The Ernst & Young "Join Our Party" cruise to Hawkins Island was "a nice change from the usual student receptions", said summer student Ricardo Cardosa.

"It was really interesting and insightful ... they helped to answer any questions we had about the accounting field," added the 21-year-old.

"Normally at functions like that the partners are out of reach, but Ernst & Young did a good job of keeping them in reach of the students ... more of a sociable atmosphere."

"It went off very well actually," said Ernst & Young's recruiting officer Tammy Barclay, adding that one of the students had said to her that she thought it was "very well-organised and different".

The party/cruise was staged by the accounting firm Ernst & Young for college students who may be interested in a career in accounting.

Human Resources partner Gil Tucker told the Press in a statement released last week that "a career in accountancy is like being at a party because it's exciting ... and most of all because it's fun.

"We thought a party would be a great opportunity for students to see just what we are all about."

Around 90 students signed up for the "fun-filled event", with 35 registering on the Ernst & Young website.

The students were taken out to Hawkins Island on Thursday night for a free evening of dinner, interactive games and information on accounting as well as Ernst & Young.

One of the games, `Ditty', consisted of putting the students into groups and giving them 21 minutes to invent a rap or a rhyme to do with the company.

And, in the true Hawkins Island tradition, there was a limbo contest at the end of the evening. "I was the Limbo King," commented Ricardo modestly.

Present at the function were plenty of the company's employees, including managers, summer students, and students waiting to pass their chartered accountancy exams, as well as some of the firm's partners, like Gil Tucker, OMP Anthony Joaquin, and financial services partner Derek Stapley.

As for the students, the spectrum was broad, ranging from not only accounting firm Deloitte & Touche's entire summer student staff to Bermuda's squash champion Nicholas Kyme.

"It's refreshing to see young Bermudian students wanting to know what's out there," commented Ms Barclay after the event, "to see students actually researching their careers ... before they realise, twenty years down the line, that they've made a mistake."