Kamala Harris visits Medford on ‘107 Days’ book tour
Julian Glickman Deputy News Editor
Former Vice President Kamala Harris held a talk in Medford’s Chevalier Theatre on Saturday as part of her “107 Days” book tour.
In an hour long conversation with historian Heather Cox Richardson, Harris discussed a wide range of topics, including foreign policy, anecdotes from her presidential campaign and fighting back against the administration of President Donald Trump.
Harris was interrupted repeatedly throughout the event by protestors, most of whom called out her inaction to the war in Gaza, accusing her of “funding a genocide” and declaring, “Palestine will remember.” They were immediately removed from the theater and booed by audience members.
After the outbursts, Harris addressed the issue, saying she was one of the first people in the Biden administration to acknowledge the starvation in Gaza and call for a ceasefire.
“Our administration should have done more,” she added.
She argued that the focus should be on the “day after” plans for Gaza and that the Trump administration cared little about
the future and had given “blank checks” to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Harris described her book as a journal, saying that the writing process was an opportunity to reflect on her frenetic 2024
campaign for president and take readers behind the scenes.
She discussed the intense preparations for her debate with Trump — whom she did not mention by name throughout the entire event — and shared anecdotes about her vice presidential debate in 2020.
Throughout the conversation, Harris attempted to highlight her work as vice president to advance the economies of developing countries. She described U.S. foreign policy as often focusing too heavily on immediate crises rather than long-term investment, while mentioning the administration of President Joe Biden’s efforts to promote digital inclusion in Africa and agriculture sector development, with a focus on supporting women.
“When you lift up the economic status of women, you lift up the economic status of families and all of society benefits,” she said. Harris also tied agriculture to migration and the climate crisis, arguing that natural disasters have impeded food growth and caused displacement. A lack of resources, she claimed, can
see HARRIS, page 2
TEDxTufts introduces new ‘Spotlight’ format for fall event with community health department
Amelia Sammons and Arinze Ezem-Osakwe Assistant News Editor and Contributing Writer
TEDxTufts, in collaboration with the Tufts Department of Community Health, hosted its first-ever Spotlight event on Sunday. The new format, which the organizer hopes to make annual, featured brief lectures by 10 students followed by a panel discussion with three community health experts.
Nick Dohr, chief financial officer of TEDxTufts, explained that the shorter Spotlight structure was designed to make the event more conversational and digestible to attendees. It aimed to provide a platform for more speakers to share research on topics they care about — even for those without prior public speaking experience.
“[TED Talks] can feel a little bit intimidating to people who don’t have public speaking experience,” Alexandra Rachmat, a head of speaker coaching, said. “One of the things we hear is that
NICOLE DACEY / THE TUFTS DAILY
The TEDx panelists, Megan Bair Merrit, Alexander More and Thanos Zavras, engage in conversation with executive curator Alexandra Rachmat (LA'27) at the TedxTufts fall 2025 event "Spotlight" on Sunday.
people can often be nervous to apply, put themselves out there or even get on that stage. And so what we wanted to do was lower that barrier to entry to the world of public speaking.”
The event opened with a talk by Aria Ma, a fifth-year dual-degree student studying biopsychology and studio art, and Michelle Burger, a senior studying anthropology. They focused on the
positive uses of psychedelics and how colonization and the War on Drugs contributed to the erasure of a long history of psychedelic use as a form of spirituality in various Indigenous communities.
“We’re seeing more and more possibilities that these substances offer to treat conditions that Western society is not necessarily ready to treat,” Burger said. “We’re finding evidence that they may be helpful for PTSD, for treatment-resistant depression, for chronic pain and for autoimmune diseases.”
Anh Ngo, a senior majoring in child studies and human development, followed with a speech addressing the lack of understanding of neurodivergent patients in healthcare. She shared her own experience advising healthcare practitioners to be aware of the different ways in which patients with autism experience pain.
The program then shifted into the sciences with Tufts alumnus Tristan Dinsmore (AG’25), who discussed emerging work on chemical peptides used to induce weight loss. Rebecca Altholz, a senior studying clinical psychology and community health, spoke
see TEDX, page 3
JULIAN GLICKMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY
Kamala Harris is pictured at her book talk in the Chevalier Theatre.
also nurture corruption and lead to fear and violence.
“In healthy communities … people have options and aren’t reduced to desperation,” she said.
Harris also remarked on the growth of misinformation and disinformation in the United States, which she said was “weakening us as a nation.” She criticized the notion of “low information voters,” arguing that they are misled by false information rather than a lack thereof, and said that social media had lowered the bar on entering political discourse.
Harris spoke extensively about fighting back against the Trump administration’s agenda and dealing with political exhaustion. She said the administration was blatant about its goals and that, while she predicted many specific policies that would be enacted, she did not predict “the capitulation.”
She also attempted to reframe the results of the 2024 election by noting that Trump won without a national majority. A third of the adult population voted for him, a third voted for Harris and a third did not vote. She emphasized the need to mobilize the non-voting third.
Asked in an audience question about the future of the Democratic Party, Harris said
it had to “fight fire with fire” and that people could not afford to sit back. She praised public participation in “No Kings” protests and lauded Democratic victories in November elections, pointing to the party’s gains in state legislatures around the country.
Democrats winning back the House and Senate, she stated, was vital to maintain a system of checks and balances.
“[We] cannot let this moment defeat our spirit. … If we let them do that to us, they’re winning,” Harris said. “The power is with the people … this is our country.”
Harris ended the talk with several calls to action, telling audience members to “remain
vigilant” and to be unafraid to call out the administration’s actions.
“An injustice against one of us is an injustice against all of us,” she said.
She also spoke directly to students, encouraging them to stay involved.
“There are such powerful forces … trying to convince you that you are powerless,” she warned.
Outside the theater, Trump supporters held flags and wore ‘Make America Great Again’ memorabilia, with one sign reading “Long Live King Trump.” Several cars driving by honked their horns in support, while event-goers in line shared brief back-and-forths with the protestors.
Somerville City Council passes resolution supporting statewide investment in public colleges, universities
By Estelle Anderson and Niki
Senior News Editor and Staff Writer
The Somerville City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Oct. 23 in support of the DRIVE Act, a statewide initiative that would allocate $200 million in funding for public colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts.
The bill, announced by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in late July, aims to protect the state’s higher education system from recent federal funding cuts, which have targeted roughly $2.1 billion in public university funding nationwide.
“I think the unanimous vote demonstrates that our city is united behind the belief that education should remain accessible, affordable and debt-free,”
Councilor Will Mbah, who sponsored the resolution, said. “This consensus reflects Somerville’s values and our understanding that public higher education is a public good that benefits every community, not just the students enrolled.”
Massachusetts’ economy has long revolved around its topranked higher education system, which generates billions of dollars in income from research activity and attracts highly-skilled employees from around the globe. With colleges and universities in Massachusetts providing 320,000 jobs and $70 billion each year, many fear that federal funding cuts will erode the backbone of the state’s economy.
“For Somerville, the impact [of funding cuts] is tremendous, because hundreds of Somerville residents attend community colleges, state universities and [the University of Massachusetts] every year,” Mbah said. “More stable funding actually just means lower student debt, more workforce trainings and more opportunity for first-generation immigrants and low-income students [and] stronger local industry that relies on skilled, locally-educated workers.”
At the Oct. 23 meeting, city councilors heard testimony from three community members
who work in higher education, including Joy Solon, a graduate program manager in the sociology department at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Solon noted that, due to funding cuts, several of her students lost research positions, while over 10 faculty members lost their jobs at research institutes that primarily support minority communities.
Tufts has also felt the impact of reduced federal funding, with community members across both STEM and humanities departments grappling with grant cancellations and the loss of research funds.
Funding from the DRIVE Initiative would flow into two major areas: a $200 million research pool at MassDevelopment that would support projects at hospitals, universities and independent research institutions, and another $200 million for public higher education to cover research costs, campus partnerships and hiring. The latter portion would be funded through revenue from the Fair Share Amendment, the 4% surtax on annual income over $1 million approved by voters in 2022.
“Should [the DRIVE Act] be implemented, there’s going to be
ripple effects of creating security around higher education and around research, because right now, things are very uncertain [and] very volatile,” Solon said.
Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, helped spearhead both the Fair Share Amendment and the original proposal for the DRIVE Act. He currently sits on the DRIVE Acceleration Team, a group of leaders across unions, businesses and universities fighting to get the bill passed by the state legislature.
“The reason [the DRIVE Act] is so important is that our colleges and universities, public and private, have been decimated by these federal cuts,” Page said. “The fundamental research that we do has been hurt. In that way, it is simply about saving jobs [and] saving the life-saving research that our colleges and universities do.”
Page hopes the DRIVE Act will serve as a blueprint for other states hoping to stabilize funding for public higher education.
“[Colleges and universities are] the centerpiece of our economic strength. … We have to protect that investment,” he said.
“[The MTA] thinks it’s so important that we’ve actually started
urging other states to follow suit [and] use their revenues to protect public education.”
For Mbah, the DRIVE Act has the potential to open up educational opportunities for future generations of immigrant and first-generation students, an issue that is deeply personal to him.
“As someone who came to this country as an immigrant, struggled to find my footing and ultimately got the chance to study and lead,” he said. “I know what education can open up, and I want every young person in Somerville to have the same opportunity, without being burdened by debt or limited cuts in funding.”
Mbah shared that Somerville has long been a leader in advocating for progressive policies at the state level.
“I absolutely believe that [the DRIVE Act resolution] sets the stage for other municipalities to act, and Somerville has often been at the forefront on issues of equity, climate policy and social justice,” Mbah said. “I’ve already heard from my colleagues in other cities who are considering similar resolutions. I hope this becomes a statewide municipal movement.”
Wang
CARYS YANG / THE TUFTS DAILY
Somerville City Hall is pictured on Sept. 20.
Students, experts talk research, public health policy
TEDX continued from the front
about her research trip to Rwanda and the value of promoting honest mental health dialogue in communities.
Isabella Arabia, a 4+1 master’s student studying biology in the primate lab of Associate Professor Zarin Machanda, spoke about the similarities between chimpanzee and human social structures.
Other talks continued the evening’s focus on healthcare inequity. Senior Caroline Spahr reflected on how growing up in a rural community shaped her understanding of barriers to medical access, and
on the solution she hopes to pursue as she enters dentistry.
Junior Maanasa Bandi addressed the longstanding underrepresentation of non-cisgender, non-white and non-male bodies in biomedical research — and the resulting disparities in how pain is recognized and treated.
“An immigrant woman sits in an exam room struggling to find the right words to express her symptoms, but her accent is mistaken for confusion, and her pain goes undiagnosed and untreated,” Bandi said. “These are just some of the things that I’ve seen while working with some of the women in my community.”
Hannah Merritt, a sophomore studying biology and chemistry, presented her work at the Brain Trauma Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she studied a common misconception about pediatric brain trauma.
“Early traumatic seizures are a symptom of brain injury in the immature brain, not a cause,” Merritt remarked. “However, the way we are treating them does cause harm.”
Sheyla Zakashansky, a senior studying biology and environmental studies, closed the lecture portion of the event, sharing her experience working at Camp Cada
Paso, a summer program in New York with a large Puerto Rican population. She stressed the importance of community engagement in raising children to be passionate about local and global change.
“[The campers] got to present their findings that they had learned over the course of the four weeks of camp, and then they got to advocate for what they believe needed to be done,” Zakashanksy said. “The kids became agents of their own change.”
The event concluded with a panel of public health experts — Alexander More, Megan Bair-Merritt and Athanasios
Zavras — who highlighted the economic struggles of conducting modern-day healthcare and environmental research.
TEDxTufts organizers said they hope the Spotlight event will help promote the club and encourage stronger attendance for their 12th annual talk in the spring.
“I think this is just a great way to keep energy for the topic and to bring new ideas and perspectives to these really complex and challenging problems that we face,” Elizabeth Marfeo, associate professor and chair of the community health department, said.
Report highlights systemic gaps in Somerville special education
The Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council released a report in September outlining significant concerns within Somerville Public Schools’ special education programming.
The volunteer, state-mandated council — which advocates for students with disabilities — compiled the August report using district testing data, public records and testimony from parents and educators. Its aim was to better understand the district’s challenges and recommend long-term improvements.
The report highlights significant academic disparities: Only 12% of students with disabilities in grades 3–8 met or exceeded grade-level expectations in reading, compared to 46% of non-disabled peers. In math, 10% of students with disabilities met standards, versus 39% of other students.
SSEPAC attributes these outcomes in part to staffing
shortages that undermine the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support, which provides escalating interventions for struggling students.
“The idea is that everyone gets Tier 1 support,” Liz Eldridge, SSEPAC chair and incoming School Committee member, “Tier 2 is for children that are maybe starting to fall behind. … Then Tier 3 is for children that are diagnosed, and they might be receiving Individualized Education Plan support.”
The report provides evidence that the district does not currently have enough staff to deliver Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions consistently, leaving many students without the required support they need.
“Broadly, there was definitely evidence of missed services. There were educators and service providers saying that they didn’t have enough hours [in the work day] … to meet the requirements of children’s IEPs,” SSEPAC representative and an author of the report, Samantha Steiner said.
IEPs must be written based on student need, regardless of whether staffing is sufficient to meet those needs.
Eldridge clarified why the report was made and her hopes for its results.
“[The SSEPAC report] was never intended to be a tool of criticism,” Eldridge said. “The goal of writing it was to inform and to hopefully make the systemic change that would benefit not only our students but our educators [and] our school system as a whole.”
She further explained how the idea for the report emerged.
“I think the eye-opening moment for many SSEPAC members was when we heard our educators stand up during budget discussions saying they couldn’t meet the needs of our students” Eldridge explained. “[The] deep feeling from those educators [was] that they just needed support and they needed help, and they really [wanted] to do their job well, but they were struggling to be able to do that.”
Steiner said the council’s work took on greater urgency after the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s determined that Somerville “Needs Assistance” under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the 2024–25 school year.
“It was over the summer that we learned about … Somerville getting the designation of ‘Needs Assistance’ … due to accountability data, the [rubric for] achievement for students with disabilities and documented non-compliances,” Steiner said.
In a statement to the Daily, the Somerville Public School Committee outlined steps taken for the 2024–25 school year to improve staffing and compliance.
“Additional special education staff were allocated to Winter Hill and East Somerville to address identified shortages,” a spokesperson wrote. “Midyear adjustments included the addition of a shared school adjustment counselor, a resource room teacher and a part-time speech-language pathologist to balance caseloads and ensure compliance.”
The School Committee also described how the district plans to address DESE’s “Needs Assistance” determination.
“The Special Education Department has initiated a proactive process of meeting with [principals, assistant principals and special education department coordinators] to review MCAS data for students with disabilities,” the committee wrote. “These meetings focus on identifying performance trends, analyzing root causes and developing targeted action steps.”
Eldridge said the previous lack of proactive intervention in the district was particularly concerning.
“Right now, we’re not stepping in until kids need intensive support. … That’s weeks to months of struggle,” she said. “Your small reading problem in first grade that we [waited] to address until fourth grade has gone from being a reading problem to a social-emotional issue and maybe a behavioral challenge.”
The School Committee added that it aims to reduce delays by expanding inclusive practices.
“Expansion of inclusive practices has also been a major highlight of the district’s ongoing work. Co-teaching models have been implemented … supported by the Inclusive Practices/ Co-Teaching Working Group,” the statement read.
The group includes educators, administrators and parents and is tasked with reviewing models, identifying professional development needs and making recommendations for future expansion.
As Eldridge prepares to join the School Committee, she hopes to strengthen collaboration and ensure that both students and teachers receive the support they need.
“We have the opportunity to start moving down a different path. We have a new mayor, we have a really engaged SSEPAC,” Eldridge said. “Are we going to keep doing the same thing, or are we going to maybe look at things differently and really value diversity, equity [and] inclusion? … Simply moving in the right direction and moving with intentionality and trying your best — that goes a long way.”
Carly Cohen Staff Writer
JAMIE SONG / THE TUFTS DAILY
The exterior of Somerville High School is pictured on Oct. 23.
FEATURES
Jumbo Spring Break 2026: Addressing the Hawaiian housing crisis with humility, cultural consciousness
Maia Goldman Contributing Writer
When students envision the quintessential spring break, many picture cresting waves that froth when they crash onto the warm and comforting sand, accompanied by excited shrills of children and vacationers tanning away their stresses in the sun. Yet behind these scenes are overlooked crises around the world — including in one of the top tourist destinations in the world: Hawai‘i.
Aligned with the university’s commitment to civic engagement, Tufts offers a meaningful opportunity for students to volunteer their time to make a difference in communities in need through Jumbo Spring Break. This year, the trip’s destination is Lahaina, Hawaiʻ‘i. Combining service and travel, Jumbo Spring Break allows students to connect with one another while grounding the experience in community-oriented work.
“[Jumbo Spring Break] offers an alternative spring break where service goes hand in hand with tourism,” student coordinator Zaynab España wrote in an email to the Daily. “Volunteering during our trip provides meaning … and makes participants engage with the community in a different way.”
This year, Jumbo Spring Break is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to support recovery efforts after the devastating 2023 wildfires.
“Homes are built for and with families who are
experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity,” Kevin Kraft, associate dean of students and Jumbo Spring Break program coordinator, wrote in an email to the Daily.
For Kristen Ching, president of the Tufts Hawai‘i Club, the project hits close to home. She witnessed the effects of the wildfires firsthand and explained how the fires culminated in a housing crisis among local residents.
“The biggest problem [in Hawai‘i] is that houses keep getting more expensive [but] salaries don’t match that,” Ching said. “The median price for a single-family home is about $850,000, [and] up to $1.1 million on Oahu, which is the most crowded island. … I would say that this is where native Hawaiians are mostly affected — they have the greatest economic disparities.”
While Jumbo Spring Break’s goals are undeniably beneficial, the idea of a trip to Hawai‘i raises concerns about the line between civic engagement and voluntourism. As Kraft wrote, the program is intended for students who are “interested in making a difference in the world” and “value civic engagement” — but how can these students ensure they do not slip into a ‘voluntourist’ mindset upon arrival?
Ching elaborated on the issue.
“I know that [some tourists love] to romanticize Hawai‘ʻi, and they don’t really see the problem. I know that everyone is always like, ‘Well, the tourists can be so rude.’ I think a big part [of this is] that they see
[their trip to Hawai‘i] as only [a] vacation, and so they’re kind of oblivious,” Ching said.
This mindset can lead to serious issues for both local communities and the local environment. From tourists illegally taking lava rocks from Hawai‘i’s shorelines to water restrictions being placed on Hawaiian residents (but not tourists), tourism can have negative impacts on Hawai‘ʻi that Jumbo Spring Break participants should strive to be conscious of and avoid.
“We have a lot of endangered animals, and so we have a lot of systems in place to protect these animals. Our biggest one [is the] Hawaiian Monk [seal],” Ching said. “You have to be 50 to 100 feet away from them, but [tourists] will go straight up to them [to] pet them, touch them [or] try to take pictures with them, [which] then freaks the [seals] out, of course. There was one instance not long ago where … [a seal] bit someone.”
Ching emphasized the importance of cultural awareness for Jumbo Spring Break participants. Participants, she said, must approach this cause with humility and a genuine desire to understand Hawaiʻ‘i’s history, culture and ongoing recovery.
“Just being respectful [and] being humble in the place where you are. … [Students will] be interacting with locals, so, just learning their stories, understanding the personal level of why what’s happening and what they’re going through — I think [that] would just really help,” Ching said.
GRAPHIC BY GRACE
Education and mindful engagement are key tenets behind Jumbo Spring Break’s mission. España stressed that the program’s civic component is meant to be the driving force behind the trip — not serve as an accessory to the excitement of traveling to a new place.
“I think [Jumbo Spring Break] adds … meaningful value to a touristic trip,” España wrote. “This service value also connects the participants with each other heightening the fun social time.”
In a world where leisure tourism dominates travel, Jumbo Spring Break strives to distinguish itself by emphasizing intention, education and a commitment to making a difference. Heading into its third year, the program asks students to understand the context of the places they visit
NELSON
and engage deeply with local communities. Ultimately, the program offers more than a vacation — it offers the chance to explore the world while contributing to long-term change. Participants return with a deeper awareness of issues in the world around them and a clearer understanding of the significance of activism, beginning with showing up for others.
“[Jumbo Spring Break] is designed to help you see that you can make a difference in your community, and to set you up for a lifetime of civic engagement,” Kraft wrote. “The biggest takeaway we hope people have is seeing the power they have to make a difference for others, and to [let] that feeling motivate them … throughout life.”
Your newest café: The Buzzin’ Bean hopes to empower individuals with autism while serving tasty treats
Sophie Axelrod Features Editor
Are you still disappointed that the Joyce Cummings Center Starbucks disappeared or constantly angry that The Sink line STILL is not getting any shorter during your 12 to 1:15 p.m. lunch break? Do not fear: Just minutes away from campus lies a new(ish) café, The Buzzin’ Bean, serving homemade pastries, entrees and drinks.
In May, Lexington native Jayashree Venkataraman opened The Buzzin’ Bean, located at 237 Holland St. in Teele Square. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, this coffee shop could be your new home to fill your caffeine fix or comfort food craving. Tufts students even get a 10% off discount on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with a student ID.
For Venkataraman, the business began with a personal vision inspired by her son, who has autism. She wanted to create a welcoming place where children with special needs could gain experience with practical and everyday activities. For individuals with autism, social interactions can sometimes pose stress and difficulty.
“We wanted to start a small café where we could have some special needs kids come [and] practice a lot of their other skills like buying something, [making] exchanges and learning the money skills,” Venkataraman said. “There are so many skills which we can teach the kids, but exposure is very important for them, just not being at home.”
For children with autism, learning money-management skills and even ordering from
a counter is important and can serve as empowerment.
Venkataraman also hopes to employ more children with autism, in addition to her son, so they too can get experience interacting with more people and enjoy a work environment (i.e., helping behind the register, stocking the refrigerator and preparing foods for recipes).
Venkataraman also discussed the importance of an inclusive environment and a place where children with social differences can feel welcome.
“We have told many parents: Please bring your kids out more in the community and that this place is safe. … It’s okay if they run around or do something, everyone will get used to them,” Venkataraman said.
Ariadna Torras, a junior at Tufts studying environmental studies and
community health, is a barista at The Buzzin’ Bean. She loves the work environment and the sense of community it provides, both with her coworkers and café customers. Even with no café experience, Torras was interested in working at The Buzzin’ Bean.
“[Venkataraman] hired me even though I had zero barista experience, but was interested in learning. A lot of cafés don’t really take baristas who don’t have prior experience. So that was great, because she was like, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll teach you everything,’” Torras said.
Torras started working at the café two months ago but already has “regulars” who come in every week.
“It’s very open to the general Somerville community. I’ve met a lot of people, and there’s people who come every Friday or every Saturday,” Torras said. “I actually recently met someone
… from the same town my parents are from [in Barcelona], so it was really nice to be able to speak to them in Catalan.”
Torras is also a dancer in Sarabande, and at their performance a couple of weeks ago, Venkataraman and a few of Torras’ other coworkers came to support her, highlighting the tight-knit community that the café fosters.
“When I offered them tickets to the show they were super eager to come,” Torras wrote in a message to the Daily. “They closed the shop 30 minutes early just to come to the show which just meant so much to me.”
Charlotte Ravage, another junior at Tufts, loves The Buzzin’ Bean for the ambiance and the drinks.
“It’s a really cute café, and it’s always the perfect volume. I love to do work there,” Ravage said. “Tasty and Tamper, I feel like are always really busy, and
this place, sometimes it’s really busy, but it’s often quieter, especially in the morning. It’s nice to have somewhere new.”
She also highlighted the variety of beverages on the menu.
“I got a strawberry matcha the last time I went; usually [I get] coffee,” she said.
Venkataraman noted that the café is not just coffee, tea and pastries but that the menu also offers many unique meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food menu features some South Asian staples, as well as unique fusions of classic Indian dishes with other cuisines like the Tandoori Cauliflower Taco and the Peri Peri Paneer Quesadilla.
“There’s a lot of South Asian food, vegetarian foods. It’s not restrict ed only to basic sandwiches and grilled cheese and the coffees, we have a lot of other varieties too,” Venkataraman said. “Finding good vegetarian food is so tough here, so we just wanted to … get flavors from Indian origin, but also use the food which peo ple are used to and mixing [South Asian dishes] up with that and seeing how it comes [out].”
Venkataraman also discussed the importance of creating opportunities for young adults with autism to
find belonging at the café and in life.
“It’s not only about the employment, but the experience of just being together,” Venkataraman said. “It’s [also about] being loved in a place. I think accepting the way [young adults with autism] are is very important.”
On the wall of The Buzzin’ Bean is a mural by local artist Andrea Krieg that reads: “We are all Stars and We deserve to Shine,” highlighting the importance of inclusion.
Growing up with autism can be very difficult, and as a spectrum disorder, people’s functioning can be drastically different across
diagnoses. According to Boston Children’s Hospital’s Autism Spectrum Center, the transition to adulthood for individuals with autism is often marked at 22 years old, which is when people with autism are considered too old for Individualized Education Programs and school-based therapies. They must leave special education and transition into the adult service system organized at the state level by the Department of Developmental Services. Consequently, many essential services become expensive, selective and not guaranteed. Notably, Venkataraman’s son just turned 18.
“Until 22, they are taken care of very well by the system, but after 22, there is not much for them to do,” Venkataraman said.
The Buzzin’ Bean is a great place for kids to be kids, humans to be humans, regardless of a learning difference. There is even a large stack of board games in the corner for patrons to enjoy playing.
“There are a couple volunteers who come and do more board game nights with special needs kids ... and build social relationships,” Venkataraman said.
Venkataraman wants The Buzzin’ Bean to be a café that
interacts with the community. For instance, the café recently collaborated with 3LPlace, an organization that aims to support neurodiverse young adults with autism and developmental disabilities to find connection and empowerment.
“When I came here, I saw 3LPlace … somehow that felt like a sign we need to open here,” Venkataraman said.
Torras further highlighted the importance of such collaborations.
“The other day, a few young adults came in … [who] go to [3LPlace],” Torras said. “They were learning how to pay for the food and drinks and what change they needed. … I think it’s really important that they get the chance to do that … in a comfortable space.”
Located just a 15-minute walk from the Mayer Campus Center, The Buzzin’ Bean is a perfect off-campus excursion. So, if neither Tasty Cafe & Kitchen, Tamper Cafe nor The Sink are calling your name, definitely try this café and support a local small business. You can often find a deal (or two) from @buzzin_bean on Instagram.
Once the clocks “fall back” during the first weekend in November, there are very few things that can get me out of the house at night. Darkness descends at 4 p.m., and a dreary, frigid air engulfs Medford, greatly diminishing my aptitude for external munching.
However, in the midst of an interminable Instagram doomscrolling session, something caught my eye. Something so enticing that it caused me to break with my self-imposed hibernation and resume my culinary crusades: $3 smash burgers, from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., at Boston Burger Company.
I’ve reviewed Boston Burger Company’s Davis Square location for this column before, and really enjoyed their Hot Mess Burger. This Smashburger deal, though, is only available at their Boston and Cambridge locations. While
I don’t enjoy repeat reviews, this deal seemed too good to pass up.
So, at 9:30 p.m., hours after my standard dinner timeframe, I found myself trading my down comforter and pajamas for a seat on the Red Line in pursuit of burger bliss. While not quite Paul Revere’s midnight ride, my pentup hunger in the late-night hours made it clear: “The munchers are coming!”
Disembarking at Harvard Square, my two friends and I trudged through the rain and wind until we reached Boston Burger Company. We left at 9:30 p.m. to try and get a seat as soon as the late-night deal kicked off. Though we arrived minutes after 10 p.m., there was already a line out the door.
Hearing our stomachs grumble, though, we knew there was no turning back. So, for 45 minutes, we toughed out the conditions and, sandwiched between Harvard football players and rowdy townies, eagerly awaited our chance to enter. When a table for three opened up, we felt as if we had struck gold.
Before I touch on the burgers, a few notes. First, purchasing a beverage is required to participate in the $3 burger extravaganza. This stipulation is probably in place to
simultaneously promote Boston Burger’s $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons, which is also a great deal. However, purchasing a non-alcoholic beverage also triggers the burger frenzy.
Another disclaimer: Beware that the rest of the late-night menu is not $3. Those of us who did not read the fine print on the menu shown in the restaurant’s Instagram Reels were mistaken in assuming that the other items offered after 10 p.m., such as chicken sandwiches, fries and tenders, were also served at reduced prices, but, alas, they were normally priced. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
After we settled at our table, I ordered four burgers. Some people, like my younger brother, may be underwhelmed with that output, while others may think that I’m a crazy person. In any case, the wait for our smashburgers was longer than we expected, due to the immense crowd.
The burgers, it turns out, were worth the wait. After having my Harold and Kumar finally getting their White Castle moment, I tucked into the mounds of beef and buns stacked in front of me. Despite their abundance, the burgers were appropriately sized and were by no means sliders. The patty was juicy and tender,
not having entered into the overcooked trap that many smashburgers fall into. The pickles and the grilled onions were fresh, savory and plentiful. And the tangy smash sauce tied everything together. A well-rounded, easy-toeat smashburger that checked all the boxes.
As always, my gut reaction: $3 smash burger: Yes, there’s a wait, but it’s a fun experience. The burgers are pretty good, too.
So, while I “settled” for only four burgers, I hope you don’t minimize your munching this Thanksgiving. In the words of Jack Buck, “Go crazy, folks, go crazy!” with your holiday plates. After all, you’ve worked hard this semester. You deserve a Jumbo jamboree.
Max Druckman is a junior studying international relations. Max can be reached at max.druckman@tufts.edu.
Munching with Max
GRAPHIC BY RACHEL WONG
LILY BEAMS/THE TUFTS DAILY
The front entrance of The Buzzin’ Bean is pictured on Nov. 11.
Max Druckman
ARTS & POP CULTURE
High Fidelity Geese takes on Boston
Kasra Salehi
Something is happening here. The crowd knows it too.
Many of them paid exorbitant ticket prices to be at the venue of just over 900 people, packed wall to wall. It seemed everyone felt as if they were early to the party for something special. Take the guy next to me, who turned to his friend and said “this must be what it was like to see the Pixies in the ’80s.”
Lead singer Camereon Winter was largely bereft of words and smiles, barring a couple of short jokes between songs. This was no issue for the crowd at the Paradise Rock Club, who filled every gap with yells and cheers.
The first few songs were performed well, the opener — “Husbands” — especially, but the concert truly began five songs in with “2122,” the opening song off Geese’s 2023 album, “3D Country.”
The energy only increased when the band dove into a cover of Boston rock classic “Roadrunner” in the middle of the song. From then on, it was off to the races.
Winter’s lost voice 23 shows into a grueling tour not only prompted his continuous drinking of tea throughout the show, but also turned the chorus of 2023’s “I See Myself” into a crowd singalong, with Winter unable to sing. The subsequent performance of the lead single from that album, “Cowboy Nudes,” was also lively, with drummer Max Bassin’s breakdown in the middle of the song being extended to surely triple the length.
And all it took was the opening note of “Au Pays du Cocaine” to unleash the largest crowd reception of the night. This energy continued into the performance of the album’s lead single, “Taxes,” and its closer, “Long Island City Here I Come.”
Unbelievably, the peak of enthusiasm, both from the crowd and from Winter itself, did not come until the sole encore performance, “Trinidad.” Each repeated chorus of “There’s a bomb in my car” prompted screams and shrieks from Winter and with elbows and loose arms flying in the crowd, causing a sea of people retreating to the edges of the venue.
All show, Winter’s odd charisma and vocal performance shone. He doesn’t quite sing, nor does he shout. Instead, he lives between the two, moaning and wailing, as if he doesn’t even know what sound will come out next. Geese’s music works the same way — always on the brink of falling apart, yet miraculously holding together.
It’s been a season of hyperbole for Geese. They’re hardly the first to be compared to the Strokes or labeled ‘rock’s next stars,’ but there’s a reason these cliches stick: we want to believe them. We want to feel like we’re witnessing something at the beginning. And honestly, it’s fun to get swept up in the hype. So, whether it’s true or not, let me say it anyway: Geese might just be the band of our generation. Maybe.
Kasra Salehi is a first-year who has yet to declare a major. Kasra can be reached at kasra.salehi@tufts.edu.
What ‘The Great Comet’ reveals about human connection
Sarin Chaimattayompol Contributing Writer
Editor’s Note: June Sarkis is an assistant copy editor at the Daily. Sarkis was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
To sit in the dark of Tufts’ Balch Arena Theater for 2 1/2 hours, watching a musical spun from Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” might sound like an exercise in masochism. Yet the experience turns out to be something far more delightful: a Russophilic, surprisingly tender and wonderfully inventive piece of theatrical adaptation.
The Tufts Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies staged five performances of “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,” written and composed by Dave Malloy, directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, led musically by Dan Rodriguez and choreographed by Amelia Rose Estrada. The production ran from Nov. 12–16.
Drawn from a 70-page slice of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” the musical follows Natasha (June Sarkis), who is engaged to nobleman Andrey (Wylie Doak). Natasha travels to Moscow with her cousin Sonya (Sophie Sommers) to stay with her godmother, Marya (Keira Haley) and to meet Andrey’s father Bolkonsky (Wylie Doak) and his sister Mary (Zoe Browning). There, she is quickly swept into the exhilarating rush of Moscow society and quickly succumbs to the charm of Anatole (Joe Peterson), a well-versed seducer who tries to win over her affection with the aid of his glamorous and conniving sister Hélène (Katie Spiropoulos). Hélène, married to the hapless and melancholic Pierre (Jake Pandina), is having her own affair with Antole’s friend, Dolokhov (Zach Sabatini). And then there’s Balaga (Kevin Santos), the legendary sleigh driver, who bursts in with boisterous gusto and gravitas. This musical is packed with love and betrayal, and, true to its Tolstoyian quality, the real challenge is keeping track of the sprawling cast.
Anyone who has tackled “War and Peace” knows the agony of tracking names. Remarkably, Malloy’s clever structuring, combined with Estrada’s expressive choreography, makes it easy: Natasha is young, Sonya is good and Anatole is hot. Flamboyant Anatole, during the prologue, runs a hand through his hair with a self-satisfied prince charming flourish. In a production with lots of moving parts,
Antole’s flourish immediately signals his presence.
Antole spares no woman unflirted with, not even the audience. He prowls the theater for the perfect seat and sits on an unsuspecting lap. The cast also frequently interacts with the audience, speaking directly to them. When Balaga arrives, the scene erupts into a vodka-fueled party with the cast and audience clapping together, egged on by a 10-person orchestra pit.
As envisioned by Parent, Rodriguez and Estrada, “The Great Comet” treats storytelling as an immersive experience. For audience members whose attention span has been whittled down by short-form content, the show yanks you headlong into early 18th-century Russia.
Malloy favors minimal production design, prioritizing story and music, so the set remains deliberately sparse. Glittering chandeliers and antique paintings gesture toward 18th- and 19th-century Russia, but the bareness exposes the characters’ vulnerability, echoing Natasha’s fragility within Moscow society. The staging also uses height to underscore betrayal: in Act II of “Sonya and Natasha,” Natasha betrays the one person who genuinely cares for her. She looms on the mezzanine while Sonya lies on the floor, defeated by her cousin’s betrayal. The production takes Tolstoy’s obsessive attention to his characters — every glance, every touch, every kiss at the granular level — and dramatizes it so the audience can understand even the most complicated characters like Pierre.
Pierre is profoundly awkward and extroverted all at once. He’s out on the
How protein became commodified
Protein is everywhere now — or at least, the word is. When you walk a grocery store, it almost feels like half the aisle is trying to convince you that you’re one scoop away from collapsing malnutrition. protein cereal, protein pasta, protein donuts, protein Pop-Tarts, protein chips, protein soda
and even protein water, which sounds like a product that shouldn’t exist. The implication is constant: Without added effort, you’re probably falling short. Yet many doctors and nutritionists say the average American already consumes more than enough protein. So why is it suddenly everywhere?
The recent attention didn’t appear out of nowhere. For people focused on strength training, endurance exercise, body recomposition or sustainable weight loss, pro tein is essential: It repairs muscle tissue, helps maintain lean mass and keeps you full in ways other foods don’t. In
town, buying rounds for everyone, stumbling through aristocratic parties, being pushed around by all these people and looking completely lost the whole time.
Even though his name is in the title, Pierre isn’t driving the story; rather, the musical follows Natasha, with occasional pit stops into Pierre’s emotional journey. Most of the time, he’s stuck at his desk, reading, drinking, obsessing over Napoleon and drowning in a kind of drunken existentialism, married to a woman who couldn’t care less, while the world keeps moving around him. His clothes tell the same story, too. He’s dressed in all black in the midst of glittering dresses, sparkling jackets and heavy Russian furs.
When Pierre finally steps into focus, Pandina balances the character’s self-awareness with genuine emotion. Tolstoy’s psychological detail grounds Pierre’s introspection, while the music, staging and Pandina’s performance reveal his raw feeling. Pandina shifts seamlessly between first and third-person narration, as though Pierre is observing himself from afar. Each gesture — his hesitant reach for Natasha or his calm gaze at the Great Comet of 1812 — betrays his search for meaning. In these moments, Pandina captures Pierre’s quiet triumph in discovering purpose.
In a world that feels disconnected and saturated with endless distractions, Tolstoy’s themes of searching for meaning — and finding it through others — remind us that human relationships remain a source of purpose and understanding.
that world, tracking protein isn’t trendy — it’s practical.
But, as often happens, an idea that was once niche drifted into the main stream. Terms like “hitting your protein” or “tracking macros” now shape everyday eating, even among the general public. Protein has become shorthand for making the “responsible” choice. Online, this shows up in endless low-cal orie, high-protein recipes — cheese cakes, pasta sauces, brownies — ordinary food rebranded as selfimprovement.
TIM CORREIRA / THE TUFTS DAILY
The Tufts production of "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" is pictured.
Annika Pillai Executive Arts Editor
You could argue this is just another evolution of diet culture: first campaigns against high cortisol, then against seed oil use and now protein. But interestingly, protein has avoided the moral judgment language that fats and carbs have endured. It hasn’t been villainized by any major diet cycle; fact, it’s taken on a neutral, even positive glow. In a culture where food is often framed in terms of purity or
self-control, protein is unusually uncomplicated. It promis es improvement without restriction.
Part of this comes from the associations protein already carries — strength, durabili ty, capability — qual ities historically coded as aspirational and often masculine. While foods marketed to women have emphasized lightness or restraint, protein signals the opposite: functionality, power, purpose. Because of this, it’s been largely exempt from the moral scrutiny other nutrients receive.
At the same time, weight-loss drugs have accelerated protein’s cultural momentum. GLP-1 med-
ications brought conversations about “muscle preservation” and “adequate protein” into the mainstream, turning onceniche fitness jargon into everyday vocabulary. Even for those not taking these drugs, the language has become unavoidable, circulating widely in media and online.
Once a concept reaches this level of hype, the next step is predictable: Companies turn it into a commodity. Shelves are now full of foods advertising a few extra grams — often an amount too small to matter. A granola bar with 10 grams becomes ‘high-protein’; cereal that was
perfectly adequate for decades competes with pricier ‘protein versions.’ Barilla’s 16oz Penne Pasta, for example, sells for $1.80 at Target and contains 7 grams of protein per serving. The protein version sells for $2.99 — nearly double — for only 3 additional grams and even less product. The added protein isn’t addressing a deficiency; it’s justifying a new price point and refram ing the original product as lacking.
In the end, the rise of pro tein says less about nutrition and more about how easi ly society can turn anything into a commodity. Once protein became linked with responsi bility, discipline, strength and self-improvement, it stopped mattering whether anyone actu-
Arundhati Roy speaks her words of wisdom
“Perhaps even more than a daughter mourning the passing of her mother, I mourn her as a writer who has just lost her most enthralling subject.”
Arundhati Roy strikingly muses, cigarette in hand, on the cover of her latest memoir, “Mother Mary Comes to Me.” Her contemplative gaze masks emotional turmoil, audacious pluck and good ole’ mischief. Across 352 pages, she takes us through a life spent navigating uncharted waters with little trepidation. The unpredictable undercurrent of this stream is the eponymous character she describes as her “shelter and her storm:” Mary Roy.
Mary Roy was an educator who founded the Pallikoodam school in the town of Kottayam, Kerala. She successfully challenged the State of Kerala’s inheritance law for Syrian Christians, which was changed to grant equal inheritance rights for women in the community. As the title indicates, she is the author’s mother — but above all, she is a human. That is how Mother Mary sees her, and insists we see her too, which is all too well established by Roy’s decision to refer to her throughout as “Mrs. Roy.”
The book is as much about the performance of parenting as it is about the ties that bind. Attacks of Mrs. Roy’s trenchant asthma become reminders of the protagonist’s dependence on her mother. Early on, she becomes an “organchild,” in a confused response to affliction and consequent anger. While the author attempts to breathe for Mrs. Roy, she is met with slurs like “fool,” and “b----,” and in stark contrast to her self-image as a lung, a “millstone around my neck.” Yet, Mary Roy also proclaims she loves her daughter “double,” taking on the roles of both mother and father as a single parent. She brings the writer her first typewriter after a long separation. She invites the fearless activist to speak at Pallikoodam.
Mrs. Roy provides a harsh kind of nurture to her offspring. A tough childhood spent on the banks of the Meenachil river nourishes Roy’s deep bond with the environment, motivating her activism against the “Big Dams” threatening the Narmada River. Her “private pact”
ally needed more of it. What mattered was that it could be sold. Companies hardly needed to change the products themselves — just sprinkle in a few more grams and redesign the packaging. Suddenly, the same foods that fed families for decades were no longer ‘enough.’ Fortunately, their higher-protein countersit right beside them on the shelves — for a slight price uptick. The real product isn’t the added protein. It’s the reassurance that choosing it means you’re doing something right.
with the water body breathes life into her Booker prize-winning book “The God of Small Things.”
An outburst of anger and smashed teacups move her to leave home at 18 in her second year of college, finally freeing the organ-child to breathe in her newfound independence even as she loses her home.
“She taught me to be free, then raged against my freedom,” she wrote. It is in a moment of rootlessness that the writer finds retrospective grounding and reclaims the narrative, learning to balance being Mrs. Roy’s daughter with being Arundhati Roy.
Both mother and daughter’s personal stories are intertwined with the larger political and cultural shifts that have taken place throughout the author’s life. A staging of the famed musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” organized by Mrs. Roy is prevented by the devious machinations of the local district collector, charging her with offending Christian sentiments.
The incident takes place in 1990, in the prelude to a paradigm shift in Indian history. A prominent Bharatiya Janata Party leader, L.K. Advani, had kickstarted a ‘rath yatra’ (chariot pilgrimage) to whip up religious fervor for the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, that was purportedly built
on the destroyed birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram.
While Mary Roy’s case eventually finds its way to the Supreme Court (after accusations of blasphemy and police raids) and the musical is finally enacted in Kottayam, the rath yatra crescendoes in the mosque’s destruction in 1992, igniting sectarian violence across the country and setting the stage for the greater rise of the Hindu right. To borrow from “Superstar,” man’s weaponization of myth had set tolerance on fire in the quest for a messiah.
The author insightfully explores the nuances of the contentious relationships of the characters in her life. Mrs. Roy’s brother, G. Isaac, attempts to evict her from their deceased father’s home after she leaves her husband; she takes him to court over inheritance rights and oversees his removal by the police. However, in their old age, he visits her regularly, sings at her funeral and retains his endearing nickname for her, Mart (derived from when she was a child and couldn’t write her ‘y’s properly, hence her ‘Mary’s’ looked like ‘Mart’s’). The writer attributes this to the fact that “nobody else would have made the battle entertaining or worthwhile.”
The most intriguing relationship of this memoir, however, is between Roy and India. “The more
I was hounded as an anti-national,” she wrote, “the surer I was that India was the place I loved, the place where I belonged.” Her commitment comes through in the power of her pen: criticizing the jingoism of India’s nuclear posturing in 1998, when she condemns the unpredictable dangers of everyday life in Kashmir, justified in the name of security. She is tried for obscenity, adjudged seditious and an actor-politician even suggests that she be tied to the front of a jeep and used as a human shield during military operations. Yet she remains undeterred.
Roy has become one of the most fearless voices for social justice in contemporary India; no one is safe from her razor sharp words, be it the Hindu right or neoliberalism. It is when Mrs. Roy expresses illness-induced bigotry that she viscerally triggers her daughter’s long-suppressed reaction in one of the most powerful moments of the book.
Mrs. Roy’s recovery after a sudden 2007 health crisis is punctuated by a sudden obsession with the religion and caste of those around her. One night, the sleepless, stressed author is called to her mother’s bedside to summon the nurses, who are dismissed as “those Parayas” (a caste epithet). Eschewing words, instinct takes hold as she picks up
a chair and smashes it, watching the vibrations literally travel across the floor to her mother’s body. “I thought I had killed her. But I hadn’t. I had only killed a part of myself,” she reflected. It is the “fetid threats of caste and feudal hierarchy” that finally provoke “that twisted, matted anger.”
“Mother Mary Comes to Me” is ultimately about reconciliation — personal and political, patriotism and sedition, mother and human. Roy is a brave helmsman, guiding her reader on a boat adrift in choppy waters. From the tsunami-like impact of “The God of Small Things” to the violent winds of political change, she weathers each challenge with sheer grit (liberally infused with dark wit). Her greatest challenge is the tempest she calls Mrs. Roy. By the end, she succeeds not by passing through the storm but by finding shelter in its eye. She accepts her mother as “dreamer, warrior, teacher” (as engraved on her headstone).
And then, when she is finally on the shore staring at Mrs. Roy’s indomitable psyche walking on water through binoculars (which she clarifies are made from her hands), she signs off, “Bye-O, Mart Roy. I’ll be seeing you.” The organchild turned writer breathes in, and the air is fragrantly bittersweet.
Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali Arts Editor
VIA FLICKR
Arundhati Roy is pictured.
SUDOKU
It Up, Baby
MINI CROSSWORD
‘Presidential’ by Shayna Levy
OPINION
Editorial: Generative AI can’t replace student journalism
The Editorial Board
Since ChatGPT first made its splash entry into the market in November 2022, worries over the use of generative artificial intelligence and large language models began to surface. In recent semesters, we have seen faculty at Tufts begin to swap take-home papers for in-class exams in order to fairly test student understanding of course content and prevent cheating. In the Student Accessibility and Academic Resources Center, writing support staff have repeatedly been given new guidelines on how to deal with the use of generative AI in academic writing. Even within the Daily, we have received submissions that were sus -
Generative AI can hallucinate false evidence and blur factual accuracy; since large language models are trained on vast sets of text that do not evaluate validity and are not up to date, they fail to provide the correct context needed to understand key quotes or interview statements. Further, generative AI takes away intentionality and can carry bias from a database rather than the author.
In the Opinion, Features, Arts, Science and Sports sections, individual voices and styles are prioritized and championed for their creativity and originality. The use of generative AI in these fields risks homogenizing writing style, and, in turn, completely negating the purpose of journalistic writing across these
followed, generative AI still pollutes its core: providing reliable information through original reporting.
While it would be foolish to deem all AI platforms harmful for learning, and we can remain open-minded about potential ways to legitimately and ethically integrate large language models into journalism, direct content generation should absolutely not be tolerated in campus journalism and at the Daily. There are unique ethical concerns to automating the writing process in journalism: it is to replace a field — whose essence and existence is defined by writing — with automation. Especially as student journalism is driven and operated on shared passion, where participation and
paced, there is even less of a reason to resort to AI — why try to even write an article if the entire writing and critical thinking process is removed?
As AI usage and anti-AI measures continue to rise across the Tufts campus, we hope the Daily never reaches a point where it must fundamentally lines to prevent generative AI use. After all, removing gether and changing them into in-class exams could dissuade the interests of students who genuinely ing and thinking skills. If the Daily were to make radical changes in its cess to prevent the use mine the very work that pus journalism in the
We hope the Daily can remain a place where writers are encouraged to develop genuine ideas. But this requires all of us to collectively understand the harm that generative AI poses to writing and ly when such a task aiming to demonstrate creativity
appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their
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A computer in the Tufts Computer Lab is pictured on Oct. 1, 2024.
MATTHEW SAGE / THE TUFTS DAILY ChatGPT is pictured on a computer.
SNAP benefits went dark during the government shutdown — why should Tufts students care?
Olivia Zambrano Deputy Opinion Editor
Roughly 41.7 million people rely on assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. When the government shut down on Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined that maintaining SNAP benefits wasn’t a priority — leaving nearly 42 million individuals across the country unsure of where their next meal would come from.
The reaction from the USDA was abominable — they blamed Senate Democrats for the federal failure to maintain snap benefits, claiming that they “[continued] to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures” in place of
“[reopening] the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance.”
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history, prompted by a standoff between Senate Republicans and Democrats about healthcare subsidies, finally came to an end on Nov. 12. Arguments over enhanced subsidies, which benefit the poorest Americans, sparked the disagreement, with Democrats repeatedly holding votes to preserve the subsidies that were set to expire at the end of this year.
Although they’re claiming that Senate Democrats are viciously against resolving food insecurity, the USDA, commandeered by Republican leadership, ordered state
governments not to take action to provide full SNAP benefits. States that didn’t comply were threatened with financial penalties. The government appears to be genuinely acting against the livelihood of Americans and fails to understand that bureaucratic actions have an impact on the roughly 42 million individuals depending on SNAP benefits.
The administration of President Donald Trump claims that Democrats are putting SNAP benefits at risk by shutting down the government over expiring enhanced subsidies. Should these enhanced subsidies be repealed, lower-income, older and middle-class individuals will bear the brunt of the impact. Households that qualify for SNAP have a gross monthly income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level — much like those who qualify for enhanced subsidies, which predominantly benefit those with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level. Thus, the households and individuals benefiting from both SNAP and enhanced subsidies aren’t that different. Senate Republicans twist the narrative to blame Democrats for their blatant disregard of human life.
Although they’re claiming that Senate Democrats are viciously against resolving food insecurity, the Trump administration appears to be genuinely acting against the livelihood of Americans and fails to
understand that bureaucratic actions have an impact on the roughly 42 million individuals depending on SNAP benefits.
On Oct. 31 — the eve of the day that millions lost their SNAP benefits — Trump threw a ‘Great Gatsby’ inspired Halloween party. This gross display of wealth is a dystopian reminder that the wealthy elite of this country continue to have no regard for those not in their rich circles.
Shockingly, many of the conversations I’ve had with my peers at Tufts have resulted in vaguely apathetic reactions towards the dystopian state of our government. Tufts is known as a school that encourages active civic involvement and democratic participation, so this less-than-outraged response caught me off guard. However, considering that the median family income of Tufts students is roughly $225,000, with 77% of students coming from the top 20%, it’s likely that the majority of students at Tufts either don’t benefit from the SNAP program or have no reason to educate themselves on who does.
Tufts students live in a bubble of wealth that in no way reflects the economic situation of the United States as a whole. Within this bubble, groceries are either, from what I’ve observed, paid for by a parent, or food is provided as a result of the semesterly meal plan costing an unnecessarily high $4,453. When
students are already drowning in academic work, they opt to ignore updates on the temporary cutoff of a government assistance program that likely doesn’t even benefit them. Instead, my peers fret about potential airline closures and long Transportation Security Administration lines, conversations they seem to be much more receptive to.
The temporary delay of SNAP benefits is a warning sign. It highlights the government’s ability to simply cut off access to food — a basic human need — without regard for those who need to eat. Students on campus might not reap the benefits of SNAP, but it’s imperative that the Tufts student body understands this for exactly what it is: a gross display of dictatorial power and a disinterest in the livelihood of the American population.
You might not have been directly impacted by this government shutdown or the temporary cutoff of SNAP benefits, but what’s to say you won’t be the government’s next target? It’s imperative that individuals across the nation — especially those with privilege and the ability to advocate for what’s right — understand how exactly the government works to disenfranchise the most vulnerable populations across the United States, so they’re able to combat this gross display of power.
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Generous
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Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
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Education: Middle and High School, MAT Environmental Policy and Planning, MS Mathematics, MS Museum Education, MA Music, MA
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Artificial Intelligence, MS Bioengineering, MS Biomedical Engineering, MS Biophotonics, MS
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CARYS YANG / THE TUFTS DAILY Shoppers browse the florals and fresh produce of the Boylston Trader Joe’s.
MIT After Dark: Sleep, dream, wake
It was 6 p.m. on a Thursday in November, and I was heading to a hidden gem of Cambridge: the MIT Museum. Getting off the Red Line at Kendall/MIT, I was surrounded by darkness, but as soon as I walked through the doors to the museum’s After Dark Series event, I was met with a rush of light and excitement. A monthly adults-only program, After Dark lies at the intersection of art and science. Each month has a different theme, with past events ranging from artificial intelligence to rhythm, birds, oceans and beyond. This November’s session, “Sleep, Dream, Wake,” accompanied the launch of a new exhibition, “Lighten up! On Biology and Time,” which explores the connection between living organisms and cycles of light and darkness.
There was music and food, and as I entered, I saw a metal contraption that looked like it belonged in some distant future. In an interactive art piece called “Hotel Room #2: Communal Dreams,” three people at a time lie down in the apparatus while pulses of light, sound and motion guide them into a collective dream state.
Other art pieces included an installation titled “Light-Oriented Ontologies — The Beginnings” by Alan Bolgana. Bolgana uses a light-sensitive resin to create shapes that resemble something between crystals and microorganisms — an attempt to depict the earliest forms of life on Earth and the ways in which they were shaped by light.
As I continued through the exhibit, I saw two huge woven installations by Susan Morris. One of them, “SunDial:NightWatch_ Sunshine,” is composed of three tapestries that document Morris’ exposure to light over the course of three years. The work visualizes the cyclical nature of our exposure to light and how it ebbs and flows with the seasons.
But the MIT Museum’s After Dark is more than just an art exhibition. Later in the evening, Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, a pioneer in sleep science and the Bardino Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard University, gave a lecture. When Czeisler began his research several decades ago, he focused on understanding the human internal clock — the circadian rhythm — and how it impacts sleep. What he did not consider initially was the profound impact this clock has on overall health. Since then, Czeisler has spent his career studying the connection between circadian rhythms and health and exploring ways to manipulate this internal clock. This internal clock is independent of light exposure — the cycle our body would revert to
if we lived in complete darkness long-term.
Discussing data from one of his studies, Czeisler explained, “On average, women have an internal clock that cycles about six minutes shorter than that of men.” While this may seem insignificant, it has major implications — especially on Mars, where the length of a day is 24.6 hours. Even small discrepancies accumulate over time, causing internal clocks to drift further and further from what is healthy. For this reason, Czeisler has also researched methods of manipulating circadian rhythm. He demonstrated that bright light exposure at specific points in the day can “reset” someone’s circadian clock, a potential strategy for managing sleep patterns when humans go to Mars.
Czeisler also shared work demonstrating the effect of light on the circadian rhythms of blind people — work that faced pushback at the time. As it turns out, Czeisler and his team discovered that some people have specific photopigments sensitive to blue wavelengths. So even individuals who have lost all eyesight may still sense and respond to the presence or absence of light.
Following the talk, attendees engaged in cyanotype-making and played a mobile game designed by Dr. Olivia Walch, in which players try to control light exposure to synchronize a character’s circadian rhythm to their sleep schedule as quickly as possible.
From art and lectures to hands-on activities and
refreshments, the MIT Museum’s After Dark series is a perfect way to engage with science in a nontraditional setting. Science becomes fun and accessible — not hidden behind complicated terminology or dense journal articles. Sometimes college can make us fall out of love with science. Trust me, I get it — many late nights studying and endless assignments can wear anyone down. But After Dark gives students and researchers a chance to remember why they chose to pursue science. Beyond that, it offers everyone, scientist or not, a low barrier entry into the magical world of science. So fall back in love with science and catch the next After Dark — “Time Travel” — on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at the MIT Museum.
Shoshana Daly Executive Science Editor
COURTESY MELISSA BLACKALL PHOTOGRAPHY
A guest lies down in Hotel Room #2: Communal Dreams, a new installation in the Lighten Up! On Biology and Time exhibition at the MIT Museum.
SHOSHANA DALY / THE TUFTS DAILY
Susan Morris’ SunDial;NightWatch Series
SPORTS
Women’s soccer takes down Lesley and Wesleyan, advances to Sweet 16
Morgan Baudler Staff Writer
No. 3 Tufts advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Division III NCAA tournament after a dominant 7–0 win against Lesley on Saturday and a 2–0 victory over Wesleyan on Sunday.
Tufts got out to an aggressive start against Lesley, pushing into the final third multiple times in the opening five minutes. Buildup play allowed senior defender Anna Griffin to send in a cross. First-year midfielder Claire Brady controlled the ball and shot it past Lesley’s keeper to create an early 1–0 lead for Tufts in the third minute.
The offensive show continued for the Jumbos as they won corners and forced saves. A foul in the final third gave the Lynx their first opportunity, but junior midfielder Reese Birch deflected the free kick.
Tufts quickly got back up the pitch. In the 23rd minute, Brady took another shot, which was stopped by Lesley’s keeper. The Lynx, however, couldn’t clear, and Birch had an open shot to put the Jumbos up 2–0. Minutes later, Griffin sent a ball across for senior forward Elsi Aires. Though her initial shot was stopped, she was able to put the rebound in and added to the Jumbos’ lead.
The Lynx got one more chance in the first half with 17 minutes to go, but it was cut out by sophomore defender Phoebe
Road to the World Cup
FIFA, US politics distract from the game
Antonia Toro
Welcome back to the “Road to the World Cup.” We’re now just 203 days away from the inaugural match at the Estadio Azteca. Recent developments have been coming fast, so let’s get straight to them.
Marsick. Tufts kept shooting in the final minutes of the half but were unable to find the back of the net.
The Jumbos dominated the second half in a similar fashion. Brady took advantage of space, scoring from distance seven minutes into the half. Birch won a corner in the 61st minute, and senior midfielder Aoife O’Reilly sent a dangerous ball in. A Lesley player headed it right into the path of sophomore forward Audrey Crommett, who made the score 5–0.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, the Jumbos forced more saves, hit the cross bar, and kept the Lynx from generating any offense. In the 72nd minute, junior forward Hannah Batt sent a promising ball in. Lesley’s keeper tried to save, but the ball ended up in the perfect place for first-year forward Jordyn Miller. She capitalized on the opportunity, adding to the Jumbos’ tally.
Just minutes later, sophomore defender Emma Finnerty sent in a cross of her own. The keeper spilled the ball once again and senior forward Camille Lu finished, making the score 7–0.
It was a dominant performance for the Jumbos, who didn’t allow the Lynx a single shot in the second half.
With one tournament win under its belt, the team looked ahead to its match against Wesleyan, whom the team had already played twice this season. Their regular season
The FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System
A critical development designed to address the unprecedented scale of the event is the establishment of the FIFA PASS. This initiative, led by the U.S. Department of State, grants World Cup ticket holders access to prioritized U.S. visa interview appointments. The necessity for such a fast-track system becomes painfully clear when you consider the wait times: Travelers from Colombia face delays of up to 11 months, and non-Canadian citizens in Toronto can expect to wait 14 months.
The FIFA PASS was unveiled this past week at the White
match ended in a draw, but the Jumbos pulled out the victory in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinals.
“Today, we kind of needed to reset because yesterday, obviously, Lesley was kind of in a different tier of teams, and so it was easier for us to pass around and play slow, whereas Wesleyan is one of the hardest teams, arguably, that we play, so we needed to reset as a team,” Griffin said.
The Jumbos got their offense going early against the Cardinals, getting shots off and winning corners. In the 19th minute, Aires found herself in space and crossed a ball in for O’Reilly, who put Tufts on the board.
Wesleyan responded with some offensive pressure of its own, getting promising looks and testing Tufts’ backline. The Cardinals, however, could not respond with a goal.
It didn’t take long for Tufts to regain control. The Jumbos dominated possession for the rest of the half and kept finding dangerous opportunities, amassing 13 shots to the Cardinals’ three.
The Jumbos continued their dominance early in the second half. Junior midfielder Nicholas had a promising look when a Wesleyan clearance fell into her path, junior forward Waverly Sumner took a shot from distance and Aires had an open look in front of goal. The Jumbos, however, couldn’t get their shots on frame and the score remained 1–0.
Soon after, Tufts got two more good looks after a cross from
House by President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who emphasized the “close collaboration” between FIFA and the White House Task Force. Infantino expects between 5–10 million people to travel to the United States for the World Cup. Yet U.S. officials were quick to emphasize the stringent vetting that awaits them. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the ticket only guarantees an expedited appointment and that it is not a visa and does not guarantee admission to the country. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that every applicant will be “thoroughly vetted.”
Meanwhile, co-host Mexico is confirming its readiness. Expecting an additional 5.5 million visitors across its three host cities, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that all federal infrastructure projects for the tournament (which will stage 13 matches) are on schedule for completion ahead of the June start. The government is investing $489 million into renovating the two terminals at Mexico City International Airport and constructing a new train line connecting
Birch found O’Reilly. Her shot was blocked, though, and Brady’s rebound attempt was saved. More shots from distance, link-up play and tests for Wesleyan’s keeper followed.
With 13 minutes left in the match, Tufts found its much-desired second goal. Sumner drew a foul in the final third, and senior defender Lena Sugrue sent a dangerous ball in. It found Birch, who slipped it past the Cardinals’ keeper.
Down by two goals late in the second half, Wesleyan tried to get its offense going. Its shots were rushed, though, and didn’t test junior goalkeeper Gigi Edwards.
Tufts continued to dominate possession in the final few minutes, keeping the ball out of its defensive half and holding onto its 2–0 lead.
the city with Felipe Ángeles International Airport. Infantino’s peace prize Adding political theater to the build-up is the introduction of the “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World.” This new annual award aims to recognize individuals who have taken “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.” The inaugural prize will be presented by Infantino on Dec. 5, during the Final Draw in Washington D.C.
Given Infantino’s public relationship with Trump, whom he considers a “close friend” and was recently photographed alongside at a Gaza peace summit in Egypt, speculation about the first recipient has reached a fever pitch. When asked directly if Trump would be the winner, Infantino offered only a coy response: “On the fifth of December, you will see.”
This geopolitical focus has drawn sharp criticism.
Observers argue that Infantino should prioritize his core responsibilities rather than engaging in what some have called self-aggrandising stunts. Chief among those neglected responsibilities is ticketing. FIFA’s decision to expand to 48 teams (driven squarely by a desire to maximize receipts)
“I think that this was just an awesome show of team strength—just from different goals from different people, everybody getting to the ball — and the fact that this was the second time we ended their season just felt so amazing,” Griffin said. After two strong performances in the first weekend of the tournament, the Jumbos look ahead to the Sweet 16. “[We want to be] continuing this team streak of not one person getting the job done but eleven girls out there. We’re obviously going to work on finishing in the box. There [were] a lot of missed shots, but that’s OK, we’ll get it next time,” Griffin said. This Saturday, Tufts will face conference rival No. 12 Middlebury in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
has produced a dynamic pricing structure condemned as an affront to the game. The cost of a family outing could easily run into thousands of dollars, with the resale market producing outrageous mark-ups. One final ticket, for instance, has been relisted for $25,000. Where the heart remains Yet ultimately, the raw excitement of qualification cuts through all the corporate posturing and political maneuvering. This international break has delivered exactly the kind of last-minute drama that reminds us why we care in the first place. Scotland secured its place with a thrilling victory over Denmark, punctuated by spectacular goals including Kenny McLean’s stunning long-range strike. Ireland clinched a vital playoff spot through Troy Parrott’s last-gasp hat-trick goal against Hungary. These moments affirm an essential truth: While the organizational framework may be dominated by geopolitics and monetization, the enduring power of the tournament lies in the actual game.
Antonia Toro is a sophomore who has yet to declare a major. Antonia can be reached at antonia.toro@tufts.edu.
COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS
Junior forward Waverly Sumner runs after a ball during Sunday’s game against Wesleyan.
