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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, November 21, 2024

Opinion | Column

Derin-1
Column

Hot Take: Seth Cohen was the true protagonist of ‘The O.C.’

I revisited the show during my one-day spring break (thanks, Tufts!) by binging all four seasons of it on Hulu. Needless to say, I have a few questions, the biggest of which is: Who was the true protagonist of the show? And after many years of beating around the bush, I’ve come to decide that it’s Seth Cohen — contrary to popular belief. 


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Column

Beyond the Underneath: Some thoughts on being a video jockey

VJs are visual artists who create and improvise videos for performances and live music events. My VJ project was abandoned, but I started to pay more attention to visuals during music events. Some of them were sublime in terms of design, composition, meaning and even beat-matching; some of them raised questions in my head. 


The Setonian
Column

Tuff Talks: Food

Dear J: I know the dining hall workers work very hard but I just can’t bring myself to enjoy the food at Tufts. What can I do? Tufts has to cater to thousands of students, so sometimes that just means that the food has to be simple and inoffensive. I don’t know what year you’re in, but as I’ll be a sophomore next year, I am looking forward to cooking more if I’m able to score an apartment-style dorm with a kitchen.


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Column

Soundtrack to the end of the world: Psychedelic pseudonyms

When asked about my music taste, whether during an awkward first date or during pre-orientation duck, duck, goose, my answer was always the same — “Anything but country, really.” But through the haze of the last year (carrying my clothes in trash bags and dozens of pies out of Latin Way), I found my music taste through much trial and error, not understanding what I liked, and chasing the goosebumps. So now, when asked what music I like listening to, I answer, “weird … psychedelic … funky.” I like my music to not sound normal, to put you on edge as much as it soothes you.  


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Column

Beyond the Underneath: A world in the bomb shelter

The place is also much bigger than I imagined. It's not just a single room but almost a maze. The hallway connects several rooms together. From roaming in and out of rooms, looking at the style of the arches and the bricks on the wall, I was drawn to its structure. It's like a part of a bigger picture.


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Column

Hot Take: ‘Saturday Night Live’ isn’t funny anymore

I’m not going to talk more about the golden age of SNL. I wasn’t born until 2002, so it’s not my area of knowledge. What I can do is talk about SNL's "silver age," led by people like Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Rachel Dratch, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg in the late 2000s and early 2010s.



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Column

Soundtrack to the end of the world: In case of emergency

I like nervous music, music that’s unsettled and unsettling, even when it’s in a major key, and this seems somewhere between pablum and dread. Over the last 12 months, I’ve found myself falling into repetitive music and listening loops. Maybe read this as my way of rocking back and forth, my sonic self-care at best or anesthetic at worst.



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Column

A Fantastic Voyage: 'Solve Everything' Part 1

It always impresses me when a writer can find a novel concept in long-running series with decades of lore and a tried and true premise like “Fantastic Four” (1961–). I chuckle even harder when that novel idea is both literal and figurative. The secret behind that riddle is the subject of today’s story arc, “Solve Everything” (2009). 





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Column

Hot Take: ‘Palm Springs’ is unfairly underrated

What I enjoyed the most about this movie was that it explored these imaginary scenarios in a very light, yet existentialist manner. I honestly don’t know how I’d classify its genre. Rom-com? Maybe. Sci-fi? Definitely. Nihilistic and existentialist, forcing you to look at your own life differently? Hell yeah!


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Column

The Graffiti Street: An ephemeral span of eternal stories

Fortunately, and unfortunately, this street is one of the very few places where graffiti is completely allowed and legal. People obviously love it. The punchy colors and bold lines could invigorate the disciplined city even though the rareness of their appearance couldn’t do much as a whole. 




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Column

Hot Take: 'Ratatouille' is Pixar at its best

The film's story is universal. Remy represents a small part of us that strives to be something we’ve been told we can’t be. He represents a dream we’ve been longing for. Linguini represents our insecurities, the side of us holding us back. The two together create this power, this ability to create and do the impossible, to prove others wrong.


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Column

Off the Gridiron: Matthew Stafford to the Rams

By trading for Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams have made a major statement to the rest of the NFL: they are in it to win it. To acquire the former No. 1 pick, the Rams sent their 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2021 third round pick and starting quarterback Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions. This season revealed that the Rams have a Super Bowl-caliber defense that is held back by their offense, reinforcing the widely held belief that the Rams win in spite of Goff — and not because of him. 


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Column

Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Oscar race

If you were to have the Oscars today, it would be a pretty underwhelming year indeed. But by virtue of a growing number of streaming services, you can watch much of 2020's prestige cinema from the comfort of your own home. Here’s a few you can expect to see released over the next few weeks.


Maeves-Music-Mondays
Column

Maeve's Music Mondays: I miss live music

As the pandemic has progressed, I constantly find myself listening to live versions of my favorite songs on YouTube and Spotify. The ultimate test of a musical artist, for me, is how they sound without the autotune and the sophisticated editing.