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Somerville to implement body cameras for police after years of negotiations

By Peri Barest | April 16

The agreement came after more than five years of negotiations between the city and the Somerville Police Employees Association, one of two police unions in the city. While the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association stated publicly that they would be willing to accept body cameras, it was important to reach the agreement with the Somerville Police Employees Association because it represents patrol officers who make up a larger percentage of the police force and spend more time on the streets, Niedergang said.

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ORLL changes housing arrangements for 2021–22 academic year, rising sophomores scramble

By Zoe Kava | April 16

West Hall, which has previously served as sophomore housing, will now be used to house incoming first-years, and Carpenter House, which housed first-years, will now house sophomores. As a result of these changes, many rising sophomores faced difficulties during the housing selection process. Rising sophomores who had planned to apply for a quad in West Hall were forced to shift their plans when the Office of Residential Life and Learning announced at the last minute that it was no longer available for rising sophomores.

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Somerville and Revere organize vaccination clinic for veterans

By Jack Maniaci | April 15

The clinic offered vaccines to any and all veterans provided that they were registered for VA health care. The clinic was designed to efficiently distribute doses to a population that was both deserving and in need of vaccination. Marc Silvestri, director of veterans services for the City of Revere, discussed the process of realizing this goal.

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University to end COVID-19 testing, on-campus housing prior to Senior Week

By Rebecca Barker | April 14

Though Tufts is making students who live on campus move out of their on-campus housing before these events, most of the senior class lives in off-campus houses in the Medford/Somerville area. TCU Senate President Sarah Wiener, Vice President Grant Gebetsberger and Treasurer Sharif Hamidi conducted a survey and found that 95% of respondents had finalized plans to stay in the Medford/Somerville area for Senior Week.

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TEDxTufts adopts virtual format to host annual speakers conference

By Ella Kamm | April 14

The theme, "REBOOT," was a nod to both the virtual aspect of the event as well as the potential for growth and change coming out of the pandemic. "All of our speakers are very different," executive organizer Saherish Surani said. "Everything is about the current moment that we're in, but also how to look at it again and decide where to go." 

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Tufts admits record-low 11% of undergraduate applicants

By Sam Klugherz | April 12

The record-low acceptance rate follows a 35% increase in the number of applicants, which rose in part due to Tufts' SAT/ACT test-optional policy and the robust array of virtual engagement programming offered to prospective students. It is the most ethnically and racially diverse undergraduate class ever admitted to the university.

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TCU Senate budgets over $2 million to student organizations for next fiscal year

By Chloe Courtney Bohl | April 12

TCU Senate then allocated over $2 million to fund more than 200 TCU-recognized student organizations for the 2022 fiscal year. Rather than voting on each of the organizations’ budgets individually, the Senate divides them into 10 groups, called councils, in addition to a final category for umbrella organizations. Each council represents a specific type of student organization.

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Tufts professor Brian Schaffner conducts policing surveys in Medford, Somerville

By Yiyun Tom Guan | April 9

Brian Schaffner, Newhouse professor of civic studies, conducted surveys last October and November of Medford and Somerville residents on their experience and perception of policing in their respective communities, as well as their opinions on future reforms. The survey reports, released on March 15, state that while residents of both cities are “somewhat satisfied with policing,” they see inequalities in how different populations are treated by the police, and they overwhelmingly support the creation of a civilian review board.

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Tisch Council for Philanthropic Leadership announces fundraising plans

By Ava Autry | April 9

With the grant focus in place, TCPL’s goal is to eventually select a specific organization to donate the proceeds of its fundraising efforts. According to Tisch College's official description of the organization, TCPL “function(s) as a foundation board that allocates funding to nonprofits in Tufts' surrounding communities.” In addition to its grant-making efforts, the council also “organizes service projects, coordinates a philanthropic leadership speaker series, and promotes conversations about the social sector.”

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Office of Sustainability and Eco Reps launch Earth Month programming with Zero Waste Week

By Rebecca Barker | April 8

Woolston explained that the public nature of Zero Waste Week — in which one’s trash is easily visible to others through the bags provided by the Office of Sustainability and Eco Reps — allows for participants to reevaluate their relationship with trash. Woolston further noted that one of the biggest challenges for those who have engaged with Zero Waste Week in the past has been the embarrassment that people feel about their waste. 

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University Chaplaincy hosts the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor for annual James A. Russell Lectureship

By Emily Thompson | April 8

Taylor, a Baptist minister, began by extending his lecture on community building to those outside of the Christian community. He then reflected on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., emphasizing his commitment to building a community rooted in faith and love and commenting on how to utilize that lesson in current times.

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Milo Koretsky to assume McDonnell Family Bridge Professorship

By Jack Adgate | April 7

Koretsky will act as a bridge between the Tufts School of Engineering and School of Arts and Sciences, and will assume the position this month. Before his appointment as bridge professor, Koretsky taught for nearly 30 years in Oregon State University’s Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. There he led the Engineering Education Research Group, and is a fellow of the Center for Lifelong STEM Education Research at Oregon State University and a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education.

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In response to workstream recommendations, TUPD aims to increase transparency with updated website

By Peri Barest | April 7

“The Department of Public Safety should develop a comprehensive digital strategy that utilizes social media and the department website to increase visibility, better engage the university community, proactively share information to build trust, and promote the department’s mission and values,” the report says.

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European study abroad programs remain on track for fall, could still change

By Sarah Sandlow | April 7

Despite the conditions of the pandemic in many countries in Europe, Tufts Global Education currently plans to continue with its fall semester study abroad programs, but will reconsider if necessary. Mala Ghosh, associate dean of Tufts Global Education, said that the Tufts Global Education department is working with each director abroad on planning for classroom spacing and necessary accommodations, as well as preparing for quarantine, vaccination and testing protocols.

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Carmichael Dining Center to be rebranded as gluten, peanut, tree nut-free establishment

By Alex Viveros | April 6

In addition to a complete menu redesign to accommodate those with a gluten, peanut or tree nut allergy — the three most common food allergies on the Medford/Somerville campus — the dining center will also undergo a complete rebranding and unspecified name change, according to Kelly Shaw, Tufts Dining nutrition specialist. Shaw has been conducting focus groups with students with food allergies and using their feedback to determine what the menu of the new dining center will look like.

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Tufts research lab aids states with redistricting process

By Matt Chen | April 6

The MGGG Redistricting Lab, which is affiliated with the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, grew out of an informal research collective called the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group. The lab is led by Moon Duchin, an associate professor in the mathematics department and director of the Science, Technology, and Society program at Tufts.

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Tufts alumnus and former adjunct professor Ben Downing running for governor of Massachusetts

By Alexander Janoff | April 5

Downing said that a major goal of his as governor would be to reduce the vast economic inequities in Massachusetts, which he believes are hidden under an aggregated high standard of living across the Commonwealth. Downing ran for the Massachusetts state Senate at 24, while he was a master's student at Tufts in urban and environmental policy and planning.

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Tufts forms Bias Education Response Teams for all campuses

By Flora Meng | April 5

“BERT’s specific purpose is to address the community impact of bias and hate events by providing support to everyone — students, faculty, and staff," Mack said. "As we first envisioned how these teams should work, we identified an unmet need for centrally supported, team-based efforts focusing on supporting the community by providing education and resources.”

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Tufts medical students match into residencies, handle pandemic-influenced process

By Alex Viveros and Mariel Priven | April 5

Becca Bell, a fourth-year medical student who recently matched at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for otolaryngology, explained how TUSM’s Maine Track program guided her career choices. As part of the Maine program, Bell did her third and fourth years of medical school at Maine Medical Center.

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TUPD to form mental health working group, TCU senator advocates for student representation in the group

By Yiyun Tom Guan | April 2

Coletta explained that the mental health working group’s creation came in accordance with recommendations presented by Tufts’ Working Group on Public Safety and Policing, which was formed last July as one of the five “Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution” workstreams. It released its report in February, in an email from Monaco to the Tufts community.

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