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.
Spring Break
