Columns

Ukraine at War: New aid package, myths about Nazism

By Mariia Kudina | April 25

Around the same time as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $60.8 billion aid package for Ukraine, one representative voiced concerns regarding “Nazi” ideologies in Ukraine.Timothy Snyder, the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University, who specializes in the history and politics of Eastern Europe, debunked the myths about Nazism in Ukraine at the hearing.

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Columns

Ruminations from Rabat: Ending on a high note

By Chasya Cohen | April 25

With only a week left in Morocco, my mind is scrambled with a million thoughts and feelings. Though I should be stressing about finals, I can’t help but stress about how to best end this amazing semester.

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Columns

The Bookmark: ‘Girl, Interrupted’ by Susanna Kaysen

By Natalie Bricker | April 25

I’m not sure if I necessarily enjoyed reading this memoir, but it definitely sparked some contemplation and left me thinking about it days later, which is an indication of a good book. In “Girl, Interrupted,” Susanna Kaysen writes about her two year long experience in McLean Hospital’s psychiatric unit, and her story is nothing short of remarkable.

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Columns

Moments ‘til Madness: Best hires from the coaching carousel

By Owen Short | April 25

Now that we are a couple weeks out from the national championship game, the offseason is in full swing and the coaching carousel has almost completed its course. We already had what is most likely the biggest storyline of the summer with the University of Kentucky and John Calipari mutually parting ways, and the program hiring former Brigham Young University head coach Mark Pope to fill the role. We had other big high-major coaching changes like Pat Kelsey to the University of Louisville and Dusty May to the University of Michigan. Here are my favorite moves from the carousel as of now.

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Columns

Public Cinemy No. 1: Intellectual property in American cinema

By Sacha Waters | April 24

“Barbie” introduced a new trend that may come to dominate American cinema in coming years: films adapted not from books or plays, but from toys. Since the pink-coated blockbuster graced screens in the summer of 2023, many new toy-based projects have been announced by Mattel and its competitors.Mattel has 14 films in development, including projects based on American Girl dolls, Hot Wheels, Uno and even the Magic 8 Ball. Hasbro and Electronic Arts, meanwhile, are collaborating with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap production company to produce a Monopoly movie and a Sims movie respectively.

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Columns

Brown and (Usually) Blue: Salman Rushdie’s ‘Knife’ is sharply witty, brilliant

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | April 24

Salman Rushdie, famed Indian novelist, seems to have occupied the liminal space between fame and notoriety since the beginnings of his literary career. His second novel “Midnight’s Children” (1981) won him fame, admiration and the Booker Prize; his fourth, “The Satanic Verses” (1988), forced him to go into hiding as he reckoned with the potent forces of censorship and violence. It is not challenging to find an author with a life as tumultuous as the stories they spin, but rarely is it as brilliant as Rushdie’s. And this brilliance continues to define his work, as proven by his 2024 memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” published this April, a mere two years after he was attacked on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in August 2022. 

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Columns

Tok the Talk: The epidemic of iPad kids

By Annika Pillai | April 23

IPad kids have become somewhat of an internet meme — the children who can’t seem to go a few hours without gluing their eyes to a screen have become the latest laughingstock of the internet. However, beyond the comical nature of watching a child pull out Nickelodeon at a fancy dinner, there is a fundamental question to be raised: What impact has technology had on child development?

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Columns

Extra Innings: The Chicago White Sox are a joke

By Henry Blickenstaff | April 23

I’m aware that I’ve made fun of the White Sox before. But as a Cubs fan, I just can’t help myself. It’s hard to believe that just three seasons ago, this team was one of the best in baseball, winning the American League Central with 93 wins. But an abysmal start to the 2024 campaign is a reminder of how quickly the White Sox’ fortunes have changed.

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Column

The Policy Perspective: Reasons to hope

By Keshav Srikant | April 22

I’ve spent the last year writing columns about how U.S. public policy can be improved. From housing to public transportation to education to climate change, there are many areas where we can do better. For my last edition of this column, however, I wanted to write about beneficial public policies that have been passed and that are often missed or ignored in a media consumption environment with a strong negativity bias.

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Columns

Dorms, Dishes and Delicacies: Bush Hall

By Katie Hankinson | April 22

After a day full of dancing, singing, waiting in line and trying to touch Jordin Sparks’ hand at Spring Fling, the student body at Tufts was quite tired out — myself included. But what’s a better way to refuel after a long day than with a nice homemade meal? So, for my very last kitchen review this semester, I headed down to Bush Hall to make some quinoa-stuffed zucchini boats.

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Column

The Casual Death of Education: The constant assault on education by the American Right

By Evan Wang | April 19

The American education system is in crisis: a shortage of teachers, post-pandemic declines in learning and lack of proper funding plagues an already battered education sector. Instead of helping to reform this crumbling system and helping America’s youth, political figures on both sides of the aisle seem more willing to engage in culture war nonsense. While the left isn’t innocent in any of this deadlock, the main failings when it comes to the politicization of education still belong to the right.

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Columns

Munching with Max: Pizza

By Max Druckman | April 19

Over the last eight months, my taste buds have traveled far and wide, encompassing breakfast, lunch, dinner and all cuisine variations. But, for my final column of the year, I thought it would be fitting to finish with my initial munching inspiration, one of the tastiest creations of all time: pizza.

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Columns

Weekly Wellness: Should we all be running marathons?

By Katie Pflieger | April 19

In the wake of Marathon Monday, or what Boston students have coined “MarMon,” the commendable athletic ability of over 25,000 participants has led some to ask whether they should put themselves to the test. So here are some things to think about if you are considering taking up the challenge next year.

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Column

Ukraine at War: Ukraine desperately needs more air defense systems

By Mariia Kudina | April 19

On Wednesday, Russian missiles killed at least 18 people in Chernihiv, a Ukrainian city located 60 miles from the border with Russia. Over 60 people were injured in the aftermath of the attack, which happened in the morning as people were rushing to work and school. The country’s capital, Kyiv, is considered to be relatively safe; despite the frequency of attacks, missiles are often intercepted with the Patriot missile defense system, lowering the number of casualties. Other Ukrainian cities, especially the ones closer to the Russian border like Chernihiv and Kharkiv, are under a higher threat of another tragedy due to the lack of advanced protection equipment.

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Columns

T Time: A trip to Wonderland

By Jeremy Bramson | April 17

​This past weekend I took a trip to one of the MBTA’s most uniquely named stations — Wonderland. Despite its faults, I give the T credit for giving its stations better names than “blah blah street” or “so and so avenue.” Some of my personal favorites include Alewife, Haymarket, Brandon Hall and Beachmont. For those interested in traveling to Wonderland, take the Green Line from Medford/Tufts to Government Center and then transfer to an outbound Blue Line train and take it all the way to the end of the line. The trip was about 45 minutes each way which is a bit long, but worth it in my opinion.

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Columns

A Jumbo’s Journey: Staring at the blank page before us (Year 1 reflection)

By Ben Rachel | April 17

Wow. Look at us. The academic year is almost over. That’s a crazy statement to think about. It’s almost over; those 7 a.m. lawnmowers, the slow walkers and the hospital lights are going to be nonexistent for the next four months. Especially as a freshman, this is a tremendous moment. And, as a mature, rising sophomore (I can say that now), I will spend my last column publication dissecting it.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Be the vegan cookies you wish to see in the world

By Elizabeth Foster | April 17

I entered Tufts wide-eyed and open-minded, knowing that I would have the opportunity to form my own moral and political beliefs outside of my immediate surroundings in Wisconsin. College would be a playground for me to ask questions and state beliefs previously unacknowledged — and I chose to attend Tufts for that reason.

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