Correction appended
Discussions of international policy and foreign aid were replaced by an unfamiliar party atmosphere as students disguised by vibrant masks entered the School of International Service to the sound of a DJ.
The Residence Hall Association held the 2013 Masquerave in the SIS atrium on March 29 with around 80 colorfully masked students in attendance. The unknown operator of AU Crush , a Facebook account that posts anonymous messages from AU students to their crushes, was also there. AU Crush has nearly 1,500 friends since its creation six months ago.
“The Masquerave gives people the opportunity to participate in an event alternative to what a typical night might entail,” Lindsey Malcolm, vice president of programming at RHA, said.
The unusual blue and purple lighting in the SIS atrium for the Masquerave could be seen from across the quad. Inside SIS, a DJ stood in front of the dance floor, and the nameless students’ colorful masks adorned with plumage glistened under the lights.
“When I look around, how many places can have such a venue, where students can come together and connect in this setting,” Tim Staples, the assistant director of training and leadership development for Housing and Dining, said.
Students praised the scenery.
“It’s cute,” Kathy Kim, a freshman in the SIS, said. “It’s different. It’s not in [The] Tavern.”
Prior to the event, students could message the name of their crush to the Facebook profile “AU Masquerave Messenger.” The crush would receive an invite to the 2013 Masquerave anonymously, according to a post on the Masquerade Messenger page.
The Facebook event for the Masquerave 2013 advertised AU Crush’s masked attendance. AU Crush posted about the event on its page and said that it would show up if enough students came to the event. AU Crush did appear at the event, though he never revealed himself, according to AU Crush’s Facebook post.
“The event allows students to connect on a social level, and it builds for pride in the University,” Staples said. “This is one of the events connected to the University’s goals of creating an unsurpassed student experience here at AU.”
Correction: This article previously stated that Staples was the assistant director of training and leadership development for RHA.
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