Shayna Levy is an assistant news editor. She is a first year intending to major in Political Science and Civic Studies, and you can reach her at shayna.levy@tufts.edu
Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans released a joint statement on April 10 condemning the arrest and detainment ofRümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts doctoral student who was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Somerville on March 25.
Tufts first-year students Jesse Kitumba and Thomas Yi founded The Political Union, a campus club that will serve as a forum for structured, nonpartisan academic debate. “We exist to discuss and debate political issues today, and we want it to be a space where we can academically and intellectually challenge ourselves and others,” Yi said. “We’re going to be more confined to the political [topics].”
The Department of Earth and Climate Sciences at Tufts is facing uncertainty because of threats to their sources for research funding from federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation.
Tufts researchers are expressing concern over President Donald Trump’s attempt to halt federal research grants and the National Institutes of Health’s announcement to cap funding for indirect research costs at 15% — though temporarily blocked by a federal judge — in early February.
Earlier this month, Tufts students joined hundreds of local Massachusetts residents in a “50501” protest against the latest actions of the administration of President Donald Trump. Born on social media, the 50501 movement encompasses the simultaneous occurrence of 50 protests in 50 states on a single day.
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, political student groups on campus including Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans and Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts are preparing for a semester under the new presidential administration.
Professor Justin Hollander of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning is leading Tufts students in partnership with Worcester community groups and local residents on a campaign to improve public transportation in Worcester, Massachusetts. The campaign aims to garner support from Worcester residents as well as local politiciansand develop a proposal with suggested improvements to the bus system.
Pennsylvania’s history of switching between political parties makes it a critical state this year. President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by less than 1.2%. Polling indicates that this state is even, leaning neither red nor blue. An average of Pennsylvania polling data showed a 0.2% lead in favor of former President Donald Trump, with statistics showing47.9% for Trump and 47.7% for Vice President Kamala Harris as of yesterday.
The Student Garden Club, Sustainable CORE Fellows, TCU Senate and the Tufts University Social Collective collaborated for the third annual farmers market, which was held at the Campus Center on Oct. 4. The market featured local produce and student artwork, along with educational tabling regarding environmental justice and food insecurity at Tufts.
