For some students, the word "Tufts" didn't have any meaning until their college search. For others, however, Tufts is as familiar as their last name. These students come from a family of Jumbos, and whether they planned it or not, this "family tradition" influenced their decision to come here.
Senior Joy Reines has known Tufts since her childhood from campus visits that had nothing to do with the college search. "We used to come to Boston for family vacations and visit Tufts," she said. "My dad would just show us around."
Reines' father, Richard Reines (LA '71), attended both the college of Arts and Sciences and the Tufts University School of Medicine. His positive experience at both schools led him to become an active alum, as well as a promoter of the University to his two children, according to Reines. "Tufts was put into our heads," she said.
Sophomore Jessica Tye too has a strong family connection to Tufts. In fact, she has two: her mom and dad, Ted and Kate (both LA '79). The Tyes can even credit the beginning of their family to Tufts, and specifically to Houston Hall, where they met sophomore year.
Growing up, Tye saw her dad in Tufts t-shirts, visited the room in Houston where they met, and even attended her parents' 15th college reunion as a seven year old. "Tufts has always been a part of our lives," she said. She adds that this is also in part to her parent's continued commitment to the University. "They both remain pretty involved, they still know a lot of Tufts people," Tye said.
However, for both Reines and Tye, hearing so much about Tufts initially had adverse, rather than positive, effects on their college searches. "Growing up my brother and I [decided] we were not going to Tufts," Reines said.
"My parents, well, more my dad, wanted me to go here," Tye said. "They said, 'We know this place, we know you, and we know you'll fit.' And probably because they pushed that so far, Tufts was the last place I wanted to go." Tye added that she almost didn't apply, sending in her Tufts application the day before it was due.
Eventually, to their parents' delight, Reines and Tye both decided to attend the University. Their decision, while influenced by their parents, was more of a personal one rather than a continuation of a family tradition.
"We were never pressured, but [my dad] was really excited that we [both] wanted to go," Reines said. Her brother, Louis currently attends Tufts Medical School.
From her frequent visits with her family, Reines realized Tufts had what she was looking for: "It was what I wanted, and I knew it to begin with," she said.
Tye was set to attend another school until she visited Tufts during April Open House. "I sort of realized for myself all the things my parents had been telling me," Tye said.
"I think I was trying to avoid the whole 'following in their footsteps' thing, but I saw that I really did fit in here ... and maybe that's because I'm like my parents, because they raised me," she continued. "And I had to stop resisting wanting to go here because my parents did."
Tye also has a third connection to Tufts: her best friend since birth, Nicki Lapidus is a junior here. Lapidus' parents also attended Tufts and were (and continue to be) friends with the Tye family, living only a street away in Newton, MA. Besides being best friends while at college, both couples took Intro to Yiddish Culture with Professor Sol Gittleman.
About 20 years later last spring, both Tye and Lapidus took the same class, which like their reasons for coming to Tufts, weren't exactly because of their parents. "I knew people took it before and I knew it was a good class and I knew my parents took it with him," Lapidus said. "I didn't do it just because they did it."
"They didn't pressure me [to go to Tufts], I looked at all the schools, did the normal college tour," Lapidus also added.
Whether the Tufts tradition will continue with her younger siblings, Tye is uncertain, but said, "I definitely can see them coming here."
