The Tufts Daily - September 30, 2021

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THE

VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 11

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

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TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

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T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com

Thursday, September 30, 2021

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Greek life returns to in-person events, Zeta Psi disbanded after COVID-19 violations

by Rebecca Barker News Editor

Greek life is back to in-person activities for the first time since the spring 2020 semester. This fall, new local sororities Thalia and The Ivy are holding their first in-person events for their Membership Application Processes (MAP). However, Delta Tau Delta (DTD) has been placed on probation and Zeta Psi was disbanded by the university after both fraternities violated Tufts University COVID-19 guidelines last year. According to Emily Kunkle, associate director of leadership, academic engagement and fraternity & sorority life, in-person events that were held under last year’s COVID-19 guidelines resulted in restrictions for DTD, while Zeta Psi had its charter revoked. “The Delta Tau Delta fraternity (DTD) is currently on probation, based on the findings from two cases resolved in the spring related to COVID violations,” Kunkle wrote in an email to the Daily. Kunkle explained that although DTD can hold new member recruitment this semester, the organization is only allowed to host events at pre-approved locations, and cannot have events in its house. As a part of its probation, DTD is also required to fulfill educational sanctions, which Kunkle said the fraternity is in the process of completing.

“While DTD is on probation for the remainder of the semester, we are looking forward to resuming normal operations in the Spring,” DTD wrote in a statement to the Daily. “Our probation gives us a chance to improve the brotherhood and ensure an inviting, inclusive, and fun rush process this fall. We remain committed to bettering the Tufts community and learning from our mistakes.” According to Kunkle, Zeta Psi will no longer operate as a fraternity. “Zeta Psi had their university recognition revoked, meaning they will no longer be recognized by the University, for repeated and serious violations of University policy while the chapter was on probation and after a number of incremental educational interventions and status restrictions,” Kunkle said. “The house is privately owned, and is subject to the municipal permitting process for residential occupancy.” Zeta Psi did not respond to requests for comment. The Ivy, Thalia and national sororities Chi Omega and Kappa Alpha Theta all held what is known as informal recruitment last week, according to Anoushka Kiyawat, co-president of The Ivy. For The Ivy and Thalia, these events included activities such as group conversations and oneon-one coffee dates. Kiyawat, a senior, explained that potential applicants were

COURTESY THALIA

The members of Thalia, a local sorority at Tufts, are pictured. required to choose whether they would rush a local or national sorority by Sept. 26. “The way that the thought process worked for this was that hopefully during the week of informal recruitment events, the applicants would be able to get to know us enough that they have more of a sense of what they want before starting formal recruitment,” she said. Kiyawat said that the MAP for The Ivy began on Sept. 27, and that potential new members would be informed of whether or

SCIENCE

Highly processed foods make up 67% of youth diets, Friedman study finds by Peri Barest

Deputy News Editor

As smartphones, online shopping and cryptocurrency have become more prevalent in the past 20 years, so too have ultraprocessed foods, which make up the majority of youth diets. The percentage of child and adolescent diets composed of ultraprocessed foods — those made with refined ingredients and additives — has increased from 61% to 67% in the past 20 years, according to a recent Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings may have implications for combat-

ing the development of ultrap- 2–19 between 1999 and 2018 rocessed food-related disease in using the National Health and adulthood. Nutrition Examination Survey. Ultraprocessed foods are It found that ready-to-eat dishes typically made with refined or — such as microwavable dinextracted ingredients, which ners — are the main culprit, contain additives that are often accounting for a 9% increase high in added sugar, trans-fat, in calories from ultraprocessed sodium and refined starch. At the foods. Sweet snacks also consame time, these types of foods tributed substantially to calorie frequently contain very little pro- intake, the researchers reported tein or fiber. Studies have shown in their August study. that eating ultraprocessed foods Lu Wang, an epidemiologist can lead to obesity and other risk at the Friedman School and first factors in children and adults. author of the study, said that In particular, some have been ultraprocessed foods now comlinked to cardiovascular disease, prise the majority of the total some cancers and overall mortal- energy consumed by children ity in adults. and adolescents in the U.S. The study analyzed the diets of over 33,000 children ages see ULTRAPROCESSED, page 2

not they had received what The Ivy refers to as a bid and Thalia refers to as an offer through Kunkle by Oct. 2. Ryen Delaney, co-president of Thalia, said much of Thalia’s MAP will be similar to last semester’s, although most events will take place in person rather than over Zoom. “We thought that our [MAP] last semester was really successful, in that it kind of went away from the traditional recruitment process for sororities,” Delaney, a senior, said. “[It] was

more just about getting to know people, taking the pressure off them wanting to join Thalia as much as we wanted them to join Thalia.” Delaney is excited for in-person gatherings this semester, particularly service events that the sorority could not participate in last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. “Now we’re implementing our service hour requirement, and we’re partnering with a women’s homeless shelter in the area, see GREEK LIFE, page 2

BREAKING: ECOM announces TCU election results by Alexander Janoff Executive News Editor

The Tufts Community Union Elections Commission held a Tufts Community Union-wide election on Tuesday and Wednesday, filling vacant seats in the Committee on Student Life, TCU Judiciary and TCU Senate. Sophomore Erika Effenberger was elected to the Committee on Student Life. Sophomore Caroline Vandis and first-year Ethan VanGosen were both elected to the TCU Judiciary. First-years Ayomide Oloyede and Krystal Mutebi and sophomores Kritika Jalan and Odalis

OPINION / page 6

FEATURES / page 3

SPORTS / back

50 years of the war on drugs: The impact on communities of color

From Wattpad to novels: Layla Noor on writing Black queer characters

Johnson shines in first start, Jumbos ultimately fall

Vargas were elected to the TCU Senate to serve as the FIRST Community Senator, Women’s Community Senator, International Community Senator and Latinx Community Senator, respectively. Victor Arsenescu was elected as a Class of 2022 Senator and Enrique Rodriguez as a Class of 2023 Senator. According to ECOM, 1,651 votes were cast for a turnout of 25%, down from 34% in April’s presidential election. NOTE: The Class of 2025 Senatorial election results will be available tomorrow afternoon. This article will be updated as we receive more information. NEWS

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