DIPLOMATIC BALL More Dip Ball Tickets To Be Distributed By Rebecca Regan-Sachs Hoya Staff Writer

The Diplomatic Ball Committee will release more tickets to the annual Dip Ball because of the unexpectedly high number of dignitaries who confirmed their attendance as well as the large capacity of the ball’s site this year – The National Building Museum. According to Committee Chairman Cory Tull (SFS ’04), the dean’s office approved the extra release after negotiating with the Diplomatic Ball Committee.

“A significant amount of tickets will be released,” according to Tull. Students will be allowed to line up at 1 p.m. on Saturday and ticket distribution begins at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the Dip Ball cost $45 per person and $90 per pair. Held in the National Building Museum on 4th and F Streets in downtown Washington from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. on April 19, Dip Ball is an annual tradition featuring dancing and music sponsored by the School of Foreign Service Academic Council.

Ticket sales in Leavey Center on Saturday morning proceeded smoothly due in part to new regulations prohibiting students from lining up before 10 p.m. on Friday for the distribution, which began at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

According to Tull, the Dip Ball Committee imposed the 10 p.m. rule because last year one student began to line up at 2 p.m., causing a massive rush to the line by students fearful that they would be unable to get tickets. Tull said he received a lot of positive feedback about the 10 p.m. rule, calling it “very successful and easily enforceable.” He added that subsequent ticket distributions may have similar regulations.

Natalie Danna (COL ’04), who stood in line for tickets, called this year’s distribution comparatively well organized and relaxed.

“Some of the times I have camped out have been crazy, like for Billy Joel tickets,” Danna said. “This worked well because students were not allowed to line up before 10 at night, so there was no added pressure to come any earlier.”

Other problems last year prevented students from sleeping on the sofas and chairs from Sellinger Lounge. This year students were not permitted to remove furniture from Sellinger Lounge as had been permitted in years past.

Despite the 10 p.m. rule, however, students said people anxious to head the line congregated in Sellinger before 10 p.m.

According to Jordan White (SFS ’05), a student who waited in Sellinger before 10 p.m., Department of Public Safety prevented students from lining up early.

Assistant Director of Public Safety Darryl Harrison, who was in charge of the Dip Ball patrol this year, said one DPS officer was stationed to prevent an early lineup. He also patrolled during the night to “ensure student safety.”

As soon as the line opened, the small crowd moved to line up. “[The line was] better than the others I have stood in,” White said. He said the line was not as long, students knew the rules and line cutting was not much of a problem.

“For the most part, students were very relaxed, just listening to music, doing work or using their laptops,” he said.

Danna said she was counting on sleeping on lounge furniture, but found herself lying on the hard floor due to the new regulations. Even though she only got about 20 minutes of sleep, she said she had a positive experience. “I think its much better to allow students to line up for tickets instead of having a lottery, because that way the students who really want to go the most can do something about it,” Danna said.

Tull described the night as “a very smooth distribution and the tamest that Dip Ball tickets sales have ever been.”

Confirmed dignitaries attending the ball include ambassadors from Tunisia, Sweden, Pakistan, Lithuania, Costa Rica, Ghana, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, Swaziland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Malta, Benin, Kyrgyz Republic and Peru. Other dignitaries include the Chief of Staff for Senator Charles Hagel (R-Neb.), the political minister from Australia, the public counselor from Chile and Deputy Chiefs of Mission from Switzerland, Yemen, Turkey, Cyprus and Uruguay.

– Hoya Staff Writer Maya Noronha contributed to this report.