It's strange to start a column without Tori Amos, but it's time for a change. I've enjoyed writing "Our Genderation" for the past two semesters, but this spring I will focus on queer politics and issues. Though the subject matter will differ, the feminist perspective will not, so let's dive into the wreck à la Adrienne Rich and see what we find.
Next fall will begin a year of change for Tufts. University President Lawrence Bacow will leave in June, and Provost and Senior Vice President Jamshed Bharucha just announced Sunday that he, too, will depart Tufts at the end of this academic year to serve as president of The Cooper Union in New York City.
I am writing in opposition to yesterday's editorial titled "Students have right to choose where they vote." To begin with, the authors of the editorial demonstrate their complete lack of knowledge about the Granite State, expressing concern about the level of income tax that a college student would face in New Hampshire. Fortunately, New Hampshire does not have an income tax on wages, salaries and tips, only taxing income from interest on dividends. In addition, I fail to see the connection between the cost of university [on−campus] housing and the local property tax rate in the case of public institutions of higher education, of which close to two−thirds of New Hampshire students attend, as those institutions do not pay property tax.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, you have heard about the unrest that has been going on in Egypt. Over a million Egyptians have flooded the streets, demonstrating, rioting and clashing with police forces, their anger directed at one man, their president for the past 30 years, Hosni Mubarak.
The New Hampshire state legislature last month introduced a bill that would prevent college students in the state from voting there unless they were residents before enrolling. New Hampshire law currently allows college students to choose either their home address or their local address as their permanent residence. Thus, college students in New Hampshire, like those in Massachusetts, can choose to vote either in their home or college state.
Though university closings due to snow may mean little more than surprise leisure time for students who live on campus, for many students and employees who live far away, they are an essential safety precaution.
This week marks two months since the Tufts community received an e-mail with the subject, "Safety alert: suspicious person reported with a handgun." Generally, campus reaction came in stages: shock, then humor — certainly I wasn't the only one to chuckle at the absurdity of the mix-up between a ratchet wrench and the supposed gun — followed by the rapid deployment of wrench/gun posters, then other posters which reacted to the first round of posters. By some accounts, there was even third round of posters plastered around campus, reacting to reactive posters themselves. For many, these posters had a sobering effect: Suddenly the ludicrous, if not comical, scenario of assuming a black man was handling a gun turned into a pointed critique of the reality of race on campus. Without a doubt, the incident got people talking, and the provocative posters helped to this end. The students who put them up deserve to be commended for bringing the conversation beyond e-mails and articles to a public space impossible to miss. Yet perhaps most frustrating of the wrench/gun incident is how quickly it faded from the campus consciousness. Two months later, is anyone thinking about the fallout?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict often seems intractable. The two sides have tussled over a plot of land slightly larger than the State of New Jersey for more than 60 years. Both sides' arguments are as old as the conflict itself. Most Israelis say that they support peace and a two-state solution, but that neither of those can be achieved while Israel's neighbors pose a military threat and rockets from Gaza keep hitting Israeli towns. Palestinians, with the support of much of the Arab world, insist that they have at least as much of a right to the land as the Israelis do, if not more. They maintain that there is no hope for peace so long as Israel's aggressive settlement building and harsh security measures continue to affect hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
In a coincidence with unnerving undertones, Hungary began hosting the European Union's rotating presidency this January just as the country's newly created National Media and Communications Authority (NMCA) began its anointed task of monitoring Hungary's public media. Under a new law which passed in Hungary's Parliament in mid-December — but was drafted as early as June last year — the NMCA will be able to monitor newspapers, TV and radio stations and impose fines of up to 200 million forints (about $950,000) for "unbalanced" and "immoral" reporting and for violating new rules on sex-, drug- and alcohol-related coverage.
The much−awaited teenage drama "Skins" made its debut on MTV on Jan. 7. Based on the award−winning hit in the U.K., "Skins" is marketed toward teenagers and explores issues such as teen drug use, drinking and sexuality. Though "Skins" was a huge hit in Britain, its U.S. successor has not lived up to its name, disappointing many fans of the original series.
As you walk around Tufts, it is likely that you will overhear several conversations regarding drugs. For some, it may be regaling tales of shots taken and beers "shotgun'd." Others may be doting praise upon the stimulants that kept them trucking through finals. And, of course, conversations on the artistic merit of glassware and the dankness of a particular plant are a constant in certain circles. Affecting one's mental state through mind-altering substances is embedded in the human experience, being particularly prominent among college students. This enthusiasm suggests the potential for more comprehensive dialogue, one that critically examines the United States' war on drugs and the complementary, unsustainable growth of the American prison-industrial complex. If we are to create a more perfect union, one that is both just and cost-effective, we must reform the broken institution of the American prison system. For the sake of our wallets and our souls, something needs to be done.
Most American children are encouraged to behave well, succeed in school and develop hobbies and talents outside of the classroom. The typical parental punishment for misbehavior might consist of a time out, a grounding or — worst of all — a suspension of phone or instant-messaging privileges. Is this approach to parenting strict enough?
When one thinks of Egypt, what typically springs to mind are pyramids, pharaohs and the Nile River. Many people tend to focus on its early history, but lately it seems scholars and researchers are tending to look more at its later history, particularly when it was under the rule of the Greeks and the Romans. From Justin Pollard's book, "The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern World," (2006) to a recent CNN article on St. Anthony's Monastery in Egypt, many scholars are showing how Egypt transformed from an isolationist power to the center of culture and intellect in the ancient world.
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's fall student survey asked questions regarding the proposed creation of an Africana studies department or major. Among respondents, 42.7 percent agree or strongly agree that a department is necessary, while 31.6 percent of those responding said they would likely take classes in an Africana studies department. In short, a substantial number of students on campus favor the creation of a separate department in order to major, minor or take classes in Africana studies.
In the Jan. 20 op−ed entitled, "Give late diners equal rights," sophomore Gerardo Zampaglione claimed that Tufts University Dining Services (TUDS) employees were clearing away food before the official closing time. The author neglected to include in his op−ed any explanation from either tenured employees or Tufts students who may be dining−hall student workers.
As 2010 fades into the distance, I would like to offer my thoughts concerning three recent events from last year, which at first seem inconsistent with past historical decisions or which appear to contradict the goals of the actors involved. Upon closer examination it becomes evident that the complicated natures of these events are what make them so thought−provoking.
It took less than a day for the Tucson shooting on Jan. 8 to turn into a political battleground. Only hours after the tragedy unfolded, news stations were airing on repeat an interview from last March in which Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D−Ariz.) herself warned that the heated rhetoric of the right could have violent consequences. Sarah Palin was vilified by the liberal blogosphere, and searches for her "crosshairs map" surged on Google and Yahoo search engines.
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