CPB to host first dance since February 2020

Into the Jungle is Nov. 12. Tickets go on sale Nov. 8.

By Janea Melido | November 7, 2021 9:59am
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Students dancing in February 2020 at the Dance of the Decades, approximately one month before COVID-19 shut down campus. On Nov. 12, Campus Programming Board is hosting the first UP dance since then, and masks will be required.
Media Credit: Jennifer Ng / The Beacon

Pull out your animal print and dust off your binoculars for Campus Program Board’s (UPCPB) “Into the Jungle” themed dance on Friday, Nov. 12. Khakis, dark green, bucket hats and safari wear are not required, but encouraged to fully experience and immerse yourself into the jungle. 

The dance will be held at the Left Bank Annex from 9 p.m. through 1 a.m. 

Buses will leave at 8 p.m. from Buckley Center to the venue and will be shuttling back and forth continuously throughout the night, according to CPB director, senior Jessica Cramm. There will be a photo booth, catered food and a 21+ bar. 

After consulting with the CPB advisor, the fire marshall and looking over CDC guidelines, Cramm made the decision to decrease the number of tickets they’re selling to 1000 instead of 1,200.

“We’re selling about 200 less tickets this year compared to the last time we were in this venue,” Cramm said. “We just decided it would be the safest thing.”

This will be the first dance since February 2020, before COVID-19 regulations restricted indoor gatherings. Besides decreasing the maximum capacity, CPB plans to implement other features to make the dance as COVID-19 safe as possible. 

“We rented a bunch of HEPA filters and are placing them all around the venue to have a ton of air flowing even though it’s inside,” CPB dance coordinator and sophomore Claire Vondenkamp said. “We’re also going to have everybody show their student ID card so that everybody is adhering to the COVID vaccine policy.”

CPB’s first big event of the year, Riverboat, was shut down early due to students not following mask guidelines, but CPB dance coordinator and sophomore Maeve Mahoney said that Into the Jungle will be more regulated.

“This time, we’re gonna have a lot of volunteers floating around through the dance and reminding people to keep their masks on or passing them out if necessary,” Mahoney said. “We’re really going to be focused on making sure that everybody is masked, especially because we’re inside.”

CPB wants students to feel comfortable attending the events they host, and reassures that student safety is their main concern. 

“Students are our first priority in everything we do,” Cramm said. We’re not focused on this dance, we’re focused on creating a dance for students to enjoy.”

Official ticket sales start Monday, Nov. 8 for 10 dollars inside Commons from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. and continue from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Janea Melido is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at melido24@up.edu.

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