In keeping with past tradition, the Experimental College will host the Election Night Extravaganza in the campus center tonight with the goal of bringing the Tufts community together to watch the presidential election results.
Although the ExCollege has organized the Election Night Extravaganza for each presidential election since 1988, this is the first year the event will take place in the campus center. Election night activities have historically been held in Cabot Auditorium, but the campus center affords the opportunity for a more widely focused event.
"We're kind of taking over the campus center and using the new facilities to reach a broader spectrum of people," ExCollege Program Assistant Nikki Bruce said.
The night's festivities will extend across the campus center, with Hotung Café acting as the "center stage," according to Bruce. The four televisions in Hotung will be set up to simultaneously broadcast election coverage from different channels, and two members each from the Tufts Democrats and the Tufts Republicans will emcee the event.
A panel of faculty and student speakers will analyze the incoming election results and "give us their insight on what has happened so far and what to look out for," Bruce said. They will remain on call throughout the night.
The panelists include Professor of Political Science Kent Portney, Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Political Science James Glaser, ExCollege Professor Dorie Clark and student speakers Christine Mumma and Dan Halper.
Various student organizations will manage tables in the Commons area of the campus center. These groups include Tufts Dems, Tufts Republicans, Tufts Votes, Tufts ECO, VOX, the Queer Straight Alliance, Jumbocast and WMFO. They will monitor key issues in different states, examine special-interest polling and "widen the scope of the coverage we're bringing to the event," according to Bruce.
Tufts' sketch comedy groups The Institute and Major Undecided will also perform.
Bruce praised the work that Jumbocast and WMFO have done to expand and publicize the event. "They have a lot going on. They're going to have a lot set up upstairs in Hotung," Bruce said of Jumbocast.
The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last until at least 11 p.m. or later, depending on where the respective candidates stand in exit polls.
"It's pretty much going to be dictated by how the election goes, for the most part," said Will Brechter, a student member of the ExCollege Board.
Bruce and Brechter both said they were working to encourage a variety of students, faculty and community members to attend the event.
"We're just trying to get really as [many] people involved as possible," Brechter said. "We're hoping some of the community is going to show up."
"We've had a lot of students contact us about getting involved, and a lot of student groups, and we're also hoping for a lot of first-time voters and first-year students," Bruce added.
The ExCollege has been busy promoting the event across campus with a Facebook.com event, posters, advertisements and flyers.
"We've also had one of our student board members dress up as Jumbo in Uncle Sam patriotic attire," Bruce said.
Bruce added that she expects a number of freshman Explorations and Perspectives classes to attend the event. Two of these freshman seminar classes have planned activities that include a scavenger hunt, a map to track incoming state-by-state election results and the video "Highlights of the Campaigns," which will kick off the event.
Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said the multi-faceted event will bring together students of all stripes.
"I think it's a grand opportunity for faculty and staff and students to come together because there are so many different ways to approach this ... like music and videos and games and food, ... and also faculty analysts and students and courses in the ExCollege," Reitman said.
"Just to watch [the election] on the big monitors and share together the excitement ... sure beats the heck out of sitting in your apartment or home alone," Reitman said.
