During winter term, two of the biggest houses on campus joined forces to put on a party to signify the end of Pass/Fail (P/F). Pass/Fail is the Caltech tradition where all classes in the first two terms of a student’s first year are graded only using Pass/Fail instead of any letter grades. Unlike regular interhouses where every house throws its own individual celebration with a theme and stage, the P/F party is different because it only occurs at the end of the first two terms as a joint event between Page House and Fleming House (P and F). Also unlike regular interhouse parties where seniors have priority when it comes to the student DJ selection, the P/F party gives priority to first years as student DJs. This party is a tradition that has been long missed ever since COVID, as it has only been brought back this year.

Thus, for the PP/F partyI partnered up with my close first-year friend Bis, the Page House Athman, to put on a quick 30-minute DJ set inspired by Rap and Afrobeat genres. This was an especially special moment for us because we were able to play music that isn’t traditionally heard at Caltech. Most interhouses either play 2010s pop or grunge music and though this might be a fun time for others, the Caltech Black community and our music are chronically underrepresented. So we wore our best green for the St. Patrick’s Day theme (see what I did there) and jammed out. Here is a picture from the event.