Columns

Sports and Society: Sports or society?

Sports or society? 

Brand who deserve your dollars: Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is an athletic and loungewear brand that uses recycled materials like polyester, fishing nets and used water bottles to create its pieces.The company was founded by a husband and wife duo, Ellie and Quang Dinh. They noticed that it was difficult to find activewear that was created in an environmentally sustainable way and also that many of the activewear brands used the same exact materials. So, Ellie and Quang began to search for alternative fabric choices, which is how they found a fabric mill in Asia that creates fabric from 100% recycled bottles and an SA8000-certified factory in Vietnam. The SA8000 certification means that the factory meets a standard developed by Social Accountability International to protect workers’ conditions and wages. Thus, once the sustainable fabric factory and the production factory were discovered, the husband and wife duo began the design process and Girlfriend Collective was born. 

Beyond Sports: What is Aaron Rodgers doing?

On Nov. 24, Aaron Rodgers proclaimed on popular podcast “The Pat McAfee Show” that his post-COVID symptoms involved a case of “COVID toe.” One day later, he released a statement saying that he had no idea what COVID toes were, and that his toes were merely broken.

On Demand: 'Never Have I Ever' been the star of an American teen dramedy

My housemate Nyssa’s most underused fun fact is that she auditioned for the role of Devi on Mindy Kaling’s “Never Have I Ever” (2020–), a YA-esque Netflix series about a first-generation South Indian American high schooler intent on improving her social status. The role, though, went to Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (You’re still a queen, Nyssa). 

Tales from the T: A Silver Line hate piece

Today’s topic is a laughable excuse of a project, a dumping ground of wasted potential and crushed dreams, a mere shadow of what it should have been. No, not you, the Silver Line. The Silver Line was envisioned as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a transit mode that uses design features like off-board fare payment and dedicated bus lanes to provide subway-like service using buses. BRT has been successfully built worldwide in cities like Guangzhou, Bogota and Albuquerque. It has not been successfully built here in Boston. 

On Demand: 'Strangers,' 'Love Life' and the subtle rise of Zoë Chao.  

For a brief period in high school, I would end the school night by watching a web series on Facebook Watch before bed. There’s an image evoked by these private moments: laying sideways, my cheek pressed against the pillow; leaning into my horizontally-held iPhone, the short charging cable restricting my mobile radius; my glasses pinching against my nose, eyesight worsening by the minute.  

The End Around: Sorting through the AFC

The only thing I am sure about at this point in the NFL season is that the transitive property is not applicable to the NFL. The Titans beat the Bills, Chiefs, Colts, Rams and Saints but have had gut-wrenching losses to the Jets and Texans. This epitomizes the energy of this NFL season, where no one team is the clear favorite and where nobody really knows what is going on. This is especially the case in the AFC.

Over-the-Top Football: The effects of financial takeovers in Premier League soccer

On Oct. 7, 2021, multiple newspapers and sports channels confirmed that the Public Investment Fund, a Saudi Arabian wealth fund, had bought the English football team Newcastle United. The $400 million deal makes Newcastle United, nicknamed the "Magpies" by local fans, the richest football club in the world. 

Humans of Tufts: Katrina Lin '24

Spoonfuls: Taco Party

Monday felt like one of the coldest days thus far, so I admittedly drove over to Ball Square after TDC practice in search of comfort food in the form of beans and cheese. It’s so easy to assume that Davis is the only place to satisfy your cravings in Somerville. Walk a couple blocks in any direction off campus, and you’ll realize the dire consequences of this mistake. Ball Square in particular is home to a few gems, from Kelly’s Diner to The Pub. I won’t touch the latter’s food, but let’s not deny the value of a sturdy pitcher minus the younger crowd of a Tuesday night.  

For the Culture: Is art ever really 'new'?

I have been very inspired recently. I suspect this has to do with the arrival of fall, my favorite season. I wondered whether others shared this inspiration, and I soon discovered this was not necessarily the case. Hardly any of my friends felt as inspired as I was, and I began to wonder where inspiration comes from — is it something that occurs naturally or something that must be brought forth?

Roster Rundown: Fantasy football preview Week 11

Remember the Portsmouth Spartans? Sure you do! No? Well, they’re the reason why a field goal might be kicked as you dig into your third plate of turkey and stuffing. We’re about to celebrate another Thanksgiving, and it seems like a given that football comes with the affair. But how did a helmet-to-helmet sport become coupled with America’s day of giving thanks in the first place?

Keeping up with the 617: A playoff team

As New England Patriots fans, we truly do not recognize the magnitude of greatness that this franchise has sustained over the past two decades. Since 2000, the team has been to nine Super Bowls and has six Lombardi Trophies; the Patriots have missed the playoffs only four times in that span and have produced some of the greatest seasons in NFL history. Even with Tom Brady's upsetting departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots strategically retained most of their core and treated the 2020 season as a retooling year to develop a few young prospects. After drafting quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick slowly developed a talented and experienced depth chart. Free agent additions Matt Judon and Hunter Henry excelled in the offseason and only offered more promise for this revamped Patriots team. Now, with seven games remaining in the season, the Patriots sit at 6–4 and one game behind the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills.

Blind Luck: Date No. 3

Third time's the charm! But seriously, if you're into wholesome connections and momos, read on.

Sports and Society: Football or... football?

Football is the most popular sport in the world. 

Potty Talk: Musical toilets

“Where does a ragtag, volunteer student body in need of a shower somehow find a bathroom in their darkest hour?” When Lin-Manuel Miranda first posed a version of this question circa 2015, he did not realize the degree to which his question would resonate with his NESCAC rivals. 

Brands who deserve your dollars: Asportuguesas

This week’s column is dedicated to my love for those shoes that are ugly enough that they are cool. Think Birkenstocks, dad sneakers and now, the new addition to the list: Asportuguesas shoes. Asportuguesas started their shoe design process with the explicit intention to create sustainable footwear. They achieve this by using sustainable materials and a small, manual production process. 

Tales from the T: You’re saying a brain grew this tree?

You might know that Boston has the oldest subway system in North America, with the Green Line’s central section dating back to 1897. But did you also know that part of the Red Line runs over the oldest commercial railway in the United States, dating back to 1826? Today, let’s discuss the Red Line’s Braintree branch and its evolution from horse-drawn wagonway to commuter superhighway. 

On Demand: Not a lot of luggage but a lot to unpack in 'The Wilds'

Like most people, I’ve daydreamed about my likelihood of surviving in apocalyptic or suddenly traumatic situations like "The Hunger Games" (2008–10), zombie attacks or being marooned on an island. While I lack any evolutionary faith in myself to successfully perform DIY outdoors survival, as a member of Tufts Wilderness Orientation, I’m sure I could finagle my way around a tarp, if given the proper rope, stakes and moral support.  

Beyond Sports: Release the emails

​​On Oct. 11, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned after emails he sent to former Washington Football Team executive Bruce Allen containing homophobic, racist, sexist and otherwise vulgar language were leaked.