FRESHERS WEEK EDITION

I thought it very telling that the incoming JCR picked the 1st of July – the exact handover date for the exec – to announce this year’s Winter Ball. Many of my friends remarked that it seemed to almost ‘get one back’ at the old JCR. I think the reality is far less cynical. It sets a precedent for the upcoming year being one of organisation, planning and action. After some years of eleventh-hour plan changes, including that infamous suggestion this time last year to host the Ball in The Hub (no joke, freshers), it seems right that South students might get to enjoy not just the contents of our Balls, but the whole process leading up to them too.

Because why shouldn’t we?

Having been to all our Winter and Summer Balls since my first year, I am able to say they’ve all ended up been fantastic.

Sitting in a dapper suit or dress on those hired buses, zipping you and your friends straight from the Howlands Park and Ride to the venue, you get a foretaste of the chauffeured lifestyle to come once you actually lock in this year and make it big (but your mileage may vary depending on how often you substitute the Billy B for some Woodgates). Well, as long as you don’t lose your ticket, that is; don’t be the one who holds up the bus, and there is always one….

For those with dining tickets, there’s ample opportunity to mingle with collegemates and take some nice initial photos before you’re called to the hall for your three-course meal – like a formal. You’ll usually get a complementary drink too, though for the rest of the night I’d advise economical Hooter readers that having a few beforehand – bar prices for these swanky halls considered – is very agreeable indeed. Speaking of venues, expect lavish and grandiose grounds of halls and hotels – each room filled with attractions, entertainment, and confectionery stands.

When those with ‘ENTS’ tickets begin to arrive (usually around 9pm), the dining getup is cleared and the night is your oyster: rides, photo booths, bouncy castles, arcade cabinets, and dodgems have all made appearances in years gone by – with fireworks promised for this year’s Winter Ball. You can also, of course, stick in the dining hall and hit the dancefloor to the tune of many talented live bands and DJ sets that come along to the Ball too.

If sticking it out until the last bus home isn’t enough for the most valiant Ball-goers, there remains one extra invitation for anyone who fancies a bit of a walk. I speak, of course, about the famed DU tradition of watching the sunrise on Observatory Hill. One last photo op with the glamorous cathedral skyline in view, and then saying goodnight – or, more fittingly, good morning – so to spend the next 6 months reminiscing before doing it all over again. ∎