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University

TLC hosts first letter writing event for incarcerated artists

By Michael Onysko | December 6

Tufts Labor Coalition hosted an event on Monday in partnership with the Justice Arts Coalition where students wrote letters to support incarcerated artists. Sophomore TLC member Hunter Payne organized the event along with other JAC volunteers. Payne worked with the JAC this previous summer in Takoma Park, Md. In a message to the Daily, Payne wrote that similar events were also being set up at other colleges by the organization.

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University

Daniel Dennett calls for ethics in AI development

By Rebecca Barrie | December 5

“It’s emerging, it’s everywhere. It’s going to be even more everywhere, … and it’s scary and inspiring at the same time,” Jad Oubala, president and founder of the Tufts Artificial Intelligence Society, said when describing AI. For this reason, TAIS brought together computer science researchers and renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett to discuss the ethical concerns of developing AI technology at a panel discussion titled “Ghost in the Neural Net: Traversing the Ethics of AI” on Nov. 15. Matthias Scheutz and Tina Eliassi-Rad, both computer science professors at Tufts and Northeastern University respectively, joined Dennett on stage. Oubala, a first-year student, moderated the discussion.

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Local

Mayor Ballantyne rejects police chief candidate, sending search for a replacement into a fourth year

By Anna Fattaey | December 4

Somerville Mayor Katanja Ballantyne and Somerville’s Police Chief Search Committee announced on Nov. 9 that their search for the next chief of the Somerville Police Department will continue. Somerville has been in the process of selecting the new chief since December 2020, when former Chief David Fallon retired.

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Local

Somerville removes gender requirement from its marriage certificates

By Estelle Anderson | November 29

Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and City Clerk Kimberly Wells officially removed the gender identification requirement from Somerville marriage certificates on Oct. 19. Rather than having to select either “male” or “female” on their marriage certificates, Somerville couples can now choose to leave this field blank.

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Local

Medford breaks ground on new community path

By Grayton Goldsmith | November 28

On Nov. 2, the City of Medford broke ground on the half-mile Clippership Connector which will connect over 10 miles of preexisting greenways and bike paths whichreach from Boston to as far north as Lynn.The path, expected to be completed by 2025, will be the culmination of over 10 years of work by the city and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as multiple civil society organizations.

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University

University holds winter mental health webinar for employees

By Dhruvii Mehta | November 21

As winter temperatures begin to drop, so will many people’s moods. The Tufts Employee Assistance Program facilitated a webinar titled “Maintaining Mental Health During Seasonal Change,” for employees on Nov. 15. Hosted by employee wellness organization KGA and sponsored by Tufts Human Resources, the webinar covered topics ranging from broader seasonal mood changes, how seasonal affective disorder can impact daily life and the risk of holiday-related stress.

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University

TCU senators reflect on first months back in session

By Lang Law | November 20

Members of the Tufts Community Union Senate, which has officially been in session for over two months, report feeling both spirited and productive. With seven new senators from the Class of 2027 in its ranks, various projects have begun to take shape, many of them led by first-year senators.

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University

Kesem at Tufts hosts annual fall Friends and Family Day

By Alexandra Huenlein | November 17

Kesem at Tufts University hosted their annual fall Friends and Family Day in the Aidekman Arts Center on Nov. 5. A chapter of the national organization Camp Kesem, Kesem at Tufts offers programming to support children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer,  such as year-long support services and a free, week-long camp each summer. Club member and sophomore Josie Miller described Tufts’ recent Friends and Family Day as “a way to touch base with some of the families of children that we’re still supporting […] throughout the year.” During the event, club members played games such as Jeopardy and charades with the families in attendance as well as other bonding activities.

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University

Jessica Lander talks new book on immigration and education

By Almer Yu | November 16

Jessica Lander, award-winning teacher, policy consultant and author, visited the Cabot Intercultural Center on Nov. 8 to discuss her book “Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education” (2022).

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University

Assistant Professor Hassaan Khan unveils insights on Karachi’s water resources

By Lucas Frota | November 16

Hassaan Khan, assistant professor in Tufts’ Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, spoke at a Hoch Cunningham Environmental Lecture on Thursday about the intricate water challenges in Karachi, a major city in Pakistan.

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University

Erin King discusses race, equity, pet ownership at Civic Life Lunch

By Josué Pérez | November 15

Erin King, civic life coordinator for Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, unpacked the history of pet policy and its complex ties to racism and housing inequity in an Oct. 24 Civic Life Lunch hosted by Jonathan M. Tisch College. King is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate specializing in human-animal interaction and has been a civic life coordinator since 2017. She earned her Master of Science at Tufts where she studied the link between animal cruelty and other forms of domestic abuse.

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University

Students stage walkout and sit-in for Palestine in the Campus Center

By Julia Carpi, Caroline Vandis and Henry Chandonnet | November 14

At least 250 students staged a walkout and 10-hour sit-in at the Mayer Campus Center in support of Palestine on Thursday. The protest was organized by the newly formed Coalition for Palestinian Liberation. “Hundreds of students walked out of their classes, many skipped their classes, their clubs [and] their obligations for the whole day to show Tufts that they stand against the ongoing genocide in Palestine and to demand that Tufts divest from Israeli apartheid,” a representative for Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine said. “It shows that there are more and more students joining the cause, we have momentum and we aren’t going to slow down anytime soon.”

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University

TCU Senate revamps funding procedures

By Spenser Walsh | November 14

The Tufts Community Union Senate announced major changes to club funding procedures on campus during an open meeting earlier this semester. New measures aim to improve access to campus life by minimizing barriers to club participation and enhancing student experiences through additional funding opportunities, according to TCU Treasurer Dhruv Sampat. The TCU Senate voted unanimously to pass the 244 changes to funding procedures. Sampat, who spearheaded creation of the new Treasury Procedure Manual last summer, emphasized the importance of collaboration when drafting revisions.

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University

University reiterates free speech policies in school-wide emails

By Matthew Sage | November 13

University leaders condemned all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia while reiterating community values and protestor guidelines in a community statement on Nov. 8. The email cited community members’ concerns about campus climate following the Israel-Hamas war.

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University

Fletcher hosts fifth annual DIR Conference, explores settler-colonialism

By Nicholas Prather | November 13

The Fletcher School hosted its fifth annual Decolonizing International Relations Conference on Oct. 20. The symposium featured five different panels with a variety of faculty from both Fletcher and other leading institutions in international affairs in addition to a decolonization-themed fashion show. The keynote speech was given by J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, professor of American studies and anthropology at Wesleyan University.

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Local

Here’s what Somerville’s ‘rat czar’ is doing about the city’s rodent problem

By Samantha Eng | November 9

Somerville has a rat problem. “I mostly see them in parks and around my house, especially at night,” Elizabeth Lohr, who lives near Davis Square, said. “You can hear them scurrying around and sometimes darting into the path.”

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University

Gen Z Congressman Maxwell Frost talks civic engagement in Solomont Speaker Series

By Anne Li | November 8

The first Gen Z member of Congress, Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, visited the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life during a Solomont Speaker Series conversation on Oct. 30. The conversation, moderated by Tufts ACTION President Alison Cedarbaum, covered topics including gun legislation, the future of Congress and voter registration.

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University

Students protest Tufts’ Israeli investments during TCU meeting with University President Kumar

By Daniel Vos | November 7

An open Tufts Community Union meeting with University President Sunil Kumar was quickly cut short on Sunday by student protesters calling for the university to divest from Israeli companies. Immediately after Kumar delivered opening remarks at the 8 p.m. meeting, protesters began chanting and posted signs with an image of Kumar underneath the words “genocide enabler.” Video obtained by the Daily showed protesters engaged in a die-in, lying on the ground around Kumar and obstructing his ability to leave the room.

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Local

Tufts student runs for Somerville city councilor position

By Matthew Sage | November 7

A Tufts student might soon represent local residents as city councilor in Somerville’s upcoming election cycle. Jack Perenick, a member of the Class of 2025, is running for the Ward Five city councilor position against Naima Sait, an Algerian immigrant and long-time educator. At bimonthly meetings, the Somerville City Council is responsible for passing ordinances on issues ranging from zoning laws, creating special boards and commissions and approving mayoral budget modifications. Ward Five encompasses the center of Somerville and includes the business districts of Magoun Square, Ball Square and Porter Square. Council positions are part-time and span two years.

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Local

Rick Caraviello is challenging incumbent Breanna Lungo-Koehn in upcoming municipal election

By Carly Cohen | November 6

Medford City Councilor Rick Caraviello is running against incumbent Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn in the city’s municipal election on Tuesday. Both candidates plan to give Tufts students more recreational and dining opportunities and revitalize the city as a whole.  

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