Caltech Rugby Club SAVES Graduate Formal

April 08, 2025

The Graduate Student formal has become the latest casualty of DOGE’s sweeping budget cuts. Fear not, however: the Caltech Rugby Club will be hosting their Annual Ball at the Athenaeum, open to both the blossoming club membership and the wider Graduate Student body. Expect crowd-pleasing music, free flowing food and drink, all set amongst the grandeur of our very own Athenaeum Club.

*Save the date: Friday 30th May 2025 -*tickets on sale w/c 14th April - follow @caltechruggers to find out how you can win a FREE ticket for you and your +1!

The Graduate Formal has long been the cornerstone of the Caltech social calendar: the Wimbledon of Grand Slams, the Beyoncé of the Grammys. The 2024 edition was undoubtedly a roaring success, fit for the decade, while inspiring the prehistoric at the LA Natural History museum. Students were therefore devastated to hear that formal would not be returning this year owing to a government crackdown on Abba’s Dancing Queen being sung by grad students swapping lab coats for sharp suits and flowing dresses.

And yet for those at the Caltech Rugby Club, the show must go on. As one of Caltech’s fastest growing clubs, the CRC are no stranger to hosting a lively social scene, with their Wednesday socials attended by well over 50 students. Faced with their greatest ambition yet, the CRC will not dodge the DOGE and are set to host their inaugural, Annual Ball.

The Athanaeum’s West Patio will play host to the initial reception and awards ceremony before live performances from Caltech’s freshest bands get the ball rocking. Libations will be liberated as the Athenaeum sets out its campus-famous bar, all included in the outrageously good valued ticket price. The night will conclude in the esteemed, main dining room where DJ sets are poised to put the *tune *in Athenaeum. Get ready to hear the full lineup announced @caltechruggers!

Scott F Filtzgerald, poster child of the roaring 20s, is not known to have held much of an opinion on rugby. However, he sure as hell liked parties, especially ‘large parties’, famously quipping them ‘so intimate’. The Caltech Rugby Club Annual Ball promises to be everything Filtzgerald heralded: a celebration of the extraordinarily talented Caltech community, held at Caltech’s most iconic venue, fueled by spirit and by spirit. The stage is set, the ball is pumped, the only question remains when are you going to get your ticket!