Inauguration celebrated Hoosier style at Indiana Society Ball

WASHINGTON, D.C. — At the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Hoosiers gathered to celebrate the inauguration at a bipartisan ball.  

The Indiana State Society’s Inaugural Ball tradition dates back to 1952, Ball Chair Jan Powell said. These days, tickets go for $400 a plate or $9,000 a table. For that price, politicians and a privileged few listened to the Purdue Varsity Glee Club and heard remarks from Gov. Mike Pence.  

The celebration traditionally stands out because of its menu and tenor.

“Ours is a more formal evening,” Society board member Kathy Dirks said.

“Dress is very important, as you can see,” Board member Larry Friend agreed, nodding to the floor-length gowns and black ties that consumed the reception room. “Most people are in tuxedos.”

As the reception room filled up, guests posed for pictures with Indiana representatives and accepted appetizers from waiters. Attorney General Greg Zoeller and his daughter, IU senior Gretchen Zoeller, were standing near the edge of the room when a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club asked to serenade her.

He took a knee, took her hand and began.

“Life would be a dream …” he sang.

When it was finished, Zoeller, a graduate of both Purdue and IU, pointed out the serenade’s irony. Zoeller has been attending inaugurations for decades and said the highlight of his “inaugural career” was a ride on the Bush-Quayle inaugural parade float.

“I have a tradition of celebrating democracy,” Zoeller said. “So when you win, you can celebrate the inauguration a little more. When you don’t, you can celebrate democracy anyway.”

Gretchen Zoeller said she was happy to see Obama win.

“I’m celebrating a little harder than he is,” she said.

“Well,” her father said, ”there’s room for everybody to celebrate.”

Freshman Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., agreed.

“It’s been a spectacular turnout, and you know it’s a real sign of how much everybody from back home still feels how critical it is to connect to each other,” Donnelly said. “Because there’s a whole lot more common sense in Indiana than Washington, D.C.”

In his five-minute keynote speech, Pence asked God to bless President Barack Obama and his family. He also drove home the same ideas and phrases used during the lead-up to the Nov. 6 election.

“From my heart, I believe this is no ordinary time in the life of our state,” Pence said. “I believe this is Indiana’s moment, and it’s a moment where if we will continue to be bold and innovative, Indiana is poised to go from good to great.”