My First/Last Homecoming
My first fall at Tufts, I avoided homecoming like it was the plague. I thought that it was just an event for big sports fans. Plus, I figured I’d have three more homecomings to go to throughout college, and if I wanted, many more after that I could return to as an alumna. Little did I know…
This year, Tufts completely revamped homecoming after a hiatus for Covid, and I got the chance to do it right! On Friday, the Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC), put on a huge carnival for the student body. I went with my friends, Amelia and Irene, and we busted out our inner kid energy to race each other in an inflatable obstacle course, BounceU-style. After that, we headed to the games area and competed against each other in an intense water gun game. There was also plenty of food and fun music, and lots of students enjoying themselves.
Saturday was the big game. Before the game, Tufts threw a school-sanctioned tailgate, complete with a student DJ. My sorority went in matching t-shirts, which made it easy to find each other in the crowd. Then, we all went over to the game together. Many of my friends didn’t have high school football teams, and they were amazed by how exciting the game was. It felt like the entire school came out in blue and brown to support the team, and we were rewarded by a victory– 31-13, Tufts.
Partway through the game, my friends and I left to grab some dinner before going to TUSC Bingo Night. By my estimation, about 300 students came out to Bingo, which is no surprise given that TUSC was offering some pretty snazzy prizes–some of the most notable being a coffee machine, a blender, a popcorn machine, a skateboard, and an iPad.
Some of the Bingo rounds were unique. They split the room in half and they took one winner from each side. Then, those winners participated in an extra challenge to win the grand prize for that round. For one of these contests, the two winners played each other in Mario Kart. The two players crossed the finish line so close together that the rest of us were on the edges of our seats, and when the winner was declared, people even jumped up in a standing ovation!
It was so special to me to be able to finally experience this weekend, and I feel like Tufts did a great job of putting on events that appealed to everyone, even those of us who aren’t interested in the sporty-tailgate aspect. Between the carnival, the game, bingo night, and two events I didn’t make it to (food trucks on the quad and a poetry reading), all students could get something fun (or at least free) out of this weekend. And so, my Emma’s advice for you today is to go to as many events as possible at college! After all, you never know if your first homecoming could be your last homecoming.