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From the Desert of Southern California to our very own Dining Hall on Cherry Bottom Road, Sophomore Student Council brought the famous music festival to us with this year’s homecoming theme: Hocochella 2026. Here’s a recap of the night.
The theme wasn’t decided by the faculty or the school–the Sophomore STUCO narrowed it down through a process of elimination before revealing it in a surprise video at the morning assembly with a well-made parody of the famous “I Want It That Way” scene from Brooklyn-99.
Hocochella was an absolutely fantastic night. All who attended can agree that it was an absolute hit. The balloon arch at the entrance set the evening’s tone.
Behind the scenes, a planning committee open to all sophomores took shape–the amazing night Academy Students experienced was made possible by the entire sophomore class. Sophomore Sidney Jackson said that she “thought that it was gonna be super interesting to just help plan and see the behind-the-scenes of the planning”. Their meetings, which apparently began on Friday, the day before the dance, shaped our homecoming.
That Friday afternoon, the committee took to the dining hall to transform it. The dining hall was decorated with string lights, blow-up palm trees, and fabrics hanging from the ceilings. The countless snacks and Shirley Temples kept the energy up while the decorating went late into the day. These elements took the night to the next level.
Of course, none of this came free. Sophomore student council member Simran Bhalla said, “I think we spent around $1750.” This money went toward decorations, snacks, the photo booth, and the DJ.
Speaking of the DJ, it’s rumored that we almost had a close call with the music. Junior Asha Malik said, “ I got a text from my good friend Gaby Arrese. She said that we might have to step up and take action, and, you know, we were ready to do so”. As it turns out, the aspiring DJs of the upper school weren’t needed this time, but their willingness to jump in says a lot about how much the night meant to the students.
In the end, though, what made Hocochella work wasn’t the decor or the music– it was the students and faculty who showed up. Each person in attendance added to the atmosphere; it would’ve all meant nothing if they didn’t show up. Even though students were eager to leave, lining up at the doors at around 10:23, they did so together, singing together, wrapping the night up perfectly.
