Watching a close NBA playoff game is awesome. It is also a form of psychological warfare. I present to thee: The five stages of playoff-watching, currently waiting on peer review.
I'll say it — right here, right now — I may be in my “hater era.” I’m talking about the insatiable appetite to observe, judge and critique. The impending dismay that follows an interaction, as simple as an exchange between you and your Postmates courier or perhaps an email that reached your inbox from a professor titled “Some Feedback.”
I’ve always loved coffee shops. The atmosphere, the cute aesthetics and (obviously) the coffee. This semester, I’ve leaned into my love of coffee shops and set out to explore a new coffee shop near Tufts every week. I’ve looked forward to my coffee shop adventure each week! Now, as the semester comes to a close, I’ve compiled all my reviews to conclude my column. This is not a comprehensive review but rather a summary of the reviews I’ve written this semester for my “Caffeinated Commentary” column. My columns on each coffee shop are linked in the coffee rating column below, so you can check out my in-depth review of each place. I hope you enjoy reading about the coffee shops in the area! Also, I rated one shop when I was in Michigan, so Vertex is sometimes included in these lists but not in others.
The season finale of the 15th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2009–) came to a glamorous conclusion on April 14 when Sasha Colby took home the crown as America’s next drag superstar. Colby’s win couldn’t have come at a better time, as she stands to highlight what trans and drag representation and excellence look like despite the slew of anti-trans and anti-drag bills attempting to harm such communities across the country right now. Joining an elite club of two, Colby joins Vanessa Van Cartier as the only two queens to hold the title of Miss Continental, an international drag pageant competition, and to claim a “Drag Race” franchise crown.
This past weekend, I took a trip back to Ann Arbor to visit the school I used to go to: the University of Michigan. The trip gave me a surplus of déjà vu and bittersweet feelings, but that’s a story for another time. Even away from Tufts, my mind was still focused on finding a coffee shop to review …
Anyonewhohaswatched“SexandtheCity” (1998–2004) or“GossipGirl” (2007–2012) has morelikelythan notdreamedoflivingouttheirdreamsintheBigApple.
A weak headed clearance from Thilo Kehrer fell to Gabriel Martinelli whose shot caught the outstretched arm of Mikel Antonio. Penalty to Arsenal. Whistles echoed across the London Stadium as Bukayo Saka was handed the ball. Yet to miss from the spot all season, the young forward spared a quick glance at Lukasz Fabianski’s goal before side-footing the ball wide of the post. Captain Martin Ødegaard consoled the Arsenal striker as West Ham’s prayers were answered. Still leading 2–1, the Gunners reorganized against an onslaught of West Ham attacks. A minute later, a clearance by Gabriel was redirected by Kehrer who managed to pick out the run of Jarrod Bowen who buried the ball in the back of the net. 2–2. David Moyes’ West Ham team dug deep and held on to the point, leaving Arsenal with back-to-back draws as title rivals Manchester City’s 3–1 win over Leicester City closed the gap to just four points with a game in hand for the defending champions.
This spring, a team of Ukrainian women took a dangerous trip to Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea to bring home some of the Ukrainian children who were illegally kidnapped from the other regions occupied by the Kremlin. Although around three dozen rescued kids are now able to reunite with their families, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children and teenagers still cannot return to Ukraine.
This spring semester, I am interning at a senior citizen’s private house, helping him to scan, curate, allocate and categorize over 30,000 prints and contact sheets passed down from his parents.
I was 16 years old when I realized that my attraction to individuals lacked the typical gendered format. This led to a chase for my sexuality. I was looking for a faultless description to describe myself. One day, feeling brash and bold, I expressed my frustration to my sister who unknowingly voiced my confusion to my parents. I had never been scared or sad about my sexual orientation, so I had not anticipated the feeling of relief that overcame me when my dad called me to tell me, “It’s okay, none of this matters.” Unfortunately, this relief was short-lived.
Throughout the season — and to the surprise of very few — Rudy Gobert punched his ticket as the centerpiece of one of the worst trades in NBA history. And then he punched Kyle Anderson.
From April 6–8 the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed Unsuk Chin’s “Subito Con Forza,” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. Assistant conductor Earl Lee led the orchestra, marking Lee’s second time directing the BSO, and pianist Eric Lu joined as soloist for the Mozart.
This week, I reviewed Revival, which resides at 197 Elm St. in Davis Square. It’s nestled right next to Dakzen, and is easy to spot with the cool giraffe mural on the side of the building. There’s a bench outside which is a great spot for sunny days. The seating is really minimal inside (only five tables) so I wouldn’t count on Revival as a study spot, but if you are able to grab a seat, it’s a great environment with lovely natural lighting.
In my family, movies are a pivotal part of our connection, bonding time and ‘after work, after school’ let loose time. I grew up watching movies on designated nights, having been told that movies like “Blade Runner” (1982) would “blow my mind” and that “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986) would “change the way I look at life.” While both of those sentiments may have turned out to be truthful to an extent, there’s nothing like seeing the sheer joy a person has when prompting you to watch their favorite film. It’s like a little inside secret into how another person thinks, and that’s reflected in their movies of choice.
Having lost just three games all season, Newcastle United is weeks away from returning to the pinnacle of European football. In a season where Liverpool and Chelsea have drifted astray from their usual title-challenging positions, mid-table sides have dared to dream of European qualification with one capitalizing more on this goal than any other. With every game, Eddie Howe’s men look more like a Champions League side destined to return to the big stage.
The discussions around the Kremlin’s threats to utilize nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine were seemingly fading, as for a few months, Russia limited its mentions of intentions to use them. On Saturday, March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an agreement with Belarus to store tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. While Putin justifies the decision by stating that Russia follows the U.S. model of storing nuclear weapons around the world, Russia’s determination to relocate the weapons closer to Europe is concerning.
I’m going to level with you. Among the “Big Four” American sports, baseball is my least favorite. It’s both the slowest and least athletic, yet also the most confusing and time intensive. But I still went to the Red Sox-Pirates game on Monday night and remembered why I still love it.
Before the baseball season hits full stride, it’s time for some power rankings. Since no one cares about whether the Athletics or Nationals are dead last, I’ll stick to the upper tier of clubs. Here are my top 10 teams in the league for 2023.
When I applied to study at the Tufts in London Program at University College London, I was made aware that I would have to be in school for two terms. The first would take place January through March and would contain 10 weeks of classes. Then, I would be on break from March 25 to April 25, whereupon I would then return to school for the “exam” term.
On March 28, 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the infamous “Don’t Say Gay'' bill, which prohibits teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ topics and subjects with similar themes that may not be ‘age appropriate’. On July 1, 2022, this law took effect.
