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The digital era's new toxic relationship
By Idil Kolabas | October 15Five hours. Two hours, 48 minutes. Thirteen hours, 7 minutes.
Opinion | Viewpoint
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The impunity of the wealthy: The Pandora Papers
By Makram Bekdache and Faye Shen Li Thijssen | October 14Last week, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published its largest global investigation to date: the Pandora Papers. More than 600 journalists from 117 countries have spent the past several months reading through almost 12 million documents including images, files, emails and spreadsheets collected from 14 sources which reveal the hidden assets, tax evasion and money laundering of some of the world’s richest people. Among the myriad groups and high-profile figures implicated, the United Kingdom’s property market and the tax policies of several U.S. states proved to be global hotspots for wealthy individuals to hide their assets.
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The strength of a mezuzah
By Jake Blum | October 14When thefirst mezuzah was ripped from a Harleston Hall resident’s door frame, I had multiple conversations with my editor, considering an article in response to the heinous act of cowardice. However, due to Tufts’ swift response to the action, and my unfortunate status as a busy second-year biomedical engineer, I eventually decided that, although it may have been valuable, an article would have simply stated the obvious.
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We have ignored the nuances of government, and people at the border are suffering as a result
By Andres Borjas | October 8Before being elected into office, President Joe Biden promised to bring urgent change to America’s broken immigration and asylum system. In short, our current president pledged to the public that within his first 100 days, he could undo the cruel and senseless policymaking of the prior four years. Very high on his laundry list of commitments was the termination of the Migrant “Protection” Protocols, better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which bars many asylum seekers from entering the United States while waiting for their cases to be processed. The implementation of Remain in Mexico in 2019 resulted in nothing short of a crisis — a constant state of affairs the Trump administration seemed more than happy to create — as asylum seekers packed into unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane tent cities at the border. At the same time, the cogs of law and bureaucracy determined the fates of these migrants.
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Intersectionality in the face of tragedy
By Faye Shen Li Thijssen | October 8InJune, 22-year-old Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie embarked on a cross-country road trip. For the majority of the trip, Petito maintained regular contact with her friends and family, but her communication abruptly stopped at the end of August. Laundrie returned home from the road trip alone on Sept. 1, offering no mention of the whereabouts or conditions of his fiance. Ten days later, Petito was reported missing by her parents.
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“Lang lebe die Königin” — Long live the queen
By Makram Bekdache | October 6Sixteen years in power. Only monarchs, autocrats and dictators last this long in office. The exception is Angela Merkel: the German chancellor who has had exceptional success in navigating the many crises she has faced.
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Widespread cases of institutional sexual abuse: Universities must do more to protect their students
By Reya Kumar and Carter Wagner | October 5Content warning: This article discusses sexual abuse and assault.
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Why we love (and need) football
By Alex Sharp | October 5Our generation is the most well informed and technologically advanced in human history. We’re also the softest. Maybe it was the over-praising helicopter parents (thanks Generation X), or the participation trophies or the fact that social media can make a person’s actions when they’re 15 cost them a job when they’re 30.
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The exacerbation of political polarization in Canadian elections
By Faye Shen Li Thijssen | October 4Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an early election barely two years into his term on Aug. 15. Trudeau triggered this snap election in the hopes of winning a majority in the House of Commons, thus regaining the party majority which was denied him in the 2019 election.Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Director Chrystia Freeland cited the increasingly discordant views of the Prime Minister and the House of Commons as a key difficulty in reaching consensus on COVID-19 policies.
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Coup de théâtre in Beirut
By Makram Bekdache | October 1Joy, disbelief, indifference or skepticism. These were the reactions of many Lebanese individuals to their home country's recent news. After thirteen months of an inactive caretaker government, Lebanon finally has a new government. Following a year of depressing news headlines and worsening domestic issues, it may be the last chance for my country to set things right.
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America is back — and Trumpier than ever
By Daniel Chung | September 29On the campaign trail, now-President Biden spoke of bringing America back to the table to lead a “united front” of democracies in confronting 21st-century challenges from climate change to the growing threat of authoritarianism. In a March 2020 op-ed in Foreign Affairs, helaid out a plan to achieve these ends. But recent foreign policy blunders, especially those regarding France-U.S. relations, betray that his words may only have been empty air.
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To the Hyatt and back: The issue of Hyatt shuttle frequency
By Idil Kolabas | September 28Fall 2021. A new semester marked by the arrival of a new class year prepared to explore new courses and experience all that Tufts has to offer. This year, however, around 100 first-year students were assigned to livein the Hyatt Place in Medford, nearly two miles away from campus. Even afterWest Hall’s transformation into a first-year dorm, the university was unable to compensate for over-admitting the incoming Class of 2025.
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Medford and Somerville elections: The importance of local politics for Tufts students
By Faye Shen Li Thijssen | September 24Last Tuesday, Sept. 14, marked the deadline for Medford and Somerville preliminary election ballots to be received. The preliminary elections asked voters to choose their top candidates for a number of offices, including mayors of both cities, six school committee members in Medford, one councilor in Ward 5 and another in Ward 7 in Somerville.
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The legacy of 9/11 and the American response
By Reya Kumar | September 20Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 was marked by remembrances of the horrific attack 20 years ago that transformed countless lives, our nation and the world at large. The remembrances focused largely on the 2,753 lives lost at Ground Zero — people who undoubtedly deserve to be remembered.
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Hurricane Ida’s devastation exposes greater climate issue at hand
By Emily Nadler | September 16By the numbers themselves, it goes without saying that Hurricane Ida has brought immense destruction and desperation to the neighborhoods and areas it passed through. Nearly a hundred people have died from Ida’s tornadoes, extreme flooding and heavy winds. Ida hasaffected 22 states, plus Washington, D.C., and torn through 1,500 miles of the United States.
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The extremity of the Texas abortion ban: What this means for women in the U.S.
By Sara Kessel | September 16On Wednesday, Sept. 1, the Supreme Courtallowed Texas to uphold what is now the most repressive abortion law in the United States.The structure of Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB 8)mirrors the “heartbeat bills” of states like Georgia and Ohio, banning abortions past the detection of a fetal heartbeat. However, the law in Texas is the first tobypass federal blocking due to a backdoor provision that calls for enforcement by civil action rather than by the state itself. Instead of designating government officials to enforce the law, SB 8 gives citizens the ability to sue anyone who aids an unlawful abortion and allows them to collect at least $10,000 in the process.
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The implications of California's recall election
By Faye Shen Li Thijssen | September 14Today, California voters face the decision of whether to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of California.The prospect that the Democratic governor may lose his position in the predominantly blue state has sparked nationwide concern.While a poll conducted found that 58% of likely voters say they will vote against the recall and support Newsom, the final turnout for this special election remains to be seen.
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The collective loss of the Class of 2024
By Reya Kumar | September 14The members of the Class of 2024 have collectively lost some of the most important cultural and social experiences of our lives. In the United States, as well as in many other places around the world, the end of high school is a once-in-a-lifetime period of celebration and closure. Prom, graduation, senior week, senior trips, signing yearbooks of friends and acquaintances that you may never see again — all of these things signify the end of an era, of childhood. Our class missed out on all of these experiences.
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Accommodation and flexibility are key in the transition to in-person learning
By Sara Kessel | September 10A lot has changed since the start of the fall 2020 semester. Vaccines have become widely accessible in the United States, with 53% of the nation’s population being fully vaccinated. Tufts has changed its COVID-19 guidelines, easing us back in the direction of a somewhat more ‘normal’ academic year. Amidst a time of continued uncertainty and isolation, many students feel cautiously optimistic about what this school year has to offer.
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As the Delta variant spreads, students must remain cautious and safe this semester
By Faye Shen Li Thijssen | September 8As the semester drew to a close last May, COVID-19 infection rates were steadily declining, indicating a possible end to this deadly pandemic. However, by late July, reported statistics throughout the nation showed an alarming increase in cases and deaths, specifically as a result of the novel Delta variant of COVID-19. According to the CDC, the seven-day moving average of cases climbed from 12,000 in late June to over 60,000 by July 27. As vaccination rates plateau and infection levels increase, hopes for the near end of the pandemic are fleeting.
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