On Wednesday night, over 100 people packed a room at Tufts Hillel to hear Maya Roman, a relative of two Israeli hostages, tell her story. She spoke of the enormous pain she and her family are experiencing, the helplessness of their situation and the lengths to which they are going to bring them home.
Editor’s note: The following is adapted from a nationwide op-ed, meant to be published today at over 50 student papers across the country, unifying student voices to organize together toward an end to gun violence and demonstrating shared concern about gun violence that exists on college campuses. The nationwide op-ed was signed by 144 student leaders representing 90 groups across the nation. From the beginnings of our educational journeys, students are taught to love a country that values guns over our lives. Some of us hear the sound of gunfire when we watch fireworks on the fourth of July, or when we watch a drumline performance at halftime. But all of us have barricaded a classroom door in an active shooter drill and feared that next time, someone will be waiting outside.
COVID-19 has forever changed the world. Many people have fallen victim to the virus, with many of them dying as a result. Children were sent home from school and didn’t return for many months.
The week after winter break marks the start of the notorious “syllabus week,” better known as ‘sylly week,’ a time for students to ease into their early morning lectures after a month of oversleeping, catching up with friends and going out. Many students party without worrying about doing homework with a hangover the next day. But for others, syllabus week is the only rest they get after finals season, having spent their breaks working minimum-wage jobs to save up for holiday season gifts and, more importantly, their college tuition.
“Is democracy still America’s sacred cause?” That’s the question President Joe Biden posed to the nation in a speech on Jan. 5 which commemorated the third anniversary of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But how much should the events of that Jan. 6 attack be the focal point of a presidential election? Should ordinary Americans care about an event from three years ago?
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is not as progressive as many would assume. Recently, he has been outspoken about his unwavering support for Israel, the need for a border wall and tougher immigration laws. Many have attacked Fetterman, calling his behavior out of character for someone who is supposed to be a Democrat. However, I believe that Fetterman has finally realized that his fellow Democrats are lost at sea.
Morgan Wallen was caught on video saying a racial slur. Oliver Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond” (2023) became a conservative anthem for right-wing politicians. Jason Aldean’s music video for “Try That in a Small Town” (2023) drew clear references to lynchings. For a genre called “country music,” it certainly does not live up to its name. Rather than being representative of our country, country music seems to be a stronghold of racists, misogynists and right-wing ideals.
Welcome back to the Hill! My name is Rachel Liu, and I am the new editor in chief of The Tufts Daily. As the Daily resumes operations, I owe a major thank you to the numerous writers, editors and designers who invested time over their winter breaks to craft the first issue of 2024. This semester, we will publish online every weekday and in print on Thursdays, though for the first two weeks we will be operating on a reduced schedule. Sign up for our newsletter to never miss an issue.
If the past several months have shown anything, it is the shocking extent to which antisemitism has revealed itself on college campuses throughout the country. Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been the most visible, opting to accommodate — and thus tacitly endorse — antisemitic behaviors. Despite receiving less attention regarding antisemitism, Tufts is sadly no better.
Every spring, millions of high school students hunker down in classrooms as they prepare to take Advanced Placement exams. With the ability to award college credit at many universities with a score of three or above, AP exams — which are the culmination of an entire year of college-level coursework — have high stakes and often serve as a major source of stress for students who are preparing to apply for college.
On Nov. 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced off in what Fox News billed as the “Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.” Moderated by conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity, the debate drew 4.75 million viewers. But only one of the men in the debate is running for president, so what was the point?
On Sept. 11, 1973, the U.S. overthrew the democratically elected socialist government of Chile. In its place, fascist military officers led by Augusto Pinochet took power, crushing opposition and infamously throwing political dissidents out of helicopters. The regime also brought in a group of American economists, known as the Chicago Boys, who immediately privatized much of Chile’s economy and created one of the first neoliberal economies in the world.
A couple of weeks ago, I opened my phone to a message from one of my best friends that made my stomach drop. “The debt collectors called,” she said. Last year, she went through family-related financial difficulty and was unable to pay for her spring semester tuition in full.
The last day of class is upon us and only finals remain between us and the sweet escape of winter break. We did it, Joe! Whether it was your first semester or if you’ve only got one more left, it’s an exciting but hectic time of year. It’s also time to plan out next semester. I know, it seems early, but, let’s face it, you’re probably not going to get to all those things you want to do over the break.
We write in a moment of urgency for the university and the world. Since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 that took approximately 1200 Israeli lives, an Israeli military campaign and unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding for Palestinians in Gaza.
There’s a lot we would ask for this holiday season, and at the top of the list is something big: guaranteed housing for everyone at Tufts. Of course, we know this wish is just that — a wish. Realistically, the vast majority of upperclassmen will have to find and rent off-campus apartments, and while we applaud Tufts’ efforts to build a new dorm and invest in Community Housing units, off-campus living will remain a part of students’ lives for a long time.
As our tenure as managing board comes to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the semester.
Tufts Climate Action has been urging Tufts to completely divest from fossil fuels, including all indirect investments. Their plea has been criticized within this publication; some believe a complete divestment is impractical and will burden Tufts’ endowment. On the contrary, it is in the interest of both our planet and our university if Tufts wholly divests from this detrimental industry.
The saying “two Jews, three opinions” can be frequently heard in Jewish circles, and it’s true. As a Jewish person, the stereotype that Jews argue and disagree with each other a lot is pretty true. My grandfather even likes to joke that Sephardic Jews were kicked out of Spain for arguing too much. ...
Though the digital age has certainly changed the style in which American politicians, or their communication directors, relate to younger voters, the practice of satirizing the opponent while bolstering oneself via imagery has always been a fundamental part of American politics.
