Opinion | Column

Column

Blue, Brown & Green: The spirit of sustainability

By Natalie Brownsell | February 17

Tufts is widely known for its student engagement. We all know this. It’s also well known that we have a bit of a green streak here, proudly supporting our Office of Sustainability and the Eco Reps. As we dive headfirst into another semester on the hill, it’s a good time to step back and appreciate the community we are a part of, the community that has been built on decades of Jumbos’ voices and their dedication to shaping both Tufts and the world into a better place, one person at a time.  

---

Column

K-Weekly: K-pop, an acknowledgment of Black culture

By Odessa Gaines | February 16

This Black History Month, I felt the need to shine a light on the Black American influence on K-pop and the industry as a whole.

---

Column

Managing Multipolarity: The Dragonbear

By Daniel Chung | February 16

It has recently become increasingly obvious that China and Russia together seek to challenge the current international ‘rules based system.’ The U.S.- enforced liberal internationalism of the last three decades may soon give way, at least partially by force, to a more traditional, realist world order dominated by a series of regional great powers. For various reasons, Russia and China are among those prospective powers, especially for fear of strategic vulnerability, a desire to control resources necessary to their economies and normative claims to regional dominance.

---

Column

Ethics of the Environment: Zoos and aquariums — A necessary evil

By Ethan Jaskowiak | February 14

A childhood trip to the zoo feels as quintessential as chocolate chip pancakes or bouncy castles, but the ethics of dolphins in tanks has always been questionable, and the debate has resurfaced in the aftermath of the pandemic television sensation “Tiger King” (2020–). Every zoo or aquarium fights back with token conservation programs, raising the question: "Does the conservation work done by zoos and aquariums justify the fate of their inhabitants?" In today’s world, the answer is an unfortunate “yes.”

---

Column

The Journey: Behind closet doors

By Liz Buehl | February 11

Each time I take to The Tufts Daily with my words, I strive to be as vulnerable and honest as possible. I have come back to this platform for another semester seeking to continue expanding upon the message that I have previously shared in The Journey. I plan to foster the same sentiments giving you a window into my real, genuine, beautiful yet messy world.

---

Column

Public Cinemy No. 1: Introduction

By Sacha Waters | February 11

I have always loved that moment when the lights go down in a movie theater. Whether you’re watching a summer blockbuster with friends, laughing and sharing popcorn or absorbing the newest avant-garde French feature straight from Cannes, moviegoing transports you into another place, another life, another mind. I’ve spent my life captivated by the art, from begging my grandma to let me watch Tim Burton’s vampire flick at nine years old to memorizing the "Teen Beach Movie" (2013) soundtrack as a tween to watching "Parasite" (2019) every day for a week straight during quarantine. I am a political science major because of Armando Iannucci, and I don’t know how much of my personality developed naturally and how much I stole from "Megamind" (2010). The art of film and television is beautiful, fascinating and complex, and every time I watch a new favorite movie, it feels like the director is peeling back the layers of my heart.

---

---

Column

K-Weekly: Fall in love with IVE and 'Eleven'

By Odessa Gaines | February 9

Last semester I made it a habit to write about K-Music which was at least a year old. I originally set out to cover larger K-hits to add to your playlist, but as the semester went on I realized that first, I should start introducing older music that still feels new. Today, however, I will be opening your eyes to a girl group just over two months old. 

---

Column

The Art of Good Soup: Tsurumen, Davis Square

By Sadie Leite and Ellie Lester | February 7

This is a column about soup: what it tastes like, what it does to you. What it makes you dream and think about. The kind of soup you’ll tell your children about at the dinner table. For our sake and yours, we hope it's also a column about good soup. Unfortunately, not all soups are good, just like life or our Tinder dates. Well, usually most Tinder dates are bad. Whatever.

---

Column

The Final Whistle: Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard's first steps into management

By Bharat Singh | February 2

To many fans, overturning a 3–0 deficit at halftime is considered impossible, but in the 2005 Champions League final, Liverpool's own Steven Gerrard led a historic comeback against a formidable A.C. Milan side. The Reds conceded within 50 seconds of kickoff and went toe-to-toe with Italy's finest club, which featured two of the greatest midfielders of all time: Andrea Pirlo and Ricardo Kaká. On either side of them, you’d find Gennaro Gattuso, who would go on to win the World Cup with Italy the following year, and Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf. Add to that a defense anchored by Paolo Maldini, Nesta, Cafu and Jaap Stam, all flag bearers of the greatest defensive era in modern football. The script seemed set, as A.C. Milan fans roared on. But to Gerrard, a quiet 25-year-old from Whiston, Merseyside, the game was far from over.

---

Column

Countering China: Chinese doomographics

By Daniel Chung | February 2

To the rest of the world, China may seem like a strong nation, but in reality, domestic insecurity drives a large portion of its posturing abroad. Specifically, and as outlined by Tufts’ own Professor Michael Beckley, Chinese demographics and resource scarcity make it so that if China does not capitalize on potential gains from aggression overseas now, its economy would suffer greatly, and it would no longer have the capacity to realize some long-term strategic goals.

---

Column

Countering China: Collision Course for the 21st Century (Chinese Revanchism and Revisionism)

By Daniel Chung | January 21

China, under the rule of Xi Jinping, is the nation that represents the greatest threat to the international status quo that has existed since the end of the Cold War. Although there are areas where cooperation between China and the United States may be both desirable and highly necessary, like dealing with climate change, such instances are far and few between. Instead, the seemingly inevitable collision of the two powers is sure to determine the fate of the 21st century.

---

Column

Dreaming of Sandman: Still lost in the story

By Sadie Leite | December 9

A story inside a story. Think “The Princess Bride” (1987) or when a rambling friend gets lost in the details of a night recap.

---

Column

A Better Consensus: Navigating a (probable) post-Roe world

By Jacob Fridman | December 8

It is highly likely that the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will overturn Roe v. Wade and leave the legality of abortion to the states. The nationwide legalization of abortion could no longer be the law of the land. Twenty one states will automatically implement some level of abortion restrictions, ranging from total bans to enforcement of prior laws, while 14 states and Washington, D.C. will automatically implement laws permitting abortion.

---

Column

K-Weekly: Fostering a community with KoDA

By Odessa Gaines | December 6

While I typically use this space to write about Korean songs and artists that I think everyone should be listening to, today’s column will center Tufts' very own K-pop dance association cover group, while recognizing the community it has built. 

---

Column

Dreaming of Sandman: Barbie has a nightmare

By Sadie Leite | December 2

Barbie sees a talking dog, Martin Tenbones, from her dreams get shot in the streets of New York City and she’s horrified, naturally. The twisted fifth volume “The Sandman: A Game of You” (1991–92) begins: Gaiman’s imagination is beautiful and perverted­­ –– a perspective just as important as fairytale happy endings.

---

Column

The Strike Zone: Urban China and the hukou system

By Eli Striker | December 2

During the last four decades, China has undergone a radical change, metamorphosing from a predominantly agrarian nation to a city-centric, economic powerhouse. The Chinese Communist Party has actively facilitated this trend of mass urbanization. 

---

Column

A Better Consensus: We need filibuster restoration

By Jacob Fridman | December 1

There’s a growing consensus in the Democratic Party to eliminate the Senate filibuster. Even President Biden is now open to at least reforming it.

---

Column

The Journey: If the walls could talk

By Elizabeth Buehl | November 30

As Thanksgiving approaches on an annual basis, I naturally tend to find myself reflecting on everything I have to be grateful for. Last year, during my pandemic-laden freshman experience, I spent my first college Thanksgiving away from home. Although I was with friends I had met just a few weeks before, we shared a sense of home among each other. From making cranberry sauce in a noodle pot to baking a pie in the Carmichael Hall kitchen and commiserating over the sad state of the university-issued turkey, we made the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.

---

Column

K-Weekly: Vibe out with Jessi’s ‘Nunu Nana’

By Odessa Gaines | November 22

As I have mentioned many times before, the world of K-pop is vast and is much more than simply pop music in Korean. K-pop has Latin, pop, alternative, rock, hip-hop and rap influences. The industry is built to mesh these sounds together and try to create distinct sounds. One artist who most definitely has her own sound, but is often overlooked, is Jessi.

---

Column

Dreaming of Sandman: Dream tests our power

By Sadie Leite | November 18

And the dead heads sing. Why? Because power, kings and gods have complications.

---