Enchanting “Under the Sea”-themed decorations filled the mansion. A livestream of sea life was the backdrop on the dancefloor, a live mermaid lounged inher shell, covered in pearls adn wearing a shiny blue tail; and people were seen drinking blue beverages with little red Swedish Fish in them.

Hannah Stewart, a freshman at Oakland, has dreamed of attending the Meadow Brook Ball since she was young.

“I’ve always wanted to come to this ball since my parents told me about it when I was little,” Stewart said. “I really love this year’s theme. It was definitely a fun experience, and I like all the different activities they had.”

The Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development organized the ball, and a committee of students helped to bring it to life. Some of the activities for students to participate in were tarot card readings, body painting, caricature drawings, a “Finding Dory” scavenger hunt, a fishbowl decorating contest, board games and a tour of Meadow Brook Hall.

The winners of the fishbowl decorating contest received a gift basket from the grand-prize table on the lower floor. If ball-goers completed the scavenger hunt, they could enter their names into a drawing for one of the prizes announced at midnight. Some of the prizes included an Oakland sweatshirt, makeup and snacks.

Although there were a variety of activities for students to enjoy, the more popular ones may have made the ball less enjoyable for some.

“I really like the caricature and tarot card readings,” said junior Diane Walsh. “I just hated waiting in the lines. I was in the lines for almost an hour-and-a-half each. I didn’t really get the chance to dance and hang out with my friends. I probably would have enjoyed myself more if the wait time wasn’t so long.”

There was a multitude of finger foods for guests to enjoy, including candy, fruit, cookies, chips and salsa.

For a lot of students, the best part of the ball was the music, which was provided by WXOU and some other Oakland musicians.

“I love the music,” said junior Max Williamson. “It’s something that I can get hype to and dance around with my friends. I was a little worried that the music might be outdated, but I’m so glad it’s not. The music is modern, and a lot of people of our generation actually know the songs.”

Overall, students seemed to enjoy the ball.

“There were some hits and misses with this ball, but I think I’ll try it again next year and see what happens,” Walsh said. “I had fun overall with my friends. It’s a great excuse for me to get dressed up and go out with my girlfriends.”