Middlemarch '08: Lady Luck hits the Heights

White rabbits, magicians, show girls, and brides trooped to Upper Campus on Saturday night for the annual Middlemarch Ball, a traditional costume ball that has captivated Boston College students for 35 years. O'Connell House was transformed into Sin City this weekend for the Las Vegas-themed event, and students impressed with costumes ranging from Siegfried and Roy's white lion to Britney Spears and Jason Alexander.

The theme came courtesy of the ball's coordinators, O'Connell House's five managers, and the 20-member committee that aided them in adorning the house in decorations fitting for the city of lights.

"When we pick a theme, the main criteria are how easy it will be for people to get dressed up for and get involved in. One of the huge allures of Middlemarch is that people can go all out with their costumes," said Michael Bell, an O'Connell house manager and A&S '10.

Jessica Kenerson, an O'Connell House manager and LGSOE '08, added that this year, a committee member came up with the theme.

Past themes have included "The Wonderful World of Disney," "Arabian Nights," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Nearly 300 students were in attendance at the event, leaving the cold March night in exchange for a magically transformed O'Connell house. Ball-goers entered on a red carpet modeled after the Las Vegas strip. The main ballroom took on the character of Pure, the night club at The Palms, and the piano room became a wedding chapel where attendees could fill out wedding certificates or dine on white cupcakes and chocolate covered strawberries. Another room was transformed into the Cirque de Soleil, where an attendant handed out cotton candy and popcorn as gymnasts performed on a nearby television screen. A fourth room became a casino, complete with a slot machine lottery in which students could enter Monopoly money lottery tickets to win iPods, a GPS navigation system, an Eiffel tower light, or a $100 Visa gift card. The basement, inspired by Vegas's myriad hotels, featured catering by Cafe Cardoos and a fortune teller.

Students hoping to attend the ball had to be present at the theme announcement ceremony in February. Following the unveiling of the theme, they had to complete a scavenger hunt.

"The scavenger hunt has questions relating to the theme, to O'Connell House, and to the Middlemarch dance. For example, we might ask how many lights there are in the grand ballroom of the O'Connell House. Then, you have to turn that into the Office for the Dean of Student Development (ODSD) and we grade them all," Bell said. Even those who manage a perfect score on the scavenger hunt, however, aren't guaranteed a ticket. "The people that score a 100 percent get put into a hat, and we draw 150 names from there. Those 150 people are allowed to purchase a pair of tickets each," Bell said.

Though Middlemarch tickets are notoriously difficult to obtain, some of this mysterious allure stems from a 2003 night club fire that prompted BC officials to take a closer look at O'Connell House's safety and found that it failed to meet fire codes. Thus, the ball was moved off campus for two years, until the mansion could be updated to comply with code. In 2006, Middlemarch returned to O'Connell House. Those planning the ball, however, must adhere to strict rules regarding fire safety; one of these rules disallows more than 300 people from occupying the house.

"Ever since the move, fire safety has been one of our main concerns," Bell said. "We met with the fire marshal prior to the dance to do walkthroughs of the house. All the decorations had to be flame retardant, all the fabrics and all that. Fire safety is a huge concern, and we are forced to uphold strict regulations. It's almost excessive."

Despite the St. Patrick's Day festivities that found the BC campus doused in green, attendance and ticket sales for Middlemarch increased drastically from last year's event. "We sold about 50 more tickets than last year, so we were right at capacity," Kenerson said.

This could be due in part to a drop in ticket price, Kenerson said. "We were able to get more students to come as a result of lowering the ticket price, and it was a huge success. Next year, hopefully we'll get 15 more students." This year, tickets were sold for $40 a piece, down from last year's $55.

"The dance is rather expensive, but we don't have to do any fundraising because tickets cover costs. We had a budget surplus, so we were able to lower ticket costs. We didn't have to charge as much as last year," Bell said.

In addition to the decreased price, the allure of the Middlemarch tradition continues to draw more students every year.

"Students will always come. There's so much mystery to Middlemarch. St. Patrick's Day you can celebrate on Friday or on Sunday, but there's only one Middlemarch," Kenerson said.

Though the ball is still recovering from the years it spent jumping from venue to venue, both managers have high hopes for keeping the Middlemarch tradition alive at BC.

"I think [tradition] is definitely on the rise. We ran into a few roadblocks with fire marshal codes, but it's definitely gaining back momentum. People are starting to know what it is, and we're getting more funding each year," Bell said.

Kenerson seemed to agree. "When Middlemarch was off campus, it just wasn't the same. O'Connell is a special venue, and we're trying to bring back the tradition," she said.