OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 tuftsdaily.com

OP-ED A study on the ‘Arming Study’

NOAH MILLS

Although debates on policing and community safety did not start with the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, which were the result of George Floyd’s murder and a history of police killings of Black men, they sparked a renewed and sharp focus on these two topics. Here at Tufts, this interest resulted in, among other things, the campus safety and policing working group and a focus on Tufts as an anti-racist institution.

Over the course of the 2020–21 academic year, the working group and university have given the appearance of completely rethinking the fundamentals of community safety and racist institutions on campus. These working groups heard expert testimonies, read reports and hosted several focus groups and town halls. Passionate student activists, professors and community members contributed ideas and thoughts whenever they were given the opportunity.

However, despite the broad discussions, at the end of town halls I attended things never quite felt right. For me, this feeling came from the sense that it would be inappropriate to have the conversations I wanted to: conversations about abolishing the police on campus. Instead the discussion was steered toward safer topics like “What does campus safety mean to you?” which directed the conversations away from criticisms of police as an institution. Despite these suggested questions, many individuals still took their moments to speak to call for a radical change away from the current policing structure.

All of this input and discussion eventually led to the Campus Safety and Policing Final Report, which is composed of nine pages of material produced by the working group and 24 pages produced by external groups (students, faculty, alumni, Tufts Community Union, etc.). The first recommendation, after a year of research and long conversations, is to simply rewrite the mission statement of the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Tufts University Police Department. Unfortunately, the recommendations do not get much more concrete. I strongly urge all readers to read the document; it really only takes about 10 minutes to read all the recommendations. All of this ‘work’ now leads us to the 2021–22 academic year, with the recommendation of forming a new year-long working group on arming status.

From my perspective, this indicates that any concepts of abolition or a radical restructuring of public safety at Tufts are simply out of the picture. By shifting the focus of conversation to arming and disarming, conversation about these more radical topics can be dismissed as unrelated to the topic at hand. The working group simply covered their ears when listening to the 25 pages of survey feedback and 24 additional pages of petitions and letters calling for meaningful change. This may lead students to wonder if asking the statue of Jumbo (the site of a racist interaction by police last year) would be more effective in creating change than attending town halls and responding to surveys.

To the wide coalition of students, faculty, alumni and others who were advocating for serious commitments from the university, this new working group and study should absolutely be seen as an insult. To pretend to listen is worse than to not listen at all. To spend hours calling for and listening to input only to decide that more police engagement is the best solution to the current problems is ridiculous. Leading activists and the broader Tufts community on with promises of change and action only to end up shifting the conversation away from defunding and abolition and towards disarming is simply cruel. The university cannot expect students to keep working within the system they have designed when those systems obstruct, delay and weaken activists’ efforts. All of this just to have another year of surveys emailed around.

The recent arming survey is thus doubly insulting because it not only highlights the intentional ignorance of the administration, but it is also extremely poorly designed. Firstly, the framing of the survey is clearly deliberately manufactured. Since the Tufts police are currently armed, wouldn’t a survey inquiring about changing that policy be titled a ‘disarming survey’? If the suggestion of disarming is too leading, then the concept of arming also leads those interested in arming to participate in the survey. The title is the least of the survey’s problems however.

The bulk of the survey comes in question five, in which participants are asked to pick which group they would feel can best address a variety of crises. The potential responses are “Armed Tufts University Police Officers,” “Unarmed Tufts University Police Officers,” “Campus Security Officers,” “Local, County, or State Law Enforcement” and “Mental health professionals.” The crises range from noise complaints to physical assault. Acting as if these five groups (three of which are sworn police officers) are the only options for response to these situations simply ignores how things currently work at Tufts. Things like noise complaints and daily building checks (in residential dorms) are done by Residential Assistants and not any of these other groups.

Additionally, over the last year, many RAs have shown a strong interest in helping the university change the responses to more of these crises, although it seems this support was ignored when this survey was drafted. It is also worth noting that “campus security officers” are never defined, and since they only currently exist on the Boston Health Sciences and SMFA campuses, it is not clear what this group would do. To what extent would they have authority? Who would this group be composed of? What requirements would there be to join? Without answers to these questions, how can students accurately provide their ideas for how things should be done? What if a student thinks multiple groups should respond to a crisis? For example, it is not unreasonable to think a panic alarm may be best responded to by mental health professionals, peer support groups and campus security officers. However only one of these groups can be selected in the survey, and one is not even an option.

Student and community activists must understand the forces on this campus, which are not being discussed, which have changed the focus from campus safety to arming. If it is not the will of a significant amount of the engaged community, who is influencing these decisions? President Monaco and the Board of Trustees had the power to establish these working groups; they did not have to attend town halls to have their voices heard. Tufts is an institution with nearly a $2 billion endowment. It is an institution which owns a significant amount of property in Medford and Somerville and has a material interest in continuing to increase the value regardless of the cost to the external community. It is run top-down by the Board of Trustees who all have their own private/corporate/personal interests in operating the school in a certain way and producing graduates who think and act a certain way. The words Tufts writes in its mission statements and emails may be sincerely held by the people writing those words, but if they do not have the power to implement those ideas, then they are simply performing.

It is time that the performances end and real action begins. If change is to be made, a critical mass of students, faculty, staff and community members must be organized into a collective action group which uses its own bargaining power (tuition, network opportunities, pressure from local governments, teacher’s strike) to bring the controlling interests of Tufts to the table. Until then, we can keep filling out surveys, but don’t expect any change. Noah Mills is a senior studying chemistry and civic studies. Noah can be reached at noah. mills@tufts.edu.

TENNIS

continued from page 10 weekend. Of those nine, four advanced to the round of 16, with junior Tilly Rigby and firstyear Elle Christensen bowing out in the semifinals and finals respectively.

On the doubles side, Christensen and junior Casey Cummings had three convincing performances, winning their

COURTESY DYLAN GLICKMAN Dylan Glickman and Rishabh Sharda are the Middlebury College Invitational’s B Doubles Flight Winners. first two matches by an aggregate score of 16–4 and then advancing to the finals with an 8–6 victory over a partnership of Wesleyan juniors. While Christensen and Cummings ended up finishing as runners-up, there were many silver linings in this first outing. With Tufts coming off of a year where they exceeded expectations and advanced to the NCAA Final Four, the squad came out with confidence and heads into competition certain that they can play with anyone.

“The number one thing is confidence,” Suk said. “Being able to go to these tournaments and knowing that we can compete and beat these schools is important for everyone on our team.”

On the men’s side, 10 singles players and five duos engaged foes from Middlebury, Skidmore, RPI, Bates and Colby in a six team bout across four singles brackets and two doubles flights. On the singles side, senior co-captain Isaac Gorelik finished as the runner-up in the first group. In the fourth flight, first-year Carlo Hayden had a memorable debut, as he worked his way to the finals but was forced to retire due to an untimely injury.

On the doubles end, junior Josh Belandres and first-year Derin Acaroglu won their first two matches in the first flight before bowing out to a Middlebury duo. In the second flight, partners senior Dylan Glickman and junior Rishabh Sharda proved their worth as the No. 1 seed. This army of two flummoxed their four opponents, with not a single team getting more than four games off of them the entire weekend. After an 8–2 victory over a Middlebury partnership, Glickman and Sharda were crowned champions. The two had clear chemistry inside the lines, despite limited playing experience with each other.

“They were closing the net really well, they’re a really high energy team,” Gorelik said. “Both have really strong returns, they just rattled kids, they were really fun to watch.”

Both teams will be preparing for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships the weekend of Oct. 11, with the women facing off at Bowdoin and the men competing at Colby.

Volleyball splits first weekend of NESCAC competition

by Keila McCabe

Assistant Sports Editor

Volleyball split games this weekend, winning 3–0 over Connecticut College on Friday night and losing 3–2 to Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. The team now stands at 6–1 on the season after facing its first NESCAC competition of the season in the Connecticut College Camels and the Wesleyan Cardinals. Friday night’s match was quickly won in three by the Jumbos (25–16, 25–18, 25–10). Saturday’s match against the Cardinals was long and extremely competitive, with many back-and-forth scores throughout five sets (20–25, 25–11, 21–25, 34–32, 13–15). Saturday’s match against the Cardinals was expectedly the best competition the Jumbos have faced this season. Going into Saturday afternoon, Head Coach Cora Thompson said she was excited to play some better ball.

“We want to play good teams and be tested,” Thompson said. “If we want to be the top in New England, and if we want to win our conference, we have to play top competition and improve as we go. Of course, we want to be on the winning end of it, but we really just want to be tested at a faster, higher level.”

Walking into Cousens Gym Saturday afternoon, the energy was noticeably off the charts — the bleachers were packed, and the teams were loud and engaged on both sides. The Wesleyan Cardinals came out confident with a strong record of 3–1, very different from the Jumbos’ previous opponent, the Camels, who had not yet played a game this season. The Cardinals and Jumbos played a fast-paced first set that set the tempo for the rest of the afternoon. The two teams had an epic back and forth battle in the fourth set with an insane final score of 34–32, Tufts coming out on top in the grueling set. The momentum constantly shifted between the teams, but the Cardinals ultimately came out on top in the fifth set (13–15). Super senior middle hitter and co-captain Jennifer Ryan said that despite the loss, a lot of good still came out of the night.

“People fought really hard and I’m proud of them for that,” Ryan said. “It was a tough loss, but the great thing about it, looking at the positive side and trying not to get down since we have so many games going forward, is that there’s a lot that we can learn.”

The entire squad was fired up and added either energy, physical success, or both to the team’s effort in gaining momentum throughout the match. Both sophomore setter Maddie Yu and junior libero Stephanie Lee recorded 24 digs. Senior outside hitter and co-captain Cate Desler recorded 22 kills, while Ryan recorded 12, leading the team in kill percentage with a .391 for the night.

“It was fun for me personally as a younger player watching [Desler] and [Ryan] and all our seniors be so fired up,” sophomore defensive specialist Megan Harrison said. “It was super intense and honestly inspiring to see what the culture is all about.”

Harrison also made an impact in shifting the energy in favor of the Jumbos.

“It is honestly very mind blowing,” she said. “I think back to sophomore year of high school, thinking about Tufts as my dream school. It is very surreal to be playing in a Tufts jersey. It’s such a great opportunity I’ve been working towards and I’m just so grateful to have gotten it.”

Against the Camels on Friday night, Desler led the team in kills with 12 for the night and was second in digs with 13. Lee had the most digs, recording an impressive 16. Going into this match, junior outside hitter Jennelle Yarwood said the team honed in on some basics.

“We focused a lot on our serve and pass game just because that’s really important,” Yarwood said. “I think we ran a lot of good systems and put up a good block.”

After their first loss of the season, the Jumbos are looking forward to bouncing back and learning from the good competition. The squad’s next match is Thursday night at Springfield College at 7 p.m.

tuftsdaily.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Tufts cross country teams both finish second at Bates

by Brigitte Wilson

Assistant Sports Editor

The Tufts men’s and women’s cross country teams looked robust at the Bates Super XC Shootout meet on Saturday, continuing their excellent start to the season. Both finished second overall, with a number of strong individual finishes among the men and women’s teams.

The men’s event had 10 Jumbo representatives in the top 25, while eight from the women’s event finished in the top 30. Senior and co-captain of the women’s team Danielle Page came in first in the women’s 5K race with a time of 18:08.1. Cognizant of the loss of last season due to COVID-19, Page is particularly excited to have the whole team running together again with less restrictions. The team has also kept the loss of last year’s season in mind as a reminder of how grateful they are to be able to come together as a team each day.

“Our [positive team culture] is definitely starting to come back — it’s been really good to be able to spend more time with everyone,” Page said.

Unlike the previous weekend’s meet, the Trinity Invitational, which was marked by rough and wet conditions, the course at Pineland Farms was slightly better suited for the runners, though still challenging, according to Page. She also recognizes that adapting to a full cross country schedule will not be an easy transition for some student-athletes.

“My co-captain and I have been trying to emphasize giving the team a lot of resources this year,” Page said. “We’re really just trying to make it known that the team isn’t only a place that you come for practice… If you’re having a tough day and need to talk, [we’re] there for you.”

The beginning of sophomore Walter Wagude’s season has been exceptional, especially considering he wasn’t able to run at the collegiate level last fall. He came in third overall, first for Tufts in the men’s 8K event with a time of 26:13.5. While he is young, Wagude has emerged as a clear leader on the team. Wagude sees many benefits to the more relaxed COVID19 rules this year, particularly in the ease of running and sense of a social life again.

“What has made a big difference for me is going out for a run and not having to wear a mask… Meeting a lot more people [is also great],” Wagude said. “I don’t feel like I am faster than everyone on the team, but I am someone they can use to pace themselves. I would love to have a Jumbo running next to me and finishing strong with me.”

Senior Tara Lowensohn finished third for Tufts and ninth overall, with a time of 19:39.7. Though a veteran of the track & field team, it is actually Lowensohn’s first season on the cross country team, and she is excited to get used to competing with this team, especially in post-COVID times.

“I have no expectations, which is an awesome feeling because the pressure is pretty low,” Lowensohn said. “Any way I can contribute to the success of the team is awesome… We’re all here to have a good time and soak it up.”

The cross country teams will have a chance to compete again this weekend at the Purple Valley Classic in Williamstown, Mass.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES Rhemi Toth sprints to the finish line at the Connecticut College Cross Country Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park on Oct. 15, 2016.

Tufts tennis teams look to build off promising starts

by Steven Landry

Contributing Writer

This past weekend, both Jumbo tennis teams left their home courts adjacent to Harleston Hall for competitions that spanned the entire weekend. While Tufts men’s tennis trekked to Middlebury to face off against five other teams, Tufts women’s tennis commuted to nearby Cambridge for a four team tournament at MIT.

The women’s side lined up against host MIT, as well as Amherst and 2021 NCAA runner-up Wesleyan. With this being the first opportunity to compete, 2021 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Coach of the Year Kate Bayard wanted her squad to be competitive but also kept in mind that this was their first tournament back.

“She didn’t overwhelm us with too much,” junior Maddie Suk said. “’Play your best, focus on your match, and cheer on your teammates,’ was the message.”

Tufts registered nine women for singles and five duos for the