The Gardiner Gala is one of the chief traditions of Victoria College’s yearly Frost Week, which takes place every January. This year’s Gala was organised by VUSAC’s Arts and Culture and Scarlet and Gold Commissions, as well as the Dean’s Office and the Gardiner Museum. The Dean’s Office handled the administrative planning with the Gardner Museum, while VUSAC planned other details like booking a DJ and VicXposure.
However, the Gala was postponed and failed to take place on its original date. The cancellation of this Vic tradition resulted from a lack of communication between all three parties. Communication became problematic for all parties throughout the winter break, as administration are not required to check emails at this time. This inconsistency caused the Dean of Students, Kelley Castle, to postpone the event due to the Gardiner’s increasing demands for control of pricing within the Gala.
To replace the Gala the Dean’s Office hosted an event entitled “Aurora: An Evening at Goldring.” Attempting to make up for what was lost at the Gala, Aurora served appetizers and featured a cash bar. It was here that VicXposure displayed their art exhibit of student submissions.
The new date for the Gardiner Gala is February 22. Just as before, the Gala is open to Vic students and staff and tickets are free of charge. Tickets were available for pickup at the Dean’s Office front desk on February 16 to 19. The other half of the tickets were made available in VUSAC’s on February 22 starting at 11 AM on a first-come-first-served basis.
Along with a new date, VUSAC has made some changes to the Gardiner Gala. In a short discussion with <i>The Strand</i>, VUSAC stated that this event will not have a heavy dance component, because there will not be a DJ. The hope is that this will be a more social event for students and faculty to mingle. Similarly, because VicXposure’s art exhibit already took place at Aurora, it will also be absent.
Originally connected to Frost Week (a week-long event occurring after winter break), the Gala is a classy event meant to reunite students and faculty members in a semi-formal setting. Now, after being postponed and separated from Frost Week, the Gala’s current placement after Reading Week may jeopardize its potential for success. When interviewed, some first-year students said that it was a nice idea, but they were just not interested. One student stated that the date of the Gala conflicts with her prior vacation arrangements made for Reading Week. Another student said that she would not be attending the event because of other attractions that are available to her on the week off. After spending five weeks back in school and amongst peers, students may not feel the need to attend this semi-formal gala meant to reunite.
With the removal of a dance atmosphere, the social element becomes emphasized. Some students are looking forward to the Gala and the opportunity to interact with faculty outside of an administrative sense. First-year student Maia Kachan, who was planning on attending the Gala in January, says this about the February date: “It’s a great idea! After not seeing my friends for a week, it’s a great opportunity to get dressed up and catch up.” With growing numbers and attention on the Facebook event page, many of those who planned on attending the Gala in January will surely be in attendance on February 22.
The Gardiner Gala will begin at 6:30 PM at the Gardiner Museum and will run until 9:30 PM. The Gardiner Museum will also have a special exhibit, entitled “Across the Globe”, open for those who attend. VUSAC is very excited for the event, and hopes that it will serve as a fun event to return to from Reading Week.
