This year’s Winter Formal will be held on January 31st at SeaWorld. Many students are eager for the location change after being held at museums for years, such as last year’s formal at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

ASB has worked very diligently over the past few months to turn this dance into a reality. Many unique aspects of the park will make this dance unlike any dance CHS has had before, such as the roller coasters and animal exhibits.

“I think it is really cool that we get to keep two of the rides open,” senior ASB member Siena LeSueur said. “So everyone will get to ride the rides, and I feel like most people probably haven’t been to SeaWorld at night, so that’s exciting too.”

While students look forward to the park’s attractions, others are eager to see what the event will have to offer. Some students are even keen to explore the park’s shops.

“[I’m excited] to get clothing and like cool trinkets, and definitely food,” freshman Alex Browning said.

Both ASB and the school administrators have already put in immense effort to set up the event and have taken numerous precautions to ensure its success. As the dance isn’t for a few months, however, there is still much preparation to do.

“We’ve [gotten] to go down to SeaWorld a couple of times, to test the rides, see where we wanted to lay everything out, and figure out where we needed to block off,” LeSueur said. “We also picked the menu and decided what people we have to hire.”

Originally, the location was meant to be for seniors and their prom, but it was thought best to extend the opportunity to all students by making it the Winter Formal location instead. As more advanced location planning is typically reserved for Prom, this will be a special occasion for underclassmen.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Browning said. “I think it’s gonna be ten times [last year’s] hype.”

At night, SeaWorld is transformed into a winter wonderland, offering students a variety of nighttime events and extravagant lights. As this opportunity is an immense privilege for CHS, students need to maintain respect and good behavior while at the dance to ensure future opportunities at the park.

“I’m super excited, I think it’s really cool that we have enough money to do that,” LeSueur said. “Most schools would not be able to do that, so it’s cool [that] it sets us apart.”