Features

Columns

Little Bit of History Repeating: Gravestone depictions

By Lena Leavitt | October 26

Strolling along any old New England cemetery (as one does), you’ll most likely find gravestones with winged skulls curling across their crests. I remember staring at these “Death’s Heads” for too long during elementary school field trips to Boston’s Granary Burying Ground: their hollow eyes and teeth in a row, wings unfurled in cracked yet perfect symmetry. There’s a stark blankness to their gaze, a tiredness in the curved shape where their noses would be. 

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Features

2020 vision: Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal discusses brand’s civic engagement, new store opening

By Rebecca Barker and Hannah Harris | October 22

Preserving financial accessibility and a people-first mindset is paramount for Neil Blumenthal, a Tufts alumnus who co-founded the high-quality and fashionable eye-glasses company, Warby Parker. Blumenthal graduated from Tufts in 2002 with degrees in international relations and history. 

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Features

Mass. requires flu vaccinations for college students, Tufts urges quick compliance

By Katie Furey and Saya Ameli Hajebi | October 21

In August, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a statement requiring all students attending college in Massachusettts to receive the influenza vaccination annually.

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Columns

Since You Last Saw Me: Idle worship

By Owen Bonk | October 21

Celebrity culture, or “standom” as people call it these days, has always fascinated me. In this new world, artists aren’t mere mortals; they’re gods that people idealize and pay tribute to. Stars like Charli are within closer reach than they’ve ever been thanks to online platforms like Twitter and, in this case, Zoom.

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Features

In new program, CELT pairs students, faculty to address inequity in classrooms

By Ethan M. Steinberg | October 20

This semester, the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) launched the Pedagogical Partnership Program, an initiative that pairs faculty and students to foster conversation about pedagogy and equity in Tufts’ classrooms.

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Columns

Tuff Talks: Long-distance relationships, midterms

By Jenny Lu | October 20

Dear J: How do I handle a long-distance relationship?

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Features

Alumni Interview: Jonathan Wood Rosen, freelance writer

By Ari Navetta | October 19

Rosen is introducing a new generation of Tufts students to journalism with his ExCollege course, “Behind the Reporter's Notebook: The Practice of Global Journalism in the 21st Century.”

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Columns

Little Bit of History Repeating: Salmon sushi

By Lena Leavitt | October 19

Salmon sushi did not exist before the 1990s, and no one told me. I have been taking its “authenticity” (whatever that means) as a Japanese dish for granted, when really we have Norway’s ridiculous persistence to thank for its creation.

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Features

'A lot is at risk in this election': Students, faculty weigh in on Supreme Court confirmation

By Chris Duncan | October 16

Tufts experts and students discuss President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

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Columns

Since You Last Saw Me: Antisocial media

By Owen Bonk | October 14

Although I’ve been wary of social media for a while, the decision to actively regulate my usage was precipitated by “The Social Dilemma” (2020), a Netflix documentary centered around Tristan Harris, a former Google employee and cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology. He uses the ominous phrase “human downgrading” to describe the effect social media has on our minds, and has spent much of his career pushing tech companies like Facebook and Apple to adopt more ethical guidelines to govern their interfaces.

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Features

Who returns, who gets tested? New England schools differ in COVID-19 response

By Amelia Becker and Olivia King | October 13

In the face of the uncertainty and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the country had to decide if and how to bring students back to campus. These choices differed greatly, even among schools with a number of similarities. 

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Columns

Tuff Talks: Finding friends

By Jenny Lu | October 13

Dear J: How do I meet new people/make new friends if I am an introvert and have a hard time just going up to people and talking to them?

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Features

TREE builds campaign toward ending private prisons, proposes divestment

By Allie Birger | October 12

Tufts for a Racially Equitable Endowment (TREE), a new organization on campus, raises awareness of the private prison system and, according to TREE's Facebook page, pushes Tufts to divest.

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Features

Little Bit of History Repeating: Chinatown

By Lena Leavitt | October 12

In 2014, a tour guide berated San Francisco’s Chinatown streets: “Here in America we don’t eat turtles and frogs...when you come to America you've got to assimilate a little bit.” The irony is palpable, considering that Chinatowns were created precisely because racist legislation made assimilation impossible for Asian Americans.

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Features

In fight for Senate, Tufts students look north to Maine

By Julian Perry | October 9

Democrat Sara Gideon, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is running against incumbent Republican Susan Collins, who has held the seat since 1997. Collins is New England’s sole Republican member of Congress, making her seat a target for the region’s Democrats.

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Features

Online learning exposes enduring educational inequalities, sparks efforts for reform

By Evelyn McClure | October 8

Throughout the summer, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought a lot to the forefront of the public eye about systemic inequity, from police brutality to healthcare. One enduring topic that has come and gone when discussing inequity is education, which is affected by historic practices of redlining across the nation.

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Columns

Since You Last Saw Me: The perfect queer movie

By Owen Bonk | October 7

While most people have turned to gardening, baking or biking, my isolation projects have been more abstract. One of them is, in essence, an investigation that revolves around a single question: is there such thing as the perfect queer film?

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Features

CARE continues to provide sexual misconduct support, sex education during pandemic

By Eileen Ong | October 7

According to CARE Director Alexandra Donovan, CARE’s biggest concern is that people will not reach out for medical or sexual assault related services in fear of consequences.

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Features

Davis Square restaurants innovate in response to pandemic precautions

By Alexandria Hwang | October 6

From outdoor seating implementations and menu changes, to developing innovative methods of food delivery and takeout, restaurants have shown just how adaptive they can be during the pandemic.

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Column

Tuff Talks: Love in COVID times

By Jenny Lu | October 6

Dear J: “I started talking to this guy, but it’s hard to spend time together due to the new COVID-19 policies. How do I pursue a relationship right now?

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