Tufts University - Jumbo Yearbook (Medford, MA)

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Photo Varden Studios

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Photo Steve Mitchel College Expectations We all came to Tufts with expec¬ tations about college life. (Endless parties and a roommate who also slept with the window open seemed par for the course.) College was the place we would make the friend¬ ships that last a lifetime. It was to be the best four years of our lives. It all began on an early Septem¬ ber day when we got into our cars and took the traditional tour of the Medford Sommerville area before actually finding Tufts University. If you were lucky enough to arrive be¬ fore your roommate, you could chose the “better” bed, desk and closet. Meeting your roommate was only the beginning of endless con¬ versations consisting of: “Where are you from?”, “What did you say your name was?”, and “Do you know . . . ?” After a while you real¬ ized that it didn’t really make that much of a difference whether or not you knew. We were all just search¬ ing for some kind of link, some con¬ nection that would make being away from friends and family not all that scary. Dorm games were our first real social events which enabled us to meet the other anxious newcomers. Still, most of us were too nervous to really enjoy the activities, or too busy scoping out someone across the room. As orientation week progressed, friendships were formed while try¬ ing to demystify the block schedule, standing in line for meals, IDs, tele¬ phones, books, and doing just about everything else we would need to do inorder to begin our four years at Tufts. The so-called “honeymoon” of parties and meeting people as clue¬ less as you ended abruptly with the arrival of the upperclassmen to campus. It was then that we became conscious of our freshman s tatus. Only three short months ago we were at the very top of the totem pole, seniors in our respective high schools. Now we were at the bottom again, and this was all too apparent as we watched the upperclassmen return from summer break greeting old friends and easily directing us to any obscure point on campus. As Freshmen we were distinct and were easily spotted by our clothes with the tags freshly clipped, and saying “hello” to anyone who looked receptive. We could be seen going to or coming from at least one Eaton party during our Freshman year. We all went to them. It was where we practiced our scoping abilities and tested our courage by introducing ourselves to the person who caught our attention in the Pig Book. Officially, of course, we went “just to dance.” Regardless of how much we dreaded being freshmen , few of us would trade the special memories of that year for anything. Many would agree that we did most of our learn¬ ing about life that year. We all ex¬ perienced personal changes but freshman year was only the begin¬ ning of the our growing years at Tufts. by Elaine Cohen 18 Student Life

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9J ■Q 5 O To Have Or Have Not You know, after having lived in a place for three years, you kind of get used to the way things operate. It’s called the “old dog syndrome.” So here we are at Tufts - Sal’s Market is a rip- off, Jay’s service is slower than molas¬ ses in winter, and tuna fish is a neces¬ sary part of the luncheon diet. The years tick by, and one begins to accept, even enjoy Tufts lifestyle. Then sudden¬ ly, as we move into the final stretch, the rug gets pulled out from under us. Our bids at becoming rennaisance people have been severely hampered. Where the hell did the record guy on the li¬ brary roof go? To go out into the world with a vastly understocked record collection is as heinous a circumstance as wearing your underwear inside-out or gulping down about one hundred goldfish. It smacks of improper human development. Such a faux pas as this will undoubtedly lead us to exclude the oh-so-important wine rack from our future abodes. As part of the yuppie generation, it is fearful to think that we may venture into the vast unknown without completing our Frank Sinatra, Motown, and Monkees collec¬ i tions. Will we again succumb to the fate of raiding our roommates’ albums? Maxell will probably put us on commis¬ sion. Come to think of it - what else is college for? One thing that we would most likely be happy to see disappear is the state of Tufts roads. The “natural speed barri¬ er” excuse just does not explain their abominable conditions. Wouldn’t it be terrific if the benefits of our state-of- the-art Buildings and Grounds equip¬ ment were to trickle down to the unsus¬ pecting student? Perhaps they would rather we presented them with the bills for aligning our cars. Now there’s an idea, eh Jean? What’s going on with The Jumbo? Is that place trying to get back into the good graces of some human beings again? Speaking of jazzing up an im¬ age, Tufts seems to be in the mood to advertise itself in Powderhouse Circle. The sign they put there isn’t half bad looking - actually it is quite nice. Doubtful, however, if sign aesthetics scores high on any of our “Hit Pa¬ rades.” After all these years of being an anonymous school, you have to wonder if they bought this billboard wholesale. Understandably, not all desires in a students life can be met through cam¬ pus related activites. Yet to be honest, many are. What does it take for us to finally realize that we at Tufts are truly lucky to belong to an institution that despite its size, offers so much. Think about it, but remember, “the spirit of Massachusetts is the spirit of Ameri¬ ca.” Try to fight back the tears. by Jordan Handler 20 Student Life