Features

Features

Get to know Lee Edelman, English professor and pioneer in queer theory

By Abilene Adelman | October 7

When Lee Edelman — a professor in the Department of English at Tufts and Fletcher professor of English literature — was a child, he wanted to become either a cartoonist or an architect. His career as a longtime professor at Tufts and a respected scholar of queer theory diverges from those early ambitions, but his path has been just as creative and carefully constructed nonetheless.

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Features

An analysis of Tufts meal plans: The math is not mathing

By Ella Sanders | October 6

The Tufts undergraduate meal plans include six different options spanning from the “Full Plan” of 400 swipes all the way down to a 40-swipe plan. For first-years, the 400-swipe plan is required, while sophomores have an added option of a 220-swipe meal plan. Juniors and Seniors are offered additional 160-, 100-, 80-, and 40-swipe plan options.

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Features

Beyond black and white: The gray area of Tufts Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education

By Maia Goldman | October 6

Professor of Political Science Eitan Hersh and The Fletcher School alumnus Arik Burakovsky (F’17) combined forces to create the Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education, a new campus resource and hub dedicated to fostering dialogue across perspectives.

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Features

Happy 40th birthday, Campus Center!

By Grace Nelson | October 2

On Thursday, students walking into the Mayer Campus Center lobby during the early afternoon were met with a surprising sight: blue balloons, an Italian ice stand, free T-shirts, succulent-pot painting stations and cupcakes galore. What could be the reason for all the pomp and circumstance? 

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Features

Tufts Jackson Jills take the stage at Boston Symphony Orchestra

By Ellora Onion-De | October 2

Traditional Chinese instruments paired with original electronic melodies, more than six cellos covering Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” (2008) and Lorde’s “Green Light” (2017) are just a few highlights from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Sept. 18 event: “Music’s Next Generation — A College Showcase.”

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Features

Shaping the next generation of advocates: Professor Matthew Segal brings state constitutional law to Tufts

By Audrey Peel | October 1

Professor Matthew Segal, Co-Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)’s State Supreme Court Initiative, is joining the political science department for a second semester as a professor of practice this fall.

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Features

Behind the blue door: Life inside Tufts’ Crafts Center

By Sera Kwon | September 30

Picture this: It is 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, and a room on campus is packed with Greek life members, Japanese Culture Club representatives, Tufts Wilderness Pre-Orientation leaders and student athletes from a Spanish class. What could have drawn them all together?

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Columns

A Jumbo’s Journey: An ode to the slow walkers

By Ben Rachel | September 30

Tufts is pretty unique — in all facets of the school. Ranging from the distinct and quirky clubs and organizations Tufts offers, such as Tufts Dance Collective and Alpha Tau Omega, to the eclectic style choices students rock in the Tisch Library basement, Tufts stands out as a university.

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Columns

Almaty: The city of postcards

By Max Turnacioglu | September 26

The dusty record player, struggling through a faded song, was almost entirely drowned out by the sounds of the marketplace outside. Bins of pins, coins and assorted Soviet paraphernalia dotted the floor, and the shelves along the walls were crowded with ceramic figures: a village boy dancing with a girl, a stout bear, an old woman with a scarlet headscarf. In the center of the second room stood a metal stand — designed to rotate, but rusted stiff — stuffed with postcards.

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Features

After 3 years, the Indigenous Center is not just surviving, but thriving

By Olivia Bye | September 25

When senior Vanessa John toured Tufts in the spring of her last year of high school, she was met with the very beginnings of the university’s newest affinity space: the Indigenous Center. The center, which had been approved in fall 2021 and opened during spring 2022, promised to be a welcoming, open space for both Indigenous students and anyone else who wanted to learn about Indigeneity. However, back then, the center still had a long way to go.

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Features

Mentoring at risk: Tufts programs that work with children face funding cuts

By Katie Galligan | September 25

Dozens of Tufts student organizations volunteer directly with children in nearby communities acting as mentors. While these clubs receive support directly through Tufts’ Leonard Carmichael Society, many are also connected to larger national non-profits which run programs all over the country. Due to funding cuts and philanthropic changes, these organizations are struggling to stay afloat leaving Medford and Somerville children lacking vital services and harming the valuable mentor-mentee relationships.  

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Columns

Munching with Max: Mamma Maria

By Max Druckman | September 24

Michael Jordan. Mario Lemieux. Tom Brady. All greats of their respective sports. All retired, reversed their decision and then came back to dominate. Now, I’m not saying that I am the Michael Jordan of student food reviewers (or maybe I am?). But, in any case, my mini-retirement, which has left you all in a world without Boston-area dining suggestions for over nine months — elongated by summer break and multiple trips home — has concluded. I’m back, munching better than ever.

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Features

Keith Maddox steps into leadership role in Tufts Department of Psychology

By Trey Lawrence | September 23

Psychology at Tufts has long been defined not just by its research and teaching but by the people who bring the discipline to life. The recent passing of former department chair and beloved professor Sam Sommers marked a turning point, prompting both reflection and structural change within the department he helped shape.

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Features

Guidance, community, opportunity: Tufts’ unique pre-law journey

By Tanya Dev | September 22

No pre-law major? No problem! Tufts students heading to law school often mix disciplines, studying everything from English to economics. Along with the support of one-on-one advising and legal internships, Jumbos have the unique ability to build a legal foundation that is as diverse as it is rigorous.

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Features

Matcha powder lines, anti-period cries: Tufts students take to Tisch Roof for performative male showdown

By Claire Wood | September 18

“Being a performative man just means being a man of the century.”

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Columns

A Jumbo’s Journey: Beers, borders and breakdowns

By Ben Rachel | September 18

I was recently detained at the border between the U.S. and Canada. My friends and I decided that it would be fun to spend some time in Montreal before the school year got too tough. Unfortunately, to our dismay, the school year got tough before classes started. 

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Features

Professor Sarah Fong gives students the tools to question power and see differently

By Juni Kim | September 16

As debates swirl around colleges and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora cut through the noise, giving students the tools to see how race and power continue to shape the world today. Through research, schoolwide initiatives and teaching, the department equips students to untangle complex histories and social realities. Sarah Fong, assistant professor of studies in race, colonialism and diaspora embodies this mission, giving students both the tools to think critically and the language to speak with clarity.

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Columns

Almaty: The City of Doves

By Max Turnacioglu | September 12

For the entirety of the fall semester, I will be tucked away in the (surprisingly temperate) mountains of Kazakhstan, learning Russian in the nation’s cultural capital: Almaty. In Kazakh, Almaty means “full of apples,” a fitting name for an area that first contained the distant ancestor of the modern apple. Long before “The Big Apple” in New York, there were many big apples in Central Asia, and, during the course of my time here, I’m hoping to cut right to the city’s core and share whatever sweet fruit I find along the way. Every two weeks, I will publish juicy vignettes about life in Almaty — some may connect, and some may not… 

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Features

Here’s why Professor David Denby believes students should take philosophy

By Audrey Peel | September 8

Many students have at least heard of Professor David Denby, if not taken a course with him during their years at Tufts. Known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style and contagious passion for the field, Denby has been a cornerstone of the Tufts philosophy department since 1996.

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Features

Meet Juan Gnecco, a professor working to end endometriosis.

By Arielle Flaherty | September 4

Nearly one in every ten women suffers from endometriosis, a chronic disease associated with extreme pain especially during menstruation, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and urination. Despite its widespread impact on women throughout the world, endometriosis has been severely understudied and the causes and mechanisms underlying this disease remain poorly understood.

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