With newfound freedom, freshmen frequently are faced with new hazards and temptations that could potentially harm them before they really gets started in their college careers. To combat this, Tufts currently has three events planned for incoming freshmen this week. Although past student response to these programs has been mixed, organizers stand by their product.
The University makes attendance at the "Why no means no" presentation, the "Many stories, One community" panel and the Tufts University Police Department's (TUPD) "Operation Awareness."
Women Center Director Peggy Barrett is on the committee in charge of "Why no means no," a panel that teaches students to be aware of sexual dangers at college. Tthe information offered in the presentation, she says, is intended to lower "the risks that our students will be involved in a sexual assault in the first few weeks of college."
Barrett said that she hears from many students that they had never before had this kind of education or program and that the program itself is important because freshmen are at risk. "There is a lot of denial about risk at Tufts," she said. "Denial is at work in our incoming students."
TUPD Community Police Officer Linda MacKay feels much the same about her own program and its importance at the school. "If you improve people's awareness, you improve students safety," she said. But students sometimes feel that they take nothing away from the events. Junior Courtney Benson said that she did not consider herself any more aware once the sessions had ended. "They were required so I had to go," she said. "The only thing that was beneficial from them was that you got to get to know the people in your advising group more."
Despite some reactions similar to Benson's, none of the groups are looking to make their events optional in the future.
Latino Center Director Rub?©n Salinas Stern believes that students may not necessarily be aware of it at the time, but that the information that the events provide could be useful later. Salinas Stern is on the committee for "Many Stories, One Community" - which reveals many diverse views and problems at Tufts.
"I think it's important that people hear this," he said. "It sticks with them... Somewhere along the line - maybe the next day, maybe the next year - some of that will click."
The organizers do acknowledge that a forced audience is not the preferred situation. "I don't think it's the best learning environment," Barrett said. "Everyone needs to think about their safety... The risks are too great not to inform most." She believes that they "would be highly criticized by most if the program was not mandatory."
Students also realize that required attendance is not going away anytime soon. "I can acknowledge that the program may be effective in creating awareness where there hadn't been any previously," sophomore Tim Wagner said.
"It's very important that students go," MacKay said. "There are so many events going on in the first weeks, that they don't think about things like where the panic buttons are."
There have been changes over the years in the different programs, as groups recognize that they must keep panels interesting to keep students attentive. All groups collect feedback and try to make improvements accordingly.
It was this feedback which prompted the TUPD decision not to send out a large packet of ten pamphlets at the beginning of the year and made them opt instead for a more simple information card giving vital information for new students.
"Because of all the info they get during the beginning of the year, the packets were thrown away," Captain Mark Keith said.
"Why no means no" and "Many Stories, One community" have not changed their formats in the last few years, though, each saying that the current setup is successful.
Over the past five years, Salinas said the evaluations of "Many Stories, One Community" "have generally been positive." Nevertheless, Stern admitted that the panel and its quality has changed from year to year. "Some panels are better than others," he said.
"Why no means no" also undergoes a review with organizers discussing what worked and didn't in early September. The meeting, however, does not include any of the freshmen who attended.
Barrett said that she gets feedback over the course of the year from students and listens for ideas on how to change the program. "We talk about doing completely different programs almost every year," she said. "No matter what you do, there are huge issues to face."
The current format for "Why no means no" includes a skit which has caused some students to not take the event seriously. "I think 'No means no' is an important, but poorly constructed program. The groups are too large for the coordinators to connect with, so the whole becomes one gigantic campus inside joke," Wagner said.
Barrett said that they have tried other methods in past years, including a film, but the current system works best. She said that Tufts is one of the most successful college programs, citing student feedback and comments. But she stressed that student entertainment was not a good measure of success. Instead, whether or not students are made aware of the issues is the key.
