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Olivia Zambrano

Olivia Zambrano is an opinion writer and editor, as well as a member of the audio section at the Tufts Daily. Olivia is a freshman studying sociology and Spanish, and can be reached at olivia.zambrano@tufts.edu.

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Viewpoint

Your women’s, gender and sexuality studies degree isn’t useless — it’s essential to maintaining democracy

By Olivia Zambrano | April 18

When I tell people I’m majoring in sociology and Spanish, their response is almost guaranteed to be something vaguely critical of the social sciences and humanities. My favorite response I’ve received is “you’re just wasting your parents’ money” from a Floridian taxi driver. Despite the popular misconception that degrees dedicated to the social sciences and humanities are unnecessary, the current sociopolitical climate has rendered them more important now than ever.

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Viewpoint

Militant vegans are fighting a losing battle

By Olivia Zambrano | April 4

Typically, society associates vegans with the classic stereotype of preachy, accusatory environmentalists and animal rights defenders. Still, some sources estimate that the number of vegans in the United States has increased. While it’s difficult to determine the exact rise in veganism, a few factors can aid in illustrating the increase in veganism across the United States. Retail sales of plant-based foods are a primary indicator of the jump in veganism. In the past six years, plant-based food companies in the United States have experienced an approximately 5 billion dollar increase in retail sales. Further, from 2020–23, they’ve raised more money from investors than they did in the 14 years prior. Although veganism seems to be becoming more popular, the stigma associated with it has not dissipated.

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Viewpoint

Pop Princess 101: Chappell Roan is too weird for you

By Olivia Zambrano | March 5

It was bound to happen — within months of Chappell Roan’s sudden rise to stardom, she fell victim to criticism of her costume choices, blunt political commentary and privacy boundaries. Chappell Roan had quickly lost the Midwestern-girl-to-popstar allure she amassed in late 2024. However talented she is, her extravagant aesthetic isn’t palatable to the general public, nor should it be — her persona is rooted in queerness and flamboyance, which appeal to a specific demographic.

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Viewpoint

Pop Princess 101: How Addison Rae unexpectedly rose to pop stardom

By Olivia Zambrano | February 26

The music industry is currently dominated by women. Two of the most prestigious categories at this month’s Grammy Awards — Album of the Year and Best New Artist — were awarded to female artists. Among the nominated and awarded artists were a plethora of pop girls — including Chappell Roan, SZA, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. As women have taken the industry by storm, their increasing ability to influence the media is undeniable. Strategically, Addison Rae associated herself with Charli XCX, one of the biggest female names in pop. This deliberate friendship and collaboration facilitated her transition from cringey TikToker to pop princess.

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Viewpoint

The US will soon lose its status as the ‘land of the free’

By Olivia Zambrano | February 14

The Trump administration has long since straddled the blurry line between hate speech and outright human rights violations. The recently inaugurated President Donald Trump and his administration have abused their positions of power to enact executive orders that accelerate the United States’ descent into a country led by compassionless government agencies and individuals.

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Viewpoint

Rehabilitation is a right

By Olivia Zambrano | December 9

How does a state or country navigate the complicated process of ethical prison management? As students at Tufts, we’re exposed to rehabilitative programs like Tufts Prison Initiative Program of the Tisch College of Civic Life, which provides incarcerated individuals with access to higher education. In El Salvador, however, a new mass imprisonment confinement center — Terrorism Confinement Center — has been designated as the optimal way to minimize crime.

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Opinion

Did you really come up with that outfit?

By Olivia Zambrano | December 4

Seasonal fashion is no longer a way to express individual identity for women. Instead, it has largely become a competition to see who can emulate the chic, unique, “it girl” aesthetic the best. Often, this requires rapid accumulation of new clothing. Some pieces and materials are classic: suede, the ‘little black dress’ and ballet flats. Others aren’t: studded denim, Adidas Sambas and leopard print. While the definition of “classic” is fleeting, consumers often use it to label fashion that transcends time and is simple enough to be worn in a myriad of situations. A microtrend is the opposite: clothing that surges in popularity, is rapidly consumed and falls out of the trend cycle mere months later. Large corporations take advantage of microtrends to increase their sales by flooding the fashion market with replications of a few trending clothing items. The latter are the trends that large corporations have commercialized. I would say the popularization of these once-unique clothing pieces is charming, if not for the fact that they threaten to destroy our individuality.

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