What if someone told you that for the price of one large coffee at the Rez, you could provide one person with an entire Tufts education? As graduating seniors, we know well the value of a full four-year Tufts experience. Unfortunately, we also know as those seeking jobs and opportunities beyond this Hill that the current economic crisis is real. Though the state of the economy may affect each of us in different ways, it is now clear that some students will have difficulty finishing their Tufts education due to financial hardship.
The Tufts Student Fund is students' way of helping other current students weather the economic storm. Asking our friends to give money is a difficult, and yes, awkward task, but we believe in this cause. Giving to the Tufts Student Fund is not just an investment in Tufts; it is an investment in the people that populate Tufts. It is a gesture that recognizes that this institution is only as valuable as its most important constituency, its students, and that students are a cause we are proud to support. More than buildings, lectures or social events, it is the individual students and the collective student body that make Tufts the institution that it is and the place that we will leave in May. Investments in programming and capital projects are an important part of a university, but these are luxuries. Investments in people, the students who study at Tufts, are absolutely essential to every aspect of the Tufts mission and purpose as an institution.
Given this unique opportunity to help our friends, we are taking a moment to explain why we, as graduating seniors, are contributing to the Tufts Student Fund. We are contributing to the fund because, having been empowered by our experience at Tufts, we understand fully the impact that each individual student makes on each of us and on the whole Tufts community.
We do not wear our financial need on our sleeves. We were shocked to learn that more than 50 percent of our fellow students are on some type of financial aid and that the average amount of yearly aid is over $30,000. Without knowing it, these students are our friends and our classmates. They are the faces we see on the quad each and every day — they write the articles we read each morning, perform in the shows we see each semester and lead the organizations that make Tufts the community that we call home. While we may not know who among our friends and acquaintances receives financial aid, each of our Tufts experiences would not be the same without these people — that is why we are contributing to the Tufts Student Fund. Because we recognize that economic times are hard for everyone, and because we are students, we know that giving is tough.
Fortunately, we understand the power of small gifts in large numbers. We aim to cut out that one cup of coffee, that one Hotung beer or that extra bag of chips at the Commons to save enough to give $10, $5 or even just $1 to the cause of keeping our student body whole, and we call on you to do the same. By sacrificing one minor indulgence for ourselves, we each have the ability to give a much more powerful gift to a fellow student: a Tufts education. If every student at Tufts gives up $5 worth of coffee, candy or chips, one student can afford a year of Tufts tuition.
Tufts' trademark "active citizenship" is not limited to national issues and international affairs. Active citizenship starts in the smallest of communities, including our Tufts family here on campus. Everyone's participation in this grassroots movement has both symbolic meaning and financial power: We can demonstrate our commitment to the values of active citizenship by providing another student with a very tangible, but expensive, Tufts experience. By giving to one another, we are taking ownership of our own student body and strengthening the Tufts community that has given us so much. We believe now is the time to give back to that community and ensure that it continues to give to others.
Our time at Tufts is nearly over, and we are truly fortunate to have spent four years on this Hill. As we reflect on our own college careers, we hope that no matter how many papers we write, how fancy our campus center is or how many movies Film Series shows each weekend, it is the students who utilize these activities and services that give them value and meaning. We hope that as many of our peers as possible can enjoy the same opportunities that Tufts has afforded us. Together we can give the gift of Tufts to someone who makes Tufts what Tufts is, and we hope you will consider joining us in this effort.
To give, please see today's Tufts Student Fund ad or visit www.tufts.edu/givenow.
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Neil DiBiase is a senior majoring in history; he is a former TCU president. Nathan Render is a senior majoring in anthropology and child development; he is the president of Hillel. Matthew Shapanka is a senior majoring in political science; he is the TCU Treasurer. They are all members of the Tufts Student Fund Committee.
