Columns

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.

Spoonfuls: Tasty Mo:Mo

Tasty Mo:Mo is one of those restaurants I pass continually and always say I’ll try out, but never get around to. It’s an unassuming Nepalese institution, housed on a corner of Magoun Square only a short walk away from the Powder House roundabout. The vinyl sign above the door boasts one claim: “Delicious Dumplings,”written in Papyrus font. If you haven’t seen the SNL skit about this font, pause to do so now.

Roster Rundown: Fantasy football preview, Week 10

As we close out the first half of the NFL season, my thoughts:

Potty Talk: Dirty Ballou, Part 2: The Electric Ballou-galoo

A week ago, we spelunked through the spooky cellars that are Ballou Hall’s downstairs bathrooms. But this week we reveal the real horror as we board Ballou’s regal elevator and soar to its higher floors. Tufts’ administrators are living in plush pottydom while we, the people, survive with odd smells and ugly tiling.

Brands who deserve your dollars: Elvis & Kresse

HEADLINES: ​​Brands who deserve your dollars: Elvis & Kresse

Sports and Society: Reinventing stupidity with Aaron Rodgers

There is plenty of stupidity in the NFL. 

The End Around: Rethinking the NFL's approach to head coaches

As I watched the 49ers get shredded by Colt McCoy and James Conner on Sunday, it felt as if I had been watching a poorly coached team. Then I remembered that in the football community, especially on Twitter, it is a cardinal sin to criticize Kyle Shanahan: the revered offensive guru and mastermind. While Shanahan is not on the hot seat in this case, a game like this begs the question of whether NFL teams should blindly pursue the best-looking, most innovative offensive mind that is available in the offseason. While NFL teams are no longer hell-bent on hiring anybody who has shaken hands with Sean McVay, I believe it would be useful to examine the different types of head coaching that exist in the NFL and evaluate the hiring process as a whole. 

Tales from the T: Riding the D

Today we’ll be exploring the Green Line’s D branch. The D, running from Kenmore to Riverside, has one of the most unique, convoluted histories of all the T’s lines, evolving from an intercity steam railroad into a modern subway line. 

Humans of Tufts: Katie Yang '24

K-Weekly: Twice's 'Alcohol-Free' will leave you drunk in love

The world of K-pop, like most other fields of music, art and life, is unfortunately dominated by male groups and artists, but the women of K-pop never fail to remind us that they earned their right to be there just as much as anyone else. They have been turning out bops since the beginning of K-pop, and every year gives us something new to jam out to. One of the biggest and most well-known groups is Twice. 

Sports and Society: Humanizing a superhuman

After the departure of legendary wide receiver Julio Jones, there was little doubt that young talent Calvin Ridley would become the undisputed new number one for Atlanta, both quarterback Matt Ryan’s favorite target and a fan favorite among the Falcons faithful. 

Blind Luck: Date No.2

Welcome back. It’s been a minute. So excited to have you here. Just as a reminder please send us your friends, your schemes and yourselves to nicholasjanuario@gmail.com for a shot at true love on this desolate desert campus. The Marriage Pact can only carry us so far. This week’s date was full of banter and coincidence so let's get into the deets from our favorite Halloweekend boos. 

Dreaming of Sandman: Lucifer quits Hell

Neil Gaiman’s gates of Hell are disturbingly grey against a blood-red sky. They're among the first of many striking images in the fourth volume of “The Sandman” series, “The Sandman: Season of Mists” (1990–91).The comic book medium is effective because stories are told with words and images, and both the writing and art throughout the series are excellent. But in "Season of Mists" in particular, there is much art that stands out. 

Roster Rundown: Fantasy football preview Week 9

Ah, the backup quarterback. A position no one pays attention to… until they have to. These next-in-line signal callers are often viewed as overpaid, but this past week illustrated why teams lay out the big bucks for them.

The Vintage and the Vogue: The Zuckerberg bible

Michael: Hey Robert, did you respond to my event invite on Facebook?

Potty Talk: Dirty (Ba)llou

Many connoisseurs of spookiness have agreed that Boris Johnson is perhaps the spookiest man alive. And the only building at Tufts that we could find photo evidence of Johnson having entered is Ballou Hall. By the transitive property, then, we know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Ballou Hall is the single spookiest place at Tufts. Join us as we plunge into the monument to capitalism, single-ply toilet paper and hotter-than-average bathrooms that is Ballou Hall.

Keeping up with the 617: Bad luck

As a sporadic Boston Celtics fan, I don't usually get concerned over a bad stretch of basketball during the regular season. This stretch is different. As a fanbase, we knew that coming into the 2020–21 season that the Boston Celtics were not a title contender; they simply do not have enough talent nor depth on the roster to manufacture a title run. Additionally, they have a new head coach, Ime Udoka, who is working with a roster that doesn't have a true identity. The Celtics’ start to the season has been nothing short of a dumpster fire. After their heartbreaking double-overtime defeat to the New York Knicks on Opening Night, the Celtics have only played three quarters of inspiring basketball. It's a dreadful trend that has continued from last season.

Tales from the T: Why we can't have nice trains

In my previous column, we discussed the proposed West Station, a transit hub designed to accommodate a new Indigo Line, a brand-new system of rail lines slated to open in 2024. Spoiler alert: It won’t. But the story of the Indigo Line and its demise is a fascinating (if infuriating) one, and one with consequences for the entire city. 

On Demand: Walking and talking and 'The West Wing'

Although I work at the Career Center, the best job fair I’ve ever attended is 20 years’ worth of television watching. “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005–) briefly made me reevaluate my lifelong rejection of my mother’s lifelong dream that I become a doctor. Rory Gilmore coerced me — as did probably every other liberal arts girl near a tree — into romanticizing journalism. And, lowkey, “Psych” (2006–14) genuinely made me question if my own self-supposed clairvoyance was enough to support a psychic detective business. While the American political drama “The West Wing” (1999–2006) did have me pondering the life of a speechwriter, the most important takeaway I discovered is that working in the White House is primarily about walking fast and talking faster.