Op-Ed: Introducing the SLUSH Fund

We’ve all heard it: “Tufts isn’t the same place it used to be.” We write this as a group of TCU Senators spanning all four class years at Tufts. While we’ve all spent our time at Tufts in different ways, we recognize that there is so much potential to make Tufts a place we’re more proud to call home. And while it’s fun to complain about it, we want to do something about it.

The start of the Tufts experience can be a bit overwhelming: Maybe you did a pre-orientation program and maybe you didn’t, but either way, you’re thrust into an Orientation Week filled with activities, and everything is wonderfully different. Everyone is in the same boat, and the campus can actually feel quite small. Once Orientation Week ends, however, there is little that brings the whole campus together.

We join clubs and find friends. We hang out in our friends’ dorm rooms, maybe go into Boston a few times, maybe head to a party at one of the sports houses and vow to never go again. But other than Spring Fling, there aren’t many events where we interact with people outside our tight-knit friend groups. And we are often faced with the feeling that there just isn’t much to do.

We know the problem isn’t a shortage of ideas because so many of us have great ones.   

We have a solution that doesn’t claim to be the be-all and end-all program that makes Tufts the most fun place on Earth, but rather, a step towards bringing our campus together and creating fun events our entire school can unite around. It’s called the SLUSH Fund. It’s a pool of money dedicated to making campus more exciting. A fun fund, if you will.

This fund will be accessible to any group of students on campus, and all events will be open to the entire student body. Groups will come to a committee and present their idea, and after a long, hard evaluation, you’ll be able to throw some great events to unite our campus. If you have an idea for an event, put together a group and present it (or come alone because you’re a strong, independent person who don’t need nobody)!

If selected, you’ll be able to plan and execute the event to make it your own, and the committee will be there to help you every step of the way. Think of ideas over break and be ready to pitch at the beginning of next semester! You can find the application online at bit.ly/Slush-App, and if you have any more questions, you can check out our FAQs at bit.ly/Slush-FAQs. We’re so excited to hear your ideas next semester. It can’t ‘herd’ to apply! Get it, herd? Because elephants?

We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Signed,Jacqueline Chen, TCU President Adam Rapfogel, TCU Vice President Amrutha Chintalapudi, Class of 2019 Senator Ayden Crosby, Class of 2021 Senator Rabiya Ismail, Class of 2022 Senator Timothy Leong, Class of 2022 Senator Deepen Goradia, Class of 2022 Senator Maya Velasquez, Latinx Community Senator Noah Weinflash, Trustee Representative