Emily Peters
eep004@marietta.edu
Marietta College’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers held their third annual Petroball on Friday Nov. 10 at the Betsey Mills Club.
This year’s theme was “Throwback,” a vague term leaving students to interpret it however they liked. Students showed up to the event in anything from ‘80s themed outfits to the same dress clothes they wore to the formal event the year before (throwback to last year’s Petroball).
“We decided to mix it up this year by making it a themed party. I think more people feel as if it is more laid back when you can basically where whatever you want with the theme” said Morgan McElwain, SWE member and senior petroleum engineering major.
The gymnasium where the event took place was not lacking in decorations, with streamers strung across the ceiling, balloons strewn across the floor, and posters stuck to the walls. There were roughly 60 students in attendance, but that did not stop the small group from having fun. The majority of the students in attendance were seniors.
“My favorite part of the night was getting to spend the evening dancing and laughing with all the seniors since we don’t have much longer to be together,” said Rachel Miller, a senior petroleum engineering major.
The event is not just for students in the petroleum engineering program, however.
“[T]here is a huge misconception with Petroball. A lot of students think that it is only for petroleum engineering majors, which is not the case. Petroball is open to the whole student body,” McElwain said.
McElwain hopes that next year the advertisements will be more clear about the fact that all students are welcome to attend, regardless of their major.
Though the event was for college students, there was a youthful attitude in the air as one student soon started up a game of musical chairs to liven up the event. No prize for the winner, just good old childlike fun. Students crept around the dwindling circle of chairs to the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver as others watched and cheered. For senior petroleum engineering major, Aaron Smith, this was the best part of the night, along with “just being able to let loose and have fun with all my friends.”
“It was a refreshing break from the hectic school year,” said Amber Mauric, senior psychology major and one of the few non-petroleum engineering students in attendance.
After the game, the DJ threw it back to the songs students grew up with. Soon enough, every student in the gym was belting out lyrics and dancing along to their old favorites.
“My favorite song was any of the throwbacks we sang at the top of our lungs, like Sweet Caroline,” Miller said.
The free beer for students of legal drinking age was also a favorite part of the night for many students.
The event, which was supposed to be from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., was going so well that it was extended until midnight. When the clock struck 12, the DJ signaled the end of the night with the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic.
“The students seemed to have really enjoyed themselves and that is why we extended it to another hour,” McElwain said.
McElwain hopes that SWE can continue hosting the event as a themed party and that attendance will increase in coming years.
“We do hope that the number of attendees of Petroball increases because it really is a fun and entertaining event,” McElwain said.
