The morning walk to work dampens my face as I move through the unfamiliar dew and fog that accompany this late June morning. Other students walk with me. We haul backpacks and lunch boxes to our final destinations. Although some of us are manipulating hydrogen atoms while others are coordinating events for the fall, we all take moments on our morning walk to appreciate the sounds of Tufts in the summer.
Besides the slower paced rhythms that beat through campus, this space becomes a time for reflection and comfort. Walking through the academic quad, I notice the forest green lawn and the deep brown highlights of the trees. I notice the beauty which I must have overlooked during the school year. I see Jumbo perched outside Barnum. He looks taller and grander. Of course I was aware of the landscaping prowess at Tufts. But today, the beauty is unmissable.
During the school year there are less minutes to celebrate the grounds that make my campus so captivating. It seems impossible to fully acknowledge these spaces in the thick of the academic season. While I am cramming for a midterm, attending office hours and finishing up a lab report, I am negligent to the environment in which I have the privilege to learn. But, this summer, I will not be inattentive.
I will walk by President Monaco's house and admire the lavender that grows around the courtyard. I will stroll down the Pres Lawn and pause to read the plaques honoring the Tufts a Capella groups. I will inspect the cannon and fathom how many layers of paint it has been covered with. I will venture to the top floor of the Cabot Intercultural Center for a glimpse of the entire academic quad.
Although this summer, I look forward to learning from Tufts, the material I intend to study will be an evident shift from my other academic texts.