While Tufts has never been seen as a "party school," social life became a particularly visible concern at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.
Through a series of Viewpoints in the Daily, a Facebook.com group called "Bring the Social Life Back to Tufts" and an organized town hall meeting on the subject in October, some students called for more relaxed enforcement of Tufts' policies regarding alcohol and partying on campus.
The controversy stemmed from a joint effort of the TUPD and the Somerville Police Department to crack down on rowdy behavior, which the Daily reported in September.
Students' grumblings quieted as the year went on and cold weather stifled the campus party scene. But as the end of the semester - and one of Tufts' biggest party weekends of the year - approaches, has Tufts' social life improved throughout the year? The TUPD did not return calls asking for an interview about whether their policy has changed, but Jumbos said things have gotten better.
"I definitely think it's more relaxed," freshman Rachel Engelberg said. "I don't know why it changed or how they changed it but it changed."
Freshman Julia Carn agreed that social life had improved throughout her first year here at Tufts.
"Since the discussions, the police are being fairer," Carn said.
These comments may reflect a sense across campus that parties and other outlets for social interaction have been given more room to operate since the beginning of the year.
"It seemed like they were out to get us [at the beginning of the year]," said Loren Austin, a sophomore and member of Sigma Epsilon Phi fraternity.
Since then, he's experienced fewer problems.
"It seems they're there for our protection," Austin said. "The police have sort of chilled out."
Even the Facebook group that sparked the uproar earlier on has changed its tune. The group's description, which used to contain a message calling students to take action to improve Tufts' social life, has been replaced.
"Things have calmed down a lot in the past couple of months," it now reads. "The administration has listened to our pleas for help [and] TUPD has taken back their ground and started enforcing the rules in a safe and understandable manner."
The change - whether real or perceived - is welcomed by all students interviewed for this article.
"I think the parties have gotten less outrageous," Carn said. She said that, in turn, campus police have been "more responsible and more fair" when dealing with students.
TCU President-elect sophomore Neil DiBiase gave his explanation for the changes.
"I think that the administration has a better understanding of the needs of students and their social life," he said, adding that he also thought TUPD had "a better understanding of [students'] needs."
While some changes have been noticed, DiBiase also said that there is a need for even more improvement in the Tufts social scene.
"The problem is not solved, but people know that they will have to work together," he said.
DiBiase also felt enlarging the current sphere of social outlets was the next step to take.
"I think we need more social space on campus," he said. "While Hotung is a great start, [the] Senate needs to work with every organization on this campus to advocate for their needs and look to provide them with every social outlet that they need."
Commenting on the prospect for additional school wide events discussed by candidates during the presidential debates, DiBiase said that it would be one of his focus points for the 2007-2008 school year.
While students said there has been less intimidation on the part of Tufts police recently, Austin said that the social scene at Tufts hasn't become more active than it had been in the past. Instead of complaining and organizing groups to show dissatisfaction with social life, Austin thinks people should take matters into their own hands.
"Compared to last year [Tufts' social scene] is about the same, maybe a little bit better," Austin said. "There's still the same outlets for social interactions we had at the beginning of the year."
