Breakers and crumpers battling on the dance floor is just a sneak preview of the entertainment to be expected at tonight’s Grad Club Night.
The Graduate Students Association is hosting its first Grad Club Night of 2009 this evening at Boulevard3, a Hollywood club located on Sunset Boulevard.
The event, which is geared toward UCLA, USC and Caltech graduate and professional school students, starts at 10 p.m. and winds down at 2 a.m.
Normally, there is no cover charge to enter Boulevard3 before 10:30 p.m., and the time has been extended to 11 p.m. for this event. Otherwise, it is a $20 cover.
GSA started putting on the Grad Club Nights about a year ago to provide graduate students with social events where they could mingle with students in other departments, said Nisha Mehling, GSA co-director of graduate student events.
What started as a quarterly event was expanded to three such events per quarter this fall, but the goal is to have it become a monthly event in the future, Mehling said.
“Graduate departments are very spread out ““ there’s not much interaction between departments,” Mehling said.
Additionally, Mehling pointed out that at a big university with far fewer graduate students than undergraduate students, it is important to promote the interests of graduate students.
UCLA graduate students number 11,684 out of a total enrollment of 39,650, according to Fall 2008 statistics.
The student-run GSA provides a wide range of services to students, including advocacy, community service opportunities and entertainment such as Melnitz Movies and Grad Club Nights.
Grad Club Nights have been very successful, with a showing of about 500 to 600 students from UCLA and an approximately equal number from both USC and Caltech, Mehling said.
The vibe and atmosphere of tonight’s venue has been described as “swanky,” “tough doors,” “trendy” and “meat market,” according to ZAGAT, a ratings and reviews service.
Rebecca Slobig, a manager at Boulevard3, said the club is more focused on entertainment than regular clubs.
“We frequently have breakers and crumpers battling each other on the dance floor, and we have trained go-go dancers who will get up and do a choreographed piece. We also have a guy walking around on stilts, and we’ll usually do a confetti blast around midnight,” Slobig said.
Through the Grad Club Nights, GSA is planning to explore different venues throughout Los Angeles, including Opera, Crimson and Area in the near future.