The Tufts Daily - Friday, March 19, 2021

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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 28

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Friday, March 19, 2021

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Stacey Abrams discusses youth civic engagement, voter suppression in virtual Tisch College event

by Peri Barest

Assistant News Editor

Stacey Abrams spoke to the Tufts community about her journey into politics, grassroots organizing in Georgia and youth civic engagement in a livestreamed conversation on Thursday.

Abrams, a voting rights activist, politician and author, was invited to speak as part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Distinguished Speaker Series. Abrams served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007–17 and was the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.

Kelly Sims Gallagher, academic dean and professor of energy and environmental policy at The Fletcher School, opened the event.

“Stacey Abrams is the embodiment of courageous and ethical leadership,” Gallagher said. “She recognizes the inherent dignity in every person and has held our institutions and leaders accountable, most recently in the 2020 election.”

Alan Solomont, dean of Tisch College, moderated the event. He

(SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY)

Stacey Abrams, an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist and author is pictured talking to Dean Alan Solomont in a webinar hosted by Tisch College. began by asking Abrams about her heroes.

“My parents are extraordinary people,” Abrams said. “They grew up in the abject poverty that you think about in Mississippi, during Jim Crow.”

Abrams then discussed her route to politics. Growing up in a family committed to social justice, she often missed the Saturday morning cartoons when accompanying her parents to protest, vote and volunteer at local soup kitchens, homeless shelters and juvenile justice facilities. Abrams said she was influenced by lessons her parents taught her. “[My parents] said, ‘Look, it’s government’s job to do many

of these things for people who have fallen through the cracks,’” Abrams said. “‘It’s government that should be trying to solve the challenges of poverty and literacy’ … I was really mad at government because government was making sure I didn’t get to watch the Super Friends [cartoon].”

When asked what advice she has for students hoping to become involved in politics, Abrams said that politics should be a tool for policy, not the other way around.

“The minute we start making choices so we can win elections, instead of winning elections so we can make better choices, you have fallen far afield from what should be driving here,” she said.

Abrams said that much of her success in Georgia was the result of the mathematics of changing demographics as well as the strategy of a 10-year plan she formed a decade ago.

“I put together in 2010 … this 10-year plan, and it really did track the trajectory of voting and the trajectory of demographic changes,” Abrams said. “It was doing that work that led to a lot of the outreach that I built, both as leader organizations that I started, including The New Georgia Project, investment in younger people to go into [communities] and build operations but also training them to run campaigns and to think about policy.”

Abrams emphasized local politics in discussing how to expand her strategy to other states. She said that it is important not to wait until presidential election years, which often have high voter turnout but low return on investment, to become civically engaged.

“For most people, the challenges that they face in their lives for the communities we need to engage, they feel the pain at the local level,” she said. “It’s whether or not the school board decided that they needed access to the internet, when they decided to go to remote learning.”

Abrams added that this process takes time and that it is important not to get dissuaded by a lack of instant results.

Instead, it is important to be clear about what was accomplished and what remains to be solved.

Abrams also discussed her work to involve more young people in the voting process.

“Part of what I saw as my responsibility as [Georgia House of Representatives minority] leader was to help build the party and see ABRAMS, page 2

Tufts Women in IR opens dialogue Somerville opens new high around Intro to IR curriculum diversity school amid slow return to in-person learning

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Fletcher School, Tufts’ graduate school of international affairs, is pictured on Oct. 14, 2020.

Ellie Murphy, who studies international relations and

by Ava Autry Contributing Writer sociology and is the current senior adviser and former co-presiTufts Women in International dent of Women in International Relations has opened a dia- Relations, explained why the logue with students and facul- organization wanted to address ty regarding the lack of equal this disparity.

“Last semester, WIIR decided representation of female and nonbinary voices, as well as to have an internal discussion people of color, in the curric- about how race impacts studying ulum for the Introduction to International Relations at Tufts,” International Relations class. Murphy, a junior, wrote in an This action was inspired by email to the Daily. “After hearing students who have voiced con- many group members reflect on cerns over the inequality in their qualms about the curriculum, it became clear that many authorship.

of us felt that the syllabus did not incorporate enough female and nonbinary scholars, and scholars of color into the curriculum.”

Murphy said she felt many of the readings in the Introduction to International Relations course were written by white, male authors and that many non-Western perspectives were missing.

“I still believe that there is a tendency to assume that Western thought is the ‘standard’ way of studying political science/international relations,” Murphy said. “I felt that I wasn’t exposed to the full breadth of the field as the focus was on Western schools of thought.”

Women in International Relations is a student-run organization for “femme-identifying people interested in the field of international relations,” according to the group’s mission statement. It strives to build “a safe space for dialogue, empowerment, and career building.”

The student group hosts events in tandem with its sponsor organization, the Institute for Global Leadership. Within the past year, Women in International Relations’ programming has included hostsee WIIR, page 2

by Sam Klugherz News Editor

Somerville opened a new high school on March 4, welcoming only a group of younger students in high needs special education programs into the building, as part of Somerville Public Schools’ ongoing phased return to in-person learning.

The first days of in-person learning at the new high school have gone well, according to Susana Hernandez Morgan, chief communications and development officer for SPS. Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone celebrated the opening of the new building in a press release, yet acknowledged and lamented the fact that many high school students will not have access to the building at the moment.

“To our high school students and families, I want you to know we are working on options to get you access to the building sooner, and of course we look forward to when it will be safe for all of our students to return to their usual schools,” Curtatone said.

OPINION / page 7

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

As students struggle with mental health challenges, Tufts must offer support

Tufts Running Club creatively stays active amid pandemic

Celebrating Jethro Tull half a century later

“For now, I want to recognize your sacrifice and thank you for allowing our highest needs students into the space as we work toward broader opening.”

The students currently learning in the new building are attending in person four days per week, two hours each day, with remote learning on Wednesdays.

A second group of students, scheduled to begin in-person instruction on March 18, will attend school in person four days per week for the full day.

They will also learn remotely on Wednesdays. The group includes additional populations of high needs students and multilingual learning lab students in grades 9–12, among others.

Morgan explained that SPS has instituted a comprehensive set of health and safety measures as it welcomes more students into classrooms. Though it took Somerville a longer time to establish these guidelines than expected, Morgan noted that they will help minimize risk as students and staff return to school buildings. see SOMERVILLE, page 2 NEWS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, March 19, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Megan Szostak Editor in Chief

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Abrams cites civic upbringing, parents as inspiration ABRAMS

continued from page 1 to build that party infrastructure,” she said. “Sometimes we eschew the idea of political parties and that apparatus, but it’s an amazing organizing model. It is one of the most effective ways to hire young people to learn about politics but also to do politics.”

Abrams said that internships were critical for teaching young people about the political process. She discussed how meeting young people where they are — for instance, at Dragon Con in Atlanta — is crucial to expanding the electorate.

“For the course of my seven years as [Georgia House of

Representatives minority] leader, we had more than 400 interns that we brought in, and we trained them on public policy during session, and then we trained them on politics when we were out of session,” Abrams said. “That created a whole cadre of operatives who could actually work within their communities to help other young people learn about politics and do the work.”

Solomont mentioned Abrams’ persistence even after losing the 2018 gubernatorial race, citing that 91% of Black women voted for President Joe Biden. He said women of color, particularly Black women, are often crucial to democratic pol-

WIIR

continued from page 1 ing female speakers who work in international law, fostering a mentorship program, and holding discussion-based seminars about various world issues.

The group also hosts open-forum talks about international relations within the Tufts community. It was during one such event that members conceived the idea of drawing attention to the issue of diversity in the Introduction to International Relations curriculum.

“Last semester, we wanted to have a discussion centered around race and International Relations,” Alyssa Pak, co-president of Women in International Relations studying economics and international relations, wrote in an email to the Daily.

“We prepared various questions on these sources for attendees, which led us to talk about how we see Western influence in our own Introduction to International Relations curricu-

lum. We thought that the discussion went extremely well, and as people shared their thoughts and ideas, we reflected on what efforts we could make to diversify our education.”

She said the organization is targeting the Introduction to International Relations class specifically because it’s often one of the first classes that students who are interested in international relations take at Tufts.

With this desire to make an impact on the curriculum, the organization created a questionnaire to gather feedback from students in the international relations community. It surveyed general opinions of respondents and asked questions targeting inequities within the course. Women in International Relations also sought suggestions for future readings as well as thoughts to mention to coordinators and professors from the international relations program.

According to Pak, approximately 72% of the survey’s respondents indicated that

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they felt the Introduction to International Relations curriculum did not include an adequate number of female and nonbinary authors. Similarly, 74% of respondents said they felt the curriculum lacked adequate representation of authors of color.

Pak added that many respondents offered suggestions for potential readings that would incorporate more voices.

The student group is using the survey’s results to enter into discussions with faculty about influencing the curriculum.

“We’re currently in the works of planning our first meeting with a faculty member,” Pak said. “We think that it’s definitely a step in the right direction and that other Tufts students would really appreciate being able to see more representation in the world of IR, especially given that Intro to IR is often one of the first classes that IR students take at Tufts.”

Richard Eichenberg, an associate professor in the political science department who has taught Introduction to International

Relations in previous semesters, shared his views on the organization’s work.

“I fully support their efforts to diversify the curriculum, not only in the Intro IR course, but in all courses on international relations and indeed in political science more generally,” Eichenberg wrote in an email to the Daily. “It’s urgently needed, and long overdue.”

Murphy and Pak are looking toward the future developments of this project.

“We plan to work with the broader Tufts community throughout this process to ensure that we hear as many perspectives as possible when trying to address the discrepancies with the curriculum. We hope to meet with professors in the coming weeks to discuss the possibilities,” Murphy said.

Pak echoed Murphy’s sentiments.

“We wanted to start with a smaller and hopefully attainable change,” Pak said. “We think that it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Somerville high school includes new ‘state-of-the-art’ facilities

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cations of the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol.

“I am not being hyperbolic at all when I say that the insurrection that failed in January is continuing through legislative imprimatur across the country,” she said. “There’s nothing permanent about victories and voting rights.”

The conversation concluded with Abrams taking questions from the audience, during which she discussed barriers to civic engagement, her motivations in public service and actionable steps that students can take to encourage civic action and voter participation.

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3 Friday, March 19, 2021

‘Distance junkies’: Tufts Running Club attends virtual track meet

Majority of survey respondents take issue with IR curriculum diversity

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itics, especially in the South.

He asked Abrams how she navigated the setbacks in this kind of work.

“Almost every societal ill, every social malignancy, every political fallout consequence hits Black women, it hits Black communities, it hits communities of color,” Abrams said. “We are the victims of bad decision making and, worse, of intentional decision making that dehumanizes and discounts our role and our responsibilities and our right to active engagement.”

When asked about voter suppression, Abrams said that we must not forget the legal impli-

Features

VIA SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The recently opened Somerville high school is pictured.

SOMERVILLE

continued from page 1 “The work required to bring buildings to the high standards that were established has taken longer than any of us anticipated or would have liked, but given the incessant nature of this virus, it was important that we maintain a focus on the safety of our students and staff,” Morgan wrote in an email to the Daily.

In addition to the populations returning to in-person school on March 4 and March 18, other Somerville students will gradually return in person through the rest of March and April. All students between

pre-kindergarten and eighth grade are expected to be back in person by April 29, utilizing hybrid learning models.

However, this does not include students in grades 9–12 who are not in high needs special education programs or multilingual learning lab students.

Curtatone addressed this in his press release.

“We had imagined we would open up this building to our high school students,” Curtatone said.

“But the pandemic has robbed us of that as it has robbed us of so much.”

Morgan expanded on this.

“While we recognize that it has been frustrating for every-

one involved, particularly our students and families, we were committed to providing a rich remote learning experience for our students and to stay connected with them, supporting them in every aspect of their learning experience as we worked toward moving into our phased hybrid model,” Morgan said.

In the press release with Curtatone, Superintendent Mary Skipper (LA’89, AG’96) also acknowledged the difficulty of not being able to be in the new building and said that the district hopes to properly celebrate its opening when it is safer to do so.

“We look forward with great anticipation to properly celebrating the opening of this beautiful state-of-the-art facility in the company of our students, staff, and members of the community once it is safe to do so,” Skipper said. “In the meantime, we are committed to looking at ways to give Somerville High School students, especially the

class of 2021, access to this wonderful new facility.”

The new building, for which planning began in 2012 and construction began in 2018, is six stories and 396,000 square feet, with “12 science labs, three art rooms, three music rooms, a multilevel media center, a fully renovated gymnasium, a collegiate-style lecture hall” and outdoor learning and dining areas, according to the press release.

Skipper praised the planning, designing and construction of the building, recognizing the eventual role that it will serve for high school students and the Somerville community.

“As you walk through the building, evidence of the thought and care that went into planning, designing, and building a teaching and learning facility that will serve generations of students for years to come, and one that will also serve as a gathering place for our community, are evident at every turn,” Skipper said.

COURTESY ARNAV SACHETI, SAM SCHRAGE AND ANTHONY BRUNO

A collection of Arnav Sacheti’s, Sam Schrage’s and Anthony Bruno’s favorite running routes is captured via Google Maps.

by Aisha Catena

Assistant Features Editor

The Tufts Running Club participated in a virtual track meet against Harvard University last month. At the virtual meet there were no computer-generated people running on virtual tracks nor did participants run with one arm up in the air filming themselves in selfie mode.

Instead, the meet was held late last month and participants could individually compete in specific events at any point over a number of days and record their own times. The Harvard College Running Club created a website that showed live scoring when runners uploaded their event times. There were a variety of events in which to participate, ranging from sprints to a 5-kilometer run, and team members could race as many times as they wanted.

Around 15 Tufts students participated. Despite having fewer people running, Tufts scored 120 points and Harvard 190 points under a championship scoring system, which awards 10 points to first place, eight points to second, six to third, four to fourth, two to fifth and one to sixth.

The point of the virtual track meet was for a competition to exist while abiding by COVID-19 policies, so the Running Club did not gather together to perform all of the events. But for two days of the racing, a small

group met safely at the outdoor track to do the 200-meter, 800meter, 5K and mile races.

The Running Club is a fairly new group on campus. It started informally in fall 2019, and the university officially recognized it in fall 2020. The club went from a small group of friends who loved running to a continually growing and competing collective.

Sam Schrage, a sophomore studying environmental engineering, spontaneously started running his first year of high school and is now a self-proclaimed “distance junkie.”

“Once I started [running], I fell in love with the sport,” Schrage said.

After that, Schrage continued running throughout high school, joining varsity cross-country and track for his last three years.

“When I got to Tufts, running had become such a part of my life and really changed my life for the better that there was no way I was going to stop,” Schrage said. “I went from not running at all, being a tad overweight, to spring of my [first] year running 3:16:00 in a marathon.”

When he began training to compete in a marathon he quickly decided he wanted to find a group to practice with on campus. That’s when sophomores Arnav Sacheti and Anthony Bruno joined and co-founded the club with Schrage. Sacheti thought his competitive running career was

over when he graduated high school, but when he arrived at Tufts and met Bruno and Schrage, he realized his passion was as strong as ever.

“I don’t think I would have run if I hadn’t met them,” Sacheti said.

Similarly, Bruno was inspired

by Schrage’s passion to help with the club. Tufts already had a marathon club, but, as Bruno said, “not everybody is built for the marathon, it was leaving a lot of people out, so we thought … [we would] give people an opportunity to run.”

Nevertheless, starting the Running Club was not as easy as Schrage expected.

He and his friends spent a couple of months planning and got an unofficial group together to start practicing in the spring of 2020. The process of actually getting people to show up took some time to master — one of their weekly practices was on Mondays at noon until they realized no one wanted to run through their lunch break, so they changed it to Thursday nights.

“We got solid crews to come to that [meeting],” Schrage said. The group practiced at the indoor Tufts track, with eight to 15 participants a week.

As the team began to consolidate, its members realized they needed to compete to get official recognition. On Feb. 29, 2020, the Tufts Running Club went to its first competition at Harvard University.

This event was one of Schrage’s favorite moments with the Running Club.

“That was the first point that I really realized we can actually do this,” he said. “Our first race of the day was the men’s mile, where me and four or five other guys from our club were competing … When I saw ‘Tufts Running Club’ on the results next to our names that just made it all feel a lot more real.”

This meet was the club’s first and last event before the pandemic caused Tufts to go virtual in spring 2020. Even so, the Running Club’s executive board was able to use its competition and steady practicing schedule to gain university recognition this past fall.

During the fall, the club was able to hold limited practices abiding by COVID-19 guidelines.

Members met for masked, outdoor group runs once or twice a week with no more than eight participants.

“Those were good runs,” Schrage said. “We got a lot of [first years] to come out … it was cool just to see that we actually have interest across class years.”

The Running Club’s goal is to compete in three seasons a year.

It will take part in cross-country races in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring. Cross-country consists of typically 5-, 8- or 10-kilometer runs through either grass or gravel courses.

“Cross-country is probably one of the most fun sea-

sons because it’s just these giant races that go off great scenery,” Schrage said. He also appreciated that these races are more team-oriented, as a team’s score is based on the team’s top seven competitors.

Although the pandemic has halted many competitions for club sports, the Running Club is hopeful to have more events like the virtual track meet this semester. An exciting idea they have been planning is a bracket challenge. The challenge would consist of either head-to-head matchups every week, with the winner of each continuing down the bracket, or simultaneously bringing two teams to the track and giving them three to four hours to cover 4 kilometers, with the team with the fastest time winning.

Schrage describes the club as having “a very laid-back atmosphere.” Its goal is to cater to both people who really want to go compete and those who just want to go on weekly runs.

Bruno described the club as being “pretty relaxing” and nothing like high school track practices.

“You get to run with your friends and meet some people from other schools,” Bruno said.

“It’s not overwhelming or that much of a commitment, [you] just kind of have fun running.”

Editor’s note: Arnav Sacheti is an assistant sports editor at The Tufts Daily. Arnav was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

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Arts & Pop ARTS POP Culture CULTURE

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, March 19, 2021

Revisiting the impact of Jethro Tull’s ‘Aqualung’ 50 years later

by Geoff Tobia Jr.

Psychedelic pseudonyms

Arts Editor

Inspired by The Beatles, Jethro Tull formed in the U.K. to write music and cashed in on sounds that progressive rock bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin and King Crimson were pioneering in the mid-to-late 1960s. As lead singer Ian Anderson explained in a 2018 interview with Decades TV, “It was the beginning of that improvised music slipping into the popular format. It came via blues, it came via Black American blues and it had impacted a whole generation of young, middle-class, white British boys, most of whom went to art colleges.”

With artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and B.B. King being the transition from blues music to rock ‘n’ roll, their impact inspired bands such as Jethro Tull to amplify the changes that music was experiencing. However, in order to make a name for itself in the sea of British bands that had the same goal in mind, something had to stand out about the band. That was when Anderson traded in his guitar for two things: a microphone and a flute.

Jethro Tull’s fourth studio album, “Aqualung,” was released 50 years ago today on March 19, 1971. Prior to its release, the band had been gaining some traction after opening for artists including Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. With heightened celebrity, it was necessary that Jethro Tull capitalized on its next studio release.

The band’s artistry is proven on the first and second tracks of the record.

First comes “Aqualung,” the title track.

Its lyrics and orchestral-style breakdown make for an impressive introduction to the record. On the second track, “CrossEyed Mary,” Ian Anderson introduces the instrument that gave Jethro Tull such a distinct identity: the flute. The beginning of “Cross-Eyed Mary” immediately shows the amount of tonal substance and swagger that the flute brings to Jethro Tull’s music. The folk-style “Mother Goose” is an absolutely mesmerizing track due to its entirely acoustic first half. The incredible quintet of acoustic guitar, pan flute, tambourine, percussion and vocals combine to form a wonderfully solid song.

Each element makes the song feel heavenly, and this pairs well with Anderson’s storytelling lyrics. “Mother Goose” shows

Jessica Blough and Kristina Marchand Soundtrack to the end of the world

T

VIA JETHRO TULL

The cover of Jethro Tull’s “A — The 40th Anniversary Edition” (2004) album is pictured. how talented the members of Jethro Tull are as songwriters.

We also see hard-hitting songs such as “Up to Me” and “Locomotive Breath.”

The band takes the standard elements of the blues and adds its Jethro Tull flare to it. “Up to Me” follows a pattern where it constantly switches between a medieval, folk rock-style melody and a pure rock ‘n’ roll chorus riff. Meanwhile, “Locomotive Breath” has proven to be one of the most universally respected songs in the Jethro Tull discography. The guitar and piano riffs are persistent and mean, with chugging sounds to mimic a train moving along a track; Anderson’s vocals also have such a robust presence in the song. Of

course, one of the reasons why the song is so famous is its flute solo, one of the most recognizable instrumental solos ever.

The success of “Aqualung,” doubled with the following “Thick as a Brick” (1972), allowed Jethro Tull to properly earn its place as a staple of the U.K.’s progressive rock scene. Over the years, Jethro Tull went on to influence artists such as Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam and Joe Bonamassa. Nick Cave also considers Jethro Tull one of his favorite bands, naming one of his sons after the band.

Thanks to “Aqualung”, Jethro Tull was properly put on the map of rock bands, and the sound that album captured, at the time it was released, is one of a kind.

his week, Kristina Marchand shares her songs for dissociating and decongesting, for cathartic resets between pretend moments and stress bakes.

When we’re drowning in unprecedented times, sometimes additional weirdness seems like the only appropriate accompaniment.

Kristina: When asked about my music taste, whether during an awkward first date or during pre-orientation duck, duck, goose, my answer was always the same — “Anything but country, really.” But through the haze of the last year (carrying my clothes in trash bags and dozens of pies out of Latin Way), I found my music taste through much trial and error, not understanding what I liked, and chasing the goosebumps. So now, when asked what music I like listening to, I answer, “weird … psychedelic … funky.” I like my music to not sound normal, to put you on edge as much as it soothes you.

I tend to pretend the world isn’t ending, that everything is completely normal and I’m just making banana bread for a completely, not-close-to-mental-breakdown, good reason. My music taste during this time is spunky and happy, but when I can find a good song that embraces the terrible, dissociative, disappointing existence that we have lived in for the past year, it comforts me. I can feel every single emotion that has been contained and connects with this artist (and maybe a little self-pity because why not). I always just feel a little bit better after a chill runs down my spine.

There is a lot of pretending, a lot of “putting on a happy face,” which I think applies to many of us this year. So here are my picks for what I listen to during the end of the world, my psychedelic pseudonyms.

‘As the World Caves In’ (2017) by Matt Maltese Where to start here? I listen to this song when I feel emotionally congested and need to let it out. It is cathartic. Maltese knows the end is coming, but he takes the moment in and remains peaceful. It reminds me of moments of the past, good and bad. Like your life is flashing before your eyes. Don’t listen with mascara on.

“We’re going out in style, babe.”

‘Washing Machine Heart’ (2018) by Mitski “Toss your dirty shoes in my washing machine heart.” Damn, does this song make me want to walk through a snowstorm. Mitski knowingly enters a relationship that will very well hurt her and break her. It’s a song about longing and sadness for things to be different, but she plays it off. Mitski is unraveling, powerless while feigning strength, but becoming more and more manic.

‘Seven Devils’ (2011) by Florence and the Machine This is a song for if I were in a zombie apocalypse, walking down an empty street, feeling like the protagonist of my own movie.

It’s creepy and unsettling, but also gives me a sort of main character energy that makes me feel like I’m ready to take on the world. It is a song that feels like a battle between chaos and control.

Jessica Blough is a senior studying international relations. Jessica can be reached at jessica.blough@tufts.edu. Kristina Marchand is a junior studying architectural studies. Kristina can be reached at kristina. marchand@tufts.edu.

A&P

Friday, March 19, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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‘Nightwing #78’ is a high-flying, hopeful starting point

by Carl Svahn Staff Writer

Dick Grayson is my favorite member of DC’s Bat Family. Yes, that includes Batman. While the original Robin has obvious similarities to his father figure (a boy whose life is destroyed when his parents are killed in front of him and who thus devotes his life to avenging their murder), his methods of achieving his goals are much healthier and more productive. He’s a weird mishmash of Batman, Superman and Spider-Man. A young, genuine and caring man with abilities and resources others don’t have and the presence of mind to use them well. Unfortunately, Nightwing has been tossed aside recently in comics and other mediums for the edgier Batman characters (or just turned into them a la “Titans” (2018–). Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo are here to fix that, and “Nightwing #78” (2021) oozes with the obvious care and love this team has for Mr. Grayson and company.

Taylor is nearly legendary in the comics industry for his ability to “get” a character. He can give every individual he takes on a clear voice that is distinguishable and just right for their personality. With “Nightwing #78,” he’s struck gold yet again, as he nails Dick’s hopeful, yet matured, mannerisms. It’s not just Grayson either — Barbara Gordon (also known as Batgirl, and Dick’s on-and-off love interest) has several key moments in this issue that will make any fan of hers very happy. Despite all that, this issue isn’t focused on callbacks and nostalgia. This is the start of a new creative team’s run, so, naturally, the issue’s main goal is to set the stage for the tales and characters to come. It accomplishes this objective flawlessly.

I realize that this issue’s being titled “Nightwing #78” instead of

VIA DC COMICS

The cover of “Nightwing #78” is pictured.

“Nightwing #1” might make new readers think they need to know

what’s happened in the previous 77 issues, but I assure you that

is not the case. There are references to recent events in the

Nightwing and Bat Family comics (particularly a recent death), but you do not need to know about any of it. If you know who Dick Grayson is, you’re golden.

Most other characters in this story are purposefully either explained or new, and all of them have something interesting about them. The show-stealer is, by far, Nightwing’s new three-legged puppy, who could melt even the most cynical reader’s heart. If somehow that isn’t already enough for you, let’s talk about the artwork.

Bruno Redondo and Adriano Lucas (on pencils and colors, respectively) pull off the kind of art you see only every once in a while in a monthly.

Everything in this issue, from the most important character to the most distant background, is astonishingly beautiful. The colors on every panel pop with a vibrancy and charm that really display just how much these artists care about this comic.

As for layout and design, there is some clear inspiration from Matt Fraction’s 2012–15 run on Hawkeye in the small and quick panel layout and use of symbols and emojis to express emotion (Gordon has one of those moments that managed to make me laugh out loud). It’s a choice that I never thought I needed in a Nightwing book, but I can’t imagine this story without it now.

I was already looking forward to Taylor’s picking up this title after a few floundering years of mediocre runs, but even I could not have expected this team to pull off such a well-rounded issue. Everyone on board here gave 110% to their work and evidently love this character and what he stands for. If this is the kind of quality we can expect for the rest of the run, we may have a new classic on our hands. This is what I buy comics for. Dick Grayson is back.

6

Friday, March 19, 2021 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

F& G

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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Megan: “He’s such a good bird.”

FUN &GAMES

SUDOKU

MY DOG: SLIDE

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Opinion

7 Friday, March 19, 2021

VIEWPOINTS

COVID-19 and student mental health: Where we are, how to do better

Difficulty Level: Showerig while on M-Board

Thursday’s Solutions

SURE, AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK

BY THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. BUT I TAUGHT HIM TO THROW A STICK AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIM IS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY. — EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10

By Aiden Chang

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

CECILIA OROZCO / THE TUFTS DAILY

CROSSWORD

by Eliza Dickson Opinion Editor

Content warning: This article mentions suicide and mental health struggles.

A year ago, students were abruptly forced to depart campus as COVID-19 began to spread across our country. Little did we know we would be saying goodbye to college life as we knew it. The college experience has always been built on the foundation of community, and with COVID-19 restrictions severely limiting most forms of connection, the toll on our mental health has been steep.

Pre-pandemic, mental health struggles were prevalent among college students. Young adulthood is a mentally turbulent period; it is a time of transition that comes with new stressors and intrinsic biological risk that make mental health difficulties common. In a pre-pandemic survey, 65% of college students reported anxiety, 30% a mental health condition and 10% thoughts of suicide. For some time, young adulthood has been recognized as a common age of onset for numerous serious mental disorders.

The pandemic has exacerbated these already widespread mental health issues among college students. A CDC report on mental health during the pan-

demic found that in the 18–24 age group, 1 in 4 people had considered suicide in the past 30 days. In the fall 2020 exit survey conducted by TCU Senate, 73% of respondents rated their mental health as 5 or lower on a 10-point scale and over 80% stated that their mental health negatively impacted their motivation, academics, work and social lives. Social isolation was the second most cited issue impacting students’ learning and experience. The guidelines put in place to keep us safe are wholly necessary, and careless behavior is inexcusable.

Yet when students are forced to choose between being safe and fulfilling their social needs, it’s easy to see why caution tends to get thrown to the wind. For firstyears, this lack of community is especially pronounced.

These statistics are frightening, yet not surprising considering the cumulative stressors on college students over the last year. The pandemic has introduced a host of new risk factors that contribute to the development of mental health issues and crises. Prolonged exposure to stress increases risk for anxiety, depression, substance use problems, sleep disturbances and even physical pain and injury.

Online classes entail an inherent risk; according to a study published in 2021, spending eight

or more hours per day looking at screens correlates with increased psychological impact induced by the pandemic. Over all of this lingers a persistent feeling of uncertainty: Will we be sent home again? For many, particularly those without safe home environments to which they can return, the prospect of getting sent home proves not only disruptive but detrimental.

The pandemic has stripped us of our typical coping strategies for stressful times. Student clubs that provide a break from rigorous academics have been limited in their activities or unable to meet, and spring break was, in large part, eliminated. Tufts students are dedicated to their academics, but so few chances for respite erode students’ capacity to remain focused and engaged.

Tufts has taken some measures to address the mental health issues brought about by the pandemic. Tufts Health and Wellness has encouraged student participation in an online mental health education program, Kognito, designed to educate students about how to support peers struggling with their mental health and direct them to resources. Notably, Tufts implemented exceptional pass/ fail again this spring, which students said was crucial to supporting their mental health

and academic success, according to the TCU fall exit survey.

Additional resources offered by Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services, such as workshops and discussion groups, amount to important tools that teach coping skills and build a community around self-care.

Despite this, the barriers to seeking help are insurmountable for many. Lack of trust in counseling services is one of the factors that deter college students from seeking help.

Clearly, this is the case at Tufts; the majority of respondents to the TCU fall exit survey stated they do not believe CMHS meets their needs, and 60% rated the accessibility of CMHS as 5 or lower on a 10-point scale. This, along with the general stigma surrounding mental health issues, makes getting help incredibly challenging.

In order to address the lack of confidence in CMHS, Tufts must act in response to the needs students have clearly expressed. TCU reported that students specifically asked for “increased one-on-one time with professionals” and “increased diversity in CMHS’s staff.” Therefore, Tufts should allocate resources for CMHS to hire more clinicians in order to meet the need for long term, one-on-one counseling. To address the need for greater

diversity, it is critical that CMHS hires more clinicians of color and LGBTQ clinicians. Once students take the initial step of reaching out for help, one that is daunting in and of itself, they must have uncompromised access to the care they need.

To address mental health emergencies, the number of mental health professionals on call must be increased.

Additionally, TUPD should be removed from all mental health crisis calls. Police officers are not equipped to deal with mental health emergencies and may even exacerbate these crises, especially for students of color.

Because the barriers to care are so great, TCU Senate’s recommendation for CMHS to take a more proactive approach to student mental health and to publicize opportunities should be implemented. The Senate also recommended a weekly newsletter from CMHS, which could substantially augment the visibility of essential resources. Additionally, CMHS should leverage students’ passion for mental health care, and hire student ambassadors to promote opportunities to peers and bridge the gap between CMHS and the student body.

Analogous to physical health checkups, Tufts should offer screenings for mental health symptoms and risk factors, and when necessary, the detection of such conditions should lead to a referral for care. Tufts should also mandate Kognito training for all students and faculty, so that everybody is equipped with strategies to recognize signs of mental health difficulties in themselves and others.

In addition to making CMHS more accessible, Tufts must address the effects of social isolation. Students should be offered more spaces and opportunities to safely spend time with friends. Tufts should adopt the Senate’s recommendations to make the JumboLife platform more user friendly and create new social media spaces to help students learn about events.

Once the weather is warmer, Residential Life should facilitate socially distant, outdoor events; spending time outside is a great way to bolster mental health.

Now more than ever, it is important to check in with your friends; it is a myth that asking about mental health issues or suicide will make things worse.

To students who are struggling, know that you are not alone. As it gets warmer and case numbers continue on a downward trajectory, some problems may subside. Nevertheless, the pandemic has elucidated the urgent need to address students’ mental health.

Students need a robust support system, now and always.

8 Friday, March 19, 2021

Sports

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Tufts athletic trainers keep Jumbos running

cation, but said that she was most interested in her minor: athletic training.

Cordeiro continued her education at A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine where she received her master’s degree and participated in a number of clinical rotations, gaining valuable experience with a hand specialist, a strength and conditioning professional, physical therapists and at a 5A high school in Arizona. In Arizona, Cordeiro and one of her colleagues rotated throughout the week as the sole athletic trainer for all of the athletic teams.

At the end of these long Arizona weeks she would be on call at Friday night football games, under the lights, where Cordeiro’s high school would square off against fierce 5A competition that has produced NFL stars like Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk, cornerback Prince Amukamara and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Randall McDaniel. The 5A conference is known as one of the strongest football conferences in Arizona. At Tufts, Cordeiro assists athletes from field hockey, cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s basketball and women’s ultimate frisbee.

Working alongside Cordeiro is Garden State native Young, who has always been involved in sports. Her athletic journey began at two years old, when she was enrolled in gymnastics after revealing an effervescent enthusiasm for climbing. After an untimely high school injury, Young took interest in sports medicine and achieved her Bachelor of Science in athletic training from Boston University in 2014.

Before joining the Jumbo community, Young took on an array of per diem jobs that spanned across varying levels of competition. Looking back on these experiences, Young identified these opportunities as important in shaping her career path.

“I did a lot of high school work, I did a lot of different divisions in college settings which made me more comfortable before I got into a full-time position,” Young said.

Young was able to engage herself in these opportunities, but focused on staying open to all opportunities.

“I wanted to hit the ground running … While also not limiting myself to one setting just yet,” she said. Now in her fourth year at Tufts, the nationally certified athletic trainer is assigned to women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s club Rugby, ice hockey and softball.

With both Cordeiro and Young having a plethora of experience in athletic training across several levels of competition, they agreed that the Div. III setting aligns most with their beliefs.

“It encompasses all the values I have,” Cordeiro said.

Young echoed Cordeiro’s sentiments about the value of Div. III and the athletic experience at a school like Tufts.

“Div. III athletics especially have a really great balance of kids who have high academic standards for themselves and are focused on their sport in the present and right now, but are always pushing towards their future,” she said.

While Cordeiro and Young have both had the privilege of seeing their teams challenge for NESCAC and national cham-

pionships, they said the most rewarding aspect of their occupation is the interpersonal relationships they have built with their athletes. Thinking back to some of her favorite times, Young reminisced on past spring trips.

“Some of my most memorable experiences come from going to Florida with the softball team,” she said.

Although their jobs are focused on athletic training, both Cordeiro and Young try to help athletes in other areas as well.

“I want to give them the skills while they’re in college so they can navigate a little easier when they get out,” said Cordeiro.

With the field of sports medicine constantly evolving, there was recently a shift in qualifications for entry level training positions. Years ago only an undergraduate degree was required, but now a master’s or higher is necessary, according to Young. Cordeiro and Young agreed that earning their master’s degrees was crucial in their development as trainers.

“One of the biggest things for my education is where I went to clinicals,” said Young. Cordeiro concurred.

“The clinical experience is one of the key components now with the entry level master’s degree,” she said.

As people who have gone through undergraduate and graduate degree programs, Cordeiro and Young are always willing to give their athletes and other Tufts students career advice.

“Be true to who you are and try to find something you love doing,” Cordeiro said.

Young emphasized the need for students to stay present, especially in new and exciting environments like college.

“Take a moment to understand where you are, the people around you and the moments you’re experiencing,” she said.

Cordeiro, Young and the other trainers are always willing to talk to students interested in a career in athletic training. They can be found in the Tufts’ sports medicine department on the first floor of the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center.

in recent memory. Throw in some serious organizational stability, a bevy of intriguing young pieces all over the roster and a big market that can pull in free agents galore, and you have a recipe for Eastern Conference dominance for years to come.

Toronto Raptors The Raptors boast an admirable core of young players in Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. But I’m picking the Raptors more for their immensely savvy front office and top notch coach Nick Nurse. This team will keep making smart draft picks and signings, and I’m very confident Nurse will put it all together. Not even a patented Drake curse can stop this team’s bright future.

Boston Celtics I don’t care if they’ve underachieved this season. Jason Tatum is 23, Jaylen Brown is 24 and I’m confident Boston can retain them long term. I firmly believe both players have first team AllNBA caliber ceilings, and that they can pry open a brand-new championship window in a couple of years once they punt away some of their older, less effective veterans.

Charlotte Hornets This team is the definition of up and coming, and they owe a lot of it to rookie phenom Lamelo Ball. He’s undeniably

fun, and he could definitely push for an all-star appearance sooner rather than later. But this team is more than just a Twitter timeline filled with Lamelo Ball highlights. Malik Monk and PJ Washington are both intriguing young pieces who will be hitting their prime soon. If this young core grows well together, and Michael Jordan doesn’t screw up future drafts or free agency, I can see Charlotte becoming a perennial contender.

New York Knicks New York has always been a threat to sign or trade for big names, but in recent years that hasn’t materialized thanks to general organizational incompetence.

Now, they boast a fantastic head coach in Tom Thibodeau and a front office that feels almost competent. They also have RJ Barrett, the often-forgotten sophomore player who’s quietly getting better by the month. As long as this team remains competent, it will always be a threat to make a splash that could immediately vault them into contention.

Cleveland Cavaliers I love the backcourt here, headed by Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, who are 21 and 22 years old respectively. The two will develop very nicely together, and I could see them becoming reminiscent of what we see now in Portland with Damian

Lillard and CJ McCollum. The rest of the roster, save promising rookie Isaac Okoro, is pretty expendable, but that can change quickly in a league of such considerable turnover.

Philadelphia 76ers Philly’s championship window is definitely open, and they’ve exhausted a lot of their assets for the team they put on the floor right now. I expect them to use what they have left to trade for another starter and push for a ring in the next year or two. In five years Ben Simmons will be 29 and still in his prime, and he is talented enough to keep any team afloat. Joel Embiid will be 32 and has already dealt with countless injuries, but the value he presents as either a future trade asset or seasoned veteran big man is enough for me to keep Philly in the running.

Atlanta Hawks I really don’t like Atlanta’s roster or organization, but Trae Young is a brilliant offensive force who can will this team to a playoff seed once he hits his prime. Provided Atlanta can keep him happy, his presence will be enough to make this team competitive.

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

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center is pictured on Aug. 28, 2020.

by Steven Landry Contributing Writer

Tufts’ athletic training staff is invaluable to the success and health of all Jumbo sports teams. They help athletes get back on the field, and they connect with the hobbled Jumbos who can’t be practicing with their teammates. With March being National Athletic Training Month, what better time to meet Pat Cordeiro and Emily Young, two women that come to work with the goal of seeing athletes succeed.

While thinking back to what initially sparked her interest in sports medicine, Cordeiro recalled, “When I was in high school there were no athletic trainers — we didn’t have one at our school.”

Some modern day high school and collegiate athletes might be shocked to hear this, as it’s more common nowadays to have consistent access to athletic trainers.

For Cordeiro, a three-sport athlete in high school, the lack of trainers sparked an interest in sports medicine. Cordeiro graduated from Bridgewater State University with a bachelor’s degree in physical edu-

Aiden Herrod The Fast Break

The Eastern Conference in 5 years

A

couple of weeks ago, I looked at what the NBA’s Western Conference could look like five years down the road. This week, I plan to do the same for the East, an admittedly far more difficult task. The talent distribution is more lopsided, and far more teams are in the uncertain phases of long-winded rebuilds. However, there are still plenty of franchises with bright, sustainable futures on the horizon. Let’s take a look at them now.

Miami Heat Not overthinking my first pick too much. Miami is a team built in equal parts for the present and the future. Current star Jimmy Butler will be 36 in five years, but it won’t matter because Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will both be hitting their primes. Bam is on the cusp of perennial all-star production at 23, and Herro is one of the most exciting second-year players