Join the CAFE Interfaith Social Justice Pre-Orientation Program

The Reverend Greg McGonigle, University Chaplain

Dear Tufts Class of 2020,

Welcome to Tufts. I wanted to write and invite you to consider joining an exciting interfaith social justice opportunity as your entrypoint into Tufts this fall, the CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education) Pre-Orientation Program.

CAFE has a well-regarded history at Tufts as an important entrypoint for Tufts’ spiritual and social justice student leaders, and it was redesigned last year and became a national award-winning program that incoming first-year participants raved about. The idea of CAFE is to gather incoming students who have an interest or a passion for spiritual, interfaith, or social justice work so that they can meet each other, make friends, and begin learning about the landscape at Tufts and in the surrounding area for engaging on important issues facing today’s world.

The program welcomes students of all religious, spiritual, and philosophical backgrounds and those who are just curious into a thoughtful and caring community. But in addition to focusing on some of the big questions facing you as you transition to college, CAFE is a place to make potentially life-long friends and to get to know some of the people who will really help make your time at Tufts transformational. These include an exceptional group of peer leaders who are current students that have applied to lead this special experience welcoming you to Tufts.

Through CAFE, you can move into your residence hall early on Thursday, August 25 and get settled before the rest of your class arrives. We will explore various neighborhoods of Boston and their prominent spiritual and cultural centers. We will eat delicious food–introducing you to some of our favorite eateries near campus and in Boston. You will further develop your leadership skills and your ability to engage with the diverse student community that awaits you at Tufts. And we will have a lot of fun–with activities like a campus scavenger hunt and a Boston Harbor sunset boat cruise.

CAFE runs from Thursday, August 25 through Tuesday, August 30. The program fee is determined by the percentage of financial aid you receive from Tufts, and costs range from $0-$400. While doing a pre-o program is not required, students who do start their time at Tufts with a strong group of friends and connections and an awareness of the campus that is a definite advantage. We hope you will consider joining CAFE, which students report is an exceptional experience.

June 1, 2016 is the official deadline to register for pre-orientation programs, but please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested in CAFE after the deadline. If you have any questions about CAFE, I hope you will reach out to me. Whether for CAFE or on Matriculation Day, the multifaith University Chaplaincy team looks forward to welcoming you to Tufts, and we hope you are enjoying a refreshing and meaningful summer. Sign up for CAFE and learn more here.

Warm regards,

The Reverend Greg McGonigle