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T HE T UFTS DAILY Union holds janitors’ protest, wins short-term extension by Yiyun Tom Guan News Editor
32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the union that represents custodians at Tufts University, held a rally on Friday afternoon in front of West Hall in protest of Tufts’ failure to extend its contract and meet its demands. The protest was held in collaboration with the Tufts Labor Coalition and was attended by workers, union representatives, students and community members. Before the rally, the contract between 32BJ SEIU and C&W Services, a facilities contractor hired by Tufts, was set to expire on Oct. 31. A few hours after the rally, Roxana Rivera, executive vice president of 32BJ SEIU, announced that the contract had been extended to Dec. 3. Christina Villafranca, a field representative for 32BJ SEIU; Otoniel Figueroa, field director of 32BJ SEIU district 615 and Adelaida Colón, a janitor and union shop steward who has been working at Tufts for 25 years, addressed the rally; the latter did so in Spanish. Afterwards, attendees started signing a petition before the crowd moved from West to Ballou Hall and eventually entered Ballou. “We do not want [Tufts] to call these members heroes,” Figueroa said. “We want them to treat them like heroes.” “Tufts, escuchan, estamos en la lucha [Tufts, listen, we are in the fight],” the crowd chanted while marching. In a subsequent interview with the Daily, Colón explained that the protest took place as the negotiation between C&W and 32BJ SEIU stalled due to the former declining to meet the salary and full-time position increase that the union demanded. She noted that last October, 32BJ SEIU and C&W reached a one-year deal that increased salary by 65 cents per hour with no new full-time positions, as the firm argued that the pandemic posed financial restraints for Tufts. However , during subsequent negotiation, when Colón and the union asked for an annual $1 wage increase and three more full-time positions for the next two years, C&W refused. “When I asked [the C&W lawyer] why [he didn’t] want to give me more money, he said because Tufts [has] a lot of things [to pay
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for] … now it’s made no money. I know that’s not true,” Colón said. “[Many janitors] don’t have full-time jobs. [They] don’t have any benefits. All the benefits they have are a couple of sick days, but [they] don’t have medical insurance.” Colón went on to explain that she fought for more full-time positions every year because part-time positions do not include sufficient benefits. For her, the inflation resulting from the pandemic exacerbated the economic difficulty experienced by workers, but didn’t affect as much the very people who rejected their demands. “Everything is expensive — how are we surviving?” Colón said. “[Despite] the pandemic, [C&W didn’t] pay extra money for anybody. People are so sick, [but it] doesn’t want to pay for insurance … [while the contractors] are taking vacations, taking sick days.” Colón also explained that Tufts’ sanitation policy in light of the pandemic brought extra burden onto its janitorial workers, who did not received matching compensation in return. Tufts also failed to hire new personnel for assistance. “Extra disinfection, extra chemicals … now you need to disinfect everywhere,” Colón said. “Before I [could] clean the shower once or twice a week, now it’s every day. It’s a lot, and it’s hard to work like that … with the same [number of ] people.” After entering Ballou, the rally was uncertain if the administrators heard its demand, according to Alexis Hedvat, an organizer with the TLC. “We were knocking on the door and saw two people in one of the offices who were not opening the door for us and ignoring [our] knocks,” Hedvat, a junior, said in an electronic message to the Daily. “Finally somebody opened the door. We asked if we could give them the petition to give to [University President Tony Monaco] and they said they would give it to him. We asked if we could watch them put it on his desk, but they refused to let us do that, saying, ‘I will make sure it gets to him.’” In 1994, Tufts began outsourcing its custodial service. Before, custodians were still considered university employees who see LABOR, page 2
Mass. legislature works to appropriate federal ARPA funds by Fernando Cervantes Jr. Staff Writer
President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package titled the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 in March. Massachusetts received about $5.3 billion in funding from the bill for post-pandemic recovery efforts. On Oct. 29, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted unanimously to appropriate around $3.6 billion of the ARPA funding. Christine Barber, a state representative for the 34th Middlesex District, which covers much of Tufts University’s Medford/ Somerville campus and the surrounding areas, explained that the state legislature had a different timeline in mind for the spending bill than Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, who wanted to spend the money as soon as possible. “Initially the governor wanted to spend it quickly, but the legislature basically pulled the money back and created a fund that had that money in it [for later use],” Barber said. State Representative for the 27th Middlesex District Erika Uyterhoeven, who represents the rest of Tufts’ Medford/ Somerville campus and a swath of Somerville including Davis Square, spoke about a lack of public transparency throughout the bill-drafting process. “The public has access to the bill about 24 hours before we vote on it,” Uyterhoeven said. “Just because the bill is released [to the public] doesn’t mean that
MICHELLE LI / THE TUFTS DAILY
A row of houses on Berwick Road in Medford. there are articles written about it, right? So unfortunately that’s one of the many issues about the lack of transparency in our legislature.” Patricia Jehlen, state senator for the 2nd Middlesex District, which represents all of the Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, explained that, before the vote, state legislators had made recommendations on how to spend the money. Legislators from the Somerville and Medford area advocated for the funding to go towards infrastructure, housing and climate change mitigation efforts. Jehlen sought $10 million to conduct an environmental impact review of the Green Line Extension. “The next stage in the extension of the Green Line … is the environmental impact review, and $10 million would fund that,” Jehlen said. Barber spoke in favor of the Green Line Extension Project, and hoped to use ARPA funding to fund that project. “Getting the Green Line Extension to go one more stop to Mystic Valley Parkway, Route 16,
that’s been a proposal for a long time,” Barber said. “I would like to fund the design of that next [MBTA] stop.” There had also been calls to direct the funding toward a pilot program that would lower the cost of the MBTA. “Lowering [fares] or making the MBTA free is a really big issue particularly for low-income and immigrant communities because it is a really regressive form of taxation through our public transit,” Uyterhoeven said. Jehlen explained how this pilot program would work in more detail. “All the buses in the MBTA system would be free during the pilot and you would find out what will happen to ridership and to costs,” Jehlen said. “That’s a relatively small ask, $70 million a year, would pay if you had farefree buses throughout the state.” In addition to infrastructure, there had been calls among Massachusetts legislators to allocate the money toward housing programs. Barber discussed a program she supports that seeks see ARPA, page 2
SCIENCE
Bite-Size Science: 23andMe for horses? Genetics provide clues on equine ancestry by Ian Lau
Contributing Writer
An analysis of ancient animal DNA samples has helped identify the genetic homeland of modern horses from around 4,200 years ago. A team of archaeologists spent the last five years collecting thousands of horse samples — from bones to teeth — in locations where the animals could have originated. Researchers utilized radiocarbon dating to figure out the age of different samples and
tracked several horse populations before, during and after domestication. By comparing these different populations, the team concluded in a recent report published in Nature that modern domestic horses originated from the steppes — which are grasslands located in present-day Russia — before spreading across Eurasia and replacing all preexisting horse lineages. Further research also shows that horse populations began to proliferate soon after modern horses originated, when horse
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ARTS / page 5
SPORTS / back
DPH owner, Tamper manager, students talk coffee on campus
Across decades, city pop pops
Volleyball completes formidable weekend performance with wins against Bates and Colby
transportation grew in popularity. This new discovery also challenges preexisting notions of important human migrations in history. The Yamnaya, a culture credited with spreading Indo-European languages into Europe, were assumed to have used horses to migrate across Europe. However, genetic analysis of horses indicates that there were few domestic horse ancestors outside of the Eurasian Steppes, changing previous understanding about their role in mass human migrations. NEWS
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, November 4, 2021
THE TUFTS DAILY Madeleine Aitken Editor in Chief
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Contract between C&W and Tufts custodial workers extended to Dec. 3 LABOR
continued from page 1 received health-care packages, tuition remission and pension plans. The change in 1994 saved Tufts an estimate of $2 million over the following few years and stripped janitors of most of their benefits. The following two-and-a-half decades were marked by further downsizing and restructuring, the most notable illustration taking place in 1998, when 20 laid-off janitors struggled to obtain food. The worsening working condition for custodians was also met with continual resistance from workers, students, faculty and community members. The Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM) was formed in summer 2001 to more widely spread
the 1994 decision to the Tufts community, and Jumbo Janitor Alliance (JJA) was founded in 2007 to advocate for custodial workers’ rights at Tufts. In a statement sent in an email to the Daily, Rivera applauded the grassroots efforts and urged Tufts and C&W to meet the workers’ demands. “Throughout the pandemic, 32BJ custodians and other essential workers at Tufts have kept campus clean and sanitary for the entire community, even as they have suffered tremendously from the devastating impact of COVID-19 and the resulting economic crisis,” Rivera said in the statement. “Now, they need and deserve a fair contract with consistent, full-time jobs so that
WILL FLAMM / THE TUFTS DAILY
Supporters gather outside West Hall for the rally on Oct. 29. they can recover from this crisis.” Tufts Executive Director of Media Relations Patrick Collins reaffirmed that custodial workers are employees of C&W, and that any grievances should be heard by C&W and not by the university. “We appreciate all that C&W employees do to create an envi-
ronment that is conducive to learning and working for our students, faculty and staff,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “We have forwarded the letter we received from C&W employees to C&W, and we are hopeful the two sides will resolve any outstanding issues in their ongoing negotiations.”
$3.65 billion ARPA spending plan passed by Mass. House ARPA
continued from page 1 to address housing access issues in the City of Somerville. “One [program] is emergency housing, or a program called Homebase, that I’ve worked on for years,” Barber said.”Especially [during the pandemic], many more people have faced eviction and homelessness. The Homebase program is an important one that keeps people in stable housing and out of shelters.” Looking to the future, Uyterhoeven sees climate change as another major issue that funding from ARPA should address. “Another big category that we should expect to see …
is around infrastructure for climate crisis mitigation,” Uyterhoeven said. “We’ve had a lot of flooding and sewer issues this past summer. Our infrastructure here in Somerville needs funding for that.” The spending bill, which directed funding towards housing, climate change, economic development, labor, education and health, addressed some, but not all, of legislators’ priorities. Regardless, Barber spoke on the importance of the passage of the ARPA spending bill, an opportunity which does not present itself often. “It was a significant spending bill,” Barber said. “It’s really rare that we do a bill that we can fund this many projects
outside of the state’s budget process.” Sean Garballey, state representative for the 23rd Middlesex District, mentioned how passing the bill addressed his goal of responding to climate change and the environment. “My focus was really around trying to advocate for the bill around climate resiliency and other important items to address climate change,” Garballey said. “The environment and climate change mitigation was really my top priority for where I really believed these funds should be focused.” Barber expressed satisfaction on the amount of monies that were passed in terms of
affordable housing around the Commonwealth. “There’s a lot of money, many hundreds of millions for affordable housing, [that] is my top priority,” Barber said. However, Barber hopes that some of the remaining funding will go toward some issues that were not addressed in the original package. “I’m hopeful we’ll get an infrastructure bill and get some money to put into public transit and more environmental projects for so many things that are needed,” Barber said. The State Senate has until Friday to submit amendments to the ARPA bill and it is expected to be put up for a vote in the next week.
COURTESY BRENDAN HARTNETT
obstacles, though Lungo-Koehn’s centered around the placing of Michael Durham, Medford’s director of veterans services, on administrative leave after an incident between Durham and the mayor. That incident led to Durham’s escort out of City Hall by Medford police officers, though Durham would be reinstated on Oct. 15. Lungo-Koehn also faced accusations of creating a hostile work environment at Medford City Hall. However, Lungo-Koehn expressed excitement for the future following her re-election victory. “We have laid out a clear set of priorities for the coming term, including continuing to lead Medford out of the pandemic, supporting our teachers and students and advancing a vision for a new high school ... and more,” Lungo-Koehn said in a statement on Tuesday night. In other municipal elections, Zac Bears, Richard Caraviello, Adam Knight, Nicole Morell, George Scarpelli, Kit Collins and Justin Tseng won election to the Medford City Council; Jenny Graham, Kathleen Kreatz, Melanie McLaughlin, Mea Quinn Mustone, Paul Ruseau and Sharon Hays won election to the school committee.
Ballantyne beats Mbah, Lungo-Koehn wins second term in mayoral elections By Alexander Janoff Executive News Editor
Somerville In Somerville’s mayoral election, Ward 7 City Councilor Katjana Ballantyne secured 9,997 votes to City Councilor-at-large Will Mbah’s 6,726. This created a margin of victory of 18.27 percentage points. Ballantyne’s campaign overcame several obstacles to victory, nearly losing out in the preliminary election. She was able to move on to Tuesday’s general election by edging out Mary Cassesso, Cambridge Health Alliance executive and former Somerville city auditor, by just 79 votes. In that preliminary election, Ballantyne earned fewer votes than Mbah, 4,162 to Mbah’s 4,498. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley endorsed Ballantyne for mayor on Oct. 4, following the preliminary elections. Ballantyne expressed her gratitude for all her supporters in a tweet on Tuesday night. “Thank you #Somerville. I am humbled to be the next Mayor of Somerville. Somerville voters
The polling station held at Cousens Gym is pictured on Nov. 2. showed they want bold, inclusive experienced leadership to move us forward! Now let’s get to work!” the tweet read. Kristen Strezo, Willie Burnley, Charlotte Kelly and Jake Wilson won the city councilor at-large election. Matthew McLaughlin, JT Scott, Ben Ewen-Campen, Jesse Clingan, Beatriz Gómez Mouakad, Lance Davis and Judy Pineda Neufeld won the city councilor seats for each of the seven wards and Emily Ackman, Ilana Krepchin, Sarah Phillips, Andre Green, Laura Pitone,
Ellenor Barish and Sara Dion won election to the school committee in each ward. Several candidates were uncontested.
Medford In Medford’s mayoral election, Medford Mayor Breanna LungoKoehn secured 7,352 to John Falco’s 5,768, winning her reelection campaign. This created a margin of victory of 11.94 percentage points. Like Ballantyne, Lungo-Koehn also overcame several electoral
Features
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The ritualization of coffee: A community endeavor
GRACE ROTERMUND / THE TUFTS DAILY
Syrup rail and drinks in the Danish Pastry House. by Sam Dieringer Contributing Writer
As the semester rolls along, students dive into midterm season and a familiar ritual sweeps across campus. Throughout the Hill and into the local neighborhoods, the irresistible aroma of warm cups of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. Before everyone rushes off wistfully to their morning class, next test or to clock into work, they all follow the same routine. Whether it be pre-, mid-, or post-pandemic, the routine remains: the ritualization of coffee. Students agree that coffee comes with a ritual of sorts. Junior Kate Guttilla describes herself as a moderate to frequent coffee drinker. Guttilla explained that her coffee gets her through the day and is a helpful part of her routine. “The taste is something that’s really enjoyable for me [and I also enjoy] the routine that’s built into it,” Guttilla said. “I feel like I need to start my day with coffee most days because then I feel like I’m more in a place where I can get a lot of work done.” Similarly, senior Jen Frye, who is also a dual degree BA/MALD candidate at the Fletcher School, explains their coffee consumption as a healthy habit that gives them an extra push. “I do think that it sort of perks me up and gets me motivated,” they said. Junior Autumn Stelzer, who worked as a barista at the Danish Pastry House this past summer, spoke to some of the patterns that exist in coffee consumption. She said coffee rituals change between
ages, and noted the common habits she’s observed within age groups. “What’s funny is when somebody comes in and is like, ‘I want a coffee,’ if they’re younger than 30, you know that it’s an iced coffee, and if they’re older than 50, it’s a hot coffee,” she said. “I’ve never been wrong about that.” Although coffee consumption is a major part of many people’s daily routines, it can sometimes get a bad rep for its addictive nature. Frye discussed the effects of coffee consumption. “I think as long as you’re aware of the fact that you are creating this cycle both psychologically and physically of some sort of dependency, and you don’t let it run your life, I think that’s okay,” Frye said. Clearly, coffee plays a vital role in the daily lives of many people. However, these routines were all challenged this past year by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Guttilla commented on how her more irregular schedule last year led to less overall coffee consumption. “I feel like coffee is definitely synonymous with having structure in your day,” Guttilla said. “So if you don’t have structure in your day, maybe your coffee consumption also falls off or becomes inconsistent.” From a coffee shop owner’s perspective, Jason Hutchinson, manager of Tamper Cafe on Boston Avenue, explained the rapid transformation of his business model. During the pandemic, he managed a solely online, takeout coffee shop. “To me, it was bizarre,” Hutchinson said.” People would order the day before … We knew we needed X amount of scones … then we just waited for people
[to come pick up their orders at assigned time slots].” Ulla Winkler, owner of the Danish Pastry House on Boston Avenue, also experienced hardships during the pandemic. She had to close her coffee shop for eight months. Despite the safety restrictions, coffee drinkers were still motivated to find solutions to acquire their drink of choice. Frye explained that because of the pandemic, they were not really going into coffee shops as much, but they had to adapt to the circumstances. “During the pandemic, I moved off campus,” Frye said. “And so I now make most of my coffee at home. I invested in a Moka Pot, which is my favorite thing ever.” Many coffee drinkers missed the environment of the cafe. Hutchinson explained how his customers had intense anticipation for Tamper’s reopening. “I’d run into people, and every single person would be like, ‘When are you opening? … We miss your coffee, we miss going to Tamper,’” Hutchinson said. Whether taking matters into their own hands like Frye or inquiring about the status of coffee shops like Hutchinson’s customers, the energy behind acquiring coffee did not appear to subside throughout the pandemic. With the arrival of vaccinations providing some hope, coffee shops began to slowly adjust to a more normal version of their business plan. As customers returned to Tamper, Hutchinson expressed joy seeing students back in the shop, as the “neighborhood” atmosphere of Tamper picked up again.
“When the students came back, it was great,” Hutchinson said. “There were groups of kids that came pretty much every day. And they would get breakfast and lunch. And they would hang out and they would work on their computers.” Different people also embrace the ritualization of getting coffee for the community that it provides. “Consuming coffee is a product of our environment, and especially on a college campus where everyone else is drinking coffee … people kind of gather around coffee shops, it’s like a place where communities are formed,” Guttilla said. Hutchinson said he has found the same sense of community. “We’ve gotten to know a lot of people in [the neighborhood],” Hutchinson said. “I have some really good friends from here now.” Hutchinson has even named items off the menu for customers. One of Tamper’s dishes, the “Zac Attack,” is named after a math professor who has been coming in since the opening of the cafe. Neighboring cafe owner Winkler has similarly enjoyed working and living in Medford/Somerville. “I’m not driven by money or anything … I’m not driven by how many cups of coffee I sell. Really, I’m not,” Winkler said. “I am driven by [the fact that] the students have been so supportive and put a really big effort into [seeing] me succeed and I think that’s very beautiful. I live in the neighborhood myself, on Sunset Road, so I just think it’s very beautiful to be part of that community.”
THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Thursday, November 4, 2021
The Zuckerberg bible
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ichael: Hey Robert, did you respond to my event invite on Facebook? Robert: Yes, I was going to respond right after we wrote this column. Michael: Wow, nice fourth wall break! Just like how Facebook broke a month ago, today. Robert: Yeah, that was crazy! Even crazier was that at the same time, Facebook executives were testifying before Congress about their influence over politics and society. And, they’re still in the news cycle! Between the whistleblowers and the metaverse, I almost wish we waited to write about Phoebe Bridgers, tomatoes and restaurants. None of this “Meta” busi-
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humanity to unprecedented heights and degrade it to the basest depths. Whether or not something is Lindy does not dictate whether it is good or evil. Michael: Change is inevitable. Facebook may become Lindy, but we are living through its infancy. We are witnessing its first steps. In 500 years, future column writers may be pointing to Facebook just as we point to the printing press. But we should be wary of the dangerous adolescence we traverse in the meantime. Moreover, we ought to question the motivations of those who control them, and who will have access to all parts of it. As a classics major, I am duty-bound to warn you about the CEO who loves Augustus so much, he gets the same haircut as the man who became god-king of the Mediterranean world. Robert Kaplan is a senior studying quantitative economics and history. Robert can be reached at robert.kaplan618485@tufts.edu. Michael Friedman is a senior studying classical studies and history. Michael can be reached at michael.friendman@tufts.edu.
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by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, which were disseminated by the thousands as printed pamphlets. There were many religious wars in Europe which followed, but the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) was the deadliest. Most major European powers fought in that war over the span of three decades across what would become modern Germany. It destabilized European politics and depopulated the German states through murder, famine, plunder and disease. Historians estimate that this one formal conflict killed about 7 million people. That’s about 1% of the world population in 1600; today, that would be 78 million people, equivalent to the populations of California, Texas and Ohio combined. Michael: And so, with Facebook’s proposed “metaverse” on the horizon, we should look to developments like the printing press and use them as foils to question the motivations, uses and potential risks of these new technologies. They are truly revolutionary and carry with them the potential to disrupt society as we understand it. Robert: Agreed. Even the printing press was new once; it was used to uplift
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ness is very Lindy, is it? Michael: I thought so too, but social media apps like Facebook, and the proposed vision of its renamed parent company, Meta, indicate a societal shift similar to other, older communications technologies: in particular, the printing press. Robert: That’s an interesting observation. The printing press catalyzed an entire reorganization of European society when it took off (even though it was originally developed in China 400 years earlier). It began in 1439, when German inventor Johannes Gutenberg constructed a movable type printing press, combined with new innovations in ink composition, mass production and other technical features. Michael: The importance of this new technology cannot be understated. The written word could be spread at a previously unthinkable rate, carrying with it the potential to expand education, facilitate commerce and altogether improve people’s lives. What’s more, the printing press could quickly transmit concepts destabilizing to established power structures. Robert: Exactly. In 1517 the Protestant Reformation began in full force, initiated
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Robert Kaplan and Michael Friedman The Vintage and the Vogue
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The revival of city pop: The soundtrack of 80s Japan by Siavash Raissi Contributing Writer
On Nov. 27, 2020, popular YouTuber David Dobrik showed off his newly purchased flamethrower in a TikTok that has since gained over 14.9 million views. While the ensuing chaos is entertaining nonetheless, viewers may also recognize a familiar track in the background. This song is no other than “Mayonaka no Door / Stay With Me” (1979) by Miki Matsubara. Matsubara’s hit has since gained traction as part of a larger trend involving people of Japanese descent filming their parents’ reaction to hearing the song. As a result of its internet fame, catchy vocals and unique international origins, the pop tune, despite having been released over 30 years ago, took the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s global viral chart last December. It is easy to group Matsubara’s comeback with TikTok’s general ability to bring attention to relatively unknown artists. But her success with this older Japanese pop song is not unique. Despite originally being released off of the album “Variety” (1984) 37 years ago, Mariya Takeuchi’s “Plastic Love” has similarly amassed over 45 million views on YouTube over the past three years since the song’s original upload. The video’s iconic cover, a black-and-white image of a young Takeuchi, is widely recognizable today. Meanwhile, the song itself is an incredibly catchy funk tune, with a complex array of overlapping instruments and melodies. Muted guitar chords dominate the background, while a brass section introduces each musical segment with a punch. All the while, Takeuchi’s sweet, emotional voice causes listeners to recall scenes of vintage 80s dance floors, packed with energetic visitors. In 2018, Noisey hailed the track as “the best pop song in the world.” These two songs are only a small part of the greater recent revival in city pop, a music genre which mainly classifies 1970s and 80s Japanese pop, funk and R&B. Around 40 years after Japan’s defeat during World War II, the country witnessed a massive boom in technological production and economic growth known as the “bubble era.” As a result, the nation emerged as a capitalistic power, leading to new innovations in music technology, such as the car radio and Sony Walkman. The advent of these
Sadie Leite Dreaming of Sandman
Lucifer quits Hell Neil Gaiman’s gates of Hell are disturbingly grey against a blood-red sky. They’re among the first of many striking images in the fourth volume of “The Sandman” series, “The Sandman: Season of Mists” (1990–91). The comic book medium is effective because stories are told with words and images, and both the writing and art throughout the series are excellent. But in “Season of Mists” in particular, there is much art that stands out. At the start, the oldest Endless sibling, Destiny, gathers the family, each portrait swallowing half of a page. Death’s is my favorite. Other siblings
devices provided Japanese citizens with a new medium for casual music listening in day-to-day life, while walking or driving through the city’s endless neon lights. Inspired by popular American rock music, city pop became the backdrop for these moments, and the period gave way to a variety of funk artists that would later define the genre. But beginning during Japan’s economic recession in the early 1990s, city pop and its iconic sound were temporarily lost. City pop’s gradual revival eventually began in the late 1990s with the emergence of Shibuya-kei, a Japanese pop microgenre that often samples and remixes city pop. Encompassing many subgenres from future funk and vaporwave, Shibuya-kei began to make headlines in certain corners of the internet, and Western listeners got some of their first exposure to Japan’s nostalgic music of decades past. Inspired by the Shibuya-kei creators which came before them, future funk producers such as Yung Bae, Macross 82-99 and Night Tempo brought city pop’s unique vintage aesthetic to a completely new generation of listeners. “I Miss You” (2015) by Macross 82-99 uses a sped-up version of Momoko Kikuchi’s “Glass no Sogen” (1987). Junko Yagami’s hit, “Bay City” (1983), is sampled in Yung Bae’s “Bae City Rollaz” (2014). I myself did not discover city pop until I heard “Count What You Have Now” (2019) by Vantage (FR), which led me to explore Mariya Takeuchi’s discography. Today, city pop is reaching a larger audience than it did in its original era. Thanks to YouTube and Soundcloud’s recommendation algorithms, previously unknown future funk songs and their original samples have since amassed millions of views each. YouTube city pop mixes, defined by their aesthetic, looping anime GIFs and long titles, enhance the music’s sense of longing and nostalgia through their iconic visuals. While complementing the genre’s emotional impact, they serve as a medium for musical discovery, introducing viewers to new artists from overseas. But city pop’s influence and recognition has since extended outside of niche internet future funk communities. City pop stars like Mai Yamane and Anri are featured on the soundtracks for popular receive accompanying physical descriptions, but Death only gets four words — “And there is Death” — because her sad but confidently knowing stare in the image already says so much. Among other breathtaking illustrations, Dream flies through Hell as a butterfly with holes burned in purple wings, the gods of literature stretch in Dream’s halls and Lucifer watches a beach sunset with the same colors that once framed his gates. In terms of plot, Dream prepares to fight Lucifer for Nada (the lover he previously condemned to Hell) and instead meets a tired Lucifer who wants to quit guarding Hell. This is such an absurd premise that it works. Gaiman twists traditional characters with such torque that they become more interesting. Lucifer, king of Hell, cannot resign, but he does, giving Hell’s key to Dream and initiating a debate on purpose and power –– very loudly referencing Milton. For the rest
VIA WIKIPEDIA
“Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)” (1979) by Miki Matsubara is one of the most popular songs in the current resurgence of Japanese city pop. anime like “Cowboy Bebop” (1998–99) and “Cat’s Eye” (1983–84). In his song “Gone, Gone / Thank You” (2019), Tyler the Creator samples Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Fragile” (1998) for the backing vocals. K-pop idols have even begun to embrace city pop’s nostalgic feel, with artists like Sunmi and Yukika taking on their own interpretations of the iconic sound. Even the artists who previously designed city pop album covers, such as Hiroshi Nagai, have gained widespread attention overnight for their distinctive styles and surrealist images of sleek cars, vibrant beaches and endless roads. And as labels
continue to upload once-forgotten discographies on streaming services, there is no better time than now to explore the genre. In a similar vein to other niche interests and histories, city pop’s legacy has been preserved and revitalized as part of greater internet culture. Today, it continues to influence contemporary music in both its home country and abroad: a testament to music’s ability to blend cultures across vast borders. Although city pop’s lyrics might be mostly lost among new listeners who don’t speak Japanese, its meaning will not.
of the volume, Dream decides who should receive Hell’s key. Gaiman’s interpretation of Lucifer screamed at me because I just finished writing a Milton paper. It demonstrates that good writing references classics. Milton did this too, with Homer and Ovid. Writers are readers. “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven,” Lucifer explains. “We didn’t say it. Milton said it. And he was blind.” Correct. Milton wrote that in one of the best pieces of literature, “Paradise Lost” (1667), while blind, but Milton’s Satan also struggled with purpose. Gaiman’s Lucifer wonders if his rebellion was just a part of God’s plan, citing this realization as why he lost the passion to keep resisting God and ruling Hell mischievously. He doesn’t want humanity’s souls. He’s tired of manipulating demons. He just wants to sit on a beach, maybe. Is there freedom from God’s plan? Lucifer says to Dream, “Perhaps this is
the ultimate freedom … the freedom to leave.” “Why did God give Hell gates and a key in the first place?,” my Milton professor would ask. So Dream could sweat over choosing either Odin, the Lord of Order incarnated in the form of a cardboard box, Princess of Chaos Shivering Jemmy or others to take the key. So Gaiman could make the beings of separated literary worlds interact in Dream’s realm. I can’t say why Hell has gates and a key, and I won’t say who Dream picks because that will (maybe) urge you to finally read “The Sandman.” I will say that Lucifer talks to an Australian about life on a beach at sunset. The image is comical yet impactful. Read it. TELL ME what happens… Sadie Leite is a sophomore studying English. Sadie can be reached at sadie.leite@tufts.edu.
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY
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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Maddie: “We’re not selling Cutco knives.”
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Difficulty Level: Midterm season being five weeks long.
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Opinion
7 Thursday, November 4, 2021
VIEWPOINT
The genocide of Uyghur people: A revealing whistleblower report and American ignorance and collective responsibility by Faye Shen Li Thijssen Opinion Editor
Content Warning: This article discusses violence, torture and genocide. On Oct. 5, CNN published a whistleblower report from a Chinese ex-detective, detailing the brutal treatment of Uyghur communities by Chinese officials in Xinjiang — the Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. The informant, who goes by ‘Jiang’ to protect his identity and his family’s safety, was deployed several times to Xinjiang from his normal post. On these deployments, he and his fellow officers were ordered to forcibly arrest hundreds of ‘suspects’ in Uyghur communities overnight, most of whom Jiang believed were innocent of any wrongdoing. He went on to detail the graphic torture of detainees, including hangings, sexual violence, electrocutions, waterboarding and brutal beatings. The victims, including men, women and children as young as 14, were mercilessly tortured until a confession was made. This
report is the latest of a long series of harrowing accounts regarding the detainment and internment of populations within China. Since 2014, reporters have documented what many experts have defined as the cultural genocide of the Turkic and predominantly Muslim Uyghur people in Xinjiang. However, oppressive tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) policies, like nuclear testing in Xinjiang, the systemic erasure of identity, culture and religion, forced sterilization and abortion and extrajudicial and indiscriminate killings and torture have been documented as early as 1989. In addition to several horrifying accounts from survivors and those formerly involved, satellite images have shown how Uyghur detainees are forced to work in factories near concentration camps. Though this crisis has gained international attention over the past few years, this whistleblower report shows just how little has been done to prevent further violence from being committed. It wasn’t until earlier this year — over seven years after initial
reports were made — that the U.S. government officially recognized the situation in Xinjiang as a genocide. It still remains to be seen whether concrete action will be taken beyond simply expressing intent to back an independent investigation. The United Nations, ostensibly one of the most important international institutions in the sphere of human rights, has expressed deep concern over these allegations but has yet to officially categorize these atrocities as a genocide. While many people echo international concern about the situation, others still express skepticism toward the claims made against the CCP. Despite the undeniable evidence of the CCP’s brutality in Xinjiang, many Western self-proclaimed ‘anti-imperialists’ have sided with the CCP based on suspicion of sinophobic U.S. rhetoric. This gravely mistaken sentiment which occupies many American leftist spaces shows the detrimental and hypocritical effects that can arise from ardently misinformed opinions.
A rudimentary understanding of relevant historical contexts makes it clear that the Uyghur situation is far from a recently manufactured fabrication of American political manipulation. Rather, the current genocide is a continuation of a prolific history of settler-colonial domination and exploitation by the Chinese government in Xinjiang. Furthermore, one can logically assume that the United States and other world powers would not accuse one of their primary trade partners of genocide and jeopardize valuable economic gain without irrefutable evidence of egregious wrongdoing. While Sinophobia is an incredibly important issue to confront, there must be room for nuance in discerning unsubstantiated generalizations of Chinese people, culture and politics from valid criticism of the CCP’s oppressive policies. These faux anti-imperialist claims that the story of this genocide is purely the fiction of American anti-Chinese rhetoric are sorely misinformed and ignorant of the tangible violence and
oppression that Uyghur people continue to face. We as a collective public have two responsibilities. Primarily, it is our responsibility to be adequately and critically informed on incredibly important human rights issues before presuming that our skepticism discredits the voices of survivors, victims and those with relevant lived experiences. Additionally, we must then apply persistent pressure on national leaders and international human rights organizations, urging them to acknowledge the existence and the gravity of the atrocities being committed. Without the implementation of strategic and targeted political and social actions, it will become more difficult to intervene and stop the progression of further atrocities and thus hold CCP officials accountable for the crimes they have committed against the citizens of Xinjiang. It is our collective responsibility to prevent this kind of cruelty from progressing through the lives and societies of the global community.
Sports
8 Thursday, November 4, 2021
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Volleyball closes regular season on high note before NESCAC championship
ANNA STEINBOCK / THE TUFTS DAILY
Tufts women’s volleyball is pictured playing Amherst on Oct. 16. by Matt Chen
Assistant Sports Editor
The Tufts volleyball team’s regular season came to a positive end with backto-back wins against Bates and Colby this past weekend. The wins improved their record to 17–4 overall and 8–2 in NESCAC play. With Bates and Colby both heading into the weekend fighting for a spot in the NESCAC tournament, the Jumbos had their work cut out for them. “We knew both Bates and Colby would bring strong efforts to the table as they were both fighting for the opportunity to extend their seasons into the postseason,” head coach Cora Thompson said. “Both opponents were challenging and it took full team efforts on both days to pull off the wins. I was proud of how our team adjusted throughout both matches.” Tufts opened the weekend defeating Bates in three sets (25–22, 25–21, 25–15). Junior outside/opposite hitter
Timothy Valk Roster Rundown
Fantasy football preview Week 9
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h, the backup quarterback. A position no one pays attention to… until they have to. These next-inline signal callers are often viewed as overpaid, but this past week illustrated why teams lay out the big bucks for them. We got to witness Trevor Seimian take the reins from an injured Jameis Winston and lead the Saints to a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We saw Geno Smith record his first win as a starting QB since 2014, breathing life into a sunken Seahawks team. Cooper Rush edged the Cowboys over the Vikings, allowing Dak Prescott to breathe easier if he has to miss future time. And of course, who could for-
Jennelle Yarwood led the team with 13 kills, while senior outside/opposite hitter and co-captain Cate Desler followed suit with nine of her own. Sophomore setter Maddie Yu logged 11 of the Jumbos’ 46 digs on the night. As a team, Tufts hit .276. Despite losing in straight sets, Bates jumped out to early leads in each of the three sets, forcing Tufts to make in-set adjustments to come out on top. “Bates challenged us in certain ways that forced us to adjust,” Thompson said. “We had multiple players come off the bench with different skill sets that were a better match for what Bates was throwing at us.” In the regular-season finale, the Jumbos also knocked off the Colby Mules in three sets (25–16, 25–21, 25–22). Yarwood once again led the team with 11 kills, while Desler and junior outside/opposite hitter Maya Lightfoot each had eight of their own. Junior libero Stephanie Lee led the team with 20 digs. The Jumbos’ defense held its own,
holding the Mules to a .113 hitting percentage while tallying nine blocks and a whopping 57 digs. Even in the midst of a pandemic season, the Jumbos have seen tremendous on- and off-court growth from many players, specifically the sophomores and first-years. “It’s been fun to watch [the first-years’] confidence grow, to finally see them so comfortable in practice and on the court, and to see them start to realize their potential as they continue to improve daily,” Thompson said. Senior setter Ariel Zedric also spoke about the growth of the team as a whole. “I think throughout the season we’ve started to establish who we are and really focus on our side of the court,” Zedric said. “We’ve been working on pushing tempo since the first week in the gym and it just keeps getting better.” The Jumbos finished the regular season third overall in the NESCAC standings, giving them a spot in the NESCAC Championship tournament. Tufts will face
off in the quarterfinals against Williams, who back in October handed Tufts a fiveset loss. “We know postseason won’t be easy — the NESCAC is so incredibly evenly matched — so we are going to have to bring our A game,” Zedric said. “This weekend was a really good test for us to be able to stay composed when the other team is serving tough, so I think that’s something that we will continue to work on in practice and carry into the postseason.” Despite Tufts losing its only game against Williams this season, both Thompson and Zedric are not worried about the challenge that lies ahead. “Since we last played them, we have grown tremendously both mentally and physically, making us a much stronger, different team,” Thompson said. The Jumbos’ rematch against the Ephs in the quarterfinals will be on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Bowdoin will host the entire NESCAC tournament over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
get Mike White’s legendary, 400-plus-yard performance, pulling a Jets victory from out of the clouds. Normally it’s the stars who shine, but the benchwarmers were called to action last Sunday — and did more than fulfill their part. Let’s get to who’s hot and who’s cold for Week 9. HOT: QB: Josh Allen (BUF) The uber-talented Buffalo Bill has 10 total touchdowns over his last three games. Allen has taken the QB1 honor away from Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray, more than justifying his average draft position after a sluggish start. RB: Najee Harris (PIT) Ground and pound! Najee is the epitome of the Mike Tomlin philosophy. Seeing an uptick in carries in every game since Week 1, Harris has become a remarkably consistent, high-floor, top running back. WR: A.J. Brown (TEN) This spot has options galore, but Brown
is proving to be quite the steal for those who traded for him after a month of ugly play. The 6-foot-1-inch wideout has 25 catches for 379 yards and two touchdowns in his last three games, and should only be a beneficiary of Derrick Henry’s absence. TE: T.J. Hockenson (DET) Fiery performances on National Tight Ends Day left not much heat to be found for the bulky pass catchers in Week 8. Hockenson has the second most targets for his position on the year, but his upside is limited under Jared Goff’s snail-like offense. COLD: QB: Patrick Mahomes II (KC) Who would have thought it would come to this? It’s been mediocre at best for Mahomes since Week 1, throwing for under 300 yards in five of his eight games this season. The Chiefs are struggling as a team, and a nail-biting Monday Night Football win against the lowly Giants only reinforces that. RB: Antonio Gibson (WAS)
Gibson is playing through a fractured shin, but his fantasy owners have scars far more severe. The second-year pro out of Memphis is struggling on the ground and J.D. McKissic is vulturing the passing game work. Once a rookie sensation, Gibson is slowly stumbling towards fantasy purgatory. WR: Mike Williams (LAC) Williams’ numbers have come back down to earth after posting over 70 PPR points in his first three games. The former first-round pick is a boom-or-bust asset given Los Angeles’ hot-and-cold offense. TE: Jonnu Smith (NE) Before the season commenced, there was uncertainty surrounding which Patriots’ tight end would be the go-to guy: Smith or teammate Hunter Henry. When the calendar turned to October, the answer was clearly Henry, leaving Smith without a fantasy-worthy target share. Timothy Valk is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Timothy can be reached at timothy.valk@tufts.edu.