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Where you read it first | Wednesday, April 2, 2025
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Opinion

Gavin Newsom
Viewpoint

Democrats need to start controlling the narrative

By Dylan Tanouye | March 28

In the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat in the 2024 presidential election, Democrats throughout the country have been playing the blame game. With the party unable to develop a coherent message to oppose President Donald Trump’s policies, many prominent Democrats have developed varying strategies to help their prospects in future elections. While some Democrats are using Trump’s policies as fuel to rally their base, others are attempting to moderate their image. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are holding joint rallies across the country to stand up against Elon Musk and the billionaire class. In contrast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has started his own podcast where he features many prominent right-wing figures such as Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. While Newsom stated that he started this podcast to engage with more conservative voters, he has instead given the far right a free platform to speak with little pushback and even went so far as to agree with their attacks on transgender athletes. This podcast serves as a perfect metaphor for how Democrats are fumbling the hand they’ve been dealt, as Trump’s policies continue to increase prices and take away jobs. Instead of sitting back in the shadows and hoping voters will see them as more moderate than the Republicans currently in power, Democrats need to go on the offensive and prove that they do have a policy agenda that’s better than the status quo.

Congo
Viewpoint

Tragedy in the Congo

By Alexander Degterev | March 27

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is ablaze once again, and like many times prior, it is Rwanda and their network of Tutsi militants at the helm of this chaos. The history between the Congo and Rwanda has long been fraught with some of the most destructive violence since World War II, and the recent offensives spearheaded by the March 23 Movement militia and their sponsors, the Rwandan Defense Force, in the eastern reaches of the Congo are clear indicators that the region may be entering yet another horrific period of conflict.

Coffee Table Socioeconomics
Column

Coffee Table Socioeconomics: Workaholism

By Linda Huang | March 25

“A workaholic will die before an alcoholic,” said Christina Maslach, professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, whose research laid the foundation for the World Health Organization to declare burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019. While alcoholics endure a gradual, long-term deterioration of the liver, workaholics face the immediate risk of stress-induced blood clots or heart attacks — potentially striking just when life seems to be going well.

Gray Cannon
Viewpoint

And we’re back to gray

By Sorsha Khitikian | March 14

There are some aspects of campus lore that are simply iconic, like Jumbo’s tail, Professor David Proctor and a capella riff-offs. The cannon, for one, is probably the most interactive piece of Jumbo life students have. The times I’ve painted the cannon have been some of the most fun I’ve ever had at Tufts. Listening to music with your club friends, looking up at the stars, trying to write neat letters in paint without getting any on your clothes — painting the cannon is a great bonding activity as well as a nice pastime. The messages on the cannon are constantly changing, with student organizations advertising their events or writing political calls to action. The cannon is a physical object that displays what students are engaging in on campus. So, when the cannon is reset to dull, basic gray over the summer, it’s a reminder of the painting that is yet to come. And the second students come back to campus, the color gray is nowhere to be found. Or so I thought.

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Viewpoint

Painting out free speech

By Gretta Goorno | March 14

As a child, I was frequently labeled a “social justice warrior” and often told I would “make a good lawyer” by random adults. These designations stemmed from both my loudly vocalized views and my tendency to correct any comments that I deemed offensive or not politically correct. Evidently, I have retained my label of passionate verbalization, given that I am the executive opinion editor of the Daily. Yet, over the years, I have drifted away from my strong moral convictions. Nowadays, I often find myself torn between two extremes, taking a moderate stance on issues. I even justify reasoning that ridicules the very identity groups that I am a part of. I try to understand religious justifications against gay marriage. I take a step back, wondering why people believe in a Jewish conspiracy. My tolerance for other views often leads me to question my morals. Perhaps I am too flexible.

Pop up pub
Editorial

Editorial: Setting the bar higher

By The Editorial Board | March 13

A campus bar is a staple of any university — a special place where students can celebrate a big game, grab a beer with an advisor or put their karaoke skills on full display. At Tufts, the MacPhie Pub was once a thriving part of campus life. Following its inception in the ’70s, the pub staged musical performances, organized special comedy acts and hosted trivia nights. While most of the acts were led by Tufts students, the venue occasionally featured outside performances including shows from Tufts alum Tracy Chapman (J’86), who played at the pub for “$5 and a free meal.”

Ukraine At War
Column

Ukraine at War: How private initiatives help Ukrainian universities adjust to the war

By Mariia Kudina | March 13

Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine despite the attempts of peace talks. Meanwhile, the rocky relationship between President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin diverts the media’s and, consequently, the international public’s attention from the ongoing war. At the same time, Ukrainians continue to adjust to the dreary realities, finding ways to go on with a semi-normal life. In the realm of education, one example of such an adjustment is a charitable initiative by the venture builder CLUST, focused on creating smart shelters for students at Ukrainian universities.

Trump and Pinochet
Viewpoint

Washington 2025 and Santiago 1973

By Aaron Bolonick | March 11

I, along with many other left-of-center individuals, am deeply worried about President Donald Trump’s administration’s recent actions which smack of anti-democratic inclinations. Today, however, I want to touch on a very disturbing aspect of authoritarian regimes that I don’t think people adequately address: the sheer feeling of alienation that comes from living in them. By alienation I do not mean physical isolation from others, but rather the feeling of loneliness that arises from the inability to trust anyone, including oneself.

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Opinion

DOGE should dream bigger

By Anubhav Sinha | March 11

Reducing the size of the federal government has long been a major goal for conservatives. However, since the New Deal, the government has actually expanded, much to the frustration of figures like Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman. In fact, conservatives haven’t been able to shrink the government much, sometimes actually contributing to its growth. But President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is different — it is one of the most aggressive efforts to cut government spending in recent memory.

Coffee Table Socioeconomics
Column

Coffee Table Socioeconomics: Enhance our business education

By Linda Huang | March 11

With its highly educated workforce, business-friendly legal system, strong sense of interconnectedness between universities and government and businesses that drive continuous technological breakthroughs, the United States is arguably one of the best places for industries to succeed. However, none of this would be possible without a foundation of strong business education. Business literacy is essential in the private sector, where startups thrive and hands-on engagement with business ideas is key — it’s also an area where Tufts falls short.

offensive.jpg
Viewpoint

Pronunciation, not polarization

By Grant Moore | March 10

The last time I doomscrolled on TikTok was nearly two weeks ago, before telling myself that I needed to stop what my parents would call an “addiction.” I had responded to over 40 different comments and videos, a feat that consumed precious study time and kept me up far too late. The slew of responses to my comments contained words such as brainwashed, communist, sore loser, elitist, sheep, puppet, snowflake — the list goes on. I found it hard to believe how a “sheep” and an “elitist” could have anything in common. Consequently, I began to wonder what has become of political discourse amid the era of President Donald Trump’s two terms and a significant national political divide. 

World leaders
Viewpoint

Europe, it's time to step your game up

By Alexander Degterev | March 10

These past few weeks have been quite exhausting, with the administration of President Donald Trump topping off thechaos by delivering a carnival of a congressional address. I worry about a lot these days when it comes to the future of our country, but now I, and really all of us who live in America, have yet another worry: the near-complete collapse of the post-World War II international order, underpinned by a possible splintering of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Amazon Prime Boxes are Pictured
Viewpoint

From Prime to predatory

By Ahmad Abdul-Basser | March 6

The American retail market can be described with three words: variety, variety and still more variety. Anything and everything one could need is available for purchase at the biggest retail providers. Just walk into the closest Target, Walmart or Aldi, peruse the meticulously organized aisles and walk past the food, makeup, hardware, clothes, toys and technology. Tell me you haven’t found exactly what you're looking for. Now, imagine you could indulge in that same sense of pure bliss, calm and convenience from the comfort of your home. Fortunately, you can with Amazon.

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