Independent bookstores, like most small local shops, faced an increased challenge because of COVID-19. Many independent bookstores rely on local foot traffic and events to bring people into the store and stay open, so they had to find new ways to reach customers and engage their communities.
It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine — or idealize — summer. Our mouths flood with the tastes of ripe, juicy fruits and our noses smell backyard barbecues. Our minds fill with nostalgic images of childhood bike rides in suburban neighborhoods and deep sunburns. Our skin aches for the touch of the sand and the feel of the ocean. Our lips long for a summer love. During any other year, these textures and ideas might come to us in May and be gone by August (when we’re sick of the heat and ready for pumpkin-flavored everything). But 2020 has robbed us of these experiences.
Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
To be more deliberate with my time and help diversify my literary world, I committed to only reading authors of color during my quarantine time and throughout 2020. I first read April Sinclair's“Coffee Will Make You Black” (1994) and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” (1965). Two very different books, but both so important to read. The first is a fictional story told from a young girl's point of view as she examines colorism and her own femininity and sexuality. Malcolm X’s autobiography paralyzed me with the knowledge that I did not actually know anything about this crucial and complex man before, and I am so glad that I was able to really learn about him now. I journeyed from Malcolm X to James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time” (1963), a perfect follow-up to the autobiography as Baldwindiscusses Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam in this short nonfiction piece. Staying on the nonfiction side of things, I read “Between the World and Me” (2015), a striking and important letter written by a father to his son about holding on to his Black body. Ready for some fiction, I consumed “Kindred” (1979) by Octavia E. Butler and “A Mercy” (2008) by Toni Morrison both in a span of two days. Most recently, I have read “Girl, Woman, Other” (2019) by Bernardine Evaristo which was a simply stunning composition weaving together so many non-male Black lives and experiences into one complete and breathtaking story. Celeste Ng's“Little Fires Everywhere” (2017) is currently on my bedside table, along with “In the Castle of My Skin” (1953) by George Lamming and “On Beauty” (2005) by Zadie Smith.
On behalf of The Tufts Daily, welcome back to the Hill. We know this is a time of unique challenges, but we know this semester will undoubtedly yield meaningful experiences as well.
The Boston Book Festival (BBF) named Tufts alumnaGrace Talusan (LA '94) as itsOne City One Story contest winner for 2020 for her piece of short fiction “The Book of Life and Death” (2007, 2020).
“I’m good at introductions … I keep it sweet and simple.”
The day after screening his senior thesis short film, Jacob Ehrlich was sentimental about his journey through the Film and Media Studies (FMS) department.
As we approach our collective second month quarantinaversary, many of us are craving human connection. With everyone more-or-less trapped in their own spaces, we’re searching for those precious people-to-people bonds in places we never thought we’d look (if you didn’t have TikTok downloaded before, you certainly do now). Yes, we have Zoom and Houseparty and the unofficial revitalization of Club Penguin Online, but a date at the Pizza Parlor with PenguinPatty101 doesn’t feel quite as special as dinner at Oath with your housemates — even if your date does have the cutest puffle.
Former congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a Town Hall hosted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life on Sept. 5, 2019. Alexis Serino / The Tufts DailyMedford City Hall is pictured on Sept. 16, 2019. Alexander Thompson / The Tufts DailyThe Science ...
Graduating senior Matt Podniesinski is the epitome of a student of arts and sciences. As a double major in biology and biochemistry, Podniesinski certainly has a demonstrated passion for the sciences; but with his heavy involvement in Tufts Music, his musical passions and talents cannot be overlooked. Since his first year at Tufts, Podniesinski has taken part in myriad ensembles, where he has held the roles of clarinetist and pianist.
“Fashion isn’t as hugely represented, it's whitewashed. There's not a lot of interest in it at Tufts," graduating senior Kaitlynn Hong said over Zoom. "Before [The Lewkk] there weren’t a lot of events highlighting students of color and also people who were interested in fashion, together.”
Graduating senior Rachel Napoliello didn’t start her Tufts career knowing she wanted to pursue filmmaking.
This is it. We have made it to the end of the semester and the end of our careers at The Tufts Daily. What a way to go out. Thank you for indulging us as we write about what we love most: musicals. This week, to close out the column, we would like to share some of our favorite musical-related media that we have not yet discussed. We encourage all of you to use this time at home to check out these titles as they are sure to lift your spirits. So let’s get started!
A sign announcing the closure of Tufts Athletics fields due to social distancing guidelines is pictured on a fence near the Ellis Oval/Zimman Field on April 25. Nicole Garay / The Tufts DailyThe Pearson Chemistry Lab is pictured on April 25. Nicole Garay / The Tufts DailyTalbot Avenue is pictured on ...
The quality and quantity of residence halls are a subject of frequent controversy at Tufts. The chaotic housing placement system, the ongoinghousing crisis,therecent acquisition of former fraternity and sorority houses in a half-hearted response to said crisis, the conspicuous renovations of Miller ...
After weeks of quarantines and stay-at-home orders, things might seem (relatively) hopeful for the summer. There’s vaccineprogress, social distancinghas helped save lives and it seems that the coronavirushas peaked in various countries. And while it might seem like a great time to begin returning to normal — whatever that means — thepush for some states to reopen is certainly worrisome. What about future peaks? Shouldn’t we focus on containing the virus rather than starting to reopen businesses and exposing more people?
Love is far from one of the most famous bands from the late 1960s, but nevertheless, it is remembered as an important musical group of the era for multiple reasons. Not only did it push the boundaries of rock through its experimentalism and fusion of a variety of other genres, but Love also broke down barriers in having a racially diverse group, which was a rarity at the time.
Who is The Weeknd? I’ve always felt that this vowel-snubbing vocalist was somewhat of an enigma in modern music. This isn’t only because of his rare and almost unparalleled ability to blend hip-hop, R&B and pop (whatever that means) into an expressive finished product; it also comes from his unique capacity for self-awareness. This isn’t to say that The Weeknd is the only popular artist of our day to exhibit this quality. I think many SoundCloud-rappers-turned-breakout-stars like Lil Uzi Vert and NAV are actually quite self-aware, just not in the same way. I enjoy listening to the artists mentioned above from time to time (my housemates can attest), but eventually it gets to a point where it’s just too much for me, and I’m left having to forcefully resist the desire to yell, “enough already” at the moody picture on NAV’sSpotify page while I simultaneously queue up 10 more of his songs, hoping that somehow those droning, auto-tuned vocals and hypnotic trap beats will push me to finally finish the essay I’ve been putting off.
With recent developments requiring all of us to be forced to stay inside, it’s no surprise that the past month has brought us the cultural re-emergence of tons of beloved video games. Whether you're playing Minecraft, Animal Crossing or even whipping out Call of Duty and NBA 2K, now is the time to get back into the franchises that made you fall in love with gaming in the first place. Seeing people find joy in their individual games in ways they haven't in years is a much-needed beam of light right now.
