Columns
Hey Wait Just One Second: The sun
By Max Turnacioglu | May 14Yesterday, I stared at the sun. It really hurt. Yet, as I stumbled down Prez Lawn barefoot (#freethefoot) with holes burned into my retinas, I began to realize something about my fiery, eternally-smiling foe: Without the sun, the world would be a much darker place.
Ukraine at War: How Ukrainian businesses and students adjust to the war
By Mariia Kudina | April 28With the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, businesses faced existential challenges and had to find ways to survive in the midst of the military aggression. Students pursuing careers in business found themselves navigating a world where traditional paths would no longer work, having to adjust to studying despite the Russian bombings. Yet, amid the destruction and uncertainty, according to Ukrainian venture investor Ruslan Tymofieiev, the startup ecosystem has emerged stronger than before, supporting students as they deal with the war threats. This article is based on the experience of Tymofieiev, who founded CLUST SPACE, a charity project of smart shelters for students at Ukrainian universities. It will explore how Ukrainian businesses and the next generation of entrepreneurs are adjusting to a radically changed economic climate.
The Round-off Roundup: All roads lead to gymnastics
By Sarah Firth | April 28During my junior year, I started writing a column in the sports section about gymnastics. Twenty-five editions later, this column has become one of my favorite things I have written for our paper. Now, I’m graduating, I’m retiring from college sports and I’m closing this chapter of writing for the Daily too.
Video Essayists You Should Watch: The finale
By Basil Hand | April 28To all my wonderful reader(s?), I’d like to thank you for coming with me on this YouTuber journey! I wish I had started this series earlier, so I could talk more about some of my favorite video essayists but alas, how time flies. In order to make up for seven semesters without content, I’m ...
Lay of the Leagues: NHL Edition
By Brian Becker | April 28While April is the month of spring showers, we are truly blossoming into the greatest month of the professional sports calendar year: the NBA playoffs. Big names like Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokić and, of course, Lebron James generate box office numbers for weeks on end. However, I encourage you to turn to a league which has arguably leapfrogged the NBA in two major categories.
Hearts on the Hill: Lovely goodbyes
By Julia Carpi | April 28Welcome back, for the final time, to “Hearts on the Hill.” Here we are — our last lap around the sun. I warned you a couple of weeks ago that this last edition would come with a certain sentimentality that might be off-putting to my underclassmen readers. I’ll insert that reminder again here, for those like me who are avoiding thinking about the passage of time.
Confessions of a College Shopaholic: Farewell
By Ryan Fairfield | April 28Well, we have reached the end of my column. We are here at the final iteration. I spent much time contemplating what I would discuss in today’s “Confessions,” and for the first time, my mind went blank. As a farewell message to you, my dear readers, here are some lessons and tips I hope you’ll take from me — little souvenirs from our time together, pulled from my previous confessions.
Extra Innings: A remarkable Cy Young race, 10 years later
By Henry Blickenstaff | April 25Since this is my last edition of Extra Innings, I want to reflect on one of my favorite baseball memories, which turns 10 years old this year.
Center Stage: BlackOut
By Nate Hall | April 25When junior James Hartley attended the O-Show as a first-year in fall 2023, one group in particular caught his attention:BlackOut, Tufts’ all-male step team. Even though he had no dance experience, Hartley was inspired by their performance.Following a club fair event hosted by the Africana Center, he met a member of the team, who encouraged him to audition. Hartley is now the team’s captain.
Trunks Full of Treasures: Thrift wrapped
By Fiona Hinrichsen | April 25I have been thrifting since early high school, digging through my small town’s local thrift spots and coming back from every trip with bags full of vintage clothes. Now that I live in Boston, I knew I had to discover what the local thrift scene here had to offer. With the semester ending, here’s a recap of my finds from the 2024–25 school year!
The 90-Minute Breakdown: No shortage of action
By Antonia Toro | April 22What a week for football! In the UEFA Champions League, we had intense matches and an almost remontada — not by Madrid. Arguably the most exciting game was Aston Villa versus Paris Saint-Germain . PSG had a comfortable aggregate score of 5–1 by the 27th minute, but in the span of just 10 minutes, Villa had closed the gap to 5–4. The French team managed to hold back the British side from the 57th minute in a cardiac game that left PSG fans frightened — but nonetheless victorious. Barça wasn’t particularly on form against B. Dortmund, losing 3–1 (but still beat the Germans 5–3 on aggregate).
Adventures of an A-Lister: A love letter to cinema
By Odessa Gaines | April 22Well folks, this is it. After over a dozen pieces, two semesters and countless tickets lying forgotten in my calendar, “Adventures of an A-Lister” is officially coming to an end. However, before I say goodbye, I have to highlight my journey. From being chased down by rats in Boston Common to sitting in shock at ticket prices to silently sobbing in an empty theater, this column has been an adventure through and through.
Escape the Library: Cambridge Public Library
By Olivia Bye | April 22In the reading room of the Cambridge Public Library, two murals face one another. The first is a triptych nestled within a curved, dome-like ceiling depicting ancient milestones in the art of printing. We see a king imprint his royal seal onto blocks of clay in Babylon, paper being woven from papyrus in Ancient Egypt and the first daily newspaper in the form of a piece of parchment in Ancient Rome. On the other side of the room, we see modern printing developments that led us to the world of literature we know today, from the invention of the first printing press around 1440 in Germany to the invention of the cylinder press in the early 1800s.
Coffee Table Socioeconomics: Final remarks
By Linda Huang | April 22I’ve spent the past year being what my friends jokingly like to call a “professional hater,” writing columns where I rant about the bleak state of our world’s social and economic conditions, usually while drinking coffee, as my column name suggests. To be clear, there’s no shortage of issues worth addressing, and I can always think of more to critique. Maybe this makes me a cynic, a pessimist, a subscriber to realpolitik or all of the above. But beyond venting, I’ve come to realize that the true value lies in the process itself — the act of recognizing the significance, complexity and multidimensional nature of these problems. It has made me realize that — in a self-conceited way — the ability to critically think about social and economic issues is what’s the most important. That said, all I ask is for you to do three things.
Full Court Press: MLB is striking out on DEI
By Noah Goldstein | April 18On April 7, the Los Angeles Dodgers visited the White House to celebrate their 2024 World Series title with President Donald Trump. Just over a week later, they took the field wearing No. 42 for Jackie Robinson Day, honoring the former Dodger who famously broke baseball’s color barrier. In the span of eight days, the same team posed with a president who has championed policies that undermine diversity, equity and inclusion and then celebrated the life’s work of a man who embodied them.
A Jumbo’s Journey: A reminder
By Ben Rachel | April 18It took me a while to figure out what I was going to write about for this column. Initially, I was thinking about taking up a friend’s offer to ghostwrite for me, but I quickly thought otherwise because, come on, my loyal fans would’ve spotted an impostor. Later on, I found myself sitting on Prez Lawn, enjoying the beautiful weather and sun. It was one of those moments of peace and serenity — something that I realized I hadn’t felt in a while. I distinctly remember looking around and seeing an inordinate number of students lounging on Adirondack chairs and picnic blankets, smiling and laughing with each other. It brought a smile to my face.
Coffee with Creatives: Enter the magical world of Holly Simon
By Ava Dettling | April 18The time has come: The final installment of Coffee with Creatives is here. Wipe your tears and pull up your breeches, for we must carry on. I’m choosing to end this magnificent run of creatives on a rather mythical note with the one and only Holly Simon.