Features

The ritualization of coffee: A community endeavor

As the semester rolls along, students dive into midterm season and a familiar ritual sweeps across campus. Throughout the Hill and into the local neighborhoods, the irresistible aroma of warm cups of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. Before everyone rushes off wistfully to their morning class, next test or to clock into work, they all follow the same routine. Whether it be pre-, mid-, or post-pandemic, the routine remains: the ritualization of coffee.

The Vintage and the Vogue: The Zuckerberg bible

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

Ruminations on farmers markets with local vendors

Farmers markets carry locally grown foods, creating personal connections and bonds of mutual benefits between local farmers, shoppers and communities. As opposed to the large agribusinesses that dominate modern food production and create a divide between consumers and their food, farmers markets and their collectivist spirits help to rebuild local and regional food networks, facilitating an appreciation for the origins and stories of whole ingredients.

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.

The fight for reproductive rights

“We won’t go back! We will fight back!” the crowd chanted on Oct. 2 at the Franklin Park Playstead in Boston. At 12 p.m., thousands gathered as part of a nationwide rally focused on the fight for reproductive rights.

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. 

Stories of landlord-student dynamics

Editor’s note: Students’ names have been changed in order to protect their privacy.

Spoonfuls: Spooky drag at Aeronaut and Carolicious

46 Jumbos participate on Marathon Monday after two-year hiatus

​​The 125th Boston Marathon made its long-awaited return on Oct. 11, over two years since its last in-person iteration. Despite this hiatus, thousands of athletes hit the ground running as spectators cheered them on along the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton all the way to downtown Boston. Out of roughly 20,000 athletes, 46 of them proudly sported the golden Tufts Marathon Team singlet on race day. TMT is a club that trains together throughout the year for the marathon. 

The Vintage and the Vogue: 'I'll have the restorative broth, please'

Michael: Hey Robert, how was dinner last night at that restaurant in the North End?

Potty Talk: I would not walk 500 miles

We once had a vision: find a bathroom so splendid it warrants a 30-minute walk, even if it just meant we’d get five minutes of glory. Alas, it was not to be.

Tufts students reflect on style, self-expression in 2021

Strolling through the Mayer Campus Center is like scrolling through a Pinterest board of Tufts style, where a hodgepodge of students’ aesthetics mix and mingle, collide and collage. Across a campus of over 6,000 people, Tufts fashion can’t be confined to exact archetypes. This series simply means to capture a glimpse of “Tufts style” or, perhaps more precisely, share what style means to Tufts, through the reflections of students in the ‘fashionable’ era of 2021. 

Humans of Tufts: Henry Ammirato '24

Sophia Grekin (SG): What do you want to do with your money?

New assistant professor Muoki Mbunga explains importance of oral history in his East African research

Universities get new faculty members all the time, but it is not every day that a university gets a faculty member bringing what Muoki Mbunga brings to the table. Mbunga, who recently finished his Ph.D. in modern African History at West Virginia University and joined the Tufts community this fall, is a historian of modern East Africa, and is sure to expand and enrich the history department’s curriculum with his expertise.

Spoonfuls: Tu y Yo

Powder House Square is home to more than just a chaotic roundabout. It is the launching point for every trip to Davis or to the infamous Pub Tuesdays. It boasts the birthday tradition of Yoshi’s — a likely site for numerous sushi pregames during this fine Scorpio season. I can’t say much on this, ...

Boston mayoral candidate's food justice plan addresses food insecurity, social and environmental issues

Boston mayoral candidate Michelle Wu has decided to make Boston’s food system and economy one of her priorities if she prevails in the Nov. 2 election. Her plan, the Food Justice Agenda for a Resilient Boston, addresses the food system from a number of angles.

The Vintage and the Vogue: Conceiving cuisines

Robert: Hey Michael, I didn’t see you last night. Where were you?

Student-run small businesses flourish in Tufts community and beyond

College is more than just a time for academics: It’s about exploring passions and trying new things. For some, that means trying their hand at starting a business. A number of students have found the Tufts community to be a great place to build their businesses.

Potty Talk: Shower talk

We’ve all been there. You sit down in class on a hot day, only to realize that you just don’t smell as good as you should. You can blame it on the weather or the hill, or you can take matters into your own hands with one of the showers nestled in some of Tufts’ bathrooms, a feature that’s oddly omitted from every tour.

More than just a day of history for Indigenous people

Tufts University resides in the homeland of the Massachusett people and within the territories of the Nipmuc and Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) tribes. They were the original stewards of the land and the relationships between Indigenous peoples, and their traditional territories endure. The university would not exist if it was not for their care.