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Opinion

The Setonian
Opinion

Wrenchgate

December 6

I rarely comment on campus issues but today, I feel so inclined. For those who aren't aware, Tufts sent out a community e-mail on Thursday, Dec. 2 stating that "a male with a handgun" was sighted on campus. The e-mail described the suspect as African-American and stated that town and campus police were notified of the incident. Shortly after, a correction to this report was released. Apparently, it had all been a false alarm. What had been perceived to be a gun was actually a ratchet wrench. I assumed that this would have been the end of it. I was wrong.

The Setonian
Opinion

Please think before you get on that airplane

December 6

It is common for Tufts students to participate in programs that aim to help people in other countries. While I think that it is important to be aware of different people, cultures and events outside the United States, it seems that we are neglecting current problems in our country and even in our own community here at Tufts.

The Setonian
Opinion

Beyond the posters

December 5

You've probably seen the "wrench/gun" images that were plastered all over campus starting Thursday night. They depict a white hand holding a wrench juxtaposed with a black hand holding the same wrench. The word "wrench" is printed below the white hand, and the word "gun" is printed below the black hand.

The Setonian
Opinion

The race card: Maybe we jumped the gun

December 5

On Thursday, I was getting some last−minute homework done in my dorm room when I saw that an e−mail had arrived. "Safety Alert: suspicious person reported with a handgun" was the subject line. Thinking that was kind of a scary thing on a college campus, I opened it immediately, only to learn that the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) had received a report about a man with a gun and that a TUPD search turned up nothing. I figured it wasn't so bad, and I went back to my homework.

The Setonian
Opinion

When a wrench looks like a gun

December 5

Students on Thursday afternoon became aware of a false alarm when a person reported seeing an African-American man carrying a gun that turned out to be a ratchet wrench. Following the incident, a group of students put up posters across campus suggesting that racial discrimination had led to the false alert.

The Setonian
Opinion

Joshua Youner | Conscientious and Contentious

December 1

In a spectacle of bold defiance, WikiLeaks has begun publishing yet another groundbreaking series of secret documents. On Sunday, Nov. 28, the website dedicated to global transparency began publishing over 250,000 U.S. embassy cables. Though the cables will give people around the world an unprecedented look into the inner workings of U.S. foreign policy, there has been international backlash against their publication.

The Setonian
Opinion

Decision to cancel IM sports was wrong

December 1

Director of Intramural Sports Cheryl Milligan on Monday announced that the Athletics Department has cancelled the winter intramural sports season due to space considerations and other concerns. Intramural sports will resume in March at the earliest, while relatively unorganized "open gym" sessions will fill the void until that time.

The Setonian
Opinion

Plaid is the new black

November 30

Last week, communities across Boston and New England were introduced to a new concept for the day after Thanksgiving. Presenting an alternative to the big box retail-driven "Black Friday," locally owned and independent businesses joined 14 local business networks, including Somerville Local First (SLF), in promoting Plaid Friday on Nov. 26.

The Setonian
Opinion

HPV vaccine for all boys

November 30

The HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix have received their fair share of controversy since their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now discussing whether or not the vaccine should be used by boys in addition to girls.

The Setonian
Opinion

Greater than the sum of our parts

November 30

If all goes according to plan, on Friday, Dec. 3, over 40 student groups, vendors and local nongovernmental organizations will gather in the Mayer Campus Center for the second annual OneWorld Global Crafts Bazaar. They will sell fairly traded goods made by artisans from all over the developing world, educate the community about issues facing various impoverished communities, and promote innovative and sustainable solutions to poverty and ways for students to get involved.

The Setonian
Opinion

Monaco is up to the challenge

November 30

The search is over. Tufts announced yesterday that Anthony Monaco, pro-vice-chancellor for planning and resources at the University of Oxford, will replace beloved University President Lawrence Bacow next summer. Monaco's noteworthy accomplishments as a teacher, pioneering geneticist and biomedical researcher make him a highly qualified presidential pick.

The Setonian
Editorial

Leaked information informative but not unknown

November 29

WikiLeaks began on Sunday the process of releasing a cache of over a quarter-million U.S. diplomatic cables to the public. In anticipation of the leak, the U.S. Department of State warned foreign governments of the impending release, and world leaders braced for an embarrassing diplomatic fallout.

The Setonian
Opinion

The church in a changing world

November 28

In an interview with German journalist Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict XVI conceded that the use of condoms could in rare cases be acceptable to the Roman Catholic Church. In his comments, which appear in Seewald's book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," released last Tuesday, the pope specified that the use of condoms by male prostitutes could, in his opinion, be justified in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV.

The Setonian
Opinion

We are still at war

November 28

Our recent commemoration of American veterans both past and present should be a reminder to all of us that the lull in the fighting in both Afghanistan and Iraq does not mean that our involvement is coming to an end. The war situation in both places is far from over for the simple reason that we still hear and read about casualties among Afghani and Iraqi civilians and military personnel, as well as among U.S. and coalition forces. My intention in bringing this up at a time when we are looking forward to the upcoming holiday season is to keep us focused on matters of national security instead of sliding back into disengagement, apathy and complacency.

The Setonian
Opinion

Setting the record straight on Matthis Chiroux

November 28

On Nov. 16, the Daily featured a profile of Matthis Chiroux, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served for five years and is now a student at Brooklyn University and an anti−war activist. This article was presented to the Tufts community as part of a feature on veterans past and present, and Mr. Chiroux was portrayed as a typical modern−day veteran unique only for his outspoken objection to our current wars. In fact, Matthis Chiroux is anything but representative of the U.S. Armed Forces; he does not speak and act on my behalf, nor does he represent the vast majority of my brothers and sisters in the services. While he purports to speak for a plurality of veterans, in both word and deed he demonstrates that he speaks only for himself — and the screed he pushes is highly inflammatory and suspect.

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