Friday, October 21, 2016

Intergalactic gatos: Fury Sheron helps develop out-ofthis-world mobile app see WEEKENDER / PAGE 5

TUFTS BASKETBALL

Jumbos take a stand for unity, against racism

Party with the parents: things to do around town on family weekend see WEEKENDER / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 30

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, October 21, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Senate debates extending $3000 in Students named as ‘terrorists’ in stipends to additional Senate officers campus posters by Horowitz center

by Zachary Hertz Contributing Writer

During the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate meeting on Oct. 10, an Allocations Board (ALBO) recommendation concerning the expansion of TCU-provided stipends was introduced for discussion. The ALBO recommendation proposed stipends for the Diversity and Community Affairs Officer, the Parliamentarian and the Historian of $1,000 per year each.

The proposal would be an extension from the current stipend system, under which each year the treasurer receives $3,000, the president receives $2,000, the vice president and associate treasurer each receive $1,000 and the webmaster receives $500.

TCU Senate President Gauri Seth introduced the request for stipend extensions to the TCU Senate. She said that the issue driving the stipend expansion proposal was one of accessibility.

“Personally, I think that there are a lot of barriers to accessibility on this campus,” Seth, a senior, said. “I think with Senate, if we want to truly be a representative body … I think it’s really important to make this space accessible to people who cannot afford to put in 20 hours a week for Senate.”

Seth also mentioned her firsthand experience of managing work study and her Senate involvement.

“For anyone, I think, balancing a job on this campus and being in a student group [while] doing your work is really, really difficult,” she said. “And I just feel that if we want to truly fulfill our mission of being representative and accessible … I’m not saying this is the biggest solution, I’m not saying this is going to fix everything, but I think it’s a step.”

One discussion point was whether or not the stipend extensions should consider student financial need. As proposed, see STIPENDS , page 2

Six weeks later, facilities workers still impacted by scheduling changes

by Catherine Perloff News Editor

It has been a little over six weeks since five facilities workers were switched to a Tuesday-Saturday schedule from the Monday-Friday schedule they were hired to work, and workers say that dissatisfaction is still high as they grapple with the effects of the change.

“I think overall morale is definitely down,” said Jack Ng, a driver who was switched to the Tuesday-Saturday schedule. “It’s been a big topic among a lot of the guys there. And there’s been talk about leaving, too, because [workers] don’t like the schedule changes.”

The schedule change, which went into effect on Sept. 5, according to Senior Facilities Director Stephen Nasson, is the subject of an unfair labor practices charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Tufts University by 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the union that represents the facility workers. The NLRB is still investigating whether the university failed to bargain appropriately with the workers about the schedule change as

Please recycle this newspaper

Rain 70 / 61

/thetuftsdaily

the union claims, according to Regional Communications Manager for the New England branch of 32BJ SEIU, Eugenio Villasante.

Loss of Overtime Many workers are dissatisfied with this schedule change because they say it has decreased the number of available overtime hours. All seven of the facilities workers interviewed for this article, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity except Ng, said that there are fewer opportunities to receive overtime pay, as the majority of overtime slots were on Saturday and are now being taken by full-time workers.

“I’m no longer eligible for overtime on Saturdays … when the majority of the overtime is,” said an anonymous worker who works on the Tuesday-Saturday schedule.

He estimated that with the deduction in overtime pay, he is losing $820 a week, which he said makes it difficult for him to make financial plans.

“I’m trying to buy a house, get my life see FACILITIES, page 3

For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

by Kathleen Schmidt Executive News Editor

Posters naming Tufts students and one Tufts professor as terrorists connected to Hamas were put up across the Medford/ Somerville campus on Oct. 19. The David Horowitz Freedom Center, a conservative group, claimed responsibility for the posters in an email received by a number of Tufts students on the same day.

The names were chosen based on the individuals’ membership in — or support of — Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate-recognized organization that promotes the rights of Palestinians. The students had all been listed on the Canary Mission, an online database that, by its own description, tracks “people and groups that are promoting hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews on college campuses in North America.”

The Horowitz Freedom Center’s accusations of terrorism stem from its claims that SJP at Tufts accepts funds from Hamas, the governing authority of the Gaza Strip. Claudia Aliff, a member of SJP named in the poster, strongly rejected this allegation.

“All of these claims are ridiculous,” Aliff, a senior, said.

David Horowitz, founder of the Horowitz Freedom Center, defended the claims made by his organization’s posters, saying SJP’s response was untrue.

“Well, they’re liars. They’re lying,” Horowitz said.

Horowitz maintained that SJP was connected to Hamas.

“Every government in the world deserves to be criticized, including the Israeli government, but if you follow what SJP does, they strictly adhered to the lies of Hamas which are easily disproved,” he said.

Aliff said she was not altogether surprised to see the posters because of an incident several months ago when the Canary Mission published her name and personal information along with that of several other SJP members.

“I guess I’m not surprised … I think these organizations [Canary Mission and Horowitz Freedom Center] have a lot of money coming in, and this is what they use it for: to kind of terrorize. Right-wing terrorism,” she said.

Nic Serhan, another SJP member named in the poster, agreed that the posters weren’t unexpected.

“There was the Canary Mission thing and that happened a few months back,

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

and even on these posters it says that their information is from the Canary Mission,” Serhan, a senior, said.

Horowitz said he had consulted Canary

COURTESY MIRIAM ISRAEL

Flyers posted by the Horowitz Freedom Center attached to a post outside of Bendetson Hall. The posters contain the names of students and faculty members that the organization has deemed to be affiliated with Hamas.

Mission’s website for his posters. He claimed that he did not know exactly who put up the posters but that if he did, he would not reveal their identities.

“I have people who make posters and they have people who put them up,” he said. “I have no idea who they are so I can’t answer this question and I wouldn’t if I could.”

Serhan’s main concern was the safety implications of having his name publicly displayed in such a negative manner, both by the Horowitz Center and the Canary Mission.

“I was getting hate mail and death threats in Twitter direct messages for months and so I deleted my account because it got so bad,” he said. “My fear with these posters on campus is that, you know, this is no longer the Internet. This is real life.”

Horowitz said he did not regret using students’ names in the posters.

“I am holding them accountable.

I make no apologies. I’m holding them accountable for their actions,” he said.

In an emailed statement sent to the student body on Oct. 20, Dean of Arts and Sciences James Glaser, Dean of the School of Engineering Jianmin Qu and Dean of

NEWS............................................1 WEEKENDER..........................5

see POSTERS, page 2

SPORTS............................ BACK

2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, October 21, 2016

T HE T UFTS D AILY Arin Kerstein Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Sophie Lehrenbaum Jake Taber Managing Editors Evan Sayles Associate Editor Kathleen Schmidt Executive News Editor Gil Jacobson News Editors Melissa Kain Robert Katz Liam Knox Catherine Perloff Jei-Jei Tan Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Juliana Furgala Assistant News Editors Jesse Najarro Danny Nelson

Miranda Willson Executive Features Editor Constantinos Angelakis Features Editors Nina Joung Becca Leibowitz Justin Krakoff Executive Arts Editor John Gallagher Arts Editors Eran Sabaner Isaac Brown Assistant Arts Editors Jocelyn Contreras Alison Epstein Elliot Storey Emma Henderson Executive Op-Ed Editor Shannon Geary Cartoonists Stephen Dennison Allie Merola Miranda Chavez Editorialists Frances DeFreitas Eriko Koide Anita Ramaswamy Noah Weinflash Phillip Goldberg Executive Sports Editor Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editors Maddie Payne Eddie Samuels Maclyn Senear Josh Slavin Brad Schussel Assistant Sports Editor Noah Smith Max Lalanne Mia Lambert Caroline Ambros Ray Bernoff Scott Fitchen Jean Gonzalez Kevin Ho Thaw Htet Lilia Kang Sitara Rao Evan Sayles Zachary Sebek Alexis Serino Seohyun Shim Angelie Xiong Ezgi Yazici

Executive Photo Editor Photo Administrator Picture Tufts Editor Staff Photographers

PRODUCTION David Westby Production Director Allie Merola Executive Layout Editors Sebastian Torrente Lilia Aronoff-Aspatur Layout Editors Jewel Castle Brianna Mignano Emily Sharp Astrid Weng Ezgi Yazici Alice Yoon Petrina Chan Creative Director Allie Merola Executive Graphics Editor Petrina Chan Graphics Editors Peter Lam Juliana Furgala Ashton Stephens Rena Tang Belinda Xian Sebastian Torrente Zach Hertz Executive Copy Editors Jei-Jei Tan Norrie Beach Copy Editors Arthur Beckel Caroline Bollinger Alison Epstein Gil Jacobson Melissa Kain Reena Kerasin Bibi Lichauco Kathleen Martensen Netai Schwartz Nihaal Shah Arielle Sigel Liora Silkes Dan Strauss

Maxwell Bernstein Executive Tech Manager Nitesh Gupta Online Editor Mia Lambert Social Media Editor

BUSINESS Josh Morris Executive Business Director

tuftsdaily.com

Named students push back, Horowitz stands by claims POSTERS

continued from page 1 Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon condemned the posters as violating both community standards and the privacy of students and faculty.

“The university will be sending a statement to the poster’s sponsors in order to make clear that such materials are not welcome on our campus,” the email read.

Horowtiz said that SJP and its positions are in violation of Tufts’ community values. When it was pointed out that, according to the statement from the university, it was Horowitz’s posters rather than SJP that was in violation of Tufts’ standards, Horowitz said that university administrators were hypocrites.

Serhan welcomed the timely response from the deans, saying it was very important that the university would be contacting the Horowitz Center.

“I’m really curious to see how that actually turns out or what comes of that because I don’t know if these people have been challenged from an institution of higher education so much as they’ve [seen] … challenges from the actual people who are being affected by it,” he said.

However, Serhan believed that some damage had already been done.

“I’m thinking about the way this affects the student body and how other students are going to interact with it, especially ones that aren’t students that may not be really aware of what SJP is,” Serhan said. “They might see this and take it very seriously and think that we are indeed Hamas.”

Aliff shared Serhan’s concerns about the misinformation being spread about her and SJP. “The thing is, people believe them,” Aliff said. “People don’t know that there is no way this is substantiated by anyone’s experience with the group, or anything like that.”

Of additional concern, Serhan said, is that these claims are circulating on the Internet where anyone, including potential employers, can see them when searching the names of SJP members who they could be looking to hire.

“I feel like [Canary Mission and the Horowitz Center’s] mission and their actual purpose, their motive, is to slander students who are considered progressive or on the left,” Serhan said. “I see that tactic as … a very low tactic but it does

put students especially in a very interesting position because we are applying for internships, we are applying for jobs … and that’s one of the first links that appears for us. It does put us in a really risky place.”

In addition to possibly keeping SJP members from finding employment, Aliff said the groups use the label of “terrorist” as an intimidation tool to silence those who would speak out for Palestinian rights.

“I just wish everyone knew that that’s the most insane thing ever, and that terrorism can come from both sides, and terrorism can come in a lot of different ways like through silencing, through fear,” she said. “Terrorism is just instilling fear in people and shutting up different sides of the argument.”

Serhan said that the appearance of these posters on Tufts’ campus is indicative of the larger issue of anti-Muslim and Arab sentiment in the United States as a whole.

“I think personally for me it’s about combating these narratives that are an everyday thing and not so much thinking of this [poster incident] as like one big attack on my identity or our identities as people on this list,” Serhan said.

Senators disagree over stipend expansion, recognizing need STIPENDS

continued from page 1 the stipend extensions do not consider financial need, and TCU Historian junior Rati Srinivasan said that there were several complications to evaluating need, including concerns about financial privacy.

“Since the TCU Senate is the one funding this, we would be looking in each other’s financial situations, which kind of puts a lot of people in a slightly uncomfortable position,” she said.

TCU Senate LGBT Community Representative Parker Breza, a sophomore, disagreed with ignoring need, saying that it was an important consideration.

“I think it’s an important thing to keep in mind if we’re giving out stipends at all, especially if it’s money from the student activities fee, that it should be going to students who actually need it in order to do the activity,” Breza told the Daily in an email.

Breza also said that decisions about the value of student labor shouldn’t be made by the senate, and that the proposed stipends shouldn’t be drawn from the student activities fee.

“While I think it’s important that student labor is valued and compensated on this campus, and while I think that labor looks like a lot of things –– whether it’s Senate, the Observer, Tufts Funny Ladies, Students for Justice in Palestine or any culture group –– I don’t think that Senate is best able to decide what labor should and shouldn’t be valued monetarily, particularly for our own group,” Breza said. “I also think that student labor is completely undervalued on this campus, and that many people should receive stipends, but that money can’t be from the student activities fee, which is how Senate funds groups.”

Breza also argued that the stipend extensions would not increase accessibility, but would instead reflect a double standard perpetuated by Senate.

“These stipends are also not widely advertised, and so the very goal of the stipends (to try and make Senate more accessible) is not achieved. I don’t want to reinforce existing power dynamics that Senate is somehow ‘prestigious’ and therefore more deserving than other groups. I don’t think that Senate is more deserving than any other group on campus of being

compensated,” Breza said. “I think there’s a huge double standard in that Senate thinks they are worthy of compensation, but openly admits that they wouldn’t provide a similar stipend should another student group request it.”

TCU Vice President Shai Slotky said that Senate was open to requests for funding.

“Any organization can make the case for any request they’d like to make,” Slotky, a senior, said. “So they can absolutely put [requests for officer stipends] forward.”

Senator Daniel Kamlarz suggested that other positions should be considered for stipends to increase Senate accessibility.

“You have community representatives that spend a lot of time talking to the Group of Six communities, and some of them were voicing concern both that they’re putting in a lot of time as well, and that if it’s a matter of accessibility,” Kamlarz, a junior, said. “If we want to get community representative positions — which are hard to fill — if we want to get them to get to be more accessible, then there should be a stipend for them.”

Following the Oct. 10 meeting, the ALBO recommendation concerning stipends was tabled.

According to Joe Golia, director of campus life, policies at other schools influenced the proposal.

“A lot of times, when something like this comes up, you look around and see what else is doing it and who else is doing it,” Golia

said. “I think the amounts we’re paying now are consistent with what other schools are doing … but I know [TCU Senate] want[s] to create different amounts.”

Of the 10 other NESCAC schools, four schools — Trinity College, Amherst College, Bowdoin College and Colby College — provide a stipend system to any positions in their student governments, according to Golia. Colby is the only NESCAC school to provide stipends to the entire executive board of their student government, and the other three schools provide an hourly monetary amount to one or two positions, usually as an incentive to fill unpopular positions.

Seth noted that the issue of stipend extensions was an ongoing conversation.

“I think what we also realize from that meeting is that we need to have a lot more conversations about what the system looks like, and we’ve started [to] talk about that within our committee structure,” Seth said.

Diversity and Community Affairs Officer Benya Kraus said that the proposal, regardless of the results, had introduced complicated discussions.

“Some of the things that came up was Senate accessibility and the value of labor and compensation of student labor, and this is a discussion that I think is important to have among students,” Kraus, a junior, said.

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

The TCU Senate is pictured during their weekly meeting on Oct. 16.

Friday, October 21, 2016 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

News

3

New manager hired, two worker positions remain unfilled FACILITIES

continued from page 1 started, and now I have to put everything on hold because I don’t know if that money is going to be there anymore,” he said.

Nasson wrote in an email before the schedule change was made that there may be more Monday overtime available, giving Saturday shift workers who are off on Monday a chance to make extra money. Yet one worker said that overtime slots were usually sparse on Mondays.

Nasson recently said that while he does not know for certain if overtime shifts have decreased, the schedule change was made too recently to ascertain its longterm impact on overtime.

Administrators’ stated purpose for the change was to use Saturday for work that couldn’t be done during the week, such as special projects and noisy work that would be distracting during class time.

However, workers say that Saturday work differs little from that which is done Monday through Friday. One worker said that he thinks that the real purpose of the Tuesday-Saturday shift was to decrease overtime hours.

“They’re not doing noisier work — we’re still doing it Tuesday-Friday. The number one [purpose of the change is] to eliminate overtime,” they said.

Director of Campus Services Gary Hill said that while the reduced labor costs that would come from fewer overtime shifts were noted when the schedule change was made, they were not the primary motivating factor.

“Although it was anticipated that overtime would be reduced — resulting in cost savings — the primary operational goals are to provide enhanced routine services in combination with the ability to respond to unexpected related services and to schedule projects,” Hill told the Daily in an email.

Unfilled Worker Positions Another source of dissatisfaction is that the Tuesday-Saturday crew is short two members. Nasson said that the crew would consist of seven people, five current workers and two new hires. However, these two additional workers have yet to be hired.

Nasson said that Facilities plans to hire an arborist and a groundskeeper for the Tuesday-Saturday schedule, two job classifications that do not yet exist in the current bargaining agreement, as most facility workers are classified as either “utility worker” or “driver.” These positions must be approved by Human Resources and the union, which is why Nasson said there has been a delay in the hiring process.

Nasson said there is value in hiring an arborist.

“We’re trying to be more efficient,” he said.

“Right now any tree work, branching, pruning, trimming; we subcontract [for that].”

Yet this still does not explain why the Tuesday-Saturday shift started for current workers before new workers were hired.

“I have no answer except the sooner we got started the better we were going to be, and the beginning of the semester seemed like a good time to start,” Nasson said in response.

Hill said that starting the shift earlier would help workers get used to the new shift as soon as possible.

Workers are divided about whether adding two new workers to the TuesdaySaturday schedule will have a positive or negative impact. Some workers already on this schedule welcome a source of additional help for what they see as a heavier workload on Saturdays.

“It would relieve a little bit of pressure in terms of workload and things like that … if we had two extra people,” one worker said, noting, however, that he does not currently feel “overworked” on the current five-member team.

Hill explained that the two additional members will give the Saturday crew more flexibility.

“The original plan was to begin the Tuesday through Saturday schedule with five employees and a grounds supervisor.

After further assessment, it was decided to increase the staff to seven employees,” he said. “This will ensure there’s adequate staff to support routine and scheduled special events while also having the flexibility to respond to unscheduled services and activities and inclement weather.”

Yet another worker said that hiring new workers for the Tuesday-Saturday shift could establish this schedule as the norm.

Another worker was concerned that the Tuesday-Saturday crew would continue to grow, allowing fewer opportunities for Monday-Friday employment.

Workers were also concerned that if the Tuesday-Saturday schedule was the norm, senior members on this schedule would never get an opportunity to switch back to a Monday-Friday arrangement.

“What will end up happening [is administrators] will keep hiring people for this shift [and there will be] no pathway for [employees to leave this schedule],” a worker said.

However, Nasson said he envisions a pathway to allow senior workers to change schedules.

“As people leave or jobs open or we add, we’ll give [more senior workers] opportunities to [work] Monday-Friday,” he said, noting that such a plan must be negotiated with the union before it is finalized.

Additional Administrative Position Added Workers also expressed dissatisfaction that while the two Saturday schedule workers have not yet been hired, an additional administrator had. Greg Mellett was hired as Grounds and Labor Manager, a newly created position, and started on Oct. 3, according to Nasson.

“They keep hiring more bosses and no more workers,” one worker said.

Nasson said Mellett was hired partially to learn the ropes from current Ground

Support Services Supervisor Jesse Carreiro, who is likely to retire soon.

“We would be down about 70 years worth of experience,” Nasson said, referring to the combined experience of Carreiro and another supervisor who recently retired. “So the idea is to bring somebody in a little bit early so when Jesse does decide to retire we would have somebody to fill the spot.”

Yet Nasson said Mellett will also fill distinct roles apart from shadowing Carreiro. Mellett will technically be supervising both Carreiro and Ground Support Services Supervisor James Doyle, allowing these supervisors to spend more time in the field while he focuses on hiring, project planning, budget and other similar responsibilities, Nasson said.

A Changed Work Environment With all the impacts of the schedule changes, whether perceived or real, piling up, some workers say that the work environment has changed.

Many workers attribute these changes in schedule, overtime and work environment to Hill, who was hired in June 2015.

“Gary Hill has definitely made the work environment very hostile, turned workers against workers,” one worker said.

While Hill said he was behind the Tuesday-Saturday schedule change, his intent was to better the university.

Nasson said he knows that morale is low among workers, and acknowledged that if he were changed to a TuesdaySaturday schedule, he too would probably be unhappy about it. However, he hopes that workers can see the purpose behind the change.

“I suffer with it because I don’t want to turn anybody’s life upside down either,” Nasson said. “My job is to make sure that we’re operating as efficiently as possible with the resources that I have. This made sense and it’s something that I had to do for the betterment of the university so I can take a kick every once in a while.”

4

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Friday, October 21, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

CONNECTED Student Value Checking Receive a $ 25* bonus

when you open and use a Student Value Checking account.

NO MONTHLY FEE** • NO MINIMUM BALANCE • NO FEE FOR INCOMING WIRES

Start here to make it happen:

SANTANDERBANK.COM/STUDENT

Student Value Checking is available to students 16 through 25 years of age (legal guardian co-owner required for those between 16-18 years). Once you reach 26, we may convert your Student Value Checking to another checking product. Proof of enrollment may be required. *Get $25 when you open a new Student Value Checking account with a $10 minimum opening deposit between June 15, 2016 and September 30, 2016 and complete 8 debit card transactions that post to your account within 60 days of account opening. Your new account needs to remain open for 90 days in an eligible product type and payment of the bonus will occur within 30 days thereafter. One bonus per customer. Students who currently have a personal checking account or who have had a personal checking account with Santander Bank in the last year are not eligible for this offer. Cannot combine with other personal checking account cash offers. Offer only available to U.S. residents. Santander team members are not eligible. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on Form 1099-INT. **Other fees may apply, including a Paper Statement fee if you elect to receive paper statements. Refer to your fee schedule for details.

Santander Bank N.A. is a Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A. © 2016 Santander Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Santander, Santander Bank and the Flame Logo are trademarks of Banco Santander, S.A. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

WEEKENDER

5 tuftsdaily.com

Friday, October 21, 2016

An Internship like no other: Tufts student Fury Sheron makes a game

by John J. Gallagher Arts Editor

TOS PHO

An empty cardboard box sits atop a tiny cartoonish hill, which emerges from the inky blackness of a forest floor in purple twilight. Silver stars glitter above the box, bobbing seductively as streams of shining stardust fall from them. These stars must be reached. They must be touched. But how? The answer: fling colored cats in the box, and stick the like-colored cats together to build a multi-pronged tower of cats that will touch the stars.

This is the core gameplay of “Comet Cats,” a mobile game released on Oct. 18, which Tufts junior Fury Sheron worked on.

“Comet Cats” was produced through the 2016 iteration of the MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program. According to its website, it is an “internship program that includes the mentoring, guidance, housing, stipends and game development tools to help student teams finalize an original video game and prepare it for launch.”

Sheron, who worked primarily as an artist on “Comet Cats,” first heard about the Summer Innovation Program through Tufts Computer Science Senior Lecturer Ming Chow’s game development class in the fall of 2015.

“Monty Sharma, one of the directors of the program, came in to talk to Ming Chow’s game development course [about the program],” Sheron explained. “I thought that sounded like a nifty deal, and I applied and I got in, which was shocking but very cool.”

According to Sheron, applicants can apply to fill several positions on a game development team.

“You can apply to participate in … production, 2D art, 3D art, programming and music,” she said. “I applied for 2D art, programming and music. I didn’t know the term technical artist before join-

Y CO TES

R COU

MET

S CAT

ing the program, which is when you can make art and then put it in the game, so I guess I’m kind of a technical artist.”

The 11-week program, which took place at Becker College’s campus in Worcester, began in mid-May and ran through early August. The program began with students choosing game ideas to work on, selecting from a pool of roughly 20 ideas that spanned genres. Sheron described one unconventional game as “a meta-simulator of a gamer playing a game, and you have to keep him playing the game as long as you can.”

The inspiration for “Comet Cats” came from “Piyomori” (2016) – an offbeat Japanese mobile title that Sheron stumbled across.

“Last year … the Japanese Culture Club on campus held a contest to see who could get the highest score in a game called Piyomori, and I’d never heard of it b e f o r e and I downloaded it and it was this unfortunate little thing that was strangely addictive but poorly made,” she said. “[It’s] a mobile game where you tap to throw 3D models of chicken babies into a pot.”

Despite its poor production value, the weirdness of “Piyomori” stuck with Sheron.

“I had never seen anything like it in the American market,” she said.

“And so when the time came to think of games to create at MassDiGI, I did not w a n t to be stuck creating just another “Bejeweled”(2001) clone, and I thought that [Piyomori] was an idea that could be improved upon … the only way to improve on anything is to make [it have] cats.”

With an idea chosen and a team of seven assembled, work began on “Comet Cats.” The working environment at

MassDiGI was professional, with work taking place over standard five-day work weeks. As team members working and living together, the envi-

hope to guarantee through marketing and post-launch support. As the game’s producer, Haddad is also in charge of marketing, and plans to use

“[A game is] a m e d i u m that is so unique, and I think it can do things that no other medium can do.”

—Fury Sheron ronment was geared toward fostering a collegial atmosphere.

“The most interesting and notable part of the working environment was that we also all lived together in the same building so it was a really interesting dynamic to try and separate ‘workplace us’ from ‘dorm us’,” Sheron said. “At work we weren’t allowed to call each other ‘students,’ or ‘guys;’ we were ‘peers’ or ‘professionals’ and all of these kinds of buzzwords that we found humorous for a long time. We understood that it was an attempt to differentiate a professional work environment that we [were] actually training for from the student environments that we were used to, but it felt a little silly at the time.”

By the end of the program, according to Tyler Haddad, the game’s producer and a junior at Becker, the game was ready for release.

“Comet Cats” was … one of the few games to come out of MassDiGI nearly finished,” Haddad said. “All the content was completely done by the time the summer ended, the only thing that ended up happening between the first week of August and now was that our lead programmer, Ben Page, worked on a lot of bug fixes for the game and got it prepped to go up onto the app stores.”

Now that “Comet Cats” is available for download, the team is focused on the game’s post-release success, which they

a mix of social media and in-person events to reach potential players. The game will also be shown under the MassDiGI banner at a raft of conventions, not least of which is PAX East this coming March.

According to Haddad, post-release support will come in the form of new unlockable items, though future updates will not necessarily be handled by the original “Comet Cats” team, but rather by students at Becker, through the college’s “Live Studio” class. According to The MassDiGI website, the class “gives college and university game development students the opportunity to work on real games in the market.”

As for Sheron, she would like to spend next summer working at FableVision, a Boston-based educational multimedia studio that produces a variety of content, including games, for children. Looking further into the future, Sheron would love to continue working on games. “[Making] wicked cool games,” Sheron said, “is what I want to do. [A game is] a medium that is so unique, and I think it can do things that no other medium can do … in a book you visualize someone else’s vision of something, in a movie you experience the sounds that someone feels will best accompany visuals that represent a story … but a video game you get to live, you get to experience it, you get to change it, and I think that’s just the coolest thing ever.”

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | WEEKENDER | Friday, October 21, 2016

Do it this weekend: Oct. 21-23 Sick from the fickle weather?

Drowned with papers and problem sets? Well, you are in luck: It is Parents and Family Weekend, and you can finally have that fancy dinner that you have waited months for.

And if your parents aren’t around, no need to fret. Check out these cool artsy events instead!

FRIDAY Art History Society Pumpkin Carving Details: The ridiculous amount of Prez Lawn posts on everyone’s Instagram accounts proves one thing: it’s October again. Why not celebrate the month by carving some pumpkins? Free donuts and cider will be provided.

When and Where: 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, location TBD (be sure to check out their Facebook page for more details!)

Curatorial Tour of “Mortal Things: Portraits Look Back and Forth” Details: When a trek down to the MFA isn’t in the cards, take a visit to Tufts Art Gallery and tour its fall exhibit “Mortal Things: Portraits Look Back and Forth.” No tickets required.

When and Where: 3 – 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, Tisch Family Gallery Tufts Stand-Up Comedy Presents: Comedy Spooktacular!

Details: Watch Tufts StandUp Comedy Collective perform their first major show of the year.

Although no tickets are required,

beware that the Halloween-themed performance is expected to fill to capacity.

When and Where: 9:30 – 11 p.m. on Oct. 21, Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center SATURDAY Parents Weekend Dance Showcase Details: Tufts University Department of Drama and Dance is hosting a big dance extravaganza on Saturday. In addition to Tufts Dance Program, student dance groups including the African Dance Collective, Sarabande, Spirit of Color, Tamasha, JumboRaas, Tufts Tap Ensemble and Tufts Ballroom will be participating in the show. No tickets required.

When and Where: 6 – 7 p.m. on Oct. 22, Cohen Auditorium SUNDAY Tufts Sunday Concert Series: La Tempesta Details: What is a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than listening to live chamber music? La Tempesta ( The Storm) features Tufts faculty and student musicians including coordinator of applied music Edith Auner and affiliates of the Music Department Emmanuel Feldman and Emil Altschuler. No tickets required.

When and Where: 3 – 5 p.m. on Sunday, Distler Performance Hall

—by Eran Sabaner

tuftsdaily.com

Five of Boston’s Hidden Gems to fill Parents, Family Weekend Whether this is your first or last Parents and Family Weekend at Tufts, odds are that you’ll want to show off how great your school is and share some of the communities you’re a part of with them. This is definitely encouraged, but in case you want to venture out of the Tufts Bubble, (highly likely if your visitors have traveled far) here are some ideas for what to do this weekend.

1. 5th Annual Canine Promenade; Oct. 23: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.; Charles River Esplanade (on Fiedler Field) This is not a drill. There will be actual dogs parading around the Charles River in costumes. There will be a grand prize for Best Costume as well as Best Duet (Human and Pet). The Snap Story potential that this event promises is almost too much to bare.

Stop by to devour the cuteness and support the Esplanade’s fundraising for park improvement.

2. 52nd Head Of the Charles; Oct. 22-23: All day beginning at 7:45 am Check out this annual event that brings thousands together on the Charles River.

The Regatta’s website features some of the best sites to spectate at, including the Weld Exhibition on the Cambridge side and the Reunion Village on the Boston side. Either area is full of activity and promises food to salivate over while enjoying the race.

3. Custom House Observation Deck: Everyday except Fridays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.: McKinley Square As far as tourist attractions go this is still fairly low key, yet you still get a breathtaking, 360-degree view of the city, including panoramas of the Boston Harbor Islands and downtown. The property is owned by Marriott, but the deck is still open to the

public during their designated hours. Just take the first elevator to the 19th floor, and then the second elevator to the 26th floor. Enjoy the inspired architecture dating back to 1837, which was given the go-ahead by President Andrew Jackson.

Tickets are $5 in the afternoon and $7.50 in the evening.

4. 20th Annual A Cappella Competition: Oct. 22-23: Starts at 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. each day: Faneuil Hall Marketplace Faneuil Hall is one of the Boston’s most popular attractions. It’s the hub of Boston’s revolutionary-era history, and, this weekend, you can explore that while getting your acapella on. New England’s best acapella groups will be competing for cash prizes and performance opportunities.

Stop by at your leisure, and check out the marketplace. Quincy Market is right behind Faneuil Hall, which you’ll want to check out when you’re hungry.

5. Escape the Room: Available for bookings this weekend on their website escaptetheroomboston.com: Boston This unique attraction has the potential to lead to some unforgettable memories for whoever is in your group. Escape rooms are becoming fairly popular all over the country, and for good reason.

The basic premise is having your group locked inside a themed room, and then your party is allotted 60 minutes to use the clues around you to escape. You and 10 other people will have to use your wits in an unexpected and memorable way.

Tickets are $28.

—by Jocelyn Contreras

Friday, October 21, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

7

Football stands together as a united front challenging systemic racism SOLIDARITY

continued from back fessional players and hundreds of high school and college athletes across the country have adopted similar expressions of solidarity. While the exact form has varied, the message of the protests has remained clear; the persistent and systemic oppression of black Americans by institutional and social forces, exemplified by the repeated use of disproportionate and lethal force by law enforcement officials against black men, is profoundly unjust and needs to be remedied.

Kaepernick has been subject to condemnation from countless commentators on both sides of the aisle for what has been perceived as a lack of respect, not only for the Stars and Stripes, but also for members of the armed forces. When asked about these criticisms, Brady acknowledged the legitimacy of such claims.

“I understand it. I get it 100 percent,” Brady said. “For a lot of people, especially veterans and people who have veterans in

their family, that flag stands for a lot. That flag is a symbol of our nation. As I said previously, you can’t just acknowledge it as a symbol of racial oppression, because that’s not entirely what it’s based on. That is an aspect of it, but to other people, it means a lot more.”

Still, Brady was adamant that the team’s message of togetherness transcends such accusations about divisiveness and disrespect.

“That’s why we’re trying to show unity,” he continued, “because some people look at [the flag] and they see that, and they see what our forefathers fought for. Other people see it and see the marred history that the U.S. has gone through when it comes to race relations. I understand why they’d say it’s disrespectful, and I get that fully, and that’s why we’re standing there together.”

Dean took a similar stance.

“It stems from a lack of acknowledgment that not all constituents in the U.S.A. are treated as having a similar status,” Dean added. “And so while I acknowledge that it is disrespectful to some people, I

think it’s important through unity and through respect to illustrate that that is not the same for every individual.”

The process leading to the decision to lock arms has improved discourse among the players on the team, and participants and onlookers alike are impressed with how the deliberations on how to act have galvanized the players to make a unified political statement.

“It was nice to be at a place where you had open dialogue, people respecting each other’s opinions, people not afraid to talk about a situation and a conversation that typically wouldn’t have happened or doesn’t happen enough,” Civetti said. “I was really impressed with Chance [Brady].

I was really impressed with the seniors and the team as a whole to listen to one another, to have those conversations, to [the dialogue] not just [being] a, ‘hey, we’re just going to do this [just] because.’ The dialogue has continued.”

For both the players and coaches involved, unity remains the focus.

“While certain members of our team are more inclined to do more for racial equality and fighting police brutality, others are on different ends of the spectrum and have different things going on,” Brady said. “We support that and we respect that. That’s really just our main goal here.”

While the national debate surrounding protests of the national anthem continues, Civetti’s focus remains on his players, and what locking arms means to them.

“I think our team’s decision to lock arms and be together is just another identifier of how great our chemistry is and how much we care about one another and how much we want to support each other,” Civetti said. “At the end of the day, when it’s Saturday and we have 60 minutes to play together, that’s three extra minutes we get to be locked arm in arm. We get to be together and spend time together. You only get eight of those a year. I feel very lucky to be able to be around student athletes that are that compassionate and that care that much about each other.”

First-year Greg Holt leads NESCAC in tackles Jumbos post 26 victories, FOOTBALL Bowdoin Polar Bears (0-4), the in last year’s contest for just experiment with doubles continued from back dependable running back scur- 2.1 yards per attempt, Tufts said. “We can’t steer away from ried 27 times for 94 yards and will seek a repeat performance teams for spring our blueprint of who we are and what we do.”

The first task for Tufts will be getting the offense back on track. For the second consecutive week, sophomore quarterback Ryan McDonald took the majority of snaps under center.

McDonald struggled against the Bantams; he tossed his first interception of the season while throwing only 103 passing yards, 67 of which came on one play in the second quarter. Moreover, he failed to make use of one of his greatest strengths, his ability to improvise on his feet. On 12 carries, the dual-threat managed 15 yards.

Notably, McDonald started ahead of senior quarterback Alex Snyder for the first time this season. Snyder entered the contest with less than two and a half minutes left on the clock, but it proved to be enough time to flash his talent.

The veteran play-caller completed all three of his attempts for 128 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion, the latter two coming on passes to senior tight end Nik Dean.

In explaining his relying on McDonald against Trinity — rather than Snyder — Civetti cited the specific structural needs of the offense.

“We knew that it was going to be a struggle,” Civetti said.

“That was part of the reason Ryan [McDonald] played as much as he did. In order to allow [senior tri-captain running back] Chance [Brady] to have success, we felt like we needed to make [Trinity’s defense] be responsible for two runners.”

One of the various reasons for optimism about Tufts’ prospects against Williams is that no matter who the Jumbos have under the center, the plater will have Brady by their side.

After getting just eight carries the week before against the

two touchdowns against Trinity.

Facing Brady and company will be a Williams defense that has allowed 189 rushing yards per game, ranking them second worst in the conference — trailing only Colby (1-3) — in terms of stopping the run. Although they have yet to secure a victory this season, the Ephs’ defense should not be underestimated; through four games, Williams leads the NESCAC with 10 forced turnovers. Of their seven fumbles recovered, each has been secured by a different player, suggesting that the Ephs boast talented depth in their defensive unit. Meanwhile, rushing from the edge is sophomore defensive end Jameson DeMarco, who already has two sacks this season.

At the other end of the field, Williams has reason to be optimistic as well. The Ephs have scored increasingly more points in every game.

Helming the Ephs’ offense is first-year quarterback Jansen Durham, whose NESCAC career has begun unsteadily, with as many interceptions thrown (six) as touchdowns.

Last week, his favorite target was sophomore tight end/ wide receiver Tyler Patterson.

Against the Middlebury Panthers (4-0), Patterson notched seven catches for 176 yards and two scores, all career highs.

Coming into the matchup against Tufts, Williams will have to rely on Durham and the passing game to carry the scoring load. Although junior running back Connor Harris has rushed for 71.3 yards per game – good for third best in the conference – he has yet to find pay dirt in 2016. In fact, halfway through the season, the Ephs are the only NESCAC team without a rushing touchdown. Having held Williams to just 35 yards across 17 carries

in shutting down the Ephs ground game.

An indispensable element in that effort is first-year linebacker Greg Holt. Through the first half of the season, Holt has led the NESCAC in total tackles (53) and is currently second in solo tackles (29), trailing Bates’ senior tri-captain linebacker Mark Upton by a single takedown.

“It’s definitely a transition [between high school and college],” Holt said. “People are bigger and faster. The tempo’s different. I worked out pretty hard in the summer to try and prepare myself for whatever was going to come, but it’s something you can’t prepare yourself for. You’ve just got to [get] into the flow of it.”

In reflecting on his success, Holt was quick to acknowledge the support he’s received from the team’s veterans. “[ Junior linebackers] Steve DiCienzo and Chuck Calabrese have really stepped up and taken the time to show me what Tufts football is all about.

They’ve really taught me that it’s a family and that you’re not on your own. Whenever you need help, they’re going to teach you, take the time to help you get through workouts and help you learn plays.

It’s really been awesome having those guys treat me like a younger brother.”

Civetti has certainly noted the success of his young linebacker, and credits it to Holt’s work ethic and preparation.

“Greg’s a tremendous player,” Civetti said. “He’s a student of the game. He takes it very seriously. And I think he’d be the first to tell you that Steve [DiCienzo] has played better than him and the D-line’s the reason he’s having success — he’s a pretty humble kid, too.”

The Jumbos will host the Ephs on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Ellis Oval.

WOMEN'S TENNIS

continued from back “I saw some combos that we will definitely try again at the start of the spring season, but we will definitely be experimenting more with combos this spring,” Bayard told the Daily in an email.”[Junior] Lauren [Louks] is abroad, and I’m excited to start the spring with Lauren [Louks] and Mina [Karamercan] as our #1 combo again this year. They had a strong finish last year, ending the year ranked #6 in the country. I’m confident in their ability to compete with every #1 team out there. The next step is to find teams who have a good shot at winning in the #2 and #3 doubles spots.”

This tournament served as an effective way for the team to grasp its strengths and weak-

nesses going into the off-season.

In addition to doubles play, the number of points won using volleys drastically improved, as well as the pressuring of opponents at the net. According to Bayard, the team saw higher serve and return percentages in doubles, increased awareness and better shot selection. However, there are many things that the team hopes to improve upon over the off-season, such as fitness and match play.

“A big thing for us this year is reducing our free points or [not giving] away points like double faults and getting all of the returns in,” Popa said. “Mainly we want to reduce errors that can be avoided.”

Tufts opens its spring season on March 19 against Oberlin at Pepperdine University.

(RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY)

Then first-year Julia Keller hits the ball during the matches against Colby on the Voute Tennis Courts on April 1.

Sports

8 tuftsdaily.com

Friday, October 21, 2016

In solidarity, for justice, Tufts Football links arms

by Sam Weitzman Staff Writer

This Saturday, as they have before each game this season, the football team will engage in a revolutionary act. During the pregame playing of the Star-Spangled Banner, instead of following custom and standing at attention with their hands over their hearts, the Jumbos will lock arms. Their intention, according to senior tri-captain running back Chance Brady, is to demonstrate the team’s unity amidst the country’s current turbulent political and racial climate.

“We’re trying to show that we, in these times of trouble, show unity with each other, love to one another and support for one another,” Brady said. “Issues that have come up have put people in awkward situations, tough spots and [given them] tough decisions to make. We just want to link arms and show that no matter whether the times are good or bad, we have each other’s back.”

Senior tight end Nik Dean echoed his captain’s sentiments.

“It is an acknowledgment of police brutality and an acknowledgment of the racial issues that are in America,” Dean said.

“Fixing this issue and tackling this issue is not a black issue but an everyone issue.”

Brady said that it was important for the team to make a statement on an issue that goes beyond sports.

“Being an athlete here and being a black athlete here, we understand that there are some things that supersede football,” Brady said. “This happens to be one of them.”

The Jumbos’ decision to lock arms was not spontaneous. Rather, it was the culmi-

(MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY)

Members of the Tufts football team link arms during the national anthem before the homecoming game against Bates on Oct. 1. nation of many hours of deliberation and consideration. While the locker room’s inviolability means that the exact details of how the action was organized remain private, it appears that the decision-making process was student-driven and collectively agreed upon. “[The decision] was entirely conducted throughout the team,” Brady said. “There was very open dialogue between all members of the team — coaching staff, captains, down to the last guy on the roster.

Everyone was spoken to and everyone’s voice was heard.”

Dean said that head coach Jay Civetti

helped to ensure that all opinions were aired and that any action would be carried out by the team as a whole.

“If [Civetti] played any role, it was that [he said]: ‘if we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it as a team, and I don’t want anyone to be bashful about saying how they feel,’ and for all of us to respect that,” Dean said. “If he played any role, it was to lead the front on accepting, and unity and acknowledgment of other people.”

In opting to lock arms, rather than making a more, or less, dramatic statement, the players were acknowledging the need to avoid alienating not only out-

FOOTBALL

siders, but also each other. In deciding how they wanted to signal their support for racial equality, they had to strike a compromise.

“Instead of trying to take a radical approach to this, we found a middle ground where we felt we were appeasing both sides,” Brady said. “Obviously, the flag represents a lot more than just racial oppression in America. It stands for freedom, liberty and the right to have a pursuit of happiness. We understood that there were two sides to the coin, and we wanted to make sure that whatever we did embraced that fact.”

The gesture was one of unity, but also one that is accepting of differing opinions.

“We all recognized that the flag meant something different to us,” Dean said. “It affected us differently, and we all were willing to compromise to acknowledge those differences and celebrate those differences.”

In their defiance of an American sport cultural norm, the Jumbos are following the example first set by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Before a preseason game on Aug. 26, Kaepernick drew national attention, both positive and negative, for refusing to stand during the pregame performance of the Star-Spangled Banner. When asked about his actions afterwards, Kaepernick was adamant about his intentions.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said. “To me, this is bigger than football.”

Subsequently, dozens of other prosee SOLIDARITY, page 7

WOMEN'S TENNIS

After Trinity loss, Tufts looks to Tufts wraps up fall season, highly bounce back against Williams successful at Bowdoin Invitational

by Savannah Mastrangelo Contributing Writer

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Running Back Chance Brady, a senior, runs up the middle of the field during Tufts’ 31-28 victory against Middlebury at a home game on Nov. 14, 2015.

by Sam Weitzman Staff Writer

After falling just short of a win 36-28 in last week’s game against the Trinity Bantams (4-0), the Tufts Jumbos (3-1) look forward to their next game with the hope of returning to their winning

ways. Tufts will host the Williams Ephs (0-4) on Saturday and coach Jay Civetti expects his players to bounce back from their first defeat of the season.

“We just need to focus on execution and playing physical football,” Civetti see FOOTBALL, page 7

Women’s tennis wrapped up the fall season on a strong note with a combined record of 26-13 at the Bowdoin Invitational this Friday and Saturday. Sophomores Mina Karamercan and Julia Keller both went 3-0 in their singles matches, while sophomore Otilia Popa and senior Hannah Conroy were also undefeated in singles matches, both finishing the weekend 2-0.

Tufts faced opponents from Bates, No. 6 Bowdoin, Wellesley and Skidmore College at the invitational.

Karamercan maintained her momentum from the ITA Regional Tournament, where she advanced to the third round.

She defeated Wellesley senior co-captain Carina Chen 6-1, 6-3, first-year Ada Wiggins of Skidmore 7-5, 6-3 and sophomore Justine Huang of Wellesley, 7-6, 6-1.

Keller dominated the singles bracket as well, defeating senior co-captain Andjela Stojkovic of Wellesley 6-3, 6-0, first-year Sarah Yan of Wellesley 6-3, 6-4 and junior Danielle Giannetti of Skidmore 5-7, 6-1, (10-6).

“Julia Keller’s singles [were] impressive,” coach Kate Bayard told the Daily in an email. “She is aggressive from the baseline off of both sides and even showed her ability to finish at net. It’s exciting that she will be in the mix this year after fully

recovering from her injury last year. She is also one of the most fit players out there.

She is someone who I know would never lose a match due to fitness. She’ll also continue to push others on the team to push themselves with their fitness in the off-season.”

In singles play, Conroy defeated Bates first-year Lauren Hernandez 6-1, 6-4 and nearly swept her teammate, sophomore Morgan Woods, 6-1, 6-0. Popa topped Wellesley first-year Korina Hernandez 6-7, 6-3, (10-8) and senior Dasha Kostikina, also of Wellesley, 6-2, 6-0.

Sophomore Tomo Iwasaki posted a 2-1 singles record over the weekend, defeating Bowdoin senior Pilar Giffenig 7-5, 6-3 and Chen 6-4, 2-6, (10-6).

“I felt a lot more confident with my serves throughout the weekend, and I want to work on mental toughness which is always hard for me, and general consistency, but that comes with practice and match play,” Iwasaki said.

Doubles play was a large focus for the team after struggling in that aspect during the ITA Regional Tournament. The Jumbos posted a 10-6 record in doubles matches this weekend and the team experimented with more doubles pairings. Karamercan and senior Jacqueline Baum were undefeated at the tournament with a 2-0 record. see WOMEN'S TENNIS, page 7