TCU Senate Update

With students living off-campus concerned about their housing situations, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate spent a part of their weekly meeting receiving updates on the University Accountability ordinance being considered in the city of Somerville.

Senator Samuel Berzok spoke about the outcomes of the Legislative Affairs subcommittee meeting at the Somerville City Hall, where he served as a student voice on the proposed law to enforce an existing zoning ordinance. Along with Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel, Berzok attended the meeting and explained the Tufts residential system to the Somerville aldermen, noting that Tufts students often sign their leases in September and October for the following year, a fact of which aldermen were previously unaware.

Berzok, a junior, explained that Tufts may make it mandatory for its students living off-campus to report their addresses, and the university is considering building additional housing to accommodate more students on campus. He added that the aldermen didn't know when Somerville will begin enforcement or what the consequences will be if Tufts fails to provide a directory of student addresses.

Berzok explained that the amendment will likely pass, and Tufts will have to take serious steps to consider resources and choices for affordable off-campus housing for students. Three properties in Somerville are already in housing court for violations, and he added that there will be housing available on campus if students are evicted.

Following Berzok’s rundown, various committees gave updates on their activities.

The Student Outreach Committee announced that it will be hosting “Senate Spotlight of the Week,” featuring facts about senators on social media to “give a face to the Senate.”

The Educational Policy Committee reported that it is trying to gather data about the demand for the expansion of the Department of Computer Science.

Following committee updates, DCA Officer Andrew Núñez gave a tri-annual report covering a wide variety of issues on the Tufts campus, from Title IX and sexual violence prevention to fossil fuel divestment, and from the Culture, Ethnicity, Community Affairs Committee (CECA) rally for Indigenous People’s Day to the lack of recognition of gender segregation on campus and in Greek life. Núñez, a senior, also spoke extensively about the way that the university has prioritized other things over support for marginalized communities at Tufts, including the TCU Senate elections process and the determination of who has louder voices on Senate, the high turnover in the legislative body and the the lack of engagement with “marginalized communities unless it is election season.”

The TCU Senate voted on and discussed money allocation for the requests of six organizations.

GlobeMed was denied funding for a rally they wanted to participate in on Boston Common, since it was not directed primarily at Tufts students and would be located off campus.

All other organizations that applied were allocated funding. Tufts German Club was awarded $800 to bring New York Times columnist Roger Cohen to campus to speak on Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Students for Sensible Drug Policy was allotted $327 for transportation funding for a speaker who will talk about drug abuse.

A new student organization, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, was given $470 for membership to a national organization, funds for creating a phone app similar to iJumbo and more. Tufts Canon was awarded $420 for two of their members to go to a conference. Tufts Consulting Collective was awarded $140 for a web developer for its website, a choice that was made because the consulting group needs to work with groups and organizations off-campus and requires a level of professionalism for its website.

A number of organizations were also granted recognition by the TCU Senate, while others were not. Tufts Thai Students Association and Spoken Word Alliance at Tufts received recognition, while the Roosevelt Institute at Tufts and Tufts Tobacco-Free Initiative were not, according to TCU Judiciary member Anna Weissman, a sophomore. Sino-US Relations Group Engagement is in the process of recognition.