AROUND TOWN

REMEMBER YOUR CHARLIE CARD!

Tufts has a traditional campus tucked away in suburbia while still being in close proximity to a city full of opportunities and excitement. With the T stop only a 12-minute walk away from campus, there’s plenty to be seen, eaten, and explored in the Greater Boston area. Inspired by Valeria Velasquez’s ’23 motto, “Ditch Uber! Take the T!”, here is a list of some of her favorite places to visit in the Boston area.

PORTER SQUARE

HYNES CONVENTION CENTER

CHINATOWN ASSEMBLY ROW

HAYMARKET

COURTHOUSE

RED LINE PORTER SQUARE ORANGE LINE CHINATOWN GREEN LINE HAYMARKET

THE SHOPS AT PORTER The Shops At Porter is a hidden gem in Porter Square and it’s only one stop away from Davis Square. If you’re a fan of Japanese food—anything from katsu curry, udon, and tantanmen to oyakodon—this is the perfect place for you. Sit down at one of the various food stalls and enjoy the sounds coming from the kitchen, the conversations around you, and a bowl of some of the tastiest and most affordable food you can get in the area. Come support small businesses and don’t forget to bring cash! FOODIE HAVEN Word of advice? Come to Chinatown with an empty stomach because you’re bound to walk back to the T stop with either a drink in your hand, a full stomach, or a bag of delicious takeout. At every corner, you’ll see a quaint bakery, a family-owned restaurant, and a boba shop. Some of my favorite Chinatown treats include the egg puffs from the Egg Puffs stall, the pork chop pho at Pho Pasteur, and the Portuguese egg tarts from Great Taste Bakery. NORTH END Boston is famous for its North End area. Though I’m not much of an Italian food a cionado, after watching a Tufts Admissions video, “A Tufts Senior’s Food Tour of the North End,” I was inspired to take a trip with my friends to the North End. Consensus? If you want to take a scenic stroll and consume a copious amount of delicious carbs, transferring from Park Street and getting off at the Haymarket Station on the Green Line is a way to ful ll your cravings.

SILVER LINE COURTHOUSE ORANGE LINE ASSEMBLY ROW

GREEN LINE HYNES CONVENTION

OCEAN VIEWS Seaport is a farther destination that is worth the commute. Transfer from the Red Line at South Station and on to the T’s underground bus system— the Silver Line. Once you get off at the Courthouse stop, you’ll be a six-minute walk away from the Institute of Contemporary Art, an art museum with a spectacular waterfront view and captivating exhibits. Even if you’re not much of an art fanatic, you can take a walk near the museum and enjoy the views of the ocean. Afterward, be sure to stop by for some almost-too-cute-to-eat (but delicious!) ice cream at Taiyaki NYC Boston, a brief stroll away. ICE CREAM AND BOWLING Once you’ve visited Downtown Crossing, ransacked the sales at Primark, and walked past the Paul Revere House too many times to count, you’ll be yearning for a new experience. Transfer from the Red Line to the Orange Line at the Downtown Crossing station and head north to Assembly Row, Somerville’s feature conglomeration of shops and restaurants. If you’re not in the mood to shop, no problem! When I go with my friends, our trips consist of grabbing ice cream from J.P. Licks and spending the evening bowling and arcading at Lucky Strike. NEWBURY STREET Reach the picturesque Newbury Street by getting off at the Hynes Convention stop of the Green Line. Newbury Street is the perfect place for window-shopping and people watching. My typical Newbury trip usually consists of stocking up on pens and notebooks from Muji and hunting for Uniqlo sales. Then, I’ll stroll down the street and appreciate some of the Romanesque Revival style buildings and the 19thcentury brownstones. From the Hynes Convention Center Station, there are other worlds to explore as well—continue west and you’ll reach Allston, a destination all Tufts foodies have got to visit. Take a 20-minute walk south and take advantage of Tufts students’ free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts.

FROM CLASS

Tufts encourages students to step outside of their comfort zones when it comes to their educational journeys. For Daniel Moon ’20, founder of the Tufts Lifting Club, this meant taking a theatre & performance studies class with Professor Maurice Parent. Daniel, who had no previous experience in acting, was enthusiastically welcomed into this new challenge by his current mentor and great friend, Maurice. Now, years after they rst met, we caught up with them to see what they had to say about Tufts, life, and everything

in-between. BY BLAKE ANDERSON ’24

What do you both think makes Tufts special? Maurice Parent: It’s cheesy, but the students are awesome here. I know it’s cliché, but I learn through teaching the young folks I get to work with, and I try to make myself open to talk outside of class if you want to get a coffee, or talk about life, or even if you just need to vent. Daniel Moon: It’s de nitely the people—not just the students, but also the faculty and the staff. Speaking of professors, I was pre-med and [a] bio [student] and taking an acting class was way outside of the scope of my major, but to have been welcomed so warmly by Maurice…it really opened my eyes to that area of the university. Maurice, what was the dynamic like when Daniel was your TA after he had taken your class? MP: He was a dope TA! Like, I would be in the middle of class and I would be doing my thing and I would be very ighty, and he would just raise a question or make a statement and I would be like, “YEAH! Let’s do what he said.”

What do you think is the importance of theatre in these often troubling times? MP: Daniel is a wonderful example of someone who...doesn’t know what role the arts will play in his life. Of course, as his former acting teacher, I hope it plays a part, but, like he articulated, [he] was on a different trajectory when he went into the artistic space. I think that he gained value. I think the artistic space comprises a way to hear your voice, you know, your voice—like, who you are as a human. It’s the energy you put out into the world. It’s how you connect with other people. It’s exploring things that may be new to you. Now, there is

ROOM TO CONVERSATION

WITH MAURICE PARENT & DANIEL MOON ’20

bravery to step outside your preconceived notions about yourself—that’s the main thing I think the arts do. Daniel?

DM: In the midst of this pandemic, where some students are taking classes completely virtually, having an arts class or a drama class where it’s interactive and you can bring out that part of you that doesn’t get shown anywhere else, I think that is incredibly valuable. Every student that I talk to, you know, I tell them, “The one class you HAVE to take before you graduate is Intro to Acting.” MP: I love when I nd students that really plug in and really go for it, like Daniel did, and I’m just so proud of them. They engage with respect and honesty and hard work in the theater, and that’s all I want. DM: The respect that Maurice shows his students was one of the major reasons I think students in his class were so receptive to what they were learning. We’d have students come in who wouldn’t say anything for the rst few classes, and Maurice would pull them in. Do you have any advice for prospective applicants to Tufts? DM: To future Jumbos, the most valuable part of the Tufts experience is the community: the people you surround yourself with, the professors you interact with. I really want to stress that—no matter what major you are—Tufts really gives you the time and the space to take classes completely outside of the scope of your major. Take classes outside of your comfort zone. MP: I would advise you to not stay in one lane. Try other lanes because you never know. College is such a great opportunity to explore.

CHECK THESE OUT

Tufts believes in supporting your growth personally, academically, professionally, and intellectually. When we asked students about “must-know opportunities,” they were quick to suggest the following. While we’ve given ten options, these are merely a sampling of many, many offerings! Which one(s) pique your interest?

Career Center Summer Internship Grants Each summer the Career Center funds 40–50 undergraduate students to partake in unpaid internships for a minimum of 300 hours. These funds offer students the opportunity to explore career elds and gain experiences domestically or abroad. Selected students receive $4,000.

Unexpected Hardship Fund Life is rather unexpected at times. We always hope that each student will be able to attend Tufts without facing unexpected hardship. However, we know that in the span of four years, some students may nd the associated cost of an opportunity to be prohibitive. To that end, students who have an estimated family contribution under $10,000 (per academic year) may access this funding for support by contacting the FIRST Resource Center.

Tisch Scholars for Civic Life Program Tisch Scholars is a unique leadership development program that combines academic coursework, eldwork in local communities, skill-building, and critical re ection. Scholars acquire the values, knowledge, and skills they need to address pressing social issues and effect meaningful change while building a supportive community to strengthen civic engagement at Tufts and beyond. All scholars receive academic credit each semester, perform eight hours per week of eldwork, and have access to Scholar alumni who are living lives dedicated to social change. Tisch Summer Fellows Program The Tisch Summer Fellows (TSF) program through the Tisch College of Civic Life connects students to summer internships and provides stipends for students to carry out their work. The program encourages students to explore opportunities in various disciplines and sectors across the country. TSF has fully supported remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic, thus providing students who participated in the 2020 TSF program with $4,000 stipends for their work.

Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program The Laidlaw Scholarship funds undergraduates (individuals and teams) over the course of two consecutive summers to pursue a research project. Scholars are supported for up to six weeks each summer, working closely with a Tufts faculty mentor. Research projects can focus on a variety of topics, including international projects.

The Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) Summer Internships The various summer internship programs offered by the IGL provides students with unique opportunities to be connected to global leaders, policymakers, innovators, and scholars. Mentorship is core to the IGL, thus further widening the Tufts community and connecting current students to alumni who are at the top of their elds. The IGL was integral in working with students to nd remote work and internships during the spring and summer of 2020, and continues to serve as a mechanism for academic, extracurricular, and research exploration.

The Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion The six identity-based centers within the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion are the Africana Center, the Asian American Center, the FIRST Resource Center, the Latinx Center, the LGBT Center, and the Women’s Center. These communities on campus offer safe spaces, increased representation, and a network of opportunities for further connection. Within each center exists a wide array of individualized programs and resources, such as mentorship, pre-orientation programs, workshops, and advising.

Experimental College Explorations Program Through Explorations, rst-year students take a course designed and taught by other students. The courses usually focus on untraditional topics (think Avatar: The Last Airbender, the psychology of dogs, and food media) and are smaller, pass/fail seminars meant to build connections between rst-year students. When it’s time for academic advising, you get to meet with peers and a faculty member who’s connected to the course. It’s a two-for-one deal you can’t resist! Department of Music Private Lessons Looking to keep up with your clarinet or learn some new musical theater tunes? The Department of Music offers private lessons to all Tufts students, regardless of major and course load. While the lessons cost extra, scholarships are available. This makes private lessons affordable and accessible to any student. So, get practicing!

Tufts Mutual Aid Organized by students in the wake of the campus closure announcement in response to COVID-19, Tufts Mutual Aid (TMA) redistributes critical resources to Tufts community members in need of assistance. From institutional advocacy to rent dues, storage space, and summer tuition, TMA offers a variety of aid. TMA also runs a food pantry on campus that collects donations from food rescue initiatives and local grocery stores. Check out their website to volunteer or donate!