I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I was told about the supposedly “infamous” GLOW party put on by the TPRA (Totem Park Residence Association). I heard some fairly credible ideas of what the party was going to be like and I also heard some rather outlandish statements that 20% of the time even Google couldn’t help me make sense of it. Many people told me that the party was on David Letterman’s list of parties to attend before you die. Others suggested that the party was always so ridiculous that multiple ambulances were called each year to help handle the potential shenanigans that may occur that night. Supposedly, the universities’ best DJs would be making an appearance! I figured, I should just find out for myself. But, I should rewind and give you the background information (that I know of!) on the GLOW party. So, each year Totem Park (that’s one of the two freshman neighbourhoods) hosts an exclusive Totem Park resident only party that is rumoured to be the party you can’t miss as a freshman. All party goers are encouraged to wear neon or all white clothing so they will “glow” under the black light.

Naturally, this with the wild mix of rumours I heard gave me some incentive to buy a ticket. The trick was actually getting a ticket! The one really unfortunate thing about GLOW is that there were only 500 tickets available to a community of approximately 1,700! It was a real struggle to actual get a ticket.  There were three days to get a ticket – each day one third of the tickets were sold. After the first day, the first round of tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes! After yet another failed attempt on the second day, I realized I needed to arrive earlier to actually have a chance of getting a ticket. On the last day that tickets were sold, my room mate and I waited in line two hours prior to the ticket booth opening! Even then, a small mass had already gathered. Luckily, we did manage to get tickets. However, we were pushed and shoved by the huge crowd all around us, fighting for tickets. By the time the ticket booth was opened, the massive crowd looked like this:

There were people everywhere! It was very difficult to move and personal space instantly went out of style. However, the night of the dance I realized it was all worth it! The DJs, the people, and the awesome glow of the people around me made for a party experience I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, the dance was shut down an hour early due to TOO MANY shenanigans. While this was upsetting, I still had an awesome time! I would have to recommend this party to any incoming Totem Park residents. I’ve decided not to say too much more on this matter though. It’s a lot better to experience the night for yourself and see what’s rumour and what’s fact.