In our last article, we explained the reasons for and ramifications of Tufts’ high tuition. But how can we lower it? The solution is raising money and better focusing funds.
The Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at Tufts is a coalition of student organizations fighting for a free Palestine by demanding action from our institutions. As we engage in the long work to end Tufts’ complicity, we also rally students to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to the siege on Gaza and an end to all aid from the so-called U.S. to apartheid Israel. We believe there is nothing more powerful than community and solidarity, and we reject the attempts of those in power to divide, isolate and intimidate us. CPLT aims to learn from one another and educate the student body on how our struggles are deeply intertwined. We believe that the liberation of Palestine is connected to the liberation of all oppressed people and thus seek an end to all interlocking systems of oppression through collective action and solidarity. We stand proud as we build on a rich history of student organizing, including the 12-year struggle for Tufts to fully divest from apartheid South Africa. Together, we are growing student power and will not stop until the university heeds to all our demands and divests from Israeli apartheid.
In my last column, I discussed how antisemitism differs from other forms of racism because antisemitism allows a few Jews to very visibly succeed in society. Another important difference between antisemitism and other forms of racism is the cyclical nature of antisemitism. Oftentimes before the worst antisemitic massacres in history, Jews appear to be prosperous, well-integrated minorities.
It is no secret that Tufts is expensive. Tufts is the fifth most expensive school in the country, with tuition for the 2023–24 school year being more than $66,000, well above the national average for private colleges, which is approximately $42,000. This astronomical price tag has numerous implications. For one, it limits the socioeconomic diversity of our student body. A 2017 study found that Tufts is ranked 10th in the nation for colleges with the highest median family income and 50% of Tufts students come from the top 5%. Only 44% of Tufts students are on financial aid, versus 55% at Harvard or 56% at Amherst. These stats are to be expected, with tuition as high as it is. There are certainly many qualified students who would love to attend Tufts, but aren’t here because they simply can’t afford it. Our campus is missing their perspectives and contributions.
President Joe Biden is currently polling lower than most of our last six presidents at this point in their first term. The only one who consistently matched these abysmally low numbers is his likely opponent in 2024, former President Donald Trump. The 2024 election is looking to be a rematch between two of the most deeply-disliked presidents in America’s recent past.
Dear Editor, I would like to respond to two responses to my letter of Oct. 30. Asher Berlin states that my letter indicates ignorance of “legitimate fears of Jewish students on campus,” and does not address what students’ pro-Palestine protests are in his view supporting, which he thinks is the butchering of Jews.
The most important revolution of the 21st century did not occur in Tahrir Square, where Egyptian youth, some of whom call themselves “black bloc,” battled police forces. Nor did it occur in Ukraine in 2014, where government troops violently clashed outside Kyiv’s Central Square. Rather, the most important revolution of the 21st century is occurring in an oft-forgotten slice of Northern Syria. There, beset by a half-dozen outside forces, a ragtag coalition of Kurdish groups, ecosocialists and anarcho-feminists are managing to create a beautiful society based on cooperation, self-determination and acceptance. Their egalitarian principles of environmentalism, communism and gender equality provide a crucial model for a better world.
As a native Ohioan, the recent statewide referendum that included Issue 1, formally titled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health Safety,” has been on my mind. The citizen-initiated amendment that passed on Nov. 7 provides the “right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions” on abortion, contraception, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and fertility treatment.
Recently, some members of the Tufts community have called for the decolonization of the Russian Program. Their reasoning is that, by continuing with the program and further celebrating Russian culture, Tufts is complicit in the genocide of thousands of Ukrainians. Undoubtedly, it is understandable to feel anger and resentment towards a country that has continuously been an imperialistic force, caused devastating humanitarian impacts for former Soviet states and deprived people of their lives, happiness and peace. These brutalities that the Russian government has inflicted are undeniable, and the continued suffering of Ukrainians is beyond appalling. That being said, it’s important to make a distinction between the Russian government — one that rigs elections, silences expression and poisons opposition — and the Russian people.
The demands of medical training are notorious, and at the end of a tortuous (and expensive) road, medical students must determine their specialty. This decision is not just a personal one, but it also informs the future of healthcare.
As COVID-19 rampaged across the world in 2020 and widespread lockdowns swept across the nation, many of the country’s classrooms moved online to continue to educate the nation’s youth during a time of distress. Pencils, papers and textbooks were replaced with computers, phones and Zoom. However, now that the pandemic wave has subsided and students have begun to return to in-person classrooms, it seems that online classes are here to stay. While some celebrate the effectiveness of a technology-driven education system, Americans should take a long pause and think about how technology has changed education.
Dressed in purple and wielding lavender banners, dozens of women took to the cobblestone paths lining the Vatican to advocate for female ordination this past October. The organizing group —Women’s Ordination Conference — has become one of the largest organizations calling for the ordination of women and gender equality within the Roman Catholic Church.
Go. It was exactly this time of year — early November. I was a freshman at Tufts. There was a girl I had a date planned with. But on the appointed day, she told me she was traveling two subway stops away to Harvard to hear a lecture of some sort. So, I went with her.
On Oct. 22, over 500 people from 36 states gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the second Ukraine Action Summit of the year. The conference was organized by the American Coalition for Ukraine, a union of 97 partner organizations working on strengthening Ukraine’s defense, safeguarding its sovereignty and enhancing relations between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Foreign policy has long been an essential aspect of American domestic politics, though it is not one Americans often consider when voting for president. Foreign policy encompasses choices concerning trade, sanctions, military alliances and treaties, among other issues. Still, Americans are most concerned with the choices that directly impact them at home. In a 2021 Pew Research Center poll, the most favorable foreign policy goals were reducing infectious disease spread, limiting the spread of weapons of mass destruction and protecting American jobs. Comparably, promoting democracy abroad and reducing overseas military commitments were among the lowest. Of course, these issues have domestic impacts, but most Americans prefer to think in the direct terms of jobs and lives, which translates into the largely domestic policy platforms of presidential candidates.
The U.S. public education system has long been one of the country’s proudest institutions, yet that same system is now on the edge of collapse. It is well established that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been devastating to American learning, but the underlying problems have been lurking in the background for many years. From staff shortages to absenteeism to a lack of federal funding, it seems that the public education system has become dysfunctional for everyday Americans, leaving students less prepared for higher education. One of the key symptoms of this broken system is the phenomenon known as grade inflation.
I was lucky that my mom was a big opponent of attending the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s weekly concert with my dad. His job as a musicologist at the University of Hong Kong got him two free tickets to every concert, and I had the honor of filling the second seat — or more frequently dozing in it.
I absolutely hate waking up early. This semester, I am taking a grand total of one class before 10:30 a.m. — the first of my college career. The entire day before class, I dread the thought of having to wake up at such an ungodly hour. Coming from Los Angeles, I am quite used to having a plethora of sunny days throughout the year.
A note to Tufts Climate Action and its members: After reading your recent Op-ed, I am perplexed and disappointed. Though I applaud your continued persistence to goad Tufts into divesting from fossil fuels, an action which would have virtually no effect on either the climate or the financial success of applicable corporations, I remain disappointed that you have not worked towards a better understanding of financial markets to improve your dialogue with Tufts.
On Oct. 7, the worst terror attack in the history of the State of Israel occurred. What took place on this day was devastating and horrific. This indescribable massacre affected so many — innocent women, children and elderly civilians. If we truly value moral clarity, humanity and decency, condemning these attacks should not be controversial. Calling out these attacks for what they were — barbaric and atrocious — is a must. As of Thursday, there were still over 240 innocent Israelis being held hostage by Hamas terrorists, about 30 of whom are children. We are praying for their safe return.
