Opinion

Op Ed: We Need to Help the Davis Homeless

Dear Tufts Community,

There are times when I am proud to wear baby blue and brown. Instances like quidditch matches, weekend celebrations with only 2014’s best Top 40’s hits like Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s “Pon de Replay”, eating gluten free steak and eggs, and reading Sylvia Plath before baking brownies. I have been a member of VOX, Habitat for Humanity, Liberty In North Korea, Palestinians for Ukraine, Freedom in Macau, Jumbos Against Gouda, Stand for Jennifer Lawrence, No on Proposition 45, Invisible Children, and, most importantly,Tobacco Free Initiative since I became a student at our fine institution. As I write this, however, I shed tears all over my Macbook Pro with shame and embarrassment for our school.

While I was in Davis Square buying Totino’s Pizza Bites and drinking chocolate, I observed the homeless that populate the area. These members of our society are ignored constantly for no good reason. They are human beings; the homeless are living, breathing people who can get 20% off the new Totino’s Bold Buffalo Style Chicken Rolls. Or, if they would like to take a trip down south, they should try the Jalapeno Popper Rolls, exclusively from Totino’s.But they were not enjoying the ooey, gooey goodness of a pizza roll. Instead, I found our homeless smoking cigarette after cigarette. We live in 2014; it’s been almost 50 years since the Surgeon General’s warning about the dangers of tobacco use. And yet, our neighbors in Davis are smoking more than ever, pushing themselves closer to the brink of death.

I come to you, Tufts students, to rise up against the genocide that is being supported through the silence of the ad- ministration! We must do what all good and altruistic organizations do and raise money to make Davis Square a smoke-free area! We must work tirelessly to make the homeless of Somerville put down their packs so they can rejoice in sobriety of tobacco and breathe a little better! With your help, we can set up pizza parties around campus starring Totino’s Canadian Bacon Party Pizza and possibly, if everyone gets on board, we can have a Totino’s Presents: Tufts Against Homeless Tobacco Use concert with pop singers like Pharrell Williams of Despicable Me 2 and Jason Derulo. With your help, we can make the difference!!!

From,

Anonymous (‘16)