Reclaiming the "Ball"

bnt

I don't know if it's the fact that I'm a mature student, or if I'm just old-fashioned; but after four years at UCD, the word "ball" on posters still gets the old eyes rolling. It seems to be used for any kind of student session, without any regard for the type of gathering or the dress code. Would you kindly stop doing that, please?

Even the mostly 'Merican authors of the Wikipedia article are on the ball, so to speak, since they start with "A ball is a formal dance", and link to articles on white tie and black tie. Using it for informal gatherings - such as the aborted UCD "Ball" - is out of step with the rest of the world, basically. The word has no meaning left, if you slap it on every poster for boozy sessions.

If a UCD org. put on a genuine black tie ball - complete with dinner and formal dancing (this ain't no disco!), I might consider going to such an event. It's not just an age thing: fashion goes in cycles, so the question is: am I behind, or am I ahead? A "ball" that requires the closure of the whole university and the presence of masses of security sounds like a vision of Hell to me - and I'm a regular poster in the Atheism & Agnosticism forum. :eek:

PS: I've just been told that the TCD Ball is a bit like that - but I wasn't thinking of them. It sounds as if they wear the formal clothes, OK, but don't behave as if it was a real formal ball, anyway. The queues outside the dry-cleaners must rival those outside the Apple Store on iPhone launch day.

Gae

bnt wrote: »

The queues outside the dry-cleaners must rival those outside the Apple Store on iPhone launch day.

Why would anyone dry clean a rented tux?

LUPE

I agree, the use of the word ball irritates me.

Dunno what you're on about towards the end though tbf, quit while you're ahead

dublin daz

bnt wrote: »

PS: I've just been told that the TCD Ball is a bit like that - but I wasn't thinking of them. It sounds as if they wear the formal clothes, OK, but don't behave as if it was a real formal ball, anyway. The queues outside the dry-cleaners must rival those outside the Apple Store on iPhone launch day.

lol well maybe not behave as a formal ball towards the end, yep you've to get dressed up but still have mud on their formal clothes minus the shoes in most cases. Its formal alright but by 5am the next day does anyone notice?

hyde

Gae wrote: »

Why would anyone dry clean a rented tux?

I think he's referring to the fact that alot of tuxs are covered in beer stains/sick after Trinity Ball and need to be cleaned before being returned.

I wouldn't know if there's any push for change (and am myself ambivalent), but just for contrast, look at the wiki page on the May balls (Cambridge's offering).

Wiki Page wrote:

Most balls have fundamental similarities: all will offer guests a variety of food, entertainment, and a selection of alcoholic drinks. The quality and diversity of all of these vary markedly between different balls. While all claim to offer luxury (and many deliver), some have distinctive hallmarks: Peterhouse is famed for its Ferris wheel, Magdalene for its dining, Trinity for its exceptional fireworks and near-unlimited champagne, Clare for its entertainment lineup and St Johns for its party atmoshpere.

parker kent

They run balls like this quite often throughout the year. The Strauss Ball being the obvious example. Then other individual schools have their own ball.

WeeBushy

It's just a name tbh, don't see why its such a big deal what they call it.

bnt

Gae wrote: »

Why would anyone dry clean a rented tux?

So you'd always just hand it back, regardless of the condition it's in? Oh, I see - you're paying the rental company, so that makes it all OK, does it? I must indeed be in the wrong century. :cool:

WeeBushy: it's not a big deal. It's my opinion. I'm obviously out of step with the majority opinion, but I don't think I'm the only one who wishes for a bit more civilization in the university environment. It's not an either/or situation - you can have both fun and culture, it's just that the situation at UCD unbalanced to one side. This is a university, after all, where we ought to be able to think critically about these matters and call them by their correct names. That is all.

parker kent

bnt wrote: »

WeeBushy: it's not a big deal. It's my opinion. I'm obviously out of step with the majority opinion, but I don't think I'm the only one who wishes for a bit more civilization in the university environment. It's not an either/or situation - you can have both fun and culture, it's just that the situation at UCD unbalanced to one side. This is a university, after all, where we ought to be able to think critically about these matters and call them by their correct names. That is all.

As I said in the other thread when this argument started, what else will you call it? It's a catchy name, it's trading on the Trinity Ball name.

Correct names is just a bit of a misnomer anyway, the names of events can and do change over the years. The word Ball has been used for all forms of dance events, not just formal balls like you suggest. Technically you could say this is a dance (an outdoor dance with a casual dress code).

Plus as I said above, you want to wear a tux and waltz...go to the Strauss Ball or any other similar event. UCD does have societies that cater to other types of events.

WeeBushy

bnt wrote: »

WeeBushy: it's not a big deal. It's my opinion. I'm obviously out of step with the majority opinion, but I don't think I'm the only one who wishes for a bit more civilization in the university environment. It's not an either/or situation - you can have both fun and culture, it's just that the situation at UCD unbalanced to one side. This is a university, after all, where we ought to be able to think critically about these matters and call them by their correct names. That is all.

I'm all for civility as well. And we do have a balance, as parkerkent pointed out - go to the Stauss Ball if you want a more high class event.

I think you're getting a bit hung up on certain events being called 'Balls', what they're called shouldn't and doesn't matter. Its the content of UCD social events that should be in question. We have Balls that require a bit of decorum and we have one where people go, well, bananas. There's a good balance imo.

parker kent wrote: »

Plus as I said above, you want to wear a tux and waltz...go to the Strauss Ball or any other similar event. UCD does have societies that cater to other types of events.

I would love to see someone at UCD Ball waltzing wearing a tux. That would be awesome

parker kent

WeeBushy wrote: »

I would love to see someone at UCD Ball waltzing wearing a tux. That would be awesome

And a top hat, never forget your top hat :pac:

Gae

bnt wrote: »

So you'd always just hand it back, regardless of the condition it's in? Oh, I see - you're paying the rental company, so that makes it all OK, does it? I must indeed be in the wrong century. :cool:

Well I assume they clean them when you give them back. You think they just put them back on the hanger for the next person to rent? Anyway, it was just a tongue-in-cheek comment.

parker kent

Gae wrote: »

Well I assume they clean them when you give them back. You think they just put them back on the hanger for the next person to rent? Anyway, it was just a tongue-in-cheek comment.

If it was in bad condition (sick, beer, muck etc) they wouldn't give back the deposit. So that is the incentive to return it in good condition. So there'd be no real reason to go and dry clean it yourself (particularly given you would have to pay extra to get it cleaned and returned in time for you to get it to the shop at the agreed time.

And as you say, you were joking anyway!

upandcumming

Who the fuck cares what it is called?

Raphael

bnt wrote: »

I don't know if it's the fact that I'm a mature student, or if I'm just old-fashioned; but after four years at UCD, the word "ball" on posters still gets the old eyes rolling.

LUPE wrote: »

I agree, the use of the word ball irritates me.

Dunno what you're on about towards the end though tbf, quit while you're ahead

These 2 people do, clearly.

upandcumming

Raphael wrote: »

These 2 people do, clearly.

You know, I never liked you Raphael.

Raphael

Why Ed, does this mean we're not friends anymore? You know Ed, if I thought you weren't my friend... I just don't think I could bear it!

Riamfada

I should have gone to Trinity, in retrospect.

bnt

Riamfada wrote: »

I should have gone to Trinity, in retrospect.

By the sounds of things, the Trinity Ball last night was a real craic-er too:

blubloblu wrote: »

Jessie J not too impressed:
"Just came off stage at trinity ball. Probably one of the hardest gigs to date. To see so many people so drunk they couldnt even stand. Girls unconcious and them literally trampling on eachother. #wasnteasy"
"Im not upset they werent all listening it upset me to see so many young people so not with it. Not used to it. Its hard to sing when i just wanted to go in the crowd and help all the crying girls being squashed...."

Then read the responses on that thread. Quite the Craic problem we have in this here country ... :rolleyes:

parker kent

So the UCD Ball is actually the civilised one after all!