The Tufts Daily - September 20, 2017

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TUFTS WOMEN’S SOCCER

Students sew together a business in needlework see FEATURES / PAGE 3

Jumbos rebound, remain unbeaten in early season play

Arcade Fire concert shows off trademark alternative sound see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

THE

VOLUME LXXIV, ISSUE 9

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Master Plan for Medford Square revitalization unveiled

TCU Election Results by Seohyun Shim News Editor

BEN KIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Medford Square experiences increased traffic as rush hour draws near on Sept. 18. by Robert Katz News Editor

The final report draft of the Master Plan for Medford Square’s revitalization project is now public and was presented to a Community Open House on Sept. 13 by Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Senior Regional Planner Josh Fiala along with Mayor Stephanie Burke, according to a Sept. 14 Wicked Local article. The plan, prepared by MAPC for the city in coordination with Medford’s Office of Community Development, aims to optimize the square’s presence as the town’s cultural and economic center, according to the document. “Medford Square is positioned to leverage a surge of interest in new growth and targeted economic development to invigorate vitality, integrate redevelopment, to expand access to health and cultural resources and to activate a walkable and revitalized city center that provides a concentration of living, working and playing for the city and the surrounding area,” the Master Plan states. The geographic area described by the plan encompasses the City Hall Subarea adjacent to Interstate 93, the High Street Subarea along High Street west to Boynton Road and the Main Street Subarea south of the Mystic River. The plan is based on a study completed this summer, which included community forums and individual interviews with members of the Medford community and stakehold-

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ers. The study is estimated to have costed about $90,000, the plan states. The plan is built around eight “Key Priorities”: inviting investments to find new uses for “underutilized” areas, including parking lots, improving the square’s accessibility to pedestrians and bikers, boosting the presence of “creative enterprises, restaurants and attractions,” taking better advantage of the square’s location on the Mystic River, optimizing the square’s streets, investing in the square’s parks and plazas, safeguarding the historic elements of the square and better unifying communication and coordination throughout the district. The effort as a whole is a part of the Community Compact initiative launched by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s administration in January 2015 and co-signed by Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Medford officials in March 2016, according to a press release issued by the City of Medford at the time. Compact communities that sign on to the initiative receive benefits including membership in a grant program and, in Medford’s case, assistance by the MAPC. Tufts has had some involvement with MAPC’s planning for Medford Square, according to Director of Government and Community Relations Rocco DiRico. Staff from DiRico’s office have discussed the plan’s potential impacts on the university with city department heads, the MAPC and the Medford Chamber of Commerce. DiRico felt the outlined accessibility improvements would invite more see MEDFORD SQUARE, page 2

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Grant Gebetsberger, Izzy Ma, Mateo Gomez, Janey Litvin, Sharif Hamidi, Rebeca Becdach and Sarah Wiener were elected to fill the seven Class of 2021 Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate openings, according to Tufts Community Union Elections Commission (ECOM) Chair Klavs Takhtani. Issac Kim will be the new First Generation (First-Gen) Community Representative, according to Takhtani. This is the first year the first-gen student community will have representation on Senate. All students were able to vote for this candidate. Nina Chukwura and Taylor Lewis will fill the two vacancies on the Tufts Community Union Judiciary, according to Takhtani. This election was also open to all students. Students used a new voting platform, Voatz, to cast a ballot for candidates online, via mobile app or in person, according to the ECOM website. According to figures provided by Takhtani, 1391 people voted in the election, and 52 percent of voters were first-years. “Voting turnout increased with the new software, and as we move forward Voatz will become even more integrated at Tufts,” Takhtani said. “This was perhaps the best campaigning I have seen from a class of candidates, and I am excited to see how student government becomes more prominent throughout the campus.” Class of 2021 Senators Gebetsberger said in his new role, he will work toward all communities having spaces on campus where they feel empowered and engaged. “As a Senator, I hope to push for the creation of a First Generation House alongside championing other alternative social spaces on campus,” he said. Ma said she wants to open up dialogue between the student body and Senate.

“I am thinking about creating an online form where students can submit their questions, comments and concerns,” she said in an electronic message. “By facilitating communication, I want every student to know that their voice is heard and that their opinions matter.” First Generation Community Representative Kim said he is excited to represent the first-gen college students community and that he wants to improve TCU Senate Education Committee Chair Phil Miller’s Textbook Exchange program. “I [worked] a lot with Phil last year through Textbook Exchange, so I want to improve … the [user interface] and the database so people can actually search up textbooks,” he said. “Another thing I want to do is … improve accessibility for textbooks for people on financial aid.” Judiciary Lewis, a first-year, said he will work to make the judiciary transparent and communicative with the student body. “I think the clubs are one of most important things that are on campus … They are bedrock … of the student body and identity,” Lewis said. The Judiciary manages club recognition, re-recognition and makes sure clubs adhere to their constitution, according to its website. Chukwura, a first-year, said she will keep things in check so that no individual person or group will have an unfair advantage in campus life. “I have found that sometimes privilege goes unchecked in places like [Tufts]. Words and actions have impact and I think it is important that all people understand this,” she said. “I would love to have a hand in making sure there are even more spaces and clubs in order to support marginalized people on campus.” Anar Kansara contributed reporting to this article.

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NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................5

COMICS....................................... 7 OPINION.....................................8 SPORTS............................ BACK


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