If you’re tired of watching drunken freshmen stumble over each other on Mission Hill or circulating through the same clubs and house get-togethers with the usual crowd, maybe the answer is our campus’ most well kept secret: afterHOURS.

Hidden behind those mysterious frosted glass doors on the ground floor of the Curry Student Center, afterHOURS is quickly becoming a hot spot for weekend nights. For example, I only frequented afterHOURS a few scattered times last year. In fact, I’m pretty sure the only reason I stopped by was to see a friend’s band play or to cheer on another friend in the homecoming elections.

Now with a new manager and a new outlook, the difference in programming is evident and even tangible. From Thursday nights sponsored by WBCN where they give away free lift tickets, concert tickets and other great things (won by my roomies), to Tuesday night comedy hour, which is pretty hysterical, I actually find myself checking the events and saving the dates in my calendar. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t officially given up on my nights spent visiting friends and hot spots in Boston, I just added another venue to my repertoire.

And I know I’m not alone when I say this because over hundreds of other students have caught on to the new trend. In fact, they were sitting next to me last Saturday when I devoted my night to Kay Hanley’s stellar performance. It was time well spent and I really enjoyed having a latte and some cookies while enjoying Aberdeen, the opening band, and Kay Hanley from the comfort of a front row couch.

AfterHOURS, which was funded back in 2001, has seen several overhauls in management, but one thing has always remained the same — it has consistently been a student-driven initiative to provide our campus with a unique option for late night events. Its hours extend until 4 a.m. on weekend nights, making it the only venue in Boston that is open that late. Not to mention they are serving pretty decent food there as well. Where else can I get a breakfast sandwich at 3 a.m.?

Bottom line is, afterHOURS isn’t the same old empty hangout we all thought it was. Even though the programming is still being tinkered with, and the tastes of every student have yet to be met, the outlook is promising. The same acts that other college students are paying $20 to see downtown, we get the privilege of seeing a week earlier for free.

Maybe now the drunken nights spent watching freshman trip over each other in packs of 20 and cold walks back from Mission Hill will be cherished because they will be sprinkled between the nights spent down enjoying free and worthwhile programming at afterHOURS.

So kudos to the new management because, for once, I have another answer to the same old weekend question, “What is there to do tonight?”

— Allyson Savin is a sophomore international affairs major and SGA VP of Student Affairs.