The 2006-2007 academic year was a time of growth for Tufts. The year began with the September opening of Sophia Gordon Hall, a 62,000-square foot residence hall built to house 126 seniors and designed as a model for eco-friendly dorms. The building was funded by a $10-million grant from trustee Bernard Gordon.
Early 2007 also saw the opening of the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center, which officially opened on Jan. 18, the first day of the spring semester. The Granoff Center became the new home for Tufts' music classes, which were previously held in the Aidekman Arts Center, and the Distler Performance Hall now hosts many events previously held in Cohen Auditorium.
April brought the re-opening of Hotung Café under a new moniker: Hotung Pub. After a year rife with controversy over campus social life, Dining Services and the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate collaborated on a joint effort to introduce alcohol to on-campus dining. Students were surprised, however, to discover a two-drink limit upon arrival.
Tufts' national reputation flourished in 2006, as Newsweek named Tufts as one of its 25 "New Ivies." The list brought newfound prestige to the Tufts community. Director of Admissions Lee Coffin called the honor both "a great challenge and a great opportunity."
With Tufts' respect in the academic community growing steadily, the administration went to great lengths to keep up financially. In November, President Lawrence Bacow unleashed the university's new "Beyond Boundaries" capital campaign with a goal of $1.2 billion in fundraising to supplement the university's endowment; a year and a half later, the campaign is 73 percent of the way there with a total of $875 million.
With the rise in Tufts' endowment came a rise in debate over the university's lack of endowment transparency. In the spring of 2007, a number of groups, including the student-run Tufts Coalition for Endowment Transparency and Democracy, called for more public disclosure. In February, the Sustainable Endowments Institute, an outside group that monitors and assesses schools' endowments, gave Tufts an "F" in both transparency and "shareholder engagement."
Controversy was stirred by on-campus groups as well, most notably Tufts' journal of conservative thought, the Primary Source. The Source first came under fire in late 2006, as on Dec. 6 the publication printed a controversial Christmas carol, entitled "O Come All Ye Black Folk," intended as a satire on Tufts' affirmative action policies. The carol, which mocked the "52 black freshmen" who enrolled in the Class of 2010, was lambasted by numerous student groups and by the TCU president, then-senior Mitch Robinson.
The Source again made headlines in April, when a piece entitled "Islam - Arabic Translation: Submission" implied that Muslims are, by definition, intolerant and violent. Many in the Tufts community spoke out against the article, including President Bacow, who pointed out "the irony of The Primary Source lecturing others on tolerance." The Committee on Student Life ruled against the Source, finding the publication guilty on four counts of harassment and creating a hostile environment.
Campus safety became an issue in the spring, as a series of five sexual assaults in a one-month period kept students on edge as they traveled the campus' outskirts. A collaborative effort between Tufts' and local police departments led to the arrest of Nicolas Chacon, a 19-year-old Somerville resident, for crimes including aggravated rape and kidnapping.
On a happier note, a variety of distinguished speakers were welcomed to the Hill last year. Among them were New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who spoke on the Darfur genocide; former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who delivered the Issam M. Fares Lecture; and former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, who spoke at the Edward R. Murrow Forum on Issues in Journalism. Rapper T.I. headlined a slightly rainy Spring Fling, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered the Commencement address.
Tufts said goodbye to several of its own in 2006-2007. Former University President Burton Crosby Hallowell passed away in November, and three untimely deaths struck Tufts at the close of the fall semester: freshman Lily Karian, dental school student Edilene Evangelista and assistant baseball coach Kevin Burr.
