Winter formal is right around the corner, Stallions. This year, we narrowed the theme down to three exciting choices–High School Musical, Fast & Furious, and the trending personal favorite of mine, Peanuts. 

For those who were hoping High School Musical would bop to the top, unfortunately this upbeat theme came in 3rd place among the student body. High School Musical would’ve been an easy theme to come up with games for the pep rally, like karaoke or basketball dribbling relay races. Theme days could have been dress as Troy Bolton, Sharpay, or your favorite character. Although this theme has potential, it almost seems more fit for Prom, given the emphasis on the end of the year.

“I love the music and the relatability of being in high school and going through similar experiences,” said Brennan Crisp (12).

Coming in second place was Fast and Furious; a media franchise which centers around illegal street racing, heists, and spies. Those who were hoping for this high paced theme would’ve welcomed theme days like dress as your favorite racer or movie character. The dance teams could have chosen one of the many hip-hop songs to bust a move to at the pep rally. 

“I think the cars would have made fast and furious the best theme because it’s different and something we haven’t done for formal before,” Lindsay McNutt (12).

In first place, and the theme of the 2025 San Juan Hills High School Winter Formal is Peanuts! The Peanuts, which was created in the 1950s, have remained popular all these years because the lovable characters are so relatable. Peanuts portray the timeless themes of hope, friendship, and anxiety. 

Charlie Brown’s struggles and issues with self esteem are understandable, especially to teens. Snoopy, Charlie’s independent and extremely cool dog, has an unmatched imagination and overall confidence we all wish we could embody. Lucy’s complexities as a bossy advice giver remind us all of someone in our lives. Linus, the intellectual of the group, is never seen without his comfy security blanket. Peppermint Patty, an over confident athlete referred to as sir, struggles academically. Marcie, Patty’s best friend, is the ever loyal, always helpful sidekick. Schroeder, the piano playing prodigy who’s obsessed with Beethoven reminds us of that passionately focused friend we all have. Franklin is the cool, calm, smart, athletic character who often serves as the voice of reason for Charlie Brown. Pig Pen, who always looks unkempt but is never bothered by it, is a goal for self acceptance. So that, Stallions, is why the Peanuts are timeless and still so popular. Loved by every generation from Boomers to Alphas.

Now, for Peanuts theme ideas. Peanuts are trending hard! Merch is everywhere from Hollister to Tilly’s to Target. Peanut collabs are hot so it’s easy to find clothes, games, or whatever you could possibly want with the Peanuts logos and characters. During finals week, the school could provide Peanuts Krispy Kreme doughnuts to help us ace our tests. Theme days could include Blanket Day (Linus), Comfy/PJ Day (Pig Pen), Favorite Musician (Schroeder), Favorite Peanuts Character, and Your Favorite Snoopy Alter Ego (Joe Cool, the World War I Flying Ace, an astronaut, surfer, a writer, or a hockey player). 

We could have a movie night and show Charlie Brown Christmas with hot chocolate. The dance teams could dress as the characters and use one of the many timeless songs, or reenact the classic dance scene at the school. For the pep rally we could have kite races, football kick contests, blanket pull races, or wax paper ice skating races. As far as decorating goes, we can incorporate the characters, their shirt patterns/colors, and famous scenes from the holiday specials. There are so many fun possibilities. This theme has never been done at SJHHS so we’re doing something unique. I for one can’t wait. See you at Winter Formal, Stallions.