With a beautiful quad on which to relax, varsity sports games to attend and residential dorms in which to socialize, one would expect the campus to be bustling with students every moment classes are not in session. But some students claim that week after week, as soon as Friday classes come to an end, the quads start to empty — and stay that way until Monday morning, leaving those who emerge from their rooms on Saturday afternoons asking: Where have all the students gone?
Some students, senior Samuel Estridge said, simply do not want to be around the buildings they associate with schoolwork on weekends; staying at home and even not doing anything provides a nice break from the busy work week, he said.
"I observe a general desire to relax and take a couple days off from university … activities," Estridge said. "Roughly one−third of the student body lives off campus, so many students who are buzzing around the Academic Quad, the library or the campus center during the week simply spend their time on the periphery of campus when they don't have classes."
And with little incentive to attend campus−sponsored weekend events he described as less than exciting, many students who do not wish to spend the weekend indoors would rather spend it outside of Medford and Somerville altogether, he said.
After spending several years on the Tufts campus, many seniors enjoy leaving the Hill during their free time, senior Lumay Wang said. Of course, having a car makes this option more available to some than others.
"If you have a car, it is easy to go on day trips and explore the local area," Wang said. "Hiking or going into Boston's Newbury Street are very popular."
Additionally, many students choose to visit their ex−classmates and friends around Boston, shop or attend parties at other Boston−area colleges, she said.
According to senior Stephen Gershman, president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, this might not be the case if Tufts were to organize more weekend events that appeal to students.
"The OCL," he said, referring to the Office for Campus Life, "ought to do more to engage the campus community aside from the occasional Hotung DJ, which I think upsets hardworking students in the campus center more than it does provide a place for students to hang out."
Gershman noted that fraternities are almost solely responsible for providing entertainment for students on weekends.
At the same time, he said, there is not necessarily much the university can do to control what students choose to do with their free time. "I'm not sure what OCL can do to change a culture of staying in [or] hiding all debauchery, both for legal reasons and because there's no easy way to change a culture," he said.
Still, freshman Veronica Ota said that more social events would inspire students to use the campus as a weekend venue as well, especially for freshmen, who are new to campus and not yet bored of it.
"I wish the university organized more events on the weekends because this will be the easiest way for us to get to know campus and begin relating to the Tufts community in general," she said. "I'm already in love with Tufts, but such weekend events would really make me feel part of the community."
The OCL does, however, coordinate some events for those who stick around.
Associate Director of Campus Life Laura DaRos said that the OCL always tries to support student groups who want to organize campus events that might be of interest. OCL also co−sponsors late−night and weekend programming in Hotung Café, she said.
"We work with student organizations to help make their events happen," she said. "Any organization that wants to plan an event after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening will have any costs for audio−visual services and event staff covered by OCL."
