Snow crushes quad reception plans

Months of planning for this year's Naked Quad Run were destroyed by one evening of snowfall.

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and the Programming Board were responsible for planning the first Nighttime Quad Reception, a pre-run outdoor party to be held on the Academic Quad. The event was planned to limit drinking and congestion inside West Hall.

Injuries from the night were much lower than the previous year's run, when several students needed to be hospitalized and one nearly died from alcohol poisoning. "Since the event happened with only two relatively minor injuries and without any major disruptions or complaints of area residents, I'd say the event wasn't the disaster it was last year," Keith said.

The reception was supposed to include live performances from the local band The Swinging Johnsons, the Tufts a cappella group sQ!, and the Tufts band The Residence. In addition, Chinese food, Krispy Kreme donuts, and hot chocolate were scheduled to be delivered.

However, the two-foot snowfall dumped on the Medford/Somerville campus two days before the event drastically altered the reception. None of the performances were able to take place because of transportation difficulties and electrical concerns. Chinese food could not be delivered in the snow.

"The goal of the Nighttime Quad Reception was to provide entertainment," Programming Board Co-Chair Anita Sinha said. "Inclement weather prevented us from achieving this."

Despite the problems, the Reception continued in an altered form. Food and NQR t-shirts were still distributed on the academic quad. Pizza and an acoustic music performance were scheduled at the campus center through monies from the Office of Student Activities.

During the run itself, where safety was the primary concern, nearly 30 student volunteers assisted Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) personnel in keeping West Hall clear and shoveling and securing the track around the Residential Quad.

There were four TUPD sergeants and eight officers on hand, as well as two lieutenants and additional security guards. According to TUPD Captain Mark Keith, the overtime expenses cost the department just under $2,000, an amount not planned for in TUPD's budget. In addition to the added police presence, there were four teams of two Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) personnel at the run.

"The safety aspect was implemented exactly as planned," said sophomore TCU Senator Rafi Goldberg, who coordinated the student volunteers. "I wouldn't be surprised if we had the benefit of additional funding sources next year, now that we've proven that this event is viable."

The night of the run a student suffered from a bruised jaw as a result of a fall, and after the run, a student reported a "stinging sensation" on the bottom of her feet from running on rock salt. "I'd have to say this year was a much safer event [than last year]," Keith said.

According to Programming Board Co-Chair Caroline Postel, The Swinging Johnsons were paid half of what they would have been paid had they been able to perform. Javier the Chinese Food Guy was given half its salary, while sQ! and the Residence were not paid. All expenses compensating performers came from TCU buffer funding which was allocated to the Programming Board in December.

This is the second time in less than a year that an end of the semester event needed to be cancelled because of weather. Last year's Spring Fling was cancelled due to rain, and performers Busta Rhymes and Reel Big Fish had to be paid in full.

To help pay for the reception, the Programming Board tried to solicit co-sponsorships from other student organizations. Approximately $150 was pledged, but the funds were not processed, Sinha said.

In addition to safety concerns, organizers of this year's run addressed issues of unwanted local residents attending the run and possibly filming students. Organizers claim that this problem did not surface this year due to increased security in the form of uniformed officers and crowd barriers. The amount of snow also limited the viewing areas that could have been used by local residents. "There was very little presence of outsiders this year," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said.

In past years, local residents complained of the noise and traffic disturbances the run caused. According to Reitman, this year "there were no complaints that I have heard about."

There were mixed opinions among students, however, about the increased planning that went into this year's run. The organizers "put too much effort into it," sophomore Seamus Riley said. "It's supposed to be a free-for-all, and the planning took away from that."

Conversely, sophomore Alex Sherman appreciated the shoveled path and the effort to keep local residents out.

TCU President Chike Aguh said he expects and encourages criticism of the event, but he argued that organizers made every attempt to maintain the "spirit of the event" while ensuring the safety of the participants.

Several serious injuries at last year's run prompted student and administration concern. A University-wide e-mail from President Larry Bacow on Dec. 11, 2002 said, "the combination of consumption of alcohol with a mad dash through an icy, hilly campus at night cannot continue."

Aguh said after last year's run the debate between students and administrators "was not what form the run would take, but whether there would be a run at all." Although "Mother Nature decided [the reception] wasn't going to happen," Aguh said, "we still succeeded in having a run."