A sparkle of sequins and glimmer of lights was met by hundreds of voices singing together as the Euler Atrium was lit up on April 27 for Taylor’s annual President’s Ball.
The event, normally held in the fall semester, was postponed because AVI dining services were set up in the atrium while the Hodson Dining Commons was under construction, Annie Troyer, a member of the Student Activities Council (SAC), said.
Freshman Lily Kramer was unaware that the President’s Ball was going to happen because SAC hadn’t given any indication of it until several weeks into the second semester.
“I think I honestly originally heard it from just rumors getting spread around by people, and I'm not sure where they heard it from until I had finally seen an announcement for it or something like that,” she said.
SAC surprised students coming back from spring break with the news that the President’s Ball would be happening in a few short weeks, Troyer said.
Tickets were released for sale on April 19 and sold out by that night, sophomore SAC member Lily Humerickhouse said.
The night of the dance found three levels of the Euler Atrium strung with lights, disco balls and balloons. While the dance floor was packed full, students found respite on the third floor, where mocktails and refreshments were served.
SAC president Amber Van Kalker said she prepared for the event by working with catering, media services and light rentals over spring break so that her team could focus on the decorations.
The most meaningful part of the process for her was having the opportunity to celebrate a monumental year for Taylor University and President Michael Lindsay.
President Lindsay collaborated with SAC in helping pick the colors and decorations for the event, Troyer said. She added that it was cool to be able to work with him but also have the freedom to make decisions as a cabinet.
“He was able to go down with the students and dance with them, which I think was super cool, and I feel like that is what's kind of unique about him,” Troyer said. “I feel like not many presidents would just go into a mosh pit with a bunch of kids.”
Planning for the event was different this year than it had been for the last two times because of other events like Grandparents Weekend and the Newsies play going on at the same time, Van Kalker noted.
SAC had been trying to find a different place to host it due to Euler Atrium’s 600-person capacity fire code regulations, Troyer said. This allowed less than half of Taylor’s students to attend the event.
“It's just difficult to have to tell (students) because, obviously, there's like 2,000 people here, and only 600 can get in," Troyer said. “And so, it's not like we're trying to be exclusive, but I think it can kind of come off that way, but it's really just like a safety thing that we need to be concerned about.”
Van Kalker and Steve Austin, associate dean of student leadership and director of student programs, looked at alternative locations to host the ball. They considered using the Odle Arena, Kesler Student Activities Center (KSAC) Fieldhouse or an off-campus location, but were unable to secure a spot due to complications, Troyer said.
It was inevitable that the team would run into obstacles, Van Kalker noted, but they worked on solving them through team collaboration.
As Taylor has expanded, SAC has had increasingly larger numbers of tickets sold. Troyer said that in the future, they will have to come up with more extensive accommodations for larger numbers of students so that they can let in as many people as possible.
Humerickhouse described the event as a way for students to enjoy themselves while showing gratitude, noting that it was incredibly fun to be doing something she loved and then to see President Lindsay there at the same time on the dance floor.
“Being able to be in our element is really fun, and I hear that from my friends,” she said.
As the music faded out, Van Kalker ended the night by thanking those who attended, adding a shoutout to all of the SAC members who had helped put on its final event of the year.
Stepping off of the stage marked her last time working with SAC, after serving on the cabinet for all four of her years at Taylor.
“I’m thankful for the ways this role provided me the opportunity to hire my 16-member team, communicate and work alongside other leaders on campus, and most importantly, I learned the joy in serving the Lord through the work that we did,” she said.
