The feeling of anxiousness takes over as students begin sitting down on the Hulk roller coaster. The attraction starts lighting up while the staff start pressing the controls for the ride to start. The Hulk ride begins to move while the 12th graders hold tight onto their seatbelts as the start of their “Grad Bash” fun begins.

Grad Bash has been known to be a rite of passage for seniors as one last goodbye to their high school experience. During this trip, MSD seniors have the opportunity to go to Universal with access to both parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

The trip will take place on Friday, April 8, with students leaving after the school day and returning back home on April 9 at approximately 6:00 a.m. Grad Bash is an overnight trip, allowing students to ride the rides at Universal after closing hours.

The price of Grad bash is $155 per person and includes transportation by charter bus and an entrance ticket. Tickets were sold on the e-store on Friday, Feb. 11, selling out within less than an hour.

Many seniors are excited to use Grad Bash as a celebration and reward for completing high school. They look forward to having a thrilling night with their friends and riding the attractions after hours.

“I feel like I have been waiting for this trip ever since I heard of it my freshman year of high school,” senior Eric Harris said. “It’s like a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to be at an amusement park once it’s closed and being able to go on the rides, I’m absolutely thrilled to be going on this trip.”

Students feel as if there is celebratory freedom being able to go Universal and experience Grad Bash with their peers; they see the trip as a reward for all of their hard work and effort throughout their four years of high school.

“After being in four years of high school, I see the trip being a type of reward for my friends and I,” senior Julia Danois said. “It’ll be such an exciting trip between friends after all of our hard work in high school.”

However, some students have worries about their Grad Bash experience; not being accustomed to going on such big rides and attractions make some students believe they will be sitting out on the sidelines while their friends have fun on the rides.

“I have a little fear of heights and I feel like because of that, my experience won’t be as exciting as my classmates,” senior Elaine Chen said. “I just don’t want to be sitting out the whole time while my friends are off on the rides.”

Even though some students are worried about going to Grad Bash due to a fear of riding the attractions, others believe that it is still worth it due to the overnight experience.

“I haven’t been the best when it comes to riding on roller coasters or anything else that is a big attraction, but I’m one hundred percent going to force myself to at Grad Bash,” senior Vedarth Kondapolly said. “Grad Bash is a huge high school experience and I’m not planning on missing it because of my fears.”

Grad Bash is meant to be a fun and thrilling experience for seniors, serving as a reward for completing their four years of high school. The trip gives the students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to go on attractions after hours and spend time with their peers before high school ends.