This year, the Concord Academy sophomore lock-in took place from April 26 through April 27. The lock-in is a 10th-grade tradition where the class spends the night in the SHAC together with a variety of games, food, and activities, with all sophomores invited. The class leaders, class president May Zheng ’26, class representative Joy Xu ’26, and entertainment representative Vee Sirikantaporn ’26, spent weeks planning and preparing for the event, and their efforts were displayed in the many activities offered. Some attractions included a huge obstacle course, a bouncy house, a volleyball net, card and board games, and free raffles for all who attended. The event also provided snow cones, cotton candy, boba, and other snacks and drinks.
The lock-in began slowly, due to the concurrent school-wide barbecue where most students ate dinner. However, a little after 8:00 p.m., the start time, sophomores began to trickle in. Most beelined for the snack table, where they received chips, soda, and paper cones of crushed ice, adding their desired syrups. From there, they spread out in smaller groups throughout the gym: racing through the obstacle course, wrestling in the bouncy house, or chatting in circles on the floor.
At around 9:00 p.m., the class president May Zheng ’26 called everyone into the gym for the raffles, where two large plushies and two boxes of snacks were given out for free, amidst much suspense and excitement. Around this time, boba was available, and students rushed out to grab a cup. For the rest of the evening, students explored the obstacle course—with some of the more adventurous climbing to the very top. They also played cards and gambled Monopoly money, and feasted on unlimited food and drink. Several students opted to sleep over for the night, though most decided to retreat to their beds.
Though the event ran smoothly overall, several hiccups slightly hindered the flow. One major setback was the lack of cotton candy, due to the disappearance of the machine, which is still yet to be found despite the sophomore class leaders’ best efforts. Another was the delay of the boba, which came out an hour after it was originally supposed to. Entertainment Rep Vee Sirikantaporn ’26 explains, “We didn’t realize that the tea would have to cool for so long. But, it was still good in the end, even if it was a little late.”
In the future, the class leaders will learn from these minor mistakes and improve their planning and organizational skills. For their first event, however, it was certainly successful in the eyes of the attendees. Chloe Park ’26 states, “I had a great time and bonded with my classmates, so even if a few things went wrong, it was still a fun evening!”