The governing body of the Tufts Alumni Association, the Tufts Alumni Council, passed a new set of bylaws “modernizing” the association’s constitution on Nov. 3.
University President Sunil Kumar joined members of the Tufts Community Union Senate in hosting a panel discussion on student advocacy and preprofessional student groups on Nov. 20. Led by TCU President Joel Omolade, a senior, and Class of 2027 Senator Isabela Silvares Lima, the event was largely attended by presidents of advocacy groups and preprofessional organizations on campus.
Monroe France, vice provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, hosted Tufts University President Sunil Kumar for the first in a series of community webinar conversations with Tufts administrators on the “joys and challenges” of leadership in higher education on Nov. 20. The conversation touched on topics including recent university protests, the daily schedule of a university president and the accessibility of a Tufts education.
Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts held an event on Nov. 20 featuring the “Bad Old Days Posse” — a group of women telling their stories about life before “Roe v. Wade” — who shared their experiences of the state of abortion rights in the ‘60s and‘70s.
The Tufts’ Political Science Department, International Relations Program and Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life hosted a panel on Nov. 21 examining the outcome of the 2024 election.Panelists discussed the implications of the election results on domestic and international politics.
On Monday, Nov. 18, the Somerville Department of Health and Human Services held a community meeting about the opening of a new winter warming center in the Cummings School building once renovations are finished.
The Tufts Community Union Senate covered committee work, checked in on projects and approved supplementary funding in their last meeting before Thanksgiving. The meeting began with a look at the work of the various Senate committees.Alexander Vang, a junior and the FIRST senator and community & diversity committee chair, reported an unexpectedly high turnout to a community and diversity town hall meeting that took place in the Mayer Campus Center on Nov. 18. The town hall allowed students the chance to meet and question their community senators.
Chris Hayes, the anchor of the MSNBC primetime show “All In with Chris Hayes” and the “Why Is This Happening?” podcast, headlined the 16th annual Edward R. Murrow Forum on Issues in Journalism on Nov. 18. Tufts alumnus Neal Shapiro, the former president of NBC News and CEO of WNET, moderated the conversation.Hayes, who has hosted his point-of-view show since 2013, spoke for nearly an hour in front of an audience of roughly 200 in Barnum Hall. The event — named after the influential broadcaster and war correspondent Edward Murrow, whose son was in attendance — was sponsored by the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series.
Tufts University Nuclear Activists held a Nov. 14 speaker event with Dr. Ira Helfand, a renowned nuclear disarmament activist who discussed his position on nuclear weapons and why students should join the movement against them. This was the first solo event hosted by TUNA, a new club that is currently in the process of obtaining official recognition from the university.
Sophomore and Tufts Community Union Senator Michael Glueck, along with other senators, has successfully pushed for periodic free weight deep cleans and the posting of additional hygiene signage in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center after many students raised concerns about the cleanliness of the equipment.
Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine announced its “formal break and disaffiliation from Tufts University” on Nov. 15, following the university’s decision to officially suspend Tufts SJP through Jan. 2027.
The Tufts University Prison Initiative at Tisch College of Civic Life held its Community Conversations Dinner on Nov. 14. The event featured TUPIT students and welcomed community partners to learn more about the work being done by the Tufts Education Reentry Network, or MyTERN, program.
Tufts’ Department of Earth and Climate Sciences will introduce two new majors, Earth Science and Climate Science, along with a new minor in Earth and Climate Sciences, starting in fall 2025. The current departmental offerings — majors in environmental geology and geological sciences and minors in geology and geosciences — will be phased out with students who graduate in spring of 2027.
Medford is working to reduce its number of vacant storefronts through the Vacant Storefront District Program, which will award up to $10,000 worth of tax credits to businesses interested in moving into storefronts that have been vacant for 12 months or more. The eligible storefronts are located in six districts, which include Medford Square, Haines Square, Hillside, South Medford, Wellington and West Medford.
Dr. Mona Hanna, a renowned pediatrician, scientist and activist, spoke at the Tufts Center for Medical Education on Wednesday as part of the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series. She discussed her research and her ongoing efforts to advance public health and combat infant poverty. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Margie Skeer, a professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine.
Leaders of Tufts’ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement presented preliminary findings about the 2024 youth vote during a media briefing just two days after the Nov. 5 election. In line with national trends, the researchers found evidence of a rightward shift among voters ages 18 to 29, with particular declines in Democratic support among young white men and young Latine voters.
The Somerville Public Health and Public Safety Committee discussed their ongoing efforts to address homelessness in Somerville in a meeting on Nov. 12.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority offered a first look at the future of the Green Line during an Oct. 30 event at Boston City Hall Plaza, where MBTA leaders showcased a mockup of the new “Type 10” Green Line car. The new cars will fully hit the tracks by 2031, replacing the Type 7 and 8 cars that are currently used throughout the Green Line branch with the goal of modernizing the trains and making them more accessible.
The 2024 Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize was awarded to five Tufts students this year, who presented their final projects at a dinner ceremony on Nov. 7. The prize, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, is given annually to select undergraduates who propose a project concerning an international issue. It allows recipients to pursue research projects, intern, volunteer or plan a course of study in accordance with their project.
Tufts recently announced that it will maintain its relationship with Rep. Seth Moulton’s office, despite reports indicating that David Art, chair of Tufts’ political science department, severed the university’s ties with the congressman following Moulton’s recent remarks about transgender athletes. Moulton has been involved in Tufts-sponsored events in the past and has worked with the Tufts political science department to provide internship opportunities for students.
