The Tufts Daily

11/18/2025

ARTS | In the last column, we explored how Hokusai’s “The Great Wave” incorporated Western techniques and came to symbolize artistic exchange between East and West. In this article, we will examine how the print evolved into a global phenomenon, becoming the foremost cultural motif of Japan and East Asia.

When “The Great Wave” was published as part ofHokusai’s “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji,” it stood out for its imaginative composition and striking visuals. Its use of foreign “aizuri-e” (blue printed picture) and European perspective helped the domestic audience reimagine Mount Fuji. Visually, the towering wave — a natural force that both protects and isolates the Japanese archipelago from outside influences — appears to overpower the sacred and eternal Mount Fuji. To the Japanese audience, this served as a stark reminder of the potential threats brought by foreign powers and encouraged reflection on national identity.

Bella Jin writes.

In the last column, we explored how Hokusai’s “The Great Wave” incorporated Western techniques and came to symbolize artistic exchange between East and West. In this article, we will examine how the print evolved into a global phenomenon, becoming the foremost cultural motif of Japan and ...

11/18/2025

FEATURES | Last month, I wrote an article titled “An analysis of Tufts meal plans: The math is not mathing” after learning about the pricing structure of the Tufts meal plan.

In the fall 2024 semester, I spent approximately $1,550 on food — a little more than half the cost of the 160-swipe plan. The cost of the 160-swipe plan during the 2024–25 academic year was $2,818 per semester, which I used for my calculations (though it is currently even more expensive at $2,966 per semester.) If I had purchased the 160-swipe plan, I would have effectively wasted approximately $1,270. Even in the spring semester — when I ate out more — I still only spent approximately $2,370, about 84% of the total cost of the 160-swipe plan. Over the academic year, I spent well under $4,000 total on food, rather than the whopping $5,636 the meal plan would have cost me.

Ella Sanders writes.

Last month, I wrote an article titled “An analysis of Tufts meal plans: The math is not mathing” after learning about the pricing structure of the Tufts meal plan.

11/18/2025

NEWS | Tufts University has expanded its master’s programs in both public health and nutrition, offered through Tufts University School of Medicine and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, respectively.

The School of Medicine upgraded its Master of Public Health program by bringing back the Global Health Science and Practice concentration and instituting an online counterpart to the Health Management and Policy concentration.

Tvisha Goel writes.

Tufts University has expanded its master’s programs in both public health and nutrition, offered through Tufts University School of Medicine and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, respectively.

11/17/2025

SPORTS | It is quite a rare occurrence for a player to be hated by their own club for so long. The tale of Kai Havertz is certainly interesting, but it just makes sense. When you score a club defining goal, you become a club defining player, regardless of what happened before the moment. Havertz turned contenders into champions and anxious fans into content ones.

While the current gunner is not the “The Special One” when it comes to Premier League Football — that title belongs to Jose Mourinho — his career has certainly been an extremely interesting series of highs and lows. Though Havertz has flourished at times and been mediocre at others, his controversies — igniting Chelsea and Arsenal supporters alike — have never waned. I will explore the defining moments in the German’s career and what brought him to North London today and analyze five years of sentiment to truly evaluate where Havertz places on the ‘Hate Index’ and discover if he’s truly a “hated player.”

Brian Becker writes. Link in bio for more.

It is quite a rare occurrence for a player to be hated by their own club for so long. The tale of Kai Havertz is certainly interesting, but it just makes sense. When you score a club defining goal, you become a club defining player, regardless of what happened before the moment. Havertz turned conte...

11/17/2025

ARTS | Many of those who settled into the red-cushioned seats at their go-to movie theaters in 2022, armed with buttered popcorn or slushies, would have been met with an ad for the U.S. Air Force between movie trailers for upcoming blockbusters. In came the droning of a fighter jet and a cinematic shot of it swooping around mountaintops and through arid plains spotted with cacti. The advertisement barely shows any faces under the helmets, possibly to encourage viewers to imagine themselves in the cockpit. The command to “aim high” lingers on the screen at the end of the ad, followed by the URL of the Air Force website.

Claire LeCates writes.

Many of those who settled into the red-cushioned seats at their go-to movie theaters in 2022, armed with buttered popcorn or slushies, would have been met with an ad for the U.S. Air Force between movie trailers for upcoming blockbusters. In came the droning of a fighter jet and a cinematic shot of....

11/17/2025

FEATURES | Tufts prides itself on being an interdisciplinary institution. With over 150-plus majors and minors for students to choose from, students often find themselves exploring new intellectual interests that may shape their academic and career goals.

Ultimately, a student’s major at Tufts does not solely dictate their career trajectory; the resources they utilize and the connections they make are just as important.

Trey Lawrence writes.

Tufts prides itself on being an interdisciplinary institution. With over 150-plus majors and minors for students to choose from, students often find themselves exploring new intellectual interests that may shape their academic and career goals.

11/17/2025

NEWS | Multiple Greek life organizations at Tufts University have had their houses’ basements closed this semester due to requests from Fraternity and Sorority Life. Greek life has recently also seen an increased amount of regulation and monitoring, with two fraternities — Delta Upsilon and the ATO of Massachusetts— being on some form of probation. These measures have hindered some organizations’ abilities to host events.

Greek life representatives see the restrictions FSL has been imposing as arbitrary and inconsistent.

Alex Boyle and Dariush Raissi report.

Multiple Greek life organizations at Tufts University have had their houses’ basements closed this semester due to requests from Fraternity and Sorority Life. Greek life has recently also seen an increased amount of regulation and monitoring, with two fraternities — Delta Upsilon and the ATO of ...

11/14/2025

NEWS | The Tufts Community Union Senate Administration & Policy Committee is releasing a survey intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of the student experience at Tufts.

The survey is intended to “encompass the entirety of the student experience here at Tufts,” with questions spanning dining, academics, facilities, residential life and campus culture, according to Administration & Policy Committee Chair Spencer Kluger, a sophomore.

The committee hopes the consolidated data will help both TCU senators and university administrators better understand student needs and guide future initiatives. Class of 2029 Senator Hailey Renick said the survey will help senators broaden their view beyond their own experiences.

Shayna Levy reports. Link in bio for more.

11/14/2025

NEWS | The Medford City Council approved its Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance on Wednesday, overriding a mayoral veto. The body also voted to postpone a vote to reconsider an element of the Salem Street Corridor District rezoning project until next week.

The ordinance — which would direct the city to divest funds from entities involved in fossil fuels, weapons manufacturing and severe human rights violations — was passed in third reading in September but was vetoed in October by Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, who cited legal and financial concerns. The override passed in a 6–1 vote, with Councilor Scarpelli opposed.

Julian Glickman and Josué Pérez report. Link in bio for more.

11/13/2025

FEATURES | It is human nature to care about how others perceive us. We curate ourselves based on those expectations, learning early on what earns love and attention and what does not. You were told you were the funny one, so now you are afraid people will judge you if you are serious. You have always assumed you were bad at math because you were never placed into the accelerated math class in third grade (and might not be over that one).

It is possible that you’ve recognized some of these misconceptions — maybe you’ve invested in some therapy, picked up a self-help book or two. But what if the only way to find your authentic self was to leave everything behind — to walk away from modern comforts and live alone for two years in a cave in the forest?

For Buddhist Chaplain Vineetha Mahayaye, that was the only way. Mahayaye became a monk at 10 years old. For him, there was no grand revelation, no moment of nirvana under the bodhi tree.

“I really wanted to wear the robe,” he said. “I really wanted to spend the time at the temple. It’s something very simple.”

Sera Kwon reports. Link in bio for more.

11/13/2025

NEWS | An email was sent to all Tufts students on Oct. 31 about disagreements with the professors of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, as negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement enter their 18th month.

“Collective bargaining between Tufts and the PoPs began in April 2024, and the university has put forward a proposal that is both financially and structurally sound,” Brizuela and Fultineer wrote in a statement to the Daily.

In response to Tufts’ financial proposal and explanation for why bargaining has stalled, an SEIU Local 509 spokesperson with direct knowledge of negotiations described a sentiment of consistent disrespect for their demands for wage increases.

“The university is refusing to make fair offers. We know Tufts can afford our proposals,” the spokesperson said. “We know that Tufts has chosen to make discretionary payments in all sorts of situations, not only to hire administrators, some of whom make over a million dollars a year but also to support tenure track faculty, to support students.”

Eli Brigham reports. Link in bio for more.

11/12/2025

OPINION | Tufts’ graduation requirements are a behemoth. Without previous credit or double-counting courses, they make up about half of the classes students take at Tufts. This means Tufts has some of the most extensive requirements among peer institutions, with more courses needed than schools like Wesleyan and Northeastern — not to mention Amherst, which doesn’t have any required courses beyond the major. Between college writing, language and culture, world civilizations and distribution requirements, students spend many semesters completing required courses that may draw them away from classes they find interesting or that would benefit their lives or careers.

Liam Chalfonte writes.

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