Tuesday, October 18, 2016

No condom condemnation here: CARE promotes practices of safe sex see FEATURES / PAGE 4

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Cool Runnings: Women’s XC ices out competition

‘The Accountant’ doesn’t quite add up see ARTS & LIVING / PAGE 6

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 27

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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

David Gregory moderates journalist panel on election cycle

by Gil Jacobson News Editor

Tisch College Professor of the Practice David Gregory moderated a panel entitled “A Year Like No Other: Politics & the Press in 2016,” featuring New York Times Political Co r re s p o n d e n t Pa t r i c k Healy (LA ’93), NPR Political Reporter Asma Khalid and Mic! Co-founder Jake Horowitz.

The event took place last night in Granoff Music Center’s Distler Auditorium as part of Tisch College’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

During a roundtable with student journalists before the event, Gregory commented on the New York Times’ strategy of bullet pointing its news for millennials who may avoid reading full articles, despite an increased demand for specificity in coverage from that same age group.

“There is shorter attention but there is greater interest in explanation and exploration on the part of audiences,” he said.

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

New York Times journalist Patrick Healy (LA ‘93) speaks in the “A Year Like No Other: Politics & the Press in 2016” panel discussion in Distler Hall on Oct. 17.

He also emphasized that the media now focuses more on the mechanics of politics

rather than voter background, and because the media has grown more partisan over

time, people are increasingly turning to it in search of specific perspectives.

“This is where news coverage and commentary become conflated and becomes consumed by people who want to validate their view of the world,” Gregory said.

Horowitz also discussed the perilous impact of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s initial ability to create and share his perspectives on the world with people who already shared similar opinions, and how those perspectives then seemed to become their reality.

“The filter bubble is very real,” Horowitz said. “You end up getting news from your friends and that can often be very, very at odds with what are the actual facts.”

Dean of Tisch College Alan Solomont then opened the panel with an introduction and several expressions of thanks before turning it over to the moderator and panelists.

Gregory began by commenting on the evolving role of media in this year’s presidential race. see ELECTION, page 2

State Senator Pat Jehlen discusses Question 2

by Daniel Caron

Contributing Writer

Massachusetts State Senator Pat Jehlen met with a group of about 25 students in Paige Hall Terrace Room yesterday at 6 p.m. for a discussion about the long term-effects of charter schools and why she believes voters should vote against the Massachusetts Authorization of Additional Charter Schools and Charter School Expansion Initiative, also known as Question 2, on the Massachusetts State ballot on Nov. 8.

Sophomore Nate Krinsky, president of Tufts Progressive Alliance, introduced Jehlen at the beginning of the event, which was sponsored by Tufts Progressive Alliance, Tufts Democrats and JumboVote.

Jehlen’s talk centered around four reasons she thought students should vote down Question 2, which proposes raising the maximum number of charter school expansions per year and removing limits on money allocated to them from district schools.

“Right now, there’s a limit on how much district school funding can go

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to charter schools,” she said. “A ‘Yes’ on Question 2 would eliminate those limits, and we will have a growing set of selective, privately managed schools.”

According to Jehlen, the proposal will take more money from district schools.

“Charter and district schools are funded from the same pot of money,” she said.

Jehlen explained that when charter school proponents say that charter schools actually increase the total amount of money allocated to the Department of Education, they are referring to a five-year reimbursement formula that should return 225 percent of the lost funds to district schools; however, this formula has not been fully funded in recent years.

“Unfortunately, it’s a shock absorber, not a win for all,” she said.

Jehlen listed examples of lost funding in Massachusetts district schools that led to programs being cut. These included Snowden International School, which had to cut its Japanese program, see JEHLEN, page 2

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

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ZACH SEBEK / THE TUFTS DAILY

State Senator Pat Jehlen speaks to Tufts students regarding the upcoming election and the vote on Question 2 regarding the potential increase in charter schools.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, October 18, 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

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Panel posits shift in coverage post presidential election ELECTION

continued from page 1 “This has been an incredibly turbulent year in politics but also in journalism, there’s a lot of changes at work that you’re seeing manifested in the course of the campaign and the coverage of the campaign,” he said.

Most of what Gregory and the panelists shared regarding this year’s presidential campaigns focused on Trump rather than Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

In response to a question about the Times’ decision to refer to Trump as a liar regarding his accusation that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States, Healy discussed the importance of words in this election, because while Trump later acknowledged Obama’s American birth, he had continued issuing these accusations for years after they were proven untrue.

“Any reasonable person should have known it,” Healy said. “And any reasonable person should have known that their intent in this case was to keep pushing a lie so we decided to call it that and go big with it.”

Panelists were also asked about the media’s role in this election, and Khalid responded by discussing the increased pressure that the media faces to call out Trump on racist remarks.

“My job, I believe, as a journalist is to inform as wide of an audience as possible,” she said. “I don’t feel that labeling such words and such actions is particularly helpful, I don’t feel that labeling a person as such is ever accurate and I actually think that people’s actions may describe that more than a particular person [could].”

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

TV journalist and Tisch College Professor of the Practice David Gregory speaks while moderating the “A Year Like No Other: Politics & the Press in 2016” panel discussion in Distler Hall on Oct. 17.

Horowitz went on to discuss the increased demand from voters for media to provide discerning commentaries on the candidates.

“Most millennials that I’ve talked to all over the country found it very frustrating for months and months and months, watching cable news commentary of this campaign … and … hearing people kind of treating what Donald Trump said … with the same airtime as anything else,” he said.

An audience member later asked about how the coverage will after the

election when a significant percentage of the American population will be dissatisfied after voting for the losing candidate, and Healy responded that it will depend largely on who wins next month. He also stressed the importance of covering the impact of election results in the middle of the country rather than just in Washington D.C. and coastal states.

Solomont closed the panel by thanking the four guests and noting that Massachusetts’ voter registration deadline is tomorrow, Oct. 19.

Jehlen urges electorate to vote against Question 2 JEHLEN

continued from page 1 and Charlestown High School, which had to cut its Diploma Plus program that supported students who struggled academically, according to Jehlen.

She went on to argue that charter schools do not educate all students.

According to Jehlen, under 10 percent of students in Brooke Charter School are learning English as a second language, compared to 30 percent in

other Boston district schools. There are also half as many students with learning disabilities at this charter school than in district schools, she said.

Additionally, she said that the fact that the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education decides when charters should be granted for schools is problematic. She noted that the Board of Education is not responsible to voters and has repeatedly voted against the majority preference because it does not

look at the effects these schools have on other children in public education.

Finally, Jehlen said that because public education is already underfunded, funding new charter schools will require that money be diverted from other places. “ We’ll cut from somewhere,” Jehlen said. “It might be the highways, or the T, or parks, but it will probably be from low income kids in Boston.”

Police Briefs The Great Divider Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a report from a university staff member about a stolen room partition on Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. The staff member had brought the room partition to Cabot Intercultural Center but found it missing when he later returned.

It has not yet been found. A follow-up has been planned with Custodial and Facilities Services to see if it might have been moved by a worker.

Handle with Care TUPD and Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) responded to a report of a student who had accidentally cut herself on glass lab equipment in the Pearson Chemical Lab on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. The student sustained a minor cut, which was cleaned and bandaged by TEMS.

Swiped A student reported to TUPD on Oct. 8 at 11:50 a.m. that she had seen fraudulent charges on her debit card. She cancelled the card after seeing the charges.

The incident is currently under investigation by TUPD. Out of Commission A male student reported finding damage to his bicycle to TUPD on Oct. 11 at 5:45 p.m. The bicycle was parked outside of Latin Way Apartments at a bicycle rack. The student discovered that the rear tire of the bike had been bent.

Without a Trace TUPD received a report of a stolen bicycle on Oct. 12 at 1:15 p.m.. The student reported that he had attached his bicycle to a sign post on the grass outside of Latin Way Apartments. The incident is currently under investigation by TUPD.

Balancing Act A person fell off of his bicycle on Oct. 14 at 4:45 p.m on the intersection of Professors Row and College Avenue.

The incident prompted a response by TUPD, TEMS and the Somerville Fire Department. It is unknown if the injured person was a student. He was treated at the scene and taken to the hospital for further examination.

Foul Play A person’s car was damaged near the baseball field on Oct. 16 at midnight.

The car was hit by a foul ball from the field, which cracked the windshield. He was advised by TUPD on how to get his windshield replaced and how to file the incident with his insurance company.

—by Juliana Furgala

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

News

TCU Senate discusses Career Center, funding requests and project proposals The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate assembled on Oct. 16 in the Sophia Gordon Hall Multipurpose Room to discuss project proposals and decide upon supplementary funding requests.

After opening with roll call, Executive Director of the Career Center Gregory Victory introduced himself to the TCU Senate and asked members for their advice on how to make the Career Center better fit the needs of Tufts students.

Victory, who took on the role this summer, came to Senate looking to create conversations surrounding any areas that may need improvement.

“If there is a problem, if there is an issue, if there is an idea, I want you to come to me, and I want to make this better,” Victory said.

Victory explained how, according to the most recent Senior Survey taken, under 50 percent of Tufts students visited the Career Center during their four years at Tufts. He then asked Senate

for suggestions on how to increase this number.

One repeated suggestion from TCU members was for the Career Center, as well as the Career Fair it hosts, to actively work to change students’ perceptions of the Career Center. The consensus was that the Career Center currently caters primarily to finance, engineering and technology companies. Senate suggested that the Career Center better represent the interests of all majors and students.

Another suggestion was that the Career Center improve its student outreach by tabling in the Mayer Campus Center during open block periods so that services are more accessible to students who may not normally think to visit its office in Dowling Hall. Others proposed that Career Center representatives come into classes to speak with students.

TCU Education Committee member Philip Miller then asked for project

approval from Senate for his textbook exchange project.

Miller, a first-year, explained that the initiative seeks to create a place on campus where an easy and accessible textbook exchange can occur. The exchange would initially be run by Senate, and it would not seek to make a profit but would buy books and serve as a third party seller.

Project approval to explore a textbook exchange run by students was passed by a vote of 21-6.

Treasurer Chris Leaverton, a sophomore, then began supplementary funding requests.

Senate then passed the Allocation Board’s recommendations of $3,130 to Tufts Enchanted, $1,581 to Pulse, $722 to Tufts United for Immigrant Justice, $656.47 to Society of Women Engineers, $1,710 to Tufts Ballroom Dance Team, $1,975 to Baseball Analysis at Tufts, $2,457 to HYPE Mimez and $668.67 to the Crafts Center.

Parliamentarian Adam Rapfogel, a sophomore, said that there were no resolutions up for discussion this week.

Student Chair of the Committee on Student Life Tafari Duncan, a senior, then explained the committee’s recent activities, including figuring out how the School of the Museum of Fine Arts stands in terms of Tufts after the recent integration as well as discussions on the Students Advocating for Students Freedom of Speech resolution.

Vice Chair of the TCU Judiciary Michael Kalmans, a senior, then explained that the Judiciary Committee is in the middle of its recognition process. Two groups so far, Lord Barnum’s Players and the European Students’ Association, have been officially recognized, according to Kalmans.

—by Hannah Uebele

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Members of TCU Senate are pictured during their weekly meeting at Sophia Gordon Hall Multipurpose Room on Oct. 16.

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Faryal Jafri and Natasha Khwaja Karachi vs. Kansas

Losing legacies

N

atasha (N): Since both of us got to see our grandmothers this past week, we thought we’d talk about growing up around such incredibly strong and resilient women.

Faryal (F): My grandmother moved to London after marrying my grandfather around 1967. They were part of one of the first waves of immigration to a land that now calls curry a “national dish.” For her, this was among the most important times in her life because it was the start of her personal life away from her family in Pakistan. She recounts the racism and prejudice faced by many South Asians. She was a teacher and often had to be more qualified if she was up against a white candidate. Even when they started looking for housing, their choices were limited by signs that read “whites only” or “no non-English.”

N: I’ve always been confused about how to reconcile the history my grandparents have lived through and how to create a legacy around that. I remember listening wideeyed and perplexed when I was younger as my nani spoke of how she and her sisters would camp out on their roof when the streets of Lahore flooded or be forced to walk up and down the stairs again and again in Catholic school until their posture was perfect. As I grew older, the stories became darker and more intimate. I found my dadi tearing up as my nani recounted the time when her sister died in her arms during a train bombing around the outbreak of the 1965 war with India. That’s a kind of pain that penetrates through so much.

F: While my grandmother doesn’t remember much about actual Partition, she also remembers the 1965 war vividly, as her father was in the air force. She told me about being barred from attending her first day of class because the president had declared that war with India had begun.

Every time the sirens rang, her family would run to the trenches in the backyard with their blankets. Despite the war that was going on, she recounts how nice it was to see Pakistan united. Everyone looked after each other, “even the thieves.”

N: When you have grandparents with scars as deep as war and Partition, it’s important not to let that pain breed generational hatred, but we also have a duty to preserve and understand their experiences. I worry about what will become of the character and drive of future generations as our lives become more and more sanitized by “progress.” So much of my admiration and respect for my grandmothers is derived from their struggles.

They’ve both smashed through such high walls of politics and patriarchy to become successful, caring doctors who’ve never lost their adventurous spirit.

F: Their histories aren’t taught to us in history books. It’s an oral history that must be passed down and preserved. We learn in school about the history of the land that we occupy now, but it does not reflect our familial pasts, which is the stuff that will really fuel us through life.

Natasha Khwaja is a junior majoring in international relations and anthropology. Natasha can be reached at natasha. khwaja@tufts.edu. Faryal Jafri is a junior majoring in international relations. Faryal can be reached at faryal.jafri@tufts.edu

Features

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Tufts CARE tackles consent, condoms, candid questions about sex

by Emma Damokosh Contributing Writer

titioner at Health Service, answer anonymous questions in videos posted to CARE’s Facebook page.

“What we have found is that there are a lot of questions around consent and around boundaries,” Donovan said.

“These are the questions we really want to talk to students about.”

One way in which CARE has worked to spread sexual education and safety awareness is through its partnerships with student groups on campus. In the past, Donovan has partnered with sports teams in support of Green Dot, a national program that focuses on fighting against power-based violence, including sexual violence and misconduct. Several Tufts sports teams, notably the Women’s Rugby Football Club, have dedicated their homecoming matches to building awareness of and support for the Green Dot campaign.

According to Donovan, CARE allows students to promote the particular issues they care about in the ways that they want. Donovan wants student groups to feel empowered to put their own spin on the programs and the ideas for which CARE stands.

In addition to the many separate student groups working with CARE, there are also students involved in helping with programming and events.

CARE Intern Max Farber helps plan programming, encourages greater student involvement and works on the educational side of CARE. “I work more on educational programs about sex ed, sex toys, consent … more specifically through the sex ed lens,” Farber, a senior majoring in sociology and a dual degree student through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts, said.

Recently, Farber has been working on Jumbo’s Condom Circus, a CARE initiative that emphasizes the importance of safe sex. Through this online service, students can order free condoms and diaphragms to be delivered to their residence hall.

Farber said that individuals can order kits for themselves, selecting whichever items they want; resident assistants (RAs) can also ask for a bulk package that they can offer to students living on their floor.

Farber also sits on Sex in the Dark panels, which are hosted by CARE and held in dimly lit venues so that people can ask candid, anonymous questions about sex, hook-up culture, consent or anything else regarding sex. He feels that these events are important in opening up discussions and taking away the stigma associated with conversations about sex.

“As you break down those boundaries so people can just talk about sex, a lot is allowed to come up in public and private settings,” he said. “So by breaking down those boundaries, you encourage people to have conversations about consent, testing, what you like and dislike and what makes you feel good … and that is all part of a dialogue around consent.”

According to Donovan, the staff and volunteers working at CARE aim to make students feel comfortable with how the material is being presented in hope of having as much impact on the student body as possible. Therefore, one of CARE’s primary goals is to tailor its programming to the Tufts community, she explained.

“It took me the first year to understand Tufts and Tufts culture,” Donovan said. “It is unique … it’s very progressive and Tufts students are very particular about things.”

Given that Tufts students often already have a certain level of knowledge surrounding sexual health, Farber believes that CARE should respond accordingly.

“A lot of students on campus already have a knowledge base, so when approaching them, you have to [acknowledge what] … they already know,” Farber said. “I think people on this campus are very progressive, and there are a lot of particularities with that, with what things are appropriate and with how things should be implemented.”

Ultimately, CARE’s mission is to make people feel safe, heard and informed.

Donovan hopes that CARE can serve as the jumping-off point for students to engage in safe, consensual and pleasurable sexual activities if they so choose.

“Let’s empower people to do whatever they want to do, no matter what’s happening on campus,” Donovan said. “You do you.”

Seeing the need for a resource that would cater to the needs of victims of sexual assault and misconduct as well as educate the student body about sex, Alexandra Donovan, sexual misconduct prevention specialist, and Nandi Boyne, sexual misconduct resource specialist, created the Tufts Center for Awareness, Resources and Education (CARE) in April 2014.

While the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) primarily deals with the legal side of responding to reports of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and discrimination, CARE, whose main office is located in the basement of Health Service, aims to interact more with the student body on a more day-to-day basis and maintain an open dialogue surrounding sexual activity, health and wellbeing, according to Donovan.

Donovan explained that CARE, which she said was officially recognized by Tufts in 2015, gave her and Boyne an outlet to provide these resources. “[Boyne] and I offer very different kinds of services [than OEO does], and to distinguish ourselves, we created CARE, which we felt better identified what we were doing and what we are about,” Donovan said.

Donovan, who works with students, faculty and staff, said she has been working in interpersonal violence for 20 years and has devoted her time at Tufts to creating a safe, candid environment to talk about sex.

Boyne works with sexual assault and violence victims to guide them through the steps that victims will sometimes take after experiencing sexual violence or misconduct, such as getting counseling and finding alternate housing.

“What I’m really here to do is to be the bridge between students and the resources that are available both on campus and off,” Boyne said.

Boyne also works with friends, partners and others to support those who have experienced sexual misconduct or violence, in order to give them the additional support that they need to deal with the situation.

Building CARE into what it is now took time, patience and student support, according to Donovan.

“The first year it was very quiet,” she said. “[Boyne and I] were very clear on what we wanted to do in creating CARE, but [figuring out] how we wanted to advertise it [and] what programs we were offering … took a year and a lot of other students being involved.”

Donovan added that opening up a dialogue about sexual misconduct on campus is an important aspect of what CARE does. One way that CARE accomplishes this is by having Ariel LILIA KANG / THE TUFTS DAILY Watriss, a nurse prac- Alexandra Donovan, co-founder of Tufts CARE, poses for a photo in the basement of Health Services on Monday, Oct. 17.

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Arts & Living

Tommy Gillespie The Reel World

Slow-ass zombies

I

empathize with the girl in the zombie movie. You can all conjure up the visual: She’s running down the street, a horde of undead chasing her. In the film that defined zombies for a generation, “Dawn of the Dead” (1978), we were introduced to a funny yet infuriating trope: No matter how fast the victim runs and no matter how slowly the zombies seem to be trudging after them, they will always catch up to the victim and get their inevitable gory feast of braaaaaaains.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m being chased by those extremely slow-moving zombies. I don’t know, maybe it’s because it’s October and maybe it’s because I also have two midterms this week. It’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy; I have a million assignments and deadlines creeping up on me. It’s not like I don’t see them coming or they’re unannounced. The pattern goes something like this: Picture me, sitting in Dewick. I think, “Hmm… maybe I should get started on that reading.” I leave the dining hall, put my backpack down and proceed directly to Netflix to watch “Scary Movie” (2000), one of the greatest, most highbrow American films.

Luckily, the very first scene of “Scary Movie” skewers both horror movie pitfalls and my own nonsense. Carmen Electra is being chased through her misty yard by the ghost-masked killer from “Scream” (1996). She comes to a pause in front of two yellow traffic signs, one of which points toward “SAFETY” and one of which points toward “DEATH.” Electra, inevitably, runs toward death, where the killer catches up to her and slashes her to her doom.

I laughed out loud. Immediately, I thought of approximately 12 situations in the past week alone where I had basically done the same thing.

Maybe one day, my signs will say “SCOOP N SCOOTER THIS WAY” and “RESPONSIBLE EATING CHOICES THIS WAY.” Another day, I will neglect studying for my sociology exam in favor of researching the origins of the Moon Pie on Wikipedia.

As long as horror movie zombies are slow-moving, I like to think that I can avoid my impending doom. That’s why I have some major issues with “30 Days of Night” (2007). The movie follows a pack of vampires who terrorize a remote Alaskan town during the month-long winter darkness. Instead of having the genteel respectability of Count Dracula, these vampires are very fast, they have rows and rows of shark-like teeth and they roar into the night with blood running down their neck after catching their prey. When I watched it for the first time, I was indignant. It’s not fair!

We’re already at a disadvantage. How are we supposed to escape Usain Bolt in vampire form when we can’t even be trusted not to eat six cookies in 20 minutes? However, we humans still get the last laugh. The joke’s on the vampires and zombies because I won’t even have any braaaaaaains left after my midterms on Thursday.

Tommy Gillespie is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Tommy can be reached at thomas.gillespie@tufts.edu.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Don’t dismiss ‘Paladins: Champions of the Realm’ as a mere ‘Overwatch’ clone

by Isaac Brown

Assistant Arts Editor

Tanky man with a giant deployable shield? Small woman who freezes people and protects herself in a block of ice? When news of Hi-Rez Studios’ “Paladins: Champions of the Realm” heroes was first publicized, the internet swiftly came to the defense of Blizzard’s “Overwatch”(2016). Hi-Rez Studios’ game, “Paladins,” which has been in open beta since Sept. 16, was condemned for making characters that seemed far too similar to be mere coincidence.“Paladins” and “Overwatch” drew heavily from the same influential games that preceded them and created similar heroes, although because of this, “Paladins” prefers to call them “champions.” Since then, “Overwatch” has been a huge commercial success for Blizzard, while “Paladins” has received more modest amounts of attention throughout its tumultuous beta phase.

Don’t write off “Paladins” just yet, though.

There are clear parallels on paper, but in terms of gameplay and mechanics, the two titles feel very different. After several hours of playing the game, “Paladins” never seemed to be ripping off Blizzard’s

COURTESY OF HI-REZ STUDIOS

A screenshot of “Paladin,” in the middle of game play, during the game’s beta phase. popular first-person arena shooter, though both titles are clearly influenced by similar preceding titles such as “Guild Wars 2” (2012) and “Warframe” (2013).

In some ways, Hi-Rez has out-

done Blizzard in terms of creativity.

“Overwatch,” while having excellent quality overall, has a few uninspired heroes see PALADINS, page 7

MOVIE REVIEW

‘The Accountant’ calculates, but with some error

by Elliott Shin Staff Writer

It’s been an interesting year for Ben Affleck, who — after donning the cape and cowl earlier this year in the blockbuster “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) -- now plays a radically different character in “The Accountant” (2016).

After Christian “Chris” Wolff (Affleck) and fellow accountant Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) uncover a potential money laundering scheme in a robot-

ics company, they are both sent on the run from assassins hired by the company’s CEO, Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow), and led by hitman Brax (Jon Bernthal). Meanwhile, treasury department agents Raymond King ( J.K. Simmons) and Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai Robinson) try to decipher Wolff’s mysterious past.

This is a film that has every right to be generic but isn’t. As Wolff lives with autism spectrum disorder, autism plays a large role within the film’s theme.

“The Accountant” also organically incorporates aspects of family drama in its well-coordinated use of flashbacks. It’s in these moments that the film becomes another movie altogether, but in a good way, creating sympathy for a morally-conflicted character. The distressing glimpses of Wolff’s brutal fight training and traumatic past only leave the audience wanting to know more about him. He actively conquers see AFFLECK, page 7

CHUCK ZLOTNICK VIA WARNER BROS.

Ben Affleck stars alongside Anna Kendrick in “The Acccountant.”

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

A

7

'Paladins' is a free-to-play worthy of investment PALADINS

continued from page 6 like McCree, a revolver-toting cowboy who deals high damage at close to medium range and shuts down flankers, among other things. “Paladins” also has a similarly squishy character with a revolver called Androxus, but his high-mobility kit allows him to dash in any direction — even into the air — multiple times. If players press the space bar in mid-air, Androxus can “drift,” making Androxus able to outmaneuver most other champions and dodge incoming attacks. In contrast, McCree can only attempt a short-range combat roll to escape, so McCree’s skill primarily focuses on his ability to land headshots and is duller to watch from a spectator standpoint. Hi-Rez would do well to distinguish “Paladins” from “Overwatch” by continuing to create heroes that have more exciting kits that do not play as one-dimensionally as Blizzard’s Soldier: 76 and McCree.

Another enjoyable aspect about “Paladins” is that it provides loadouts that use collectible cards of varying rarity that tweak how champions’ skills behave. Cards can be acquired by playing the game and leveling up one’s account, crafted with in-game currency or purchased with real money. Players cannot switch champions after locking them in at the start of the game, so players need to learn to build proper loadouts for different situations and when certain combinations of cards are appropriate. “Overwatch” allows players to switch heroes at any time, but these heroes’ skills remain static. In “Paladins,” one can also purchase

COURTESY HI-REZ STUDIOS

“Paladins” is a free-to-play game currently on open beta on Steam. minor stat changes in the spawn room (with currency earned within the round itself solely for this purpose) to adjust to the enemy team composition like incoming damage reduction, added life steal and decreased reload time. The card system may allow for more strategic depth than “Overwatch”’s hero-switching, but a few hours into “Paladins,” it is hard to say definitively which game is superior in this regard.

“Paladins,” being a free-to-play title with far fewer funds, can’t compete with “Overwatch” from a graphical fidelity, sound design and UI standpoint.

“Paladins,” like Hi-Rez’s own multiplayer online battle arena “Smite” (2014), runs

on the Unreal 3 engine, which has been used in games since the original “Gears of War” (2006). It should come as no surprise that “Paladins” looks dated in terms of textures, and this, along with lower-budget sound effects, may contribute to why the feedback from firing weapons felt weak.

Cassie, an archer, felt especially underwhelming compared to her “Overwatch” counterpart, Hanzo. Every left-click auto-attack from her bow does a consistent 700 damage; players cannot draw back the bowstring to varying degrees to adjust for height and distance. The arrows also don’t seem to have much drop and as a result are quite easy to aim, as if Cassie was firing a rifle instead of a short bow.

Auto-attacking felt inconsequential, even if the damage dealt wasn’t, and this lack of feedback distracted from the otherwise fun experience.

There are many other distinctions between the two games, but these were the memorable ones. Even if “Overwatch” is not one’s favorite game, “Paladins” is still worth a shot. “Paladins” is currently in open beta and is free to play, but, as with “Smite,” players can purchase access to all current and future champions for $19.99. Players should be aware that bugs are present in the game, but these will hopefully be ironed out before its expected release later this year. The title runs on both Mac OS and Windows machines.

Ben Affleck gives solid performance in his latest thriller AFFLECK

continued from page 6 obstacles as a youth, showing beautiful character growth, and he eventually becomes an action bad-ass racking up a fairly robust body count.

Critics and audiences have repeatedly mocked Affleck for his rather poor work in the 2000s, but aince “The Town” (2010), he has proven himself to be a formidable actor. He delivers a thrilling yet poignant performance as a man torn between his professional obligations, developmental disabilities and troubled past. Affleck is more on the reserved and emotionless side, but he uses those qualities to craft a three-dimensional character, additionally injecting well-timed situational humor in a generally bleak film.

Kendrick performs decently with what she had to work with. She livens up the rather serious atmosphere with her bubbly attitude, awkwardly attempting to socialize with Wolff. Unfortunately, her screen time is rather curtailed as the film is Affleck’s star vehicle.

Nevertheless, they have fine chemistry and even have a heart-to-heart moment about how she obtained money for a prom dress. Thankfully, she’s not an obligatory love interest or damsel-in-distress type.

Director Gavin O’Connor not only crafts a compelling character but also shoots some enthralling action. The cacophonous sound design complements the shootouts, with every shot from

Wolff’s sniper rifle piercing the audience’s ears. The gritty action scenes blend steady and handheld camerawork proficiently.

They combine the brutal handto-hand combat of “The Raid: Redemption” (2011) with the mesmerizing gunplay of “John Wick” (2014). In these gruesome scenes, Affleck makes smart use of his comedic wit, with his last kill in particular being its best instance.

“The Accountant” mostly works well as a character study, but it also factors in some fun action. However, its plot becomes overly complex and even convoluted at times. One can easily get lost in the various threads of this unevenly woven fabric of a story. Granted, some mesh well, such as Wolff ’s childhood flashbacks. However, the material concerning the investigation doesn’t engage, as Simmons and Robinson are not well-rounded characters and merely deliver exposition. The editor could remove them and the film wouldn’t really suffer.

Not to break the cardinal rule of spoilers, but audiences can expect some twists. They generally make sense, given the overall character development, but the execution is faulty since it halts the story’s progression.

Despite the narrative gaps, “The Accountant” is worthy of one’s time. Affleck’s committed performance and the unique nature of protagonist he portrays put an interesting spin in the action genre.

COURTESY WARNER BROS.

The poster for “The Accountant,” starring Ben Affleck, hit theaters on Oct. 14.

8

THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Tuesday, October 18, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Jei-Jei: “I feel like Sports could just be late-night.”

Comics

SUDOKU

DOONESBURY

Difficulty Level: Deciding which party to register for.

NON SEQUITUR

BY GARRY TRUDEAU

BY WILEY MILLER

Monday’s Solution

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 18, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? —

Because the GPS told her to.

Find your way over to our new restaurant in Medford Square ...use a GPS as needed. cnrguys.com 617-903-8538

64 Salem St, Medford

ACROSS 1 With 66-Across, crisp serving with pâté 6 Gush forth 10 Australian gem 14 Mountains between Europe and Asia 15 Singer Guthrie 16 Bring on board, workwise 17 Enjoy to the max 18 Mug for the camera 20 Govt. assistance program 21 “Holy smokes!”

22 Hot spot 23 Pitch in 27 Battery post 29 Aggressive poker words 30 Some iTunes downloads, briefly 32 Queen __ 33 Road problem needing patching 36 Catcher’s protection 37 Do the slightest thing 39 Aware of 41 Voice of Carl Fredricksen in “Up” 42 “What’s up, __?”

43 iPhone, e.g., briefly 44 HOW THIS IS TYPED 48 Shoulder wrap 50 What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out 53 Contemptible sort 55 Prosecutors, for short 56 Seine season 57 Theatrical “Good luck!”

59 “Really, bro?!”

61 Was sorry for 62 Grand soirée 63 Super Bowl party bowlful 64 Chianti and cabernet 65 Paradise 66 See 1-Across

CROSSWORD

10/18/16

By Agnes Davidson and C.C. Burnikel

DOWN 1 Granola kin 2 Error remover 3 Rita Moreno or Gloria Estefan 4 __-ray Disc 5 Snake that bit Cleopatra 6 South Pacific island nation 7 Shrimp kin 8 Fraternal club member 9 Misfortunes 10 “Terrific ... not!”

11 Lounge with keyboard music 12 Video game spots 13 Dixie general 19 Remote batteries 21 Stimulated, as one’s appetite 24 Scoop up, as salsa with a chip 25 Starting on 26 Meat markets 28 Cry of fright 31 Cents 34 Attacked 35 All __ sudden 36 Pfizer rival 37 Plant that is poisonous to livestock

Monday’s Puzzle Solved Monday’s Solution

©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

38 Rowlands of “The Notebook” 39 Crooks may have fake ones 40 “You lie!”

43 Company car, e.g.

45 Lack of vim and vigor 46 Colorful flower parts 47 “Caught that movie last week”

10/18/16

49 Detectives follow them 51 Singer with the albums “19,” “21” and “25” 52 Sotomayor colleague 54 Senate aide 57 “I’m freezing!”

58 Young fellow 59 Fake it 60 “__ goes there?”

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Opinion

9 tuftsdaily.com

EDITORIAL

Improving campus dialogue on alcohol safety Excessive alcohol use has become fairly prevalent on college campuses, with many universities instituting programs that encourage responsible drinking habits and highlight student resources to combat the issue. While Tufts has taken steps to promote safe social environments, there are noticeable gaps in students’ education on such a pervasive issue. Looking at the current initiatives here at Tufts, there is certainly room to expand and enhance the campus dialogue on safe alcohol use.

Tufts’ primary strategy to combat the dangers of alcohol is encouraging students to educate their peers on alcohol safety. Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon stressed the importance of working with resident assistants, pre-orientation leaders and other upperclassmen to serve as positive influences for their fellow students; her hope is that older students will promote healthy lifestyles to their younger classmates.

“This helps upperclassmen student leaders understand their role and responsibility on campus,” she said.

The administration also highlights that existing policies are intended to alleviate any hesitation or fear of seeking help when students find themselves in dangerous alcohol-related situations. The Amnesty

Policy and the Good Samaritan Policy, which togetherq allow students to seek medical assistance for themselves and others without facing disciplinary action for substance use, are two excellent practices.

While these policies are advertised to first-years, students receive little formal education on alcohol safety during their first weeks at Tufts other than the required completion of the online program, AlcoholEdu. The university does, however, require all first-years to attend mandatory orientation presentations on counseling and mental health services, public safety resources, cultural diversity, academic integrity and developing a healthy climate around sex. With so many important and prevalent issues being addressed, alcohol safety seems like a clear addition to be included on the list of mandatory orientation programming. Students could greatly benefit from pre-emptive alcohol education, either within the format of a formal presentation or smaller discussion groups. These informative discussions could improve the overall dialogue surrounding alcohol safety, teach students how to avoid dangerous levels of intoxication and provide instruction on helping others in dangerous situations. Standardized online programs that exclude face-to-face discussion, Tufts-

specific information and the opportunity to ask questions do not provide first-years with sufficient education on the dangers of alcohol.

However, the conversation should not only be centered around first-year students. Tufts provides almost no formal or required discussion as students get older, when drinking often becomes even more prevalent in their social lives. McMahon understands the need to extend this dialogue past students’ first week on campus.

“My goal is to build in more continuous education,” she said. “Students get a lot of information during orientation, but when will they have more questions?”

While there are programs in place that are meant to educate students of all ages, some of them are not entirely transparent in dealing with the drinking culture on campus. As the Daily reported in 2014, Tufts began the campaign “We Are Tufts” largely to acknowledge the considerable presence of responsible drinking at Tufts. According to the article, “the campaign posters around campus tote statistics that 93 percent of students do not let alcohol affect their academics, as well as that the majority of Tufts students limit their alcohol intake or choose not to drink.” These posters are still present on campus today, and they communicate

a vague, sugar-coated message about campus drinking culture. While the facts may be accurate, the campaign fails to address issues of alcohol safety that are nonetheless prevalent at Tufts, no matter how responsible our students are on the whole. The university acknowledged in its most recent public safety report that nationwide, 1,400 students died from alcohol-related injuries last year, 2.1 million drove under the influence of alcohol and 150,000 will likely go on to develop alcohol-related health problems.

Tufts students are by no means exempt from these statistics.

Downplaying Tufts’ drinking culture does not make it safer; in fact, it could do the opposite. Instead of boasting about student responsibility, the university should instead direct resources toward making Tufts a safer place for students who may find themselves in a dangerous alcohol-related situation at some point during their college careers. Tufts should be doing its part in helping students navigate campus drinking as safely as possible. By increasing programming during orientation, offering more resources for upperclassmen and replacing “downplaying” dialogue with more constructive information, the university could greatly improve its approach to alcohol safety at Tufts.

CARTOON

BY SHANNON GEARY The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to oped@tuftsdaily. com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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10

THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Jake Lawicki Jumbo Steps

Be kind today

M

y grandparents bought me a leather-bound lined journal when I was very young. I decided to stow it in my closet right after receiving it because I didn’t want to waste the pages on stupid doodles or to-do lists. And just as with most things that go into the closet, the journal was henceforth sucked into an abyss of disorganization.

I cleaned out my closet this summer and rediscovered the blank journal concealed by a massive pile of elementary school yearbooks. I leafed through its empty pages, feeling its leathery, uncreased spine.

I was ecstatic to have stumbled upon it. I was actually in need of a new journal since I’d completely filled out the one I’d been writing in last year. I brought it to school this fall and have been writing in it almost every night (if you’ve ever passed by the Wren lobby after midnight, you can vouch for me).

Before this weekend, my journal had never been anywhere besides in an Italian bookstore, a Californian closet or a dorm room shelf. Nor has it ever been read — aloud or otherwise — by anyone other than me. But there’s a first for everything, I guess.

I pour my soul into my entries, which means they can get very personal very fast. But last Sunday, I didn’t care about hiding what I’d written that night. I just really needed to be with someone after one of the scariest moments of my life.

So, I shared my most recent journal entry with a friend last week. Aloud. In a public place. Crying.

On average, one in five people will experience at least one panic attack in their lifetime. I had my first one that night.

This isn’t “panic” in the colloquial sense. When I say I experienced a panic attack, I am not using the term lightly.

This was surely a heightened autonomic nervous system response to a perceived threat.

FYI: No, you don’t have to have a panic disorder to experience a panic attack. Also FYI: No, I do not have a panic disorder. But I know what I felt and how my body responded.

I rushed back to my dorm, thinking that journaling would help me simmer down. Instead, it made everything worse. Since that backfired, I decided to text a few friends on campus to talk to. It turns out not a lot of people are awake enough to answer a text at two in the morning, but someone did text me back.

I immediately walked to her dorm with my journal in hand. I read my stream of consciousness entry to her. All I wanted was to get her up to speed with what had just happened (while trying to decode my chicken scratch writing, while trying to formulate sentences to convey how I felt, while crying, while trying to calm myself down with deep breathing exercises).

You know as well as I do that the chaos of school never stops. Just like everybody else, I had to wake up the next day for classes and keep trudging on.

Had you not read this, you would never have known what my night was like. I ask you to keep that in mind today, because someone you see might’ve just gone through hell the night before.

Jake Lawicki is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Jake can be reached at jake.lawicki@tufts.edu.

tuftsdaily.com

OP-ED

The fight to vote

by Jamie Neikrie With the help of student voting data from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE), a study run by the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE) at Tisch College, students at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., are fighting back against restrictive voter laws and regaining their constitutional right.

When Furman University students Katherine West, Benjamin Longnecker and Sulaiman Ahmad found that their fellow students’ voting efforts were being thwarted by restrictive practices — resulting in a mere 24 percent student voting rate in 2012 at Furman, according to the NSLVE study (half of the 46.9 percent seen in comparable institutions) — they decided to fight for change.

The students attributed Furman’s paltry voting rate to an invasive, overbearing survey that every student using an on-campus address had to fill out in order to register. The 11-question form, issued by the Greenville County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, asked students at Furman — as well as nearby Bob Jones University, North Greenville University and Greenville Technical College — to answer a series of invasive questions, including where they hold bank accounts, where their parents live, where they work and what off-campus ties they have to the community.

The letter included with the survey stated that a student’s request to register had been received, but that the county voter registration office must first determine the student’s “intention as to [their] official legal residence.” According to the letter, the State Attorney General had “ruled that

students, especially those boarded in college facilities, must meet the test of intention to move legal residence to that area.”

“I find these questions incredibly invasive,” West said. “I refuse to answer them.”

So the students went out and found a team of lawyers, including Susan Dunn, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina.

“The board of elections in Greenville appears to take the position that on-campus students shouldn’t be allowed to vote in Greenville,” Dunn said.

Voting is a power enumerated to the states and local governments, and they are allowed to review the registrations to prevent voter fraud, but it is illegal to treat an entire swath of the population, like students, with greater scrutiny.

The students sued the Greenville County Board of Voter Registration and Elections, requesting an immediate injunction on the questionnaire. And they won. On Oct. 7, Judge Robin Stilwell ordered the board to immediately stop issuing the questionnaires, extend the voter registration date and return to registering voters “in accordance with its prescribed duties.”

The questionnaire arose from a 1973 lawsuit also brought by Furman students, in which the judge ordered the Greenville County Board of Voter Registration and Elections to continue to use questionnaires to verify students’ residences.

However, jurisprudence shifted just six years later in the 1979 case Symm v. the United States, when a Texas court determined that registrars couldn’t apply different standards to college students. Judge Stilwell cited the latter case in his decision, saying that by denying an injunction, students “would forever lose their right to

exercise a highly prized and fundamental democratic right to vote in this particular election.”

The efforts of the Furman students — who fought for their constitutional right to vote — should serve as an inspiration and reminder to all college students. Across the country, young people and people of color are facing restrictive laws and practices meant to intimidate and discourage them from voting. This is a tactic that has been championed by Republicans at a nationwide level, knowing that voter ID laws and similar practices increase the likelihood of a conservative victory on Election Day. But this isn’t an issue that is confined to conservative states or to national elections.

Why do Tufts students vote at four different polling locations, three of which are off campus? Why are students forced to re-register every time they move dorms, even within the same town? Why have there been consistent reports of students being denied the right to vote, especially in Medford? These are questions students should be asking themselves as the Oct. 19 registration deadline and the election approach. According to a November 2015 report from the NSLVE, 51.2 percent of Tufts students voted during the 2012 presidential election. While this figure is above the average of 46.9 percent of students from the more than 750 colleges and universities included in the study, it is far from optimal.

Attempts to discourage and restrict voting only work if we let them. Push back, as students at Furman did, and exercise your constitutional right.

Jamie Neikrie is a junior majoring in political science. Jamie can be reached at benjamin.neikrie@tufts.edu.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

Ahrens on target in 3-0 weekend VOLLEYBALL

continued from back to regain the lead and push through to take the second set. Sophomore setter Katie Zheng finished the Bobcats off in the second set with an ace to reach 25.

Tufts started slowly in the third set but after tying it up at 9-9, continued its momentum toward the win.

Senior co-captain middle hitter Elizabeth Ahrens led the team with 13 kills on 15 attempts for an impressive .867 hitting percentage. She leads the NESCAC with a .354 hitting percentage on the season. Zheng added 21 assists to sophomore setter Angela Yu’s 19. Bates earned just 23 assists on the day. Bates is now 6-12 on the season and 3-5 in NESCAC play.

The first-year players continue to fill a large role for Tufts and look more comfortable with each new match. Their quick development and integration into the team must be partially attributed to the mentorship of the older players.

“The upperclassmen have been great; they are so welcoming and easy to talk to,” Nwankpa said. “If they don’t see you doing something right, they help you in a positive way … it’s nothing to be afraid of, so it’s been great.”

In clinching the NESCAC regular season title, Tufts guaranteed that the conference championship tournament will return to Cousens Gym this year. Tufts last hosted the tournament two years

Nicky Shapiro Under the Lights

ago during the 2014 season. The Jumbos, having dropped only four out of the 34 sets they have played at Cousens so far this year and having won every home match, have secured what appears to be a large home-court advantage.

Despite the successful season Tufts is having, the team is making sure they do not get complacent or overconfident.

“We know that if we play our game and we don’t let the other team affect us, then we can be successful,” Ahrens said.

“But we don’t talk about our record.”

Tufts looks forward to four non-conference matchups this week, playing at Wellesley on Wednesday and at home against Springfield on Friday.

Both games are at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Tufts will travel to MIT for another doubleheader, with matches against EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY MIT and Babson start- Junior co-captain defensive specialist Alexandra Garrett serves the ing at 10:30 a.m. ball in the 3-0 game against Babson on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Jumbos take first at Connecticut College Invitational WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

continued from back aspects of the race, there are areas that the team can still improve upon.

“I thought that it was probably [Bowman’s] best race of the season.

[Fahey] had a really great race; she matched her personal best on that.

[Bettez] looked really good. I would say though, the middle of our pack was good [but] not great though. They know that they can improve,” Morwick said. “Some

people were just tired because they had raced the previous week and others [were] just shaking off the dust from not racing, so once we’re all on the same schedule, which we will be going forward, and [have] a smaller group to focus on, we can start chipping away at some of the things that have been holding us back.”

Several first-year runners also performed well. First-year Gia Kim placed 33rd overall with a time of 22:57.0 and was the third fastest first-year at the

11

race. Her classmate Nicole Kerrigan finished 49th in 23:21.6 and was the fourth fastest first-year.

The Jumbos will spend the next two weeks training hard for the approaching championship races. According to Morwick, the team is aiming for a toptwo finish at the NESCAC championship, coming up on Oct. 29 at Colby College. The NESCAC championship is followed by the NCAA regional championship on Nov. 12.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior Alice Wasserman runs at the Connecticut College Cross Country Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park on Oct. 15.

Curse of the Curse

F

or 52 years, two generations of Cleveland sports fans all identified with one word: losing. It’s a word that became so entrenched in Cleveland’s culture that, coupled with an economic downswing that hit Northeast Ohio especially hard, it extended into the ethos of the city as a whole, spawning nicknames for the city like “The Mistake by the Lake.”

When you consider its history, nicknames like that make a lot more sense.

In the 52 years since 1964, when the Cleveland Browns last won an NFL Championship Game, Cleveland sports teams went a combined 147 seasons without winning a championship.

So, yes, it’s fair to say Cleveland fans identified with losing. There’s an important word there, though. Identified. For all the complaining and all the torture, Cleveland fans at least had an identity; they had something that could hold them together and keep them somewhat sane.

That disappeared this summer after LeBron James led the Cavaliers to their first NBA Championship with a thrilling comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors. For the first time in most Cleveland residents’ lives, they had a win on their hands.

Predictably, they had absolutely no idea how to react, and the city lost its collective mind. 1.3 million people attended the Cavs’ subsequent championship parade, literally shutting down the city for an entire business day. For reference, the City of Cleveland has a population of just over 390,000. A man in the crowd that day was compelled to actually pick up and eat a piece of horse poop off the street. After living through 147 straight losing seasons and self-identifying as a loser for his entire life, who can blame him?

Viewing Cleveland as a case study is relevant now because of what’s currently unfolding in Chicago, where the hometown Cubs, a team that last won the World Series in 1908, have a better chance of ending their infamous drought this October than they have at any point over the last 108 years. It will be far more interesting not to see what happens if they come up short yet again, but what in the world will happen to the City of Chicago if its Cubbies win after a wait almost twice as long as Cleveland’s.

The Cubs are tied 1-1 in their series with the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. They’re listed as favorites in every major sports book and are seven wins away from winning the World Series. Brace yourself.

This could actually be happening.

And if it does, it’s hard to think of a better example of an entire subset of humanity having the identity of its fandom completely and utterly reversed in an instant.

Remember, Cleveland didn’t win a title for 64 years. The Cubs haven’t in 108.

Eleven decades. There likely isn’t a living human being who remembers a Cubs World Series victory. We’re in uncharted territory.

What would transpire if the Cubs were to win it all in a few weeks? It’s impossible to say, but I’d get ready for anything. Because if the Chicago Cubs can win a World Series, anything truly is possible.

Nicky Shapiro is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Nicky can be reached at nicholas.shapiro@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

VOLLEYBALL

Jumbos clinch NESCAC regular season title, improve to 18-1

by Sam Weidner

Contributing Writer

With two more conference wins over the weekend against Colby and Bates, Tufts improved to 18-1 on the season and 9-0 in conference play, clinching first place in the NESCAC. Tufts’ only remaining conference matchup this season is against Connecticut College on Oct. 29, the last match of its regular season.

Connecticut College currently sits at fifth place in the NESCAC with a 4-3 conference record.

If the Jumbos win that match, they will complete a perfect regular season in the conference. The last team to accomplish that was Williams in 2013, and Tufts last did it in 2008.

That 2008 team advanced to the NCAA tournament regional match before it was eliminated

by Wellesley.

On a doubleheader Saturday in Cousens Gym, Tufts won both its matches against Colby and Gordon Colleges. Gordon dropped to 11-11 on the season with the loss. Tufts defeated Gordon in straight sets, 25-13, 25-13 and 25-20. Sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Bright led the Jumbos with 11 kills, while first-year opposite/mid-

dle hitter Christina Nwankpa and senior middle hitter McKenzie Humann added six each. Their effort was not just offensive, as Nwankpa and Humann both notched three blocks apiece in the match as well. Humann’s 1.05 blocks per set ranks her third in the NESCAC. Tufts won in four sets in its conference matchup against Colby, taking the first set 25-14 and dropping the second 25-23 before winning the next two to claim the match.

The Jumbos jumped out to a 19-11 lead in the first set when Bright stepped up to serve.

Bright proceeded to serve four aces in five tries, propelling Tufts to the first set win. Junior defensive specialist Alex Garrett typically serves for the Jumbos, but the ability Bright demonstrated against Colby will be hard to ignore in the playoffs and presents coach Cora Thompson with a tough choice of whom to play.

Tufts dropped the second set after falling behind 10-5 early and was unable to mount a comeback. However, the team’s play in sets three and four was much more focused, and it dominated both sets, 25-9 and 25-15, respectively. First-

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior middle hitter Elizabeth Ahrens and first-year middle/opposite hitter Christina Nwankpa block a Babson player's shot in the 3-0 game against Babson on Oct. 11. year outside hitter Brigid Bell, junior outside hitter/opposite Katie Kim and Bright all added ten kills on the day. The Jumbos finished the match with 17 total service aces, with Bright contributing four. Colby dropped to 4-17 overall and 0-8 in confer-

ence play with the loss, though it defeated Gordon earlier that day for a fifth win.

Tufts defeated Bates on Friday in straight sets, winning 25-10, 25-19 and 25-14. The first set started off back and forth until Tufts jumped out to

a 16-6 lead behind Bell’s serve and was able to coast through the remainder of the set. Tufts trailed for most of the second set before knotting things up at 15-15. The Jumbos managed

by Arman Smigielski

a 22:12.7 and placed 11th overall. Senior Lindsay Atkeson finished 20th overall in 22:33.5 and senior tri-captain Samantha Cox finished 23rd overall with a time of 22.37.3 to round out the scoring for Tufts.

Senior tri-captain Alice Wasserman ranked 26th and was the sixth place finisher for Tufts. Sophomore Kelsey Tierney finished three seconds behind Wasserman, placing 27th with a time of 22:47.3. All seven of the Jumbos top runners placed within the top 30 finishers.

Bowman felt that the experience the team gained in the Paul Short Invitational, where it faced off against Div. I schools on Oct. 1, was a big help for the team in this race.

“At Paul Short the whole race was so dense, it was easy to get lost, but here it was easier to find our place and it was kind [of ] an easier race to run because we could look ahead and see people. So I think Paul Short was a good race to kind of get the feel of racing without having people to look ahead for, so it made this race feel easier,” Bowman said.

Coach Kristen Morwick said that while there were positive

see VOLLEYBALL, page 11

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Bowman sets personal record, paces Tufts Staff Writer

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior Brittany Bowman (right) runs at the Connecticut College Cross Country Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park on Oct. 15.

Women’s cross country took first place at the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. on Saturday.

The Jumbos, who are currently ranked No. 13 nationally, topped the field of 21 teams in the 6,000meter race, beating national rivals No. 9 Middlebury and No. 6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the process.

The race for the top spot was extremely close, as Tufts narrowly edged out second-place Middlebury by seven points, 63 to 70. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps placed third and was also close behind Tufts, scoring 78 points.

There was a clear separation between the top three and the remaining teams in the race, as DeSales University finished in fourth with 114 points and Brandeis finished fifth overall with 197 points.

Junior Brittany Bowman placed third overall and led the Jumbos with a personal record time of 21:43.0. Senior Kelly Fahey finished second for Tufts and sixth overall with a time of 22:01.5. Tufts’ third finisher, sophomore Natalie Bettez, ran

see CROSS COUNTRY, page 11