Features

Spoonfuls: Soup Shack

When I was a first-year, I wasn’t comfortable eating alone in dining halls. It terrified me. I didn’t want to be seen overloading my plate, or appear lonely and friend-less. Often, I just didn’t eat because of it. I kept crackers and granola bars in my room to satiate myself, or planned meals days in advance to ensure I wouldn’t be alone. Thankfully, I grew out of this — slowly. I still avoid dining halls, but only because I no longer want to be in a place where I don’t enjoy food as much. Hence, the restaurant column.

After the storm: Environmental injustices in Massachusetts' sewage system

After a storm, sewage systems can get overwhelmed with water. Instead of pouring excess sewage into basements, the system is designed to discharge sewage into nearby rivers — the same bodies of water that are used for drinking and recreational purposes. The contaminated water has been linked to an increase of various diseases. Due to redlining and systematic racism, these contaminated waters are more likely to run through low-income populations and communities of color.

New think tank ‘The Lantern’ explores the intersection of science, technology and society

Many Tufts students have taken their unique passions and used innovation to create new organizations, and The Lantern is no exception. The think tank, which developed out of a discussion group started by two like-minded students, aims to provide the Tufts community with greater knowledge and awareness of how science and technology intersect with society.

Potty Talk: New potty on the block

Having formed some of our most cherished childhood memories at Jewish Community Centers (JCC) throughout the country (but really just Northern New Jersey, the most densely JCC-ed region of our great nation), we were excited to hear that Tufts was getting our very own JCC. Given the prevalence of IBS within the Jewish community (including among yours truly), we knew this building would be home to powerful bathrooms for sure!

Winter term provides students with unique opportunity to take courses over winter break

Tufts University has had a winter term in place for three years, in which students take credit classes for three weeks in January. With some international students not being able to return home for holiday break and some students wanting opportunities to continue their education, winter term has gained considerable attention. In the past, these courses have been unique to winter term and are not available to students during a normal semester.

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. 

Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution, Part 2: Challenges, difficulties and hopes for anti-racist initiative moving forward

In July 2020, University President Anthony Monaco made a commitment to make Tufts an anti-racist institution. Almost a year and a half later, many members of the Tufts community have been left unsatisfied with how these efforts have materialized on campus.

Humans of Tufts: Katrina Lin '24

Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution, Part 1: Students, administrators and university staff discuss what ‘anti-racism’ means at Tufts

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on the anti-racist initiative at Tufts. The next part of the series will be published on Monday, Nov. 22.

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.  

NARAL and Health Service to install emergency contraceptive vending machine

Since the spring 2021 semester, Tufts Students for National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), a student organization that fights for reproductive health and freedom, has been advocating for Tufts University to provide students with a vending machine that would offer emergency contraceptives at a reduced cost. As of now, the vending machine is said to be installed before summer 2022.

Blind Luck: Date No. 3

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

NeuroNetwork gives undergraduates exposure to field of neuroscience

Although Tufts does not have a neuroscience major, students are finding alternative ways to get involved and build connections in the field. NeuroNetwork, the largest undergraduate neuroscience organization on campus, aims to expose interested undergraduate students to neuroscience by building relationships with labs and students pursuing neuroscience at the Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

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. 

Tufts students reflect on style, self-expression in 2021: Part 2

Fashion can hint at flash frames of a current generation, marking social media-inspired trends or cultural shifts in attitude. On an individual level, experimenting with personal style often goes hand in hand with understanding oneself, and for some students at Tufts, clothing emerges as one of many mediums to explore and represent their identity.

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. 

A peek into J.P Licks on its 40th anniversary

The bell chimes as you walk in, and you’re immediately struck by the jovial atmosphere. Upbeat music and the inviting glow of the freezers draw you to the counter. Perhaps you go for a perfected classic, like cookies and cream, or a seasonal offering, like pumpkin cheesecake. You might even skip on the sweets and get some house-roasted coffee. The friendly atmosphere shines through the laid-back blackboard-style menu and funky hanging lights.  

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.

Summer venture accelerator fosters innovation in students' startups

Have you ever had a crazy idea but didn’t know where to go with it? Seen other people creating startups and been unsure of what that actually means? Elaine Chen, director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center and Cummings family professor of the practice in entrepreneurship, wants students to know that anyone can be an innovator, no matter how outlandish their idea might seem at first.  

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.