Event #5 - Pakuranga College School Ball (May 15th)

An event designed for the purpose of creating an unforgettable night for teenagers during their college years. This became an experience that I managed to enjoy for three years in a row. Although the location was the same every single time at Ellerslie Convention Center the experience was always different each time with different people and different themes. However, this time I was the outside partner to the event. The style of entrance was the same as the years before where everyone descended down an escalator that gradually revealed the room underneath in all it's glory with the magnificent colors and lighting.
I've seen three different sets of people attend the same event, but for reasons I know I remember each one like it was yesterday certain I will never forget. So, what in our brain dictates whether something is memorable to us or not? Every year, the same speech is given by the same teacher where he ends by saying "This is a night you'll never forget no matter how old you get."
And as I descended those same escalators I couldn't help but think that he would be giving the same speech again but the truth of it never changed. In life every human accomplishes many feats but the most memorable of them are done socially. Academic successes may bring distance in life, but the successes made through friendships maintain the lasting image. The event itself is a representation of just that. Despite the claim to difference of theme, it doesn't seem to change all that much when it comes down to it, it's the same tables, same dance floor, same place. But, the main attraction of the event itself isn't the decorations or the food, but rather the people. It's a chance to see the same people you know in a different environment. The ball is something people go to for just that, the people. And despite, how the place may look, smiles and laughter fill the venue everywhere in groups of people dancing and talking. The chance to see friends you haven't talked to in forever and talk like you've been talking everyday since day one, unforgettable.