Op-Ed: Class of 2021: Believe in One Another

My Facebook album from my first year at Tufts was entitled “Name, Hometown, Major” as a tribute to what were the most socially exhausting two weeks of my college career. I’m happy to say that the social exhaustion has lessened and that you will now find me cuddling with my housemates, watching Wes Anderson movies on the projector and attempting to make my Thai green curry spicier, despite the fact that I’m working with curry paste from Trader Joe’s. This all to say: Congratulations, you’ve made it to Matriculation, and now as you enter Orientation Week, remember there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel of icebreakers.

As you move through the icebreakers, however, remember that there is a purpose to all this madness. Class of 2021, you are entering four years of a delightfully obscene amount of intellectual, professional, social and health resources — make the most of it. I’m talking about endless free access to all the academic journals you could ever imagine, world-class professors waiting to point you to your next job, friends from all corners of the world, clubs that range from anime obsession to ice-climbing to martial arts jujitsu, and free mental and sexual health services to make sure you feel safe and supported as you move through these next four years.

There is a lot here for you, and as President of the TCU Senate, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t also say that there is still more to be done. With love and pride for the Tufts community fueling my critique on it as an institution, we must do better in supporting the work and demands of #TheThreePercent — a movement created and led by the black students on this campus to increase our admissions recruitment, enrollment and retention of black students at Tufts. We must continue to ensure that our decision to rename “Columbus Day” to Indigenous Peoples’ Day actually leads to greater accountability for our institution’s occupation of colonized land, as well as substantial support for and partnerships with Native students and local Native organizations.

We must invest our resources into ensuring that consent is not a one-time conversation, but an ongoing culture that empowers survivors and emphasizes zero tolerance for sexual assault and harassment. We must amplify the demands issued by the #HaltTheHike movement, understanding that rising tuition hikes, the need for financial transparency and addressing the widening socioeconomic gap amongst our community are issues important to all students.

The TCU Senate is committed to addressing and supporting the work of the communities already moving the ball forward on these issues. As initiatives of the TCU Senate, we’ve created a Swipe It Forward meal bank which allows students on meal plans to donate meals to students who might be experiencing food insecurity. We’ve created a program to distribute pads and tampons in bathrooms across campus. We’ve expanded JumboCash options to businesses across Davis Square and along Boston Avenue. We’ve facilitated a textbook exchange service to provide students with more affordable textbook options.We’ve brought back the Linguistics minor and supported students in securing a Hindi-Urdu language program. We’ve created more cost-effective and transparent affordable meal plan selections at Hodgdon. We’ve secured a printer in the Campus Center, and we’ve successfully budgeted and allocated over $2.3 million in student activity fees each year. We’ve done a lot, but there is always more to do.

I ran my presidential campaign last spring on a platform of “Rethinking Social Space,” which will be the centerpiece of my work as president this year. As an urban studies student, I’m passionate about place-making and the democratization of space, understanding that on this campus — and around the world — access to physical space gives us access to social power. We need to ensure that our university invests in alternative social spaces, that the physical spaces of our marginalized communities are better maintained and supported, that access to physical university space is a privilege dependent on one’s co-responsibility to the campus community and that we cultivate opportunities for place-making — aka bringing different people together in common, creative and shared spaces (@Campus Center).

These are big plans, and they absolutely cannot be done without you. Class of 2021, we need you. While you may feel like you’ve barely arrived, this is already your home and the decisions we make together this year will be crafting the future of your next four years. So here are a few things you can already do:

Donate five meals to Swipe It Forward! When you’re on an unlimited meal plan, the cost of donation is FREE, and you can be part of a community effort to support one another in times of food insecurity. Check the TCU Senate Facebook page to find the link online — we’ll also be tabling in the dining halls.

Run for the TCU Senate. There are seven spots reserved for the Class of 2021, and you absolutely do not need to have had prior student government experience. Come with a desire to listen, learn and make our student community better — check out the TCU Senate Facebook page to keep updated on important information and election dates.

Lean in to discomfort. Over the next four years, you will hear ideas that make you uncomfortable. Listen, learn and form your own opinions, but do not ever lose sight of the humanity inherent in one another. Once we refuse to see each other’s humanity, we lose any capacity for community change.

Envision a vibrant, inclusive, creative social community. As we push forward with our goal of #RethinkingSocialSpace, know that you have every stake in these decisions. As a student working group will soon be formed, do not underestimate your role as a first-year student. We need your input and your engagement.

Care about student government but, more importantly, care about each other. The first few months in a new place can be challenging. Be there for one another, keep each other safe and, as you move through the next four years, always remember: it’s cool to be kind here (Also, follow the TCU Senate Facebook Page and subscribe to our Elist! #ShamelessPlug).