After a long-awaited return, GUSA Ball 2023 was held at the DoubleTree Hilton to celebrate all things sport at the University of Glasgow.
This year’s GUSA Ball unfurled in the glitz and glamour of the DoubleTree Hilton with hundreds of students in attendance, returning to its traditional February date for the first time since the pandemic. I wore my dress of black with gold sequins to truly embody the spirit of the University of Glasgow. I was incredibly excited for my first GUSA Ball and it certainly lived up to my expectations.
Three awards were up for grabs: Sustainability Club of the Year, Council Member of the Year, and Club of the Year.
Six clubs were nominated for Sustainability Club of the Year, but Ultimate Frisbee were the winners. Glasgow Ultimate Frisbee has run a range of sustainable activities and events throughout the year including advocating for a sustainable Christmas by choosing products that are not contained in single-use plastics. Ultimate took part in the GUSA Sustainability Challenge, and provided vegan recipe ideas for every day of January during their Veganuary takeover.
Next, the Council Member of the Year. This is for the GUSA Council Member who is awarded the prize in recognition for their outstanding contribution to the achievement and organisation of GUSA. The winner is chosen by Frank Cotton, Senior Vice President and honorary President of GUSA. The winner was Mario Killmann, the Travel and Sustainability Convenor who was presented with the Glasgow President’s Cup, otherwise known as the GUSA drinking horn.
The final award was for Club of the Year. Five GUSA clubs were nominated: Men’s Football, Yoga, Women’s Football, Badminton, and Men’s Basketball. This award is presented to the most outstanding club affiliated with GUSA. The winners of Club of the Year were Badminton. Glasgow University Badminton Club (GUBC) raised over £5,000 for Movember, has grown its recreational side of the club immensely since pre-pandemic levels, and, having two of its BUCS teams up for promotion, is the well-deserved winner of this prestigious award.
“Winning Club of the Year is an incredible achievement,” GUBC Club Captain Guan-An Chen said. “It was all made possible by all the hard work and time everyone at the club has put in this year. I’ve been told I might love the club a little too much but this was one of the proudest and happiest moments of my life and to be able to share it with everyone last night brought a tear to my eye. It was an evening I will cherish for a long time. Wassooo!”
The latter part of the ball was followed by a Ceilidh and DJ set. It was an incredibly memorable evening and a Glasgow University experience that I am lucky to have been able to attend.
