect will just blow people away.’

And though they have high hopes for the tour and possible performances afterward, the chorus is happy with how far they have come over the past semester.

‘We have such a spirited new group of girls and about 75 percent of them are new this year,’ Chamberlin said. ‘They are so talented and hard working and we’ve gotten this far because of the effort they were willing to put towards the group.’

For chorus member Dominique Simms, the work put into making the Women’s Chorus a recognized organization on campus will pay off during the masquerade ball.

‘We want it to be successful, and I know it will be,’ she said. ‘Depending on how this goes this year, we might be able to turn this into an annual thing.’

The ball will take place in 101 Olscamp at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Formal wear is mandatory.