The Tartan

by Clare Katyal
Junior Staffwriter

Carnegie Mellon’s Dietrich College Masquerade Ball, held on Saturday, Feb. 15, transported attendees into a night of sophistication and festivity at the Music Hall Foyer of the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History.

Dietrich Student Advisory Board member and second-year information systems student Annika Santhanam proposed the idea for the Dietrich Ball last spring.

“I told the board and our advisors at the time that as such a prominent college on CMU’s campus, it was only right to have a ball,” Santhanam said.

With the efforts of student advisor Tina King and The Bess Family Dean of the Mariana Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences Richard Scheines, planning for the ball kicked off this year.

Students donned formal attire and intricate masks at the sold-out event as they danced beneath towering marble columns with gilded accents. The ball’s masquerade theme was decided through a survey of Dietrich students.

“We were confident that the theme combined with the beauty of the Carnegie Music Hall foyer would lend to a night to remember!” Annika remarked. Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed live music, an array of small curated plates, and the opportunity to engage with fellow undergraduates in a refined yet lively setting.

Walking through the fog and rain in heels is usually not one’s idea of a fun Saturday night. However, the prospect of attending the first-ever Dietrich Ball gave the dreary walk a magical feeling.

Suzy Switzer, a senior studying literature and culture, remarked that the event felt “like the Yule Ball in Harry Potter.” The Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, with its bronze statues atop tall stone pillars, provided a setting that enhanced the night’s fantastical feeling of magic and grandeur.

The ballroom stretched out into a blur of gold decor and marble pillars. The room was surrounded by balconies overlooking the ballroom, and many students migrated to them to take advantage of the ornamented background for their pictures.

The night began with fruit punch served through an ice luge in the shape of Baker Hall. Students helped themselves to masquerade masks, cookies, pasta dishes, and a wide selection of charcuterie.

Various faculty members in the humanities department were given achievement awards. Among the honorees was Laura Donaldson, who was celebrating the anniversary of her eighth year as an advisor at Carnegie Mellon
on the day of the ball.

After the awards, students migrated to the dance floor. The music was provided by a Carnegie Mellon student, Patrick Lee, a freshman in MCS, who accepted song requests from students. Dancers often formed a circle around a brave student who showcased their talents in breakdancing.

Given its success, the event has the potential to become a longstanding tradition.