Senior dinners attempt to foster community feeling

A series of dinners honoring the senior class and hosted by President and Adele Fleet Bacow this month will attempt to solidify the relationship between the University and graduating seniors.

Mixed reactions from students in attendance show that the evening of mingling with alumni will make some seniors leave Tufts with a strong community feeling, and others no more likely to donate money or participate in alumni programs than before.

The dinners, which bring nearly 1,000 students to the Gifford House over the course of eight evenings, were instated by Bacow with the intent of investing in students while still on campus, instead of waiting until they are alumni to make a connection.

According to the Alumni Association -- the department that is in charge of running the dinners -- senior dinners are intended to foster gratitude, good will, and goal-setting among Tufts seniors. The event is considered to be part of the department's mission to make students "alumni in training."

Alumni Relations "is an interesting mix of business and education," said Timothy Brooks, Director of Alumni Relations. For many years, Brooks said, the focus of the department has been to attract alumni who have established themselves and get them to donate to the University. The event is "meant to be a warm and fuzzy night without being hokey," Brooks said.

Seniors who attend are greeted with a handshake by the Bacows and wear nametags, which are intended to facilitate the pre-dinner mingling between students and alumni.

During dinner, seniors listen to remarks from the president's wife, a number of Alumni hosts, and President Bacow. Seniors are also invited to share a memory from their time at Tufts.

Many of the seniors in attendance at the dinners felt that the networking experience was a comforting one. "I liked it," said Kishore Setty, an economics major. "The alumni were insightful. They told us to not worry too much, relax, first jobs aren't so great." He concluded that attending the dinners is a "good idea."

With graduation looming, many seniors are worried about their future, and senior Erin Katsirebas said that the "the alumni were reassuring," and noted the "take opportunities as they come" theme of the evening.

Other seniors felt that the overlying theme of the evening was forced mingling. "I think this is a feeble attempt to create community at Tufts. It seems false and forced," senior Emma Fletcher said.

Fletcher also said that the dinner was not likely to affect her post-graduation involvement with the Alumni Association. "I do plan to stay connected, but it's because of my involvement with the senior fund and alumni fund. This dinner just seems artificial," she said.

Alumni were interested in hearing about senior's plans after graduation. "It was great to find out what seniors are planning on doing after graduation," said alumni host Joshua Fox '98. Fox said that "the dinners can help seniors by providing them with an early opportunity to network," and by talking to alumni, "seniors can see that there are many exciting opportunities awaiting them after they graduate from Tufts."

Senior Tammi Ruley said that the event made students realize how quickly graduation was approaching. It "took me back to senior year of high school," she said. "I was talking to a friend after, and it was like, 'we're graduating from college!' I had a bitter-sweet feeling."

"We really enjoy hosting the seniors in our home," Adele Bacow said. "We look for opportunities to get to know these wonderful Tufts students better, invite them into our home, and help them feel connected to this fabulous university now and in the future."

A positive experience at Tufts translates to success in Tufts admissions, in the press, the university's reputation, and even attendance at future events, Brooks said.

Besides the "forced" feeling of the evening, the only other complaint seemed to be the lack of alcohol. "I was hoping there would be a bar," Setty said. President Bacow, who made the decision to keep the evenings alcohol free said, "It was a combination of the cost and the fact that these are all school nights."

Since the first dinner two weeks ago, President and Mrs. Bacow have hosted nearly 750 seniors at the Gifford House, their on-campus residence. Another 150 are expected to attend this week. All seniors received invitations to one of the eight nights.