Red Sox & Yankees take center stage all weekend at BU Central
Viewing parties offer free food & prizes
The coordinators at BU Central are hoping they have to work just a little bit harder in October, but they don’t want to plan any baseball-related events for fear of jinxing the Red Sox and their chances of postseason play. So for the moment, they’ve just cleared a few days on next month’s calendar.
“We’ve made arrangements,” says Josh Hiscock, program coordinator for BU Central, “and we’re hoping we need to use them.”
The plans for this weekend’s last three games of the regular season, however, are in place and ready to go. BU Central will host three Sox-versus-Yankees viewing parties over the next three days: one tonight at 7 p.m., one Saturday at 1:20 p.m., and one Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Students can watch the games, enjoy free snacks, and participate in trivia contests to win prizes. BU Central will also remain open after the games until the normal weekend closing of 2 a.m.
The first game shown at BU Central, a Sox-Yankees matchup on September 9, drew 120 people; Hiscock says he expects more for this final series, since the outcome will determine whether the Red Sox advance to the postseason.
The Student Activities Office, the Office of Residence Life, and the Office of the Dean of Students have been working together to encourage students to explore BU Central and other substance-free options for watching sports this semester, and the viewing programs will continue after the Major League Baseball season ends. BU Central hosts Terriers and Touchdowns, where students can watch ESPN’s Sunday Night Football, every Sunday throughout the semester, and additional events are planned for the upcoming BU hockey season.
“There’s a fun atmosphere here,” Hiscock says, “and we try to make it a good experience for everybody.”
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore advises students to take advantage of opportunities such as BU Central and make safety a priority in this weekend’s activities. There will be a significant police presence around Fenway Park, and he encourages students to avoid the area if they are not attending a game.
“We want students to have a good time, and part of why you come to the city of Boston is to be close to Fenway Park and to feel the emotional energy that goes into the Red Sox,” Elmore says. “But we want people to be responsible. And I hope people believe me when I say from experience that anytime you’ve got a large police presence and a large crowd, that can be a real recipe for someone to get injured.”
Regardless of the season’s outcome, he adds, University administrators will be on hand for students in need.
“Whether it be for a Yankees fan or a Sox fan,” he jokes, “we always have counselors available.”