The Cardinals Activities Board will host a Winter Gala, 7-11 p.m., Jan. 25, in the Live Oak Ballroom located in the Setzer Student Center.
Tickets for the event are limited, and 275 free tickets will be available at 6 p.m., Dec. 9, on LUHub and are available on a first come-first serve basis.
“This event is far more formal than any other event that CAB usually hosts,” Hayden Jackson, student engagement coordinator, said. “Our students realized that many students want an event where they can dress up and still have fun.”
CAB will host a competition for the best-dressed attendees of the night.
“Each student will have the opportunity to win our best-dressed competition,” Jackson said. “Unlike most award races, such as the Homecoming Court, where you must be nominated, every student will automatically be entered into the competition simply by attending.”
Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a red carpet and paparazzi experience, as well as refreshments and a night of dancing.
“Upon arrival, students will be greeted by the paparazzi as they walk down the red carpet,” Jackson said. “They will pause in front of the backdrop to get their official photo for the competition. They will then enter the ballroom, where they can mingle with other guests and enjoy refreshments.
“There will be excellent locations for photo opportunities, and we hope to have a 360-degree camera. Once the guests have had the opportunity to eat, the dancing will begin.”
Jackson said the gala was the initiative of the CAB student staff.
“When it was suggested by our senior nursing major, Blair Eugene, it was met with instant approval and excitement,” he said. “It was an idea that lit up the students’ eyes, and you could see the excitement it brought to each one of them.”
Graduate student Dickmu Fanwi Patience, a CAB event officer, said planning is going smoothly.
“The ideas we have in mind are just amazing,” Patience said. “I just cannot wait for us to bring those ideas to reality.”
Jackson said CAB the student staff have crafted the marketing strategy, designed the layout of the event and the space.
“All of the decor was envisioned and put together by the students,” he said. “They have risen to the challenge of creating this event, and I am very excited to see it all come together.”