Pounding music. Flashing lights. Neon clothing. The WCHS 2024 Glow Dance was a shining success. The dance is an annual tradition where students dress up in neon skirts, tops, vests, beads or anything that they know will glow on the dance floor. Most students who attend stop by school for about an hour and then continue the night with friends.
“For Glow, my friends and I went to the dance,” WCHS sophomore Ella Carnathan said. “We danced, used the Photo Booth and hung out with the people there. Other students thought it was fun as well. People stopped in for a little bit and hung out with people they might not have seen that night otherwise.”
However, a higher turnout and more student satisfaction is not just luck. Ms. Devona Wilson, WCHS science teacher and class of 2025 Student Government Association (SGA) sponsor along with her SGA officers spent countless hours ensuring that the night would be full of fun for WCHS students. Many factors go into school-affiliated events to make sure that they appeal to students while also abiding by school guidelines when it comes to issues like security, financing the event, etc. When asked for three words to describe the planning process, Ms. Wilson used the words arduous, unexpected and overwhelming.
“With any event, the goal is always to make money and not to lose money,” Wilson said. “We fortunately did that. As mentioned before, the turnout was good. Not as many as I would like, but the students enjoyed themselves. There was good music. I was happy with the event and my officers.”
Glow is a lesser-known event in contrast with WCHS’s classic high school milestones like homecoming or prom, so achieving a big turnout is an even more challenging task than usual. However, the more laid-back, low stress energy of Glow as opposed to the chaos and drama of planning HOCO is what endears it to many students
“Glow had a better experience in the school [compared to HOCO],” Carnathan said. “More people were dancing and a more careless energy. Less people went to the actual school for homecoming because there were typically a lot of different activities people had planned for that night.”
Despite the overall positive reviews, both the students and planners agreed that there were some downsides of the night and that there is room for improvement for both future Glow dances and school events in general.
“Students [had to] wait until the final day to purchase tickets. This is stressful because we already paid for the DJ and staff to work the event,” Wilson said. “[Next year], the Class of 2026 will be in charge of it; they have complete control. I would say maybe hype it up more!”
Some students had slight critiques, like wishing they had glow sticks at the door or more snacks. Many students reported that they only stayed for a short period of time and hope more activities get added for next year to encourage them to stay longer. Despite these minute complaints, students and staff felt that the event promoted unity, fun and relaxation for WCHS students.
“Events like Glow certainly bring the school closer together,” Carnathan said. “For example I saw and socialized with people that I do not usually see, even during the school day. All grades came together and had fun.”
