Let the parties begin!

Naturally, the first party CERN organized for its Golden Jubilee honoured the employees here. On Friday, 17 September, the CERN staff party saw a great turnout.

The terrace off Restaurant 1 was filled with employees and their families, along with the halls around the atrium and the restaurant. The Director General praised CERN employees for their competence throughout the history of the organization which allowed it to become a center of excellence. It is heart?warming to see how people here collaborate without thought of their diverse backgrounds, he said. CERN's diversity of nationalities is its strength, and since the organization's start, this diversity has soared. Speaking about the LHC project, he recalled how when he first arrived at CERN, people were concerned about the progress of constructing the LHC magnets. But by staying optimistic and working hard, the team was able to to churn out more magnets. This is a great example of how CERN could mobilize to keep the LHC project on schedule.

After the speech, the Big Bang Orchestra, made up mostly by members of various CERN music clubs and l'Ensemble de Jazz de Divonne, played an original composition by Jean-François Mathieu created especially for CERN's anniversary, called "Acceleration / Celebration." The eclectic arrangement included a brass section, singers, electric guitars, a didgeridoo (an aborigine instrument), and even a rap about discoveries at CERN.

After the staff party, more events are planned in the area for 29 September, CERN's actual birthday, and in October.

The schedule is available on the Golden Jubilee Web site.