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Opinion | Column

Ukraine At War
Column

Ukraine at War: Two families killed in a Russian attack in Kharkiv

By Mariia Kudina | February 15

Taking a psychoanalysis class this semester brought me to a frightening realization — most of the dreams that I remember upon waking up are war-related nightmares. The dreams have a repetitive plot that always revolves around the aftermath of Russian attacks: burned-down buildings and dying family members. On Feb. 10, when a Russian drone attack caused the fire that killed at least seven people in Kharkiv, that dream partially came true.

Policy Perspective Column Graphic (updated)
Column

The Policy Perspective: Fund the IRS

By Keshav Srikant | February 13

If there’s one thing that many Americans can agree on, it’s that they dislike the IRS. The Internal Revenue Service is a federal agency responsible for collecting and administering federal taxes. The IRS primarily ensures that everyone pays their taxes, often by auditing individuals or businesses, and processes requests for tax refunds. It’s understandable the IRS is not popular, especially as 56% of Americans feel their tax burden is unfair and a majority state that the complexity of the American tax system “bothers them a lot.”

From Classroom to Clinic Column Graphic
Column

Diet drugs: A paradigm shift in weight management?

By Deeksha Bathini | February 7

Ever since Ozempic took center stage, it’s been hard to look away. In my family medicine clinic, it seems like every patient is inquiring about weight loss drugs. These drugs seem like little miracles stuffed in once-per-week injectable pens, boasting weight loss of up to 34 pounds after about a year of treatment. We know that obesity is dangerous. I recall the exhaustive lectures on how excess adiposity increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, Type 2 diabetes and death. Now, we have this drug that seems like a cure for obesity, an issue that ravages about 2 in 5 adults in the United States.

Policy Perspective Column Graphic (updated)
Column

The Policy Perspective: The case for charter schools

By Keshav Srikant | January 30

The idea of charter schools is simple. They are publicly funded by taxpayers but operated by independent groups. In the face of traditional public schools that seemed to be failing, charter schools were an alternative. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools face less governmental regulation, but they must meet accountability standards. They are also not beholden to teacher unions and can experiment with different learning styles. 

graphic for Justin Hong's column "the budget line"
Column

The Budget Line: Thinking of buying the MBTA semester pass? Don’t bother

By Justin Hong | December 11

The last day of class is upon us and only finals remain between us and the sweet escape of winter break. We did it, Joe! Whether it was your first semester or if you’ve only got one more left, it’s an exciting but hectic time of year. It’s also time to plan out next semester. I know, it seems early, but, let’s face it, you’re probably not going to get to all those things you want to do over the break.

Graphic by Charlene Tsai
Column

The Policy Perspective: Improving air travel

By Keshav Srikant | December 4

As many of us look forward to flying home for Christmas, there’s one part of the journey that we dread: hearing the announcement that our flight has been delayed or canceled. Flight delays and cancellations have become an increasingly common part of the air travel experience; in the summer of 2023, 61% of travelers had experienced a flight delay or cancellation and most of those travelers lost money due to those cancellations or delays. Flight cancellations also increased in 2022, and there have been several massive flight cancellation events, such as Southwest’s infamous meltdown during the last holiday season.

Graphic for deeksha bathini article “from classroom to clinic”
Column

From Classroom to Clinic: Medicine and motherhood, the case for cryopreservation in residency training

By Deeksha Bathini | November 29

For most women, medical training coincides with their reproductive prime.The average age to matriculate to a medical residency program is 27.5 years old. In 2016, a study found that 24.1% of female physicians attempting conception struggled with infertility, compared to11% of the general female population in the U.S. When asked if study respondents would do anything differently, some subjects said they would have tried to have children sooner, chosen a different medical specialty or tried cryopreservation.

graphic for Justin Hong's column "the budget line"
Column

The Budget Line: Boston under 30 bucks

By Justin Hong | November 20

We finally made it.Fall break officially starts on Wednesday, though for some, perhaps, it started as early as last Thursday. For many, it means heading home and catching up with family or friends from high school.

Graphic by Charlene Tsai
Column

The Policy Perspective: The importance of climate policy

By Keshav Srikant | November 20

Over the past few years, Tufts has made it easier and easier for students to act in environmentally conscious ways. One only needs to walk a few steps into the Joyce Cummings Center to see the carefully separated trash, recycling and compost bins with useful labels to help students dispose of their waste sustainably. These steps aren’t insignificant, but they’re often less significant than we are told or may assume. 

Graphic for deeksha bathini article “from classroom to clinic”
Column

From Classroom to Clinic: Navigating reproductive rights in the wake of Ohio’s Issue 1

By Deeksha Bathini | November 15

As a native Ohioan, the recent statewide referendum that included Issue 1, formally titled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health Safety,” has been on my mind. The citizen-initiated amendment that passed on Nov. 7 provides the “right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions” on abortion, contraception, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and fertility treatment.

Ukraine at war Column Graphic
Column

Ukraine at War: Fall 2023 Ukraine Action Summit

By Mariia Kudina | November 9

On Oct. 22, over 500 people from 36 states gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the second Ukraine Action Summit of the year. The conference was organized by the American Coalition for Ukraine, a union of 97 partner organizations working on strengthening Ukraine’s defense, safeguarding its sovereignty and enhancing relations between the U.S. and Ukraine. 

Graphic by Charlene Tsai
Column

The Policy Perspective: Evaluating Bidenomics

By Keshav Srikant | November 7

Over the past year, the Biden administration has repeatedly been leaning on a new term in their messaging, Bidenomics, to describe President Biden’s economic policies. The Biden administration promotes Bidenomics as growing the middle class and the economy as a whole.

graphic for Justin Hong's column "the budget line"
Column

The Budget Line: Late nights without Late Nights

By Justin Hong | November 6

It’s that time of year again — the part of the semester defined by whiplash between midterms and your Halloweekend plans. No matter what those may be, on Fridays and Saturdays we can all count on Late Night at Commons to be the cherry on top of a raucous night out or for a midnight snack.

Ukraine at war Column Graphic
Column

Ukraine at War: Promoting Russian culture means supporting the genocide of Ukrainians

By Mariia Kudina | October 26

Scrolling through chats on WhatsApp the other evening, I saw a poster advertising a Russian tea drinking ceremony that is to be hosted on campus on Friday. The next morning, my mom texted me that she and my younger brother heard explosions caused by a Russian missile during their mid-afternoon walk with our dachshund. While Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities, towns and other localities daily, Tufts’ Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies sponsors an event to promote the culture of a nation that commits genocide.

graphic for Justin Hong's column "the budget line"
Column

The Budget Line: That little treat you just bought doesn’t count, right?

By Justin Hong | October 23

With the semester finally setting in, we’re all falling right back into our addictive relationship with coffee. I, for one, love this magical bean juice, and need a cup almost every day. The only problem is that coffee can be expensive. Buying coffee every day can really add up, but fear not: Turning your dorm or apartment into a full-functioning coffee bar isn’t your only alternative. By making informed decisions, even someone who buys coffee every day can save.

Graphic for deeksha bathini article “from classroom to clinic”
Column

From Classroom to Clinic: Rethinking the name ‘heart failure’

By Deeksha Bathini | October 20

I looked at my patient’s wistful brother as he asked, “How long does he have left?” We had just told him that our patient, his brother, was experiencing “heart failure.” I stood there as a medical student, wishing I could tell him that, despite its name, heart failure is not necessarily a death sentence. But that’s the thing about “medicalese”: The language we use doesn’t always directly translate into what we mean. There is nothing hopeful or optimistic about hearing that your heart “failed.” For most people, that sounds like you’re already dead.

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