The Tufts Daily - Monday, April 25, 2022

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VOLUME LXXXIII, ISSUE 50

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Monday, April 25, 2022

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Q&A: TCU presidential candidates talk experience, Senate vision

by Tess Harmon

Assistant News Editor

Elections for the 20222023 Tufts Community Union President will take place April 26-27. The three candidates are Max Morningstar, Jaden Pena and Enrique Rodriguez. All three are seniors. They spoke with the Daily about their experience, qualifications and campaign platforms.

Editor’s note: These interviews have been edited for length and clarity. You can read the candidates’ full responses, plus answers to additional questions, online at tuftsdaily.com.

Morningstar and Pena responded in interviews, and Rodriguez responded via email.

The Tufts Daily (TD): Why should people vote for you? Tell me about your platform.

Max Morningstar (MM): Actually, I think that one of the big pillars of my platform is reforming the Senate.

Specifically, looking over the bylaws, looking over the [Treasury Procedures Manual].

There [are] a lot of very undemocratic elements of Senate right

now. Specifically, the way resolutions are handled and the way Senate statements are handled. At this point, Senate [executive board] is allowed to make statements without the wider approval of Senate, which, just at face value, should never be allowed to happen. … by removing that power, and by forcing any statement released

by Senate to undergo a popular vote, we know that, when Senate speaks, it will be with the voice of the entire student body. In that same vein, resolutions currently are [a] simple majority, in terms of getting them passed, … with abstentions being counted as part of the ‘no’ vote. If we were to just take that as it is, then it’s tyranny by [a] majority and we’ve already seen that go badly for us. Last year, we had a mental health resolution that ended up passing along racial lines, basically — all the white senators in favor, all of the POC senators voting against. They had some concerns about language in the resolution, making mental health services accessible to people of color, [who are] traditionally underserved by mental

health [services]. And the white senators just passed it anyway, sort of over their objections, right, and that should never happen.

Jaden Pena (JP): I think people should vote for me because I believe I have a good track record on Senate. I served as the diversity officer this year and my one goal is to uplift marginalized, underrepresented voices. … I highlight five main areas that I want to acknowledge and address and that’s Administrative; Campus Life; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice; Educational; and Internal Senate Affairs … So, for campus life, my biggest goal is mental health and the revitalization of campus life post-COVID. … For diversity, equity and inclusion … this focuses on continuing my work from this year. I wrote abstracts for two resolutions addressing the “Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution” initiative.

Basically, Tufts pledged $25 million over five years in funds and resources to become an anti-racist institution. Those funds didn’t include identity centers … the see PRESIDENT, page 2

KIANA VALLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

A sign encouraging students to vote in the upcoming TCU election is pictured in the Mayer Campus Center on April 24.

Tufts mourns unexpected Tufts SJP advocates for investigation loss of Danielle Abrams into defacement of cannon

by Zoe Kava

Deputy News Editor

Danielle Abrams, professor of the practice in the performance department at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, has passed away unexpectedly, Interim Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Nate Harrison and Faculty Affairs Advisor to the Dean Eulogio Guzmán announced in an April 21 email to the Tufts community.

“To say Danielle was a beloved member of the community is a vast understatement,” the email read. “Since her arrival at SMFA as a visiting performance artist, Danielle brought an immense joy and deep affection to whomever had the pleasure of meeting her.”

Abrams showcased her performances at galleries, festivals and museums including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, Detroit Institute of the Arts, Bronx Museum of the Arts, the New York Foundation of the Arts and the Urban Arts Initiative. Many of her performances have featured characters that emerged from her interracial family and from

important figures in art history and pop culture.

“Her personal mission to give voice to all who feel marginalized, embodied in her own queer and mixed race identities, made her a powerful spokesperson of the struggles, resilience, and triumphs of traditionally marginalized groups,” the email read.

Abrams was the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Artist Award from the St. Botolph Club Foundation. At the SMFA, she taught courses in beginning and advanced performance, as well as a course titled Social Engagement: Practice and Theory.

Abrams was known amongst her colleagues and students for “her many marvelous, playful, sassy personae.”

“Danielle lifted us during the difficult times and always made us feel something better lay ahead,” the email read. “We mourn the loss of such a splendorous bird and thank her for sharing her song with us.”

Harrison and Guzmán urged students, faculty and staff to see ABRAMS, page 2

by Madeline Wilson Assistant News Editor

A message painted on the Tufts cannon by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine was anonymously defaced on April 20. Tufts SJP painted the message — which read “Free Palestine” — for Israeli Apartheid Week, the club’s annual series of events raising awareness of “Israel’s apartheid system over the Palestinian people.” The cannon was found covered by blue spray paint on Thursday.

The identity of the perpetrator remains unknown.

In a statement on its Instagram account, Tufts SJP expressed its frustration with the defacement.

“Tufts SJP is disappointed and disheartened to learn that the cannon we painted for Israeli Apartheid Week was defaced last night,” the statement read. “This is not the first hateful incident directed at Palestinian students by our fellow students, and it is the second time in the past year that our work has been vandalized.”

The statement referenced a similar defacement that occurred last May, when Tufts SJP painted the cannon in honor of Palestinians who lost their lives in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The cannon was found vandalized with vulgar words and images.

According to the statement, Tufts SJP requested that the Office of Equal Opportunity make a formal investigation

into the previous vandalism, but the results were never publicly reported.

“The Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity said they were opening an investigation into the last cannon defacement, yet no report was made public,” the statement read. “We know the administration will not address this act of racism towards Palestinians but see CANNON, page 2

COURTESY TUFTS STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE

Members of SJP found the cannon vandalized with crude and vulgar images after they had painted it to mourn Palestinians who died in the war between Israel and Hamas on May 14, 2021.

SPORTS / back

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

Seniors excel as women’s lacrosse triumphs over Hamilton

Tufts community reflects on South Korean election

‘Company’ boasts an exceptional company along with an outstanding script and set

NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, April 25, 2022

THE TUFTS DAILY Alexander Janoff Editor in Chief

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The Daily discusses campus politics with TCU presidential candidates PRESIDENT

continued from page 1 five workstreams that were being addressed in that initiative were not adequate, in my opinion. So, something that I really want to work on if I were to be elected is re-evaluating the allocation of the $25 million so that it includes our identity centers.

Enrique Rodriguez (ER): People should vote for me because I am going to be the one that says what needs to be said when it needs to be said. My platform contains 5 pillars which I called the 5 E’s which are: Equity, Equality, Education, Experience, and Engagement. With these pillars it will be very clear that I have action items and have spoken directly with people in the community to make changes that people want to see on campus.

TD: Why do you want to be president? Tell me why you’re inspired to run.

MM: I think one of the things that really inspired me [is] this last semester I was in Washington, D.C. … as part of my political science studies. …

American University is the first all carbon-neutral urban college campus in the United States.

And they’re of comparable size to Tufts. Carbon neutrality seems like this huge, insurmountable sort of thing. But then … talking to people in their student government, talking to people in their administration, they’re sort of nonchalant about it. And so that was really a big wake-up call for me because it showed me that, when you’re driven to get something done, it is not that hard to make it happen. And so, being the president puts you in a unique position because you set the tone for how Senate is going to act and you have the opportunity to be a leader. … I can push for constitutional reform [and] bylaw reform even if I’m not president, and I intend to.

But as president, you have the option to really create the culture of Senate, which is why the position is so important and why I’m running for Senate.

JP: I kind of fell in love with the work that I did this year. I also am running because I believe there [are] a lot of things internally that the Senate can do, and that’s why I’m not running for re-election for diversity officer, and rather for president, because I believe this would provide opportunities to restructure how Senate works. Our constitution and our bylaws were written years ago, probably by privileged white men that were not inclusive of [first-geneneration], low-income and undocumented students or women or people of color, generally speaking. So there [are] a lot of things I want to address in that sense and how we function as a Senate entirely.

ER: I want to be president because I want to represent the voices of Tufts that aren’t always represented, and I want to do it from a position where people will be listening to me. I am doing this because I felt “who better to lead the campus than a voice who is always engaging with the student body and is ready to continue to do so while also being relentless when advocating for equity at all components of campus life?”

TD: What do you consider to be TCU Senate’s role on Tufts’ campus? What about the role of the TCU president?

MM: The role of TCU Senate on campus is — fundamentally — it’s to improve the lives of students. Every action we are taking should be making life better for students. To that end, the role of the president is to make sure that Senate is accomplishing that role. … We need a president who’s going to ensure not just [that] Senate as a whole is doing its job, but every part of Senate is doing its job. We have a lot of different committees on Senate, many of which I know from experience, do very little day to day. For instance, chronically, everybody says, “I don’t know what Senate does,” … It is unacceptable that people do not know what the Senate does. So for that reason, I think we have a lot of these tools that can make

it so that Senate accomplishes that goal of helping students, but we need a president who is savvy enough to use those tools and maximize the impact that Senate’s able to have.

JP: I think the TCU Senate is here to support clubs and organizations to their fullest extent.

I think that our jobs as senators should be to empower and uplift students, the student body and especially student clubs and organizations, whether that be financially, or just empowerment and supporting events that they have. The role as the president, I think, is to be that rock in the heart of the Senate, where senators feel comfortable coming to you and talking about anything that they need to address.

As well as being that person that is accessible to the rest of the student body, where any other student on campus feels comfortable coming to the president and saying, “Hey, this is what I think needs to be addressed on the TCU Senate.”

ER: TCU Senate’s role on campus is to represent the voices of the students on campus on issues that matter to the student body. Senate has a responsibility to advocate for students in ways that they can’t do with just their own voice. The TCU President is the main representative of the student body on campus, they are meant to fight for the underrepresented students and the entire body as well. They have to be level-headed and someone who is tough, in order to handle the strenuous nature of the position and the number of doubts people are going to have about their authority. The TCU president’s role is to be a megaphone about issues that are being overlooked by administrators on campus.

TD: What do you think the TCU Senate does well? How could the organization improve?

MM: I think especially recently, Senate has had a number of programs that have been pretty successful. It’s easy to point to a lot of Senate’s failings. … But

fundamentally, Senate has done a pretty good job of trying to create a campus that people feel safe at. We’ve made statements on important issues before in the past, albeit sometimes a little misguided. … We also have some huge shortcomings and some pretty glaring mistakes that we’ve made. Earlier this year, we had multiple antisemitic incidents [on campus] and Senate said nothing. Which, if you don’t believe that’s the role of Senate, that’s fine. But earlier in the year, the cannon was vandalized, and within two days, Senate had put out a statement. Which means, that by not speaking out on antisemitism, Senate made a choice and they said that this is not important to us.

JP: What I think we do well is we support each other … Our Services Committee, for example: we support projects like the Turkey Shuttle or the prom or the menstrual product drive. But what we can do better is being more accessible to the student body and being more organized in our functions ... I feel like as an official student government that allocates $2.6-plus million dollars every single year, we should be functioning at an extremely high level and [be] very efficient, very precise and accurate and professional with everything we do because … it is almost a profession. We manage a lot of money. We deal with a lot of tall tasks, and I think that’s something that we can work on.

ER: I believe that the TCU organization functions well on a week-to-week basis at getting the routine things done to allow for campus to function properly. I think the weakness of TCU Senate right now is that there is not enough outreach and connection between senators and the people they are meant to represent. With me as president, I would change that. We need to have more interaction with students, and we need to make them more aware of senate procedures and how we can be a resource to them and their passions.

University will not pursue investigation of cannon defacement CANNON

continued from page 1 instead will continue to smear Palestinians and activists for practicing BDS.” BDS refers to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, an anti-colonial movement based off the South African anti-apartheid movement, which many Palestinians and SJP groups have adopted as a means of liberation. The practice calls for the boycott of Israeli goods and corporations on both the personal and governmental levels in order to express solidarity

with the fight against occupation. Tufts SJP launched its BDS campaign in March.

Tufts Executive Director of Public Relations Patrick Collins noted that because the most recent defacement did not include any instances of vulgar or offensive language, no further action would be taken on behalf of the university.

“The administration only monitors the cannon for hate speech and symbols, or sexually inappropriate graffiti,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “Last year, when crude

language and vulgar sexual drawings were used to vandalize SJP’s message on the cannon, the university spoke out strongly against the defacement and investigated. However, in this instance, and with the facts currently available to us, the cannon appears to have been painted over; no hate speech or symbols or sexually inappropriate graffiti were used to our knowledge.”

In this most recent instance of defacement, the words “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag appeared to be covered

by blue paint with no specific messages or images.

Tufts SJP’s statement closed with a message to students to be conscious of injustices — both on campus and in a global context — and to continue fighting for liberation.

“Despite blatant racism and continued opposition, we believe that justice and liberation will prevail,” the statement read. “We encourage our allies and those who support Palestinian liberation to call out injustice and racism when they see or hear it around campus.”

“Rights Along the Shore” at the Boston Center for the Arts on Friday.

Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services is

holding additional drop-in hours the week of April 25, in addition to its normal appointments. The email also included a guide of university

resources, including the Tufts Employee Assistance Program, the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion and the University Chaplaincy.

Community celebrates Abrams' legacy through art ABRAMS

continued from page 1 attend the opening reception for Abrams’ and Professor Mary Ellen Strom’s exhibit

tuftsdaily.com

Features

3 Monday, April 25, 2022

Students, faculty discuss geopolitical implications of South Korean presidential election

Kate Seklir Kate in Paris

by Layla Kennington

his week, while I am on my Tuftsin-Paris spring break, I have found myself with five whole free days to spend in Paris, ones which I am trying to use to soak up the remaining time I have left in this incredible city.

As the end of my program nears — there are only about three weeks remaining — I’ve already started to get that nostalgic and wistful feeling that leaves you constantly thinking of the imminent ending instead of the time remaining.

While sometimes that mindset is motivating (think: finals season), I’ve found it just makes the time you have left pass even quicker. So, I’ve thought of how to slow down that time and allow some of my free days in Paris to unfold without as much of a planned schedule. This might be the antidote to the feeling that my time here is slipping quickly through my fingers (*cue that ABBA song*).

I recently read two books that inspired me to use the rest of my time here to more closely observe the everyday happenings around me, to wander more and to let my surroundings shape my experience rather than trying to control it myself. Both books — “La vie extérieure” by Annie Ernaux and “No. 91/92: A Diary of a Year on the Bus”

by Lauren Elkin — feature their respective authors riding the Paris metros and buses and recording their encounters with everyday Parisian life as it unfolds. So for the past couple of days, I have been trying to do something similar — to slow down and take in the moments happening around me with a more discerning eye.

A key part in this has been my being alone. It was a somewhat daunting fact, at first, to think of spending an extended period of time with just myself. Without the reliability of someone to strike up a conversation with, our chatter partially blurring out what is happening around us, I’ve been left exposed to the city. But, it’s made me listen in on conversations happening in French at the table next to me, ones about the French election and the likelihood of a Marine Le Pen presidency, about whether this museum or that museum would be less crowded on a Saturday afternoon or about translating a very specific type of crepe from Italian to French.

Walking around Montmartre and the Marais, I’ve stopped myself from putting headphones in my ears as I might normally do and made the effort to catalog the colors, sights and sounds swirling about each street. I’ve noticed more closely the precision with which scooters and bikes swerve through crowded intersections, often leaving drivers and pedestrians alike disgruntled and on edge, or the slight price differences between croissants at different bakeries, taking it upon myself to weigh their various merits and determine if one is truly worth more than the other (it’s usually not).

What has been most striking is how clearly I’ve been able to see how comfortable I have become in this city. Three months ago, a day spent alone here would have seemed daunting; now, I would consider five days entirely to myself a luxury.

That’s one of the things I’m sure I’ll miss the most: the way that exploration, independence, solitude and fun can become simultaneous.

Contributing Writer

On March 9, Yoon Suk-Yeol won the South Korean presidency. Along with domestic social movements and housing policies, foreign policy existed as a central voting consideration in the presidential election. Most notably, South Korea’s role in the international sphere is shaped by its complex relationship with the United States, its only treaty ally, and China, its largest trading partner. Yoon, a former graft prosecutor with limited political experience, inherits the responsibility of a nation tasked with juggling these opposing forces.

President-elect Yoon shared in an April 14 interview with The Washington Post that he will bring the country to closer relations with democratic allies, such as the United States and the European Union. Yoon’s perspective is in line with a growing number of countries taking a firmer stance to counter China, particularly in the face of increasing Chinese aggression.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the QUAD, is one such of these alliances among the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The security group operates under a broad agenda to further technology and security, facilitate vaccine production and mitigate climate change.

Sung-Yoon Lee, Kim Koo-Korea Foundation professor in Korean studies and assistant professor at the Fletcher School, explained South Korea’s stance on the QUAD during President Moon Jaein’s term.

“Under the [outgoing] administration, South Korea has been very reluctant to participate in any QUAD meetings, let alone join, because the Moon administration viewed reaching out to North Korea and not offending China to be a high priority,” Sung-Yoon Lee said.

“Whereas the incoming Yoon administration … did say that … South Korea would be more than amenable to joining the QUAD [and] … would work with the U.S. and Australia and Japan on less sensitive issues like technology, environmental policy and so forth.”

Michael Beckley, an associate professor of political science, highlighted the undertones of QUAD. “Even just a few years ago, I don’t think the United States could really count on some of these other countries really getting behind and joining forces with the United States in the same way,” Beckley said. “When I step back and look, it just seems like the QUAD is a manifestation of this broader push … of just creating these ad hoc groupings to compete with China, because people have just been scared and exasperated by China’s behavior over the last decade.”

On top of that, South Korea’s response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war represents a critical foreign policy challenge, according to Sung-Yoon Lee. Overall, he criticized South Korea’s lukewarm stance on the ongoing Ukrainian crisis under the current Moon administration.

“South Korea seems to be overly cautious of Russia … and really far less empathetic toward the tremendous suffering of the people of Ukraine than … most other democracies in the world,” Sung-Yoon Lee said. “The politicians, they remain indifferent … I think

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

South Korea President-elect Yoon Suk-Yeol stands in the center at a presidential campaign. it’s a shame, because South Korea is such a global power.”

Contrary to Moon, however, Yoon is committed to a wider responsibility within the international community. In an April 14 interview with The Washington Post, Yoon stated that there should be increased South Korean aid to Ukraine.

Yoon is a member of the conservative People Power Party. His foreign policy agenda stands in stark contrast to that of Yoon’s progressive predecessor, President Moon.

The Moon administration has been largely characterized by a desire to increase dialogue with North Korea as well as a fear of antagonizing China, according to SungYoon Lee. For many, though, Moon’s stance was translated into deference to North Korea and China, as well as restricted freedom of expression according to a U.N. Human Rights report.

Beckley elaborated on how Moon’s foreign policy was received in the United States.

“South Korea is a very interesting case, because … a few years ago, a lot of policymakers in D.C. were actually worried about the collapse of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance and they saw, under the Moon administration, a regime that was so concerned about being friendly with North Korea and, by extension, China, that they weren’t going to be a reliable ally going forward,” Beckley said.

Echoing Beckley’s sentiment, Sung-Yoon Lee drew attention to the Moon administration’s reluctance to deploy THAAD, an American anti-ballistic missile defense system in 2017. The deployment of THAAD was a security strategy for South Korea to defend against the North Korean missile threat.

To mitigate the economic strain from Chinese sanctions, the Moon administration made the following concessions to China, according to Sung-Yoon Lee: no additional deployment of THAAD, no joining of any U.S.led missile system in the region and no security alliances with the United States and Japan.

“Critics say that South Korea did not even act like a sovereign state and completely caved to Chinese pressure,” Sung-Yoon Lee said.

Sung-Yoon Lee added that the Moon administration failed to counter North Korea’s violation of human rights, in his view, particularly those of North Korean defectors.

“In June 2020, Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued a written statement calling on South Korea to come up with a law to criminalize … sending across the border, into North Korea, leaflets that criticize her government [and] her brother,” Sung-Yoon Lee said. “The South Korean government said ‘okay,’ and came up with a law that bans not only sending

leaflets but everything under the sun, anything that has any minimum exchange value.”

Overall, Sung-Yoon Lee shared his evaluation of the Moon administration.

“Many argue that human rights and democracy have regressed [and] taken a step back under [Moon’s] administration. The U.S. State Department every year issues a human rights report,” Sung-Yoon Lee said. “The latest … came out just a couple of days ago, and it does mention [that] freedom of expression [and] speech in South Korea has taken a step back.”

Leo Lee, a senior from Seoul, South Korea, who voted for Yoon in the presidential election, similarly expressed his discontent with the Moon administration.

“They’ve made it almost too obvious that they’re holding back on the criticism …

There are a lot of people who say, ‘Oh, Moon is just cozying up to his overlords in China and in Beijing and Pyongyang,’” Lee said.

Despite Yoon’s victory, though, the opposing philosophies of both the incumbent president and his successor reveal a deep partisan split among the Korean people. Yoon won by an extremely thin margin, according to The New York Times.

Ryunsu Sung, a junior from South Korea, provided the context behind this year’s contested election.

“I personally disliked both candidates.

I think it was one of the hardest [elections] ever … basically, there was just two versions of Trump from different parties.

That’s what it felt like,” Sung said.

Moving forward, Beckley highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the current trajectory of South’s Korea’s foreign relations and its future.

“Things could swing back the other direction, and probably will, at some point. … It’s kind of like a pendulum going back and forth. But at least for right now, I think South Korea is a really key example of this broader phenomenon of countries, turning against China,” Beckley said.

As Yoon is expected to take office May 10, though, Lee shared his hopes for Yoon’s presidency, especially in light of his previous career as a prosecutor.

“We need to change our approach, which is why part of me is glad that the president is not a politician himself.

Because I feel like this man [has spent] his life … identifying enemies and allies and achieving a goal at all costs. That’s what prosecutors do,” Lee said. “I think at least you can trust his gut feeling. This is a person … at least, we can trust to be honest with us.”

T

On my own

Kate Seklir is a junior studying political science. Kate can be reached at kate.seklir@tufts.edu.

Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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tuftsdaily.com

Monday, April 25, 2022

Ellie Lester and Sadie Leite The Art of Good Soup

Seder? I hardly know her!

‘Company’ puts a fresh spin on a classic Sondheim musical

T

oday, we’re gonna be talking about an uncontested staple. The lifeblood of every Jewish family. The centerpiece of the Seder. The magnum opus of every little grandmother chanting “Dayenu” for the umpteenth time: matzo ball soup, bitch.

This past week, we were apart. But, the soup spanned our geographical barriers. It didn’t matter that one souper was in suburban Connecticut, and the other Jersey (located smack in the center of Satan’s armpit). Also, it should be noted that neither of us lives by the shore. Stop asking.

There’s more to New Jersey than Snooki, we swear.

Anyway, allow us to set the scene. No matter what your family looks like, there are some essential characters at every Seder. There’s the unhinged uncle who somehow manages to lead the meal despite insisting that he drink all four glasses of wine. There are the fun cousins, whom you may or may not have seen for a couple years. They’re still 90% of the reason you agreed to come home in the first place.

There’s your aunt who’s perfectly nice but too involved in family drama.

And — to top the whole operation off — there’s the grandma who wore the same pink, sparkly cardigan for Passover and Easter brunch that coming Sunday. As she should. There’s only so many family-friendly sweaters one can own.

When dinner finally comes, you’re starving and bored. You may or may not be a little wine drunk (if you’re over 21 … this is only conjecture). You may also have a slight taste of gefilte fish in your mouth — because you try it every year even though it’s gross. It’s literally fish loaf. Fish loaf.

However, the matzo ball soup revives you. We just love those big, fluffy balls.

It’s steamy, salty and dressed in your mother’s best china. It comes out piping hot. And you’re so hungry and so bored of hearing about how Moses parted the sea that you don’t even care that, really, you’re just eating soggy, wet bread. You’re just so excited to dig into those balls. To slice into them with a shiny spoon and think about the men you hate.

Tiny carrot slices swirl around the faintly yellow broth. Really, the broth is only there to set you up for the main event. Matzo balls are wonderful but bathed in controversy. Should they be light and fluffy? Or small and compact?

This question is vital for the fate of the bowl. Everyone has their own preference for balls though. Or maybe you don’t even like balls. They can be scary sometimes.

And an acquired taste. We are not going to tell you what to enjoy. Seek your own pleasure.

We rate our respective bowls 10 spoons. For the 10 plagues. We’ve never carried unleavened bread on our backs, but they do still ache from the weight of being the sexiest, coolest, most-fun characters at our Seders. Thank you and goodnight.

Ellie Lester is a sophomore studying sociology. Ellie can be reached at eliana.lester@tufts.edu. Sadie Leite is a sophomore studying English. Sadie can be reached at sadie.leite@tufts.edu.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where the newest version of “Company” (1970) is being performed, is pictured.

by Nate Hall Staff Writer

Last November, the world lost a giant of musical theater when Stephen Sondheim died at the age of 91. His musicals, including “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Sunday in the Park with George” (1984) and “Into the Woods” (1986), had a profound impact on generations of performers and theatermakers. His work lives on in last year’s film adaptation of “West Side Story” (2021) and a recent off-Broadway production of “Assassins” (1990), but perhaps the best commemoration of Sondheim since his passing is the revival of “Company” (1970), currently playing on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Compared to other Sondheim productions, “Company” may not be very well known to mainstream audiences. It first premiered on Broadway more than 50 years ago, and it’s never been adapted for film or television. However, the original 1970 production won 14 Tony Awards, and the current revival, which opened in December of last year, marks the musical’s fourth time on Broadway.

“Company” tells the story of Bobbie (Katrina Lenk), a single woman living in New York, celebrating her 35th birthday. Since its 2018 West End run, the production has been gender-swapped; previous versions of the show featured Bobby, a male lead. Surrounded by her married and engaged friends, Bobbie is the lone bachelorette, and she’s unsure if

she should just be happy with the company of her friends or seek out a romantic relationship. The musical comedy is presented in a series of short, disconnected vignettes that feature Bobbie’s conversations with her friends as she grapples with the pros and cons of marriage and the challenges of modern life.

The production is skillfully directed

by Marianne Elliott, who breathes new life into the classic musical without taking away any of its original appeal. She also directed the 2018 West End run of the show, before which she worked with Sondheim to revise the script, originally written by George Furth.

The 2018 revision that changed Bobbie to a female character was a smart one that allows audiences to approach the show’s material in a different way, and Tony-winning actress Katrina Lenk gives a showstopping performance in the reimagined role. Lenk is a likable protagonist, keeping audiences engaged throughout the show. Additionally, one of the couples in the show was also changed in 2018 to a same-sex pair. In the newest revival, Etai Benson and Matt Doyle play husbands-to-be Paul and Jamie. Doyle gives an impressive performance as the cold-footed groom Jamie (originally Amy), and his rendition of the rapid-fire patter song “Getting Married Today” is one of the show’s high points.

There are plenty of other performances that stand out, like Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber as Sarah and

Harry, a couple whose playful fighting turns into a wrestling match, and Claybourne Elder as one of Bobbie’s boyfriends, Andy. One of the best performances comes from Broadway legend Patti LuPone as Bobbie’s cynical friend Joanne, who brings down the house with “The Ladies Who Lunch,” a sarcastic toast to the lack of meaning in many wealthy womens’ lives.

The production is elevated by clever set design, made up of interchangeable neon boxes that move on and offstage between scenes, keeping pace with the show’s whirlwind script. Minimalist at times, intricate at others, the set takes audiences on a journey through Bobbie’s stream of consciousness as she jumps from one setting to the next. Additionally, the show features colorful costumes that stand out against the set’s muted palette, and the musical’s script is full of humor, which still resonates with audiences more than 50 years later.

Of course, at the heart of the show is Sondheim’s timeless score, with ingenious lyrics and musical motifs throughout. The musical crescendos to the end with one of its most famous songs, “Being Alive,” in which Bobbie comes to terms with her life and decides to take a chance on love.

After an 18-month shutdown, it’s fitting for Broadway to reopen with a heartwarming musical about togetherness and connecting with the people in our lives. Now more than ever, we could all use a little “Company.”

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

Monday, April 25, 2022 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

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6 Monday, April 25, 2022

Opinion

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VIEWPOINT

The attack on reproductive rights continues

by Reya Kumar Opinion Editor

Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that has served as the primary protection for abortion rights since the 1970s, will likely be overturned this summer. Oral arguments were heard last December for the Mississippi case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which asks the Supreme Court to re-evaluate Roe v. Wade. With the current 6–3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, a decision to overturn — or, at the very least, limit — Roe is expected.

The debate over abortion is age-old. Evidence indicates that lack of access to abortions is harmful. A longitudinal study done over 10 years including around 1,000 women who either had an abortion or were turned away from an abortion clinic found that women who got abortions had better economic, mental and physical health.

Meanwhile, there is little reliable evidence to show that abortions

are harmful to those who choose to have them. Though there continues to be much disagreement, Pew Research Center found that a majority of Americans — 59% — believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Ultimately, however, a person’s decision to carry a child in their body for nine months should be no one’s choice but their own.

Once Roe is overturned, the right to abortion will be solely in the hands of the states. States with Republican legislatures are already gearing up to decimate abortion access. Laws to limit or ban abortions in Florida and Oklahoma have recently made the news, as well as the Texas law which essentially placed a bounty on those seeking — or aiding and abetting — abortions.

Twenty-two states currently have laws that would take effect immediately when Roe is overturned, 18 of which place a full or near-total ban on abortion, meaning that the only exception would be made if the mother’s life were at risk.

Additionally, without the protection of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights across the country are in jeopardy. There have been over 82 anti-abortion bills introduced across 30 states already this year. Evidently, every election that threatens to flip a state legislature from blue to red also threatens the right to abortion for the people in that state. It is also possible that a Republicancontrolled White House and Congress could push through a national abortion ban, though it is less likely that the Supreme Court would allow that level of overreach.

It is also increasingly clear that not all people seeking abortions are equally affected by these laws. Out-of-state abortions are an option that exist only to people of means — most can’t afford the high price tag of travel on top of the cost of the abortion itself. This means that these bans have a disproportionate effect on those from low-income communities, especially people

of color who are more likely to be low-income due to the economic consequences of systemic oppression. These restrictions go against the fundamental values of universal rights to reproductive autonomy and access to reproductive health care.

Some states, however, are enshrining the right to abortions in state legislatures. Lead among them are California and Oregon which have also passed laws reducing out-of-pocket costs for abortions. California already requires insurance companies to cover the costs of abortions, and the state recently passed a law eliminating co-pays and deductibles for these procedures as well. Oregon has put aside $15 million to help people from other states travel there to get abortions. Washington has enacted laws which aim to counteract the rhetoric of Texas’s infamous abortion restrictions, protecting people from legal action as a result of involvement in abortions. These blue states,

along with 13 others, are working to protect the right to abortion and become safe havens for abortion-seekers from states where it is illegal.

As I wrote in an earlier article for the Daily, the place where we can make a difference for the lives of LGBTQ teens in the face of a tide of anti-LGBTQ state legislature is at the state level.

The same goes for reproductive rights. Some of the more competitive legislatures include those in Minnesota, Michigan and Arizona. In this midterm year, focusing donations and get-out-the-vote campaigns on state-level elections can make all the difference. If you have the means, donate to abortion funds and groups fighting for reproductive rights across the country — particularly in states like Texas where people are already suffering from bans. It is crucial that we fight this attack on the constitutional rights of bodily autonomy and ensure that everyone has safe and affordable access to abortion.

Opinion Ethan Jaskowiak Ethics of the Environment

Political corruption and the climate crisis

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s the environmentalist movement reaches previously unseen heights and ever more urgent updates on climate change continue to populate major news outlets, the looming question remains: What is standing in the way of climate reform? The answer will not surprise many who follow politics: congressional corruption, especially on the right.

In the wake of Citizens United v. FEC, a 2010 court ruling allowing corporations and unions to contribute unlimited sums of money to political campaigns, corporate influence in politics has exploded. Citizens United opened the door for almost unchecked lobbying through super PACs and other “shadowy organizations,” according to Brennan Center analyst Daniel I. Weiner.

Much of this lobbying is on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, and it has been a thorn in the side of environmental legislation since it went into effect. The most conspicuous evidence of influence by fossil fuel companies comes in the form of federal subsidies for oil and gas extraction. The International Monetary Fund found that the fossil fuel industry

Monday, April 25, 2022 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY received $5.9 trillion in subsidies from the federal government in 2020. These subsidies are overwhelmingly supported by members of Congress whose campaigns receive contributions from the fossil fuel industry.

A 2020 report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences came to a depressing but obvious conclusion: “The more a given member of Congress votes against environmental policies, the more contributions they receive from oil and gas companies supporting their reelection.” This pervasive problem reaches beyond just climate policy, and it’s getting worse. It is also increasingly more partisan, leaning heavily toward Republicans.

In 1990, only 63% of political contributions from fossil fuel companies went to Republicans. By 2018, that figure had risen to 88%. However, the blame is not entirely in the hands of the RNC; Senator Joe Manchin — a Democrat from West Virginia with a history of conservative votes — recently blocked a bill that was dubbed as the “last chance to avoid severe climate crisis impacts.” Additionally, in 2021 a sting video was released showcasing Exxon Mobil’s efforts to halt the progression of climate legislation. As part of this scandal, it was revealed that Exxon had sent nearly $330,000 to the campaigns of Senate Democrats from New Hampshire and Arizona.

Oil and gas companies do not restrain their own influence to U.S. borders; they have been accused and convicted of illegally bribing officials across the world.

Extraction industries like oil and gas are consistently listed amongst the most corrupt industries. A recent conviction of bosses at Unaoil, a Monaco-based fossil fuel company, revealed they bribed officials from nine different countries to secure oil and gas contracts.

Despite grave warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, many members of Congress like Rep. Dan Crenshaw continue to tote fallacies about fossil fuels. “Oil and gas contributes to human flourishing. Period,” Crenshaw recently tweeted. Other politicians, like U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, feel a much greater sense of urgency with this issue. Addressing politicians who fall short of their ostensible goals, he had a curt response: “Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic.”

The best way forward is to promote transparency in politics — especially regarding things like campaign finance — and to research the financial backing of any politician you intend to support.

Websites like OpenSecrets keep track of campaign contributions and their sources for every U.S. politician and are a great way to research your candidates. The future of our world lies in the hands of our leaders, so it is our collective right and responsibility to be aware of who guides these hands.

Ethan is a senior studying biology. Ethan can be reached at ethan.jaskowiak@tufts.edu.

SCIENCE

Bite-Size Science: Guilty verdict for former nurse RaDonda Vaught raises questions about the future of truth-telling in medicine

by Emilia Nathan

Contributing Writer

A nurse was found guilty of gross neglect and negligent homicide last month in a high-profile medical error case that some health care professionals argue could set a bleak precedent for mistakes in medicine.

RaDonda Vaught was working as a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center when, on Dec. 26, 2017, she made a mistake that resulted in the death of her patient, Charlene Murphey. Murphey had been admitted to the neurological ICU at Vanderbilt two days earlier and was prescribed the medication Versed, a sedative for her claustrophobia-related anxiety, before undergoing a positron emission tomography scan. Vaught was tasked with retrieving and administering the medica-

Flora Meng This Week in COVID-19

Tufts reaches highest number of recorded cases in a day, students isolate in dorms

tion but mistakenly grabbed vecuronium bromide, a powerful paralytic. After injecting the medication, Vaught left Murphey.

Later, Murphey was found not breathing, resuscitated and pronounced brain dead.

In court, the prosecution painted Vaught as uncaring and described her as worse than a drunk driver for her lack of responsibility. Despite that, Vaught took immediate responsibility for her actions and owned up to her mistake. In the process of administering the medication, there were indications of a mistake, namely that vecuronium bromide is a powder while Versed is a liquid and that a red warning label on the vecuronium bromide bottle designates it as a paralyzing agent.

On March 25, 2022, Vaught was found guilty of negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult.

Nurses and medical professionals around the country watched the trial closely, with some fearing that the case would set a precedent of regarding medical errors as criminal acts. Vaught worries that her verdict will establish a message against truth-telling in medicine, and expressed concern to CBS News that others in similar positions may “be wary about coming forward to tell the truth. I don’t think the takeaway from this is not to be honest and truthful.” While the prosecution argued that the case was against one individual, not the general nursing community, the verdict raises questions about truth-telling and subsequent self-incrimination by health care professionals. Vaught is currently awaiting her sentencing hearing on May 13.

The average number of positive COVID19 tests per day has declined almost 35% with an average of 32 students testing positive per day in the week before Friday.

This on-campus rise in cases comes as COVID-19 numbers see slight improvements across the county and the state.

Cases have gone down by around 3% in Middlesex County and around 4% in Massachusetts over the past week. A total of 322 individuals were in isolation on Friday, with many students reporting that

they have been instructed to isolate at an off-campus hotel or in their dorm rooms.

Tufts announced new COVID-19 isolation procedures in an email to the university-wide community on April 13 as The Mods and hotel rooms used for isolation neared capacity. If The Mods or hotel isolation options are full by the time a student tests positive, their quarantine procedure will depend on where they live. The university announced that some students may be asked to isolate themselves in their on-campus residences.

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OVID-19 cases are on the decline following a surge on the Medford/Somerville campus. The university reported 25 new cases on Friday, down from 79 new cases on April 12, when Tufts set a record for the most positive cases reported in a single day. The previous record was set on Jan. 3 and April 8, when the university reported 68 cases in one day.

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7

Stephany Sestini The Biggest Misconceptions About College Life

Participating in Greek life is key to avoiding being a loner in college

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tarting your life from scratch is not as glorious and fulfilling as people normally think. As someone who moved to another country at the age of 15, I can personally testify that — as liberating as it sounds — starting over has its own burdens. A few of the main obstacles that one faces when embarking on the college journey is creating new relationships from scratch and ultimately creating a solid friend group. One of the most common ways to achieve that goal, as portrayed by the media and television, is by joining Greek life. wWe have all seen movies or TV shows where the protagonist meets their best friends and has the time of their lives upon entering Greek organizations, such as sororities and fraternities.

While Greek life can be an intriguing part of your college experience, it is not the key to building your desired friend group.

Many undergraduates, such as myself, have found their closest college friends through other means, such as classes, parties, clubs or even in ordinary settings such as dining halls.

The romanticization of college Greek life is presented in many intricate ways in our society; it’s presented as the only scenario in which you meet your “sisters” and “brothers” who will stick by you throughout the rest of your life. In addition, people have constructed the mistaken view that the best parties and social events in college can only occur within a sorority or fraternity, where undergraduates drink from a huge keg of beer and make questionable decisions.

While joining Greek organizations has its many benefits, such as offering a setting for social connection, it also contains quite a few drawbacks as well. Personally, the first time I decided to attend a frat party, I expected to be blown away by that experience; I thought that attending that event was the first step to feeling like I “fit in” at Tufts. However, only a few moments into the party, I came to the realization that Greek life did not suit me in the way that I had envisioned. This led me to lose some hope that I would find a friend group that I truly enjoyed spending time with. If Greek life was the ultimate setting to create friendships, then how come I didn’t feel connected to anyone who was there?

Some might find that Greek life is exactly what they need in order to smoothly transition into college, while others might take another route such as joining clubs, sports teams or even just distancing themselves from the social scene for a while. Everyone has a different way in which they choose to adapt into a new environment whether that means joining social groups or just finding their path on their own depends entirely on each individual person. Doing what feels best for you, even if that may not conform to expectations of the typical social scene, is key to building a friend group that will allow you to enjoy the college experience to the fullest.

Stephany Sestini is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Stephany can be reached at stephany.sestini_hickey@tufts.edu.

8 Monday, April 25, 2022

SPORTS

tuftsdaily.com

Women’s lacrosse shines while celebrating seniors

Sam Dieringer The Step Back

Playoff storylines, hopes and dreams

by Isaac Karp

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Executive Sports Editor

On Saturday, women’s lacrosse stepped onto Bello Field to take on a dangerous conference opponent in No. 13 Hamilton College. The Jumbos flattened the Continentals in a 21–4 victory, and the seniors shined while their families cheered in the stands on Senior Day. Senior goalie Molly Laliberty spoke about what this win meant to the graduating class.

“The way that everybody played together, as a team, I think that’s a true testament to what we want for this team as a senior class and what we hope we can leave an impact on this program,” Laliberty said.

Hamilton struck first under a minute into the game as Continental midfielder Alana King scored to put the away team on the board. First-year midfielder Genna Gibbons responded to tie things up, and the floodgates opened for Tufts as they scored five more goals throughout the first quarter while Hamilton only scored twice. Senior defender Madison Lehan scored an incredible free position shot as she weaved around defenders to find the back of the net with three minutes left in the first. The team’s scoring leader, firstyear attacker Margie Carden, went on her usual tear by scoring a brace in the first quarter alone.

The second quarter was more of the same as Tufts scored five times while Hamilton scored once, bringing the total to 11–3 in favor of the Brown and Blue.

Senior midfielder Anna Clarke streaked up and down the field for the entirety of the game, making great defensive plays and then connecting with the offensive side of the ball. Throughout the game, Laliberty lobbed on target passes to her midfielders and defenders that helped advance the ball constantly. Attacking quickly after making a defensive stop has become Laliberty’s signature move.

Clearly, the offensive game plan has worked recently, as the Tufts offense has scored 43 goals and conceded four in their last two games. At one point, Lehan caught an incredible pass over the outstretched stick of a defender to complete a successful clearance. Laliberty commented on the chemistry it takes to make those kinds of impact plays.

“That’s not happening if we haven’t played together for this long, but I think a lot of the trust and stuff can

COURTESY MEG HATTON

Senior defender Madison Lehan is pictured celebrating women’s lacrosse’s Senior Day win on April 23. come from everyday practice, making those like sellout gritty plays, even when it’s just like the end of a drill rather than the end of a big game,” Laliberty said.

The second half went along the same lines as Clarke, Carden, senior attacker Mae Briody, junior attacker Caroline Walter and senior midfielder Kathryn Delaney all scored to bring the Jumbos’ lead to 17–4. Defensively, Tufts worked hard to keep Hamilton from scoring for

the entirety of the second half. Tufts scored four more goals in the fourth quarter to make the final score 21–4.

After a season with many ebbs and flows that included losses to Amherst, Colby and Middlebury, Tufts has bounced back to end their season strong and is looking to capitalize on their recent string of wins to carry them throughout the playoffs. They play their final game of the regular season against Bowdoin on Wednesday.

s the rubble settles from the allout gauntlet that was the NBA regular season, all sights are set on the postseason. With razor thin margins separating each playoff team in the East, and multiple heavy hitters in the West, it’s time to review the biggest storylines to follow as this year’s NBA Playoffs continue.

Who’s coming out of the East?

At the beginning of this season, the Brooklyn Nets were not only the clear-cut favorites to come out of the East, but overall championship favorites. Barring a miracle, the Nets now look to be swept out of the first round as they find themselves in a 3–0 hole. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving all but eliminated, what other team will ultimately prevail? Perhaps it’s the ferocious defensive juggernaut within the Boston Celtics. Maybe it’ll be the squad of the likely MVP Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers or the well-rounded Miami Heat. However, assuming health is not an issue, it’s hard to bet against the defending champions — the Milwaukee Bucks.

How will injuries impact the rest of the playoffs?

Like many other playoffs, injuries could, again, become the deciding factor of who ultimately comes out on top. Two of the league’s title contenders will be without key pieces for at least several weeks — the Bucks and their All-Star Khris Middleton, and the Suns and their superstar guard in Devin Booker. While both teams remain potent even without their respective players, healthier teams like the Celtics and Warriors have a real chance of capitalizing on the depletion of their opponents.

Which MVP candidate is most likely to make a deep playoff run?

The outlook for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award is officially a three-headed race. At the end of the season, Nikola Jokić, Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo each have legitimate cases to take home the award. Of the three, I once again believe Antetokounmpo has the best shot to make a deep run. He’s already a two-time MVP, NBA champion and Finals MVP, with one of the most objectively well-rounded supporting casts in the entire league. Perhaps Jokić and the Nuggets could make a run with a healthy Jamal Murray or Embiid could fire on all cylinders with superstar James Harden. However, this looks like another trip to the NBA Finals for Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Who will be crowned champion?

This NBA season has been full of pleasant surprises. The resurgence of the Golden State Warriors. The rise of the young Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. The incredible mid-season turnaround by the Boston Celtics. However, with only two making it to the finals and one coming out on top, I have to place my bets on experience, depth and leadership. While it’s not the flashiest pick, I truly believe that we will see a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. This time, however, I predict that the Phoenix Suns will be the ones to come out on top, avenging last year’s finals loss and capturing Chris Paul’s first NBA title.

Sam Dieringer is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Sam can be reached at samuel.dieringer@tufts.edu.

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