Super Bowl weekend has come and gone. Whichever team you supported, whether you are a diehard Patriots fan, or a red-blooded Falcons fan, whether you were happy or sad about the outcome, there is nothing like the excitement of Super Bowl Sunday. I personally am an Atlanta Falcons fan, and even though I feel heartbroken after the Pats big comeback in the fourth quarter, I still enjoy reflecting on the lead up to the Super Bowl as one of the most exciting and fun weeks of the year so far. There is nothing like sitting down in front of the television, with nachos, wings, and chili in front of you, surrounded by friends on Super Bowl Sunday. I would argue that the Big Game offers entertainment for everybody. If you are not a fan of the actual play, there are the hilarious commercials, particularly the ones from Doritos, or the halftime show, featuring some of the country's best artists singing amazing songs. Icons like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Prince, the Left and Right Sharks, and Bruce Springsteen have all given Super Bowl viewers a fun intermission during the game. The point is that whether you are a fan or not, odds are that you probably watch at least part of the Super Bowl every year for some reason or another.
I believe that football in general is a sport that brings people together and gives people an opportunity to form and enjoy friendships. Although I am only an accepted student at Tufts, one of the most amazing things about visiting campus and the students at Tufts is their innate tendency to make friends with each other, support their friends, and make an effort to develop relationships with as many people as possible. While visiting campus this past fall, I had the opportunity to watch my first Tufts football game. While parents of the players filled most of the stands, there was a solid group of students, all decked out in brown and blue, cheering for the players, calling them out by their first names and nicknames. When the game ended, the people in the stands all went down to congratulate their buddies on the team on their win.
From visiting only a couple times, it is obvious that Tufts students love to support their friends. You see kids starting up conversations with passerbys on the hills, students attending a concert to see their friend sing or dance. There is an atmosphere that encourages students to spend time with their friends doing anything, including studying, eating meals together, or going into Boston. I can’t wait to be in the place where I know that I will be surrounded by friends of all kinds, where I can take comfort and pride in the fact that Jumbos support one another. I also hope to be apart of the vast network of friendship and participation in my own way. If you are ever walking around the Tufts campus next fall, and you overhear a kid asking if you want to join one of his many fantasy football leagues, that will probably be me. I am an avid fantasy football player, and if you end up being on the same dorm floor as me, you better believe that every Sunday night, you’ll hear me down the hallway, “Did you see that play!” When Super Bowl Sunday comes around, you will also see me, surrounded by friends and food, and yelling for anyone walking by to come join us. I can’t wait to become truly part of the Tufts Community and, at every opportunity, enjoy my friends as we study, eat, watch Netflix, and of course, watch some football.