President’s Ball 2018
I had a friend who studied abroad in Vienna this past spring, and she went to a real European old, fancy ball, complete with formal dances that every Austrian person had been learning in school since they were young, and every foreign person had learned a few weeks before so that they wouldn’t embarrass themselves. I mean it when it was fancy.
Loyola’s President’s Ball? Oh, it’s not nearly as fancy. But it’s still a wonderful opportunity for students and their dates (if you have a non-Loyola date) to dress up and dance the night away somewhere nice!
The Ball is the final touch on a ceremony that awards one student from each of the colleges inside Loyola University Chicago the President’s Medallion that recognizes outstanding people – the medal-receiving ceremony itself is closed to the winners and their guests, but everybody profits from the dance thrown. It’s $15 for a ticket, but the school shuttles people to and fro the venue, and there’s free (non-alcoholic) drinks, chicken wings and other hors d’oeuvres, and a chocolate fountain. Chocolate fountain! That made it worth it for me.
This year the President’s Ball was at the grand Aon Ballroom at the very end of the Navy Pier, so although you couldn’t go outside without not being able to get back in, you could look out the window and see the magnificent lake or the skyline all lit up.
Overall, the night was grand fun! Loyola also provided a coat rack and a photo background for anyone who wanted to take photos in front of the formal Loyola logo repeated many times. By the time my friends and I left, at least half of us had very, very weary feet! The music played was good for dancing, and every time I turned around I saw another person I could call friend from these past four years of going to Loyola. I’m glad that my first President’s Ball was my senior year, because it definitely seemed like mostly seniors!
As for what we all wore, there was a great variety. I wore one of my dresses from a high school dance, not as flattering as it used to be but much better than spending money on something new. I saw some people there in full-length dresses one would wear to a much fancier gala, but also people in casual or fun-patterned suits and shorter skirts too. It was just mostly dependent on what you wanted to wear!
Overall, if you come to Loyola, I’d totally recommend going, at least once. It really made me feel connected with the Loyola community again, and hey… it’s no Vienna, but who can resist a night out like this?