Jumbo Days Reflection: Why I Still Choose Tufts Today

As I walk around campus these days, it seems that prospective students have taken over. In cutting through large tour groups mouthing something along the lines of "excuse me," "sorry," "i'm just trying to get by," I cannot help but recall the many emotions I felt when I visited Tufts for the very first time during Jumbo Days in 2014.

At around 8AM, my family and I sat in Cousens Gym for my first introduction to Tufts: the welcome address. We listened to the Dean of Admissions and a panel of students who shared their own Tufts experiences as we ate bagels and drank coffee, all free and courtesy of Panera (doing good so far Tufts).

As I listened, I felt fascinated- an expression that shone on my face, as my dad whispered to me "maybe that will be you one day, Natalie."

As the opening ceremony came to a close, we made our way around campus. As we visited dorms, walked through Tisch, sat in on a class, explored the dining halls, and took in the beautiful campus, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. I knew my decision: Tufts was the school for me.

While this feels like so long ago, I can really picture my first walk through Tufts so vividly, and I feel that joy and comfort all over again.

And maybe, that's because today, as a second semester junior, I still love my school.

Tufts, like any other school, is not perfect. There are days that have been incredibly hard, days where I find myself struggling to keep up and feel so overwhelmed.

But, in those moments, I am reminded of a greater purpose for my life. These moments have served as learning experiences that strengthen me and shape who I am today. There are so many other days where I walk through campus after class or on my way home after spending time catching up with a friend where I feel an amazing sense of peace and belonging.

With this in mind, I sought to convey in a somewhat eloquent way what it is about Tufts that makes it so special, which is actually quite hard. There are really so, so many reasons I love Tufts- from the little details like the warm lattes I get from DPH on a rainy day to the big things like the feeling of belonging. So, I came up with three words, all starting with a C (#alliteration), to form a cohesive list of why I love Tufts.

Campus:

Location: This one is easy for me to reflect on because my sister was just in town this weekend (s/o to Vanessa!!) and I had the pleasure of showing her around Tufts/Boston. Since Tufts is so close to the city of Boston (just a walk to Davis and T-ride away), we were able to do a lot in just a weekend. Tufts' location means you can spend the day out in a cafe in Downtown Crossing, stop by the Boston Public Library, roam Newbury Street, and still come home to a little quietness/calmness outside the city commotion.
Weather: Tufts is located in New England which means you can expect quite an assortment of weather. In the fall, there are beautiful, crisp days where the campus looks stunning in waves of red and orange as the ground is covered in leaves. Come the colder days, I love being able to wear giant sweaters to class, walking through the scenic Academic Quad covered in snow. Winter snow storms result in snow day adventures (which often means snuggling inside drinking hot chocolate). Once spring comes around, Tufts students all emerge out of hibernation, sitting on the President's Lawn during lunch/after classes, enjoying some long awaited sunshine.

Classes:

There are so many classes that I have taken at Tufts that I have made my experience here as they have both challenged me and motivated me to continue pursuing what I love. Some have been specifically for my major or a distribution requirement, while I have taken others simply because I was interested in the topic. Some of these include:
- Hip Hop Fusion: This dance class was led by instructor Jun Kuribayashi, who is caring, funny, and such a talented dancer. What really made our class experience was how Jun went out of his way to create a warm and friendly dance environment. Students genuinely went out of their way to help one another succeed in the class. I was able to challenge myself out of my comfort zone, grow as a dancer, and form meaningful friendships.
- Food, Gender, and Society: This class was taught by Rafi Grosglik under the Experimental College and was all about forming connections between the foods we eat and our personal identities. We met once a week to discuss cultural meanings attached to food, food preparation, and debates in food studies. We also discussed how food relates to our ethnicity, religion, politics, nationalism, and gender. On the last day of class, we had a giant food party where everyone brought in foods that related to the focus of their final paper. Rafi even brought in his own homemade hummus and pita for us!
- Gender in World Politics: This political science class taught by Professor Eichenberg has certainly been full of very interesting discussions regarding the agenda of women in positions of political power, the definition of gender equality, and even the role of gender in shaping our own classes here at Tufts. Professor Eichenberg is so respectful of all his students' voices/opinions and encourages us to explore our ideas while sharing his own (impressive!) insight.

Community:

At Tufts, there are so many brilliant people. I cannot stress that enough. People here are talented and do amazing things, yet are rather humble about it. From my classmates to my professors to the people I am blessed to know and call my friends, here are a couple of places where I have been able to form meaningful relationships with these brilliant people:
- My job: As a program associate for the Peace and Justice Studies Program, I have gotten to know Dale Bryan, who is kind, friendly, and absolutely loves/excels at all he does for this school. Every day I come in to work, there is a peppermint york patty waiting for me at my desk. Dale also takes the time to sit down and ask me how I am doing, and genuinely cares for my response.
- Group projects in classes: Even though group projects sometimes get a bad rep, there have been many instances where I have gotten to know people better through our collaboration. Whether we are struggling to finish an econ problem set, laughing as we get distracted recalling funny moments in class, or brainstorming ideas to make our presentation unique and memorable, I have formed so many bonds through group projects.
- Dining halls/cafes: While these spaces have also enabled me to spend quality time with friends, I have also been able to meet some really amazing workers, who both enhance our community and keep it running. I have met Maria, who always asks me about my breaks, attentively listening and smiling as I make toast in Carm, as well as Lisa who tells me to "hang in there" when I get tea at Tower cafe while studying for my stats exams. These people have been here even before my time at Tufts and have made so many of us smile.
- Dorms: Some of my fondest memories at Tufts have been within the four walls of college dorms. This is where I got to know some of my closest friends, where we spent hours making tea, procrastinating homework, giggling together, watching Netflix, and decorating our room with as many Christmas lights as we could without causing a fire hazard.