By Maegan White
Elm Staff Writer
Students entered the doors of the beautifully decorated Benjamin A. Johnson Fitness Center Field House on Saturday, Feb. 25, to celebrate the annual Birthday Ball. The Student Events Board was responsible for organizing the event.
This was the first time since February of 2020 that Birthday Ball was hosted in the JFC. Last year, SEB hosted the event in Martha Washington Square in April due to concerns related to COVID-19.
While students widely agreed that last year’s event was still fun and memorable, they said that nothing compares to the traditional Birthday Ball celebration.
According to SEB President Hernan Torres, the SEB team worked tirelessly for weeks to make sure the event was ready for students.
“[It was] definitely a lot of work. We have been setting up since Thursday and we have to clean up on Sunday…but it is all worth it as long as students are having fun — that is the main thing SEB is here for,” Torres said.
This year’s theme was the “Queen’s Ball” inspired by the hit Netflix show “Bridgerton.” The JFC was decorated in white and featured chandeliers and a checkered dance floor. The DJ was set up on a stage with sparklers and bright, colored lights.
Students danced, visited the photo booth, ate catered food, and hung out with friends.
Freshman Kyaran Balin-Brooks attended the event with a group of her friends and said she was incredibly happy to get to experience a traditional Birthday Ball.
“Everyone who is older than me has said they haven’t experienced a real Birthday Ball in a while, so it is really nice having a real one my freshman year since not everyone got to experience it,” Balin-Brooks said. “I was so excited when I walked in and saw all the decorations and how beautiful it was.”
Senior Isabelle Bendel-Simso said that she was looking forward to returning to the traditional Birthday Ball set up.
“It is a lot better than what we tried to do last year, although it was a good middle point with COVID-19,” Bendel-Simso said. “I am glad that it is back in February when Presidents’ Day actually is.”
Director of Student Engagement Antoine Jordan ’12, President of the College Dr. Michael Sosulski, and the SEB executive board also gave the annual Birthday Ball toast, recognizing the hard work that went into organizing the event and thanking all the students for attending.