Dear Stanford fam,

Our school is known for its unique culture and the vibrancy of student life on campus. A number of traditions contribute to this Stanford way of life, including one of our most famous rituals–Full Moon on the Quad (FMOTQ).

FMOTQ has been a Stanford tradition in one form or another, and it has certainly evolved over time. Recently, there has been discussion between various stakeholders in the administration about reaffirming Stanford’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, safety, and mutual respect. As you may be aware, over the past several years there have been fairly consistent reports of sexual assault, incidents of over-intoxication, and cases of non-consensual behavior at FMOTQ. And in the context of Stanford’s values, the future of FMOTQ has come into question by many people.

I also want to clarify a misunderstanding that happened at the undergraduate senate meeting on Tuesday at which this discussion was held. It was originally reported by campus publications that the university had made an official decision to discontinue FMOTQ entirely. While there is certainly a strong leaning from Student Affairs and other parts of the administration to no longer support FMOTQ, I want to clarify that what was originally printed was incorrect–the decision to terminate FMOTQ has not been made. I credit the Stanford Daily and Stanford Review for updating their stories to reflect this point.

Administrators who have thought about this issue have called for us as a campus community to reimagine a new tradition in place of FMOTQ that is safer, more inclusive, and more representative of our values as a campus community.

As for where we stand, John-Lancaster is confident that we as a campus community can do better than FMOTQ in celebrating our collective identity and values. I personally have enjoyed the positive aspects of the tradition every time I have been–fellowship, quirkiness, high spirits. And I believe that the combination of those social themes in general have made the undergraduate Stanford experience so special. That said, John-Lancaster and I believe in the creative force of Stanford students and don’t think that it’s impossible that with proper support we all could imagine a better, safer tradition.

– Brandon Hill, ASSU Vice President

Contact Brandon Hill at bhill1 ‘at’ stanford.edu.