During a discussion of this question, this conversation occurred on The Bridge: http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3671820#3671820
The key point is this phrase:
Entries will be open until Friday 3/2 at 12pm EST. Selected entrants will be notified promptly.
Depending on your definition, "12pm EST" could mean:
- Noon EST, because 12:00 pm is the first minute of the afternoon
- Midnight EST, because 12:00 pm is the last minute before morning
Other questions, such as this one, provide the time in EST and UTC, which eliminates confusion.
Should providing time in UTC as well as in the local time zone be considered 'best practices'?