Graduation balls at Warwick: where is our money actually going?

With the pressure of exams, dissertations and deadlines, the first half of Term 3 is full of stress-induced breakdowns for many students. However, the final few weeks are a chance to make those final memories of the academic year. Warwick’s Graduation Ball, Societies Awards and Sports Ball have been regular features of the SU’s calendar for many years, however this year shows notable changes from previous years in both pricing and locations, a decision I see as detrimental to how students will celebrate the final few weeks of the academic years.

Sports Ball shows no obvious changes in pricing or event planning. Once again, the event will be held at Birmingham Hilton Metropole, with outgoing club execs being offered the chance to purchase the £50 tickets at a few days before remaining tickets go on sale. Graduation Ball, held at the same location and the day before Sports Ball is selling its tickets at £53 per ticket, an increase from last year’s tickets costing £50 each.

I’ve been part of ball committees where we’ve managed to afford magicians, caricaturists, poker tables and lots of little bits for less than the price of Graduation Ball

At first glance, I can’t really see much more in the differences between Sports Ball and Graduation Ball that justifies a higher price, apart from the fact that all attendees get to have a starter as part of the meal at Graduation Ball. I’m sure that the meal will be delightful, but I do wish that there was lots more available at the event to justify the £53 a head. I’ve been part of ball committees where we’ve managed to afford magicians, caricaturists, poker tables and lots of little bits for less than the price of Graduation Ball. For me, the magic of a ball is what makes the night a little bit more memorable. Having attended many balls, I’d expect the venue, food and overall atmosphere to be of high quality, yet reading the website, I get the feeling Grad Ball feels a bit corporate, a bit stale and just a bit “samey” year on year.

I am very excited to attend Graduation Ball and have been since I saw my Finalists friends go to Grad Ball when I was a fresher. I do understand events like this are not cheap to organise, yet, I do believe that £53 for a Grad Ball rips the opportunity for people who may not have the financial security to buy a ticket to even go at all. There’s no financial payment plan if you needed one and the website doesn’t transparently say whether you can get a refund if you are unable to attend. Warwick’s Graduation Ball may seem considerably cheaper in comparison to balls at universities such as Cambridge and Oxford, where balls are on average at least £100 to attend. However, the high pricing of events such as Warwick’s Graduation Ball and Sports Ball do lead to concerns about who will be attracted to attend these events.

We’ve just paid £27,000 for three years of stress, it doesn’t seem right we then have to fork out £53 to celebrate getting through it

When speaking to other students, the ticket price sits with a sour taste. “We’ve just paid £27,000 for three years of stress, it doesn’t seem right we then have to fork out £53 to celebrate getting through it”, said Zoe Neale, a English Literature finalist. In a move to combat the expensive tickets, Societies Awards has been rebranded in favour of a “Socs Summer Party”. In a statement made by Warwick SU:

“The Socs Summer Party is taking place on Friday 15th June at Chesford Grange Hotel. There will be a selection of games, a BBQ and 9 awards for your Society to apply to. This is an opportunity for Society execs and members to get together after a fantastic year of achievements to relax and have fun!”

The opportunity to vote for awards such as ‘Society of the Year’ and ‘Most Improved Society’ is still going ahead, yet the event will be on from 5-9pm, a clear difference from the balls that go into the night. Whilst the Summer Party looks to be more accessible in terms of pricing, hosting the event in the middle of the day may be impractical to students who have work commitments on a weekday.

To the students who have worked tirelessly over the past year in their respective societies, being rewarded with a BBQ and some outdoor games may feel like an injustice to their extra-curricular efforts

Societies Awards used to be the main night of the year for the Societies Federation, where Societies can celebrate with each other over their hard work during the year. To the students who have worked tirelessly over the past year in their respective societies, being rewarded with a BBQ and some outdoor games may feel like an injustice to their extra-curricular efforts. It gives the impression that, even though more people would be able to afford the event, their celebration does not deserve to be as spectacular, especially considering the lavish nature of Sports Ball has not changed.

I can make no comment in how Graduation Ball and the Socs Summer Party are financed. However, I do believe that, as students of Warwick and as someone who wants to attend these events, the SU should publicly state where our money goes.