Name: Logan Cotton
Year: 2013
Major: International Relations
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Cute? Check. Athletic? Check. Intelligent? Check. On a superficial level, Logan cotton is, in a word, the perfect male specimen (okay, four words, sue me). But while these three attributes are certainly not to be overlooked, they are not among even the ten most special things about Logan Cotton. This week’s Campus Celeb. is not only one of Tufts’ most socially and politically active students, but he is also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Whether you know him personally or simply have heard his name uttered in reverence around campus, reading on will give you hope for Tufts’ future, and confidence that the study body is in good hands. Check out HC Tufts’ interview with Logan below:
What on-campus organizations are you involved in at Tufts? Tufts Men’s Rugby, the Pan-African Alliance, Theta Delta Chi (123), and Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate
Why did you decide to join a frat? What changes would you like to see in the relationship and interactions between the Tufts Greek Community and the rest of the student body? I decided to join a fraternity because my dad told me about the great things his fraternity did for him when he was in college, and I wanted to have that sense of brotherhood and long-term friendship that he achieved. I would really like to bring down the barrier that exists between Greek Life and the rest of the student body at times – especially with respect to social programming. I am very enthusiastic about the need for Greek Life to continue some good work that has been happening to make the houses into safer spaces. I want to see Greek Life grow more diverse and inclusive for students of all identities and that will require a series of gradual steps to educate the system.
What do you think is the most important role of the Senate? What changes would you like to see within TCU? I think that Senate handles a lot of thankless and important work for Tufts students. However, I think Senate is overdue for a culture change. To me, it’s one thing for student government to be boring, slow, or even tedious, but what I find problematic is that Senate can often be out-of-touch and irrelevant. Senate needs a paradigm shift that will lead Senators to constantly ask, “Am I using the legitimacy of this office to advance the most pressing needs of my peers?” Senate is about the student body; it will be relevant when it remembers to live like that.
As member of the Africana Studies Working Group and the Pan-African Alliance, and a former intern at the LGBT Center, what do you think of the state of cultural affairs at the University? My title on Senate is actually Diversity and Community Affairs Officer. Among comparable schools, I think Tufts is doing an alright job with respect to inclusion and presence of students, but Tufts touts active citizenship and social justice in a way that many similar schools do not and, therefore, I think students come to Tufts expecting more than they are given with respect to institutional support for those two causes. We are having conversations here that are really valuable and insightful but we have to be diligent to ensure that we are always making greater inclusion, more understanding, and a more-perfect Tufts the ultimate goal.
On a lighter note …
What is your favorite thing about Tufts? The Institute for Global Leadership.
What are the top five must-do’s left on your Tufts bucket list? Run NQR, learn how to play lacrosse, get Professor Taliaferro to laugh at one of my jokes, figure out how Kieran Lewis makes his hair look and stay like it does, and chill with Kanye West (but that is more of a life goal).
What do you hope/plan to do next year after graduation? I’ve interviewed with Teach for America, but I have also applied with some consulting firms. Ultimately, I would like to go to law school and do public policy work at one level or another. I suppose the trajectory and hope is to work with people above all else.