Last Saturday, over 800 students made their way to the Library of Congress for one of the most anticipated events of the year: the Founders’ Day Ball.
In the Great Hall of the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building, students were surrounded by Corinthian columns, decadent mosaics, historic treasures and endless platters of food ranging from salmon to baked brie to cheesecake.
The unique venue for this year’s Founders’ Day Ball showcased U.S. history with open exhibits on the mezzanine level and the Gutenberg Bible a few feet from the dance floor, where DJ Greg Cornell, CAS ‘11, kept the music light and upbeat, weaving modern house music with popular songs. A faculty jazz band played in the beginning, featuring music professors Joshua Bayer, Paul Carr, Bhagwan Khalsa and Dominic Smith.
This year’s Founders’ Day, an annual celebration of AU’s founding in 1893, centered on the theme of a “Legacy of Service.” The AU seal embodied the legacy and was on display for students to take photos with. The seal is from President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1963 commencement address, now known as the “Peace Speech.”
Student Government, the Residence Hall Association and the Graduate Leadership Council hosted the event.
About an hour into the night, President Neil Kerwin gave a speech, telling students that they were all founders. When they become alumni, they will contribute to the lasting legacy of AU, Kerwin said.
Having two levels for the event was a nice touch. It allowed students in the space to relax and enjoy the great food (which included chicken satay, roast beef, cookies and fruit tarts), but also take quiet strolls through the exhibits (such as Jefferson’s collection), look down into the famous Reading Room and try to read each of the quotes embedded in the mosaics.
The top floor windows, which you could look out and see the Capitol building and the Washington Monument, became a popular photo spot.
Part of the tradition of the Founders’ Day Ball is about choosing a different location every year. But how can you top “getting low” in the Library of Congress?
“[Topping this year’s ball is] going to be a tough achievement next year,” SG Secretary Sutherland said.
SG Vice President Liz Richards had some advice for her successor.
“It’s not about one-upping. It’s about making sure the legacy and tradition continue,” said Richards.
A complaint raised by students was the insufficient bus transportation.
Adam Bradley, SPA ’14, got in line for the bus at 6:40 p.m. When the second wave of buses arrived at 7:40 and 7:57 p.m., students rushed to the doors, cramming the exit. The final bus left at 8:15 p.m, but by 8:00 p.m., Adam Bradley had given up.
“We stood in line for an hour and watched people who had shown up 20 minutes ago get on a bus in front of us,” Bradley said. “Finally, we just left and called a taxi and got there in ten minutes.”
Once there, Bradley said it was worth the wait.
“Once we were there, though, it was a pretty spectacular event. The venue obviously is breathtaking and a very AU atmosphere,” Bradley said. “The food blew my mind.”
Jenny Sue Ross, SIS ’14, said she got to Bender at about 6:15 p.m. After the bus drove in circles around the Library of Congress, she made it to the event at 7:45. Despite the slight setback, Ross said she was happy to finally get off the wait-list last Wednesday and was pleased with the event. She only had one suggestion for next year’s event planners.
“More chocolate-covered frosted flakes,” she said. “Those were a hot commodity!”
