Nearly 200 students attended the Residence Hall Association's American Formal at the National Press Club Friday night, a classier, revamped version of the annual Winter Ball.
"We wanted to make the event more classy," said Will Mount, president of the RHA. "AU is all about building new traditions and this is a good one. I think doing something like this is good because it brings together the AU community."
Mount originally looked at the National Press Club because Pi Kappa Phi held their formal there. Mount also wanted a location that had a view of both the Washington Monument and the White House.
"The National Press Club has a lot of history," Mount said. "So many famous people have spoken here. I was really impressed."
Overall, the formal was a success, but the only problem of the night was that the band, Hudson and Prout, didn't start playing until 20 minutes into the dance. Hudson and Prout played at the formal. RHA chose a live band to provide a "college feel" for the dance.
"A live band is more energetic," Mount said. "The idea was that we wanted to have something where students could be involved with the music."
Hudson and Prout mainly played cover songs that students enjoyed.
"The band was amazing," Kelli Dunlap, a sophomore in the School of International Services, said. "The music they played allowed you to dance in any style from swing to the back and forth. I can't dance to grinding."
The RHA originally wanted Easton Ashe, who played at Grill on the Hill and the Winter Ball last year, but that band had broken up. Their former agent recommended Hudson and Prout.
"We were very pleased with the new band," Mount said.
Not all students were satisfied by the band.
"The setup and execution on the RHA's part was good, but the band was a step down from last year," Patrick Mariarz, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said. "But it was still worth the price of entry."
Tickets originally cost $25 but the RHA lowered the price to $15 per ticket.
"The ticket price was reduced because many residents had indicated to us that the ticket price was too high, and we wanted as many people as possible to attend the dance," Mount said.
At least $1,000 from ticket sales will be donated to the Blind Veterans Association, Mount said, towards a scholarship for a dependant of a blind veteran, Mount said.
"We wanted to tie the dance into Veterans Day," Mount said. Veterans Day was Nov. 11.
The RHA also raffled door prizes during the dance. Six gift certificates of $25 each and three DVDs were donated by local businesses. McCormick and Schmicks, a restaurant in Bethesda, gave a $75 gift certificate.
"I'm just so happy everyone seemed to have a good time," Vice President of Programming Cynthia Purekal said. "There were no huge problems. I can breathe now."
The RHA had a budget of $13,000 and were under budget, Mount said. The RHA collected about $3000 from ticket sales, Mount said, although he is not yet sure of the specific figures.
