Members of The Tufts Daily talked about this year in film ahead of the Oscars. They discussed their favorite movies and predicted winners, all while ranting about the worst snubs and their juiciest hot takes.
Why do we love rom-coms? After sitting down with the cast and crew of “Meet Cute in Manhattan” (2025), we may have an answer. “Meet Cute in Manhattan” follows Jason (Terence Chen), a lover of rom-coms and an actor who wishes to bring more Asian representation to the big screen. After quite literally running into Nora (Kendall Leary), an aspiring architect and current barista, at a local café, Jason is quick to rope Nora in for a commercial audition. After sparks fly in the audition, the director, determined to build on the pair’s chemistry, throws them straight into an ad campaign for the viral dating app “Meet Cute.” As the two continue the campaign, they begin to fall for one another while also growing as individuals.
PrettyLittleThing was once the face of fast fashion’s glitzy, in-your-face appeal, known for bodycon dresses, flashy patterns, cut-out tops and influencer endorsements –– particularly with the cast of Love Island. The brand represented a carefree, fun aesthetic focused on quick, trendy styles at rock-bottom prices.
If you’ve ever had the urge to respond to the absurdities of your reality with complete carnage, “Victorian Psycho” by Virginia Feito is the perfect book for you. Even if your impulses are less than violent, the elegantly written prose and intriguing psyche of protagonist Winifred Notty will leave you craving to see her world in all its inglorious depravity. The novel follows Miss Notty beginning her service as a governess at Ensor House. While tutoring the two spoiled Pounds children, Drusilla and Andrew, and tolerating the abuses of Mr. and Mrs. Pounds, she finds it progressively more difficult to contain her inner darkness, which she occasionally refers to as “Fred.” Readers be warned, this novel is not for the faint of heart. The first chapter explains that “in three months everyone in this house will be dead.” At just over 200 pages, the book rapidly uncovers Miss Notty’s sordid past while guiding readers through a vortex of sex, gore and malice before leading to the ultimate conclusion. Although the extreme violence feels overwhelming at times, Feito’s playful writing transforms the shocking carnage into an amusing catharsis rather than a tragedy.
Okay, so remember when I said last semester that there are four authors I always zero in on? I’ve now reviewed books from two of them, and I cannot believe I’ve waited this long to review a book by the one and only Kate Quinn.
Tinashe, Quinn XCII and Hot Chelle Rae will perform at Spring Fling, the Tufts University Social Collective announced on Wednesday. The concert will take place on April 26 at 12:30 p.m. on the Academic Quad. The headliner, Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe, who performs just under her first name, is known for hit songs “Nasty” and “2 On (feat. ScHoolboy Q).” She also recently appeared on the song “B2b featuring tinashe” from Charli XCX’s remix album “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.” Tinashe previously headlined Spring Fling in 2017, though she was originally set to be an opener. She stepped in after T-Pain cancelled due to the performance conflicting with his son’s birthday.
Is Tate McRae our new pop princess? She’s certainly trying. On “cut my hair,” the opening track of her sophomore album “THINK LATER,” McRae reflects on how the “sad girl bit got a little boring,” nodding to her past hits like “One Day,” “you broke me first,” and “chaotic.” Her earlier music, with its slower tempos and melancholic vibe, firmly cemented McRae’s place in the ‘sad girl pop’ genre.
Sometimes, all you need to make an engaging movie is ninety minutes, an interesting concept and a power couple. “Black Bag” (2025), thankfully, has all three.
One of the many ensembles offered by the Department of Music is the Klezmer Ensemble, also known as the Jumbo Knish Factory, directed by Professor Michael McLaughlin. Tufts’ Klezmer Ensemble performs old and new Jewish music, celebrating a musical tradition that began in Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. While the group has been around for more than 20 years, a new group formed as an offshoot of the Klezmer Ensemble this semester.
At this year’s Academy Awards, Zoe Saldaña made history as the first Dominican-American to win an Oscar forthe most negatively talked about film of this year’s award cycle, “Emilia Pérez.” Despite much controversy surrounding the film — criticism about its representation of trans people, Mexico and more—Saldaña’s performance has been lauded,evident by her awards season sweep winning the Critic’s Choice, BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG Award and ultimately the Oscar. Harper’s Bazaar called her “a revelation,” The New York Times called her “El Mal” performance “the film’s highlight” and “so potent”and the Los Angeles Times praised her saying,“it’s easy to believe Saldaña could be the most versatile screen actor around.”
What do you know about women’s wrestling? Personally, if you asked me this I would have to simply answer: nothing. Nothing but the story of Mildred “Millie” Burke (Emily Bett Rickards), professional women’s wrestler. Millie, born in a small Midwestern town to a single mother, opens the door of the male-dominated sport to women after taking the championship and becoming the first woman athlete to become a millionaire.
What does it feel like to die? Haven’t you ever wondered?
No one’s style is truly original. Whether conscious or subconscious, we as consumers constantly draw inspiration from the world around us, and fashion is no different. As I’ve grown up and worked on developing my style, I’ve realized that personal style isn’t about reinventing the wheel and being 100% original — it’s about finding pieces and influences that reflect who you are or who you want to be. Over the years, I’ve drawn from a variety of sources, from celebrities to designers. Perhaps sharing my inspirations will help you.
If you watched the Oscars this weekend, you may have noticed that someone was missing. This someone chose to hang back this year, letting the others hold the spotlight for once. It’s only fair, for filmmaker and Tufts alum Tim Leong (LA’22) would have swept it.
As Generation Z gets older, things from our childhoods start to become nostalgic. However, unlike some of the other generations, a lot of nostalgia for Gen Z exists on an entirely new medium: the internet and mobile devices. Online spaces like Club Penguin or Wizard101 are relics of the past and apps you had on your iPod Touch probably don’t exist anymore. There is a rich trove of defunct apps and games from the late 2000s and 2010s, yet no one talks about them. No one except for today’sYoutuber: Li Speaks.
“Cabaret” has been performed and reimagined time and time again, uncovering new meanings as societal contexts evolve. Today, under the direction of Professor Barbara Wallace Grossman, this iconic musical takes on new urgency amidst the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s return to power, inviting audiences to reflect on its poignant relevance in our turbulent political landscape.
Thomas Gradente, founder of Past On Vintage, has been a highlight among students at Tufts University for nearly 15 years, bringing incredible vintage finds and vinyl records to campus. He has hosted several pop-up shops this past falland most recently held a pop-up in the Mayer Campus Center on Feb. 11. In addition to his pop-ups at Tufts, Gradente has organized events at Connecticut College, Wesleyan University, the University of Hartford and Trinity College.
Tufts is home to more than a dozen dance groups, many of which are entirely run, choreographed and performed by students. Amid a crowded dance scene, it can be hard for groups to carve out a niche and set themselves apart from the rest of the pack.
Bruno Mars is back in the spotlight. Of course, he never fully disappeared, living atop his colossal success and sprinkling his presence here and there in ads and song features. Still, he hit a peak of fame and then fell back for a few years. Let’s go back to the beginning.
As fall 2025 collections make their way down the runway, I’m reminded of one of the most iconic film monologues of all time —Miranda Priestly’s “cerulean monologue” from“The Devil Wears Prada.” If you’re unfamiliar,Miranda, editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine (inspired by Vogue and Anna Wintour), explains to her assistant the trickle-down effect of the fashion industry, emphasizing that no one is “exempt” from its influence.
