Department of Education opens investigation into Tufts over antisemitism reports
Samantha Eng Executive News Editor
Originally published March 11.
On Monday, the Department of Education sent Title VI warning letters to 60 universities, including Tufts, that are under investigation for “violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
The department cites President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Additional Measures to Combat AntiSemitism,” and enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits any institution that receives federal funds from discrimination based on race, color or nationality.
The letters warn institutions of “potential enforcement actions” should they fail to protect Jewish students on campus as they are
obligated to under Title VI. Last week, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University for its “continued inaction” to address antisemitic discrimination — a measure that could indicate a similar threat to Tufts.
The university did not provide immediate comment on the announcement.
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights staff were directed on Friday to prioritize resolving a backlog of antisemitic harassment complaints.
The announcements follow Trump’s threats to cut funding from universities permitting “antisemitic harassment” on campus and his pledge to revoke the student visas of “all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses.” On Saturday, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia and green card holder, was arrested by
ICE officers for his role in organizing protests on campus in accordance with Trump’s order to combat antisemitism.
Five universities including Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, University of California, Berkeley and University of Minnesota Twin Cities came under investigation from the Department of Education in early February. The other 55 universities are presently under investigation in response to complaints filed with the Office of Civil Rights. Complaints of antisemitic language and actions on Tufts campus were previously reported to university leadership in March 2024 at a Tufts Community Union Senate hearing on resolutions demanding that the university recognize genocide in Gaza.
see INVESTIGATION, page 3
Updates
Tufts’ offshore wind development programs react to presidential memorandum suspending leases
A presidential memorandum signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 suspended the leasing and permitting of federal spaces for offshore wind development, rattling faculty and students in Tufts’ offshore wind energy engineering programs at the graduate level.
Barbara Kates-Garnick, professor of practice in energy policy at The Fletcher School, expressed concern over the order’s potential impacts to Massachusetts’ climate goals but is not concerned about the future of the industry.
“We are very distressed by that order,” Kates-Garnick said. “We don’t think it’s good public policy. Because we have such a robust ongoing program, we will be able to withstand the storm and all of the upsets that may come our way, but we have long-term faith in the industry.”
Kates-Garnick emphasized that Massachusetts’s ambitious state initiatives will
“Massachusetts is committed to a clean energy future, and there are many laws in place that will enable Massachusetts during this period of time to maintain its momentum and its focus on clean energy,” she said. “This is a period of hibernation, but I don’t think at all that we see it as the end to the work that [we and our students] are doing.”
Eric Hines, professor of the practice in civil and environmental engineering and director of the offshore wind program, agreed that their work remains relatively stable. Hines believes that the clean energy sector, like any new industry, will inevitably face challenges in its beginning stages.
“I would say that our students are concerned, and rightfully so. There was a big shock with the election of the new administration,” Hines said. “This is the right thing
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Middelgruden offshore wind farm in Denmark is pictured.
Shannon Murphy Staff Writer
Arghya
Updated Medford City Charter moves forward with district-based council composition plan
The Medford City Council Committee of the Whole approved updates to the City Charter on March 4, sending the new charter to a final vote. The updates include a highly-debated district-based council composition plan, setting it up to be sent to the state legislature for final authorization.
The proposal involves increasing the current seven-person composition of the council to nine members — four district members and five at-large. The proposed districts would combine Medford’s eight wards into pairs that would represent roughly the same demographics as the current wards, according to City Council President Zac Bears.
The proposal was approved by the committee in a 5–2 vote.
The updated charter passed in the council’s Tuesday meeting and must be signed by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. If approved by the state legislature, it will appear on the November 2025 local election ballot, and with voter approval, will be implemented in the 2027 legislative session. Councilors said that due to the need for the state legislature’s approval, more drastic changes to the charter — like implementing ranked-choice voting or multi-member districts — were off the table.
Lungo-Koehn introduced the proposed charter to the
council after years of research from the Charter Study Committee, a board led by Medford residents, and the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management.
In its final report, the Charter Study Committee presented the mayor with several proposals to reshape the council’s composition, including a switch to eight ward councilors or a hybrid model with both ward and at-large seats. Lungo-Koehn selected the hybrid plan, with eight ward councilors and three councilors at-large.
According to a committee survey, the hybrid ward plan was the most popular option, as opposed to an all-ward plan and the current at-large system, though the combined district idea had not been proposed at the time.
Several councilors supported introducing the district model as an alternative to the ward model due to concerns about the relatively small size of Medford wards and the possibility that councilors could become defensive of their wards and resistant to new developments, according to Councilor Emily Lazzaro.
Bears said projects could lose support if ward councilors had the informal ability to postpone or block them, and also highlighted the potential for incumbents to run uncontested in uncompetitive elections.
“I feel like the larger districts address these concerns because they make the local district councilors accountable to more
voters and more likely to face a competitive challenge because there’s a bigger pool of potential opponents,” he said.
Equity was also a central point of debate. Proponents of the hybrid ward proposal argue that wards will allow minority groups to have greater representation in their elected officials. Justin Tseng, chair of the committee that debated charter updates throughout the year, said larger districts would improve representation for communities of color more than wards.
“It might seem more intuitive to draw smaller districts to raise the voices of neighborhoods of color, but when you look at a lot of academic research that’s been done out there, doing that oftentimes creates a situation where most of the politicians that you elect aren’t responsive to neighborhoods of color because they’re all just in one or one or two districts,” Tseng said.
Lazzaro, who voted against the district plan, said she preferred individual ward representation, with eight ward councilors and three at-large.
“It’s really hard to run for city council in Medford, because everybody has to run at-large. Everybody has to run across the whole city. For a first-time candidate, you’re running for 60,000 people. It’s a crazy thing to do as a first-time candidate. It’s very expensive,” she said. “I talked about ward-based representation on the doors a lot, and during my campaign a lot, and since I said ward-based representation, I
wanted to carry that promise through.”
Lazzaro also shared that she spoke with residents of other ward-represented municipalities who felt the model allowed them to build closer relationships with their representatives. Councilor George Scarpelli joined Lazzaro with a “No” vote in opposition to the district plan.
The Charter Study Committee, which LungoKoehn formed in December 2022, has defended the rejected ward plan.
“Even before I was on this committee, people have been talking about charter review for years in this city and whenever they would say ‘charter review,’ they would say ‘ward representation’ in the same breath. It’s been something that people have wanted for quite a long time,” Milva McDonald, the committee chair, said.
“Council members [and Charter Study] Committee members are really aware that there is no perfect solution — be it the eight-three system, four-five system — none of these solutions are perfect,” Tseng said. “All of them have pros, and all of them have cons.”
The updated charter also contains similar changes to the school committee. The four district model will also be used and will contain two at-large districts. Changes will also be made to the office of the mayor, including increasing their term from two years to four, imposing a four consecutive term limit and removing them as chair of the school committee.
Julian Glickman Assistant News Editor
KAITLYN WELLS /
Medford City Hall is pictured on Oct. 19, 2024.
Nontoxic rat fertility control to be studied on properties in Lincoln Park
Originally published March 7.
The city of Somerville announced on Feb. 19 that it is participating in a Rodent Fertility Control Study using Evolve, which is a hormonal fertility control product designed to curb rat reproduction in a humane manner. This is in partnership with the Cambridge Public Health Department and Cambridge Inspectional Services Department.
Although Boston has yet to explore the product, cities like New York City have tested Evolve. The product was placed in two commercial locations, Somerville High School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Lincoln Park is set to be the first residential location for the study.
ContraPest, also made by SenesTech, is a similar pest control that was widely used around Somerville before Evolve. A major downside to this product is that it is liquid and freezes in the winter, making it hard for rats to consume and therefore rendering it ineffective.
Evolve, however, is a soft bait with the primary ingredient being cottonseed oil. When rats consume it frequently enough, the cottonseed oil decreases the sperm count in male rats and disrupts reproductive organs and hormone cycles in female rats, resulting in lower fertility levels across the board.
As opposed to some other pest control methods that are out in the open for any animal to consume, Evolve is placed on poles within bait boxes that need keys to be unlocked and has been observed to be safe around non-target animals.
“I would say certain techniques for pest control in general can be seen as inhumane when some people just put out bait, like rodenticide, just [out in the] open, so that’s not very safe,” Alicia Privett, environmental health coordinator for Somerville, said.
The humaneness of Evolve has been emphasized in its advertisement for this reason but also for the fact that it is a birth control and not a poison.
“When you’re looking at it from a humane perspective, with the fertility control product, the goal is not to kill the rat; it’s just to keep them from reproducing,” Amanda Windsor, public health compliance specialist for the Cambridge Public Health Department, said.
When looking for a residential area to test this new product, Somerville’s Inspectional Services Department took into account areas that had the most complaints about rodents and the most observed rodent activity. Lincoln Park was an area that has historically had many complaints and is also an optimal location for rats to inhabit.
“Finding an area where there’s all this housing alongside the perimeter of these parks was pretty ideal for us to try to set up a study and see if we can monitor the right activity there and use the birth control product and see if it reduces the population,” Windsor said.
Privett emphasized that seeing a rat can have varying effects on people, ranging from indifference to feelings of anxiety and distress, illustrated by the number of complaints received.
“[For] some people, it doesn’t bother them,” Privett said. “So if they see a rat every once in a while, it’s not that big of a deal to them. But
DOE sends Title VI warning letters to Tufts, other universities
[for] some people, it is a big deal, and it affects their mental health.”
Pest control aims to make communities feel safer and cleaner, and Evolve is yet another solution to a rodent problem common in most metropolitan areas.
“Our goal with using Evolve is to, of course, see if it’s effective, and if so, how big of an effect is that,” Windsor said. “But also, just generally, to kind of expand our toolbox and add to our options for addressing the local rodent population.”
First-year Andrew Maurer said that he sees rats across campus, especially at night and by Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center. Although he feels indifferent toward them, he recognizes the benefits of a study like this.
“If there’s an actual rat problem, I think it probably is a good thing to keep the population under control so that diseases don’t spread, and generally … just trying to keep the campus population healthy,” Maurer said.
Aidan Moclair, another firstyear, said that he usually runs into rats at night. He was less indifferent to their presence on campus.
“It makes the campus feel unclean, for sure, just because of that stigma around rats,” Moclair said.
When informed of the study, some additional questions about its impact on the community were raised for Moclair.
“I would have some concerns to see how reducing the rat
population would affect other populations,” Moclair said. “I understand that the chemical itself doesn’t harm other animals, but [I wonder] how changing that population can affect others.”
The study is set to terminate by the end of this year, but depending on its success and whether they can get more volunteers, Somerville’s Inspectional Services Department is open to extending it. Their overall goal is to replace toxic and less effective rodenticides with nontoxic and more efficient alternatives.
“We’d definitely be open to sharing any research and any evidence that we find with other cities,” Privett said.
Fletcher professor discusses future of clean energy
WIND continued from the front
to be working on, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.
When you’re building a new industry, … there are a lot of highs and there are a lot of lows, and what is really important is to be able to ride those out.”
Hines further clarified misconceptions surrounding energy policy, including the sources of funding for the program’s projects.
“A lot of our funding comes from the state [and] from private sources,” Hines said. “A lot of the work that we’re doing is ongoing work. … There are several projects that are coming to fruition now that we have been working on for several years. So, at the moment I would say that funding-wise, researchwise, our work is relatively stable.”
Hines also stressed the limits of federal power and the authority of state discretion.
“Energy policy is primarily driven by the states and always has been,” Hines said. “A lot of these wind energy areas are in federal waters, so the federal government oversees that. But in terms of the pricing and in terms of purchasing the power, these are state level issues.”
Kates-Garnick said that Tufts is in a unique position to be doing work in offshore wind because of the interdisciplinary nature of the field and the university.
“To be very truthful, Tufts is totally the best place to be doing all of this,” Kates-Garnick said. “We’re a university that has the right components to do this kind of work.”
To Hines, the setback from the federal government is intimidating but not hindering tangible progress.
“In some ways, what has come to a halt is the exuberance and the sense of really, really lofty goals,” Hines said. “But I would say the people who [have been] on the ground working hard this whole time are still doing exactly what they’ve been doing. And I think the biggest concerning aspect of this is how it feels, and the worry and the uncertainty.”
Amid the anxiety from federal pushback, Hines believes that the agency of individual people to contribute toward a cleaner energy future is underestimated.
“I just want to encourage everybody to take an interest in this, to realize they can learn about it and then to realize that the more people know, the more forward momentum we’ll have,” Hines said. “There really are opportunities to make a contribution at all levels.”
Amelia Sammons Contributing Writer
JOHN MURPHY / THE TUFTS DAILY
A rat scurries behind a dumpster on Tufts’ campus on the evening of March 3.
AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY
The Academic Quad is pictured covered in snow.
FEATURES
Tufts administrators, alumni navigate DEI work amid political challenges
Arielle Flaherty Features Editor
Tufts boasts 97 master’s programs, one of which is the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership program. Darwin Conner, a 2022 graduate of the program, is now the chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer for the U.S. branch of the law firm Eversheds Sutherland.
Conner shared how he arrived at Tufts, what he learned from the DEIJ-L program, what his current work entails and how people in his field can educate others on DEI, which is currently a contentious topic in the United States.
Conner was involved in DEI work at his law firm before enrolling in the Tufts program. It was a desire to expand his expertise that led Conner to pursue his master’s at the School of Arts and Sciences.
“I was building the DEI program at the firm I had lateralled into for those five years, as well as trying to maintain my own practice, and found that I really enjoyed doing the diversity work more than the regular work, so I started looking around at master’s programs,” Conner said.
Conner enrolled virtually in the program in 2020. He wanted to take advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of the DEIJ-L program. He looked forward to taking classes in a wide variety of subject areas upon entering the program. The program includes classes taught by professors from across many Tufts departments.
“I think my favorite class was feminist philosophy,” Conner said. “I really, really loved it.”
Chrystal Coleman Perú Publicado
The program requires that students take a core seminar course, classes in several focus areas, an elective course and a capstone course. Students can complete the program either online or in person.
In addition to learning from the classes themselves, Conner emphasized that the nature of the program enabled robust discussions.
“I learned as much from my classmates and … the wealth of knowledge they brought to the classes based on all of their different social identities and all their different interests and all the different industries which they come from [as I did from the readings and the professors],” he said.
Conner also discussed what his role at Eversheds Sutherland law firm involves. Eversheds
Sutherland has over 3,000 lawyers and offices in nearly 40 countries — it’s a “big law” firm.
His team does everything from education, policy creation
en la casa para osos jubilados. Para que sepan, sí grité internamente cuando vi la estatua de Paddington cuando estuve en Aguas Calientes porque, igual que en las películas, es adorable.
and programming to making sure systems like hiring are equitable. Recently, he’s worked on policy changes to improve their parental leave policy.
“We just kind of changed our parental leave policy to make sure it is more helpful for parents, and it isn’t tied to gender,” Conner said.
He highlighted that all of this work is important because it improves support for employees and can better the outcomes for the firm in general.
Conner pointed to studies that show how diversity directly correlates to organizations’ productivity and success. In particular, he mentioned a study conducted in 2023 by management consulting firm McKinsey which found that diverse leadership teams are associated with higher financial returns.
Conner explained how the DEI field has changed over time as well.
“I think the field has evolved away from just making
sure that people from underrepresented backgrounds get a little bit of access here or [that] we’re ‘building numbers’ … to focusing on eliminating social identity-based barriers at firms,” he said.
One way Conner has worked to eliminate social identity barriers is by expanding the interview pool of candidates at firms beyond the Northeast and other elite schools.
He also shared that combating misconceptions and misinformation of DEI work has become another important element of his job.
“[I am] trying to educate people on what the work actually consists of, as opposed to how it’s being conflated with things like affirmative action,” Conner said.
Diversity, equity and inclusion remain essential in properly supporting employees, but that message can get lost due to misunderstanding, both intentional and unintentional.
Conner’s work, as well as the work of many others in his field, may now be in danger. On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending DEI programs in the federal government, which was followed up by a memo threatening to pull federal funding from institutions that do not end DEI initiatives.
While many universities have started to adjust their DEI programs, or even slash them altogether, Tufts remains committed to being an inclusive institution and has made no changes to its programs thus far.
“We are monitoring the administration’s orders and ongoing court challenges to them. As guidance becomes clearer, we will take steps to ensure our programs and practices support our mission and comply with the law,” Monroe France, vice provost for institutional inclusive excellence, wrote in a statement to the Daily. “We remain committed to our work of educating all backgrounds and identities in an environment that encourages open dialogue across many different perspectives.”
In the current political climate of the U.S., Conner believes that it’s important, now more than ever, for people within DEIrelated fields to stay educated in both what DEI means and the laws that may impact it.
“You have to seize those opportunities to make sure that people understand what the work consists of,” Conner said. “[You have to make] sure that you’re up on everything [so] you can talk intelligently on the issues.”
Editor’s note: This column is a special feature. It is published in Spanish in order to expand the Daily’s coverage but follows our standard journalistic practices. The English version can be found on our website.
A¡llianchu! Eso quiere decir ‘hola’ en quechua. Sólo quería enseñarles mis habilidades mínimas en quechua antes de empezar el artículo. Empecemos con buenas noticias: ¡Encontré a Paddington! ¿Pero no era ese el punto de esta columna? Sí. ¿Acaba de empezar mi semestre? También sí. Pero eso no quiere decir que esta búsqueda haya terminado. Ya que me voy al Amazonas este semestre, mi nueva misión es encontrar a Tía Lucy — la tía de Paddington —
Con todo este tiempo libre, habiendo ya encontrado a Paddington, quise buscar nuevas metas secundarias. Una de estas misiones es asistir a Carnavales. Seguramente te estás preguntando, ¿cómo puede ser que ir a un Carnaval sea una meta secundaria? Bueno, un Carnaval de Perú no es lo mismo que un ‘carnival’ en EE.UU; no hay juegos mecánicos, ni comida frita, ni juegos truqueados. ¿Entonces que hay? Mucho de tirarle cosas — como globos de agua, espuma (que realmente es más como crema de afeitar) y harina, si te sientes muy atroz — a la gente a tu alrededor. Desde muy temprano en las madrugadas de los domingos, se ven pandillas de hombres y mujeres caminando por las calles armados con todo este equipo. La premisa es hombres contra mujeres usando todos sus armas de ataque para hacer que sus oponentes terminen completamente empapados o cubiertos en espuma. El domingo
por la mañana, mientras trataba de dar un paseo tranquilo, una banda de jóvenes casi me atacaron con globos de agua. Si no hubiera sido por mi papá anfitrión, habría tenido un camino a casa muy triste. Habiendo dicho eso, luego en el día sí participé en las festividades y fuí a la Plaza de Armas donde reinaba el caos.
Acompañé a mi mamá anfitriona a un tiroteo donde, desde adentro de nuestro auto, ella les tiraba globos de agua y espuma a peatones desprevenidos en la calle y podíamos ver como empezaban peleas con globos de agua por todos lados. De nuevo, si no fuera por la protección de mi papa anfitrión, hubiera acabado con la cara cubierta de harina atacada por un grupo de jóvenes. ¿Han notado un patrón? No se preocupen, yo también estaba armada con una lata de espuma y rocié a varios adultos en la cara. Pero pronto me la cobró el karma; cuando me reuní con mis amigos del programa, decidimos quedarnos al pie de unas escaleras un rato, lo cual fue un gran error. Un hombre posado en lo alto de las escaleras decidió atacarme y me pegó con cinco globos de agua. Mientras
CORTESÍA CHRYSTAL COLEMAN
Chrystal Coleman se muestra con una estatua de Paddington en Aguas Calientes, Perú.
eso pasaba, mi grupo y yo fuimos atacados con crema para afeitar por ambos lados. Honestamente perdí todos mis sentidos tratando de entender que me acababa de pasar. Cuando me recuperé (lo cual incluyó quitarme restos de globos reventados de la cara y limpiarle la espuma de mis anteojos), huí de la escena hacia la seguridad del auto de mi familia anfitriona.
A estas alturas, puede que se pregunten sobre mis estudios; no se preocupen, también hay mucho de eso. Actualmente estoy
luchando con el quechua y leyendo sobre biomedicina andina, remedios naturales, enfermedades culturales y el sistema de salud peruano. Nunca me he sentido tan inmersa en las ciencias exactas en mi vida, excepto quizás cuando estaba en la clase de Programación 11 el semestre pasado. Eso es todo por ahora, pero estén atentos porque la próxima columna será sobre mi próximo
viaje académico a Puno! Tupananchiskama, Chrystal
NATALIE BROWNSELL / THE TUFTS DAILY
Barnum Hall is pictured across the President’s Lawn on April 5, 2022.
Take a tour of Arlington Center
Sarah Firth Deputy Features Editor
Even though Arlington borders Somerville, surprisingly few Tufts students visit — but it’s a great place to check out for a change of pace from the usual spots in Medford, Somerville and Cambridge. Arlington Center, just 2 miles from campus, offers great attractions and fantastic food. It’s easy to get there by the 80 bus, which picks up along College Avenue and in front of the Tsungming Tu Complex. You can also walk there in about 40 minutes or enjoy a 15-minute scenic bike ride. Arlington Center is definitely worth the visit, especially as the weather warms up!
Regent Theatre
The Regent Theatre, built in 1916, still honors its history as a vaudeville venue. While it occasionally shows films, it’s not really a movie theater. You won’t find big Hollywood blockbusters here — when films are shown, they’re often niche, international or retro selections. The theater also hosts film festivals; for instance, I once attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival at the theater with my dad.
The Regent mainly features live performances, from musicians to comedians and other entertainers. After spring break, you can catch the premiere of the Russian-language play “Made in Odessa,” and soon, comedian Rahul Dua will take the stage. If you’re a music fan, the 14th Annual Arlington Jazz
Festival is coming up in April!
The Regent Theatre is located at 7 Medford St.
Capitol Theatre
The Capitol Theatre is Arlington’s main movie theater. Opened in 1925 and built by the Locatelli family, it’s a great alternative if you’re looking to switch things up from the Somerville Theatre. Right next door, you’ll find the Capitol Creamery, perfect for a pre or postmovie ice cream treat. The theater’s concessions stand serves classics, like popcorn and ICEEs, along with beer and wine for 21+ moviegoers. A unique feature is their “baby-friendly” movie every Monday afternoon, where caregivers can enjoy a film without worrying about disturbing others. Any show before 6 p.m. costs $9, and tickets are $7 on Tuesdays. Standard tickets are $13. The Capitol Theatre can be found at 204 Massachusetts Ave.
Greek Habits By Eva
A recent addition to Arlington Center, Greek Habits By Eva, is now my go-to stop whenever I’m in the area. I first visited this cozy corner bakery on a date, and both the date and the food were fantastic. Run by Eva Nikolakakos, a renowned pastry chef from Crete, the bakery serves authentic Greek treats that transport you straight to Greece. My favorites include the Ekmek Kataifi or Galaktobureko for dessert, Bougatsa for something more filling and a Greek Frappe or Freddo Espresso for a nice coffee treat. Conveniently located at the junction of the
Minuteman Bikeway, it’s a perfect spot to stop if you’re cycling through town. Greek Habits By Eva sits at 478 Massachusetts Ave.
The Fat Greek
If Greek Habits By Eva left you craving more Greek food, head further down the street to The Fat Greek, a great spot for a full meal. Unlike Greek Habits, this is a casual, counter service restaurant. As soon as you walk in, you’ll see the giant cones of meat spinning on the rotisserie, ready to be sliced into a mouthwatering gyro. Their standout dish is definitely the (decidedly non-authentic) Fat Greek Gyro, which features all three gyro meats with a spicy kick of sriracha. Don’t forget to save room for dessert — their loukoumades are the perfect sweet finish. Visit The Fat Greek at 185 Massachusetts Ave.
Sushi Kappo Toraya
Opened in 1999 by chef Shinji Muraki, this Japanese restaurant originally spent 20 years in its first location before moving across the street to its current spot. Shinji’s culinary journey began in 1974 when he graduated from the Kyoto Culinary Arts College and passed the national exam to become a licensed chef. After honing his skills in Kyoto for several years, he moved to the United States in 1979, where he worked at several renowned Japanese restaurants before deciding to open his own. Shinji’s brother, who shares his passion for Japanese cuisine, owns a soba noodle restaurant in Kyoto.
Sushi Kappo Toraya offers some of the best Japanese food you can find near Tufts, making it a perfect choice when you’re looking for a change from Yoshi’s. With its dedication to quality ingredients and traditional Japanese flavors, this restaurant is a great place to experience authentic sushi and other Japanese dishes. Sushi Kappo Toraya is located at 795 Massachusetts Ave.
Zomsa Restaurant and Bar
This sit-down restaurant and bar offers a mouthwatering blend of Nepalese and South Asian cuisines. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but I always recommend trying one of the daily specials for something new. And don’t leave without a refreshing mango lassi! While it’s a sitdown restaurant, the prices are student-friendly. They even host live music on occasion! You can tell it’s a loved spot because the Nepali Student Association in Boston recently chose it to host one of their networking events for Nepalese students. With great food and a welcoming atmosphere, Zomsa never disappoints. If you need a little inspiration, check out their Instagram @zomsa.boston to make yourself hungry. Zomsa can be found at 434 Massachusetts Ave.
Thai Moon
This unassuming restaurant is one of the top spots for Thai food near Tufts, and I’d argue it might be the No. 1 Thai restaurant in the Boston area — it’s definitely the best of the ones I’ve tried.
The place is no frills, but it’s the perfect spot if you love your Thai food spicy. My personal favorite is one of their house specialties, Crispy Duck, but there’s something for everyone on the menu. Don’t miss out on the Coconut Pudding for dessert — it’s absolutely delicious. Thai Moon is located at 315 Broadway.
Kickstand Cafe
This cafe is a popular spot, especially for bikers, as it’s the first coffee shop you’ll come across on the Minuteman Bikeway entering Arlington. True to its name, it’s designed for commuters, providing plenty of bike rack space for customers to use. While it’s a laid-back, classic coffee shop, the real highlights are its delicious bagels, tasty hot and cold sandwiches and fresh pastries — perfect for a quick break. Visit Kickstand Cafe at 594 Massachusetts Ave.
Donut Villa
Owned by the Bashllari family, Donut Villa is a fun, retro-inspired diner offering delicious donuts and all your classic American favorites. During the day, you can enjoy a boozy brunch with mimosas, and in the evening, the diner transforms into a bar. For vegans and vegetarians, Donut Villa stands out with an entire menu page dedicated to vegan versions of traditional diner dishes. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic diner meal or a plantbased option, it’s a great spot to enjoy a satisfying meal. Grab a bite at Donut Villa, located at 319 Broadway.
VIA FLICKR
A Donut Villa is pictured.
ARTS & POP CULTURE
Is fast fashion the new luxury?
PrettyLittleThing was once the face of fast fashion’s glitzy, in-yourface appeal, known for bodycon dresses, flashy patterns, cut-out tops and influencer endorsements –– particularly from the cast of “Love Island.” The brand represented a carefree, fun aesthetic focused on quick, trendy styles at rock-bottom prices.
However, last week, the brand mysteriously went offline, deleting all of its Instagram posts. Soon after, PrettyLittleThing announced that it was now a “legacy in progress,” creating looks for “every kind of It Girl.” Gone were the cheap, trendy micro-tops; their all-caps logo and bright pink visuals disappeared almost overnight. In their place emerged a more sophisticated color palette of burgundies, browns, creams and beiges. Their logo is now presented in a quieter calligraphy style. The website now features ruched maxi dresses, buttoned two-piece sets and suit jackets, offering a markedly elevated look. Prices have also risen significantly, with dresses now ranging from $55–65.
“Before, we would focus on getting the product on site at the absolute cheapest price we could,” PrettyLittleThing Chief Executive Officer Umar Kamani said. “What we’ve done now is not to focus on having a dress on site at [around $4], but having a dress that’s thicker, not see-through and a better fit.”
This rebrand isn’t entirely unexpected. PrettyLittleThing seems to be hopping on the latest fast-fashion trend of “quiet luxury.” Quiet luxury clothing is subtle, sophisticated and understated. Think Sofia Richie’s timeless glam or Molly Mae’s beige wardrobe. Quiet luxury represents a more classic and highend style, avoiding ostentation for a sleek, elevated appearance.
The irony here, however, is that luxury isn’t just about timeless looks; it’s also about enduring quality. Luxury pieces are meant to be worn beyond one cycle, with materials designed to stand the test of time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t entirely match PrettyLittleThing’s history. The brand is particularly known for promoting unsustainable levels of consumption, outrageously low prices — think pennies for tops — and poor working conditions. In
Zara’s image was further tarnished by incidents like Melania Trump wearing a controversial Zara jacket during a visit to a migrant detention center. Since then, the brand has made notable efforts to distance itself from its fast-fashion roots. In 2019, Zara introduced ambitious sustainability goals, aiming to incorporate organic or recycled materials into their products by 2025.
twenty-somethings entering the workforce or professional life, reflected in its new offerings designed for a more sophisticated, adult style.
2020, reports surfaced that workers at a factory linked to Boohoo Group, PrettyLittleThing’s parent company, were being paid only $3.81 an hour. Boohoo later conducted their own independent review, which confirmed these allegations.
Interestingly, PrettyLittleThing’s rebrand has failed to include any statements regarding sustainable working practices or broader ethical commitments. The focus seems solely on the aesthetic transformation of their clothing line, with no acknowledgment of the brand’s history of exploitation or its efforts to address sustainability. This rebrand appears less about genuinely adopting a higher-quality, luxury image and more about following the latest trend in fast fashion.
This move is not unique to PrettyLittleThing, though. Zara, another fast-fashion giant, has also undergone a significant rebrand. The Spanish brand, once synonymous with rapid turnarounds of runway trends, has gradually shifted towards a more refined, elevated aesthetic. Their prices have increased, moving away from the budget-friendly options they were once known for.
Additionally, in 2019, Zara revamped its logo, stepping away from the minimalist design in favor of a more intricate style, similar to the logos of luxury brands such as Cartier, Gucci and Bulgari. This new logo was designed by Baron & Baron, the same design firm behind the typography of Dior, Coach and Bottega Veneta.
Zara’s transformation has been successful to some extent. In fact, many no longer think of Zara as fast fashion at all.
“Zara is a designer brand now,” Guido Palau, a hairstylist for Prada and Valentino shows, claimed. “They’re really giving their customers a high-end product.” But what does it truly mean to be a designer brand?
In the mid-2010s, Zara faced severe criticism over the ethics of fast fashion. The brand became known for releasing clothing items into stores within 10 to 15 days of creating the initial design, and for introducing over 20 collections each year. Zara’s quick turnaround times were revolutionary for the fashion industry, but they also contributed to the brand’s negative reputation regarding labor practices and environmental concerns.
Abercrombie & Fitch presents another interesting example of reinvention. In 2016, the brand was voted as America’s most hated retailer. Six years later, Netflix released “White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch,” a documentary that detailed the brand’s decline, largely due to oversexualized visuals and discriminatory practices. In the past, Abercrombie was known for showcasing barely-clad couples embracing or kissing on shopping bags, store displays and walls.
Since then, however, Abercrombie has undergone a significant overhaul. The brand now aims to cater to a more mature, diverse customer base. The vibe is less sultry, with photos of young people biking or embodying “wellness.” Instead of low-rise jeans, henley shirts and micro-mini denim skirts, Abercrombie now offers blazers, wool coats and boucle jackets. The brand’s target audience has shifted primarily to
In addition to the clothing overhaul, Abercrombie has worked to address sustainability and inclusivity. According to an Abercrombie spokesperson, the company is aiming to make its practices more sustainable. The brand’s ads now feature more models of color. In 2019, Abercrombie introduced its Curve Love line, which offers a wider range of sizes and fits designed to flatter different body types –– a significant change for a brand that once catered only to smaller sizes.
Furthermore, Abercrombie has moved away from the controversial, sex-driven marketing tactics they used in the ’90s. Instead, their advertising now emphasizes the clothing itself, with a more understated approach.
These rebranding efforts highlight a strange, growing trend within the fashion industry, where fast-fashion brands are attempting to redefine themselves to appeal to a more discerning, older consumer. For brands such as PrettyLittleThing, Zara and Abercrombie, the path forward seems to be offering “accessible luxury” — high-quality, “timeless” pieces that give consumers the appearance of sophistication without the luxury price tag.
Interestingly, some argue that this rise of “luxury” is less about a societal shift toward sophistication and more about politics. This shift is reflective of a larger movement towards adopting more conservative values. This past year saw a strange glamorization of the “housewife aesthetic,” with influencers like Nara Smith — known for her made-from-scratch cooking videos — and the “cottagecore” aesthetic rising in prominence. This cultural shift from revealing cut-out tops and mini skirts to more modest, conservative button-downs and necklines could be interpreted as a reflection of the current American political climate.
This shift towards “accessible luxury” by brands like PrettyLittleThing, Zara and Abercrombie highlights a changing consumer demand for sophistication at an affordable price. While these rebrands appeal to a desire for timeless aesthetics, the real challenge remains: Can these brands shed their fast-fashion roots and truly embrace sustainability and ethical practices? With PrettyLittleThing, it’s hard to feel confident when many of their items are still entirely made of polyester despite the increased prices.
Perhaps the better question is this: Have consumers truly shifted towards luxury, or is this just another cycle of fast fashion cleverly rebranded?
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A Zara storefront is pictured.
Annika Pillai Deputy Arts Editor
The disturbing delight of ‘Victorian Psycho’ by Virginia Feito
If you’ve ever had the urge to respond to the absurdities of your reality with complete carnage, “Victorian Psycho” by Virginia Feito is the perfect book for you. Even if your impulses are less than violent, the elegantly written prose and intriguing psyche of protagonist Winifred Notty will leave you craving to see her world in all its inglorious depravity. The novel follows Miss Notty beginning her service as a governess at Ensor House. While tutoring the two spoiled Pounds children, Drusilla and Andrew, and tolerating the abuses of Mr. and Mrs. Pounds, she finds it progressively more difficult to contain her inner darkness, which she occasionally refers to as “Fred.” Readers be warned, this novel is not for the faint of heart. The first chapter explains that “in three months everyone in this house will be dead.” At just over 200 pages, the book rapidly uncovers Miss Notty’s sordid past while guiding readers through a vortex of sex, gore and malice before leading to the ultimate conclusion. Although the extreme violence feels overwhelming at times, Feito’s playful writing transforms the shocking carnage into an amusing catharsis rather than a tragedy.
To achieve this end, the reader is first made Miss Notty’s co-conspirator through direct addresses: “I wink at you, dear reader, upon this, our first introduction.” The word “wink” describes the tone of the entire novel — it reads as a lighthearted inside joke. For example, the names of the characters correspond to an aspect of their
identity: Miss “Notty” is both “knotty” and “naughty,” the “Pounds” family is rich, and Miss “Manners” and Mr. “Fancey” are affluent. Because of the absurdity of every character having a name which reflects their defining characteristics, no character feels like a real person. This lack of relatability, much like Miss Notty’s psychopathy, creates an emotional distance that renders empathy for other characters impossible.
Despite being an extreme personality, Miss Notty’s psychopathy and unreliability as a narrator make her delightful. While the outcome of the story is obvious and chapter titles — such as “In Which I Arrive at Ensor House” — describe main plot points, Miss Notty reaches every foregone conclusion in a startlingly novel way. The detailed descriptions of her perceptions coupled with the absurdity of her behavior make her psyche tangible and intriguing. Corpses talk just as the living do, a mouthful of food is as graphic as a mouthful of blood and Miss Notty suddenly finds herself holding a weapon with no context for how she got it. In addition to increasing the shock factor of the book, the novelty of her actions distracts from their horror, encouraging readers to eagerly anticipate her future crimes if only to see how she commits them.
Upon reading something shocking, one might assume it serves a concrete political goal. Feito’s writing, however, does not make any obvious political statement. Instead, the story focuses on arguably the most significant quality of the Victorian era: morbidity. Although the one-paragraph prologue begins with the words, “Death everywhere,” the carnage does not limit itself to death alone.
Merry Jiao
Read, Write and Be Merry
‘The Rose Code’ by Kate Quinn
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn.
Okay, so remember when I said last semester that there are four authors I always zero in on? I’ve now reviewed books from two of them, and I cannot believe I’ve waited this long to review a book by the one and only Kate Quinn.
When I tell you this woman is the queen of historical fiction, I am not exaggerating. Every single one of her books, from “The Alice Network” to “The Diamond Eye,” is a stunning untold story of women in the World Wars, as they defy expectations and repaint the fabric of our world history.
From boring old history class, we’ve inherited the narrative that one white male by the name of Alan Turing should get all the credit for breaking the German Enigma machine. But Quinn tells a different story. “The Rose Code” focuses on three women who are recruited to work at Bletchley Park, a mysterious country estate home to thousands of British minds trained to break German Nazi codes. From beautifully breezy Osla Kendall to delightfully serious Mab Churt to wonderfully odd Beth Finch, each woman comes from a different place in society, but they quickly bond and gradually create a home at Bletchley.
The epigraph by Charles Darwin puts it best: “Every thing is in flames.” Even inanimate objects and ideologies which cannot die are wounded, destroyed and subverted. Every character and every societal norm is detestable, so they cannot be mourned; yet, Feito suggests no alternative to be built from the ashes. Despite Miss Notty targeting her wealthy employers, this is not a pro-worker tale, as even lower class characters are irritating, foolish and brutally murdered. Their deaths are not romantic either — no heroes are martyred, instead nuisances are massacred. Similarly, Miss Notty is not a stereotypically feminist hero reclaiming power. Instead, she teaches little girls that “they can aspire to kill, too,” suggesting that the destruction of others at cost to oneself is the only avenue to power available to Victorian women. In the face of such horror, Ensor House becomes a representation of all that is corrupt in the world, and its destruction serves as a catharsis for anyone tired of coping with a repugnant reality they are incapable of remedying. Without moral high ground, readers have no choice but to revel in comical monstrosity right along with Miss Notty.
The commercial appeal of “Victorian Psycho” was acknowledged when A24 bought film rights prior to the novel’s publishing earlier this year. The film, which will begin production this month, is set to star Margaret Qualley and Thomasin McKenzie, with the screenplay written by Feito herself. For anyone interested in examining Victorian history, exploring the depths of human depravity or reading a ghastly rendition of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Victorian Psycho” is a must-read.
One reason why I love this book so much is because each of the three main characters has a distinct story. Osla initially comes off as flippant and careless, but in reality, she has been trained by society to hide behind carefree comments to avoid commitment or getting hurt. And yet, when she meets the dashing Prince Philip of Greece, those walls slowly fall. Mab, serious and settling for nothing less than the most respectable man, finds exactly that in Francis Gray. Grounded, thoughtful and observant, he is everything she could have imagined. Beth, who was raised in a religious household and inexperienced in the romance department, falls for Harry Zarb, a fellow codebreaker who is married and has a son. As the war goes on, each woman embarks on a unique journey of love, longing and loss, experiencing moments at their own pace and showing that there is no one straight path to finding happiness.
This book also really gets to the heart of how complicated close friendships can be. Bottom line? It’s always going to be hard, and it always takes work. At one point, Mab falls into a lengthy depressive state because her husband and daughter are killed in a bombing that Beth knew about from her codebreaking work. She refused to forgive Beth, and Beth also refused to apologize for not breaking her oath to never disclose any intelligence. Both refused to look the other in the eye, and yet, years later when Beth needed to be rescued from an asylum, Mab was there by her side. As with some of the strongest friendships, words will always be left unsaid, and some regrets will never be forgiven.
But, on the other side of that hill, we can all find a place called home.
Merry
Sophie Herron Staff Writer
COURTESY PICKPIK
SEPTEMBER 24-OCTOBER 23
OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 22
Return to your summer hobby. Maybe read one of the unread books on your shelf.
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FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20
Late Night At The Daily
Gretta: “The vibe is less sultry?! Oh, I thought this was about donuts.”
Defne Olgun Dear Defne
Fearful freshman
In a freshman funk: “I’ve been thinking about transferring and prepared some applications, but I’m not sure if I should submit them or not. How do I know if I’m making the right decision?”
Dearest Fearful Freshman, Submit them! You’ve already put the work in, which means there’s clearly some part of you that questions your space here at Tufts.
I personally transferred here and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My reasons for leaving my previous institution are obviously going to be very different from yours or anyone else’s, but I firmly believe that anyone considering transferring should give themself a chance. You can always complete this semester and figure out whether to stay once you get decisions back from other schools.
You are so brave for realizing that something feels wrong and choosing to do something about it. However, I urge you to make sure you’re running towards something, not just away from Tufts. Engage fully with your life here, make appointments with the different resources offered, get out of your dorm room and find the green grass while you’re here. I don’t want you to transfer away only to realize that your struggles were separate from your environment.
Need a bigger school? Realizing your ideal major isn’t offered here? Wishing for a different student body and culture? Sounds like there might be a better fit for you outside of Medford and Somerville. Tired of being so far from home? Want to run away from your tragic first-semester situationship? Struggling with your classes? Wildly overwhelmed? Your problems probably won’t be magically solved just by leaving — except maybe you’ll have fewer liberal arts 360s to complete.
There is so much magic to be found here. We will miss you dearly if you go, but I hope you find your magic somewhere.
All the best and all my love, Defne
Turnacioglu
MINI CROSSWORD
‘Intro to Spanish’ by Max Turnacioglu
Horoscope by Josué Pérez and Claire Wood
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.”
After the drinking age was raised, however, the university began to phase out the pub. By the mid-2000s, students were already lamenting its absence, calling for a new campus bar to be installed in venues like Breed Memorial Hall at 51 Winthrop St. We, the Daily’s Editorial Board, two years ago, proposed the former site of Hillside Hardware at 325-331 Boston Ave. Fortunately, with the recent opening of the Pop-Up Pub in Hotung Café three decades after the closing of MacPhie Pub, there was a beacon of hope for reviving campus pub culture. However, this new pub is still a far cry from the lively, jovial,
Assistant Opinion Editor
Originally published March 11.
I, along with many other leftof-center individuals, am deeply worried about the recent actions of President Donald Trump’s administration 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.
There are two works, both from Chile, that I believe display the incredibly damaging capability of this loneliness. The first is a 1990 play by Ariel Dorfman called “La muerte y la doncella,” which translates to “Death and the Maiden,” and the second a 2004 film called “Machuca.”
Both works deal with the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet,
OPINION
EDITORIAL
Setting the bar higher
no-frills vision of a standard pub. A few tweaks to the environment might help this space realize its full potential and pack in students every week.
While recent efforts such as the Celtics watch party held on March 6 are a good start, having regular entertainment for students to partake in will help draw in more people — especially those who expect a pub night to entail long bouts of standing around without any stimulus to break the ice. Luckily, there’s an easy fix: Open the balcony doors and extend the pub into the Campus Center’s game room. This would allow students to hang out, play ping-pong or pool or even pull out a board game, giving them more of a reason to come and to stay at the pub.
Better music would also attract more attendance, and there’s an easy fix for this too: Take requests! If students had more influence on the playlists at the pub, we’d be able to curate an atmosphere that is more appealing to our peers. Better yet, the pub could invite student bands to perform. With so much musical talent in our midst, it’d be a missed opportunity to not bring them in. This would give them a platform and create a reason for students to come to the pub and watch them play.
At MacPhie Pub, Tufts Dining Services coordinated with Tufts University Social Collective, then known as the Programming Board, to plan events. Tufts should emphasize collaboration more, coordinating with TUSC and the Tufts Community Union Senate to plan and host events in Hotung. This would open the door for an array of theme nights — perhaps a St. Patrick’s Day celebration? Karaoke? Trivia? Pub Olympics? All of these would be great additions to the regular entertainment. The food situation could stand to improve as well. One
VIEWPOINT
possible change is to move Late Night Commons into the pub. Late Night food is already very pub-oriented and would absolutely be an incentive for people to stop by. Including a Late Night dining option at the Pop-Up Pub would bring more Tufts students to the pub, especially those in search of a snack. To top it off, a key issue is that the pub closes at 9:30 p.m. We believe the pub should be open until at least midnight and be open on Friday as well as Thursday. We understand that this can be a big ask for a pilot program, but without these changes the university will
Washington 2025 and Santiago 1973
lasting from his 1973 coup against the democratically-elected President Salvador Allende until a plebiscite removed him from office in 1988. Between those years, Pinochet ruled Chile with an iron fist as leader of a right-wing military junta, and was responsible for the executions or “disappearances” of 3,095 people and the torture of an estimated 27,255.
“La muerte y la doncella” takes place immediately following the end of the Pinochet regime. It concerns a politician named Gerardo who is helping to lead the redemocratization process, and his wife Paulina, a former political prisoner who faced terrible treatment at the hands of the military and now lives an isolated life. One night, Gerardo invites a stranger named Dr. Miranda, whom he says helped him fix a flat tire, over to their house, and Paulina becomes convinced that he was one of the men who tortured her. Thus, she places him at gunpoint and forces him to confess, despite it being unclear whether or not he actually was the culprit or if her PTSD is simply deluding her. Just before she is about to execute him, the play
skips forward in time to a symphony performance in which Gerardo and Paulina are in attendance, and she sees the ghost of Dr. Miranda seated in the audience, staring at her, implying that she will forever be haunted by the fact that she may have killed an innocent person. This self-doubt and guilt will further isolate Paulina, just as her own torture by the military did.
The play’s power lies in the incredible profundity of Paulina’s sheer feeling of alienation. The regime may have ended by the time this play takes place, but it has nevertheless done long-term, possibly irreparable damage to its victims. And as a result, it’s possible that an innocent person got caught in the fray.
Unlike “La muerte y la doncella,” “Machuca” takes place in the time leading up to and immediately after the Pinochet coup. It follows Gonzalo, a well-off schoolboy attending a private Catholic school, who meets a poor indigenous boy named Pedro. Despite their socioeconomic differences, the two develop a close and beautiful friendship. However, immediately after
the coup and as a result of the subsequent political turmoil, the two boys’ friendship falls apart. The film concludes with a dramatic scene in which Gonzalo visits Pedro’s shantytown only to find it under siege by the military, with soldiers violently rounding up the town’s inhabitants, presumably to be tortured or killed. As Gonzalo runs away from the bedlam, he locks eyes with Pedro. What is so particularly tragic about this scene is that Pedro’s look is one of anger, as if Gonzalo — and the Pinochet-supporting side of Chilean society which he represents — is at fault for all of this.
When I first saw “Machuca” as a 16-year-old, it shocked me. And it has stuck with me until this day as a warning sign of just how much damage an authoritarian regime can do to a society. Even though Gonzalo, at the very end, returns to his fancy Santiago neighborhood with all the comforts of a wealthy life, he is emotionally ruined, the beautiful friendship he had now gone forever.
I want the characters of Paulina and Gonzalo to stick in my readers’ heads, just as they have stuck
never be able to get a sense of the pub’s potential popularity. While a pub may seem somewhat trivial, making these changes could have an outsized impact on our community. What we have now is a tremendous start, but we would love to see this popup become more popular. The Pub could bring Jumbos together to unwind in a safe and convenient way. We join the calls of the Editorial Board, current and former students and many in the Tufts community to encourage the creation of a permanent pub that can be a hub of social life at Tufts.
in mine. They are emblematic of the immense damage that authoritarian regimes can do to societies beyond the archetypal images of death squads and censorship. They isolate people and inflict severe emotional damage.
About a month ago, The New York Times published a fascinating and disturbing video in the Opinion section that interviewed people who had been targeted by, and subsequently fled, authoritarian regimes. One of the interviewees, a former nonprofit leader in Nicaragua driven out by the Ortega regime, provides a powerful line: “I wish I had paid more attention to those flashes of authoritarianism. We ignored it…”
As the chaotic next four years unfold, be diligent in viewing what might be new signs of authoritarianism because those little signs could eventually snowball into a much larger attack on freedom. Keep the lessons of Paulina from “La muerte y la doncella” and Gonzalo from “Machuca” in your head; we should never allow society to become that terribly lonely.
The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free of charge to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.
EDITORIALS: Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily Editorial Board. Individual editorialists are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Editorial Board. Editorials are submitted for review to The Tufts Daily Executive Board before publication.
VIEWPOINTS AND COLUMNS: Viewpoints and columns represent the opinions of individual Opinion editors, staff writers, contributing writers and columnists for the Daily’s Opinion section. Positions published in Viewpoints and columns are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion.
OP-EDS: Op-Eds provide an open forum for campus editorial commentary and are printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. ADVERTISEMENTS: All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the editor in chief, executive board and business director.
The Editorial Board
RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY
The Tufts Pop-Up Pub is pictured in Hotung Cafe on Nov. 7, 2024.
Aaron Bolonick
DOGE should dream bigger
Originally published 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.
DOGE brings to this libertarian ambition an unprecedented method to cut the size of the government. To the department, efficiency is not just about spending cuts — it’s about firing federal workers and trimming programs wherever the government has the power to do so. So far, these cuts have been made with relatively little pushback. According to Politifact, out of six polls conducted, four showed that DOGE was unpopular amongst respondents while two showed split public sentiments. There’s been vocal opposition to the department at town hall meetings with Republican congressmen, but it’s unclear whether these critics are Trump supporters or just Democrats and Independents who were unlikely to support these cuts anyway.
The most visible example of DOGE’s methods has been its cuts to the United States Agency for International Development. It cut the number of employees at USAID from about 10,000 people to about 300 and has saved around $60 billion through cuts to various forms of foreign aid.
While governments should definitely cut wasteful spending, the waste that
DOGE has so far targeted won’t make a big dent in the deficit. A better place to look for savings is in subsidies like the ones passed under the Biden administration such as the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act. Goldman Sachs has estimated that the IRA set aside $1.2 trillion worth of incentives for renewable energy, even though private investments in renewable energy have been growing in recent years and solar power is now cheaper than oil and coal. The Farm Bill, which expired in September 2024, gave $1.5 trillion to the agricultural sector. DOGE should push Congress to not renew it since a lot of its money goes to big corporations that don’t really need it, and subsidies can lead to waste as seen with the cheese cave in Missouri, where they store 1.4 billion pounds of excess cheese.
These subsidies have an even bigger problem — they encourage companies to lobby the government for more money. On top of that, the government often adds more policies to protect these subsidies. Take the corn subsidy, for example. Corn is one of the most heavily subsidized crops in America. To deal with the surplus corn created by these subsidies, the government imposes tariffs on cane sugar so that companies use high fructose corn syrup, rather than cane sugar, in their products. High fructose corn syrup then gets added to countless products in the U.S. This is why Coke in America tastes different from Coke elsewhere. The issue with high fructose corn syrup is its positive correlation with Type 2 diabetes, which contributes to higher health costs for Americans. So, this one subsidy on corn ends up requiring more policies to support it, which makes things worse for everyone by costing both the government and the taxpayer more time and money.
Besides subsidies, DOGE could also focus its cost-cutting efforts on less
Mariia Kudina Ukraine at War
Private initiatives help universities adjust to war R
sensitive and less effective departments like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Department of Housing and Urban Development was founded back in 1965 to make housing more affordable, yet 60 years and $1.6 trillion later, the number of homeless people in 2024 was 771,800, 18.1% higher than in 2023. According to the National Association of Realtors, housing prices are the highest they have ever recorded. Given that a huge part of this housing mess has to do with overzealous state and local planning regulations, why does the federal government have any role here? It’s an entire department whose main purpose is better served by state and local governments that have more tools to deal with the housing crisis. While it does feel like the federal government could help, it is a problem that was caused by states and thus needs to be addressed by states. Federal money is better spent fixing FEMA rather than fixing a crisis over which it has little control.
While one could raise taxes to close the deficit, there are problems with this approach. Large increases in taxes, such as the ones that are needed to close the deficit, hurt the economy by increasing business costs and reducing incentives to work more. As a result, generated tax revenue would end up lower than expected because of the resulting lethargic economy and lower productivity.
As the deficit continues to increase, it has become clear that government debt has grown too large to ignore. Since massive tax increases are not a viable option, cutting federal spending is the only way to go if we want to maintain a solvent government and reduce our debt. DOGE has valid aims in mind when it tries to cut spending, but so far it has mainly looked at small targets. If it wants to truly achieve its goal of cutting government spending, it needs to target larger objectives.
ussia 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 their 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. Educational institutions in Ukraine are a frequent target for Russian attacks. One out of every five higher education institutions has been damaged or destroyed due to the war as of February 2024, according to research by the World Bank, the Ukrainian government, the European Union and the United Nations. Since Feb. 24, 2022, a total of 3,798 educational institutions across the country have been affected by bombings and shelling, with 365 completely destroyed. Among them, 63 higher education institutions sustained severe damage or were entirely demolished. Considering the gloomy statistics, it is clear why all universities in Ukraine are required to have a shelter. However, not all of the facilities are able to provide conditions that are adequate for studying.
This is largely caused by the lack of public funding for higher education distribution, as it was cut by 10% following the onset of full-scale armed aggression. On the other hand, many universities still hold classes online, meaning that most Ukrainian students are left without an opportunity to interact with their peers in person. CLUST SPACE, a shelter that functions like a shared educational space adapted for war conditions, aims to provide a solution for this problem. Funded by various private donors such as businesses and foundations, it has resources for meeting basic needs such as restrooms, showers and a room for sleeping, in addition to providing spaces for individual study, lectures, presentations, exams, hackathons and various student events. Projects like CLUST SPACE are essential for ensuring that the students have access to classroom-based learning in a safe space.
So far, the initiative has been implemented on campuses of two Ukrainian universities, in Kyiv and Dnipro. In the Ukrainian capital, CLUST SPACE is located in the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Library. In Dnipro, the smart shelter is built on the campus of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. The third smart shelter is going to be created in Odesa, a southern port city in Ukraine that suffers from frequent drone and missile attacks. The founders of CLUST are seeking funding sources for its construction in Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University. Thinking about Ukraine in our current reality, it is crucial to look beyond the large-scale politics of the war and take into account the lives of regular citizens. One way to deal with frustration over the news is by actively supporting Ukraine — whether by speaking out, attending rallies or contributing to initiatives that bolster its education system and defense capabilities.
Anubhav Sinha Staff Writer
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Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 20.
Ice hockey’s season concludes in NESCAC title game for second straight year
Keriann Slayton Staff Writer
Tufts ice hockey battled through the conference tournament, beating Bowdoin in a thrilling overtime and routing Colby 6–2 to earn a spot in the NESCAC championship game against Hamilton in Clinton, N.Y. In the semifinal matchup against the Colby Mules, the Jumbos kicked things into high gear offensively, exploding for four goals in the third period to eliminate the No. 3 seed team and advance to the conference final. While the score may
not make it evident, the Jumbos actually came from behind against the Mules, facing a 1–0 deficit early before tying the score about halfway through the first and taking a 2–1 lead before the first intermission. Though Colby responded in the second by evening things up at 2–2, Tufts put on a show in the game’s final frame, taking a 3–2 lead only 14 seconds into the third period that just kept expanding, topped off by junior forward Brendan Fennell’s empty-net goal.
The 6–2 win sent Tufts to face the No. 1 seeded hosts Hamilton in the title game.
The moment was familiar for the Jumbos, who fought their way to the final game in 2024 as well, but the title remains elusive to them. The Hamilton Continentals secured the program’s first-ever NESCAC championship in shutout fashion, stifling the Jumbos’ offense on the way to a 3–0 victory. Tufts had no shortage of chances offensively, outshooting Hamilton 32–27, but success during man-advantages made the difference in favor of Hamilton, who scored on two of their four power plays and put the game away with an empty-netter.
Goalie Charlie Archer proved why he was a first-team all-conference selection, notching 32 saves for his fifth shutout performance of the season. He stepped up in a big way in the first period of the title game, stuffing a breakaway chance by sophomore forward Marcus Sang, a deflating blow for the Jumbos.
Archer’s offense backed him up in the second period, with forward Grisha Gotovets opening the scoring off of a rebound from forward William Neault’s shot from the point. Hamilton went on a power play late in the second following a cross-checking penalty by junior defenseman Chris Throndson and cashed in with less than 4 minutes remaining in the period to take a 2–0 lead heading into the final frame. The Continental
SCIENCE
defense won them the title in the third, as they added only five shot attempts but also kept the Jumbo offense quiet. An empty-net power play goal by Hamilton player Ben Zimmerman with only 39 seconds left to play propelled the final score to 3–0 and wrote the 2024–25 Hamilton squad into the college’s history books.
Sitting atop the NESCAC standings for the entire season and ranked No. 8 nationally, Hamilton emerged as a formidable powerhouse this season, and junior forward Liam O’Hare paid respect to the quality of the other school’s team. “They’re pretty highly regarded as a team, and they got good players, and obviously that’s why they were the number one seed and the host,” he said. “It was loud, I believe it was sold out, a lot of energy in the building, which the guys kind of fed off of, and I think they really played well.”
Despite the outcome, the Tufts team proved to be a perennial title contender. With each tournament appearance, the motivation to overcome that final hurdle and hoist the team’s first-ever NESCAC championship plaque grows stronger. O’Hare commented on the chemistry the team developed over the past few years, which has helped them become a more consistent championship threat.
“I think this has been a group that we’ve been together for a long
The solitary bee’s knees
protein-rich pollen. This means that, in the simplest terms, bees are vegetarian wasps.
Originally published March 4.
When you think of bees, what comes to mind? It might be the sweet taste of honey or an ever present buzzing next to your ear. It may even be the 2007 cinematic masterpiece, “Bee Movie.”
What you might not expect is that the grand majority of bee species do not produce honey or even live in hives. Roughly 77% of the bees on earth are classified as solitary. This classification exists in contrast to social bees, which are those that organize themselves into hives, with each bee serving a role to protect and sustain the community. On the other hand, solitary bees do it all themselves, with females building and provisioning nests with no assistance.
Solitary bees are wildly fascinating and incredibly diverse in their morphology and behavior. However, they have long been the underappreciated relatives of social bees. No more! Let’s dive into what makes these little creatures so special, and why we should protect them.
Bees emerged from a group of hunting wasps over 120 million years ago. These wasps feed on arthropods and insects, whereas bees get their nutrition from
So what pushed this shift from predation to “vegetarianism?”
One idea is that eudicots, which represent 75% of flowering plants, emerged in the fossil record at almost the exact same time as bees, roughly 125 million years ago. While there were forms of flowering plants and pollinators before this dual emergence, eudicots and bees represent an explosion of biodiversity and the origin of pollination as we know it today.
Even more interesting, bees predated the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, in which the dinosaurs went extinct. After the asteroid impact, bees saw a massive rise in their rate of diversification, leading to the roughly 20,000 described species on earth today.
Of those 20,000 species, roughly 15,400 are solitary. These bees build individual nests for their larvae in an awe-inspiring variety of materials. Solitary bees are known to build nests in everything from wood to soil to reed structured plants. In urban and suburban settings, they will even create homes in fences and in the walls of sheds and homes.
To build their nests, the female bee must excavate the substrate material and provision the nest
with floral oils, pollen and nectar. She will then lay her eggs within the brood cell, which will be home to her offspring while they mature. If her nest is poorly constructed, it could expose her larvae to flooding, parasites, predators or freezing, all of which could result in the death of a generation of her offspring.
It is important to note when collecting resources for food and nest provisioning that not all pollen is created equal. Or at least, not all bees like all pollen. Solitary bees fall onto a spectrum between oligolectic to polylectic. The former means that a bee species will only feed on one plant family, or perhaps a few genera of plants. The latter is the opposite end, where a bee will feed on many plant families.
Why does this matter? As it turns out, most solitary bees are oligolectic. This may be for a few reasons. One is that bees will generally choose to feed on plants with the highest pollen nutritional value. Another reason is that by specializing in one plant family, bees can adapt to collect pollen from those plants in the most efficient manner. A final theory is that by harvesting from only one type of plant, bees require less neural capacity to survive.
Whatever the reason, the majority of solitary bees being
time, and obviously making it all the way to the championship last year was great, and we wanted to get back to [the] championship game,” he said. “Obviously [we] wanted to end up going all the way, but [it] didn’t quite work out as we wished. We plan on trying to get back to it next year and be on the other side of things.”
The loss ended the collegiate careers of seven Tufts seniors — captain Tyler Sedlak, Harrison Bazianos, Marek Pechr, Brennan Horn, Sami Hakkarainen, Clark Bolin and Spencer Rose. The veteran group leaves behind a legacy of reinvigorating the program’s culture and establishing Tufts hockey as a routinely competitive force in the NESCAC. After notching only six wins in their freshman year, the squad put together three consecutive double-digit-win seasons and two consecutive conference final appearances, demonstrating their commitment to cultivating an environment of excellence and bringing Tufts hockey to bigger stages.
O’Hare described the seniors’ leadership and what they brought to the program over the past four years. “They really ingrained [the culture] into everyone and made sure everyone was bought in and everyone was contributing, everyone was involved,” he said. “I feel like they came in and changed the game, which says a lot.”
oligolectic means that bee species are very vulnerable to the loss of their host plants. In fact, habitat change, be that in the form of fragmentation, loss or conversion, is the leading human-imposed threat to bee populations. This issue is faced by both social and solitary bees; however, it seems to affect solitary bees most heavily. In fact, the majority of threatened bee species in Europe are solitary. Why is this the case? Besides being oligolectic, solitary bees lack the social infrastructure of a hive, making it more difficult for them to forage far away from their nests. A study by Gathmann et al. found that the foraging range for solitary bees averages between 150 and 600 meters. This shows how important local habitat structure and host plant availability is to solitary bee conservation.
It is not enough to have a few host plants for each solitary bee
species in an area. A study by Müller et al. showed that, for 85% of solitary bee species examined, the entire pollen content of over 30 flowers is required to provision and rear one larvae. This does not account for the fact that only 40% of a flower’s pollen is accessible to a bee at any given time, which makes the number much higher in natural conditions. And so, if we want to build habitats that can sustain solitary bees, we must ensure a local abundance of proper host plants. Knowing all of this information is critical to protecting, building and conserving solitary bee populations. With 90% of plants on earth requiring pollinators to reproduce, this mission could not be more important. So next time you see a bee, get excited instead of scared. After all, it has way more important things to do than sting you.
Carmen Smoak Executive Science Editor
GRAPHIC BY ISRAEL HERNANDEZ
COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS
The Tufts ice hockey team is pictured on Saturday.
Squash drops the ball in national tournament
After taking home second place in the annual NESCAC tournament, falling to Trinity College, the men’s and women’s squash teams worked hard going into the final tournament of their season — nationals — which would be the ultimate test of their strength. The three days at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, Pa. would define the Jumbos’ spot in the rankings. Only the top 12 teams in the country qualify for the best division of the national tournament, and this was the team’s second consecutive year making it there as the men came in ranked No. 12 and the women at No. 11. Both teams hoped to break the top 10 by beating some of the most competitive teams in the country, but they fell just shy and will have to work extra hard to come back next year to earn their place.
Both teams started the tournament with matches against the University of Virginia, ranked No. 5 on the men’s side and No. 6 on the women’s. A consistently top-ranked team, the Cavaliers triumphed over the Jumbos 9–0 against
the men and 8–1 against the women. No. 3 seed senior Riddhi Joshi was the sole winner, taking down Maria Min in four games.
In the first consolation bracket, the men faced Cornell University, who they had lost to 8–1 earlier in the season. A repeat matchup occurred with No. 4 junior Jared Chin taking home the only win, sweeping Rohan Iyer 11–9, 11–3, 11–7.
For their first consolation match the women faced off against Columbia University, who they had lost to 7–2 back at the beginning of the season in November. While they managed to edge closer this match, they lost 6–3. The wins came from No. 4 first-year Sohni Vermani, No. 7 senior Aleezah Burhan and No. 8 first-year Indira Moshi. However, while the score shows otherwise, the team came very close to beating the Lions with three matches going to five games, which anyone could have claimed. Down in her match 2–1, Joshi battled back to force a fifth game and while she could not pull through, the final game was a nailbiter that ended 12–10 in favor of Columbia. No. 9 sophomore Chloe Bergam faced a similar situation to Joshi, forcing a fifth game but dropping it 11–7.
“Even getting close to this level is historical for this program,” senior Nieve Monderer wrote in an email to the Daily.
“When I came to Tufts, we were [ranked No.] 18 in the country and now we are right there with these top 10 programs. Besides Trinity (who won the national championship), we are the only [NESCAC team] in this top 12 tournament. Such an accomplishment!”
After losing their first two matches, the teams had one last chance in the playoff of the first consolation bracket. The men faced Williams, who they lost to by one match in the regular season but then narrowly beat in the NESCAC tournament to earn their spot in the finals. In a high-pressure moment, the 5–4 loss was heartbreaking. No. 2 sophomore Aarav Gill dominated Nick Agger, taking him down 11–7, 11–7, 11–5. No. 3 senior Kerwin Teh followed suit, winning his match in four games, and Chin earned his second individual win of the tournament at the fourth spot in just 21 minutes. No. 8 junior Shivin Kumar also found a win, taking down Causey Green 3–1. In almost an hour of battling, No. 9 sophomore Emerson
Wang fell in five games with a final score of 11–7, 11–8, 8–11, 5–11, 9–11.
After their loss against Columbia, the women played Dartmouth, who they had beaten 7–2 in January. In a hard-fought match, the Jumbos could not manage to take the win, losing 5–4. Wins came from the middle of the ladder with No. 4 Vermani, No. 5 first-year Anika Goyal, No. 6 Monderer and No. 7 Burhan. While Burhan took home the only five-game win for Tufts, the team forced Dartmouth to five games for every single match they won. No. 1 junior Vharsha Dinesh and Moshi even came within two points of winning their matches, one of which would have clinched the team’s win.
“The match against Dartmouth was one of the best and most competitive matches I’ve ever been a part of in my four years here,” Monderer wrote. “Everyone put every last bit of energy and effort into their matches. It came down to a matter of literally 2 points.”
However, the team has not forgotten all of the work that they put in this season and the accomplishments that they have achieved. “This was
a historical season for Tufts Women’s Squash, and I can’t wait to see what this team can accomplish in the years to come,” Monderer wrote. “I know everyone is going to be training hard in the off season and is feeling fueled for next season.”
Despite the losses, the trip back to Medford was anything but somber. “The feeling on the bus ride home was that we had an awesome year, and we felt pleased about everything we did even if [it] didn’t end exactly as we wanted,” Head Coach Joseph Raho wrote in an email to the Daily.
In terms of moving forward, the team will take time to reflect and reset their goals. “We will also set the schedule for next year and start planning how the year will look,” Raho wrote. “It is a perfect time to get into the gym and get really strong for next year. … When the team is happy and content they play so well and we need to keep doing everything necessary to keep our players in an upbeat mindset. That will definitely be an emphasis for next year. It is always something we are focused on, but it will continue to be one of my top priorities.”
Josh Solomon Staff Writer COURTESY
Members of the Tufts women’s squash team are pictured.