Cadets celebrate annual Junior Ring Ceremony

By Elizabeth Kennedy
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Maroon and gold streamers swagged from the center of the room to the outside edge, creating a canopy over hundreds of little white Christmas lights, transforming Plumley Armory from a sweaty gym to an elegant place to have a ball in celebration of Junior Ring Weekend.

The ball, which has been in the planning stages since January, brought together roughly 750 students to dance the night away to music played by Norwich engineering professor and DJ for the evening Dennis Tyner, according to Amber Robinson, a 21-year-old political science major and member of the Jr. Ring Ball Committee, from Suncook, N.H.

The committee, headed by Benjamin Sweeney, a 21-year-old political science major from Belfast, Maine, unanimously decided to invite Leonard Doscinski, Commandant of Cadets, to be the guest speaker.

Doscinski, according to Sweeney, was chosen in honor of his upcoming retirement and because, as an alumnus, he wears a Norwich ring, himself.

In his address, Doscinski told guests that the ball was the best-attended and nicest ball he has seen in his time at Norwich and that, to him, the ring most represents honor.

After Doscinski's remarks, the dance floor was formally opened with a routine performed by the Norwich University Dance Team.

The dancing started to wind down after Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon" was played, and members of the corps formed large circles with their rook buddies and swayed back and forth to the song that is about the togetherness that comes with being in the military.

"The ball was very well-done this year," said David Cedarleaf, a 22-year-old political science major from Fairport, N.Y. "The decorations were a nice change from the normal parachutes (that cover the ceiling.) Everyone that went seemed to have a great time. It was nice to see a lot of seniors there."

It took members of the ball committee three evenings to hang over 1000 streamers from the ceiling in preparation for the ball that cost $5000 to put together, according to Robinson.

The committee also ordered Jr. Ring glasses and t-shirts that were included in the $30 a couple charge ($25 for juniors) to attend, but they were only expecting 650 people to go to the ball, according to Sweeney, so about 100 people attended for $10 a person ($15 for junior couple), because they ran out of souvenirs.

"I never go to balls, but I went to this one to celebrate getting my ring with my rook buddies," said Logan Potskowski, a 20-year-old English major from Albany, N.Y. "But I'm glad I went; it was a good time."

"It turned out really well. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be," Sweeney said. "There weren't any major disasters, except running around at the last minute to do everything. The streamers took longer (to hang) than we thought, but it looked good."

Joseph Billig, a 22-year-old criminal justice major from St. Louis, Mo., said he appreciates the amount of work that went into the planning of the ball.

"I'm a senior," Billig said, "so I'm glad that my last ball at Norwich was as nice as this. It is a really good note to end the school year on."

For freshman Charles Rittenburg, a 19-year-old physics major from Marlton, N.J., his first time going to the Jr. Ring ball made him very anxious to receive his class ring. Despite the wait ahead of him, Rittenburg said, "the ball was a nice opportunity to see the upperclassmen earn something they worked hard for."

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