Letter from the Editor: This community still has a voice

Dear Tufts Community,

Unrest, uncertainty and shock settles throughout our campus as we say our goodbyes and pack the semester away much too soon. As the Managing Board discussed, the Daily is no exception to these feelings, faced with the sudden need to adapt to these radical circumstances. Following our community’s clear commitment to its core values of kindness and selflessness during this trying time, the Daily remains bound to its mission — to connect, inform and catalyze conversation. Like the rest of the Daily, the Opinion section remains committed to the preservation of our actively engaged community; regardless of our dispersed physical locations, we remain whole in our dedicated spirit to the editorial process, engaged citizenship and serving our “small town.”

Ramifications of this drastic situation lie in tandem with the breaking news of the present moment. Thus, the Daily’s Editorial Board remains as important as ever in the creation of widespread discussion on the issues that matter to us. As the university provides updates on the dining and housing reimbursements, the potential on-campus housing deficit and the associated impacts on international and low-income students, the Daily’s editorial board remains empathetic and available to express its opinions and vision of how our community should be. The Board exists to serve this function — although not anticipated in this situation — and we stay fully committed to following through on this vocation.

In this form, we unite our physically fragmented campus in our shared passion for bettering our university and recognizing its inherent value as well. However, not only the Editorial Board holds this power, for it lies in the voices of our diverse community. We encourage active engagement as we move forward in the form of Op-ed and Letter to the Editor submissions; the Opinion inbox remains open and ready to share our community’s perspectives, with Op-eds expressing thoughts on specific issues and Letters to the Editor responding to our rest-of-semester content. Thus, the Opinion page not only unites the campus in its duty but in its content as well, an interconnected mosaic of our “small town” thoughts, passions and — of course — opinions.

While these changes press on, know that the Opinion section as well as the entire Tufts Daily remains a dedicated constancy, both a representation and manifestation of our community’s solidarity, hope and unfaltering engagement. Ultimately, I see this challenging situation as a test — and one in which we will undoubtedly succeed — for while we diffuse across the world, we remain one in actuality, secured by the values at our community’s core. I look forward to being a part of the expression of this success, with the Opinion section staying at the forefront of the fervorous participation that will fuse our shuttered campus with forward movement and togetherness.

Sincerely,

Hannah Harris

Executive Opinion Editor