Students and administrators last night threw out ideas on how to improve the social life on campus, suggesting that Tufts expand large-scale programming and establish more regularly scheduled events.
Students voiced their opinions in Hotung Café at the first of a series of Arts & Sciences Town Meetings, sponsored by Robert Sternberg, the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. This meeting focused on campus social life.
TCU President Neil DiBiase and Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman moderated the meeting, which roughly 50 students attended.
Reitman emphasized that the goal of the discussion was to find "what is attractive to students and what makes them want to come here."
"We're not limited in funding too much; we are limited a bit in the spaces that we have," he added, noting that spaces such as Sophia Gordon Hall and Hotung Café can only hold about 300 people, a mere 5 percent of the community population.
"It makes it hard to draw audiences," he said.
Reitman praised the new Hotung as a successful, student-led initiative to improve social life. During its grand opening, the café housed a debate, some musical performances and a dance party. In the future, the TCU Senate will be working to schedule regular trivia nights, musical performances and "Club Hotung" nights at the café.
"If we really wanted to solve the problems of community relations and the problems of dangerous drinking habits, we need to offer viable alternatives," said DiBiase, a junior.
This is only the beginning of what should be a larger transformation of social life at Tufts, according to Reitman and DiBiase, who highlighted the creation of the new Task Force on Social Life.
"This Senate is committed to social life and making this feel like a residential campus and not a campus that clears out on Saturdays and Sundays," DiBiase said.
Senior Jamie Levitt proposed more regularly scheduled events, mentioning that Tufts Film Series is the only activity that is consistently in the schedule. He acknowledged that planned weekly activities at Hotung are a good start.
"If you have to make a phone call to find out what's happening, you're not likely to make that effort," Reitman said before asking the crowd to come up with some regular offerings. John Loof, a fifth-year senior and AEPi social chair, suggested making faculty debates more regular, perhaps every other week.
Attendees also discussed the size of programming events. "The large programming is great, and we need it to increase even more than it is," said ATO President Ben Moskowitz, a junior.
Moskowitz also expressed concern that these events can take away from the smaller programs. "We need the monetary increase so they can take it to the next step and get more people to come," he said.
"The large-scale programming is kind of integral to social life at Tufts. The large-scale programming reminds you why you're here," said senior Peter Davidson, a member of the programming board.
Not everyone in the audience agreed, however.
"I wasn't impressed with student behavior at Winter Bash," said senior David Naden, questioning the need to spend money on such events. "I don't know how much money is spent on these events but I don't want to think about it."
Naden also highlighted the need for Tufts students to leave campus.
"Social life isn't just about socializing with your fellow Jumbos," he said, calling on Tufts to offer subsidies for activities and transportation in and around Boston. "It kind of would dissolve the freshmen bubble that I think a lot of us feel or felt."
Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser acknowledged the need for more access to Boston and discussed the preliminary plans for a "cultural ticket" program that would allow students to select events on TuftsLife.com and attend them at a discounted rate. DiBiase also recognized freshman TCU Senator Sam Wallis for having taken the initiative to further this type of program.
Senior Harsha Dronamraju also discussed dissolving the boundaries around Tufts, especially between upperclassmen who often lose the connection to campus after going abroad during junior year. According to Dronamraju, Tufts should offer discounted food, and drinks to students over 21, in an effort to increase attendance to social events. This remains a possibility according to Patti Klos, the director of Dining and Business Services.
Reitman concluded the event by announcing the showing of the Super Bowl this Sunday in both Hotung and Sophia Gordon.
"When the Red Sox and the Patriots are doing so well, we should come together and celebrate," he said.
