Columns

Ukraine at War: New aid package, myths about Nazism

By Mariia Kudina | April 25

Around the same time as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $60.8 billion aid package for Ukraine, one representative voiced concerns regarding “Nazi” ideologies in Ukraine.Timothy Snyder, the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University, who specializes in the history and politics of Eastern Europe, debunked the myths about Nazism in Ukraine at the hearing.

---

Viewpoint

Carm should allow gluten a seat at the table

By Juliet Chehade | April 25

I lived in Carmichael Hall during my first year at Tufts, so naturally I would frequent Fresh at Carmichael Dining Center. Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center, Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run, Pax et Lox Glatt Kosher Deli and Kindlevan Café were all wonderful options; however, they required a trek downhill and back up again. While all of these locations were admittedly less than a 15-minute walk from my dorm, that journey wasn’t one I was willing to make most of the time, especially not after a long day of classes or on a cold winter night. I was thus stuck with going to Carmichael Dining Center (dubbed “Carm” by many), the only uphill dining option. Unfortunately for me, Carm is entirely gluten-free.

---

Guest

Op-ed: Tufts must ensure that academic dialogues remain productive and accountable

By Alex Dingle | April 24

One of my favorite opportunities offered to Tufts students is the wide array of events we are invited to participate in. When I saw that there would be an event on “The Israel-Hamas War and Jewish Life on Campus,” my curiosity was piqued. I did not want to miss hearing from speakers who connected international events with our local community, especially amid rising antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism. I came to this event ready to learn and to hear perspectives both familiar and new to me. Unfortunately, this event fell short of my expectations of this institution.

---

Viewpoint

Why you should stop using social media

By Liam Chalfonte | April 24

Throughout college, I’ve often had to explain to people that I do not, indeed, have an Instagram account. In fact, I’ve been social media-free for most of my life, which has often felt like both a social detriment and a personal benefit. People are quick to point out the cons of going offline: It is more difficult to meet people, exchange contact information and keep up with (or keep tabs on) your high school friends you don’t talk to anymore.

---

Viewpoint

The issue with celebrity worship

By Gretta Goorno | April 23

If the #MeToo movement didn’t expose the dark and twisted side of stardom for you, the past month certainly should have. When Kate Middleton went missing, conspiracy theories flooded TikTok accounts, claiming that the Princess of Wales was killed in a Diana-esque incident, had a mental breakdown or even had a Brazilian butt lift.

---

Viewpoint

Trump, the Bible salesman

By Sadie Roraback-Meagher | April 23

Perhaps the most notable oddity of former President Donald Trump’s business career is the diversity of his ventures. Besides real estate, the former president has sold NFTs, wine and golden “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers. Most recently, Trump has embarked on his newest scheme: Bibles. For $59.99, the “God Bless the USA” Bible, which holds the King James translation, the Pledge of Allegiance, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, can now be purchased online. While the “God Bless the USA” Bible is another laughable odyssey of Trump’s business career, it’s more importantly emblematic of his dangerous codependent relationship with Christian nationalism.

---

Guest

Op-ed: TCU Judiciary statement on TCU presidential election appeal

By TCU Judiciary | April 22

On Thursday, April 18, the Tufts Community Union Elections Commission voted to disqualify a candidate from the election for president of Tufts’ student body. In response, the candidate filed an appeal to us, the TCU Judiciary, on the basis that they were denied due process, substantial information was not provided to them at the time of resolution and the consequences were unduly severe.

---

Column

The Policy Perspective: Reasons to hope

By Keshav Srikant | April 22

I’ve spent the last year writing columns about how U.S. public policy can be improved. From housing to public transportation to education to climate change, there are many areas where we can do better. For my last edition of this column, however, I wanted to write about beneficial public policies that have been passed and that are often missed or ignored in a media consumption environment with a strong negativity bias.

---

Viewpoint

Progressives attack — education suffers

By Evan Wang | April 22

American progressives have long derided the right for its attacks on education and schools; however, it is long past time for the American left to look at itself in the mirror and realize its own hubris. This is not to let the hard right off the hook when it comes to education, but it is necessary for the left not to lose sight of its own failures.

---

Column

The Casual Death of Education: The constant assault on education by the American Right

By Evan Wang | April 19

The American education system is in crisis: a shortage of teachers, post-pandemic declines in learning and lack of proper funding plagues an already battered education sector. Instead of helping to reform this crumbling system and helping America’s youth, political figures on both sides of the aisle seem more willing to engage in culture war nonsense. While the left isn’t innocent in any of this deadlock, the main failings when it comes to the politicization of education still belong to the right.

---

Viewpoint

Uri Berliner’s departure from NPR should be a wake-up call to everyone

By Kevin Golub | April 19

National Public Radio, previously one of America’s most trustworthy news sources, had a major lapse in judgment. Uri Berliner, formerly an NPR senior business editor, recently authored an eloquent piece in The Free Press, where he detailed his career at NPR and the media outlet’s prolonged ideological decline. He discussed how NPR gradually became more liberal throughout his 25-year-long career at the business desk.

---

Column

Ukraine at War: Ukraine desperately needs more air defense systems

By Mariia Kudina | April 19

On Wednesday, Russian missiles killed at least 18 people in Chernihiv, a Ukrainian city located 60 miles from the border with Russia. Over 60 people were injured in the aftermath of the attack, which happened in the morning as people were rushing to work and school. The country’s capital, Kyiv, is considered to be relatively safe; despite the frequency of attacks, missiles are often intercepted with the Patriot missile defense system, lowering the number of casualties. Other Ukrainian cities, especially the ones closer to the Russian border like Chernihiv and Kharkiv, are under a higher threat of another tragedy due to the lack of advanced protection equipment.

---

Viewpoint

The April Fools’ email was a call to action — and it was funny

By Rory Myers | April 17

On April 1, Tufts students and staff woke up to an email from a seemingly official Tufts announcements address with the subject, “Very Sad News.” The email announced the tragic, unexpected death of University President Sunil Kumar. After revealing the news, the email offered a standard list of support resources, including Ears for Peers, Counseling and Mental Health Services and the Student Support team. At the very bottom of the list, there was a message to Tufts Technology Services that called out their failure to prevent email scraping, explained how said failure has led to countless spam and phishing emails and suggested that TTS implement CAPTCHA services in the Tufts directory to prevent scraping and further spam. The email simply ended with “April Fools.”

---

Viewpoint

The current economic frenzy and its political implications

By Kevin Golub | April 17

Last week, the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index, a common measure for inflation, rose 3.5% in March compared to last year. This comes as traders have grown more conservative about how many interest rate cuts they anticipate for fiscal year 2024. When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, many forms of debt, including student loans and mortgages, become more costly for consumers. For context, inflation for February was 3.2%. The 0.3% increase has called into question whether the Federal Reserve is in a position to cut interest rates at all, especially since doing so could cause an economic slowdown if inflation were to rise. Furthermore, this inflation report marks the third straight month of hotter-than-expected inflation rates, which erodes any chance of the Fed cutting rates in the near term. Regarding the economy, the Fed appears just as confused as consumers.

---

Editorial

Editorial: Moving forward from TUPD misconduct

By The Editorial Board | April 12

For the better part of the spring 2024 semester, the Daily’s investigative team examined evidence alleging that the Tufts University Police Department mistreated pro-Palestine protesters on Nov. 17, 2023. The evidence presented clearly demonstrated serious mistakes on the part of the TUPD and Tufts administration, which hypocritically venerates past social justice movements on campus while violently repressing the ones happening today.

---

Editorial

Editorial: The Daily’s 2024 declassified Tufts survival guide

By The Editorial Board | April 11

If you’re reading this article right now, you might be a newly admitted student to Tufts University. First of all, congratulations! As the Tufts Daily Editorial Board (that’s us), we hope to make your years at Tufts better by providing our infallible wisdom as students slightly older than you. Even if you aren’t an admitted student, we hope the quick tips and tricks we’ll lay out for you in this guide are still helpful.

---

Viewpoint

The Daily has been the highlight of my time at Tufts — it can be yours, too

By Reya Kumar | April 11

When I applied to Tufts, the Daily was not even remotely on my radar. In my application essays, I indicated interest in a few different clubs and organizations. I thought: Maybe I’ll join an a capella, musical theater or Indian dance group, all of which I’d done in high school.

---