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University

Solomont Speaker Dr. Talithia Williams discusses strategies for minimizing health disparities

By Lucas Frota | February 21

Dr. Talithia Williams, a renowned statistician and TED Talk speaker, discussed her unique perspective in the fight against health disparities in her most recent lecture at Tufts, “Data Driven Solutions for Eliminating Health Disparities,” jointly presented by the School of Engineering’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Colloquium Series and Tisch College’s Solomont Speaker Series.

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University

Writers grapple with the reality of AI in ExCollege course

By Layla Kennington | February 20

This semester, the Experimental College is hosting a class focused on helping aspiring writers enter the tech industry called “Careers for Writers in the Tech Sector.” Visiting Lecturer Rita Reznikova (LA’08), the course’s instructor, seeks to introduce students to the variety of professional opportunities for writers, even amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT that threaten traditional career paths.

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University

Four Tufts faculty members receive grants for women’s health research

By Rebecca Barrie | February 16

In late January, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Women’s Health Initiative awarded grants to four Tufts faculty members to fund projects addressing the issue of inequities in women’s health research. Assistant Professors Nisha Iyer and Juan Gnecco, Professor Sameer Sonkusale and Frank C. Doble Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto received these grants towards their projects, which focus on understanding and solving issues related to women’s health.

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University

Housing lottery numbers released Friday for 2024–25 school year

By Caroline Vandis | February 15

On Friday, the Office of Residential Life & Learning released housing lottery numbers for sophomore housing via email. All rising sophomores, who are required to live on campus per the two-year residency requirement, were given lottery numbers which ranged from 1,000–2,900. Interested rising seniors and juniors had to apply for a lottery number in the fall, and those accepted last semester were assigned numbers between 1–400 and 500–900 respectively, with some flexibility.

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University

Journalist Neil Swidey discusses nonprofit for college completion

By Samantha Eng | February 15

Tufts alumnus Neil Swidey spoke at the Tisch College Civic Life Lunch about his work on the Alray Scholars Program, which aims to support Boston Public School students in completing their college degrees, on Feb. 5 in Barnum Hall.

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University

Carmichael Hall residents see rodents’ reign recede

By Josue Perez | February 15

Students in Carmichael Hall reported an uptick of mouse sightings and encounters following their return from winter break, with the university formally addressing the problem of pest control on Jan. 19 via an email from the Office of Residential Life & Learning.

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Local

Medford calls for ceasefire in Gaza following neighboring cities of Somerville, Cambridge

By Shannon Murphy | February 14

On Feb. 6, Medford became the third city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, following just over a week after the cities of Somerville and Cambridge called for the same. City Council Vice President Kit Collins proposed the resolution, passed in a 5-1-1 vote during last week’s city council meeting after public testimony from dozens of constituents.

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Local

Rep. Pressley secures $2.4 million in federal funding to renovate Clarendon Hill Apartments

By Nicholas Prather | February 14

In early January, Rep. Ayanna Pressley hosted a community roundtable with Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and local authorities to discuss affordable housing, specifically, the plans for the Clarendon Hill Redevelopment Project. This project seeks to add 375 apartments to Clarendon Hill’s original 216 units, totaling 591 units of mixed-income housing across three buildings and several townhomes.

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University

CPLT stages walkout on National Student Day of Action for Divestment

By Matthew Sage | February 13

In a walkout from classes on Thursday, students assembled in front of the Mayer Campus Center to protest Israel’s continued war in Gaza, which has now taken the lives of over 28,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023. The protest, organized by the Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts, coincided with similar demonstrations at other schools in a National Student Day of Action for Divestment.

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University

Class of 2028 first to be admitted post-affirmative action

By Amaani Jetley | February 9

In the school’s first round of admissions since the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action, admissions officers lack access to any part of applicants’ racial background, leaving the Class of 2028’s racial makeup, for now, ambiguous.

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Local

Oldest men’s prison in Mass. to permanently close

By Summer Maxwell | February 8

The Massachusetts Department of Correction announced on Jan. 24 its plans to close the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord, a medium-security men’s prison, by summer 2024, falling in line with Gov. Maura Healey’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget recommendation.

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University

Fostering collaboration and understanding, TCU Senate hosts leadership lunch

By Alexandra Huenlein | February 8

Club leaders from media, programming and performance groups met with Tufts Community Union Senate leaders in the Alumnae Lounge on Friday for a shared lunch, part of a five-part series where the TCU Senate invites different club presidents to lunch. These meetings were coordinated to discuss problems these clubs face and to foster a stronger connection between TCU Senate leaders and student organizations. 

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Local

City of Somerville opens first seasonal ‘warming center’ for unhoused residents

By Grayton Goldsmith | February 7

The City of Somerville has created an overnight warming center for unhoused residents that will stay open for the winter season. Located at The Armory at 191 Highland Ave., the new center is a partnership with two local nonprofits: Housing Families and the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

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Local

Somerville residents critique new plans for Davis Square

By Almer Yu | February 7

Community members gathered at the Somerville Public Library West Branch on Jan. 29 to critique an updated commercial area plan for Davis Square. Somerville city planners shared their progress on their plan to redesign Davis Square’s commercial core, then opened the floor to  local residents for feedback.

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Local

Somerville becomes first Mass. city to call for Gaza ceasefire

By Anna Fattaey | February 6

In late January, Somerville became the first city in Massachusetts to pass a resolution calling for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution, which was brought forth by City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen, was passed in a 9–2 vote after close to three hours of testimony and deliberation on Jan. 25.

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University

TCU Senate deliberates on student retreats, hosts Dean Lizarríbar

By Michael Onysko | February 6

The Tufts Community Union Senate heard and denied the Singaporean Indonesian Malaysian Students Association’s request to fund an additional off-campus retreat on Sunday, and heard from Dean of Students Camille Lizarríbar on her plans to promote “restorative justice” on campus in order to “build community” and “strengthen relationships among students.”

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University

Africana Center, Chaplaincy awards students with Voices of MLK Award

By Michael Onysko | February 5

The university held its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in the Joyce Cummings Center on Jan. 31, featuring keynote speaker Christian Walkes, who studies race and inequality within the U.S. education system as a PhD student at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. The event centered around the theme of a “single garment of destiny,” a concept first described by King in his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” highlighting the shared nature of the future.

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University

Tufts launches Jumbo Spring Break civic engagement program

By Dhruvii Mehta | February 1

In March, students will have the opportunity to dedicate their spring breaks to civic engagement through a new program, Jumbo Spring Break, which was collaboratively designed over the last semester by the Dean of Students Office, Tufts Community Union Senate, Tisch College of Civic Life, Career Center and the Chaplaincy.

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News

Mass. House passes bill granting paid time off to workers on Election Day

By Samantha Eng | February 1

The Massachusetts House passed Bill H.4217, which protects employees’ right to paid time off in order to be able to vote. The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. This bill would allow any employee to request paid time off on Election Day to exercise their right to vote in person with the condition that they give employers three business days’ notice.

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University

Earth Hacks’ co-founder champions environmental hackathons

By Lang Law | February 1

Sanjana Paul, the co-founder and executive director of Earth Hacks, explored the philosophy of her nonprofit’s mission to make hackathons more environmentally conscious on Jan. 25. The event, titled “Hacking the Climate Crisis: Environmental Hackathons as a Vehicle for Justice-Centric Climate Action,” was part of the environmental studies department’s ongoing Hoch Cunningham lecture series.

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