Late Night continues to offer alcohol-free fun

Where can you bowl, play billiards, enjoy stand-up comedy and make your own music videos all in one place? The Union Board's weekly "Live It Up Late Night" is the only event on campus that fits the bill. \nNow in its second semester, this low-cost alternative to the weekend bar scene offers students the chance to unwind with a variety of activities in an alcohol-free environment. All IU students are welcome to attend Late Nights, most of which are free and run every Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Indiana Memorial Union.\nLate Night also features a free breakfast buffet, live music and weekly Union Board films, which this semester will include "Mission:Impossible 2," "Erin Brockovich" and "Gladiator." Admission to the films is $2 with a valid student ID.\nWhile this event has drawn an attendance of nearly 1,000 each week, UB Public Relations Director Vaughn Allen, a junior, hopes to increase these numbers with a new promotion strategy. This semester is the first that UB will be solely responsible for getting the word out about Late Night.\n"Union Board is assuming all responsibility for marketing and promotion of Late Night," Allen said. While the IMU handled advertising of the event during its first semester, UB is now able to assign a special committee to the task of letting students know what Late Night has to offer. \n"We want to give everyone the chance to have fun at something other than a bar or house party," Allen said. "We want people to know that this is an option."\nUB is able to fund its many programs, including Late Night, with support from the president's office, the chancellor's office and the Parents' Fund. Although student activity fees are not used to fund Late Night, they do go toward UB's other programs, such as Canvas, the IU literary magazine and "Destinations," a student travel organization.\nJunior Maureen McNally, who heads the Union Board's Late Night committee, said she is excited about the influx of new ideas offered by her group and by Late Night participants since the event took off last spring. Her committee considers input collected through student comment cards and decides which activities to offer each week. She is also looking forward to making improvements. "With a larger committee this semester, that diversity of people and opinions is sure to bring lots of different ideas," she said. "We've also had the chance to do this once already, so we know what's been successful and what hasn't been so successful. People need to come out and give Late Night a chance. It's easy to say 'I've got other things to do,' but we just ask that you come and see for yourself."\nSo far, student reaction to Late Night has been positive. Many participants see it as a welcome change from the typical college town weekend fare.\nMatt Bogus, a freshman, said he appreciated the chance to enjoy diversions that couldn't be found elsewhere in town, like the horizontal bungee run. \n"This has helped me to make friends that I wouldn't meet otherwise, " he said. "Everyone I've talked to is having a great time."\nWith attractions slated for upcoming weeks to include live music, DJ dance parties and karaoke, Late Night appears to be a continuing draw for students looking for a different way to spend their weekends. \nAs junior Danielle Daley put it, "People here are sober and still having a good time"