Since 1996, the Military Ball has been an annual event that involves ROTC students from Rocklin students and their families, veterans who have served our country and chefs. This year’s Military Ball took place at Destiny Church, hosting around 300 people.
While the Military Ball serves as a gathering of recognition, it is also what determines the ROTC seniors’ semester grades. The seniors in the program are in charge of finding vendors, catering and the location of the event each year. ROTC seniors will typically start the planning process 90 days before the event. They are also responsible for coordinating the orientation and program itself, such as the decoration and the promotion of the function.
Clayton Hove, a senior in the ROTC program, has attended the Military Ball all four years.
The Military Ball holds a ceremony that involves an empty table that is filled with sentimental items to honor the soldiers overseas, captive, or missing in action dead or alive. This year he was given the task of representing the Remembrance Address which serves as a memorial for the prisoners of war that are missing in action. As a senior, this will be Hove’s last Military Ball.
“[The Military Ball is] just fun to get all fancy [and] show off to my parents and everybody else the work I have been putting in,” Hove said.
During this event, some awards are announced by Sergeant Barber and Major Pearl to students who have earned special recognition or done extraordinary acts of service. Sometimes, VIP’s or distinguished members like Congressman Kevin Kiley who attended last year’s Military Ball, will present these awards to the ROTC students. This year, in particular, it wasn’t only the seniors’ last ball. For retired Senior Master Sergeant Terry Barber of the United States Air Force, it was also his.
“It’s time to hang up my wings … there’s plenty of fresh blood out there that will come in and take my place.” Sgt. Barber said, “I know that they will do a great job [and that] Major Pearl will make sure that happens.”
Sgt. Barber has been participating in this event for the past nineteen years, this being his 20th time. He speaks of how the ROTC program has impacted him in many direct ways.
“Coming off active duty, I was used to dealing with adults all the time…[with] teenagers they won’t hop when you tell them to hop,” Sergeant Barber said, “I’ve learned that over the years, the kids have a lot more stuff than I did in high school [such as] the social issues or technology issues … it’s life-altering and changed the way I interact with people [and has] opened my eyes to what kids have to go through.”
Sergeant Barber also speaks on one of his favorite aspects and part of the Military Ball.
“The awards presentations are there to recognize the kids,” Sergeant Barber said, “[and that] parents can actually see what they’ve accomplished [and] puff up their chest and say ‘that’s my baby there’.”
While there is inevitably an end to things, there is also a beginning for others. Culinary Club President Samira Jackson talks about how this was the club’s first time catering the Military Ball.
“I say for our first time it was pretty good. Chef Cramer even said that this was one of the smoothest caterings he had done in a while,” Jackson said. “[We] also got a lot of compliments from the people that the food was good.”
To prepare, the Culinary Club met in the culinary room, staying until 9 p.m., the day before the event. They also had to gather before the ceremony and put together the dishes at Destiny Church. Jackson and club members served out food buffet style. The menu included ham and cheese sliders, turkey and cheese sliders, caprese skewers, charcuterie boards, desserts like brownies and cookies, drinks, shrimp cakes and meatballs in barbeque sauce.
“[My favorite part about the event was] cooking for the people and receiving all the compliments,” Jackson said.
While this is Jackson’s last year, she hopes to make the Military Ball an annual event that involves the Culinary Club for years to come.
BY TRINITY KIM & JEZLYN SOTELO




