Opinion

Evaluate this: in print or online?

Sitting in the office of the Department of Drama and Dance, I couldn't help but smile as I stuffed course evaluation form after course evaluation form into old, crumbling manila envelopes. This Thanksgiving season, I couldn't be more grateful that our university continues to stand up for the time−honored tradition of hard−copy course evaluations. After all, I enjoy stuffing envelopes. And what better use of department time and resources than coordinating the complex process of organizing, distributing and collecting thousands of pieces of scribbled−upon paper. If there is one Tufts tradition our new president should strive to protect from the modern age of technology, it is paper course evaluations.

Free Bieber indeed

The sight of pre−haircut Justin Bieber locked behind bars is a shocking one, and it's the Photoshopped image FreeBieber.org has decided to use to publicize the fight against a new, potentially draconian copyright bill. In recent months the Commercial Felony Streaming Act, or bill S.978, has been making its way through Congress. The bill proposes to elevate the penalty for streaming pirated content to a felony.

Prashanth Parameswaran | The Asianist

Last month, I had the distinct pleasure of hearing the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) perform at Boston Symphony Hall in its first ever visit to the United States. They did not disappoint. The orchestra, led by its animated Japanese music director and principal conductor TetsujiHonna, put on a spirited performance with a unique blend of Vietnamese folk music and classic compositions from the West. The very best of Vietnam was on display, from the vibrant colors of the aodai national costume to the graceful hand movements of award−winning violinist Le Hoai Nam and then melodies of legendary Vietnamese composer Dam Linh. The historic performance was also a product of cultural exchange diplomacy between the United States and Vietnam. VNSO's "First Harmony Tour to the USA 2011" reciprocated the New York Philharmonic's first ever visit to Hanoi in 2009, where it performed at the Hanoi Opera House, home of the VNSO. Tran Nhu Son, the Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in San Francisco, was quoted in the concert program: "This is a very significant and great opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges between Vietnam and the United States, making the people of the two countries more understanding of each other's contemporary music life". And Mr. Honna himself told me that performing in the United States had been a long−cherished wish for the VNSO and struck an emotional chord for many of the Vietnamese musicians. The exchange also embodies the overall trajectory of U.S.−Vietnam relations. Just 16 years after the normalization of ties, Washington and Hanoi have managed to overcome the bitter past of the Vietnam War and forge one of the most important partnerships between the United States and Southeast Asia today, exemplifying the very peace and tolerance between peoples the VNSO emphasized as its performance theme. Cooperation has taken off in politics, trade, culture and even the military realm with an agreement signed on research collaboration and exchange in military medicine earlier this year. Key differences persist — particularly on human rights — but they are increasingly becoming the exception rather than the norm in the relationship. If Vietnam continues to be one of the fastest growing emerging economies and concerns about a rising China persist, both countries may be able to strengthen their "strategic partnership" even further in the coming years. Indeed, when former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who presided over U.S.−Vietnam normalization, mistakenly told an audience at Tufts University earlier this month that Vietnam was America's "most important ally in Southeast Asia" (a term usually reserved for formal U.S. alliances such as those with Japan or Thailand), it could have been as much a Freudian slip as it was a minor gaffe. Discussions between U.S. and Vietnamese officials these days, including those going on this week at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Honolulu with Mr. Clinton's wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, tend to focus boldly on how to "take the relationship to the next level." That might seem ambitious at first glance. But so might the idea of a strategic partnership between Washington and Hanoi 16 years ago. Or the notion of the VNSO playing in Boston Symphony Hall decades ago when it was weathering through financial and psychological national struggles after the Vietnam War. And yet they happened. Much like an orchestra, various instruments eventually cohered to produce a harmonious outcome with the aid of an able conductor.

Hannah Furgang | The Tim Tam Slam

I compiled a bucket list of sorts of things I need to do before the end of freshman year. I set the deadline for the end of freshman year and not the end of college, because this is the year in which I can do the most stuff. I'm not doubled up on lab sciences yet, so I still have something resembling a life, and there are three years of school left with which to cushion my GPA. Basically, freshman year is the year to do whatchu want.

An unfortunate, but constitutional ruling

Smoking is bad. These days, it's almost impossible to escape this truth.

On satellite campuses, Tufts gets it right

I'm wearing leggings as pants and it's awesome

As I sit here musing on some of the content I've just encountered in the Daily in an article entitled, "Why, leggings, why?" do you know what I'm wearing? Go ahead, hazard a guess. They're not pants but right now they're functioning as such. They are lined in fleece. (FLEECE, for god's sake!) It's lovely. They are forgiving and can be pulled on and off with ease — I never have to waste time unbuttoning and zipping. My butt is the size of Jupiter so why not drape it boldly in some tight Spandex? Please look at my childbearing hips. Yes, I am wearing leggings as pants right now. I wore my leggings to CVS today to buy toothpaste. I flaunted my way around the Mayer Campus Center and I think a lot of people could see that I have legs and thighs. I ran into my friend Sadie, and she was wearing leggings as pants too. It warranted a high-five.

Prashanth Parameswaran | The Asianist

hen President Barack Obama pledged to seek "a new beginning" between the United States and Muslims in Cairo two years ago, he received a standing ovation.

Prashanth Parameswaran | The Asianist

When President Barack Obama pledged to seek "a new beginning" between the United States and Muslims in Cairo two years ago, he received a standing ovation.

Winter housing for all international students

Angad Bagai | A Whole New World

Tai Frater | Chewing the Fat

UGL, SEIU need to get their facts straight

Amanda Johnson | Senior Moments

Talk to any college student about their future, and you're certain to unleash a wave of anxiety. It's the elephant taking up more and more space in the room as graduation draws closer and news of economic downfall refuses to wane.

End parking lot socialism

Most Americans will tell you that they support free markets. When it comes to parking policy, however, even many of the most conservative free marketeers suddenly transform into ardent communists.

A Frank conversation about Israel on Capitol Hill

In the summer of 2009, Rep. Barney Frank (D−Mass.), wrote in a letter to President Obama: "I believe it is very important for the Israeli public to know that there is strong disagreement within the United States — not just within our government — over exactly how to deal with the question of settlements in the West Bank … I think it would be a denial of an important principle of democracy for the Israeli electorate not to know what the state of American opinion is regarding the settlements." Frank echoed this sentiment in his Oct. 18 lecture, calling for an open and honest discussion of Israel and Israeli policy on Capitol Hill.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Dean of Student Affairs and Tufts Daily Editors,

What happens when integration and assimilation fail?

As pointed out by another student in a previous op−ed article, by no means is Tufts a place of social diversity — instead it has vagrantly displayed elements of institutionalized racism. To be clear, my assumptions and claims are supported by my individual experiences, interactions and feelings. At first, Tufts is quite alluring in its attempted diversity, promises of opportunity and quite frankly, its very generous financial aid department. However, other than financial aid, for some, Tufts is an epic fail in terms of including and advancing its minority populace. From my perspective and various conversations with other people of color, we viewed our matriculation to Tufts to be an inspiring opportunity to network, to become socially mobile, and we thought we joined not only a home but a supportive community and family to increase our intellect; instead we have been rejected, berated and labeled as "self−segregating social misfits."

Safety first, political correctness second

After a female student was assaulted near campus over the weekend, Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) sent an email alerting the student body of a series of similar nearby assaults that appear to have been committed by the same attacker.

Letter to the Editor

We were unsettled by the content of the "Campus Comment: Safety in Somerville" features piece in The Tufts Daily on Wednesday. There was a TUPD safety alert on Saturday regarding a sexual assault committed against a female student on College Avenue, possibly connected to several other similar attacks in the general vicinity. The piece that ran on Wednesday contained the work of two assistant features editors who collected quotes from Tufts students regarding their reaction to the safety alert.