Arts

Columns

Brown and (Usually) Blue: Holi moly

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | April 2

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my friend and her study group in The Commons Marketplace, working away on an assignment. As we talked spring break and the onset of March, the conversation turned to the Indian festival of Holi. “Oh yeah!” exclaimed someone at the table, “Isn’t that like Indian paintball?” I suppressed a chuckle, agreed and added that we also dance around a fire at midnight and offer a vial of our blood to celebrate springtime. The comparison did stay with me though, having struck me.

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Columns

Public Cinemy No. 1: The rise of the biopic and the death of the A-lister

By Sacha Waters | April 2

“Bohemian Rhapsody.” “Blonde.” “Oppenheimer.” “The Iron Claw.” “Rocketman.” “Maestro.” “Elvis.” “Priscilla.” “Napoleon.” “Ferrari.” “Nyad.” All are films that came out in the last six years, and all are films that denote Hollywood’s staggering obsession with biopics. Biopics have always been a staple in American cinema, but their explosion in recent years is a Band-Aid over the fatal wounds dealt to Hollywood by streaming.

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Arts

Nonprofit co-founded by Tufts alum addresses ethics in reality TV

By Annika Pillai | March 29

Reality TV has long been critiqued for its false presentation of authenticity. The genre, which rose to popularity in the 90s, has raised several concerns in the eyes of the public. Some argue that the genre’s true purpose lies in deceiving viewers through misleading editing, coaching participants and concocting inauthentic storylines.

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Arts

The Venice Biennale: A celebration of contemporary art and cultural dialogue

By Urvija Mafatlal | March 28

The La Biennale di Venezia is one of the most prestigious events in the art world and returning in 2024 to captivate audiences with an exhibition of contemporary visual art. Established in 1895, the Biennale has evolved into a platform that showcases the latest trends, innovations and perspectives in the realm of visual arts, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theater. This iconic art event is held every two years in Venice, Italy (a separate festival featuring architecture is held on odd-numbered years) and attracts artists, curators, collectors, critics and art enthusiasts from around the globe.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Freezing your toes (and your tofu) in Iceland

By Elizabeth Foster | March 28

The stereotypical college spring break involves jet setting to the sunniest of beaches in countries with a lower drinking age. And yet, my spring break group was not yet sick of the cold. We traveled to Iceland last week and found ourselves in a remote fishing village in the Westfjords during their worst snowstorm this season.

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Columns

For the Culture: The ‘Big 3’ battle for the crown of hip-hop

By Paul Osmond | March 28

After 10 years of silence, Kendrick Lamar has finally dissed Drake and J. Cole. Following the release of his verse on “Control” (2013) by Big Sean, wherein Lamar threatened several major hip-hop artists of the time, both Drake and Cole have released subliminal and conspicuous disses directed towards the rapper.

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Arts

If the pointe shoe fits, dance in it: Boston Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’

By Jennifer May | March 27

Fantasy and reality intertwined at the March 14 premiere of the Boston Ballet’s 2024 production of “Cinderella,” where every scene sparkled with breathtaking dance and a spellbinding set, and a classic love story was performed delicately and dreamily. The stage of the Citizens Bank Opera House went from a dusty living room to a grand ballroom, a place of hopelessness to one of romance. Through graceful movement and magical stagecraft, the familiar story of a turn of fate created a feeling of wonder the audience enjoyed for a dreamlike two and a half hours. The production, which ran from March 14–24, was a captivating journey into enchantment, fitting perfectly into the company’s impressive repertoire.  

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Arts

Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Illinoise,’ or, how to enamor an entire audience with hymns and ballets, or, the war for morality, state and sanity, or, an ode to the unabashed joy of being alive

By Ethan Essner | March 27

Such a view is the place from where singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens looks out at a world — cold and complex. It’s full of joy, peril and an untellable delicacy. Bordering Lake Michigan is the heartbeat of the Midwest, Illinois, a place of superheroes, zombies and forsaken love stories. In 2005, Stevens peered at the prairies and penned a 22-song mammoth of an album. It’s a collection of tunes that transcend the term ‘album’ as they fashion the experience of an ‘epic.’ The album reads like a grim, romantic and, at points, sardonic comment on the rich culture of Illinois with the ever-so exclamatory title of “Come On! Feel the Illinoise!”

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Columns

Tok the Talk: The case of Kate Middleton

By Annika Pillai | March 26

Kate Middleton, also known as Princess Catherine of Wales, is dead, and Kensington Palace is trying to cover it up. At least, that’s what several royal conspiracy theorists proposed in the weeks after her public “disappearance.” When a photo released by Kensington Palace of the princess with her three children showed signs of being touched up, the public was sent into a frenzy. Either she was missing, dying or already dead. One X user wrote, “KATE MIDDLETON IS PROBABLY DEAD,” and followed it up with skull face emojis and crying faces. Aptly put by The Atlantic’s Helen Lewis, “The situation quickly turned into a ‘QAnon for wine moms.’”

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Arts

WEEKENDER: SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Cost of Living’ embraces vulnerability and disability

By Elizabeth Foster | March 14

Running March 8–30, SpeakEasy Stage Company brings Martyna Majok’s “Cost of Living” to Boston audiences. Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Martyna Majok’s play speaks to the fragility of life by interweaving the lives of four individuals, each one hardship — emotional, financial or physical — away from ruin.

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Columns

For the Culture: ​​Hip-hop has no more superstars

By Paul Osmond | March 14

So, maybe hip-hop is dying? Currently, out of the four major streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music, Apple Music is the only platform with hip-hop/rap as the top genre. On the remaining three platforms, coinciding with the leading global music genres, pop music is the No. 1 genre. 

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Columns

The Bookmark: ‘Family of Liars’ by E. Lockhart

By Natalie Bricker | March 14

E. Lockhart’s “We Were Liars” holds a special place in my heart. I’m in awe of the way Lockhart pushes the bounds of typical fiction writing. She mixes in unique line breaks so that her book sometimes reads like a poem. She also creates incredible metaphors, like the witch in the first novel, that are so vivid, they have stuck with me to this day. I haven’t reread the book in over two years and I still think about it all the time.

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Arts

Emotions run high in ‘Deep River’

By Claire Wood | March 13

Alonzo King LINES Ballet performed “Deep River” on March 8 and 9 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. “Deep River” was created during the pandemic by the San Francisco-based ballet company, and was choreographed and rehearsed in outdoor, often remote spaces. A troupe of 12 dancers came on and off stage throughout a nonstop, 64-minute performance. Prevailing themes in the show include the importance of hope and the depth of love, but it is also wonderfully abstract and very open to interpretation.

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Arts

TikTok: Can you stop scrolling?

By Odessa Gaines | March 13

In late February 2024, TikTok user @reesamteesa posted a 50-part series spanning over six hours about her experience meeting, dating, marrying and divorcing a pathological liar. The massive playlist called “Who TF Did I Marry?!?” has gained over hundreds of millions of views and Tareasa Johnson, known as Reesa Teesa, has gained national attention for her story.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Habits of a soccer mom

By Elizabeth Foster | March 13

I spent my Saturday afternoon baking three batches of chocolate chip cookies, totaling 42 little treats that I could bring to the CS TA soccer game (yes, an entire six-team soccer league consisting exclusively of teaching assistants for the Tufts Computer Science Department). I’ve (mentally) committed to bringing cookies to make up for my lack of skill on the field.

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News

Jordin Sparks to headline Spring Fling 2024, Iyaz and Tkay Maidza to open

By Matthew Sage and Nate Hall | March 11

Jordin Sparks, Iyaz and Tkay Maidza will perform at this year’s Spring Fling, as announced by the Tufts University Social Collective on Monday. The concert will be held on April 20 from 12–5 p.m. on the Academic Quad. “We are excited to say that we have a headliner that is a woman,” TUSC co-concert coordinators Gus Tringale and Thomas Grant wrote in a message to the Daily. “From last year’s all male lineup, we looked forward to pivoting more female representation not only for diversity’s sake but to cover a wider base of musical taste at Tufts.”

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Arts

When the past isn’t past: Celine Song’s ‘Past Lives’

By Estelle Anderson | March 8

Is it possible to have multiple soulmates? To ever truly move on from the past? To accept one’s life choices without wondering “what-if?”These questions course throughout “Past Lives,” a tender, often heart-wrenching tale of destiny, human connection and the bittersweetness of change. In a year that brought “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things,” “Past Lives” feels like a breath of fresh air.

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Arts

‘Love is Blind’: Experiment or entertainment?

By Annika Pillai | March 8

Hit reality TV show “Love is Blind” released its first season in February 2020. Like most reality television, the show is predominantly known for its intense drama, messy breakups and overall entertainment factor. Marketed as a “social experiment,” the show’s purpose lies in ...

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Arts

The Bookmark: ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Walls

By Natalie Bricker | March 8

Welcome back to “The Bookmark,” your go-to column for book reviews! Last week, I featured “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.” This week, we’re switching up genres and taking a look at a beautiful and heartbreaking memoir.

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Arts

WEEKENDER: Emerging Boston-based artist Analise releases new single

By Shannon Murphy | March 7

Analise Marin, local sophomore songwriting student at the Berklee College of Music and emerging singer-songwriter, known professionally by the mononym Analise, released her newest single “All Alone Again” on Feb. 24. The song, which is now available on streaming platforms, stands out for its emotional lucidity and mesmerizing production as it captures the cyclical nature of love, yearning and loneliness.

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