Opinion

Column

The Death of Education: The final defeat of affirmative action

By Evan Wang | September 25

Ever since the Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, colleges and universities across the country have been scrambling to address the fallout of this decision. Major newspapers and non-profits decried the decision as disastrous for diversity and inclusion in America’s higher education system. Yet, after the release of admission data for the year 2024, it has become abundantly clear that the dismemberment of affirmative action has not proven to be damaging for diversity in most colleges and will allow Americans to put a divisive issue behind them. 

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Viewpoint

Amid civil strife, what can be done to help Sudanese civilians?

By Alexander Degterev | September 24

Throughout the early half of the decade, the world has felt like a powder keg which is one spark away from a catastrophic explosion. In many parts of the world, said keg has already exploded, and while many of these conflicts seemingly only ‘went hot’ in the past few years, they have really been simmering in the background long before the 2020s. This is the case with the current civil war in Sudan, which only began gaining widespread attention in mid-April in 2023 and is steadily approaching its two-year mark. Since Sudan’s foundation in 1956, the state has sadly been marred by civil conflicts brought on by post-colonial division and religious tensions. These conflicts have repeatedly devolved into genocidal retributions against civilian populations. The roughly one and a half years that the current conflict has drawn on have also been marked by horrific human rights abuses, in the form of rampant sexual abuse, exacerbated situations of famine and genocidal actions. Nearly eight million people have now been internally displaced, with a further two million fleeing abroad, primarily to countries in Central and Northeastern Africa.

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Viewpoint

Whose finger do you want on the button?

By Talia Wilcox | September 24

Given the short 41 days until the election, the deluge of political discussions has exhausted us all. Topics of abortion, immigration and the economy seem to live in the spotlight. But what about unaddressed issues like nuclear weapons? The nuclear threat looms large and deserves serious discussion in the upcoming presidential election. Nuclear weapons make our world extremely dangerous, and voters should elect candidates who will work toward nuclear disarmament.

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Viewpoint

It’s time to get serious about trees

By Kunal Botla | September 19

Trees are saviors we haven’t thought nearly enough about.When you think about trees, you might think back to an elementary school lesson about how they turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, come in different types or can be identified by their leaves. That elementary school education really only scratches the surface of the hidden value trees bring to our society — especially our urban society. Trees could even be the solution to issues presented by climate change and health care that plague urban communities.

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Viewpoint

Fund our national parks

By Keshav Srikant | September 17

At the end of eighth grade, my school decided to take us on a one-week overnight trip to Yosemite National Park. We learned about Yosemite’s ecosystems and history while hiking through forests and among thundering waterfalls. Almost a decade later, I remember this trip vividly, just as I remember every national park I’ve been to.

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Viewpoint

A Harris win won’t shatter the glass ceiling

By Gretta Goorno | September 9

At the Democratic National Convention in August, Hillary Clinton alluded once again to that famed glass ceiling. You know, the one she hoped to triumphantly shatter through — pantsuit and all — during her unsuccessful bids for president in 2008 and 2016. Clinton recycled much of her old feminist rhetoric for her speech at the DNC nominating Harris, suggesting that Harris — like herself — was in a long line of successful women in politics and that the day to break the ceiling was finally here.

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Guest

Letter from the Editor in Chief: Welcome to Tufts

By Julieta Grané | September 3

My name is Julieta Grané, and I am honored to welcome you to Tufts. As is traditional of the editor in chief, I would like to use this space to introduce you to The Tufts Daily.  

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Viewpoint

When politics gets spicy

By Sadie Roraback-Meagher | September 3

When Republicans from around the country gathered in Milwaukee, Wis. this past July for the Republican National Convention, they were greeted with a sign reading “Welcome Future Fake Electors.” The poster referenced the attempt made by several states, including Wisconsin, to keep Donald Trump in power by substituting the legitimate electors with fake ones.

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Viewpoint

Trump and RFK Jr.’s alliance is more dangerous than it seems

By Dylan Tanouye | September 3

Throughout the 2024 election cycle, no candidate has been more of a laughingstock than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered the presidential race as a third-party alternative to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. While he initially polled as high as 15% nationally, the strongest performance from a third-party candidate in decades, many skeletons began to emerge from his closet.

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Viewpoint

Why Tufts?

By Liam Chalfonte | September 3

When I was first applying for college, I remember obsessing over acceptance rates. I curated a small selection of schools to apply to that I thought fit my taste and would sound good anytime I was asked the inevitable “Where do you go to school?” Sending off my applications, I felt sure that I’d be a strong enough candidate to get into most of these schools.

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Guest

Letter to the Editor

By Mike Furlano and Natalie Dridge | May 29

Dear Editor, In a recent article in The Tufts Daily, “Carm should allow gluten a seat at the table,” a proposition was put forth to change the gluten free exclusivity of the Fresh at Carmichael Dining Center. Suggested under the guise of catering to the majority, such a stance neglects the diverse ...

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Guest

Letter from the Editor in Chief: Congratulations, Class of 2024

By Rachel Liu | May 19

Dear Class of 2024, friends and family, Today marks a key moment in your Tufts journey and a well-deserved waypoint of celebration. Your contributions have illuminated campus over the past several years as leaders, artists, scholars, advocates, friends and Jumbos.

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Viewpoint

A profile of the Opinion section, via its seniors

By Toby Winick | May 19

At the end of this year, I decided to sit down with the Opinion section’s three departing seniors to profile each in a single article — condensed to save time, I thought. While I learned a lot about each senior, their time at Tufts and the Daily in our group interview, what happened in between our lines of questioning was ultimately much more valuable.

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Viewpoint

Four years, one home

By Reya Kumar | May 18

When I arrived at Tufts in September 2020, I was alone, attempting to get my two large suitcases from Gantcher Field House to Tilton Hall. I didn’t recognize campus — when I toured in February 2019, a layer of barren, snow-covered trees created an entirely different landscape than the one I’d just arrived in.

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Viewpoint

How to make history when you can’t even read it

By Justin Hong | May 18

What’s in a name? I was never taught Taiwanese, but I’ve known how to write my family name, 洪, since my mom taught it to me for a second grade art project. A few years later I finally learned what it meant: flood. Beyond that, I had never engaged with my family’s history. That changed this year.

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Viewpoint

Final meditations from the Opinion section's conservative

By Kevin Golub | May 18

My journey at Tufts these past four years has had an outstanding impact on my life: I met people in Miller Hall on day one who I know will be my lifelong friends; I took unique and insightful courses with amazing professors whom I can confidently call mentors; and I was able to study two vastly different academic subjects — economics and Latin. Now that four years have passed, it is time to say goodbye. I’d like to offer some final thoughts to close this chapter of my life.

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Guest

Letter from the Editors: The Tufts Daily Diversity & Inclusion Report, 2023–24

By The Tufts Daily | May 17

The 2023–24 Diversity & Inclusion Report continues The Tufts Daily’s effort to gather insights into the composition of our staff and their experiences in our organization. The report was created by a group of Daily student leaders under the purview of the paper’s Intentionality & Inclusivity Committee.

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Viewpoint

Paying for Tufts needs to be easier to navigate

By Kunal Botla | May 17

For the 2024–25 academic year, Tufts’ undergraduate tuition will increase, making the estimated cost of attendance a staggering $92,167. Although 38% of the class that matriculated in the fall of 2023 doesn’t pay that full ‘sticker price,’ the cost itself is shocking. Even so, over 60% of students pay that full sticker price; over the course of a four-year degree, that sums to over $350,000.

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Viewpoint

It’s time to level the playing field between athletics and academics

By Liam Chalfonte and Sadie Roraback-Meagher | May 17

Undoubtedly, the American college experience is unique compared to other countries. Besides crippling student loan debt, frat parties and wearing shower shoes, perhaps the most distinctive element of attending college in America is the country’s unwavering love for collegiate sports. Between the 9.86 million viewers of March Madness and the $7.67 billion of revenue collegiate sports merchandise brings in, it’s clear that America cherishes college athletics. But hidden by our jerseys and bustling stadiums is a ugly problem: From admissions to finances, athletics has made college an unfair game.

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Editorial

Editorial: Tufts’ summer glow up

By The Editorial Board | May 16

With the surplus of time on our hands during final exams, the Daily’s Editorial Board sat down to dream up a list of small changes that could upgrade the Medford/Somerville campus. From facilities to dining to technology, these improvements seek to improve various aspects of student life.

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