tuftsdaily.com
Opinion
7 Wednesday, January 19, 2022
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Welcome back to the hill Hi, everyone! My name is Alex Janoff, and I am the Editor in Chief of the Tufts Daily for this upcoming spring semester. As the Tufts community returns to campus over the course of the next week or so, I — personally — have started to make that oh-so difficult but necessary mental switch from the winter break lifestyle to thinking about classes, readings, exams and assignments. As I prepare for this upcoming semester, I would like to use this space to both introduce myself and also share some thoughts I have for this spring semester regarding the Daily’s production. While we may not have had a physical paper in our racks every day of the week last semester, we nevertheless produced and published the excellent work of our staff on a daily basis. As
guidelines relaxed and campus opened up amid COVID-19’s continued presence, we at the Daily were delighted to return to our office in Curtis Hall after several semesters of virtual production. This semester, much will remain the same, and some things will be different. We will still be distributing print copies of our paper twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. Take a look in our racks spread across campus to pick up a copy. On the days that we are not printing, we are still producing new content on a daily basis, so be sure to take a look at our website or on any of our social media outlets to keep up to date on all of our news, features, arts, opinion or sports content. Furthermore, our digital-only issues are still laid out by our
amazing layout team and can be viewed online, even on days when we do not print. This semester, we will prioritize far-reaching and relevant coverage. In the past we have covered everything from the spread of COVID19 on campus to the school’s endowment and Tufts’ efforts to divest from fossil fuels. Our opinion writers divulged a student perspective on national news like the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, and our arts team reviewed powerful theatrical and streaming releases, like Netflix’s Tick Tick Boom and Marvel’s the Eternals. All the while, the Daily’s sports writers have closely covered the seasons and achievements of Tufts’ many student athletes. This will continue as a part of our goal to include as much of
the student community in our coverage as possible. Notably, last semester saw the birth of the Daily’s science section, which operated as a subsection under News and quickly became a popular place for our readers to keep up to date with scientific research happening at Tufts and science-related news across the country. I am happy to announce that this semester, Science will operate independent of News and will continue to provide high-quality coverage of research and science-related news. I am so incredibly proud of everyone who has put in their hard work — especially over the past few pandemic-ridden semesters — to continue to produce their best work and maintain a strong and independent student voice on campus. The Daily remains one of the most
crucial accountability tools in our community, and it is because of our writers, editors, other staff members and readers that this role is successfully accomplished. To our readers, thank you. Thank you ever so much for continuing to read the Daily and uphold the values of a free and independent press that we hold so dear. To our staff, I can’t wait to see all that you do and accomplish this semester. The Tufts Daily, the country’s smallest independent college paper, works because of the hard work you do each and every day. Looking forward to seeing you all on the hill. 42 Pax et Lux, Alex Janoff Editor in Chief, The Tufts Daily
VIEWPOINTS
Tufts students and university officials must support facilities staff and dining workers by Reya Kumar Opinion Editor
Dining workers and custodial staff keep our campus running, supporting students, educators and administrators alike. Without them, we would not be able to function as an educational institution. Amidst the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which operations were expanded and immense uncertainty loomed over our campus, they continued to work tirelessly, risking their own health in the process. Tufts custodial and dining staff are integral members of our community and we must do more to support them. As reported by the Daily, on Oct. 29, the union that represents Tufts janitorial staff, 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), held a rally on the Academic Quad, protesting the terms of their contract with C&W Services. The rally was attended by the Tufts Labor Coalition, staff, students and community members, who stood in solidarity with the workers.
Adelaida Colón, a janitor and union shop steward who has been working at Tufts for 25 years, explained how many workers are part-time and thus do not receive important benefits, such as health insurance, which is especially critical in the midst of a pandemic. As of 1994, Tufts University no longer directly hires its workers, instead using the facilities contractor C&W Services. The union had been attempting to negotiate with C&W for a $1 annual wage increase and more full-time positions so that more workers could receive the pay and working conditions they deserve. Though Tufts is no longer involved in the process of hiring facilities staff, that should not absolve them of any responsibility to the people who are keeping our institution operational. Now more than ever, considering the economic and health related toll of the pandemic, Tufts should be advocating on behalf of its facilities staff and supporting its workers’ demands.
Tufts made an effort to recognize the hard work of its faculty and staff, awarding Distinction Awards to dining workers who worked at DewickMacPhie Dining Center at the height of the pandemic during the spring of 2020. The award purportedly highlighted staff members that stood out and gave cash prizes to these workers. However, Alba Schiavone, who worked at Dewick during that period before returning to Carmichael Dining Center in the fall, explained the hollowness of the gesture. Tufts did not actually extend the award to all staff who worked at Dewick in spring of 2020. Many of Carmichael’s workers were sent to work at Dewick during lockdown, like Schiavone. Though Tufts attempted to acknowledge the sacrifice of dining staff who put themselves and their families at risk during the height of pandemic uncertainty, they failed to properly distribute the awards to all workers who put their health on the line.
While student organizations like Tufts Labor Coalition are integral in raising awareness on crucial labor issues and advocating for Tufts staff on campus, there is still much room for increased involvement from the entire student body. More students should be present at protests, rallies and in conversations among the student body and university faculty regarding the rights of Tufts staff. As the primary beneficiaries of the labor of these employees, it is important that we all put in the effort to help advocate for their rights, safety and higher wages. Beyond advocacy, student treatment of dining and janitorial staff on campus must improve. Throughout campus dining halls and living spaces, it is easy to spot overflowing garbage cans, scraps of food or trash left on tables or floors and common spaces left dirty and in disarray. This disrespectful behavior is not only a display of immense entitlement toward
the service of others but also a lack of regard for the time and labor of those who must clean up after us. Though students’ complaints of long wait times or the quality of food in dining halls may be valid, we must realize that this arises from the fact that workers are understaffed, overworked and often not provided with adequate resources and funding to improve these situations. More importantly, regardless of any complaints that students may have, there is no excuse for the mistreatment and disrespect of the workers who dedicate their time and energy to feeding our campus and maintaining our spaces. Ultimately, the way in which our actions affect facilities workers on campus is just as important as our sustained advocacy on their behalf. Evidently, many students need to be more conscious and respectful of dining and custodial workers in terms of how we occupy and use spaces around campus.
