At the risk of trivializing our species’ anatomical complexity, I believe that each of us (bodies, brains, blood and all) communicate with the world by sending out biological “text messages.”Take the shivers, for example (a “text” we’ll all be getting in the next few weeks). Your body texts ...
Finals week is upon us. A cloud of stress and uncertainty and a foreboding air of impending doom are soon to descend over our beautiful campus. Recently, instead of catching up on my readings, I watched one of my favorite mystery films, “The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo” (2011). As I look out the ...
Faryal (F): Even though Natasha and I have lived in the United States for either our entire lives or the latter parts of our lives, we both actively try to remain connected to the culture of Pakistan. For me, culture, specifically fashion, was one of the most important ways I expressed my Pakistani ...
With the signing of the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) -- which is good for five years -- on Nov. 30, Major League Baseball will have seen 26 straight years without a work stoppage by the time this one ends. This is truly remarkable given that MLB had four in-season labor stoppages from 1972 ...
When I went home for the summer after my freshman year, I decided to go on Tinder. There would be no chance of running into someone from school, and thus it couldn’t be awkward. After many conversations that started and ended without going anywhere, a girl and I decided we would go on a date. It ...
The framers of this country were pretty smart. Beyond leaving a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence for Nicolas Cage and Justin Bartha to follow centuries later, they also set up a pretty neat system of government. In it, checks and balances from Congress and the court system ...
New week, same question: what's popular in the music world and why should we care? Second question: is it just me, or is it hot in here? 2016 has been a particularly steamy year in reference to the female music scene. I'm talkin' Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony...the list goes on. To set the scene, I might point to Britney Spears as the “older sister to break in mom and dad.” From her wholesome start, complete with a pleated schoolgirl skirt, Britney bared the brunt of societal criticisms as she struggled to become a woman under the spotlight. And yes, there was a boa constrictor involved. Great girl, great girl. While I grew up with the headlines of the next generation of female Disney stars, including Lindsey Lohan and Miley Cyrus, I think I turned out okay. As a silver lining, perhaps these events and negative reactions helped to pave the way for stronger female role models to emerge. I think that Beyonce’s fourth album, "Beyoncé" (2014), was a turning point by breaking down the floodgates. Long story short, the notion that women should be in charge of their bodies, and no one else, is finally pervading mainstream media -- and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
I woke up this morning and noticed a little twinge in the air. Everything seemed more vivid, more alive. I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. Why was I feeling this? No, it wasn’t because I was enjoying the newly passed Question 4. It’s because I made it into the fantasy playoffs ...
Candidates from more than six political parties ran in the 2016 presidential election. Odds are you've only heard of two, maybe four of them. Our electoral system is not inherently a two party system — no Democrats or Republicans are ordained in the Constitution. But under our rules, parties ...
Is it always cowardly to run away? Lately, I’ve started to think running is the only thing keeping my head on straight.I was raised to think that it’s shameful to turn my back on bumps in the road. If something was challenging, I was encouraged to embrace its difficulty until I had worked through ...
Though it may be “basic” no one can resist a good acai bowl with granola and fresh berries. My journey to discover a great smoothie bowl was not fruitless, but unfortunately, I was unable to find any options particularly close to the Tufts campus. That said, the smoothie bowl you have been craving ...
Welcome to The Coin Toss, where I make some bold, unlikely predictions every week about some of your favorite professional sports.My flight was delayed three hours and I'm writing this article in an airport TGI Fridays, but no matter. The predictions must go on! First, let’s recap the last edition ...
Much to our disappointment, there was no new episode of "Project Runway"(2004-present) last week (something to do with turkey and mashed potatoes), but luckily there was an episode TWO weeks ago that we did not write about (something to do with corn and pie). With that episode came the challenge ...
Something about going home for a break is always healing for me. Every time I return to the snowcapped mountains of my hometown, I find myself more centered, grounded and all-around calmer. Being away from the hustle and bustle of school, work and the constant activity at Tufts made me realize just ...
After a much-needed Thanksgiving break, I’d like to open with this: welcome back, all – to Tufts, to Somerville, to where the laundry doesn’t somehow magically do itself and your bed is a hand-me-down from a total stranger. I hope that week of binge drinking with your high school friends was a ...
Faryal (F): I remember coming to Tufts and thinking it was so diverse (whatever that means). When I expressed this excitement to some fellow peers, however, I was promptly corrected and told that Tufts was, in fact, not diverse at all. For me, it was all relative. I’m the Kansas part of this column, ...
As I sit on my parents’ couch writing this, my sister and I are watching our family’s favorite Christmas movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000). Yes, it is the live-action version; sorry, Boris Karloff fans. Some may chide me for “starting Christmas too early” and “forgetting about ...
A few weeks ago, my suitemates and I adorned our suite with spooky decor in preparation for Wren's dorm-wide Halloween suite decorating competition. We were brutally outdone by the ladies a few floors above us. Their skeletons, cobwebs and orange and black witch hats really did put our suite to ...
A few weeks ago, I tried to make the claim that no one will ever be bigger than The Beatles, but it appears I’ve been challenged by the rap-duo Rae Sremmurd, comprised of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi. If you don’t think duo's name looks like English, you’re right — it’s their label, "Ear Drummers," backwards. The Mississippi natives first hit the radio waves in 2013, with tracks like “No Flex Zone” (2014), “No Type” (2014), “Come Get Her” (2014) and “Throw Sum Mo” (2014). If you’ve ever heard any of those songs, you might know what I mean when I say, "There’s a time and a place," and it’s probably not over baked brie with the whole family at Thanksgiving appetizers. If you’re up on your meme culture, you’re also familiar with the viral hit “Black Beatles” (2016),which was the soundtrack to the mannequin challenge videos earlier this month. In the style of the Harlem Shake, the trend quickly spread from high schoolers to A-list celebrities. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why the Rae Sremmurd song was chosen, yet it’s currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Well, we’ve found ourselves in the weird spot between the season ending and the free agency hot stove still heating up. Without much going on in the world of Major League Baseball, this column is focused on baseball at the more academic level, and in particular, a baseball analysis competition. On ...
