Dear Tufts community,
Over the past few months, our “small town” has been dispersed across the globe. Though we do not live on campus at the moment, we remain connected through our shared experiences and the family and friends we have found at Tufts.
Our community responded admirably to the difficult circumstances and inequities exposed by the pandemic. Students and alumni have risen to the occasion by engineering face masks for health care workers, volunteering at local service organizations and purchasing groceries for our neighbors and families. Our identity-based centers provided meals, airline tickets, free storage, computers and other resources to those in need. With the launch of Tufts Mutual Aid, members of our community coalesced to assist these centers in responding to the swift changes on campus. These are the actions that define us as a selfless and civic-minded community.
This issue of the Daily celebrates the accomplishments of the Class of 2020. Although Commencement cannot happen now as usual, it remains important to say farewell and to honor the successes of our seniors.
From the removal of the Sackler name from university buildings to men’s soccer’s fourth national championship in six years, our community made great strides over the last four years. Women’s basketball secured its first undefeated regular season in team history, and the team showed its prowess in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Chronicle of Higher Education named Tufts a “top producer” of Fulbright Scholars for six consecutive years, due in no small part to the work of Tufts’ many civic-minded students and their drive to make the world a better place. We witnessed the anniversary celebrations of the Africana Center, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and the Tufts Daily while on campus. During the Class of 2020's time here, the university has literally taken a different shape, with the addition of Community Housing and the renovations of Houston, Miller and Barnum Halls. These are just a few examples, but the point is that this class is part of many of our community’s greatest moments.
As you move on and start your careers, I hope you take the best of what you’ve learned at Tufts — the connections, experiences and friends.
Sincerely,
Ryan Shaffer
Editor in Chief, The Tufts Daily
