Features

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. 

Tales from the T: A new station for a new Allston

Anyone who’s traveled to the neighborhood of Allston knows how difficult it can be, requiring a trek from the Green Line, a bus ride through traffic or a drive along twisting highways. But a massive new project is promising to change all this by bringing a frequent rail service from South Station, Worcester and Kendall Square to a new West Station in Allston, alongside a brand-new highway and urban neighborhood on former industrial land. What’s the story behind this megaproject? 

Spoonfuls: Dakzen

I had a mixed experience at Dakzen, a Thai street-food restaurant in Davis Square. Still, I’m reluctant to describe it as such. I think it’s important to explore why this is.  

Let's get crafty at the Crafts Center

Welcome to the Crafts Center, a maker space on campus where students are given the freedom to create whatever their hearts desire, free of charge. Housed in the basement of the infamous Lewis Hall is a space filled with all the arts and crafts supplies you can imagine. To be honest, it is like a mini Michaels, except better. 

The Vintage and the Vogue: Phoebe Bridgers and earning godhood

Michael: Hey Robert, how’d you enjoy the Phoebe Bridgers concert?

Potty Talk: Toilet philosophers

Philosopher Robert Pirsig famously asked, “What is quality?” Clearly, the Tufts University Department of Philosophy does not care. Its headquarters, Miner Hall, houses two options for bathroom goers — or students tired of hearing about Marxism (kidding, kidding, Tufts students never tire of that). The two spaces offer a study in contrasts.

SMFA at Tufts: A history of experimentation and collaboration

A spirit of experimentation permeates the history of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, formerly named School of Drawing and Painting, since its inception in 1876, just 22 years after Tufts enrolled its first class. Collaboration between the schools has embodied this spirit from 1945 through their merging in 2015, offering valuable lessons on the importance of experimentation and adaptability at a critical reflection point in higher education.

Q&A: Christopher Barbour, Tisch Library's curator of rare books, on making the past accessible

Christopher Barbour is the curator of rare books at Tisch Library. During his years at Tufts University, he has preserved and considerably expanded the university’s collection of rare books, allowing it a level of care and attention not previously received. Barbour said his work has changed the way that he thinks about the history of books and writing, but more than anything, it has been a tool to connect with others from the past and present.