Posted in Off Campus
Logic vs. Amendment 1
Today, North Carolina voters approved Constitutional Amendment 1, “to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” This effectively bans same-sex marriage, and all forms of civil or domestic unions or partnerships (including heterosexual ones).
I’m not going to get angry, because that won’t do any good. Instead, I’m going to show you why every reason I could find for opposing same-sex marriage doesn’t stand up to logic. Because that’s what this argument needs: logic.
The logic of Amendment 1 is ultimately that same-sex couples cannot procreate. By this logic, all marriages should legally terminate at menopause, sterile people should be denied marriage licenses, and all forms of birth control should be illegal.
Perhaps that’s the world you want, 60% of North Carolina voters, but me? I want to be able to marry whomever I want, regardless of their gender, their ability to produce children, and whether or not we choose to use protection.
How to do Spring Break: Montreal Edition
Tufts let off from school last Friday, so three of my best friends and I packed up a car and headed five hours north, right across the Canadian border. Destination: Montreal, the French-speaking spring break destination of choice for many, many Jumbos.
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| Photo credit: Abby |
Saturday
We booked a Montreal hotel, splitting the room and gas four ways.
The drive up north went smoothly, with a quick rest stop a small Vermont town left over from the colonial era. Crossing the Canadian border was uneventful; just make sure you have your passports, and you're good to go (they don't stamp them, though!). Suddenly, the street signs went French and the miles became kilometers.
Throw in a 3-day metro pass ($16 for unlimited 3-day travel), a quick stop at an ATM, and fully charged digital cameras, and we were ready to explore the city. We spent Saturday night exploring Old Montreal, learning the metro system, and eating crepes. Délicieux!
Sunday
The morning...
Down by the River
When I came to Tufts, my single biggest fear was the freshman 15. I know it happens, I just didn’t want it to happen to me. So on the days that I didn’t have tae kwon do practice, I would throw on my shoes and head out. This is when good peer pressure sets in. One of my friends had to cut some weight for a tournament, and we’d go out running together. Now it’s become a daily ritual, providing I’m not injured. Even if I have to run alone or at night (with a friend, of course), I still make an effort to get out there every day and get some cardio in. Besides using it to stay in a weight class, running has become a cathartic experience. It’s a nice way to take a break from all the mental work and stress and do something physical for a change.
There are a lot of nice places to go around Tufts, and I’m sure I’ll find more as the years go on, but at the moment, my favorite is a five-mile run to Mystic Lake and back. It can be extended longer than that, and I’m sure I’ll do that at some...
Boston: Food Update
I had something absurdly wonderful yesterday, and I absolutely have to share it with you (sadly not in the "here, have a bite of this" way).
I went to a place called Fiore's Bakery, which isn't quite in Boston but is pretty close. After lustfully staring at the display case filled with coconut macaroons, bread pudding, and a lovely assortment of cupcakes, I turned to the sandwich menu and after a few minutes of pondering selected The Christopher Robin.
The Christopher Robin consisted of ham, smoked gouda, honey walnut spread, sprouts, slices of pear, and mayo.
It was ridiculously good, and I would definitely recommend Fiore's Bakery to any other prospective (or current) students in the future!
Evan solves the Falkland Islands controversy!
Because everyone reading this is a well-read and jet-setting internationalist, you all know everything about the Falkland Islands controversy already. On the off chance that you’ve stumbled upon this blog (hello!) and don’t know about it, or even where the Falkland Islands are (it’s OK – residents of London can’t even find it on a map) well, I’ll be glad to talk to you about it. …through screens and text and… well, you get the point.
The Falkland Islands are a pair of tiny islands of the southeastern tip of South America and have been under British influence and sovereignty (with a short interruption, which I’ll get to) since 1833. Argentina also claims them, however, going so far as to make the declaration of ownership of Las Malvinas (the Argentine name for the Falklands) part of their constitution in 1994.
The islands have no military value (the comedian Eddie Izzard joked that Britain keeps them for “strategic sheep purposes”), are economically self-sustaining through ecotourism...