A little party never killed nobody — or so the music echoed as students danced in Matilda Dodge’s family estate during the 2026 Meadow Brook Ball.

The dusty cushions and moody arches of the Art Deco mansion welcomed hundreds of students to the annual celebration on Friday, March 27. The ghosts that live in Meadow Brook Hall had likely never heard of the night’s theme — Candyland — yet the festivities and lights were captivating enough that they, too, found themselves dancing.

The event has evolved into one of Oakland’s longest-standing and most storied traditions. The first Meadow Brook Ball was dubbed “The Scholarship Ball.” It was held in 1961 to raise money for tuition for the incoming student body.

Back then, the school’s mascot had not yet awoken from hibernation. These grounds were still Michigan State University’s honors college.

The event has since strayed away from its philanthropic origins and exists as an icon of the lasting elegance of a campus built on the grounds of a phantom estate.

A university hidden in the hunting grounds of a shrine dedicated to the gods of gilded capitalism at the sunrise of the 20th century.

Pandemonium is the name of the castle of Lucifer in the underworld in “Paradise Lost.”

Just like the devil’s palace, the Meadow Brook estate found itself full of critics.

The Candyland theme was not free from criticism. To many, it carried the bitter tang of anticlimax. The theme of the previous year was a James Bond mission — for self-evident reasons, a natural fit for a university formal in an old mansion. It was also painfully easy to dress for.

Candyland is a completely different endeavor altogether. Bright pastel suits are not commonly seen enough to be easily themed around. Light suits are often seen as a faux pas — now an endangered species, typically only spotted once a year after emerging for the Kentucky Derby.

It was during the formative years of the student body that the most fashionable modern president was lambasted for wearing a tan suit. They simply are not a young man’s wardrobe staple. Maybe in 1986. Less so in 2026.

The consensus from the female student body was not much different. Women want to feel like princesses or femme fatales at a university formal. It is incredibly uncommon — though theoretically possible — to find someone who wants to attend dressed like a sexy candy cane or gumdrop.

The décor lagged behind previous years as well.

Celebrity cardboard cutouts were used as a primary piece of décor, and the mad residents of this tragic castle made sport at the end of the night by stealing away with them.

Reportedly, the administration was upset. The student body is also upset with whoever thought cardboard cutouts justified the rather high price of admission.

The imagination races — turning Meadow Brook into a murder mystery, a Bond thriller, the Spencer Estate, “The Great Gatsby” or an elegant waltz — but reality fell short.

The activities were also a stiff downgrade compared to the previous year’s spy adventure. Students were lost in thought as to how bracelet making and caricatures related to Candyland.

However, true to the spirit of pandemonium, the party was richest in moments of chaos.

Students were adamant that during the height of the dances — including Latin lessons in the first hour and two drag shows — the party came to life.

Lost in the rhythm, students were able to find release the chaos that has gripped campus over the past several months. Catharsis was found in dancing with lovers and ghosts.