As the first quarter nears an end, one more important milestone awaits: the Battle of the Bay Dance. The past month has been filled with fall vibes, new study habits, and, of course, many Friday night football games culminating in the annual Battle of the Bay game. Although a disappointing loss to Newport Harbor this year, CdM students still have plenty to celebrate. The Battle of the Bay Dance is the perfect excuse for students to get all dressed up and enjoy a glamorous night with their peers.
For this night to commence, there is much planning and preparation involved, though. Students must pick out the perfect outfit, form groups, plan transportation, dinner reservations, and whose house to meet up at before and after. Senior Lorelei Everheart shares that “popular websites to purchase homecoming dresses include Princess Polly, Lucy in the Sky, and Hello Molly.” She always enjoys the Battle of the Bay dance but admits that all the “planning it takes can get a little stressful, especially when it all falls to one person.” It “all paid off” for her group, however, as they enjoyed a lovely dinner at Cucina Enoteca before arriving at the dance.
Another undoubtedly important aspect of dance preparation is photos; many students find themselves flocking to popular spots, such as Inspiration Point, to get that perfect sunset lighting before they leave for the actual dance. The next day, Instagram feeds will surely be filled!
After that, usually groups decide to head to the dance. This year, the Battle of the Bay dance was at AV Irvine, a popular event venue. Inside, there was much to do, such as dance to the music from the DJ, get an iced coffee from the coffee truck, take pictures, go into the balloon room, catch up with friends, or play poker, which goes along with the theme of the dance.
The theme of this year’s dance was Ocean’s 11, a crime and comedy movie about where a group plans and executes an elaborate scheme to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. Leading up to this, there were three spirit days, as well as an Ocean’s 11 rally, to get everyone in the spirit. Tuesday, October 8 was themed “partner in crime (twin day);” Wednesday, October 9 was “poker chip,” dressing in green, red, and blue; and Thursday, October 10, was rally day, where “wear black” day. To go along with this theme at the dance, the venue was decorated with a lot of red and black, as were a lot of the outfits seen that night as well. However, the thing that tied the theme together was the live poker competition made up of CdM students taking place at the dance. It started as a lot of poker tables competing within each other, and the winner of each table moved to the final. The winner of that was deemed the “Poker Champion.” Many people grouped around the tables to watch the action, and many enjoyed themselves. Senior Kimia Arana had “a great time” at the dance. She “talked with her friends, took pictures, and watched the poker competition,” which was very entertaining.
As the first quarter comes to a close with Battle of the Bay, CdM students can look back on a season filled with excitement and lasting memories. As the year continues, they have even more reason to celebrate, as the year is sure to bring much more fun and new adventures.