FOOTBALL
‘Bookworks’ explores books as a medium of art see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 3
Jumbos to conclude season against Panthers
Grann, author of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ comes to Tufts, talks book, history of Osage Nation see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 3
SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE
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VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 44
Friday, November 8, 2019
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Founder of #MeToo movement Tarana Burke speaks at Tufts by Liza Harris News Editor
Activist and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke spoke to a packed Cohen Auditorium Thursday night as part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Distinguished Speaker Series. In a discussion moderated by Nandi Bynoe, associate dean of diversity and inclusion, Burke spoke about her history of organizing work, the challenges of her work, the explosion of the #MeToo movement in 2017 and navigating boundaries in self-care in her work. Burke began her involvement in addressing sexual violence from a young age and recalled a story of standing with a seventh grade girl after school who was waiting for her boyfriend, only to find out that the girl was waiting for a grown adult. “Nobody addressed sexual violence even though it was around us in all kinds of ways. I had several experiences where sexual violence came up as an issue, and I was at a loss for what to do about it,” Burke said. “The movement literally started with ways to … activate the community about ways to address sexual violence.” Burke spoke to the challenges of doing organizing work around sexual violence, contrasting it with organizing work around gun violence. She explained that in situations involving gun violence, parents of affected children often organize immediately. “If a child is shot in a community, what often happens is that the parents become almost first responders and organize other people in the community to be first responders to stop gun violence. People feel connected to the idea of their safety from gun violence,” Burke said. “That doesn’t happen when a person experiences sexual violence. People don’t stop and rally. There are no first responders.” Burke called for sexual violence to be addressed as an issue of equal magnitude to gun violence. “Because people don’t understand what sexual violence really does to a person, they don’t understand that it’s another kind of death,” she said. In 2017, the movement increased drastically in visibility when the hashtag #MeToo blew up on Twitter, implicating several high-profile figures, including famed movie director Harvey Weinstein. “I’m grateful for the visibility because it gives me a platform,” Burke said. At the same time, Burke stressed her gratitude that the movement expanded at the time in her life that it did.
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Tarana Burke, the executive director of the #MeToo organization, stresses her gratitude toward the expansion of the #MeToo movement in the Cohen Auditorium on Nov. 7. “I’m grateful for age and time because it brought me a sense of settlement,” Burke explained. “Yes, I’ll go to the Golden Globes, but also I could watch it on TV and be fine. I’m grateful that it happened at this time in my life where I have a little grounding that helps me navigate this whole thing better.” The founder of the #MeToo movement spoke about the pervasiveness of sexual violence and how people have felt discouraged about the possibility of finding a solution. “Sometimes when I talk about ending sexual violence, people say, ‘Why would you say that? It will never happen,’” Burke said. “I have to believe that ending sexual violence is possible to do this work.” Burke advised people interested in helping to look for gaps in resources and in the system. “If you really believe you can do something to contribute to the end of sexual violence, you just need to do that consistently,” Burke told the audience. “A lot of what has to happen is around shifting our behavior … There’s so many gaps. If you’re intentional about looking for them, you can find them right away.” The topic of self-care surfaced in the discussion, and Burke acknowledged that finding
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time to take care of one’s self can be difficult in organizing work. “I haven’t figured out a way to not burn out yet, but when you do burn out, you have to stop,” Burke said. “You don’t owe this work your life. If you want the movement to be healthy and strong and sustainable, you have to be healthy and strong and sustain yourself.” Following Burke’s discussion with Bynoe, audience members asked questions. In response to a question about the best way to support a friend who has experienced sexual violence, Burke encouraged students to be good listeners and respect survivors’ needs. “The best thing you can do for somebody who’s experienced sexual violence is to believe them and establish yourself as a place of safety and trust for them,” Burke said. “Sometimes survivors just need a place to feel normal. Maybe you’re the person they come to to not talk about it.” Burke also acknowledged the challenge of expanding people’s understanding of sexual violence beyond rape. “Part of what I think are challenges in the MeToo movement is to help people
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expand their understandings of sexual violence and understand that it happens on a spectrum,” Burke said. “We won’t make significant change unless we get people to understand. We need people to have this information as they go through life because how they go through life may affect us as survivors.” She also spoke to relationships survivors may have with perpetrators — or, as she phrased it, “those who have caused harm.” “I talk about a harm reduction framework as a replacement for that. A lot of the sexual violence that happens doesn’t rise to the level of crime, but it does harm people,” Burke said. Burke told the audience that her stance toward perpetrators has changed as she deepened her work on this issue. “Doing this work has taught me so much about myself and human beings and how we have multitudes … Even this idea of perpetrator can get a little tricky. I prefer to talk about folks who have caused harm,” Burke said. “We need to try to not paint people with one brush. I don’t know that I’ve landed on a firm position, but it’s ever evolving.”
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, November 8, 2019
THE TUFTS DAILY Jessica Blough Editor in Chief
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ExCollege hosts ‘The ExCollege Experience’ to display courses, celebrate new space by Austin Clementi
Executive News Editor
Leadership from the Experimental College (ExCollege) organized a showcase of next semester’s classes in an event called “The ExCollege Experience” Thursday. Students who will be teaching courses in the spring were able to present and pitch their classes to people who may take them. Howard Woolf, the director of the ExCollege, described the event as a way for the ExCollege to make full use of its space at 95 Talbot Ave., which used to house both Film and Media Studies (FMS) and the ExCollege until FMS moved to Barnum Hall. “We had always wanted to create an area for our faculty to come and use to meet with students as they prepare for class, and we were able to do that,” he said. However, Woolf said that student input changed the course of what he and other ExCollege staff imagined the space would be. “We did a survey [where] we asked students what they wanted, and we got back very consistent results. People wanted a place to hang, they wanted food and a computer and a printer,” he said, saying that these suggestions led the creation of a lounge on the top floor of the building. In addition, the movement of all of the FMS equipment from the downstairs of 95 Talbot Ave. to Barnum led to the creation of the new makerspace.
“It’s really a combination of ideas that we had for 11 years when we first moved in here,” he said. According to Woolf, before the FMS program moved to Barnum, 95 Talbot was overflowing with people and equipment, with one faculty member having an office space in the kitchen. “At a certain point, it was clear that they [the FMS program] needed more space and the administration understood that,” Woolf said. Woolf said that the purpose of the event was to serve as an opening for people to see and experience the building as an exclusively ExCollege, not ExCollege and FMS, space. “The idea of previewing some of our courses on top of that was to give people … a chance [to see] some of the interactive courses of next semester,” he said. Woolf added that one of the classes he was interested in that tabled at the event was entitled “Biofabricated Food: Cellular Agriculture and Sustainability” (EXP0012-S). Natalie Rubio, a fourth-year graduate student teaching the class in the biomedical engineering department who is one of three instructors teaching the course, said in an interview with the Daily that her course would study meat that is grown from cells rather than whole animals. “We’ll talk about the history of food and biotechnology,” she said. “Part of the field called acellular agriculture, which
is more of the protein-based products, so milk without cows and eggs without chickens, and then we’ll also go into ourb A specific research.” She said students would have the opportunity to go to labs and see how to isolate cells from animal tissue in order to grow them into meat. Andrew Stout, another graduate student of biomedical engineering who will also teach the course, said the group discovered the ExCollege through their faculty advisor. He said the students desired to teach a course in which many people would be interested. John Yuen, the third graduate student who will be teaching the course, said that such foods would be important in the future because of the environmental cost that meat delivers. Thomas Risoleo, who will teach an ExCollege course with Jefferson Xu next semester titled “The Avengers and Beyond: Faces of the MCU,” described his course as an exploration into the Marvel universe. “This is an idea that I had for a while, before I came to Tufts,” Risoleo, a junior, said, adding that he and his friend, Xu, also a junior, wished to show that the Marvel universe has substance and depth through the course. Other courses offered that were featured at the event include “Face It: The Art and Science of Caricature,” “Gender, Justice, and True Crime” and “Sheep to Shawl: A Hands-On Exploration.”
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Friday, November 8, 2019
‘Bookworks’: A reinterpretation of the book as art by Ruijingya Tang Arts Editor
This fall, Tisch Library faces a creative counterpart from just two streets away. The Tufts University Art Galleries (TUAG) exhibition “Bookworks” opened on Aug. 22 in the Aidekman Arts Center. “Bookworks,” a parody of the term “artworks,” surveys artists’ books from across decades and countries. The exhibition invites its audience to reflect critically on the nature and potential of the book as a medium of art and a tool of disseminating knowledge. The exhibition was organized by Dina Deitsch, the director and chief curator of TUAG, and Chiara Pidatella, the research curator of TUAG. It mostly features books drawn from Tufts’ collection. However, about 20 to 30% of the books are on loan from independent artists and the libraries of local institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MassArt, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Wellesley College. Unlike regular books, artists’ books emphasize what are often considered as peripheral aspects of regular books, such as their material and size. In a way, artists’ books ask their readers to contemplate all parts of a book as capable of communicating meaning and to redefine the functional potential of the book as a medium, according to Deitsch. “When [you] look at a regular … book, you are reading for content. [But] … a lot of artists’ books are interested in really bringing attention to things like what [the] paper [is] made out of, what … the material of [the] page [is], how [they can] be changed … and affect the way [one reads] and [understands],” Deitsch said. One striking demonstration of the power of material to illustrate meaning is the piece “Radioactive Substances” (1995) by Susan Kae Grant. The book, made out of lead, recounts Marie Curie’s discovery
of radium. Deitsch remarked on the how the material of this book conveys a fitting sense of poignancy and danger. “To turn that book, you have to put on a glove. [Because the book] is super toxic … What is that feeling of turning those lead pages? And how can that maybe reshape your thinking of somebody dealing with … lead? So a lot of artists’ books are thinking about how the book framework itself … [changes] or [informs] how you are understanding the information inside of [the book],” Deitsch said. Another peculiarity of books as art lies in their accessibility. Unlike traditional paintings and sculptures, artists’ books are often not confined by gallery walls and have the potential to democratize art. As Deitsch mentioned, many artists’ books could be easily purchased at relatively low prices. “The show … really questions this idea of preciousness. Because you can order a lot of [artists’ books] on Amazon, actually. [And] there are artists’ book stores; there’s a very famous one called ‘Printed Matter’ in New York, and you can actually, for not a lot of money, get a lot of these [artists’ books]. It’s a really interesting way to think about artworks that can be very easily acquired,” Deitsch said. Despite artists’ books being primarily postmodern phenomenon, “Bookworks” also incorporates many historical artifacts, such as “Book of Hours, Use of Paris” (ca. 1400–1450) and “Admonitions of a Wet Nurse” (1846). Specifically, Pidatella spoke on the historical reference in her favorite artist’s book in the exhibition, “The Theatre of Nature of Curiosity Filled the Cabinet” (1999) by Angela Lorenz. “The Theatre” is co-exhibited with “Dell’ Historia Naturale” (1672), a reprint of the original work created in 1599. “[‘The Theatre’] is a reflection that [Lorenz] made about the whole concept
of ‘cabinet of curiosities,’ which started [during] the Renaissance.” Pidatella said. “So she [studied] … historical materials, and one [of them] is on display. [Lorenz’s] own interpretation of [the cabinet of curiosities] has a lot of connections [to] this sixteenth century edition. So it is not always that … contemporary artworks are completely disconnected from history. Sometimes … history is a source of inspiration.” “Bookworks” presents history as not only a complement and tool of utility to the present, but also a subject of veneration by contemporary works. Deitsch commented on the power of books, especially a collection of books, to faithfully restore history as she talked about “Alpha’s Bet Is Not Over Yet” (2011–) by Steffani Jemison and Jamal Cyrus. “Alpha’s Bet” features a wall of reproduced historical African American magazines and journals. “You can really follow specific narratives, logic and conversations, and make material an archive in a more realistic way … [You are] not just looking at a page — you are scanning from a library, but you are getting the full magazine, from the ads to the back cover.” According to Deitsch, the relationship that the artists featured in this exhibition have to the book as a medium varies. “There are a couple of different types of artists that are featured in the show,” she said. “Some are artists who identify as book artists. Their primary medium is the book; they explore that and push through that. Then there are a lot of other artists for whom the book is one of many different media that they use to work on a theme.” Artists of the latter category, including Angela Lorenz and Carolina Caycedo, have produced quite experimental works that question the very definition and function of books. Deitsch explained the works of Lorenz and Caycedo as being multimedia and multipurpose.
“[Angela Lorenz] identifies as a conceptual artist, who uses language and books as a means to an end. But … the bulk of her production are these very sculptural … books … And she [produces] these very elaborate book sculptures that … are related [to] some historic texts and figures, and they … utilize the material, be it gum or paper or imageries like marshmallows or graham crackers … [to enact a] play on words where the image that you are seeing and the content and the historic figure are all … related,” Deitsch explained. “[Caycedo] created a book that articulates the shape of the river, but … [archives] the history of [water] activism … as well. The book has also functioned as a fundraiser. [Caycedo] used it as a tool to develop workshops. So [the work] has these multiple performative layers to it,” she added. From a curatorial perspective, “Bookworks” echoes the 2017–18 exhibition “Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentricities” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by creatively reframing works from existing institutional collections and thoughtfully contextualizing contemporary art within its historical precedents. This reflective reorganization of artwork weaves together seemingly disparate pieces with thematic threads, which arguably constitutes as an act of writing the history of art. Through this chronologically comprehensive approach, Deitsch and Pidatella challenge authors to grow more conscious of the peripheral factors that can influence the meaning of their words and encourage readers to be more critical when interpreting the book as an independent and authentic object, rather than as a crude representation of its reality: a means to an end. The exhibition will remain on view until Dec. 15 in the Tisch Family Gallery and Koppelman Gallery on the Medford campus.
Grann speaks about his book ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ by Elizabeth Sander Assistant Arts Editor
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy graduate David Grann (F’92) visited Tufts University on Monday to speak about his renowned book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” (2017). The nonfiction work details the systematic murders of the members of the Osage Nation for their money in the 1920s and the corruption that enabled these murders to occur. Grann’s book is shocking, and it covers a story that is overlooked or unheard of by many Americans today. The moderator of the talk was Dyan Mazurana, a research professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She first discovered Grann’s book when her 14 year-old son brought it home from a local library in a small Colorado town. She added that “even in small towns in the mountains of Colorado, this book is being read and appreciated.” Once her son began reading it, and subsequently narrating the story to the family, they all became hooked. Grann discussed that this novel did in fact have a direct origin story, unlike some of his other works. He did not know much about the Osage murders, if anything at all, but when he went to the Osage
Nation Museum in Pawhuska, Okla., he saw something that startled him. Grann noticed that one of the panoramic photos in the museum looked like a portion had been cut off with scissors. He asked the museum clerk what had happened to the photograph, and she told him that the devil was standing there in the photo, so they had to cut him out. The “devil” she was speaking of was one of the murderers of the Osage people, and everyone in that tribe knew who he was and what he had done. But why was the truth unknown to so many Americans? And what was the truth behind these murders? These were questions that Grann sought to answer in his writing. The story of these murders was incredibly complex and contained countless complicit people. Grann explained that it was “one of the most sinister crimes in American history,” where the Osage people received royalties of up to $400 million from their land being drilled for oil and were then serially murdered for these fortunes. Perhaps the most sinister part of the crimes is the way in which these people were murdered. Many of the murderers married into the families of the Osage to gain access to the fortunes. They would then systematically kill different members of the family, sometimes their own
wives and children, to change the direct line of inheritance. It shocked the entire audience when Grann said that some of the descendants of these murderers are still receiving small royalties today. But it was not only that, Grann explained, it was all of those who were complicit that allowed these gruesome acts to be committed. “It is much easier to contemplate evil as singular, but what happens when evil can breed in the hearts of ordinary people?” Grann asked the crowd. This was exactly the case in these murders. Doctors prescribed poisons, reporters did not publish the truth (or anything at all), sheriffs looked the other way, and many more remained complicit in their silence. It was a systematic murder campaign, and Grann noted that one of the reasons it happened with the worst kind of efficacy was because they were Osage people. He explained that some people from the time of the murders had gone on record saying they did not see Native Americans any differently than they had been seen and treated in the 1700s. From this stemmed all kinds of prejudice, allowing a true “culture of evil” to form. These horrific stories, along with all of the research Grann did for this book, continue to stay with him. His methods were so immersive, living in the same town as the Osage for weeks at a time, really
getting to know the population, searching through their archives by hand, box-bybox, that ultimately there is no way these stories could not stay with him. It is a constant and welcome reminder of how not to forget this kind of evil and prejudice, but also how to re-remember it as a society. The Osage people who Grann came to know have stayed in contact with him as well. They hosted a book-signing of his work and held an event in his honor. Grann spoke of how this event took place at the local dance hall, and at the end he was gifted a blanket and given many honors and thanks from people with whom he considers himself incredibly lucky to have cultivated friendships. His immersive research methods are more than simply commendable; they are admirable to the highest degree. Grann credits much of his learning in conducting research to his education from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He remembers his education to this day, although he said he did not quite remember the specifics of it. But what he does remember, and what he uses in his daily life as a reporter, is “how to think, how to ask questions and how to find corroboration.” All skills which proved immensely helpful in his research to uncover the truth of the evil committed against the Osage people.
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Football looks to take down undefeated MLS posts losses, Middlebury in season finale
Arlo Moore-Bloom The Equalizer
investors buy more?
I
t’s on its last legs, but I’ll always remember a scene from the satirical comedy “Silicon Valley” (2014–). “Sesame seeds rely on particular microclimates … predominantly in Myanmar, Brazil and Indonesia,” a Peter Thiel-inspired character pretentiously tells a group of desperate entrepreneurs. “Next year, for the first time in 221 years,” he continues. “The cicada populations in Myanmar and Brazil will hatch at the same time, decimating their sesame seed crops.” Surprised at the low price for sesame seed futures in Indonesia, Peter made a purchase. A conservative estimate in the price change would return $68 million. The room went silent. Today, investors in the American professional soccer market see an opportunity to do the same — that is, bet on the market’s promising future by buying a stake now. This September, real estate tycoon Joe Mansueto paid $204 million to complete his 51% purchase of the MLS’ Chicago Fire, valuing the team at $400 million. Last year, the entire Fire franchise was valued at $245 million — that’s a 38.75% one-year increase, even though Chicago has the worst average home game attendance in the league and consistently loses money every season. In fact, as reported by Forbes, only an estimated six teams in the MLS reached the black in 2018. Meanwhile, the average MLS team is worth $313 million, a 30% rise from 2018. The value of the MLS is rising, but almost none of its teams are making any money. Buyers are bullish because their investment in their franchise is also an investment into the league’s marketing arm, or Soccer United Marketing (SUM). SUM holds the commercial rights for almost all of the soccer properties in the U.S. And next on SUM’s to-do list? A remunerative TV deal in 2023, and even more lucrative, the 2026 World Cup, hosted by Uncle Sam himself. Returning to “Silicon Valley,” this is the confluence of events that creates a once in a lifetime bet. The media deal with Univision and ESPN is expected to balloon to reflect higher TV ratings since the MLS last negotiated one in 2015. A highlight of the new content is “El Trafico,” the derby between LA Galaxy and LAFC. The most recent game garnered 900,000 TV viewers, reportedly the mostwatched non-championship MLS game on ESPN ever. But the TV deal is a drop in the bucket compared to the 2026 World Cup. The 1994 World Cup hosted by the U.S. was the best attended in the tournament’s history, when the MLS didn’t even exist. The hope is that a World Cup stateside will help the MLS compete with traditional American sports in the future. In a way, the U.S.’s immigrant-heavy populace and unparalleled sports infrastructure make it a perfect host for the most lucrative sporting event in the world. The 2018 edition in Russia garnered $6.1 billion in revenue. When the U.S. hosts, there will be 50% more teams. That’s 80 games spread out across the country — and SUM holds the commercial rights for every single one. Peter Thiel should get in on the action. Arlo Moore-Bloom is a junior studying international relations and history. Arlo can be reached at arlo.moore_bloom@ tufts.edu.
EVAN SLACK / THE TUFTS DAILY
Junior kicker Matt Alswanger kicks a field goal against the Bowdoin Polar Bears on Oct. 19. by Henry Molot Staff Writer
The Jumbos aim for their biggest win of the season when they host the undefeated Middlebury Panthers at the Ellis Oval this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Jumbos are coming off a 35–10 victory over the Colby Mules, a game in which graduate wide receiver Frank Roche set the school’s single-season receiving record. Roche has markedly improved in the second half of this grueling NESCAC season, racking up over 130 receiving yards per contest in the Jumbos’ last four games. In another statistical spotlight, first-year running back Tyler Johnson ran back a kickoff for 100 yards for a touchdown, something that no Jumbo had done in over four decades. Roche, an Arlington, Mass., native, put up 136 yards and three scores against Hamilton in week seven, following that up with a huge 181 yard and three touchdown performance last week against the Mules. In typical Tufts football fashion, the record-setting wideout brushed off his personal achievements in favor of the team. “I was happy that it happened, but I was a lot happier with the win the team pulled out,” Roche said. Roche’s story is an inspiring one, as he missed much of his first-year and sophomore seasons battling shoulder injuries. His connection this season with first-year starting quarterback, senior Jacob Carroll, has become one of the most prolific in the league. “The connection with [Carroll] has been great, and the trust he’s put in me is amazing,” Roche said. Once again, the veteran was eager to recognize the complete team effort that contributed to his offensive boom. “The offensive line has really stepped up, and we’re just building on some moment in the pass game,” Roche said. Carroll has exploded on the scene this season, throwing 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions, climbing to second in the league with 232.3 yards per game. It’s not surprising that Roche and Carroll have developed such a connection, as Carroll’s impressive poise in the pocket combined with Roche’s veteran leadership bodes well for a trustworthy QB-WR bond. “A lot of it comes down to trust and timing,” coach Jay Civetti said. “They spent a lot of time together throwing this offseason.” The tandem of Carroll and Roche has proved to form the heart of the Jumbo pass game, while junior wide receivers O.J. Armstrong and
Brendan Dolan have been dynamic second and third options. Armstrong has had an impressive season, and he now holds the league lead in receptions per game with 6.5. The Jumbos have another league leader in Roche, who holds the mark with 11o.8 yards per game. Roche also has the second-most receiving touchdown, eight, second only to Williams wide receiver Frank Stola, who has 12. The duo of Carroll and first-year quarterback Trevon Woodson has been efficient with the ball all season, despite being plagued by untimely interceptions, and the two have combined for the league lead in both passing yards and completions. The big-play potential of this offense has been there all season, and the steady improvement of Carroll and Roche has only made the Jumbos more dangerous on offense. Despite that, the Jumbos find themselves with the fourth worst points per game total in the NESCAC, which brings up questions about why all the yards and receptions haven’t been leading to more points. One reason may be that the Jumbos defense is tied for the second-worst turnover total in the league, with nine, which means the offense has fewer short fields. The most glaring stat, however, is the Jumbo’s league-worst red zone conversion rate at 39%, which explains the huge yardage numbers and the lack of scores. On defense, perennial 1st-team NESCAC player, senior linebacker and co-captain Greg Holt has put together another phenomenal season at linebacker. Holt is second in the league in total tackles, three seasons after his first-year season in which he led the league with 98. The Temecula, Calif., native has been a top-four tackler in the league every season. On the defensive line, sophomore Jovan Nenadovic is tied for second in the league in sacks with Middlebury linebacker junior Jack Pistorius, who both have 5.5 QB takedowns on the year. Pistorius and the Middlebury linebackers tackle extremely well and are a major point of emphasis for Civetti this week in practice. “Their scheme allows the linebackers to have some freedom,” Civetti said. “[They’re] phenomenal at stopping the run and forcing turnovers.” Civitti praised Middlebury coach Bob Ritter, who just logged his 100th career win. “They’re running the ball well, throwing the ball efficiently,” Civetti said. “It’s just a really wellcoached operation, really smart and very sound.” In addition to Pistorius, the Panthers have another league-leader in running back Alex
Maldjian, who has the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in the NESCAC. All three phases of both teams are sure to have their hands full, as each has some of the most elite players in the league on both sides of the football. It is Middlebury, however, who has emerged as the team to beat this season in the NESCAC, as the Panthers seem to have found a winning formula in a league where so much can change week to week. Interestingly, Middlebury’s closest game of the season came against the Mules in week five. “They had a great game plan to challenge Middlebury,” Civetti said of Colby. Just like the Jumbos, the league-leaders have found ways to win defensive battles and high-scoring shootouts. Against the Ephs in week one, the Panthers held quarterback Bobby Maimaron to under 14 points, doing the same to the Hamilton Continentals in week eight. Against Trinity and Wesleyan, however, it was Middlebury’s offense that won the game. While Civetti said that he’s not really focused on what type of game it will be, the statistics say that he’s hoping for a high scoring contest. While unbeaten, it’s safe to say that the Panthers have not faced a receiving threat quite like Roche since week one versus Stola, who has more of a burst than the physically imposing Roche. As a graduate student, Roche says there are certain advantages that have helped him in his record-setting season. “Just the experience of having been around the game a bit longer helps me,” Roche said. “But every year I go in trying to improve, and I took this year as an opportunity to get better and improve.” And improve he did. Suddenly, a player who had limited action during his undergraduate years and did not crack the 100-yard mark until week five finds himself just 114 yards away from the first 1,000 yard receiving season in Jumbo history. It will be a tall task for Roche to dominate against a Middlebury defense that he describes as a fast, aggressive and really solid unit. Regardless, expect Roche and the Jumbos to block out the noise and focus on themselves. “We have a lot of faith in coach’s game plan, and we’re ready to attack from the get-go,” Roche said. As the Jumbos look to finish above .500 for the season and Middlebury tries to complete their undefeated season and claim a league title, expect this game to be extremely tight and hard-fought from start to finish. Kickoff is set for 12:30 pm at Ellis Oval.