Columns

Columns

Olympic Torch: The torch must be lit in Tokyo

By Arnav Sacheti | April 14

The Japanese government has spent $15.4 billion on this Olympics — more than has been spent on any other Summer Games in history. Postponement costs alone account for 22% of the budget, such as renegotiating new stadium and TV deals. This is more than double what Japan initially planned for when it took on the job for the 2020 games back in 2013. If Japan backs out now, it stands to lose out on not only publicity for the country but a lot of revenue as well.

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Columns

The Honeymoon Period: Joe Manchin’s ridiculous defense of the filibuster

By Matt Rice | April 14

The Senate has always been and will always be a body that wildly overrepresents the interests of white, rural voters who skew more conservative. Despite this fact, Sen. Manchin believes Republican senators have a right to unilaterally obstruct Senate business. Democrats won control of the White House, the U.S. House and the Senate in just four years — for the first time since 1932 — and Manchin still will not relieve McConnell of his veto power. 

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Columns

Tuff Talks: Prospective students

By Jenny Lu | April 12

Dear J: Tufts is one of the schools to which I was accepted. I enjoyed the campus tour but I'm unsure about what decision to make. I hear a lot of rumors about every school. And as for Tufts, I've heard especially about the quirky culture and whatnot. Is it true? Will I fit in?

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Columns

Hot Take: 'Community' is a masterclass in character writing

By Derin Savasan | April 12

After being pressured to watch it for years, I finally caved in and started “Community” (2009–15). I must say: I now get why people like it so much. I mean, how could you not? You have these seven characters who couldn’t be more different from one another, trying to push their way through community college as a group. It’s basically an invitation for mayhem.

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Columns

Wonder Women: Jessie Diggins

By Nicole Setow | April 9

This week, we’re celebrating a series of firsts: the first American to medal four times at the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Championships, the first U.S. athlete to win the cross-country Tour de Ski and the first American woman to take home the FIS Cross-Country Ski World Cup. Remarkably, all of these accomplishments can be attributed to one athlete: cross-country skier Jessie Diggins.

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Columns

Soundtrack to the end of the world: Bringing the nightclub to my bedroom

By Christopher Panella and Jessica Blough | April 9

There’s something euphoric about dance music’s pounding beats and explosive drops. It’s a sort of catharsis, an exchange of energy — I think that’s especially true when we dance with others. Dancing alone this past year hasn’t felt the same. But post-pandemic, I’m excited for the empathy, love, excitement and power that comes from anyone and everyone’s enjoying dance music. With each song, we’ll be celebrating.

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Column

Beyond the Underneath: Vinyl survival, Part 1

By Ramona Meng Xi | April 8

Despite a vinyl revival in recent years, classic vinyl records are still deemed obsolete in the mainstream, as modern technologies and the digital world sift them out. But they are still there, lining up quietly and unyieldingly, in boxes organized by genre, protected and loved by a small population of firm supporters. 

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Columns

Tales from the T: Forever 'neath the streets

By Kevin Zhang | April 8

What do CharlieCards, burlesque and the second coming of Christ have in common? In this week’s column: Government Center station, Charlie's backstory and the monstrosity that is Boston City Hall.

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Columns

Democracy in The Daily: It's more than just votes

By Brendan Hartnett | April 8

Perhaps these efforts put forth by Republican state legislatures will not limit Democratic turnout — though their redistricting efforts will certainly reward Republicans with more seats in the House. Yet the principle driving these bills must be feared. Democracies require tolerance for the opposition. This has clearly died. What is holding U.S. democracy on its last leg is forbearance. 

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Columns

In the Paint: The NBA is not exciting right now

By Jenny Lu | April 8

Aside from injuries and load management, COVID-19 has also played a part in a less exciting season. More than 30 games were postponed this season and countless players have missed games due to contracting COVID-19 or contact tracing. Although these issues are understandable, the league could have taken more preventative measures, such as canceling the All-Star Game. 

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Columns

The Strike Zone: Solidarity and human rights in Colombia

By Eli Striker | April 7

The Colombian military has long felt animosity toward Colombian non-governmental organizations, which they associate with leftist groups, and believes that human rights NGOs weaponize media and technology to unfairly scapegoat the military for the two-sided civil war. This mutual animosity has led to decades of human rights violations, as both groups vilify the other and justify violence against the opposite party.

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Columns

Comfort Cartoons: Mature and electrifying 'Static Shock'

By Christopher Panella | April 7

This week, we’re looking at “Static Shock” (2000–04), an influential animated series following Virgil Hawkins, a 14-year-old boy who fights crime as “Static,” a superhero with electromagnetic powers. The show is another installment in the DC Animated Universe, premiering before the culminations of the DCAU, “Justice League” (2001–04) and “Justice League Unlimited” (2004–06).

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Columns

Off the Gridiron: Justin Fields is the No. 2 QB

By Henry Gorelik | April 7

NFL Network called it “the throw of the pro day season.” There was one particular throw in Zach Wilson’s pro day that stood out to NFL scouts and Twitter alike. "The throw" had the former Brigham Young quarterback in a sprint right bootleg, rolling toward the left hash and hitting receiver Aleva Hifo in-stride 60 yards downfield, as Wilson was still drifting to his left. But when former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields made a nearly identical throw in his pro day several days after Wilson, the NFL media was silent.

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Columns

Coffee Talk: Cafe Luna

By Casey Cummings | April 7

While I was feeling quite safe eating at Cafe Luna, I was also very excited about the menu. As a huge fan of sweet breakfasts, I was immediately drawn to the waffles, french toast and pancakes. Among this section of the menu were Nutella stuffed with strawberries waffles, caramelized bananas and pecans french toast and pancakes topped with cookie butter. The menu also had all the breakfast classics.

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Columns

Transferable Skills: Happy people aren't grateful — it's the other way around

By Marco Sheng | April 6

Whether you are a future CEO or a stereotypical slacker, whether you have a trust fund or live paycheck to paycheck, whether you are a brilliant performer or a shy mathematician, it all starts with your relationship with yourself. Because the way you judge yourself will also be the way you judge others. The way you are resilient with your own emotions will be the way you are resilient in uncertain environments. The way you love yourself will open you up to being loved, and loving someone else.

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Column

A Fantastic Voyage: ‘Fantastic Four’ #575–578 or 'The City Saga'

By Drew Weisberg | April 6

"The City Saga" really is a breath of fresh air for a superhero comic, allowing for moments of calm reflection and study. The climate feels less like our heroes are spoiling for a fight; rather they’re acting as anthropologists attempting to understand a unique pocket of their strange and wondrous world.

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Columns

Building Blocks: Standardized testing

By Elizabeth Buehl | April 6

The cost of these examinations is not the only barrier to higher education for minority students; the structure of the test also poses difficulties. The current SAT may appear vastly different, yet it remains inherently the same as the original test that was invented almost 80 years ago as an adaptation of the IQ test. The first rendition of this examination was overtly racist in practice, and sought to bolster a discriminatory college admissions system that aimed to keep minority students out of prestigious institutions through carefully worded questions and unfair structure.

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Column

Hot Take: 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood' should've won Best Picture

By Derin Savasan | April 5

This is where "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" comes in. Was it the most critically acclaimed film of the year? No. A lot of people liked the film, but not as much as other nominees. But like I said, universal likeability doesn’t matter here because, at the end of the day, it’s Hollywood people who get to pick the winner — not average Joes. Considering that the title of this movie has “Hollywood” in it, I was pretty confident that it would take home the Oscar.

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Columns

Keeping up with the 617: Don't count the Celtics out

By Matt Goguen | April 5

With 22 games remaining, the Cs have the potential to go on a massive winning streak and squeak into a top-four playoff seed; they play a banged-up Charlotte Hornets team twice and the scuffling Minnesota Timberwolves twice. With its relatively easy schedule to wrap up the season, Boston can build up some confidence with a handful of winnable games down the stretch.

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Columns

The Honeymoon Period: Selling the plan

By Matt Rice | April 5

Last week, the White House unveiled the American Jobs Plan, a $2.3 trillion stimulus package meant to bolster America’s infrastructure, manufacturing sector and R&D and workforce development programs. It’s an ambitious framework and it’s more than necessary, but President Joe Biden’s main challenge is selling it to fellow Democrats. 

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