This past weekend on my way back from work in Dorchester, where I teach English, I tried to think of all the different things the average Tufts student can do to become a better member of the Tufts Community. Here's a list of 10 things I came up with:
1. Say thank you to a Tufts worker. A simple thank you to a member of Dining Services, Mail Services or Dowling Hall staff can make both your day and their day better. Be grateful for the essential services they provide that enable Tufts to be a world-class university.
2. Think about what you do before you do it. Before you attempt to pee all the cheap beer you drank at the party on some Somerville resident's yard, or leave the newspaper you were reading on the T behind, think about the negative affects of your actions. Would you want your front yard to have traces of urine? Or sit in a dirty subway car?
3. Go running - outside. New England weather is very quirky. It can be blizzard conditions and 15 below zero one day, and 50 and sunny the next. Instead of running on the claustrophobic track at the Gantcher Center or the crowded treadmills at the fitness center, vary your beer-belly erasing workouts with runs outside. You'll get to see more of the outside community and ease the wait for a treadmill at the fitness center for others.
4. Smile. It seems simple, but not many people do it as they rush to classes and try to run away from the cold. A little smile to a stranger will make both your and the stranger's day better.
5. Have an open mind. Are you adamantly opposed to the Republican Party? Do you really know what it means to be a Republican and what it means to be a Democrat? Instead of shutting out the opposition's views, try listening to them. You might learn something new about the other side and yourself at the same time.
6. Volunteer. It feels great to have an impact on the community. You can help at a soup kitchen, tutor kids, paint a mural or set up a fundraiser. Tufts has many opportunities for volunteering to help an endless array of deserving causes. You can find opportunities for service through one of Tufts organizations, or just find a worthy cause on your own.
7. Read the newspaper. Tufts students get the Boston Herald and New York Times for free, and Tisch Library subscribes to almost every periodical imaginable. Next time you have a little down time, try reading the newspaper, either in the print or online edition, and learn about what's going on in the world away from the Tufts vacuum.
8. Have some patience. Things in life do not get done instantly, so the next time you are waiting in line at the student services desk at Dowling or waiting for the Joey, don't get upset because you are not the first in line or the shuttle is not right in front of you. A little patience goes a long way.
9. Attend a Lecture. Every year, Tufts brings hundreds of renowned experts and fascinating lecturers to speak about their life's work. Go hear celebrities like Andy Rooney speak about his life in the television world, or former secretary of education Rod Paige talk about his experience as a top-level government official. Lectures offer a fresh breath of air away from academia and into the real world. Plus they almost always have some sort of food available. So go for the free lunch, and maybe you will learn something fascinating that you knew nothing about before.
10. Shovel your sidewalks. Anyone who has walked near a residential street when there is snow on the ground knows how hard it is to walk on un-shoveled sidewalks. Living off-campus has added responsibilities along with the added independence, one of which is shoveling snow.
The 10 things I outlined here are just a small number of ways Tufts students can become better members of the Tufts community. In no way is this list meant to be comprehensive or all-encompassing. Rather, it is a springboard of ideas of how to make life here at Tufts better for both the individual student and the overall community. What I think Tufts students should do is come up with their own lists of how they can enrich the social and intellectual atmosphere on campus.
Loi To is a junior majoring in political science and Russian. He can be reached at loi.to@tufts.edu.
