HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?

The group putting the party together all went to UF in the late 70s to the early 90s. Right in the middle of that time period, in the early to mid 80s, one of the Directors of UF Hillel, operated several nightclubs in Gainesville (Scandals, Echelon and Midnite). In addition, during the holiday breaks, there were big invitation parties at popular South Florida clubs like Faces, Studio 51, La Volcanique, Backstreet, the Forge, Club Nu and others that essentially brought the UF South Florida population to those club's for a night. The idea was simply to recreate those great parties one more time. After all, they were a lot of fun then and every 25 years or so is a good time to throw another great bash. And so, the idea was put in motion and that is why UF Hillel is putting on the "Back to the 80s" party.

WHAT IF I DID NOT GO TO UF IN THE 80s?

Everyone who went to UF, and even those who didn't, are absolutely welcome and invited to this party. UF was recently named the number one party school in the United States. But UF won that title several times in the 1980s and while the football team is much better now, the parties aren't. Find out why the group that will be at the "Back to the 80s" party had more fun than anyone! There will be lots of UF alums from the 70s through today at the party.

HILLEL IS A JEWISH ORGANIZATION, WHAT IF I AM NOT JEWISH?

This is a UF reunion party, and like our parties in the 1980s, everyone will be there. We covered a wide demographic that crosses all ethnic, religious and racial lines and we expect the same turn out at "Back to the 80s" party.

HOW MUCH IS IT TO GET IN?

If you pay in advance, the price is $25. Advance tickets can be purchased by clicking here. If you pay at the door, the price is $30. All proceeds go to UF Hillel. No one is making a profit on this party.

WHY SHOULD I PAY IN ADVANCE?

In addition to saving $5 per ticket, it will help get you in the door much quicker. We expect hundreds of people at this party, and the line to get in will be a lot quicker if you prepay. Please try to prepay.

THIS IS A FUNDRAISER, SO THAT MEANS ONCE I GET INSIDE I AM GOING TO BE CONSTANTLY HIT UP FOR DONATIONS, RIGHT??

NO!!! The whole idea behind the party is that it is going to be a PARTY. There will be no additional solicitations inside. It is just like when you went to a club when you were younger, you pay the cover, and then your inside and it is just a club atmosphere. We allotted the Director of Hillel, who is a great guy, two minutes to speak. However, he said he would only need one minute, and that is just to introduce himself. Other than that, it is seeing old UF friends and music all night long. For Jewish alumni, this is a very easy way to support an important part of UF Jewish life. But even forgetting the Hillel part, this is going to be one of the great parties of your life, at least your "adult" life, so it will be well worth the minimal donation.

DO I HAVE TO DRESS LIKE I DID IN 1985?

Although you can, most people will just wear what they do today. Although some of us still dress like we are in the 80s. You can wear anything from jeans on up (or less).

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM GAINESVILLE WAS DRESSING UP IN LINGERIE AT THE LEGENDARY PILAM BLT PARTY (Black Tie, Lingerie, Toga). AND I REMEMBER ALL THE GIRLS THAT WORKED AT ECHELON WORE LINGERIE, WHAT IF I WANT TO WEAR LINGERIE TO THE PARTY?

Good question! Lucky for you we have an answer. First, that is perfectly ok. That would be a good way to get noticed! T-Bar is one of the official sponsors of the party. We recommend that you check out their website, http://www.thetbar.com/, and buy as much lingerie as possible. Make sure you tell them that your buying your lingerie for the Back to the 80s party. A portion of all sales will be donated to UF Hillel. T-Bar is owned and operated by Debby Liebowitz Caplin. Debby was a hostess at Midnite.

DEBBY MAY HAVE AN ULTRA HIP LINGERIE STORE, BUT WHAT IF I HAVE A REALLY COOL TOGA STORE? CAN I BECOME A SPONSOR OF THE PARTY?

Yes, it would be a smart decision to help sponsor the party. We will figure out a way to get your name in front of 1,000 plus successful UF alums. And sponsorships are available not just for your local Toga store, but we are open to any business or organization. Contact us at ufparty@hotmail.com for information.

WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC?

The music will be primarily 1980s dance music like we played at the clubs described above. Most of the former Midnite, Echelon and Scandals DJs will be in attendance and will be doing guest sets, although the primary DJ spins at a club in Boca now, he is from the 80s era, and was trained by Midnite DJ Gordon Chin. However, we will also mix in some current music and some good rock.

WHY REVOLUTION, MY KIDS GO THERE?

We did not want to do the party in a banquet hall, we wanted to do it a real club. Revolution was built in 1923 and has seen its share of good parties. We like the layout of Revolution, as it has a decent size dance floor in the middle (like Scandals and Midnite), it has a second floor that overlooks the dance floor (like Echelon) and it can hold 999 people, and our objective is always to put in a capacity plus crowd.

WHAT TIME IS THE PARTY?

The party starts at 7:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00 p.m. The club will open to the general public so everyone at our party can just stay there and continue to have fun until 4:00 a.m., or whenever they close. We are trying to get in touch with the former owners of Skeeters to see if they can set up a temporary restaurant, so that we can make the experience as close to the 1980s as possible.

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?

We really recommend getting there earlier, rather than later. If everyone shows up at the same time, there is going to be a long line, so try to get there at 7:00 or 7:15. There are some great restaurants within a few feet of the club, so you can have dinner at 5:30, and then go to the club around 7:00.

WHAT ABOUT DRINKS AND FOOD INSIDE THE CLUB?

There are drinks and it is a normal cash bar. There is no food in the club. When you went to a club in the 1980s there wasn't food either, and you paid cash (or charge) for drinks.

HOW DO I KNOW WHO IS GOING TO GO TO THE PARTY?

There will be a partial list on Facebook and on this website. If you plan on attending just send us an e-mail to let us know at ufparty@hotmail.com and we will add you to the list.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Invite everyone you know and tell them about this website.

WHAT ABOUT UF HILLEL?

Most of us never set foot in UF Hillel when we went to school in Gainesville. But it is different now. Hillel has a beautiful building almost right across the street from the football stadium and the O'Connell Center. Hillel is the centerpiece of Jewish life at UF. It is important that we support Hillel and this is an easy way to do it. In addition, just like Hillel is putting together this big alumni party here in South Florida. Next year, you are going to see Hillel become the place to gather for UF Jewish alumni on football weekends. We have big plans and this is just the start. For more information about UF Hillel and all of the wonderful work that they are doing, visit http://www.ufhillel.org.