I was wandering through the bookstore today, and while looking through the racks of sweatshirts, I noticed that among all the Tufts merchandise, there were no Jackson College sweatshirts, no hats, nor anything else for that matter. Not a one. And this lack of Jackson College paraphernalia, while not terribly troubling, does indicate a more profound issue. What exactly IS Jackson College?
As a second semester senior, throughout my four years at Tufts, I don't think that I've ever taken a class at Jackson College. Every class I've registered for has been with Tufts University, and every class I've taken has been composed of both men AND women. I study in the same library, eat in the same dining halls, pay the same bills, and work out at the same gym, as does any other Tufts student, male or female. And so when I walk across the stage this May and receive my diploma, I want it to say Tufts University. Because that's the name of the University I applied to, that's the name on my bumper sticker, and that's the name that will remind me of some of the most amazing times of my life.
I do understand that at the time it was established, Jackson College offered one of the few opportunities for women to pursue higher education, and the generosity and support of Cornelia Jackson has affected many generations of Tufts' students. For this I am grateful. However, the name "Jackson" itself is obsolete. The average Tufts student is hardly aware of the history behind the name, and I have yet in all four years to hear one female student declare that she goes to Jackson College. No fault can be attributed to the students for this lack of recognition, because that's just it, there is no Jackson College. Though I believe it is important to honor tradition to some extent, it is time for the name Jackson College, the college of women, to be replaced by Tufts University, the college of all.
-Lauren O'Brien LA '02
