For the first time since 1967, the Green Key Ball will return to campus this year. The ball marks the 2010 delegation of the Green Key Society's efforts to increase its involvement in Green Key Weekend, according to society President Brendan McVeigh '10 and Vice President Jean Luo '10.
McVeigh is a former member of The Dartmouth Business Staff and Luo is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
The ball was traditionally a major event of the weekend, Luo said. The society first held the ball in 1929, but ended the tradition in 1967 when a speech on campus by segregationist Ala. governor George Wallace sparked student protests.
Society members decided to hold the ball in order to take a greater role in Green Key Weekend events, according to McVeigh.
"In the past, the student perception of Green Key is we don't do that much, we're sort of like a marginal organization over Green Key [Weekend]," McVeigh said.
Green Key members considered several factors, including potentially conflicting events, before selecting Saturday as the date of the ball, Luo said, adding that they felt it was important to hold the event during the actual Green Key Weekend.
The ball will take place under a party tent on the lawn in front of the Gold Coast residence hall cluster, McVeigh said.
The society chose to hold the ball outside in "celebration of spring," and because the Gold Coast's proximity to Webster Avenue will allow students to stop by on the way to or from other Green Key Weekend events, according to McVeigh.
"We're not trying to compete with current social offerings," he said.
McVeigh said he proposed reinstating the ball after reading about the tradition in The Dartmouth's archives.
"It's been something we've been thinking and brainstorming about since Fall term," Luo said.
Tickets for the ball are available to students and members of the Dartmouth community, according to McVeigh. The society aims to sell between 350 and 400 tickets, he said, explaining that he had not yet determined the event's maximum capacity.
History professor emeritus and unofficial College historian Jere Daniell, a former society member who graduated from the College in 1955, will give the keynote address at the ball, according to McVeigh. Filligar, DJ Enzo -- also known as Trey Roy '09 -- and the Rockapellas will all also perform, McVeigh said.
These new events were made possible by successful fundraising efforts by the members of the previous Green Key Society delegation, according to McVeigh and Luo.
"Last year, I think a lot of what the '09 class did was work on financial solvency and make it so that we could do something," Luo said.
This year's Green Key delegation is also attempting to increase the society's visibility on campus during the rest the school year, McVeigh said.
The society has introduced a pilot mentoring program, which pairs current and former society members with freshmen, McVeigh said.
The organization will also discontinue selling day-by-day planners, according to McVeigh.
"We didn't really feel like it was providing a service to the school right now," Luo said. "The market's kind of saturated."
