Opinion

A burden to carry: Why we must remember our past

We all have to carry our own burdens. Even though most of us have no kids to support, no mortgages on houses and no jobs on the verge of being outsourced to the other side of the globe, we know what it feels like to have worries. Some are bigger than others: Did I choose the right major? Will I be able to pay tuition for yet another semester? Some are small but still unnerving: Will I finally finish that essay that was due last week or go to see "The Town" at the movie theater?

Balancing the narratives: Israel and Palestine

At a university that prizes humanitarianism and the just recognition of all voices in conflict, events like tomorrow's Tufts Sderot Awareness Day present a serious imbalance. Tufts' chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine urges the Tufts community to review contending narratives and hear the Palestinian voice. It is our hope to initiate a campus−wide, inclusive discussion that respectively incorporates all voices on behalf of Israel and Palestine.

Joshua Youner | Conscientious and Contentious

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued a staggering decision in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The Court struck down parts of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, known as the McCain−Feingold Act. In doing so, the Court has unequivocally allowed corporations, both of the for−profit and non−profit variety, to spend unlimited amounts of money in political campaigns.

Sex talk revolution?

Sex is BIG. It's big, and it's everywhere. The media is saturated with sex. It floods the forums on the website College ACB at Tufts, the cast members of " Jersey Shore" have an entire room dedicated to "smushing," and on?camera teen moms juggle jobs, schoolwork and screaming babies in the background (a big slap?in?the?face reminder to use protection). It's on our minds constantly: Girls think about it all the time (...right?), and guys definitely do (if I'm ever questioning this, I simply tune in to the constant conversations of my two male roommates talking about the "bangable" girls they see at the gym). Apparently we Tufts students are so sexually charged that the administration had to lay down the law with some dorm room policies last year. If you've resorted to the sketchy scenario of sex a few feet away from a "sleeping" roommate, dear God, read on, and hopefully you've been able to think of some creative solutions since then. Even if you're not actively doing the deed - because of misfortune or personal choice - don't skip ahead to the Sudoku puzzle just yet. Let's be honest, reading this is probably a lot more fun than Sudoku.

Lack of religious knowledge concerning

While the United States is a highly religious country, an assessment of religious knowledge has revealed that the American people are generally not very knowledgeable about matters of general theology and religious history. The survey, conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, consisted of 32 questions pertaining to general knowledge of world religions. Americans, on average, answered only about half of the questions correctly. This finding begs scrutiny by religious and nonreligious people alike.

Quality news doesn't grow on trees

Recognizing that giving content away for free may not be the most lucrative  business model, this week The Boston Globe joined the ranks of some other regional and national newspapers by announcing that it will launch a subscriber-only, fee-based website next year.

Peace Prize should not be a political tool

Winning an award is usually a cause for celebration. Winning the Nobel Peace Prize is something else entirely: It is the recognition of efforts that are already intrinsically valuable. It means that you have dedicated your life to the progress of humanity, and that is certainly something to be proud of.

Elisha Sum | Our Genderation

Tori Amos once sang, "Look, I'm standing naked before you; don't you want more than my sex?"

Think 2040: What will your future be?

Oct. 11, 2040: You wake up to the sound of the television in the background; CNN is covering the 20th anniversary of the Israeli−Palestinian ceasefire. After breakfast, you walk out of the house to find your newly wedded neighbors, Mike and David, mowing their lawn. You step into your hydrogen−powered car and drive to the office, a wind−turbine company centered in Detroit.

Confronting Columbus Day: Education, not celebration

For most students in the United States, our first introduction to genocide probably came to us during elementary school in the looming form of lessons about the Holocaust. We learned the facts of the Nazi atrocities from the outside looking in, shocked that a government could sponsor the slaughter of millions of its own people. Genocide was a foreign concept. We were relieved that the United States was not responsible for such state−organized killing.

More consistent surplus distribution needed

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's newest plan for the allocation of surplus funds, most of which are leftover from the Student Activities Fee, proves to be another lacking, albeit honorable, attempt at fairly distributing this money.

Where have all the students gone?

With a beautiful quad on which to relax, varsity sports games to attend and residential dorms in which to socialize, one would expect the campus to be bustling with students every moment classes are not in session. But some students claim that week after week, as soon as Friday classes come to an end, the quads start to empty — and stay that way until Monday morning, leaving those who emerge from their rooms on Saturday afternoons asking: Where have all the students gone?

Cyber bullying

The tragic suicides of gay students on college campuses in recent weeks are the latest striking reminders of the devastating consequences of harassment and of cyber bullying. College and university communities have seen electronic victimization on the basis of race, gender, sexual identity and religious and ethnic background in growing numbers. No university can claim to be welcoming and free from discrimination until all of its students, staff and faculty feel safe.

Protect offensive speech

The disgusting protests of a small Kansas church over the past few years have provoked and angered attendees of the funerals of American service members who are understandably shaken and distressed to encounter hateful picketing during such a private moment of grieving. But as deplorable as this obnoxious behavior is, the right of the members of the Westboro Baptist Church to exercise their right to free speech must be upheld.

Joshua Youner | Conscientious and Contentious

Did you know that today is the ninth anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan? Probably not. Earlier this year, the war in Afghanistan surpassed the Vietnam War as the longest war in American history, yet we had no idea.

Say it right

College, at its most basic level, is about learning through the exchange of different ideas and beliefs. While every student has the right to express his or her opinion in a classroom setting, however, the question of whether a professor should be allowed the same degree of expressive freedom begets no simple answer.

Elisha Sum | Our Genderation

Tori Amos once sang, "Can somebody tell me now who is this terrorist?"

Letter to the Editor | Assertion of stigma is utterly offensive

Party time, excellent?

Full disclosure: I am a lover of good parties. I am not anti−party, just anti−bad party. I understand that there are certain qualities that can make or break a party. The presence of positive vibes, exciting music, good company — these are all essential ingredients for brewin' up a kick−ass evening. Unfortunately, I feel that the Tufts party scene is often lacking in these departments. Perhaps I just don't know where to look, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough. Regardless, I have a few suggestions for injecting more awesome into parties 'round these parts.

Condom affairs