Columns

Columns

Adventures of an A-Lister: Guide to theater etiquette

By Odessa Gaines | November 8

With all the movies I see, I am constantly bombarded with just how much the theater scene has changed over the past several years. Much like live theater, it’s almost as if society returned from our unprecedented times and immediately decided to throw out all the rules. So for those who have forgotten or were maybe never taught, here’s an idiot’s guide to movie theater etiquette.

---

Columns

The Oxford Comma: Election from England

By Grace Nelson | November 8

In my previous column, I promised to talk about my experience with the tutorial system at the University of Oxford. That was my intention when I sat down today to write, but it just felt disingenuous for me not to talk about the obvious elephant in the room: the U.S. election. I know this is not a political column, but following the election from the U.K. has been very formative for my study abroad experience.

---

Column

Ukraine at War: The adverse environmental impact of Russia’s war

By Mariia Kudina | November 7

The connection between the war in Ukraine and climate change might not be evident at first glance. Discussions of environmental damage brought upon by Russian warfare rarely appear on the front pages of major newspapers. Yet, recent scientific studies highlight that the war not only deteriorates ecosystems in Ukraine, but also accelerates global warming by emitting heat trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

---

Columns

Wanderlust: Hurricane Helene

By Carmen Smoak | November 4

I am 4,489 miles from home. It sounds like a lot, but sometimes it doesn’t feel far at all. When big things happen back home, I feel as if my brain is separated from my body. My mind soars over the Atlantic Ocean at warp speed, seeing familiar places and faces, feeling as though nothing has changed and as if I never left.

---

Column

Rooted Reflections: We can't all go vegan

By Justin Solis | October 30

In recent years, a global movement towards vegan diets has risen to prominence, driven by the idea that going vegan can help save the planet. Researchers have identified that vegans produce an environmental footprint that is at least one-third lower than those who eat meat. They are also responsible for 93% less methane, a greenhouse gas responsible for 25% of global warming.

---

Columns

Weekly Wellness: Are seed oils scary?

By Katie Pflieger | October 30

In the past few years, there has been an increase in wellness-related fearmongering about seed oils, which raises the question: Are seed oils really scary? From canola and sunflower to grapeseed and safflower oils, what are seed oils, really, and are they harmful to our health?

---

---

Column

Coffee Table Socioeconomics: Upward mobility is becoming obsolete

By Linda Huang | October 29

Upward mobility has long been held up as a defining factor of generational success, especially in the U.S., where the notion of rising above one’s parents in socioeconomic status is central to the “American Dream.” Traditionally, this concept meant climbing the social stratum — gaining wealth, status or both, often through education or hard work. In practice, upward mobility is sometimes reduced to a simple metric: whether the next generation earns a higher income than the previous one.

---

Columns

Hey Wait Just One Second: Tricks and Treats

By Max Turnacioglu | October 29

Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat. If you don’t, I don’t care. I’ll pull down your underwear. Woah — maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but I am ‘dead’ serious about Halloween. Among the dominant (American) holidays, Halloween sticks out like a sore pumpkin. It lacks a prototypical communal or religious element, like many other notable festivities, instead imbuing celebration with an individualistic and distinctively subversive tilt. To examine this proclaimed Christian and historically pagan holiday from a Jewish perspective: On all other holiday nights, we celebrate joy and contentment, but on this night we celebrate fear. Why is this night different from all other nights?

---

Columns

T Time: Just around the Coolidge Corner

By Jeremy Bramson | October 25

This weekend, instead of watching the Head Of The Charles — which I regret not attending — I took advantage of the beautiful weather and took a trip to Coolidge Corner in Brookline. For those interested in visiting, you can take the Green Line from the Medford/Tufts station, transfer to the Green Line C branch between Government Center and Copley and take it to Coolidge Corner station. All in all, the trip took a little bit under an hour.

---

Columns

Full Court Press: Why you should be rooting for the Lakers

By Noah Goldstein | October 25

If you’re among the loyal readers of this column (all three or four of you, by my estimate), you might be wondering why a series titled “The Full Court Press” has yet to cover any basketball. As you sat and read about Deshaun Watson or the Padres, you surely thought to yourself, “Does this idiot even know what a full court press is? He knows that’s a basketball term, right?”

---

Columns

Minutia Matters: Baseball, semantic narrowing and language shift

By Leo Deener | October 24

The New York Yankees, my favorite team, won the American League Championship Series on Saturday and are therefore heading to the World Series. As right fielder Juan Soto caught the final out that sent them to the World Series, the announcer proclaimed that the Yankees had won the pennant for the first time in 15 years. What the hell is a pennant? 

---

Columns

The Daily Drip: Soylent Green

By Dylan Fee | October 24

After last week’s hiccup, I am back on track. I wrote this column not one, but two days before it was due to make sure soy milk was in stock at the Sink. Since it was, the moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. Here’s a review of this week’s Sink-nature drink — the Soylent Green. 

---

Columns

The Oxford Comma: Hurrah for humanities!

By Grace Nelson | October 23

Hello again! It’s Grace, coming to you live from Oxford! Now that the Michaelmas term has well and truly started, I can finally provide an opinion on the academics here.

---

Columns

Hey Wait Just One Second: Bread

By Max Turnacioglu | October 23

I’m always stacking bread. And I don’t mean to suggest that I’m flush with dough — far from it — rather, I can never have just one slice of good bread. Whether soft and sweet or crusty and sour or the entire world of options in between, bread is as delicious as it is ubiquitous. We need bread, it seems. It is the “staff of life” to many Europeans, while, in Egyptian Arabic, “eish” (bread) originates from “y’eish” (to live). Peering through the thick crust of this universal, life-bringing force and appreciating all its wonder seems to be the yeast we can do. 

---

Columns

Wanderlust: A less colorful autumn

By Carmen Smoak | October 21

Once again, the season of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges has come. There is a slight nip in the air and pumpkins are slowly appearing on windowsills. The seasons are changing as they always do, but there is something different about autumn in Germany.

---

Columns

Adventures of an A-Lister: Reviewing the popcorn buckets

By Odessa Gaines | October 18

With many highly anticipated franchise releases, AMC Theatres often will release a limited edition popcorn bucket to eager fans. Although pricey, these buckets are a fun piece of memorabilia for collectors and movie-goers. Today, I will highlight some of the more recent AMC popcorn bucket releases.

---

Columns

The Final Whistle: David De Gea’s golden gloves

By Bharat Singh | October 18

A collective wave of groans echoed throughout the Stadio Artemio Franchi as the referee pointed to the spot. A quick passing combination had released Christian Pulisic into space as he darted towards goal. Despite losing his balance, the American was able to swiftly direct the ball towards Tijjani Reijnders before he was fouled by Luca Ranieri — penalty to A.C Milan. Fiorentina’s early graft for a 1–0 lead now seemed pointless as Theo Hernandez steadied himself at the spot.

---

Column

Rooted Reflections: What Tufts isn’t teaching (and what it should)

By Justin Solis | October 17

Every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., I lead groups of prospective students around Tufts as a tour guide. Last week, I was asked “If you ran Tufts, what would you change?” At the time, I responded with a surface-level answer: streamlining class schedules. Yet this question sat with me throughout the rest of the week.

---

Columns

Read, Write and Be Merry: ‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’

By Merry Jiao | October 17

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop” by Hwang Bo-Reum.You! Yes you, the person reading this article. You look like you need a hug. I’m imagining that movie clip from Migration, and I promise you will feel better after reading this. Apparently it’s midterm month over on the other side of the pond, so best of luck to all you poor unfortunate souls :)

---

Column

The Death of Education: Bring back PE classes

By Evan Wang | October 16

It is not a mystery that childhood obesity has become a crisis within the United States. With increased screen time, unhealthy foods and high levels of stress, America’s children are becoming increasingly at risk of obesity from a younger and younger age. Indeed, this public health crisis has evolved and compounded into many more issues. From mental health to student test scores, childhood obesity is now posing a serious threat to America’s future; however, it is a crisis that could have simple solutions if the government is ready to act quickly.

---