The school’s Gloco celebration was held on Oct. 10 in the lower gym following the football game with the theme being the popular California festival, Coachella.
This year marked the third year of Gloco, as the school has shifted away from the traditional homecoming dance, due to traditionally low attendance at formal Saturday night dances in years prior. This year, the event lasted about three hours, beginning after the football game and ending at about 11 p.m..
The event was planned by the Student Government Association (SGA) and presale tickets were $10 on School Cash Online or students could buy a ticket for $20 at the door. According to the Patriot Leadership Academy at the town hall on Oct. 22, 556 tickets were sold throughout the presale and 72 tickets were sold at the door, totaling to 628 tickets sold in total. This years’ sponsors for the event included businesses such as Education One, Potomac Pizza and Isaac’s Poultry Market, who helped cater the food and desserts.
The layout of the event was similar to last year, while including changes like adding carnival games in the lower gym. Along with this addition, the lower gym kept features from previous years such as a live DJ and tables with accessories for students. “I really enjoyed the DJ because everyone was dancing and having a fun time which made the vibe really fun,” freshman Udai Singh said.
Accessories that were provided in the lower gym included flower crowns and glow sticks for students who wanted them. Students were also encouraged to bring their own neon accessories, such as neon bandanas. Outside of the gym there was a table with an assortment of food, which included Potomac Pizza, cake pops, Rice Krispy treats, chips, fruit snacks, fruit roll ups and drinks.
A photobooth was located outside of the yoga room for students, while inside of the yoga room there was a bigger version of cup pong, a game where players try to throw ping pong balls into cups and eliminate all the cups before their opponent. In addition to cup pong, there was a poker table and an assortment of board games. With this layout, Gloco provided different activities for each student who was there, which helped keep everyone entertained. “I enjoyed all the different activities that were there and my favorite activity was probably cup pong,” senior Rahul Basam said.
With Gloco on Friday and no official dance on Saturday, students still celebrated homecoming with traditional activities such as getting dressed up with friends, taking pictures and going to dinner. Traditionally, students tend to go into downtown D.C. to take pictures in front of the monuments in classic formal homecoming clothing. “[My friends and I] went to the Washington Monument to take pictures and then eat out on Saturday,” Basam said.
