The Tufts Daily - Thursday, December 1, 2022

T HE T UFTS D AILY

UNIVERSITY

university President-elect sunil Kumar tours campuses, speaks to students

by Madeline Wilson Deputy News Editor

Originally published Nov. 21

Tufts announced on Nov. 17 that Sunil Kumar will be the 14th president of Tufts. Kumar will succeed current University President Anthony Monaco, who has held the office for 12 years, beginning in July 2023. Kumar was welcomed to Tufts’ campuses on Thursday and Friday to celebrate the announcement and meet mem bers of the community.

Kumar is currently the pro vost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University and has previously served on the faculty

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of the University of Chicago and Stanford University. Kumar will be the first president of color at Tufts.

At an event on the Tufts Medford/Somerville campus on Thursday, students, faculty, administrators and other mem bers of the Tufts community had an opportunity to meet Kumar in person. Peter Dolan (A’78, A’08P), chairman of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee, introduced Kumar and spoke on the committee’s reason for choosing him as president-elect.

“His leadership capabili ties truly stand out,” Dolan said. “One of his references called him a ‘dazzling academ ic leader.’ He’s very analytical

and thoughtful, and that plays over into his problem-solving approach. He is certainly a cre ative problem-solver who is able to synthesize lots of informa tion…and apply it to whatever problem or issue or challenges he faces.”

Kumar’s research background is in engineering and opera tions management, and Dolan remarked that Kumar’s interests span disciplines. In an interview with the Daily, Kumar discussed his approach to leadership in higher education and what makes the world of academia so special to him.

“I do bring a very analyti cal approach to university

Friedman s chool awarded $6.6 million NIh grant for mississippibased nutrition research

by Katie Spiropoulos Contributing Writer

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts received a $6.6 mil lion grant from the National Institutes of Health to research community-based nutrition pro grams in the Mississippi Delta area. The project seeks to bolster local produce consumption and production.

Christina Economos, dean ad interim of the Friedman School of Nutrition Policy and Science, discussed the school’s approach to their research and first steps.

“The model that we’re using is a community engagement model, which is really important when you work in communities, to involve them in every step in the research process,” Economos said. “That includes beginning with a year of formative research, to hear their voices [and] under stand their concerns and their lived experience and really design an intervention that will be effec tive for the particular population.”

The Friedman School will conduct research through part nerships with the Delta Health Center and Tougaloo College, a historically Black college in Jackson, Miss.

“There are nine of these health center locations within the Delta,” Economos wrote in a follow-up email to the Daily. “Our partners at Tougaloo are faculty members who will be working with us at

Tufts to design, implement and evaluate the intervention.”

The Mississippi Delta area has some of the highest diabetes and obesity rates in the United States, and 77% of the region is classified by the federal government as a food desert. The research intends to foster nutritional education and also increase consumption

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Tufts prepares for various outcomes in supreme court affirmative action case

by Aditya Acharya News Editor

published Nov. 30

On Monday, Oct. 31, the Supreme Court heard argu ments about whether the race of applicants should be considered during the college admission process. These cases were raised against Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. The conservative supermajority on the Court seems prepared to overrule the landmark precedent from Grutter v. Bollinger, the 2003 case that made affirmative action policies in college admis sions legal.

Hours after the Supreme Court heard arguments in both Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina, University President Anthony Monaco

released a statement remind ing readers that Tufts signed an amicus curiae brief, a legal doc ument filed by a party that has a strong interest in the outcome of a court case, regarding the role of affirmative action policies in admissions practices.

“Tufts University recently joined several institutions of high er education in submitting an amicus curiae brief in support of Harvard and UNC, and the use of a holistic, individualized college admissions process that consid ers many factors, including race,” Monaco wrote in the statement.

Monaco also expressed sup port for the consideration of diversity in admissions practices, mentioning Tufts as an example of an institution that benefits from a diverse student, faculty and staff body.

“As research, and our own institutional experience affirms,

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS

University President-elect Sunil Kumar is pictured visiting a class at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts on Nov. 18.

students call for free laundry, laundry assistance programs

by Ella Kamm News Editor

The Tufts chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America has created a petition calling on the university to provide free use of laundry machines in all res idential halls. They join groups like the Tufts Community Union Senate in considering how laun dry costs act as a barrier to equi ty, though their proposed solu tions differ.

“Tufts professes to be anti-rac ist and equitable, but charging money for laundry dispropor tionately burdens low-income students, who are dispropor tionately students of color,” Tufts YDSA wrote in an open letter to University President Anthony Monaco. “This is just another way Tufts contributes to systems that widen wealth gaps and increase the cost of living for students of color and low-income students.”

The use of washers and dryers in residential halls costs $1.50 per cycle, paid through the school’s JumboCash system. Currently, a single load of laundry costs a minimum of $3.00, though due to additional drying fees, many students pay more than that to wash their clothes.

“I think it’s important because those small charges add up, espe cially when you routinely have to pay extra for drying,” First-year TCU Senator Ayomide Oloyede wrote in an email to the Daily.

“After all, the 60 minutes allot ted often does not fully dry your clothes. Additionally, the volume capacity of the dryers often forc es you to do multiple loads.”

As the representative of the FIRST community, Oloyede said he is focusing his efforts on pro

viding low-income students with assistance.

“I believe that laundry is not a burden or obstacle for most students on campus,” he wrote. “At most, it is a mild annoyance. What I mean by that is that most students on campus can com fortably afford the laundry costs, whereas it is more of an obstacle for many low-income students.”

While Oloyede and the TCU Senate are not the first to take up this issue, senators have made laundry assistance more of a pri ority compared to years past.

“This has been a goal for TCU Senate long since before I was in office; however, it requires institutional support and a ded icated funding stream to have longevity,” Oloyede wrote. “I would venture to say that we have made the most progress, arguably, in this semester than in previous years.”

Tufts YDSA has a more ambi tious goal: to get Tufts to elim inate the costs associated with doing laundry in residence halls altogether. They cite free laundry machine access at similar col legiate institutions as a way to put pressure on the university to make the change.

“Tufts is one of the most expen sive private universities in the coun try. We already pay around 9000 dol lars in residential costs, and laun dry is not included in this,” Neelan Martin, chair of Tufts YDSA, wrote in an email to the Daily. “When we started researching this, we found that top universities across the coun try, such as Columbia and Stanford, have free laundry programs.”

Oloyede worries that the cost of universally free laundry would simply be passed onto students in a different way.

“I would love to be wrong, and I think that it’s fantastic that students are working towards that; I have just taken a differ ent approach, and I’m aiming for a slightly different end goal,” Oloyede wrote.

Tufts YDSA argues that free laundry machine access could be paid for by the universi ty’s fast-growing $2.7 billion endowment.

“Tufts University is well posi tioned to be a leader in this field,” Tufts YDSA wrote in the letter. “Tufts’ endowment grew mas sively over the past two years (increasing by $750 million in fis cal year 2021 alone), and we have had more applicants and admit ted students than ever before.”

The administration says that calls for lower laundry costs will be reviewed in the coming months.

“The issue of access to and affordability of laundry services in Tufts residence halls has been raised previously by members

of the TCU Senate, and repre sentatives of a number of offic es will be meeting with them in December to discuss their concerns and ideas,” Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, wrote in an email to the Daily. “Separately, the president’s office received the Tufts YDSA petition and will direct it to the appropriate par ties for review.”

Martin said that Tufts YDSA hopes to circulate its petition as widely as possible but that this is not where their efforts end.

“We want to show the admin istration that this is an issue that students care about,” Martin said. “Hopefully, they will listen to the petition and will work to make laundry free. But, if they do not, we have some ideas on how to prove to the administra tion that making laundry free is important to the students. Tufts YDSA is very committed to this issue, and the petition is only the beginning of our work.”

Kumar aspires to foster diverse, inclusive environment

PRESIDENT continued from page 1

leadership,” Kumar said in an interview with the Daily. “My experience as an academic has taught me to realize how spe cial the academic enterprise is. This is the world where people get to follow their curiosity … prepare future leaders, but also change society. It’s a great priv ilege that we all have within the walls of the academy. In that sense, as a professor, I came to understand that privilege very early on, and I see that as a true strength of the university that we should foster.”

In his address to the Tufts community at the event, Kumar expressed his excitement at receiving the opportunity to lead Tufts and named a few rea sons why he is looking forward to taking on the position.

“There’s a lot to love and admire about Tufts,” Kumar said. “The emphasis on students; the outstanding undergraduate program and the emphasis on producing engaged citizens. The emphasis on people in gener al. The unique constellation of

schools and … a firm belief that they indeed … are the light on the hill.”

In his speech, Kumar also discussed some of the ways in which he plans to continue and change Monaco’s legacy, not ing that he has left “large shoes to fill.” In particular, Kumar emphasized that creating a diverse and inclusive environ ment will be a top priority in his work as president.

“I see my role as continuing to ensure that Tufts delivers on its responsibility with even more impact and momentum — that it is indeed the light on the hill — by making its education more affordable to educate an even more diverse and deserving set of future leaders, benefitting all parts of society through impact ful research on key challenges, especially on challenges that are understudied, despite their importance,” Kumar said.

In his previous work at Johns Hopkins, Kumar spearheaded a number of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice initiatives that helped to bring underrep resented voices to fields in aca

demia. These include the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative, which works to increase Ph.D. student diversity at Johns Hopkins.

“The university is best served by having a very diverse and inclusive climate,” Kumar told the Daily. “I see that as an important value, and it is because people have been inclu sive that I have made it to this point as well.”

Students at Thursday’s event expressed their excitement about the announcement of the new president and noted that they are feeling good about the university’s choice.

“I think he’s definitely qual ified,” first-year Julian Kelly said. “[It] just makes me feel very comfortable with him coming in and replacing some one who’s been here for such a long time.”

Kelly and fellow first-year Piper Lange discussed issues they hope Kumar will address in his upcoming position as President. Kelly noted that he would like Kumar to divest the remaining money that Tufts

has invested in the fossil fuel industry. Lange stated that she was curious how Kumar would handle Tufts resident assistants’ recent move to unionize.

In his address, Kumar said he hopes to build relationships with Tufts community mem bers across campuses and fields and that he hopes his personal values will drive his decisions as he steps into the role of president.

“It’s always about the people,” Kumar said. “You should lead with your values. You should never lose sight of the mission of education, research and prac tice. And most importantly, you should never stop taking delight in the achievements of the peo ple around you.”

Until July, Kumar plans to spend as much time as possible on campus, engaging with stu dents and community members and immersing himself in Tufts’ unique culture.

“There’s no substitute for walking the halls,” Kumar said to the Daily. “Being on campus every day — it’s such a wonder ful place. It’s almost magic.”

Delaney

DAVID KIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Hill Hall laundry room is pictured on Nov. 16.

Friedman School receives NIH grant

NUTRITION

of food and vegetables.

Robin Boyles, chief pro gram planning development officer at Delta Health Center, explained the center’s role in this initiative.

“We will be recruiting the patients … something like 1,500 of our patients have a diabetic diagnosis,” Boyles said. “Tufts University will be doing the research behind it and collect ing the data.”

Boyles commented on practical applications of the research.

“This will be a great benefit to many of our patients, espe

cially being able to get boxes every week of fresh fruits and vegetables,” Boyles said. “If you’re someone that lives 20 miles from a grocery store … then you may be able to get to the grocery store once a month [and] fresh fruits or vegetables aren’t going to last too long.”

Temika Simmons, chief public relations officer at Delta Health Center, discussed the importance of open com munication and education with the public in a communi ty-based study.

“Even though we live in some very starkly impover ished areas, people still have a great sense of pride in what

they do,” Simmons said. “No one wants to be plagued with feeling like … they’re under privileged or that they are without medical care.”

The Delta Health Center pro vides a wide range of health and wellness services to resi dents of Mississippi, including teaching patients to “advocate for their own health,” according to Simmons. Simmons empha sized the impact that the grant will have on their operations.

“Part of our education is not just letting people know what our services are, but rather [seeing us] as a tool to man age better health,” she said. “[The grant] allows us to have

a unique partnership to deepen that work in terms of education [and] in terms of outreach.”

Economos explained that this research relates to the “Food is Medicine” move ment, which medically tailors diet plans to aid in combating illnesses.

“What’s really different about this is it’s a five-year study, and during the first phase, we will work to understand the com munity, the participants and their lived experience and what they might want in terms of an intervention,” Economos wrote.

Unlike other Food is Medicine projects where the “produce [could be] grown

Tufts reiterates support for affirmative action policies

diversity, in all its forms, drives institutional excellence,” Monaco wrote. “I firmly believe that one of the most distinctive attributes of a Tufts education is the variety of backgrounds and perspectives that our students, faculty, and staff bring to cam pus that enrich the educational experience.”

James Glaser, professor of political science and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, predicts that the Supreme Court case will impact the university’s admissions practices, although the extent of this change is unknown as of now.

“It’s hard to know exact ly what will come from the Supreme Court later this term,” Glaser wrote in an email to the Daily. “It’s likely that the Court will compel changes to univer sity admissions practices. We don’t know how broad the deci sion will be, however.”

Glaser affirmed that the Tufts admissions office is proactively considering necessary modifi cations to their practices since the court decisions are expect ed to influence admissions out comes for the Class of 2027.

Mary Jeka, senior vice presi dent and general counsel of the University Relations division, noted that Tufts is preparing for various outcomes of the two admissions court cases.

“The Tufts Office of University Counsel has been carefully watching the SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC cases and are preparing for poten tial outcomes,” Jeka wrote in an email to the Daily. “We were pleased that Tufts was able to participate in the filing of an amicus brief which well-artic ulated the long-standing prece dent in support of and many of the mission critical reasons for diversity on campuses across the country.”

Glaser anticipates that, while the Supreme Court cases will have great influence over uni versity and college admissions practices, Tufts will continue to value and strive for diversity in admissions.

“Affirmative action has been an important vehicle for assur ing diversity in our classes,” Glaser wrote. “That diversity is important to this and to many other universities. We may well have to change some of our admissions process, but Tufts’

commitment to diversity will certainly continue.”

Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, emphasized the univer sity’s commitment to diversity despite the uncertainty regard ing the outcomes of the cases.

“We won’t know the court’s ruling until next year, but we are

taking steps in the interim to consider our options depend ing on a number of scenarios,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “Regardless of the outcome, President Monaco has emphatically stated that the university will continue to be committed to diversity in all its forms.”

1,000 miles away and avail able in a retail environment,” Economos noted that “the goal of this project is to scale up local production and utilize locally grown produce in the food is medicine intervention.”

Boyles expressed her excite ment about working with Tufts and Tougaloo College in this initiative.

“We’re really looking forward to rekindling this relationship that we have had before with Tufts,” she said. “We really think it’s going to have … a very pos itive impact on many of our patients who are low-income and lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Collins, like Monaco and Glaser, highlighted the impor tance of diversity to the quality and impact of a Tufts education.

“We believe that the variety of backgrounds and perspec tives on our campuses is one of the attributes that make a Tufts education distinctive and trans formative,” Collins wrote.

DAVID KIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts admissions office is pictured on Nov. 28.

FeaT ures

College mental health crisis, Part 2: Power in peers

by Kendall Roberts Features Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic has left enduring effects on the mental health of college stu dents across the country, with one in five young Americans reporting that the pandem ic has had a significant neg ative impact on their overall mental health. In response to the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tufts looks to student organizations and peer educators to help pro mote student mental health on campus and to aid students in their transition back to in-per son activities and classes.

Peer education is an approach that relies on peers who receive special training and education in order to promote positive change in its members. The concept of peer educa tion was first founded at the University of Florida in order to help prevent alcohol abuse on college campuses. Since then, peer education has expanded to focus on other sensitive topics, such as sexual assault preven tion, safety and mental health.

According to Erica Schonman, the Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services mental health pro motion specialist, CMHS rec ognizes the important role that peers can play in communicat ing health messages towards other students.

“Students can just commu nicate in a way that sometimes staff can’t,” Schonman said. “A message coming from a friend is going to sound really dif ferent than a message that’s coming from a staff person, and so I think we all really understand the value here that they bring.”

Schonman’s role is to sup port the mission of CMHS in promoting student mental health through non-clinical work and outreach to students. Some of the organizations that Schonman helps to over see include the Mental Health Reps, Project Connect and Active Minds.

The Mental Health Reps are a group of students who work directly with CMHS staff in order to advocate for mental health support, reduce stigma and promote the emotion al wellbeing of Tufts students. There are currently nine Mental Health Reps, including junior Rebecca Quaye who was one of the first members to join the program in fall 2021.

Quaye decided to join the Mental Health Reps because of her passion for mental health, especially when she noticed how the COVID-19 pandemic impact ed the emotional well-being of her peers. She also wanted to be a resource for fellow Black

students in the Tufts community.

“I came into sophomore year kind of wanting to make sure that we all had access to the resources that CMHS gives,” Quaye said. “I think that espe cially for me, my goal was defi nitely to advocate for the Black students on campus, and how I can help inform them about the things that CMHS offers and also, just create events where our mental health is being accommodated for.”

The Mental Health Reps meet weekly for two hours to design and develop their own programming. According to Schonman, they also invite guest speakers to present on public health topics and careers in order to inform their outreach.

The Mental Health Rep splits into different commit tees based on the interests of its club members. The three committees for this year include managing academic stress, collaborating with the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion and navigating mental health journeys.

Quaye is currently working on the DSDI committee. Last spring, she helped in leading a workshop titled Reshaping the Narrative on Black Mental Health on March 3. Alongside CMHS Graduate Student Clinician Kalo Sokoto, Quaye led a conversation on Black joy, campus resources and imposter syndrome of Black students at Tufts. Quaye explained that she found putting together this workshop to be a really reward ing experience.

“I’m glad it was as success ful as it was,” Quaye said. “I hadn’t seen a student-run event for Black students about

mental health so that was very important to me.”

Grace Jung is another Mental Health Rep who just joined the program this fall. Jung appreciates the diversi ty of backgrounds, majors and experiences that each Mental Health Rep contributes to the organization.

“It’s a great group,” Jung said. “I probably would have never met any of them if it wasn’t for the Mental Health Reps. So, because we come from so many different parts of the Tufts community, we have so many ideas. It’s just a great experience being [in] a room of just people who want to pro mote mental health [at] Tufts.”

Jung is currently working on the academic stress man agement committee. Jung explained that the committee is developing a new project for professors to show their support in promoting student mental health.

“What we want to do is build a poster … that just signifies that this professor will be a safe space to talk about men tal health, things like anxiety about tests or depression,” Jung said.

The Mental Health Reps also helps Tufts CMHS in leading workshops to present to clubs or other organizations on cam pus. Some of the topics these workshops cover are stress management, helping a friend who may be struggling with mental health or the conse quences of toxic positivity.

Jung hopes that the Mental Health Reps can continue to build their presence on cam pus and that more clubs and groups utilize their available workshops.

Another peer-led group on campus is Project Connect, which seeks to build social connections and foster com munities among Tufts under graduate and graduate stu dents. Project Connect is led by facilitators who help lead conversations with four to six peers over the course of six sessions.

Junior Theseus Lim, one of the facilitators of Project Connect, explained he was interested in joining this pro gram after experiencing his first year of college during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I didn’t get to meet that many people my freshman year,” Lim said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this seems like a good way to do it.’ I’ve just kept doing it because I’ve had really good experiences getting to know people.”

Senior Zaimarie VelaSantana, Lim’s co-facilita tor, explained that she was inspired to get involved with Project Connect to find a sense of community for both herself and others.

“I think as someone who spent the last few years as a child development major learn ing a lot about the importance of community and wellbeing, … I just was very interested by the concept of Project Connect,” Vela-Santana said. “[I] thought that being a part of it would be a really good way of not only helping myself find a com munity, but also helping others find that sense of community on campus.”

The facilitators of Project Connect are trained in moderat ing conversation flow and group dynamics, as well as have week ly meetings. Lim explains that

CMHS provides facilitators with a set list of questions and that Project Connect offers a casual space to interact with like-mind ed students.

Vela-Santana appreciates how Project Connect intro duced her to other students and how important social interac tions are during college.

“I think having those inter actions with peers is important because college can be a pretty isolating experience for many people,” Vela-Santana said. “So I think having intentional spac es like Project Connect where you can get a little reminder each week that there are peo ple who are genuinely curious about your day or want to have deep conversations can really make a difference.”

According to Schonman, Project Connect plays an import ant role in building a community at Tufts for students.

“We know that having strong connections and a sense of community on campus are very important protective factors against things like self harm and death by suicide so pro gramming like [Project Connect] can enhance connections,” Schonman said.

Lim has enjoyed his three semesters of being a Project Connect facilitator, and hewould like to see the pro gram expand to include a more diverse set of participants, including more students in STEM-related fields, as well as see participants use their expe riences beyond Project Connect.

“I just hope that after it’s over, people will continue to have these kinds of conversations with not only the people who are in their group, but other people that they meet in the future,” Lim said.

Peer education groups give students the opportunity to engage in conversations about important and sensitive topics. Jung explains that while peer-led programming is not group thera py, it can still help reduce stigma surrounding mental health on Tufts campuses.

“I definitely think there is still a stigma surrounding men tal health, but the fact that we even have such a group of Mental Health Reps, I think shows that we’re taking a good step into fostering more conversations … and just being more aware about [how] mental health is a part of everyone’s health,” Jung said.

Schonman sees great value in peer education, and loves that her job allows her to develop programming and outreach with dedicated students who are pas sionate about mental health.

“I think there’s a huge benefit to working with students,” Schonman said. “[They] will know the student experience better than I can ever hope to, and so there’s a lot of value in working directly with students to support other students.”

COURTESY ERICA SCHONMAN, THESEUS LIM, REBECCA QUAYE, GRACE JUNG AND ZAIMARIE VELA-SANTANA

Erica Schonman, Theseus Lim, Rebecca Quaye, Grace Jung and Zaimarie Vela-Santana are pictured.

TEMS: Getting to know Tufts’ first responders

Elizabeth Foster Liz in London

An anticlimactic milestone

During a four-hour road trip with my boss this summer, I was asked if I liked beer. He meant the question in a millen ialized-Boston-craft-brewery type of way, and I awkwardly responded that no, I did not like the few sips I have had (none of which would count as beer to him).

My 23-year-old housemate attempted to share his love of beer with me, but it went in one ear and out the other. Hence, while being fully integrated into the UK’s pub culture, I’ve been devoted to learn ing about beer and finding one I actually enjoy. In honor of my 21st birthday, I will be sharing my hard-earned knowledge with the Tufts community.

by Sophie Axelrod Contributing Writer

Originally published Nov. 30.

Tufts Emergency Medical Services is known as TEMS on Tufts’ Medford/ Somerville campus. TEMS works to help provide medical care for Tufts students. It is completely student-run, with oversight and supervision from Captain Mark Roche of Tufts University Police Department and Dr. Stacey Sperling of Tufts University Health Service.

TEMS’ operations, training and finance, among other things, are managed by an elected board of eight directors. Members of TEMS work with TUPD, and the organiza tion is funded by the department, operating under its authority.

Every member of TEMS is EMT-B cer tified in the state of Massachusetts, which allows them to respond to emergency calls to provide efficient and immediate care to the critically ill and injured and perform basic life support functions. TEMS offers assistance for a wide range of support for students at Tufts, responsible for any emer gency on campus including mental health related crises and allergic reactions. There are 37 students currently serving in the organization.

Eric Grin, a senior studying biochem istry, is the current executive director for TEMS. He also has experience with other private EMT services, using his TEMS expe rience to help his community.

“I really didn’t know much about EMS going into college, but I got my license my freshman fall, and I’ve been working ever since and fell in love with the field pretty quickly,” Grin said.

After joining TEMS his freshman spring, Grin has worked his way up to the role of executive director. In the meantime, he has also worked as a teaching assis tant for the Tufts EMT certification course. This academic year, he is balancing courses with TEMS shifts and multiple other jobs, including a position in a research lab, resi dential assistant and teaching assistant for Biochemistry II. Despite his many respon sibilities, Grin finds the time to be a part of TEMS because he finds value in the work.

“There are weeks we’re doing a lot, there are weeks we’re doing a little less,” Grin said. “But you know, if your heart’s in the right place, and you really care about something, I think you can always make time for the things that matter.”

Calling the Tufts emergency line (617627-6911) may be more efficient than call ing 911, as the call will go straight to the

TEMS and TUPD team based on the ground floor of Dowling Hall. Since it is a Tuftsspecific resource located on campus, TEMS is often dispatched more quickly than the local Medford or Somerville police. 911 calls from Tufts would be picked up by Medford or Somerville police, or a remote fire center. It just may be more circuitous because the call goes through the town system before eventually reaching the TEMS dispatch.

“Ultimately people should call whatever is going to be fastest for them if it’s a real emergency. We obviously urge people to try and call that Tufts emergency number,” Grin said. “But if for whatever reason, if they are in a massive rush and they just need to do the first thing that comes to mind, they call 911. That’s going to get them the same resources and … we’ll be there [regardless].”

Members of TEMS will take on 10-hour day shifts or 14-hour night shifts depend ing on what works best for their individual schedules. A night shift typically lasts from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m., and a day shift lasts 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

During shifts, TEMS workers are on call wearing their uniform and with a radio. When the radio goes off, they respond to the call as promptly as possible. Most members will typically pick up two or three shifts a week.

According to senior Tufts EMT Matt Karofsky, the number of people covering each shift generally ranges from two to four.

“[The shift workers are] always com posed of a more senior member and some one who is a bit newer to the organization and is seeing how it works,” Karofsky said.

Karofsky has been a member of TEMS since the spring semester of his freshman year. He plans to start medical school this upcoming summer, and during his time at Tufts has enjoyed giving back to his commu nity by providing essential care to his peers.

When in physical or emotional need, Tufts students can call TEMS to receive mental and physical health support. While there can be reluctance to call 911, Karofksy has witnessed his classmates support each other when they are the most vulnerable.

“I feel like there can be a stigma, some times, [around] calling 911, particularly for things that you don’t really see as imme diately serious. That can extend to mental health calls, and I think I’ve been really pos itively surprised by how willing people are at Tufts to kind of see TEMS as a resource,” Karofsky said. “It’s so nice to [see] people watching out for their friends.”

Amelia Gleixner, a junior, joined TEMS her sophomore fall. She is a pre-med stu dent majoring in biomedical engineering,

and she values her experience with TEMS as a way to explore and follow her passion for medicine.

TEMS has allowed Gleixner to gain first-hand experience in patient care and administering treatment that she would not receive through other experiences such as a biotechnology office job. She has been exposed to numerous situations that are each unique in their own way.

While many people around campus assume TEMS mainly responds to instances of excess drug and alcohol intake, substance abuse is not the primary reason TEMS gets called on to assist with.

“[Intoxication is] not the majority of what we do; … medical emergencies are number one,” Gleixner said.

Gleixner also elaborated on what hap pens when TEMS is dispatched in the case of an emergency that might require hospi talization.

“[TEMS tends] to get there faster than the ambulances that just work all of Medford or all of Somerville and beyond. So we can provide the patient care and support if they do end up needing to go to the hospital, give them medication if necessary, and just ensure that the patient is safe and taken care [of],” Gleixner said.

After receiving a call, TEMS almost always arrives on the scene in five min utes or less.

While every call and circumstance is unique, members of TEMS are trained to act professionally and equipped to respond to any emergency situation. Although some students may fear requesting the help of emergency services, calling TEMS is very important for the safety of an individual.

TEMS has an amnesty protocol which protects individuals who call for another person seeking medical attention as a result of an illegal action, such as consuming alco hol or drugs underage. TEMS is committed to this policy and students will not get in legal trouble or face consequences from Tufts for calling TEMS in such situations.

“Every single person working in public safety and on campus would rather that someone just calls if they feel like this could potentially become a real emergency or they feel like they’re in danger medically or any kind of thing, than be worried about getting in trouble for something,” Gleixner said.

TEMS is a resource every student at Tufts can utilize if in a dangerous situation. TEMS exists to help students, not regulate them.

“I hope that there isn’t any sort of reluc tance to call for help if you or your friends need it. … We’re always here,” Karofsky said.

The beer journey begins in a pub. Most pubs, assuming that they aren’t too busy and serving during a World Cup match, will be happy to give you little sips of the different ciders and beers on tap. Ciders are a great place to start. Some are syrupy sweet, oth ers are crisper. I, personally, tend to lean toward the crisper options, so Strongbow has been my default on tap or canned at Tesco.

Early on in the semester, I tried a sip of a friend’s Guinness. Apparently the Guinness in Dublin is better, but I was not a fan of the version at The Lord Tredegar, the homely little pub 15 min utes from campus, complete with both a garden and a black pub cat.

By October, I was ready to advance my beer game, and what better way is there to do that than with a Groupon brewery tour and tasting? I arrived with the same friend who let me sneak a sip of Guinness, both of us (acciden tally) on empty stomachs and trying to eat enough crisps on the bus to amend our mistake (the attempt was futile). Unsure if I would remember this edu cational experience, I typed my take aways into the Notes app.

Thankfully, I can tell you the tale of West Coast IPAs and East Coast IPAs (yes, American west coast and east coast, and yes, more Midwest erasure). We squished hops pellets between our figures and learned the words to describe the visual, the smell, the mouth feel, the type of bitterness.

My personal hall of fame includes: some form of matcha sour I found at a theater, a Rhubarb & Tonka Oat Cream Pale Ale (creamy because of the oat), Edinburgh’s Not Milk Stout and a biting Blackberry Lemon Meringue Drizzle.

These are the fun, ~quirky~, indie beers and are far less likely to be found on tap at a pub. My palate has since expanded to include most IPAs, and now, even the occasional lager.

Celebrating 21st birthdays abroad is a little anticlimactic. As I get a year older, I recognize the inevitability of discussing beer in corporate America.

Elizabeth Foster is a junior studying com puter science. Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth.foster635086@tufts.edu.

COURTESY ERIC GRIN

Tufts EMTs are pictured in front of Ballou Hall.

Layla Noor Landrum

The Book Nook

‘The menu,’ ‘Kimberly akimbo’ and the death of high-concept media

Camille Kellogg’s upcoming debut adult rom-com, “Just As You Are,” is a sapphic “Pride and Prejudice” retelling that will be published next year by Penguin Random House. Liz Baker dreams of being a novelist and telling the kinds of queer stories she never had growing up, but due to her current job as a col umnist at queer magazine The Nether Fields, she barely has time to write outside of work. And just as the mag azine is about to shut down for good — which would secure Liz the oppor tunity to work on her novel for the first time — it gets bought by two wealthy women. The two investors are Bailey Cox and Daria Fitzgerald, the latter of whom is an attractive butch lesbian. Only, when Liz meets them, she discov ers that Daria is not only determined to cut costs but also hates Liz and her “fluff articles.” But the more Liz and Daria’s paths begin to cross, Liz discovers another side of Daria, one that’s much softer than she expected. And rather than hating Daria, Liz finds herself falling for her.

Kellogg writes an intimate, witty portrayal of queer life in the novel, one in which every character of the cast shines in their own right. And the exploration of queerness along side gender presentation was remark able; Liz’s struggle with how she wants to present herself to the world, find ing herself most often in the space between butch and femme rather than clearly one or the other, is an experi ence many queer readers will relate to. At its heart “Just As You Are” is a book about everyday queer life and lets queer readers know that a happy ending exists for them, even if they’re imperfect and unsure of themselves.

Daria and Liz’s romance was writ ten beautifully, full of yearning and misunderstandings but a testament to this idea of love as something that doesn’t have to be earned and can instead be the result of someone see ing every part of you and finding that it’s enough. Despite the struggles both women have with their queerness, it ultimately is something that enriches their lives, and they’re able to find hap piness because of it. As a lesbian who adores Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” this novel felt like home and as if it were a promise of all the things to come in my own future. The novel is currently available for pre-order.

A gaggle of ultra-wealthy customers voyages to their private island restaurant, with courses and courses of whimsical fine dining in store. They’ll see bundles of microgreens, hits of foams and gelées, plus thousands of other incomprehen sible words that are worth their weight in gold. The twist? They all must die by the end of the meal. Of course, that’s still unknown to the oblivious consumers as they set sail on their culinary dreamboat. The ensuing bloodshed and theatrics are left as a shocking dramatic irony, fated and yet unforeseen.

From the above description, “The Menu” (2022) seems to be playfully thrill ing, a joyous film experience to munch on your (non-luxury) popcorn to. Plus, appearances by chess-playing megastar Anya Taylor-Joy and a smattering of other stars that’ll make you think, “I know them” and instigate some fun IMDb stalking. The film, though, has one fatal flaw: It tries so hard to be socially pertinent. With quips like, “We got you through Covid!” and a painstakingly overdrawn subplot about how Anya Taylor-Joy’s character worked in hospitality, the film so deeply wanted to be something, to be important. “The Menu” tried to be funny and mindless but also socially relevant; it wanted to have its cake and eat it too.

their grand manifesto; they want to teach it inch by inch through some dazzling fan tastical metaphor.

It wasn’t always like this. In fact, the proliferation of high-concept media has only occurred within the last couple of years. Just eight years ago, it was a stark ly different media landscape. With the 2016 election, many illusions of perfec tion fell by the wayside. Consumers took on a “rip-off-the-bandaid” attitude. They wanted to be shown their wretched, hor rific lives right in front of their faces; they could take it. Movies like “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) used oblique truth-telling to craft harrowing films, while shows like “This Is Us” (2016–22) ladled the trauma on thick. Though maybe not the most artful, these straight-edge projects demonstrat ed the pains of modernism right before our eyes.

she’s 10 she presents as 50, and … well, you get it. Centered on her 16th birthday, Kimberly has the body of a 72-year-old. As Kimberly traverses high school romances and friendships, audiences learn some thing about the meaning of life, the inno cence of youth and the inclusion of all. The musical has garnered high praise for its emotional resonance.

Layla Noor Landrum is a junior study ing engineering psychology and English. Layla can be reached at layla.landrum@tufts.edu.

“The Menu” is a prime example of what many call a high-concept film, something that is presently running rampant in the modern media landscape. These proj ects use crazed, outlandish premises to reveal something about our inner human ity. What if a television comedy about a bunch of strangers vacationing together taught us something about whiteness and wealth? Enter “The White Lotus” (2021–). Or what if a thriller about a simulated ’60s-style world taught us something about gender and patriarchy? Enter “Don’t Worry Darling” (2022). By now, almost every other film in our theaters or show on our screens is high-concept in nature. Nobody wants to just come out and say

At some point, though, it all became too much. People stopped watching those searing translations of reality, opting instead for whimsical retellings with reallife ramifications. A new era of high-con cept media had reared its ugly head, one that disguised social truths like broccoli in the mac and cheese you feed your toddler. Some of these projects were incredible feats of art. “Parasite” (2019) spoon-fed class consciousness to the masses, while “Watchmen” (2019) gracefully induced the tragedies of white supremacy within its comic-strip form. By now, though, the mar ket has become oversaturated. Almost no one is telling those raw, vulnerable stories, while almost everyone is trying to make their fantasies socially prudent. We’ve con verged in the middle: There’s no honest pain, but also no unaccompanied joy.

Consider another emerging piece of high-concept art, the musical taking the world by storm: “Kimberly Akimbo” (2021). First presented off-Broadway, the contem porary drama transferred to Broadway in 2022. The story follows Kimberly, a young girl who suffers from a fictionalized genetic disorder that causes her to age much faster than her peers. When she’s four years old she presents as 20, when

But why do we need to forcefully infantilize an 80-year-old to learn some thing about life? Those great, resound ing conclusions from the musical, though profound in their appearance, are fairly commonplace. It’s nauseatingly evident that we must “live life to the fullest.” But, as a ploy to reach this invariably over wrought moral, we must traverse some rough terrain. Victoria Clark, who plays Kimberly, is presently 63. Justin Cooley, who plays Kimberly’s love interest Seth, is college-aged. Oof. That’s not to say the conditions cannot “work” in a dramatic context; there’s nothing wrong or amoral about it, it’s just rocky. You better have a good reason for inducing such socially and politically fraught circumstances upon your art. And, in the case of “Kimberly Akimbo,” there isn’t. The ends don’t justify the means. The show’s creators went so far into the high-concept realm that their base concept far exceeded their conclu sion. For such shock, so little truth.

This is the trade-off that must be present for high-concept art to work and for it to be worth the effort. Filmmakers and writers can propose crazed concepts for the point of reaching some grand ethic, but that conclu sion better be worth the cost. Or, on the flip side, these creators can induce some social relevance into their fantastical films, but it better be poignant if it cuts down the enter tainment value. Unfortunately, high-concept media of recent has failed to strike this bal ance. Fantasy thrillers should be just that, not contrived social satires like “The Menu.” And our social dramas should be real and present, not using some roundabout tactic to avoid an utter confrontation with reality. And yet here we sit, bobbing up and down between these two goods, stuck in some unfulfilling, fabricated no-man’s-land.

by Henry Chandonnet Arts Editor

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Anya Taylor-Joy is pictured.

‘Just As You Are’ is a witty and hopeful lesbian rom-com

Odessa Gaines

End-of-year awards season

As fall finally chang es into winter and the weather starts to drop (unless you live in New England, unfortunately), the endof-year Asian award shows start to announce their nominees. One of the biggest shows, the Mnet Asian Music Awards, has been eagerly anticipated by fans around the world. This year’s MAMA theme is “K-POP World Citizenship.”

MAMA, like many Western shows, combines fan voting

and judges panels in order to select the year’s winners. However, MAMA airs for much longer than a typical Western award show.

While this may seem long and tedious for the typi cal viewer, award shows like MAMA are definitely worth the wait, as they are full of promotional trailers, gigantic performances and teasers for artists’ future projects. While typical American award shows, such as this year’s American Music Awards, begin announc ing winners online before the actual ceremony begins, MAMA televises everything, showcasing performanc es, interviews and the music industry throughout the day. Some of K-pop’s most iconic

performances have come from these ceremonies, such as BTS’ 2019 Melon Music Awards performance of their hit songs “Intro: Persona” (2019), “Boy In Luv” (2014), “Boy With Luv” (2019), “Mikrokosmos” (2019) and “Dionysus” (2019).

This year’s MAMA saw per formances by J-Hope, the leg end Tiger JK and the rookie group Tempest. One of the spe cial collaboration stages was a roundup of fourth-genera tion girl groups — NewJeans, IVE, Kep1er, LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX — who have dominat ed the industry this past year.

Collaborations like these not only promote the individual groups to a larger audience but also solidify the world of K-pop as a community. Performances

such as ENHYPEN and TXT’s “Legend of K-POP” at the 2021 KBS Song Festival nod to the his tory of K-pop music and show respect to the older generations of artists who helped pave the way by sharing their music.

And of course, these would not be award shows without actual awards. MAMA specifical ly has several categories for entry, with the most well-known being the four grand prizes: Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Worldwide Icon of the Year. Other categories include Best Music Video, Best Dance Performance and Favorite New Artist.

Currently, BTS leads the charge among K-pop groups with nearly 50 wins from MAMA alone, but many rookie

groups won big on show night this year. NewJeans’ well-re ceived debut in August and (G)I-dle’s recent releases put them both at advantage to take home a few awards this year.

While it may not seem appealing to an American to wake up in the early hours of the morning and tune in to different streaming sites for an entire day, watching the culmination of these artists’ work and passion is definitely worthwhile — whether you are a K-pop lover or not!

Odessa Gaines is a sophomore studying cognitive and brain science. Odessa can be reached at kgaine01@tufts.edu.

Graduate School Of Arts And Sciences

Art Education, BFA/MAT

Biology, BS/MS

Chemistry, BS/MS

Child Study and Human Development, BA/MA

Classics, BA/MA

Data Analytics, BA/MS or BS/MS

Economics, BS/MS

Education: Middle and High School, BA/MAT or BS/MAT

Environmental Policy and Planning, BA/MS or BS/MS

Mathematics, BS/MS Museum Education, BA/MA

Music, BA/MA

Philosophy, BA/MA

Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, BS/MA or BA/MA

School Of Engineering

Bioengineering, MS

Biomedical Engineering, BS/MS

Chemical Engineering, BS/MS

Civil and Environmental Engineering, BS/MS

Computer Engineering, BS/MS

Computer Science, BA/MS or BS/MS

Cybersecurity and Public Policy, MS

Data Science, BS/MS

Dual Degree Program: Innovation & Management

+ Engineering degree, MS

Electrical Engineering, BS/MS

Human Factors Engineering, BS/MS

Human-Robot Interaction, MS

Materials Science and Engineering, MS

Mechanical Engineering, BS/MS

Offshore Wind Energy Engineering, MS

Software Systems Development, MS

The Fifth-Year Master’s Degrees are offered through the following programs:

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

MISSED CONNECTIONS

You: flipping the bird, but wearing mittens. Me: thinking you’re say ing hi and I wave back. When: Saturday afternoon. Where: On a hike.

You: giving me advice on driving because you own a transporta tion company. Me: trying to pull my big white van out of a tight spot. When: Saturday morning. Where: Hiking Trail Parking Lot.

You: trail running down a moun tain. Me: slipping and falling all the way down. When: Saturday. Where: At a very lonesome lake.

You: wanted to plan a pump kin-ing excursion but didnt want to advertise the event. Me: wanted to plan a pumpkin-ing excursion but didnt want to advertise the event. When: october. Where: groupme.

Julia: “You sneaaaaaky little sneak!” (falls backwards in chair onto floor)

Difficulty Level: Catching the Office Mouse.

Young voters fortified the blue wall, but there’s more to build

by Toby Winick Staff Writer

The 2022 United States midterm elections have been seen as one of the most con sequential in recent history. Of course, every House seat was up for election, putting a Democratic majority in question amid newly drawn districts, though many were non-competitive. Moreover, Republicans were favored to win the Senate leading up to the election, overturning pre dictions for a Democratic vic tory. Surprisingly, the election results did not mirror these predictions. Despite the his tory of poor incumbent party performance in midterm elections, Democrats came out retaining at least an even Senate, featuring key victories in Pennsylvania and Nevada. As it turned out, the foreseen “red wave” was stopped with a “blue wall.”

The composition of this blue wall was not unique, but cer tainly surprising. Youth voters drove Democratic resistance against the red wave. Though voters in Generation Z and Millennial demographic groups are known to lean Democratic, their turnout and composi tion in this year were unlike any other. Exit polls show that Democratic House candidates won voters under 45 by an impressive margin of 13 points, while losing voters over that age by 10 points.

It is notable that this blue wall didn’t just stop Republican efforts, but also redirected

them. Abortion was perhaps the key issue for Democrats in the 2022 midterms. The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson to overturn Roe v. Wade was monumental in galvanizing voters. According to polls, most Americans support abortion rights in most cases. This election was important in bridging the gap between popu lar support and election results — and youth voters were over whelmingly the ones to turn out and demonstrate it.

The driving forces didn’t stop there. Issues such as cli mate change, LGBTQ rights and racial justice were important in the minds of many voters. For instance, in Florida, one of the few contested states to see significant Republican wins, a controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law restricting references to LGBTQ populations in school was signed in line with con servative intentions for class room control. This is especially important given that a signifi cant and increasing amount of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ.

Therefore, the turnout for youth voters demonstrates not just increased motivation, but an attack on Republican agen das and ideology. In an era where Republican issues are increas ingly aligning with anti-dem ocratic policies, such as voter suppression and election deni alism, young voters are making their voices heard and bringing select issues to the policy table.

The backlash against radical trends is a referendum on the already-questionable policies of a Republican Party that hasn’t won the presidential popular

vote since 2004. It’s clear that a remarkable youth turnout has not just put Republicans on the back foot, but brought forward the importance of voting in this democracy.

Turnout also had an impact on a proliferation of Gen Z politicians. Notably, 25-yearold Maxwell Frost won a Congressional seat in Florida’s 10th district. Even at a local and state level, younger candidates are winning races nationwide. It seems ridiculous to outline the basic principle that voters can elect somebody who represents them, but it’s very important in an era where politicians continue aging while things young people can benefit from like education and abortion are in jeopardy.

Of course, the work is not yet done. Though turnout among young voters was high, it was remarkably low relative to the number of registered voters. This year, only 27% of voters aged 18–29 voted, which was actually at a lower rate than the record of 28% in 2018. In that year, Democrats took control of the House and limited foreseen Senate losses, setting up future victories in 2020 and 2022. The driving force in 2018 was likely the Trump presidency, just as how now it is Republican leg islative victories. This further demonstrates how backlash is a strong voting tool, but also shows the importance of young voters in swaying elections. Interestingly, youth political enthusiasm is well-recorded, despite historical low turnout. Once voters are energized to match enthusiasm with voting,

GRAPHIC BY ALIZA KIBEL VIEWPOINT

the results are very apparent. Gen Z and millennials must continue this enthusiasm and continue to work on the issues that are important to them. As always, it is everyone’s respon sibility to vote and stay an

informed voter. As time goes on, younger voters will com prise a larger share of the con stituency. It’s important to use these recent results as building blocks to fight for a better future for everyone, of every age.

The productivity paradox: How to rewire our brains as college students

by Annabel Lieblich Contributing Writer

As overachieving students, I know that many of us will gradu ate with an expectation to achieve the best in all areas of our lives. However, this understanding that we have of success and productiv ity is negative in that it has become a commanding authority in our daily lives.

There is a mismatch between our expectations as students and

what we actually have the capacity to do. There are an infinite number of possibilities of where we can funnel our productivity, but the amount of time we have to devote to these activities is finite. This so-called productivity paradox is a Catch-22 — a no-win scenario.

The first thing we have to ask ourselves is how we should be tackling our aspirations. There are often two conflicting inclinations: Our desire to savor every minute of life is at odds with our scramble

to achieve as much as possible with the finite time life provides. The more realistic alternative is to let go of the notion that life is made to accomplish everything, and instead, live in the present moment without feeling a perpet ual need to check items off a to-do list. There is nothing wrong with the fact that our inherent capac ity as humans is limited, and we should not try to transcend this situation to compensate for our lack of time and ability. Alleviating this impossible tally of demands will allow us to focus on the few important things that matter most. Another essential aspect of the productivity paradox is our concept of self-worth. We tend to determine our self-worth based on our ability to check things off of our to-do lists. We wake up every morning with this feeling of existential debt: a need to get things accomplished throughout the day or else the debt will pile up. However, in reality, there is no one monitoring us throughout the day. There is no one checking to see if we finished that extra

algebra set or deep-cleaned our room. We need to practice more self-compassion with ourselves, and we need to show gratitude for ourselves. Even if a day is spent doing absolutely nothing, our existence is still justified. Relieving that stress will allow us to become more productive with out reinforcing this harmful idea that our self-worth is related to the tasks we perform.

The last facet of the productivi ty paradox is our relationship with time. Here at Tufts, we have inter nalized the idea of the school/life balance. This mindset is not only disadvantageous but unfeasible. Although this view may appear promising at first, it often makes students feel the added burden of not only doing well in school but also having a flourishing social life. The need to excel at both often requires 200% of our effort: mak ing it completely impractical for students to handle.

Perhaps the cultivation of imbalance is more beneficial. Sometimes we decide it is appro priate to do the bare minimum,

and other times it may be more fitting to study at the library for an additional hour. This imbalance serves students and provides a lever to manage their time with out having the burden of trying to achieve an impossible equilibrium between school and life.

The same could be said for hobbies and clubs. The productiv ity paradox demands that even our recreational time be high-yield ing. We have monetized these pastimes or converted them into tasks required to move towards a goal. We need to let go of that predisposition and learn to simply enjoy an activity without having it be conducive to profit. Let’s make the practice of hobbies — not side hustles — popular again.

The productivity paradox encompasses different fallacies that snare the majority of stu dents, but being mindful, limit ing self-judgment and starting to change these perspectives can ultimately help make our college experience — and life itself — as fruitful and produc tive as possible.

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Students are pictured studying together in a Starbucks.

Polarizing prospect: The rise of Ron DeSantis against Donald Trump

by Henry Murray Opinion Editor

possible campaign, Trump’s loyal base and stubborn attitude ensure that the race for the 2024 Republican nomination will be closely fought.

As President Joe Biden nears the half way mark of his term, we begin to look toward the next presidential election. One of the biggest stories so far has followed one of the Republican Party’s most promising new candidates, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. After a deci sive gubernatorial reelection victory, DeSantis could capitalize on his momen tum and avoid missing his opportunity like others have in the past. However, a familiar face stands in the way of DeSantis’ path to the nomination: for mer President Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 presidency on Nov. 15, following his failed 2020 reelec tion bid. While DeSantis’ win in Florida will give him a solid boost to launch a

The new rivalry has already begun, with both politicians making it clear that they are going head-to-head. Trump originally supported DeSantis in his reelection run, but their relationship is now falling apart. DeSantis recently supported John O’Dea — an open and strong critic of Trump — in his Colorado Senate race. Trump fired back at DeSantis’ decision and left him out of the plans for a rally in Florida. If the last six years have taught us anything, it is that Trump does not shy away from conflict. DeSantis must prepare himself for bitter competition if he intends to win the presidency in 2024. If the two are already at odds two years before the election, it seems likely that their rela tionship will only continue to deteriorate.

Some people across party lines have looked at DeSantis’ rise as a positive

thing. Many Republicans are now ready to move past Trump, especially after their performance during the midterms, with important Republican party donors expressing interest in supporting newer candidates. Conservative writer Jim Geraghty has also claimed that DeSantis “fights for policies, not to prosecute vendettas.” On certain issues like envi ronmental policy, DeSantis appears to be slightly more moderate than Trump. DeSantis, however, has been behind some extremely socially conservative policies, such as the “anti-woke” and “Don’t Say Gay” bills, both of which he has signed into law, limiting discussion of race and sexuality in educational settings.

Regardless of who you see as the more radical candidate, the rivalry itself should be alarming to everyone. The two candidates will try to get a hold of the far right of the conservative party that Trump awakened and enlivened, chal

lenging each other to commit to further policy extremes to appeal to America’s hardcore conservatives. DeSantis already showed a glimpse of this when he criti cized Trump’s COVID-19 policy. DeSantis disagreed with the advisement to stay home, and he wishes he had spoken out more about it, even against Trump.

The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis will push the Republican party farther right and polarize our country even more. Over the past 20 years, the percentage of people holding consis tent views for one party, as opposed to having ideological overlap, has doubled. Negative views of the opposing party have increased as well. This polarization cripples democracy and stops positive progress. Republicans must resist the increasingly radicalized rhetoric, and we as a country must maintain the bridge between the two sides and promote democracy.

Mariia Kudina ukraine at War

Russia violates international law by kidnapping Ukrainian children

Originally published Nov. 30

Freezing during the first weeks of the war in a village in the western part of Ukraine — I had to flee there from Kyiv on Feb. 24 — I thought about the war stories that are not yet being told. Since the full-scale invasion, journalists in Ukraine have revealed a solid amount of reports, helping to see the con flict through human eyes. Due to the scale of the war, however, the international com munity hears only a fraction of Ukrainian tragedies. The kidnapping of Ukrainian

children is one type of the Russian war crimes that is often overlooked.

In most cases, the occupants forceful ly put the kids into so-called recreation al camps, orphanages or foster families in various regions of Russia and regions of Ukraine that are temporarily occupied by Russia. Sometimes they deport children and teenagers to Belarus. The recent Associated Press investigation covers a story of Olga Lopatkina and her adopted children. The six kids were trapped in occupied port city Mariupol, where they were spending their vacation, and later transported to Donetsk, the center of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, also known as DPR. Olga, with one daughter who had stayed behind, could not reach Mariupol due to the bombardment and had to evacuate Ukraine for France without the rest of her children. To reunite with them, she had to endure a fierce legal battle with Russian authorities, while they told the children that their mother had abandoned them and did not love them.

Slava, a Ukrainian 17-year-old, was kid napped from the outskirts of Kyiv and sent to Belarus. As he told the ABC News report ers, Russians took him and a few others to a vehicle and drove them to Chornobyl. Upon arrival to the partially abandoned city,

the occupants put plastic bags on the chil dren’s heads, tied their hands, blindfolded them and eventually continued the journey to Minsk orphanage. Slava’s mother adds that before he was dropped off at the final destination, Russians beat and used elec tric shocks on him. The Ukrainian police were able to find out what happened and make sure he made it home. Now Slava is recovering, but battling the post-traumatic stress. These stories are just two examples among many others, most of which did not have what under the war circumstances we would call a happy ending, nor were they made public.

Although adoption of children from for eign countries is prohibited in Russia, Putin signed a document in May that makes it eas ier for Russians to adopt Ukrainian children. Under the mask of “liberation,” Russians hide the lies they tell children about being unwanted by their loving parents and use the kids for propaganda by painting a pic ture in the media in which children are res cued by, for instance, foster families. Those foster caretakers are paid for each adopted child that gains Russian citizenship — “up to $1,000 for those with disabilities,” the AP investigation revealed. The Russian gov ernment portrays the deportation of chil

dren without consent as an act of goodwill, yet such action violates the U.N. Genocide Convention and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Some of the kids are not orphans, as Russia commonly claims. Often, their par ents or relatives who could take care of them are in the regions of Ukraine that are free from Russian occupiers and would be eager to take them in. Growing up in their home country or with their family members and communities is undoubtedly better for those children who lost their caregivers due to Russia’s attacks.

According to the Ukrainian government, at least 8,000 children have been taken by Russia, but the precise numbers are unknown. Very few have been reunited with their loved ones. The Ukrainian government and various volunteering organizations work on bringing the kids back home, but it is a highly complicated challenge. Speaking up about the issue will aid the process; therefore, we must work to shed light onto the dark crimes of Russia and make sure the incidents are not forgiven or brushed under the rug.

Mariia Kudina is a sophomore studying studio art. Mariia can be reached at mariia.kudina@tufts.edu.

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Donald Trump, former president of the United States, and Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, are pictured along side their wives, Melania Trump and Casey DeSantis.

men’s soccer season ends with second round Ncaa tournament exit

by Ethan Grubelich Sports Editor

Originally published Nov. 29.

The 2022 men’s soccer season ended on Sunday, Nov. 13, with a 2–0 loss in the second round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament to regional host SUNY Oneonta. The day prior, the Jumbos were trium phant in their first round battle with UMass Boston, who they beat 1–0 courtesy of a brilliant free kick goal scored by first-year midfielder Daniel Yanez.

On Sunday against the Oneonta Red Dragons, the Jumbos got off to a promising start, as they mostly controlled the game for the opening 20 minutes. The hosts struck first against the run of play, howev er, when forward Lucas Fecci headed home across from mid fielder Ethan Brunell. The goal was Fecci’s 13th of the season and represented the advan tage to Oneonta of having a reliable goal-scoring threat in their front three something which Tufts lacked all season.

The Red Dragons doubled their lead in the 74th minute through a scintillating coun terattack which simply couldn’t be stopped by the Jumbos. Defender John Bernardi won the ball back in his own half for the Red Dragons after a free kick opportunity from the Jumbos and created space for the coun terattack with a beautiful flick to avoid a tackle. By the time Bernardi sprinted the length of the field, he was able to slot a pass from Fecci into the back of the net to make the score 2–0.

The tale of the Jumbos’ offensive woes from this sea son continued that day, as they were kept off the scoresheet and could only fire off one shot attempt in the second half despite needing to score to keep their season alive.

Losing in this fashion stressed the Jumbos’ inexperi ence as well as their need for a reliable source of goals in 2023 especially from set pieces.

“We struggled to score goals, [which] is the harsh reality of our season,” Jumbos’ second-year head coach Kyle Dezotell said in an interview with All Things Division III Soccer with SimpleCoach. “There were times this year where I actually thought we played better soccer than at any point in 2021. Just in 2021, you know, Calvin Aroh would come head in a corner kick, or Travis Van Brewer would score on a direct kick, or Biagio Paoletta would come head in a corner kick, and we just didn’t have that this year. That comes from just like juniors and seniors usually.”

“You can see this through out the NCAA Tournament,

needed a change of pace, and Brown called their shot.

The unfeeling Jaylen Brown

“ The energy is about to shift.”

This is Jaylen Brown’s six-word masterpiece. The first half of the 2021–22 Celtics had failed, until then, to translate a talent rich roster — in year three of the Brown and Jayson Tatum nucleus that was theoretically a top front court in the NBA — into a win ning formula. Yet, at 11:32 a.m. on Jan. 31, Brown managed to encapsulate the emotions of an entire sports culture in a simple statement of purpose. Their ensuing second half turnaround and NBA Finals trip saw Brown’s tweet ascend to genius status. The Celtics

Recently, Brown’s Twitter feed, still affixed with his statement of energetic con version pinned at the top, has been full of trash. The worth less, poisonous and harmful blight of antisemitic toxins pollute his public persona, one that was once endeared with passionate leadership at the height of America’s George Floyd protests. Antisemitism is always abhorrent, yet Brown’s relationship to it transcends easily targeted archetypes and has enabled him to evade the general criticism he deserves. He certainly needs an energy shift or perhaps a new per spective altogether.

Brown has for weeks toed an imaginary line of bigotry. He has directly condemned antisemitism in theory, yet spent innumerable characters on Twitter defending those unmistakably taking antise

how important set pieces are,” Dezotell added. “It’s the part of our game that nobody wants to talk about, or the uglier side of our game, but it’s really important. I said this in 2021, I thought Conn. College won the national champion ship because of how good they were on set pieces, and you’re seeing it now: Williams is in the Final Four because of how good they are on set pieces.”

Each of the three goals scored by the Jumbos in their final five games of the season were scored from set pieces. Though scoring three goals in five games is a rather abysmal rate, especially by the Jumbos’ lofty standards, some of the Jumbos’ biggest victories of the 2022 season support Dezotell’s claim that set piece goals are critical. In fact, the last of these

mitic positions, such as those from his former teammate Kyrie Irving and rapper Ye, for merly known as Kanye West. Yet Brown, to date, admits no wrongdoing, claims the moral high ground, and has spent weeks proving his theoretical tolerance is nothing but per formative.

The cycle of insanity Brown has operated in is exactly what makes the line he intends to walk a farce. First, he posts something — perhaps it’s a group of Black Hebrew Israelites, an antisemitic hate group, rallying in sup port of Irving, or maybe it’s a statement of support for Ye, showing Brown’s intention to remain with Donda Sports even after Ye’s antisemitic out bursts. He then subsequently claims he did not understand the context of his statements, before finally defending his right to free speech and berat ing cancel culture for its over

three set piece goals was Yanez’s free kick which proved to be the lone goal in the Jumbos’ 1–0 first round NCAA tournament victory over UMass Boston.

In the 75th minute, Yanez, who quickly established him self this season as one of the Jumbos’ best goal-scoring threats from distance, curled a right-footed delivery from the left edge of the penalty area, around UMass Boston’s fourman wall, and inside the far post of the goal.

“I remember the goalie set up his wall, and it looked a lit tle funny because the wall was four or five guys, and his posi tioning was weird,” Yanez said. “He was right in the middle of the goal, and it looked like he couldn’t see the ball too well. So then I just decided to kind of whip it far post and just see

reach. These pseudo-apolo gies are half-baked excuses for tangible hate speech and do not vindicate his exaltation of antisemitism. But Brown cer tainly seems to think they do.

Brown seems to believe, through a close reading of his highly nuanced and intellec tual Instagram memes, that he is entitled to state his pref erences for certain positions without issue, and any back lash he receives for defending antisemitism is akin to yell ing at someone for preferring apples to oranges. As ridicu lous as that sounds, downplay ing the severity of hate speech is often the first line of defense intolerance hides behind.

Perhaps what’s worst is that Brown has proven, through weeks of nonsense, that he does not empathize with Jews who feel attacked from the ever encroaching jaws of antisemitism. Despite his history of antiracist activism,

what happened, … and he just watched it go in.”

Moments like this gave Dezotell more reason to be proud of the Jumbos’ achieve ments this season and to be optimistic for what the future holds for the program.

“As a coach, I think we actu ally did incredibly well this year to get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with very few upperclassmen and a ton of freshmen and sopho mores out there playing mas sive minutes for us,” Dezotell said. “While there were still a few upperclassmen, it just felt like it was just a new genera tion of Tufts soccer and one that I feel really, really confi dent in. 2023, 2024, 2025 are going to be right where we need to be to be competing for everything.”

Brown seems utterly unable to feel for those who need him when he most needs to, just as he did when he declared the energy was on the verge of shifting.

Because what is special is not that the energy did, in fact, shift, but rather that Brown seemed to empathize with the Celtics faithful. He felt along with us, validating our dis appointment along with our fanatical desperation to vindi cate the Brown-Tatum exper iment and to win something — anything — before it was too late, and he took responsi bility for making it happen. It is precisely because I have felt Brown’s ability for supreme emotional understanding that I am disgusted with the path he has chosen to tweet.

Oliver Fox is a sophomore studying history. Oliver can be reached at oliver.fox@tufts.edu.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

Men’s soccer is pictured in a game against Hamilton on Sept. 24.

Oliver Fox Sports and Society

P or T s

cross country puts up good fight in Ncaa championship despite harsh conditions

by Chloe Nacson-Schechter Staff Writer

On Nov. 18, on the snowy hills of Michigan State’s Forest Akers Golf Course, Tufts cross country competed in the NCAA Division III Championships. The men’s team qualified for the meet while, on the women’s side, senior Lauren Pollak was the only female runner to represent the team in Michigan.

The weather that day was far from ideal — the temperature was well below freezing and the wind made the real-feel signifi cantly colder. Pollak commented on the harsh race day conditions.

“It had been around 20 degrees and a feel of below 10,” Pllak said. “It was definitely tough while racing — I felt like I was slipping a lot on the snow — but that’s real cross country, that’s what you train for.”

Considering these circum stances, Pollak ran an impressive time of 24:26.8 for six kilometers, with an average pace of 6:33.5 per mile. She placed 238th out of 292 runners. This was Pollak’s

third and final appearance in the NCAA Championships and she was just as eager to compete this year as she was during her fresh man season.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of injury issues, so I wasn’t sure if I’d ever make it to the starting line,” said Pollak. Being able to “show up and be healthy was really, really important to me.”

Competing without her fellow teammates was certainly a chal lenge, however Pollak didn’t let it get in the way of her attitude and her performance.

“I was honestly just happy to be there,” Pollak said.

On the men’s side, the harsh weather conditions posed a sig nificant challenge for the Jumbos.

Sophomore Ivan Appleton led the pack in the Men’s 8k, running 26:16.7 for an average pace of 5:17.2 per mile. He placed 141st out of 292 runners. Fellow sopho more Martin Horne was the next Tufts runner to cross the finish line, with a time of 27:07.3.

The men’s team, as Pollak noted, seemed to get “trampled” at the beginning of the race,

making it extremely difficult to catch up to the pack. Even though the men’s team may not have accomplished what they set out to on paper, Pollak explained how she is “real

men’s basketball starts season off hot

by Spencer Rosenbaum Staff Writer

Last year, the men’s basket ball team held a 13–10 over all record but performed well in conference play, ending the regular season with an 8–2 record and giving them the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC tour nament. However, after falling to Trinity in an upset, Tufts was eliminated and failed to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Following this disappointing end to the season, with the squad having to manage the challenges of a new coach and players being out for injuries and COVID-19, the team attacked the offsea son with a chip on its shoulder, allowing it to get out to a 5–1 start to the season with its only loss to No. 3 St. Joseph. Senior guard and captain Theo Henry spoke about how strong the team has looked this season.

“Everyone’s kind of stepped up to fill [last year’s seniors’] role. I think having Coach [Brandon] Linton with another year of experience under his belt is really valuable, I think we’re all bought into the sys tem, and everyone just believes in each other,” Henry said. “I think it’s a really strong team camaraderie-wise, and we’re thriving.”

Henry is a perfect example of the team’s ability to thrive, scoring the game-winning bas ket in an 80–78 overtime win in the opening game at Emerson and putting up 24 points in a 100–70 win over a short-hand

ed MIT. Henry cited prepara tion as the reason behind these successful performances.

“We work so hard through out the fall, the whole presea son, over the summers; a lot of work goes into what we do that isn’t seen, so [through] all that preparation, you get an opportunity, and that’s what we do this for — [to] go out and perform,” Henry said.

Another player who has stepped up into a bigger role this season has been senior guard Dylan Thoerner, the Jumbos’ leading scorer. In his junior year, with impressive shooting statistics, Thoerner was awarded NESCAC Player of the Week on Jan. 24 and named to the Division III hoops All-Region Team and the NESCAC All-Conference First Team. This success was

not limited to last year though, as due to his offensive play, Thoerner earned the title of the year’s first NESCAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Thoerner described his offsea son work, indicating how he has been able to step up, par ticularly as a scorer.

“Shooting was a big thing that I focused on, working on all different types, especially three-point shooting … catch and shoot, off the dribble, dif ferent relocations and also working on how can I get my shots off more, how can I get more threes up and use that more as a weapon this year,” Thoerner said.

Leadership from guys like Henry and Thoerner has allowed the Jumbos to find success early on this season. A substantial piece of this leader

ly proud of everyone and how they competed.”

Faced with the toughest con ditions, the Jumbos gave it their best shot in Michigan to finish the cross country season. Pollak

and the rest of the team now look forward to the upcoming track season, during which they will have a chance to display more of their gutsy racing and unique team environment.

ship has been instilling a team culture and values throughout the team, including the under classmen.

“For the younger guys, I’d say the biggest thing is learning how to play as a team. When you come in as a freshman, you don’t really know what your role is going to be, but as long as you come in, you work hard and you’re a team player, everyone will feed off of that. I think that when you get stuck, special things [happen] and you start winning a lot when you build into that team-first approach,” Thoerner said.

This team-first approach, along with the squad’s offseason preparation and leaders step ping up, has propelled it to this hot start and earned the team Top 25 votes. Before the season, one of the team’s main goals was to win the New England Big 4 Tournament, hosted in its Cousens Gymnasium. After the squad won the tournament opener 82–73 against Babson behind 17 points from soph omore guard Khai Champion, senior guard Tyler Aronson led Tufts to an 82–71 win against Endicott behind 21 points, earning tournament MVP hon ors in the process.

After the tournament was the aforementioned victo ry against MIT, which would then be followed by a 77–39 rout of Framingham State in the Black Coaches Classic at UMass Boston. By the end of the game, the Jumbos had 14 players make their marks on the scoresheet with a team-

high 15 points from Thoerner. These victories would leave Tufts with a 5–0 record head ing into Tuesday’s game against No. 3 St. Joseph (Conn.). Unfortunately, the Jumbos fell short by a score of 77–57, which does not appropriately reflect the nature of a game that they were winning 34–33 at halftime.

Nonetheless, it is evident that the Jumbos came into the season with a chip on their shoulder and are a team to be feared. The squad is con fident, too. Henry mentioned that accomplishing the goal of winning the Big 4 Tournament is just the beginning of their lofty goals.

“We want to win the NESCAC. We want to host the NCAA tournament at Tufts, maybe a home seed. We’re ambitious. I want to see this team go all the way,” Henry said.

It is not as if these goals are not deservedly ambi tious. The squad is talented and constantly working to improve its game. As long as the Jumbos continue to focus on preparation, stepping up in the most important moments and developing team chemis try, the rest will come: It will surely be an exciting season. Moreover, as the team has a competitive schedule this weekend, this excitement is immediate.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., Tufts hosts UMass Dartmouth, then on Sunday at 2 p.m., they head to Cambridge to take on local rival Division I Harvard.

COURTESY D3PHOTOGRAPHY

Members of the women’s cross country team are pictured at the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship.

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The men’s basketball team celebrates their NESCAC Championship victo ry after a game against Colby in Cousens Gym on March 1, 2021.