Viewpoint

Safeguarding the humanities as an obligation to ourselves

By Max Lerner | October 17

Steve Jobs said that among the most impactful classes he ever took in college was a class on calligraphy. It may be easy to turn one’s nose at this statement, writing it off as foolish or performative, or conclude that Big Calligraphy lobbied Jobs to share it. It is especially easy to do so if one subscribes to the idea that all education must provide a specific set of skills that one can lift straight from the classroom to a job site — or at least a graduate school application.

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Editorial

Editorial: A letter to Tufts parents

By The Editorial Board | October 17

If you’re reading this, you may be a parent or guardian of a Tufts student. Maybe you’re even the parent of a first-year, in which case this letter could possibly help you all the more. Or possibly you’re just a Tufts student trying to spy. Whatever the case may be, your child’s transition to college is certainly hard, and we feel for you. Remember, it’s hard for us too! As the Editorial Board, we hope reading the Daily can help you feel more connected to what’s going on in your student’s world.

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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.

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Guest

Op-ed: Keeping Medford affordable: The need to vote ‘No’ on Questions 6, 7 and 8

By Nick Giurleo | October 17

This election day Medford residents will vote on three ballot questions determining the future affordability of the city. If the referenda are approved, the City of Medford will be authorized to assess an additional $7.5 million in property taxes and fund an estimated $30 million bond for a new fire station. While these issues, at first glance, may seem distant from the everyday struggles of the average Tufts student, trying to keep up with courses and navigate the social rollercoaster of college, approval of Questions 6, 7 and 8 will have a direct impact on them and the community in which they live.

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Column

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.

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Viewpoint

Indigenous Peoples’ Day serves as a reminder that Tufts should be comfortable being uncomfortable

By Sorsha Khitikian | October 15

In a meeting about Indigenous Peoples’ Day a couple of weeks ago, I introduced myself, saying, “Hi, my name is Sorsha Khitikian, and I am Yurok, which is located in modern-day California.” After the meeting, I was approached by one of my Indigenous peers, who told me that my use of the word “modern” was problematic. As they explained, the word implies that my Indigenous culture is stuck in the past, contributing to the problem of cultural erasure. My culture is modern, and I can make sure it isn’t forgotten through my word choices as an Indigenous voice. You know what? They’re exactly right.

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Column

Ukraine at War: How Ukrainian universities and students adjust to the war: The case of the Kyiv School of Economics (Part 1)

By Mariia Kudina | October 15

The full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine has brought plenty of challenges for schools throughout the nation. In 2022, institutions had to rapidly switch to online classes, adjusting programs for temporary remote teaching while helping their now geographically scattered students navigate a dire new reality. At the same time, to prepare for a future return, these schools had to build shelters or equip already existing basements for hiding during missile and drone attacks.

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Column

Coffee Table Socioeconomics: Why you should care

By Linda Huang | October 15

I have been putting this off for a while, but this semester I’ve finally decided to start my long-overdue column on socioeconomics. I decided to write this column because too many people at Tufts seem to be confused or completely unbothered by the impacts of our economy and how it’s intertwined with social issues. Socioeconomics, by definition, is a branch of economics that explores the relationship between social behavior and economic activity. My goal with this column is to break down these concepts and show how economic forces shape everything from education and inequality to social justice and identity. In this introductory piece, I hope I can convince you of why you should start caring.

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Column

Forgotten Fronts: Cox’s Bazar and the flight of the Rohingya

By Alexander Degterev | October 15

The Rohingya people have long been inhabitants of the Rakhine State, also known as Arakan, in present-day Myanmar. Throughout their winding history in the region, the Rohingya have routinely faced discrimination and aggressive opposition from both the Myanmar military and Buddhist nationalist groups. The Rohingya, amongst other minority groups, have also been denied citizenship since the country’s independence, reinforced by a 1982 Citizenship Law.

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Viewpoint

The rise — and fall — of a Midwest princess

By Talia Wilcox | October 10

2024 Video Music Awards Best New Artist recipient Chappell Roan has transformed the music industry. Roan, born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, rose rapidly to fame with her album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” (2023). Roan embraced a unique drag aesthetic, and her lyrics and image have catapulted her to icon status in the LGBTQ+ community. But with this unprecedented rapid rise to fame, Roan has taken to social media to let us know how she feels. 

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Viewpoint

Seeking policy change in Indonesia under Prabowo

By Theodorus Ng | October 10

Indonesia will be swearing in its eighth president Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20, following his landslide election victory in February of this year. Prabowo will inherit the world’s fourth most populous country, with the third largest surviving area of tropical forest, and an economy poised to become the world’s sixth largest by 2027. Yet, he will also be inheriting a legacy of fossil fuel dependence, with 81% of the country’s energy derived mostly from burning coal, and persistent deforestation, with Indonesia’s annual forest losses remaining the fourth largest in the world. This means that Prabowo is faced with a thorny policymaking dilemma between encouraging economic growth and maintaining long-term environmental health for Indonesia.

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Viewpoint

Inflation is pretty much fake

By Rory Myers | October 9

Corporate America wants people to believe that they are the victims of the terrifying monster known as inflation. This monster was born in the basement of the U.S. Department of Treasury and brought to life by the terrifying machine known as the currency printing press. It’s this monster that forces them to raise prices on everyday items. Companies such as Crest and Colgate had no choice but to raise the price of toothpaste by 45% last year. In 2022, innocent retail chains such as Target and Walmart didn’t want to increase the prices of their food products by over 10%, but their hands were forced.

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Column

The Death of Education: Affirmative action is taking up too much of our time

By Evan Wang | October 8

As some readers might know, I have a weekly column titled “The Death of Education” in which I recently published an article defending the Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action in college admissions. A few days later, the Daily published a Letter to the Editor that responded to my argument. The letter argued that affirmative action was still important to help underprivileged students catch up to more well-off students who might not suffer from the same social disadvantages. Since receiving criticism and having a healthy debate is important, I decided to write this response to address some of the points brought up and expand upon my original argument.

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Column

Forgotten Fronts: Welcome to the frontlines

By Alexander Degterev | October 8

A report published by The Institute for Economics and Peace concluded that at the end of 2023, there were 56 ongoing conflicts in the world — most of which are still ongoing in 2024. In addition, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project concluded that over 170,000 lives were tragically lost in 2023, and nearly one in five of these casualties was classified as civilian.

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Viewpoint

Eric Adams: The failed promise of an underdog

By Gian Luca Di Lenardo | October 7

Eric Adams’ rise to political prominence, from transit cop to New York City mayor, has all the hallmarks of a rags to riches story. As a teenager in Brooklyn, Adams found himself squarely in the crosshairs of the justice system when he was arrested for criminal trespass at the age of 15. In a 1999 New York Times profile, he recalls being beaten so badly by the arresting officers that he urinated blood for a week afterward. He cites this experience as one of the formative factors that motivated him to join the force and reform it from within. 

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Guest

Op-ed: Oct. 7: A day for humanity

By Tufts Friends of Israel | October 7

Today, our humanity must unite us more than our political views and tribalism divide us.

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Opinion

Handicapping the violence in Sudan

By Alexander Degterev | October 3

Having already covered how outside powers could aid civilians amidst the ongoing conflict in Sudan, it is time to talk about what should be done to ensure a swift end to the conflict itself from the perspective of the U.S. government.

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Column

Rooted Reflections: Not all conservation is equal

By Justin Solis | October 3

In a previous Tufts Daily article, I advocated for summer jobs that are intrinsically linked to the local community and ecosystem. This was not merely out of a desire to create a generation of fishermen and farmers. In isolation, it is too easy to believe idealistic rhetoric that disregards practical solutions to tackling environmental issues. I believe that those emotionally removed from the land around them place undue value on preservation rather than conservation.

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Viewpoint

Stop denying women’s bodily autonomy, Part 2

By Linda Huang | October 2

With the presidential election approaching, the topic of abortion has drawn increased concern from voters, particularly from young female Americans. A New York Times/Siena College poll from August shows that abortion is the most crucial issue for women under 45 to consider when casting their vote. At the same time, a Guardian poll indicates that 67% of women under 30 plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris likely due to her commitment to expanding reproductive rights. As a woman living in the U.S., I share these concerns about the future of abortion access and its potential impact on women's autonomy.

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Viewpoint

The Amazon is ablaze: It's been anything but short n’ sweet

By Kaashvi Ahuja | October 2

As the Amazon, the lungs of our Earth, currently burns with an intensity far surpassing the infamously devastating fires that took place in 2019, the world watches in unsettling silence — a dangerous reflection of our diminishing sense of climate urgency at a time when critical elections could shape the future of our planet.

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