<p>Here's where we can discuss the Tufts social scene.</p>
<p>For example, when I, a Russian Jewish New Jersey white girl, accidentally ended up at Tufts' Minority Weekend, we found a couple of loserish parties at like two frats, some weird dance thing going on at La Casa, and mostly spent our time hanging out in our host's dorm room, the Student Center, and taking the T into Boston. Is that usually the only thing to be found to do on campus, or was that just an unusually boring weekend?</p>
<p>lol. Well, you have extracurricular activities/sports etc. You can also go out into Harvard Square or Boston.</p>
<p>There are usually free on campus movies on weekends, there are a lot of plays as well, and there's always Boston/Cambridge. A lot of upperclassmen go to house parties at their friends' apartments, so that's another thing to do on weekends.</p>
<p>A lot of frats are being shut down at Tufts because of rule violations, so that scene might be a bit quieter this coming year but in no way is dying. There's a post on this topic down on the page a bit. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Haha yeah i heard about that, how they're all being shut down. Lots of kids were complaining about that. And there actually were some shows and concerts going on, like some sketch comedy troupe and a choir were putting things on. Are those generally attended by a lot of people, or just the friends of those in the group?</p>
<p>These events are usually pretty well attended, especially the groups with large followings. There are always performances of something or other.</p>
<p>tuftslife.com also shows a listing of everything that is going on at any given day. During the summer it is slow but you can look at archives for examples.</p>
<p>ooh, thanks! that's really helpful, i appreciate it!</p>
<p>Okay, student activities...</p>
<p>Well, I am a big theater fan. I usually go to most of the plays on campus or to off-campus theater in and around Boston. The sketch-comedy troupe is also popular and entertaining. There are also various a cappella groups to see, as well as ochestra, Chorale, and dance groups like Spirit of Color (they're very popular, always sold out). </p>
<p>Another thing I'm not sure people mentioned are movies. A campus group usually shows newer films for free in one of the lecture halls (somehow, always amazes me how a classroom turns into a movie theater). Folks also go to the Somerville Theater (although I've actually never been there) or in Boston. I meet up with friends from other Boston schools for dinner in the city every once in a while. There's a DVD machine in the campus center that lets you rent films cheap - around $1 a day or something to that extent. </p>
<p>In the winter, ice skating on Frog Pond in Boston is another fun activity.</p>
<p>The Somerville Theatre shows second-run movies (movies that have been out for a month or so) for cheap. I saw Fever Pitch there last week for $6.50 (at 7pm). Matinees are even cheaper. They also have live music there, although I've never seen a show there. There's a great movie theatre with first-run movies a 20-minute T ride away and the theatre is fantastic.</p>
<p>Also, as tufta08 says, there's a ton of live theatre around Boston and at all the colleges around here. I haven't taken as much advantage of it as I should have.</p>
<p>Hey Bluirinka,</p>
<p>I'm a fellow russian speaking jew at Tufts, except I'm a junior. There are a few of us at tufts, but a very small number.</p>
<p>Now, as far as the social scene goes, I stopped going to frats after my frosh year. My idea of a social setting is enjoying a few drinks in a company of my friends, not in a crowded extremely hot basement. As far as the frats go, our beloved president is slowly, but surely cracking down on the greek system. At the end of this past year, several of the frats were placed on probation or faced disciplinary action. Based on my experience, best parties are the houst parties with your friends. </p>
<p>As far as stuff to do, you will develop very diverse relationships with your new friends at tufts. The drama department produces a host of shows, plays, and other events. Over the last two years, I made it a point to go into Boston at least once a week and I never regretted it for a minute. Some of my other friends, seldomly went into Boston. The type of social atmosphere largely depends upon your personal attitudes.</p>
<p>Boston is an absolutely amazing town with a variety of social venues, everything from great food (if you need any recommendations let me know) to amazing shopping to a number of other cultural opportunities. I did not fully appreciate the opportunities available in Boston until too late in the game.</p>
<p>I hope you have a blast in the fall and if any of you make it London during any part of the academic year, let me know and I'll give you a Tufts-in-London grand tour.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Vlad</p>
<p>hey Vlad, thanks so much for the response!</p>
<p>I think it's like that at any college, that freshman year everyone tries to drink themselves to death and then kind of stops. By then they've made their set of friends and would rather hang with them.</p>
<p>But a great thing about Tufts is the fact that over on the what you're looking forward to most board, everyone is listing that they want to meet new, interesting, fun people. That kind of attitude is exactly what I'M looking forward to - it seems like such a thriving, accepting community where people just want to learn, not just in the classroom, but from the people that surround them.</p>
<p>and yeah i know about five other russian jews that go there, wooHOO</p>
<p>--Rinka</p>
<p>Hey Rinka,</p>
<p>We are the few, the proud. Ya should talk to Julia, she is from Cali and is going to the NEC for voice, so ya might have a number of things in common. She is also one of the few, the proud.</p>
<p>If ya need anything or have any questions, let me know and I'll try to help.</p>
<p>Vlad</p>
<p>Hey Blurinka.. that Minority Weekend... that didn't happen to be the one in November with the bus fiasco did it?</p>
<p>I am also a member of the small but cool Russian-speaking population at Tufts :)</p>
<p>My friend who's Russian and I make plenty of Soviet Russia jokes. "In Soviet Russia, car drives you!" Funny, but still frightening shades of the past.</p>
<p>LOL I LOVE FAMILY GUY, snuffles. The Communists on TV..."Kvit STALIN. Show us your MARX." lmao</p>
<p>wow, there is a thriving CC Tufts Russian population. lol. but i'm actually a Russian Jew...people really don't understand the difference, they're always like, "YOU'RE RUSSIAN?!?! YOU MUST BE COMMUNIST?!" I'm like uhh...actually...my family fled Russia b/c they were majorly discriminated against. yeah. lol.</p>
<p>But I'm not one of those Russians who's incapable of befriending people who won't get their S Lehkim Parom/Nu Pogodi references and drink tea with them 24/7 and laugh when they say "blyat" lol!</p>
<p>But Rinka, S Legkim Parom/Nu Pogodi are classics!!! :):)</p>
<p>haha i know. I know them both by heart lol...in fact, for some reason i can sing the entire Nu Pogodi soundtrack from start to finish. BECAUSE I'M JUST SO COOL lol</p>
<p>HAHA!</p>
<p>Nu Pogodi was awesome, a russian version of coyote and the roadrunner! How abut all the films with Nikulin, The Diamond Hand, The Adventures of Shurik or Operation "I". </p>
<p>I highly recommend, a class with Vida Johnson - "Russian Film." I took it this past semester and it was loads of fun, not to mention one of the easier ones.</p>
<p>Finally, who knows the B-U-R-A-T-I-N-O Song, come on dont be shy, admit it that you like it!</p>
<p>Vlad</p>
<p>P.S. It is ironic that by coming to the United States, you become Russian/Ukrainian, etc. instead of being a Jew. Also what is up with ppl thinking if you speak Russian, then you must be Russian. I feel as though I'm canadian and i understand why they get frustrated.</p>
<p>WHEW!</p>
<p>lol Vlad, Operatsiya Y... another great one.
How about Sluzhebnyi Roman, another one of my faves... they don't make movies like that anymore.</p>