On Friday (October 18th), one of Toronto’s longest-running YP-organized charity events, ReThink Breast Cancer’s Boobyball, took us back to times past, all the way back to the glory days of university, with Booby U. Held at the Sound Academy (admittedly, we were slightly skeptical at first), the venue lent itself nicely to this theme and the wide open space had that grungy indoor carnival feel typically reserved for rowdy college parties.
The space featured nostalgic reminders of a university campus, with things like dorm room-inspired décor and VIP sitting areas, sorority lounges and photo booths (like the very sorority girl fan favourite where guests were encouraged to hold up an assortment of cardboard bras), and flip cup, foosball and flowing booze in a very frat boy-feeling party zone. In from New York City for the occasion, DJ Brendan Fallis did not disappoint with the evening’s music, and the dance floor remained packed all night… just like in university (minus the drunk girl puking on the sideline).
Whether you went to university in the 90s or graduated a few years ago, the theme left for open experimentation in terms of outfit choices, whether you chose the Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) look, opted to go Greek and bust out those frat or sorority letters, squeeze into that varsity athletic gear, revisit those stoner grunge days (that you never had, of course), or opt for the uber-preppy Ivy League look a la The Social Network.
As usual, the event drew a diverse crowd of young professionals from all backgrounds and social circles within Toronto. Before things got too rowdy (games like flip cup and short bar waits loosened inhibitions), we asked a few what they missed the most about their university days…
“I was less uptight. I was still driven, but every single decision I made in life wasn’t thought through and obsessed about as it is today. That was nice.”
“The possibilities for the future seemed absolutely limitless. It was a time where you dreamed so big without any real concept of logistics and the steps and sacrifices it would take to get there.”
“My flat abs.”
“The easy hangover.”
“The wild theme parties. That’s why I came.”
“I miss hanging out and living with my buddies. We were all in the same mindset of life. We were doing the same things, had the same responsibilities, and were all single and childless…”
Unlike many of our university party days, the evening will be one to be remembered for a while thanks to the energy and the attention to detail both imagined and executed by the committee of young, social twenty and thirty-something YPs behind the event.
Calgary YPs: If you can still score a ticket, Boobyball hits Calgary tomorrow (October 24th)!
