May Ball
From Freepedia
A May Ball, despite the name, is a ball held in June at a Cambridge college at the end of the academic year. They are traditionally formal affairs, requiring evening dress, with prices from around £80 to £160, with most colleges selling tickets only in pairs. The balls are held in the college gardens, lasting from around 9 p.m. until well after dawn, with some colleges offering rides in balloons when the ball ends, or even breakfast in Paris. "Survivors' photographs" are usually taken of those who last until morning.
Many colleges originally held the balls during the month of May, sometimes in the week preceding year-end exams. Today, they take place in May Week, which usually starts on the second Thursday of June following the end of exams, and which includes Suicide Sunday.
The First And Third Trinity Boat Club May Ball held by Trinity College is the most famous of the May Balls, always held on the first Monday of May Week, and its tickets are the most sought after. Rumours about its budget abound, which is thought to be in the region of one million pounds. Other desirable balls are held by Clare, which has some of the most beautiful gardens in Cambridge, and St John's, which is the largest. Trinity, Clare, and John's are situated directly on the River Cam, along The Backs, as are St Catherine's (Catz), Queens', Trinity Hall, and Caius. As a result, when several balls are held on the same evening, the river is lit up in different colours from the lights and the fireworks, creating a memorable backdrop to the evening's festivities.
Other annual balls are held by Jesus and Robinson, while Corpus Christi holds May Balls every two years. Most balls are themed, though Trinity's is notable for its lack of a theme.
Several colleges host a variation on these balls, such as the King's and Pembroke, which have a more egalitarian June Event. These are cheaper, have no formal dress requirements, and tend to be focused on live music.
Colleges with larger May Balls pay considerable attention to security and the prevention of ball-crashing. With tickets priced at over £100 and in short supply people often try to gain unauthorised access. Typically, College Porters are joined by Ball staff, often drawn from College sports teams, to identify and apprehend unauthorised people.
As part of the security arrangements, students living in parts of the College and not attending the May Ball are often required to either vacate their rooms or remain in them without leaving overnight, in spite of the inevitable loud music.
The Oxford equivalent of the May Ball is known as a Commemoration Ball or "Commem," because it is held in the ninth week of Trinity term, known as Commem week after the university Encaenia (commemoration of benefactors) which is held then.
