The Tufts Daily THE
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E S T. 1 9 8 0 Medford/Somerville, Mass.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
VOLUME LXXXVIII, ISSUE 12
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
‘Community Conversations Tufts SJP disaffiliates from Tufts after university suspends group until Jan. 2027 Dinner’ spotlights Tufts University Prison Initiative
Estelle Anderson
Executive News Editor
Julieta Grané Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine announced its “formal break and disaffiliation from Tufts University” on Nov. 15, following the university’s decision to officially suspend Tufts SJP through Jan. 2027. In an Instagram post, Tufts SJP denounced the suspension and reiterated its ongoing demands that Tufts disclose its investments in Israel, fully divest from Israeli companies and sever all “academic and research ties” with Israel. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed throughout Israel’s war in Gaza, which began over a year ago when Hamas invaded Israel and took over 200 hostages. “As the zionist genocide of Palestine and Lebanon has escalated over the past year, tufts in turn has sought to repress our solidarity movement. The administration has threatened to suspend individual students over Instagram posts and vigils in an attempt to fracture the strength of our movement,” Tufts
Editor in Chief
MATTHEW SAGE / THE TUFTS DAILY
Student protestors march passed Gifford House on the anniversary of Oct. 7. SJP wrote in the post. “Whether or not SJP exists on campus, the student movement at tufts will never rest until tufts divests and cuts all institutional ties with the genocidal zionist project.” Tufts SJP had been placed on an “interim suspension” earlier this fall for policy violations, which include using images of weapons and urging students to “escalate” and “Join the Student Intifada” in a post about a protest scheduled for Oct. 7. Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations, explained in a statement that while the
interim suspension was a temporary measure, this most recent suspension is an official “disciplinary suspension that takes into account the group’s actions, their impact on other community members, the group’s repeated refusal to cooperate with university policies and expectations, and its refusal to follow through on sanctions arising from previous conduct policy violations.” If members of Tufts SJP fail to comply with the terms of the suspension, the see SJP, page 2
UNIVERSITY
Tufts’ Department of Earth and Climate Sciences to introduce new majors, minors
Tanya Dev Staff Writer
Tufts’ Department of Earth and Climate Sciences will introduce two new majors, Earth science and climate science, along with a new minor in Earth and climate sciences, starting in fall 2025. The current departmental offerings — majors in environmental geology and geological sciences and minors in geology and geosciences — will be
phased out with students who graduate in spring of 2027. Jill Vantongeren, associate professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, explained that the new Earth science major will be similar to the current geosciences major, which focuses on Earth systems, including earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as the history of the Earth. For example, classes in mineralogy and petrology
SAMANTHA POKORNY / THE TUFTS DAILY
will cover concepts including carbon capture and storage and carbon sequestration. Vantongeren emphasized the interconnectedness of Earth systems and the climate. “Understanding the full Earth system is really important to understanding the climate today as well,” Vantongeren said. The new climate science major represents a significant change for the department, Vantongeren said, and will examine the interconnected roles of the atmosphere, ocean and cryosphere in shaping Earth’s environment. The major, designed to equip students with a multidimensional grasp of the climate system, includes courses spanning from introductory climate science to specialized classes in fields such as paleoclimate, physical oceanography, the cryosphere and climate modeling.
Lane Hall, home to the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, is pictured on Monday.
see ECS, page 3
The Tufts University Prison Initiative at Tisch College of Civic Life held its Community Conversations Dinner on Nov. 14. The event featured TUPIT students and welcomed community partners to learn more about the work being done by the Tufts Education Reentry Network, or MyTERN, program. Before the event, David Delvalle, TUPIT’s new full-time education and reentry director, spoke to the Daily about his hopes for the event and what this program means to him. “I want people to understand how powerful this is and how transformational higher education is for somebody who’s formerly incarcerated,” Delvalle said. “We’re giving them that opportunity … to break generational curses.” Monroe France, vice provost for Institutional Inclusive Excellence, spoke after a brief introduction from Delvalle. “This is an important program at Tufts, as we think about who we are in our society,” France said to the Daily. “When we think about educating the next leaders, we cannot leave anyone behind.” MyTERN is a program within TUPIT that provides educational and mentorship opportunities for formerly incarcerated people, including both graduates of TUPIT and others impacted by the carceral system. Both MyTERN and TUPIT are part of Tisch College and provide opportunities for collaboration between current and formerly incarcerated people and non-incarcerated Tufts graduate and undergraduate students.
Dean of Tisch College Dayna Cunningham expressed her appreciation for the mission of TUPIT and the role it plays on campus. “I see something … happening in the TUPIT classrooms,” Cunningham said during the event. “That is the kind of transformative, breakthrough learning that happens when students from different experiences have the courage to be vulnerable and bring their full selves forward. And TUPIT is really the model for that — it’s a model that could spread across the university.” Hilary Binda, founder and executive director of TUPIT and Delvalle then presented community partners with certificates and recognition for the work they do alongside TUPIT. Among the 13 organizations recognized, two certificates were accepted by MyTERN graduates who are now employed by community partner nonprofit organizations. TUPIT functions in collaboration with the state of Massachusetts including the Executive Office of Public Safety, the Massachusetts Parole Board and the offices of Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven. Eldridge, the chair of the Senate’s Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, explained the legislative shift toward prioritizing re-entry. “When we were pushing [the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018], very little of that law was actually focused on the conditions in prison,” Eldridge said. “What has happened is returning citizens, many who have gone through TUPIT, are now see TUPIT, page 3
PETER WOLFE / THE TUFTS DAILY
David Delvalle, TUPIT education and reentry director, speaks.
4 FEATURES
7 ARTS & POP CULTURE
9 OPINION
12 SPORTS
Past preserved at Powderhouse Park
The pitch is perfect at Tufts Riff-Off
Editorial: Standing up for trans rights
Men’s soccer match meets misfortune
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