There was a Maserati Coupe parked in front of Gifford House the other day, which can mean one of two things: Either Larry decided to make his first microinvestment at Maserati of New England, or it's Trustee Season. Seeing as though the goal of a microinvestment is to make money and Italian cars have the resale value of half-eaten oatmeal, I figured it was safe to bet on a trustee's meeting.
Deep down, though, there's a part of me that wishes that President Bacow had bought himself something nice to reward himself for his success. If he were a rapper, the hot tubs of Gifford House would be bubbling with Veuve Cliquot, but he's just a University president. He's content with free housing, a busy schedule and a chance to hobnob with the slightly rich and mildly famous. He might as well be an RA who is taking EPIIC.
I think that the last time Tufts has seen so many changes for the better is when Jean Mayer was president. Though Tufts formally became a university in 1955 under President Wessell, it was Mayer who really began the movement of Tufts from a small liberal arts school to a Research I university.
Bacow has been doing an effective job carrying on Mayer's legacy. While Mayer created the programs necessary to make Tufts College into Tufts University, it's Bacow who is trying to change the Tufts College mentality into a Tufts University mentality. The school must grow into the best small school in the country - where a world-class professor will still know all his or her students' names.
Not only has Bacow done a great job fundraising, he's also done a tremendous job attracting some very bright people from some excellent institutions - Provost Bharucha from Dartmouth, Dean Abriola from Michigan are two stellar examples. Our endowment posted gains that beat the market. I have full confidence that we'll be at a billion dollars before I'm done with graduate school.
I've only met Bacow twice. The first time was my freshman year. A bunch of students had gathered in the dingy lobby of Hill to hear him tell a group of students that he didn't like the Naked Quad Run. The second time, I was put on the spot by the Daily to interview him about the Cummings donation. He told me I should have read the press release more thoroughly before calling him to talk.
I feel like most students have a similar view of Bacow - the angry "you kids get off my lawn!" e-mail after the Naked Quad Run and the smattering of fraternity closings don't help to win the hearts and minds of students. That's Dean of Students Bruce Reitman's job: He's like that cool uncle who lets you swear when you're 12 and lets you drive around a parking lot when you're 15, but still expects you to act intelligently and with respect for yourself and others. His pre-Super Bowl e-mail was classic and effective.
Bacow can't be cool, though. He's the president. If an angry old rich alum calls him up, he has to make him happy. If Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone calls him up, he has to make sure Tufts is a good neighbor. If he's concerned about student safety, he has to do all he can to make sure nobody gets hurt. For that, I have a great amount of respect for him. And to think - he can juggle it all while still finishing the Marathon in under five hours!
Bacow's relationship with students reminds me of my family growing up. I wanted a Power Wheels and a Super Nintendo, but my parents didn't have that kind of disposable income. Tufts is just too financially limited at the moment to concentrate on student social life, so we all have to concentrate on responsibility and making do with what we have.
I hope that the addition of centrally-located Sophia Gordon Hall will partially alleviate the "Uphill/ Downhill/ Off Campus" divide in the Tufts community. I also hope that as the frats re-open, they'll take a little more responsibility for student safety and community formation so that they don't have to be watched like a bunch of high schoolers. It's Bacow's job to keep the students from doing stupid things, but it's our job to act in a manner that means he doesn't have to watch out for us. That's a relationship I think we're all up to maintaining.
In the meantime, Larry - don't you think it's time to trade in that old Saab? Microinvest in a new Carrera GT. It's sure to increase in value.
Keith Barry is a senior majoring in community health and psychology. He can be reached via e-mail at keith.barry@tufts.edu.
