Amid the snow, argyle sweaters, fur−hooded anoraks, Sperry Topsiders and pale skin are more than a few students who stick out. They're the ones who take their North Face fleece jackets out of storage on Oct. 1, the ones disgusted that Boloco has the nerve to list "burritos" on their menu and that there isn't an authentic Mexican taco stand within walking distance of campus. They can all say they have been under the political leadership of a Governator. This unique species on the Tufts campus is none other than the genus Californian.
More than a tenth of the Class of 2014 calls California home, and other classes boast similar percentages. California is the third−most represented state within the Tufts student body behind Massachusetts and New York, and trends suggest that it could soon take the number−two spot.
There is little question that California natives stick out in New England. To some, the contrast could hardly be starker. Sophomore Samantha Jaffe, a third−generation Californian, wrote a column for the Daily last semester enumerating the differences, from politics to pretension to pico de gallo.
The most obvious difference between California and New England, of course, is weather. A childhood full of sunshine on the West Coast interrupted by seemingly endless months of snow and wind on the East Coast can certainly shake a beach bunny up.
But with winter comes spring and the distinct seasons that many Californians live without.
"I love spring," Jaffe said. "It's my favorite thing when no one does anything but lay on the quad in shorts once it hits 60 degrees."
Junior Holly Wilson, a native of Palo Alto, Calif., recalls being excited to experience seasons. She transferred to Tufts after attending the University of California, Davis her freshman year.
"I was bracing myself for mind−numbing cold," Wilson said. "Last year I didn't really think it was that bad, but this year I find myself complaining all the time because it's freezing."
Climate influences not only mood and comfort, but also style of dress. Wilson and junior Emily Friedman, both Northern Californian natives, were amazed by how formal everyday dress was in New England.
"I am still amazed when I see people wearing suits for class presentations," Wilson said. "I didn't even own any dressy clothing when I was in California, but here it's just the standard. Where I'm from, people wear pajamas to class and sweatpants and flip−flops are part of the everyday uniform. But [in New England], button−down oxfords, argyle sweaters and pea coats seem to be the norm."
For Jaffe, one of the most noticeable differences was male dressing habits.
"I've just never seen running shoes with regular clothes before," Jaffe said with a chuckle. "It's hilarious."
But to many, there are differences that go deeper than weather or fashion.
Before moving to New England, Friedman said that she never thought of herself as a particularly casual person; but now, in comparison to her East Coast peers, she considers herself to be rather laid−back. She lived in a suite last year with three girls from Connecticut and Massachusetts.
"[The East Coast natives] were definitely more conservative and traditional than I am," Friedman said. "I really felt like I was the hippie of the group, and I am no hippie. They were just so intense."
Wilson, by contrast, appreciates the intensity of the academic experience.
"At Tufts, everyone is passionate and wants to excel, which is so much more inspiring than California college culture, where everyone is way more laid−back," she said.
Whether accurate or not, the stereotyping that comes with being from California can become bothersome. Friedman said that when people hear that she is vegetarian, they often attribute the diet to a "hippie−dippie" Californian attitude rather than her passion for animal rights. Jaffe's friends from New England commonly credit her idiosyncrasies to her California upbringing, she said.
These differences can often determine whom students choose to befriend at Tufts. Jaffe finds it much easier to hit it off with Californians; lucky for her, there are many to be found on the Hill.
"Even if I wouldn't necessarily get along with someone, as soon as they mention In−N−Out Burger or I recognize their area code, it's just a really nice bonding point," she said. "It's pretty cool because even though home is so far away from school, when I go home I get to see so many of my friends from school."
Friedman agreed that it has been easier getting to know fellow−Californians.
"I had to work really hard when I first got to Boston to figure out why people act the way they do," she said. "Everyone is so much more formal and less open [in New England]. Where I'm from, people wave a lot more and say hi. A lot of people on the East Coast don't chat. When I'm home and sitting next to a stranger, they'll chat with me. It's those little things that indicate openness or friendliness, and its something I've actively tried not to change about myself upon moving [to Boston]."
With all the changes, from climate to khakis, being a Californian in New England can provide the experience of being pushed far out of one's comfort zone — for better or worse.
"I had a really hard time transitioning to be here," Jaffe said. "But I think I would have gotten sick of California. I'm really glad I got out and tried something new."
Wilson said she was also content with her decision to transfer out of UC Davis. She was considering staying in California and applied to Stanford University, but decided against it.
"I literally grew up on the Stanford campus, so I think I would be missing out on so much if I would have gone there instead of discovering a new world on the East Coast," she said. "College is the time to go out and explore, see new places, start fresh and let yourself be seen the way you want to be seen. You need to throw yourself into a different environment where you don't know anyone in order to do that, and choosing a school in an area so completely different from where you are from has a lot to do with that."
Because Freidman opted to go in a different direction and leave California, she described a change in her outlook and understanding of the world.
"It adds to my ability to interact with people from all places," she said.
In coming to New England, Wilson not only found a change in environment for four years, but she was so impressed by the amount of opportunities, the landscape, architecture and history in New England that she plans to live in Boston beyond graduation.
"It's very liberating to go to school across the country and be okay," Wilson said. "I feel like if I can go to school 3,000 miles away from home, see my family four times a year and still be happy, I can do anything."
