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
