Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Daily Week that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.
On Feb. 25, 1980, the first issue of The Tufts Daily was released. At the top of its front page, in typewriter ink, is the very first news headline: “Tuition Protest.” The article covered a protest attended by hundreds of students over a $1,226 hike in tuition, mirroring the challenges students continue to face today.
The Daily has come a long way since its first edition, but it has remained dedicated to covering prevalent issues on campus. Within the past five years alone, the Daily’s front page has featured a myriad of topics, from the pandemic to student protests to lawsuits to administrative changes, all written by passionate student journalists.
This hammer headline bolded the front page of the Daily on March 11, 2020. The subheadline below it, “Classes go online, Tufts asks students to not return after spring break,” described the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown order on students across the nation. Although students were sent home, the Daily continued its reporting, covering vaccine mandates and administrative changes, and publishing only online content throughout the rest of the academic year.
Admissions dean accused of discrimination by employees
In Fall 2022, the Daily extensively investigated a series of departures and complaints made by admissions employees alleging that Dean of Admissions JT Duck created a toxic work environment through discriminatory behavior. In July 2023, an external law firm hired by Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity concluded an investigation into the admissions office, and no evidence of discrimination was found.
Tony Monaco to step down as president in summer 2023
After a 12-year tenure, Tony Monaco decided to step down as president in 2023. During his time as president, Tufts acquired the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, introduced a new strategic initiative aimed at making Tufts an anti-racist institution, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and much more. He is currently a full-time biology professor and is continuing his genetics research.
Monaco left the selection of the new Tufts President, Sunil Kumar, to the Board of Trustees. Kumar started his presidency in the summer of 2023.
RA union ratifies first contract with university
After seven months of negotiations, the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants signed a contract with the university in fall 2023. Seeking higher compensation for resident assistants on campus, the union organized protests and a strike in August of 2023.
RAs now receive 80 meal swipes and a stipend of $1,425 in addition to their covered room and board. Other institutions in the area, such as Boston University’s Residence Life Union, followed in Tufts’ footsteps, authorizing strikes and contract negotiations of their own.
‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ ends without deal with university
Following months of escalated protests organized by the Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts and Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine, the encampment was dismantled in May 2024 without a compromise between Tufts administration and the groups’ demands. Nearly a year later, calls persist for Tufts to sever connections with Israel to end “Tufts’ complicity in genocide.”
Students in academic institutions across the country held solidarity protests in a national effort to support Palestinian liberation, drawing heavy media attention and hundreds of student arrests, suspensions and expulsions.
Five Tufts men’s lacrosse players hospitalized after workout led by Tufts alumnus
Members of Tufts men’s lacrosse, the four-time Division III championship winners, were hospitalized last semester with rhabdomyolysis after a workout led by a Navy SEAL officer. This incident sparked national attention, with media outlets such as CNN and NPR covering the status of the players.
All nine students who were hospitalized have since been discharged to return to play. A pending investigation into the workout was released by the administration earlier this year. The executive summary noted that the university did not follow all of the proper protocols when it came to the medical care of the athletes and the vetting of the workout.
Tufts sues NIH over executive order endangering federal funding for medical research
Earlier this month, Tufts, along with a dozen other universities, sued the National Institutes of Health over the executive order made by President Donald Trump on Feb. 7, which significantly cut federal funding for medical research. The lawsuit saw its first day in court on Friday, where a final decision was delayed by a federal judge. The Daily will continue to cover this story as it unfolds.
