Viewpoint

Disney’s never-ending prequels, sequels, remakes

By Jachin Lam | April 21

From the upcoming live-action “Moana” (2026) to “Toy Story 5” (2026) releasing this summer, Disney’s roster is filled with endless sequels, prequels and remakes. Much of the public perception of this creative decision has been negative, with many complaining that the films are full of nostalgia bait or are simply easy cash grabs for the company. Yet, these films have generated billions of dollars for the corporation. So, is this fatigue really the public’s dominant view? And is this phenomenon going away anytime soon?

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Column

Through Indigenous Eyes: Slowly but surely

By Sorsha Khitikian | April 16

This semester, I have tackled relevant, breaking news stories as they have occurred. From the Bad Bunny Superbowl Halftime Show to the horrific acts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the immediate issues of the day have been my major focus. While I believe this coverage is vital, I also recognize that the vast majority of Indigenous issues lie beneath the surface because they have remained issues for years, decades, even centuries. Progress on these issues happens in spurts and often is covered through a non-Indigenous lens. As this is my last column for this semester, I want to bring attention to one of those issues: NAGPRA, or the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act.

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Column

The Death of Education: The death of vocational education

By Evan Wang | April 16

I’m sure for a wide variety of students my age, our high school experience was dominated by a never-ending focus on preparing for college applications. The endless SAT tests, AP credits and college counseling all tell us there is only one real path forward after high school: college or university. But there has always been other choices. One of these choices, which has increasingly disappeared from the public eye, is vocational education.

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Viewpoint

The humanities, the education crisis in the Information Age

By Henry Max | April 9

The frantic pace of modern life has revolutionized not only the communication landscape, but the academic landscape as well. In the epoch of smartphones and personal computers, it is all too obvious how pervasive technology is in each and every one of our lives. When generative AI and large language models, such as ChatGPT, intermingle with the existing technologies in our everyday lives, the problem is only exacerbated.

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Column

Another Bites The Dust: The Timothée Chalamet backlash really isn’t that deep

By Jachin Lam | April 3

With the Oscars closing out the awards season earlier this month, one of the most heated controversies leading up to the ceremony was Timothée Chalamet’s infamous comment about ballet and opera. I stumbled across his statement in the many clips and videos cut from his Variety & CNN Town Hall conversation with Matthew McConaughey. There were thousands of comments and online discussions about his remarks, with the majority criticizing Chalamet. However, upon taking a closer look at the video, as well as Chalamet’s Oscar campaign for his film “Marty Supreme,” I feel as if the internet’s reactions toward him are coming from a place other than simple criticism.

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Column

Through Indigenous Eyes: Why Columbus still reigns

By Sorsha Khitikian | April 2

On March 22, 2026, President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Basil Russo, national president of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America. In this letter, Trump announced that a statue of Christopher Columbus, gifted by the organization, would be displayed at the White House. He referred to Columbus as “the original American hero” as well as “one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the Earth.”

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Viewpoint

Jubilee is stupid

By Jachin Lam | March 28

Looking through Jubilee’s YouTube channel, you might stumble across their bio — “Provoke Human Connection” — but right below, you’ll see videos like “Mass Shooting Survivors vs NRA Members” or “Men Rank Themselves by Penile Size.” Jubilee certainly provokes its viewers, but I’m not sure whether they really foster human connection with their videos.

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Viewpoint

What the future holds for the Democratic Party

By Monica Reilly | March 27

This past September, The New York Times political pundit Ezra Klein stated in an interview that, in the face of such serious political alarm, Democrats should run more anti-abortion candidates. According to his logic, the Democratic Party needs to win in more contentious states like Kansas or Missouri if it is ever to overpower the current wave of MAGA conservatism. To do that, it must be willing to compromise on its position on abortion, with the ends justifying the means.

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Guest

Letter from the Editor in Chief: A special coverage page on Rümeysa Öztürk, two years later

By Josué Pérez | March 26

Dear readers,It has been one year since Dr. Rümeysa Öztürk’s arrest by masked agents from the Department of Homeland Security near her home in Somerville. We are publishing a “special coverage” page to mark this date.

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Editorial

Editorial: Spring has (almost) sprung

By The Editorial Board | March 26

As the snow finally melts from Prez Lawn and the sun peeks out above the Hill, we at the Editorial Board think it’s time for all of us at Tufts to start spending some more time outside in our nearby neighborhoods. From Davis Square to downtown Boston, the area is full of unique neighborhoods with exciting upcoming spring events and activities that we recommend taking advantage of — not to mention the spring activities Tufts itself has to offer.

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Viewpoint

Addressing the costs of excessive alcohol consumption

By Keshav Srikant | March 26

For the majority of Americans, the consumption of alcoholic beverages plays some role in their lives, whether it takes the shape of a drink out with friends, a glass of wine at a restaurant, or a beer after work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around two-thirds of American adults consumed alcohol in 2018. While alcohol consumption has been decreasing over time, a study from Gallup found that 54% of Americans reported drinking alcohol in 2025. A significant proportion of these Americans engage only in light drinking; the CDC found that just 5.1% engaged in heavy drinking in 2018. However, though that proportion is small, the economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption are significant and often underestimated.

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Viewpoint

The corporatization of nostalgia in American mass media

By Henry Max | March 26

A major trend in Hollywood filmmaking that emerged in the 2000s and continues today is the legacy sequel. In 2015, the true renaissance of the legacy sequel era began, with “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Jurassic World” (2015) and “Creed” (2015) all released in the same year. Quality disparities aside, the huge successes of these films proved that the legacy sequel was poised to become the future of filmmaking. Now, over 10 years later in the post-“Avengers: Endgame” (2019) era, the legacy sequel has become so naturalized that it seems inevitable.

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Viewpoint

A masterclass in American hubris

By Sorsha Khitikian | March 24

Baseball is America’s sport. At least, it used to be. It’s no secret that Major League Baseball is fueled by international talent and fans. Some of the best players were born internationally: Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz and Ichiro Suzuki. International fans are also heavily invested in the sport. For example, after Japan-born superstar Shohei Ohtani signed his historic $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, the team exceeded four million fans in attendance for the first time in its history. LA Tourism estimated that in 2024, 80%–90% of Japanese tourists to the city went to Dodger Stadium at least once.

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Guest

Op-ed: Including voter registration resources in syllabi: A first step to creating a more civically-supportive campus

By JumboVote | March 13

Last week, The Tufts Daily published an article about JumboVote, the non-partisan organization on campus that seeks to increase voter advocacy and civic engagement, and its effort to pass a resolution through the Tufts Community Union Senate to include voting information in syllabi. The goal of this resolution is to increase access to voting resources, especially for students of color and STEM students. We would like to clarify our position by explaining why including voting information in syllabi is a powerful tool for reducing the access disparities seen at Tufts and encouraging professors to adopt this effort into their syllabi.

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Viewpoint

Crazed obsession with queer media doesn’t mean authentic appreciation

By Olivia Zambrano | March 12

Since its debut on HBO Max, “Heated Rivalry” (2025–) has amassed an astonishing 10.6 million U.S. viewers, with the two lead actors, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, achieving instantaneous Hollywood-level fame. The two experienced complete culture shock as they went from being everyday, run-of-the-mill restaurant servers to presenting at the Golden Globes, with Connor Storrie going on to host SNL and Hudson Williams appearing as a guest. While I expected “Heated Rivalry” to go platinum in queer communities, I never anticipated this level of fame or appreciation from the general public. Looking back, I should have. This insane surge in viewership and fan appreciation paralleled that of “Red, White & Royal Blue” (2023), a drama about the gay romance between the First Son of the United States and the Prince of Wales.

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Viewpoint

Red states, blue states

By Evan Wang | March 12

For the past nearly four decades, Texas has been a solidly red state. Texas has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980, and there are many states just like it. For many years, a bright blue Texas on election night seemed forever out of reach for Democratic strategists. The result is a familiar national strategy where a few so-called swing states suck up all of the resources and publicity while much of the rest of the country is left abandoned by national Democrats. But, every so often, a race emerges that challenges this logic.

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Column

Another Bites The Dust: J.K. Rowling and Potterheads

By Jachin Lam | March 11

J.K. Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” book series, has been a controversial figure online in recent years. Her cancellation has been of great interest to me because of my attachment to the aforementioned “Harry Potter” series growing up. So it is monumental to witness someone of such immense cultural and financial success fall from the public’s eye to such a degree.

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Column

The Death of Education: Lunch should not put students into debt

By Evan Wang | March 10

At noon in schools all across the United States, a familiar scene unfolds. First graders through seniors in high school line up in cafeterias, grab a tray and receive a square of pizza meant to fuel them for the rest of the day. For many students, this is a part of their everyday routine. For others, it carries a quiet burden: lunch debt.

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Viewpoint

The sin of greed

By Evan Wang | March 6

As of 2026, online sports betting is legal within 32 states in the United States, online casinos are legal in eight states and so-called prediction markets like Kalshi are available in all 50 states. With this new online gambling craze comes enormous economic losses. In 2023, Americans wagered a staggering $121 billion, with 94% of those wagers occurring online. What was once a heavily state-regulated industry confined to the deserts of Las Vegas is now becoming the fastest-growing public health catastrophe of the 21st century.

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Guest

Op-ed: Remembering Katharine Burnett, my Expository Writing professor

By Mark Calogero | March 5

Kate Burnett has passed. (Well, I only recently found out, and it was five years ago when she departed this world.) She had reached the ripe old age of 94.

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