JUMBO Magazine - Summer 2020

JUMBO THE TUFTS ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE | THE STORIES OF TUFTS, NOT JUST THE STATS

ADMISSIONS.TUFTS.EDU | ISSUE 27 / SUMMER 2020

THE HOMETOWN ISSUE In Pursuit of Equity: Meet Iman Ali How Do You Battle a Pandemic? Community There’s No Place Like [Your Roommate’s] Home Your Best Admissions Essay—It’s All in the Research

M EET JUMBO

These pages were written by Tufts students. Flipping through them should feel like taking a stroll through campus. You’ll meet professors and students; they’ll share with you what excites them. You’ll drop into a class on an unfamiliar topic and leave inspired, dig into some fascinating research, or hang out in a residence hall with potential classmates.

Along the way, you might decide that Tufts feels like the right place for you. If that happens, this magazine is also for you—flip to the back where we’ve broken down the basics on applying: deadlines, aid, and our advice. This is Tufts; explore it.

PHOTO BY ALONSO NICHOLS/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

CONTENTS

FEATURES

20 | Community. Bringing a Buzzword to Life When students left campus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, their concern for each other took on new and tangible forms.

30 | We’re in This Together Activism by students, staff, and faculty created and sustains the dedicated spaces of Tufts’ identity-based centers.

3 10 12 16 17 26 36 38 39

INFOGRAPHIC ARTS LIVING CLASS HIGHLIGHTS AROUND TOWN ATHLETICS APPLICATION ADVICE ADMISSIONS INFO FINANCIAL AID

On the Cover: Iman Ali ’22 is always on her feet as she advocates for health equity.

COVER PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN DOOHER (FRONT), TUFTS UNIVERSITY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER (BACK)

GREETINGS

FROM THE DEAN this often as you start your first year of college—by new classmates eager to learn about you. Knowing where you call home provides a piece of that information. Some of our students have lived in one place their whole lives, while others have called many places home. Whether “home” is singular or multiple, a geographic place or a community of people, each of us is shaped, in part, by the cultures and values of our hometowns.

“WHETHER ‘HOME’ IS SINGULAR OR MULTIPLE, A GEOGRAPHIC PLACE OR A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE, EACH OF US IS SHAPED, IN PART, BY THE CULTURES AND VALUES OF OUR HOMETOWNS.”

MEET THE STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Most of what you’re about to read was written by these Tufts students. Listen for their voices as they introduce you to the Tufts community, page by page.

THE TUFTS ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE

Here at Tufts, we practice contextual admissions. That is, we review your application in the context of the opportunities and experiences available to you based on the secondary school you attend, the community in which you live, and the part(s) of the world you call home. As we build an intentionally diverse community, we also consider the perspectives each applicant might bring to campus because of their local and regional influences. We believe our students are better educated when they have the opportunity to learn from peers who have lived different lives in different parts of the country and the world than they have. We’re proud of enrolling students from all 50 US states and dozens of countries around the world, and from towns big and small, urban and rural, provincial and cosmopolitan.

In this issue, we’re celebrating these hometowns—from Lexington, NE, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to New York, NY—and who we are because of them. You’ll hear from a student who claims a hometown just four miles from the Tufts campus and believes health equity is rooted in community-based intervention.

You’ll learn about another student’s 1,200mile journey to Tufts from Thomasville, GA, in search of “a dream of community.” You will read about pairs of roommates, each from different communities, and what they learned about each other as fellow Jumbos. You will explore three courses rooted in “the significance of space and place.” You will also hear from our recently elected Tufts Community Union president, members of the faculty, and my colleagues in admissions about what makes our home on the Hill special to us.

And if you come to Tufts, you will be making Medford and Somerville, and Greater Boston, your next hometown. To that end, we will share with you some information about the Tisch Scholars program that pairs students with community partners in order to develop relationships and address pressing social issues in our host communities.

As you embark on your college search, take pride in your hometown(s), and look for that next community that you’ll be proud to call home. I hope that Tufts University makes the short list.

Best,

JT Duck Dean of Admissions From Wheaton, MD/Philadelphia, PA/ Somerville, MA

SIWAAR ABOUHALA ’23 from West Harrison, NY

CHRIS PANELLA ’21 from Hollywood, FL

MAGGIE BROSNAN ’23 from London, England

KEESHA PATRON ’21 from San Bruno, CA

JACOB GREENWALD ’23 from Baltimore, MD

VALERIA VELASQUEZ ’23 from Columbia, MO

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 Abigail McFee (from Chadron, NE), Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions Design by Hecht/Horton Partners

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

“WHERE ARE YOU FROM?” You will be asked

WHERE WE’RE FROM

The Tufts community has many hometowns.

We come from places that are big and small, rural and cosmopolitan, in all 50 states and nearly 80 countries. Explore where we’re from in this map, indicated by the color green.

As of July 1, 2020 3

INSIDE OUT

A REAL YET RANDOM, PLAYFUL YET SERIOUS SPIN AROUND CAMPUS— AND JUST BEYOND

DINING HALL HACK: BREAKFAST BURRITO LOOKING TO ADD A LITTLE SPICE to everyone’s favorite meal

of the day? Both Carmichael and Dewick are stocked with the perfect ingredients to make a breakfast burrito. Grab a tortilla and some scrambled eggs (egg whites will also do just fine). From there, the burrito can be customized with some piping-hot add-ins, including hash browns, roasted potatoes, bacon, and sausage—don’t forget Tufts’ stellar vegetarian options, too! Of course, top the burrito with shredded cheese, diced tomatoes or salsa, and plenty of hot sauce. And if the burrito’s too full to roll, put it in a panini press for a minute. It’ll come out crispy, warm, gooey, and so delicious!

WHO ARE DANCEHALL QUEENS? What role do bodies and embodiment play in resistance?

This course seeks to explore these questions through studying the lives, music, and works of Dancehall Queens. Taught by visiting instructor Onisha Etkins, a PhD candidate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the course features interdisciplinary classes, interesting discussions on power inside and outside the Dancehall, and two dance class sessions (no prior dance experience required!). Etkins guides students through questions about what roles bodies, sexuality, and performance play for Dancehall Queens and how we interpret dance as a power of expression and culture.

TUFTS TWEET @TUFTSUNIVERSITY Tufts professor Jennifer Burton and her four sisters

recently released the web comedy series ‘Old Guy,’ which had scenes filmed on and around Tufts, and even included film students in the editing process.

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NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC: KNOWLEDGE, RESILIENCE, CIVIC PURPOSE, AND ENGAGEMENT TUFTS’ TISCH COLLEGE OF CIVIC LIFE launched an eight-

week webinar geared at supporting students and the Tufts community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place weekly beginning on June 10, it drew on the expertise of Tisch College faculty and staff, Tufts faculty in a range of academic disciplines, and experts from Boston-area universities, hospitals, and community nonprofit organizations.

THE SUN, THE SKY, AND THE OCEAN -OBJECT BY HALLEY SUN STUBIS, 2020, FABRIC, EXPERIMENTAL CYANOTYPES, LACE, EMBROIDERY HOOP

EXCOLLEGE HIGHLIGHT: DANCEHALL QUEENS: ANALYZING BODIES, POWER, AND RESISTANCE THROUGH DANCE

WHAT WE’RE READING: RED DRESS IN BLACK AND WHITE BY ELLIOT ACKERMAN ’03 A GRADUATE OF TUFTS and the Fletcher School, Elliot

Ackerman is a former Marine officer and widely acclaimed author. His latest book is a novel that unfolds over the course of a single day in Istanbul, telling the story of an American woman attempting to leave her life in Turkey behind—including her husband—and claim her own path.

‘TIL NEXT TIME “TO THE BIG YELLOW HOUSE on the corner of Professors Row: you’ve been a place of comfort

THE SUN, THE SKY, AND THE OCEAN -OBJECT PHOTO BY MARGOT MITCHELL-NOCKOWITZ

for me when I wanted to cry, laugh, commune with others, or bask in the joy that exists in being Black and a Jumbo. Thank you for being a space where TikToks are spontaneously made, where Pearl bakes cakes for us all to enjoy, and where ‘late-night Capen’ takes place.

Thank you for being home. My introduction to the Africana Center started in late August 2016 when I did Students’ Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora (SQUAD) pre-orientation.

Those couple of days helped me understand the support that was available to me as a Black student on campus. From sitting in the lounge learning from seniors my first year, to making gingerbread cookies with my advisory group my second year, to sitting with Dom and chatting about life my senior year, these walls have been a source of comfort and joy.”

—Kella Merlain-Moffatt ’20

OUTRAGEOUS PLANS FOR SENSIBLE IDEAS

BEE HAPPY

SMFA SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITS are always exciting moments that recognize the hard work

WHILE THE BUZZ of campus life faded in the spring and

of graduating artists. But as COVID-19 left campuses empty and spring semester plans up in the air, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts found a creative solution to celebrate its 2020 graduates and the culmination of their thesis work. The virtual end-ofyear exhibition showcased 14 students’ art and highlighted their creative perspectives, ideas, and influences. While the students’ theses—ranging from incredible paintings and printmaking to thought-provoking sculptures and videos—deserve a proper in-person showing, the virtual exhibition makes it possible to enjoy their work in real time, wherever you are in the world.

summer, the bees were still hard at work. Tufts Pollinator Initiative, composed of professors and students with a passion for pollination, has planted three bee-friendly gardens on the Tufts campus—featuring everything from foxglove beardtongue to purple coneflower to New England aster.

According to local sources, the bees have been busy—and the gardens in bloom.

FROM THOMASVILLE, GA Rising junior Curry Brinson knew that he wanted to go to college away from home. Born and raised in Thomasville, Georgia, Brinson was always interested in New England schools. He relates the journey to Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson’s journey in the film Lady Bird, which we laugh about together. It’s a favorite film for both of us. “You know, she travels across the country, away from her family, for college,” he explains, comparing his desire for a “big college story” to McPherson’s.

Like the film’s heroine, Brinson had plenty of expectations going into college, but he’s confident that they’ve been satisfied so far. “Tufts has lived up to what I thought it would be, and more.”

During high school, Brinson found Tufts thanks to his counselor and immediately knew it was right for him. “Something about it just clicked, and then I toured it, and it was just totally right.” Brinson is telling me, over the phone, his story of coming to Tufts. It’s hard not to miss the immediacy of inperson interviews, but Brinson’s personality is vibrant over the call. “I’m a pretty social person, so it’s been hard for me in quarantine,” he admits.

Like most college students, Brinson spent the remainder of his spring 2020 semester at home.

“I feel super privileged and lucky to be in a home situation that I feel safe in and to have parents that are really supportive of me,” he shares. It’s interesting to talk about his journey to Tufts while he’s back where it all started, especially since

Brinson has brought much of his college experience home with him.

“It’s been a lot of talking with my friends nonstop,” he says, “because we’re all in this together and we’re in similar situations.” Those Tufts friendships help Brinson feel connected to campus even as he’s thousands of miles away. But it’s hard not to feel a pinch of longing while we talk about the Tufts community that we both miss.

“I’m a tour guide,” Brinson explains, “and a story that I tell about why I chose Tufts is all about the community that I felt here. I found out about that community while I was a high school junior, riding on the Joey.” He’s referring to the campus shuttle that takes Jumbos across various stops on campus—it’s good if you don’t want to make the (short, yet calf-wrenching) uphill jaunt from the Campus Center to your German 1 class in Olin, trust me. “I kept headphones in but didn’t play any music, and I just eavesdropped on everyone. I was fascinated

by Tufts students themselves and how incredibly interested and interesting they all seemed.”

It’s a hilarious moment, but it also speaks to how quickly a prospective student can fall in love with Tufts. Brinson is full of funny stories. On his first day of Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO), a pre-orientation program for first-year students, Brinson’s father randomly (and embarrassingly, at the time) connected him with another first-year student who he spotted wearing a backpack, yelling,

CURRY BRINSON RELIGION AND HISTORY MAJOR

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“Hey! Are you doing TWO? So is my son Curry! I think you both would make great friends.”

“Now, she’s my best friend and I spent Thanksgiving with her family this past year,” Brinson laughs. Brinson’s “dream of community at Tufts” that he had built for himself in high school was practically realized on his first day.

Now, as he ends his sophomore year via Zoom lectures, Brinson and I talk about his history and religion majors, the future (a scarier topic than usual), and his various extracurricular activities, including being a student staff member at the University Chaplaincy. “What I love most about the Religion and History Departments is [similar to] what I love about working with the University Chaplaincy,” he says. “They all foster collaborative environments.” Brinson believes that these spaces encourage him and his peers to “engage with one another as a means of working through problems or just simply building community.”

We also talk about his other campus activities, like being the survivor support executive for Action for Sexual Assault Prevention at Tufts, the tour guide diversity and recruitment co-chair, a TWO leader, and a member of ATO. “I always do a lot of fun things—things that I like,” he laughs. It’s a sentiment that brings a smile to your face; he’s genuinely happy to be a Jumbo, and ready for what’s to come.

—CHRIS PANELLA ’21

’22

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Back home in Georgia, Curry reflects on leaving for college two years ago—and the lofty expectations that came true.

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TUFTS’

TOP 10 TISCH SCHOLAR PROJECTS

The Tisch Scholars program, part of the Tisch College of Civic Life, offers students the opportunity to develop leadership skills while addressing pressing social issues in their communities. Each year, Tisch Scholars work with a nonprofit organization or government office in one of Tufts’ host communities, address issues on campus, or tackle social problems through a senior thesis. Explore some recent projects below.

Somerville Community Health Agenda The Somerville Community Health Agenda is an innovative partnership between Cambridge Health Alliance, the Somerville Health Department, and the community—working collaboratively to achieve health equity among Somerville residents.

Alejandro Baez ’21 works on Stigma Unstuck, a multi-event art and film series aimed at bringing greater understanding to mental health issues.

Asian American Resource Workshop Chae Chun ’20 worked at the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), which strives to empower Asian American communities through grassroots and community organizing. Chae supported the AARW in the lead-up to its 40th anniversary celebration while also working on other ongoing projects, including a political education program called Sticky Rice Project.

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Action for Boston Community Development Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) is a nonprofit human services organization that provides low-income residents in the Greater Boston area with the tools and resources needed to transition out of poverty, by systematically addressing the range of barriers they face. Elebetel Assefa ’22 is supporting ABCD in establishing a pilot project that extends access to fuel assistance funds, addressing one of the largest regulatory barriers to homelessness in Greater Boston.

Office of State Representative Christine Barber Nithya Badrinath ’22 is working in the Office of State Representative Christine Barber, who represents the 34th Middlesex District. Rep. Barber has focuses on expanding affordable housing, promoting high-quality early childhood education, improving access to health care and addiction care services, and supporting the Green Line Extension. Nithya assists Rep. Barber and her office in supporting legislation through policy research, writing testimony, drafting talking points, and producing communications materials.

STEM CURES Julia Asfour ’21 continues her work with STEM CURES, a project that brings STEM education to Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. Julia assists with multiple aspects of the project: recruiting volunteers at Tufts and in local communities, developing a STEM curriculum for programs in the camps, and helping to equip classrooms with science education tools.

Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center Sonya Bhatia ’21 is working at the Health Promotion Center (HPC) of the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, which aims to provide quality health care with respect and compassion to a diverse community using the lenses of health equity and social justice. Sonya collects both qualitative and quantitative data on HPC programs and performs analyses using the tools of critical race theory, in order to create a presentation for the South Jamaica Plain Health Center at large.

Petey Greene Program Adaeze Dikko ’20 worked with the Petey Greene Program, which supplements education in jails, prisons, and detention centers by preparing volunteers to provide free, quality tutoring to support the academic achievement of incarcerated people. Adaeze was involved in tutor trainings and interviews, as well as expanding the club format for Tufts tutors.

Massachusetts Voter Table The Massachusetts Voter Table advances civic access, engagement, and representation using grassroots organization to increase resources and build power among people of color, working-class communities, young people, and new citizens.

Carolina Olea Lezama ’22 worked on the pilot Get Out The Count initiative, which aimed to prepare historically undercounted communities for the 2020 Census.

The Welcome Project Mathew Peña ’21 is working with The Welcome Project, an organization that builds the collective power of immigrants to participate in and shape community decisions.

Specifically, Mathew is supporting its Youth Aspirations Program, which is rooted in the belief that youth have the potential to be important voices and community leaders.

Mathew runs the college access program, organizing workshops and seminars that will help high school seniors throughout the application process.

ILLUSTRATION BY ©2020 SAM ISLAND C/O THEISPOT.COM

Institute for Democracy in Higher Education Eve Abraha ’21 is working at Tisch College’s Institute for Democracy in Higher Education, a leading venue for research, resources, and advocacy on college student political learning and engagement.

Her work centers on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, which she is exploring through relevant readings and by conducting case studies at other colleges and universities.

ARTS HIGHLIGHT

VICTOR “MARKA27” QUIÑONEZ ’03 BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts

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T S I T R A

Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez ’03 is a self-dubbed “prolific artisan” whose work spans illustration, graffiti, fashion design, mixed-media installations, his own line of toys, and an award-winning creative agency, Street Theory, that he founded and runs with his wife Liza Quiñonez. “A huge influence on my personal work is the ability to think like an illustrator, and a product designer, and a fine artist,” he explains, “and to combine all of those things when working on a piece…to create something very unique.” Victor’s “Neo-Indigenous” style is unmistakable, whether in his commissioned murals around the world, his gallery exhibitions, or his work in fashion design: powerful imagery drawing on graffiti and street culture, boldly mixing pop culture and traditional Mexican imagery, with the purpose of “engaging an audience in a dialogue on cultural authenticity driven by self-expression.”

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) gave Victor a head start on his early career—working for companies like Nike and Converse—by posing real-world assignments as opposed to “boring and basic stuff.” Practicing faculty-artists also helped connect Victor to the gallery world. He recalls an early encounter with Kehinde Wiley, who

was just emerging into his career and came to SMFA as a visiting artist. “At the time I was very anti-tradition. I was working with spray paint 90% of the time and I was painting these huge murals throughout Boston,” he remembers. “Kehinde was one of those people who would question what you were doing. He was trying to get you to open up [and] explore other mediums to take your work in different directions, because every medium has its advantages and disadvantages. I think back to that conversation and I’m glad I was able to meet people like that through SMFA.” SMFA’s open curricular structure encouraged experimentation. Victor remembers hearing from friends at other art institutions who were pigeonholed into a single discipline and its resources.

Meanwhile, at SMFA, a photographer could experiment with mixed media, or create a silkscreen with their photography, without even needing to be enrolled in a corresponding class. “You could just talk to the instructor, set up a time, and go do it,” Victor says. This acceptance and support of complexity, of the manifold nature of any artistic practice, applied to the community as a whole.

According to Victor, “Another thing that I really

PHOTO BY GABRIEL ORTIZ

OM

N O I T C E R I D I N THE

AL respect about SMFA is how incredibly diverse [it is] in terms of the students…that they allow to have a platform or voice. It doesn’t matter what gender you are, how you identify. You know, me being a Mexican artist and dealing with subject matter of immigration and politics, that’s all encouraged.”

Victor’s career didn’t jump right from being a student to running Street Theory with co-founder Liza Quiñonez. But each role taught him something that carried him to the next step. “I got my first job doing graphics for a fashion company, which led me to packaging design, which later got me into designing for a toy company, which eventually got me to

designing my own toys.” Those toys actually gave him one of his first experiences of being featured in a major international museum. “I think every artist’s big-time goal is to get into a museum…and the first time I had a taste of that was when I was on a trip to London with a company I was working for and I visited the Tate. Randomly, one of the toys that I designed was in their gift shop! That kind of blew my mind.”

Not every job was glamorous. Victor remembers working as a janitor at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum while he was attending SMFA. While buffing floors, he’d look at the Renaissance paintings

“IF THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT FEEL LIKE, ‘I WANT TO GO TO ART SCHOOL, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE HARD,’ I JUST WANT TO TELL THEM THAT IT’LL BE WORTH IT IN THE END.”

hanging there and think, “All these guys have been dead and gone for such a long time and they have no idea that their work has carried on for all these decades.” Things came full circle in 2018 when Victor was invited back to the Gardner Museum as a luminary, an honor given to Boston’s most innovative artists and cultural leaders.

“I just want to let students with backgrounds like mine know that the struggle makes you stronger and smarter than people who are just handed opportunities,” he says. “I think that if there are students that feel like, ‘I want to go to art school, but it’s going to be hard,’ I just want to tell them that it’ll be worth it in the end.”

Even though Street Theory keeps Victor and Liza busy, they still find the time to curate a space in the South End dedicated to murals and public art called Underground at Ink Block. This urban park provides opportunities for local, national, and international artists to leave their mark through impactful public projects. Thankful for the support he received early on, Victor still prioritizes providing opportunities to a new generation of aspiring artists—another way in which the omnidirectional comes full circle.

—THOMAS DUNCAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS, SMFA AT TUFTS

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LIVING

HOMETOWN SWAP Hailing from different hometowns, these four pairs of roommates learned a lot from living together—about Midwestern gardening, the meaning of a mezuzah, chaotic Mondays, and a must-have dining hall sandwich.

Allison Julia + Julia Proshan ’22 from New York, NY I’ve learned from Allison that it can be truly enjoyable to be busy. Since we have the same majors and some shared extracurricular activities, we turned out to have a nearly identical and equally packed schedule every Monday during the spring semester.

We would be running around campus together, with virtually no breaks, from the morning into the evening; even our studying schedules were in sync. While this schedule was exhausting at times, experiencing campus life together allowed us to develop a new form of gratitude for it. Especially in the wake of this pandemic, I miss the chaotic nature of our Mondays. When Allison talks about her hometown, it reminds me of how we all associate our hometowns with memories. Allison often mentions going to Mitchell’s, her favorite ice cream place, with her friends. Now, I can picture what it looks like, and I know that when I go to visit her, it will be the first spot I want to see.

Allison Cohen ’22 from Shaker Heights, OH I’ve learned so much from Julia about taking initiative and diving into my passions. Whether through encouraging me to apply for a leadership position or attending an interesting speaker or social event together, Julia always motivates me to make the most of all aspects of my time at Tufts. We actually have the same majors, psychology and civic studies, so we’ve really gotten to know each other academically and are able to bounce ideas off of each other, while also having fun together as roommates and really close friends. I love it when Julia talks about New York City. She is such a passionate person, and her passion for her city is prevalent in every conversation. As someone who has only experienced the touristy side of NYC, it is so interesting for me to hear her stories. It really is beautiful to see someone so in love with their home.

Sam Brill ’23 from New York, NY Living with Jaden was an awesome experience, to say the least.

He taught me that the smallest gestures can really go a long way.

Within the first couple of days he would be reaching out to people we passed on campus, trying to extend himself as a resource, even though he was trying to get acclimated to campus life himself.

Jaden baking cookies about twice a week definitely contributed to my “freshman 15,” but it was a great way to meet new people, and I don’t regret eating a single cookie. I learned by watching his interactions that people from Rhode Island really look out for each other, mostly because it’s so small. All in one day, he can be working in Massachusetts at a summer camp and later golfing in Narragansett by the water.

Driving from place to place is definitely different from growing up in New York City, where I can walk without thinking of using a car.

Jaden Pena ’23 from Riverside, Rhode Island Before walking into my residence hall room on the first day of college, I found a small glass ornament hanging outside of my door. I would soon come to find out that this was a mezuzah, a symbol of blessing the room in Judaic culture.

Throughout the year, I learned all about the Jewish traditions that my roommate, Sam, follows. Now, as we stay in touch, I hear all about the Jewish foods and pastries that he eats in his New York City home.

I hear about foods like latkes, matzah balls, challah, and hamantaschen (yes, I had to look up how to spell all of those). Since I want to know more about his home city, I ask Sam hundreds of random questions about landmarks in NYC. Very few days go by in which I don’t learn something new, all because I stay in touch with my former roommate.

Jaden + Sam

Anna Omnia +

Omnia Eldoghry ’23 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Cairo, Egypt Anna and I lived in room 205 of Carmichael Hall, which was quickly dubbed the Persian Palace. Growing up, I was always used to hanging out with people from similar cultures, and therefore when I came to Tufts all I could see were the differences I had with everyone around me. However, from Anna I learned about her high school experiences, life in California, and Armenian culture. This made me realize that even though we grew up in dramatically different environments we shared many similarities, some of which included cultures with amazing food and Middle Eastern moms! Anna also introduced me to her famous sandwich creations, which used to take her 15 minutes to make at the dining hall. Not only did this save me from having to eat the same salad every day, but it also gave me less of an excuse to order Uber Eats every night. I think the most important things I learned from Anna were to be balanced in every aspect of life, not be too quick when making a decision, and of course, to always have a collection of memes ready to use in every situation.

Anna Minasyan ’23 from Montebello, California, and Yerevan, Armenia My roommate, Omnia, was born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but she is Egyptian and spends most summers in Cairo with her family.

Omnia grew up with a very close group of friends that became her family. For Omnia, life in Saudi and Egypt was exciting, and she was constantly surrounded by her friends and family. She told me of her summers in Cairo attending her cousins’ enormous weddings, sand surfing in Saudi, and her graduation trip to Mykonos with all her friends.

Moving to Massachusetts was a really big culture shock for her because it was so different from her life in the Middle East, but quickly she found a group that made her feel at home and made her laugh just as hard as her friends back home. Omnia finds a way to relate to people no matter where they are from, and it helped that she and I had some cultural similarities already. Not only has Omnia taught me to be more extroverted and spontaneous, but she also taught me to laugh a lot more and not take things too seriously. Most importantly, Omnia introduced me to Love Island and added some fun Arabic slang to my vocabulary.

John Button ’22 from East Brookfield, MA Keenan hails from a rather large family; he has three younger brothers and a younger sister (in fact, his brother Cyrus will be coming to Tufts this fall to study biology).

Keenan and I met in Wilson House as first-years and roomed in Harleston Hall last year. Before our sophomore year started, however, I flew out to Colorado, where Keenan and I went backpacking in the Rocky Mountains! While I was out there, we also drove to his house in Nebraska.

Despite the fact that Keenan’s town has almost ten times as many people as mine, the next closest town to his is miles and miles away.

Something wicked interesting about Keenan’s family is that they grow all of their own vegetables, living on the edge of their town by a massive corn field. While I was there, we went running together around that corn field and through his town—a “town” which is a grid city that looks like a sprawling metropolis compared to where I live. Keenan has taught me how to see more good in the people around me and that computer science is (apparently) very cool!

Keenan Rhea ’22 from Lexington, NE John is from a small town in western Massachusetts called East Brookfield. During one visit, while we were running along the lake that the town is built along, I remember him telling me who lived in almost every house, which is something people in cities miss out on. Even though it is very small (like only a gas station and no grocery store small) it’s nice that it is not too far from Worcester.

The surrounding countryside also has its own charm with the rolling hills, ancient stone fences, and lots of trees. John has helped me to get out of my work and projects and really interact with people—well, we’re still working on that. He has also really helped me adjust to the faster pace of life in Massachusetts.

Keenan + John

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FROM MALDEN, MA

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PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

“I understood that whatever I wanted to study and whatever I would engage myself in afterward would be involved in…advocating for equity.”

IMAN ALI

’22

COMMUNITY HEALTH MAJOR

A quick Google search of Iman Ali’s name reveals that the rising junior and community health major is also an accomplished Tisch Scholar involved in several extracurriculars that allow her to pursue her long-established passion for civic engagement. She recounts, “By the end of my high school career I understood that whatever I wanted to study and whatever I would engage myself in afterward would be involved in making sure that I was advocating for equity and learning about history and its systems of oppression.”

Growing up, Iman thought she’d pursue the path of becoming a doctor, undermining the fact that she was more drawn to the bigger-picture, socially driven questions asked by medicine and health care. In her first year at Tufts, she finally found the field of study she’d been looking for when she was introduced to the community health major by Seble Yigletu ’20. “[Community health] is thinking about how we can attack the root sources that are causing people to get sicker and aren’t allowing them to access the care that they need,” Iman describes.

“On a larger scale, how can we prevent people from more vulnerable populations from being sick at a higher rate?”

In her research methods class, Iman studied the low infant birth weight amongst Black babies in Boston and researched community-based intervention methods to close that disparity. Through her

strenuous coursework dissecting the macro perspective that is public health, Iman realized she is particularly passionate about Black maternal health. While discussing her major and the classes she’s taken, she reiterates that “this is the [type of] work I want to pursue in the future,” making it loud and clear that she has truly found a path that fits her interests.

Aside from studying public health trends in Boston, Iman knows her communities—Tufts and beyond—inside out. As a Tisch Summer Fellow, she was given the opportunity to work with MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition), where she was part of the community organization team, which frequently traveled to different parts of Massachusetts. Through this program—which she’s involved in to this day— Iman expanded her perspective on western Massachusetts, a region she states “has a lot of room to advocate for historically underrepresented communities,” and on the extensive process of promoting legislature. Some of her efforts include working to expand driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants and raising awareness about the 2020 Census, which she did by working closely with a Tisch College-affiliated group, Tufts Census Action. Iman echoes a common saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” when describing her experience working with advocacy and community-based

organizations. “[These organizations] are working a year on end to pass legislation. For most people, they’ll see the bill get passed and they’ll see how it affects them in their life, but they won’t see all the intricate work that was done behind the scenes to make it happen,” she states, reaffirming her passion for civic engagement.

As etched into the institution’s mission statement, Tufts aims to provide an experience that will result in students distinguishing themselves as “active citizens of the world.” As a member of the Tufts Diversity Council, Muslim Students Association, Black Student Union, and University Chaplaincy (combined with her other pursuits), Iman is that mission. She’s a critical thinker fascinated by the world around her who doesn’t hesitate to take the opportunities that allow her to explore it.

Although it’s evident that Iman is the type of Tufts student who is always on her feet, her advice to prospective students is to slow down a little and do some introspective thinking. “People around you are going to be doing a lot of different things and learning in an interdisciplinary way. They’re going to actively be thinking about what’s beyond the campus bubble,” she says. “Tufts is not a place that is one-size-fits-all. Remember to not feel overwhelmed by what’s around you and really think about your path and your story in the business of campus life.”

—VALERIA VELASQUEZ ’23 15

CLASS HIGHLIGHTS

CLOSE SURROUNDINGS Many of us are inhabiting our immediate surroundings more deeply, as we adapt to life during a global pandemic—paying closer attention to places and to people. These courses are likewise interested in “the significance of space and place,” with focuses spanning from landscape art to city planning to the contemporary American family.

UEP-0252 Cities: Space, Place, and Time This course will introduce students to the history and theory of cities and metropolitan regions, focusing specifically on the actions of planners and policymakers and how these actions shape our communities, neighborhoods, cities, regions,

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and world. The focus will be on the US, but the course will include comparisons to other systems (e.g., UK, Western Europe, Latin America, and China). The course will examine the urban and metropolitan fabric through the lens of work, family, transport and communications, energy, environmental conditions, physical structure, economics, and trade. Race, class, gender, immigration, and culture change will serve as cross-cutting themes throughout the readings, lectures, and discussions. Particular attention will be paid to institutional actors and their responses—governments, business leaders, and community leaders.

—Jon Witten and Rebecca Marie Shakespeare, Lecturers of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning SOC-0020 Family and Intimate Relationships This course focuses on understanding the contemporary American family, defined broadly as those with whom one shares resources and values and to whom one has a long-term commitment. Topics include historical and crosscultural variations, dating and romantic love, cohabitation and marriage, parenting, family roles, divorce and family stability, and the future of the family.

—Jon Vincent Dzitko, Lecturer of Sociology

ILLUSTRATION BY ©2020 ANNA & ELENA BALBUSSO C/O THEISPOT.COM

VMS-0160 Landscapes and Ecologies Focusing on how artists have engaged with their environments from the 18th century through the 20th century, this class will subject the subject matter of landscape to close scrutiny.

Through a series of case studies, we will examine how the rise in popularity of landscape art allowed artists to speak more broadly about social issues through the depiction of their surroundings, and we will consider how the evolution of the modern world impacted how artists regard the land and emerging urban contexts.

Integrating contemporary and historical approaches, this class looks at parallel developments across Western art, and will consider how various stylistic movements in 18th, 19th, and 20th century painting, as well as photography, graphic arts, sculpture, performance, and environmental art have reacted to the significance of space and place, and humankind’s impact on the land.

—Emily Willard Gephart, Lecturer of Visual and Material Studies (SMFA at Tufts)

AROUND TOWN

PICTURE THIS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA HOGARTH

You can get to know a city—its history, people, and peculiarities—by wandering its streets.

Or its galleries. Each of Boston’s art museums offers something distinct.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner feels like walking through a mind as much as a museum. Modeled after a 15th century Venetian palace, its three floors contain over 16,000 objects—paintings, sculptures, correspondences, and textiles—that were the private collection of a Boston philanthropist, the museum’s namesake. In 1990, the Gardner was the target of the single largest property theft in the world, when 13 works of art were stolen. Though these frames still sit empty, the museum has no shortage of rare, storied, and eccentric art to explore.

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) This museum in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood is known for its stunning views of the water, which would seemingly rival the views within. But with an evolving collection of dynamic and relevant contemporary art, including Kusama’s Love Is Calling and Kjartansson’s The Visitors, the views within always win. Admission is free every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM—a college student’s dream! No two visits are the same, so come back often.

Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Founded in 1870 and home to the second largest collection of art in North America, the Museum of Fine Arts celebrates a special relationship with Tufts’ School of the Museum of Fine Arts. All Tufts students can visit the MFA free of charge and easily spend hours wandering through permanent and traveling exhibitions alike—from the art of Ancient Greece to the paintings of Monet.

Our advice for a visit to the museum is counterintuitive: stay put. Find a bench in front of a work of art that piques your interest, and observe it for as long as your schedule allows.

Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) Tucked into the basement of the Somerville Theatre in nearby Davis Square, the Museum of Bad Art is what its name suggests—a museum (the world’s only!) dedicated to the preservation and celebration of “bad art in all its forms and in all its glory.” And while it’s fun to take a gander at unapologetically bad art and deem it as such, our favorite suggestion for a visit to the MOBA is to find a work of art and, against all odds, fall in love with it.

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FROM TROY, MI

Social psychologist Keith Maddox uses his research to understand the roots of racial stereotyping—and how we can counter it.

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KEITH MADDOX

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND DIRECTOR OF THE TUFTS UNIVERSITY SOCIAL COGNITION LAB

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

“You have to take his class before you graduate, or you will really regret it.” Students seem to say this about every class Professor Keith Maddox teaches. His lectures are engaging and thought provoking, and his research centers on topics in social psychology that are relevant and important today—topics like stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.

Professor Maddox’s interest in these issues began early on. “I grew up outside of Detroit, in a white, suburban environment,” he says. “I remember as a kid always seeing this contrast between what my experience was like compared to [that of] some of my cousins who lived in Detroit, which was majority Black. [But I didn’t] really have a framework for understanding it.”

That framework came later on, in a psychology class he took in college. “I started looking at my own experience through this lens,” he explains, “and this field ultimately spoke to me with respect to how I can look at the world.” But Professor

Maddox’s research goes a step further than perception; he is interested in having an impact. The work he is doing in the Tufts University Social Cognition Lab (TUSC), which he directs, can be used to promote mutual understanding in a diverse but divided society, foster nuanced conversation, and allow for effective action to be taken against racial discrimination and anti-Blackness.

In exploring the role of social categories, TUSC looks at spatial and cognitive representation, seeking to “understand how people try to mentally represent the world, especially in regards to how people represent other people.” His lab focuses on how we group people together, the stereotypes we have about those groups, and how those stereotypes manifest in everyday life. One research project, for example, examines whether humor can help people to engage in stressful interracial and intergroup interactions. Another project looks at how variations in racial appearance—skin tone, for example—affect how people are viewed and judged.

Professor Maddox first started working at Tufts as a lecturer while earning his PhD and hasn’t left since. Naturally, I am curious what he has liked most about Tufts over the past 20 years. “I really like the small size and the intimacy of Tufts,” he tells me. “Opportunities to get to know the students better and interact with them on a one-on-one basis or in a group are the best.”

In his lab, he uses team-building exercises and games during meetings to highlight social cognition concepts and holds year-end celebrations for the graduating seniors he has mentored. I have a hunch that this personal touch, combined with powerful topics, is why Professor Maddox’s classes are so well loved.

—HANNAH STEINBERG ’17

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ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLAS OGONOSKY

COMMUNITY.

BY CHRIS PANELLA ’21

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BRINGING A BUZZWORD TO LIFE

ON MARCH 10, PRESIDENT MONACO ANNOUNCED THAT THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER would look a lot different than its beginning: online classes, empty residence halls, and plenty of uncertainties regarding the future of instruction and life on the Hill. When I look back at the swift decision, however harrowing it might’ve felt at the time, I now recognize how necessary it was.

President Monaco took the COVID-19 outbreak seriously and instilled that same attitude in Tufts’ faculty, staff, and students.

And how that attitude manifested itself during the initial campus closing—fundraising projects, food pantries, emergency on-campus housing—is awe inspiring. Margot Cardamone, the director of the FIRST Resource Center, put that sentiment into words while talking to TuftsNow in March. “We have seen so many people committed to coming together during this challenging time and supporting each other,” she said. I’ve thought a lot about what Cardamone praises as a “show of strength of community,” especially after President Monaco announced on April 6 that Tufts would make its empty residence halls available for essential workers, medical personnel, and patients with mild coronavirus symptoms.

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two together, it required a lot of communication and organization skills.”

Nandagopal explains how impressive these efforts were, noting he’d “never seen a group this large, in terms of the kind of resources we’re working with and the amount of people we’re coordinating, come together in such a collaborative way.” Tufts Mutual Aid impresses me, too. I remember feeling relieved that there was such a thoughtful, student-led effort available in case I needed help during those stressful days.

The group is also unique in its structure, in which, as Dubois puts it, “anyone can jump in and do a task at any given time.” There are no requirements or chair positions. Everyone helps everyone, when they can and how they can. But the network relied, especially in the first weeks after the campus’ closing, on Facebook for communication and outreach. “Tufts, like a lot of other colleges, happens to be a community that’s really connected by Facebook,” Schwartz says. People were already posting on the social media platform, offering and seeking help. There was no real channel to organize all of those efforts, which is why Tufts Mutual Aid arose. “We just happened to engage in the community at the right time, in the right place, in the right way,” Schwartz concludes.

As we transition into the summer and eventually the fall, Tufts Mutual Aid will remain a presence for students and community members in need. “One of the things we’ve been talking about is keeping the food pantry stocked and available,” Dubois explains, adding that the group’s summer plans include connecting students to affordable housing and other mutual funds. Nandagopal also sees the group achieving bigger goals of “cultivating a culture of communally sharing responsibility and resources and having a really welcoming and supporting space.”

Beyond reflecting about the campus’ initial response to COVID-19, I’ve also thought about what came after those first few weeks. For Tufts students, online learning became the norm—we transitioned to asynchronous lecture slides and Zoom recitations. I remember asking my professors the same questions they were trying to answer for themselves, questions about what online learning would look like and how we would maintain our connections and relationships from thousands of miles away. Now, I look back in admiration at one of my instructors, Professor Frank Lehman, in particular.

ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLAS OGONOSKY

S

ince arriving home to Houston, Texas, on March 16, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on that idea of community. Sure, it sometimes seems like a buzzword meant to make us feel included and safe. But during a crisis, the idea of a community becomes palpable. In that week before leaving home, I remember watching RAs like Klea Hysenbelli ’22 and Krithi Ram-Junnarkar ’22 support their residents with moving out of the residence halls and adapting to their new situations. As an RA myself, I had conversations with my residential director, Cyatharine Alias, about supporting students on my hall. Alias was available at any moment to help me, whether it was to answer a logistical question or be a shoulder to cry on. I also recall reading important updates in The Tufts Daily, the university’s daily newspaper. Even as crisis struck, student journalists were hard at work, tirelessly publishing stories and updates.

Across Tufts, the community priority became supporting students through an unprecedented transition in whatever way necessary. Out of this need came Tufts Mutual Aid, an organized network to coordinate resources for students.

“Marley Hillman had posted on Facebook about helping other students,” Monique Dubois ’21 tells me, “and then they made a group of everyone who had reached out to help. It became a Messenger group of people who were all trying to address these concerns.” The concerns ranged from students needing a car to help move their belongings into storage, to money for bus tickets and emergency off-campus housing.

“We began as a way of connecting students to each other,” Evan Schwartz ’21 adds. “We were a facilitator of connections and streamlining community response.” Schwartz, Dubois, and Nikhil Nandagopal ’20 are all on a Zoom call with me, something that might’ve felt so foreign two months ago but now feels as commonplace as checking emails. The Mutual Aid effort sought to organize what students and community members were offering—Dubois notes an amazing number of offers for transportation and housing from Medford and Somerville residents, as well—and provide those offerings for other students to use.

Nandagopal adds that these connections included other Tufts resources that were difficult to parse through. “It’s no easy job, because there are so many people and so many resources,” he says, “and to link and connect those

“I had a few inklings before the official announcement,” Lehman says over Zoom, “but I feel as though we were able to move fairly quickly online.” That relatively seamless transition didn’t come without Lehman’s initial reactions. “I was upset and confused just as any of us were, but I felt that because the nature of the course was heavily reliant on multimedia aspects, this would be easier to transition to an asynchronous class.”

Lehman, an associate professor of music and the director of undergraduate studies in the Music Department, taught The Music of John Williams and Star Wars this past semester. It was his first time teaching the class, which was a comprehensive overview of Williams’ life and work, with the final weeks focusing on the scores of the Star Wars saga. “Pretty quickly, I knew that we weren’t going to cover everything on the syllabus, and that was okay.”

He stresses that it felt impossible to teach the course as he had planned, given the various environments his students would be learning from. Lehman faced that difficulty himself, with a four-year-old daughter at home. “My wife is also a teacher,” he adds, “and it’s just difficult, there’s no way around it. This is draining to logistically handle, even with a class I’ve already planned out.”

What Professor Lehman developed were streamlined, asynchronous lectures and fewer assignments, in order to alleviate the burden on students. He reflects that he’s “pretty pleased with what was accomplished.” And he should be. His virtual lectures were made with love and his email updates were consistent and caring, focused on supporting students above all. The course’s final assignment, writing a cue breakdown for one of the stand-alone Star Wars anthology films, was both fun and a culmination of everything Lehman had taught. He brought the exciting atmosphere of his classroom to us in our homes.

As the spring semester ended and we logged off our last Zoom lectures, the graduating Class of 2020 faced a new challenge: navigating the last few weeks of their college careers and their graduation. After hearing concerns from seniors and their families about the prospect of having a virtual Commencement, President Monaco announced that the university would hold “in-person, oncampus, university-wide Commencement events for all of this year’s graduates when it is safe to do so.” This exciting change came as seniors, like Carter Silvey, were volunteering their time to repair over 6,000 old N95 face masks at the Tufts Medical Center.

“They were going to use the masks for nurses and doctors,” Silvey explains, “but they found that they were old, and the elastic was breaking every time they tried to put them on. So, they had to figure out what materials were needed to redesign around this breaking elastic.” Silvey became involved with the monumental project through a Slack channel that was originally made for the NOLOP Fast Facility, Tufts’ makerspace that Silvey frequents. “I, and a few other people in that channel, were like, ‘Yes, let’s do this. We can really make a difference.’”

He tells me that the project helped him feel like he had a purpose during the pandemic. We’re talking on the phone, just after Silvey has finished his final classes of his Tufts career. He jokes that he’s “technically graduated now.” For about two weeks—most of that time spent waiting for the around 18,000 feet of elastic cord and 6,000 elastic clips and stoppers to arrive—the volunteers dedicated their time to retrofitting the masks. Silvey thinks it was about four or five days in total of working in an assembly line structure.

Hearing Silvey talk about the group’s efforts is nothing short of inspiring.

“We are helping people in this situation where we really can’t do all that much,” he says. It gave him a feeling of control in a larger context in which there is none—with over 6,000 masks done and usable, Silvey and other volunteers feel accomplished. “It was really exciting when we finished. We had social-distanced high-fives and celebrations.”

He also tells me that this project isn’t just a diamond in the rough. “There are other projects that have been popping up around Tufts,” he says, which involve laser-cutting masks and developing better face shields for medical personnel. After the group finished their efforts on the N95 masks, they uploaded their mask repair instructions and the breakdown of the project on Google Drive for others to use in the future.

With all of these stories, I’m reminded of how deeply connected the Tufts community really is. In this time of crisis, Jumbos weren’t selfish or shallow: they were caring and warm, making the online transition easier for students who might be struggling, volunteering their time to connect Tufts community members to essential resources, and looking towards our broader communities to see how they could effect positive change there, as well. These are important initial responses that make me proud to be a Jumbo, now more than ever.

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FROM EVANSTON, IL

Erica Kemmerling uses mechanical engineering to examine a different kind of machine—the human body.

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ERICA KEMMERLING

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

I’ll be honest: when I think of mechanical engineering, I usually think about things like car or airplane manufacturing. But as I sit down to speak with Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Erica Kemmerling, I begin to realize that this field of engineering can extend far beyond man-made machinery to another type of machine entirely: the human body.

Professor Kemmerling’s team researches the human circulatory system and creates models of the body to accurately reproduce blood flow with the goal of advancing health care. By knowing more about the “proper” flow rate of the body, she tells me, medical professionals can build better devices to aid the human circulatory system.

Medical devices are constantly changing and developing, and Professor Kemmerling’s research can provide the data for exactly how these devices should evolve. Her research could lead to better stents, for example, which are designed to hold open arteries that are occluded. She also uses the example of aneurysm clips and coils, which treat the bulging of vessels that occurs during an aneurysm.

“There are new generations of these products every year. We’re trying to figure out how to make them better, and possibly how to make new devices that solve the same problems but in better ways,” she explains.

For instance, one of Professor Kemmerling’s students extracted the geometry of an aorta, the biggest artery in your body, to study its flow.

“[With our 3D printer], we were able to make a model that looks just like a human aorta,” she says.

“It’s okay to take any measurement on that. [For example], we can puncture holes in it for pressure measurements or take any sort of velocity measurements without worrying about hurting the patient.”

Professor Kemmerling chose this research because she wanted to work in an area where she felt she could make the most difference. “I’ve always been interested in fluid mechanics,” she tells me. “I wanted to pick an area of fluid mechanics where I could have the greatest impact on people. I thought that health was a good way to do that.”

Professor Kemmerling makes it clear that she doesn’t want to leave any part of the body unstudied. “Ultimately, I’d want to develop a complete synthetic model of a person,” she says. “So, the entire circulatory system, and maybe some synthetic lungs, and then [I’d] take really detailed measurements of every aspect of the flow in that person.”

I suppose the connection between mechanical engineering and health should have been more intuitive for me. After all, mechanical engineering is about designing and manufacturing mechanical systems, and what machine is more complex than the human body?

—CHARLOTTE GILLILAND ’16

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WHAT DRIVES A COACH? ATHLETICS

Storied NESCAC championships are only part of the story of Tufts Athletics. So we asked the coaches—what defines a Tufts student-athlete?

Head Coach of Volleyball

CORA THOMPSON ’99, ’01 26

What is your favorite part about coaching at Tufts?

Coaching here at Tufts offers me the amazing oppor tunity to engage daily with incredibly genuine, passionate, and hardworking student-athletes who are not only an integral part of athletics, but an integral part of our university. Our student-athletes exhibit a tireless dedication to both their academics and their sport while continuously working to give back to the greater community, which are characteristics I deeply respect. As a Tufts coach, I enjoy the awesome responsibility of identifying, recruiting, and mentoring these impressive Jumbos during their time here on the Hill.

I get the chance to coach wonderful, brilliant, and dedicated young women who in turn help me honor the TUVB legacy by continuously investing in our positive culture. That fosters a cohesive and inclusive team atmosphere, helping us all build lifelong connections. I love the role I am able to play in creating and maintaining this healthy environment because it allows our players to feel comfortable taking risks while exploring their “growth zones,” and as a result real learning and change take place! As a double Jumbo and former twosport athlete myself, I am honored to support my student-athletes throughout their journey here at Tufts, ensuring that they enjoy the transformational experience I was lucky enough to have as well.

What is unique about Tufts student-athletes?

Our student-athletes are some of the most impressive people I have ever met. Not only are they incredibly accomplished, skilled, and passionate about playing their sport at a very high level, but they also excel academically with the same amount of devotion, resulting in some of the most admirable feats off the court! Without question, our student-athletes are competitive, pushing themselves as hard as they can to achieve academic and athletic excellence, while actively finding ways to further engage within the Tufts community. They keep the bar very high for not only themselves, but for everyone else around them, knowing that the success of a team will always outweigh the success of an individual. Our athletes understand and embrace the fact that they are part of something much bigger than themselves, and they are honored to play for and carry on the legacy of those who came before them. Off the court, it is not surprising to hear that our student-athletes’ average GPA is higher than that of the regular student body, even while they often double major, volunteer with two or three clubs, help a professor with research, and intern in the Boston area, all while planning their study abroad adventure! I admire all of our Tufts student-athletes for how much they do and how well they do it, but I will always be most proud of our young women [on the volleyball team] who consistently beat their best.

What do you love about working at Tufts?

Tufts is the most student-centered and collaborative university I have experienced. I enjoy being a Tufts community member because, regardless of whether I’m interacting with Student Affairs, Admissions, Advancement, Facilities & Operations, or any other campus unit, I find that the people at Tufts care about each other, support each other, and root for each other, both personally and professionally. The spirit of collaboration at Tufts is genuine and special, and that’s something I feel is rooted in our common goal to develop, educate, and support our students and provide them with a fun and transformative experience that will benefit them well beyond their time here on campus.

What is unique about Tufts student-athletes?

When I first arrived at Tufts, I remember being so excited to learn that four varsity student-athletes were among a select group of twelve seniors who received the Senior Award to recognize their academic success, leadership, and participation in campus and community activities. After nearly five years at Tufts, I continue to be amazed by the well-roundedness of our

Jumbo student-athletes and the level at which they embrace and take advantage of the incredible array of student experience opportunities that Tufts provides.

Our student-athletes keep their primary focus on their academics, and with a 3.45 all-sport GPA and an ever-increasing number of academic honors rolling in each semester, the Jumbos truly are students first and athletes second. At the same time, our student-athletes are able to pursue their passions and interests on campus and in the community while competing for championships at the highest level of Division III athletics. Just like the rest of our student body, the Tufts studentathletes study abroad, participate in innovative research programs with faculty, assume leadership roles in student clubs and organizations, bring awareness to important social issues, and devote countless hours to supporting local and national charities and nonprofits.

It’s that sort of balance that makes our student-athletes’ achievements on the field of play all the more impressive. And that sort of balance is not possible without our outstanding coaches, who understand and believe that athletic excellence and full immersion in the Tufts student experience are not mutually exclusive endeavors.

PHOTOS BY ALONSO NICHOLS/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

COURTNEY SHUTE

Head Coach of Women’s Lacrosse

JOHN MORRIS

Director of Tufts Athletics

What is your favorite part about coaching at Tufts?

Coaching at Tufts is a dream come true. I said that in my interview, and I believe it even more strongly today, nearly seven years later. The people at Tufts are exceptional human beings. The young women I have the privilege to recruit to this great institution and then assist in developing as lacrosse players and leaders once they are on campus are driven, disciplined, passionate, and in tune with others. They are incredibly smart and equally emotionally intelligent. The university, on a larger scale than athletics, does a fantastic job of showing the country and the world who we are, and what being a student at Tufts will mean for your four years and beyond. This is an open-minded, innovative place, just outside one of the greatest cities in the country. The types of people it attracts make life more full whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff member. I am grateful every day that Bill Gehling gave me an opportunity to be the caretaker of this storied lacrosse program, within such an inspirational university, and that I have the privilege to coach young women who have the talent and potential to impact the world in beautiful ways beyond their time in Medford. I hope I can be a small piece of their Tufts chapter who leaves a positive impact as they spread their wings.

What is unique about Tufts student-athletes?

Perhaps my favorite thing about Tufts student-athletes is that they are anything but “cookie cutter.” When I am on the recruiting trail, looking for our next class of Jumbos, I am not looking for anyone that fits a specific mold, because there is no such thing as a “Tufts kid.” Anyone open-minded, willing to work, and who celebrates the unique differences in others will fit in here. Tufts student-athletes work incredibly hard in all that they do, both in the classroom and on the field. They expect a lot of themselves and their teammates, and with good reason—the Tufts Athletic Department is chasing championships ever y year.

However, the Tufts student-athlete does not get singularly focused. They embrace the journey. Because the journey—the full experience of Tufts and everything that it has to offer them as people and student-athletes—is why they came here in the first place. In my experience, the Tufts studentathlete is also very humble—competitive to their core but in the greater good of serving their team. Tufts student-athletes do a fantastic job of taking themselves seriously and simultaneously being able to keep moments light and fun. They are just incredible. They impress me every single day, as simple as that.

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FROM CLASSROOM TO CONVERSATION The common bond between Diana Martinez, assistant professor and director of Architectural Studies, and her advisee Daniel Montoya ’21 is concrete—as in, the building material. While Professor Martinez is authoring a book on the American colonization of the Philippines through the lens of concrete (“concrete colonialism”), Daniel looks at concrete as a defining characteristic of his favorite architectural style—and perhaps a material that could pave his path forward. —ABIGAIL MCFEE ’17

How did you meet?

Diana Martinez: Daniel was in the very first class I taught at Tufts in the spring of 2018. I’m really lucky that Daniel didn’t just throw in the towel right there, because I was still working everything out…

I remember him being one of my first students. But I really got to know him in the Boston Architecture class, which he also took with me.

Daniel Montoya: I was a mechanical engineer at first, and it wasn’t for me. My advisor at the time was like, “Have you thought about architectural studies through Arts and Sciences?” So I took the intro course, and I absolutely loved it. I really think you, Professor, made it great—your lectures. Boston Architecture also helped me develop more. I’m really into Brutalist architecture, and both classes helped me expand that [interest].

Diana: Daniel really took to Brutalist architecture in the beginning, and as suggested by the name, it’s not the kind of architecture that a lot of people like. Actually, it’s so hated as a style that there have been massive campaigns to destroy every Brutalist building, especially in the Boston area. But Daniel, right away, liked this very difficult, very powerful architecture, and it really clued me in to the fact that he thought very differently from the other students. I enjoyed that about him and wanted to feed him as much about that style of architecture as possible.

Daniel, what was your level of exposure to architecture before taking that class?

Daniel: I had taken an art history class junior year of high school that touched a little bit on architecture, but not a lot. It was really when I took this class that it opened kind of another portion of my brain. One of the first buildings we talked about in class, the Crystal Palace, started it for me.

Diana: The building that really did it for me was Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light, which is also an all-concrete, almost-Brutalist building. I thought, “Oh, buildings don’t have to all look the same.” …I get so excited about space, and reproducing the same experience that I had when I first realized what architecture was, and that’s why I wanted to teach.

Daniel: I think that was a big part. Your emotions and everything for architecture would pass off on the class. I think that’s why I liked it so much, because someone who was equally excited about it [was teaching it].

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What have you noticed about Tufts students/ professors? What do they bring to the classroom environment?

Diana: They have a primary motivation to learn. It’s not driven by some sort of exterior pressure. The students I really get attached to are the students who love to learn... I don’t want to say something generic about them being intelligent. For me, it’s the enthusiasm—their actual interest in the topic.

That’s what I both try to cultivate and seek out in students. And I’ve found it there.

Daniel: Towards the beginning, I never went to office hours. But after Boston Architecture with Professor Martinez, I was pretty set on architecture and knew I wanted her to be my advisor. That’s when it started getting more casual, and I asked her more questions… You have always been supportive and also wanted more, sort of seen the potential. I really appreciate that. Something you told us is, “The work is never done.” That’s applicable to most everything in life.

Diana: That makes me so happy.

Daniel, how have the experiences you’ve had in the Architectural Studies program shaped your idea of a future path?

Daniel: There are three branches I broke off into.

I was really interested in urban design and planning, so I’m getting a minor in that now. That affected me—urban design and how to build for people. I also took some human factors engineering classes, specifically about designing for human beings. And then architecture through Diana’s class. I love architecture, the history of it, the concepts of building… everything is fascinating. And then landscape architecture... I really don’t know where I’m going to go with all of this, but I like the idea of being able to work outside and also design. Right now, I’m working with a landscape architecture firm. All three interest me equally.

PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

Diana: I do think (sorry if I’m lapsing into advisor mode!) that you don’t have to think of your interests as separate. Especially the Brutalist architecture is very landscape oriented. It’s sort of a massive space that is not designed in the same way as buildings are… That interior courtyard for the Government Services building is a landscape—it’s just so heroic. So, I feel like it’s all going to come together for you.

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WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER

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ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE HEEJUNG KIM

A Student-Led Tour Through Tufts’ Identity-Based Centers

Part Two of a Two-Part Series on the Group of Six at Tufts

By Siwaar Abouhala ’23 IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG for you to run into the Group

of Six at Tufts, figuratively and literally. You might stumble into some of the centers during your first few expeditions on campus as a new student, more so guided by fate than any sense of direction. As you stroll down Professors Row, turning the corner past the Latino Center, possibly heading to the Campus Center or your residence hall, you spot the Africana Center and the FIRST Resource Center, their wood frame houses situated just a few yards from one another. Before even matriculating, you might have participated in one of their pre-orientation programs, such as Building Engagement and Access for Students at Tufts (BEAST), connected to the FIRST Resource Center, or Students’ Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora (SQUAD), connected to the Africana Center. Or you might visit a center later on—in your day, or your time at Tufts. Whoever you are and wherever you are in your journey at Tufts, the “right” way and time to get to know these centers and their welcoming members is completely up to you. Rest assured, however, that the centers

will be there for you whenever you would like to join their communities.

There is great pride and gratitude in the FIRST Resource Center, Africana Center, and Latino Center—and the rest of the Group of Six, for that matter—partly due to the student activism and engagement that was required to found them. From the time of their inception until now, a tremendous amount of hard work and love, on behalf of students, staff, and faculty members, has been required to keep the centers alive and well.

Although the FIRST Resource Center was founded only recently, in September of 2018, its impact on the Tufts community is already immeasurable. Before the center was founded, there existed the Office of Student Success and Advising, which did the same work as the FIRST Resource Center but without a physical space completely dedicated to its staff and students. Now, the FIRST Resource Center serves as a space solely reserved for this work and gathering. Its main focus is supporting and advocating for first-generation, low-income,

and undocumented students at Tufts. Margot Cardamone, the director of the FIRST Resource Center, makes it clear that “the financial supports are the least of what we do. The more impactful work based on what the data has shown us is our mentorship, especially the student-to-student mentorship.” This belief is grounded in the presence of a robust Peer Leader program, as well as various professional advising seminars, such as the F1R$T Seminar and an undocumented students seminar.

“You don’t have to justify your existence to us.

There’s no question of whether or not you belong,” she continues. “The inside knowledge that folks can get from our seminar for an hour and fifteen minutes every week on how to navigate school is so important as new challenges and experiences come up.”

These seminars provide staff-to-student mentorship, but student-to-student mentorship can begin as early as pre-orientation, such as during BEAST. Rabiya Ismail ’22 explains, “We were the initial BEAST cohort, but it wasn’t obvious because everyone who organized it did such an amazing job. I 31

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“YOU DON’T HAVE TO JUSTIFY YOUR EXISTENCE TO US. are needed. You just have each other, and it’s this amazing network that no matter where you go, there will always be someone connected to the FIRST Center.”

This feeling of togetherness and unity is also present in the Africana Center, which was founded in 1969. Director Katrina Moore proudly reflects, “We just recently, in October, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the center being on campus.

Because we’ve been around for 50 years, we have a really large alumni base that is also a strong resource to help with career paths and with conversations about the roles they are playing out in the world.” The 50th anniversary of the Africana Center was much more than a celebration of the passing of time or half a century of existence; it was the culmination of years of activism that continues to confront discrimination and work towards a more inclusive community. “To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Africana Center was such a surreal moment that I will never forget. It was so important for me to see the people who are

responsible for Tufts being a more hospitable place for Black students,” Mahamadou Camara ’22 remembers. “To see the rich history of the center made me proud to be at Tufts. It made me realize the center is my stabilizer on a campus where only four percent of the population is Black. This upcoming year, I will be living in the Africana Center to etch my place in its history.”

The Africana Center supports students of African descent at Tufts through an open center, a learning and living space called Capen House, a pre-orientation program called SQUAD, and myriad affiliated organizations. Hezekiah Branch ’21 reflects, “I used to love the movie nights in Capen.

My first year was when Insecure by Issa Rae was really popular and there were so many people in the lounge of the Africana Center—I couldn’t even walk in because there were people on the couches, in the kitchen, on the floor!” This sense of gathering is what Branch channels in his role as a peer leader with SQUAD, which he describes as a program that runs “throughout the whole school year. We work

PHOTOS BY ANNA MILLER, KELVIN MA, GLENN KULBAKO

remember practically every second of BEAST, and I will for the rest of my life. I had a peer leader who inspired me to run for TCU Senate, and then I decided to focus my senate projects around marginalized communities, specifically focusing on FGLI (first-generation, low-income) students. Then, this summer, I’ll be a BEAST and FIRST peer leader and all we can hope for is to help build a community for the new FGLI students coming to Tufts.” BEAST not only helps new students learn about the resources that will be available to them on campus but also directly hear about experiences from current students, which is sometimes much more influential than any facts or figures. Ismail’s experience during BEAST helped pave the way for the rest of her time at Tufts, which has been characterized by continued civic engagement and leadership.

As for students like Sofia Lombana ’21, who helped run the first-ever BEAST program, their hard work was fueled by a desire to meet, support, and welcome new students. “It was the most rewarding experience I have had at Tufts since it gave me the opportunity to structure a program that facilitated the transition of fifty incoming first-years from underrepresented backgrounds into Tufts. My goal of creating an empowering program was often intimidating since the needs and concerns of FGLI students can be similar yet very different,” Lombana explains. She touches on a core value of the FIRST Resource Center, which is to see students for who they are as individuals rather than making any assumptions based on their social identifiers.

The work of the FIRST Resource Center is reflected in affiliated groups and organizations such as the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success (BLAST) program, QuestBridge Scholars, and First Generation Student Collective. “There’s no doubt in my mind that all of the students who are a part of the FIRST community can be successful on their own, but it would be a little harder to overcome any structural problems,” Cardamone clarifies. There is an effort to meet students where they are; it does not always occur to students right away that being first-generation, low-income, and/or undocumented comes with many questions and challenges on campus.

The FIRST Resource Center, however, is there for students whenever they need that resource. Surya Adeleye ’23 explains, “I never realized that being first-gen was such a large part of my identity until I came to Tufts and did BEAST. At times it felt like I was going through this alone and carrying the weight of my entire family on my back. FIRST has helped me realize that I don’t have to carry that pressure with me, that there is a whole community there to help me and back me up.”

Next year, FIRST will open a residential space where some of its students can live, which is only one of a greater body of ideas implemented to connect students through common interests and passions, in addition to identities. Cardamone acknowledges that there is no one way to “look” FGLI or undocumented, which allows students to connect to one another in unexpected and organic ways. She mentions a student who spoke at one of the graduation ceremonies last year and explained that “walking through campus you’ll make eye contact with someone and you’ll remember, ‘Oh wait, you’re first-gen! We’re in this together!’ No words

PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS PFOSI, ALONSO NICHOLS, ANNA MILLER

THERE’S NO QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU BELONG.” with students actively through one-on-ones with them and the staff. We collaborate with the other centers to host events. It’s a lot of fun!”

The Africana Center has also started a successful tutoring program that has helped provide more accessible academic resources for students.

According to Kingsley Udoyi ’20, a member of the Black Students of Computer Science (BSCS) group, “I acted as a consultant and huge advocate for this group. The group was created to help support Black students and other minority groups considering or majoring in computer science.” Other programs and initiatives include Children Of Culture Of Africa (COCOA), African Student Organization (ASO), Association for Multiracial People at Tufts, Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), Black Out, Black Womyn’s Collective (BWC), Black Men’s Group (BMG), Caribbean Student Organization, Essence, S-Factor, and The Black Student Union.

Each of these not only serves as an engaging extracurricular activity but as an inclusive, safe space for students. According to Kelechi Offor ’21,

“COCOA and ASO were the first groups I joined when I came to Tufts, and they’ve easily become the most important spaces throughout my college career.

Coming from a predominately minority high school with mostly Black and Hispanic students as well as being very active with my African community at home, ASO and COCOA have been my ‘home away from home.’ They serve as a constant reminder that I’m not alone and I am deserving of a spot in this institution just as much as other students, even if the stats don’t reflect that.”

This reminder of belonging, a core tenant among the Group of Six, especially holds true for the Latino Center. Founded in 1993 after ten years of discussions and debate with the university’s higher administration and the Tufts Community Union (TCU), the Latino Center offers resources, mentorship, and support for students of Latinx identities.

According to Marvin Casasola, the director of the Latino Center, “I try to get as many people to come into the center as possible. I don’t care where you’re from. You can identify as Latino/Latina/

Latinx. I want you to come in and feel like you’re walking into your abuelita’s house; we’re going to give you something to eat and drink. If you feel like you’re missing something from your culture or traditions, you name it and we can get it! Whatever it is—abuelita hot chocolate or Gansito—we can get it for you because we want you to feel like you’re a part of our familia.”

His promise of familia also serves as an acronym for the values of the center: Friendship, Advocacy, Mentorship, Integrity, Leadership, Inclusivity, and Achievement. Whether through the Peer Leader program or its residential living space, La Casa Latina, the Latino Center offers welcoming spaces for students to gather and connect. Some of its affiliated groups and organizations include the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), Association of Multiracial People at Tufts (AMPT), Brazilian Student Association (BRASA), Laffer Latino Fellowship and Bible Study, Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc., Roti and Rum, Tufts Encendido, and Tufts Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists (SOLES).

According to Carolina Olea Lezama ’22, “The Latino Center has been one of the few spaces at Tufts where I can always go to feel grounded and find my community. Although it has gone through some transitional phases, it is now under amazing leadership, and I hope we can continue to foster and improve our sense of community so that everyone feels welcome.” This desire to expand and provide more unity for students of various Latinx identities is an important initiative for the Latino Center, which Casasola makes clear as he outlines plans and programs for the coming years.

Lezama adds, “The Latinx community is the one I feel closest to at Tufts. I am going to serve as the Latinx community senator for the second time this upcoming year. I’d say I know many members of the Latinx community and try my best to be a good advocate for my community.” Her leadership, along with the work of other passionate students affiliated with the center, is crucial for future growth and expansion. She adds, “I advocate tirelessly for the Latinx Center and FIRST Center as a community senator, but also for all the six identity-based centers as I am the diversity officer on the Senate Executive Board. All of these centers are extremely important to the communities they represent, and I hope that through my work in the senate I can continue to uplift the communities that the G6 represents.” It is this exact effort that acknowledges the overlap of affiliations and identities among different centers through civic engagement.

While many students find community in the six identity-based centers, the work of these centers is not limited to their physical spaces. You do not have to be standing in the FIRST Resource Center, Africana Center, or Latino Center to think about issues pertaining to their communities. The advocacy and community-building that happen in these spaces resonate throughout campus. Likewise, the work of the centers is not limited to what a feature article (even in two parts) can capture. We hope you’ll think of this two-part series as a starting point, as an open door. The Group of Six invites you—all that you are—to step inside and be welcomed.

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FROM DENVER, CO

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ADMISSIONS REMIX SARAH WIENER ’21 PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR AND COLONIALISM STUDIES MINOR If you’re a member of the Tufts community, you likely know who Sarah Wiener is—she serves as senate president of the Tufts Community Union, a role that puts her at the center of campus life (fittingly, she can often be found in the Campus Center, reading for class and drinking cold brew from the student café). Sarah is a member of the Ethics Bowl debate team, a Tufts Wilderness pre-orientation leader, a club water polo player, and a tour guide. In her remixed essays, she reflects on being part of a community that strives to do good.

WE ASK CURRENT STUDENTS TO TACKLE THE TUFTS SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS

Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application?

In short, “Why Tufts?”

I keep a quote book of impactful things that I hear people say. Until I got to Tufts, the book was filled with quotes from my grandmother, high school teachers, coaches, and other traditional role models. As an incoming first-year, the Tufts community was filled with students who I wanted to grow up to be like, and who I strive to make proud every day since. My quote book is written by the support, care, and love that floods our community: “The only place you are, is here.” “We can work through anything.” “Let your emotions move through you.” “The answers to the problems we have today aren’t in the paradigms which created them.” I learn as much from my peers about who I want to be as I do in the classroom. I chose Tufts for our relentlessly caring community, and my “Why Tufts?” gets reaffirmed everyday.

From recognizing break dancing as a new Olympic sport, to representation in media, to issues of accessibility in our public transit systems, what is something that you can talk about endlessly? What do you care about and why?

In philosophy, meta-ethics is the study that goes one level of abstraction beyond what is “good” and “bad,” questioning why and if there is “good.” Without question, racism is bad because it unjustly dehumanizes and punishes marginalized groups (among other reasons). Racism is institutionalized in many oppressive systems, including politics. If we want to end racism and other cycles of oppression, should we work in or outside problematic systems? Policy issues can only be changed through work within the government. On the other hand, we cannot trust institutions that privilege some at the cost of many to self-destruct. Is there good in destruction of bad, or is good only done through building and progressing? What if there is no line, and all of it is gray? What if there is such a thing as good and bad, but they vary person-to-person?

PHOTO BY KATHLEEN DOOHER

I have talked about the nature of meta-ethics in more than my philosophy circles at Tufts. For me, it is usually spurred by reading a frustrating news headline, or reading about an ironically racist ethicist in a philosophy class. Yet, my physics, chemical engineering, and art history peers had the same thoughts cross their mind. “How do we do good?” is a question I think myself and the Tufts community are constantly trying to answer from a million different perspectives. I can see—in the movement for fair contracts for our campus workers, student responses to COVID-19, and more—that we are making progress.

To see the 2020–21 Tufts Short-Answer Questions, visit http://admissions.tufts.edu/apply/essay-questions 35

ADVICE

DIG A LITTLE DEEPER

In an iconic (and catchy) song by the same title, Disney’s Princess and the Frog challenges us to take a critical look at our situation—dig a little deeper—to find out what we’re looking for.

Animated Disney movies get it right some of the time, and the Tufts Admissions team wants to offer some suggestions for comprehensive college research that moves beyond the basics.

—Sean Ashburn, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions What do we mean by “deeper”?

body and cultural organizations.” Nothing wrong there, but let’s try: “I’ve loved reading Kella Merlain-Moffatt’s blog posts about her experiences with Tufts’ Africana Center, which she describes as a place of comfort when she wanted to laugh, cry, or ‘bask in the joy that exists in being Black and a Jumbo.’”

The early stage of college research—we’ll call this “level 1”—is largely about narrowing down your options based on broad characteristics or “fit factors.” At this stage, you’re probably asking yourself some general questions to filter potential colleges in or out: Do I want a big or small school? Do I want to study close to home or far away? Does school X offer my intended area of study? The trick is—once you’ve identified a list of potential colleges that meet these criteria, whether it’s five or fifty—to keep researching. This means engaging in some “level 2” research. We’ll explain what that looks like, but first…

Why does deeper research matter?

1. You should feel confident that the colleges to which you apply are institutions where you feel you could be happy for 4+ years. Thorough research, especially if you are not able to visit campuses, will help you gain that sense of confidence.

2. When you apply, colleges may ask you to articulate what you like about them. You may find yourself writing more than a few “Why (blank) university?” supplemental essays and answering a handful of “So why have you applied here?” questions in admissions interviews. Engaging in deeper research will prepare you with meaningful details with which to respond to these questions about a particular college. Let’s consider some examples:

ILLUSTRATION BY CRISTINA SPANÒ

> Say you’re looking for a college environment that

promotes small, discussion-based seminars filled with intellectual discourse and studentfaculty connections. In a “Why Tufts?” essay, you might write, “I’m excited about Tufts’ 9:1 studentto-faculty ratio because I value active participation in my classes.” Nothing wrong there. But let’s imagine you wrote, “I was inspired to read about Elyssa Anneser’s experience in Professor Schildkraut’s American Politics class in JUMBO Magazine. Elyssa’s account of her classmates’ discussion after the 2016 presidential election and Professor Schildkraut’s description of her lasting relationships with those students illustrate the active engagement in Tufts’ classrooms.”

A bit better, right? > Perhaps you’re seeking an inclusive campus com-

munity where you will feel your identities are supported. In a “Why Tufts?” essay, you might write, “I’m excited about Tufts’ diverse student

Including additional details in these responses creates a more vivid picture of not only what appeals to you about a particular college, but also how you came to that conclusion.

So, where do I look?

For deeper research on location: >

Setting probably matters a lot to you as you consider fit, but how do we move beyond the characteristics of urban/suburban/rural or close to home/across the country/across the world? Geographic fit also includes practical factors like how accessible it will be to travel home for extended breaks and how easy it will be to find a place for a haircut. Here’s where Google Maps comes in: search for a school’s location to learn more about the layout of the campus, the commercial vs. residential make-up of the surrounding community (shout-out to Davis Square), and the distance to a train/bus station or an airport. Next, check out Yelp or another business review platform to learn about the amenities and services that are accessible from campus; this might range from hiking trails to pharmacies, from vintage thrift stores to an onsite dairy bar. Setting is also about “sense of place.” How connected is the college community to the surrounding communities? What is the college’s relationship to the history of its land?

What has the college put in place to ensure mutually-enriching relationships with its neighbors? Search “service” or “volunteer” on a college’s website and spend a little time reading about how current students contribute to the local community. Checking out local media sources will also give you an unfiltered sense of community members’ perspectives on their college/university neighbor.

For deeper research on campus culture:

> The

vibe of a college is a pretty abstract, imperfect metric, because college campuses are ultimately created from a community of individuals with distinct personalities, values, and identities. Still, we encourage you to investigate whether there are unifying similarities. This

means engaging with real people as best you can (in person, via email, and by reading/listening to their stories online and in print). When asked, how do the students describe their peers? Ambitious, focused, driven? Generous, collaborative, kind? Curious, nerdy, eager to learn? Service-minded, politically engaged, activist-y? Athletic? Artistic? Entrepreneurial?

First, immerse yourself in student-produced content. Watch YouTube videos, follow social media accounts for clubs or organizations you might want to join, and read student blogs compiled by admissions offices (like Tufts’ Jumbo Talk). Pay attention to the patterns you see. Second, don’t hesitate to correspond with current students.

Admissions officers can be a source of contact information for current students with a particular major or background, and social media accounts and websites for campus organizations will often list student contact information. Sending a professional email with a few questions about the campus community can help you gain an authentic perspective.

For deeper research on intellectual experiences: > College

websites have A LOT of information. If you’re looking to do some research into the academic offerings, pre-professional advising, and degree requirements to be sure that the classroom experience aligns with your goals, it’s likely that those details are outlined on departmental websites. Reading through class descriptions in the course catalog (often publicly available online!) and reviewing titles of recent student research projects (like the work of Tufts’ Summer Scholars) can help you assess whether the academic experiences at a college resonate with your intellectual goals. Search through a college’s Career Center website if you’re interested in recent internships students have completed or popular post-graduate destinations.

Often the information you’re looking for is published; you just have to dig a little deeper than the homepage. For your sake, we hope you’ll take the extra time to engage with the experiences of current college students. Their stories will enrich your understanding of what intellectual and social life are like at each college, creating a more full picture of a college’s community than any statistic or search engine can provide.

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ADMISSIONS INFORMATION WHAT TO SUBMIT: HERE’S THE LIST. FIND MORE DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 +

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Common Application or Coalition Application

APPLICATION DEADLINES AND NOTIFICATION DATES Early Decision I Application Deadline: November 1 Notification Date: Mid-December

Tufts Short-Answer Questions (included in the Common or Coalition Application)

High School Transcript(s)

Early Decision II Application Deadline: January 1 Notification Date: Mid-February Regular Decision Application Deadline: January 1 Notification Date: By April 1 Transfer Admission Application Deadline: March 15 Notification Date: Mid-May

Senior Year Grades

TUFTS CLASS OF 2024 STATISTICS Testing (Optional) We accept either the ACT or the SAT; neither is required.

Applicants may choose whether they wish to have exam scores considered as one component of their candidacy.

We do not require or review scores from SAT Subject Tests, the SAT Essay, or the writing section of the ACT.

Letters of Recommendation We require one from a school counselor and one from a teacher. You may send us one additional if you’d like.

Art Portfolio Required only for students applying to the Combined Degree (BFA/BA or BFA/BS) and BFA applicants to SMFA at Tufts.

Financial Aid Documents If you are applying for aid, you will need to submit: 1. FAFSA 2. CSS Profile 3. Federal Income Tax Returns For more information, read the next page of this magazine or visit go.tufts.edu/finaidapp

Additional Materials (Optional) • Alumni Interview • Arts or Maker Portfolio: Students applying to the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering may submit an optional arts or maker portfolio to highlight talent in studio art, drama, dance, music, or engineering.

23,127 3,740 16.20% 100% 199 206 49%

Applications Acceptances Acceptance Rate of Demonstrated Financial Need Met First-Generation Students International Students Women in the School of Engineering

Score Ranges of Admitted Students 33–35 Middle 50% ACT 700–760 Middle 50% SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 720–790 Middle 50% SAT Math

TUFTS UNDERGRADUATE STATISTICS 5,907 4.8 20 28 300+ 44% 45% 36% 76 35%

Undergraduate Enrollment Miles from Boston Average Class Size Varsity Sports Teams Student Groups Women in the School of Engineering of Juniors Study Abroad Need-Based Aid Recipients Countries Represented US Students of Color *As of July 7, 2020

THE REAL DEAL: FINANCIAL AID AT TUFTS THE BASICS

WHAT IS NEED?

TUFTS MEETS 100% OF DEMONSTRATED NEED FOR ALL ADMITTED STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF CITIZENSHIP STATUS, FOR ALL FOUR YEARS.

(

Cost of Attendance

)

Tuition and fees Room and board (meal plan) Books and supplies Personal expenses

(

Expected Family Contribution

)

Parent contribution Student contribution

(

Financial Need

)

Your award may include: Grant aid* Student loan Work study

Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount your family is expected to pay for college for the 2021–2022 year. It is calculated from the information provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), CSS Profile, and your family’s federal tax returns. Your financial need is the difference between the annual cost of attendance and your calculated family contribution. Your financial aid package will make up the difference, for all four years—even if your family’s situation changes. We generally do not include student loans for students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year. All Tufts financial aid is need-based—we do not offer meritbased scholarships or athletic scholarships. *Grants are need-based gift aid that do not need to be paid back.

HOW DO I APPLY?

WHO CAN HELP?

COMPLETE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

To estimate the amount of financial aid you might receive if admitted to Tufts:

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)* https://fafsa.ed.gov/ Tufts code: 002219 Cost: free *Note: not required of international or undocumented applicants for financial aid

College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/ Tufts code: 3901 Cost: $25 initial fee plus $16 for each additional college. Fee waivers are available for students who qualify for an SAT fee waiver or whose family incomes are below $45,000.

Non-Custodial Profile (NCP): if your parents are divorced or separated.

The requirement may be waived by the Tufts Financial Aid Office under very specific circumstances.

Federal Income Tax Returns Applicants should submit all documentation to IDOC (idoc.collegeboard.org/idoc), an electronic imaging service of the College Board. Your account will be created at idoc.collegeboard.org once you submit the CSS Profile.

Please do not send tax returns directly to Tufts Admissions or Financial Aid.

BY THE DEADLINE: Application Type Early Decision Round I Early Decision Round II Regular Decision

CSS Profile November 15 January 15 February 1

FAFSA November 15 January 15 February 1

2019 Federal Tax Forms Through IDOC December 1 February 1 February 15

If you are applying for financial aid at Tufts and have a Social Security Number, please make sure to include that information in your application for admission so your materials can be properly matched.

MyIntuition http://admissions. tufts.edu/myintuition Tufts Net Price Calculator https://npc.collegeboard. org/student/app/tufts For questions while applying: CSS Profile 305-420-3670 FAFSA 800-433-3243 “Chat With Us” Service IDOC 866-897-9881 (US and Canada) 212-299-0096 (International)

Ready to get started? Go.tufts.edu/FinAidApp 39

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 three schools: Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. Students may take classes across schools, and many students do.

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES MAJORS

Africana Studies American Studies Anthropology Applied Environmental Studies 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 Civic Studies* Classical Studies Cognitive and Brain Sciences

German Language and Literature German Studies Greek Greek and Latin History Interdisciplinary Studies International Literary and Visual Studies

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING MAJORS ABET ACCREDITED

Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science

Sound

Food Systems and Nutrition

Welding

French

Woodworking

Geology°

FIVE-YEAR COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAMS

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

ADDITIONAL DEGREE OPTIONS

Latin

Architectural Studies

MINORS

Italian

Latin American Studies

Data Science

Africana Studies

Mathematics

Engineering

Anthropology

Middle Eastern Studies

Engineering Physics

Music

Engineering Science

Applied Computational Science

Music, Sound, and Culture

Environmental Health

Philosophy

Human Factors Engineering

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

Japanese Judaic Studies Latin Latin American Studies Leadership Studies

Architectural Studies

Linguistics

SMFA AT TUFTS AREAS OF STUDY

Art History

Mathematics

Asian American Studies

Multimedia Arts

All BFA students at SMFA at Tufts focus in interdisciplinary art. They may explore many of the following areas of study while pursuing this interdisciplinary art education.

Astrophysics

Museums, Memory, and Heritage

Biotechnology Engineering° Chemical Engineering Child Study and Human Development

Economics

Science, Technology, and Society*

Drawing

Computer Science

Education*

Digital Media

Dance

Sociology

Engineering Psychology

Film and Video

Drama

Spanish Cultural Studies

English

Economics

Spanish Literature

Graphic Arts

Environmental Geology

Education

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Illustration Installation

Engineering Education

Jewelry

Engineering Management°

Metals

English

Painting

Entrepreneurship

Papermaking

Entrepreneurship for Social Impact

Performance *Available only as a co-major

Photography

°Available only to students enrolled in the School of Engineering

Printmaking

40

Human Factors Engineering°

Latino Studies

Colonialism Studies

Geological Sciences

History

Architectural Engineering

Ceramics

French

Hebrew

Arabic

Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Film and Media Studies

Greek Archaeology

Judaic Studies

Japanese

Environmental Engineering

Chinese

Environmental Studies*

Greek

Mechanical Engineering

Italian Studies

Electrical Engineering

Bookmaking

Drama

German

Greek Civilization

International Relations

Animation

Computer Science

Geosystems

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

Russian Language and Literature

Community Health

Geoscience

Sculpture

Environmental Science and Policy° Film and Media Studies Finance

Music Music Engineering Native American and Indigenous Studies Peace and Justice Studies Philosophy Physics Political Science Portuguese Religion Roman Archaeology Roman Civilization Russian Science, Technology, and Society Sociology Spanish Studio Art Urban Studies Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

.

Y E H

JUST STARTING YOUR SEARCH? HERE’S WHAT TUFTS IS ALL ABOUT. WE DO OUR RESEARCH

WE ARE INTERESTED

Tufts is a student-centered research university, which means that we like to dig into our passions deeply and figure things out for ourselves—whether that involves using silk to regenerate tissue or spending a fully-funded summer exploring the political implications of Shakespeare’s plays through the Summer Scholars program. Students and professors come together, across disciplines, to ask questions and create meaning.

…in a lot of things. Tufts students don’t limit themselves: they combine biology with philosophy, compete as nationally-ranked DIII athletes, pursue Bachelor of Fine Arts Degrees in studio art at our School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and solve problems as engineers. They’re part of a community that embraces the unconventional and the uncategorizable.

WE ARE ACTIVE CITIZENS

WE DON’T TAKE OURSELVES TOO SERIOUSLY

Jumbos use their skills and ideas to better people’s lives, whether they are teaching engineering in local elementary schools, creating sustainable businesses, or spending a year doing full-time service as a 1+4 Bridge Year Fellow.

They understand that they are citizens of a global community, and they embrace that responsibility.

This is a place where students are as excited to debate fan theories as they are to apply mathematical theorems—as intellectually playful as they are powerful. We believe that ideas can have a profound impact on the world, and those ideas can be born around the seminar table but also in the residence hall common room.

Sound about right? Read the stories here to learn more. Also check out our website: admissions.tufts.edu

PHOTO BY ALONSO NICHOLS/TUFTS UNIVERSITY

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, 617-6273298 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.

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