My Experience with the Tufts Daily
Many people who go to Tufts wrote for their high school’s newspaper. Many people who go to Tufts were editors for their high school’s newspaper. Still more people who go to Tufts were the Editor-in-Chief of their high school’s newspaper. As high-achieving students, it is inevitable that many Jumbos were involved with one of, in my opinion, at least, the most impactful clubs a school can offer, its newspaper.
Like the students I outlined above, I was heavily involved in my high school’s newspaper. I rose through the ranks from freshman columnist to sports editor to Editor-in-Chief as a senior. Thus, when I matriculated to Tufts, I made it my goal to get involved with the Tufts Daily. Ranked as the seventh-best college newspaper in the country by College Choice in 2021 (we hung it on the wall), the Daily is entirely student-run and independently funded, receiving no funds from Tufts. It publishes five days per week, with print editions usually scheduled for Thursdays, with a few special print editions throughout the year on holidays.
Last year, as a freshman, I joined both the sports section, where I covered softball, soccer, and basketball on a bi-weekly basis, and the features section, where I wrote a James Beard Award-winning food column (in my mind at least) entitled “Munching with Max.” The best part about joining the Daily was the lack of barriers. No prior experience or application was necessary, and I simply had to reach out to the editors to join. I published nearly 30 articles, and sincerely enjoyed getting to meet members of the “Dailmunity.”
For the fall of my sophomore year, I applied to and was selected as the Deputy Sports Editor and as an Assistant Features Editor. While those titles seem like they came with a lot more responsibility, they were not overly demanding, and I was able to continue writing. The Deputy Sports Editor “execs” (edits, checks quotes, and uploads to publishing software) content in the section once per week, keeping in contact with the Managing Board over the course of that day. As an Assistant Features Editor, I “firsted” content once per week, meaning I did a baseline check of quotes and facts. Being an editor is the perfect sweet spot for involvement with the Daily. You don’t have responsibilities every day, you’re more involved than a writer, but you still have plenty of time for writing. You also have a lot of help from some incredible executive editors.
This spring, I am serving as the Executive Sports Editor. I will admit - this position comes with a lot of work. I have to set weekly schedules for writers, host meetings, “exec” articles the other four days of the week, and communicate every day with writers and the Managing Board. While editing articles is a lot of work, it becomes manageable very quickly. The most difficult part of the job is responding to late night texts, from writers who did not get a response to their quote requests or Managing Editors who needed clarification about the meaning of an RBI. Still, it is a great experience, and has taught me a lot about time management, communication, and decision-making. Best of all, I’ve bonded with the rest of the executive and managing boards. We meet once a week at 5 pm, and also host frequent bonding events. Though it’s a lot of work, I’m proud of what I’ve done and don’t regret taking up the position.
So there is a glimpse of my first two years at the Tufts Daily. I’ve worked my way up the ladder, from writer to Executive Board member. Along the way, I’ve met some great friends, written some fun articles, and learned a lot. The Daily is one of the things that make Tufts. It’s an ever-present and embodies the school’s culture of learning, truth, and collaboration. I am honored to have been a part of it over the past two years, and I can’t wait to see what the next two bring.
Photo Credit: Veronika Coyle