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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY EST. 1980

THE TUFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXIV, ISSUE 3

Thursday, sepTember 22, 2022

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

UNIVERSITY

students, community members protest CIa recruiting event outside Cohen auditorium

by Aaron Gruen

Deputy News Editor

Students and community members staged a protest outside a Central Intelligence Agency recruitment event in Cohen Auditorium on Friday afternoon. The event, which was sponsored by the Tufts Career Center, was not disrupted by the protest.

Upwards of 20 people joined the protest outside Cohen Auditorium, holding anti-CIA signs and chanting. At one point, the protesters booed at a large group of students entering the auditorium for the recruitment event.

Sam, a local student who asked that their last name be omitted, handed anti-CIA pamphlets to passersby during the protest.

“I heard that the CIA was going to be recruiting Tufts students, which is something I really disagree with,” they said.

From inside the lobby of the Aidekman Arts Center, the sounds of the protest were muffled. The recruitment event, which was only open to students with appointments, was not cut short by the protest.

Two Tufts police officers stood by during the event but did not intervene in the protest.

Donna Esposito, the executive director of the Tufts Career Center, affirmed the students’ right to protest the event and

see CIA, page 2 The Sept. 16 protest against the CIA recruiting event is pictured.

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

UNIVERSITY

david hogg on ending gun violence, building a movement and his future in activism

by Ava Autry

Assistant News Editor

David Hogg, a gun control activist who survived the 2018 Parkland school shooting, visited Tufts on Sept. 19 in the first installation of this year’s Tisch College Alan and Susan Solomont Distinguished Speaker Series. At the event, Hogg discussed his path to civic engagement, the importance of putting pressure on the government and the steps that young people can take in order to support the gun control movement.

The event was co-sponsored by the Tufts Democrats, Tufts Cooperation and Innovation in Citizenship, and the civic studies and political science departments. Dean of Tisch College of Civic Life Dayna Cunningham introduced Hogg and spoke about Tisch College’s aspirations for this year’s speaker series.

“Tisch College is centering the Solomont Speaker Series around the theme of the fight for democracy. We could not have a more fitting start to this semester than David Hogg,” Cunningham said. “Passionate in his advocacy to end gun violence, David’s mission of increasing voter participation, civic engagement and activism embraces a range of issues in the fight for democracy,”

In 2018, a mass shooter killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Hogg and his fellow students transformed their grief into action by forming March For Our Lives, a nonprofit which seeks to end the gun violence epidemic in America.

“I think it was just being so angry after everything happened that we decided that we had to do something,” Hogg said. “For me that motivation came from the fact that my sister had lost four friends that day. … I think unfortunately, you don’t pick these issues, the issues pick you. … Activism is not voluntary; it’s something that people do to survive.”

Hogg drew attention to a correlation between communities with higher rates of gun violence and those which receive the least governmental assistance and support in the aftermath. He also applauded the work of activists fighting against these injustices that come from underserved communities.

“Erica Ford is an amazing person who everybody should know when they think about gun violence prevention,” Hogg said. “She’s been working using a model of restorative justice for the past 20 years in Jamaica, Queens to help stop young people from shooting each other. ... The reason why places like Parkland don’t have shootings on a daily basis is not necessarily because we have stronger gun laws than most places in Miami-Dade County, it’s because we have a ridiculous amount of resources because of systemic racism.”

Prior to the Tisch College engagement, the Daily sat down with Hogg and discussed his visions for the future, how he grapples with feelings of hope-

see HOGG, page 3

UNIVERSITY

New Coho construction set to start on Winthrop and Capen

by Daniel Vos

Assistant News Editor

Tufts announced in June that it would begin construction on two new housing properties for upperclassmen on 50 Winthrop St. and 2–4 Capen St. in Medford. In a virtual meeting with the Medford community that month, Tufts also revealed plans to demolish the buildings currently in those lots. The project is set to start construction in fall 2022 and finish in August 2023.

The project is intended to help alleviate off-campus housing demand by adding 49 new beds to Tufts’ existing Community Housing offerings for juniors and seniors. CoHo currently houses 137 students.

In a presentation during the community meeting, the current properties were shown to have severely compromised foundations and dangerous electrical and plumbing systems.

Rocco DiRico, executive director of government and community relations at Tufts, said the housing project is a critical part of growing the university’s housing stock.

“These properties are currently owned by Walnut Hill Properties which is a fully owned subsidiary of Tufts University,” DiRico wrote in an email to the Daily. “Both properties are beyond repair. So, they will be demolished, and new buildings will be built on site. The new buildings will match the character of the other homes in the neighborhood.”

During the meeting, Tufts also reiterated its previous commitments to the Medford community, including continued payment of property taxes, a requirement for CoHo students to park on campus and assurances that the new buildings will not be used for fraternity or sorority housing.

Construction is also expected to align with Tufts’ goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The housing will exceed International Energy Conservation Code thermal resistance requirements by using super-insulated prefabri-

see COHO, page 3

Chloe Courtney Bohl Editor in Chief

– EDITORIAL –

Delaney Clarke Julia Shannon-Grillo

Managing Editors Ty Blitstein Abigail Vixama

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UNIVERSITY

New vegan and kosher food line opens in dewick

by Coco Arcand

News Editor

At the beginning of the fall semester, Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center opened a new food line that offers vegan kosher food. The new station increases the availability of food for students with dietary restrictions.

The new food line, which is located across from the salad bar in the dining hall, has replaced the “Beans, Greens and Grains” station that used to be in this location. Because the line is both vegan and kosher, it does not include any meat or dairy options, primarily serving food such as grains, beans, tofu and more.

Jeannine Pecoraro, a sophomore who eats vegetarian and sometimes vegan, said that the new line helped to expand her dietary options in Dewick.

“I prefer [the kosher line] to the vegetarian section that they had last year,” Pecoraro said. “I definitely have a lot more to choose from and tons of fresh vegetables and all the veggie meals I could ask for.”

For food to be considered kosher, its ingredients and preparation must abide by kashrut, the Jewish food laws outlined in the Torah. Restricted foods under kashrut include pork and shellfish. Additionally, meat may not be consumed alongside dairy.

Some foods in a kosher kitchen must be kept separate from each other; meat and dairy products may not be stored together, and different utensils will generally be used for each product.

Asher Berlin, a sophomore who keeps kosher, explained how he finds options to eat in the dining hall, even when there are no designated kosher items.

“If I am at the dining hall, it’s basically a process of elimination, just checking the ingredients,” Berlin said. “If something with meat has milk in it, worst

QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

The vegan and kosher line at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center is pictured on Sept. 20. comes to worst … I go grab some pizza and maybe some rice. Or I try to make do the best I can [with] some vegetables, boiled eggs or some pasta.”

Some popular options at the kosher station so far have been the varied tofu dishes and the build-your-own grain bowl station, which offers a variety of toppings such as roasted vegetables, nuts and house-made dressings.

The need for a kosher food option was brought to the attention of Tufts Dining by Rabbi Naftali Brawer, the executive director of Tufts Hillel and the university’s Jewish chaplain. Patti Klos, director of dining and business services at Tufts, described how this new option is intended to increase dining options for students with different dietary restrictions.

“Tufts Dining strives to be inclusive and provide solutions to students’ dietary needs including those rooted in their religion,” Klos wrote in an email to the Daily. “Rabbi Brawer and we saw a need for a fully kosher food option in a residential dining center, and we have worked closely together as we created this option for students. A full meat and/or dairy kitchen wasn’t feasible currently, and a plant-based option was feasible.” This new line is only one of multiple efforts in recent years to increase accessibility for students who have dietary restrictions. Dewick also has an “All-9 Free” section, which offers food free of the top nine most common food allergies. Last year, Carmichael Dining Center transitioned to a tree nut, peanut and gluten-free facility. To ensure full kosher compliance, the dining center has worked closely with Rabbi Brawer as well as a team of trained student mashgichim, who supervise the station to ensure that kashrut is being adhered to. Since kosher meat and dairy are normally required to have their own separate sets of plates, the kosher station uses compostable plates to avoid cross-contamination. Despite the positive feedback for the new station, other students have found the station’s offerings underwhelming. “Personally, I was not very impressed by it,” Berlin said. “I’m not somebody who regularly eats vegan food. So, in general, I would consider it a pretty poor night if the only thing I could eat was to be found at that [station]. But somebody who is vegan might have had a different experience.” Klos said that Tufts Dining plans to continue to increase vegan options at all dining locations, while also adapting to all students’ dietary needs. “We continue to introduce more and more vegan items on menus throughout Dining, to match student’s food preferences and to be more sustainable,” Klos wrote. “The Tufts Dining team is continually evaluating our menu to meet the dietary needs of our students.” Despite Berlin’s personal opinion of the new line, he acknowledged the importance of increasing accessibility to kosher food. “It is significant that the university is making more of an effort to make it easier for Jewish students to follow their religion on campus, and I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Berlin said. “But I would say there’s still quite a bit of work to be done if they’re going to achieve that goal.”

More than 20 people protest CIA presence on Tufts’ campus

CIA

continued from page 1 defended the decision to host the CIA.

“We respect the right of students to exercise their free speech rights and to express their opinions in accordance with Tufts’ policy on Gatherings, Protests, and Demonstrations, which they did,” Esposito wrote in an email to the Daily. “We also know that many students are interested in hearing about the varied job and internship opportunities that the CIA offers.”

Beginning at 1:15 p.m. and lasting the duration of the event, protesters chanted messages such as, “When the spies arrive, people die,” and “Hey, hey, CIA, how many people did you kill today?” Protestors also handed out flyers with information on U.S.-backed coups to students entering Cohen Auditorium.

During the Cold War, the CIA successfully carried out 26 coups, many of which took place in Latin America. Oftentimes, the coups replaced leftist leaders with dictators such as Augusto Pinochet of Chile.

Student protests against government agencies and military contractors are not new to Tufts; as far back as 1984, students protested the CIA recruiting events. In the spring 2022 semester, students protested against Raytheon and General Dynamics, cutting the latter event short.

Max, an undergraduate student who asked that his last name be omitted, originally had no plans to join the protest.

“I live in [Sophia Gordon Hall], so I heard [the protestors] outside the window,” he said. “I know there are a lot of people who I agree with who are very disgusted by the CIA. I know there are a lot of people who I very much disagree with who are opposed to the CIA. I wanted to come out and find out which it was. It turns out it’s the people I agree with.”

Daisy, a student from Amherst, Mass., joined the protest to prepare for an event she is planning at her school.

“We’re trying to do something similar at UMass Amherst, because on Wednesday, Raytheon is coming,” Daisy said.

Also joining the protest were representatives from Massachusetts Peace Action, an anti-war group that worked with Tufts students in the past to protest Raytheon. Maya Morris, a Tufts student who planned the demonstrations against Raytheon and General Dynamics, organized Friday’s CIA protest.

“They say they are only coming to give us job opportunities and good salary and security,” Morris said. “But really, what are these jobs about? They’re about working for these different corporations and government agencies that are aiding in the overall U.S. interests to plunder countries abroad and to repress people abroad and at home.”

The protestors primarily attacked the CIA’s role in coups during the Cold War and its connections to narcotics trafficking in the 1980s.

“If you look at what was going on in the ‘70s with the drugs that the CIA was helping funnel into [Los Angeles] … it actually helped spur the crack epidemic in LA,” Sam said.

Esposito noted in her email that “an employer’s presence at a Career Center event should not be interpreted as a university endorsement of the organization.”

Morris suggested that universities indirectly help the CIA by developing technology used in war.

“Agencies like the CIA, the government as a whole [and] different defense contractors are using [technology] in order to better carry out their coups,” Morris claimed. “There’s an intimate relationship between universities like Tufts and the CIA.”

HOGG

continued from page 1 lessness and his time at Harvard University, where he is a senior.

“My college studies have enormously impacted how I view social change, justice and the movement as a whole,”’ Hogg said. “I realized that a lot of the things that I didn’t think were important are actually the most important. … I didn’t really think [community] was important because I was so dedicated to the mission … [but] this is not like a general campaign where you’re trying to get somebody elected. We’re trying to get an issue elected, [and] that takes decades and many elections.”

Hogg’s time at Harvard has also allowed him to compare the inadequate gun laws in place throughout most of the country with the stricter reforms in Massachusetts, both in the academic setting and in daily life.

“If I had a magic wand and I could make anything happen, I would make every state have the same gun laws as Massachusetts,” Hogg said. “If every state had the same gun death rate as Massachusetts, there would be about 27,000 or 30,000 less deaths per year. In the average year, there are 45,000 gun deaths.”

Currently, Hogg is focused on implementing common-sense gun reform in Congress. He works directly with many legislators, Democratic and Republican, in the Senate and the House.

“There’s a suicide prevention bill that we’re working on that basically creates a voluntary ‘do not sell’ list, so that if you’re suicidal or just don’t want to be able to buy a gun you can put yourself on it,” Hogg said. “We’re trying to work with different veterans groups and Republican offices to get that done, which is a very different approach from what I would have used to have taken.”

Hogg is balancing his life as a high-profile activist and a student by taking a step back from March for Our Lives and

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS / TUFTS UNIVERSITY

David Hogg, co-founder of March For Our Lives, is pictured at Tufts on Sept. 19. trying to get his skateboarding club off the ground.

“I’ve managed to find more balance and be able to take my mind off the movement, which has been one of the hardest things to learn,” Hogg said. “What I’m looking forward to this year is just being a college student … just having fun, enjoying the moment and embracing every moment as it comes, and realizing that happiness is not a destination, it’s the journey.”

Two new CoHo houses set to add 49 beds for upperclassmen by fall 2023

COHO

continued from page 1 cated panels, which will reduce material waste and maintain quality control, according to Ruth Bennett, senior director of capital programs at Tufts.

“This project will help alleviate the housing shortage for Medford residents,” DiRico wrote. “By creating more on campus housing options, that opens more apartments for Medford families off campus. This project … has the potential to free up more than 15 off-campus apartments for Medford families.”

Viktor Schrader, the economic development director for the city of Medford, said the new housing project is unlikely to drive up local home prices.

“With these two projects in particular, there’s just not much concern over price pressures in the area,” Schrader said.

He also shared that Tufts has communicated with the city of Medford about its development plans.

“There’s been discussions with the university about the area that they’ll target [for development],” Schrader said. “They’ve been open about what that area is. These two projects are within that zone. They’ve done some other similar projects on Bellevue and Fairmont that have been successful.”

Medford residents still expressed concerns over the project during the June meeting, specifically that construction could worsen traffic conditions and that the presence of intoxicated students could be disruptive to neighbors.

One attendee commented during the meeting, “you [Tufts] are significantly increasing the number of people in the neighborhood. This will increase car traffic by means of pickup, dropoff, Uber, Lyft, taxi, etc.”

DiRico responded to the concern, by noting that designated drop-off and pick-up spots for the residences will minimize the impact to the neighborhood.

Another attendee asked why the Tufts University Police Department does not arrest underage drinkers and publicly intoxicated students. Schrader said he trusted Tufts and TUPD to manage off-campus properties responsibly and minimize any stress placed on the Medford community.

“TUPD will be monitoring the units and be aware of them,” he said. “They will be Tuftsmanaged. So that gives us confidence that there will be oversight and they’ll be well maintained.”

DiRico is confident that Tufts is still making significant progress in expanding campus housing with CoHo.

ELIN SHIH / THE TUFTS DAILY 50 Winthrop St., one of the buildings that will be renovated for CoHo, is pictured on Sept. 20.

“Housing is a top priority for Tufts University,” he wrote. “Tufts has added 485 on campus beds over the past five years. That’s the equivalent of three new dorms. We also have plans to add more beds in the near future, including a new high-density on-campus residence hall.”