Is there any better way to celebrate the start of a new year at NAIT than with rum, dancing and adventures on a river? NAITSA’s annual Pirate Party took over the Edmonton Queen Riverboat on Sept. 18 for an arrr-some evening of costumes and fun.
Students and guests met at yhe Nest for some pre-party fun, enjoying the hospitality of NAIT’s on-campus tavern and signing some important documents before being officially invited to join the crew (safety first!). The energy was high as students gathered with their friends and new shipmates before gathering on buses to make the trip down to the Edmonton Queen Riverboat.
The pirates boarded the ship wearing their best for the evening. The rowdy crew ranged from jolly captains and pirate wenches to unfortunate deck hands and a few who appeared to be suffering from a nasty curse or two. Almost all of the attendees were in full costume, it was great to see so many different interpretations of pirate garb on one ship.
NAITSA VP Student Services, Michael MacComb, was spotted in a black captain’s jacket. When questioned about his costume, confessed that it’s provenance was from Spirit in Kingsway and Value Village which is as close to the high seas as you’re likely to find in Edmonton. MacComb commented that he was “very pleased by the turnout, [students] are looking great in their costumes and it’s [been] a fantastic time all-around!”
The deck of the ship turned into an energetic dance floor almost immediately at the beginning of the night; with great music, lights, and an occasional mist from the fog machine, it was impossible not to join in and do your best jig! The pounding energy of the crowd could be heard through the floor from the lower level of the boat, enticing attendees back upstairs.
Matthew Pecore, a NAIT student and NAITSA staff member, was attending for the second year in a row and called it an amazing annual event, saying “it’s cool to see this many people are actually involved in the campus”. It was a diverse crowd with a great energy, people were thrilled to be there meeting new people. High fives and cheers of “ARRRR!” were heard throughout the evening.
If you had managed to escape the dancing throng upstairs and slipped down the stairs to the lower level, you could grab a seat and have a quick bite to eat, such as an excellent plate of nachos from the galley. Whether they were swapping harrowing tales of nights nearly drowning in a sea of assignments or giving a toast to their crew’s successful first class presentation, it was clear that the NAIT’s pirates were excited to be back on board for another year in class.
Danielle Fuechtmann
