The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate has taken a very active role in the Tufts community this semester, enacting or proposing numerous programs to improve everyone's experience while at Tufts. Though some of the programs have been controversial and others were met with a great deal of criticism, the Senate has unquestionably had a positive effect on the quality of life at Tufts and has succeeded in fulfilling its purpose of advocating for the student body in front of the administration.
Perhaps the most significant and least controversial successes came from a single presentation to the Board of Trustees in early February. The representatives of the Senate to the Board managed to secure support for continuing major renovations to the lobby of the Mayer Campus Center, for creating a mandatory orientation program that exposes new freshmen to the local Medford and Somerville communities, and for posting course evaluations online — though this particular initiative has since been tabled to be re-examined later.
Each of these is a very important accomplishment in and of itself. Maintaining the most up-to-date facilities and design in the campus center must be a top priority for the school — the building is one of the main features of admissions tours and, as denoted by its name, is intended to be the physical focal point of student life. Similarly, maintaining the highest quality of teaching is crucial to students' intellectual and academic lives. Posting course and professor evaluations online will help ensure the high quality of academic life by giving students the ability to make better-informed decisions on what courses to take. Finally, increasing efforts to integrate new students into the local communities will improve relations with Medford and Somerville and expose students to a wider variety of entertainment and commercial options, helping to erase stereotypes about locals and promote the rich cultural life beyond the Tufts Bubble. The Daily commends the Senate for its efforts to ensure the quality of our physical space, academic life and community relations.
The Senate has also displayed a high level of receptiveness to the demands of certain groups of constituents. In response to calls from many Reserve Officers' Training Corps members and the military-inclined for the university to do more to demonstrate its respect for those serving in the nation's armed forces, several senators successfully advocated making Veterans Day a university-wide holiday in the future instead of Columbus Day. More controversially, the Senate examined the role of minority groups' representation in its decision-making process and supported initiatives to strengthen those minority communities' voices. Regardless of the merits of the various community representative proposals, the amount of dedication and careful consideration the Senate exhibited in attempting to address the concerns of minority groups is itself praiseworthy.
The Senate's work with the Alcohol Task Force to moderate the level of drinking on campus, which frequently leads to students being sent to the hospital, is similarly controversial, but the Senate should be commended for making an effort to create a workable solution that would ensure safety for students and still promote a fun atmosphere at school events. The Senate proposed alternatives to the Task Force's plans to make Spring Fling completely dry, and although the Task Force eventually made its own decision regardless, it is laudable that the Senate proposed tangible alternatives rather than simply complaining or letting the Task Force make all of its decisions with offering differing opinions.
Unfortunately, the Senate also acted without widespread support on goals that it believed important in issues where safety wasn't at stake — namely, the trayless dining program. After a controversial experiment in Carmichael Dining Hall that was supported by the Senate, it was announced on May 11 that both dining halls would be trayless for the 2010-2011 academic year. There was no direct forewarning or opportunity for public debate, which should have been present given the enormous impact this program will have on students' daily lives.
Despite some questionable decisions, this year's Senate was clearly composed of members as committed to the success of Tufts as the students they represent, and the university has greatly benefited from its efforts.
