Here we glow again.

Pumping with adrenaline and freshman vivacity, Olds Glow is a yearly event that draws students from all corners of campus for live music and dancing. This year’s theme was “Mamma Mia: Here We Glow Again” and featured two student bands, Backspace and Runaround. 

“I think it was the best event of the year, and everyone who came here was absolutely over the moon. It was amazing,” sophomore Olds resident assistant Elizabeth Christian said.

Tropical-themed mocktails and snacks were served by sophomore Sam Baggott in the kitchen while the moshpit bustled on the opposite side of the lobby.

“I honestly loved the mocktails; they were such a fun addition to the atmosphere. It was so much fun to sit with a bunch of girls with the mocktails and watch the bands all night,” said freshman Olds resident Alexis Arnett.  

The night began with a mix of ABBA and indie pop songs performed by Backspace. They incorporated special performances from freshman Olds resident Anastasia Dementyev singing Dancing Queen by ABBA, and freshman Sam Goetz playing the trumpet in “Mystical Magical” by Benson Boone.“I loved seeing Anastasia perform and step out of her comfort zone. She is very sweet and super inviting. It was really cool to see her singing on stage. It’s a side of her that I don’t usually get to see,” Arnett said.In the middle of Backspace’s performance, the computer that controlled their synthesizer broke. Sophomore Michael Choe, Backspace’s bass player, said the set went well despite this hang-up.“I think the vibes were immaculate,” Choe said. “Our set started off really well, but we did have some technical issues with Erik Teder’s synthesizer. We ended up having to connect it to the TV in the lobby to be able to run the rest of the sound.”Runaround’s performance was also stilted due to complications with the sound. Blow speakers muffled vocals, but the audience kept up the energy as junior Clara Dornbirer took the stage to sing Raye’s popular song “Where Is My Husband.” Runaround’s set also featured freshman Olds resident Grace Torsch playing the trumpet in a variety of songs. 

“Runaround did amazing, and the night was just so good,” Choe said.

With a mixture of beachy white skirts and off-the-shoulder tops, Arnett said the women of Olds took the party by storm. Each of the current Olds resident assistants wore matching gold butterfly clips in their hair, which Arnett said they made just before the event.

Sophomore resident assistant Sophie Ortiz said the party was another addition to Old’s success this year. In the fall, the residence won Mock Rock for the first time. 

“It’s officially the year of Olds,” Ortiz said. “We’re glowing again.”