Women wore extravagant dresses and the men dressed with class. The lighting accented the flowers that decorated every second table. Laughter and music filled the air for the 2011 Golden Gala President’s Ball on Friday.

The 25th annual event was held in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids.

“It’s a great way to see the university in action and get to talk to the faculty,” said junior Ali Zimmer, chair of the President’s Ball. “And it’s just a good time to get out and dance.”

The evening began with cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. Candles lit the room for students, faculty, and administrators who circled the tables. The cocktail hour participants moved swiftly into the dining room for the dinner service.

“It’s an extraordinary experience with so many people everywhere,” said Matt Dondanville, member of the cycling club who worked the cocktail hour coat check.

Dinner began with speeches full of humor and bright personality and with awards to recognize outstanding individuals. Tim Selgo accepted the Presidential Award, Dorothy Johnson accepted the Distinguished Individual Award and Danielle DeMuth accepted the Student Award for Faculty Excellence. The audience gave them frequent and standing ovations.

Between awards, student coed a capella group Euphoria and student dance group Momentum provided entertainment throughout the hour. They collaborated to featured songs and dances in celebration of Grand Valley State University’s past by reliving the decades, beginning with the 1960s.

“The dinner this year was really good,” said senior Kristie Hopkins. “It was good food and good entertainment.”

President Haas gave a speech to thank everyone for attending the Presidents’ Ball as well as Student Senate for sponsoring the event. Shortly after his speech, people enjoyed dessert and coffee.

At 8:30 p.m., the 500 dinner guests gathered their coats to join the additional 4,000 expected guests at the dance.

Once the doors opened, the music poured out and dancing began. Guests even danced while waiting to reach the dance floor.

“We are dancers so we love this event,” said senior Greg Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski and his date, Katherine Key, danced their way into the ballroom. “It’s a lot of fun and a nice excuse to look nice.”

Music echoed through the ballroom and brightly colored lights shimmered around a disco ball. The stage set for DJ Mark Witz was front and center.

Women kicked off their shoes and the men loosened their ties. Music shook the floors and boomed through the room.

For junior Emily Visger, the President’s Ball was hard to compare to previous years.

“Freshman year was almost the best – everyone knew a lot of the music,” she said. “But it’s really hard to compare. But it’s a really good event for GVSU to do. It’s a great opportunity to hang out with other students. Plus, it’s something fun for a Friday night.”

Students recommend attending the event for the future.

“It’s a great social event to meet other students and teachers,” said senior Jacie Fountain.

Zimmer said the President’s ball takes more than six months of planning. With this year being the Golden Gala, the event took a lot of hard work.

“Overall it was a success,” she said. “We’re celebrating 50 years of GVSU, and it was done well.”

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