School spirit is in the air as the Tufts campus prepares itself for the annual Tuftonia's Day celebration, to be held on Friday, April 27. Details of the festivities were approved last month by the TCU Senate after a debate over the event's budget.
Tufts University Spirit Coalition (TUSC) member Paul Fridman, who is coordinating the day's activities, promises a birthday celebration even more extensive than last year. TUSC will once again put on a fireworks show the night before Tuftonia's Day, but this year's display will be preceded by a barbecue and a jazz concert.
As is traditional, the day will be marked by enough birthday cake to feed the entire student body, as well as a celebratory a cappella show. TUSC will keep students entertained by providing them with a number of carnival attractions and many smaller spirit-rousing activities around campus. Non-participants will still be part of the event, thanks to TUSC's sprawling decorations throughout campus.
Entertainment does not come at a low cost. The Senate devoted a large amount of time this year to debating the extent to which it would fund the event.
"There was a lot of debate over whether buffer funding money should go towards the funding of Tuftonia's Day events. I think a lot of people on the Senate were a little bit disappointed, because in the past, the alumni office had fully funded the activities," TCU Senate President Dave Moon said.
TUSC originally requested $4,050 from the buffer funding account to cover the sound system for the ceremony and three carnival booths. The Senate Allocations Board (ALBO) recommended a donation of $1,050, which would sufficiently fund only one of the booths. After a number of different proposals within the Senate, including one to donate no funds and one to donate the full proposed amount, the Senate settled on ALBO's recommendation.
Most senators agreed that $4,050 would have been too much of a drain on the buffer account, but that not donating would be a poor statement about the value of school spirit. Senator Alessandro Terenzoni, however, proposed that the Senate not direct any of the buffer funding to the Tuftonia's Day celebration.
"This is an example of an organization having wonderful ideas but needing to wake up to the realities of budgets and fiscal responsibility. The sky's not the limit, the budgets are, and the existence of the buffer fund shouldn't be cause for a student organization to completely shrug off the constraints of its yearly operating budget." Terenzoni said.
Fridman was satisfied with the Senate's ultimate decision to donate $1,050. "The Senate rightfully debated the issue and came to a decision," Fridman said.
Moon also defended the Senate decision. "I think that, in this instance, the Senate demonstrated its fiscal responsibility while still trying to help groups put on the events they would like."
The Tuftonia's Day tradition is an opportunity for Tufts students to show off their school spirit. Though there is often grumbling about minimal campus spirit, Fridman argues that Jumbo pride does exist.
"There is a huge amount of spirit on this campus," he said. "Last semester, Jumbos packed the stands to cheer on the women's soccer team. This was an amazing showing of spirit, but sports teams are not the only form of spirit. Everyone has another reason to love the University. Some love the clubs, some think the classes are great, and others enjoy the social life. We are definitely a spirited school, we just show it in different ways than big ten schools."
Terenzoni believes that Tuftonia's Day should not be the main event that characterizes school spirit.
"TUSC is an organization that does so much good on our campus, but let's be honest, Tuftonia's Day is not the event from which most Tufts students glean their pride for the University," he said.
