The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate earlier this month voted unanimously to endorse a project of Senator Yulia Korovikov to research means of editing and distributing the Tufts Ivory Book, a pocket−sized book containing university history and traditions.
The book is a modern reincarnation of the Tufts Ivy Book, a book containing Tufts traditions that was published annually between 1902 and 1971 by the Ivy Society, a sophomore honor society disbanded in the '70s, according to Director of the Digital Collections and Archives (DCA) and University Archivist Anne Sauer.
Korovikov, a junior, brought the book back to life this summer after reading old issues of the Tufts Weekly — the predecessor to the Tufts Observer — and noticing frequent mentions of the Ivy Book. She recognized the current lack of Jumbo pride on campus, and she set about trying to revive it.
"The Tufts Ivory book is a little book of Tufts spirit," Korovikov said.
The pocket−sized book contains sections explaining topics such as university history and traditions and lists Tufts facts, figures, divisions, fraternities and sororities, clubs, athletics, songs and cheers, as well as the university calendar.
The Senate voted over the summer to approve distribution of the book, according to TCU Vice President Wyatt Cadley, a junior. He said the book provided insight into what it means be a Jumbo and is a great way to boost spirit on campus.
Korovikov received funding from the Tufts University Alumni Association (TUAA), the Office of Student Affairs, Tufts Health Service, Tufts Athletics, DCA and Tufts Public Relations.
The funding was enough to print 800 copies of the book, most of which were distributed to freshman during Orientation, according to Korovikov. She is now working to put a PDF version of the book to put on the TCU Senate website.
The original form of the Ivy Book was a pocket−sized book that all freshmen were required to carry.
It contained information such as a calendar, college policies, campus cheers and songs, a schedule of athletic events and a list of traditions. A new version of the book was published each year.
Sauer explained that the Ivy Book in its original form ceased to be produced when the Ivy Society disbanded.
"The disbanding of the Ivy Society occurred at about the same time that a whole host of student organizations were ended," Sauer said in an email. "The interests of the student body changed, and there was a desire to begin new traditions and new groups."
With the disbandment of the Ivy Society, the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs began publishing a similar document called the Student Handbook in 1971. The university later replaced the Student Handbook with the Pachyderm in 1977.
Korovikov aims to keep the old traditions alive by printing a new copy of the Ivory Book each year.
