Tufts officials decry song in student magazine

Tufts University administrators yesterday condemned a satirical Christmas carol printed in a conservative student magazine that many students said was racist.

The editor of the journal "The Primary Source" apologized during a Student Senate meeting Sunday, saying the song was only intended to criticize the school's affirmative action policies.

"We write to express our outrage at the carol published in the recent edition of The Primary Source," read the letter signed by Tufts president Lawrence S. Bacow and eight top deans and administrators. "It is antithetical to Tufts University's efforts to establish a community of learning." University officials took no actions against the publication or its editors.

The magazine printed a song called "O Come All Ye Black Folk," written from the point of view of a Tufts admissions officer.

"We understand the frustration and anger that result from incidents like this one," the administration's letter read, "and we will work with students, faculty, and staff to continue to find ways to promote a climate in which ideas can be exchanged freely while respecting members of our community as individuals."

MAC DANIEL