By Cynthia Moberly, Staff Writer
With the long-anticipated grand re-opening of the renovated Grille, newly christened the Z.T. Bistro, came a classy event to introduce students to the food and the atmosphere. The Bistro Ball was a partnership between the Student Activities Board (SAB) and Student Governance Association (SGA).
“Having the Bistro Ball was my idea, based on an old flyer that I found in some ASC folders from 2004,” Vice President of Student Activities Meredith Anderson said. The flyer was for an annual Grille Formal. “At first I thought the flyer was super ironic, but I knew that with the new changes to the Bistro, having a semi-formal would be perfect for this event,” she said.
Anderson told the Executive Cabinet (EC) members about the idea and they moved forward with it, agreeing that having a classy evening for people to dress up and enjoy the new space would be the perfect grand opening.
Knowing that the new space would be very different from the Grille, it needed a new name. “We knew we wanted to call it the Bistro, but we needed a good name,” Anderson said. “Members of The Family hall in Johnson came up with the name the Z.T. Bistro, and we loved it.”
The students in attendance seemed to appreciate the quality of the renovations, the event and the food.
“I think that people were very satisfied with the new space and the food,” Anderson said.
Senior Jessica Pence said that she enjoyed herself, and that students will welcome the change to the Grille. “I think this is a really great change,” Pence said. “The atmosphere is very unique for Asbury, and the food has been really good.”
Sophomore Leslie Meade said she enjoyed the classy feel. “I feel so classy right now because everything is cut into triangles,” Meade said. “The only thing that could improve it is if George Clooney served everyone hors d’oeuvres.”
“The Ball went better than I could have planned,” Anderson said. “I was worried about there being too many people and not enough food, but there was just the right amount of both.”
Sophomore Rebekah Ridener agreed. “The atmosphere seems classy, but fun,” she said. “I love how much space they made, it seems like they added room.” Every student had room to sit, hang out with friends and enjoy their food. Even with the classy wardrobe, everyone was laid back and seemed to enjoy the company of one another.
Sophomore Matt Jackson emphasized how warm the atmosphere was. He said, “It’s a good place for proposals by the fireplace, guys, wink wink.”