To the newest members of our community,
Whether you’re a first-year, transfer student or new hire, it’s my privilege as editor in chief of The Tufts Daily to welcome you to campus and introduce you to our newspaper.
First, I want to take a moment to recognize what a strange and special time this is for you. After a whirlwind of applications, celebrations and goodbyes, you’ve arrived — I can promise you it only gets more chaotic, and more beautiful, from here.
Major life transitions such as arriving at college tend to be marked by uncertainty and growing pains. There’s so much newness to absorb all at once — new place, new people, new routines, maybe even a new version of yourself that you’re growing into. I’m not here to tell you this transition will be easy. At times, it will probably be hard. I can, however, assure you that you’re surrounded by people who are going through the exact same thing.
In addition to your shared circumstances, you’ll find that there are other common threads connecting you to your peers here at Tufts. This campus is full of thoughtful, purposeful, outspoken people who, on balance, value kindness and individuality over status and self-promotion. You’ve probably met some of them by now, and you’re sure to meet many more in the coming years.
Perhaps even more so than our similarities, the strength of our community here at Tufts derives from our many differences. We hail from across the country and around the world. We study philosophy and chemical engineering and international relations. We dance and write and organize and debate and play.
For all this, Tufts is far from perfect. Yes, our community is diverse — but not as diverse as it could and should be. Yes, we strive to be good neighbors to the residents of Medford and Somerville — but we could certainly do better. Yes, anyone from any walk of life can thrive here — but there are systems in place that make it harder for some. I know this, yet I am hopeful that although we are imperfect, we are progressing each year thanks to each new class of students. Your skills and perspectives, your fresh eyes on an old institution, are exactly what we need.
With that in mind, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to The Tufts Daily. We’re the independent student newspaper of record at Tufts and we’ve been around since 1980. We publish every weekday and print weekly. There is a place for you at the Daily no matter who you are, what you want to say or how you want to say it. We strive to publish content that informs and engages our readers, giving them the tools they need to be active in the Tufts community. Some of us report the news as it happens, unpacking controversies and holding our peers and the administration to account. Some write arts columns or opinion essays. Some produce podcasts, and some work behind the scenes to run our business. Though our primary purpose is to serve the Tufts campus, we’re also increasing our coverage of our host communities of Medford and Somerville. On top of being a media organization, we’re a student club, and we have lots of fun in our cozy (if cave-like) office in the basement of Curtis Hall. Ultimately, we want to be a resource for you, whether you read the paper or join our staff.
As someone who found a home on campus and a passion for journalism through this newspaper, I sincerely encourage you to consider joining the Daily if you enjoy writing, editing, multimedia production or design. Visit our recruitment site or email me directly at chloe@tuftsdaily.com if you’d like to learn more. I look forward to hearing from you!
Alternatively, if you don’t want to join the Daily but still want to contribute to the campus conversation, I hope you will submit an op-ed at some point during your time at Tufts. To do so, contact our opinion editor at opinion@tuftsdaily.com.
Like Tufts, the Daily is far from perfect. As reporters we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and never intend for our work to be harmful to any individual or group. However, we sometimes make mistakes and when we do, I hope you call us out. If you notice there’s a side of the story we haven’t considered, I encourage you to submit a letter to the editor or anonymous tip. We value your criticism and readily admit that we have room to grow.
On behalf of the entire Tufts Daily staff, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here.
Pax et Lux,
Chloe Courtney Bohl
Editor in Chief, Fall 2022
