Annual Ball 2008: The Bad

Well I shall give my views on the downside of the ball since good things must be left to the end ^_^ And it is the good things that will linger in my memories so I shall save the best for last.


Since people are not fond of reading wordy post, I shall number the issues that I feel are areas that our uni ball should improve on.

The ball should be held in a way that truly reflects the theme- integration of all faculties (hence symphony).

1. THE MAIN ISSUE: Sem8 seniors' video story NOT included. U know how it is always the tradition that sem5 organizes the ball and since they are leaving uni for phase II, the ball is a big thing for them to bid their friends farewell and so on.

So, if a transfer to phase II is seen as a BIG thing, wouldn't GRADUATION deserves the same tribute, if not more??

It is called Ai-Am-You ball (I am refraining from using the uni's name coz I don't like my blog to be found) for a reason. NOT sem5 medic ball.

The sem4 medic's video story wasn't included as well. Since ball is held in April every year, this is their LAST ball too. However, they fared better than our seniors coz they were asked for a group photo at the end of the ball.

edit: at 22.03 p.m. the president replied me.. he thanked me for my feedback and here is what he said 'just to let you know, slide show had 3 graduation batches pictures. Only *insert our senior's batch here* didn't send us any pic. Anyway hope u enjoyed your night!'
( still, I feel that the video is very sem5-oriented. I don't see mpharm and sem4 medic's pics as much lor.)

Nothing was mentioned about our senior except for a line in the president' speech '..to bid farewell to the graduating batches *insert batches here*...'

I understand that it is inevitable to overlook things in organising a big event like this; therefore your have something called TEAMWORK. I feel that pharmacy students should be included in the ball committee (it should be explicitly stated or an acknowledged fact, instead of a general statement like 'we welcome pharmacy students to sit in in the meetings to give opinions') so that they could paint the other side of the picture.


edit: alan said that their batch were asked to submit a video story BUT they didn't do it coz they didn't have time. So the blame is not on the committee. Still, the ball is too medic-focused I feel. But YOU should do your part in making the ball memorable for your batch. I KNOW our batch is different from their batch, right?? =)

Seniors who are graduating. My, the girl in green dress and golden dinner bag, was nominated as best-dressed female. She didn't win.

I have channelled my feedback tactfully to the president via sms (he is a really nice guy, by the way) so hopefully it will be looked into in their post-mortem. I hope that in the future, the ball could really reflect what it is meant to be, with integration from various faculties (pharm, medic, nursing and the new courses). In case some people don't realise, they are many good friends among pharm and medic students.


If our batch is sporting enough that at least half the class are going to the ball next year, I am SO GONNA make sure that our video story will be included.


Sorry my mistake. She was one of the nominees for best-dressed female, not the winner.

2. There wasn't a proper stage at the ballroom. There is an elevated platform where the musical instruments are placed. The performance by dancers and even the crowning of prom king and queen were held at floor level, same level as our table. So how could we see that?????

Our seats were in the middle (credits to the president for taking into account our request of being placed near our seniors and not too far from stage ^_^) and we could sorta see it if we strain our necks hard enough, but what about the people at the BACK???

In your read the programme, there is something called 'opening up of dance floor'. Seriously if u call a 5-feet passageway in btw the elevated platform and the VIP seats the 'dance floor' then I guessed it was carried out as stated in the programme. *roll eyes* btw, I think only the prom king and queen danced; I don't think they made announcement to invite everyone to dance, correct me if I am wrong (but then again, the place can't fit many people rmb??) . SO NOT FUN. In my college ball, everyone went out and danced to those clubbing-type music T_T ; they were slow songs for couples too.


Suggestion: they should have put up projector and the screen T_T I know it can be done coz the pharm conference which I attended a few sems back were held in the SAME BALLROOM. I guess COST is a major issue, and that will lead to my FOURTH point.

Winner for best-dressed male. Don't know about you all, but this is definitely NOT my ideal outfit for guy.

Winner for best-dressed female. I hope I get this correct lols, my source is Min y.

3. I think the uni's management should be blamed bcoz we never seemed to have a chun uni ball. It always boil down to COST factor that we had to compromise with the mediocre hotels (like legend last year; but my friend who went to both balls said that legend's one was better coz they arranged the stage in a way that most ppl could see it).

They are charging exorbitant fees yet they can't even fork our money for an annual event like this??? If help, taylors and other money-sucking colleges could sponsor some money for an event like this, surely our uni, whose money-sucking power is comparable, if not MORE than those colleges, can afford to spend the money. The question is they DON'T seem to be willing to spend it. Look at MMU's ball le (check out that I-am-so-lame-but-I-think-I-am-funny's blog).



4. Prom king and queen. Bsides 'sem5 cup and 'sem5 ball' we even have 'sem5 prom king and queen'. A lot of us think that the king and queen won because they are couple and their friends would want to make it memorable for them. Chia w has been telling us 'mag is sooooooo pretty' the whole night..and we girls think that this guy jm is cute; he was paired with mag during the nominees intro session. He looked really yeng when he did some short dance moves!

Mag and jm practising their steps outside the ballroom.

The couple who won prom king and queen. I don't know what criteria they used to judge prom king; but to me it will be the wow factor besides good looks. Most nominees will have good looks anyway. Read this guy's blog HERE and tell me what wow factor you find in him. Steph even thought the blog was by a girl!!! *credits to steph for the blog*


Close-up of the guy our table voted for.

Close-up of mag whom we voted for too.

5. FOOD. Is it a universally accepted fact that prom food always suck?? Wah,if so really I am not so keen on having a ballroom wedding in future coz I am paying so much for SUCKY food!! I want my nice food and I want my guests's tastebuds to be pampered.

If I am getting married at a church, then I guess I will already have a grand walking-down-the-aisle thingy, with one of my fav songs, canon in D being played. *okies this is just an assumption, I said IF ok. That is if I get married to a christian*

Well, I rather host my wedding at restaurants in five-star hotels like lai po heen in mandarin oriental. The interior is nice, and the food is nice. Or perhaps Lafite in Shangri-La (heard of it from friends, never been there. You could have request like hiding your proposal ring into the wine or meal). I can compromise with lack of space, lower ceiling for better food. If you can spend money, I am sure those grand entrance/stage/decorations etc could be arranged.


oops I digressed. The food at the ball yesterday was ok la, I won't use the word sucky (Personally, I don't like the shark fin and fish. The fish was unanimously agreed as bad.)It could be better if they were served hot, but the problem with ballroom food is that they are all made in the kitchen and transferred up to the ballroom. Don't know why they can't keep it warm with things like candles at the bottom of the trays T__T


Hopefully the future balls could be improved; at least try to minimize the above concerns if they cannot be dealt with fully.

Those who went to the ball, what do you think of the ball? Do share you views, good or bad!