Opinion

Dialogue, not division: The need for a paradigm shift

The State of Israel was established in 1948, with its Declaration of Independence guaranteeing "complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race, or sex" and promising "freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture." Israel's detractors, however, seek to sully these words through false accusations and broad generalizations incapable of accurately describing a complex situation on the ground — namely, replacing the word democracy with apartheid. There are many words to describe the State of Israel. Perfect is not one of them, but democratic certainly is. As always, we unequivocally defend Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine's (SJP) right to put on any events they wish, but we seriously question their decision to move the conversation in this negative direction, from productive dialogue to hateful misinformation. Our campus projects an ethos different from most other universities, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Where other universities see confrontations on the quad, we see challenging questions and desire for thoughtful dialogue (and the occasional back-and-forth in the Daily).

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Sam Gold | The OT

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and reigning National League MVP, recently underwent the most damaging trial of his career. Sure, he escaped punishment, but he'll go into the record books with an indelible asterisk next to his name.

Get your rosaries off our ovaries

Old white men in funny hats shouldn't be allowed to make decisions about all women's bodies.

Sailing | Bulger sailing to the extreme in Oman

For most people, sailing evokes visions of calm lakes, picturesque days on the ocean and "Wedding Crashers" (2005). But for junior Max Bulger, sailing goes far beyond recreation and even competition - it ventures into the extreme.

Elizabeth Landers | Campus chic report

The Oscars are the ultimate red−carpet, fairy−tale moment, and for many couture designers it's the only time their handcrafted, custom−made creations see the light of day. For all intents and purposes, it's the most watched fashion show in the world (sorry, Victoria's Secret). ABC capitalized on the fashion fervor by employing not one but four fashion commentators with impressive accolades to inform us exactly which celeb was sporting what designer. Included in the ranks were Nina Garcia of Marie Claire and Tim Gunn from "Project Runway." Though I watched their telecast, my interpretation of the awards show fashion was slightly different than theirs.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Jumping to conclusions at Chardon High School

Chardon High School, a public high school about 35 miles outside of Cleveland, Ohio, was the scene of a deadly shooting yesterday. According to multiple reports, a student entered the cafeteria and opened fire, killing one student and wounding four others. The senseless tragedy is made even worse by the fact that it brings back memories of other school shootings, most notably those at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech in 2007, America's two deadliest school shootings of the last 40 years.

Walt Laws-MacDonald | Show Me The Money!

Warren Buffet announced over the weekend in his annual letter to shareholders that his successor as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway had been chosen — but he didn't say who. Then, in an interview with CNBC on Monday, he said that this person has not been told that he/she is the successor to the throne. The Oracle of Omaha always loves to keep a little mystery about his business.

The MBTA on life support

Winter this year, for all intents and purposes, never came.  Massachusetts has seen minimal snowfall this year — including only 7.8 inches in Boston, a record-setting low — and, as a result, $40 million of the $50 million in state funds earmarked for snow removal remains unspent. Rather than adding the surplus onto next year's snow removal budget, Governor Deval Patrick has suggested that the extra money be given to the MBTA to help offset their $161 million deficit. 

On Israeli Apartheid Week

Israel: Apartheid week. The name begs the question: Is Israel actually an apartheid state? Apartheid, as defined by the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, is racial segregation and discrimination with the intent "of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons." I am familiar with many of the crimes that the Israeli government commits against Palestinians living in the occupied territories, such as house demolitions and denied access to much needed resources. I am also familiar with many of the forms of institutionalized racism that discriminate against Arabs within Israel proper. I have read "Is Israel an Apartheid State?" a publication by the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions. This publication summarizes the findings of a study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Center of South Africa. The study examines Israeli laws and practices, listing the plethora of crimes that have been committed against the Palestinians, to determine whether Israel is in fact an apartheid state. Spoiler alert: Their conclusion is yes.

Tufts Dining Services should cut prices when it cuts services

Dining trays. Plastic bags. Water bottles. Freshmen at Tufts may not be familiar with seeing these items on Walnut Hill, but they were once ubiquitous. They provided a useful service enjoyed by students, but they also cost money, were of questionable utility and produced waste. Over the course of many years, each has been removed from normal use following a simple pattern. First, a group of students touts the benefits of removing said item, citing its wastefulness and high cost. Second, the university reacts favorably and commends the students. Third, said item is removed and the price of a meal stays the same or rises. These are the stories:

Zach Drucker | The Loser

The former chosen son of Milwaukee has taken his first steps towards rebuilding his legacy. Upon the conclusion of the 2011 MLB season, Ryan Braun was perched comfortably on cloud nine. Though his Milwaukee Brewers squad lost to the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship series, Braun had completed his best season as a pro. His .332 batting average, 33 home runs, 33 steals and 111 RBIs earned him the NL MVP Award. Furthermore, in April 2011, he signed a mammoth five-year, $105 million contract extension, cementing his place in a Brewers uniform.

Inadequate gender-neutral housing

The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) announced earlier this month that it would be offering gender-neutral housing in certain dormitories. The option will be available by application to sophomores, juniors and seniors and will be restricted to the Latin Way suites and the Bush Hall double bedrooms.

And the Oscar goes to...

This Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC, Billy Crystal will host the 84th Annual Academy Awards, doling out those illustrious gilded men to the most deserving players in Hollywood from the past year. To preview the ceremony, the Daily will take you through the six main categories (Best Supporting Actress and Actor, Best Actress and Actor, Best Director and Best Picture), enumerating the favorite frontrunners and the reprehensible snubs along the way. So, grab some popcorn and get prepared for the drawn out speeches and, if we're lucky, some wild waterworks. It's Oscar time!Best Supporting Actress

Climate change and conflict

It's been quite a warm winter. So warm in fact, that it reached almost 60 degrees in my hometown of Chicago in the middle of January. While this has much more to do with the temperature variability caused by the cycles of El Niño and La Niña than global warming per se, the lesson to be drawn is that 2012 can only mark the initial stages of our foray into the erratic weather patterns humanity will be forced to contend with in the century to come.

Neuroscience and the military

What if the government could read your mind? If they choose to utilize recent research from the field of neuroscience, they already can — several recent studies have used computing power to match brain scan patterns with what a person thinks and feels, effectively reading their mind.

Too cool for school

Letter to the Editor

The Most Dangerous Place You've Never Heard Of

You are walking through a rather sparsely populated, fast−moving street. A few hundred yards away, you see a man being beaten by a couple thugs wearing inconspicuous track jackets. He is then loaded into the back of a van that drives away almost immediately. No one stops, stares or questions what's going on. After all, there is a law against loitering in a location for too long, as well as one against congregating in groups of more than a few people. You stop for a few moments, but some burly man wearing a suit and speaking Russian pushes you along, muttering something along the lines of "Keep moving or you'll be in the same situation." There are occasional posters of the autocratic leader who has firmly held onto power with help from the KGB secret police.