College, at its most basic level, is about learning through the exchange of different ideas and beliefs. While every student has the right to express his or her opinion in a classroom setting, however, the question of whether a professor should be allowed the same degree of expressive freedom begets no simple answer.
Tori Amos once sang, "Can somebody tell me now who is this terrorist?"
Full disclosure: I am a lover of good parties. I am not anti−party, just anti−bad party. I understand that there are certain qualities that can make or break a party. The presence of positive vibes, exciting music, good company — these are all essential ingredients for brewin' up a kick−ass evening. Unfortunately, I feel that the Tufts party scene is often lacking in these departments. Perhaps I just don't know where to look, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough. Regardless, I have a few suggestions for injecting more awesome into parties 'round these parts.
The recent, tragic death by suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, one of five deaths by suicide among gay youths around the country reported in the last few weeks, has stirred up conversations about the importance of tolerance on college campuses. Homophobic bullying has played a prominent role in some of the deaths, which have left some scratching their heads, wondering how homophobia and bullying are still rampant when so much energy has been dedicated to eliminating them.
"Support our troops" is an American mantra. It is a phrase plastered on our SUVs and stamped on our front yards. To a politician, these three words are hallowed ground. The U.S. military defends our freedoms, protects our borders and makes sacrifices for our country: These phrases form the current U.S. military narrative.
Students at universities like Tufts have a full plate of goals and ambitions when they arrive on campus. We all know those goals well: good grades, impressive extracurricular accomplishments and the attainment of lifelong friends, to name a few.
The Obama administration yesterday desperately tried to salvage the Israeli−Palestinian peace process, calling for a 60−day extension of the Israeli settlement construction freeze that expired on Sunday. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may rebuff the administration's plea, President Barack Obama must stand strong and continue to oppose the expansion of Israeli settlements. Failure to do so will likely mark the death knell of current Middle East peace negotiations — a threat to American national security and our nation's strategic interests in the region.
Have you ever talked about the Tufts hook-up culture with your friends? Have you sat around discussing how politically correct Tufts is? Have you talked about what interracial dating looks like at Tufts and in the real world?
After an extensive, yearlong review, the collaborative efforts of Students Active in Ending Rape (SAFER), the Tufts Community Union Senate and the administration have resulted in the crafting of Tufts' new sexual assault policy and adjudication process.
Tori Amos once sang, "You say, ‘he got be strong if he wanna be a man.'"
I used to say that Rick Ross was the worst rapper of all time. I never said that I didn't like Rick Ross, nor that he didn't deserve to be famous. All I said was that he was a terrible rapper. I said he suffered from the same problem as someone like Dr. Dre — one of my favorite rappers — who just sounds like he's trying too hard.
"For every election we organize, we strive to ensure fairness and equality," reads the mission statement of the Elections Commission (ECOM). Unfortunately, the handling of last week's votes for freshman Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators, Freshman Class Council members and school-wide referenda on community representatives led to elections that were anything but fair and equal.
In the fall of 2009, Tufts Freethought Society (TFS) inquired about the need and viability of hiring a Humanist chaplain for the benefit of the Tufts community. TFS communicated with university officials and alumni and, after a series of meetings, increased the likelihood of the realization of this goal.
In recent months, there has been much controversy surrounding a proposed project to bring a Muslim community center to downtown Manhattan. Within and outside New York, there have been countless demonstrations from both sides of the debate. On one side is the opposition to the building of the Muslim community center, also called the Park51 project. On the other side are those supporting the construction of this project.
U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a defense-spending bill that included a repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, in a disgraceful move that placed partisan politics above the rights of gay Americans and the strength of the U.S. military.
The Tufts administration's gradual "thaw" of the university's two year old flexible hiring freeze has brought on 30 new faculty members and is a strategic move in a time of economic recession. Emerging from the economic crisis in an advantageous position relative to that of other universities, Tufts has been able to offer competitive salaries and benefits which have attracted professors from around the country. While budget constraints have forced the university to put projects such as renovating athletic facilities or providing need blind admissions to incoming students on hold, bringing some of the nation's best and brightest professors to campus is a worthy investment in the education of current and future Jumbos.
The Tufts administration's gradual "thaw" of the university's two−year old flexible hiring freeze has brought on 30 new faculty members and is a strategic move in a time of economic recession. Emerging from the economic crisis in an advantageous position relative to that of other universities, Tufts has been able to offer competitive salaries and benefits which have attracted professors from around the country. While budget constraints have forced the university to put projects such as renovating athletic facilities or providing need−blind admissions to incoming students on hold, bringing some of the nation's best and brightest professors to campus is a worthy investment in the education of current and future Jumbos.
The Tufts community was shocked last week to learn that its leafy green campus topped a list of the 50 most dangerous colleges in the country. The blogosphere, Twittersphere and local media went crazy as university officials tried to save face.
Op-ed submissions are an integral part of our connection with you, our readers. As such, we would like to clarify our guidelines for submitting op-eds and what you can expect from the process.
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