college life
Mansfield College Ball 2013
Atlantis Mysteries of the Deep Anna Ploszajski Materials Science 2009, President of the Ball Committee
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s the sun dawned in a cloudless sky on February 2nd 2013, Mansfield College was filled with anticipation, excitement and energy. That evening 650 guests would descend on the transformed College for the triennial ball, entitled ‘Atlantis: Mysteries of the Deep’. Formed in Trinity Term 2011, the ball committee had almost two years to prepare for the event. The ball is traditionally held in Michaelmas term, but it was decided to delay the date until February in order to maximise the time available for marketing and ticket sales. By doing this we hoped to attract more guests, thereby enhancing our budget and so delivering the biggest and best ball in the College’s history. A sudden surge of interest at the beginning of Hilary term saw over half the tickets sold in a matter of days, which, I must admit, took even the ball President by surprise. Rapid negotiations allowed for an increased capacity on site and most of the waiting list of over 100 students, guests and alumni were eventually offered tickets. Those fortunate enough to hold banquet tickets were welcomed into the chapel before the event for a decadent candlelit meal. The pillars were adorned with white fabric and ivy, and the soft melodies from a harp and flute duo floated over the tables as the diners enjoyed four courses.
The remaining guests arrived to a champagne reception, accompanied by a jazz trio in the foyer of the main building. Throughout the evening, eight hours of live music on three stages catered to every taste. An acoustic stage in the Council Room created an intimate atmosphere, allowing guests to enjoy a bountiful spread of desserts accompanied by acoustic musical sets and comedy acts. The Chapel was transformed from banqueting hall into what had affectionately become dubbed by the committee as the ‘Rave Cave’. Dramatically lit by spotlights concealed in the choir stalls, the Chapel’s beautiful architecture provided a unique setting for DJs who took to the decks beneath the organ loft. The main stage in the 300 square metre tent on the quad covered genres from funk and soul, big band jazz, and reggae/folk, provided by student groups, to dubstep/drum & bass/reggae and indie rock from professional bands. The night culminated in an hour of pop song covers, with requests from the audience. Of course it wouldn’t have been a Mansfield party without Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ making an emotional appearance as the last song. One of our principal aims in creating the ball was to provide entertainment that was distinct from the usual fairground rides of other such events. Thus, a temporary pool was installed on the quad, allowing guests to walk on water in inflatable ‘AquaZorbs’. For the more competitively inclined, a Laser Tag arena was inflated on the quad and a Rodeo Surfboard in the JCR. A beauty parlour in the JCR provided nail painting, handmassages, and face painting for those left dishevelled by Aqua-Zorb pursuits or otherwise. My sincerest thanks go to the ball committee for their time, support, creativity, dedication and friendship. I am also ever grateful to Garry Dore, Lynne Quiggin, Allan Dodd, Tony Berezny, Lee Browning, Alvaro Riera, Monika Dziasek, Terry Greenwood, Dana Mills, Claire Palmer, Amanda Ward, Justin Jacobs and Bob Trafford from the College staff for their help during the event and in its run-up and aftermath. Thanks too to all those who came to the ball and enjoyed the end result. It was a privilege to contribute to the life of the wonderful College that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of for the last four years.
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