House Fund Disco!

Mia Ham

Walking into Nerina on the afternoon of Thursday 2 March, one would be blinded by sparkly skirts, glittery dresses, and shiny jewellery Dozens of bedazzled girls darting in and out of their rooms, preparing for the night ahead. Who doesn’t love a good disco?

For two weeks before the highly anticipated House Fund Dance, this event was a frequent topic among residents The questions of who to take and what to wear were ever in the back of Nerinas’ minds. Excitement grew as blind dates were organised, clothes borrowed, and glitter bought, with only a few days to spare before the fateful Thursday.

That evening, Nerinas and their companions arrived group-by-group at Centraal, the disco dance destination. After checking in and receiving food and drinks tokens, they had their pictures taken against a backdrop of bright coloured balloons. And so, the night officially began.

As more and more Nerinas arrived, cries of “Look at you!”, “I love your outfit!” and “Where did you get that skirt?” rang out repeatedly in the crowd. Dining-hall acquaintances greeted each other excitedly, welcoming buddies chatted again for the first time since February and classmates bonded over the work they should be doing.

Pictures taken and pleasantries exchanged, the next step was to redeem one’s drink token and join the dancing crowd. Soon enough, “Where are you from?” changed into “Where did you learn those moves?”, as the Nerinas and their companions lit up the dance floor Song after song was belted out and accompanied by some impressive movements. The Nerinas gave it their all. A ‘sokkie’ area even appeared during the Afrikaans songs.

Having danced themselves to near exhaustion, many were relieved to hear that the food was ready. It certainly did not disappoint. Delicious burgers were distributed to eager disco-goers, their food tokens ready The burgers were well received, surpassing the expectations of those who were wondering what Centraal’s food would be like. Having regained their strength, the Nerinas and their companions partied on. ABBA songs were shouted at full volume and Taylor Swift songs were performed to the best of our Swifties’ abilities.

As the night wore on and borrowed shoes became a little less bearable, the crowd slowly dispersed. Some headed to bed, some went in search of more food and some continued the party elsewhere. Whether they went home early or stayed out late, one thing was certain: this was a night not soon to be forgotten. The memories, like the glitter in their hair, would stay with the Nerinas for months to come.