This event, was probably the highlight of this month, scratch that; of this year. It was well planned, there were a few contests, plenty of dancing, all you can eat food, and a kind of ambiance that just isn't replicable in a gym. Did I mention dancing? In short, practically everybody this evening was a party animal for a while. Even some of the teachers (and I as well) joined the foray. When I left the Ala Moana Hotel at 10:11 PM (4 hours later), I did not see a single frown on anybodies face, except for a few grimaces due to sore feet (high heels).
First off, the setting. This party took place in a nightclub. An actual night club. With smoke machines, mini disco-balls, strobe lights, lasers's up the wazoo, spinning fixtures, a dance floor, and projection screens showing off popular music videos and the occasional "Welcome to Rumours". There were also dancing cages. People got a lot of laughs out of those. I kind of got a headache when the strobe effect went on but that was probably just me (party virgin here).
The place had AC but it wasn't uncomfortable. I'd like to say that it hit that "Goldilocks" temperature; not too hot and not too cold (and everybody knows that when it's too cold, you just gotta use the restroom...over and over again). The seats were nice (comfy padded cloth chairs or bar stools) and the lighting gave the room an ambient relaxed kind of atmosphere (similar to before a movie starts in the theater). The pillars, multiple floor levels, and weird carpet texture had me feeling like I was in the back portion of Willy Wonka's factory. I liked that weirdness. Not to mention that the ceiling was a complete mishmash of pipes, lights, and other assorted metal. That was pretty cool. There was even a kind of private room in case you didn't agree with all the noise.
The food was okay. It's not 5 stars gourmet kind of stuff but that's okay. It's not like the brochure said you'd be having Iron chef quality food. Not to say that it tasted bad. In fact, I'd say that most of the food there tasted quite good. Especially the fried noodles and fruits. And avocado crab sushi. And buffalo wings. The pasta salad had a little too much onion but then again, not everybody nitpicks like me. The fact that this was all you can eat was a definite plus. Also, the food wasn't "heavy"; it didn't get in the way of dancing. The bar provided a wide array of fountain drinks (sodas) on demand.
The games were pretty fun. They weren't elaborate as most games are during the pep rallies. It was just called "Bend Over". Now that you've taken some time to pull your mind out of the gutter, allow me to elaborate. There was a stack of boxes on the ground in front of you about a foot tall. The point of the game is to bend over without bending your knees and pick up the box tower with your mouth. Everybody had a try and as the participants came full circle, the tower got smaller along with the number of people competing (they couldn't handle it). Eventually it got to the last little 3 inch tall box. About 4 or 5 people managed to do it (me included). 2 teachers also did it (Mrs. Kishimoto and Aunty Holly). All participants got prizes ranging from school supplies to 32 ounce bags of animal crackers to stuffed teddy bears the size of a rather husky grizzly cub.
There was also a call in contest where the 11th caller to a specified phone number had a chance to win a brand new Ipod Nano. I won't say who won, but the question was pretty easy. "List three of the first names of the teachers chaperoning this event."
The last game or rather contest was a "dance-off". The prizes were upped this time and at least 5 people walked away with prizes that included Ala Moana gift cards valued up to $100, $50, and $25. That was the best thing about this party. There weren't many competitors so out of the 40-50 or so people that went, I believe a good 20 of them left with a prize. That's 40%. I'd say your chances of winning were pretty good, wouldn't you say?
Music. There were two DJ's and well... It was party music. There were some unpopular soundtracks (Bieber) but that was easily fixed with a quick suggestion. I thought that was great. You could suggest songs if you didn't like what was being played. Power to the students. Songs included were by artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Far Off, Ceolo Green, Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, and Lil Wayne. The dancing portion was great. The music was varied and there were even some easter eggs in the form of oldies but goodies like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the never fail "Electric Slide". I think most people who went to the club actually got on the dance floor at one point. Though of course, I was disappointed that the DJ's were unfamiliar with some of my favorites.
To be fair, I did have some problems with the party. The one thing that irked me were the announcers. They butchered the script. Or rather, a announcer. To protect their identity, I have given them a new one; Liphu Gino. Why do you have to talk like a god-damned robot? I think it was a great thing that there's such a thing as varying your tone. You know, to have a change of pace in pronunciation? I know you're reading it from a script but couldn't you make an attempt at making it sound like you're not reading it? It's okay to use improv. I mean, what would you say if the ceiling collapsed: "AND LETS START THIS THING OFF WITH A BANG"?
(This guy manages to sound totally badass. And he's a robot. What is your excuse?)
In conclusion, I'm inclined to say that the most fun I ever had this year was at this party. It doesn't top Disney World, but in all honesty, what can? In my personal opinion, this was the best high school event I ever went to, hands down. Blew Freshman year out of the water, destroyed Sophomore year, and might be a heavy competitor for Senior year. There were a lot of people, all dressed semi-formally and in tasteful attire, I had a lot of fun dancing, and at the end of the event; with the sweat on my brow and the pain in my heels, I (along with many others) felt satisfied that this was a $35 very well spent. Major props to the people who were able to make this possible, and the sponsors who donated the prizes. If you couldn't make it to this event, I truly feel sorry for you and hope you're able to make it to a similar event next year.
P.S. If you have photos you want to share on here, link it to me.
Hell to the yes.
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