Ball on the...Belvedere?
Bellarmine growing too large for Belle of Louisville
Danielle White
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Opinion
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By: Danielle White
"Ball on the Belle needs to change." This sentiment has been widely echoed across campus over the past two weeks, even resulting in the creation of a Facebook group.
Common opinion is that since many students were excluded from the event due to the lack of space aboard the Belle, measures need to be taken to remedy the situation.
The simple fact is that while Bellarmine's student population continues to expand, the Belle can only hold so many people. According to Bellarmine Activities Council (BAC) President Autumn White, "The Belle can actually hold around nine hundred people using both decks, but most people tend to stay on the lower deck."
As a result, BAC only sells around six hundred tickets each year. This has been a concern in the past, but with the size of this year's freshman class, the situation has become increasingly worse. With Vision 2020's plan including a drastic increase in enrollment, the BAC is searching for solutions.
A major setback in the search for a way to expand Ball on the Belle has been the cost. One suggestion that has been made includes procuring a second boat and separating the dance into upper-class and lower-class boats, with only one boat serving alcohol. However, renting the Belle costs around nine thousand dollars, so including a second boat is out of the question. As White put it, "we only have so much money in our budget and we do have other events to pay for. Students don't realize how expensive it is to put on an event."
Other possible solutions include finding a bigger boat or moving the dance to a land location, which is the most probable solution at this point. Should the dance be moved on-shore, it may be held at the Belvedere. Further possibilities will be discussed during the spring semester.
The possibility of a change in location has raised many questions, among them the obvious "how can there be a Ball on the Belle without the Belle?" White says that "part of the excitement is being on the Belle" and adds that the dance "is a long-standing tradition and it would be a shame to leave that behind." Unfortunately, unless another solution presents itself, leaving the Belle may be the only option.
"Ball on the Belle needs to change." This sentiment has been widely echoed across campus over the past two weeks, even resulting in the creation of a Facebook group.
Common opinion is that since many students were excluded from the event due to the lack of space aboard the Belle, measures need to be taken to remedy the situation.
The simple fact is that while Bellarmine's student population continues to expand, the Belle can only hold so many people. According to Bellarmine Activities Council (BAC) President Autumn White, "The Belle can actually hold around nine hundred people using both decks, but most people tend to stay on the lower deck."
As a result, BAC only sells around six hundred tickets each year. This has been a concern in the past, but with the size of this year's freshman class, the situation has become increasingly worse. With Vision 2020's plan including a drastic increase in enrollment, the BAC is searching for solutions.
A major setback in the search for a way to expand Ball on the Belle has been the cost. One suggestion that has been made includes procuring a second boat and separating the dance into upper-class and lower-class boats, with only one boat serving alcohol. However, renting the Belle costs around nine thousand dollars, so including a second boat is out of the question. As White put it, "we only have so much money in our budget and we do have other events to pay for. Students don't realize how expensive it is to put on an event."
Other possible solutions include finding a bigger boat or moving the dance to a land location, which is the most probable solution at this point. Should the dance be moved on-shore, it may be held at the Belvedere. Further possibilities will be discussed during the spring semester.
The possibility of a change in location has raised many questions, among them the obvious "how can there be a Ball on the Belle without the Belle?" White says that "part of the excitement is being on the Belle" and adds that the dance "is a long-standing tradition and it would be a shame to leave that behind." Unfortunately, unless another solution presents itself, leaving the Belle may be the only option.
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