The 2013 edition of Stanford’s classic Full Moon on the Quad (FMOTQ) will take place tonight on the Main Quad with new additions including food trucks and a photo booth projecting pictures on a giant screen.
The event, which began in the 1800s as a chaste tradition during which senior men and freshmen women would exchange roses and kisses, has developed into a multifaceted dance party complete with student musical performances, Peer Health Educators (PHEs) handing out mouthwash and a raucous environment with students wearing ridiculous outfits—or nothing at all.
The Sophomore Class presidents are responsible for organizing FMOTQ and this year’s presidents, Amanda Brockbank ‘16, Mac Goodspeed ‘16, Brandon Hill ‘16 and Tara McCullough ‘16, started planning almost immediately after their election.
“[FMOTQ] is something that’s quintessentially Stanford—it’s wacky, it’s off-the-wall, almost illegal type of event that brings everybody together from all different backgrounds,” Hill said. “Now, it’s going to be fun perpetuating the tradition and improving upon it.”
The co-presidents said that even though they were all experienced in planning events as part of last year’s Frosh Council, the planning for FMOTQ was far more extensive. In the spring, they started brainstorming big picture ideas and then began filling in the details when they arrived back on campus in the fall.
“We have to turn off the sprinklers for the night, we have to make sure certain bathrooms are open and random little things that you would never expect,” Brockbank said. “There’s that logistical aspect of it, and then there are the other aspects of making sure it’s a safe event and making sure your messaging is on time and all that.”
This year’s slate credited last year’s Sophomore Class presidents for their help with the planning, but they also decided to make some changes to the event. Last year, FMOTQ was preceded by musical performances and free Chipotle at Old Union. This year, the organizers decided to keep the event centered around the Main Quad, where student groups will be performing from 10:30 p.m. onward. At 11:30 p.m., DJ Lumo will take the stage for the rest of the night.
At 10 p.m. three food trucks will be set up outside Main Quad. At least the first 1,000 students to arrive will be able to get free food from the Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile, Curry Up Now and Kara’s Cupcakes trucks.
“We settled on food trucks because they’re fun, they’re a good way to get food in people and in combination with the student performances, it’s just a fun way to give another aspect to it,” Brockbank said.
This year’s event will also feature a photo booth and a large screen above the Quad where the images will be projected, which Hill said would add another fun element to the event.
“Of course you get the printout, but also being able to see yourself on a huge screen, we thought that was pretty cool too,” Hill said. “We want people to be able to remember their night and be able to take home souvenirs from what’s supposed to be a timeless memory.”
Many of the new features are intended to allow all students to feel safe and comfortable.
Last year, four students were transported following the event—a drop from the seven transported the year before.
According to Ralph Castro, the director of the Office of Alcohol Policy & Education (OAPE), the office has been working with resident assistants to make sure students know how to be safe at FMOTQ. Because all four transports last year were of upperclassmen, OAPE is particularly reaching out to upperclassmen, especially those on the Row, in addition to their usual messaging to freshmen.
“There’s always concerns for health, but the PHE tables will do a good job and we’ve tried to reach out to all the freshmen to make sure they know health concerns,” Goodspeed said.
The co-presidents said they are excited to see their planning efforts come to fruition.
“It’s really an extended process and it can be kind of grating at times, but to see the final product will be really rewarding,” Goodspeed said. “I’m sure we’ll have our moment during the final countdown where the four of us will be there and we’ll just be like, ‘This is it, this is great.’”
Contact Jana Persky at jpersky ‘at’ stanford.edu.