Baum takes us through the steps and planning that went into his recent on-campus proposal to girlfriend Gray.
On Saturday, March 21, the scene in the main lounge of Xavier Hall was uncharacteristically romantic: a single table was arranged for two in the center of the room, the lights were dimmed, soft music played, and Ellis Baum ’98 was down on one knee, poised to pop the question to his girlfriend, Aubrey Gray ’08. With all of the makings of a cinematic proposal, it’s easy to guess the answer Gray gave.
As the current Alumni Council chair, Ellis Baum is no stranger to giving back and helping to advance the College. However, when it came to matters of the heart, Saint Joseph’s was there for its alum, not only helping to arrange the details of the engagement but also acting as the meeting spot where sparks first flew one year ago at Alumni Weekend. When it came time for the proposal, Baum knew he wanted to return to where it all began. With the setting was decided upon, Baum began working with SJC staff members to get everything in place for the big night.
“Michael Bolanz ’00 [alumni relations officer] and I came up with a plan for him to send an email to the Alumni Association Board that Aubrey and I sit on, requesting Board members to attend a special dinner at Xavier Hall that was in accordance with Admitted Students Day. However, the email really only went to Aubrey and I, and luckily she agreed to attend this ‘special dinner,’” recalls Baum, who had to be careful to relay the plan to Aubrey’s two friends on the Board so that they wouldn’t blow the surprise. “They were very helpful, and one of these friends even helped me get Aubrey a manicure that morning—apparently, that’s critical!”
Other details for the evening fell into place with the help of Pearson’s Café general manager, Stuart Leckie, who created a three-course dinner of Aubrey’s favorite foods, complete with Champaign and a table scape done in Aubrey’s favorite color, pink. “We even worked on putting a flower centerpiece together that was made from the same type of flowers that I had given Aubrey on one of our first dates,” says Baum.
That night, after they entered Xavier, Aubrey was floored to find the room empty, save for a small table set for two. “I told her there was no one else coming, that it was all for her. Then I played a song on a Bluetooth speaker I had managed to smuggle onto campus the day before and we danced. At the end, I proposed, and thankfully she said yes!”
The night concluded with dinner by fireside as the couple watched the snow fall outside, a picture-perfect ending to a proposal that pulled out all the stops.