Metcalf Hall on Thursday night hosted a game night with members of the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) to promote bicycle and laptop registration as well as enhance relations between students and members of the police force.
The event, open to all students, provided attendees with an opportunity to register their bikes and laptops with TUPD. Organizers also supplied board games and video games for students and police officers to play together.
"We incorporated the game night with a bike registration and laptop ID program to try to get more participation into the programs," Gene Dipersio, a campus security officer who co-organized the event, said. "We're also trying to get in touch with the kids and let them know that we're available for questions. We're trying to get a little friendlier with the students."
Metcalf Resident Assistant (RA) Daniel Meer, a junior, came up with the idea for the event with Dipersio in an effort to increase awareness of TUPD's outreach initiative, the ResCop program, which assigns a TUPD liaison officer to each of the residence hall duty teams.
The event, in line with the program's goals, allowed students to connect with TUPD officers on a personal level, Meer said.
"I thought that it would be cool if we were playing games and made it more involved to get a greater turnout," Meer said. "From there, the idea spun off to incorporate the things I've seen kids in the dorms doing. It's really aimed at everything that the residents like, as well as incorporating the TUPD ResCop program."
Dipersio serves as the ResCop for Metcalf, Richardson House and 45 Sawyer Ave., a university-owned house. The five RAs from these three residences planned the event, according to Meer.
TUPD officer Moses Curry agreed that the goal of the event was to show the Tufts community another side of TUPD.
"A lot of people have a bad view of police officers," Curry said. "This shows that we are human beings too, and that we like to have a good time."
Organizers invited the entire TUPD police force to the event, according to Meer.
"A lot of them weren't able to make it since they were on duty … or because they weren't on duty and weren't in the area," Meer said.
This was the first TUPD game night hosted, though the police department does organize student outreach events on a regular basis, according to Curry.
The board games played included Yahtzee, Monopoly and Jenga. Video games available included Michael Jackson Dance Off, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.
The winner of each game won a prize, according to Meer. Available prizes included iTunes and Dunkin' Donuts gift cards, TUPD water bottles, Woody's Liquors-themed t-shirts donated by Woody's Liquors in Somerville and a "Get Into Your Room Free" card for use when a student is locked out. TUPD provided all prizes except for the Woody's Liquors donations, according to Meer.
Metcalf resident Max Bukhovko, who played a game of Mario Kart with a TUPD officer, attended the event mostly because he was interested in winning an iTunes gift card. Though he said he has never felt intimidated by TUPD, playing video games with the officers allowed him to get to know them better.
"I've never personally been intimidated by them, but they're very chill," Bukhovko, a freshman, said of the officers. "Officer [Christopher Fielding] won, but there are no hard feelings."
Sophomore Nick Ferrentino received a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card after winning a round of the game Ninja against fellow students and officers.
"It definitely gave them more of a human side," Ferrentino said. "Normally you get the stereotype that they're out to get you, but here you actually got to hang out with them, which was nice."
The turnout for the event was strong, Meer said.
"I was really excited to see the turnout because it's hard to get students out to an event, especially during finals period," Meer said. "It was a great chance for everyone to unwind, relax, laugh a little, joke a little, and it created a strong connection between the students and TUPD."
