This past week, Lafayette Activities Forum (LAF) announced the return of the annual 100 Nights event. But due to the limited space available at the event and its shift from a formal to a comparatively less-formal, cocktail-style event, students took to social media to voice their frustration over apparent changes to the senior tradition.
Just 300 spots were initially available for the 100 Nights event, prompting confusion among the senior class.
“Unfortunately, there was misinformation being shared and believed to be true [about 100 Nights],” Assistant Director of Student Involvement Melissa Dalrymple wrote in an email. “The information generally included that the event was either canceled or downgraded.”
LAF increased the number of students that could attend by 200 last Thursday after pushback from students.
“We understand the frustrations of the students as the event was capped, which led to some logistical changes. Unfortunately, there isn’t an available space on campus that will hold over 700 attendees for an event like this,” Dalrymple wrote.
Meghan Roberts ’23 said she “wish[ed] that LAF was a little more transparent about what they were changing … but I understand where they are coming from.”
The 100 Nights celebration, held each year since 1982, has traditionally been a senior-only formal dance named for the number of nights remaining until graduation. The formal was previously held at SteelStacks, a venue in nearby Bethlehem, Pa.
100 Nights was canceled in 2020, and when pandemic restrictions were loosened, the event was hosted in 2021, but, due to masking policies, the dance was scheduled much closer to commencement.
“For the last two years, [100 Nights] was called ‘The Last Night,’” according to Dalrymple. “In an effort to connect it back to the beginning of their four years at Lafayette, the Class Year Experience Committee renamed it ‘100 Hours.’”
“Feedback was positive about the event occurring in the warmer part of the season and after classes and most athletic seasons were complete,” Dean of Students Brian Samble wrote in an email. “In 2022, the Last Night occurred at the same place and time of the year as in 2021 and also seemed to be positively received.”
100 Nights will be held on Feb. 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. As of Thursday morning, there are 94 spots available out of 500.
100 Hours continues to be a formal during Senior Week at the traditional 100 Nights location, SteelStacks, so “all the seniors can celebrate together.”
“As a student programming board, LAF is always looking for feedback regarding their programs,” Dalrymple wrote. “We encourage anyone who has suggestions or ideas to reach out or send them a message!”
Lafayette Activities Forum’s president, Bryn Cranswick ‘23, and director of marketing and promotion, Jess Langlois ‘24, declined to comment.
