Opinion

still pntr take two

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Our pledge to Tufts

As former president of the Inter-fraternity Council (IFC) and an executive member of Panhellenic, we would like to share our reflection on Lauren Border's op-ed "Pledging to never rush," which was published on Wednesday, April 25. This response is not ours alone: Entire chapters and over 50 individuals sent us statements to incorporate. 

Censoring survivors

The Tisch Library earlier this month hosted a gallery to bring awareness to issues of sexual assault as a part of Sexual Assault Awareness month. The gallery's title was "Faces oM Survivors: Voices Reclaimed," but according to some of the survivors meant to be featured, their voices were silenced rather than reclaimed. 

Strong performances save show from trite plot

In a quick 20 minutes of actual show time, "Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23" manages to captivate its audience and bring out some genuine moments of laughter. The new ABC sitcom follows two radically different, single women sharing an apartment in New York City. The show begins when June (Dreama Walker), a Midwestern woman with Wall Street aspirations and a life plan to boot begins rooming with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), who is far more assertive than her and a con artist. Chloe attempts to scam June, but June has a bit more backbone than previously expected, and the two discover an unforeseen friendship.

Brown's unsustainable campaign

The office of Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (LA '81) on Monday released a letter to Whole Foods co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb condemning the brand's choice to stop selling seafood that it doesn't consider "sustainable." Brown is currently locked in a reelection race with Harvard University law professor and likely Democratic Senate nominee Elizabeth Warren, and Warren's surge in recent polls has made the race a tight one.

Letter to the Editor

Heavy-handed federal drug policies hit the Hill

Pledging to never rush: a criticism of Greek life at Tufts

Walt Laws-MacDonald | Show Me The Money!

Warren Buffett - who, I in an inexcusable, likely hunger-related error referred to as "Warren Buffet" in a previous column - announced that he had been diagnosed with stage one prostate cancer last week. Buffett made the announcement in his favorite form of communication: a letter to his shareholders. In his usual, understated tone, Buffett wrote that his doctors told him his condition "is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way."

Making students the priority

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," visited Tufts yesterday to discuss political and election news coverage for the annual Edward R. Murrow Forum. Williams is the most-watched evening news anchor in the country and in 2007 was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Why I'm Voting for Wyatt: An (Un)open(ed) Letter

A year ago today, I was handed two sealed letters by former Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Sam Wallis. The first, titled "Open Upon Receipt," detailed the responsibilities of being TCU President. The second was titled "For When You Need It." The two?letter system is a tradition passed down every April from president to president. To my knowledge, every past president in recent memory has opened their second letter. I haven't.

A Reason to Go LoCo: Logan Cotton for President

Being the President of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) is perhaps the hardest job on campus. The occupier of this office must be in tune with his or her core beliefs while also having a pulse on the sentiments and happenings of campus life. The president must be a proven leader, someone who has experience reaching across the multiple divides of passion, culture, gender, race, class, academic discipline and political affiliation. In short, the preferred candidate cannot simply be the president of the TCU Senate but must instead be the president and voice of the student body. This candidate must have a track record of standing up for students even when it's unpopular and standing against popular opinion when it's the right thing to do. We need a leader who knows when to work with the administration and when to take a stand on principle. We must elect someone who is strong enough to defend treasured institutions such as the Naked Quad Run and Greek Life while also standing behind the LGBT community and communities of color with an equally fierce urgency. We need a voice able to thread the needle between alcohol safety and the reality of on?campus drinking. We need an advocate who will speak to the experiences of women, queer folk and students of color unable to access the safe?ride system without police hostility. Logan Cotton is that person.

Alyson Yee | Odd Jobs

Here's the dream: quit your day job, take up confectionary, open a cozy gourmet chocolate shop. Preferably in a provincial town where decadent desserts change lives. While it sounds (a lot) like a movie plot, it's actually becoming an increasingly common reality. Monica Elliot taught herself to make chocolates from library books and now runs Monica's Chocolates, an online service that allows her to deliver confections across the country. Marisa Baxter of Truffles in Paradise left a law practice dealing with international torture cases to launch her homemade chocolate shop. William Gustwiller abandoned his sculpting career to turn his chocolate hobby into big time business. It's never too late (or too early, seniors) for a career change.

Wyatt Cadley for TCU President

Though the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate takes a lot of criticism from the student body, it would be a mistake to undervalue its importance on campus. TCU Senators are responsible for allocating $1.5 million to more than 200 student groups each year, and they meet regularly with administrators to discuss campus issues. Students should think very carefully about whom they want representing their needs to University President Anthony Monaco, and regardless of how you value our opinion, we urge you to look closely at Wyatt Cadley's and Logan Cotton's agendas and judge each of their visions of Tufts for yourself.

On Yom Ha'atzmaut: A progressive Zionist's dilemma

In light of the debacle of Tufts Friends of Israel (FOI) advertising the acclaimed Israeli?Arab writer SayedKashua's lecture on Tuesday as part of FOI'sweeklong celebration of Israeli independence, I have begun reflecting on what it means to observe Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) as a progressive Zionist. This attempt at "brownwashing" the conflict, placing a prominent Palestinian Israeli at the forefront of pro?Israel events without his knowledge or consent, is disgraceful. Deceiving a guest speaker about the circumstances of his lecture would be disturbing in any context, and it is particularly disturbing when the intent is to portray Israel as a tolerant, multicultural nation when in fact the speaker himself writes about an Israel that is anything but.

A call for constructive conversation

For the past several semesters, two student groups with very different viewpoints on the same situation have consistently clashed on campus. Tufts Friends of Israel (FOI) and Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have proven themselves to be some of the loudest student organizations on the Hill. But in their desire to be heard, both are utilizing tactics that drive students away from discourse and are accomplishing little beyond inciting anger in members of the rival group. It's time for this to stop.

Beyond the campaign promises

Tuesday night marked the beginning of election season on the Hill, and already our Facebook and Twitter accounts are being bombarded by campaign slogans, biographies and candidate platforms. While we support the election process and appreciate the effort the presidential hopefuls put in, we also recognize the importance of keeping voters as informed as possible. Every year, candidates come in with full dockets that are either overly ambitious, outside of their control or simply unachievable.

Jack Webster and Hannah Furgang | A Piece of Advice

The missing piece: A call for dialogue