After reading the Tufts Daily's editorial on Feb. 14 regarding the senior class's "100 Days Until Graduation" celebration, I was stricken by the inadequacy of the reasons presented as to why the event was held in a venue that was knowingly too small for the number of students invited. The reasons for the Alumni Association's decision to hold the event in Dewick−Macphie Dining Center, as explained to the Daily by Senior Class Council President Lindsey Rosenbluth, were not strong enough to justify knowingly denying two−thirds of seniors entrance to a celebration in their honor.
In said interview, Rosenbluth commented on why the event was not held in a larger venue, such as the Gantcher Center, saying, "You don't really hold a cocktail party in a gym." It is comments like these that show how shortsighted members of the Tufts community — both current and past — can be. As the editorial commented, something as simple as a celebration for the senior class should, at the very least, be able to guarantee entrance to anyone wishing to attend, even if this means sacrificing the ideal atmosphere.
In my opinion, Dewick was a poor choice by the Alumni Association all− around. The fact that the Senior Class Council agreed to such a venue shows either their lack of a backbone to stand up for the constituency they purport to represent or their own simple ineptitude at event planning. Here's a tip: Don't invite more than can attend.
In the same interview, Rosenbluth stated that the Alumni Association chose Dewick because Tufts lacks a "suitable venue," an excuse that is just wrong. It may have been four years ago, but I can distinctly remember having my Freshman Orientation dinner in Gantcher. If the room was suitable then to fit the entire Class of 2011, I ask, "What has changed since?" Certainly not the size of the room, as the university is still able to hold Fall Ball and other campus−wide events there that likely attract close to — if not more than — the 1,100 students that make up the senior class.
So what was the problem? We can have a banquet in Gantcher, but not a cocktail party? Oh, right ... the Alumni Association isn't willing to shell out the money for a larger room to benefit its next class of members. Maybe in future years, they could do everyone a favor by not bothering with the oh−so−necessary free business−card holders, save a few bucks and use the money towards booking a place in which everyone can fit.
Oh, but it's not about the money? According to Rosenbluth and the Alumni Association, it's because Gantcher is too spacious. This is, in my opinion, just about the worst excuse one could offer. Clearly having a venue that is too big is less of an issue than one that is too small. I was one of the hundreds of seniors who walked downhill and waited in line in the 20−degree weather only to be told by event staff, "The event is at capacity. Under no circumstances will anyone be getting in." And I can tell you that I would not have minded a wide−open gym able to accommodate everyone, even with some extra space for students to mingle. And if the size of the gym is still a concern, rope a section off. It's not a novel concept. Obviously the event must stay on−campus — so make everyone happy; put it in Gantcher, please.
The Alumni Association is not solely to blame for this debacle, as the Senior Class Council clearly neglected to inform those invited just how limited space was. They failed to mention that only half of the bottom floor of the dining hall would be open, which at least would have been an indicator of how many students they would have been able to accommodate that night. As a side note, even if the failure of this year's "100 Days" celebration doesn't lead the Alumni Association to move the event out of Dewick, they should at least consider using more of the hall instead of only one−quarter of it.
The invitation e−mail sent to all seniors simply said that "space is limited," without qualifying the statement in any way. It made no mention of the fact that people would be turned away and have been in the past. In fact, after being denied access to my own celebration, I spoke with current alumni who related similar experiences of getting blocked out from the event.
The two organizations should make it up to the senior class by holding an event that all members can attend. Clearly it is a pipe dream, but maybe they will learn to rectify their mistake. Sorry, Class of 2012, but judging by how they have yet to fix their event planning issues, the Alumni Association and Senior Class Council seem doomed to repeat their mistakes.
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