Opinion

Letter to the Editor

Welcome to the school of hard knocks

Among some of its more notable alumni, Tufts can claim former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (LA '70), J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon (LA '78), eBay founder Pierre Omidyar (LA '88), and "Wicked" (1995) author Gregory Maguire (GSAS '90). Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass., LA '81) is also on that list.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Waging war on the free press

Less than a week after the high−profile acquittal of Amanda Knox, Italy is once again making international headlines.

Occupying the American psyche

In this newspaper and in countless others, "Occupy Wall Street" and its offshoots have received much criticism — we hear constantly that the Occupiers are too unclear in their goals, that there's no leadership. Where are their specific demands? Why don't they have concrete solutions? Surrounded by the ineffectual world of American politics, it's easy to nod in agreement with the barrage of cynicism, but I urge you to take a look at the truly magnificent social movement that's growing in front of us.

Amanda Johnson | Senior Moments

In the weeks before returning to Tufts, the town neighboring my rural Illinois hometown became swarmed with commotion. As the home of a university with nearly 25,000 kids, I've grown up accustomed to the chaos accompanying the return of college students mid-August: sudden lines at Target, the abrupt influx of North Face-clad youth carrying MacBooks and our own meager version of "traffic."

Lessons from the Amanda Knox trial

After serving four years in prison for allegedly murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy in 2007, American Amanda Knox was acquitted yesterday by an Italian court. Her ex-boyfriend and co-defendant, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, was also acquitted. The pair was convicted in 2009 with questionable evidence and prosecutorial claims that Kercher was killed during a satanic sex ritual.

Occupy movement needs to grow up

This past week, hundreds of Occupy Boston protesters have been gathering in the financial district of Boston. Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protesters, they are people who think this country is in need of some serious changes.

Chris Poldoian | Extra Butter

In defense of the defense of Troy Davis

I felt a great deal of dismay as I read David Eder'sop-ed, "In defense of the state of Georgia," published on Wednesday in the Daily. I'm certainly not naive enough to think that all Tufts students share the progressive political outlook often ascribed to our university. And diverse points of view are essential to encouraging robust discourse on campus. I was very surprised, however, to see such a piece written by a peer, and I felt the need to respond.

Prashanth Parameswaran | The Asianist

It's been a busy week of reform for King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's octogenarian and progressive monarch. Over the past few days alone, he has granted Saudi women the right to vote and stand for office in municipal elections, and overturned a sentence of 10 lashes handed down to an activist who defied a female driving ban.

Zach Drucker | The Loser

Red Sox fans, I feel your pain. I know what it's like to see your team hit cruise control with a month left to play and forfeit a seemingly insurmountable lead. I know what it's like to watch your entire season slip away like a feather in the breeze. And I know what it's like to lose it all on the final game of the season. Yet, don't feel too miserable, because only I know what it's like to see that same fate become my team two years in a row.

Occupy movement needs to grow up

This past week, hundreds of Occupy Boston protesters have been gathering in the financial district of Boston. Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protesters, they are people who think this country is in need of some serious changes.

Our forgetful administration: affecting change as a customer of the university business

The administration, by virtue of its position and its concern for this institution as a whole, will always prioritize its interests over those of the student body. I describe the administration's behavior not to demonize administrators, and I honestly believe those in power act in what they consider the best interest of the university in its entirety. This perspective, however, often seems to prioritize concerns of publicity and finance and minimize student concerns. If the administration is to maintain its benign neglect of student concerns, we must be more proactive in changing their minds. Lacking any formal power to do so, we must affect change by adopting strategies that will put student concerns in the vested interest of the administration. Our past tactics have amounted to glorified pleading, and we must now learn how to bargain.

The world is flat

Rick Perry doesn't believe in man-made global warming, and he thinks the federal government should play no part in protecting the environment against it. So how does he reconcile his own beliefs with the overwhelming consensus in the scientific community that global warming is real?

The Green Line Extension: Get it done already

The recent announcement that the Green Line Extension Project has been postponed yet again is a major setback in the effort to begin construction and a disappointment for Tufts and the surrounding communities of Medford and Somerville. The project, which was originally slated to be completed by the end of 2014, suffered yet another delay last month, and it is now projected to be finished sometime between 2018 and 2020.

A defense of the state of Georgia

I am just going to come out and say what many are afraid to: There are people in this world who deserve to die. Now, this is an extremely uncomfortable thought for the vast majority of people, and I hope it always remains that way. However, when a man kills for no reason other than to simply kill, when a man shoots a police officer who was rushing to protect the defenseless, that man deserves to die. The adamant outrage at the execution of Troy Davis is somewhat shocking to me. From what I have heard and read, those in opposition to the execution oppose it for two reasons. First, many are against the death penalty completely, and if they are not, then they do not believe there was enough evidence to sentence Davis to death. But as I review the known facts of this case, there can be no doubt in my mind that Davis is one of those men so evil that he deserves nothing less than death.

Classical music: Where is the love?

I've only been at Tufts for a few weeks and I have already met some of the most interesting people I've ever known. In my discussions with these people, the topic of music inevitably comes up: a topic near and dear to my heart. I've had discussions about musical topics as wide−ranging as dubstep mixing techniques, to the live performances of Irish folk−rock artists. I'm even taking an anthropology class that deals with Latino music. It is obvious to me that Tufts is a place where most people love music. However, I have encountered a shocking lack of individuals who share my passion for classical music.

A reflection on the Career Fair

From the Editor-in-Chief | Regarding Friday's Daily

Those picking up Friday's issue of the Daily in the dining halls may have noticed opinion pieces printed on standard printer paper and inserted into the Daily. The Daily had no prior knowledge of these pieces before they were brought to our attention.