This year’s Homecoming was at once dim, drab, easygoing, and atmospheric. Students and parents alike lined up for pictures in excellent Grammy-inspired outfits. For better or worse, this year’s Hoco will not be forgotten.
This HOCO theme was the Grammys. A title that evokes luxury and glamor—cigar smoke and red wine. Many dazzling ensembles stood out: velvet red tuxes and studded dresses brightly blotted out the Oakland Tech gym.
The props, however, were not exactly on theme: Instead of Grammy trophies, Oscar awards were scattered across the tables and floors. If not for the loud party music, one might mistake the gym for a mismatched discotheque. Round tables draped in black cloth and dotted with orange lamps decorated the left side of the gym. The same black cloth shrouded the doorways, and a dim atmosphere dismissed any reminders that you were still in school. Golden balloons were lazily kicked around by students and found their home scattered across the hardwood floor, creating a certain chaos that is synonymous with the words “Grammys” and “Party” combined.
Despite the electric theme, the energy was somewhat lackluster. Half the gym had been sectioned off, cramping the already small space. Kaleb Johnson, a freshman at Oakland Tech, said that while this homecoming was a good first impression, it felt somewhat empty an hour in.
Many students congregated on the path from the gate to the gym, where a red carpet lay outstretched
In previous years, mosh pits and electricity infected the gym. Now, however, students almost seemed timid. The signature buzz of Tech’s HOCO was sadly absent.
Haaziq Al-Musawwir, a junior in leadership, claimed that this year’s HOCO would have been better if not for the lackluster student spirit. This demonstrates a bigger issue across Tech: Students simply are not showing up.
“I just wish we had more student engagement. Same thing with the rally. Like, people weren’t as excited to be there as they were in recent years.”
School spirit extends past HOCO or rallies. Solidarity fuels and greases every cog in Tech’s grand machinery. Good or bad, events like this thrive on everyone’s participation—from the student leaders who put them together to those who spend $25 on a ticket each year. School spirit is a valuable commodity—one that requires everyone’s participation, including you.