Next time you're in the mood for a spontaneous Thursday night excursion beyond the edges of campus, just check Facebook.
In an effort to encourage the exploration of a city only a T ride away, junior Brandon Rattiner created a Facebook.com group to arrange weekly trips to Boston hotspots. Rattiner's brainchild, "Winter Debauchery in Boston Every Thursday," which currently boasts 165 members, was born out of his desire to take advantage of the Boston social and cultural scene -- preferably with company -- while he still resides nearby.
"I came back to school from the summer, and I was trying to get my friends to go into Boston," Rattiner said. "I figure that I'm going in [to Boston] either way. If I'm persistent and consistent enough, I can find a crew to come with me."
So far, Rattiner has planned four trips into Boston. He said that about eight to 10 fellow students have joined him for each excursion.
Some students in the group are drawn to Rattiner's weekly excursions as a way to explore a city that they live close to but have yet to really get to know.
One of Rattiner's friends, junior Ricky Zimmerman, went to the Sunset Grill and Tap in Allston with the group in early February. "I think it would be a shame to graduate without knowing the city reasonably well," said Zimmerman, who is also a copy editor for the Daily. "As I get older, there's more to Boston that I haven't really taken advantage of yet and that I'd like to [take advantage of] before I graduate."
The trips have offered students a chance to explore new and unexpected territory in the city in the comforting presence of their fellow Jumbos. Junior Jessica Schiller recently accompanied Rattiner and others to Wally's Cafe, a jazz club near Northeastern University. "[Wally's Cafe] is not your typical place. It's kind of a hidden secret," Schiller said. "I didn't really know where I was, and all of a sudden, there's this bustling hole in the wall."
Both Rattiner and Schiller added that traveling into Boston also means meeting students from other schools. Many students from Berklee College of Music were playing at Wally's Cafe the night Rattiner's group visited, and the students from both schools were able to mingle with others possessing different backgrounds and interests.
"These people that we met had a community that revolved around a different scene than Tufts," Rattiner said. "The amount of colleges lends itself to a diverse group of people, but we're like-minded enough that there's a kind of camaraderie. Everybody goes out together until you define some sort of Bostonian identity."
In addition to fostering connections between Tufts students and those at other schools, the group also introduces Tufts students to new friends on this campus. The Facebook group is composed of members from all class years, many of whom have never interacted with one another. They are united by their interest in discovering what Boston has to offer.
The group is slowly expanding as more people hear of Rattiner's plans to explore the city. Rattiner said he was thrilled by the idea that Tufts students are equally as enthusiastic as he is about discovering Boston more thoroughly before moving onto another place.
"I always check if there are any more people in the group," Rattiner said. "It's always really exciting when there are. The group is not just restricted to my friends. It's always nice to meet new people."
Rattiner said that the biggest problem the group faces is getting rides in and out of the city and having to designate a driver for those who decide to drink. He explained that he does not want to just take the T into the city, not only due to time constraints, but also because he thinks the drive into the city allows for a more holistic viewing of Boston. Not only is it important to him to discover specific venues in the city, but he also wishes to gain a more thorough knowledge of Boston's layout.
Rattiner admitted that many of the places that the group has visited so far cater to a 21-plus crowd. He hopes, however, to broaden the scope of future destinations so that students of any age can participate. According to Rattiner, possible future options include the symphony, a play, a museum visit and an academic lecture.
"There's no real master plan of what I'm trying to do with the group," he said. "I try to accommodate requests and vary things up. I just want my friends and myself to get to know Boston in a more intimate way before we leave."
