8th Grade Grad Night, by Tori

     Grad night at Busch Gardens was one of the best nights I’ve had, and it’s safe to say the rest of our school’s group was in agreement. Grad Nite at Busch Gardens is, simply put, keeping the park open only to local 8th graders from 7:00pm to midnight, which was more fun than I’d expected.
With many 8th graders from local private and public schools arriving, it was sure to be crowded. And it sure looked crowded inside, kids cramming up the paths, apart from the Timbuktu area and some outlying paths that led to the entrance. However, lines for rides such as Kumba, Montu, and Gwazi were far shorter than a normal weekend day, and went by quickly. Notice I didn’t included Sheikra in that list. We headed over there fairly soon after getting to the park, our school not late on arrival at all, and the line was 45 minutes, in the blazing sun. We just ditched that ride altogether, it wasn’t worth the wait. So, my two friends and I spent a good bit of our time in Timbuktu, where Cheetah Chase (or rather, Sand Serpent, but honestly, no one calls it that) and Scorpion are located, following our teacher’s advice that it would be the least crowded part of the park. It was a great time to just hang out with friends, and maybe socialize with new people. It was all fine and dandy, but one thing just set me off.
Now if we know anything about amusement parks, most people with any sense would attend a park in Florida, in May, in a t-shirt and shorts, or perhaps a tank-top. Not to mention, park rides don’t normally win the hygiene award every year. The so-called dress code enforced by Busch Gardens required pants or jeans and collared shirts, or for ladies a blouse or dress if so preferred. Dresses? Really? To many kids rescue, bermuda-length shorts were announced as appropriate, but those nice shirts can get stuffy. So imagine our thoughts when every, and I truly mean every, kid that wasn’t from Academy at the Lakes is waltzing around in everything under the sun that wasn’t part of the dress code. Yes, they were sporting t-shirts, tank tops, bikini tops (I kid you not), baggy pants in need of belts, short denim shorts, shorter sofies, and even shorter shorts. I even saw shiny silver tight pants straight from the 60s. I was miffed that we had been preached to that if our shirt had no collar we’d be kicked out, right when three girls in scanty bikini tops pranced by me, sweltering in the heat. Why bother making a dress code if it won’t be enforced? Although this was irritating, I did not let it ruin my night.
So, yes, I truly enjoyed Grad Night, and would relive it again in a heartbeat.