The Social Life Policy Task Force - created in response to issues raised at last semester's social life forum - has proposed a number of changes aimed at addressing students' concerns that the Tufts social scene is substandard.
Beginning this Friday, Club Hotung will open at 11 p.m. and close at 3 a.m. Previously, the on-campus nightclub opened its doors at 9 p.m., but closed at 1 a.m. - with many hours of prime party time remaining in the night.
Club Hotung, which serves up Friday night DJs and dancing, is the University's attempt to provide an alcohol-free nightlife for students. But since many college students do not leave their rooms until around 11 p.m., Hotung was not always an attractive destination.
"People get upset when they are forced out at 1 [a.m.] and still want to party," said Tufts Community Union Senate Vice President Eric Greenberg, who worked on the social life committee.
While administrators hope that increased attendance by students to Club Hotung will offset some of the higher costs associated with extending the facility's hours, the Dean of Students Office has agreed to cover any losses.
Dean of Students Bruce Reitman emphasized that Hotung's benefit to students is a greater issue than the cost of the changes.
"The question isn't whether or not [Club Hotung] is profitable. Hotung and late night at Dewick were not meant to be money makers - it's whether students are using [them]," he said.
The change Club Hotung hours also benefits campus groups, which are encouraged to use the facility to sponsor events and fundraisers.
"Basically for free, any student group can sponsor a Friday night at Hotung, charge admission at the door, and the University will pay for the space, event staff, and the DJ," Greenberg said.
In addition to changes to Club Hotung, the social life task force has moved forward with efforts to improve student access to Boston. Although details have yet to be finalized, a Boston shuttle service will soon be available to Tufts students past midnight on weekends. Because the T closes at 12:30 a.m., it is difficult for students to return to campus after a night in Boston without either finding a ride or paying costly cab fares. A shuttle service would provide students with increased opportunities to enjoy social outlets in the city, Greenberg said.
Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein agreed to fund the shuttle completely, erasing concerns that students would be charged to utilize the service. "There had been some talk of charging students a small fare to offset the cost, but I felt as though the University should shoulder the cost, not the students," Greenberg said.
The Department of Public Safety is also playing a role in creating a safe social life for students by instituting a safety escort service. Though the Tufts University Police Department has long provided security escorts, there was often a shortage of officers during peak hours.
The safety escort service, which would consist of trained students who would accompany students on foot back to their homes, would ease burdens placed on the police.
Another tactic the committee will employ to make University programming for effective is utilizing TuftsLife.com as a portal for information. The Dean of Students Office plans to draft a letter to the community emphasizing the possible uses of the site. This information effort will help make events more successful because, according to Greenberg, many people do not attend events because they do not realize what is going on around campus.
These plans are the most newest efforts the Social Life Committee to improve campus life. One of the committee's largest recent programs is police details at weekend parties, which allow them to go on longer into the night. This weekend will be one of the first that on-campus groups have the ability to take advantage of police details at no cost. Though voluntary, it is expected that many groups hosting social events will take advantage of the detail officers as they increase the likelihood that the event will not be shut down early.
