After a two-year break, Stevens’ Entertainment Committee (EC) is back to planning their 12th annual Founder’s Day Ball, taking place on March 11.
Located at Pier 60 in Manhattan for the first time, the semi-formal to formal event is promising a night of food, dancing, and entertainment. Pier 60 is located right on the Hudson River, complete with views of campus from the patio. The past few Founder’s Day Balls have taken place in New Jersey, so the new location is another way that the Entertainment Committee is stepping up their game this year.
Pre-departure refreshments will be served in Babio Atrium from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and buses will depart from campus between 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the ball is set to start with a red carpet to capture photos and cocktail hour. A plated dinner will be served from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., complete with a sparkling cider toast. Afterward, there is time for dancing, socializing, photos, and dessert. One new addition to the ball is a string quartet which will be performing. Buses will head back to campus between 10 p.m.to 11 p.m.
The EC, alongside the Office of Student Life, began planning for the event last summer. Entertainment Committee members Julia Dwight and Lizzy Houle stated that they understand many students missed out on their proms and other large events, so the Entertainment Committee is working really hard to make Founder’s Day Ball a great celebration for the Stevens Community. When asked what they are looking forward to most about the ball, they stated they are “most looking forward to welcoming everyone back to this Stevens tradition. There are a lot of students that missed their proms or have never been to FDB, so [they] hope that everyone can relax and have fun with their friends!”
There are still precautions set in place due to COVID. Because New York City lifted their Vaccine Mandate on March 7, Pier 60 is no longer requiring all attendees to be fully vaccinated and show photo ID and proof of vaccination at the venue door. That being said, during the night the Stevens’ mask mandate will also be in place, where attendees are required to wear their masks on the dance floor and buses. Masks can be removed to eat and drink, take photos at the photo wall, and at the outdoor terrace, weather permitting.
The ball is a celebration of the founding of Stevens, which took place on February 15th, 1870. When passing in 1868, Edwin A. Stevens left money in his will dedicated to Stevens Institute of Technology. The university was established two years later through the dedication of his widow, Martha Bayard Stevens. Over 150 years later, The Founder’s Day Ball serves as a celebration of the history of the university and all that is to come.
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