This page has often written about the need for students to be involved in the local Medford and Somerville community. Saturday's effort to clean up the Mystic River showed how Tufts students can come together and help the wider community. It is important to remember that any improvements to Medford and Somerville reflect well on Tufts, particularly if students are involved in the process.
Medford has a stereotype of being working class, grimy and polluted, and the state of the Mystic River does not do the community any favors. Plans to revamp Medford Square show that the city wants to change its image, which would help Medford compete with "hipster" areas in Somerville and Cambridge. The more attractive Tufts' location becomes, the more desirable it will be to prospective students. It is a win-win situation.
It is also good to see students from across the campus joining together in an overarching community service goal. Tufts is too divided up into groups that do not interact with each other. There are countless permutations of divisions, whether along the lines of culture groups, sports teams, dorm floors or Greek houses. It is easy to get caught up in a circle of people and get stuck. Tufts needs more occasions that unite entire cross-sections of the campus, aside from the drunken festivities of the Naked Quad Run and Spring Fling. Community service offers an outlet to bring together large numbers of students while being productive.
We already have Kids Day, Read by the River and the Mystic River cleanup to highlight Tufts' goodwill to the local community. This charitable spirit needs to be continued throughout the year, on a large scale so that it demands attention. Doing so will help Medford and Somerville residents see that we are not just loud students who enjoy partying on weekends. We are an important part of the Medford and Somerville populations and community service projects can emphasize what we give back to the community, improving town-gown relations the best way Tufts students know how.
