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Ilaria Freccia

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Ball

Mermaid's Christmas Ball in review


On Sunday 26 November, Mermaids returned with their annual Christmas Ball. The event was hosted at Kinkell Byre and was preceded by a pre-event at Main Bar. Tickets were £45 and the event was cash only (which I assume was for charitable causes, although it wasn’t specified except in the coat check).


I have three primary observations following my attendance at the Ball.


First, they did not disappoint with the decor. From the dance floor and foyer dripping with evergreen wreaths, fairy lights, and glittery baubles; to the star-spangled back tent, with a black velvet-draped ceiling covered in individual lights that created the illusion of the night sky, it was by far one of the most beautifully-decorated balls I’ve attended in my time at St Andrews. It certainly lived up to the comparisons of Harry Potter’s Yule Ball.


Second, I’d like to take this opportunity to make a public service announcement to the St Andrews student body. If you are going to an event where there will be dancing and confined spaces, please, for the love of god, wear some deodorant. It takes about 30 seconds to apply and is guaranteed to make the evening exponentially more enjoyable for everyone around you. No amount of ‘Jack Frosty’s’, ‘Santa Claus-mopolitans’, or ‘Chili Hot Chocolates’ (which burnt your throat and not in a good way) can hide the odour of hundreds of sweaty bodies pressed together on the dance floor.


My final observation is more of a general question. How, after multiple out-of-town events a year and decades-old histories, has no event figured out how to effectively manage their buses to safely and efficiently transport students to their events? I took one of the first buses to the event and was initially optimistic about their efforts to manage the crowd and get people onto the coaches. Rather than a free-for-all mob in front of the coaches, Mermaids had attendees go through their pre-event in Main Bar and line up in Sandy’s Bar, carefully counting the numbers to get the exact amount to fill a coach before guiding us around the side of the building to

board.


However, soon after the system appeared to get overwhelmed. Alex, an attendee, said “It’s clearly challenging managing such a hugely popular event, but the bars were so understaffed and the queues to get to the buses were so long that even if you got in line early you were left waiting for absolutely ages. Surely it's possible to learn from past events on crowd control.”


While it does seem like efforts were made to manage the safety of students when boarding coaches, the delays that were caused did impact the entire event — leaving the venue virtually empty until late at night and then causing a massive crowd at the bar. Alex added, “I guess the fact that St Andrews doesn’t have event spaces like other universities creates the problem of transportation.”


Despite issues with actually making it to the event, it was comparatively easy to leave. Furthermore, the huge security presence was helpful and instructive, if at times frustratingly committed to their jobs, particularly when it came to entering the toilet queue.


This year Mermaid’s hosted a pre-event. The pre-event was hosted in the Main Bar and was advertised as an opportunity for photos, face painting, and music. While there were quite a few setups for Christmasy photos, most students seemed to enjoy the custom cocktails — including a ‘Caramel Scrooge’, ‘Caramel Nutcracker’, and ‘Santa’s Secret Cosmo’ — the most, mingling as Emily Speed, Conall McKeown, and Radhika Rohin and Elle Hale performed Christmas songs throughout the evening. My only complaint is that the promised face painting never actually happened, despite a sign advertising it at the event.


Upon arrival at Kinkell Byre, I was greeted with a free drink token. After dropping off my coat at the coat check (for the high price of £2, although I did get it back incredibly easily at the end of the evening, a stark contrast to other events I’ve attended recently), I went off to explore the venue.


They offered free Fisher and Donaldson donuts and Janettas ice cream for the first 900 attendees as well as free glasses of prosecco. As the dance floor didn’t start to fill up until around 11:00pm, these were a nice treat to enjoy as I watched the acapella performances by the Other Guys and the Accidentals, who covered everything from ABBA to Harry Styles. I must admit that I did enjoy the opportunity to chill out a little bit before the event really got started, as well as having a quieter place to step away to when the dance floor got a bit crowded.


One of the most commendable aspects of the events was the visibility of the organising committee. In addition to having this quieter space in the back tent, there was a table set up with free bottles of water manned by committee members. For intoxicated attendees or those with any questions, it was easy to get help or take a break. My only suggestion would be that this was better communicated to attendees.


Once more people started to arrive, the dance floor quickly filled up with students dancing the night away to the talented mixing skills of Keyona and James Buckle who played everything from Dynamite by Taio Cruz to Somebody Call 911 by Ra’chel to California Gurls by Katy Perry.


The music was good, and the energy levels were high. Everywhere you looked, sparkly dresses, festival makeup, and holiday cheer could be seen and felt. In addition to the festive attire sported by most attendees, the ball itself had a nice balance of 2010s pop hits and Christmas favourites that truly welcomed the Christmas season.


Despite a few standard hiccups, the event was beautifully done and a fun way to finish off the Martinmas Semester. I always appreciate an opportunity to dress up, and one of my favourite parts of the evening was just seeing all of the sparkly and festive dresses worn by attendees. The committee was accessible and the venue was huge, maximising the chances of a fun, safe, and enjoyable evening.


Photo: Mermaids Christmas Ball

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