By Amy Ledig

Those who will be 21 or older by the time Founder’s Day comes around can stop worrying-the bar section is safe. Dispelling rumors about potential changes to the bar, manager of special events Lea Barron said the only likely change at Founder’s Day next semester would be the relocation of the bar section from the north half of Café Mac to another part of the Campus Center.Crowding is the main concern as preparations for this spring’s event get underway.

“There will be more people this year than last year, just because there are more students this year,” said Stephen Sporer, associate director of Alumni Relations.

Founder’s Day, a gala event celebrating the founding of the college, is scheduled for March 5. It began as a pre-inauguration gala for President Brian Rosenberg on the 130th anniversary of the college’s chartering and has since become an annual event.

One other change the organizers are hoping to bring in this year is an increased focus on the history of the college. As March is also Women’s History Month, Barron said that the Founder’s Day planners will be working with the Women’s History Month committee to put the spotlight on important women in the college’s past.

The organizers are also hoping to extend the festivities from a one-evening gala to a weeklong series of events. Pushball, a periodic Macalester tradition that was canceled last year due to a treacherous blend of ice and freshly fallen snow, is slated to return.

“I think it’s really important to have things leading up to the event,” said Allison Greenlee, assistant director of campus programs.

Organizers stressed that they are welcoming students to get involved in the planning subcommittee as well as working as volunteers at the event.

“This year it’ll be a better event,” Barron said.