New late night activities alternative to partying

By Jeremy Herb

A new committee has been created to provide more nighttime activities at Santa Clara as an alternative to drinking.

The Late Night Committee met for the first time in December, and plans to create more late night programming at Santa Clara, said Janice DeMonsi, director of recreation.

"One common thread we found (in talking with students) is a lack of late-night programming," DeMonsi said.

The committee is being chaired by DeMonsi and Mike Harvey, presidential fellow. Other committee members are from campus recreation, Associated Students, Activities Programming Board, Residence Life and the Center for Student Leadership.

APB Director Samantha Maciel said her group hasn't been asked to host more events, but to focus on night events, which she said APB already does.

The committee's first plan is to compile all night events put on by APB, RLCA and AS and then add in events on nights where there are none, DeMonsi said.

So far, eight movie nights have been added in Daly Science Center, including the first this Saturday, and other possibilities include a dodgeball tournament at the Malley Fitness Center and a late night at the de Saisset Museum.

It is also possible that Malley will be open later on Friday and Saturday nights, DeMonsi said, but the committee wants to make sure events don't overlap.

"We don't want Malley open on the same night as Casino Night," DeMonsi said.

DeMonsi said the committee has discussed students who drink before attending late-night events, but said that the same rules already in place will apply.

"If somebody smells like they had a drink before, we're not going to ban them, but if they're drinking at an event it will be an issue," DeMonsi said, adding that students who drink before events will then sober up while participating, rather than attending drinking more at off-campus parties.

A source of funding for the Late Night Committee has not been determined. That is one item that will be addressed at the committee's Friday, Jan. 19 meeting.

Contact Jeremy Herb at (408) 554-4546 or jmherb@scu.edu.