Core Memories from First-year Fall
Since I’m about to graduate soon, I’ve been taking the time to reflect on my past four years at Tufts. Each year, I experienced new things, faced different challenges, and developed lifelong friendships. When I think back to the beginning of college, I remember how Tufts slowly started to become a second home for me. Here are some of the core memories from fall semester of my first year that made my experience special:
Trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Each year, the Parnassus creative writing club goes on a field trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. During my first year the trip was at the beginning of the semester, when I still didn’t know anyone in the club that well. I really wanted to take the opportunity to visit the museum for free, so I decided to go. At the museum, I spent most of the time talking to another first-year named Madison, and we ended up getting dinner together when we got back to campus. Since then, Madison has been one of my closest friends at Tufts, and we even live together now! Recently, we went on our final trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with Parnassus, which was a bittersweet moment.
Album Listening Party on Tisch Roof
On the night of the release of Taylor Swift’s album “Midnights,” I joined a group of swifties who gathered on Tisch roof at midnight for a listening party. Listening to the album all together outside, with the roof lit up by fairy lights felt like a magical experience. I really felt like I was part of the Tufts community. This was the first time I stayed up to listen to an album with other people, and I realized that the shared excitement made the moment even more special. Since then, I’ve been able to share my excitement for many upcoming album releases with my friends at Tufts.
Concert in Boston
In another effort to make friends, I decided to join a first-year named Caroline to see the singer Stromae in concert. I had never heard of Stromae before, a Belgian singer who sings in French. Despite not knowing any French, I did my best to listen to the songs before and learn some of the lyrics so that I could sing along. The concert ended up being amazing, and I became a huge fan of Stromae. Caroline and I also became close friends, and since then we’ve continued going to concerts together. I realized that college is an important opportunity to try new things, because they could always lead to something great.
Medford/Tufts Green Line Station Opening
Believe it or not, Tufts didn’t always have a T stop right on campus. At the beginning of my first year, if I wanted to take a train into Boston, I had to walk or ride the Tufts shuttle to Davis Square and take the Red Line from there. The day that the Green Line station finally opened was a huge event, and Madison and I made sure to ride the train from the station that evening. Since the Green Line is partly aboveground, we got to see the snow on the tracks as we rode it. Now, I can’t imagine life without the T on campus. Having it at Tufts has made the city even more accessible.