Thursday, February 8, 2018 by The Tufts Daily

Bridge Club looks to engage young people with competitive card-playing see FEATURES/ PAGE 4

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Jumbos perform well at Cupid Challenge

‘This Is Us’ brings expected death, unexpected consequences see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 6

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Al Gore outlines steps to mitigate climate change at Tisch College event by Joe Walsh and Liza Harris

News Editor and Assistant News Editor

Former Vice President Al Gore warned about the consequences of climate change and outlined the steps that individuals can take to better the environment at a talk at Tufts yesterday. The event was hosted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Kelly Sims Gallagher, a professor of energy and environmental policy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, moderated the discussion. Gallagher’s academic focus is on climate issues, and she worked previously in Gore’s office during his time as Vice President in Bill Clinton’s administration. The event lasted close to an hour and a half. Roughly 400 tickets were distributed at the Mayer Campus Center on Feb. 1, and close to 550 people were expected to attend the event, including students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders, according to Jennifer McAndrew, director of communications, strategy and planning at Tisch College. Seventy-five to 80 percent of tickets went to students, McAndrew said. Gore expressed alarm at the ongoing changes to the Earth’s climate, which he

says could presage an ecological disaster. Greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ozone depletion, risk causing droughts, sea level rises and changes to currents in the air and water, Gore explained. He named the crisis as an existential threat to human civilization, especially as parts of the planet become uninhabitable or ravaged by extreme weather. “Everything we know really has developed within this envelope of ideal conditions,” Gore said. “We are now pushing out of that envelope in very dramatic ways, and the consequences are far more severe than most people realize.” Gore also voiced his concern that policymakers are not keeping pace with the onset of climate change and its impacts, though he does believe there are viable solutions, especially given the growing affordability of renewable energy. In an interview with the Daily, Gore stressed the importance of immediate policy changes to combat climate change. He asserted that his first priority is to make greenhouse gas emissions costly by introducing a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system. “I’m optimistic because technology is working in our favor,” Gore told the Daily. “But we need policy changes, and in order to solve the climate crisis, we need to spend time fixing the democracy crisis.”

COURTESY EDDIE SAMUELS

Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at a Distinguished Speaker Series event hosted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in Cohen Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Gore acknowledged the need for climate change activists to scrutinize political candidates and their stances on environmental issues. He says candidates that are serious about mitigating climate change should be held accountable to several core questions.

“Do they support a price on carbon, directly or indirectly?” he asked. “Are they willing to make it one of their two or three top priorities in the agenda they’re promoting? Are they staffing up to master see GORE, page 2

Hank Azaria and Joe Schrank address mental health, substance abuse

Tufts offers new summer abroad program in Cádiz, Spain

by Conor Friedmann

by Abbie Gruskin

Contributing Writer

Hank Azaria (LA ’87), an Emmywinning actor, and Joe Schrank, founder of TheFix.com, a website dedicated to disseminating news about addiction and recovery, addressed mental health and addiction yesterday evening in an event co-sponsored by the Dean of Student Affairs Office and Health and Wellness at Tufts. Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon moderated the conversation which was followed by a brief question-and-answer session. The event gave students an opportunity to learn and ask questions about mental health issues relevant on campus. There were about 40 students in attendance. Azaria described the role of substances in shaping his college experience, both in Hollywood and at Tufts.

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“College, to me, was a place where everyone was a temporary alcoholic. It’s the culture,” he said. “I went in and out of struggling with it. One thing I learned in life is that there’s no shame in asking for help.” Azaria explained that seeking out a supportive community is critical in helping a person deal with mental health issues or addiction recovery, emphasizing that recovery is not possible without help. He also stressed the importance of destigmatizing mental health. “I’m here today because I realize how different my life would have been, if when I had been attending [Tufts] … I knew where I could get help if I needed it,” he said. A significant part of the conversation focused on the intersection of mental health problems and substance abuse. Schrank also spoke about the intense drinking culture in college and see HANK AZARIA, page 2

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This May, a new five-and-a-half-week study abroad program in Cádiz, Spain will be added to the growing collection of summer language and culture programs offered by Tufts, according to Spanish language and literature lecturer Amy Millay. According to Spanish lecturer Maria Ester Rincón Calero, the new program is the first of its type for students learning Spanish at Tufts, modeled after the summer abroad program in Talloires, France for students learning French. Five different courses will be offered, and students will have the opportunity to select two matching their proficiency, Millay said. According to Millay, course options will include two levels of language courses, two levels of culture courses and one

upper-level literature course. The upper-level culture and literature courses will be on Spanish art history and Andalusian literature. Rincón Calero said that the program will allow for students to interact with the local community in addition to taking classes. “Students have the opportunity to do volunteer work, which would be a great experience [allowing them] to expose themselves to the Spanish language,” Rincón Calero said. The stay in Cádiz will also focus on cultural learning, according to Millay. “Each of these courses is designed to take full advantage of the surroundings of Cádiz, including visits to museums, writers’ homes, historical sites, etc.,” Millay said. “The curriculum is focused on the rich literary and cultural history of

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, February 8, 2018

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Gore discusses addressing climate change through policy, activism GORE

continued from page 1 the subject and really provide meaningful leadership?” Gore voiced optimism that policy changes to address climate change are forthcoming. During his speech, he said he has observed a renewal of political will at all levels of government and in both parties, despite the Trump

administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. “I’m encouraged at the possibility that this election year here in the U.S. may begin a shift in political wins, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Gore told the Daily. The former Vice President stressed the historical importance of college students’ participation in movements for social

Azaria and Schrank share advice on substance abuse, mental health issues HANK AZARIA

continued from page 1 the importance of level-headed decision-making. “The culture of binge drinking is a rite of passage,” he said. “The real problem isn’t in how much or how often you drink. It’s about what you do when you drink.” Schrank and Azaria explained that for individuals combating mental health issues and substance abuse, the key is recognizing when one needs help and then seeking support. They also emphasized the importance of accepting the validity of emotions, whatever they may be, in influencing one’s well-being. Azaria said, “Feelings are friends. It’s ok to have feelings. Nothing needs to be done, except to feel it.” Azaria also said he had enjoyed the freedom he felt while studying at Tufts. “This was a place [where] I could make mistakes, and it’d be totally ok, whether it be social or academic,” he said.

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Tufts alumnus Hank Azaria speaks with Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon about addiction and recovery at an event in ASEAN auditorium on Feb. 7.

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continued from page 1 Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, and gives students the unique opportunity to become immersed in the environment they are studying. Homestay will be a key component of the program, and the group will also travel to Madrid, Granada, the Pueblos Blancos and Sevilla.” Spanish lecturers Marta RossoO’Laughlin and Rincón Calero spearheaded the development of this new program, paving the way for the addition of Cádiz to Tufts’ repertoire of study abroad options. “Our department has been discussing the possibility of starting a summer program for the past couple years. These discussions stemmed from feedback we received from Spanish students,” Millay said. According to Millay, the planning for the program began last fall, when Rosso-

O’Laughlin and Rincón Calera visited the University of Cádiz and decided it would be the ideal location for a Tufts summer abroad program. “The relationship with Cádiz was developed by faculty from the Spanish program who will be working with the international office of the University of Cádiz to run the program,” Joseph Auner, dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences, said in an email. “Tufts faculty will be with the students throughout the five-week program and will serve as program coordinators on-site.” Since then, the Department of Romance Studies has hosted information sessions to gauge interest in the program. “We hosted two sessions … that [were] well attended and served as a testament to the need for this type of program,” Millay said. The summer program was, in part, designed to allow a greater number of

Spanish-studying students the opportunity to study abroad, according to Rincón Calero. “The intent is to help students who cannot study abroad for a semester,” Rincón Calero explained. “If a student can go for a full semester or a full year they should definitely do it… But, there are students who cannot do that, especially students who are pre-health or in the School of Engineering or cannot go abroad because they are pursuing two or three majors.” The program can accommodate a minimum of seven and a maximum of 20 students, but the final number will not be known until after the applications are reviewed, Rincón Calero said. Additionally, the Cádiz, Spain summer program will cater to students at varying levels of Spanish proficiency. “The Cádiz program also gives students the opportunity to go abroad before they complete Spanish 22, which is the requirement to participate in the Tufts in Chile and Tufts in Madrid programs,” Auner said. The new program has already started to gain the attention of students on campus interested in exploring more of Spain. “So far, it seems like we have a lot of interest,” Rincón Calero said. “Cádiz is very well known, but many people go to Madrid, they go to Seville, they go to Grenada, they don’t go to the coast… It’s a very interesting part of the country.” Auner said he believed that ultimately, the program would provide students and faculty with a culturally and intellectually stimulating experience. “We hope that [students] are going to have the experience of living with the language,” Rincón Calero said.

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Dorothy Neher How Tufts works

Features

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Led by a national champion, Bridge Club builds skills, community

Counting heads

isch basement isn’t the most cheery place at night; the later it gets, the thicker the clouds of stress, frustration and exhaustion become. The only thing that breaks the unbearable silence is the soft footsteps of Aaron Lewis. As a Tisch Library security guard, Aaron is tasked with patrolling each level of the building between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. Although it may seem as though he’s staring at you as he makes his rounds, he wants Tufts students to know that he is “just doing a head count.” Being aware of the number of people in the building helps Aaron and Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) react in the event of an evacuation. As he describes his love of football and his experience as a running back, I am quickly convinced that he is the perfect man for the job. Juggling competitive sports and a rigorous course load in high school, Aaron mastered the art of managing multiple time-consuming commitments at once. This skill has come in handy especially these days as he balances two jobs and a demanding college schedule. His long shifts at Tisch, six-hour days at school, a food delivery gig and lengthy commutes leave him just a few hours to sleep each night. His schedule is so packed that originally there was simply not enough time in the day to manage it. In order to work at Tufts and attend classes at Porter and Chester Institute, he has had to stretch his six-hundred-hour technical training over a longer period of time. Waving off my amazement at his accomplishments, Aaron repeatedly insists that he is just a normal guy. “I’m pretty cut and dry,” he said. Although this arrangement has forced him to compromise family time, his goal of becoming a master electrician drives him onward. After technical school, he plans to work his way up the strict hierarchy of electrical work to become a master in the field. This process consists of four years of apprenticeship and another four as a journeyman. The dangerous nature of electrical work makes the extended learning process necessary. Fires, electric shock and explosions are just some of the potentially life-threatening hazards that occur on the job. As an apprentice, he will work closely with more experienced electricians to learn how to prevent and react to a wide variety of problematic situations. A dedication to intricate handiwork runs in his family. Growing up, Aaron accompanied his father to work where he learned about carpentry and became interested in electrical work. Countless hours of training have gotten him to where he is now. After graduating in the spring and taking a well-deserved vacation to Bora Bora, Aaron will be well on his way to turning his passion into a reality. In the meantime, Aaron says he truly enjoys working at Tufts. Above all, he appreciates the fact that students tend not to cause major security issues. As parting words, he offers a characteristically subtle seed of truth, “keep up the non-craziness.” Dorothy Neher is a sophomore studying international relations. Dorothy can be reached at dorothy.neher@tufts.edu

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Zachary Grossack, President of Tufts Bridge Club, poses for a photo for the Tufts Daily on Feb. 7. by Ryan Lee

Contributing Writer

Disclaimer: Ilana Goldberg is an assistant features editor at The Tufts Daily. She was not involved in the writing or editing of this article. For the past two years, a small group of Tufts students has been meeting each week to discuss and play the card game bridge. Though it is not officially recognized by the Tufts Community Union Judiciary, the Tufts Bridge Club currently has ten active members, led by President and national champion Zach Grossack, a junior. Grossack believes that bridge is an intellectually and socially unique activity and is eager to share his experience with others. He co-founded the Bridge Club in his first year at Tufts with seniors Ilana Goldberg and Risa Goldberg. Grossack hopes to welcome more youth into the activity. In a nationwide American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) survey of bridge players, most youth associated bridge with the term “old-fashioned.” Grossack worried that bridge may not have a future, even with the existence of a small group of passionate youth players. “I’m hooked on it, [but] bridge is sort of dying. The average age of a competitive bridge player is 71 years old,” he said. Grossack explained that one main reason for the lack of youth involvement in bridge is the sheer complexity of its design. There are extensive rules and mathematics involved, which take time to master. “The best thing that you could do is market bridge as a math class. The problem is, you need to spend the first six classes teaching people how to play the game,” he said. Expressing a similar sentiment, co-founder Risa Goldberg shared that she was initially disappointed to find

out that there was no formal club for bridge players on campus, so she decided to create one together with Grossack. “My sister and I learnt it from our grandparents. It’s not really a traditional game played by younger people, but we were super into it,” Goldberg, a senior, said. “We found out that [Grossack] is a national champion and felt that we can make it pretty feasible and so then we started running meetings.” Senior Ben Goebel said that he chose to join the Bridge Club in his last year at Tufts because he has not participated in many clubs so far. “I chose to join Tufts Bridge Club because it sounded like a chill and fun club to be in, and it is. Playing bridge is a fun challenge,” Goebel told the Daily in an email. “The best part, though, is the people. We are always having a great time; it’s a great community.” Grossack explained that the club’s meetings are primarily concerned with introducing new players to the game. According to Risa Goldberg, the club’s new members, many of whom joined last fall, have since improved in their proficiency as bridge players. “[The] majority of our new members didn’t even know how to play and were just interested in the game. We started from there with very basic lessons,” Goldberg said. “Now, as we get further into the year, we are all near the same level.” To ease the formidable structural barriers to entry in bridge, Grossack starts beginners with online simulations, like the one offered by the ACBL. These simulations run programs to explain the parts of a bridge game as they happen. Beginners are then able to experience the more stimulating game aspects without having to worry about its many conventions, according to Grossack.

Grossack worries, though, that too much advancement toward online competition will cause the in-person aspects of bridge to deteriorate. “There’s so much more to bridge, there’s so much socially to bridge, I’ve met people from all over the world,” he said. “You go online, that’s all gone. But there can be some give and take — you can play some of the less important stuff online, but nationals and big big tournaments in person.” Grossack has experience with tournaments, having traveled the country and world for competitions such as the North American Bridge Championships, of which he’s won three. “For me, once you start winning these things regularly and becoming good enough, you learn enough about the game to impart knowledge on other people,” Grossack said. “And that’s where the value lies in bridge, is being able to impart information.” Grossack, personally, has a very bridge-filled future. This summer, he will represent the United States as a member of the country’s top under26-years-old team at the World Junior Bridge Championships in China. In preparation, he is practicing for two hours every week with United States Bridge Foundation coaches. The current members of the Tufts Bridge Club are now advanced enough to compete in their first tournament this month, according to Grossack and Goldberg. The tournament, which will be held in Watertown, Mass. from Feb. 23–25, will cap certain competitive pools by experience, so club members will play against other beginners. Grossack added that he is also working to make the Bridge Club a recognized student organization, applying to teach bridge as an ExCollege class and advertising his expert-level teaching to the wider Tufts community.

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Arts & Living

Thursday, February 8, 2018

TV REVIEW

‘This Is Us’ Super Bowl special brings long-awaited answers, closure

COURTESY RON BATZDORFF FOR NBC

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson in NBC’s hit drama ‘This Is Us.’ by Lexi Serino

Executive Photo Editor

In a special post-Super Bowl episode of NBC’s hit drama “This Is Us” (2016—), viewers were given an answer to the question they have been asking since the show’s premiere: how, and why, did Jack Pearson die? Warning: major spoilers ahead. The series, which centers on the lives of the Pearson family shown through both flashbacks and present-day narratives, has built up to Jack’s death throughout its entire first two seasons. The show’s post-Super Bowl special episode was intentional and borderline emotional torture: Jack, the beloved patriarch of the Pearson family, died on Super Bowl Sunday — his favorite day of the year — 20 years prior. Over the course of the series, the story of Jack’s death unfolds, as a hint about his cause of death is woven into almost every episode. Bit by bit, we learn that his death involved a tragic house fire caused by a faulty slow cooker; it happened when his kids were teenagers; and his daughter Kate sees herself as culpable in her father’s passing. Watching her reconcile this guilt is almost unbearable to watch. Even with all of these puzzle pieces, the full story of Jack’s death doesn’t come together until “Super Bowl Sunday,” the 14th episode of the show’s second season. The episode opens with Jack waking up in the middle of the night to the sight of roaring flames and smoke engulfing the house he built himself two decades prior. In a moment packed with more emotional fervor than the series has ever showcased,

he manages to rescue his family and get them out of the house safely. Once outside though, they hear a bark coming from inside the burning house. Realizing his daughter’s dog is trapped inside, Jack bolts back into his flaming abode to rescue it because, as an adult, Kate reveals through tears later in the episode, “he couldn’t bear” to disappoint her. Anybody else crying yet? In the most anxiety-ridden 30 seconds of the show’s two-season run, we’re led to believe that Jack’s act of fatherly love burned him alive. Just when all hope is lost, he emerges from the house carrying the dog along with a box of family mementos, most importantly including the Berklee audition tape that he filmed for Kate, who watches the video every Super Bowl Sunday because she can see Jack in the background holding a video camera, gleaming at her with pride. Are you still not crying yet? As much relief as this moment provided, all it does is delay the inevitable. We know that Jack is going to die; it’s been the major arc of the show thus far, and there’s no avoiding that fact. So the audience suffers through a few more minutes of agonizing anticipation until all the pieces of Jack’s demise come into place. He arrives at the local hospital to be treated for a first-degree burn, but by the end of the night, passes away by a widowmaker heart attack caused by smoke inhalation. Rebecca’s reaction to seeing the love of her life lie lifeless in the same hospital where she brought her children into the world 18 years prior is some of Mandy Moore’s best acting to date. And with this, the mystery of Jack Pearson’s death is finally solved. Having him die of a heart attack — and not as

a direct result of an act of love toward his daughter, or even by way of the alcoholism that plagued him throughout his entire adult life — was humanizing, understated and undramatized. It was the kind of ending his character deserved. But even in an episode all about Jack’s death, it really isn’t much about Jack at all. We find out the cause of Jack’s death about halfway through the episode. The other, and perhaps more profound, half shows how the four remaining Pearsons have tackled their grief in the 20 years since Jack’s passing. We learn that each family member has their own tradition for mourning the anniversary of their patriarch’s passing. Rebecca makes Jack’s favorite lasagna, watches the game and waits for Jack to send her a sign. Kate wallows in her self-guilt by watching the Berklee audition tape her father filmed for her. Kevin, a recovering addict like his father, usually drinks himself into oblivion, but spends this Super Bowl Sunday with his mom in New Jersey. Randall celebrates the day by throwing a massive Super Bowl party, this year for a bunch of his tween daughter’s friends who, relatably, couldn’t care less about sports. By the end of the episode, each of their traditions reveal that, even 20 years after his passing, Jack continues to affect their outlooks on life, loss, family and love. Kevin and Rebecca are able to start on the path to a healthier relationship unhindered by guilt and regret. Kate realizes that her fiancé, Toby, was her saving grace in that he was the first man to believe in her the way her father used to. Randall comes to understand that he modeled his family and

fatherhood in the image of the best father he ever knew: his own. As moving as this all was, the most emotionally loaded scene was an understated shot of a splatter painting on Randall’s daughter Tess’s wall shown in the final minutes of the episode. The painting, as revealed early on in season one, was a gift to her from her Uncle Kevin, who used the painting and all of its vibrant, overlaying colors as a way to explain to her the circle of life. By focusing on this painting, the show references Kevin’s monologue from this earlier scene, which is especially fitting to the end of an episode centered on Jack’s death. He says: “Life is full of color, and we each get to come along and we add our own color to the painting … I mean, it’s kind of beautiful, right, if you think about it, the fact that just because someone dies, just because you can’t see them or talk to them anymore, it doesn’t mean they’re not still in the painting. I think maybe that’s the point of the whole thing. There’s no dying. There’s no you, or me or them. It’s just us.” Jack Pearson didn’t deserve the death he had, or to go as soon as he did. He deserved to watch his children grow up, to witness one last Steelers win at the Super Bowl and to grow old with his wife to whom he said, just minutes before his death, was “all he ever really needed.” (Okay, you really should be crying by now.) Jack Pearson deserved to be in more of life’s painting, but he’s still in there somewhere watching, loving, wishing, hoping and mourning, along with the rest of us. We’ll miss you, Jack. “This Is Us” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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Justin Timberlake’s ‘Man of the Woods’: an unsatisfying mix of disjointed styles Christopher Panella Staff Writer

Most albums aren’t perfect. Not every song on an album is going to be excellently produced, written and performed. Likewise, not every album is going to be listened to in full, especially in today’s era of music streaming and instant access to thousands of hours of music. Artists have to fight for a listener’s attention on albums. Each song has to be as new, unexpected, exciting and vibrant as the last. Some artists can achieve this while also experimenting and keeping to a theme on their work (see Charli XCX’s 2017 mixtape, “Pop 2”). Some artists crack under the pressure to produce something different and appealing (see Katy Perry’s 2017 album, “Witness”). On “Man of the Woods” (2018), Justin Timberlake’s latest release, there is experimentation, but it just doesn’t work on some songs and leads to an unsatisfying and mixed release. Timberlake skyrocketed to solo success with critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums like “Justified” (2002) and “FutureSex/LoveSounds” (2006). In 2013, his album “The 20/20 Experience” continued Timberlake’s success, with the song “Suit & Tie” selling 315,000 first-week downloads in the United States. These are successful precedents, all with similar sounds. Prior to the release of “Man of the Woods” (2018), Timberlake described the album as sounding like his background and where’s he from, specifically featuring “modern Americana with 808s.” Timberlake thrives on radio-friendly hits, and “Man of the Woods” (2018) has some radio-ready songs, like “Montana” and “Midnight Summer Jam.” Those songs, like the best of the album, play out like any other Timberlake album, with subtle changes in Timberlake’s idea

of Americana. There are guitars and har- Pond” and “Livin’ Off the Land” failures monicas, but they don’t sound too differ- is the strange mix of lyrics referencing ent. The album also features some weird the outdoors while also keeping the usual outliers, like “Say Something,” featur- Timberlake vibe. Even some of the best ing Chris Stapleton and the uncomfort- songs, like “Montana” and “Midnight able “Hers (interlude).” On these songs, Summer Jam,” feature weird lyrics like, it seems like Timberlake experimented “Y’all can’t do better than this / Act like too much with a different style. At some the south ain’t the s—.” points, it feels almost like two completely There are so many points where it different albums smashed together. The seems like “Man of the Woods” might almost disco sound of “Montana” has work, and it does at times. There are some no business coming after country ballad definite jams ready for radio. Truthfully, it “Flannel.” feels like that’s what Timberlake wanted: The sound is, in totality, weird and an album that has a few gems that can awkward at times. It ranges from hav- become singles, play on the radio and ing a usual Timberlake sound, where it make money. This album may have been would’ve thrived best, to extreme elec- advertised as a change of sound to get tronic production, like on “Filthy,” and people listening, but the tracks people even at moments to country. It feels as will be listening to are the ones where if Timberlake shoved multiple styles Timberlake plays it safe. together, and in all honestly, he shouldn’t have. Timberlake’s variation of R&B and pop was always going to be radio-friendly and keep him successful. So why try and fix something that wasn’t broken? Furthermore, the album’s lyrics just don’t feel like any thought was put into them. They’re usual Timberlake lyrics, but sprinkled with some outof-place family and hometown references. What COURTESY RCA RECORDS makes songs like The album cover for Justin Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” is pic“Breeze Off the tured.

Julian Blatt Tufts Creatives

The world within

hen he was a first-year, current senior James Davis joined Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps). Two years later, he declared a drama/English/film and media studies interdisciplinary major. Although he enjoys acting, James prefers to work behind the scenes as a director and plans to stage an independent production of Tennessee Williams’ play “The Glass Menagerie” (1944). Julian Blatt (JB): How and when did you become interested in theater? James Davis (JD): In middle school, I had a Latin class assignment where we were told to make five-minute adaptations of Greek myths and put them on as a play. I was lucky because I was a Greek myth nerd back then, so I knew a lot of them quite well. My friends and I got together and I did both the writing and the directing for our project. The end result was a faithful but comedic adaptation of “Perseus and Medusa.” It went really well; people liked it so much that we were asked to perform it in front of the whole school. That process was really fun, and since then I’ve always had a passion for theater. JB: What led you to “The Glass Menagerie?” JD: I tend to gravitate toward classical or modern plays. I read “The Glass Menagerie” relatively recently, and I think this play just came together. It’s astonishingly well-written, and putting something like that on stage here would be quite refreshing. JB: How would you describe the show to someone to persuade them to attend? JD: It’s a memory play in which a man recalls his childhood. His mother raised him and his sister on her own and has very high hopes and dreams for her children, but they have not been able to fulfill them. It’s a tough, emotional play. Ultimately, however, it’s also quite a human play, and it’s easy to relate to. JB: This show is not a newcomer to the stage and has been produced multiple times for film, television and even radio. How will your performance shatter the glass? JD: I want to focus on the character work and create an immersive experience just from the acting point of view. I’m also interested in small technical touches, like experimenting with light. There is an original score which is beautiful, but I think there may be room to have a similar effect with the addition of other pieces of music. I don’t like the word “traditional,” because that makes it sound like a museum exhibit, but I want to create a fairly standard production that is very much rooted in the now. JB: In 50 words or less, why should a Tufts student see your production of “The Glass Menagerie”? JD: I’m hoping that it offers an opportunity for self-reflection. More specifically, I want people to think about and realize who and what is important in their lives. I think college is the perfect time to make those adjustments and figure out what you really want to do.

Julian is a first-year majoring in cognitive and brain sciences. He can be reached at julian.blatt@tufts.edu.

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Opinion

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Thursday, February 8, 2018

EDITORIAL

TEMS volunteers should be compensated For the past three decades, the entirely student-run Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) has served the Tufts community. Today, the members that comprise TEMS provide 24-hour care, seven days a week for the entire school year, responding to around 400 calls per year. They often remain on call during class, work major school events and return early to campus before the start of each semester. To top it off, they further promote the public health of campus by distributing first-aid kits and teaching American Heart Association-certified CPR classes that are open to the Tufts community. There is no doubt then that being a member of TEMS is time-consuming, but ultimately a rewarding and unique experience, especially for those who seek further education and careers in medicine.

Even though TEMS volunteers assuredly value these experiences, it is also important for the Tufts community to show that we, in turn, value TEMS. Such value should not simply be a gesture of gratitude, but the actual economic value of their unpaid labor. While paying an hourly rate may not be feasible for Tufts at this time, it should ultimately be the goal. Until then, there are many smaller ways that the university can financially support the members of TEMS and make it accessible to a more economically diverse group of students. One clear and straightforward way to mitigate the financial burden for students would be to reimburse the $1,000 fee for their certification exam and class once they are admitted into TEMS. While students currently enrolled in PE 131 would

have no guarantee that the cost would be covered, this could ensure that the certified EMTs who are actually serving the Tufts community are financially supported. Because this structure may still discourage students from taking the class in the first place, it may be beneficial to also offer grants upfront or waive the course fee for those with demonstrated need. Furthermore, TEMS could change its structure from a volunteer group to an apprenticeship, or even classify it as an internship. At Penn State University, once a student volunteer has gained the experience and knowledge to train other EMS hopefuls, they may be promoted to paid staff member. It may even be possible that such work could qualify for federal work-study. Federal work-study emphasizes work in

public service and career-related fields, which TEMS clearly does. So even if Tufts does not have the resources to fund hourly wages or a semesterly stipend, just classifying TEMS as an internship could make it possible for students to qualify for external or Tufts Career Center grants. It is unfortunate that these highly qualified, professionally certified students work unpaid for a typically well-paid job, all the while bearing the costs of a pricey certification process. And although it is uncommon for student-run EMSs to be paid positions at universities, by principle, these students ought to be paid the fair wages they have earned. We hope that Tufts can set that example and show our gratitude to each member on TEMS for keeping us all safe, healthy and happy.

OP-ED

Convenience or corporatization: Analyzing the new Instagram algorithm by Paris Sanders Instagram has not only transformed because of its growing membership, ubiquity or usefulness for brands and other public entities. Changes to Instagram’s algorithm have altered the way we view and access shared content in our feeds. In essence, the new algorithm attempts to provide you with content types you “engage” with most: If you tend to like or save pictures featuring Glossier Boy Brow but don’t tend to engage with personal photos shared by high school classmates you still begrudgingly follow, the Glossier posts will quickly shuffle to the top. Likewise, the algorithm analyzes the initial “success” of your current post against previous ones. If engagement is comparably high, your post is more likely to appear

higher on your followers’ feeds, as well as their Explore page. As a result, for most users, with each post, only a select number of followers are “engaged,” while the rest have to scroll farther and farther down their feed to see your post, regardless of how recently it has been shared. At first glance, this move may seem efficient, even intentionally providing us with what we want, when we want it — a curated, personalized viewership experience. As millennials, we supposedly like customized media, right? But, of course, like most things, and more particularly, like most things social media, there is a more corporate motivation which shouldn’t be overlooked. First, I believe the new algorithm was designed in part because engagement hours keep old advertisers and gain the

attention of new ones, so Instagram wants to ensure that you stay on the app as long as possible — scrolling past a couple ads in your feed to find posts shared only an hour earlier speaks to this. In fact, in the past year alone, Instagram has made several other in-app changes; notably, as of Feb. 1st, advertisers can post “up to three pieces of content” for the spots between the Instagram Stories of those you follow. So, what is the relevance of all of this? It’s fair to say that for many of us, Instagram is merely an ephemeral source of entertainment, joy, validation, what have you. We might use it as a way to survey the lives of old girlfriends and classmates, or to preview Tinder matches to prevent a catastrophic date. The Internet has been a longstanding equalizing force within the distribution of visual media, as well as of

content and information more generally. However, these trends to prefer larger content creators over smaller ones, prefer “promoted” posts over those shared more organically or to encourage increased engagement hours by shuffling new posts further down the pile — and force our attention to a half dozen ads as a result. This speaks to a slow death of this history, a death made all the more concerning by the impending end to net neutrality. Instagram is easy to pick fun at, but it is also the top social platform for engagement, and is now growing at its fastest rate. As the end of net neutrality forecasts a class-segregated Internet, what we view matters, but so does how we view it. Paris Sanders is a senior majoring in political science and philosophy. Paris can be reached at paris.sanders@tufts.edu.

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BY JESS CLEM 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 Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

Sports

Thursday, February 8, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Jumbos qualify more individuals for Div. III Championships

David Meyer Postgame Press

Shake my hand

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

From left to right, first-year Olivia Steiner, sophomore Alina Strileckis and sophomore Raquel Whiting at the Cupid Challenge on Feb. 3.

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

continued from back times in the top 50 of Div. III in their respective events. Sophomore Nehalem Kunkle-Read was runner-up in the 400 meters with a time of 59.95 seconds, placing her 46th in the nation for Div. III. In the long-distance events, junior Sarah Perkins finished the 3,000-meters in 10:19.08 for fifth place overall, earning a nationally ranked time of 35th. In the mile, sophomore Rhemi Toth crossed the finish line in 5:11.73 to grab fourth place. Toth’s converted time of 5:08.68 ranked 46th in Div. III as of Saturday night, but has since been knocked out of the top 50. In the 800 meters, sophomores Lauren Diaz and Julia Gake placed sixth and seventh, respectively, with Diaz coming across the finish in 2:21.85 and Gake in 2:22.10. Junior Kylene DeSmith scored 2,778 points for a sixth-place finish in the pentathlon, after finishing third in

both the 60-meter hurdles (9.66 seconds) and shot put (9.22 meters) components. First-year Hannah Norowitz finished right behind DeSmith, placing seventh, with 2,537 points. In addition to success on the track, the Jumbos continued to flourish in the field events, receiving contributions from the team’s old and new guards. First-year Nkemdilim Aduka came in second place in the shot put, launching 11.62 meters, while junior Evelyn Drake came in fourth with a distance of 10.71 meters. Senior Eliza Lawless was pleased with the results. “I think we’ve had some great performances,” Lawless said. “We’re really building on that goal of getting half of our team to qualify for the New England Div. III [Championships].” As an unscored meet, the Cupid Challenge served as another opportunity for the Jumbos to earn individual qualifications to the New England Div. III Championships. Qualifying is not an easy task, though, and

requires insight from coaches and support from teammates, according to Oliver. “Some of the girls will sit down with the coach to identify which events would be most likely for them to qualify in,” Oliver said. “The whole team knows most of the qualifying times, so we’re able to gauge where our teammates are and cheer them on.” One example at the Cupid Challenge was in the 5,000 meters, where sophomore Ann Roberts came in 11th with a time of 18:42.26, allowing her to qualify. As one of the teammates rooting on Roberts, Oliver detailed the experience. “We knew a mile in [that] she was on pace to qualify,” Oliver said. “We were all hoping she would hold on to it, and come the last two laps, we knew she could do it. So we were all cheering her on. We all make sure to be aware and supportive of each others goals.” Tufts will be back in action on Feb. 9-10 at the David Hemery Invitational at Boston University and Feb. 10 at the MIT Invitational.

uper Bowl LII was this past weekend. The game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles was fantastic, although likely lacked the outcome for which most Tufts Daily readers hoped. One focus after the game was how Patriots quarterback Tom Brady walked off the field without shaking opposing quarterback Nick Foles’ hand. Fox News reports that, including the most recent Super Bowl, Brady is “0-for3 on losing handshakes.” While there are debates about whether Brady snubbed Foles, the question stands: Are postgame handshakes important? The tradition is different in every sport, although it begins for athletes at a young age. I remember having handshake lines — truly high-five lines — since my first Little League baseball game. For me, it was a sign of mutual respect. It was also something that all players had to do, no matter how angry or devastated they were by the loss. Sportsmanship is bred into sports from youth. Of course, at such a young age, trash talk is rare and animosity does not evolve into fights. Still, coaches and parents start teaching good sportsmanship early on, so that by the time bad sportsmanship could cause real issues, alternative habits have already been formed. Whether or not a lack of participation in handshakes is poor sportsmanship has often been debated, but we typically villainize those who sit out on the tradition. The NHL has a famous handshake line, one that supposedly has been around for almost 100 years. It is like many other postgame handshakes, and criticisms and praises of it are comparable to other sports. While the handshake line has led to fights or empty gestures, many see it as a custom with a purpose. In the words of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand, the custom enables players “to show each other that respect at the end and realize that everything that’s happened is just because we both want to win — it’s definitely a great tradition.” The NHL handshake line takes place after a playoff series of grueling play. The NFL also has physicality, but it does not have enough games to build up as much bad blood. The other major American sports — basketball and baseball — have longer playoff series, but do not have the physical aspect as much. Shaking hands after Game 7 requires a lot of strength from the losing players. The action shows respect for an opponent and self-respect during a time that is hard on players. I love the handshake tradition, but I understand those who disagree. Sometimes, opponents do not deserve respect. Others feel that the custom is made meaningless by how it is nearly mandatory. Many players have valid reasons for not taking part, and we should not villainize those who do not participate. If the opponent garnered any respect, though, it is an amazing action to show one’s love of the game and those who play it. Postgame handshakes should stick around, and I hope players continue to participate.

David Meyer is a sophomore majoring in film and media studies. He can be reached at david.meyer@tufts.edu.

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Sports

Thursday, February 8, 2018

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Jumbos win five events, record top times at Cupid Challenge

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

First-year Avery Barnes (left) leaps over a hurdle at the Cupid Challenge on Feb. 3. by Ethan Zaharoni Contributing Writer

The Tufts men’s track and field team hosted the Cupid Challenge in Gantcher Center over the weekend. The Jumbos performed well in the unscored meet, winning five events and turning in a handful of nationally ranked performances. Visiting schools included Amherst, Brandeis, Conn. College, Williams, Widener, WPI and MIT, among others. While team scores were not recorded for the meet, individual times placed many participants — including several Jumbos — onto the national Div. III leaderboards. Junior Hiroto Watanabe put in one of the best performances for the Jumbos. He finished the 800 meters in 1:52.56, setting a personal-best time, which, if converted to a banked track, would be the second-fastest time in all of Div. III this season. “Feels good to get a PR, especially on an indoor flat track, as well as win the race,” Watanabe said. “I felt really prepared for the race and was really ready to test how my training has been progressing. It’s especially satisfying to see positive and concrete results to go along with feeling good and fit.”

Watanabe went on to praise his teammate, sophomore Jackson Mihm, who served as Watanabe’s pacesetter in the 800 meters. “Something especially nice about the race this past weekend was having … Jackson Mihm pace me through 400 meters,” Watanabe said. “Having a trustworthy teammate pace [the race] helps to take off the mental strain of the race and allowed me to really go for it in the second half.” Watanabe also anchored the 4×400meter relay, linking with senior co-captain Drew DiMaiti, junior Thomas Doyle and senior Patrick Milne. The Jumbos placed fourth in the event with a time of 3:23.82, which ranked 18th in Div. III when converted to a banked track, as of Saturday evening. Tufts grabbed two more individual wins in the track events at the Cupid Challenge. Junior Anthony Kardonsky finished first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.42 seconds, while sophomore Matt D’Anieri won the 1,000 meters in a career-best time of 2:31.00. A pair of Jumbos topped the field in their respective field events. Senior Stefan Duvivier high jumped 1.98 meters to win by just five centimeters, and junior Ben

Wallace claimed first in the pole vault competition, clearing 4.40 meters. Another highlight from the meet was the heptathlon, an event in which two Jumbos placed on the podium. Junior Henry Hintermeister finished in second — behind Brandeis sophomore Jack Allan — with a cumulative score of 4,239, which ranks him 30th among Div. III athletes this year. The North Berwick, Maine native was buoyed by second-place finishes in four events: the 1,000-meter run (2:49.89), 60-meter hurdles (9.35 seconds), high jump (1.76 meters) and the long jump (6.10 meters). Junior James Gregoire took third place with a final score of 4,105 after finishing first in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:48.39. Tufts runners also turned in solid performances in a number of other events. Junior Colin Raposo placed fifth (4:15.58) in a mile run that was filled with multiple nationally ranked times. Raposo’s converted time of 4:12.36 would currently place him eleventh on the Div. III leaderboard. Finally, Tufts had three finishers in the top ten of the 600-meter event. Junior Nico Agosti finished fourth with a time of 1:24.06, Doyle finished sixth in a time of 1:24.68 and sophomore Gavin Tasker finished in a time of 1:25.32, good

for tenth place. DiMaiti placed third in the 400 meters with a time of 49.98 seconds. DiMaiti said he is pleased with the performance of the team so far this season and looks forward to the Jumbos’ upcoming meets. “We’ve seen a lot of impressive performances,” he said. “I’m very excited by the potential our team has to be successful during the upcoming indoor championship season. In particular, I am excited for the Div. III New England Championship meet, which will be at Middlebury… We won this meet last year, and I am confident we are in a good position to make a mark there this season.” With a number of crucial meets on the horizon for the Jumbos, DiMaiti is not the only one ready. “With the championship part of the season coming up, I’ll be looking to win some races to score points for my team,” Watanabe said. With performances like the one the Jumbos turned in at the Cupid Challenge, they look to be in solid form. This weekend, the squad will be split between the two-day David Henry Invitational at Boston University and the MIT Invitational.

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Tufts extends run of fine form at Cupid Challenge by Tim Chiang Staff Writer

Disclaimer: Madeleine Oliver is a staff photographer at The Tufts Daily. She was not involved in the writing or editing of this article. Dialing in a number of strong performances at the Cupid Challenge over the weekend, the Tufts women’s track

and field team continued its string of impressive results throughout the indoor season. Following a fifth-place finish at the inaugural Branwen-Smith King Invitational on Jan. 27, the Jumbos hosted the unscored Cupid Challenge at Gantcher Center on Feb. 2-3, competing in a variety of events including their first pentathlon of the season.

According to first-year Madeleine Oliver, the season is quickly culminating to the year’s most important events. “The preparation phase is coming to a close,” Oliver said. “Now we’re looking to get out there and compete at those higher level meets. This is what we’ve been looking forward to all season.”

At the Cupid Challenge, senior co-captain Annalisa DeBari placed first in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the line in exactly nine seconds. The Melrose, Mass. native’s time currently ranks 11th nationally throughout Div. III this season. Aside from DeBari, two other Jumbos booked see WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD, page 11