On Sept. 13, Biola announced the indefinite postponement of Nationball—a university tradition. Initially, the Office of Campus Engagement planned to host Nationball in Chase Gymnasium with a precautionary mask requirement. However, Los Angeles County limited indoor capacities to 1,000 people—forcing the event to be moved outdoors.

POSTPONED, NOT CANCELED

Junior psychology major and intramural coordinator Mattelyn Giannandrea explained that the event is postponed until further notice due to logistical issues with mask enforcement and social distancing measures.

OCE recognizes the loss seniors and other students face now that Nationball will be reimagined or canceled, in the interest of COVID-19 safety. According to Giannandrea, the OCE staff continues to consider future opportunities that give students new experiences to balance out the loss of Nationball.

“We have to come up with a whole new way of doing it,” Giannandrea said. “We are very hesitant [about] how we’re planning it. Just because we don’t want to change tradition, but also keeping in mind a safe way of going about it.” 

While the future of university traditions is uncertain, Giannandrea explained that other departments, such as Spiritual Development, are able to provide COVID-19 accommodations and modify their events.