Campus pub competition series returns for sophomore year
Photo by Marc Jan
CAMPUS PUB 1848 is holding a party competition: no gimmicks, no tricks—as plain and simple as that.
Party-Off nights take place on Thursdays again this year and 1848 is giving $100 and a DJ to competing federated bodies, clubs, and other associations in a competition to throw the best party of the year.
The prize—announced at the end of the school year—is a $500 cheque to be used however the winning association wants.
The categories for success in the competition are overall creativity, how much effort is put into the event, the feeling of the night, and bar sales—although 1848 bar manager Adam Brouwer admits the last one to be the least important.
In an attempt to be more equitable and due to the discrepancy in size between the 27 federated bodies—as well as all of the clubs, teams, and other associations welcome to participate in the series—total bar sales are integrated into the outcome, but are not the most significant factor.
The official Party-Off launch is hosted by the SFUO at 1848 on Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. and features Canadian indie band The Honeyrunners.
The Thursday night Party-Offs began last year in an attempt to dedicate a night to the vp socials of the federated bodies. Recognizing that one of the greatest problems facing 1848 is the relatively small capacity, Brouwer’s intention with this weekly event was to do something small-scale on a regular basis.
“We wanted the socials to use whatever creative juices they have to throw a party,” said Brouwer.
1848 is only open Monday through Friday, meaning these weekday events are integral to the bar’s profit.
Throughout the course of last year, the Party-Offs gained momentum—with a solid community developed around the desire to see what each federated body, club, or association had to offer that particular week.
The Psychology Students’ Association (PSA) was the winner last year, headed by incumbent vp social Kadeem Griffiths with the theme of “naughty ‘90s”.
“Psychology had every single person dancing,” said Brouwer.
Griffiths attributes their success to the nostalgia factor.
“We just figured it would be kind of fun to have a video dance with songs from our childhood, and it turns out it’s what other students wanted as well,” he said.
Brouwer said the PSA came to 1848 two weeks before the party to prepare. They measured projectors, speakers, and cables to make sure nothing went wrong.
The PSA also created an interactive request playlist for the night. Song requests on the event’s Facebook page were included in a YouTube playlist, making all attendees feel as though they had been part of the event’s planning.
The PSA plans to compete in the Party-Off series again this year, but won’t divulge any of their party plans yet.
“It’s top secret,” Griffiths said.
