PROFILE
New Swans album continues tradition of beautiful experimentation see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 6
WHEN Alliance promotes education for women in Asian countries
Editorial: CMHS is a step in the right direction, but could still improve see OPINION / PAGE 9
SEE FEATURES / PAGE 4
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VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 45
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
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Volleyball, men’s soccer, field hockey compete in NESCAC championships by Alex Viveros
Executive Sports Editor
On NESCAC championship weekend, Tufts’ sports teams once again proved why it feels good to be on top. On Sunday, three of Tufts’ most prolific fall sports teams competed in their respective NESCAC championship games. The volleyball and men’s soccer team came out of the weekend as champions in extremely close games. Volleyball defeated Bowdoin in a two-point-differential fifth set to clinch a 3–2 match victory. Men’s soccer scored a goal in the final three minutes of regulation to come out with a 2–1 win over Middlebury, and the field hockey team barely lost in the finals in an overtime 3–2 battle against Middlebury. The NESCAC is widely regarded as one of the most competitive Div. III conferences in the country, and thus a win in the NESCAC tournament could serve as a positive sign for potential NCAA tournament success to come. For the volleyball team, its rise to NESCAC glory came off the heels of an already monumental season for the Jumbos. With an undefeated conference record of 10–0 and an overall regular season record of 24–1, the team made history by solidifying the best regular-season record in program history. Out of their 85 sets this regular season, the Jumbos only lost 10. It came as no surprise then when Tufts secured the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC, thereby being granted a home bid to host the tournasee NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS, back page
COURTESY GRACE STEWART
Tufts volleyball team is pictured after earning a hard fought five-set win over third-seeded Bowdoin in the NESCAC Final in Cousens Gym on Nov. 10.
Net wage gap between female, male professors expands by Natasha Mayor News Editor
The net pay gap between female and male professors at Tufts has widened to 96.6 cents on the dollar from near perfect parity in 2016, according to the 2018–19 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Faculty Compensation Survey. This report comes on the heels of the Eos Foundation’s 2018 report that ranked Tufts as 87th in gender parity in leadership. In the AAUP report, the gender gap in salary is present across the board for assistant, associate and full professors. Patrick Collins, executive director of public relations, explained that the data in the AAUP survey is represented in aggre-
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gate and could be a result of variances in salaries based on department. “The survey relies upon data which combines faculty in a variety of different disciplines and schools, who have been working in the profession for various lengths of time, with different educational backgrounds, training, experience, performance and other differentiating factors relevant in the setting of salaries and evaluating pay,” Collins told the Daily in an email. The last in-depth study of faculty salaries was conducted by Economics Professor Jeff Zabel in the 2008–09 academic year, in conjunction with the Tufts chapter of the AAUP. Zabel explained that he conducted a regression analysis with data provided by the administration and that he was asked to do this because his expertise is econometrics. For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily
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In his analysis, Zabel said he controlled for a variety of factors including rank, years at the university, department, lateral hire and if they had ever been a chair. He explained that it was necessary to do this in order to “compare apples to apples.” According to the study, published in 2009, the variance in salaries based on the controlled factors was on average of 1–2%. “There was a disparity based on gender but it was diminished considerably once we controlled for the area that the faculty member was in,” Zabel said. Zabel did not know if any changes had been implemented as a result of the findings. “I don’t know what went into the decision making process in terms of the salaries that faculty members received,” Zabel said.
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“I personally have no evidence one way or another about whether our study actually had any impact on that.” Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Sheldon Krimsky said that this type of salary analysis has not been done in the past four or five years since the Tufts AAUP chapter stopped being active. Krimsky recalled that there used to be a program by which faculty could ascertain if they were receiving a comparable salary in relation to their cohort groups. “You could compare your salary with the average salary, and if you were one standard deviation away from the average, you could make a claim to the university that
NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................4 ARTS & LIVING.......................6
see WAGE GAP, page 2
FUN & GAMES.........................8 OPINION.....................................9 SPORTS............................ BACK
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, November 12, 2019
THE TUFTS DAILY Jessica Blough Editor in Chief
EDITORIAL Ryan Eggers Justin Yu
Managing Editors Mykhaylo Chumak Austin Clementi Alejandra Carrillo Connor Dale Abbie Gruskin Liza Harris Robert Kaplan Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Alexander Thompson Daniel Weinstein Andres Borjas Charles Bunnell Bella Maharaj Matthew McGovern Sara Renkert Jilly Rolnick Anton Shenk
Fina Short Sidharth Anand Amelia Becker Emma Damokosh Kenia French Jessie Newman Sean Ong Michael Shames Kevin Doherty Akash Mishra Dorothy Neher Steph Hoechst Tommy Gillespie Rebecca Tang Danny Klain Yas Salon Tuna Margalit Megan Szostak Elizabeth Sander Colette Smith Geoffrey Tobia Sami Heyman Tys Sweeney Olivia Brandon Avery Caulfield Paloma Delgado Hannah Harris Mikaela Lessnau Kaitlyn Meslin Amulya Mutnuri Michael Norton Eileen Ong Priya Padhye Elizabeth Shelbred Anamika Shrimali Simrit Uppal Julia Baroni Christina Toldalagi Carys Kong Caleb Symons
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Tufts students, faculty reflect on gender representation as wage gap increases WAGE GAP
continued from page 1 tain if they were receiving a comparable salary in relation to their cohort groups. “You could compare your salary with the average salary, and if you were one standard deviation away from the average, you could make a claim to the university that you were treated unfairly,” Krimsky said. “They would look at the data and sometimes they would give you restitution. That doesn’t happen now because we don’t issue this report.” Krimsky discussed possible reasons that female professors could be earning less than male professors. He said that sexism was likely a big factor, as well as that men might be more aggressive in their salary negotiations than women. Grant Gebetsberger, who was the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate diversity officer last year, said he learned about gender disparities in the administration last year, and that led him to co-write “A Resolution Calling on Tufts University to Achieve Gender Parity in University Leadership.” “We know that our administration likes to pride itself on being a leader for positive change in social issues,” Gebetsberger, a junior, said. “We thought that that didn’t really make sense and that the values that were being stated were not matching up with the practice.” He hypothesized that the lack of gender parity could be a result of factors such as systemic inequalities and unconscious bias.
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by Austin Clementi
First-year student in the School of Arts and Sciences Matthew Gesell passed away, according to an email from University President Anthony Monaco, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James Glaser, Dean of the School of Engineering Jianmin Qu, Dean of Student Affairs ad interim Nancy Thompson, Dean of Student Life and Engagement Chris Rossi and University Chaplain ad interim Jennifer Howe Peace. Gesell came to Tufts interested in studying medicine, according to the email. His advisor, Matthew Harrington, described him as a student with wide intellectual interests and curiosity. “Matt’s friends also remember him as funny, creative, and kind. He will be
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TCU President Shannon Lee added that white men represent a disproportionately high level of hires in higher education, and that cycle perpetuates itself. “We just fall into a pattern of what we know,” Lee, a senior, said. “Because of that, there’s a lack of diversity and innovation and bringing in new people.” Collins noted that more women have been hired to high-level administrative positions recently, partially in response to the Eos Foundation’s report. Before her departure, former Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell was the highest-paid female employee at the university.
“This past year the university has named a number of women to senior leadership roles including provost, vice provost for research, and dean of the Fletcher School,” Collins wrote. “We are proud of this progress and remain committed to continued progress.” However, Collins did acknowledge that Tufts has “room for improvement.” Tufts’ peer institutions have many large disparities as well. For example, at the full professor level at Dartmouth University, male professors earn nearly $40,000 more than female professors, whereas at Brown University, the discrepancy is closer to $10,000.
remembered on our campus for his artistic skills, as well as his intellectual energy and great care for others,” the email said. “We know that Matt’s passing will be felt deeply by many here at Tufts. Our hearts go out to his friends and classmates, and to the faculty and staff members he met during his time with us. To Matt’s family, we offer our sincerest, most heartfelt condolences.” The authors of the email listed several resources on campus, including walk-in hours at Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) from 12–1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week. Students can reach both the CounselorOn-Call and the Chaplain-On-Call by calling Public Safety at 617-627-3030. The University Chaplaincy provides pastoral care and support with grief and
planning memorial services. All are welcome to reach out directly to any member of the University Chaplaincy or call 617627-3427 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. CMHS is also open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Students can make an appointment by visiting their office or calling 617627-3360. Tufts has partnered with two outside resources that provide students with access to licensed therapists from any location via text, live chat, phone and video: BetterHelp and iHope. Students may also seek support through the Dean of Student Affairs Office Monday– Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. by walking in or calling 617-627-3158. Faculty and staff may seek support from the University Chaplaincy, as well as Tufts’ Employee Assistance Program, at any time.
TCU Senate discusses funding for political groups by Daniel Weinstein News Editor
Executive Graphics Editor Executive Copy Editors
ALEXIS SERINO / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVE
The Jumbo statue outside of Barnum Hall is pictured here on Nov. 27, 2018.
First-year student passes away unexpectedly Executive News Editor
Assistant Sports Editors
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The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate convened yesterday in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room to discuss updates, funding requests and upcoming initiatives. TCU President Shannon Lee opened the meeting with a moment of silence in recognition of the recent passing of a member of the Class of 2023. The meeting continued with further updates, including that of the upcoming Mental Health Town Hall, which University President Anthony Monaco will attend. After further updates, the Senate then moved to discuss funding requests from Tufts Democrats, Persian Students Association, Tufts Pulse and Tufts Republicans.
Regarding Tufts Democrats, the Senate discussed their requests for funding in order to help with campaigns for candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. They requested $900, but the TCU Allocation Board’s (ALBO) recommendation was $778. After questions from the TCU body, the Senate passed the ALBO recommendation 20–0. Next, the Senate discussed the Persian Students Association’s request for their upcoming backgammon event open to Persian student clubs at universities all over Boston. The group asked for $90, which ALBO matched. The Senate voted by acclamation to approve their request. Following that vote, the Senate discussed Pulse’s request for funding to attend competitions in Raleigh, N.C. and Pittsburgh, Pa. Pulse requested $3,860 while ALBO’s recommendation
was $3,494. Following question from the body regarding deposits and airfare, the Senate voted to approve the ALBO recommendation with all in favor. Finally, the senate discussed the request by Tufts Republicans to send six people to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. The group requested $2,504 in funding, to which ALBO recommended allocating $2,268. After questions from the body, the body motioned to vote on the request, which garnered seconds and objections. As a result, the Senate opened into debate where members discussed the validity of the request. TCU Historian Rabiya Ismail discussed controversies surrounding the
see SENATE, page 3
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 | NEWS | THE TUFTS DAILY
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After debate, senators table funding for Tufts Republicans SENATE
continued from page 2 request regarding the discriminatory histories of certain speakers at the conference. Lee supported affirming the request, as she asserted that it is not appropriate for Senate to decide which positions are “immoral” or discriminate against a given group for holding certain views. Following Lee’s statement, another senator mentioned that certain CPAC members spread hate, meaning the request should not be granted. Another member shared her view that she cannot vote to send students to attend a con-
ference where speakers are racist and Islamophobic. Lee responded by stressing that senators should not penalize members for doing things they have not done yet. “You cannot police what a group wants to do,” Lee asserted. With a narrow vote, the Senate voted to continue the debate. Ismail, a sophomore, quoted the Senate’s Treasury and Procedures Manual funding guide, claiming that it states the Senate should not fund participation in events that have negative effects on the community. However, another senator mentioned that there
is no record of hate crimes perpetrated by the Tufts Republicans, and it is not appropriate for the Senate to fund based on political views. Class of 2020 Senator Phil Miller then asked if the funding was allocated for the attendance of the conference last year, and TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi confirmed that the Tufts Republicans were granted funding. The Senate then voted to end the debate with 19 in favor and six opposed. Following the long debate, the Senate then narrowly voted with seven in favor, seven opposed and nine abstentions. As a result, Hamidi moved to reopen to the debate.
The Senate then voted 14–8 to table the request. The Senate will discuss the request from the Tufts Republicans next week. The body moved to Parliamentarian Finn McGarghan, who discussed future resolutions, including one entitled “Resolution calling for Tufts to formally recognize that it currently inhabits Indigenous land.” After a call for community updates and an update regarding meetings, Lee reminded the Senate of the December deadline for the Senate’s Election Committee applications. Following updates, the meeting adjourned.
Events on the Hill — Week of Nov. 10 by Austin Clementi
Executive News Editor
TUESDAY “Between the Pages: Ricco Siasoco and Grace Talusan in Conversation” Details: The Asian American Center and several departments will host a conversation between Ricco Siasoco, who will be promoting his new book “The Foley Artist” (2019), a collection of nine stories regarding the Filipino diaspora in America, and author Grace Talusan. Where and when: Crane Room, Paige
Hall; 6 p.m. WEDNESDAY “Modes of Resistance: Kashmir and Palestine Movie Screening” Details: The South Asian Political Action Community and Students for Justice in Palestine will host a movie screening to discuss military occupation and learn about the history of movements in occupied territories. Where and when: Barnum 104; 7–9:30 p.m. THURSDAY “Disordered
Eating
on
College
Campuses: A Panel” Details: Active Minds will be hosting a panel with two clinicians, Karin Lewis and Lori Ciotti, to discuss issues related to disordered eating on college campuses. Students will be able to ask both speakers questions, and resources will be provided. Where and when: Granoff 155; 7–8 p.m. “Applied IR Speaker Series: Eric Heginbotham” Details: In their new speaker series, the international relations department will invite MIT research scientist Eric Heginbotham, who specializes in
Asian security issues, to speak about his research in Asian international relations, nuclear strategy and wargames. There will be a light reception. Where and when: Chase Center; 6–8 p.m.
FRIDAY “TUSC Roll Back the Stress: Roller Rink in Tisch Library” Details: The Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) will put a pop-up roller rink in Tisch Library. The event is free of charge and TUSC will provide roller skates. Where and when: Tisch Library; 10 p.m.–1 a.m.
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Tufts' Office of the Provost presents
THIS IS AN AD THAT SAYS YOU SHOULDN’T DRIVE HIGH
Bullied, Assaulted and Near Death: Surviving Trauma and Addiction By
Brandon Lee
On Monday, November 18th, 2019 6 - 7:30 PM, Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center, Medford Campus
Two-time Emmy award winning journalist, Brandon Lee, will deliver a keynote session on 'Bullied, Assaulted and Near Death: Surviving Trauma and Addiction'. During the session, Brandon will share his personal life experieces of sexual trauma that he faced during childhood. This horrifying experience led him to choose the path of sex and drug addiction to keep this deep dark secret to himself, until the age of 37 when he finally got courage to break his silence in the #MeToo era. The talk will be followed by Brandon Lee book signing of his Memoir, “Mascara Boy” Bullied, Assaulted & Near Death: Surviving Trauma & Addiction. Books will be on sale before and after the lecture.
This is an open and FREE event. Tickets are required. "Pre-sale" tickets for the Tufts community will be available on TuftsTickets.com beginning November 3. Tickets for the general public will be available beginning November 11. There are limited tickets available. The tickets can be bought at the given link: https://tuftstickets.universitytickets.com/w/
This event is co-sponsored by: Provost office, President’s office, Chief Diversity Officers, LGBT Center, Office for Campus Life, Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion- School Arts & Sciences and Engineering, FIRST Resource Center, University Chaplaincy, Dean of Student Life and Engagement, Africana Center, Asian American Center and Latino Center
4 Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Features
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WHEN Alliance raises money, awareness for women’s higher education by Madeleine Aitken Staff Writer
Through events like ethical fashion discussions and pop-up thrift sales, the Women’s Higher Education Now (WHEN) Alliance at Tufts aims to raise money for the Asian University for Women (AUW ) while also raising awareness about the lack of educational opportunities for women from impoverished communities in Asia. AUW is a university in Chittagong, Bangladesh that seeks to educate women from countries in Asia who might not have access to education otherwise. AUW began with an idea from Kamal Ahmad and support from the World Bank and UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education and Society. The university saw its first students — 130 women from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — arrive in 2008, according to its website. “A lot of people that live in that region don’t have the money to send their children to college, and if they do, they usually send their first son or sons. Women just are not a priority in terms of higher education — education in general, but especially higher education. I think we all know from personal experience how big of an impact college can have on your future,” Julia Sasanuma, a member of the WHEN Alliance executive board, said. “We are all very passionate about supporting this specific university because of its mission to educate the next generation of female leaders in Asia,” Sasanuma, a senior, added. AUW launched Pathways for Promise in 2016 with the goal of extending their recruitment of students. This program seeks to reach women in particularly poor situations, including refugees and women working in the garment industry. Although WHEN Alliance is still working on becoming recognized by the Tufts Community Union Senate as an official campus organization, its members are extremely passionate about the work they’re doing. With varying connections to AUW, members of the WHEN Alliance executive board share a drive to expand the reach of women’s higher education. Sasanuma and senior Erin Blank, another member of the WHEN Alliance executive board, became interested in fundraising for AUW while attending high school together in Tokyo. Blank said that their high school’s gender equality club, which they were both involved in, focused strongly on AUW. “There’s a big support group in Tokyo that does a lot of fundraising and awareness events for the Asian University for Women. And so Julia and I have both been really passionate about it since high school, and when we got to Tufts we found that a cause like this was kind of lacking in Tufts’ clubs and organizations,” Blank said. This passion led Sasanuma and Blank to get other Tufts students involved in the cause, including Zoe Adamopoulos, another member of the group’s executive board. “I really believe educating women has the greatest multiplier effect in terms of economic development. Not only because they have the passion to go back and do all these things in their communities, but also because they are
FULL AD
COURTESY WHEN ALLIANCE
WHEN Alliance executive board members junior Zoe Adamopoulos, senior Shoshana Goldman and sophomores Quinn Tucker and Andrea Horn pose for a picture at their event WHEN & Wear on Feb. 23. the people who will raise the next generation. And when they’ve been educated, they raise the next generation to value education, and they want their children, boys or girls, to have the education they got,” Adamopoulos, a junior, said. WHEN Alliance also focuses on raising awareness about the lack of opportunities many women in developing countries have for higher education. “We can’t just donate money and expect it to go somewhere, you know, that’s a very short term effect. In the long term, we want everyone to really understand the implications of everyday actions, but also how the money could impact the people we’re talking about,” Sasanuma said. Blank said that raising awareness for AUW, as well as for the larger issue of unequal access to education, is important because an AUW education can often translate into real change. After graduating, many students return to their home countries, where they can make an impact. “They know their communities better than anyone else, and AUW provides them with resources that they can use to go and make differences in their communities that no one else really can,” Blank said. Sasanuma echoed Blank’s sentiment, stating that she believes AUW graduates are well-equipped to impact meaningful change in Asia. “They know the issues best, so it’s best for them to work on fixing those issues
with their education, rather than us, meaning people from first-world countries, to go in and act like we know how to solve their problems,” she said. “WHEN is half fundraising for AUW, half advocacy, and we always want to make sure that they tie together because there are so many ways that they connect,” Sasanuma said. Adamopolous provided insight into WHEN Alliance’s fundraising efforts. “For the fundraising we do, we want to try to shed some light on some of the real experiences that these women have had. For instance, last semester we had this pop-up thrift sale called WHEN & Wear where we raised over $1,400, and we’re going to have another one this semester. Last year, all the proceeds went directly to a scholarship AUW was doing for garment factory workers, so it’s really relevant,” Adamopoulos said. Earlier this semester, WHEN Alliance hosted an ethical fashion discussion with similar goals in mind. Adamopoulos explained the intention behind this event. “We can make a big impact on campus with how people think about things like fast fashion, for example, but we can also make a big impact overseas, where there’s a huge demand for it. Being able to do both is really great,” Adamopoulos said. Tufts’ WHEN Alliance is also focused on how to spread its message outside of Tufts and into the greater community of college students in the U.S.
Shoshana Goldman, a senior on the WHEN Alliance executive board, interned at the AUW Support Foundation in Cambridge, Mass., where she worked on developing methods for spreading the WHEN Alliance message. “One of my main jobs as an intern there was to come up with some sort of plan for getting college students here in the U.S. involved with AUW’s cause. There are these support groups located around the world — Tokyo, Singapore. They do these really large fundraisers where they’re getting a lot of money,” Goldman said. “There’s a huge fundraiser, this big gala, in Tokyo every year, for instance. But the people involved with these efforts tend to be adults, and so the idea was how can we get college students involved with fundraising for AUW?” Ultimately, Goldman and AUW Support Foundation Senior Program Associate Ingrid Lustig came up with a constitution other colleges could use to create their own versions of WHEN Alliance. “The idea of the plan that we came up with is that anyone could read that document and have the instructions they would need to start their own club. And then it’s just a matter of finding other students who are interested,” Goldman said. According to Goldman, the structure was implemented at Duke University and Brown University and can be replicated elsewhere. Even though each WHEN Alliance operates differently, the mission is the same. There is also potential for an internship exchange program, which Goldman learned about while interning at the AUW Support Foundation. “The way it would work is students at Tufts or other schools affiliated with WHEN Alliance would have the opportunity to do an internship either at the Cambridge Support Foundation or in Bangladesh, where they’d [be] helping out in some capacity, like teaching English for instance. And then students at AUW would be able to come here, so it would be a cool exchange situation,” Goldman said. These developments bode well for the future of WHEN Alliance. For now, though, Sasanuma, Blank, Adamopoulos and Goldman are proud of what they’ve created at Tufts and are excited about what the rest of this year will look like. “When we invest in women’s education, we invest in international development,” Sasanuma said. Going forward, WHEN Alliance will continue to host events on Tufts campus. The WHEN & Wear event will be on Dec. 8, where students can shop for used clothes while supporting a good cause. All proceeds from the sale will be going directly to the AUW’s Pathways for Promise program, which provides full scholarships at the university to Bangladeshi women who work in garment factories. In the meantime, they will be collecting donations at 106 Professors Row until Dec. 6. WHEN Alliance will also host a screening of “The True Cost” (2015) on Nov. 22, which is an opportunity to learn more about the labor conditions of garment factory workers, and subsequently why it’s important to provide these women with higher education opportunities.
tuftsdaily.com
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 | FEATURES | THE TUFTS DAILY
5
Alice Yoon and Madeleine Schwartz Bite-Sized Stories
Mahima’s plastic recipe
The night started off with Mahima Agrawal pouring an entire gallon of whole milk into a huge pot. This is how the process of making paneer begins. As we were eyeing the huge pot, waiting for it to come to a boil, she poked at the film that formed on the top of the warming milk, which is called malai. It’s mostly fat and is used for many different Indian sweets. Once the enormous amount of milk was at a steady boil, Mahima, a senior, poured in some diluted white vinegar, which began to form large curds that would soon be ready to eat. The vinegar adds a subtle flavor, so depending on one’s taste, other acids — such as lemon juice — can be used to curdle the milk instead. Mahima told us the last time she made paneer was in third grade. She had a book of science experiments, where one caught her eye: “Make your own plastic, mold it into whatever shape you want!” Of course, as a third-grader, she was incredibly excited about this recipe. However, when she showed it to her mom, her mom told her, “Mahima, this is the recipe for paneer.” Mahima refuted this with childlike enthusiasm, trusting the authority of the science book publishers, and promptly got to work. She was in India at the time and her family entertained her scientific curiosity, although they all knew she would be left with a handful of paneer at the end. She boiled the milk, added the lemon juice, and at the end of the recipe, surprise surprise, she was left with a handful of paneer. Disillusioned and jaded, Mahima tried to shape the paneer, which promptly crumbled in her hands because it was paneer. This time however, Mahima knew exactly what to expect. Once the liquid in the pot is slightly translucent, you know you have gotten all your curds. As she drained and squeezed the curds into cheese cloth, we were swept into a cloud of sweet milky steam. She then tied the cheese cloth and hung the curds to cool and dry so she could then shape them into rectangular blocks. Growing up, Mahima’s mom didn’t make paneer at home often because the Indian restaurants they frequented in Dallas prepared it well. However, when her mom was in India, she would occasionally make paneer, using more commonly found buffalo milk. Much fattier than cow’s milk and processed differently, buffalo milk makes more paneer per unit than the cow’s milk here does. While the paneer settled in the fridge for a couple days, Mahima asked her mom for two recipes, one for palak paneer and one for “the other paneer.” Preparation for palak paneer began with blending blanched spinach, ginger, garlic and whole milk, which was then simmered with fried cubes of our homemade paneer. The “other paneer” consisted of tomato paste, bell pepper and onion, which simmered together with the paneer until the sauce coated each block and vegetable. The smells of spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala quickly filled the air, and soon enough, both dishes were ready to eat with a side of rice.
Alice Yoon is a senior studying chemistry. Alice can be reached at alice.yoon@tufts. edu. Madeleine Schwartz is a senior studying political science and computer science. Madeleine can be reached at madeleine. schwartz@tufts.edu.
6 Tuesday, November 12, 2019
ARTS&LIVING
Devina Bhalla Bhallin’ with Books
‘The Makioka Sisters’
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The Makioka Sisters” (1943–1948) by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki follows four aristocratic women in Osaka throughout the years preceding World War II. It is truly a wonderful read. The Makioka family is upper-middle class. However, the wealth that they once enjoyed in their father’s prime has been in decline along with the aristocratic way of life. Decline is a central part of Tanizaki’s novel; you journey through each character’s attempt to fight and cope with decline. The reader meets the family when it has already fallen far from its wealthy past, but it has not yet dealt with the immense pride that its years of wealth gave it. In turn, the Makioka’s pride causes the central conflict of finding a husband for the third sister, Yukiko. Maneuvering these proposals is a family affair, complicating the other sisters’ relationships in the process. The language is beautiful even through its translation; there are nuances that do not translate as well, but not all is lost. There is still so much within every chapter and every sentence. It is a magical recollection. Each of the four Makioka sisters has a distinct role and personality which draws you into their lives and the everyday happenings of each. You live with this family for five years, from 1936–1941. You get to know the sisters intimately and find places in your heart for each of them to live. The novel was serialized from 1943– 1948. Serial novels are texts that are released in smaller installments over a longer period of time — usually in magazines — like how we watch TV shows today. I love the idea of serialized novels, but I have noticed the difference in how they work as one singular book after serialization. Charles Dickens is often credited with growing the serial novel’s popularity, and when you read some of his texts, you can see how writing it over such a long period of time changes the novel as a whole. The text is more episodic. “The Makioka Sisters” has similar elements and also smaller climaxes throughout the book instead of the rising action contributing to a central climax. The episodic nature allows you to palpably feel the rhythm of their lives. The gorgeousness of the decaying culture seeps into every scene of the book. You see the hypocrisy, the stifling gender and hierarchical roles that each character is forced into despite what might actually be good for that person. Yet, you also are able to feel the stunning essence of their dancing, the rituals that encompass every bit of inherent elegance and tradition. Unfortunately, I didn’t read this entire work in the past week (I did start my book for next week, but midterms got the best of me this week). Even though it is over 500 pages, I devoured it this summer. Don’t let the page count scare you away, as so often happens these days. Start on the first page, and soon enough you’ll find yourself forgetting that there are pages at all. And when you get to the end, you’ll find the most hilarious final line. I’ll let you read it for yourself, but it is truly epic, confusing, but somehow fitting. Devina Bhalla is a sophomore studying sociology and English. Devina can be reached at devina.bhalla@tufts.edu.
tuftsdaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
The sinister beauty of Swans’ ‘leaving meaning.’
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
American experimental band Swans is pictured during its performance in 2012.
by Nicholas Darell and Geoff Tobia Jr. Contributing Writer and Assistant Arts Editor
Across all mediums, effective art shares the ability to encapsulate and challenge our perceptions of what it means to be alive. Music is no exception: It is a universal language, and a constantly evolving reflection of the human condition. Plenty of artists create music that we can relate to, but few tackle the task of communicating ideas with the jaw-clenching rigor of Michael Gira and his musical project, Swans. Since 1982, Swans has ambitiously paved a winding route, cutting right through the center of music itself. Swans has developed 15 studio albums, especially since its reunion in 2010, but the mission and means of achievement have remained singular. On “leaving meaning.” (2019), Swans continues to use music nimbly as a tool of delight and horror in equal measure. This album is by turns euphoric and frustrating, but rarely ever boring. If “leaving meaning.” feels like a sprawling epic of a recording project, that’s because it is. It is a double album, with several songs exceeding the ten-minute mark and a runtime of about 90 minutes (modest by Swans standards). The wildly unpredictable tracklist of “leaving meaning.” creates a listening experience that lives and breathes, and Gira has no problem reaching into your headphones to rattle you out of complacency. Following up the atmospheric and beautiful “Annaline” with the hypnotizing guitar riffs and bone-rattling drum arrangement on “The Hanging Man” seems to
make little sense but simultaneously succeeds in keeping the listener in the swirling vortex of Swans’ music. Gira’s display of genius on this album is undoubtable, finding the perfect balance between beauty and malice. A diverse sonic palette is brought to life by various guest contributions from new and old faces. Neoclassical darkwave composer Anna von Hausswolff and her sister Maria von Hausswolff provide chilling, atmospheric background vocals on tracks such as “It’s Coming It’s Real.” Singer-songwriter Baby Dee contributes haunting choral vocals and Australian experimental jazz group The Necks lays down an instrumental to help create the chilling cut “The Nub.” In terms of returning artists, previous Swans members such as Thor Harris and Christopher Pravdica give instrumental help throughout the album, and Gira’s wife Jennifer sings on “Sunfucker.” The listener gets the sense that Gira chose these musicians to execute a vision he knew to be beyond personal reach, and it is an experiment that pays off in spades. Of course, relentless experimentation is what has defined Swans since their creation decades ago. Both musically and thematically, “leaving meaning.” is concerned with the idea of letting go. More specifically, lyrics like “A word is a thought / And a thought is a box” from “Annaline” refer to the futility of dwelling on our own thoughts — time better spent living in the moment. The album delivers to listeners an intimidatingly broad set of ideas, executed through a wide range of instrumental approaches. We see
lush and low-key guitars on songs like “Amnesia,” which only amplify Gira’s visceral lyrics like “Our hands are two broken claws / We scrape at the ground for hours.” Sinister string arrangements are riddled throughout the record and highlighted on songs like “What is This?” Even instruments like sleigh bells and hammered dulcimer creep their way into tracks at perfect moments to increase the sense of tension or unease that won’t let up. This common thread proves critical to achieving the deep emotional weight that “leaving meaning.” pursues. It is decidedly difficult to generate criticism for a band that feels completely severed from popular music standards. It’s also worth noting that the long length of some tracks on “leaving meaning.” will make the record appear inaccessible to large audiences. Gira allows his songs to occupy space and instrumentally bloom to often hypnotic effect, but this approach will not resonate with everybody. In order to fully appreciate its creative vision, Swans asks for your patience. You must test your own mental endurance to listen to the entire album, but the work almost always pays off. While not quite as gratifying as the band’s recent trilogy of albums — “The Seer” (2012), “To Be Kind” (2014) and “The Glowing Man” (2016) — “leaving meaning.” highlights Swans’ incredible attention to detail and ability to create a musical ambience like no other. If you are open to joining Swans on a climb through beauty and brutality, you’ll find “leaving meaning.” to be an extraordinarily rewarding journey.
tuftsdaily.com A rts & Living
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY
7
TV REVIEW
HBO reenvisions ‘Watchmen’ for fresh new take by Daniel Klain
Assistant Arts Editor
HBO knew what it was in for when adapting DC Comics’ “Watchmen” (1986–87). Depending on who you ask, Zack Snyder’s three-hour 2009 film adaptation is either genius or hot garbage, and the comic itself is revered by so many that showrunner Damon Lindelof had to either live up to an incredible merged vision of fiction and reality or make up for past failures. Every sign so far indicates that “Watchmen” (2019–) will exceed any and all reasonable expectations that viewers set for it. What is so clever about its conception and shape from a viewer’s experience though is no matter how well-versed you are in the comic, you still don’t know what to expect. Lindelof has been very public about the fact that “Watchmen” is not a direct adaptation, but rather a “remix.” Set in present day, rather than in the 1980s like the comic, the show takes the events of the comic and then runs them to their logical conclusion of how things would be played out up to now. This is an incredibly thoughtful move by Lindelof because it allows for more creativity and freedom with the story but also sticks to the themes and characters at the heart of comic. The present day context forces these themes to be infused with relevant issues, making the show feel even more alive. And that gets at the heart of just what makes this show so great: thought and energy. Every frame feels carefully crafted not just with easter eggs for dedicated “Watchmen” comic fans, but with information for viewers trying to learn about the characters and the story. Each character feels incredibly real and lived thanks to both fantastic performances and the revealing stories built around these characters. Although it should be reemphasized just how amazing Regina
King, Jean Smart and Jeremy Irons’ performances are. Set mostly in Tulsa, Okla., the set design makes this dystopian world feel not so distant, especially because its opening scene, a recreation of the Black Wall Street Massacre, is based in our very real American history. Even if you don’t have the full knowledge of the “Watchmen” comics, the show is very intelligent in letting you know it does, either entirely or partially, have a purpose, which is incredibly comforting to realize. The energy of this show is what takes it from just intriguing to electric. The score, composed by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, at its best compounds the tension of a moment or even creates it all on its own. It knows how to fit the mood so well. Whether it’s mysterious or aggressive, the score only makes you feel more bought into what’s on the screen. The show is also professional in its other production components. The writing is well done. For a show that is so politically oriented, it never feels like it is overly simplistic with its characters’ feelings and how they do, or don’t, express them. All action and fight sequences are well choreographed and well edited and feel real and engaging. It cannot be overstated enough how the level of detail and care that goes into every single frame is clear and obvious. It isn’t done just for the sake of gaining any sort of praise, but for actually entertaining and exciting the viewer. People without “Watchmen” background knowledge can do some reading if they like, but they really do not need to. When all of its elements come together, “Watchmen” can run at such a high level of excitement that it makes you feel your blood is accelerating like a bullet train through your veins. Put it at the top of your mustwatch list and start watching all the previously aired episodes.
VIA IMDB
A promotional poster for ‘Watchmen’ (2019–) is pictured.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | FUN&GAMES | Tuesday, November 12, 2019
F &G FUN & GAMES
tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Myshko: “You wear cowboy hats and look depressed.”
SUDOKU
LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY
Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)
Reach a turning point with a partnership under the Full Moon. Compromise and collaborate for shared commitments. Adjust to a change in plans.
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8
CROSSWORD
tuftsdaily.com
Opinion EDITORIAL
CMHS has made strides, Tufts must continue to expand services Over the past few decades, emphasis on mental health has increased around the world as more people are recognizing the necessity of maintaining a healthy mind in addition to a healthy body. In the past, mental health was heavily stigmatized; people were discouraged from talking about their problems, and some people simply turned a blind eye to the issues that their peers were dealing with. Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) at Tufts, a service which provides students with a counselor to talk with, has taken huge strides in improving access to services and bringing awareness to mental health on campus. Between 2015 and 2018, the number of sessions at CMHS from new students increased by nearly 60%, and it is clear that these services are sorely needed. CMHS should be praised for the work it is doing to ensure that Tufts students have a place where they can seek guidance for their mental health questions, but it is clear that these services can go much further in ensuring that all students feel supported on campus. One of the major changes to CMHS within the past few years was the 2018 implementation of Telehealth services
through which students can chat online with a counselor regarding their concerns. Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of public relations, told the Daily that Telehealth’s purpose is to offer more flexibility to students in terms of appointment schedules, and that it is offered without a co-payment for students with university insurance. Since CMHS provides only short-term care — afterwards referring students to local off-campus professionals — this step taken by CMHS is substantial. Providing students with another option, especially one that is more affordable and flexible, brings into the circle students who initially may have been dissuaded from seeking long-term care by the costs of in-person sessions. As a university that champions diversity, ensuring that students from various socioeconomic backgrounds have options for getting the help they need is an absolute necessity. While CMHS has made significant strides towards better helping the Tufts community with their mental health, there is more that Tufts can do to help CMHS with this goal. For instance, Drexel University has a kiosk at its University Recreation Center that asks students to
answer a few questions including how they’ve been feeling; at the end of the survey it provides students with resources they can contact to discuss the issues highlighted through their responses. Tufts could also benefit from placing several kiosks around campus in easy-to-access locations. Students who may not have previously considered talking about mental health may learn that they would benefit from a visit to CMHS. While Tufts can help create campus-wide change, there is plenty that students can do to support their peers and help themselves maintain their mental health. Students can focus on getting a good night’s sleep, listening when friends discuss their struggles and actively seeking to destigmatize mental health in everyday conversation. In his email to the Daily, Collins emphasized that the community should question “the value of more being better,” especially if taking on another major, another club or another class leads to compounding stress as time goes on. We all must support one another here, and Tufts must continue to invest in CMHS to support the student body and demonstrate a commitment to mental wellbeing.
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 opinion@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. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Managing Board and Executive Business Director.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Deeksha Bathini Looking for Life, Destroying Life
When a nine-yearold gets pregnant
Content warning: This article discusses child sexual abuse. I told my grandmother that I want to study and marry after turning 18. My grandmother said no, and also that marrying would be good for my health … my family is hell-bent on chasing me away from the house … they abuse and curse me every day,” Priyanka, a 15-year-old Indian girl, said to VICE Asia. Her marriage was arranged to a 25-year-old man. Over a quarter of underage girls in India are married. In some communities, that number doubles. Marriage before the age of 18 is a human rights violation. In some countries, the practice is illegal. But in remote villages, accountability and law enforcement disappear. In the U.S., sex with a minor is considered statutory rape. Internationally, it’s a norm. There are endless reasons why this practice is inhumane. The first is that victims of child marriage have no autonomy to give consent. When asked if girls know what to expect when consummating the marriage, a woman in a village said in National Geographic, “The girls do not know … The men know, and they force them.” Poverty, culture, limited health care infrastructure and lack of education perpetuate child marriage. India sees women as having an opportunity for upward mobility by marrying into a wealthier caste or family. In this situation, child marriage can actually give a family income. Additionally, marrying off a daughter reduces ‘economic burden.’ When girls are married, they are expected to have children. Childbearing for a girl as young as 13 or 14, and sometimes even eight or nine years old, has serious physical implications such as obstetric fistula (OF). OF is a hole between the vagina and the rectum that forms due to pressure from the baby’s head during labor. When children give birth, their bodies are not yet fully developed, making them incredibly more susceptible to OF. OF is a tragedy for young girls. It is often permanent because areas endemic with child marriage do not have proper healthcare infrastructure. Women experience incontinence and leak fecal matter; they essentially lose control over their bodily excretions. When this happens, they are socially ostracized. They smell of feces, and this can even ruin their marriage, often causing the man to leave the girl and children behind. The emotional ramifications are lifelong. Child marriage accounts for almost a quarter of OF cases worldwide. But this issue is far more complicated than just ‘stopping it.’ The practice is perpetuated because unwed women are more likely to be raped. When a girl experiences sexual violence, they are deemed as ‘undesirable’ and relinquish their ‘marriageability.’ In some ways, child marriage decreases a girl’s susceptibility to assault. Child marriage is a complicated issue to tackle. In order to eradicate it, we need to focus attention on educating women about their bodies and rights. And even more importantly, we need to eradicate poverty. Currently, one of the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals is to end child marriage by 2030. While progress is certainly underway, it’s not happening fast enough.
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Deeksha Bathini is a junior studying community health. Deeksha can be reached at deeksha.bathini@tufts.edu.
10
THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Tuesday, November 12, 2019
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Sports
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY
Braun scores title-winning goal with 2 minutes remaining MEN'S SOCCER
continued from back a pass on the left post and ripped a shot that nearly passed Grady. Tufts continued to dominate in the second half, taking their shot count into double digits with attempts from Rojas, senior midfielder Zach Lane and Daly. Tufts’ pressure finally paid off in the 58th minute. Senior midfielder/ forward and co-captain Gavin Tasker chipped the ball forward to junior forward Max Jacobs, who sent a left-footer into the goal past Grady. This goal marked Jacobs’ fourth of the season. After multiple attempts, the Panthers scored the equalizer 79 minutes into play. Middlebury forward Max Drazen freed up space after bypassing the Jumbo defense and fired a shot that beat sophomore goalkeeper Erich Kindermann. The pressure was on as the clock started winding down, with both teams eager for the championship title. With just two minutes left, Aroh lofted the ball to the middle of the box, finding senior forward Joe Braun who chested the ball to his feet and volleyed a shot into the top left corner of the goal. With his fifth goal of the season, Braun scored the goal that claimed the NESCAC Championship for the Jumbos. Braun felt that his teammates worked well together in the Middlebury game. “Everybody came together at the moment when we needed each other most,” Braun said. “Top to bottom, start to finish, every guy played his part. For 90 minutes we played pure Tufts men’s soccer. This is the best part of the season right now, and I think we’re playing the best I’ve seen all season. We’re excited to keep it up moving into NCAA’s.” Tufts outshot Middlebury 20–9 in this high-intensity championship game. The second-seeded Tufts team played an aggressive first game against
Williams, coming out on top with their ninth shutout victory of the season. Both teams tallied 13 shots, and Kindermann made an impressive six saves for the Jumbos. Coach Josh Shapiro spoke about the Williams game, stressing the difficulties the Ephs presented. “I thought the Williams game was a very hard game to kind of get on top of and get control with,” Shapiro said. “It felt like we went back and forth, though ultimately our depth was really key and we were able to kind of gain a little bit more of territorial advantage and maybe create a few more quality chances.” The Ephs earned the first real scoring opportunity of the first half. Williams’ Demian Gass beat Tufts defenders and fired a shot to the bottom left of goal, but Kindermann was able to make the save. Five minutes into the contest, the Ephs earned the first corner kick of the game, but the Jumbo backline successfully cleared the ball away. Kindermann made another save in the 10th minute after forward Will Felitto took a shot. Rojas spoke about the dangerous stance Gass presented on the field. “Demian Gass is a dangerous player, definitely one of the best in the NESCAC,” Rojas said. “We knew that moving into our game against Williams earlier in the season. He’s a great player and it made for a competitive game.” Tufts earned a strong scoring opportunity off of their first corner. Rojas took the kick, finding Aroh who headed the ball just above the crossbar. Both teams had one more strong corner opportunity in the first half. The Ephs’ kick was received by Jules Oberg and sent into the box, but Kindermann made the save. In the 24th minute, sophomore midfielder Zach Seigelstein took a corner kick for the Jumbos. The ball found Braun in the middle of the box. Bruan headed it
towards the goal, but Eph goalkeeper Michael Davis made the save. The last scoring attempt of the half came from Gass as the clock wound down. Gass beat the Tufts defense line and fired a shot right at Kindermann. After a scoreless first half, the Jumbos picked up tempo moving into the second half. Rojas and Tasker had early shots in the opening minutes. Williams responded with a shot on goal from Chris Fleischer, which Kindermann saved. The contest continued to move back and forth for the remainder of regulation, with neither team able to capitalize on a scoring opportunity. Just under two minutes into overtime play, Lane scored the game-winning goal for the Jumbos off a free kick by junior midfielder Travis Van Brewer, winning the game 1–0. Shapiro spoke about the goal, praising Van Brewer’s dynamic free-kick skills to put Tufts into a good scoring situation. “Ultimately it comes down to a really good execution set piece situation and Travis Van Brewer, who’s one of the best free-kick deliverers in the country,” Shapiro said. “He put us with a brilliant ball to take advantage.” Coming out of the Middlebury victory, Tufts now has an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. Tufts will be competing against Maritime on Saturday, Nov. 16 on Bello Field for the first round of the tournament. Going into the NCAA tournament, Shapiro spoke about what makes this team special. “This is a fun group — I think they’ve felt a fair amount of pressure at times in the season to kind of live up to their own expectations,” Shapiro said. “But I think we’ve achieved a lot already and now we’ve got to play free and fun and just enjoy the opportunity to work together towards something great.”
MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS
OLIVIA MUNN WITH CHANCE AND FRANKIE: ADOPTED 2014 AND 2016.
THESHELTERPETPROJECT.ORG
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David Meyer Postgame Press
Thanks for playing
D
espite the superstition, it seems like touching the Western Conference trophy in the NHL is not actually a curse. Whether or not that is true, the truth behind the superstition is that the Western Conference trophy is not the one that players are playing for. Players want championship trophies and the second place ones are considered hexes. If that is not a statement on the meaning of trophies for these players, not much else can be. Professionals do not want consolation trophies. The question is: Do kids? Second and third can stay for the sake of tradition, but does every participant need a trophy? I understand the argument for yes. Rewarding children for effort is a great way to positively reinforce their behavior, leading them to more success in the future. The majority of kids said that they agreed. As they get older, these rewards seem less and less acceptable, but as a general statement, these are good for and accepted by young kids. It is not too much to ask that at such a young age, a child can be encouraged even if they are not the best. The participation trophy can, perhaps, keep a kid playing a sport (or participating in a spelling bee) when they might be discouraged by something that can be very discouraging: coming in last. From personal experience, my answer is that I did not need participation trophies. I do not still have a single participation trophy I ever received, but I have kept any first place trophies I have as well as a few second places. But I felt that the meaning was lost if everyone got a trophy like me. I still wanted the top trophies, but any ribbon that said I participated felt like a “thanks for trying, but whatever.” Just like a pat on the back, but without any specificity. I had supportive parents, and rarely felt that competitive itch that would make me feel the need to wake up early to practice by myself. I was a kid playing house league, not a Hall of Famer. Those trophies simply served as reminders for games that I played just to have fun that I did not win. They were a waste to me. That said, not everyone felt the same way I did. Some kids looked forward to those trophies to show recognition for their effort. They established ideas about trying, and reinforced that behavior, which is part of the point of youth sports. I think participation trophies should stick around. Some children get messages out of them. Despite what James Harrison thinks, I tend to think children still want to earn top trophies even if they get smaller participation trophies. The kids who win will not be worried about the participation trophies that the other kids get. They will keep going no matter what, and those who play for fun will get a keepsake that means something — or for some, a thing to throw out. But the trophies are worth enough to the kids who like them to keep them around.
David Meyer is a senior studying film and media studies. David can be reached at david.meyer@tufts.edu.
12 Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
Men’s soccer brings home 2nd NESCAC Championship title by Julia Atkins
Assistant Sports Editor
The Tufts men’s soccer team brought home the 2019 NESCAC Championship title on Sunday after competing in Amherst, Mass., all weekend. The Jumbos defeated the Middlebury Panthers 2–1 on Sunday after shutting out the Williams Ephs 1–0 in overtime of Saturday’s semifinal contest. This victory marks the Jumbos’ second NESCAC title in program history, earning their first championship in 2017 over Middlebury as well. On Sunday, the Jumbos competed against the Middlebury Panthers for the NESCAC title. Sixth-seeded Middlebury upset first-seeded Amherst on Saturday to make it to the championship game. The first half of the contest saw no scoreboard action, despite strong efforts from the Jumbo attack. Tufts tallied three quality scoring opportunities before halftime. Senior midfielder Brett Rojas claimed the first, receiving a throwin from sophomore defender Ian Daly and heading the ball toward the goal. However, Middlebury goalkeeper Ryan Grady was able to make the save. A few minutes later, junior defender/midfielder Calvin Aroh fired a shot from 25 yards out that went slightly higher than the goal. The strongest attempt came five minutes before the end of the half. Daly collected see MEN'S SOCCER, page 11
RACHEL HARTMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVE
Junior midfielder Travis Van Brewer celebrates his winning goal in Tufts’ 2–1 victory over Amherst at Bello Field on Sept. 29, 2018.
Tufts teams compete in championship games NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
continued from page 1 ment in Cousens gymnasium this past weekend. Starting on Friday, the top eight-seeded teams in the NESCAC traveled from as far as Clinton, N.Y., to battle for the NESCAC trophy. On Friday and Saturday, Tufts breezed passed No. 8-seeded Hamilton and No. 5-seeded Middlebury in back-to-back 3–0 victory matches. However, in the final on Sunday, the Jumbos faced the No. 3 Bowdoin Polar Bears in one of their most competitive games of the season. Despite stealing the first set 25–21, the volleyball team fell behind and lost their second and third sets 25–18 and 25–20, respectively, falling behind 2–1 in the match to the hungry Polar Bears, who were the reigning NESCAC champions. Senior offensive/opposite hitter and co-captain Maddie Stewart wrote in an email to the Daily about the mindset her team adopted when Bowdoin pulled ahead going into the fourth set. “After going down 2–1, we decided that we were going refocus our energy to enjoy every moment and have fun on the court,” Stewart said. “We play our best when we play loose, and we kept building momentum that launched us into a strong fifth set.” In an act of sheer persistence, the Jumbos bounced back, clinching the fourth set and bringing the back-and-forth and game-deciding fifth set to a score of 14–13. The tension could be felt in the room during the final rally, as both team’s electrified benches stood up to witness the concluding moments of the game. As the entirety of Cousens gymnasium held their collective breath, first-year defensive specialist Stephanie Lee bumped the ball to senior setter/opposite Rachel Furash. Furash set the ball for Stewart, and the Menlo Park, Calif., native delivered a devastating kill towards the Bowdoin side of the court. The
Polar Bear defenders were unable to recover Stewart’s shot, and as the home crowd started roaring, the entire Jumbos bench rushed the court to celebrate their first NESCAC victory in over 20 years. Stewart described the reaction her team had upon learning that they had triumphed over Bowdoin. “We were all unbelievably excited to win the first NESCAC title in over 20 years,” Stewart said. “It feels amazing, and I am so proud of all of the hard work and dedication that our team has done to bring home the conference title.” Meanwhile, two hours away in Amherst, Mass., the No. 5 nationally ranked Tufts men’s soccer team was battling in its first NESCAC finals appearance since 2017 after missing out of the tournament last year in a tight quarterfinal upset. The men entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed after their first conference loss in over two years came at the hands of rival Amherst on Oct. 12. Coming into the weekend, the team was determined to have the chance to get NESCAC championship vengeance over No. 1-seeded Amherst on their home turf. However, the Jumbos never got the chance. Prior to Tufts’ 1–0 overtime victory over Williams on Saturday afternoon to advance to the finals, the Amherst Mammoths fell to the No. 6-seeded Middlebury Panthers in a 1–0 upset. After clinching their only goal in the 16th minute of play, the Panthers held onto their lead despite a bombardment of 17 ensuing shots by the Mammoth offense in comparison to the Panthers’ five. Thus, Middlebury advanced to face Tufts in the final on Amherst’s home field. In Sunday’s championship game, both Tufts and Middlebury remained scoreless throughout the entirety of the first period of regulation. But by the second period, it was evident that Tufts was determined to gain offensive control in the match. Tufts attempted 11 shots in the half, compared to Middlebury’s three. Tufts coach Josh Shapiro spoke about
how the Jumbos’ depth was crucial in establishing dominance over the Panthers in the second half. “In the Middlebury game, I thought the depth was key. I thought they got tired towards the [end of the] first half and into the second half,” Shapiro said. “They had to play and they did brilliantly to beat a tough Amherst team the day before, but I felt like we started to wear them out.” Indeed, Middlebury gave up the first goal of the match against junior forward Max Jacobs, who had been substituted into the game less than 30 seconds prior. Shapiro spoke further about how Jacobs was able to execute the goal. “We were able to switch play quickly and get at their fullbacks,” Shapiro said. “We started to have a lot of success, and it was a second-layer guy who got the first goal, Max Jacobs.” It took just over 20 minutes for Middlebury to come up with the equalizer to put the game tied with less than 12 minutes remaining in regulation. However, despite the setback, Tufts was unwilling to let a similar overtime situation as the day prior. With just over two minutes remaining in the match, Tufts senior forward Joe Braun gained possession of the ball in the box. With his right hand in a Tufts-colored blue cast, Braun instantly turned his body and nailed a right-footed shot past his defender and past the misdirected goalkeeper to put Tufts up 2–1. The entire Tufts team celebrated, and the team was able to hold off Middlebury to claim their second-ever NESCAC title. When asked about what makes this group of men’s soccer players different from the rest, Shapiro addressed the threat his team possesses for other competitors. “We are a threat for 90 minutes, and it’s not just our starters that you have to worry about,” Shapiro said. “There are guys who can hurt you from different positions and in different layers of the team.”
Evidently, Tufts’ two NESCAC championship victories on the weekend ended in a last-minute triumph for the volleyball and men’s soccer teams. However, for the Jumbos field hockey team, their hopes for a win against the defending NESCAC champion Middlebury Panthers — who beat the Jumbos in both the NESCAC and NCAA championship finals last year — were defeated in crunch time by a late overtime goal to give the No. 1-seeded Panthers a 3–2 win on their own home turf. Throughout the game, the Jumbos kept pace with the Panthers. Middlebury’s opening goal was quickly responded with another by Tufts junior forward Alexis Chauvette. Sophomore forward Gillian Roeca, who leads the team in goals with 10, then put the Jumbos up 2–1 in the 3rd quarter, a lead they would maintain until within the closing 10 minutes of the game. Middlebury’s game-saving equalizer came in the 52nd minute, sending the game into overtime at 2–2. In overtime, Tufts didn’t manage to get a shot in, and in the 10th minute, Middlebury scored for its third consecutive NESCAC championship. Despite the loss, Tufts coach Tina Mattera regarded the game positively, stressing that although she was disappointed with the result, she was proud of her team’s performance. “They’re a great team, so I was really pleased with how we played,” Mattera said. “I mean obviously, I wish the result had been different, but I’m happy with how we played, I’m sad about the result.” With the NESCAC championships behind them, the three teams that competed in the conference finals this weekend will now look toward their upcoming NCAA national tournament contests. No. 14 volleyball will host a regional against unranked Eastern Nazarene College. Also this weekend, men’s soccer will host its NCAA regional against SUNY-Maritime College, and the field hockey team will travel to Johns Hopkins for its NCAA regional.