JUMBO Magazine - Winter 2014

THE TUFTS ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE ADMISSIONS.TUFTS.EDU

THE GREATEST MASCOT ON EARTH CELEBRATING 125 YEARS

1+4

THE YEAR-LONG SERVICE PROGRAM YOU SHOULD BE DROOLING OVER

APPLICATION ADVICE

HOW YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT YOU CAN STILL CONTROL

MYTHBUSTERS DORM EDITION

BEES

AND WHAT THEY’VE TAUGHT ONE TUFTS BIOLOGY MAJOR

ISSUE 10 / FALL 2014

PHOTO BY ALONSO NICHOLS/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

JUMBO 10

FALL ’14 INFOGRAPHIC | 3 LIVING | 7 CLASS HIGHLIGHT | 10 ARTS | 16 ATHLETICS | 20 AROUND TOWN | 29 ADMISSIONS ADVICE | 34

FEATURES

22 1+4 TUFTS’ BRIDGE-YEAR Service

Learning Program

30 THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AT TUFTS FROM COURSE debates

to casual dining hall discussions.

ON THE COVER IMOGEN BROWDER ‘16 answer

ON THE COVER

your pressing questions lorem ipsum etc more text coming from Mere.

JUMBO THE ELEPHANT, Tufts’ mascot, is celebrating an anniversary, so this issue is dedicated to him.

Read about Jumbo on page 36.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY KAROLIS STRAUTNIEKAS – FOLIO ART

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GREETINGS

FROM THE DEAN as one circus poster proclaimed as Jumbo toured America. Professor McClellan, who directs Tufts’ museum studies program, also curated an exhibit by the same name in the Tufts Art Gallery.

The second event is a physical one: the university will soon unveil a life-sized bronze statue of Jumbo on the Academic Quad.

Professor McClellan’s book chronicles Jumbo’s long and impressive life, but it also highlights the interdisciplinary opportunities of a liberal arts education. His initial research into the history of museums and collecting expanded to “encompass the development of lithography and popular culture, performance and spectacle, taxidermy and the representation of the animal kingdom in museums … and the fraught interdependence of man and animals in the modern world,” he writes.

But let me clarify a key point: Tufts doesn’t celebrate any old elephant. (Although what’s not to love about an elephant?) The university venerates Jumbo, once the most famous animal in the world and now the most famous animal in the eponymous Jumbo Nation of Tufts.

The 19th-century mammoth occupies a jumbosized place in our affections as well as in our

MEET THE STUDENT COMMUNICATION GROUP! Most of what you’re about to read was written by these wonderful Tufts students. Keep an eye out for their voices as they introduce you to the Tufts community!

THE TUFTS ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE

institutional identity. Can you name another college whose mascot is also an adjective? No matter how tall or how small we might be, folks at Tufts are known as “Jumbos.” At athletic events, “Go ‘Bos!” is our rallying cheer. And, of course, you’re reading a magazine we named in the big beast’s honor.

Speaking of JUMBO, this issue features a salute to our beloved mascot and magazine namesake (along with our usual array of stories). This spotlight on all things Jumbo is deliberate: 2014 marks the 125th anniversary of Jumbo’s arrival on Tufts’ campus, and that event is being commemorated by two Jumbo-themed events.

The first is intellectual: Professor of Art History Andrew McClellan recently published a book, Jumbo: Marvel, Myth, and Mascot. It’s an illustrated history of Tufts’ famous “giant pet,”

But Jumbo is more than a mascot. It’s a vibe, a cheer, and a community identity. Jumbo is Tufts.

DANIELLE BRYANT ’15 from Ann Arbor, MI

ABIGAIL MCFEE ’17 from Chadron, NE

CHARLOTTE GILLILAND ’16 from Birmingham, AL

AMANDA NG YANN CHWEN ’18 from Penang, Malaysia

CAMERON HARRIS ’18 from Shelburne, VT

GRIFFIN QUASEBARTH ’15 from Baltimore, MD

BENYA KRAUS ’18 from Bangkok, Thailand

Sincerely,

Lee Coffin Dean of Admissions

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS Tufts University / Bendetson Hall 2 The Green / Medford, MA 02155 617 627.3170 / admissions.tufts.edu / jumboeditor@tufts.edu

Produced by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Edited by Meredith Reynolds, Assistant Director of Admissions Design by Hecht/Horton Partners

PHOTO BY KELVIN MA/TUFTS PHOTOGRAPHY

IF YOU’VE VISITED TUFTS’ CAMPUS IN MEDFORD-SOMERVILLE, you’ve surely noticed the preponderance of elephants that grace our grounds. While squirrels might be more ubiquitous critters on most college tours, it’s a safe assumption that few places outside Southeast Asia and Africa or a Republican National Convention embrace the elephant as wholeheartedly as Tufts does.

Pachyderms abound!

Think about that: an art historian’s scholarly investigation of a 19th-century circus elephant touched at least five undergraduate majors and minors: art history, museum studies, drama, biology, and anthropology. That intriguing interconnectedness reflects the interdisciplinary impulse of so much of what we do at Tufts. I am also struck by the international parallels between Jumbos’ peripatetic life on three continents and the global signature of the university outside Boston that honors him as its mascot.

WHAT’S THE MATH BEHIND IT?!

Last year, a Tufts team of three sophomores won the Outstanding Award at the annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling. Only 13 of the nearly 7,000 international teams received the award. The group’s 17-page paper, written in only four days, analyzed the benefits and performance of the “keep right except to pass” rule of highway safety. Here’s a peek at the math behind it all!

vi

vj

xi

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The team used the NagelSchreckenberg model for single lane traffic flow on a highway as the base for their final paper. x = position of the car v = speed of the car d = distance between cars

di

dj l

l

l

l

They then expanded to multi-lane traffic. “The individual cars simulated were listed in a matrix along with their speeds (v), their position in the observation region (x), and the lane they are in (l),” said team member Michael Bird ’16.

The team created a program that randomly assigned cars to a start matrix, and then they were moved through the observation region as determined by the particular rule under study.

CAR MATRIX v

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FLOW RATE OF HIGH SPEED LIMIT CARS ON A THREE LANE HIGHWAY 1.8 1.75 CARS LEAVING OBSERVATION REGION PER SECOND

1.7 1.65 1.6 1.55 1.5 1.45 1.4 No Rules

No Lane Changes

Right Hand Rule

Middle Lane Rule

“IN GENERAL WE OBSERVED THAT NO RULES AND NO LANE CHANGES RULE WERE THE FASTEST, WHILE THE RIGHT HAND RULE WAS THE SAFEST.” MICHAEL BIRD ’16

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Using the matrix, the team evaluated accidents and traffic flow rates based on different rules of highway safety. The rules were: No Rules (cars change lanes at will but always remain below the speed limit); No Lane Changes Rule (cars never change lanes, and remain below the speed limit); Right Hand Rule (cars move into leftward lanes if vehicles are directly in front of them, but always attempt to move back into the right hand lane at the end of each time step); and Middle Lane Rule (cars move left and right when cars are directly in front of them, but always attempt to restore themselves to the middle lane of the highway at the end of each time step).

INS & OUTS

SNAPSHOTS FROM THE HILL

JUMBO CHE CHEF’S SUNDAE ULTIMATE S AS CREATED B BY JOHNNY FAIRFIELD-SONN FAIRF ’18 in Dewick MacPhie

EXCOLLEGE COURSE: EAT MY SHORTS

dining hall

A COURSE TAUGHT BY TUFTS SENIORS, all about short

INGREDIENTS Ice cream, ho hot fudge, brownie, waffle cone, cookie of cho choice.

films, with a title that honors Bart Simpson? Sign us up! This fall, freshmen can take a student-run, discussion-based seminar on the short film, which has undergone a surge in popularity and critical interest in recent years. Combining introductory filmmaking with a critical look at the genre, this class will have you absolutely eating up shorts … short films, that is.

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DIRECTIONS Fill a big salad bowl with 3 scoops of yyour favorite ice cream, and an drizzle hot fudge ove over them.

Add a brownie in the middle of the bowl. Grab a cookie of your yo choice chocola chip!), (I like chocolate and heat it in the panini s press for 10 seconds Sm until soft. Smear the melted cookie over an finish by everything, and adding little p pieces of a crushed waffle cone. mouthfu is to be Every mouthful enjoyed with a bit hi ! off everything!

COOL CONNECTIONS

OH MY GOURD!

JUMBOS HAVE SO MANY EXCITING EVENT OPTIONS on and around campus every weekend—but what happens when it gets overwhelming, and you can’t keep track of it all?

Tufts sophomores Kofi Asante, Denis Bravenec, Richard Kim, and Jared Moskowitz created a smartphone app to address just that. “evoqe” definitely comes in handy on weekend nights—whether you’re looking for a party, a concert, or a show to enjoy, this technological gem has got you covered.

THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN, the entire Tufts campus does a quick change into its annual costume, made up entirely of pumpkins. The next morning you’ll find pumpkins in the smallest holes, the greatest heights, and the most peculiar places all over campus, all thanks to a top secret, mysterious student group. Spooky much?

A MAKER STUDIO FOR JUMBOS

@MONACOANTHONY TWEETS

IF YOUR LIFELONG DREAM is to go crazy with a 3D printer, the

Tisch Library was the place to be this summer. The Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) opened its first Jumbo’s Maker Studio in June, and both students and faculty had the chance to create 3D materials—from circuit boards to phone cases—all in the spirit of fostering creativity.

ANTHONY MONACO,

President of Tufts University, is every Jumbo’s favorite Twitter personality. Because he lives on campus, tweets like this one aren’t uncommon, but they still make us smile. @MonacoAnthony A great evening playing 9 holes of Frisbee golf around Tufts campus with 25 alumni of the @Tufts_Emen team & their coaches.

Pax et Frisbus!

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! JUMBOS BROKE INTO CELEBRATION when our football team

FOR THE LOVE OF OUR PLANET

emerged victorious in their first match of the season— defeating the Hamilton Continentals 24–17. Over 3,500 fans packed the Ellis Oval, and thousands rushed the field to congratulate the team after the final play.

THE TUFTS CLIMATE ACTION GROUP joined over

300,000 demonstrators at the People’s Climate March in New York City in September. Coursing through the heart of Manhattan, they had one clear message: We need climate action now!

LIGHT ON THE HILL THE ENTERING CLASS OF 2018 and transfer students ushered in this academic year by honoring

PHOTOS BY KELVIN MA/TUFTS UNIVERSITY, ELEPHANT BY AUSTIN HSIEH FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY

a Tufts tradition—the Illumination Ceremony. New Jumbos gathered on the President’s Lawn, where candles were lit at one end of the crowd. The candlelight then was passed along until the whole lawn was lit. Four years down the road, the class will come together again the night before commencement, to once again put “a light on the hill.”

SWING SUNDAYS IF YOU HAPPEN TO PASS BY THE TISCH LIBRARY ROOFTOP

at 9pm on a Sunday, chances are you’ll find the Tufts’ Country Swing Dance group celebrating the start of the week in an unexpected way. But hey, dancing in pairs to good old country music against the Boston skyline sounds like a pretty good idea to us!

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“When I was 18, I wanted to be a spy,” said Greg Carleton, chair of the Department of German, Russian, and Asian Languages & Literatures. He admitted he may have watched too many Bond films.

But after a trip to Russia, a thesis on anarchism, and 22 years of Tufts, his interests have shifted.

Now he teaches about the very culture that the Bond franchise portrayed in such a negative light: Russia. While America’s perception of Russia has changed since the Cold War era, rarely do we get the chance to consider a culture through anything other than an American lens. In his classes, Carleton provides a window into Russian culture that his students would not otherwise encounter.

“Russia,” Carleton said, “sees itself as the unique victim of Western aggression.” Almost every century since the 1200s, Russia has been invaded by a powerful country, sometimes one right after the other. Much of Russian history is in fact based around their wars, both against and in defense of the West. Some of the would-be conquerors: Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Hitler. This history of conflict has created a sense of Russian exceptionalism that gives rise to a narrative in phrases like “invasion from the West,” “border violations,” and “betrayal.”

Carleton’s insights become all the more relevant given the current situation in Crimea and Ukraine.

Recently, NATO has begun to push its borders up against Russia, which, Carleton said, Russians perceive as a sign of another impending Western attack. It is with their history in mind and Putin at the helm, Carleton explained, that Russia executed what they believe to be a preemptive defensive measure with the invasion of Crimea. Crimea was part of Russia as far back as the late 18th century; it became part of Ukraine in the late 20th century. Putin, with history in mind, felt Crimea was taken from Russia, giving him the fuel he needed to invade. But this is not to say that Russia is justified in starting a war, said Carleton. Just like many imperialist countries, he explained, Russia focuses on idealistic representations of past events and often glosses over their indiscretions. Carleton put it like this: “It’s history and it’s not history … It’s just [what] people remember.”

It is important to understand that there is always another side to the debate. Putin’s reputation around the world may not match his reputation within Russia, and understanding why is important in understanding the country’s history and memory.

It’s the job of professors like Carleton to provide students with a clear and balanced outlook on modern events. College, he said, is a time to find something you are passionate about, even if you don’t know what that is right now. At Tufts, you have time, resources, and incredible professors like Greg Carleton to help you on your way. And who knows?

You might even decide to become a spy.

—GRIFFIN QUASEBARTH ’15

GREG CARLETON

PROFESSOR OF RUSSIAN AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GERMAN, RUSSIAN, AND ASIAN LANGUAGES & LITERATURES 6

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Professor Greg Carleton’s research is on the narratives of war in Russian culture.

Griffin Quasebarth ’15 sat down with Professor Carleton to discuss Russia’s history of war and how it’s shaping the country’s future.

LIVING

MYTHBUSTERS: DORM EDITION

ONE THING INCOMING COLLEGE FRESHMEN OFTEN WORRY ABOUT IS THEIR DORM. AFTER ALL, FOR MOST OF US, THE PROSPECT OF LIVING AWAY FROM HOME IS BOTH EXCITING AND SCARY. AS A RESULT, THERE ARE A LOT OF MYTHS ABOUT COLLEGE DORMS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN THEM. I’M TAKING A LOOK AT THREE OF THESE “MYTHS,” AND—USING THE PERSPECTIVES OF ACTUAL JUMBOS WHO LIVE IN TUFTS DORMS—DECIDING ONCE AND FOR ALL: TRUE OR FALSE.

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

—Amanda Ng Yann Chwen ’18

MYTH #1: DORM ROOMS ARE TINY, CONSTRICTED, EVIL, CLAUSTROPHOBIC PODS. VERDICT: FALSE

MYTH #2: COLLEGE IS ONE HUGE SLEEPOVER SLASH PAJAMA PARTY, ALL THE TIME. VERDICT: TRUE (KIND OF)

MYTH #3: ROOMMATES ARE BOUND TO HATE EACH OTHER, AT SOME POINT. VERDICT: FALSE

While dorm sizes do vary by hall, the rooms students are assigned are often more than enough space. Unless you intend to fill your dorm with threeseater couches, bookshelves, and flat screen TVs, you’ll be good to go … and you may even have space to dance around!

At Tufts, there are definitely quiet hours, and also the need to buckle down and study (you are, after all, here to pursue an education). Then again, having so many people from different parts of the world live together does often result in a whole lot of fun.

Sharing your space with a total stranger definitely sounds intimidating. But all it takes for a good roommate relationship is communication. Plus, Tufts does a good job at matching people—who knew cleanliness levels and tastes in music could matter so much? At worst, you can mutually request for a change, but that rarely happens.

“I have two skateboards, lacrosse equipment, and “Dorm life is great because you’re always able to a snowboard on my half of the room, my roommate hang out with so many different people. I have so keeps tennis rackets and pickup soccer and foot- many favorite dorm moments, even just watching ball equipment on his half, and our room is still the SNL while doing homework.” room that the whole floor comes to hang out in!”

—Tess Cotter ’18 —Cameron Harris ’18

“The best part of my dorm experience has been getting to know my roommate. It’s amazing to hear what people are passionate about, especially if those passions differ greatly from your own interests.”

—Marianne Ray ’18 7

TUFTS’

TOP 10 CLASSES

THIS YEAR’S GRADUATING CLASS WAS ASKED TO LIST THEIR FAVORITE COURSES FROM THEIR FOUR YEARS AT TUFTS. THE RESULTING LIST REVEALED EXCEPTIONAL COURSES ACROSS A WIDE ARRAY OF DISCIPLINES. DO YOU SEE ANY HERE YOU’D BE EXCITED TO TAKE?

1 MEDIA AND SOCIETY Sociology “Professor Sobieraj is a hilarious and engaging teacher. This class makes you re-think things we do every day, like the way we watch TV and read things on the Internet.

Every topic we covered—from feminism in Scandal to our own guilty pleasures—made me think differently.”

—Martha Meguerian ’15

2 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Psychology “We are all amateur social psychologists. We all spend our time trying to understand why people think, feel, and behave the way they do in social situations, the very definition of social psych. In class we watch clips from current television shows that really crystallize the ideas of the course in our heads, and we even design and run our own experiments, which is a cool opportunity.”

—Hayden Lizotte ’15

01010 01010 01010 3 ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKETING Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies “ELS … pushed me to come up with innovative solutions to real world problems. In this class, we worked to position our organization against For tune 500 enterprises in the paper and packaging industry … We created a marketing plan which we presented to the CEO.” —Ryan Johnson ’17

7 CREATIVE WRITING: FICTION English “This was one of the most interesting and fun classes I have ever taken at Tufts. The arts and humanities requirements gave me an opportunity to take something I normally never would have taken and I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. It introduced to me a whole new world of thinking and writing—one that I’ll always be grateful for.”

—Anneliese Luck ’15

4 RACE IN AMERICA American Studies “This is the most powerful class I’ve taken.

It opens your mind to concepts that you’ve never thought about, but need to think about. It teaches you to question and analyze how you operate during your day-to-day life and empowers you to consider how you can change the concept of privilege so systematically engrained in our culture.”

—Brian Tesser ’16

8 INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE CULTURE German, Russian & Asian Languages and Literatures “This was one of those classes that changes the way you think about the world. A spiritual journey led by Professor Inouye, this class features weekly haikus, drawings, and readings that challenge you to look at your environment with fresh eyes.

The class culminates in a picnic under the cherry blossom trees!”

5 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE Computer Science “The projects made this intro class exciting; I built a program that sells concert tickets and a text-based Connect Four game, all with very little previous programming experience. Plus, Tufts has one of the few computer science departments that still teaches C++ in its intro courses, which is a highly valued skill in so many industries.”

6 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Biology “This course entails a thorough exploration of DNA replication and repair, transcription and translation, gene regulation, and many other molecular mechanisms essential for all forms of life. Professor McVey, an approachable and committed professor, excels at transforming these concepts from complicated and convoluted to clear and comprehensible.”

—Ashley Hedberg ’15

—Michael Acquafredda ’15

9 THERMODYNAMICS Chemical and Biological Engineering

10 NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION Peace and Justice Studies and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning

“The coolest thing we did [in this course] was with colligative properties and freezing point depression. We cooled a bottle of seltzer below 0ºC—since there is CO2 dissolved in it, the freezing point was lowered beneath that. Then upon opening the bottle and releasing the CO2 bubbles, the water instantly froze because the freezing point raised back to around 0ºC.” —Tyler Lueck ’16

“This class is so practical and interactive.

We apply the concepts we read about in a negotiation on various issues and topics and learn about ways to get what we want. Recently we had a class on asking for a raise!”

—Jennine Sawwan ’15

*Our usual Top Ten list wasn’t enough room for all the popular courses this year. Here are a few more: School and Society; Education, Decolonization and Postcolonial Thought; English and History, Experiments in Ecology; Biology 8

PHOTO BY

—Griffin Quasebarth ’15

As a freshman in the School of Engineering myself, I was inspired by what Jacky Nwagwu has accomplished already in her short undergraduate career. With only a year under her belt, she’s performed funded lab research over the summer and has become heavily involved in the engineering community.

Jacky fell in love with Tufts when she visited as a prospective student during one of the open houses in the fall. In exploring the campus, attending real classes, and eating in the dining halls, she realized she had found a home. Jacky says, “Everyone at Tufts was so nice and it seemed like a really diverse place where there are people kind of like me, who are weird (in a good way!) and smart and just enjoy life.”

Jacky told me that she has always been interested in clean and renewable energy, and she knew that she wanted to potentially go into the field for her career. When Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Ayse Asatekin gave a presentation about water filtration in Jacky’s freshman engineering elective, Jacky was inspired.

Professor Asatekin offered the opportunity for students in the class to perform research in her lab, and Jacky jumped at the chance.

The Center for STEM Diversity gave Jacky a grant to live on campus over the summer so she could work in the lab. She researched clean membranes, which are designed to desalinate salt water or filter dirty water to make it safe for

drinking. Jacky measured the diffusivity of these clean membranes by running tests with indicator dyes of various chemical properties and measuring diffusion rates.

Jacky now believes that she wants to enter the field of water desalination in her professional career. And for now, on top of a full engineering curriculum, she’s pursuing Spanish courses and has become treasurer of The Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists. I found myself inspired after my conversation with Jacky. Though I’m just a freshman, I realized how accessible it could be to pursue research, leadership positions, even a second language, as a Tufts engineer.

—CAMERON HARRIS ’18

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Jacky’s funded work in a research lab this past summer has her completely captivated by water filtration.

JACKY NWAGWU

’17

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR FROM LOS ANGELES, CA

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CLASS HIGHLIGHT

PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LAW

How might a jury’s group dynamic affect their decision? How do some defendants actually believe their own false confessions? What tactics do police use in interrogation rooms and why do they work? What factors affect an eyewitness’s ability to recall details?

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Psychology and the Law is one of the most popular classes at Tufts (for more popular classes, see page 8). Over the course of the semester, students will tackle these questions and more. “Not every class you take is going to be as applicable to real life as Psych and the Law,” said Emmy Ehrmann, a senior in the class now. “I think it’s really important to know the truth about the way the legal and criminal justice systems work.” The truth, she explained, isn’t always easy to hear.

Take false confessions as an example. This has been both the most interesting and, frankly, the most upsetting topic discussed so far in class for Emmy. “Police can essentially make up evidence [in an interrogation] and it’s considered fair,” she explained. “There was one case we explored in class about a man who was made

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO BY

BY MICHAEL MORGENSTERN

to feel so guilty in an interrogation because of false evidence that he thought, ‘I guess I must have [committed this crime].’” Confessions, even false ones, carry enormous weight in the courtroom, explained Julia Stein ’15, who is also in the course this semester. “Confessions carry more weight than any other evidence or eyewitness report,” she said. “So even if it’s a false confession the jury will often be unable to discount it.” This discussion in class was eyeopening, and got Julia and Emmy thinking very differently about the criminal justice system.

So the subject matter is fascinating and, at times, gut-wrenching. But the course’s popularity also has a lot to do with Sam Sommers.

Sommers, Associate Professor of Psychology, is an experimental social psychologist and a self-proclaimed baseball stats fanatic. His

biography on the psychology department website proclaims that in his free time, “he hits lead-off for the vaunted Psychology Department softball team, blogs about the science of everyday behavior for Psychology Today and Huffington Post, and exerts far more effort than he should digitizing Seinfeld clips for his lectures.” Unsurprisingly, he’s one of the most popular professors on campus, and his classes are fun and easy to relate to.

But Professor Sommers also makes students think in ways they never had before. “Professor Sommers plays devil’s advocate a lot,” said Emmy. “I think about these issues as very black and white. I think, ‘that’s wrong, police shouldn’t use those tactics,’ etc. But he pushes you to think more critically about an issue than just, ‘it’s wrong,’ or ‘it’s right.’ I think that’s what this

class should be … because there’s a whole mess of grey matter in these issues.”

Sommers is the author of Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World, and his area of expertise is in issues relating to stereotyping, prejudice, and group diversity. He has first-hand experience in the courtroom, as he is often called in as an expert witness for issues of social psychology and the criminal justice system. By providing his expertise in this class, he reveals the “grey matter” of social situations, and facilitates discussion on and critical analysis of the criminal justice system.

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“Too often we view religion and reason as two separate entities,” says Hayden. His senior thesis will find the connection between religion and logic that many believe to be missing.

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HAYDEN LIZOTTE

’15

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

RELIGION MAJOR FROM NORTH EASTON, MA

Nothing is stranger than sitting across from someone you know and pretending like you’ve just met them. Such was my conversation with Hayden Lizotte, a long-time friend and JUMBO’s latest person of interest. Given our friendship, I was initially a bit uneasy about the interview. But, in the name of journalism, I sat down with him, hoping to ask questions I felt confident I already knew his answers to. Boy was I wrong. A religion major and political philosophy minor, Hayden is, in a word, spiritual. And his thesis channels that spirituality into conclusions with important and widespread implications.

You see, Hayden Lizotte is setting out to change the way we see religion. “Too often,” he says, “we view religion and reason as two separate entities.”

A former yoga instructor, Hayden fell in love with the study of religion, specifically Hinduism, upon arriving at Tufts. Looking to expand his horizons beyond his upbringing in a mostly Catholic and Protestant environment, Hayden revels in studying traditions and religions that hold vastly different beliefs and deny many of the assumptions our society makes about the world.

His senior thesis, which focuses on the writings of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and rising Hindu nationalism in India, strives to bridge the gap between religion and logic. “People’s faith,” he says, “is generally reasonable, even if you don’t

agree with it. The separation between faith and reason makes it very difficult to criticize religion, but it’s also about developing a respect for religion. It’s a two way road.” Specifically, Hayden is looking at how Hinduism is being used in modern India as a way to combat Western influence and express an Indian identity. Spanning from the Enlightenment to contemporary political theory, his research is expansive.

But despite the daunting workload ahead of him, Hayden’s enthusiasm is far from drained. Not only is the spark of excitement evident whenever he talks about his thesis, he almost makes you want to conduct this research yourself! In fact, Hayden plans to go on and eventually get his PhD in this subject.

After thirty minutes of recorded audio I had all the information I needed to write this profile, but at this point it didn’t feel like an interview anymore. Instead, we were having a conversation, like we would in the dining hall or in a dorm room, on a thought-provoking topic. Sure, I already knew Hayden was a yogi and an amateur beatboxer who gets a little too invested in the game of Risk, but I realized in this conversation that he’s also a serious researcher and a bit of a spiritual guru.

—GRIFFIN QUASEBARTH ’15

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CLUB HIGHLIGHT

ADVENTURING THE LOJ, TUFTS MOUNTAIN CLUB, AND OTHER WILDER-THINGS USUALLY, WEEKLONG BACKPACKING TRIPS in the mountains leave me out of breath, out of hygiene, and out of clean socks. But after spending five days with seven other freshmen and two upperclassman leaders as part of the Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO), I was left with a lot more than emerging blisters. I had seven new best friends who, after only a week, knew me as well as life-long siblings. I also had two inspiring older mentors whose lame jokes rivaled those of my actual parents. I had an entirely new Tufts family—my Wilder-Family.

That’s the power of TWO and the legacy of the Tufts Mountain Club (TMC), a student-run outing club where Tufts students can go on hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and even applepicking trips any weekend all year long. TMC owns a lodge in New Hampshire (named The Loj) where any student can spend the weekend with their friends. The Loj is home to many TMC traditions, such as Newcomers’ Weekend, which is so popular that over 100 freshmen stayed up until 4 AM one night to sprint and sign up at the “secret” registration location. TMC also has their own Thanksgiving celebration in February, a peak weekend where the club collectively summits all forty-eight White Mountain 4,000foot peaks in one weekend, and obnoxiously loud group calls and chants that every Tufts student identifies as a “Wilderness Thing.”

But on top of everything, The Loj, TMC, and TWO guarantee you one thing in particular: a family. It’s a family that has “wilder-dinners” every Sunday night and that lives vicariously through each other’s election wins, debate finals, and cross country championships. It’s a family that takes only several days to come together, but a lifetime to break apart.

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PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

—BENYA KRAUS ’18

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ARTS HIGHLIGHT

WORLD MUSIC

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to classical to jazz, and that’s just the beginning. Jumbos join the Kiniwe African drum ensemble and study Baroque music in the classroom; they perform traditional music of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe in the Klezmer Ensemble and enroll in classes like Musical Systems of the Arab World. It’s no surprise that our own Granoff Music Center has an entire room dedicated to the Javanese Gamelan, African drums, Japanese shakuhachi and other instruments from all over the globe.

The World Music Room is available to all students interested in giving the instruments a try, an inclusive attitude that aptly describes the department as a whole. So no matter what your major at Tufts might be eventually, we recommend you take Introduction to World Music and see where it takes you … you might be surprised.

PHOTO BY MELODY KO/TUFTS UNIVERSITY PHOTO

TUFTS’ MUSIC DEPARTMENT offers a broad range of classes, from Songwriting to Music Theory and Musicianship, from History of Rock and Roll to Queer Pop. Musicians on the Hill can enroll in Computer Tools for Musicians or Electronic Musical Instrument Design or just as easily study opera or classical music in depth. But perhaps our favorite aspect of Tufts’ music department is its global scope. The music department’s faculty, course selections, and performance ensembles reach every corner of the world—just ask the Javanese Gamelan Ensemble if you don’t believe us. With classes like Sounds of Sufism and Music and Trance (a cross-cultural exploration of the relationship between music and trance, of course), it’s easy to see why over half of the undergraduates on the Tufts campus will take a music class before they graduate. For-credit private lessons are offered in styles ranging from Japanese to Mediterranean

HOT ITEMS

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT TUFTS THROUGH RANDOM ITEMS FOUND ALL OVER CAMPUS.

“GO JUMBOS” SUNGLASSES

BRUSHES Art has always played a huge role in my life and continues to be important in my college experience. From watercolor classes to independent studies in 3D animation, Tufts has allowed me to explore new media and avenues of artistic expression.

—Griffin Quasebarth ’15

In the beautiful weather that we’ve had so far, many students have been spotted wearing their “Go Jumbos” sunglasses around campus.

We show our school pride in style.

—Cameron Harris ’18

THE OBSERVER

CATCH PHRASE

As former Art Editor for The Observer, a student-run magazine, I have been exposed to a new kind of journalism that I have never experienced on a student level. Investigative reporting, eye-opening articles, and gorgeous design, The Observer has shown me the future of college journalism.

—Griffin Quasebarth ’15

This game is the key to making new friends. Nothing screams friendship louder than bonding over emotionfilled charades and frantically sounding out syllables.

Being a huge Catch Phrase enthusiast back at home, I was nervous about how my over-competitive approach towards the game would be received at Tufts, but luckily I found competitive wordsmiths galore in my dorm!

—Benya Kraus ’18

ENGINEERING EN ENGI ENG E NGINEER N NEE N EER RIN IING N MENTORS ME M MENT ENT E EN NTORS O

PHOTOS BY ALONSO NICHOLS/TUFTS UNIVERSITY (SUNGLASSES, PHONE STAND, CATCH PHRASE)

PHONE STAND Many Jumbos receive elephant-themed gifts (of all shapes and sizes) after being admitted to Tufts. This phone stand was a parting gift from close friends back home in Southeast Asia.

—Amanda Ng Yann Chwen ’18

COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE GIRL

ENGINEERING MENTORS BROCHURE

One of my best friends is known around campus as Julia the Cookie Girl, famous for her late-night cookie deliveries.

These cookies have kept me going through many late study nights at Tisch Library—a necessary evil!

—Danielle Bryant ’15

While grabbing breakfast in the dining hall before class, I discovered this brochure that advertised a barbecue lunch on the Tisch Library roof as an introduction to a program called Tufts Engineering Mentors. The lunch was excellent, and I met multiple upperclassmen who were enthusiastic about answering my questions.

—Cameron Harris ’18

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Professor Soha Hassoun’s research bridges the gap between computer science and biology, and she ďŹ nds that the undergraduates in her lab have interests that are equally diverse.

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SOHA HASSOUN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

how computational methods can enhance the study of synthetic biology—or in a layman’s vernacular, how you can use computer science to predict how adding certain genes to microorganisms like E. coli and yeast can shape their behavior and production. Another one of her studies intertwines environmental studies with computer science through designing a computational system to analyze the effects of PCB, the chemical found in plastic water bottles, on living organisms.

Needless to say, I was beyond impressed.

But what I found even more impressive was how Professor Hassoun balances her love for her research with her love for her students. Hassoun enthusiastically described that her incentive to get up every morning is the prospect of doing research with students, an opportunity available to both graduate and undergraduate students at Tufts. Currently, Hassoun is collaborating with six students on her research projects while 44 other undergraduates in the department have published high quality conference papers over the past five years—valuable experiences that have attracted

companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft to seek out Tufts students as their interns.

“The world is changing around us,” remarked Hassoun, “and the bar has been raised for computer literacy.” Under Professor Hassoun’s leadership, it is clear to see that Tufts is continually raising this bar, providing students (both those who spend their weekends competing in Hackathons and those whose Friday nights involve reading Machiavelli) with the unique opportunity to work with an amazing group of faculty who, according to Professor Hassoun, “go above and beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”

I have a confession to make: I am an intended IR major who barely knows the difference between an algorithm and a logarithm. But by the end of my conversation with Professor Hassoun, computer science transformed from something I’d only imagine in my nightmares to something I am definitely imagining on my class schedule for next year.

—BENYA KRAUS ’18

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

It didn’t take long for my conversation with Associate Professor of Computer Science Soha Hassoun to turn to her admiration for Tufts students. “[Tufts] students aren’t just about, ‘I want to get an A in the class,’” said Hassoun. “They’re more about, ‘what can I do with this knowledge? How can I transfer it to something useful?’” She especially loved the diversity in interests, hobbies, and cultures of Tufts students, emphasizing how their multidimensional personalities shape the interdisciplinary nature of computer science at Tufts.

The skill of connecting different academic subjects in a critical and thoughtful way is the main focus of the class Hassoun currently teaches: Introduction to Computational Design. After one semester in this class, students leave knowing how to use computer simulations to test out hypotheses across a broad range of topics, a necessary skill for all students of the sciences, whether they are pursuing computer science, engineering, or even biology.

Hassoun’s own research demonstrates this computer science-biology link. Her project explores

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ATHLETICS

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY

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AFTER WINNING THE FIRST-EVER NCAA women’s team title for Tufts in 2012, the women of the Tufts field hockey team have taken the lead once again, boasting a nearly flawless beginning to their fall season, and finding a path to success once again.

“Our philosophy this year has been to focus on one game at a time,” said co-captain Brianna Keenan ’15, expressing how the team has come together this season through both their companionship and their hard work.

“We are extremely close on and off the field, and it shows in our passing patterns and the way that we play,” reiterated team member Maggie Chapman ’16. “We are also fortunate enough to have a lot of good players all over the field, instead of relying on one superstar.”

According to Chapman, thanks to the athletes’ hard work over the summer, the team was able to focus on their larger goals as early as pre-season, hoping to succeed in each game, each weekend: one game at a time.

“We are working to be a family for each other,” Chapman explained. “[Staying] disciplined on the field, skilled on the ball and playing with intensity every time we step on the field.”

PHOTO BY KELVIN MA/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

—CHARLOTTE GILLILAND ’16

NATIONAL CHAMPS: THE FIRST TUFTS WOMEN’S TEAM TO CLAIM A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, THE JUMBO FIELD HOCKEY TEAM HUNTS FOR THEIR THIRD NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE IN AS MANY YEARS.

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1+4

THE TUFTS BRIDGE-YEAR SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM You want to make a difference in the world. But maybe you think this phrase has lost its meaning— that the gap between recognizing the need for change and effecting change is too large. The Tufts 1+4 Bridge-Year Service Learning Program is narrowing the gap. As a “bridge year” between high school and college, 1+4 will offer students an opportunity to make an impact through active citizenship, translating their passion into daily action.

ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY CAMPBELL

By Abigail McFee ’17

IN A VILLAGE OUTSIDE OAXACA, MEXICO, you wake up and ride a bus to a local school, where you work with children to bridge the digital divide by teaching them to use their own laptops. Or maybe you begin your day on an organic farm in Brazil, assisting in the cultivation of medicinal plants.

Or on the border of Arizona and Mexico, you serve on the staff of a health center providing medical, dental, and behavioral health care to underserved populations. These are examples of what daily life could be like for students who choose to participate in the 1+4 Program.

The 1+4 Program—a year-long bridge program of service between high school and college—was developed by the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, an on-campus institution that fosters civic engagement within the Tufts community. The Dean of Tisch College, Alan Solomont, worked with a team to carefully select the 1+4 Program’s partner organizations, which are known for their existing work in communities around the world. Premiering in 2015, the program will allow fifty “fellows” to embark on a bridge year that is integrated into their Tufts experience. Students will apply for the program after being admitted to Tufts.

“The idea is that we want the Tufts education to be transformational for students. We want it to change them for the better,” Solomont said. As part of the 1+4 Program, students will “expose themselves to diverse communities in different parts of the world that they probably haven’t seen. Through that process of learning more about themselves and the world, they will develop a greater sense of purpose for when they arrive here [on campus].”

Mindy Nierenberg, Senior Director of Tisch Programs, traveled this past summer to each of the potential sites to ensure that their partner organizations met the 1+4 Program’s criteria. Above all, she said, “We wanted to ensure that the work was meaningful to the fellow.

“With this program, you are able to specifically apply to a placement that you are passionate about,” Nierenberg said. “Over and over when I talked with organizations ... what was important to them was that people [selected for the program] bring a passion not only for the specific work, but for wanting to belong to and learn about that community.”

1+4 fellows will spend a year continually leaving their comfort zones, connecting with others, and developing 23

previously unimagined skills so that, when the time comes for them to unpack their suitcases in a dorm room on campus, their experience as fellows will be intrinsically part of them. The 1+4 program seeks to transform its participants, and through them, it seeks to transform the Tufts community as a whole.

“When you’re part of a community, you bring to it who you are and what you’ve experienced,” Solomont said. “[Alfred Tennyson wrote in Ulysses], ‘I am a part of all that I have met.’ Every student comes with a contribution to make to the community. [Tufts selects] pretty special students.

So we’re going to have this additional group of 50 students who have had these incredibly varied experiences, and it will make the community that much more interesting.”

Alan Solomont is himself a Tufts graduate. After obtaining a B.A. in Political Science and Urban Studies, he went on to establish a career in public service and political activism, serving from 2010 to 2013 as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra under President Obama. He believes that active citizenship is transformational not only for communities, but for individuals.

“When I graduated from Tufts, I moved to Lowell, MA, and I was a community organizer for [many] years,” Solomont explained. “That experience informed everything I’ve ever done. It transformed me, and not just momentarily.”

He continued, “We just had a wonderful event [at Tufts] to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps. We had a live feed with the White House, and President Obama spoke about his experience as a community organizer. He said, ‘were it not for that, I would not be here today.’”

This kind of service is measured not in hours, but in impact. For 1+4 fellows, service is represented in the act of making a high-protein tortilla or sharing two meals a day with at-risk youth in a group home; of rescuing an animal or building a Lego structure with a child; of providing medical care to a tribe separated by the border of two countries or placing your hands into the soil of a sustainable farm.

Josie Barth ’18 knows the power of service firsthand.

After graduating high school and before coming to Tufts, Josie spent a year doing service abroad. The experience allowed her to begin college with a renewed desire to learn 24

and a greater knowledge of the world. She sees active citizenship as a mutually beneficial relationship. “Not only is someone benefiting from my work,” Josie said, “but I also just as much benefited from them, in learning how other people lived.”

Alan Solomont learned the meaning of active citizenship in the 1960s, during a riotous era of Civil Rights struggles and anti-war demonstrations, when citizens embodied their convictions by placing their bodies in harm’s way, by holding picket signs, by marching—one person after another, one foot after another—and demanding change.

According to Solomont, civic engagement has been declining since the 1970s. But the desire to effect change is still present. “Young people want to serve,” Solomont said. “This generation—your generation—wants to live purposeful lives.”

This mindset is imbedded in the campus atmosphere.

My friends and I are involved in clubs and organizations whose work excites us. While I mentored at a Boys & Girls Club last semester, a friend became a volunteer at a clinic that provides free health care in the Boston area, and another friend spoke out against the gentrification of Chinatown. Tufts students teach health classes in Boston high schools and mentor elementary school children. We operate a peer counseling hotline and run a food collection network to benefit local communities. We advocate for issues we believe in, aware of the power of our own voices.

This is a community that believes knowledge is futile unless you care about something outside of yourself.

Solomont recognizes that universities have a unique responsibility. They must teach students how to use their passion for the good of others. “It is vitally important that higher education sees its mission as not only creating knowledge for its own sake, but also creating informed and active citizens who are going to leave their institutions and think, how am I going to make my community better, my nation better, my world better?”

The 1+4 Program, like the Tufts education as a whole, believes that these are lifelong questions—not easily answered, but always worth asking.

ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY CAMPBELL

“TUFTS STUDENTS … ADVOCATE FOR ISSUES WE BELIEVE IN, AWARE OF THE POWER OF OUR OWN VOICES. THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT BELIEVES KNOWLEDGE IS FUTILE UNLESS YOU CARE ABOUT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF.”

1+4 fellows will begin their year with an orientation on the Tufts campus. Afterwards, they will spread out across the global map, establishing themselves in eight exciting locations.

+ OAXACA, MEXICO

In a city that combines contemporary arts, colonial architecture, and indigenous cultures, 1+4 fellows will choose between three programs under the umbrella organization Amigos de las Américas.

Students volunteering for CAMPO will have the opportunity to attend the largest sustainability event in Mexico, with over 50,000 people in attendance.

Meanwhile, students focusing on nutrition might assist family businesses in hand-making tortillas from amaranth, a highprotein grain that has been used for centuries in the Mexican diet. Still others will work with IEPPO, using laptops, Legos, and robotics to educate children about science, technology, math, and engineering.

+ DETROIT,

MICHIGAN The city of Detroit contains a thriving artistic community and is leading the way for the U.S. in urban agriculture. However, considered by many to be the most troubled city in the U.S., Detroit is a site that provides fellows with a significant opportunity to make a difference. Ser ving as corps members through City Year, fellows will mentor middle school and 9th grade students in Detroit, with the goal of transforming lives by changing educational outcomes.

+ SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

In the coastal state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, which is known for its natural and cultural diversity, 1+4 fellows will work with Global Citizen Year. In their individual placements, some fellows will assist in wildlife preservation—rescuing monkeys, penguins, toucans, and parrots. Other students will embark in boats to research local whales or work with a community foundation that encourages social entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, on a verdant organic farm, fellows can assist in the cultivation of traditional plant-based medicine that has been used for centuries. All fellows in Brazil will receive intensive Portuguese language classes.

+ LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Living for the year in downtown L.A., fellows will select between placements with two nationally recognized organizations: LIFT and City Year. While serving as LIFT advocates, alongside other college students and local volunteers, fellows will work one-on-one with clients to link them with necessary social services, including housing assistance and employment. Meanwhile, fellows who serve as City Year corps members will mentor middle school or 9th grade students in downtown and south LA.

+ LEÓN,

NICARAGUA In this historic city located along the Río Chiquito, fellows will advocate for women and children through organizations that are part of Amigos de las Américas.

Some fellows will help to p r ov i d e r e h a b i l i t a t i v e programs, including dance and visual art education, to children with emotional, physical, and developmental disabilities. Others will focus on maternal health, create recycled art projects with at-risk children, or volunteer for NGOs that empower women.

+ PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA Some fellows in Philadelphia will work with LIFT, in the same capacity as fellows in L.A. Others will volunteer for The Village of Arts and Humanities, a program that provides oppor tunities for selfexpression rooted in art and culture. Within The Village, fellows can choose between four positions: at an ar ts magazine, in community economic development, in environmental sustainability, or in community-based arts education.

+ MADRID, SPAIN

All 1+4 fellows in Madrid, as part of United Planet, will be placed in residential treatment homes for children who have been removed from difficult family situations. Fellows will take part in the daily operation of these homes, which provide services including educational support and psychological counseling. In the evenings, fellows will return to their shared apartment in Madrid or take advantage of the rich cultural opportunities found in the heart of Spain.

+ TUCSON,

ARIZONA Located near the border of the U.S. and Mexico, Tucson is home to desert landscapes and a unique set of challenges. For the first three months of this program, through the organization Carpe Diem, fellows will immerse themselves in community projects and move from place to place while learning about the interface between Native America and the borderland. The following six months will be spent in one of three placements: a community food bank, a health center serving a largely immigrant population, or a program that provides a link between food security, consumer choices, and immigration.

SERVICE: A DEFINING THEME ON THE HILL Active citizenship is an integral part of the Tufts education. The Leonard Carmichael Society, composed of 30 student-run service programs, is the largest student organization on campus, with over 1,000 participants each year. From tutoring and mentoring programs to animal aid and food rescue efforts, LCS is offering programs for all types of active Jumbos.

Tisch College, established in 2000, is the only universitywide program of its kind, providing opportunities in civic engagement for every member of the Tufts community.

Through the Tisch Scholars program, a group of undergraduates devotes significant time to community-based projects. The Tisch College Speaker Series creates a venue for students and faculty to learn from public figures who have dealt with important social, national, and global issues. Most recently, these speakers have included author Wes Moore and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

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VOXJUMBO LONDON NAME HERE ’14’09 MOORE HOMETOWN LOS ANGELES, CA

London Intro textgraduated goes here. from Intro Tufts text goes with here. a major Introintext political goes here. science Introand texta goes here.

Intro text goes here. minor in child study and human Intro text goes here.

Intro istext goesin development.

Now she living here. Intro text and goes is here. text Baton Rouge theIntro principal goes here. Intro text goesfirst here. of THRIVE, Louisiana’s public boarding school serving at-risk kids.

She is also the co-president of The Ghana Educational Collaborative, a nonprofit which provides support for exceptional Ghanaian students with significant financial need. Here, she offers her responses to the Tufts supplemental essay questions so that you may get to know her, Tufts, and our application all at the same time. And she thought she was done with college applications years ago!

INTRODUCING OUR THE TUFTS COMMUNITY COMMUNITY THROUGH THE TUFTS SUPPLEMENT …

ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

Which aspects Question goes here. of Tufts’ curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short: “Why Tufts?” (50 –100 words) Answer here.

Quite simply Tufts changed my life. Tufts made me a better and more conscientious person. This is a school that challenges you to envision a better world and pushes you to see your role in that world. Tufts gave me the drive and skills to believe with every ounce of my being that I could and should leave a mark on the world. The faculty at Tufts dare you to be your true authentic self and give you the outlets to explore that person.

With its plethora of clubs and opportunities, Tufts gives you a chance to explore campus, Boston, and the world with some of the most intellectual, inspiring, and driven people you will ever meet. The friends that you make at this school become family and equally push you to be the best version of yourself.

There is a Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” Describe the environment in which you were raised—your family, home, neighborhood, or community—and how it influenced the person you are today. (200–250 words) I grew up in an area that is very similar to the area that my students grow up in—one where people are more concerned about getting through the day than getting into college.

I was lucky. I had a grandmother who very much believed in the power of education and would drive forty-five minutes to drop me off and pick me up from a school on the other side of town to make sure that I received a quality education. The majority of friends from my neighborhood who did not get out are, for the most part, involved in drugs, in jail, or in a gang. I grew up thinking that there must be a better way. Children in this country deserve a fair chance at a future no matter their zip code.

I did not even know I had a story to tell or that my life could make a difference in anyone else’s life until I met Dean Glaser, my advisor at Tufts. He not only taught me the significance of making sure you leave a mark on the world, but also how powerful your voice and your story can be. Dean Glaser pushed me to apply for Teach for America and go back to classrooms in neighborhoods like the one that I grew up in. He inspired me to use my story to make a difference.

PHOTO BY DAYMON GARDNER

Of six options, London chose to answer the following question for the final piece of the Tufts supplemental application: B) What makes you happy? (200–250 words) Happiness is in Malik’s laugh. It is in Arionta’s smile. It is in Neychelle’s never-ending consumption of books. There are 80 people that make me happy each day. They learn and live within the walls of THRIVE Baton Rouge. I am a principal of a public boarding school in Louisiana. It is my students that make me happy day in and day out. Purpose is difficult to find, but once you have found it, it completely changes your life and brings you more happiness than you could imagine. If you asked me when I began freshman year what I would do with myself post-college, I would have told you that I was going to be a lawyer. I was sure that was my path. I had not yet learned that it was not my purpose. Teaching children, being a principal, that is my purpose. I have the profound honor of being able to impact the lives of 80 young people every day. Every day I have the privilege of being part of their journeys as they navigate their way to adulthood. The laughter and insight that these 80 students give me about myself and about life is an invaluable gift. I constantly tell people that if they want to know true happiness they should walk in my heels for a day. *Want to see the other options for the third question on our supplemental application?

Visit admissions.tufts.edu/apply/essay-questions 27

My conversation with Nick—a hilarious and infectiously energetic junior—was the perfect surprise at the end of an exhausting week.

As a lover of the natural world, Nick spent last summer on campus working with bees. His research topic was: “Does Bigger Mean Better?

Effects of Queen Body Size on Colony Establishment in Bumblebees.” Through the Summer Scholars program, Nick received funding to conduct 10 weeks of independent research, under the guidance of faculty mentor Professor Elizabeth Crone and Ph.D. student Natalie Kerr. Nick summed up his experience as explorative, edifying, and “beeautifully entertaining.” “The Summer Scholars program has two sides: It’s about the bees, but also about maturing as a student,” he said.

Nick’s findings were presented at the poster session the day before this interview, but what did the actual process look like? “Honestly, we were running around with big nets and looking for these pink flowers that bumblebee queens are attracted to,” said Nick with a laugh. By observing the bees in the lab, Nick found that bigger may not be better— smaller bumblebee queens were more likely to survive through the winter and establish colonies. “It’s sappy to say that the bees are my teachers, but through bees I’ve learned about research, about myself, and how to take everything in stride,” said Nick.

For Nick, this is only the beginning. “This bumblebee research is just a stepping stone,” he said. He loves exploring, learning, and teaching, and continues to find ways to present material and make it accessible to everyone. Nick’s goal for when he graduates, as a researcher, is to be able “to ask insightful, provocative questions, and understand how to phrase those questions.”

As a junior, Nick has already worn a dizzying array of hats. On top of academics and his research on bees, he also writes poetry, played golf for the Tufts team, helps to maintain the student garden, hosts a weekly radio show on WMFO, is a passionate food blogger, tutors students in Spanish, biology, and chemistry, writes for Tufts’ science and literary journals … and declares a love for succulent plants.

I used to think that these fascinating people only existed within the pages of admissions materials, but my conversation with Nick reminded me that everyone here has a remarkable story.

Nick is all about doing what he loves. As he said, “Without the creative stuff, I wouldn’t be able to think as critically and creatively about my academics as I would like to.”

So if you’re on campus one day, and meet a guy weeding in the student garden while practicing his Spanish—or come spring, running around with a net trying to catch bumblebees—chances are, you will know exactly who he is.

—AMANDA NG YANN CHWEN ’18

NICK DORIAN BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES DOUBLE MAJOR FROM RIVERSIDE, CT 28

’16

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

“My wild enthusiasm is accepted here,” said the Summer Scholar who is all about doing what he loves.

“I am in an environment where I can not only nurture it, but harness and direct it towards an end.”

AROUND TOWN

TUFTS BY THE SLICE Like most college students, Tufts Jumbos have one thing on their mind … pizza. The beautiful union of melted mozzarella and dripping sauce is a craving that few can resist and many look to satiate. The many options surrounding Tufts campus make it hard to pick the perfect pizza pleasure. And although I encourage everyone to try each slice for themselves, this is an experience that takes a bit longer than a typical student is willing to dedicate to their foodie tendencies. So we did the work for you.

Spending a day wandering around Tufts eating slice after slice of pizza is harder than it sounds. Luckily for me I was just along for the ride and an occasional bite. The real pizza professional was Cameron Harris, a hungry freshman up to the task of trying, and finishing, a slice of pizza from every stop. After just watching him plow through five huge slices of pizza, a slice of actual pie, a root beer and a ginger ale, I was stuffed. Cameron, Benya Kraus (our lovely videographer) and I were on the pizza prowl: a mission to countdown the best slices in town. We didn’t make it to all the local joints, but these five stops were enough to convince us that quality pizza is abundant on and around the Tufts campus:

ESPRESSO (0.3 MILES FROM TUFTS) NICK’S (0.2 MILES FROM TUFTS) HELEN’S (0.4 MILES FROM TUFTS) CARMICHAEL DINING CENTER (0 MILES FROM TUFTS!) PRANZI’S (0.3 MILES FROM TUFTS) So what was Cameron’s verdict? After he awoke from his food coma, he let us know that while Tufts’ own Carmichael Dining Center was a close runner-up for best pie, he had to give the title of perfect slice to Pranzi’s.

Upon walking into the restaurant—which resembles more of an apartment living room with a kitchen attached—the server behind the counter began chatting about the last students who reviewed Pranzi’s (also favorably I might add). With slices literally the size of your head, you cannot walk away from trying one, and you should not. The crust is paper thin, yet still crispy and cracker-like with the perfect amount of sauce and cheese.

Hopefully this gives a glimmer of what Tufts and its surrounding area has to offer culinarily, but it is truly just a sliver of the entire pie. Just looking at the menus of these few restaurants, I cannot imagine needing to go anywhere else. And that’s only a look at local pizza shops!

—ISABELLE VROD ’15

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ILLUSTRATION BY DAN BEJAR

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

AT TUFTS

BY DANIELLE BRYANT ’15

PHOTO BY

IN THE TUFTS DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, RESPECTFUL DISAGREEMENTS AND OPEN DIALOGUE ARE THE GOAL. OUR IMPRESSIVE FACULTY USE THEIR EXPERTISE TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED, BUT THE STUDENTS TAKE IT FROM THERE …

THE WALLS OF THE SECOND FLOOR OF PACKARD HALL, the political science building at Tufts, are lined with impressively full bookshelves. One section of shelves specifically houses literature written by department faculty, and in the middle of the shelf sits the most recently published work, in the coveted place of honor. A place of honor, which, according to Interim Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences Jim Glaser, doesn’t last very long. “I published a book last August, and already three or four books have come out since then,” said Glaser.

Dean Glaser has worked in the political science department for over twenty years and teaches many courses, including Introduction to American Politics. He has written three books and over a dozen articles, including Changing Minds, If Not Hearts: Political Remedies for Racial Conflict, and The Hand of the Past in Contemporary Southern Politics, and received the Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising in 2000. Despite his many accolades, Glaser still considers being a part of the Tufts Department of Political Science to be one of his greatest accomplishments.

“The department is extremely accomplished and in the rise of their careers ... there is a young energy and enormous talent,” Glaser stated proudly when asked about his peers in the department.

One of those enormous talents is Jeff Berry, a previous chairperson of the department who has published 13 books and countless research articles on urban politics, sustainability, lobbying, interviewing, new liberalism, and political media. Currently his research is divided between work with Associate Professor of Sociology Sarah Sobieraj and former Professor of Political Science Kent Portney.

Together Berry and Sobieraj focus on what they call “The Outrage Industry”—the cycle of over-the-top discourse on talk radio and the political blogosphere. With Portney, Berry focuses on what leads cities to pursue sustainability. Berry’s current courses at Tufts include: Presidency and the Executive Branch; Congress, Bureaucracy and Public Policy; Nonprofits and Civil Society; and New Media, New Politics.

As Dean Glaser mentioned, the professors that make up the political science department are varied in their areas of interest and exceptionally impressive. Some of Berry and 31

“[TUFTS IS] A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL FREE TO EX SURE, WE MIGHT NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT IT Glaser’s peers include Natalie Masuoka, who focuses on American racial and ethnic politics, Kelly Greenhill, who researches the use of military force and international crime, Nimah Mazaheri, who teaches courses on the politics of oil and energy, and Pearl Robinson, who is currently working on a documentary about Islam and female empowerment in Niger.

The courses within the political science department are divided into four sections of study: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory and Philosophy. Within these subfields, class topics range from health care, constitutional law, Machiavellian theory, national security policy, democracy and morality, race in politics, and regional politics in Africa, South and East Asia, and the Middle East.

Senior Hayden Lizotte, a minor in political philosophy, asserts that his political science courses have included some of the best discussions he has had at college.

“Most of them are theory-based, and we’re atypical in that we actually read primary sources. I’ve read works written by Thucydides to Nietzsche, and I’m always surprised by how much I can learn from a bunch of people who read the exact same thing as me. Everyone finds something different, and everyone is willing to share.”

This type of dynamic classroom discussion is common within the department. While political issues can be polarizing, Tufts classes explore such a wide range of causes and interests that students of all backgrounds, experiences and beliefs are drawn to the major. This varied range of students often means that agreements in the classroom aren’t easy to come by. But Dean Glaser says that this vigorous dialogue is the goal; “not everyone agrees all the time—we don’t expect it and we don’t want it,” he said. If students shared the same outlook in each debate, or in every classroom, a university in general would be a very boring place. Courses in

the department are designed to challenge and inform the opinion of students, not necessarily reaffirm their previous beliefs. There are a number of people who are interested in race and ethnicity and class, American Studies, and economics, who flock to political science courses to learn how these areas are applicable in their everyday life. “It’s not the most harmonious place all the time, but it would be a problematic place if it were,” said Glaser.

While Tufts’ location in Boston and its underlying philosophies tend to attract a more liberal student body, it does not prevent people from voicing an opinion that differs from the majority. Most political science students actually seek out interactions with students who hold different views to get into passionate political arguments and discussions. “Tufts definitely does lean liberal,” said Hayden, “but I also think it’s a place where people feel free to express their opinions and be respected. Sure, we might not agree on everything, but it creates a dialogue.”

Outside of the classroom, students continue to be deeply involved in political projects and events. Every semester, there are many impressive speakers who visit campus to discuss various topics in the political realm.

Last year, students were given the opportunity to attend a lecture by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and were able to attend a talk by Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator from Massachusetts, this semester.

Many clubs on campus also have a political foundation.

Sophomore Dana Kaufman discussed some of the many groups on campus that are involved with political issues. While the two most obvious political groups remain the Tufts Democrats and the Tufts Republicans, Kaufman asserted that there are many other student groups that involve political discussions as well, ranging from Israel-Palestine relations to sexual assault. “The

FACULTY BOOKS In the last two years, the political science faculty has churned out eight books that demonstrate the diverse range of areas of interest within the department. Here’s a look at the last couple years in books: The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility,

by Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Berry and Associate Professor of Sociology Sarah Sobieraj

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Changing Minds, if Not Hearts: Political Remedies for Racial Conflict,

by Professor of Political Science James M. Glaser and Timothy J. Ryan

The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion, and Immigration, by Associate Professor of Political Science Natalie Masuoka and Jane Junn

The Pragmatic Enlightenment: Recovering the Liberalism of Hume, Smith, Montesquieu, and Voltaire, by Associate Professor of Political Science Dennis Rasmussen

PRESS THEIR OPINIONS AND BE RESPECTED. CREATES A DIALOGUE.” best part about all of these opportunities is that students from all majors are involved, not just political science,” said Kaufman, who believes that the majority of students at Tufts have a strong interest in political affairs, thus allowing a diverse group of students to come together.

Kaufman herself is heavily involved in Tufts Votes, a non-partisan student organization that works closely with other student organizations, both political and nonpolitical, to help make voting registration accessible to students. Tufts Votes serves as an umbrella organization to help facilitate the registration process, including recruiting volunteers and planning registration drives.

Kaufman, along with sophomores Ben Kaplan and Olivia Carle, also serve as Vote Everywhere Ambassadors for the Andrew Goodman Foundation. The foundation, which was founded in honor of Andrew Goodman who was murdered during the Freedom Summer of 1964, encourages civic involvement and recognition of the importance of civic engagement and civil rights.

Beyond Tufts Votes, student groups are actively involved in the off campus political scene. Students participate in phone banking, canvassing for local and national candidates, interning on campaigns, and attending conferences around Massachusetts and the wider area. This past year, Lizotte had such an opportunity—he became involved in state politics by interning on the campaign of a candidate running for state representative for Medford and Somerville in Massachusetts. Lizotte, who joined the campaign to get practical experience in campaigning, believes that one of the greatest takeaways was the difference between democratic theory and the real-life problems encountered on the campaign. “Even when studying politics and democracy theoretically, it’s interesting that

the practical problems are less focused on changing people’s minds and more focused on getting people to participate in a political process,” noted Lizotte. “This really refocused my understanding of politics.”

Both Kaufman and Lizotte, who have been involved in multiple extra-curricular political organizations, agree that through joining organizations like Tufts Votes and community politics, students are able to meet other equally enthusiastic peers, learn about internships, and get connected with the larger political environment.

For students who are interested in getting further off campus than the Medford/Somerville area, a Tuftsin-Washington program is offered, which exposes undergraduates to the working environment of national government. Students in this program study at American University in either an American National Politics or an American Foreign Policy track. Students in this program complete the equivalent of four credits, through creating their own independent research project and spending two days a week at an internship of their choice.

Regardless of where politically minded students extend their influence and reach (as many continue on to graduate schools, PhDs, careers in law, academia and economics) their time in the classrooms of Tufts will not be swiftly forgotten. In stressing the importance and power of classroom conversation, Dean Glaser recalled one of his favorite moments in the years of teaching at Tufts. “A few years ago, when the power went out in Medford and Somerville, I was in a windowless classroom, and we still had a 45 minute class in the dark— no light, no window, it was pitch dark—and we had this extraordinary conversation,” he said. “Everyone’s pens were down because they couldn’t take notes, and they just really listened to each other. It made me feel lucky to be teaching at an exceptional place like this.”

Regulating Prostitution in China: Gender and Local Statebuilding 1900–1937,

by Associate Professor of Political Science Elizabeth J. Remick

America’s Mission: The United States and the Worldwide Struggle for Democracy, by Professor of Political Science Tony Smith

Migration, Refugee Policy, and State Building in Postcommunist Europe,

by Associate Professor of Political Science Oxana Shevel

The Challenge of Grand Strategy: The Great Powers and the Broken Balance between the World Wars, co-edited by Associate Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Taliaferro

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ADVICE

THE APPLICATION: HOW TO MAKE TH FOR JUNIORS Maybe you’ve visited some colleges already. Maybe your parents are starting to ask nonchalant but increasingly pressing questions about your future plans. Maybe you see your senior friends in a frenzy as they finalize their applications. But don’t fret; there are easy, manageable steps that you can take right now to prepare your college application. You’ll thank us next year. For more advice, visit admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions.

1 FIGURE OUT YOUR SENIOR SCHEDULE Your senior schedule will be important to us as we look for evidence of academic preparedness. Assistant Director of Admissions Meghan McHale wrote a blog post on this very topic, so these three tips in drafting your senior schedule come from her:

Go big. “If you’ve just had a solid three years, try to take it up a notch,” says Meghan. “A very strong first semester performance can make you a real contender in this process.”

Keep it robust. Tufts recommends five rigorous courses each year of high school, from the five core areas (English, social studies, math, science, and foreign language). That’s the goal, but sometimes it’s OK to specialize by doubling up in one area.

Look out for number one. Yes, we like a challenging senior curriculum. But you need to be able to succeed in these classes, so don’t overwhelm yourself. It’s also important to enjoy senior year and do the things you love outside of class!

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2 DRAFT YOUR LIST Wading through all the information and developing a list that feels right to you is half the battle of this process. Here are three action items for you as your list begins to take shape:

Make the most of your visits. Meeting actual students and exploring a campus is very helpful as you search for the right fit.

Attend an information session and tour, but also go a little rogue: eat in the dining hall and eavesdrop on the quad.

Explore online if you can’t visit. Tufts provides a virtual tour of campus online, but we also have blogs by current students on our website, which can give you an idea of what day-to-day life at Tufts is like.

Think about more than just numbers.

It’s easy to get lost in student-faculty ratios and retention rates. At a certain point, the schools you are looking at all have similar numbers, so focus on the people, place, and programs (the 3 P’s, if you will, not to be confused with Tufts’ theater organization) to find a good fit for you.

3 PLAN OUT YOUR STANDARDIZED TESTS Look at some of the testing requirements for schools you might be interested in so that you have an idea of what you will need.

If you’ve decided to take the SATs, Tufts will require two subject tests, so think about which ones you could take at the end of this year. If you’re applying to the School of Engineering, we’d like one of those subject tests to be in math, and we recommend that the other is in either physics or chemistry, so plan accordingly!

“AS YOU BEGIN THIS HYPEFILLED JOURNEY, HERE’S SOME ADVICE FROM YOURS TRULY: BE OPEN TO DISCOVERING A PLACE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF… THIS FIRST PORTION OF YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH IS THE DISCOVERY PHASE. IT’S TIME TO CHECK THINGS OUT; IT’S NOT THE MOMENT TO MAKE ANY FINAL DECISIONS. LET YOURSELF BE SURPRISED.” —Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions

E MOST OF WHAT YOU CAN STILL CONTROL FOR SENIORS It’s senior year, and many pieces of your college application are behind you. Your grades are what they are. Your course schedule is set. You’ve taken some (if not all) of your standardized tests. But there is still plenty you can do to make your application the best it can be. Our team is here to help. For more advice, read our blogs at admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions, but here we’ve prioritized for you. What can you do right now to make your application submit-ready?

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ENGAGE THE SUPPLEMENT

NAIL THE INTERVIEW

KEEP UP THE HUSTLE

You may have saved the supplement for last, but it should definitely not be an afterthought. In fact, the supplement is often our favorite part of your application, and gives us the best sense of you as a person. Here are three tips as you tackle our supplement:

… If you choose to do it! Interviews at Tufts are optional (yes, optional) and not guaranteed. If you do request and receive an interview with one of our alumni representatives, however, you’ll want to make the most of that time. Here are three things you can do to prepare for an outstanding college interview:

Your senior year counts. In fact, your academic performance only becomes more predictive of college success over time. So admissions officers receive your midyear grades and often use them in the decision-making process. We like to see a challenging (but manageable) senior year curriculum and strong grades, so keep focusing on school!

Convey fit. The supplement is the one piece of material that you can customize.

Take advantage of that opportunity by writing about the pieces of your personality and interests that are a good fit for that particular school.

Define your voice. The way you write your essay is sometimes more important than what you write! When you chat with friends, are you loud and gregarious? Soft spoken and thoughtful? Whatever it is, your essay should reflect that style as well.

Make each essay purposeful. Before you begin each essay, ask yourself what the point of it is. Each one should tell us something important about you, your worldview, or your passions. Maximize your space by avoiding repetition; each essay should touch on something different.

Prepare questions. Hopefully you already know a lot about the school to which you’re applying. Now ask yourself where the gaps in your knowledge are. Thoughtful, wellprepared questions can go a long way.

Remind yourself what the admissions team already knows. Read through your application essays one more time.

Your interviewer won’t see these, but the admissions team will, and you are using the interview to its fullest potential if you talk about things that are not already in your application.

Take a deep breath. This is a conversation, not an audition. Our alumni interviewers are excited to meet you and they love that you are interested in their alma mater. You are not expected to be anything other than a high school senior, so relax and let this be fun!

“YOUR APPLICATION IS A STORY … ABOUT YOU …

THINK ABOUT HOW THE ‘EXTRA’ PIECES [OF YOUR APPLICATION] MIGHT SHINE A DIFFERENT LIGHT ON YOUR CANDIDACY. BE CANDID AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. ARGUE YOUR CASE. BE AUTHENTIC. AND HAVE SOME FUN WITH IT!” —Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions

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JUMBO: MARVEL, MYTH, AND MASCOT Take a stroll around Tufts’ campus, and you’ll spot Jumbo the Elephant in more than a couple of places. Whether he’s mounted on the entrance of Dowling Hall or bouncing around Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center, he’s certainly not hard to find. While this lovable creature may seem like any other university mascot at first—courageous, cute, and even cuddly—Jumbo has much more to him than meets the eye. With a background steeped in history, adventure, and American culture, Jumbo’s story gives new life to your average college mascot.

Most students are vaguely familiar with the story of Jumbo—somehow, he arrived at Tufts and then, voila! He became our mascot, right? Jumbo’s journey to Barnum Hall, however, was a bit more complex. And to commemorate the 125th posthumous arrival of Jumbo on Tufts’ campus, the university has commissioned a brand new, life-size, accurate statue of Jumbo to be delivered to campus this fall.

Along with this exciting new addition to campus comes a book researching Jumbo’s life in the spotlight entitled Jumbo: Marvel, Myth, and Mascot written by Tufts’ own Andrew McClellan, Professor of Art History. Professor McClellan also curated a Tufts Art Gallery exhibition of the same name. He saw the 125th anniversary of Jumbo’s arrival to campus as the opportune moment to research his life and times, and when a donor came forward to fund a new statue on campus, the project came full circle.

So how, exactly, did Jumbo get to Tufts? Well, he first traveled from his birthplace in Africa to Paris, and later to the London Zoo in 1865, where he gave rides to spectators each day of the week, including famous figures like Winston Churchill and Teddy Roosevelt.

After Jumbo gained quite the fan base in London, P.T. Barnum, a founding trustee of Tufts, saw an opportunity to purchase him in 1882, transporting him to New York City to become the star of Barnum and Bailey circus. Jumbo soon became a celebrity throughout the United States, even leading a herd of Barnum’s elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge a year after it opened to test the bridge’s safety.

Tragically, Jumbo’s life in the limelight ended when he was hit by an unscheduled train in Ontario, Canada. According to legend, he was attempting to save the life of another baby elephant. According to Professor McClellan, however, the legend is merely a myth.

“It was concocted by Barnum to make his death seem more dramatic and more sympathetic,” he said. “Elephants are remarkably social creatures and they really have an extraordinary capacity for caring for each other. I think Barnum was building off something that could have been true.”

But just where does Tufts come into play in the life of Jumbo?

It all began when Reverend Elmer Capen, then president of Tufts, decided the university ought to expand its operations, and approached P.T. Barnum for funding.

From there, Barnum funded what is now Barnum Hall, which housed a museum of natural history, where Jumbo’s hide was eventually displayed as the prized specimen. Students would stick pennies into Jumbo’s trunk and tug on his tail for good luck before both sporting events and nerve-racking exams. Some students even tugged so hard that Jumbo’s tail was eventually removed! This tradition luckily saved one small part of Jumbo from an electrical fire in the 1970’s, which destroyed both Barnum Hall and, sadly, the rest of Jumbo’s hide. When news spread of the fire, Tufts maintenance man George Wilson grabbed an empty peanut butter jar to quickly collect Jumbo’s ashes, which remain in the athletic director’s office even to this day.

But then—how, exactly, was Jumbo adopted as our prized mascot?

“Jumbo … emerged organically from the students,” McClellan explained. “We have photos from 1910 or so that have images of Jumbo decorating our campus, a Jumbo effigy being used on the sidelines of football games, [and] Jumbo’s image eventually being adopted by cheerleaders on the sidelines of football games and migrating onto uniforms of Tufts athletes.”

And after Jumbo’s life of adventure, his strong association to Tufts founding trustees, and his significant ties to 19th century American history, his story provides a thought-provoking presence to our university that is truly unique for a mascot.

“He’s a creature that can prompt us to consider our relation to the natural world,” McClellan expressed. “In a way, some people regret what happened to Jumbo. The story is sad, and it’s a historical reality and it makes us think about [questions like]: what is our relationship to the natural world and to animals? What is the proper and responsible way of acting with animals on our planet?”

McClellan, who spent over a year traveling across the country and researching in order to curate this exhibition and publish his book, employed the help of several Tufts students along the way.

Take one step into his grand exhibit, and you’ll be taken aback by intricate, historic prints, old-school trinkets, Jumbo-inspired products, and even Jumbo’s ashes—still housed in a peanut butter jar—situated right next to the beloved elephant’s tail.

—CHARLOTTE GILLILAND ’16

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PROGRAMS With nearly 150 majors and minors, 30 interdisciplinary programs, and the courses of the ExCollege, Tufts’ offerings require more than a brief skimming, so you can find an expansion of this quick list on our website. But in the meantime, skim away.

Just note that Tufts undergraduate programs are offered in two schools: Arts & Sciences and Engineering. You can choose majors and minors in either or both schools, and many students do. You may even transfer from one school to the other.

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES MAJORS

History

Civil Engineering

French

Interdisciplinary Studies

Computer Engineering

Geoengineering

*available only as a double major

International Literary and Visual Studies

Electrical Engineering

Geology

Environmental Engineering

Geoscience

International Relations

Mechanical Engineering

German

Africana Studies American Studies Anthropology Applied Mathematics Applied Physics Arabic Archaeology Architectural Studies Art History Astrophysics Biochemistry Biology Biomedical Sciences* Biopsychology Biotechnology* Chemical Physics Chemistry Child Study and Human Development Chinese Classical Studies Cognitive and Brain Sciences Community Health Computer Science

Italian Studies Japanese Judaic Studies Latin Latin American Studies Mathematics Middle Eastern Studies Peace and Justice Studies

Engineering Psychology/ Human Factors English Environmental Studies* French Geological Sciences/Earth and Ocean Sciences Geology/Earth and Ocean Sciences German Language and Literature

Political Science Psychology Psychology/Clinical Concentration Quantitative Economics Religion Russian and Eastern European Studies

Engineering Physics

Greek Civilization

Engineering Psychology/ Human Factors

Hebrew

Engineering Science

Italian

Environmental Health

Japanese

History

Judaic Studies

MINORS

Latin

Africana Studies

Latin American Studies

Arabic

Latino Studies

Architectural Engineering

Leadership Studies

Architectural Studies

Linguistics

Art History

Mass Communications and Media Studies

Asian American Studies Astrophysics Biotechnology Engineering

Mathematics Medieval Studies Multimedia Arts

Russian Language and Literature

Chemical Engineering

Sociology

Child Study and Human Development

Music Engineering

Chinese

Philosophy

Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Physics

Spanish Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Colonialism Studies

FIVE YEAR COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAMS

Computer Science

Tufts/New England Conservatory: BA or BS and Bachelor of Music

Drama

Tufts/SMFA (School of the Museum of Fine Arts): BA or BS and Bachelor of Fine Arts

Education

Dance Economics Engineering Education Engineering Management

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING MAJORS

German Studies

PROFESSIONAL DEGREES

Greek

Biomedical Engineering

Greek and Latin

Chemical Engineering

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Greek Archaeology

Philosophy Physics

Greek

Architectural Studies

Music

Drama Economics

ADDITIONAL DEGREE OPTIONS

Engineering Science Studies English Entrepreneurial Leadership Film Studies Finance

Music

Political Science Religion Roman Archaeology Roman Civilization Russian Sociology Spanish Studio Art Urban Studies Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

CLASS HIGHLIGHTS COGNITIVE AND BRAIN SCIENCES (CBS) CBS is one of the most interdisciplinary programs at Tufts, as it draws from psychology, linguistics, philosophy, computer science, and biology, just to name a few! Here are some (but certainly not all) of the courses offered this semester that count toward a CBS major.

The Psychology of Bilingualism Introduction to Computer Science Animal Learning Cognition Perception Intellectual Development of Young Children Language and Mind Logic Behavior-Based Robotics Human Computer Interaction ArtiďŹ cial Intelligence Psychology of Music Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Memory and Retention Reading, Dyslexia, and the Brain Mathematical Psychology

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Here are just some of the many classes taught through the Department of Mechanical Engineering this semester: Mechanical Design and Fabrication Thermodynamics Applied to Sustainable Energy Heat Transfer Dynamics and Vibration Machine Design Power and Propulsion Applied Fluid Mechanics PHOTO BY KELVIN MA/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Applied Solid Mechanics System Dynamics & Controls Micro-Fabrication and Design Modern Quality Control Thermal Management of Electrons Biomaterials Wind Engineering Computational Thermal-Fluid Dynamics

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When I first entered Professor Daniele Lantagne’s office, I was greeted by the sight of Styrofoam packing peanuts, mounds of clay, cubes of hay, and an assortment of other strange materials. Needless to say, I was a little confused by this professor’s version of “office supplies.” “[These materials] are for building earthquakeproof homes,” Professor Lantagne explained as she cleared some of the items off one of her chairs for me to sit. Not real homes, she clarified, but smallscale models made by students in her freshman engineering course. Groups of students in the class received different sets of materials, she explained, and were tasked with building two houses—one that would survive a simulated earthquake, and one that wouldn’t.

The course in question is called Engineering in Crisis, a class which teaches students about the kinds of engineering and design principles that come into play during emergency situations. It’s full

of hands-on projects which are focused around actual, real-world crises. The “earthquake-proof homes,” for example, were for a project designed around the 2010 Haiti earthquake; Professor Lantagne plans to have future projects dealing with Hurricane Sandy, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and oil spills like the recent Napocor spill in Iloilo.

Professor Lantagne does a lot more than just teach these principles—she actively uses them, both in academic research and in field work. Before coming to Tufts as a professor, she was a Public Health Engineer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over seventy-five percent of her time there was spent traveling to over forty different countries. Many of the places she visited were developing countries, and much of her work centered around water treatment and disease prevention. She still travels to Haiti to aid in the implementation of chlorine-based water treatment in order to fight off the disastrous cholera outbreak which began after the 2010 earthquake.

Professor Lantagne joined the Tufts Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2012. She noted that Tufts is one of the few universities that “allows for a combination of health, medicine, policy, and engineering,” all of which are extremely relevant to the work she does. As for the students, she explained that, “[Tufts students] can find an answer to a question, and understand how that answer will impact the world.” That kind of skill is essential in all fields of study.

When asked what advice she would give to an undergraduate, she said “you need to build a core competency that’s your own, regardless of what that is.” More importantly, she explained, it’s necessary to understand where it fits in with everything else. “People with a key skill can bring a lot to the table,” she said. It’s clear that with her extensive experience and project-based teaching style, Professor Lantagne knows how to help students develop these skills and apply them to real-world problems.

—MATTHEW PETERSON ’16

DANIELE LANTAGNE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 40

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Professor Daniele Lantagne’s engineering introductory course, Engineering in Crisis, teaches students how engineering design principles come into play during realworld crises.

JUMBO SIGHTINGS TUFTS STUDENTS CAN’T LOOK AT ELEPHANTS WITHOUT SEEING JUMBO. IF YOU’VE SPOTTED ONE LATELY, SEND AN EMAIL WITH YOUR PHOTOS AND CAPTIONS TO JUMBOEDITOR@TUFTS.EDU

KATHLEEN LI ’16 from NAMELexington, HERE ’18MA

“Badge of pride to be from Hometown a Jumbo!”

“A happy baby Jumbo in Maine!”

NICHOLAS FICETO ’18 from Malibu, CA

PHOTOS

BY STUDENTS STUDENTS&&ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATION PHOTOS BY

“After spending all day deliberating where I belong, I stumble upon this guy sitting in the front entrance … what kind of sorcery is this?!”

LEE COFFIN Dean of Admissions The Dean took a turn as the Jumbo mascot at a recent open house.

ARIEL SERRUYA ’18 from Great Neck, NY “A tiny Jumbo toothpick holder!”

CAMILLE SAIDNAWEY ’17 from Belmont, MA

GREG WONG Assistant Director of Admissions

“I took this photo at the Miami zoo.”

“Found this Jumbo key chain at a gift shop in Rome.”

GABRIELLA GOLDSTEIN ’84 Director of the Tufts European Center in Talloires, France

TOMMY GARTMAN ’18 from Decatur, GA “Baby Jumbo spotted in Hoedspruit, South Africa.”

RAQUEL SHOSHANI ’18 from Chula Vista, CA “Found a Jumbo by the Sea of Galilee.”

MATT ALANDER ’08 from Hamden, CT “On a family trip in Thailand!”

“Jumbo in front of the European Center in Talloires, an 11th century Benedictine Priory.”

Equal Opportunity Applicants for admission and employment, students, employees, sources of referral of applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with Tufts University are hereby notified that this institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, veteran status, or national origin in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries or complaints concerning Tufts University’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, or Section 504 is directed to contact the Office of Equal Opportunity on the Medford/Somerville campus, 617-627-3298 or 800-611-5060 (TDD 617-627-3370). This office has been designated by Tufts University to coordinate the institution’s efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Section 504. Any person may also contact the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202, or the Director, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Region One, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, regarding the institution’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, 34 C.F.R. Part 100; Title IX, 34 C.F.R. Part 106; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, 45 C.F.R. 90; or, Section 504, 34 C.F.R. Part 104.

In addition, Tufts has formulated an administrative policy that educational and employment decisions are based on the principle of equal opportunity. The consideration of factors such as sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, veteran status, or disability unrelated to a person’s ability, qualifications, and performance is inconsistent with this policy.

In accordance with both federal and state law, the university maintains information concerning current security policies and procedures and prepares an annual crime report concerning crimes committed within the geographical limits of the university. Upon request to the Office of Public Safety, 617-627-3912, the university will provide such information to any applicant for admission. The report is also available online at http://publicsafety.tufts.edu/asv/wp-content/uploads/Annual-Security-Report-2014-2015.pdf.

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Burlington, VT Permit No. 149

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS Tufts University Bendetson Hall 2 The Green Medford, MA 02155 -7057 617-627-3170 admissions.tufts.edu

“While most colleges and universities answer to the call of a generic eagle, fierce feline, or knight in armor, Tufts is fortunate to have as its mascot a legendary elephant, Jumbo, who was once the most famous animal in the world …

Jumbo’s story weaves together important strands of nineteenthcentury history: the emergence of new vehicles of public education and enter tainment— museums, zoos, and the circus—and the expansion of their exhibits in the wake of colonial exploration; the development of steamship travel and the railroad; the explosion of commercial products and advertising; the rise of American colleges and their mascots … [I wish to] underscore Tufts’ claim to the most distinctive of college mascots.”

—Andrew McClellan, author of Jumbo: Marvel, Myth, and Mascot