Students gathered both on and off-campus to watch the New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl by a score of 24-21. The win was the second major sports victory for Boston fans this academic year.
The win, however, did not have as big an impact as the Red Sox' World Series victory last fall. "Maybe some ruckus [tonight], but no riots," sophomore Nicholas Wong said. "The third championship in four years takes away a little bit."
Unlike during the Red Sox celebrations, aside from a few whistles, the Residential Quad was relatively quiet.
"I saw cops around [the quad], but not too many people looked like they were congregating," sophomore Eli Hackel said.
The University and its student groups offered a myriad of venues from which to watch the game. Hotung Caf?© in the Campus Center, with its big-screen television and nearby snacks, attracted many viewers. Many students also congregated in off-campus houses.
In a more unusual setting, the Islamic Center offered students traditional Halal food and henna tattoos with the showing of the big game.
Tufts offered a mixed-bag of fans. While the Patriots were the home team for all the Boston faithful, there was a strong presence of Philadelphia fans as well. Cheers erupted at parties and up and down dorm hallways following touchdowns by either team.
"There's too many people from out of town that root for Boston teams just because they are front-runners, like the Patriots, the Red Sox, but not the Celtics," sophomore Shiva Bhashyam said.
-- by Danny Lutz
