My Senior Year Bucketlist
Somehow, despite my freshman year feeling like just yesterday, this fall, I will be a senior at Tufts. Coming into my final year at Tufts is bittersweet, as I still feel like there is so much left that I want to accomplish. Throughout college, there have been so many times when I’ve thought to myself, “Wow, I need to do that before I graduate!” Well, the time to start making good on those goals is now. Here are some of the things I hope to accomplish before I graduate from Tufts.
1. Paint the Cannon
If you are unfamiliar, at Tufts, it is a big tradition to paint the canon. The Tufts canon is a replica of a Revolutionary War cannon that was gifted to Tufts a long, long time ago. Painting the cannon started as a form of student protest, and it is still used for that, but it is also our way of getting messages to the greater Tufts community. It can be painted for virtually whatever reason—there have even been marriage proposals on the canon! Our only two rules are that the cannon must be painted after dark, and you have to guard it all night (though the second rule is a bit lax nowadays, especially during the colder months of the year). Though I’ve had some opportunities to paint the canon throughout my four years at Tufts, I have never actually done it. I hope to be able to paint it at least once before I graduate!
2. Sled Down Prez Lawn
Sledding down the President’s Lawn (fondly known by students as Prez Lawn) is a popular winter activity here at Tufts. Students will use just about anything as a sled—from a cardboard box to a baking tray. Sledding, and even skiing on Prez, is so popular that Tufts puts hay bales at the bases of all of the trees so that students don’t get hurt! After a snowstorm, Prez Lawn is the place to be, and I hope to be there too!
3. Perform in TDC (Tufts Dance Collective)
Tufts Dance Collective, also known as TDC, is the biggest club we have at Tufts. It’s a club for students who can’t dance, so you don’t need to have any experience to join! Everyone always looks like they’re having a blast on stage during the semesterly performances, and I hope to be up there as well, having just as much fun!
4. Take an SMFA or Art Class
Taking an SMFA (School of the Museum of Fine Arts) or art class at Tufts has been something I’ve been saying I wanted to do since my first semester, but my time at Tufts (sadly) is coming to an end soon. At Tufts, any student can take an SMFA class, regardless of whether they are a combined-degree or BFA student or not. Some courses that interest me are Social Engaged Art, Drawing as Process, and Figure Painting. I’m planning on taking one of these courses in my spring semester.
5. Go to a Red Sox, Bruins, AND Celtics Game
Boston is home to some of the best sports teams in the country, and I haven’t taken full advantage of that during my time so far at Tufts. I know that trying to see all of these teams in one year might not be possible, but Tufts has a lot of ways for students to engage with the Boston sports teams, especially to see the Red Sox, so I’m hoping I can at least check that one off the list. The Red Sox offers students 9s, which are $9 tickets for students! Tufts TUSC (Tufts University Social Collective) also often offers free Red Sox tickets to students occasionally, though, as you might imagine, those go pretty quickly! We also have a free shuttle that takes students from the Medford-Somerville campus to the Fenway SMFA campus, which is a great way to get to Fenway for free!
There are lots of other things I hope to do before I graduate, such as completing my senior thesis, attending Senior Sunrise, and more. Tufts offers countless opportunities to make your four years truly memorable. Whether it’s academic pursuits, beloved campus traditions, or spontaneous adventures like visiting a national park or catching a Red Sox game, your time here is shaped by the experiences you seek out. As I enter my final year, I’m more excited than ever to make the most of it!