News

News

Office of Equal Opportunity sees rise in cases reported, remains optimistic

By Madeline Wilson | October 8

A recent statistical report by the Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity indicated that the number of cases reported has been steadily increasing over the past five fiscal years. It states that the total caseload of reported allegations has risen from 668 reports in the 2019 fiscal year to 718 reports in the 2020 fiscal year. This data is consistent with the continual increase in reports over the last five years, a trend that Jill Zellmer, executive director of OEO, attributes to the cultural climate nationwide.

---

News

Medford joins Race to Zero campaign, pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030

By Kendall Roberts | October 8

The City of Medford announced on Sept. 30 its commitment to the international Race to Zero campaign and pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

---

Science

Like humans, this species of songbird can understand rhythm, Tufts study finds

By Yanqing Huang | October 7

Imagine two metronomes: one ticking with each beat equally spaced apart and the other clicking with a messy, inconsistent rhythm. Most people would find that the second metronome sounds out of place. But would an animal be able to tell the same?

---

News

Some courses continue virtual class format for fall, majority include in-person component

By Coco Arcand | October 7

Despite most classes returning to an in-person modality this semester, some courses have opted to remain fully remote this fall. Other faculty have adopted a hybrid format, with some class components being held in person while other parts remain online.

---

News

​​Commons to accept dinner swipes for students living at Hyatt, among other changes

By Ava Autry | October 6

As of Sept. 27, the first-year students living at the Hyatt Place in Medford can use meal swipes at the Commons Marketplace. This is one of several changes enacted by Camille Lizarríbar, dean of student affairs, inspired in part by anop-ed written by Santiago Castillo Juarez, a Hyatt resident. This change is expected to alleviate some of the difficulties these students experience regarding getting meals in transit to and from the Medford/Somerville campus.

---

News

Boston voters to decide whether to directly elect school committee

By Michael Weiskopf | October 6

A referendum on whether to allow Boston voters to elect school committee members will appear on the city’s ballot this November after the Boston City Council unanimously approved the ballot question on Sept. 15. 

---

---

News

Easing of COVID-19 restrictions at Tisch Library allows for increased capacity, extended hours

By Evelyn Altschuler | October 6

Tisch Library introduced a series of changes at the beginning of the fall semester in response to the COVID-19 situation on campus. With vaccination rates high, the library no longer requires individual seat reservations and social distancing. Additionally, the library is open to vaccinated community members and has extended its operating hours. 

---

News

Tufts Hong Kong Student Association considers restructuring amid concerns of exclusivity

By Flora Meng | October 5

The Tufts Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA) has traditionally been a student organization with a rigorous application process, but some suggest that culture clubs should be open to anyone in the Tufts community.

---

News

Clingan, Mbah drop threats, Tufts lodging permits pass

By Yiyun Tom Guan | October 5

Despite threats from city councilors, the lodging license renewal for 31 Tufts University properties in Somerville passed Somerville City Council’s Licenses and Permits Committee unanimously.

---

News

Diane Hessan talks the American electorate, political polarization

By Amelia Colafati | October 5

Diane Hessan (J’76), entrepreneur, researcher and author of “Our Common Ground”spoke over Zoom on Sept. 28 to the Tufts community about her work researching the true face of the American electorate. Sol Gittleman, the Alice and Nathan Gantcher university professor emeritus and Brighter World Campaign co-chair, led the discussion.

---

News

Confusion surrounds COVID-19 isolation, contact tracing policies as delta variant spreads

By Peri Barest and Chloe Courtney Bohl | October 4

As the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread through Tufts University’s campuses in the form of breakthrough infections, the university has clarified its quarantine, isolation and contact-tracing protocols. Notably, close contacts of COVID-19-positive individuals no longer need to quarantine and the university has reduced capacityto house students in isolation. 

---

News

Advice from former students guides Introduction to Psychology pedagogy this fall

By Emily Thompson | October 4

Professors Lisa Shin and Sam Sommers are once again co-teaching Introduction to Psychology this semester. This year, they have added a twist to their standard lecture on the psychology of student life, integrating advice from former PSY 1 students to apply psychology concepts to the everyday experiences faced by new Tufts students. 

---

News

Tufts University School of Medicine opens new doctor of physical therapy program in Phoenix

By Fernando Cervantes Jr. | October 1

Tufts University School of Medicineannounced on Sept. 15 the opening of the new Tufts doctor of physical therapy program based in Phoenix, Ariz., with plans to enroll an inaugural class in the summer of 2022. 

---

News

Tufts rises 2 spots on U.S. News & World Report rankings

By Ella Kamm | October 1

Disclaimer: Hana Tzou is an assistant copy editor at The Tufts Daily. Hana was not involved in the writing or editing of this article. 

---

News

Kyongbum Lee named dean of School of Engineering

By Ria Agarwal | October 1

Professor Kyongbum Lee was named Karol Family professor and dean ad interim of the School of Engineering on Aug. 3. He replaced Jianmin Qu, who left Tufts to become provost and vice president for academic affairs at Stevens Institute of Technology at the end of the same month.

---

News

BREAKING: ECOM announces TCU election results

By Alexander Janoff | September 30

The Tufts Community Union Elections Commission held a Tufts Community Union-wide election on Tuesday and Wednesday, filling vacant seats in the Committee on Student Life, TCU Judiciary and TCU Senate. 

---

News

Greek life returns to in-person events, Zeta Psi disbanded after COVID-19 violations

By Rebecca Barker | September 30

Greek life is back to in-person activities for the first time since the spring 2020 semester. This fall, new local sororities Thalia and The Ivy are holding their first in-person events for their Membership Application Processes (MAP). However, Delta Tau Delta (DTD) has been placed on probation and Zeta Psi was disbanded by the university after both fraternities violated Tufts University COVID-19 guidelines last year.

---

Science

Highly processed foods make up 67% of youth diets, Friedman study finds

By Peri Barest | September 30

As smartphones, online shopping and cryptocurrency have become more prevalent in the past 20 years, so too have ultraprocessed foods, which make up the majority of youth diets. The percentage of child and adolescent diets composed of ultraprocessed foods — those made with refined ingredients and additives — hasincreased from 61% to 67% in the past 20 years, according to a recent Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings may have implications for combating the development of ultraprocessed food-related disease in adulthood.

---

News

Facilities Services in high demand as pests plague student housing

By Madeline Mueller | September 29

The start of the semester marks the return of students, professors and staff alike to campus, which means the facilities department is inevitably in high demand. This year, among other issues, students are facing pests in their dormitories.

---

News

Athletics Department upholds firm COVID-19 protocols

By Jack Adgate | September 29

Prior to a Friday, Sept. 17 volleyball game between Tufts and Connecticut College, a Connecticut player tested positive for COVID-19. No Tufts athletes tested positive after the game.

---