So what did you do this President's Day? Shopping, the movies, maybe a trip to visit a friend at another school. Or maybe you decided to take a tour of some of the most influential spots in the fight for American independence.
Being only a few miles away from Boston affords Tufts students the opportunity to see where those lanterns made famous in Paul Revere's midnight ride were hung, or where five citizens were shot in what Samuel Adams and others would dub the "Boston Massacre."
But do students actually care? "I think a lot of people take [Boston's history] for granted," freshman Mike Stevensen said.
Sophomore Daniel Blake agrees. His dual-degree program with the Museum School in downtown Boston takes him by many of the city's historical sites every day, but it's nothing new to him. "I go in so much for school that I really don't notice [historical places]," he said.
While Boston is easily accessible from campus, most students would rather spend any free time they have there enjoying the more entertaining aspects of the city: concerts, shopping, or clubs. But Boston's history isn't just contained in stuffy 18th-century buildings.
For example, the Boston Common - an ever-popular place to ice skate, picnic (in warmer times), or just doze off - is full of colonial history. British soldiers camped there just before leaving for what would become the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and public hangings weren't uncommon in the park until the War of 1812.
The Common also marks the beginning of the Freedom Trail, a winding, three-mile journey marked by a red path along the ground. It makes 16 stops along the way, including the Old North Church, where lanterns signaled the course of the British troops (one if by land, two if by sea), and the USS Constitution, more generally known as "Old Ironsides", which was commissioned by George Washington and used in the War of 1812.
Faneuil Hall is another stop on the Freedom Trail, but it doesn't mean Abercrombie & Fitch or the Comedy Club. While many Jumbos enjoy the marketplace as a shopping, eating, and social center, most don't realize its history. Although freshman Yael Friedkin enjoys traveling to the Faneuil Hall marketplace, she "doesn't know what the historical aspect is."
The revolutionary history of Faneuil Hall lies in the building at the head of the marketplace - the hall itself. It was there that the Boston colonists began meeting and seriously discussing the benefits and drawbacks of creating a national revolution against British rule. Samuel Adams and others also started speaking out strongly for independence there. After the war, Boston grew larger and larger, and Faneuil Hall was too small to accommodate a representative portion of the population. However, it is still used today for some city debates.
Blake believes that, while Faneuil Hall's significance is important, he wouldn't make a special trip there. "I see it; I know what it is... do I go there as a tourist? Probably not," he said.
Blake, who is originally from New Jersey, had previously taken an all-out tour of the city years ago on a trip. He cites his affiliation with the Museum School, though, with his reluctance visit Faneuil Hall and Boston's other historical places "as a tourist."
"I'm just used to having it there," he said.
For Friedkin, a native of northern California, it's a combination of interest and time. "I'm more interested in international history," she said. Friedkin does recognize that her residence at Tufts gives her a perfect opportunity to explore some of America's finest history, though she feels she is too restricted.
"I think it's too bad that I haven't been out to see any [historical places], but they're not as accessible as I thought," she said. While actually getting to Boston is fairly easy - even for those without cars - Friedkin cites her job and other time constraints as reasons for not investigating Boston further. She won't deny that the history of the city is something that everyone should become familiar with during his or her stay at Tufts, but, in her defense, she does have three more years to go.
Stevensen echoed Friedkin's thoughts about Boston's importance. "It's not just important to learn, it's interesting," he said. He also suggested an alternative to those who find the three-mile stretch of the Freedom Trail a bit daunting. "Just go through some of it," he advised, and stay directly on the path. "People just move out of your way if you're on the Freedom Trail line; they think you have some kind of noble purpose."
While Blake may be slightly jaded by his frequent trips into Boston, he thinks that everyone at Tufts needs to get out sometimes - but not necessarily to see anything historic. "I think there's somewhat of a thing here that people become trapped on campus," he said. His advice: go outside, and do anything.
"You don't have to be a connoisseur of Boston to enjoy it," Blake said.
