Southern students attended “Moonlight Riverwalk,” the Winter Formal, last Sunday on Feb. 11 at the Chattanooga Aquarium. The event started at 7 p.m. and took place at the River Journey section of the aquarium.
The River Journey was open for students to walk through during the evening. Attendees could touch sturgeons and see exhibits such as otters, turtles and stingrays. The Student Association (SA) gave students a River Journey scavenger hunt, and the prizes included t-shirts, pens and other aquarium merchandise.
The fourth floor had two photo booths, and many students also took photos in front of glass fish tanks.
SA provided Italian, Asian and Mediterranean food, water and lemonade to drink and cookies for dessert.
Jake Strauss, SA Social Vice President, said that there was some confusion about food in the beginning of the evening, but overall, the night went well.
“This event is a little different because I can’t tell everybody’s reactions while people are walking around,” Strauss said. “But on my end, it’s been nice to let the aquarium be its own entertainment and to see everybody dressed up. This night has been a good change of scene.”
Since the event was three days before Valentine’s Day, the Winter Formal was originally called the Valentine’s Banquet. Strauss decided to change the title to make the evening more singles-friendly.
Junior marketing major Thyrell Smith, who accepted admission tickets at the door, said that the event was well-attended.
“I was taking tickets thinking, ‘A lot of people showed up!’” Smith said. He also said that the aquarium “has been easy to work with, and they provided a lot of the atmosphere that we were looking for.”
Many students also reacted positively to the venue.
“I really liked [the banquet],” said Abby Gil-Costa, junior nursing major. “The venue allowed for more freedom in being able to walk around, see the fish and socialize. I loved being able to explore, and the food stations were a great touch!”