Editorial: How to make dining more accessible
During a meeting Feb. 19, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate met to hear a resolution regarding Tufts Dining. Some of the changes it proposed include extending the dining halls’ hours of operation, expanding dining uphill and including more options for halal- and kosher-observing students. We support these changes as part of an effort to rationalize and […]
Editorial: We need a living wage for students
For many students, working on campus is a necessity. Students rely on campus jobs to cover the costs of student life, including tuition, fees, textbook costs, food and personal expenses. Tufts is long overdue in raising the student minimum wage. The wage for Tufts students is set at the current Massachusetts minimum wage, which is $12 […]
Editorial: Students should join workers in action for a fair contract
Last spring, Tufts Dining workers voted to unionize with nearly 90 percent of ballots in favor of joining UNITE HERE Local 26. Negotiations for a contract started in August, but the school has not agreed to many of the terms set forth by the workers. Employees and activists have found that the university is unresponsive to or […]
Editorial: Swipe It Forward does not go far enough
Food insecurity is a painful issue for many people, including Tufts students. Students come from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, meaning some can afford more food or larger meal plans than others. Economic hardship and stress can contribute to food insecurity for students, while other students never have to worry about money. The Swipe It Forward program, […]
Editorial: Tufts needs more independent study spaces on campus
It sometimes feels impossible to find privacy on campus. Libraries, dining halls and the Campus Center are constantly brimming with people. Common spaces in dorms can sometimes feel more social than relaxing. Even dorm rooms don’t guarantee solitude, given the presence of roommates. It can be quite challenging on a college campus to find time and space for oneself, […]
Editorial: Hillel postering a blatant act of antisemitism
Close to two dozen posters critical of American and Israeli policy were found at the Tufts Granoff Family Hillel Center on Feb. 12. We believe these posters are intended to distress Jewish students. Antisemitism is a racist ideology that sees Jewish people as ‘other’. This ideology often manifests as anti-Jewish imagery and propaganda, including medieval […]
Editorial: Tufts should stop encroaching on neighbors
Tufts’ housing policies hurt our relationships with our neighbors. Somerville City Councilor for Ward 1 Matt McLaughlin told the Daily in a phone interview that Tufts is undoubtedly contributing to gentrification in Somerville. Because Tufts students live in hundreds of rental units throughout Somerville and Medford, they drive up local rents and cause surrounding neighborhoods to gentrify quicker, according […]
Editorial: It is time for a new dorm
Tufts should attack the housing crisis head-on by building a new dorm. Tufts is only able to house 63 percent of undergraduates and is increasing enrollment. The administration has implemented plans that include the displacement of faculty, 28.8 percent rent increases for many students and forced triples. These plans avoid or replicate the central problem with Tufts housing: […]
Editorial: Shadow grading will ease the first-year transition
The transition from high school to college is daunting. Students often have to move away from home for the first time, participate in new extracurriculars and find a new network of friends. Academic competition, financial pressures and obsession with grades add to the stress. Many first-years are unsure of their academic path but expect they will earn […]
Editorial: Changes to lottery system are welcome but insufficient
On Nov. 28, 2018 ResLife announced a number of changes to the lottery system, changing the application process for Tufts housing. While the changes to the lottery system make it fairer and less stressful, Tufts should be doing much more in order to make it easier for students to live on campus. For groups applying to suites […]
