Coming out is a good start
October 9Today is Tufts' Coming Out Day. The day is an important one, not only for Tufts' LGBTQ community, but also for straight students and faculty.
Today is Tufts' Coming Out Day. The day is an important one, not only for Tufts' LGBTQ community, but also for straight students and faculty.
Development of a male contraceptive analogous to the oral contraceptives familiar to American women should be welcome news for the large numbers of sexually active college students. If researchers are able to produce an effective and safe pill or patch for men, responsibility for birth control can be shared in a much more equitable way between two partners in a relationship.
In 1773, the American colonists in Boston had had enough of the imperial zeal of their British oppressors, and on Dec. 16, 1773, a small band of Patriots set in motion the wheels of revolution against King George III. That was one of the greatest moments in the history of our nation, and generations of Americans have yearned wistfully for the opportunity to be a part of a similarly powerful movement.
We can't all be elected prime minister of a European country, but we can still look up to one illustrious Tufts alumnus who has set such an example. The re-election two weeks ago of Fletcher graduate Costas Karamanlis as prime minister of Greece marks a high point this fall for the extended Tufts community. It can be inspiring to think that one student who sat in lecture on the Hill took his education so far afield.
The study published through Tufts' Feinstein International Center (FIC) on the work of humanitarian agencies comes at a difficult time for humanitarian aid agencies in Iraq.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran delivered a speech at Columbia University yesterday that attracted hoards of students and faculty and made headlines immediately. The nature of his talk - calling Palestine an "old wound," denying the existence of homosexuals in Iran and expressing a desire to visit the World Trade Center site - provoked anger, frustration and confusion.
Last Monday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick released a proposal to build three casino resorts in Massachusetts in order to raise revenue to repair infrastructure and increase employment opportunities in the commonwealth.
This Saturday night, when you're considering whether or not to take that next shot, consider the following: when you end up passed out in Lawrence Memorial Hospital, you'll be taking up emergency resources from Medford residents who might have suffered an asthma attack or a stroke or a broken limb that same evening.
It seems that the Democratic numbers in Washington are not sufficient to push through major directional change in policy. A Republican filibuster yesterday blocked a measure to expand the rights of terrorism detainees while simultaneously dashing the hopes of liberal lawmakers who wanted to give more time at home for the troops.
The past few years have been tumultuous ones for the Greek system at Tufts. Fraternities have been shut down and re-opened, a Greek director came and went, and in June 2005, the school commissioned an outside report to identify major problems with the frats and sororities on campus.
The Think Outside the Bottle campaign by Corporate Accountability International brings to the Tufts campus a hot topic addressed recently by other publications and municipal governments: smart consumption of bottled water. Given Tufts' environmentally friendly attitude, it is no surprise that Corporate Accountability International is recruiting Tufts students to aid its campaign.
The pages of this publication have lately been a forum for discussion of that other media outlet, The Primary Source. Not only have members of the Tufts community debated what free speech truly entails, but parents and alumni have also questioned the very monetary lifeblood of the Source. When students and their families pay $258 into a large student activities jackpot, this financial investment increases everyone's connection to the products and activities of Tufts' student groups.
Former Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) employee Kenneth Hall was convicted of sex offenses against a minor this past June. Tufts hired Hall prior to his conviction, and the Daily does not wish to use this editorial to allege any wrongdoing on the university's part.
An article in today's paper brought considerable controversy to the Daily office yesterday afternoon. When Tufts students find themselves in compromising situations, we often find ourselves with a newsworthy story. As a college newspaper, however, we are acutely aware of the impact that our pages have in a small community. When peers request to be quoted anonymously in articles, we find ourselves having to balance their concerns with the journalistic standards we strive to uphold. Juggling these competing values is never fun, but it is necessary if we are to maintain a reputation as a reliable news source with integrity.
Ten months after the Primary Source's publication of its infamous Christmas carol, the campus and administration are still talking. Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser's ruling and the subsequent e-mail from President Lawrence Bacow bring a breath of fresh air and some degree of clarity to a debate which has brought considerable rancor to the Hill.
That The Primary Source will be brought before the Committee on Student Life (CSL) today for harassment and fostering a hostile on-campus environment is hardly surprising. The hearing represents what many students have been calling for since last semester: accountability.
Students at Tufts are now receiving contradictory messages when it comes to sexual health and birth control. On one hand, stacks of pamphlets at Tufts Health Service inform college students about the benefits and proper use of different contraceptive methods. On the other hand, easily accessible and cheap birth control packs, formerly offered by college health centers across the country, are no longer available due to a cut enacted in the 2005 federal budget.
As final exams near, the federal government wants to make sure college administration and faculty are not left out of the examination mix. A Sunday Boston Globe article highlighted the Department of Education's attempts to introduce accountability standards into higher education in order to determine just how well and how effectively students are learning.
Two days ago Hotung re-opened to great fanfare for throngs of excited students waiting to get a panini and a bottle of Sam Adams to slake their thirst and fulfill all their fantasies of an on-campus pub.