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Reya Kumar

Reya Kumar is a deputy opinion editor at the Tufts Daily. Reya is a senior studying History, Political Science, and Psychology and can be reached at reya.kumar@tufts.edu.

The Setonian
Viewpoint

We need to move beyond the terms ‘pro-Palestine’ and ‘pro-Israel’

By Reya Kumar | April 25

While engagement with the Israel-Palestine conflict has increased dramatically since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, 2023, it is far from a new topic at Tufts University. The Daily’s website includes articles on the subject dating back to 2000, and I am sure that many more exist in the physical archives of the Daily and other Tufts publications. Since at least 2000, the terms “pro-Palestine” and “pro-Israel” have graced the pages of the Daily and existed within the discourse on our campus.

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Viewpoint

How DEI can change society — and save lives

By Liam Chalfonte and Reya Kumar | April 5

A recent article published in the Daily argued that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts are detrimental in a variety of ways. Particularly, it argued that DEI in the medical field prioritizes diversity over merit, disadvantaging patients. However, evidence indicates that DEI improves medical care for minority communities without affecting the overall quality of care. Furthermore, DEI initiatives across all professions work to create more equitable outcomes and combat systemic biases inherent in society.

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Viewpoint

Alabama’s IVF saga illuminates GOP hypocrisy

By Reya Kumar | March 12

Last Monday, France became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to abortion in their constitution. Here in the United States, we are regressing on women’s rights following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which found that the U.S. Constitution “does not confer a right to abortion.” In the aftermath of this decision, 14 U.S. states with Republican-controlled legislatures have passed laws banning abortion in all or most circumstances, while an additional seven have placed gestational limits.

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Viewpoint

Local news is dying — we can’t let it

By Reya Kumar | February 22

By the end of this year, the U.S. will have lost one-third of the news publications it had in 2005. Major publications such as Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times laid off scores of journalists last month, an event journalist Paul Farhi called “especially ominous.” Farhi himself was laid off by the Washington Post last year. Most of the defunct publications, however, are smaller weekly newspapers that are often the only source of reporting for local communities.

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Viewpoint

It’s time to rethink our relationship with grass

By Reya Kumar | February 13

In the U.S., we have nearly as many acres of lawn as we do acres of national parks — 40 to 50 million. Green grass lawns were first popularized in Europe, in the landscaping of elegant properties such as the palace of Versailles. These lawns were mirrored by American elites like Thomas Jefferson, who had turfgrass installed at his Monticello estate in Virginia.

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Viewpoint

Sustainability is more than a buzzword — it’s our only option

By Reya Kumar | February 1

Last year, $13 billion was pulled from Environmental, Social and Governance funds, marking a significant downturn in contributions to these ‘sustainable’ investment options. ESG investing targets companies that value environmental awareness, social impact and effective governance. They rely on the idea that these companies involve less long-term risk than companies deemed most profitable by traditional investment analysis.

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Viewpoint

Red versus blue or red, white and blue?

By Reya Kumar | December 11

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?

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Viewpoint

Voting rights are under attack — they must be protected and strengthened

By Reya Kumar | December 1

On Monday, a federal appeals court dealt a grievous blow to the Voting Rights Act, which has protected the voting rights of minorities since it was passed in 1965. The VRA has faced many challenges through the years and was considerably weakened in 2013. The Shelby County v. Holder decision ended the preclearance provision in Section 5 of the VRA — which required states to receive approval for new voting laws from the Department of Justice if they had a history of discriminatory voting practices. Preclearance was first upheld by the Supreme Court in 1966 and has been called the “heart” of the VRA.

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Viewpoint

Let’s give thanks without the history lesson

By Reya Kumar | November 28

I can still recall my elementary school Thanksgiving celebrations. Using construction paper, we made “Indian” feather headdresses and Pilgrim hats to don at our Thanksgiving feast. We celebrated the voyage of the Mayflower (as we had those of the Niña, Pinta and Santa María a month before) and the friendship of two peoples. Considering that 90% of the Indigenous population of the Americas was killed by violence and disease following Christopher Columbus’ famed 1492 voyage, this story is false and deeply misleading.

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