Arts

Arts

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Concert” is a triumph at Symphony Hall

By Nate Hall | September 17

On Sep. 6, thousands of fans poured into Boston’s Symphony Hall for a performance that was far from your typical night at the orchestra. While some audience members dressed business casual, others opted for outfits and paraphernalia from a galaxy far, far away, as the Boston Pops delivered an immersive performance of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015).

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Arts

The legacy of ‘The West Wing’ 25 years later

By Ryan Fairfield | September 17

Sept. 22 will mark the 25th anniversary of the premiere of “The West Wing,” an iconic political drama from the mind of Aaron Sorkin that earned 98 Emmy nominations and 27 wins in its seven-season run, Even after 25 years, the show continues to have a lasting impact on the world of entertainment and politics. The show’s legacy can perhaps be best summarized by Janel Moloney, who played Donna Moss, who said, “The show has not stopped but seemingly gotten more popular, remaining in the Zeitgeist, surging when people need political comfort — which these days is always — and amassing new devotees every day.”

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Arts

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’: Don’t say his name three times

By Odessa Gaines | September 13

Coming over thirty years after the original film, Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a complete marriage of ridiculous gags and charming storytelling. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” kicks off with the death of Charles Deetz, where his death by shark attack is told through stop motion animation.

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Arts

‘Blink Twice’: A raucous, chilling, but desperate endeavor

By Ava Dettling | September 11

The name change from “Pussy Island” to “Blink Twice” might have been the film’s first mistake. What could have been a bold and subversive thought piece on sexual trauma and women’s revenge, with “Pussy Island” became the rather trite and familiar play of power dynamics seen in “Blink Twice” (2024).

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Arts

The end of merch(?): Examining the market of branded promotional goods

By Ryan Fairfield | September 11

In an age when TikTok is flooded with videos of thousands of people lining up for hours at Taylor Swift merch trucks, it is hard to agree with Gentleman’s Quarterly’s statement that we are experiencing “The End of Merch.” The article, published at the beginning of the summer alongside others as part of “Merch Week,” seems to argue that while merch, the abbreviated form of the term merchandise, may be commercially successful, its golden age in the world of fashion has come to an end.

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Arts

The Bachelor franchise has failed its first Asian-American lead

By Annika Pillai | September 9

American reality dating show “The Bachelorette” debuted over 20 years ago; the series, a spinoff of “The Bachelor,” follows a single woman and a panel of men vying for her affection until the season finale, in which the final man standing proposes to her. Typically, the lead of “The Bachelorette” is a well-liked contestant from a previous season of its counterpart show. Despite running for over two decades, the franchise had never cast an Asian lead –– until this spring. Jenn Tran, the Vietnamese American star of the 21st season of the show, seemingly made history. At the time of the announcement, Tran had expressed enthusiasm over her casting, saying she felt “so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise” and that she was excited “to see Asian representation on TV.”

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Arts

It’s Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ Summer

By Erin Zhu | September 5

As the end of summer rapidly approaches, we now have the insight to describe those three golden months through a list of music, and it is an undeniable fact that former Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter will end up somewhere on that list.

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Arts

Geordie Greep’s ‘Holy Holy’ is a gratifying work of sound and vision

By Ethan Essner | September 5

As his reputation suggests, former Black Midi frontman, Geordie Greep, has always had a knack for channeling noisy percussion and fuzzy guitar feedback to create a beastly sound. His jarring progressive compositions are only overshadowed by dramatic vocal delivery. Each song can be compared to some theatrical climax one would witness on a Broadway stage. His voice is full of emotion and vibrancy, comparable to a Frank Zappa level of sonorous whimsy. His new work, “The New Sound,” will be his first solo album independent of Black Midi following the band’s announcement of an indefinite hiatus.

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Arts

A little R and R

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | September 5

If I were to associate summer with three words, they would be rest, rejuvenation and, most importantly, reading. The months of June, July and August are crucial to reassure my conscience and my Goodreads that I am indeed keeping up with my TBR — I often divide my vacation into phases based on the books I intend to read, to go with my desired aesthetic or vibe. My TBR is erratic at best, and it’s difficult to pick just two books, but we are working with a word count here. Here are my top two reads of this summer:

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Arts

Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ dismantles anxiety fear-mongering

By Annika Pillai | September 3

In 2015, Pixar Animation Studios released “Inside Out,” an animated coming-of-age film centered around the mental landscape of Riley, a young girl who just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. The protagonists are the personification of Riley’s basic emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness; whichever emotion was controlling the central console determined what emotion Riley was feeling. The film was considered a massive success, grossing $858.8 million at the box office against its $175 million budget, cementing itself as one of Pixar’s most influential and successful children’s films. At the end of the movie, the emotions gather around a large button that appears on the central console labeled “Puberty” to which Joy dismisses, saying “Things couldn’t be better! After all, Riley’s 12 now. What could happen?”

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Arts

Summer 2024 movie round-up

By Odessa Gaines | September 3

This summer seemed to fly by, especially if you spent half of it at the movies watching film after film. Films came out every weekend between June 1 and August 31, from sci-fi to coming-of-age to Marvel releases. While many films were highly anticipated, a few stood out.

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Arts

The summer of ‘brat’: Unpacking the cultural phenomenon

By Erin Zhu | September 3

The cover of Charli XCX’s latest album is instantly recognizable, with the word “brat” pasted carelessly in a blurred resolution on a pane of lime green. Careless, indeed, is the word that comes to mind for this album — and that is its greatest success.

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Arts

Seniors of Tufts theater reflect on four years of performance

By Jennifer May | May 19

Over 100 years after its founding in 1910, Tufts’ oldest student theater organization is continuing theater tradition and trying new things. Pen, Paint, and Pretzels, otherwise known as 3Ps, puts on productions of contemporary and classic plays every semester. Students in 3Ps have the opportunity to perform in, design and direct plays proposed the semester prior to each production.  

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Arts

Students, faculty mourn end of Tufts/NEC dual degree program

By Abbie Klein | May 19

After nearly 50 years of providing rigorous academic and musical education to Tufts students, the Tufts/New England Conservatory five-year dual degree program is coming to an end. The decision to end the program was made in summer 2023, and its termination was announced by email to students in the program and Department of Music faculty and staff on Oct. 25, 2023. NEC faculty were notified of the decision on Oct. 24. Students currently enrolled in or accepted into the program will be allowed to complete it, but no new students will be accepted into the program, and it will end when the last student graduates. There are currently 14 students in the program.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Jason Wallace imagines new worlds in thesis film ‘Citizens of Kattaquam’

By Matthew Winkler | May 19

Graduating senior Jason Wallace is nearing the end of post-production for his thesis film “Citizens of Kattaquam.” Featuring scenes with up to 40 cast members and a crew of 15, Wallace’s grandiose sci-fi epic is not the typical small-scale production expected of student films on sparse budgets. But for Wallace, pursuing one of the most ambitious Tufts thesis films in recent years was necessary to realize his vision.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Carl Svahn brings his love for art, journalism to the Daily and beyond

By Ethan Essner | May 18

Carl Svahn entered Tufts as a first-year in the fall of 2020. With classes held online and COVID-19 restrictions in full effect, Svahn, like many others in his grade, felt isolated, so he began looking for ways to connect with his classmates. A comic book lover, he spent time at Kamikaze in Davis Square, which is where he learned about the opportunity to pursue journalism with the Daily.

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Arts

Seniors of KoDA continue to foster a welcoming environment for all

By Odessa Gaines | May 18

The Korean Dance Association, better known as KoDA, is Tufts’ very own student-run K-pop dance group. KoDA members collaborate on K-pop covers in weekly rehearsals, club bonding events, semester showcases and videos of their performances — which they post to their YouTube channel. A relatively new club that emerged right before the onset of the pandemic, KoDA has only grown in numbers and notability over the past few years.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Copy executive Natalie Bricker looks back on her Daily journey

By Ryan Fairfield | May 18

Natalie Bricker had a more untraditional journey to Tufts University, transferring from the University of Michigan at the start of her junior year. At Michigan, Bricker was a copy editor and wrote for The Michigan Daily, skills she would bring to The Tufts Daily as both a writer and current executive copy editor.

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Arts

Kenneth Tam’s ‘Standing in Soft Formation’ departs Tufts University Art Galleries

By Erin Zhu | May 17

Kenneth Tam’s “Standing in Soft Formation” recently ended its three-month tenure at Tufts University Art Galleries’ exhibition space in the Aidekman Arts Center.

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Arts

Senior Profile: Maeve Hagerty discusses Daily tenure, campus arts scene

By Nate Hall | May 17

A former executive arts editor of the Daily, senior Maeve Hagerty sat down with current executive arts editor Nate Hall to discuss her experiences with the Daily and reflect on her four years at Tufts. Hagerty, who grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, is a history and political science major with a minor in English, and she’s been writing for the Daily since her first semester at Tufts in fall of 2020.

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