On Sunday, November 17th, Collegedale Academy’s students gathered at the Embassy Suites Hotel for a Great Gatsby themed banquet. The Student Association and Parent Planning Committee worked tirelessly to transform the ballroom into a space worthy of Jay Gatsby himself. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse catered the event, serving vegetable lasagna with chocolate mousse for dessert. Senior Jim Fine says, “The decorations were amazing. The event was very festive and lively.”
Collegedale Academy’s very own Jazz Band provided the musical entertainment. Senior Rena Chung says, “The jazz band was excellent and definitely added to the authentic vintage aura.”
“The Jazz Band did well,” adds sophomore Maci Farnsworth, “I just wish they could have performed even more.”
Over 260 students attended the event, and the great turnout can be attributed to the fact that it was the only banquet that underclassmen can attend this year. In past years, students anticipated, aside from junior/senior banquet, two separate banquets, one planned by parents and the other planned by the Student Association.
However, students are not complaining about having just one banquet, as the combined resources of the Student Association and the Parent Planning Committee made the event far more enjoyable than banquets have been in previous years. Student Association president, Andrew Suerket says, “I very much appreciated having the parents team up with SA for the banquet. I have never been a part of planning for an event as big or as anticipated as banquet is. Although we as SA were all involved with the planning and organizing for this event, the parents knew a great bit more about how to prep and plan for something such as this.”
Parent connections also added to the quality of this banquet because the event could not have been held at the Embassy Suites if it were not for them.
Suekert says, “SA could have pulled off the banquet without the parents, but it would not have been nearly as grandiose or spectacular. I am grateful the parents joined in and helped us. If I had to plan a banquet again and choose to either have SA do all the planning or to team up with the parents, I’d choose to have the parents’ help in a heartbeat.”
This banquet also featured a unique mixture of gender participation. Many girls did the asking, including Rena Chung, who asked freshman Kurt Kuhlman. She says, “It was super fun! He was such a gentleman , and it was fun getting to know him.”
Ben Mixon, a junior, was asked by fellow junior Mara Messinger and sophomore Mattie Sue Nafie to be their date. “It was actually really nice getting asked,” Mixon says, “And this may sound lazy, but it was just cool to not be the one with pressure.”
Overall, students enjoyed the Great Gatsby-themed affair. Sophomore Daniel Mihaescu says , “I think SA and the parents did an excellent job with the banquet!”