From the classrooms of Tufts University in Medford, Mass., to the political arena of Washington, D.C., Peter Navarro has built upon his Jumbo roots to influence the economic policies of the United States. But who is this Tufts alum, and what does his rise to the White House mean for Americans, and particularly, for the students of his alma mater?
For the past several weeks, I have gotten countless notifications from news outlets detailing the newest action from the Trump administration that systematically discredits news sources. From targeting the Associated Press for referring to the Gulf of Mexico as such — instead of President Donald Trump’s newly minted “Gulf of America” — to investigating NPR and PBS with the goal of ending their government subsidies, the Trump administration is interfering in the press’ ability to report critically on his policies.
It was a typical Tuesday night when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers raided a Bronx apartment complex. The event drew a lot of media coverage, especially when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video on social media with the caption “Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.” 39 people were arrested that night in raids across NYC and Long Island, inspiring fear both throughout the state and the country about who could be next.
As the administration of President Donald Trump has set off on its pursuit of an “America First” agenda, the majority of its moves so far have confused, and outright angered, many in the international community. Scarily, the majority of these aggravated parties are, or at least were, incredibly important U.S. allies.
“Emilia Pérez” is a 2024 Spanish-language musical crime film written by non-Spanish speaking Frenchdirector Jacques Audiard. While the film was set in Mexico, it was filmed in France, as Audiard’s vision of Mexico didn’t match thereality of the country’s streets. This vision is of a stereotypical Mexico, centered around a cartel leader with the backdrop of street markets, deserts and that familiar sepia filter.
The Trump administration has long since straddled the blurry line between hate speech and outright human rights violations. The recently inaugurated President Donald Trump and his administration have abused their positions of power to enact executive orders that accelerate the United States’ descent into a country led by compassionless government agencies and individuals.
Within just a few weeks of its arrival, China’s latest reasoning model DeepSeek R1 sent the stock prices of American tech companies plummeting. Investor Marc Andreessen described it as “AI’s Sputnik moment,” considering the new AI model — developed by the new Chinese startup company — shocked Silicon Valley and Wall Street. This new model is said to be capable of performance equal to that technology of more prominent AI companies such as OpenAI and MetaAI at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. People interpreting Andreessen’s comment as a wake-up call for drastic change might be extrapolating from history — if Sputnik sparked national mobilization, why wouldn’t an “AI Sputnik” moment lead to something similar? One could view DeepSeek as a canary in the coal mine, as it signals a potential decline in U.S. technological supremacy in the face of China’s growing technological capabilities. I, however, view this issue differently.
Last semester, I visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — now my favorite art museum — for the first time. Built by Gardner and her husband to display their vast art collection in a dignified and evocative manner, the museum is a masterclass in artistic harmony. Walking through the Gothic Room, I was struck by how seamlessly the different forms and aesthetics connected, creating a strong sense of continuity. Stepping out of the museum and back into the modern world, I couldn’t help but wonder if there were any such uniform art movements in the modern era.
If you’ve ever been on a Mini Mart ice cream run, you may have noticed Ben & Jerry’s pints are more expensive than other brands. You may ask yourself, “is my splurge worth the cost as a student on a limited budget?” Yet it’s important to note that your money may go toward more than just ice cream. The creators behind your favorite logos and flavors hold values and make choices to invest profits in a way that impacts the world in which we live. Those few extra dollars might go into supporting a cause that you truly care about. Despite Ben & Jerry’s slightly higher price tag, their model for investment beyond the product itself should be the gold standard for companies. Not all companies have missions that support social causes, but the realization that consumers like to purchase from brands that support causes they care about has driven some companies to use progressive politics as a marketing tactic.
As an avid sports fan, I understand the emotional intensity that comes with watching a game, no matter how low the stakes. Whether I’m cheering on my younger brother as he plays a match of youth soccer or watching my favorite professional sports teams, I often feel as emotionally invested as I would be if I were a player on the field. Games that don’t end with a victory for my team often produce an emotional reaction that compels me to find any excuse for the loss. Oftentimes, a significant amount of blame falls on the game officials, whether they are referred to as referees, umpires or judges.
Frank Ocean may have some of the most cultish, fervent supporters in the entire music industry. Born as Christopher Edwin Breaux, the 37-year-old singer’s fan-base — and influence — far exceed the quantity of his music. Though he hasn’t released an official studio album since 2016, every year there seems to be rumors that Frank has a new life-altering masterpiece on the way. His fans read into every bit of his life, analyzing his Instagram feed, his mom’s birthdaymessage and even recently, a masked figure on Tyler the Creator’s music video, for a desperate sign of new music. I, for one, have a bootleg vinyl of his unreleased songs — and I’m not even a mega fan. This kind of obsessive behavior is normalized throughout Ocean’s fanbase. Safe to say, fans would give up an arm and a leg to hear another second of Ocean’s sweet melodies.
As the head of these organizations, Musk has often been at the head of public controversies. One of the most recent pieces of problematic news to come out about Musk was that the openly appeared to give a Nazi salute at an event held for President Donald Trump’s inauguration. This news was naturally deeply alarming and frightening to many. How could a gesture most commonly associated with the fascist, antisemitic regime of Adolf Hitler be reappearing at a nationally televised event in the U.S. nearly a century after WWII?
I think it is both possible and necessary for people to disagree with each other constructively on important matters. All perspectives deserve to be patiently heard, regardless of how egregious they may initially seem; an argument is not invalid simply because it does not affirm the moral superiority of your own position.
In August 2020, President Donald Trump ordered ByteDance — the parent company of TikTok — to sell their American assets. That order would prove to be a death knell for TikTok: Four and a half years later, in January, the Supreme Court upheld a law to ban it. On the app, and among the generation that uses it most, panic ensued.
Hobbies — any activity engaged in for pleasure ranging from crafting to gardening — are a scarce delicacy for college students, whose day-to-day lives don’t often allow for leisure time. The mental, emotional and physical health benefits of hobbies are frequently overlooked and treated as luxuries in a schedule packed full of academic and personal endeavors.
JoJo Siwa is undoubtedly one of the most cringey — and hated — artists of our generation. Her music video for “Karma” earned the most dislikes of any YouTube music video by a female artist in 2024, and the comment sections on her songs are constantly filled with animosity, with comments such as, “Gonna play this at my funeral so people would be jealous im in the coffin” under her most recent music video for “Choose Your Fighter.” Although I agree Siwa is eminently cringy, I believe people are often too quick to judge her. Too many allow their discomfort with her persona to overshadow any attempt to understand her.
Trader Joe’s is beloved by all. By all, I mean students, soccer moms, snack fanatics — and me. I’ve been to every single Trader Joe’s you can get to by the T. The best: the one in Allston, where you cross the bridge and walk by the HarvardStadium. It’s giant, has countless products and features a beautiful walk that guides customers into its wonderful doors. The worst: the one off of Copley, which happens to be the smallest Trader Joe’s in the U.S. Guess why it’s the worst!
History is littered with the remains of our innate desire to escape the monotony of everyday life and seek adventure. As humans, we reject notions of impossibility and obligation, dreaming of a day when we can break free from the status quo through sheer passion and curiosity, carving our own paths to greatness.
In 2023, a study found that young people’s voting habits are heavily influenced by the voting patterns of where they grew up. That has certainly been the case for me. I grew up in Oakland, Calif., which belongs to the most Democratic-leaning congressional district in the country. I went to a high school with a very progressive student body, and now I’m at Tufts with a similarly progressive student body.
In the weeks since he reassumed office, President Donald Trump’s actions on the global stage have shocked observers, both internationally and domestically. Most recently, the U.S. State Department froze nearly all foreign aid for 90 days, subjecting foreign aid projects to a review based on which projects, in the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, serve to make America “safer, stronger and more prosperous.” This move has set off alarms, especially among Latin American countries, with some pointing out that a decrease in U.S. support is likely to result in increased immigration to the United States.
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