Popular CityStep Ball Successful

A larger arena led to increased ticket sales but lower profits for CityStep's annual benefit ball Saturday night.

The popular campus-wide formal ball was moved to the Gordon Track and Field Center from Memorial Hall because of construction at the former site. Because of the move, ball organizers were able to print 500 more tickets than they did last year, even though about 400 tickets were left unsold.

CityStep Executive Producer Kate M. Mansfield '96 said the group hopes to net between $5,000-$10,000 in profits from the ball.

She said this year's net will probably be less than last year's, which was nearly $10,000, because of added decoration and transportation costs.

Because undergraduates needed to cross the river to get to the track center, CityStep provided shuttles to the ball from Lamont, Lowell, Currier, and Mather.

The unusual busing arrangement confused several students.

Lauren E. Hale '98 and eight other first-years boarded a bus at Lamont Library. They thought it was a shuttle that would take them to the ball.

"We showed the driver our ID's and got on for free," she said. "He let us on, then just laughed at us."

Twenty minutes later, when the bus reached MIT, Hale and her friends realized they had mistakenly boarded an MBTA bus instead of a Harvard shuttle.

The first-years piled into two cabs and eventually got to the ball.

A Successful Night?

"I think it was a big success even with the obstacle of no Mem Hall." said ticket sales director James W. Fields '95.

Mansfield said she was initially "uneasy about having [the dance] on a track."

But, she said, she was amazed at the transformation of the building when she saw the decorations.

Some students, however, still complained about the track center's atmosphere.

Cara J. Tseng '96 said she didn't enjoy the ball as much as she could have because of its location. "It was cold and drafty," she said.

"Even with the decorations, if you looked to the left or right, you could see the track or pipes over your head," said Richard H.Dinh '98.

"I thought it was overpriced for what they had," Dinh added. "$28 per couple was a little steep.

Donna D. Kim '96 said her boyfriend believes he's entitled to a refund since the dance ended 10 minutes early, as it has in recent years. "My boyfriend said that since that's one twenty-fourth of the dance, he should get $1.12 back for our tickets."

Still, many students said they enjoyed themselves.

President of the Phillips Brooks House Association John B. King Jr. '95 said he has attended the last two balls. "This year's was a little nicer."

Even Hale said she enjoyed the ball--once she got there.

"There was an element of high school dance in it because it was in a gym and if you looked around you saw bleachers." But, she added, "everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Mansfield said she was initially "uneasy about having [the dance] on a track."

But, she said, she was amazed at the transformation of the building when she saw the decorations.

Some students, however, still complained about the track center's atmosphere.

Cara J. Tseng '96 said she didn't enjoy the ball as much as she could have because of its location. "It was cold and drafty," she said.

"Even with the decorations, if you looked to the left or right, you could see the track or pipes over your head," said Richard H.Dinh '98.

"I thought it was overpriced for what they had," Dinh added. "$28 per couple was a little steep.

Donna D. Kim '96 said her boyfriend believes he's entitled to a refund since the dance ended 10 minutes early, as it has in recent years. "My boyfriend said that since that's one twenty-fourth of the dance, he should get $1.12 back for our tickets."

Still, many students said they enjoyed themselves.

President of the Phillips Brooks House Association John B. King Jr. '95 said he has attended the last two balls. "This year's was a little nicer."

Even Hale said she enjoyed the ball--once she got there.

"There was an element of high school dance in it because it was in a gym and if you looked around you saw bleachers." But, she added, "everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.