Glow-in-the-dark accessories, bright orange and pink balloons, a snack bar full of chips and mocktails, and a picture wall decked out in rotating disco balls of light. This is what students arrived to find inside of the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) most recent event, called Club Glow, this past Monday on March the 4th.
Taking place from 6:00-8:00 PM in Hoosac Hall’s largest lounge (the one in the lobby, called “The Harbor”), Club Glow was open for students of all types to come participate in – even students who lived off campus or in the townhouses. The event was also completely free to enter. The only thing students had to do in order to be let inside was to say their A-Number to the person at the door, and then they would be allowed to come into the event and dance, groove, and glow the night away.
Rolando López, Hoosac Hall Area Coordinator and one of the head members of the RHA, was in charge of running the event. In an interview after the fact, he mentioned RHA’s reasoning behind creating Club Glow in the first place, stating, “The idea of Club Glow was born out of the desire to provide residents a chance to de-stress before Spring Break. More than that, we always aim to host programs that residents want to attend and participate in.”
And attend/participate the students certainly did. Club Glow had a large overall turnout, with many students taking advantage of the photo wall in particular. However, this was certainly not the only area students flocked to. Many chose to stand at the craft tables and create glow-in-the-dark bracelets, glasses, rings, necklaces, and headbands. Other students crowded the dance floor, taking advantage of the impeccable DJing from the members of WJJW who manned the music booth. And other students, still, decided to chill out on the couches and chairs, eating snacks and chatting over the music.
The event was a huge success, and López seemed to agree with this assessment, mentioning, “More importantly than the turnout itself, I think the residents enjoyed having a place to enjoy some snacks, dance, and chat. I loved interacting with the residents and seeing them interact with each other. For a member of RHA, there’s nothing better than that.”
Satisfaction with the event did not stop with just López himself. Students also seemed to agree with the pronouncement of the event’s success. One student, Aya Lahrizi ‘27, particularly enjoyed bringing friends over to the photo wall and taking some pictures together. “I thought they set up the decorations really well,” said Lahrizi. “The rotating lights and the balloons were really cool, and I didn’t expect them to set up such elaborate decorations. It made me feel like I was at a real night club instead of one of the lounges [inside of Hoosac Hall].” She finished her statement by saying, “now I’ll have pictures so I’ll never forget how much fun I had!”
Overall, at least one sentiment can be drawn from the results of Club Glow: students really enjoyed themselves, and they can’t wait for the next event RHA will be hosting. Take it from Lahrizi, who said: “Club Glow was one of the most fun campus events I’ve been to in a while. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!”
If the sound of Club Glow was an enticing enough offer, and if you’re interested in participating in the next RHA event, keep your eyes peeled for the next get-together they will be hosting: A Mario Kart tournament on March 21st, at 6:00 PM inside of Murdock 218. There will even be prizes awarded to the winners!