Just when you thought that Case Western Reserve University had gotten all the snow it possibly could hold, think again—Snowball is rolling up within the next few weeks. The 13th annual dance set for Feb. 21, 2014 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., organized by the Class Officer Collective, is targeting student buyers this year with new themes and elements that differentiate the event from any other school dance.

COC is taking Snowball downtown this year; they booked the Cleveland Marriott at Public Square as the venue. Anticipating transportation difficulty, Michelle Djohan, student event chair for Snowball, says COC has procured transportation for all students who want it.

School dances often have a rehearsed or cliché sense of the past—COC breaks away from this stereotype by providing constant improvements from previous Snowballs. They continually reinforce that the purpose of this dance is to get students out of their residence halls to have fun. With all the nostalgia that comes along with school dances, the one memory people can forget about is the stress of having to find a date. Tickets will be sold to singles (or couples for a reduced rate), and tickets purchased after today will rise to the price of $20 and $30.

This year’s Snowball also dares to be different than years before by producing a theme of Masquerade. Of course, this theme is not mandatory and will not be strictly enforced, but students should be encouraged to embrace the new theme. Michelle Djohan also says that COC has procured masks for the first 320 students to arrive at the event. Both Michelle Djohan and Class of 2014 President Gabriella Chandra have shared information about other gifts that COC has purchased for attendees; however, not all their surprises should be expected to be revealed before the event.

The tradition of Snowball takes to heart and tries to adjust each year to meet students’ desires. According to Chandra, the committee in charge of Snowball this year has decided to forgo the annual charity fashion show and appeal to the majority of the students’ desires to go and primarily dance. To appeal to the attending student body, the committee is also providing a variety of foods to meet most dietary restrictions as well as having a flexible music scene.

There are two questions that seemed to resonate from students considering attending the event regarding what to wear, and who typically attends. Firstly, female students thinking about attending Snowball, wait! You do not need to have your parents send out your old prom dress for this, and likewise for men, there is no need to find a formal suit or tuxedo on short notice. The dress code for the event is semi-formal meaning for men that sport coats and slacks are more than appropriate, and for women this distinction of semi-formal can be clarified as formal cocktail attire. Secondly, all students are encouraged to attend Snowball this and every other year. Historically, however, Chandra says that the two largest groups of attendees are freshmen and seniors. Chandra said that freshmen often, “are eager to see what the event is like,” whereas seniors participate in order to, “experience all of CWRU’s programs before they graduate.”

No matter what your reason for attending the Snowball, it is coming up soon and COC plans to sell approximately 500 tickets to the event. With a undergraduate student body exceeding that amount nearly nine times over these tickets are sure to sell fast, so head to tickets.case.edu starting now, or COC office in Thwing between Feb. 18-21. Tickets can be purchased with cash, check or CaseCash. Don’t let the Snowball roll past without capturing the memories that can always last.