People. People are surprising. Throughout my four years at Tufts, as I walked around campus, it was very easy to overhear pieces of conversations. Some of the time, it was complaints about the social life at Tufts, or complaints about a specific class, or just complaints about Tufts in general. If these bits of conversation were the only thing creating an image of Tufts for a prospective student, he or she may think that every single person is unhappy at Tufts.
Yet, this is not the true image of Tufts, because as we have all come to know, it is these very complainers and these whiners who keep returning to Tufts year after year, striving to make it better. And yes, with the charming sarcasm and cynicism that accompanies the members of the Class of 2009, someone could easily reply that it is because the tuition has already been paid. But if you were truly unhappy at Tufts, would you stay? Probably not, because during my four years at Tufts, I have come to learn that the people of the Class of 2009 are incredibly resourceful and determined. Even the laziest people are motivated -- it is just how a Tufts student is wired. This oxymoron describes the Class of 2009.
The lesson is to never judge a book by its cover. Regardless, everyone does it, even Tufts people, who pride themselves on being non-judgmental and open-minded. I will admit I am a judger. From a distance, the Class of 2009 appears to be composed of the typical athletes, arts students, engineers, liberal arts student hippies and want-to-be hippies. But that's just it. Not one person I am acquainted with can neatly fall under any of these categories. Members of the Class of 2009 have blurred the lines.
When I first walked onto the Tufts campus, I was very surprised to meet a football player who was also a quantitative economics major, or an arts student who was also an entrepreneur, or a physics major who also played for the varsity baseball team. To my surprise, these people did not fit under the typical categories of athlete, engineer, liberal arts student, international student or art student. These people were very versatile and multi-faceted. I am certain that everyone has at least once experienced being pleasantly surprised by a fellow peer, meaning that there is a person you have consistently seen but have never spoken to. You probably had already typecast them, and you may have wondered, what was their deal? Then, one fateful day comes where you meet them and talk to them, and realize that they're interesting and have a unique story, just like you.
My pleasant surprise came freshman year in English 2. I remember on the first day sitting in the classroom wondering how we all ended up in this class together. Was it our registration time? I will never know. The manner in which people dressed was very informative as to which category they belonged to. But when each class began and people either commented on aspects of a reading or shared anecdotes of their lives, I realized that not only did I have a lot in common with these people, but also that their various perspectives made me re-think my opinions on many issues and topics. This lesson of never judging a book by its cover hit me hard in English 2. As simple as it may be, just because someone may look different than you and may have a different perspective than you does not mean that you cannot find common ground with them and appreciate them. This is a very evident observation, but it is not one that is often reflected upon. The people who create the community of Tufts forced me to take a minute and think about how everyone at Tufts is an individual regardless of which category they may appear to fall under.
My time at Tufts has been incredible. It was not because of the typical reasons people may guess, such as the social life, or being class president, or being invested and interested in my classes; rather, it was because of the people that create the Class of 2009. People can often surprise you in the best of ways. I feel that this is a lesson I have heard, seen and learned, but not really internalized until Tufts. Tufts has renewed my faith in people.
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Saskia Chanoine graduates today with a degree in community health and International Relations. She is the outgoing Senior Class Council president.
