The 42nd annual Meadow Brook Ball was hosted two nights this year in the historic hall of Oakland University. 

The theme was Amour a Paris. A violinist greeted the ears of students upon entering the mansion.  

“It’s just nice to get to dress up and be in a formal setting like this,” Victoria Humbarger, treasurer of Meadow Brook Ball Committee said. “You never really get the chance to go to a ball. It’s nice to have a night like this out.”

The event had Can-Can models, self-guided tours, scavenger hunt, postcard making, card and board games, two caricature artists, face painting, food, and a photo booth. For the first time ever, with the help of Ballroom Dance Club, dance lessons were given throughout the evening. 

“We have the ballroom dance because we chose a more romantic French theme,” Corryne Urbina, president of Meadow Brook Ball Committee said. “We thought incorporating more dancing fit the theme well.”

Urbina is a senior at Oakland and has been on the committee for four years. 

“I’m so proud of what the committee has done this year,” Urbina said. “I think this has been the greatest year yet because of how much we were able to incorporate other things during the school year to promote the Meadow Brook Ball Committee.”

One of the promotional tools was the memorabilia corsages and boutonnieres, which were hand-made by the Donations Committee.

The committee is broken up into three divisions; decorations, public relations and donations. 

This traditional event at Oakland is known for its quick ticket sales. 

“I went at 5 a.m. the morning tickets went on sale, which isn’t bad because people were there all night,” Krista Pallas, sophomore at Oakland said. I heard about it last year but I wasn’t willing to camp out for tickets. I got a little more adventurous this year and decided to go.”

Although the event is a tradition, the theme changes every year. The Thursday after the ball the committee will meet to decide next years’ theme. 

 “It’s nice to be in a mansion all dressed up. I like to pretend I live here, I feel like a princess,” Dezarea Wade, senior at Oakland said. 

This event was sponsored by the Student Activities Funding Board, WXOU, Alpha Lambda Delta, Circle K at OU, Habitat for Humanity, French Club and Ballroom Dance Club.