The Tufts Daily - Thursday October 8, 2020

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Thursday, October 8, 2020

briana Sevigny hired as Director of Community Standards Professor of Government Chryl Laird lectures on politics, Black vote

by Alexander Janoff News Editor

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs hired briana Sevigny in July to fill the position of director of community standards, formerly held by Associate Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Kraft.

Prior to beginning her career at Tufts, Sevigny worked at Northeastern University.

According to the Student Affairs website, Sevigny has worked in the field of education since 2003 and has served in various departments related to student conduct and residential life at institutions including Johnson & Wales University, Assumption College and Eastern Connecticut State University, in addition to Northeastern.

At Northeastern, Sevigny was the director of the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. “[briana] led a large and complex conduct system and directed the resolution of thousands of cases annually on all of Northeastern’s domestic and international campuses,” Kraft wrote in an email to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs in July.

Sevigny said she applied for the director of community standards position in part due to the university’s efforts to foster social justice initiatives. “[I] knew a lot about the Tufts community from friends and colleagues who have worked here, as well as friends and family members who have attended Tufts, and really liked that social justice mindedness,” Sevigny said in an interview with the Daily.

According to Kraft, Sevigny is committed to this kind of social justice and advocacy work.

“In pursuit of this commitment, [Sevigny] has facilitated class sessions on women’s leadership, presented at the national NASPA Multicultural Institute, been active in LGBTQ student support, and [in June], she was a panelist in a NASPA Lessons Learned event on navigating race, identity, and positionality in higher education,” Kraft said.

Sevigny explained that she would like to use her experience to ensure the conduct resolution process at Tufts remains equitable for all students. “[I am focusing on] how we can ensure that our process

by Yiyun Tom Guan News Editor

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

briana Sevigny, the director of community standards, poses outside of Dowling Hall on Oct. 3. is fair to students, no matter who they are, and is equitable in responsible ways, so that we’re not holding any sort of student accountable in a different fashion because of who they are or where they come from,” Sevigny said.

In her role, Sevigny will lead the Office of Community Standards, collaborating closely with students, faculty and staff, and work with the Division of Student Affairs.

“As Director of Community Standards, briana leads the office that is responsible for publishing the Student Code of Conduct … resolving reports that a student has violated university policy, and providing proactive education to the community about living and working together in community,” Kraft wrote in an email to the Daily.

The process that selected Sevigny involved all members of the Tufts community.

“A search committee composed of students, faculty, and staff reviewed resumes, conducted the initial screening, and selected finalists,” Kraft said. “All finalists were invited to campus and participated in a rigorous day-long process.”

Kraft highlighted the importance of student input in the selection process. see SEVIGNY, page 2

ARTS / page 4

FEATURES / page 3

OPINION / page 7

Scary movies to bring new heights to Spooky season

Students, faculty discuss inequities in education

Election Day proves paramount, requires cancelled classes

Chryl Laird, assistant professor of government at Bowdoin College, delivered a lecture to the Tufts community on Wednesday on her latest book, “Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior.”

The conversation was moderated by Deborah Schildkraut, chair of the Department of Political Science, and Sam Sommers, chair of the Department of Psychology.

Laird began the conversation by playing a clip from the television series “Black-ish” (2014–), and asked the audience to consider why the characters featured, despite having different leanings on social issues, dislike the Republican Party. She then presented different graphics that displayed widespread economic and ideological diversity among African Americans.

“Frequently, we assume that African Americans are a monolith, but if there’s anything we can take away from this clip it’s clear that … from [the character’s] perspective you can do anything you want, but you can’t be a Republican,” Laird said.

She used the clip to segue into an idea outlined in her book called “racialized social restraint,” which seeks to explain political behavior by observing how social networks shape norms and expectations, according to Laird.

“We define … racialized social constraint, as a process of enforcing the norms of Black political behavior,” Laird said.

“It includes well-defined, racially specific social rewards and penalties, which are used to compel compliance with groupbased expectations of political behavior.”

She later examined African American history.

“During the Civil Rights period with the challenging of the Jim Crow South and the institutions that it created and how it operated under the law, African Americans are organizing … see LECTURES, page 2 NEWS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, October 8, 2020

THE TUFTS DAILY Alex Viveros Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL Managing Editors Jake Freudberg Associate Editors Jilly Rolnick Alejandra Carrillo Maddie Aitken Jessica Blough Tom Guan Liza Harris Alex Janoff Matt McGovern Sara Renkert Sarah Sandlow Anton Shenk Carolina Espinal Sam Klugherz Alexander Thompson Alicia Zou

Executive News Editor Deputy News Editor News Editors

continued from page 1 “During the interview day, each candidate met over 25 members of the Tufts community in small group settings,” Kraft said. “Student input was high-

ly important in this search … many students participated in various interviews throughout the day and ate meals with the candidates.”

Sevigny said she is working to ensure students can continue to

have an engaging college education, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Tufts is always really committed to helping students have an engaged experience, and I don’t think that has actually changed,” Sevigny said. “It just requires us

to be a little bit more creative … that’s one aspect of what we want to accomplish this semester, is just to make sure that our students have what they need to respond to the concerns that they’re sharing with us.”

between people reporting the democratic leanings … 96.4% of people are reporting that they are Democrats.”

Laird commented on the pressure within the African American community to associate with the Democratic Party.

“This is just one of many indications that there is an expectation amongst African Americans that they should be voting with the Democratic Party and that even the presence of somebody who is Black is serving as an embodiment of an understanding of that norm … even if they have beliefs, ideas, issue positions that would make them rationalize doing otherwise,” Laird said.

During the discussion, she shared that her book concludes

that “racialized social restraint” shapes the political choices of African Americans.

“Voting is a private act, but we argue that social pressure still matters,” Laird said. “Network effects can take hold long before an individual reaches the voting booth, and many of the events that lead up to the act of voting are socially structured.”

Laird noted that an effective way to curb the impact of this social norm is to encourage greater diversity within such networks.

“Because so much of this [mechanism] is reliant on the social networks and the racial homogeneity of social networks, the ability to minimize the effectiveness of the norm would require more diversity in those

networks,” Laird said.

Sommers later asked whether African Americans’ tendency to vote for Democrats is due to allegiance to the Democratic Party itself or aversion to the Republican Party.

Laird said that support for Democrats is a pro-partisan behavior because of the strategic benefits of affiliating with them.

“The Democratic Party is an opportunity where they can at least feel like to some degree, some of what they’re wanting is being heard,” Laird said. “It is less about distancing themselves from the Republican Party and much more about trying to really have a lot of leverage and positioning within the Democratic Party.”

Laird calls for greater diversity within social networks

Assistant News Editors

Ryan Shaffer Executive Features Editor Sid Anand Features Editors Amelia Becker Jillian Collins Claire Fraise Evelyn McClure Kayla Butera Assistant Features Editor Megan Szostak Executive Arts Editor Devina Bhalla Arts Editors Ryan Eggers Steph Hoechst Tuna Margalit Chris Panella Yas Salon Elizabeth Sander Colette Smith Rebecca Tang Geoff Tobia Drew Weisberg Assistant Arts Editor Liz Shelbred Priya Padhye Paloma Delgado Amulya Mutnuri Mike Wilkinson Caroline Wolinsky Milli Lu Emily Nadler Julia Baroni Carys Kong Annabel Nied Valeria Velasquez Juju Zweifach

Sevigny seeks to maintain equitable standards in conduct resolution process SEVIGNY

Rebecca Barker Hannah Harris

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LECTURES

continued from page 1 Black prominent individuals within those spaces [are] being the leaders to provide the support for and the guidance for a lot of the collective behavior,” she said.

Laird then cited an American National Election Studies poll which discussed African American voter support for the Democratic Party.

“The reporting of democratic leaning is at about 85% amongst African Americans when they’re reporting on their partisanship … when we look at them being in the presence of a non-Black interviewer, very similar results,” she said. “Then when we look at the Black interviewer condition, what we see is a sizable increase

Sruthi Kocherlakota Executive Sports Editor Tim Chiang Sports Editors Matt Goguen Jeremy Goldstein Aiden Herrod Pranav Jain Ananda Kao Delaney Tantillo Arpan Barua Assistant Sports Editors Jacob Dreyer Henry Gorelik Ethan Ling Arnav Sacheti Alex Sharp Eric Spencer Austin Clementi Executive Investigative Editor Arlo Moore-Bloom Executive Audio Editor Anne Marie Burke Executive Photo Editors Nicole Garay Aidan Chang Staff Photographers Patrick Milewski Menqi Irina Wang Austen Money Executive Video Editor

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Features

3 Thursday, October 8, 2020

Online learning exposes enduring educational inequalities, sparks efforts for reform Features Editor

Throughout the summer, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has brought a lot to the forefront of the public eye about systemic inequity, from police brutality to health care. One enduring topic that has come and gone when discussing inequity is education, which is affected by historic practices of redlining across the nation.

For Sara Siqueira, a junior studying cognitive brain science, attending a BLM protest in her hometown of Piedmont, Calif., sparked a desire to affect change in her larger community of Oakland.

“Our town, Piedmont, is filled with very affluent and privileged white people,” she said. “[It] acts as a bubble surrounded by Oakland … We attended a Black Lives Matter march in our town and found ourselves wondering what role our town played in the BLM movement,” Siqueira said.

Siqueira and a few friends hoped to address some of these inequities by founding a nonprofit focused on uplifting existing foundations, such as the Black Organizing Project, Planting Justice and The Oakland REACH. “We had an ambitious goal of setting up a fundraising event to call the Piedmont community to action and hold our town accountable as well as connect them with amazing existing organizations in Oakland. We really wanted to work with organizations and foundations because they understand the needs in the community,” Siqueira said.

The aptly named POPS, or Piedmont for Oakland Public Schools, symbolizes popping the bubble of Piedmont, which has the option to pick and choose when to associate with Oakland. While she acknowledged the name POPS has some savior complex connotations, Siqueira emphasized

ated by lawmakers and academics”Linda Beardsley, professor of education Just like everything else, COVID-19 has forced teachers and professors to adapt to an online format. In the spring, disparities emerged among affluent and low-income school districts in students’ access to internet and computers. A Los Angeles Times survey of California schools in August found that while 87% of students attending higher-income schools had access to a computer when they were sent home, only 51% of students at lower-income districts had access. Linda Beardsley, a senior lecturer in the education department, discussed the inequities that distance learning has brought to the surface.

“Zoom and distance learning has shined a light on a lot of systemic issues and disparities in funding,” Beardsley said.

Education reform starts with the K-12 public schools, however, Beardsley believes that higher education can have a huge effect.

“One of the reasons I left the Department of Education and came [to Tufts] is I really believed that universities and colleges have a real role to play, especially in the preparation of future teachers,” Beardsley said.

When asked about the impact that higher education can have on the future of K-12 public schooling, Beardsley mentioned the push for standardization by colleges and universities.

“One reason we have become so standardized, through frameworks, is that public schools are playing to what colleges and universities want. The best partnership is one between higher education and public K-12 schools,” Beardsley said.

Prior to her time at Tufts, Beardsley worked in the Massachusetts Department of Education on the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, which mandated the creation

of curriculum frameworks as an attempt to provide equity across the state’s public schools. Beardsley emphasized that these curriculum frameworks were designed to be flexible for each district based on its own students’ needs.

“Each district was required to be within these guidelines, however, they could decide what those guidelines meant for their students.” Beardsley said. “Our focus was deciding upon common standards and goals for teaching … that still allows for local possibilities and differences.”

Both Beardsley and Mindy Duggan, a sophomore studying child study and human development, emphasized the importance of including teachers in education reforms.

“Education reform should not be a top-down process created by lawmakers and academics,” Beardsley said.

“We had policymakers who did not understand that we needed the perspective of the students, teachers, school administrators in creating curriculums for the K-12 public school systems.”

Duggan focuses on inequities in special education programs in public schools. For one of her classes, Educating the Exceptional Child, she learned about the Americans with Disabilities Act, a document that details the protections offered to those with disabilities in the United States.

“Access to this information [in the Americans with Disabilities Act] could help a lot of students and parents, but a law can’t help you if you don’t know it exists,” Duggan said. “Increasing accessibility of this legislation can have such an impact.”

Currently, Duggan is taking a course called Education for Peace and Justice. The education major she is considering places courses in three separate categories to encourage students to take classes that they may not have picked of their own volition.

“For me, I would take class-

es just focusing on special education, however, the categories have forced me to step out of my comfort zone and take a class like Education for Peace and Justice,” Duggan said. “This class has been eye-opening because this is turning my view to gender, race and ethnic inequalities in the school system.”

Duggan emphasized the important steps that the education department is taking to create informed future teachers and administrators. By placing classes into categories, the department is educating students on as many aspects of teaching as possible.

“I think these categories are preparing education majors for all situations that they may encounter as teachers or administrators,” Duggan said.

One category the education department requires for its major is “Teaching and Learning,” which allows students to gain in-person teaching experience with public school teachers and students. Duggan was originally enrolled in a course called Observing Theory Action, which would have fulfilled this requirement. Due to COVID-19, however, the structure of this class had to adapt quickly.

“In normal times, you visit a classroom at a public high school once a week. Because of COVID, this class has kind of morphed into looking at the history and administration of high schools from the outside,” Duggan said.

Duggan ended up dropping this course, hoping to take it during a semester where she could interact with other students in person. She expressed concern for the students who were not able to postpone this requirement.

“For students who are not able to put it off for another semester, I feel that there will be a lack of teaching experience. Zoom is not the same as being in a room with a student,” Duggan said.

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by Evelyn McClure

that by donating to Oakland causes, the people of Piedmont are investing in the broader community.

“When it is hip and cool to live by Oakland, people take advantage. But the fact that Piedmont is a separate town means that it can hoard resources. We wanted to address the fact that the existence of Piedmont is harming the communities around us,” Siqueira said.

When asked about the most important thing to consider when attempting to address huge issues such as systemic education inequity, Siqueira discussed the idea of diversity in predominantly white institutions.

“I think when people approach issues of equity and racism, there is a huge push for diversity. That is great, but it has to go deeper than that. For example, at Tufts, it is important to have staff and faculty who look like you,” Siqueira said. “Yes, you can have a diverse school, but the inequities and discrimination will still exist unless you work to solve the culture and systems of the school … You need to think about how you can change policy, hiring practices and how you can ensure that you are retaining faculty or students of color or underrepresented backgrounds.”

The first of two large fundraiser events that POPS organized this summer was focused on removing police presence from schools. One organization the group worked with, the Black Organizing Project, has pressured the Oakland School District for years to remove police from its schools, which was unanimously approved by the school board this summer.

The second fundraising event was focused on the inequities that accompany distance learning. The money raised was dedicated to covering technology costs and mini-grants for teachers and school administrators in Oakland-area public schools.

“Education reform should not be a top-down process cre-

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Thursday, October 8, 2020

Spooktober: Flicks and frights

ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY

The covers of the best Halloween movies as selected by Arts Editor Christopher Panella are pictured.

by Christopher Panella Arts Editor

Picture this: In any other given year, you’re out trick-or-treating or going to a wild party, wearing the costume you threw together with clothes from the thrift store (sexy cowboy is a pretty easy one, considering it only requires that red flannel everyone owns and maybe a hat). You and your group of friends are ready to make the most of Halloween night! And when you get home, you gorge yourself on candy while watching scary movies (unless you’re more of a “Hocus Pocus” (1993) kind of viewer). But wait! What movies should you watch? And where should you go to watch them?

It’s a good question, and since this year’s festivities won’t look similar to previous ones, we’re all probably spending more time inside watching more movies.

So, here are 13 movies and television series you should watch this October and where you can stream them.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) Who doesn’t know the words to “This Is Halloween” or recognize Jack Skellington’s lanky figure?

Following Jack and the citizens of Halloween Town as they discover — and begin to steal — Christmas from Christmas Town, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has something for everyone. This stop-motion musical comedy bridges the two holidays perfectly, making it a great watch for those of us who start celebrating Christmas on Nov. 1.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is available on Disney+.

“The Lighthouse” (2019) “Why’d ye spill yer beans?” says Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) to Ephraim Winslow

(Robert Pattinson) at a pivotal moment in this insane black and white thriller from Robert Eggers. The film puts two lighthouse keepers on a small island together and watches them go mad, drink a lot and yell gibberish at each other. It’s wonderful. And “The Lighthouse” is just as nautically nightmarish as you might expect, with Eggers detailing how it “[gets] into the folklore of the sea.”

“The Lighthouse” is available on Kanopy through Tufts University.

“Penny Dreadful” (2014–16) This British-American horror series is some of the best television out there. Featuring a stacked cast — Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Reeve Carney and Josh Hartnett — and characters from 19th-century Gothic fiction, “Penny Dreadful” entertains everyone from English majors to television bingers. And with only three seasons, the series is in a sweet spot for finishing by the time October ends. Plus, if you didn’t notice, it’s got Eva Green.

What more do you need?

“Penny Dreadful” is available on Netflix.

“Coco” (2017) Looking for a film full of love and warmth that fits the feel of spooky season without feeling very spooky? Here’s “Coco,” a testament to family, love, loss and Pixar’s ability to make a great movie for audiences of all ages. The film follows 12-yearold Miguel, whose trip to the Land of the Dead leads him to connect with his deceased relatives and learn more about his family history. And “Coco” produced “Remember Me,” a hit song that’ll be stuck in your head long after you’ve finished watching (and crying).

“Coco” is available on Disney+.

“Unfriended” (2014) Perhaps “Unfriended” is a little too on-the-nose and stressful for our Zoom world, but this computer screen supernatural film hits at the heart of what’s so terrifying about the internet and social media. As a group of friends host a Skype call that’s bombed by an unknown user (whom they can’t get rid of ), they soon find out that it’s the spirit of a student who’s haunting them.

“Unfriended” is available on Netflix.

“Twitches” (2005) They’re twins, they’re witches, they’re twitches! The Disney Channel Original Movie starring Tia and Tamera Mowry is an absolutely exceptional watch full of fun and spookiness.

“Twitches” follows Camryn and Alex, who were separated at birth and discover that they’re not only related, but also originally from a magical dimension called Coventry. Camryn and Alex must use their magical powers to save themselves and Coventry from the Darkness, an evil entity who killed their father.

“Twitches” is available on Disney+.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004) Alfonso Cuarón’s stylish and exciting take on the third book of the franchise is not only the best Harry Potter movie, but it’s also a mature and delicious piece of standalone art.

“Prisoner of Azkaban” follows Harry and his friends as they unravel the story of Sirius Black, whose escape from prison casts a grim cloud over Hogwarts and pushes Harry to deep and emotional places.

And the film’s visually stunning Gothic atmosphere makes it a

great watch as leaves fall and sweater weather begins.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is available on Peacock.

“Batman” (1989) Not exactly a Halloween movie, but it’s about a man wearing a costume and running around fighting a clown, so it’s pretty close. Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson co-star in a story that takes place in Tim Burton’s steampunk version of Gotham.

It’s a certainly more gothic and kooky coloring of the iconic characters, and with plenty of exciting moments and iconic performances, “Batman” deserves your attention this month.

“Us” (2019) Plenty of audiences know Jordan Peele’s now iconic and trendsetting directorial debut “Get Out” (2017) and should know “Us,” his terrifying film about Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family as they face a set of doppelgängers called the Tethered. There’s plenty to read into when watching the film, its characters and their Tethered; indeed, we spend much of “Us” trying to piece together just how the Tethered exist and what Adelaide’s role in the larger plot is. “Us” is certainly an October watch that’ll have you thinking — and double-checking under your bed at night — for weeks to come.

“Us” is available on HBO Now. “American Horror Story” seasons 1 through 3: “Murder House,” “Asylum” and “Coven” (2011–14) Now entering production for its 10th season, it might be easy to forget just how groundbreaking “American Horror Story”

was when it began. “Murder House” and “Asylum” put some of the most talented actors — Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Zachary Quinto, Chloe Sevigny and Frances Conroy — into television’s most deranged, sensational and horrifying stories. “Coven” too was innovative, giving us Lange’s iconic Fiona Goode and a world of witchcraft. All three seasons are pleasurable re-watches and provide varying levels of horror and gore.

“American Horror Story” is available on Netflix.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) There are plenty of terrifying classics to get viewers into the Halloween season, like “The Thing” (1982) and “Scream” (1996), but “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” tells a story full of shock and gore about a group of friends who face cannibals on their way to an old family homestead. It’s a wild movie full of interesting camerawork; little compares to the close-up shots of Sally’s fearful eyes in the dinner scene.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.

“Ready or Not” (2019) Samara Weaving leads this horror-comedy about a bride whose wealthy in-laws hunt her down to fulfill a wedding night ritual with Satan. Yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds. And Weaving goes through all of it with witty one-liners and strong survival tactics. Full of blood and plenty of funny moments, “Ready or Not” takes meeting the in-laws to a whole new level. “Ready or Not” is available on Hulu.

A&P

Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Truth, Justice & The American Way: A look back at Action Comics #775

by Drew Weisberg Assistant Arts Editor

When I say Superman, I’ll bet a similar thought pops into all of your heads: a man bulging with muscles, draped in the American flag with a smile on his face while he zips through the sky. What you may also think, as many modern readers and viewers do, is that he’s a bit silly.

Admittedly, he can seem hokey — he’s the ultimate power fantasy and for some, his antiquated morality plays that make up his adventures can be construed as insincere in a world where we demand our protagonists to be deeper, and at times more brutal. To the Superman detractors of the world, I present Action Comics #775: “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?” by Joe Kelly with art by Doug Mahnke and Lee Bermejo.

“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” was released in 2001 as a response to the increasing popularity of the superhero group, “The Authority,” who used its superpowers as violent remedies for the ills of the world. “The Authority” is paralleled by the central antagonists of Action Comics #775, “The Elite.” Though not a oneto-one parallel, the four members of The Elite, (Manchester Black, Menagerie, Coldcast and Hat) are all immensely powerful characters described as exhibiting “a power discharge of biblical proportions.”

The core dilemma of the book deals less with the action, though, and instead with the battle of public opinion. The reader rides along with Superman as he uses his super-hearing to listen to the people of Metropolis, picking up snippets of information such as from a man who suggests that The Elite’s policy when dealing with supervillains should be to “Kill ‘em

all.” More disturbing, though, is Superman overhearing a child who “wanted to be in The Elite because it would be fun to kill bad guys.” Tensions grow between Superman and The Elite until the two factions decide to hold a final showdown to determine earth’s protectors, much to Superman’s chagrin.

The battle is taken to Io, a moon of Jupiter, and broadcast for the whole world to see.

The battle is exhilarating, with The Elite slowly breaking down Superman until he finally snaps and kills all but Manchester Black. Black, a powerful psychic, tries to attack Superman telekinetically but Superman burns out his psychic powers, using Black’s own retina to focus his heat vision into an “invisible scalpel.” Just when it seems Superman has lost all control of his moral compass, he reveals his gambit. He only made it appear that Black’s teammates had been killed and shows Black that the rest of The Elite are incapacitated, but safe. Black himself didn’t lose his abilities, rather Superman gave him the equivalent of a “focused concussion.”

Black rants to Superman about how he’s “living in a bloody dream world,” to which Superman replies, “Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share — I’ll never stop fighting.”

Kelly scripts the scene beautifully, synthesizing the hope that is central to the Superman character and the ideals his character represents in one panel. Kelly’s Superman is, to me, the elemental version of the character: a selfless man who believes that a better world is something worth fighting for, no matter what others think. Is it cliche to say ‘follow your dreams?’

Maybe, but is cynicism the

VIA DC FANDOM

The cover of Action Comics #775 (2001) is pictured. correct response? Those are weighty topics for a book that most people would consider a child’s fantasy.

Don’t let its age fool you, Action Comics #775 is the comic for today. In the midst of unprecedented change, it’s somewhat

reassuring to have something that advocates for us all to dream big. Is it corny? Maybe, but it’s as Kelly puts it: “Dreams save us.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Thursday, October 8, 2020

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Wednesday’s Solution

Wednesday’s Solution

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Opinion

7 Thursday, October 8, 2020

EDITORIAL

Tufts administration, faculty should cancel classes on Election Day Election Day is just around the corner, and Tufts students have begun to prepare for its emotional and historical significance. Despite the importance of this day to many members of the Tufts community, Tufts is holding classes on Nov. 3. This decision seems out of character for a university that prides itself on civic and political engagement, and it poses significant barriers to participate in the presidential election for Tufts students and staff. Tufts faculty and administration should cancel classes on Election Day in order to encourage individuals to vote and be active citizens, especially in an election as critical as the one on the horizon.

At students’ requests, the 2019–20 AS&E Executive Committee looked into the possibility of holding Election Day as a university holiday.

Caroline DePalma Philosophy in Focus

Enemies of the state

I

spent this week reading “A Theory of Freedom of Expression” by Thomas Scanlon, which ends by stating that repressive leadership may be acceptable in a society that believes it contains only servants and enemies.

After watching the first presidential debate, it could not be clearer that President Trump wants to live in this kind of society.

We have lived through almost four years of evi-

However, scheduling constraints pushed administrators to hold classes on Nov. 3, similar to their reasoning for Indigenous Peoples Day. With this decision, they also asked faculty to not schedule examinations, oral reports or other mandatory class assignments for this day. This is yet another example of Tufts prioritizing academic scheduling over recognizing an important national holiday.

Tufts implemented crucial measures to promote voting among the student body, such as holding polling locations on campus — in Cousens Gymnasium and the Tufts Administration Building — as well as sponsoring JumboVote, an organization aimed at increasing voter registration and participation among Tufts students through the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

By holding classes on Election Day, however, Tufts offsets these crucial efforts and contradicts its commitment to civic engagement.

The AS&E Committee’s decision to hold classes on Election Day inhibits and discourages voting among students and faculty. Despite Committee recommendations for students to participate in Election Day without fear of being penalized for missing classes or due dates, students may still feel obligated to attend class in order to keep up with their academic workload. Professors and other faculty members are also adversely affected by this decision, as they may be unable to find time in between classes to head to the polls. Even if students or faculty try to avoid these constraints by voting early, classes on Election Day will prevent many from being civically

involved in other ways, such as driving students to the polls, working at polls or spending the day phone banking.

Promoting voting on campus is especially essential given Tufts’ history with voting in past elections. According to data collected by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), 45.2% of Tufts students voted in the 2018 midterms, and 58% of Tufts students registered to vote cast a ballot. While these rates are higher than the national student average according to the NSLVE, there is still more that Tufts can do to increase its student voter turnout. Given the institutional barriers to voting, such as voter suppression, that target historically marginalized communities, as well as hesitations to vote in-person during the pandemic, Tufts must increase

voting accessibility within its community, starting with canceling classes on Nov. 3.

To supplement efforts of Tisch College and student organizations, university programs such as JumboVote must also place greater emphasis on educating students about U.S. voting history and the historic exclusion of people of color from the democratic process.

There is so much at stake in this election, including the fate of laws and policies that will impact the livelihoods of all Americans. Young voters will heavily impact the outcome of this election, just as they did in the 2018 midterms.

Beyond the needed actions from the Tufts administration, students also have a vital role.

If you are eligible, please exercise your right to vote — you have the ability to influence our future.

dence to support this. Over 210,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and there is no apparent end in sight.

Millions are unemployed, and civil liberties protected by Supreme Court precedent are in jeopardy.

Still, the president condemned Antifa, an anti-fascist movement. He called for more “law and order” in response to widespread protest, while officers were breaking the very laws they claim to enforce. He prioritized a growing economy over the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.

This is not the behavior of someone who views others as equals. He sees, as Scanlon describes, only servants and enemies. Thus, from this per-

spective, an autocratic rule might make perfect sense for Trump, and probably does from where the “servants,” or the rest of his cabinet, are standing.

From this logic, those who oppose Trump and his government are “enemies” of the president, his controlled state and everyone who supports him. Yes, this is strong language, but the president himself has never hesitated to use stronger or more divisive words than these.

And he will be met with even stronger resistance. It is what he deserves, and it is what his opponents, including myself, are ready to give him. While we don’t want to be anyone’s enemy, we should

always choose that path over one of servitude to a tyrant who conducts himself like an unruly toddler on national television.

I’ve heard many mourn for the lack of civility in today’s political climate. Mourn if you must, but then accept that the only way to reclaim civility is to fight for it. We will never have it as long as our president sees people who support science, equity and kindness as enemies.

The president appears to value order and respect. But much like Scanlon’s hypothetical leader, he only desires respect for himself; it is obvious that he does not feel any obligation to respect others in the same manner.

If the president and his “servants” won’t respect us, we will do so doubly. We will respect ourselves and each other in fighting for what this country needs.

In order to create a fair and equitable system, it is also necessary to view the president and his supporters as equal citizens, even as they try to polarize our nation and place themselves above us. On the ballot this November, remember to support the candidate whom you feel would respect you even if they didn’t have your vote.

Caroline DePalma is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Caroline can be reached at caroline.depalma@tufts.edu.

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8 Thursday, October 8, 2020

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

LA Lakers dominate in NBA Finals against Miami Heat

By Sharan Bhansali Staff Writer

Game 1 The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 116–98, led by power forward Anthony Davis, who scored a game-high 34 points. Davis had a monster performance in Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals, in which he shot 52.4% from the field, made two of his four 3-pointers and scored all 10 of his free throws.

The Lakers scored 15 of their 38 3-point attempts and stretched their lead to as much as 32 points in the third quarter. The Heat went through several difficulties in Game 1 as two of their star players faced serious injuries early in the game. Goran Dragić , Miami Heat’s second-leading scorer and point guard, tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in the second quarter of Game 1 and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo played restrictive minutes in Game 1 due to a shoulder and neck strain, which led to their loss.

Lebron James, who is making his 10th trip to the NBA finals, had an efficient game in which he scored 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Frank Vogel, head coach of the Lakers, calls James the “best leader” he has been around and has immense respect for everything the threetime champion does on and off the court.

Aiden Herrod The Turf Monster

Quarter-season division power rankings

I’ve always loved the division power rankings format.

Divisions have so much personality and history packed into such a small cluster of teams, and it’s an effective way to survey the league as a whole through the first four weeks of the season. At this point, we’ve seen plenty of trends emerge.

The next few weeks are crucial for teams to course-correct on the negative trends and capitalize on the positive ones. Without further ado, here are my Week 4 NFL division power rankings: #1: National Football Conference (NFC) West 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks and Rams, oh my! Every single one of these teams has a strong case to be a playoff contender this year, and I simply can’t say that for any other NFL division in recent memory. The Cardinals may be considered a tier below their competition here after cooling off on the offensive side

Box Plus Minus (BPM) is a box score-based metric that estimates a basketball player’s contribution to the team when that player is on the court. Six of the Heat’s seven core players had negative BPM’s, which means the players were actually hindering the team’s performance.

The Heat’s 3-point specialist, Duncan Robinson, scored zero points on 0-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Overall, Miami struggled to make good offensive plays while the Lakers were dominant defensively and offensively.

Game 2 The Lakers once again crushed the Heat 124–114, in Game 2 of the Finals. The dynamic duo, Lebron James and Anthony Davis, combined to score 65 of the Lakers points and both had outstanding performances. Davis scored 32 points on 15-for-20 shooting, had 14 rebounds and played for a whopping 40 minutes and 33 seconds. James, on the other hand, scored 33 points on 14-for-25 shooting, had nine rebounds and nine assists. He was one assist and rebound shy of another Finals triple-double.

The Heat didn’t have two of their starters, Adebayo and Dragić, for this game due to their Game 1 injuries. Meyers Leonard, the center who hadn’t played any minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals, got to start the game but was highly inefficient as he scored

only 7 points in 9 minutes and had a negative BPM. Although Jimmy Butler had a good game with 25 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists, it wasn’t enough to defeat the Lakers. Lakers’ role players like Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma also stepped up to score 16, 11 and 11 points respectively. Rondo also dished out 10 assists to become one of two bench players who have scored 15 or more points and 10 or more assists in the Finals in the last 35 years.

After this game several analysts and fans thought that the Lakers would sweep the Heat and win four games in a row. The Lakers had a dominant first two games and it would take nothing short of a miracle for the Heat to win the next game without Adebayo and Dragić.

Game 3 The Heat surprisingly defeated the Lakers 115–104, led by Jimmy Butler, who scored 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. Butler became the third player in NBA history to score a 40 point triple-double in the NBA Finals alongside Lebron James in 2015 and Jerry West in 1969. Butler carried the team on his back by controlling the Heat offense, shooting 14-for-20 from inside the paint and making 12 of his 14 free throw attempts.

The Heat’s Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson and Kelly Olynyk all had over 10 points in the game. Herro

struggled with shooting in the first three quarters, but in the fourth he scored eight clutch points to put the Heat in a winning position. Herro even gave an iconic snarl after sinking one of his shots, which had the fans and the internet (the next day) going crazy.

In the middle of the game James said to Butler “you’re in trouble,” because they were down 0–2 in the series. Toward the end of the game, a timeout was called after Butler scored a clutch bucket. Straight after, Butler said in retaliation “They’re in trouble!” repeatedly to taunt James and the Lakers.

It’s moments like these, which gets NBA fans riled up — snarls, trash talk and an underdog win.

Davis got two early foul calls in the first quarter, which led him to play passively for the rest of the game. He played for 33 minutes and scored just 15 points while giving away five turnovers. James scored well, getting 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but was also responsible for eight turnovers.

In total, the Lakers had 20 turnovers which is unacceptable in Game 3 of a Finals match.

Butler won the Heat Game 3, and gave them another chance at competing for the championship. Players like Herro and Butler said that the Game 3 win reset the series for the team.

Game 4 The Lakers defeated the Heat 102–96 in a low scoring game.

James was the top scorer on the floor with 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. James scored 20 of his points in the second half of the match to put the Lakers in a winning position. In the post-game interview James said, “This was one of the biggest games of my career. I know just how great of a team we’re playing against.”

Adebayo was back for Game 4 after going through constant physical therapy for his neck and shoulder strain after Game 1. Adebayo scored 15 points in 33 minutes and was not as efficient nor as aggressive as his normal self. Butler, Robinson and Herro each scored over 15 points, but still could not outscore the Lakers team.

In the fourth quarter, Davis hit a clutch 3-pointer to put the Lakers up by nine with 39.5 seconds left on the clock. Davis’ shot was the dagger that made it near impossible for the Heat to come back from such a deficit.

He also had a strong game scoring 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

With this win, the Lakers have taken a 3–1 commanding lead and are one win away from clinching their 17th franchise championship. Only 13 times in playoff history has a team overcome a 3–1 series deficit. The chances are extremely bleak for the Heat to get back in position to win the series. However, Game 5 will be an exciting match between the two hungry teams.

of the ball in recent weeks, but they have flashed some pretty elite upside. Meanwhile, the Seahawks and Rams are locked in at first and second while the 49ers scramble to get their Super Bowl roster healthy. This division is going to be an absolute dogfight. #2: American Football Conference (AFC) North With at least one of the Ohio teams firing on all cylinders, this division gets scary. The Ravens are obviously a terrifying foe, boasting either a suffocating defense or Lamar Jackson on the field at any given time. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s defense is somehow even more oppressive, with Big Ben’s return effectively treading water on the offensive side.

Cleveland’s roster is also finally playing up to its potential as the team eyes a wild card berth behind a league-best running game. Bringing up the rear is Cincinnati, which boasts a legit franchise QB in Joe Burrow, who is prone to steal games from superior competition on any given week. #3: NFC South This division has been something of a perennial powerhouse in the past few years, having boasted the likes of Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Cam Newton

quarterbacking the Falcons, Saints and Panthers respectively. Cam is gone, but Teddy Bridgewater and head coach Matt Rhule have done an admirable job keeping the Panthers competitive. Meanwhile, Tom Brady takes the reins for the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers to account for the power vacuum left by the oft-choking Atlanta squad. Finally, Drew Brees and the Saints remain as steady as ever as a perennial Super Bowl contender. #4: AFC South This division is hard to evaluate right now due to Houston’s recent firing of Bill O’Brien as head coach and Tennessee’s current hiatus from the league due to COVID-19. Houston has the talent to steal games even in a lost season for them, while Tennessee is built on a ferocious run game and physical style of play that could be a force come winter. Indianapolis meanwhile is hoping to ride competent quarterback play from Philip Rivers and a top-end defense to first place, and is likely going to only get better as the new pieces gel more. Jacksonville is effectively rebuilding, but having Gardner Minshew at quarterback has kept them surprisingly competitive. And man, that mustache just has to count for something.

#5: AFC West Any division boasting Kansas City, who in my view is the undisputed Super Bowl favorite this year, is bound to be pretty good. But beyond Kansas City there still exists some intriguing teams with wild card potential.

Las Vegas has been more or less competitive on both sides of the ball, while Justin Herbert has proven to be a revelation under center as a rookie for Los Angeles. Both of these teams will hang in all their games more or less, something that sadly cannot be said for the injury-ridden Denver Broncos. #6: AFC East The AFC east was once Patriots town, but the ex-juggernaut team is now reeling with its starting quarterback Cam Newton out due to COVID-19. He needs to get back quickly to put this team in the playoffs, especially given the lack of true offensive weapons beyond Cam’s running ability. Meanwhile, Buffalo looks like a true powerhouse with a suffocating defense and surging Josh Allen who looks like a borderline MVP candidate. The Jets and Dolphins are both rebuilding and cannot really expect to make much of an impact this season. #7: NFC North Green Bay is back to its mid-2010s self with a domi-

nant Aaron Rodgers and a defense pulling its own weight.

Beyond that, this division is in a sorry state. Detroit and Chicago are back to their classic bottom-feeder status, with Chicago’s respectable record coming on the back of ample amounts of luck. Minnesota has usually been a respectable contender here, but its defense has fallen apart, seemingly beyond repair. This is a onehorse race. #8: NFC East Ah yes, who can be the best of the worst? This division boasts an embarrassing collective record, and every team has more questions than answers for their rosters. Dallas and Philadelphia have been downright putrid on defense and offense respectively. I’m picking Dallas as the best team here solely based on the quality of its opponents thus far and Dak Prescott’s historic offensive numbers thus far. The less said about Washington and New York, the better. One team is coming out of this division and losing immediately in the first round.

Aiden is a junior studying film and media studies and entrepreneurial leadership. Aiden can be reached at aiden.herrod@tufts.edu