A Banquet Under the Sea
Plenty of fish and fun to be found | PC: Kayla Potts
With Thanksgiving break coming up, we’re quickly approaching the end of first semester. And with the end of the semester came ASB’s annual winter banquet. This year’s winter banquet took place at the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium in the Henry Doorly Zoo and had the fitting theme of “Under the Sea.”
Ashley Bower, a sophomore English language arts education major and the ASB Social Vice President gave some insight into what goes into organizing a banquet of this size.
Planning for the banquet started early in the school year during September. It had been five years since Union had held their banquet at the Henry Doorly Zoo, and ASB decided that the aquarium would the best area to host this year’s. Once the location was decided, further details needed to be worked out, including the entertainment, catering and date.
“I had to go to Omaha to tour the facilities,” Bower said, recalling the early stages of the planning. Communication between the ASB team and the aquarium was the key point in putting everything together.
The ASB team had opted to keep the menu a secret, so the meal was a surprise for those attending.
A live jazz band from the University of Nebraska performed during the festivities. The students formed the band during their time at UNL, and they’ve played in several prep rallies since. Live music, in addition to being surrounded by the many exotic sea creatures made this an unforgettable night.
This year, students were able to experience a more interactive banquet. In an interview before hand, Bower mentioned “You’ll be able to walk through the aquarium, and take your pictures, talk with friends. It’s going to be a lot more of an open way to socialize with people because you have the whole aquarium to walk through.”
Many students got involved with the Creative Banquet Asking Contest. Those that asked their dates to the banquet in a creative way had the chance to win up to $50 by emailing it in or posting it on Instagram.
“It’s just a free night at the aquarium where you get to dress up and have fun,” Bower said. She hopes you all enjoyed ASB’s final event before Thanksgiving break!
Amanda McCarter is a junior studying biomedical science.