Arts

Seniors of Tufts theater reflect on four years of performance

By Jennifer May | May 19

Over 100 years after its founding in 1910, Tufts’ oldest student theater organization is continuing theater tradition and trying new things. Pen, Paint, and Pretzels, otherwise known as 3Ps, puts on productions of contemporary and classic plays every semester. Students in 3Ps have the opportunity to perform in, design and direct plays proposed the semester prior to each production.  

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Arts

Students, faculty mourn end of Tufts/NEC dual degree program

By Abbie Klein | May 19

After nearly 50 years of providing rigorous academic and musical education to Tufts students, the Tufts/New England Conservatory five-year dual degree program is coming to an end. The decision to end the program was made in summer 2023, and its termination was announced by email to students in the program and Department of Music faculty and staff on Oct. 25, 2023. NEC faculty were notified of the decision on Oct. 24. Students currently enrolled in or accepted into the program will be allowed to complete it, but no new students will be accepted into the program, and it will end when the last student graduates. There are currently 14 students in the program.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Jason Wallace imagines new worlds in thesis film ‘Citizens of Kattaquam’

By Matthew Winkler | May 19

Graduating senior Jason Wallace is nearing the end of post-production for his thesis film “Citizens of Kattaquam.” Featuring scenes with up to 40 cast members and a crew of 15, Wallace’s grandiose sci-fi epic is not the typical small-scale production expected of student films on sparse budgets. But for Wallace, pursuing one of the most ambitious Tufts thesis films in recent years was necessary to realize his vision.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Carl Svahn brings his love for art, journalism to the Daily and beyond

By Ethan Essner | May 18

Carl Svahn entered Tufts as a first-year in the fall of 2020. With classes held online and COVID-19 restrictions in full effect, Svahn, like many others in his grade, felt isolated, so he began looking for ways to connect with his classmates. A comic book lover, he spent time at Kamikaze in Davis Square, which is where he learned about the opportunity to pursue journalism with the Daily.

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Arts

Seniors of KoDA continue to foster a welcoming environment for all

By Odessa Gaines | May 18

The Korean Dance Association, better known as KoDA, is Tufts’ very own student-run K-pop dance group. KoDA members collaborate on K-pop covers in weekly rehearsals, club bonding events, semester showcases and videos of their performances — which they post to their YouTube channel. A relatively new club that emerged right before the onset of the pandemic, KoDA has only grown in numbers and notability over the past few years.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Copy executive Natalie Bricker looks back on her Daily journey

By Ryan Fairfield | May 18

Natalie Bricker had a more untraditional journey to Tufts University, transferring from the University of Michigan at the start of her junior year. At Michigan, Bricker was a copy editor and wrote for The Michigan Daily, skills she would bring to The Tufts Daily as both a writer and current executive copy editor.

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Arts

Kenneth Tam’s ‘Standing in Soft Formation’ departs Tufts University Art Galleries

By Erin Zhu | May 17

Kenneth Tam’s “Standing in Soft Formation” recently ended its three-month tenure at Tufts University Art Galleries’ exhibition space in the Aidekman Arts Center.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Maeve Hagerty discusses Daily tenure, campus arts scene

By Nate Hall | May 17

A former executive arts editor of the Daily, senior Maeve Hagerty sat down with current executive arts editor Nate Hall to discuss her experiences with the Daily and reflect on her four years at Tufts. Hagerty, who grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, is a history and political science major with a minor in English, and she’s been writing for the Daily since her first semester at Tufts in fall of 2020.

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Arts

Tasha Oren on the past, present and future of film and media studies at Tufts

By Annika Pillai | May 16

This year, 49 students are graduating from Tufts with a degree in film and media studies — 36 with a major and 13 with a minor. What is currently the largest humanities program at Tufts, interestingly, didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Branching off from a communications minor, the program was created due to a high interest in the sphere of film and media. In its first year, FMS only had six students. Now, it has over 170. 

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Arts

Senior Profile: RaiAnn Bu on finding joy in the arts

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | May 16

“In high school, I had two friends who were the heads of the newspaper and they would not shut up about it. I became very anti-newspaper,” RaiAnn Bu said — a surprising revelation for someone who has written for the Daily since her sophomore year.

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Columns

The Bookmark: ‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry

By Natalie Bricker | May 16

For my last column, I’m giving the people what they need in their lives right now: a summer romance! My favorite romance writer is Emily Henry. She doesn’t just write average romance novels; her books capture the perfect mix of slow-burn romance, character depth, fresh, summery imagery and enough little plot twists to make it impossible to put down.

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Arts

‘Hadestown’ breathes new life into a beloved musical

By Nate Hall and Odessa Gaines | April 29

On Apr. 23, thousands of audience members filed into the Boch Center in Boston to see the touring production of “Hadestown.” While some were longtime fans of the show and others were seeing it for the first time, everyone shared the powerful experience of seeing Anaïs Mitchell’s breathtaking musical come to life onstage.

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Arts

St. Vincent’s ‘All Born Screaming’ whispers politely

By Maeve Hagerty | April 29

Annie Erin Clark, who goes by the stage name St. Vincent, has returned on her seventh studio album “All Born Screaming,” released on Friday. The album has already received much critical praise for its heavier, moodier rock instrumentation — a departure from the dreamier motifs of ...

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Arts

Boston Ballet’s Carmen & Kingdom of the Shades: A captivating double bill performance

By Jennifer May | April 29

It is not common for two ballets to be combined in one program. The Boston Ballet, though, does not shy away from the unconventional. For their spring performance of Carmen, the company includes both Carmen and Kingdom of the Shades in their 100-minute show, broken up by an intermission. Audience members get to experience the delicately controlled choreography of Kingdom of the Shades and the passionate drama of Carmen during their time at the Citizens Bank Opera House.  

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Arts

WEEKENDER: Newport Jazz Festival celebrates its 70th anniversary this August

By Matthew Winkler | April 25

This year marks a monumental milestone for the Newport Jazz Festival: its 70th anniversary. Since its inception in 1954, the festival has showcased jazz giants like Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, whose legendary performances have become a part of its rich history. As this summer’s gathering approaches from Aug. 2–4 at Fort Adams State Park, the festival not only celebrates its storied past but also its continuous pulse on the future of jazz.

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Arts

‘Abbott Elementary’ explores the ups and downs of education

By Afua Siaw | April 25

Who knew that watching a show about school could be so interesting? “Abbott Elementary” (2021–) executes it perfectly, offering a refreshing and unexpected perspective on the challenges faced by teachers and students in the halls of a Philadelphia public school. The series was created by Quinta Brunson, multi-talented actress, comedian, writer and content creator.

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Columns

The Bookmark: ‘Girl, Interrupted’ by Susanna Kaysen

By Natalie Bricker | April 25

I’m not sure if I necessarily enjoyed reading this memoir, but it definitely sparked some contemplation and left me thinking about it days later, which is an indication of a good book. In “Girl, Interrupted,” Susanna Kaysen writes about her two year long experience in McLean Hospital’s psychiatric unit, and her story is nothing short of remarkable.

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Columns

Public Cinemy No. 1: Intellectual property in American cinema

By Sacha Waters | April 24

“Barbie” introduced a new trend that may come to dominate American cinema in coming years: films adapted not from books or plays, but from toys. Since the pink-coated blockbuster graced screens in the summer of 2023, many new toy-based projects have been announced by Mattel and its competitors.Mattel has 14 films in development, including projects based on American Girl dolls, Hot Wheels, Uno and even the Magic 8 Ball. Hasbro and Electronic Arts, meanwhile, are collaborating with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap production company to produce a Monopoly movie and a Sims movie respectively.

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Columns

Brown and (Usually) Blue: Salman Rushdie’s ‘Knife’ is sharply witty, brilliant

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | April 24

Salman Rushdie, famed Indian novelist, seems to have occupied the liminal space between fame and notoriety since the beginnings of his literary career. His second novel “Midnight’s Children” (1981) won him fame, admiration and the Booker Prize; his fourth, “The Satanic Verses” (1988), forced him to go into hiding as he reckoned with the potent forces of censorship and violence. It is not challenging to find an author with a life as tumultuous as the stories they spin, but rarely is it as brilliant as Rushdie’s. And this brilliance continues to define his work, as proven by his 2024 memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” published this April, a mere two years after he was attacked on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in August 2022. 

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Arts

Taking refuge in rage: ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ 30 years later

By Jennifer May | April 23

“Somebody asked me a long time ago: ‘From what emotion did you write this book?’, and I said, ‘rage,’” Susanna Kaysen shared about her 1993 memoir, “Girl, Interrupted.” To a room of curious listeners, each clutching their own copy of the book, this insight struck a chord. In a time when mental health wasn’t talked about openly, Kaysen wrote on her experience authentically and powerfully. Her words continue to captivate readers, and bookstores continue to shelve this literary classic. If art is to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed, Kaysen has succeeded.

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