Oliver Twist is the biggest event Oliver Hall hosts and one of Whitworth’s largest dances of the year. The event was planned by the Oliver Hall senator and leadership team and held on Nov. 10.

“Oliver Twist is an opportunity for other people to come to the building, but also for Oliver residents to meet people that they haven’t yet,” said Ashton Kittleman, an RA in Oliver Hall. “Last year I remember having a lot of fun with people who came and with residents.”

The planning process began by splitting into three committees: entertainment, food and atmosphere/decorating. From there the committees brought their ideas and plans back to the senator, who incorporated them into the bigger picture. Once ideas were finalized, food and decorations were ordered. Set-up and decorating was planned to begin four hours prior to the event.

Aside from dancing, there was a photo booth, a music playlist open to requests, food catered by Sodexo and a makeshift bar in the Oliver kitchen that served mocktails. Black and gold decorations were ordered to be strung throughout the building for a “minimal” yet “elegant” look, said Kittleman. The Oliver leadership team rotated shifts throughout the event, so leadership could be involved with the residents and the students that decided to come.

The main challenge was determining how many students would show up to the event, said Emily Clemons, the senator. The team had to predict the amount of people who attend and accurately prepare enough food. Their goal this year was to attract around 200-250 students, hoping to slightly increase last year’s attendance.

“My hope is that everyone has a good time, especially because school is full of exams and essays before Thanksgiving,” said Clemons.

The Whitworth event technicians helped keep the energy high during the event through maintaining speakers and lights, and students seemed to enjoy the drinks and music, said Daniel Moore, an Oliver RA.  

A little over 200 students attended, and by the end of the night Oliver leadership members like Moore concluded Oliver Twist “a success.”