Disco Trays are glittery cafeteria trays from the ’60s that bring good luck and serendipity to anyone who stumbles upon it. Throughout the years, Disco Trays have slowly been replaced in the cafeteria with solid green and white trays. However, there are still Disco Trays that surface occasionally. If you get a Disco Tray it means that good vibes are coming your way. There is even a rumor that the cafeteria workers intentionally put out more Disco Trays when prospective students are visiting as a way to lure them to the magic of Hendrix. The Disco Tray is a unique tradition at Hendrix, and finding one makes everything a little bit more special that day.

One downside of the Disco Tray is that you can’t go looking for them. If the Disco Tray isn’t at the top of the stack, then it isn’t meant for you that day. If you hunt for it, then you don’t get the luck. A Disco Tray finds whoever needs it the most that day.

Because the legend of the Disco Tray is so well-loved, incoming freshman receive a Disco Tray keychain as soon as they commit to Hendrix. This keychain is a good luck charm that students can carry with them, and plenty of students treasure this keychain for years. Mine has been broken in half, and the Hendrix logo is rubbed off, but I carry it on my keys every day. Pretty much everyone has a Disco Tray Story. Dr. Goadrich happened to get a Disco Tray the day he interviewed, and he’s been at Hendrix ever since. The Disco Tray knew he was meant to teach here. Another story is from some students who loved the Disco Tray so much they decided they needed to keep some. Since you can’t walk out of the cafeteria without a tray, especially not a Disco Tray, said students took it upon themselves to frisbee them off of the cafeteria patio. While this was happening, former president Bill Tsutsui was walking by, and he just smiled at waved becuase he understands the importance of the trays, and sometimes they don’t belong in the cafeteria.

The goal of Disco Tray Studios is to provide that same serendipity through our projects. We hope that each project can brighten someone’s day just a little bit, and maybe someone will find it when they least expect it.