by Lauren Morley, Year 13 Student Kaipara College
The school ball: The one night a year where we ditch those school uniforms, dress in our best attire, and let our hair down (or in some cases, put it up, very neatly). On Saturday July 1st, Kaipara College hosted their annual school ball. For the year 12s and 13s, this is quite possibly the most anticipated night of the school year. A special thank you goes out to Countdown, Parakai Springs, and Ritchies who all sponsored this event, as well as our ball committee who dedicated their time to putting this whole night together.
For many, weeks of preparation go into this night. They visit the same shop two or three times trying to find the perfect dress, they make hair appointments, nail appointments, and spend time finding shoes that have the perfect balance of comfort and beauty. For others, this preparation came in the form of creativity. Some students went above and beyond, sourcing their own materials, designing, and spending countless hours crafting their own unique outfits. Others, I’m sure, took a more relaxed approach. Perhaps only taking a shopping trip the weekend before - picking out the first suit or dress which fit.
In my experience, one of the best parts of the night happens at the very beginning. Everyone first meets at school, and while it may not seem like much, watching everyone pull into the carpark is a surprisingly special moment. Not only do you feel like you’re at a car show (with a large number of people arriving in V8s which have had the mufflers taken off - classic westies), but once the engines are turned off and people make their way out of their cars, it is one of the best things to watch as they spot their friends, make their way over, watch them all hug, and tell each other how gorgeous they look.
From school, us students got loaded onto buses, and were then driven to the secret location of our ball. This year, we were lucky enough to be hosted by The Hunting Lodge. The ballroom was decorated with strings of fairy lights and floral balloon arrangements, there were several photo booths with beautiful backdrops which provided us with photos which will surely be looked back upon in many years to come. For dinner, we had the options of pizza, pasta, fish and chips, chicken wings, and sausage rolls, and dessert was made up of a selection of small slices, cheesecakes and a lolly station.
Whether the night was spent with a partner, or just our closest friends, we spent our time singing at the top of our lungs and dancing until our high heels gave us blisters. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of photos were taken, and memories were made that will last us a lifetime.
Myself and friends at the ball
