4Youth community member Emma gets us in the know about her Summer Ball…

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Hola gang! So I guess like me, a lot of you have now finished Uni and are either getting yourself to those end of year club nights or are attending some kind of Summer Ball that your students’ union has devised! Well, to end my year at University I went to the SUBU Summer Ball in Bournemouth!

So, for the past, year I have been studying screenwriting for film & television at Bournemouth University and managed to officially complete my final project and presentation on the 2^nd June! It had been a tough year but leaving first year with a series of C4 comedy-like blaps and having my name on the credits is pretty decent!

We had attended quite a few club nights to end the year but the Summer Ball seemed like something totally different and so nice since it was due to be fancy dress, and that’s quite a laugh! After pain-stakingly spending loads of nights trying to decide whether we were going to paint ourselves green and purple and cover ourselves in balloons so we looked like grapes or whether to attempt going as the spice girls… we ended up with cowboys and Indians! Except none of us went as Indians…

Summer balls are a nice alternative to end your year at uni because often there are shuttle buses to take you to and from the event and rides are normally included in your ticket. The Bournemouth ball started at 2pm and continued till 2am before attending a 3 hour after party and then everyone meeting on the famous sandy beaches for a survivors photo! I unfortunately did not make it to the end but I know a great deal of people who did!

I don’t know if other universities do a survivors ending photo, but I know that most university institutions do offer some kind of end of year event alike! Many of the ones that my friends have been to are black tie and the guys really get dressed up as much as the girls! It’s a right laugh!

So, what actually is there to do at summer balls? I cannot speak for all, but the ball I attended took the fashion of a festival with day of the dead-type cocktail trucks and streamers everywhere! There were three stages showing various acts, the biggest headliner being Chase & Status among others such as Solo 45 and the emerging Digital Farm Animals. Food stalls are one of my personal favourite things at festivals and I cant tell you that your summer ball is an excellent place to expand your taste buds and try out a few new flavours!

One of the most popular food trucks you’ll find at any ball will be a burger stand with hot dogs and chips etcetera, but I urge you to think outside the box and try that noodle, Bratwurst or Russian cuisine van instead! There are some super cool dishes served up at these balls, and if like me, you had to attempt to survive a whole night as well as drinking alcohol, you are definitely going to need to eat!

If you are finishing uni this year and are unsure about whether to attend your ball or not, well I would suggest that you do, even if you don’t drink or want to dress up, (trust me girls in glitter are not aliens…) because they seriously are a good way to meet people and even discover a few new bands if you’re going to a black tie event as they usually hire someone for the event hall!

Have an amazing day guys and I hope you enjoy your end of year events!

Emma Reynolds