Forbes to downsize Gatsby gala

Forbes College will raise money for charity during a "Great Gatsby"-themed party this spring and cut the event's cost, after plans for the extravagant bash — initially given a $20,000 budget — drew criticism that Forbes should put its money to better use.

"A lot of people were concerned that we were wasting money, throwing money away," said Roscoe Cafaro '09, who heads the planning committee for the event. "To alleviate some of the ostentatious style of the party, we decided to add some sort of fundraising aspect to the event."

The committee is now considering holding a silent auction and a student art sale during the party, which is now set to cost $16,000. Proceeds from both activities would be donated to charity. Students may also be asked for donations before they play carnival games or have their picture taken with a vintage 1920s car.

Though Forbes RCA Mary Cheffers '08 wanted the event to incorporate charity fundraising from the beginning, other planners agreed that changes were warranted after word of the planned party — including an article in The Daily Princetonian — elicited objections that its extravagance was inappropriate.

Raaj Mehta '10, who is on the planning committee, said members were particularly influenced by a letter from Maital Friedman '07 that appeared on the 'Prince' opinion page, in which she described how much $20,000 could contribute to the medical volunteer work she is currently doing in Uganda.

Friedman's argument, Mehta said, was "what really made up our minds" to incorporate charity fundraising into the event.

Mehta, who is in charge of designing the party, said the new fundraising features will still be tailored to fit the festivities' theme. "After a reread of the book," he said, "we're going to try to find some sort of Gatsby-related charity — maybe like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, because there's a lot of drunk driving in the book."

The planning committee had its first meeting Nov. 8 and has started brainstorming preliminary ideas, focusing on making sure the bash is "true to the era," Cafaro said.

Possible features of the party — which Mehta said will be a formal — include an orchestra and a jazz band, an opera singer, a magician, fireworks and a dance instructor who could teach partygoers typical 1920s dances. "We really want this to be a classy affair," Mehta said.

Another idea for the party, which Mehta said has come up "half in jest, half seriously," is to have exotic animals present. Cafaro suggested the creatures could be exotic lizards.

To stay within its new, lower budget, the committee will try to use performers from campus instead of hiring outside entertainers. "There are lots of talented people here," Cafaro said.

Widely considered Fitzgerald's masterpiece and a staple of high school reading lists, "Gatsby" portrays the narcissistic decadence of the Jazz Age. The novel's themes include ambition, greed and conflicts between the moneyed aristocracy and the newly rich. Jay Gatsby, the novel's main character, throws frequent and elaborate parties, complete with lavish feasts and flowing wine.