By Lora Hlavsa

Start selecting your formal wear, because in just a few short weeks, Winter Ball will return to Macalester. On Friday, Dec. 2nd from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Program Board will host the 3rd Annual Winter Ball at International Market Square in Minneapolis. This year’s Winter Ball will come complete with a theme: “The Roaring 20’s,” an idea that came to Program Board Traditions Coordinator Olivia Posner ’12 while she was traveling in South America. “The theme was kind of inspired by this café that I went to in Rio after study abroad. It was a big café from the 1920’s and it was just gorgeous,” Posner elaborates. Program Board is the driving force behind Macalester traditions like Springfest. Winter Ball is a fairly new addition to the Program Board repertoire, as it was founded in 2009 by Katie Agnew ’11. Since its birth, Winter Ball has grown into a progressively larger and more lavish event. In its first year, 500 students and guests attended Winter Ball at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis; last year at Epic Nightclub in Minneapolis, attendance ballooned to almost 1,500. This year, Program Board anticipates a similar, if not greater, turnout. Like in years past, Winter Ball 2011 will be an event to “dress to the 9’s” for. Attendees are expected to wear formal wear (dresses, slacks, dress shirts and ties) or 1920’s era fashions. International Market Square serves as this year’s venue, and it promises to be an elegant choice for Winter Ball. Located just west of downtown Minneapolis, International Market Square serves as a design center during the day, however, on the evening of December 2nd, it will be transformed into an opulent 1920’s haven. A large and elegant space, International Market Square provides the ideal location for an event of Winter Ball’s stature. The first floor of the building will feature the dance floor and DJ, while the second floor will serve as a casino. International Market Square will also be catering, and there will be numerous treats to look forward to, including two chocolate fountains and an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. This year’s Winter Ball will feature DJ Soviet Panda, a local DJ that can often be found in the DJ booth at dance nights at Minneapolis hot spot First Avenue.In addition to this year’s event is a casino, complete with poker and blackjack tables. “I was interested in having activities for people who don’t necessarily like to dance or be in that sometimes claustrophobic space of the dance mob,” says Posner. “We’re just taking into consideration everybody’s interests or what different students may enjoy.” Once again, a photographer will be available to those who wish to capture their Winter Ball experience on film. This year, Program Board has focused a great deal on improving the transportation to the event, based on previous years’ difficulties. In past years, buses would shuttle students to and from the event, but would not run on a set schedule. This year, Program Board is making a great effort to make sure that the twenty buses reserved for this year’s event will run on schedule so that students don’t have to worry about waiting in the cold in their formal wear. In addition, Program Board is offering incentive for those who catch the bus to the event early; students who arrive at the venue before 10 pm will be entered in a raffle for an Amazon Kindle. Tickets are available at the Information Desk until November 23rd and cost $5 for Macalester students and $10 for guests. There is a limit of one guest per student, and guest tickets must be purchased at the same time as the student ticket. Winter Ball 2011 will be held at International Market Square on Dec. 2nd, 2011 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.. Tickets are available at the Information Desk for $5 (student) and $10 (guest). Formal attire. Contact Olivia Posner at [email protected] with any questions.