The Tufts Daily - Thursday, March 11, 2021

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 22

MEdFOrd/sOMErVILLE, Mass.

tuftsdaily.com

tHursDaY, MarCH 11, 2021

somerville Mayor Joe curtatone not seeking reelection by Michael Weiskopf Assistant News Editor

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, the city’s longest-serving mayor, announced on March 1 that he will not seek reelection this November. This decision has fueled speculation that Curtatone will run for governor of Massachusetts in 2022. Curtatone was first elected mayor in 2003 and assumed office in 2004, subsequently winning reelection eight times, every two years. Now, at the age of 54, many see Curtatone’s announcement as a sign that he will challenge Gov. Charlie Baker next year. Curtatone announced his decision in his midterm address, a speech given by the city’s mayor every other year. The speech was delivered virtually on March 1. “This will be my final year as Mayor of Somerville,” Curtatone said in his speech. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the city where I was raised. I love this job — and this community — with every ounce of my being.” In an email to the Daily, Curtatone explained why he

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone speaks at the Green Line Extension groundbreaking on Dec. 11, 2012. is choosing not to run for reelection. “I’ve been privileged to serve as Somerville’s Mayor for nearly 20 years,” Curtatone said. “It’s a job I still love and could happily do for another 20 years, but now feels like the right time to step aside and welcome new leadership.” In his speech, Curtatone outlined his agenda for his final year in office.

“Somerville needs to rebound from the health, economic and social hits brought on by the coronavirus outbreak,” he said. “This crisis has magnified inequities in our larger society that must be addressed.” Curtatone proceeded to name several aspects of his plan to help Somerville recover from the pandemic before he heads out of office.

“In Somerville, we’re always ready to take our inequities head on. It is fundamental to our local character and values. And that is exactly what we will — and must — continue to do in 2021,” he said. “Vaccines are how we band together to beat this disease, but we find ourselves having to battle the state to make sure vaccines are truly accessible to everyone.” Curtatone also described his plans for racial justice during

his final year in office, including re-imagining the way the Somerville police force operates. “To ensure this work continues and grows, we are hiring a racial and social justice director who will be part of the Mayor’s core policy team, putting an equity and racial justice lens on everything we do,” Curtatone said. “They will lead the community effort to achieve true equity, making sure the people who’ve borne the pain of systemic racism lead the process.” Other issues discussed during Curtatone’s speech included climate change, education, transportation and housing. He concluded by reflecting on his 17 years as mayor, particularly this past one. “[The] burning desire to do better is why being the mayor of Somerville has been such an incredible experience. It’s a value embodied by our residents and something I see every day from city staff,” Curtatone said. “In normal times, I’m amazed at the work city employees put in day in, day out, and the volunteerism and advocacy that residents consee MAYOR, page 2

WMFO resumes in-person dJing with restrictions by Matthew McGovern News Editor

The Office for Campus Life gave WMFO, Tufts’ freeform radio station, permission to welcome DJs back into the studio as part of the broader easing of university restrictions announced on Feb. 18. The station is subject to rules outlined by the Office for Campus Life that apply to all student organizations and their spaces, but this change means WMFO DJs can once again have in-person shows. WMFO has had a stop-and-go year, shutting its doors in March, then reopening to student DJs in September only to close again in November. DJs that are back in the studio now are there for the first time since November. Rachel Herman, WMFO program director, wrote in an email to the Daily that remote programming has been in place since May 2020. Even when DJs were allowed back into the studio in September, there was a remote broadcasting option. However, Herman, a senior, said there are great benefits to in-person DJing. “In-person shows are more accessible to many DJs,”

NICOLE GARAY /THE TUFTS DAILY

Community DJ Patrick Clerkin hosts his show “Man V Mob Radio” in Curtis Hall on Nov. 4, 2019. Herman said. “There is a bit of a learning curve for the software and procedures required to do a show from home, and many people may not have the time, knowledge, or equipment to participate in that.” While student DJs were permitted to return to the station starting Feb. 22, only one person is allowed in the studio at

a time, and new cleaning procedures have been established. Herman acknowledged that co-hosting shows and inviting friends on air were sorely missed elements of WMFO. Additionally, she said that the radio station has had more difficulty recruiting and training DJs in the past year. However, returning DJs are excited to get back into the stu-

dio. Diego Griese, a DJ at WMFO, said remote shows don’t compare to being in the station, located in Curtis Hall, in person. “The studio vibes are immaculate, it’s awesome to just be in the studio,” Griese said. Griese expanded on why he likes to be there physically. “Some of the more interesting parts of the show are the

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transitions between one show to the next,” Griese said. “You could talk to the DJ beforehand and, as they’re leaving they’d be like, stay tuned to listen … You get to say the fun DJ name on the channel and try to establish that relationship on air.” Griese added that others share his sentiments. “Everyone I’ve talked with back in the fall, when we could go back into the studio, everyone was over the moon about it,” Griese said. “It’s a really nice place to just be.” Though student DJs were able to return to in-person production as of Feb. 22, community member DJs cannot. “Community member DJs are not allowed on campus and have not been since March 2020 due to University COVID policies, so they have continued with the remote-only option,” Herman said. She added that if students are not comfortable coming into the studio or are not in the on-campus COVID-19 testing system, they can continue to have shows through remote broadcasting. see WMFO, page 2 NEWS

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