Joe Mclean
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE Glasgow University Sports Association’s calendar is the annual GUSA Ball.
This year the black-tie dinner dance, at which Blues, Half-Blues and Sporting Awards are presented to successful student athletes and teams, has been heralded as a sporting success by the GUSA council.
The event, which took place at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow, saw 585 students from various sports teams come together to celebrate their triumphs and to find out who had won the coveted GUSA awards, including the illustrious ‘Team of the Year’ prize.
GUSA Vice President, Connor McBartney, told Guardian: “Overall this year’s ball was extremely successful, seeing an increase in people attending as well as an approximate profit of around £680.00. It was a fantastic night and the achievements of the athletes and clubs for the 2009-2010 seasons were once again outstanding. Thanks must go to my co-organisers Karen Byars and Eilidh Menzies as well as the clubs and athletes, whom with out their continued success we would have nothing to celebrate”.
The ball was a chance for clubs to reflect on the past year and to toast their challenges and achievements. The night was kick started by a rousing speech from Rector Charles Kennedy, who saluted the efforts of president Leo Howes and his team of staff in the GUSA council in their efforts to promote and organise sport at the University throughout the past year. Mr. Kennedy was genuinely appreciative of the dedication by student athletes to achieve such high standards in sport and for their proud representation of their University.
President Leo Howes agreed with Mr. Kennedy’s sentiments and told Guardian: “It was really fantastic to see so many people in one room celebrating the strength and successes of sport at Glasgow”. This strength Leo mentions is evident in the diverse range of sports represented on the night from mainstream sports such as Hockey and Football, to the Riding Club, Volleyball and Surfing.
GUSA secretary Karen Byars, , who was praised for her efforts in organising the ball, told Guardian “This was my fourth GUSA Ball and I definitely think it was the most successful”. Karen was also a winner on the night, receiving the GUSA drinking horn, which she shared with President Leo Howes, as a reward for her hard work and dedication on the council over the past year,
Overall, the evening has been declared a huge achievement for GUA, who turned around the fortunes of the event by making it not only a profitable but highly enjoyable social occasion for all concerned with sport at the University.
