Opinion
Now: An opportunity of your lifetime
December 7Seven months to unemployment? In this economy, as a Tufts senior, the word "graduation" probably summons up more anxiety than hope.
Opinion
Opinion
An empty promise?
December 7This Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR), the first global articulation of any form of inherent and universal human rights. Although it remains the world's most widely translated document of its kind and stands as a symbol of the highest goals society can achieve, its anniversary is as much a reminder of how little our country and the world as a whole have managed to progress as it is a celebration of the beauty of ideals.
Opinion
An interview with Bob Dole
December 3Bob Dole is one of the most prominent Republicans of the past half-century. Representing Kansas, Dole was a member of the House of Representatives (1961-1969) and the Senate (1969-1996). During his time in the Senate, he served as both the minority and majority leader. In addition, he was the vice presidential nominee on the losing ticket with Gerald Ford in 1976. Two decades later, he was the Republican nominee for president and was defeated by then-incumbent Bill Clinton. His wife Elizabeth is a senator representing North Carolina, but she lost her reelection bid last month to Democratic challenger Kay Hagan. Dole is currently retired, although he works part-time for a law firm and is still engaged in political consulting. Michael Bendetson: Over the course of your long career, which pieces of legislation are you most proud of writing and sponsoring?
Opinion
Disappointment in Georgia
December 3A mere month after America chose change and political activism over the same old Washington politics, Georgians have made it clear that they have little interest in keeping the torch burning. On Tuesday, Georgia voters reelected Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in a runoff contest.
Opinion
Driving in the right direction
December 2The chief executives of Detroit's Big Three -- General Motors, Chrysler and Ford -- appeared before Congress last month to ask for a government loan to hold off potential bankruptcies.
Opinion
Is commerce right for Richardson?
December 2Today, President-elect Barack Obama is scheduled to officially name New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his secretary of commerce, a post that has often gone to business executives. The current secretary, Carlos Gutierrez, is a former Kellogg CEO, and William Daley, who held the spot during part of the Clinton administration, was previously the president and chief operating officer of the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago.
Opinion
We stand with you, Mumbai
December 2I am a citizen of Bangladesh, a country often at odds with India over many issues such as border security, water-sharing treaties and trade deals. I am also a Muslim, the religion that, perhaps, the terrorists who attacked India "claimed" as their own. One of my fellow members of the South Asian Political Action Committee (SAPAC) is a Pakistani, a country that never had a friendly relationship with India. The other is a Nepali, a country that recently saw its people gleefully reject an autocratic monarchy, which the Indian government had backed for decades.
Opinion
Happy birthday, LCS
December 2Drew Carey, Joe Simpson, Ice-T, NASA, instant noodles and the Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS). What do they all have in common? They're celebrating their 50th year!
Opinion
Opening the debate: Another plan for the recovered funds
December 1As a dutiful Tufts "active citizen," I am heartened to see that using the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's recovered funds to bolster our financial aid system during the ongoing economic crisis is a major idea up for debate. I am encouraged by the passion exhibited by some TCU senators and Tufts students who would like to see the money go to the financial aid coffers. But in the spirit of that debate, I would like to add my thoughts, particularly on why proponents of giving the money to financial aid are, in my view, simply misguided.
Opinion
Corrections
December 1The Nov. 25 article "Tufts squad punctured by Harvard, Sacred Heart" incorrectly stated that Harvard freshman fencer Noam Mills went undefeated at a Nov. 21 meet between Tufts and Harvard; junior epee captain Amani Smathers defeated Mills 5-3. The photo accompanying the Dec. 1 article "Senate committee looks to foster greater student-faculty dialogue" was incorrectly attributed to Shabazz Stuart. It was actually taken by Tien Tien. In his Nov. 25 op-ed, entitled "Less than Frank," Jonathan Danzig faulted Michael Bendetson for not mentioning in his op-ed, "An interview with Barney Frank," the quote, ‘'These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing." Bendetson actually did refer to that quote in his interview.
Opinion
A united response to the Mumbai attacks
December 1On Saturday, Prannoy Roy, the chairman of India's leading news network, New Delhi Television Limited, affirmed that "a war on Mumbai has been declared. A war on India has been declared." More than 48 hours had passed since the first attacks across Mumbai had struck. The Taj Mahal Hotel, a 105-year-old monument to Indian glory, stood burning across the Gateway of India. Many were trapped in the basements of the Taj and Oberoi Trident Hotels. Café Leopold had seen a horrific night of incessant murder.
Opinion
Congress should impeach and convict Bush and Cheney
November 30Now that the election's done, no further excuses will hold. The House of Representatives should impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors, and the Senate should convict them, thereby removing them from power. Thus, until Barack Obama's January inauguration, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should discharge the duties of United States president.
Opinion
Booty Poppin'
November 30I am concerned about the lack of forethought and cultural sensitivity that went into the creation of Spirit of Color's (SoC) advertisement for its recent show. Though the flashy colors of the posters that were all around campus and the rhyming that is incorporated into the title "Hood Stoppin', Booty Poppin'" seem fun, I would like us all to look beyond that to the unfortunate images that this can conjure in people's minds. Black female bodies throughout history have been linked to sex, from the rape of enslaved black females in America to the display of the Hottentot Venus and the sexual objectification of the girth of her behind (which was made to be an inherently black-female physical attribute) to the incredible way rap songs articulate pimping, use derogatory terms for females and explicitly recount the use of the female body as a sex object.
Opinion
Pledging our support
November 30The Pledge of Allegiance has been a topic of discussion since it was first penned by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy in 1892, but a particular debate has arisen in the years since 1954 — something that we are reminded of by the passing of Reverend George M. Docherty on Thanksgiving Day at the age of 97. Docherty, after all, was one of the original proponents of the insertion of the phrase "under God."
Opinion
The war on Thanksgiving
November 24'Tis the month of Thanksgiving and all through the land The retailers burst with a Christmassy brand; Instead of the hues of a New England autumn, These stores are all sporting a scene much less awesome. If you have walked into your neighborhood drugstore or minimart or CVS Superstore recently, you may have been struck by something bitterly unpleasant, like the taste of orange juice when you have just brushed your teeth. With Thanksgiving upon us, we would expect to see stores and retailers decorating their establishments with fall colors and harvest gear, anticipating the goodwill that will be unleashed after several oversized helpings of turkey, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. And yet, things seem to have taken a rather disturbing turn, as Christmas — still more than a month away — has already invaded our lives. We have watched in silence for years as the official beginning of the Christmas season has crept ever earlier, nudging quietly closer to Halloween. This November, even before the first Boston snowfall, a sleigh-shaped pall has fallen over the country. There's a war on Thanksgiving, and Kris Kringle is leading the charge. For years, Christmas and Thanksgiving have had an uneasy truce, brokered by Hanukkah, which appears to do its own thing. While the winter holiday loomed large in December, November was always Thanksgiving's month — a time when stores were filled with pilgrims and turkeys and shockingly racist Native American paraphernalia. It was a more innocent era. Yet recently, we in America have watched as buckled shoes and cornucopias have been torn asunder by elves and reindeer and Santa hats — a cold and sinister reminder that the Man in Red is on his way, wielding toys to be stuffed mercilessly into our stockings and demanding sustenance for his midnight ride. Ladies and gentleman, we must defend Thanksgiving. Sure, a birthday party for Jesus is fun, but we've done that over two thousand times already, and he stopped showing up a while ago. Meanwhile, this is only the 388th Thanksgiving, and it's still going strong. November should be a time to celebrate abundance in excess, to prepare more food than you can possibly eat, to gather the family that you concurrently love and despise and to stuff your turkey with other delicious and preferably endangered animals. That is the beauty of America. It's the middle of November and we're all giving thanks For our families, our friends, non-failures of banks. There are mountains of food to be made at great cost; 'Tis the Thanksgiving season — Saint Nick can get lost.
Opinion
A complete plan for the recovered funds
November 24Whatever happens to the recovered funds, blowing them all in one place would be a mistake. And spending them in a way that doesn't maximize their impact on students in perpetuity would be a lost opportunity.
Opinion
Less than Frank
November 24To my surprise, when I opened Monday's Daily, I found an interview with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) conducted by Michael Bendetson. I hoped to find an enlightening view into the thoughts and opinions of Rep. Frank, but instead read what amounted to a pro-Barney Frank op-ed, with many informative questions and answers but little challenge to the congressman's opinions. I must take issue with a few aspects.
Opinion
Filling stomachs without emptying pocketbooks
November 23Across the country, people are feeling the financial strain as the price of food continues to skyrocket. Not surprisingly, many in the Tufts community have to choose between food and fun or between food and other necessities on a daily basis.
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