Elizabeth Foster is a fifth-year master’s student studying computer science. She can be reached at Elizabeth.Foster635086@tufts.edu.
I entered Tufts wide-eyed and open-minded, knowing that I would have the opportunity to form my own moral and political beliefs outside of my immediate surroundings in Wisconsin. College would be a playground for me to ask questions and state beliefs previously unacknowledged — and I chose to attend Tufts for that reason.
As flowers begin to bloom and the occasional breath of fresh air becomes more frequent, we know that spring is on its way. Unsurprisingly, my cabin fever is manifesting itself in a desire for fresh spring and summer produce, as evidenced by my recent YouTube history. I’m dreaming of Saturday morning trips to Minneapolis farmers’ markets to get June ramps, July corn and August tomatoes.
The stereotypical college spring break involves jet setting to the sunniest of beaches in countries with a lower drinking age. And yet, my spring break group was not yet sick of the cold. We traveled to Iceland last week and found ourselves in a remote fishing village in the Westfjords during their worst snowstorm this season.
Running March 8–30, SpeakEasy Stage Company brings Martyna Majok’s “Cost of Living” to Boston audiences. Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Martyna Majok’s play speaks to the fragility of life by interweaving the lives of four individuals, each one hardship — emotional, financial or physical — away from ruin.
I spent my Saturday afternoon baking three batches of chocolate chip cookies, totaling 42 little treats that I could bring to the CS TA soccer game (yes, an entire six-team soccer league consisting exclusively of teaching assistants for the Tufts Computer Science Department). I’ve (mentally) committed to bringing cookies to make up for my lack of skill on the field.
Ball Square’s Neighborhood Produce is Tufts’ best-kept secret. A block away from 574 Boston Ave., Neighborhood Produce somehow has exactly what you need for a week of meals. To allow you to repeat my grocery shopping process for the week, I’ve documented my approach.
My journey with substitutions began when I was a senior in high school. I was planning to visit one of my dearest friends in college and decided to bring her a batch of dairy-free chocolate chip cookies, made with coconut oil. Then one of my closest friends in college didn’t eat eggs, so the chocolate chip cookie recipe evolved to include a flax egg.
Anyone who knew me sophomore year is aware of perhaps my greatest moment as a resident assistant: the pickling party. And yes, it was exactly as it sounds. Using my (rather limited) RA budget, I decided that the best use of this was to invite the four Wren Hall suites I was responsible for to a party where we pickled anything they requested.
Now, I have colloquially described my college house as “The Cheese House,” firstly, because my roommate (now abroad) is Coby Formaggio, founder of the current Tufts Cheese Club, and because I am from the grate state of Wisconsin. Refusing cheese feels a little blasphemous, and yet, I blaspheme.
The thing I will grieve the most about leaving Boston is that I will not have access to the network of events and intellectuals that Boston ushers in. Spending a weekend at MIT’s iQuHACK? Attending Hilary Hahn’s performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra? Listening to Sohla El-Waylly’s book conversation at the Harvard Book Store?
