Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Hello, Tufts! Welcome back to the Hill. The last few weeks provided some much-needed rest for Daily editors, writers and photographers, but while, as individual humans, we may have been lounging around in our pajamas sipping cocoa, the paper itself has not been resting. The renovation and re-launch of the Daily’s website at the end of the summer sparked a period of innovation, allowing us to expedite and diversify our content. This momentum continues to propel us today, the first day of classes (and more importantly, the first print edition of the Daily in 2015! We know you’ve been counting down the days).

One direct result of this development is Picture Tufts, the Daily’s new photo blog. In the wee hours of this morning, the link to Picture Tufts went live on our website. Curated by sophomore Caroline Ambros, this new page offers a glimpse through the collective lens of the Daily photo department and provides a creative space for and by the photographers who contribute to it. The digital galleries include stunning work by Daily photo staff, and feature both Daily assignments and personal projects. I strongly urge everyone to log on and take a look!

In addition to being an exciting period of growth, last semester sparked a time of self-reflection for the Daily. We recommitted ourselves to providing an inclusive space, both for our staff and for our readers. Despite tireless efforts to provide consistent, quality and respectful reporting, sometimes we have fallen short of our goals. We make mistakes; everyone does. But that doesn’t mean we can’t improve, striving to serve the Tufts community to the best of our abilities. With this goal in mind, the Daily formed the Intentionality and Inclusivity Committee at the end of last semester, specifically dedicated to just that – to evaluate our daily coverage as well as our internal dynamics, and to ensure we live up to the highest journalistic and ethical standards.

A crucial part of the Daily’s mission is to create a space where Tufts students can engage in critical, respectful discussion. But to have a discussion, we need to hear from you, our readers. Maybe you’re euphoric or enraged about the political state of the universe, the return of the Commons or our coverage, and if so, speak up! And while no, we’re not exactly opposed to snarky comments on the website, consider writing an Op-ed. I am attached, perhaps sentimentally, to the idea of the Daily as a public commons, and this means it is as much your paper as it is ours.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Drew Z. Robertson