By Sophia Lashmar, Year 11
As any Ecolint student knows, the Bal des Neiges is the social event of the year, whether they attend LGB, Nations or La Châtaigneraie. As one of the few intercampus events at Ecolint, the Bal des Neiges is a long-standing tradition that allows students from different campuses to meet and have some fun.
The Bal is organised and run by the student councils from the three Ecolint campuses, and is the biggest student organized event of the year. After a three year hiatus, the Bal was long-awaited and was seen as a return to ‘good old times’. Ecolint students of all ages showed up, looking their best, and ready to party, both for Junior and Senior night.
However, while the opportunity to get dressed up and attend a fancy ball at a posh hotel is much appreciated by students, it does beg the question: Is it all really worth it?
After talking to some LGB students, their reactions were mixed. Some did not attend at all, mostly because of the 55.- ticket price, and most Year 13s avoided the evening altogether due to their imminent mock IB exams.
Some students who did attend were happy to give their feedback, and said the following:
“It was better than I thought, but could have been cheaper”
“Yes it was worth it, I enjoyed meeting the other campuses”
“So much fun, but could have been cheaper and should have had mini appetisers”
“It was really fun, 100% worth it”
“It was very underwhelming and it was not a very fun experience”
“Worth it, but the music was awful”
“It was super fun! DJ was terrible at mixing, but the song choice was good, 9/10”
“Yes, definitely worth it, but there should have been better photo opportunities, more food and drinks”
“With the price of the ticket for the venue and lack of food plus minimal drink options, it might not have been worth it”
Many girls at the ball bemoaned the lack of “fancy footwear options” as they suffered through the “otherwise enjoyable evening” in painful heels and boots, while the boys in suits were allowed “smart sneakers”.
Some students “enjoyed the intercampus aspect of the Bal”, while others wished it was “just students from our own schools, so that it would have been people we knew and could have had more fun with”.
The majority of the feedback concerned ticket prices, lack of food and music choice, which nonetheless are all highly subjective.
On the issue of ticket prices, students wanted to attend a “proper fancy party”, which in Geneva is generally accompanied by a hefty price tag. However, if students were prepared to compromise on the venue, then of course the corresponding ticket price would have dropped. On the other hand, if students were unhappy with the price, it might have been because they felt there should have been more drinks options and even some food on offer at the party. Lastly, students had differing reactions to the music choice and DJ, which is only to be expected when attempting to appease a crowd of teenagers.
As previously mentioned, the Bal des Neiges is one of very few intercampus events, an anomaly, as when it comes to Kermesses, PTA events, parties, competitions, celebrations and showcases, the campuses operate independently. In the past, the campuses have only mixed to compete against each other in sports tournaments, to join together for Unison choir concerts or orchestras, and a couple of times in Stuco-organised talent shows. If the only reason the Bal des Neiges is an intercampus event is because of tradition, and we intend to maintain this tradition, why not foster a stronger intercampus community with other events? This way, the first time students from different campuses meet is not at the Bal des Neiges, which can make for a divided ballroom and a slightly awkward evening!
To conclude, the Bal des Neiges was a much-anticipated social event appreciated by the majority of students, and many hours of work went into it thanks to the three dedicated student councils. However, that is not to say that there is no room for improvement with next year’s Bal, which students are already looking forward to.
