A Banquet guide for the uninitiated
May 26, 2005 12:06 AM
The atmosphere
It can be safely said that you won't need to know which
fork to use first to eat at this Banquet (hint: the outermost one). Despite the
fancying-up we so encourage, you're supposed to be having fun - so, if
fork etiquette is your thing, be prim. Otherwise, feel free to indulge
in non-jacket-wearing dance mania. Last year several guests started to
breakdance; true to form, the musicians clapping in the crowd (pictured
above) were all doing so right on the beat. Rule of thumb: if no
one around you seems to approve of the impressively silly thing you're
doing... it may not be funny.
Fact: For years the Banquet was held in the Centennial rec centre
near Woburn which, while convenient, was kind of grubby. Moreover, guests
were strongly encouraged to bring a pot luck contribution.
The awards
First, the serious ones. The Triple Award, for lack
of a better name, is presented to WM students who participated in at least
three ensembles during the course of the year.
The Council Service Pin is awarded to members of Council
concluding their first year of service.
And now for the joke awards: always a subject of great interest,
WM's own Jeanie Awards are not awards celebrating the best in Canadian
film and television; instead, they celebrate the silly, idiosyncratic,
and unusual sides of our members. Memorable awards from past years have
included The Best Dancer EVER Award for a certain ex-Council President
whose title has been admittedly stripped from him by another ex-Council
President.
A more recent addition to the awards ceremony, the Onion
Award is presented by popular vote to the person who did the most ridiculous
act anyone can remember within a given year. Last year's recipient attempted
to push open a sliding door which later broke.
Not strictly an award, the timeless (yet rather timeful) Grad Gifts are presented to the graduating class by the Department as a sign of appreciation and as a memento through which their time at WM can be remembered.
There will, of course, be a DJ and Dancing afterward,
but hopefully that doesn't need too much explanation.
Remember...
No smoking, alcohol, or other drugs, nor misbehaviours of other sorts that would be forbidden at school; they are strictly prohibited.
This is a semi-formal event and many people choose to move
in the direction of more formal rather than less so; plan
to look nicer than your regular self. You are also encouraged to wear any
pin-type award decorations you have earned over the years.
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