On Wednesday, March 2nd seven buses lined up outside of the CHS gymnasium. Students poured out of the building, and the excitement to have an afternoon of fun with friends was evident. Every student who participated in this event can say that the Surprise and Delight was a blast. 

Roller skating was held at All Skate. Whether students were pro skaters or beginners everyone made their way to the floor eventually. Many different skating activities were called over the speaker such as changing directions, women’s only, men’s only, and back skating only.  The music playlist the workers had picked out felt very suitable for the moment, making the vibes in the air groovy and exciting. If roller skating ended up not being students’ cup of tea, there were other options such as concessions and seating to socialize, arcade games, and laser tag.

Senior Connor Keefer works at Allskate, which explains his amazing talent when it comes to roller skating; he explains, “Because I work at Allskate, I have plenty of experience and time to practice.”

Next door ice skating was being held at Optimist Ice Arena for 42 students who were brave enough to lace up the skates and step onto the slippery surface on ¼ inch blades to develop or show off their skills.  Thankfully, the ice arena provided “walkers” that supported students as they attempted to stay on their feet.  Participant Jenell Alvarez admitted that she fell a lot. She describes, “You need to not be afraid because you will get so much better very fast.” 

Some students like freshman Ethan Cesco, a former hockey player,  were especially helpful with tying skates and giving some hints to their friends.  Students had access to concessions and a few games as well, but the majority of students focused on skating.

Teachers Ms. Fields, Mrs. Fiero, and Ms. Kelly all joined students on the ice and loved being part of the energy and laughter.  Mrs. Fiero says, “Everyone had a lot of fun. Some kids didn’t expect to have a lot of fun and then ended up having the best time. She explains, the ice hurts a lot when you fall. By far most of the ice skaters are sore today. Many were so terrified at the beginning, it was very cool to see many students get the hang of it by the end.”

The last off-campus event was bowling at University Lanes. Drew Uncapher says, “It was fun definitely watching my friends have a hard time with it, but we all got better as we progressed.  Time went by fast. I wish we could have bowled longer. I’m not as good at bowling as I thought I was. Manix [Furqueron] did amazing out of the group by pulling 155.”

For the students who weren’t interested in skating or bowling, they had the option to stay at the school and watch movies and play games.

Event planner Mr. Couling describes how the event went: “The surprise and delight was a big success.  The students enjoyed spending time roller skating, bowling, ice skating, or participating in activities at school.  A number of students had so much fun they returned to the roller rink later that evening to skate more.  Ms. Price and the teachers wanted to thank our student body for being awesome.   We are proud of our Yellowjackets, and we are excited that we could offer this event for them.  We are currently working on plans for additional surprise and delight activities.”

Overall, students and staff hope to have another chance in the future to have events like this take place in the future.

Gallery • 17 Photos

Students bowling