Matthew Eiben, 1L

Columnist

Organizing this year’s Barrister’s Ball proved to be a challenging task for the SBA Events Committee. After reaching a non-binding agreement with Hudson Terrace, a swanky party venue in Midtown, the venue unexpectedly backed out of negotiations, leaving the Events Committee having to scramble for a replacement with less than a month until the event.

Fortunately, Pablo Roskell, a 2L who had been working with the Events Committee, was able to talk with Spirit Cruises and negotiate an agreement at considerably less than its normal rate.

Mike Pierorazio, 2L, voiced his approval of this new venue: “It allowed me to satisfy many of the personal goals I set for the event, namely, that it has outdoor space, it was available on a Saturday night, it has space for 600 people, and the price of the venue allowed us to order more food than last year.” Even with the increased food budget, Pierorazio recommends that guests have dinner prior to the event.

This year’s Barrister’s Ball will be one of the first held on a Saturday. Pierorazio explained, “I wanted everyone, and their dates, to feel comfortable cutting loose at Barrister’s without worrying about waking up for school or work the next day. Last year many couples left early because the non-student had to wake up for work the next day.”

Unfortunately, this strategic move to Saturday may have been the cause of the original venue’s unexpected back-out. More than likely, Hudson Terrace decided to book with another party willing to pay substantially more for the venue—a more than respectable business decision, were it not for the fact that it made this decision the day before it was supposed to sign with Cardozo.

So what can attendees expect when they arrive at Chelsea Piers on March 28? Well, first off, and arguably most important, the bar will be open and will include premium liquors. It’s unclear what exactly is included under “premium liquors,” but Pierorazio said, “If you are a vodka drinker, you should expect to be able to get Absolut or Ketel One.” In other words, if you were planning on going out to a bar Saturday night anyway, the Barrister’s Ball will definitely be the most “recession friendly” option.

“If you opt to pay for your date your entire night of eating, drinking, and dancing could only cost $50 depending on how you get to Chelsea and back home. That’s hard to beat in New York City—just be sure to buy tickets early and avoid the price increase,” said Pierorazio.

The event requires cocktail attire, or black tie optional as was stated on previously distributed flyers. So, men will need to wear suits and women will need to wear cocktail dresses.

One of the nice aspects of having the event on a boat is the ample outdoor space available to the guests. Getting stuck in a cramped venue can get old pretty fast, so it will be nice to have the option to get some fresh air every once in a while and go out and enjoy the scenery of the New York skyline.

While there are plenty of benefits to having the event on a boat, there are some basic concerns that should be addressed. Seasickness may be an issue for people who commonly experience severe motion sickness. However, the majority of seasickness should be preventable with any over-the-counter motion sickness medication.

Another concern may be getting on and off the boat. Specifically, some people may be worried about arriving late or some may want to leave early. To address these concerns, the boat will not leave the dock until 10 p.m. and will re-dock at 1 a.m., an hour before the end of the event. So really, the guests will only be “trapped” on the boat for three hours. Considering all of the positive aspects of the event, those three hours should be more than tolerable.

In summary, this year’s Barrister’s Ball looks to be a successful one. Even with the booking problems experienced by the Events Committee, the SBA was able to find a more than adequate replacement that should provide all of the essential elements for a successful event. Could they have booked a better venue had they kept the event on a Thursday? Maybe, but I have the feeling people attending will be quite thankful the next morning when they can sleep off the previous night’s festivities.