Olivia Zambrano

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The normalization of AI use is making students blind to its larger impacts

By Olivia Zambrano | May 15

Many conversations I’ve had with my peers regarding AI use have resulted in questions about whether foregoing AI would make any real difference if ‘everyone else’ would be using it anyway. While, unfortunately, they are correct about the sheer amount of students that use AI — a staggering 64% — they are misguided in their assumption that one fewer student using AI would not make a positive impact.

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Crazed obsession with queer media doesn’t mean authentic appreciation

By Olivia Zambrano | March 12

Since its debut on HBO Max, “Heated Rivalry” (2025–) has amassed an astonishing 10.6 million U.S. viewers, with the two lead actors, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, achieving instantaneous Hollywood-level fame. The two experienced complete culture shock as they went from being everyday, run-of-the-mill restaurant servers to presenting at the Golden Globes, with Connor Storrie going on to host SNL and Hudson Williams appearing as a guest. While I expected “Heated Rivalry” to go platinum in queer communities, I never anticipated this level of fame or appreciation from the general public. Looking back, I should have. This insane surge in viewership and fan appreciation paralleled that of “Red, White & Royal Blue” (2023), a drama about the gay romance between the First Son of the United States and the Prince of Wales.

News

Aca-demia at Tufts

By Olivia Zambrano | December 4

If you’re a Tufts student, chances are you’ve met at least one member of an a cappella group — and didn’t even know it. Tufts is the proud home to 10 a cappella groups, each with a unique history, repertoire and membership. From Enchanted, which sings almost exclusively Disney music, to S-Factor, Tufts’ all-male group specializing in music of the African diaspora, Tufts offers no shortage of opportunities for students interested in entering the a cappella scene. Because of the sheer number of groups, each occupying its own musical niche, it can be difficult to grasp what a cappella culture actually looks like on campus. To find out, I decided to start at the source, and interview leadership from three groups on campus: the Jackson Jills, the Beelzebubs and Shir Appeal.

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SNAP benefits went dark during the government shutdown — why should Tufts students care?

By Olivia Zambrano | November 20

Roughly 41.7 million people rely on assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. When the government shut down on Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined that maintaining SNAP benefits wasn’t a priority — leaving nearly 42 million individuals across the country unsure of where their next meal would come from.

Opinion

Think Sink: The Sink as a community space on campus

By Olivia Zambrano | October 23

If you’ve walked through the Mayer Campus Center between 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., there’s no doubt you’ve heard Charli XCX blasting from the sink-shaped nook just to the right of the second-floor stairs. A warmly-lit hideaway in the normally fluorescent Campus Center, The Sink is the perfect spot to catch up with a friend or pretend to be studying — if you can find a table. Hordes of students line up to grab one of The Sink’s latest collaborative drinks or classic concoctions, like “Lucy in the Chai,” “Girl Grass” or “Blossom.”

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Everyone watches women’s basketball, even men who belittle it

By Olivia Zambrano | October 16

In 1996, after much struggle to prove that women’s sports are a viable business model, the NBA Board of Governors approved the concept of a women’s-only league. On June 21, 1997, the WNBA officially began competition. On Saturday, the WNBA capped its 29th season with the Las Vegas Aces crowned the 2025 season champions. Initially a league of only eight teams, the WNBA now boasts 13 active teams and recently announced expansion efforts to five new cities to accommodate the immense surge in viewership and attendance in recent years. In 2024, the WNBA set an all-time viewership record — its most-watched season in 21 years. Online viewership wasn’t the only statistic that improved during the 2024 season — in-person attendance also skyrocketed, shooting up 48% from the 2023 season and marking the highest total attendance in 22 years. All 12 teams saw an increase in home game attendance, with the Indiana Fever leading the pack with a 319% increase. Recently, WNBA officials announced that the league has already broken its single-season attendance record for 2025.

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Colonialism’s unlikely successor: Religious mission trips in Central and South America

By Olivia Zambrano | September 18

As a native Texan, I’ve spent my fair share of time at Christian overnight camps, where many of my former bunkmates gradually shifted their summer plans from Bible study and kayaking to religious mission trips. These missionaries, predominantly white and Christian, waste no time posting on Instagram to commemorate the end of their missions. They often capitalize upon South American communities and exploit their interactions with children to garner empathy and praise from their peers without the consent of the families they work with.

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Pop Princess 101: Sabrina Carpenter’s new album isn’t the feminist serve you think it is

By Olivia Zambrano | September 2

The media that individuals consume dictates their views on society. The average individual sees more than 5,000 advertisements per day, each of which has the power to shape their beliefs, attitudes and expectations. Hence, it’s imperative that popular media uplifts marginalized groups, rather than confining them to stereotypes that can normalize sexism, racism or homophobia. Gender stereotypes have persisted in popular media, from sexist portrayals of women in 20th century advertisements to their depictions in movies and music today. Although the representation of empowered women has increased, gender-restrictive stereotypes and the objectification of women are still prominent in popular media today.

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Scientists need to stop playing God

By Olivia Zambrano | May 15

More than 47,000 species are currently threatened with extinction. Just last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List reported five newly extinct species and five others moved to the critically endangered list. Scientists from Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences are working to revive extinct animals in order to “jumpstart nature’s accestral heartbeat.” However, its choices in animals are questionable: Tasmanian tigers, mammoths, dire wolves and dodo birds. Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences’ mission, although a marvel of modern technology, is a shoddy attempt to restore balance to mother nature without addressing humanity’s failure to protect animals that went extinct in the last decade.

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Your women’s, gender and sexuality studies degree isn’t useless — it’s essential to maintaining democracy

By Olivia Zambrano | April 18

When I tell people I’m majoring in sociology and Spanish, their response is almost guaranteed to be something vaguely critical of the social sciences and humanities. My favorite response I’ve received is “you’re just wasting your parents’ money” from a Floridian taxi driver. Despite the popular misconception that degrees dedicated to the social sciences and humanities are unnecessary, the current sociopolitical climate has rendered them more important now than ever.

The normalization of AI use is making students blind to its larger impacts

Crazed obsession with queer media doesn’t mean authentic appreciation

Aca-demia at Tufts

SNAP benefits went dark during the government shutdown — why should Tufts students care?

Think Sink: The Sink as a community space on campus

Everyone watches women’s basketball, even men who belittle it

Colonialism’s unlikely successor: Religious mission trips in Central and South America

Pop Princess 101: Sabrina Carpenter’s new album isn’t the feminist serve you think it is

Scientists need to stop playing God

Your women’s, gender and sexuality studies degree isn’t useless — it’s essential to maintaining democracy

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BREAKING: Tufts Buddhist Chaplain arrested in prostitution sting, resigns from university