The Christmas Ball: Higher Budget, Higher Expectations

The annual AUBG Christmas Ball is scheduled for Dec. 6 under the theme “Classic Hollywood: 1920s-1960s.” The Student Government (SG), its organizer, is planning an even bigger and more entertaining event than last year’s. The reason behind this is an increase in the budget.

“Last year, we had around 900 lv., while this year it is roughly four times more,” Alexander Yordanov, SG’s President, said.

At the last Student Assembly, SG received approval for the higher budget it had requested. That is why the Christmas Ball, the big event that SG organizes for all AUBG students, will “enjoy” more food, decorations, and activities.

“We can buy a lot more decorations, a [Christmas] tree, and more food. We can make it on a grander scale this year,” Gabriela Tsvetanova, the Chair of the Christmas Ball Committee, said.

The budget increase has brought up the challenge of meeting students’ expectations regarding set-up, program, and overall organization.

“Because we got an increase in the budget, people expect something great,” Gabriela said.

It is not only students who have high expectations for the Ball, but also SG senators.

“I expect positivity. I want people to go and have fun. I want people to say, ‘Oh, my God, look at the decoration!’ or ‘The music is so fun!’ I want them to dance and take many photos. I just want them to have fun,” Gabriela said.

Before the fun part comes, there is much preparation to be done. Distributing the budget is one of the most important steps of the organizational process.

“We are trying to be smart in how we spend the money. Otherwise, we are wasting students’ money,” Gabriela said.

Such a big event poses difficulties as well. One of them is “reaching out to sponsors to provide food and beverages for everyone,” as Alexander said. Yet, he also sees positive differences compared to last year.

“We have a bit more experience. Last year, it was the first time we organized it following the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we have people who can collect feedback, which is very valuable. And I think the team this year is better than last year.”

The 11 SG senators comprising the Christmas Ball Committee are optimistic and are already actively planning. Potential games, clubs’ involvement, food, and the Christmas tree are among the things under discussion.

“We are forming ideas for games. We also have RJC, Broadway, and Dance Crew involved,” Gabriela said. “We are still debating whether the tree should be a real one that we will later plant or a fake one that we can keep and reuse after a year.”

Gabriela and the Christmas Ball Committee are now discussing the organizational details.

“We are thinking too much over some small details, but that is because we want it to be the best not only for students to have fun but also for their money to be spent properly,” Gabriela said. “We want them to have fun.”