The late-night Summer Ball was sure to be an evening full of celebration and chaotic fun. For many students, this event didn’t just mark the end of the academic year, but, along with it, the end of their University eras. It served as a final goodbye for many graduates as they prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives.
This year was the University’s largest Summer Ball so far. With over 4,000 tickets sold, the equivalent of 1 in every 5 students attending, it was an event of unprecedented scale and excitement, covering 3 floors and an outside area of the York Racecourse.
From fairground rides and street food, to a casino and silent disco, the night also offered various live music performances on two stages: the Band Society stage and the Main Stage, with Sundara Karma being one of the headliners.
Vision caught up with The Blazers, a student band who performed on stage at the ball, and have played at venues like Fulford Arms and Glasshouse Jazz Nights throughout the year. When asked about their plans for the upcoming year, Lily Rose Jameson enthusiastically replied: “Everything you can ever imagine… We’re releasing original music in the next month-ish, putting out a live album with some of our originals on it, and we’re playing places like Leeds, so we’re getting out of York.”
Vision also gathered the SABBs to give some positive reflections on their time at University and as sabbatical officers.
Hannah Nimmo, Community and Well-Being Officer, shared, “I’ve been at York now for five years so when I leave as a Sabb I’m also leaving York and I love York so much it’s going to be really sad to leave. ”
Nimmo and Tanisha Jain, YUSU Sports Officer, highlighted Sabbs Come Dancing as their favourite memory, with Hannah saying, “Winning it was genuinely such a shock but it was such a fun project to work on, something really different and I had the best time.”
When Pierrick Roger, YUSU President, was asked for his favourite memory from his time as a Sabb, he quickly responded: “Definitely Fix First.”
Doherty said, “I think my biggest accomplishment this year has been to get the Student Leader extensions for Roses, mostly because everyone else has tried at least once and I got it.”
For anyone whose time at University is not yet ever, here are a few top tips that we gathwered throughout the night:
“Do your revision! That’s very Academic Officer of me – do your revision, turn up to your lectures, learn what the appeals process is.”
– MEELY DOHERTY, YUSU ACCADEMIC OFFICER
“Don’t leave all your studying to the end of the year, that and just have fun, have as much fun as you can, especially if you’re second or third year. It’s easy to get lost in the studying.”
PIERRICK ROGER, YUSU PRESIDENT
“If you’re still at Uni, please try and join a society, sport, club. Like, it doesn’t have to be sport, join something…I would have dropped out if it wasn’t for my sports clubs to be honest’
TANISHA JAIN, YUSU SPORTS OFFICER
“You should accept what’s coming to you, rather than trying to change things. It’s such a chaotic time in peoples’ lives, I think you often want to like force things and make sure that you’re doing things okay. You should just accept it, it’ll be what it’ll be and it’ll probably be the best years of your life.”
– FREDDY RUSSELL, NEW COMMUNITY & WELLBEING OFFICER
Do “not submit your dissertation with 2 minutes left. The adrenaline rush is good but not good enough to risk your whole degree.”
She added, “Organise your assignment to be done before the Summer Ball because it makes the Summer Ball celebratory and amazing.”
– KAITLYN BEATTIE-ZARB, NEW UNION AFFAIRS OFFICER]