The Tufts Daily - Friday, September 10, 2021

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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 3

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Friday, September 10, 2021

Preliminary Boston mayoral election nears, involves students in city politics

2020 local-level census data shows significant population growth in Medford, Somerville

by Michael Weiskopf Assistant News Editor

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A collage of Michelle Wu, Andrea Campbell, Kim Janey, Annissa Essaibi George and John Barros, candidates running in the preliminary Boston mayoral election, is pictured.

by Ella Kamm Staff Writer

The Boston mayoral race will be narrowed from five major candidates to two candidates in a preliminary election on Sept. 14.

The election has provided Tufts students with opportunities to get involved in municipal politics and gain experience in grassroots organizing.

Of the five major candidates in the running for mayor, four are currently competitive according to NBC Boston. A Suffolk University/ Boston Globe poll taken Sept. 7 indicates that City Councilor Michelle Wu is in the lead, followed by acting Mayor Kim Janey, City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George and City Councilor Andrea Campbell. “[Wu] has a moderate lead in two most recent polls,” Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Berry said. “Whoever emerges second, assuming Wu finishes first, is going to be in a competitive position.”

Berry said that while incumbents typically have a significant advantage in Boston mayoral elections, Janey has not seen that same incumbent advantage.

Janey assumed the role of acting mayor in March when former Mayor Marty Walsh resigned to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

“Based on these polls, she has declined a little bit over the past month or two,” Berry said.

“It is a bit surprising that she’s not doing better in the polls.”

When it comes to important issues in Boston city politics, Berry said the cost of living is most likely the biggest thing on many voters’ minds. According to an Emerson/7 News poll taken Aug. 23–24, 19% of Boston

voters consider housing to be their top issue.

“A lot of voters are frustrated and would like there to be some change so that paying their rent or a mortgage is more reasonable,” Berry said. “I think they’re also smart enough to recognize that none of the five candidates can really change that significantly. Nevertheless, when we ask people what concerns them, the cost of living and especially the cost of housing is likely to come up on top.”

Education has also been a major topic of the race, according to Berry.

“Education is also a perennial issue in Boston,” he said. “Parents are frustrated that schools are not better, and there’s a lot of debate over access since Boston has some competitive admission schools …

Whether or not the voters believe that any one of [the candidates] is actually going to change the school system is unclear, but they are speaking powerfully and extensively about education.”

According to Justin Hong, a campaign and advocacy fellow for the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), Wu has made global warming a key issue in her campaign. ELM, which endorsed Wu, advocates for climate oriented policies at the state and municipal levels. “[Wu’s] plans–such as her proposed citywide Green New Deal–demonstrates an understanding of the intersectionality between climate change and issues like public health, transportation, and housing policy,” Hong, a sophomore, said in an email to the Daily.

Many of the issues being discussed by the candidates have

implications for students and residents of nearby communities, driving some students to get involved with campaigns. Violet Kopp, an organizing fellow for Michelle Wu, said that decisions made on issues like transportation and climate change in Boston will have an impact on Tufts students.

“There is a Green Line [Extension] stop coming to campus,” Kopp, a sophomore, said.

“Michelle is the transportation candidate, and expanding public transportation is a huge deal.

That’s one of those concrete, day-to-day things that are going to be affecting Tufts students.”

Hong also said that Wu’s proposal to make public transportation free would impact his relationship with the city of Boston.

“With free public transit, I would go into the city and travel around the Metro area much more often,” he said.

For Kopp, getting involved with Wu’s campaign was inspired by an endorsement from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose presidential campaign she had previously worked on.

“When I saw not only that [Warren] had endorsed this mayoral candidate, but that it was a mayoral candidate for a city that I was temporarily living in … I really wanted to get involved,” Kopp said.

According to Kopp, a big challenge for her was becoming familiar with Boston and its many neighborhoods. Most of her work involves coalition building in Hyde Park, includsee MAYOR, page 2

The U.S. Census Bureau released its local-level data from the 2020 census on Aug. 12. The data showed significant population growth in Medford and Somerville and statewide since 2010.

According to data published by the Boston Globe, the city of Medford reported a 6.2% increase in its population, and Somerville grew by 7.0%. In total, Massachusetts’ population increased by 7.4%. The cities have also become more diverse, with people of color comprising about a third of the residents of each city.

Jeffrey Berry, professor of political science at Tufts, explained that he was struck by the increasing diversity in Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts has become increasingly diverse,” Berry said. “[It] is a much different state than … even 10 years ago.”

Berry also said that he was surprised that Massachusetts’ population had grown.

“The other thing that stood out to me was that Massachusetts did grow some. We’ve lost congressional representation over recent decades,” he said. “It has a lot to do with just how expen-

sive it is to live in Massachusetts, and that the economy really works well for those that are very highly educated, and not quite as [well] for other people … but the population is up, and I think that’s really significant for the state, moving forward.”

According to Medford resident and Tufts student Drexel Osborne, the changes in population are becoming more and more evident.

“Having lived there, I definitely have noticed that it has [changed],” Osborne, a sophomore, said. “I think that it’s been sort of on the collective consciousness of Medford that it has been getting more and more diverse … in the past 10 years [it has] certainly changed.”

Karissa Hand, spokesperson for Drawing Democracy, an organization that promotes fair redistricting in Massachusetts, described the implications of the state’s increased diversity.

“We saw particularly strong growth in Massachusetts’ Gateway cities, which tend to have larger populations of BIPOC, immigrant and low-income residents,” Hand wrote in an email to the Daily. “These trends underscore the importance of ensuring these comsee CENSUS, page 2

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

A house on University Place is pictured on Sept. 9.

ARTS / page 5

FEATURES / page 3

SPORTS / back

Ella Jane living out her dreams with new EP drop

How students founded and adapted volunteer organizations during pandemic

Men’s soccer picks up where they left off with victory over MIT

NEWS

1

FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

5

FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, September 10, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Madeleine Aitken Editor in Chief

— EDITORIAL — MARIEL PRIVEN KATE SEKLIR Managing Editors

PRIYA PADHYE ETHAN STEINBERG Associate Editors Alexander Janoff Executive News Editor Jill Collins Executive Features Editor Phoebe Wong Executive Arts Editor Paloma Delgado Executive Opinion Editor Ananda Kao Executive Sports Editor Alex Viveros Investigative Editor Hannah Harris Sruthi Kocherlakota Executive Audio Producers Sophie Dolan Michelle Li Executive Photo Editors Ty Blitstein Executive Video Editor

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Tufts mailroom to feature new alerts system, electronic kiosks for fall 2021 semester

by Fernando Cervantes Contributing Writer

In a logistical update, the Tufts mailroom is launching a new alerts management system and electronic kiosks starting this semester. Later in the semester, Mail Services also anticipates handling students’ external shipping needs directly from the Tufts mailroom. These updates were announced via an article on AccessTufts, the school’s administrative website, on Aug. 2.

Mailroom alerts, which will now be provided by Ricoh, a Japanese technology company, will make notifications of packages more seamless, according to AccessTufts.

Another major addition this year is the installation of kiosks in the mailroom. The kiosks will allow students to check in and receive their packages in a timely manner.

“When you do come to the Mail Center, we look forward to seeing you, but we plan to make it a quick visit,” the AccessTufts article said.

“The new Kiosks will allow you to swipe your ID when you walk in and we will meet you at the counter with your package.”

Jennifer Wood, Ricoh’s partner executive for higher education, explained some of the changes students may see when entering the mailroom.

“Returning students will notice there is more space when you walk in,” Wood wrote in an email to the Daily. “When you swipe your ID at the new kiosks, you immediately see how many packages are ready for you. At

that instant, several big monitors light up in the back with your name, how many packages you have, as well as other details that help the team find them as quickly as possible.”

Cory Pouliot, senior facilities director, explained why Tufts made the decision to update the mailroom’s logistics.

“Over the past several years, there were increasing concerns raised by students and parents about the service they were receiving from Mail Services,” Pouliot said in an email to the Daily.

Jason McClellan, Tufts’ senior director of auxiliary services, discussed some of the benefits that this new system will bring to students.

“This new program should also reduce the wait times for items at the mailroom,” McClellan said in an email to the Daily. “Additionally, students will be assigned these virtual mailboxes during their entire time at Tufts, regardless of what residential unit they are residing in.”

So far, students have found the new system to be a great addition to the Tufts community, but have also pointed out some remaining flaws.

“Even though [the kiosk] only tells you if you have packages, it saves time overall in your trip to the mailroom,” Elli Cho said in an email to the Daily. “The workers seemed less stressed and [more] focused on handling packages.”

However, Cho, a sophomore, also pointed out that the mailroom still experiences long and slow-moving lines, suggesting that the new system

still has some kinks to be worked out.

According to Wood, Ricoh is currently committed to managing Mail Services logistics in a manner that would improve the student experience.

“Listening to students, we are exploring ideas to make students’ lives easier during move in,” Wood said. “The team has lots of great ideas already and we look forward to seeing this relationship evolve.”

Another major addition this semester, according to Wood, is the option for students to buy shipping materials and send packages straight from campus.

Wood anticipates this service launching later this semester.

“We are planning to launch a new service on campus this fall, where students will be able to send packages from the mail center, as well as, buy boxes, packing supplies and stamps, all conveniently on campus in the center,” Wood said.

Sophomore Destiny Strange is open to the concept, but would prefer an alternative

shipping method if given the choice.

“Using the mail center would not be my first option for shipping packages,” Strange said in an email to the Daily. “I am more excited about having a place close [by] to buy boxes and tape for shipping than the actual shipping service itself.”

According to Wood, the mailroom is undergoing plenty of behind-the-scenes updates as well. These updates include automation, new employee training, trend analysis and consistent fine-tuning to minimize wait times.

McClellan expressed optimism about the mailroom’s new system and looks forward to seeing how students will respond.

“We want to make sure we are providing the highest level of service to our students and [the] rest of the Tufts community,” McClellan said. “I am optimistic that this new system will be a great improvement and that student satisfaction will increase as this new platform is rolled out.”

Students wait in line inside of the mailroom to get their mail and packages.

and Somerville for a year, what do I know?’”

Kopp said that she hopes Tufts students will recognize the power of city politics and get involved.

“I think that a lot of attention is often focused, for good reason, on federal politics, but we have

so much more of an opportunity as individuals to make a change if we get involved hyper-locally in our communities,” she said.

“And you know, what better way to do that than getting involved in a local city race?”

For Hong, the possibility of having more representation

among elected officials is exciting.

“On a personal note, the mayoral race is important to me on the issue of representation,” Hong said. “As a fellow Taiwanese American, I am extremely excited about the prospects of having representation in a prominent elected office!”

”Overall, it’s not going to affect politics in Massachusetts very much at all … because we’re a one party state, and Democrats dominate everything except for the governor’s office,” he said.

“I think for the average voter in Medford and Somerville, state politics is going to look pretty much the same as it has.”

Berry also explained that the Tufts campus is not likely to experience any major changes in its representation.

“Tufts’ population has not changed for 10 years in terms of … faculty and staff in the area,” he said. “The real question is, is Tufts going to be entirely in one district? … I don’t know the answer to that, but I don’t think it’s going to affect the degree to which the university feels that it has a voice at the State House. Whoever is represent-

ing areas around Tufts … will be highly responsive to talking to Tufts.”

Hand argued that Massachusetts residents should be paying close attention to the redistricting process.

“The census data determines how many Members of Congress and electoral college votes your state has,” she wrote. “Elected representatives shape policy and direct resources toward key aspects of our society, such as education, health care and transportation. There is too much at stake for Massachusetts residents not to get involved and make their voices heard during the redistricting process.”

Osborne echoed Hand’s statement on the importance of redistricting.

“I think particularly in Medford it’s important, especially because

… the people who live in … more diverse areas … don’t have as much control over the local political sphere,” she said. “There also is a history in Medford of people running and remaining in political office for 30 [or] 40 years … things are definitely starting to shift away from that, but I think it’s definitely very much still affecting Medford.” “[Drawing Democracy’s] goal is to draw a statewide map of new electoral districts that keeps our communities whole and supports majority minority districts, where BIPOC people make up the majority of eligible voters of the district,” Hand wrote. “This is essential for ensuring that districts reflect the rich diversity of our commonwealth and ensure that voters can elect candidates of their choice.”

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Housing, environment, transit top priorities of Boston mayoral candidates MAYOR

continued from page 1 ing talking to religious and interfaith groups about Wu’s campaign.

“I’m from New York City,” she said. “The greatest challenge [for me] is that little imposter syndrome of ‘I’ve lived in Medford

Mass. becomes more diverse, according to 2020 census CENSUS

continued from page 1 munities have fair representation and an equal voice in our democracy.”

Berry discussed how Massachusetts’ congressional districts might change based on the 2020 census data.

“The growth [is] certainly not equal across the state … [There was] a little bit more growth in Boston and the Boston suburbs, [with] less so in the western part of the state,” Berry said. “The district that covers the west is going to physically grow. That means [the district] will have to move more toward the east so that it has the right number of people. So conversely, some other districts will shrink.”

Regarding redistricting on the state level, Berry believes drastic change is unlikely.

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Features

3 Friday, September 10, 2021

New and existing volunteer organizations optimistically enter upcoming academic year

COURTESY HANNAH PEARL

Members of Project Sunshine are pictured assembling “Sunshine Kits” for pediatric hospital patients.

by Katie Furey Features Editor

Despite the barriers to connecting with each other created by the COVID-19 pandemic, several Tufts students were able to create new communities during the 2020–21 academic year in the form of volunteer organizations.

Two of these new clubs were Tufts chapters of the national organizations Project Sunshine and Camp Kesem. In addition, Teach-in-CORES was able to adapt to a new virtual format.

Project Sunshine was founded in the fall of 2020 by now-juniors Hannah Pearl and Kayla Butera.

Pearl spoke about the mission behind Project Sunshine.

“The goal of Project Sunshine is basically just to bring social interaction and fun to pediatric patients in hospitals,” Pearl said.

Because Tufts students were not able to physically enter hospitals last year due to the pandemic, Project Sunshine took part in several remote initiatives. The club met in person during the spring 2021 semester to assemble “Sunshine Kits” for pediatric hospital patients. “[In the Sunshine Kits,] there’s crayons and journals, and just hands-on things that are age specific, and it helps [the patients], especially during COVID when they’ve been pretty isolated,” Pearl said.

Project Sunshine members also participated in a virtual program known as TelePlay.

“Project Sunshine started this platform called TelePlay, which is

where we play different pre-approved games on a HIPAA compliant Zoom,” Pearl said. “We play Scattergories, Guess Who, and there’s like a winter theme, an animal theme, holidays themes.”

Looking forward to the upcoming school year, Project Sunshine is hoping to pair with a local hospital and start in-person visits, but the logistics of that will be determined by officials at the national Project Sunshine level.

“Project Sunshine National … [reaches] out to whoever the supervisor or coordinator is at a local hospital for us,” Pearl said. “I’m not exactly sure what the specifics are going to be …

I’m pretty sure we’ll all need to be vaccinated, and I think it just depends on the specific hospital and what their policies are.”

Similar to Project Sunshine, the Tufts chapter of Camp Kesem was also founded during the 2020–21 academic year.

Camp Kesem is a summer camp that is specifically for children who have been impacted by a parent’s cancer. Ilona Eaton, the founder of the club at Tufts, discussed the mission behind Camp Kesem.

“Kesem is a national organization, and they have chapters at over 100 college campuses,” Eaton, a junior, said. “Basically, their mission is to give kids a chance to have fun and create community and experience a fun, free week of camp that otherwise would not have happened.”

Last year, the club at Tufts spent the majority of its time working on an application to Kesem National.

“We had to go through a big application process with Kesem National before we could become a club at Tufts,” Eaton said. “That took probably six months just to complete and submit the application and get approved.”

This year, Camp Kesem at Tufts hopes to have both in-person and virtual programming in preparation for hosting the kids camp at Tufts in the summer of 2022.

“We will be having club meetings … We’re going to do a lot of fundraising this year because we need to raise $30,000 for our first 30 campers, and then also hoping to do fun events, whether that be fundraising or bonding just to get the community growing at Tufts,” Eaton said.

Teach-in-CORES is another Tufts volunteer service organization looking forward to the new school year and the positive changes it could bring. However, unlike Project Sunshine and Camp Kesem, Teach-in-CORES has been at Tufts for several years.

The organization provides Tufts students with the opportunity to teach English and American citizenship lessons to local immigrants and refugees through the CORES Center in Somerville.

Christina Fleury, co-president of Teach-in-CORES, discussed how the organization adapted to the challenges of the 2020–21 academic year and the impact those changes will have on the upcoming year.

“[In a non-pandemic semester,] students at Tufts will head over to the CORES Center once a week. The classes are offered like every day of the week, but one particular tutor would only go once, and we teach the English as a Second Language (ESL) and citizenship classes,” Fleury said.

Fleury noted how this organizational structure was fundamentally altered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel like some clubs were really able to adapt to an online mode, but this is the kind of thing that you really couldn’t, especially since we’re working with a community-based organization,” Fleury said. “There were no classes at all last year, which was difficult mostly for the center because that’s really how they support themselves.”

Despite the CORES Center’s not hosting classes, members of Teach-in-CORES stayed connected as a club and supported the center through virtual initiatives.

“We focused on different things to help support the center.

One of them was … improving the digital infrastructure of the center, like creating their mobile website,” Fleury said. “[Another effort] was awareness. They continue to spread awareness about issues involving and surrounding immigration and ESL.” Teach-in-CORES had an education committee focused on developing curricula for the upcoming year as well as a fundraising committee that helped support the center financially.

Fleury said the center is tentatively planning on resuming in-person classes — following public health guidelines — starting Sept. 20. Fleury noted that while club members are itching to return to the classroom, there is also significant value in the virtual work the club did this past year, so they are still deciding how, if at all, they will incorporate those virtual initiatives.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to use those virtual committees in the same capacity as we did because students will be teaching, but we’re hoping to find a balance because I feel like it was a bit of a silver lining throughout the pandemic to really be able to focus on those other areas … That really hasn’t been decided yet,” Fleury said.

According to Fleury, a key part of establishing this balance between last year’s virtual initiatives and the coming year’s likely in-person teaching is increasing the number of members of Teach-in-CORES. “Especially if we incorporate some of the virtual committees into this, I feel like we will need a lot of people,” Fleury said.

While Tufts’ community service organizations remain versatile as ever — both starting and changing despite the adversity of the past year — they seem hopeful that with adequate vaccination rates and the following of CDC guidelines, more personal, face-to-face interaction can occur between Tufts students and community members this coming year.

Transfer students look to increase their voices on campus

by Kayla Butera Features Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a lot of moving pieces — and for some, this meant moving to another school.

Transfer students experience hurdles in moving universities, ensuring their course credits fol-

low them, and ultimately succeeding academically and socially in their new institution. That’s where the Tufts Transfer Student Association comes in.

“We want to make transferring an easy and enjoyable process at Tufts and let people transition to being students in our university, without worrying

about finding friends, taking the right classes or any of that stuff,” Tait Smith, Tufts Transfer Student Association president, said.

Smith, who had attended the University of Tulsa, had the intention of transferring the moment he stepped on his last campus.

“I decided to come to Tufts because my friend was an incom-

ing freshman at the time and she would not shut up about Tufts,” Smith said.

While Smith knew Tufts was the school for him from the onset, for Carly Siciliano, vice president of Tufts Transfer Student Association, Tufts became a clearer choice after spending more time at her

original school. She came from Northeastern University as a chemical engineering major and appreciated Tufts’ collaborative and open curriculum that would allow her to pursue both biomedical engineering and be on the pre-med track. see TRANSFER, page 4

4

THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Friday, September 10, 2021

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Transfer group provides community for newcomers to Tufts

BY ANNABEL NIED TRANSFER

continued from page 3 “I knew I would also be a successful pre-med at Tufts just by the amount of people that go here as a pre-med and the research and opportunities that people have at the school,” Siciliano said.

Transferring is more of a common practice than most may realize. During the 21st century, almost 60% of students attended multiple institutes, transferred and/or co-enrolled prior to graduating. Though transfer enrollment at public four year universities remained stable during the pandemic, overall transfer enrollment has decreased — understandably so, since the pandemic presented its own challenges during the transfer process.

“I had trouble because I had to get my high school transcripts and they weren’t open, and then I had to email every single teacher and get them to sign a PDF virtually,” Siciliano said. “It was just really compli-

cated, and I had a lot of misinformation from my old school on the documentation that I didn’t and did need, and all the offices were closed.”

Olivia King, ambassador of Tufts Transfer Student Association, who transferred before the pandemic, is hoping the group’s work will help normalize the transfer process.

“It was something that I got a lot of backlash for and I wanted to make the experience less taboo in a way. I had to convince so many people that I knew what I was doing, or that I had a gut feeling about transferring,” King wrote in an email to the Daily.

According to Smith, the club was born out of a need to improve the transfer process. Now, the Tufts Transfer Student Association is working to strengthen ties with the university to improve pathways for transfer students.

“I was kind of annoyed at Tufts on how they dealt with trans-

ferring during the pandemic, so essentially what happened is I just made a post on Facebook asking people who might want to be on the e-board,” Smith said.

Smith has since recruited Siciliano and King, and is looking to attract members out of the 40–50 students who transfer to Tufts each year.

This partnership will create a pipeline for cultivating a sense of community and belonging for newcomers. It hopes to help students avoid transfer shock through student engagement.

King also wants to maintain support and recognize the transfer student process.

“Transfers are a slight focus during orientation, but after that week, we are dropped off the radar. We want to change that,” King wrote. “Personally, I also feel that having a club designed for a certain group validates that experience and that transition, rather than having it be a looked down upon decision.”

In pursuit of creating a support system, the club has even started a GroupMe among transfer students, where e-board members moderate and answer any troubles, including that of housing.

“Someone said they got a message that their on-campus housing was an error so we’re trying to make that process easier for them, because a lot of them are struggling to find off-campus housing,” Siciliano said in early August.

The club is also hoping to host social events, giveaways and question and answer sessions with prospective students on platforms like Instagram and Reddit. Throughout these events, Smith strives to present an accurate representation of the Tufts experience.

“We don’t want to lie — we want it to be a good fit for them,” Smith said.

In regards to working with the university, the club is seeking to create a large transfer voice in school decisions. According to King, Tufts Transfer Student

Association is trying to have a representative in the Tufts Community Union Senate to represent transfer students.

This year, the American Council on Education’s National Task Force on the Transfer and Award of Credit issued a report highlighting areas of improvement for transfer students. The report calls for adjusting barriers in accessing transcripts, increasing transparency around what credit will transfer, improving resources for quality advising and more. One of the biggest components that the club hopes to address is the ability for transfer students to take gap years and receive guaranteed housing.

When it comes to the transfer process, the Tufts Transfer Student Association is the link in the chain.

As King wrote, “[We] hope that students looking to transfer can see that Tufts and its students provide support for them from the day they transfer to even beyond graduation.”

ARTS & POP CULTURE

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Friday, September 10, 2021

Ella Jane shares debut EP ‘This Is Not What It Looks Like’

by Maeve Hagerty Arts Editor

Content warning: This article briefly mentions body dysmorphia.

Most everybody knows someone from high school who had big dreams about becoming a successful singer-songwriter. Ella Jane is what those high school dreams are made of. A girl from a community that seemed to convince her, as so many do, that “no one pursues anything creative because there’s no money in it,” now finds herself signed to a record label with her debut EP dropping today.

Listening to her new EP “This is Not What it Looks Like!” clarifies that sometimes creativity wins and distinguishes what exactly makes Ella Jane stand out from the other dreamers out there.

Ella Jane, from Westchester, N.Y., finished her first year at Tufts in May and is about to embark on a gap year to pursue her promising musical success. She described her first-year experience at Tufts during a pandemic while trying to make herself heard as a singer-songwriter in a Daily article published in Dec. 2020. Now, in a new interview conducted with the Daily this summer, Ella Jane spoke about the development of her music career since then, her EP and her plans for the future.

“This is Not What it Looks Like!” is composed mostly of the prereleased singles which have already garnered Ella Jane over 650,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The track list includes the first single she released on Spotify, “The City,” the successful “Nothing Else I Could Do” which has accumulated over 9.5 million streams on Spotify as of press time, the poppy “August is a Fever,” “Bored & Blind,” “Thief,” “The Sellout” and this writer’s personal favorite “Through the Looking Glass,” which was released today with the EP. When asked what differentiates her from other aspiring singer-songwriters, Ella Jane humbly admitted that she was on the track to be an English major and a music minor, so for her, lyrics are the most important part of a song. The vulnerability and the emotion she expresses in her lyrics reflect the kind of meaning that she believes makes music special.

VIA ELLA JANE

Ella Jane debuts her EP “This Is Not What It Looks Like!” which features seven indie-pop songs Since being signed to the Fader Label in 2020, home to other indie music notables Clairo and Lewis Del Mar and associated with The Fader Magazine, Ella Jane has seen her artistic vision realized and her platform for her own brand of “pop music that can pack a punch” expanded.

She described her experience during her first year at Tufts doing Zoom calls with different record labels all from her tiny single room in Carmichael Hall.

“I was on the side of the building where there was no natural sunlight; I was facing the dumpster. I was holed up in this tiny room on Zoom calls all day,” she said, but described the moment when Jon Cohen, co-founder of the Fader Label, quoted a lyric from a SoundCloud demo of

“The Sellout” as the realization that these people “really liked my music and got it — and got me.”

She explained that “it’s been a lot more collaboration” since being signed, whereas before she wrote all of her songs in her room at home or the song-writing camp she attended when she was 15 years old.

“It’s kind of hard to go into a room with some 30-year-old dude I’ve never met and be like: ‘Here’s my emotional trauma, let’s write about it,’ she said. “It’s been challenging but it’s been really valuable, I think.”

And her more recent releases reflect that collaborative production quality. The EP’s new single, “Through the Looking Glass,” which discusses some of her struggles with her mental health over

a lilting piano and twisting string harmonies, is a song which Ella admitted she was a little nervous to release.

“It’s probably one of the most personal,” she said, and adding that when she wrote it, years ago, “I was really struggling with body dysmorphia and my relation to food wasn’t great.”

Seeming to sing a ballad to herself, she croons “I can’t change, change myself with my own hands/ Take a knife and carve me over, and over, again.” As the song progresses, it builds as none of her previous ones have: reaching a crescendo and growing quiet again as she sings “I feel it closing in/ Let the end begin and change the rhythm of my heart.”

As she teased some new singles to be released after the EP as well

as the announcement of two concert dates in December 2021, she admitted that her future at Tufts was “dependent on the way this year pans out.” “This is Not What it Looks Like!” may be in large part an accumulation of prereleases, but it also serves as a map of Ella Jane’s personal growth as an artist from her first Spotify release “The City” to the new “Through the Looking Glass.”

Ella Jane is down to earth and yet larger than life at once: an artist with talent, ambition and a humbling sense of self that enriches her music and ensures the listeners’ “genuine, organic reaction to it” that convinced her to continue pursuing it. “This is Not What it Looks Like!” is a debut to be proud of and just a taste of what more Ella Jane has to offer.

‘The White Lotus’ was the best show of the summer

by Emmy Wenstrup Assistant Arts Editor

In mid-July, as the delta variant just began to tighten its grip on American communities, viewers turned their minds to the luxurious Hawaiian fantasy presented in HBO’s “The White Lotus” (2021), which follows a spattering of ridiculously wealthy vacationers and staff at a fictional resort of the same name. Instead of blissful escapism, though, the

series offers occasionally sharp social satire mixed in with topnotch character work that proves the show to be much more than a lowly pandemic binge.

From the outset, the show lets viewers know that it will be a murder mystery. After an unknown body is loaded onto a plane, the show flashes back to the beginning of the vacation, before the murder. Most shows would hyper-fixate on the mystery, but “The White Lotus”

merely uses it as a tool to suck viewers in — show creator Mike White is clearly more intent on characters and commentary than surface-level plot. White’s meticulous writing easily gives way to thunderous performances from the whole ensemble, especially Murray Bartlett, who plays the genial hotel manager, and Jennifer Coolidge, who plays an absurdist caricature of an overly wealthy grieving woman. The performers gracefully balance

the earnestness of their characters with witty comedy — though Coolidge’s Tanya is laugh-outloud funny from the moment her character enters the show, it’s not hard to sympathize for her desperately lonely character.

The rest of the production complements White’s vision just as well as the excellent performances; notably, the soundtrack is stuffed with tropical-spa melodies that only add stress and anxiety to the tense happenings

at the resort. Similarly, the costumes add detail and nuance to the characters. While college student Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) preaches to her parents about the inequalities of capitalism, she frequently sports high-end vintage tees and Golden Goose sneakers.

The HBO murder mystery is becoming quite a tired trope — recent hits like “Big Little see THE WHITE LOTUS, page 6

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Friday, September 10, 2021

tuftsdaily.com

Resurrection of the music scene: The summer 2021 roundup

VIA LORDE, HALSEY, BILLIE EILISH, BLEACHERS, CLAIRO, DOJA CAT, ORLA GARTLAND, OLIVIA RODRIGO & LADY GAGA

A collage of Lorde’s “Solar Power,” Halsey’s “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Bleachers’ “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night,” Clairo’s “Sling,” Doja Cat’s “Planet Her,” Orla Gartland’s “Woman on the Internet,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” and Lady Gaga’s “Dawn of Chromatica,” are pictured.

by Jack Clohisy

Assistant Arts Editor

After the tumultuous, pandemic-enwrapped cacophony that was 2020, musicians had to navigate the ever-changing music industry during the long months of quarantine. Summer 2020 saw some of the best works imaginable: “Chromatica” (2020) from Lady Gaga, the Album of the Year-winning “Folklore” (2020) by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore LP “Punisher” (2020), just to name a few.

Now with the music scene undoubtedly changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pan-

demic, artists pushed their creative boundaries to find ways to uniquely connect with their audiences. With much of the country and world reopening this summer, musicians faced their next question: What now?

It had been years since any music had been released from some artists, such as Lorde and Bleachers, and with a refreshed mindset and wave of quarantine-production fading in the rearview, the music-scape once again returned to form. With that in mind, and in no particular order, here are some of the best efforts artists put forth this summer.

Lorde’s “Solar Power” (2021) With her first album since the critically acclaimed “Melodrama” (2017), Lorde dropped one of the best bodies of work 2021 has to offer. Co-produced with the ever-present Jack Antonoff, Lorde strings together a narrative of love, healing and, as the title implies, light. With her most mature record, Lorde takes listeners on a journey to the beach and leaves them contemplating existential questions upon their reflective sojourn.

Halsey’s “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” (2021) Released to critical acclaim, Halsey puts together one of the best efforts of their career in their fourth studio album. Surviving the disappointment from the last Grammy’s season after garnering no nominations for their powerful “Manic” (2020), Halsey regrouped since the pandemic, gave birth to their first child and pushed onward with the dignified “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.”

Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” (2021) Following up your Album of the Year-winning debut studio album can be quite difficult, but Billie Eilish stuck the landing with her sophomore record “Happier Than Ever” this summer. Despite a slew of mediocre-performing singles released between 2020 and the album’s debut, Eilish crafted together a piece of anguish, growth and reconciliation due to the pressures of success and criticism at a young age. She stated that the title track was one of her favorite songs to have written, capturing audiences with its progressive build and mature, thematic concept.

Bleachers’ “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night” (2021) With Jack Antonoff at the helm, there’s no going down with the ship. Antonoff takes charge with his act Bleachers’ third studio album “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night.”

Despite his pivotal presence in the production of other artists’ magna opera, when Antonoff sits down to craft his own works, the results are no less than stunning.

Bleachers strikes well with a summer album sure to hold over into the melancholic autumn for months to follow.

Clairo’s “Sling” (2021) Viral sensation Clairo returns with her sophomore take “Sling” this summer in a unique fashion. Whereas most of her prior material fits the indie-pop niche well, Clairo explores broader production styles with Antonoff at her side to craft the next LP in her catalogue. Growing in recognition, Clairo is an artist whose internet hits are well known, but needs love toward her album tracks. With the lineup that “Sling” has, Clairo’s only trajectory is upward.

Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” (2021) With a smash hit like “Hot Pink” (2019), Doja Cat had the work cut out for her when crafting the follow-up. After releasing her third studio album’s lead single “Kiss Me More” with SZA, it was certain that “Planet Her” would be more than sufficient.

A love letter to herself, “Planet Her” oozes with confidence, empowerment and sunshine necessary for the first summer out of quarantine.

Orla Gartland’s “Woman on the Internet” (2021)

Orla Gartland, an Irish singer-songwriter, released her debut studio album this summer to notable praise. Gartland, who is a budding talent in the music industry, stitched together her own record reminiscent of 2000s voices such as Sara Bareilles and Colbie Caillat, all with a modernized production style. Her future is looking bright, and “Woman on the Internet” is the spark necessary for Gartland.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” (2021) Undeniably the most anticipated album of 2021, after her debut single “Drivers License” took audiences for a spin, Olivia Rodrigo produced one of the best teenage breakup albums of the century. With an entire album of intense emotion, it’s hard to call any of these tracks deep-cuts since audiences fell in love with the entirety of “Sour.”

Rodrigo asserts that she is going to be a long-lasting force in the industry with much to bring to the table.

Lady Gaga’s “Dawn of Chromatica” (2021) Just when 2020 seemed like a year full of complete disappointment and dismay, Lady Gaga stormed in to revive the spirits of those who missed the clubs and were quarantine-jamming in their kitchens. “Chromatica” (2020) revolutionized dance music heading back into the new, quarantine-escaped world, and there were rumors of a remix album on the horizon.

When Gaga decided to drop the remix version this summer, audiences were brought back to those few moments of happiness they experienced during the lockdown.

'The White Lotus' satirizes idyllic Hawaiian vacation THE WHITE LOTUS

continued from page 5 Lies” (2017–19) and “Mare of Easttown” (2021–) leaned perhaps a bit too heavily on the thrill of the genre. Luckily, “The White Lotus” has more to say — it consistently points out the gross hypocrisy of white liberal one-percenters as it takes on race, class and the legacy of colonialism in its idyllic Hawaiian setting. It’s peculiar that such a show, satirizing the white upper class, would be marketed so directly at the people it criticizes. Ideally, the audience would recognize itself in the vast array of characters relaxing by the pool, but perhaps the show takes these characters to such extremes that a consistently naive and ignorant group of white elites could never relate to. Would family dad Mark (Steve Zahn) ever see any piece of himself in the grossly entitled

newlywed Shane ( Jake Lacy)?

Unlikely.

Even beyond its social commentary, the show feels a bit like a cool manipulation of classical Greek tragedy. It deals with concepts of fate, as the foretold death lurks over the otherwise relatively tame plot.

There are complications and metaphors for parenthood scattered throughout the show, with Armond (Bartlett) suggesting to a trainee that guests are like needy children, desperate for the staff to simultaneously provide them with everything they want while acting like their “mean mommies.” Maternal relationships in particular take center stage, with Tanya struggling to muster the courage to scatter her mother’s ashes and Shane’s mother crashing his honeymoon. Then there’s the more overt callout to the lotus eaters of “The Odyssey,” who, much like the guests at the

isolated resort, eat magical lotus flowers and live in blissful ignorance of the troubles of the world around them.

The serial format even allowed viewers to take to social media once a week to discuss and recap each episode in choral fashion.

Indeed, the show generated quite the cultural phenomenon for otherwise-bored summer viewers and certainly delivered on the thoughtful writing part.

The show takes on a lot, with juicy, nuanced characters and rich social commentary. While the murder mystery was a nice touch, and the reveal proved satisfactory, it wasn’t entirely necessary. For a show that so obviously had other priorities, the mystery was lost and felt a bit hastily done. That said, those other priorities were executed to near perfection — it’s up to the viewer to decide how to receive those cultural critiques.

VIA IMBD

HBO’s original show “The White Lotus” is a satirical comedy-drama that follows resort guests over the span of one week.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Friday, September 10, 2021

tuftsdaily.com

F& G

7

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Ethan (from the other room): “Facts.”

Fun & Games

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LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Communicate about what you love with Venus in Scorpio. Trust your heart to lead you this month. Research, study and learn. Express your passion.

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8 Friday, September 10, 2021

Opinion

tuftsdaily.com

VIEWPOINT

Accommodation and flexibility are key in the transition to in-person learning

BY MICHAEL WU

by Sara Kessel Opinion Editor

A lot has changed since the start of the fall 2020 semester.

Vaccines have become widely accessible in the United States, with 53% of the nation’s population being fully vaccinated.

Tufts has changed its COVID-19 guidelines, easing us back in the direction of a somewhat more ‘normal’ academic year. Amidst a time of continued uncertainty and isolation, many students feel cautiously optimistic about what this school year has to offer.

The prospect of experiencing in-person learning is, for many students, a welcome and anticipated change. However, the academic transition from virtual to in-person classes presents a challenge to a student body that has learned almost exclusively from computer screens for over a year. Returning to in-person learning in a safe and sustainable way requires support from all members of the Tufts community. To prioritize

student mental health and academic success, professors must be accommodating and flexible toward the needs of their students as we shift back into an in-person format. Students must also remain mindful of their actions and continue to follow all COVID-19 guidelines so that all faculty feel comfortable moving back to an in-person environment.

The switch to virtual learning was undoubtedly a difficult change as colleges across the country adjusted. As Zoom class became the norm, professors were required to adjust their classes to fit the boundaries of a computer screen. Recorded lectures, breakout rooms and virtual office hours — simulating an in-person environment — undoubtedly made it much harder to experience the full benefits of a course. These constraints were extremely frustrating for instructors who wanted their students to fully absorb the material they’re learning and for students who struggled

to understand and retain class content in a virtual format.

According to a study conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse, around one-third of student respondents stated that they would not want to take another class through Zoom.

This is entirely understandable when considering how difficult it is for virtual classes to replicate the social opportunities of in-person classes. Seeing classmates in a lecture hall rather than through a black square provides an opportunity to develop friendships, create networks and discover resources potentially not available online.

However, the transition back to in-person classes should not ignore the positive aspects of a virtual format. For students unable to attend in-person classes, having access to virtual attendance and recorded lectures can make it easier to keep up with course material.

Furthermore, the adjustments made to assignments and tests in online classes have provid-

ed greater flexibility to match student needs and emphasized the importance of application and comprehension. The implementation of open book and take-home assessments, requiring students to have a deep understanding of the material in order to succeed, should be considered an improvement to the memorization-based model of the past.

A successful transition in academic life can only be achieved through an understanding of how virtual classes have affected professors and students alike.

Many students haven’t stepped back in a classroom in over a year, and professors need to anticipate the learning curve they will face. Implementing the positive features of a virtual format to in-person courses will aid in this transition. Last semester many professors took crucial steps to accommodate the academic challenges caused by COVID19, adjusting their syllabi and providing mental health breaks during class time. Maintaining

this degree of support during the fall semester is crucial in helping students adjust.

Ultimately, however, the success of in-person activities depends immensely on the actions of the student body.

Cases are rising in the United States, largely as a result of the delta variant. While Tufts is mandating the vaccine on campus, breakthrough infections can be contracted by vaccinated individuals, with Massachusetts reporting 3,704 breakthrough infections over the previous week as of Aug. 31.

As a community, we need to hold ourselves accountable to wearing masks and socially distancing when required, completing surveillance testing and following all other necessary guidelines. Having the ability to attend in-person classes is extremely exciting, but Tufts staff and faculty must feel assured that we as students are doing everything in our power to keep them safe. The transition to anything close to a ‘normal’ year depends on it.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

Sports

Friday, September 10, 2021 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

9

Volleyball wins home opener against Roger Williams

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

The Tufts volleyball team is pictured playing Roger Williams on Sept. 14, 2016.

by Keila McCabe

Assistant Sports Editor

Tufts volleyball swept Roger Williams Wednesday night in its season opener after a 662-day hiatus from competitive play.

The Jumbos won 3–0 to the visiting Hawks. A combination of junior and senior leadership with some sophomore additions worked together on the court for a night of dynamic success.

Despite several long, competitive points and many rallies with the Hawks, the squad held early leads in each set, securely winning each (25–10, 25–17, 25–14).

Fifth-year senior middle hitter and co-captain Jennifer Ryan said being back on the court felt amazing and that she is looking forward to the upcoming season.

“There is no other way to describe how I feel besides just extreme excitement,” Ryan said.

“It’s been a long time coming. It’s going to be a lot of fun to finally compete. We got to practice a lot last year, scrimmaging each other, so finally seeing a new team across the court that we haven’t seen before is just really great.”

Statistically, the entire Tufts roster contributed, especially junior outside hitter Jennelle Yarwood, who led the Jumbos in points, recording nine, in addition to seven digs. Junior libero Stephanie Lee and senior setter Ariel Zedric both led the team in digs, recording eight each. Senior outside hitter and co-captain Cate Desler co-led the team in kills and kills per set with an impressive six kills, averaging

three kills per set and putting up a .556 hitting percentage. Desler commented on her team’s cohesion throughout the match.

“No matter what Roger Williams was throwing at us, I thought we adapted well on court,” Desler said. “With the different lineups we were showing them, I think our communication stayed great throughout the entire game, same with our energy levels. Everyone put their best foot forward and really did a great job.”

In all three sets, the Jumbos constantly changed the lineup and allowed for nearly the entire roster to get playing time. The roster is composed of exactly half underclassmen and half upperclassmen, and few players with much collegiate experience. But, the team’s early leads and the

high-skill level throughout its roster allowed for many sophomores to be able to contribute greatly to the wins. In her collegiate debut, sophomore outside hitter Tori Goldin recorded an impressive six kills. She said her team’s strong chemistry made her feel welcomed and encouraged during the match.

“We have such great team chemistry and such a great support system so everyone just made me feel super comfortable being on the court,” Goldin said.

“Eighteen girls is a lot of different personalities, but we just work together incredibly well. We bring a lot of energy to the court which is really fun to see. I think when you’re watching you can just tell how much fun we have playing out there with each other.”

The team trained through the summer and started preseason in August in order to build team chemistry and hone in on their skills. The players’ devotion paid off in Wednesday night’s match as the Jumbos appeared to play together as if no time had passed.

“During preseason we’ve been working a lot on individual portions — blocking, swinging, passing, serving — and tonight it was really great to see it all come together,” Ryan said.

While the team is looking forward to an expectedly long season ahead of them, they are taking it game by game and shared excitement for what is to come.

Their game today kicks off the weekend-long Tufts Invitational in Cousens Gym.

10 Friday, September 10, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Traynor’s golden goal delivers thrilling opening night win for men’s soccer

by Ethan Grubelich

Assistant Sports Editor

The Jumbos’ quest of their third consecutive NCAA Div. III Men’s Soccer title began a year later than expected on Tuesday night with a 1–0 overtime victory over the MIT Engineers. The two sets of bleachers at Bello Field overflowed with Tufts students and other spectators as a beautiful night before the first day of classes proved to be the perfect time to welcome fans back for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and to create an energizing home atmosphere for the players.

After a run of four national championships in the last six seasons, it seemed as though only the cancellation of Tufts athletics and the NCAA Div. III championships for fall 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could derail the dominance of the Tufts men’s soccer program. In response, however, seven members of the 2018 and 2019 national championship teams chose to return for the 2021 season as “super seniors.”

Experience is expected to be an elusive factor that favors Tufts this season, with sophomore soccer players at many schools across the country, in addition to

first-years, yet to play an NCAA season.

Among the many familiar faces to feature for the Jumbos this season comes a new face of the program: head coach Kyle Dezotell.

He replaces Josh Shapiro, who was hired as the head coach of the Harvard men’s soccer team after the 2019 season.

MIT had not faced a single shot in their opening two matches against Lesley University and Emmanuel College. However, a busy night between the sticks soon began for MIT goalkeeper Paarth Desai, as he was forced to dive to his right to save a hard shot from junior forward Sean Traynor in the sixth minute. This was the first and arguably the best of six saves made by Desai on the night.

In the 29th minute, sophomore forward Mikey Brady, in his first few minutes off the bench in his competitive debut for Tufts, got behind the MIT defense and fired off two shots in quick succession, which were both saved

by Desai. MIT’s best chance of the first half came just minutes later when an open shot for MIT defender James Simon sailed wide of the target.

The two teams stood even stronger defensively in the second half, as neither of their best

chances to score forced saves from the goalkeepers. In the 69th minute, Tufts defenders failed to clear the ball from harm’s way, instead allowing it to fall to MIT midfielder Garrett Robinson, whose scorching shot slammed against first-year goalkeeper Erik Lauta’s left goalpost. In the 85th minute, senior midfielder Aidan Welsh failed to hit the target on a header at the back post from a corner kick supplied by classmate Zach Seigelstein. This would be the last effort on goal before the Engineers and Jumbos headed to overtime tied at no goals apiece.

MIT’s only shot of the first 10-minute sudden-victory period of overtime rolled far right of the target for a Lauta goal kick. From that point forward, the Jumbos dominated possession and forced MIT into their own half. In the 99th minute, Tufts sophomore defender Gibson Campbell floated a cross into the 18-yard box, which was met by the head of six-foot-three-inch senior midfielder Calvin Aroh. Aroh’s header found Traynor, who had been left unmarked and neatly slotted the ball in at Desai’s near post for the winning goal.

“For most of the game, our best scoring opportunities had come off of services into the box,”

said Campbell, whose improvisation led to the goal. “Especially in overtime, we felt it was important to put their back line under as much pressure as possible. I saw players making runs into the box and knew we could create a serious goal-scoring chance.”

The goal marked Traynor’s first goal, Campbell’s first goal contribution and Dezotell’s first win as head coach for the Jumbos.

Just moments after the game, on the topic of the goal, Traynor said in an interview, “Well, I was getting yelled at all game for not making anticipating runs off of our big man’s header, so as soon as I saw Big Cal go up for it, I knew it was gonna fall somewhere in the box and just got a little lucky with the bounce and was able to put it away. But honestly, Coach had told me to make that run multiple times. I hadn’t, and then the one time I do, I ended up scoring it, so I’m super happy that it worked out that way.”

Even with few moments worthy of individual recognition so far in his collegiate career, Traynor would’ve been just as happy if any of his teammates had instead been the one to score the overtime winner in front of the packed home crowd.

This team-first mentality was echoed by Campbell, who said, “Everyone on the team knew how important it was that we start off the season with a win, especially at home. I’m glad that I was able to play and contribute to the success of the team in my first game.”

The Engineers fell to 2–1 with the defeat. Their next game is at home on Saturday against Suffolk University. The Jumbos open their title defense 1–0 with the victory. Their next game is at home on Saturday against conference rivals Williams College.

Like MIT, Williams is another top academic institution in Massachusetts turning heads at the start of the 2021 season. After trailing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2–1 at halftime, Williams scored four unanswered goals in the second half en route to a convincing 5–2 win.

RPI was ranked 7th in the National Pre-Season Poll, whereas Williams went unranked. The Ephs have lost their last seven games against the Jumbos, dating back to 2014, but they come into Saturday’s matchup at Bello Field in as good a position as ever to prove they can hang with the NESCAC and Div. III heavyweights.