Through many years of students, Heart Week has provided a week of excitement amid the long stretch of winter and tests. It has become synonymous with red and pink adorning the Commons, singers roaming the hallways, and a Friday of fun mixed with a generous amount of chaos. But like everything else at MHS, Heart Week has not always taken its current form. Its fundraisers have evolved since the event’s origin and are constantly changing.

The Heart Week the high school knows today began in 1999. For the first time, the money raised during the event went to local families through Minnetonka Family Friends instead of to larger organizations. This local foundation provides financial help to the families of students in the school district. At that time, high schoolers already enjoyed some familiar fundraisers, such as buying Matchmakers, flowers, and candy.

However, some fundraisers that were common during Heart Week 15 years ago are unfamiliar to most MHS students today. According to teacher Nancy Schuett, one of the most popular fundraisers around the first part of the century was called ‘Mooch Court’, which was invented by the student government president of that time. Elected seniors went through the classes, fulfilling other students’ dares and receiving money from them as a result. Although it started with dares such as singing in front of the donator’s class, it soon escalated into requests like chugging a gallon of milk. ‘Mooch Court’ ended after about four years, when a participant mooned the student body from the top of a bridge.

Around this time, the opportunity emerged for students to pay to go to a variety of activities instead of classes. Originally, students could move between them, but they were later required to stay at their chosen entertainment. Over time, the choices were also limited to some of the more popular options. The cupids and singing telegrams also made their first appearances, although they did not create the frenzy of buying they do today.

This year has brought only minor changes to the week, such as greater restrictions on singing telegrams and cupids or the addition of Cuties to the selection of items sold in the Commons. Still, the changes are there. And with the knowledge that the week is constantly evolving, everyone at the high school should ask themselves, “What could be next?”