(Click here to view all the phots from this event)
By night one way, by day another… oh wait! No ogres in this story, as the photographic optometrist Saleem Ha journeys on a quest to Brisbane, searching for the party known as ‘The Eyeball’.
As the moon rose on the evening of 12 August 2014, students from QUT made their way from across the city, to the Pullman Hotel for the 49th Annual QOSS Eyeball. Although I had hoped to be early, other students were more excited by the prospect of this evening of mystique – arriving sooner, exchanging compliments and comments about dresses and styles, recognising familiar faces and sharing hugs and kisses from across the lobby and reception areas. Meanwhile, I snuck upstairs and behind the closed doors to admire the set up of the Presidential Ballroom for the evening. Chandeliers emitting a light blue glow, tables set with gleaming silverware, DJs putting a final touch to their sound systems… the party was about to start!
Outside, a mime artist meandered and gestured his way through the approaching guests as they lined up to register, receive their drink tickets and purchase Optometry Giving Sight raffles. Optometry students always have their heart in the right place – and the QOSS proved that once again with proceeds from the evening all going to Optometry Giving Sight.
7pm came: doors opened, and people made their way to their assigned tables.
…the QOSS proved that once again with proceeds from the evening all going to Optometry Giving Sight.
The place cards were definitely French-themed: not the usual names written on small tent cards in fancy calligraphy – instead, each person’s name could be found on little tag entwined with a box of two macaron biscuits supplied by PassionTree Cafe. Needless to say, there was plenty of quiet yet rapid discussion around the room focussed on who-got-which-flavoured-macaron. [Aside: if you’re in Brisbane with a sweet tooth, definitely look up the PassionTree Cafe – you won’t regret this].
The night took off with a huge roar of laughter as the MCs, David Hsu and Matthew Harding pressed play: running their video parodies on two twisted themes. Should anyone need a video advertisement done any time soon, feel free to contact these two and tempt them away from optometric practice – they sure know how to target what an audience wants!
The annual favourite Heads or Tails was led by Neville White from Designs For Vision. An interesting selection of questions in my opinion, but this group showed their awareness of oddities as they held on, battling it down to the last few on the dance floor.
The rest of the evening evolved into an entertainment extravaganza: the OGS raffle draw; the mivision door prize; some very funky music and of course the (now obligatory) mivision-sponsored photobooth, which once again attracted queues at least 30 humans long, patiently waiting to select various odds-and-ends before ‘getting a room’.
In keeping with the Night in Paris theme, a little garden booth had been set up inside the Ballroom – a mini Parc du Champ de Mars region with a mini-Eiffel Tower sitting behind it. All night long, couples and groups lined up to capture memories of themselves cuddling on the couches, or photobombing the aforementioned.
Echoing on my sentiments from last year: this reporter admits (once again) that one is never too old to party, having enjoyed his eighth consecutive student Eyeball. Compliments and gratitude to mivision for sending him again, to all sponsors and QOSS members that made this evening a success – executives Lily Luong and Anthony Lam, Eyeball Committee led by Sarah Danh and Clare Webster, and MCs David Hsu and Matthew Harding. Thanks also to Maui Jim for providing a sunglass prize that was given away on the evening.
PS: This reporter was introduced to Strabis the Moose (read it quickly…. again!), resident mascot of QOSS and party extraordinaire. Let’s just say this is one wild Moose on the dance floor: one head, multiple bodies, and seemingly able to make its way around without deviation.
(Click on the image to view more photos from the night)
