An Overview of Del Lago's 2019 Hoopcoming

via @dla_asb's Instagram

Del Lago Academy tried something a bit different this year: having their “Homecoming” be based on the first game of basketball season. They appropriately named it “Hoopcoming." Unlike past homecomings, this year’s was held in the gym. ASB sold between 300 and 400 tickets. The gym was split in two using a drop down divider. One half was the dance floor, and the other half had various games and a movie. They had arcade basketball, air hockey, and a photo booth, among other things. Attendees could also watch Hollywood classics that were being projected. Outside, there were tables where partygoers could hang out with friends and take a break from the music. ASB offered bags of popcorn as well as various types of candy, and Chick-Fil-A had a booth at the end of the courtyard where people could buy a chicken sandwich. However, due to a lack of sales, Chick-Fil-A ended up handing out the sandwiches for free.

Overall, this years Hoopcoming went off with a bang, and everyone seemed to enjoy the night. Here’s what some scholars had to say:

“I was incredibly honored to win a position on the court, and while it was nice to receive a crown, I hope everyone knows they don’t need one to feel special. Whether it was your first homecoming (hoopcoming) or your last, I hope the memories you created made Saturday night something to remember. It was a relieving night, seeing the amount of time and preparation we [ASB] had put into make our first hoopcoming possible. One of the biggest highlights was playing at the pool table and air hockey.” [Edited for clarity.]

- Jane Pham, 11th grade

“I definitely would make a complaint about the people not letting some girls in in their heels. They just made them take them off. I didn’t hear anyone say anything about not being able to wear certain heels. I felt like it was extremely inconvenient, rude, and inconsiderate. I think they should’ve thought about the whole ordeal before the dance so that people wouldn’t have to take off their shoes and walk around barefoot on the gross floor.” [Edited for clarity.]

- Julia Gowland, 11th grade

The DJ played a wide variety of dance music, from “Mo Bamba” to “Africa” and even The Office theme song, which seemed to be a crowd favorite. At one point in the dance, a vent from the gym ceiling detached, and seemed to be gradually falling. Teachers and janitors decided to rope off a section of the gym so as to avoid any “Hoopcoming casualties."

via @mrs_creen on Instagram

As for Hoopcoming courts, Jane Pham and Esthela Barriga won their title as Hoopcoming queens for the high court, and Cya Coleman and Shelton Tran won Hoopcoming prince and princess for the low court. Leading up to the night, a bit of drama ensued when an anonymous Instagram account reportedly posted fake election data, but that has since been cleared up, and Hoopcoming went off without a hitch. It was a fun night for everyone, and, if ASB keeps planning dances like this, scholars have a lot to look forward to.