Tufts alum Carl Sciortino should be commended on winning the Democratic nomination for the Massachusetts legislature for Medford and Somerville. Sciortino's win (the seat, at this time, is uncontested) shows the importance of political involvement by Tufts students and alumni in Medford and Somerville. Tufts students should follow his lead.
Tufts students hold the capability to sway local elections. The race between Sciortino and incumbent Vinnie Ciampa had a margin of only 117 votes. But, most Tufts students don't participate, or are barely aware, of local politics.
This is evidenced by the continued election of Alderman Bob Trane. He campaigns in Somerville's Ward 7, which includes the Tufts area, on an anti-Tufts platform. Trane is the same official threatening to revoke housing permits for three Tufts fraternities.
If Tufts students were involved in Medford and Somerville elections it is unlikely that Trane, or candidates with similar platforms, could continue to be elected. Somerville has about 40,000 registered voters, but only about 9,000 people voted in the Sciortino/Ciampa race. If only some of Tufts' 5,000 students registered to vote in Somerville, the influence would be felt.
Tufts students are certainly political, as can be seen by the influence the presidential campaigns are having on-campus life. Fundraisers for candidates and campaigning in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are commonplace activities for students. But the interest does not seem to extend to Medford and Somerville.
Local politics directly affect all Tufts students. Obviously, off-campus students deal with local government, most vitally when they are ensuring the safety of their house. Damaging and fatal house fires in recent years show the importance of Medford and Somerville governments to find a way of guaranteeing a certain level of safety when tenants rent an apartment.
On-campus students are still affected by local politics. Whether parties are shut down or outside concerts receive complaints, what we do on campus affects our neighbors. And they likewise affect what happens on campus. Last year, the Somerville Historical Society blocked the building of a dorm that would have allowed more students to stay on campus.
If students were to become more involved in local politics, these problems wouldn't disappear overnight. Nor would they necessarily be resolved. But, it would give the Tufts community a louder voice in what goes on in Medford and Somerville. By actually voting, local politicians would realize they need to listen and court the Tufts student to get reelected.
Voting locally would also show that Tufts students have a vested interest in the Medford and Somerville communities. Students could be viewed as a vibrant part of the community, instead of carpet-baggers who set up camp while classes are on.
Hopefully, Sciortino's nomination will encourage other Tufts students to take an active role in Somerville and Medford politics. But first, students should make ourselves noticed by showing our power in votes. We live here at least nine months out of the year. We should be just as involved in what happens in our backyard as to what happens on Capitol Hill.
