Opinion

Viewpoint

It’s time to cut the cord with your helicopter parents

By Bela Silverman | November 15

There’s a point in many people’s lives that we deem our parental “cut off” date — an official end to our reliance on our parents and their support. Some say it’s when we blow out the candles on our 18th-birthday cakes, others claim it’s when we walk across the stage at college graduation and some even declare independence when our parent’s medical insurance kicks us off the policy at age 26. For my family, there wasn’t a precise date on our calendars when my bags had to be packed and out on the front porch. Rather, my parents’ progressive withdrawal of themselves as my constant safety net through adolescence left me ready for college without the baggage of parental dependency.

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Viewpoint

Europe’s tourism problem

By Daniel Chung | November 15

2024 has been one of the biggest years for tourism in history. As of September, 790 million people had traveled abroad, 96% of 2019’s numbers, signaling that tourism has recovered from both COVID and inflation. In southern Europe, tourism has boomed, with tourist spending in Portugal forecast to be 20% higher than 2019. This has led to recent efforts by European countries to dial back on tourism.

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Editorial

Editorial: An open letter to Dean Bárbara Brizuela

By The Editorial Board | November 14

Tufts has undergone numerous changes since its founding. The next phase of Tufts’ largest academic program, led by Bárbara Brizuela, the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, sets the stage for the future of a liberal arts education as Tufts heads toward its 175th year and beyond.

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Viewpoint

Redefining the Tufts community

By Dylan Tanouye | November 14

If I had to describe why I chose to attend Tufts in one word, I would say it was for the community. I’m confident I’m not alone in this answer either; I hear the word “community” tossed around all the time when students or faculty are asked to describe Tufts. In fact, the first descriptor of the student experience at Tufts on the school’s website is the “welcoming and multidimensional community.” While I’m personally very happy with the community I’ve found here, I think that we need to redefine what the Tufts community entails. 

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Viewpoint

The Green Line should be extended — again

By Liam Chalfonte | November 14

When the Medford/Tufts stop opened in December 2022, it marked the end of an almost 30-year project to extend the Green Line into the Medford and Somerville communities. Since then, the MBTA has had its fair share of problems — such as a plague of slow zones and even issues with the tracks that run through Medford and Somerville — that current CEO Philip Eng has mostly managed to navigate the T out of. Now, as the T looks forward, beginning new initiatives rather than fixing old mistakes and extending the Green Line to the West Medford Commuter Rail stop could be a great place to start.

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Column

Rooted Reflections: The importance of showing up

By Justin Solis | November 14

This past weekend, I attended a concert in the Crystal Ballroom of Somerville with a friend. Much to my chagrin, he elected to leave before the opener even stepped foot on stage, citing other commitments. It was then that I knew I had a topic for my column.

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Viewpoint

Study Abroad: The denouement

By Talia Wilcox | November 13

When I considered studying abroad in Paris, I pictured cafes, a trip to Dior, sightseeing and, somewhere lower down the list, my French university experience. As I prepared to depart, Tufts Global Education provided insight into immersing oneself into a new culture, seizing new opportunities and managing finances with too many spending opportunities and limited cash. Yet, what I wasn’t as well prepared for was a return to university life at Tufts and a rigorous academic schedule. Both proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

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Column

The Death of Education: Where has the accountability gone?

By Evan Wang | November 13

The focus of our education system often places tangible results above all else. What letter grade can a student get? What is the average GPA? What is the graduation rate? These are the tangible factors that are discussed when implementing school policies. However, in placing so much trust in these seemingly irrefutable numbers, we are forgetting that schooling is a community effort. The environment in which students are taught will influence students as much as the grades they get on their algebra exams. The environment of our schools has increasingly drifted towards a sense of complacency and a lack of responsibility.

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Viewpoint

Congrats, your degree is harder than mine!

By Linda Huang | November 12

I’ve lost count of how many times I have been “STEM-splained” by an engineer with a condescending undertone of how hard their degree is — a degree they chose entirely of their own free will. Each time, I am forced to entertain calculated complaints about their workload, fully aware that it’s a thinly veiled attempt to prove they have a more challenging degree than me.

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Column

Forgotten Fronts: Hey President Biden, do something about the UAE

By Alexander Degterev | November 12

Before getting into my argument, I must point out that I am far from a supporter of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Despite this, recent atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces after the defection of one of their commanders have reinforced my opinion that it would be best for the country ...

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Viewpoint

Getting real: An honest consideration of the college experience

By Max Lerner | November 7

College, as we think we know it before attending, is nothing more than the thirst-driven mirage leading us through the exhausting traverse of high school. It guides us through our teens to what is made out to be “the best four years of our lives.” Once we arrive, our own experiences inevitably fail to live up to the impossibly high standards that we have been conditioned to set.

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Viewpoint

We need to say ‘No’ to a ‘Just Say No’ drug education approach

By Rowan Chetner | November 7

Dying, nearly dying or jail — these were my only outcomes, I was told, if I were to have a sip of alcohol or experiment with any other drug. In high school health class, I remember playing an online simulation in which I was a high schooler attending a house party. Every time I decided to drink, the simulation would either flash forward to my avatar rotting in jail or lying in the hospital on death’s door. Everyone in my class was told this. All our unique identities, backgrounds and futures — all reduced to the consequence of one “idiotic” decision.

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Column

Ukraine at War: The adverse environmental impact of Russia’s war

By Mariia Kudina | November 7

The connection between the war in Ukraine and climate change might not be evident at first glance. Discussions of environmental damage brought upon by Russian warfare rarely appear on the front pages of major newspapers. Yet, recent scientific studies highlight that the war not only deteriorates ecosystems in Ukraine, but also accelerates global warming by emitting heat trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

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Column

The Death of Education: Stop getting rid of educational standards

By Evan Wang | November 7

On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters considered a slate of ballot questions. Ballot Question 2 stood out in the midst of the four other questions as the only ballot initiative asking about education. Question 2, which passed with 59% of the vote, simply asked about the “Elimination of MCAS as a high school graduation requirement.” While this might seem great from the perspective of a graduating high school student, it is part of an alarming trend toward the elimination of educational standards.

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Viewpoint

Your ballot is biased, and it’s your fault

By Sorsha Khitikian | November 5

When I was eight years old, I accompanied my grandpa (Papa) to the polls for the 2012 general election. This was the first time I ever “voted.” I remember watching him get his ballot, and going with him into the voting booth. He had a list with him of the candidates he wanted to vote for. However, once he got to the local elections, he started asking me which name looked better. Whichever name I said, he voted for.

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Viewpoint

The Democratic coalition is fracturing. Is there still hope to save it?

By Evan Wang | November 5

Regardless of who wins today’s presidential election, the Democratic Party needs to do some serious soul-searching on their handling of this election cycle. Kamala Harris is the current vice president, a former senator from California and a former prosecutor. Her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, is a race-baiting, idiotic and egotistical man who continuously spews conspiracy theories out of his mouth. Yet, the race is somehow tied, with Republicans predicted to sweep both chambers of Congress. How could this possibly be happening? 

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Viewpoint

It’s not complicated

By Rory Myers | November 5

America has a problem with passivity. It’s not the kind of passivity that prevents us from responding to threats — many attacks on our country are met with a disproportionate, violent response. American passivity has to do with an unwillingness to address (or even acknowledge) injustice, especially the type of injustice that benefits those in charge.

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Guest

Op-ed: Democracy really does die in darkness

By Reya Kumar | November 5

Mere weeks before the 2024 election, several major newspapers, including The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, have announced that they will not be endorsing a presidential candidate this cycle. This flies in the face of tradition for both of these widely read publications and was met with consternation and resignations from their own organizations.

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Viewpoint

A time when conspiracy theories are … perhaps good?

By Gretta Goorno | November 4

On Sept. 16, after 10 months of public accusations, larger-than-life hip-hop rapper and executive Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested at a New York City hotel. The next day, his indictment was unsealed. The 14-page document charges Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking and transporting individuals for use in prostitution. Although his trial is not set to occur until May 5, 2025, the sheer number of men and women who have come forward against Combs makes his conviction seem very likely.

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Viewpoint

What’s the value of a Tufts education?

By Gian Luca Di Lenardo | November 4

Over the past few years, whenever someone outside the Tufts bubble asks me what I am majoring in, I usually glibly respond “economics.” This is only a half, or maybe a quarter, of the truth. I am not an economics major, but I have taken enough courses in the discipline to know that my interests lie elsewhere. Responding in this way allows me to avoid the raised eyebrows and back-and-forth discussion that occurs when I say that I am a philosophy and international relations double major. These experiences have made me reflect upon the value of a college education.

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