(This article is sponsored by alumni UBC.)

Mark your calendars, because UBC is hosting its hotly anticipated Alumni Day at Homecoming celebration on Saturday (September 22). The Vancouver campus will be welcoming alumni with a day of fun and not-to-be-missed events. Kicking off at 9 a.m., alumni and guests can enjoy (with prior registration) complimentary admission to university attractions, a barbecue, a festival, and the 101st alumni UBC annual general meeting. Plus, reunions, revelry, and an exclusive alumni experience at the football game.

The day will culminate with the Awesome ’80s Dance Party, complete with throwback classics, neon nostalgia, and culinary recreations from the decade.

The bash will be hosted by two icons in their own right—the queen of disco and former MuchMusic Electric Circus presenter, Monika Deol, along with Man about Town and UBC graduate, Fred Lee.

Since her MuchMusic days, Deol has taken time out of the spotlight to bring up her four children and launch her own makeup line called Stellar. Both her husband and daughter graduated from UBC and she is delighted to take a trip down memory lane in support of this event.

In the late ‘80s, Deol was the first Indian woman to host a national show in North America. In fact, she worked on five different shows during that time but it was Electric Circus that continues to resonate and bring smiles to people’s faces. She says that not a week goes by that someone doesn’t approach her and talk about how much they loved the show.

“I feel so fortunate to have been a part of something that was so feel-good that people still think of it in a positive way,” she says.

Even after all these years, she still talks so fondly of the Friday night show, describing it like a “United Nations” in its ability to bring people together.

“That’s what our show was and that’s why it was so great to be a part of it. At the time there was no agenda to do that. Nobody was trying to check off boxes. It just happened organically. We didn’t care what colour you were, what size you were, what your sexual orientation was. We didn’t care how you dressed—we cared that you had a look, absolutely, because that’s club culture—but whatever that look was, we were like ‘Own it, rock it, and flaunt it!’ And I loved that about the show. In hindsight, it was such a big part of it.”

But even if you didn’t live—or dance—through the ‘80s, it’s sure to be an unforgettable night at UBC and Deol hopes that everyone can join her in experiencing the best parts of the decade.

“Club culture is very welcoming and open,” she says. “It’s a place to be who you are and just get on that dance floor and feel the music!”

At the event, Vancouver’s top ’80s house band Dr. Strangelove will be performing and there will be a retro VJ screening of the most iconic anthems. And partygoers are urged to get into the spirit by dressing up in their finest ‘80s outfits. The best dressed will be handsomely rewarded.

But for those of you wondering what look Deol will be sporting, you will just have to wait and see when you get there.

“I have tons of stuff I could wear. I’ve kept a lot,” she laughs. “It’s a go big or go home kind of night! You don’t get to do this every day so we strongly encourage everyone to really bring their ‘80s ‘A’ game!”

Challenge accepted. Come on, vogue.

Guests will also be able to enjoy a truly authentic ‘80s evening with the fine culinary reimaginings of UBC executive chef David Speight. Speight has gone back to the recipe vaults and provided his modern take on the classics. Highlights include a sushi, surf and turf, and oyster station. For dessert, Speight has reprised UBC’s famous cinnamon buns, in addition to a signature candy bar.

Attendees will also be able to have their say in the Tiramisu Throwdown, where celebrated restaurants and pastry chefs will compete for bragging rights and the People’s Choice Award for their take on the period-dessert classic. 

These days, Deol has hung up her dancing shoes—in the professional sense at least— and is focusing on the  family-run business, Stellar, which offers a diverse and inclusive shade range for all skin tones.

“I had to make a decision and I wanted to do something that scared me—that was new, that I had to learn, that I couldn’t just walk in and do blindfolded. I wanted something challenging,” she adds. “And makeup was all of those things.”

The impetus behind Stellar came from personal experience. Having spent hours in the makeup chair, Deol describes herself as a beauty junkie. But it was when she was out shopping for makeup for her daughters that she realized there were limited choices for people with medium skin tones. So she decided to do something about it.

And that’s really become a theme in her life—living and acting upon the change she wants to see in the world.  

Talking about her time on television, she says: “I sort of contributed to a change in the broadcasting industry. There were a lot of people who contributed to that change but I was a small part of that. And looking back on my career that is one of the most gratifying parts of it.”

So on returning to UBC for the Awesome ‘80s Dance Party, Deol has nothing but good vibes. And on asking her about her favourite video from the decade, she says the playlist will have to include some Michael Jackson. While she could list a ton of great artists from the time, she says his videos are a personal favourite, because they marked a change in the status quo.

“Michael Jackson was the first artist from that genre who broke through and got played on MTV,” she says. “Until then it was just a whole lot of the same demographic like Bruce Springsteen and Duran Duran—which is wonderful but not very diverse and not very realistic.”

And we can hardly think of a more appropriate answer from Deol. A well-loved trailblazer who makes people smile and want to dance? Sounds about right.

Don’t miss your chance to rock with Monika Deol and Fred Lee at UBC Homecoming’s Awesome ‘80s Dance Party presented by Odlum Brown Limited. The event takes place from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 22, at the Robert H Lee Alumni Centre (6163 University Boulevard). Buy your tickets now to avoid disappointment. Tickets are only  $50 and include food, two drinks (cash bar for additional drinks), a whole lot of dancing, and much more.