Students to celebrate 1920s with annual ball

Students, faculty and staff are invited to the fourth annual President’s Ball on Dec. 6th, which will feature a brand new theme but the same holiday spirit as holiday’s past.

The event is hosted by President’s Club and will run from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m in the lobby of the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center.

According to the OWU website, the event was developed in the 1980s with the establishment of President’s Club, but then was not held for a number of years until the club reformed in 2009 and the members reinstated President’s Ball.

Senior Jennifer Lloyd, President’s Ball co-director, said the event used to be held in the Slocum reading room with the wooden tables removed.

Lloyd, along with her co-director junior Katie Nunner, chose the 20s theme.

“We just sort of wanted something that would appeal to both professors and students, and just be fun,” Lloyd said. “We liked the glamour of the 20s.”

She said the jazz band will play for part of the event, which will go well with the theme, and be followed by disc jockeys Bhuneshwar and Krishna Arjune, both juniors.

“Chartwells is doing some really cool food for us,” Lloyd said. “Our food person, Tucker (Fontanella), studied abroad in Italy and so he has a bunch of Italian dishes he’s using.”

The senior class council will once again be hosting a cocktail hour from 7:30 to 9 p.m. All OWU faculty, staff and seniors who have paid their dues are invited to attend, said Lloyd.

Sophomore Taylor Golden is the liaison between the club’s marketing committee and the President’s Ball committee, and said a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into the event. This includes ensuring contracts are properly filled out and no health or fire codes are violated.

Senior Liz Simmons said President’s Club members do the set-up and tear down for the event, make the decorations and take shifts with coat check. Students are asked to only bring coats to coat check.

“As hosts and hostesses of the event, we want to ensure that everyone in attendance is having a great time,” Simmons said.

President Rock Jones said the theme of this year’s President’s Ball will provide another “unique twist” on the event.

“President’s Ball is an important and long-standing tradition at Ohio Wesleyan that provides a special opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together toward the end of the semester to celebrate the coming holiday season and to enjoy the special OWU spirit that brings us together,” Jones said. “Every year, Melissa and I look forward to sharing the spirit of the season with students at President’s Ball.”

Tickets are $5 with cash and $6 with credit or debit, and can be purchased in Ham-Wil until Friday.