News

University

More on-campus housing to come for transfer students next year

By Amelia Sammons | May 12

Tufts plans to offer more on-campus housing to transfer students for the 2025–26 school year. Rising junior Defne Olgun, a 2024–25 TCU trustee representative; Christina Alch, director of residential life and learning; and Perry Doherty, associate director of residential operations, have been involved in the effort to expand housing for transfer students.

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University

Timeline of Rümeysa Öztürk’s detention, subsequent activism and judicial proceedings

By Josué Pérez | May 12

Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the evening of March 25 on her way to an Iftar dinner. The Tufts community and local residents have demanded that she be released from ICE detention and return to her studies at Tufts. The following article provides a timeline of actions relating to Öztürk’s case and related activism on and off campus as of May 7.

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News

Aaron Gruen, ‘a natural leader,’ departs the Daily

By Matthew Sage | May 12

Like many other first-year students arriving at Tufts, Aaron Gruen had little idea of how he’d spend his next four years of college. After auditioning for improv and a cappella groups in search of his niche, Gruen instead turned toward the Daily to try his hand at journalism.

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University

Rümeysa Öztürk comes home, speaks at press conference in Boston

By Dylan Fee and Josué Pérez | May 11

Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk returned to Massachusetts on Saturday and spoke publicly to a crowd of reporters at Boston Logan International Airport following her release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. Öztürk was joined in speaking by members of her legal team, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

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University

Rümeysa Öztürk released from ICE custody

By Josué Pérez | May 9

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered Friday that Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk be released from the custody of Immigration Customs and Enforcement. She has been held at a detention facility in Basile, La., since her detainment on March 25. Sessions ordered that Öztürk may return to her home in Somerville and is allowed to travel freely within Massachusetts and Vermont.

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University

Dhruv Sampat elected TCU president for 2025–26

By Josué Pérez | April 28

Dhruv Sampat will serve as the next president of the student body and the Tufts Community Union Senate for the 2025–26 academic year, according to junior Luca O’Neil, the chair of the TCU Elections Commission. Total election turnout was 9.9% of the student body, which is down from 30.36% turnout in last year’s presidential election. Sampat is the first candidate since 2017 to run uncontested for TCU president.

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Local

Medford City Council approves updated version of new charter after negotiations with mayor

By Julian Glickman | April 28

The Medford City Council passed an updated version of the city’s charter in a 6–1 vote on April 15, nearing the end of a years-long process that now moves to the Massachusetts State House and, ultimately, Medford voters.

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University

BREAKING: Visa status of 3 Tufts students restored by ICE

By Samantha Eng | April 25

Three of nine Tufts international students whose Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records were terminated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement were restored to active status as of Friday morning, according to Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations. The university received no notice of the change in students' visa status from the government but discovered the restorations through ongoing monitoring, according to Collins. 

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Local

Medford School Committee votes to ratify contract with teachers association

By Anika Parr | April 25

On April 14, the Medford School Committee voted to ratify a contract with the Medford Teachers Association. The motion passed with all present members voting in favor. “I think the teachers union and the negotiating team from the school side did a great job getting the contract settled,” Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, who abstained from the negotiation because her sister is part of the school system, said. “I am just really, really excited that we got to this resolution.”

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University

Former Zeta Psi fraternity house set to be demolished

By Michael Onysko | April 25

Preliminary work has begun on the demolition of the former Tufts chapter of Zeta Psi fraternity at 80 Professors Row, with the structure and its foundation set to be removed by commencement. Tufts purchased the property from the Zeta Psi national organization in 2024 with the intention to demolish the house, given its “severe state of disrepair,” according to a statement from Barbara Stein, vice president for operations. Zeta Psi was disbanded in 2021 for violating Tufts’ COVID-19 guidelines.

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University

Kumar co-signs letter with over 200 university presidents pushing back on Trump administration

By Josué Pérez | April 23

University President Sunil Kumar called for “constructive engagement” with 238 university and college leaders in a statement released by the American Association of Colleges & Universities on April 22. The signatories announced that they are speaking with one voice against recent “unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”

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University

Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans release joint statement condemning detainment of Rümeysa Öztürk

By Shayna Levy | April 22

Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans released a joint statement on April 10 condemning the arrest and detainment ofRümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts doctoral student who was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Somerville on March 25.

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University

UPDATE: Judge denies government appeal, holds that Öztürk must return to Vermont

By Samantha Eng | April 18

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered on Friday that Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk be moved to Vermont no later than May 1 from Louisiana where she is currently detained. Sessions concluded that the Vermont district court holds jurisdiction to consider Öztürk’s request for habeas relief.

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University

Louisiana federal judge denies bond to Rümeysa Öztürk

By Josué Pérez | April 18

A Louisiana federal immigration judge denied bond to Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk on Wednesday afternoon. The judge determined that she was a “flight risk and a danger to the community,” according to a supplemental document filed by her legal counsel in her Vermont proceedings. Öztürk’s case was transferred to Vermont on April 4, ordered by a federal judge in Massachusetts.

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University

Fourth annual Earth Fest is held by Sustainable Core Fellows, TUSC, TCU

By Varya Karpinskaya | April 18

In anticipation of International Earth Day, the Sustainable CORE Fellows, the Tufts University Social Collective and the Tufts Community Union held Earth Fest on Sunday in Eaton Hall. The event featured a farmer’s market, student vendors, a clothing swap and live music performances from Tufts a cappella group sQ! and a student-led band, Cutting Corners.

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Local

Local leaders heighten calls for release of Rümeysa Öztürk

By Julian Glickman | April 17

Local Medford and Somerville leaders, as well as Massachusetts state leaders, have strengthened their response to the detainment of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk. Elected officials released a joint statement, and the Medford City Council passed an official resolution for her release.

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Local

Somerville Mayor Ballantyne announces reelection bid for 3rd term

By Anika Parr | April 17

On March 24, Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne officially announced her reelection bid. She is seeking a third term since her initial election in 2021, facing declared challengers including Somerville City Councilors at-Large Jake Wilson and Willie Burnley Jr., as well as Somerville resident Jason Mackey.

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University

‘A risk no matter what’: Professors discuss Kumar’s affidavit supporting Rümeysa Öztürk

By Michael Onysko | April 17

The Office of the President sent a declaration signed by University President Sunil Kumar in support of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, in an email to the Tufts community on April 2. Executed on April 1, Kumar’s declaration was filed as an affidavit in a motion for her release ...

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University

Cost of attendance rises to $96,078 for 2025-26 year

By Josué Pérez | April 16

The new full cost of attendance for Tufts University will be approximately $96,078 for incoming undergraduate students for the 2025–26 academic year. The estimated total cost of attendance has gone up by $3,911. The cost of attendance for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has surpassed $100,000 for international students, reaching a total of $100,682.

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University

TCU Senators hear supplementary funding appeal and new graduation robes resolution

By Spenser Walsh | April 16

The Tufts Community Union Senate debated an appeal on supplementary funding and broader bylaws changes during their meeting on Sunday.

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