A Jumbo-sized Affection
I have always liked elephants, perhaps I even loved them when I was younger, but since my admission to Tufts, I have found myself obsessed. If I see a video of elephants on Facebook, I share it, if there is a gif on Tumblr, I reblog it, and if there is a photo on Twitter, I retweet it. I’m sure my family and friends have become tired of my excessive excitement for my new mascot, but I sometimes just can’t help it. The adorable cute videos of a mother elephant helping her baby crawl out of a ditch pulls on my heartstrings, and I become once again sucked into the alluring trap of my new favorite animal.
Prior to being accepted to Tufts my phone background was a photo of me and one of my closest friends, but she has now been supplanted by gray pachyderms (hopefully she'll forgive me). My phone now proudly unlocks to a mother elephant playing with her two babies in a field. And for a recent 3D printing assignment, I made a coffee mug with an elephant trunk for the handle (surprise!). Perhaps my mascot obsession would have happened at any school, but more likely it’s because of the open arms (and trunks) I've received from Tufts, and my need to embrace this school for all its worth.
Without fail, any time Tufts is mentioned it brings a smile to my face since I am so eager to start this next journey in my life. I row everyday with another member of the Class of 2020 and our typical banter ranges from joking about attending the same school for another four years (so totaling ten years when 2020 rolls along) to high-fiving each other every time one of us dons a piece of Jumbo apparel at practice. At first I thought these interactions were just pent up elation over our new school, but I now believe they speak to the joy and relief of finding a new home and family, much like the wallpaper on my phone.
Last December my admission included an invitation to meet new people, explore new and fascinating courses, and in the end, find a new family (or better yet, to join the herd), but unfortunately there's another long and unplanned waiting period before all this fun commences. Obsessing over elephants or messing around with my fellow Jumbo is about much more than excitement—they're really just small sneak peeks, teasers and makeshift connections I hold onto while I wait out another long six months before finally taking part in Tufts storied traditions.
Photo Credit: Rune Jensen (Flickr Creative Commons)