Of all the states in the country, Massachusetts is arguably the most willing to pay substantial taxes in return for reliable services. In this respect, public servants are in an enviable position; and as a result, they owe it to the rest of this state's residents to provide creative solutions — or at least not backward ones.
In 2002, Tufts realized that, as an institution focused on international studies, it needed to expand its international alumni networks. At that time, there were only three overseas Tufts Alumni Chapters in existence. Now, six years later, that number has ballooned to 22, and the Tufts international network is still growing.
Democratic participation is a fine thing to advertise on an admissions tour. Many of us probably chose to come here because of the emphatic focus we were told that Tufts places on active citizenship. I even recall University President Lawrence Bacow himself insisting on 100-percent voter turnout for last year's presidential election in his welcome address to my class.
The Tufts Daily ran a news article on Thursday, Nov. 12 ("Senate denies funds for public editor"), explaining that the Allocations Board (ALBO) denied funding for the salary of the public editor. In the Daily article, Tufts Community Union (TCU) Treasurer Aaron Bartel explained that, "The general idea is that while the ALBO and the Senate appreciate the job the public editor does, we saw it as inappropriate to pay for a student at Tufts to make submissions to any publication." I disagree with the ALBO decision, and I want to explain why the ALBO should reassess the importance of the public editor position and approve funding for the Public Editor.
On Sunday, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed a resolution suggesting reform to Tufts' current alcohol policy. The changes would mean that instead of being placed on probation one (pro-one) after their first offense, students would be required to take an alcohol education course. This is an attempt by the Senate to combat certain alcohol-related problems on campus through positive, proactive means, as opposed to relying on the threat of punishment as an empty deterrent.
Tufts University has been an active friend of Rwanda. In 2005, Tufts President Lawrence Bacow launched the Talloires Network, which has been dedicated to enhancing social responsibility in Rwanda, among other places, for the past four years. Last month, Tufts held Race4Rwanda, an event in which Rwandans living in Boston and their friends were able to participate. Tufts has been exemplary in terms of pushing for socio-economic development through initiatives and not just donations only.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is threatening to cut its social services programs if Washington, D.C. passes a law allowing same-sex marriage. With this announcement, the archdiocese makes it clear that it would rather revoke charitable services to city groups it has long believed in than allow the government to offer equal treatment to homosexual employees and couples seeking to adopt.
The public editor is supposed to enlighten campus controversies, but this semester perhaps my most meaningful contribution has instead been to start one.
This past weekend Tufts had the honor of hosting not one but two NCAA Tournaments: the New England Regional Volleyball Tournament and the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament. To top it off, the women's volleyball team won the regional tournament, defeating Williams, a team that had taken down Tufts in the NESCAC finals. The women's field hockey team, ranked fourth in the nation, reached the final four in their own tournament.
Dear Editor, I want to express my disappointment that the Daily's Nov. 12 article "Senate denies funds for public editor" and related editorial showed little sympathy toward the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate for choosing the fiscally and morally sound position relative to paying student stipends with the Student Activities Fee.
T he last few days have been a mixed bag for the people of El Salvador. When air temperatures and pressures from Hurricane Ida swung into the Gulf of Mexico, El Salvador seemed to have gotten off more or less unharmed — perhaps a benefit of being the only Central American country without an Atlantic shoreline. But three days later, before residents could breathe a sigh of relief, a nameless tropical storm from the Pacific drenched the country, causing massive flooding and landslides and over 120 casualties.
The media's job is to serve as a vigilant watchdog for its community by covering stories overlooked by the public. But reporters face everyday challenges to adhere to a professional journalistic code of ethics while also competing against rival news outlets to be the first to break a story. So what happens if a journalist or a media group defies the accepted ethical standards that promote accuracy, objectivity and fairness?
Wednesday, Nov. 11 was Veterans Day, a day to honor our soldiers both past and present that have sacrificed so much in order to protect the rights that we have as Americans. Veterans Day grew out of Armistice Day, which President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed America would celebrate on Nov. 11, 1919. This date was the one-year anniversary of the official end to the hostilities of World War I. With time, people began to argue that not just World War I veterans, but all veterans of all American wars and conflicts should be honored. In 1954 Congress passed a bill making Armistice Day into Veterans Day. It has been a national holiday ever since, and with the exception of the period from 1971 to 1978 when it was observed on the fourth Monday of October, it has been observed on Nov. 11 or the weekday that falls closest to it.
Since I entered Tufts University two years ago, the Rape Steps behind Wren Hall have continuously puzzled me. Admissions officers say that the steps were designed for women, and the theory goes that a woman should be able to climb the steps faster than a male attacker. Even as a female, I don't understand how these awkwardly long yet short steps are supposed to rescue me from impending doom. I guess that feminine stride ain't no stride-o-mine.
Anybody eavesdropping on a campus tour will hear the tour guide mention the multitude of unique student groups that exist at Tufts University, intending to appeal to potential applicants who might be interested in joining those groups or even starting one of their own. It is true — Tufts has a lot of student groups and many are certainly unique. Given the recent Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) recognition of Discourse, which highlighted students' abilities to create a new group, it seems appropriate to clarify exactly how the process works. The new group recognition process, though not familiar to many Tufts students — even current Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators — is one taken seriously by the elected members of the TCUJ.
As tuition continues to rise at Tufts, students start to ask themselves what they are paying for. Tufts students are now facing a price tag of $51,088 for tuition, fees and room and board, making Tufts the most expensive school in Massachusetts and the 20th in the nation. But Tufts' high tuition price is not arbitrary. Students pay high tuition in order to receive a top-quality, private education from a university with an elite reputation, and Tufts' tuition prices are consistent with the market price for such a college experience.
The health care reform bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Saturday acts to restrict women's access to abortion. An amendment tacked onto the bill at the last minute will prevent women who receive a health care tax credit from purchasing an insurance plan that covers abortion. Ironically, a bill meant to expand Americans' access to health care is restricting a procedure that women have a Constitutional right to access. Anti-abortion advocates cannot justly use the health care reform bill as a means to limit access to a legal medical procedure. As President Obama said yesterday in an interview with ABC, "This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill."
Adolescents often find themselves being pulled in two opposing directions: one toward belonging to a group and the other toward establishing a unique sense of self. In addition to academics, finding the correct balance between those two desires is an important part of a college student's education.
Little in this world is as true as the old adage, "History is bound to repeat itself." This was evidenced in the severe incidence of déjà vu that was Maine's referendum vote last week to repeal a law allowing gay marriage.
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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