Pomona College’s Smiley 80s and Harvey Mudd College’s Club Two300 have both traditionally attracted a significant attendance. This year, however, the two parties were accidentally scheduled for the same Saturday night, Mar. 6.
“Smiley 80s is always the first weekend of March, and we set the date and booked the band back in September,” said Leslie Appleton PO ’12, one of the principal Smiley 80s organizers. “We don’t know about Mudd, but we think they began planning over winter break. I had no idea Two300 was even happening until about a month ago.”
Appleton found out about the conflict when the Smiley 80s Facebook event she created immediately met with Facebook comments about the clash.
“Basically, we both independently took the date,” said Lindsay Hall HM ’12, who is helping run Club Two300 this year. “We’re not trying to butt heads with Pomona.”
Both groups arranged for bands and DJs and could not change the date by the time the conflict had become apparent.
“I wish they weren’t on the same day,” Appleton said. “Two300 looks like a lot of fun, but Smiley is a tradition.”
She also expressed concern that Two300, a free event, would entice more people. She said the money raised from Smiley 80s’ five-dollar entry fee goes directly toward funding the last big Pomona party of the year, and she said she would hate to see a decrease in revenue because of competition from Two300.
However, she also conveyed she was not too worried.
“Smiley 80s is really the only throwback party at the Claremont Colleges, and [an attendance of] 1500 people per year is pretty common,” she said, adding that she is also confident in the success of Club Two300.
Hall said she and several other planners began putting together Two300 when seniors left a folder in their room that said, “Club Two300, brought to you by Slouch and Sbitch,” two sophomore legacy suites in North Dorm, where the party now takes place.
Two300, which was last held in 2007, will feature a red carpet and professional photography. The DJ company Mixed Reactions, a staple at many Mudd parties, will provide the music. Smart Energy Cocktails will provide funding based on how many students become fans of their Facebook page after clicking on a link on http://www.Two300.com. The website promotes each aspect of the party–including drinks, the laser show, and Go-Go dancers–with short descriptions and pictures.
Smiley 80s, an annual event, will take place in Rains Center and will feature the professional band 80z Enough. In past years, the band has played an integral role in the party’s success.