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Opinion

The Setonian
Opinion

A Dynasty to Duck

Enzi, the conservative senator from Wyoming who’s trying to fend off a carpetbagger challenge from Liz Cheney, is lucky he wasn’t hunting buddies with the trigger-happy former vice president.Then he might not be in the race at all.One of the best things about the 2008 race was ushering out the incalculably ...


The Setonian
Opinion

Allies in Revolt

It is not every day that America finds itself facing open rebellion from its allies, yet that is what is happening with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Israel. The Obama administration has denied there are serious problems. But there are clearly differences, some perhaps irreconcilable.Here’s a quick summary: ...


The Setonian
Opinion

The trouble with (just) recycling

Consider this: If every human being on earth lived and consumed as Americans do, we would need over four earths to support ourselves. This is called global overshoot, and it is like living off our ecological credit card. Our current unsustainable way of life is borrowing from the future. Is this sustainable? Hardly. So, as Tufts students, as young people coming of age at a time of deep social and environmental injustices, what should we do? We didn't create these problems; we inherited them. Yet the responsibility to act falls squarely on our shoulders. 


The Setonian
Opinion

Giving back and moving forward

Given the overwhelmingly college-centric lives we lead, it is easy to forget that, as Tufts students, we are also residents of Medford and Somerville. The university has therefore embarked on a new partnership with the two cities in an effort to bolster relations with the surrounding community. With a donation of $1.375 million over a five-year period — a portion of which will go toward local police and fire departments — the university hopes to build a mutually beneficial relationship with our local governments and communities. This partnership is a commendable one, as it is necessary for Tufts to give back to and maintain a good standing with the community.


The Setonian
Opinion

University should expand ASL program

Last spring, the Tufts administration made the decision to allow American Sign Language (ASL) to fulfill Part I of the foreign language requirement for students. After a perennial debate as to whether the requirement should be revised to include ASL, university faculty voted to approve the proposal. Now, the three available ASL classes — included within the Eliot Pearson Department of Child Development’s course listings — can be taken to count toward either Part I or Part II of the requirement.


The Setonian
Opinion

On Holi and the Color Run

Being born and raised in the Hindu tradition, all the stories I have learned growing up are very different from western fairytales. A lot of the cultural traditions are fiercely integral to the religion itself, and instead of first hearing the story of Rapunzel's very long hair, I learned about how a young boy managed to survive being burned alive. It's some heavy stuff. But, like any good story, it operates within the culture it is written or spoken in. We see how these kinds of parables shape everyday thinking in many ways. David and Goliath, for example, is an Abrahamic story that doesn't just make us feel good about the underdog, but it shows us that greater intellect and technology (in the form of a slingshot) can triumph over brute force alone. It also shows us that, with faith, one can overcome monstrous adversity. The story of Prahlada, and subsequently, the story of Holi, is very similar.





The Setonian
Opinion

Op-ed: Some course considerations for mechanical engineers at Tufts

This article is meant to inform mechanical engineering students at Tufts, particularly freshmen, as to some useful course options available to them. All information is given from the perspective of a Class of 2013 graduate but should still be applicable. (This may change with changes in curriculum.)


The Setonian
Editorial

Building positive community relations

On a campus where students and faculty are constantly in pursuit of opportunities for learning and research, it is no wonder that the need for more space is also pressing. At Sunday night's Tufts Community Union Senate meeting, University President Anthony Monaco mentioned a number of construction projects that the university is considering, one of which would be located at 574 Boston Ave. This address is the site of a four-story, 96,000-square foot Tufts-owned warehouse that was previously inhabited by Somerville artisans, and is now under consideration to receive some serious renovations. Althought the use of the space at 574 Boston Ave. will undoubtedly be beneficial to the university community, Tufts should do more to aid those artists who previously utilized this building.


The Setonian
Editorial

'Take Back the Night' fosters campus dialogue

There are few topics so dislocated from daily life as that of sexual assault. Despite the numerous statistics thrown at us - there were 63 cases of sexual misconduct reported at Tufts last year - or the comic performances of a group like Sex Signals at Orientation, it is always difficult to fully come to grips with the dark reality of this form of violence. It is therefore imperative that the university provides a platform for discussion of sexual violence, which is often not at the forefront of campus discourse. It is equally important for students to take advantage of the opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue about sexual assault and misconduct.


The Setonian
Opinion

Financial aid initiatives show promise

Since the admission of the Tufts Class of 2014, wherein 1,317 students matriculated, the number of matriculating students has fluctuated between 1,310 and 1,317. However, as the cost of the academic year at Tufts has gone up, approaching $60,000 for the 2013-2014 school year, students who qualify for financial aid require more every year. Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin stated that, despite growing financial need, the number of students receiving aid has remained relatively constant.


The Setonian
Opinion

Online component as complement to classroom

The Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences is currently deliberating over the inclusion of massive open online classes (MOOCs), based on the summertime report of the Arts and Sciences Online Learning and Education Working Group. This is an important step toward cultivating a better online presence, but Tufts must take steps to ensure that MOOCs are used to aid students and professors and not as replacements for necessary time spent in a classroom.


The Setonian
Opinion

Op-ed: Civic engagement among students necessary, lacking

We Americans are in a bad mood about our nation and our public life. Three quarters say the country is on the wrong track. Some of us may be especially angry at the current Congress, at President Obama - or both - but the roots of our discontent go deeper than that.


The Setonian
Opinion

Why you should dress up as Harry Potter, and not Cho Chang, for Halloween

Racially and culturally insensitive Halloween costumes have become a ubiquitous presence in the United States, and Tufts is in no way an exception. For many members of marginalized communities, Halloween has become a moment in which to prepare ourselves for insensitive and willfully ignorant portrayals of ourselves and our communities as stereotypes and simplistic, violent images. This costumed appropriation of culture, race and identity causes a kind of psychological violence when you see someone wearing you as a costume. As we approach Halloween, I write this in hopes of engaging all members of our community in a dialogue on representation, violence and empathy.


The Setonian
Opinion

Center fosters critical research and discussion

Today, Tufts launches the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) after its 2012 establishment by founding Director Peniel Joseph, a professor in the Department of History. The center is a dynamic addition to the Hill, as it will foster dialogue on poignant, race-related issues and offer various research opportunities for both students and faculty. The racial, social and political issues brought to light by the center are important subjects to explore, especially for a research university such as Tufts.


The Setonian
Opinion

A welcome boost to campus safety

In light of the numerous reported instances of violence on college campuses over the past few years, the Oct. 7 announcement of the Tufts Threat Assessment Management (TTAM) program was not a moment too soon.



The Setonian
Opinion

Forum merits reconsideration of approaches

Last week, the administration hosted an open forum for students and faculty to discuss and ask questions about the most recent draft report from the university-wide Council on Diversity. The report, now a year and a half in the making, is meant to acknowledge the concerns of students on campus, as well as seriously evaluate Tufts’ current position and future direction with regards to how we approach the diverse, intersectional identities on campus.


The Setonian
Opinion

Campaign offers insight into drinking culture

There has been buzz around the Hill surrounding the posters plastered all over campus presenting statistics about the drinking habits of the Tufts student body. The recently launched “We Are Tufts” ad campaign, initiated by a group of health administrators and undergraduates, explains that not all students drink, and of those who do, very few let alcohol affect them academically. The posters have featured claims including, “93% of students don’t let alcohol affect their academics,” and, “the majority of Tufts students limit their alcohol intake or choose not to drink.” The campaign delivers an important message: Students don’t need to drink to have a good time or because they see others doing so. It also clarifies that, despite that students may think drinking is a necessary weekend pastime, many students in fact do not drink at all.


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