The Tufts Daily - Monday, December 6, 2021

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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 41

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Monday, December 6, 2021

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For undergraduate teaching assistants, Tufts Medical Center adjusts procedures after compensation varies among wrongfully assuming departments Black stroke victim was intoxicated

by Ethan Steinberg Associate Editor

Widespread disparities in compensation and workload exist among undergraduate teaching assistants in the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. Some undergraduate TAs are compensated through semester-hour units, while others are compensated through pay stipends and still others through hourly pay.

Miranda Feinberg, an undergraduate teaching assistant for the film and media studies program, said in an interview with

the Daily that she is not paid for her work. Feinberg, a senior who TAs FMS30, a hands-on, introductory film practice course, said that she is compensated instead through semester-hour units.

She was asked as part of her teaching assistant job to sign up for FMS98, a course designed specifically for filmmaking TAs, through which she receives two credits. The course does not meet formally.

As a TA, Feinberg is responsible for attending a 2.5-hour lecture on Tuesdays and running a 2.5-hour lab along with her co-TA on Thursdays. The lecture focus-

es on theoretical elements of filmmaking, while the lab is practical. Feinberg said she typically spends part of the lab teaching — usually expanding on a concept introduced in the lecture — and the other part answering questions and monitoring students as they work on assignments.

Feinberg also spends one to two hours each week outside the lecture and lab on preparation and, occasionally, grading.

“It is a big time commitment, and I think that if I were to be in a position where I needed to get a see TA COMPENSATION, page 2

SCIENCE

What’s different about COVID-19 transmission rates on college campuses? Experts weigh in.

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Medford/Somerville campus COVID-19 testing site is pictured on Sept. 20.

by Sarah Sandlow

Executive Copy Editor

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact communities around the United States and the world, certain trends have emerged surrounding infection rates and their link with prevention measures including surveillance testing, masking and vaccine mandates. Experts agree that, especially on college

campuses, these measures are essential in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

The number of college COVID-19 infections was at its worst in Massachusetts as college students returned to campus after winter break in early 2021, according to Mary Hopkins, an infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center.

“In summer 2020, we had a honeymoon period before the

delta variant arrived,” Hopkins said. “We had the worst of our infections in the spring of 2020.

People started to mask up, people started to socially distance and the delta variant wasn’t here.

And so as students came back in [summer] 2020, yes, there was a surge of cases, but not quite as bad as when they came back from winter break, January 2021 see SCIENCE, page 3

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Tufts Medical Center is pictured on Aug. 28, 2014.

by Skyler Goldberg Contributing Writer

The Tufts Medical Center has implemented a number of drastic procedural changes following an incident of racial bias in 2019 that led to the mistreatment of a Black man who had suffered a stroke. The incident resurfaced in the media recently after the City of Boston reached a $1.3 million settlement with the victim, Al Copeland. Copeland was held at a Boston police station for several hours by law enforcement officials in April 2019 after he suffered a stroke that left him “barely conscious,” while driving on Massachusetts Avenue at night.

Copeland, 64, was found outside the Berklee College of Music, where he managed to park his car after experiencing the stroke while driving, and was arrested by Boston police officers who believed he was drunk. Police called an ambulance only after the victim vomited in a holding cell at the police station. The ambulance took Copeland to the Tufts Medical Center Emergency Room, where he remained for several hours before receiving treatment because the staff assumed he was intoxicated.

SPORTS / back

FEATURES / page 4

EDITORIAL / page 13

Cummings’ resilience inspires Tufts football team

Alumni reflect on studies, career post-graduation

Tufts must extend reading period

Tufts Medical Center is associated with Tufts University through an affiliation with the Tufts University School of Medicine. All doctors at the medical center are full-time faculty at the medical school.

Jeremy Lechan, media relations manager for Tufts Medical Center, apologized on behalf of the hospital that health care professionals had assumed Copeland was drunk. Lechan told the Daily that patient privacy laws prohibit his office from commenting on specifics of the incident involving Copeland, but said that Tufts Medical Center has made changes — some ongoing, some directly in response to this incident — to prevent similar cases in the future.

“We have developed and implemented [programs and initiatives] over the past several years to prevent this type of error from happening again,” Lechan wrote in an email to the Daily.

Tufts Medical Center has revised the intake process for patients who cannot communicate. A social worker will now speak with family, friends and other contacts to determine why the patient is unable to comsee MEDICAL, page 2 NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

9

FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, December 6, 2021

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Some TAs receive hourly wage, others awarded stipend TA COMPENSATION

continued from page 1 job during the semester, it would not be possible while also doing this,” Feinberg said. “I think it’s a lot of work, where it does warrant some sort of payment.”

However, despite concerns over the position’s compensatory structure, Feinberg said she has learned a great deal from her position as a TA, which has in part made up for the lack of pay. “[The class] is helpful for the TAs as much as it is for the people actually taking the class,” she said.

Natalie Minik, one of the professors who oversees FMS98, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other undergraduate TA positions in the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering are structured differently.

Several undergraduate TAs in the computer science department reported that they are paid an hourly wage of $14.50.

Brendan Amorin, a senior and

MINA TERZIOGLU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts’ administrative deans say TA compensation depends on a department’s available funding, among other factors. one of the TAs for CS15, said he spends between five and 10 hours per week on the job, either in office hours, lab or grading assignments.

Silvia Wang, a junior who is a teaching assistant for the same class, said she typically spends between 12–15 hours per week on the job. Wang, who is in her second semester as a TA for the course, is a “lab lead,” which means she is responsible for spearheading lesson prep for the lab section that she and another TA oversee.

Wang said she enjoys her role as a TA and is happy to be a part of the community made up of the approximately 40 CS15 TAs. While some undergraduate TAs are paid hourly, others receive a fixed pay stipend for the semester. Meghan Schroeder, a junior who is a teaching assistant for EC05, will receive a $4,000 stipend for her work as a TA this semester. She spends six to seven hours per week on the job, which is split between leading recitations, answering student questions

in office hours and grading.

Schroeder is one of eight TAs for the course. She does not have to log or keep track of her hourly work.

In a joint statement, Christopher Helmuth and James Sarazen, the administrative deans for the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, respectively, said the roles and support for TAs differ depending on the school, department, assignment and available funding, among other factors.

“Every school tries to provide opportunities to students that are academically engaging and provide support for the student’s academic program,” they wrote in a statement to the Daily.

This article is part of an ongoing investigation by the Daily into disparities in TA compensation among different departments.

Disclaimer: Miranda Feinberg is an Assistant Copy Editor at The Tufts Daily. Miranda was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

TMC establishes DEI Center to build inclusive culture MEDICAL

continued from page 1 municate. The medical center has also improved its process for how different care teams hand off care for patients with altered mental status, Lechan said.

More generally, the Emergency Department has committed, Lechan said, to “review [its] quality dashboard to ensure that quality metrics are being met for every patient, regardless of race, ethnicity or any other demographic.”

In addition, Tufts Medical Center has established a Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

“The Center [for DEI] provides expertise, education, policies, processes and solutions to build an inclusive culture to deliver unmatched care experiences for all and reduce health disparities,” he said.

As part of this initiative, Tufts has partnered with Wellforce, which Lechan said will help lead DEI training. The DEI efforts will be overseen by Rosa Colon-

Kolacko, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Wellforce.

Adler Eliacin, who has served on the executive board of the NAACP’s Boston branch, among other community organizations, will serve as program director of DEI. Isaac Tesfay, who was formerly the senior manager of DEI for the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court, will serve as system director.

Lechan described some of the projects launched by the Center for DEI. It is conducting a system-wide employee and physician engagement survey to measure perceptions of diversity and inclusivity. “[We have also] designed workflows to integrate linguistic services, cultural needs and data elements in the Epic patient experience design,” Lechan said, referring to the patient portal used by the medical center.

Regardless of changes made for the future, this kind of mistake caused major harm to a patient.

According to WBUR, the medical center determined that he had no

drugs or alcohol in his system only after his wife, Valerie Copeland, discovered what had happened the next morning and interceded. Left untreated for so long, Al Copeland’s stroke caused significant harm.

“Once I arrived at the hospital, I was shocked at his appearance,” Valerie Copeland wrote on a GoFundMe page. “His face was discolored. His body contorted.”

Two years since the stroke, Al Copeland is still struggling to walk. He has undergone weeks of rehabilitation that forced him to leave his job at the MBTA. The Daily was unable to reach Al or Valerie Copeland for comment.

The grace for the Copeland family is that the City of Boston has settled a lawsuit with the family for $1.3 million. But the police officers involved have not faced disciplinary action.

Jaden Pena, diversity officer for the TCU Senate, noted how this incident affects all Tufts students, regardless of campus or affiliation.

He wrote to the Daily in an email that the TCU Senate condemns the university’s role in the incident.

“It is even more upsetting that this happened at a place that is directly affiliated to Tufts University, and shares the same name as the school we attend,” Pena, a junior, said.

Pena said that the incident did not surprise him.

“Sadly, this is the story of far too many Black people across America,” he said. “Whenever I read a headline that has ‘Black man’ and ‘police’ in it, it usually means death was involved.

I think this speaks volumes on the American policing system because I know the way I think is probably common amongst many other people.”

Pena condemned the fact that the police officers involved have not been disciplined.

“I am glad that the Copelands won the $1.3 million settlement, but that does not mean the officers that handled the situation should not face disciplinary action,” Pena said. “The City of Boston should discipline all officers involved for their mishandling of the situation.”

Najiba Akbar assumes leadership of Muslim Chaplaincy

by Tess Harmon

Contributing Writer

Najiba Akbar began her position as Tufts University’s Muslim chaplain on Nov. 12.

She previously served as the Muslim chaplain at Wellesley College and is currently the Muslim spiritual advisor at Northeastern University. She is a trained personal development coach and was an Islamic studies instructor at the Islamic Center of Boston. Akbar also served as a program co-facilitator for Tufts’ Pathways interfaith dialogue initiative from 2007 to 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in peace and justice studies from Wellesley College and a

master’s degree in social work from Boston College.

Akbar hopes to help students navigate both their faith and the challenges of life while building off her work as an integral life coach, where she sees spiritual and psychological development as equally important.

“My goal is to support students and Tufts community members as they walk on their spiritual journey, whatever it may look like for them,” Akbar wrote in an email to the Daily. “I plan to offer religious programming as well as opportunities to discuss topics related to religion, spirituality, identity, and wellness.”

The search process for a new Muslim chaplain began

just before the start of the fall semester. The Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger, university chaplain, Lynn Cooper, Catholic chaplain and associate director of the University Chaplaincy and two students, Mohamed Samater and Faizah Wulandana, formed the search committee.

According to an email from Winger to the Tufts community, the role of the Muslim chaplain is to “advise and support students active in the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and across Tufts’ campuses; offer programs that celebrate and explore the cultural and spiritual diversity of the Muslim community; provide pastoral care; and work alongside the University

Chaplaincy team and campus partners on various interfaith, intercultural, social justice, and anti-racism initiatives.”

Winger highlighted how Akbar’s qualifications and her love for supporting students in their spiritual journeys prepared her for the role of Muslim chaplain. “[Akbar] comes to Tufts with years of leadership and programming experience in higher education and credits her own years of spiritual formation as an undergraduate for her passion for accompanying students as they explore and claim their own spiritual identities and practicsee MUSLIM CHAPLAIN, page 3

News

Monday, December 6, 2021 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Akbar hopes to connect with Muslim Student Association, support students and community members

MUSLIM CHAPLAIN

continued from page 2 es,” Winger wrote in the message to the student body.

According to Wulandana, a junior, Winger and Cooper filtered resumes during the search process and then the candidates were interviewed by the committee. Wulandana said that when searching for the new chaplain, candidates were evaluated not only for their background experience but also for how they would complement Tufts’ Muslim community.

“In the initial interviews, we had standardized questions to generally get a sense of the candidate’s understanding of the chaplaincy position as a whole, like providing pastoral care,” Wulandana said.

“Also, an important role for the Muslim chaplain is working with the executive board of the MSA, so getting a sense of how they see Muslim student leaders and also understanding how they see interfaith [work was important].”

The characteristics that the committee was looking for in a new chaplain aligned with the reasons Akbar was drawn to Tufts.

“I really enjoy being in the campus setting working with students,” Akbar wrote. “I was excited about working at Tufts specifically because of the wonderful interfaith chaplaincy team here.

I feel that it’s a really powerful model to have chaplains from different traditions work together to serve the needs of the campus community.”

Wulandana believes that Akbar can also draw from her past experience working as a personal development coach, as well as her work at Northeastern and Wellesley, to inform her role at Tufts. “[Akbar] also mentioned in her interview looking at things in hindsight and learning from her previous roles, which she’s had a couple [of ], like chaplain at Wellesley College, which is a different environment from Tufts,” Wulandana said. “But certainly, lessons can be learned from any

chaplaincy position to become a better chaplain for a new community.”

Akbar has already begun connecting with the community during the short time she has been at Tufts.

“She’s already said that she wants to meet every member of the executive board of the Muslim Student Association, which I think is a lot of dedication because [there are] quite a few of us.” Wulandana said. “I think it’s very clear that she sees her role as someone who is deeply embedded in the community but also provides … group events and opportunities.”

Akbar hopes to foster connections with Tufts students both within and outside of the Muslim community.

“I would like people to know that my role as a chaplain is not limited to [serving] any one community or identity group, and my door is always open to anyone who wants a conversation partner to navigate life’s ups and downs, twists and turns,” Akbar wrote.

COURTESY NAJIBA AKBAR

The newly appointed Muslim chaplain, Najiba Akbar, is pictured.

Epidemiologists predict COVID-19 cases may increase on college campuses after holidays

SCIENCE

continued from page 1 … And I blamed that on [students having] to travel in a short period of time, see all their family members and return in a short period of time.”

Thomas Stopka, an epidemiologist at the Tufts University School of Medicine, praised Tufts’ COVID-19 prevention efforts, especially in regard to surveillance testing. Despite some fluctuations and the elevated risks presented by travel and mass transit, cases have generally been well-monitored and contained.

Yet an increase in positivity and infection rates was observed as students returned to campus this fall, which Stopka attributes to the wide variety of communities from which students travel.

The same trend was apparent in January, as students returned back to campus after spending winter break in their respective communities and was consistent with the increase in cases when students returned to campus in fall 2020 as well.

According to Tufts’ COVID19 dashboard, Tufts’ Medford/ Somerville and Fenway campuses saw a spike in cases at the beginning of the fall 2021 semester. Between Sept. 12–18, 78 cases were reported in one week on campus. Regarding the

current situation, Tufts reported 18 COVID-19 cases on the Medford/Somerville and Fenway campuses from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, averaging 2.57 cases per day.

COVID-19 policies on college campuses vary elsewhere in Massachusetts. Andrew Lover, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that UMass Amherst does not require surveillance testing for its vaccinated students. The university has other measures in place to curb the spread of COVID19 such as a vaccine mandate, required testing for unvaccinated students and sewage sampling procedures that test samples from dorms and buildings around campus.

Lover noted that, like Tufts, UMass Amherst also saw a spike in COVID-19 cases at the very beginning of the fall 2021 semester. This trend was not surprising, and he attributed it to many people returning to campus, mixing with one another and participating in normal social activities.

“We managed to bring that back under control quite quickly with a lot of testing and good messaging to have people come in with any symptoms,” Lover said. “Since then, it’s been really very, very quiet.”

Hopkins said she believes that, in accordance with the

trends from the past year, there may be an increase in COVID19 cases following the upcoming winter break. However, she noted the role that higher vaccination rates will play, now that most students are vaccinated, unlike last winter.

The idea that college campuses may be considered bubbles has been discussed, as they may seem closed off or removed from the communities that surround them.

However, despite enforced, campus-wide protocols and consistent surveillance testing, students have lives that extend beyond the campus borders.

Stopka said that he would consider Tufts and other universities employing similar protocols as safe locations, but he would not say that college students live in a bubble on campus.

“Have we had better access to testing and vaccines than some of the surrounding communities early on in the pandemic? Yes, definitely,” Stopka said. “At this point in time, Tufts and other universities probably have access to better resources when it comes to surveillance, testing and vaccination. But that has begun to change considerably.”

Hopkins agreed that it is hard to classify college campuses as bubbles, especially in the case

of urban or suburban campuses like Tufts. Although Tufts and other universities in the Boston area are doing very well in keeping their campuses safe, there is always an increased chance of exposure. Many college students lead very busy lives, between their different classes, their social activities and friends on campus and their exploration of the communities surrounding Tufts, including Boston. “[In an] urban center [with] young people who are living interesting lives, I think calling it a bubble might give it too much credit,” Hopkins said.

Stopka said he thinks that a larger student body may pose greater risks of increased positivity rates due to the greater number of people traveling from a variety of different communities and locations. However, he emphasized that prevention measures are still key to stopping the spread, among undergraduate student populations both as small as Tufts’ 6,000 and as large as UMass Amherst’s 24,000.

“The public health measures that are put in place are paramount,” Stopka said. “And if Tufts versus UMass Amherst has similar vaccine policies and similar testing policies, then you should be able to achieve similar success.”

Lover said he believes that the comparison between smaller and larger universities has a lot to do with the proportion of on-campus students compared to those who live off campus. He compared Amherst College, with its small student body that lives almost entirely on campus, with larger universities like the University of Connecticut or UMass Amherst, with larger student bodies and more students that live off campus. When more students live on campus, the administration has more control over the population and is able to easily impose guidelines or structure activities.

Hopkins believes that university guidelines have fostered in students a motivation to practice taking care of others by having them wear masks and get vaccinated to protect vulnerable groups.

“There’s more and more discussion about how this [pandemic] is telling [us about] who we are,” Hopkins said. “So while college students, most of the time, if they get COVID, will be fine, by putting these measures in place for [at-risk] people … how we rally together and what we do to protect elders and to protect those [who are] vulnerable is so important.”

4 Monday, December 6, 2021

Features

tuftsdaily.com

We caught up with 2 alumni working in advocacy and organization. Here’s what they said.

COURTESY AMANDA BORQUAYE AND LORENZA RAMÍREZ

Amanda Borquaye (left) and Lorenza Ramírez with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (right) are pictured.

by Sam Dieringer Contributing Writer

Each year in its Commencement edition, the Daily highlights a handful of exceptional graduating seniors: what they studied, how they impacted campus and how they hope to change the world.

Recently, the Daily caught up with two of its interviewees from 2018: one, a Fletcher student studying human security and technology policy, and the other, a political organizer in Arizona who worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Amanda Borquaye (LA’18) is a second-year master’s candidate in The Fletcher School’s Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy program. She studies human displacement and how different border surveillance technologies affect migrant communities coming across the border.

Borquaye stumbled into the technology aspect of international relations accidentally.

After graduating from Tufts in 2018, she lived in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a paralegal at a civil rights law firm. The firm examined numerous cases having to do with how automated technology —

for example, in applications for loans — can harm minority communities. She said she left the law firm “familiar with the harms of technology on vulnerable people” and was excited to apply her knowledge to the world of international relations.

The Daily first interviewed Borquaye alongside fellow alumna Margo Bender (LA’18) in 2018 regarding the pair’s work with the Tufts University Prison Initiative (TUPIT), a program in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life that allows students to take classes with incarcerated people at a correctional institution in Concord, Mass. Borquaye and Bender both advocated for prison education reform during their time at Tufts. In 2021, Borquaye described how prison advocacy remains an important aspect of her work today.

“Prison advocacy is always going to be something that I am passionate about, especially in terms of thinking of how incarceration is an act of violence against people and against communities,” Borquaye said.

She said her work with TUPIT helped inform her current studies at Fletcher. In fact, she’s even working with some of the same people, now, that

she worked with as an undergraduate.

Borquaye also reflected on how the experience within Tisch College shaped her outlook on community work. “[The emphasis] on meeting a community’s needs, rather than imposing what it is that you think a community might need, has been extremely helpful as a praxis point of how to engage in social justice and advocacy,” Borquaye said.

Similarly assessing community needs and advocacy, Lorenza Ramírez (LA’18) works for the Arizona Democratic Party, organizing voting campaigns to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in Arizona for elections in 2022.

In the Daily’s profile of Ramírez in 2018, the then-graduating senior described her aspirations to launch a career in political organization and advocacy, leaving her ambitions within the field fairly open-ended. After graduating from Tufts, Ramírez went on to serve numerous roles aiding the Warren campaign. Ramírez started as a student intern and worked her way up to be a regional organizer in Iowa during Warren’s presidential campaign.

“I learned so much … not just about campaigns and man-

agement … but to be at the epicenter of the presidential primary was just really exciting,” Ramírez said.

After Warren’s campaign, Ramírez pivoted to the general election, with hopes of using her passion for organizing to drive voter turnout in critical states. After deliberating her options, Ramírez focused her sights on Arizona.

“I wanted to go to a state where I felt like I could use more of my skill set,” she said.

Ramírez grew up in Mexico and is bilingual. “I just loved working in Arizona, especially after living in Iowa for a year … being in a really diverse state was just really exciting to me.”

In Arizona, Ramírez stepped into the role of deputy organizing director, where she ran the largest statewide Latinx and Spanish language organizing and volunteer program in the country.

When asked to reflect on her experiences, Ramírez described how she deeply values empowerment through action.

“The reason why I love organizing and love managing people in organizing … is that I think that it’s so actionable,” Ramírez said. “It feels so good every day to be able to take any ounce of

anxiety or stress and just channel it into talking to voters … and doing something about it.”

She also reflected on her Tufts undergraduate experience and, specifically, how former Associate Professor of Political Science Natalie Masuoka encouraged her to explore political advocacy.

With Masuoka’s mentorship, Ramírez wrote her senior thesis on how political campaigns engage with Latinx voters.

The Arizona Democratic Party has a Spanish program and a Spanish program director, Ramírez noted, so she often finds she is able to connect her thesis with her current work.

Ramírez is already committed to serving as organizing director for the coordinated campaign in 2022. She emphasized her appreciation for how much freedom and agency she has had in her role and how she has high hopes for the next campaign.

“We’re creating that road map [and] building that from scratch,” she said. “I am not super interested in just doing things the way they’ve always been done before. … I think it’s very empowering pretty early in your career to have so much agency and so much ability to be creative and try new things.”

F e at u r e s

Monday, December 6, 2021 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Cognitive and brain science: A primer

MICHELLE LI / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Department of Psychology, which offers an undergraduate program in cognitive and brain science, is pictured on Oct. 19.

by Sam Russo Features Editor

Most liberal arts colleges have psychology, computer science and philosophy majors. Few, however, have cognitive and brain science (CBS) or similar majors, which are often more simply called cognitive science.

These courses of study give students the opportunity to analyze different parts of each of the three fields with the lens of trying to understand the human mind. With a mashup of required courses offered by the computer science and psychology departments, along with electives in philosophy, child studies and education, some students go through the major wondering what exactly CBS is and where they might go with a degree in it.

The Daily set off on a mission — guided by faculty from various departments — to answer these questions.

J.P. de Ruiter, a computer science and psychology professor whose current research focuses on different aspects of communication, defined cognitive science as simply: “The interdisciplinary study of the mind.” At Tufts University, the history of the major isn’t clear; a document posted online in 2007 by Alva Couch, an associate professor of computer science, advocates for

the major’s creation, but there is little available record of what happened after that. However, Associate Professor of Psychology Ariel Goldberg, who joined the Tufts psychology department in 2008, estimated that the CBS major existed before he joined, so presumably it was created sometime between March 2007 and the beginning of the 2008–09 school year.

Goldberg said that his position was created in part to further develop the linguistics side of the CBS major.

“One of the principal people who had been involved with the program was Dr. Ray Jackendoff, who was in the philosophy department and has since retired,” Goldberg said. “He is a world-famous linguist. What my position was, was to add to … the linguistics side, and we don’t have a linguistics department.”

Linguistics is generally considered an important part of cognitive science; Introduction to Linguistics is required for the major at Tufts and is seen as its own subdiscipline of cognitive science. Given that cognitive science focuses on all aspects of cognition, it can be surprising that linguistics has a special status, compared to other fields that cover an important part of the mind’s functioning, such as memory, perception or knowl-

edge, all of which have rich social and philosophical components in addition to psychological ones.

Goldberg explained that this is, in part, because linguistics can sometimes offer special insights.

“Linguistics has been … and continues to be very informative for the field of cognitive science in general, and I think it’s informative for our students to have it as a primary course that they take,” he said. “Language cognition is an area where the research on it was very influential historically for our understanding of how cognition works in general.”

Goldberg went on to explain that at one point, behaviorism — which looks at the mind through the lens of inputs and outputs — dominated the field of cognitive science. Language, however, complicated the behaviorist perspective on the mind, forcing researchers to consider alternative theories.

Psychology and linguistics, then, seem to make sense in pursuit of understanding the mind.

What role, though, does computer science play in this?

“In the classical perspective in which I was brought up … is the idea that artificial intelligence and cognitive science … help each other by forcing psychologists to implement their theories in AI,” de Ruiter said. “The aspirational idea is that psychology

and computer science learn from each other.”

Computer Science Professor Matthias Scheutz, who heads the Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory, offered examples of this from his lab. There are certain norms that people follow in conversation — like interrupting only at certain opportunities, knowing when to maintain and break off eye contact and giving proper nonverbal feedback (including eye and head movements) — and encoding those into robots can be challenging. In light of de Ruiter’s ideas, though, these challenges can also hopefully help us understand how the mind works.

For one study in the HumanRobot Interaction Lab, researchers set up participants to give their restaurant orders to a robot waiter that took what they said literally, something most found very difficult. Scheutz offered this example of how the conversation might go: Human: “Do you have Coke?”

Robot: “Yes, we do. What would you like to drink?”

Human: “I would like a Coke.”

Robot: “Great that you would like that. What would you like to drink?”

In this conversation snippet, the human doesn’t directly ask for the Coke but rather uses language that any person would understand

to mean they should bring them a Coke. However, for the robot, this is unintelligible, giving insights into the way that humans communicate and the path toward building more effective robots.

Another example of how computer science fits into the cognitive puzzle came from Cognitive Science Professor Gina Kuperberg.

“I currently have a very talented graduate student who is building a computational model of this particular neural signature, which is called the N400, using a model known as predictive coding, and that is something that really goes beyond cognitive psychology,” Kuperberg said. “It’s truly interdisciplinary, because we’re collaborating with computer scientists in the UK. But it’s giving us sort of enormous insights into why and how, and even where, these neural signatures are produced in the brain.”

While philosophy classes are not required for the CBS major, philosophy does still play a role in Tufts’ CBS curriculum through electives. The philosophical approach toward CBS comes from a much higher level, asking questions that cut to the core of what’s being studied, such as: What does it mean to think? What makes something a cognizer or a thinker? see CBS, page 6

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Professors discuss interdisciplinary nature of CBS CBS

continued from page 5 “[People] tend to get very narrowly focused on one particular subfield or one particular question, and, so I think that it can be very useful to step back and think about what the overall picture of cognition that people have is,” Brian Epstein, an associate professor of philosophy, said. “So

Sophia Grekin Humans of Tufts

Apurva Iyengar ’25

S

ophia Grekin (SG): “Can you tell me about something you’ve overcome?”

Apurva Iyengar (AI): “I think in high school there was this pressure … to do what other people were doing, especially just in academic circles in terms of taking AP classes and stuff like that. I took a gap year and a big part of that was just being OK with doing not what other peo-

part of what I try to do is simply to kind of force a clarification of what exactly we’re committed to, and what exactly we mean, when we are trying to make sense of a system as a cognizer.”

While this may not seem to have a direct application for research, it can frame and direct various projects. Furthermore, this philosophical bent can help

researchers look at artificial intelligence and embodied cognition, which explore the connection between the mind and the body.

Where do all of these ideas leave the roughly 125 declared undergraduate CBS majors?

According to their professors, they go into numerous fields with their degrees, including research,

health science, law, software engineering, consulting and startups.

“If you study law, you become a lawyer … whereas if you study CBS, you still can go in many different directions,” de Ruiter said, positioning CBS in contrast to getting a law degree.

Wherever these majors end up, nearly all of the professors seemed sure that the field would

continue to grow, given the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Stephanie Badde confidently said that she sees CBS changing in positive ways in the coming years.

“I think it’s going to be stronger and stronger and stronger,” she said.

ple were doing and just dealing with that as a concept.

I feel like that’s something I definitely need to work on a little bit, just because I saw all my friends go to college and do all the college stuff and I was just at home. I didn’t travel or anything for my gap year, and a lot of my gap friends were also traveling and stuff like that. So I watched them go to fancy, interesting places and I was at home, doing work. It was a little bit of a jarring experience at times, but it definitely helped me to just be comfortable doing what I wanted to do and not really [think] about what other people were up to.”

SG: “What do you think was the best thing that came out of COVID?” AI: “I definitely got to spend a lot of time with my family which was really nice. I think just being forced to be in the same house with people for a really long time can be grating sometimes, but we also developed ways of communicating better, which was kind of nice.”

SG: “Are any of your family members really influential to you?”

AI: “We are pretty close, so we tend to do a lot of things together and they definitely influence the way I see the world. Also just exploring new things is nice,

based on other people’s interests. My sister and I — she’s a year older than me [and] she goes to Northeastern — we have very different interests, and we tend to show each other interesting things because of that. I feel like I’ve been able to learn from her a lot.”

SG: “Do you have a motto or advice that someone has given you?”

AI: “I feel like I tend to overthink things a lot before doing them. So I feel like ‘Don’t think, do’ is sometimes running on repeat in my brain. Just get things over with instead of harassing myself over the decision-making process.”

SG: “When was [a time] you used that?”

AI: “College decisions. I was really, really f---ing confused, and what helped me decide was … not choosing what I wanted to choose in my head but choosing the decision I knew I wouldn’t regret. … I’m a really indecisive person, so that helps me figure out how to make choices that I don’t hate. But sometimes it’s not about what the better or worse option is, it’s about which one you won’t live to regret.”

Sophia Grekin is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Sophia can be reached at sophia.grekin@tufts.edu.

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Monday, Monday, December December 6, 2021 6, 2021 | Features | PHOTO | THE TUFTS DAILY

COURTESY JHU ATHLETICS

The Tufts volleyball team defeated Johns Hopkins 3-1 on Sunday, Nov. 14 in the NCAA Regional Championship, advancing to the "Elite 8" for the third time in program history.

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts Quidditch team holds tryouts on the Residential Quad.

AARON GRUEN/THE DAILY

TOBIAS FU / THE TUFTS DAILY

TUSC volunteers prepare açaí bowls for students on the Tisch Library Roof.

Wesleyan University took a 36-35 victory against Tufts at the newly renovated Ellis Oval on Saturday, Oct. 17.

EMMA BOERSMA / THE TUFTS DAILY

The women's soccer team huddles up before the start of the match against Williams College.

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COURTESY LILY CARBECK

The Tufts men’s rowing team at the fall-season opening Head of the Riverfront on the Connecticut River.

TOBIAS FU / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts Jazz Band plays at the football game against Williams on Sept. 25.

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students and their families gather by the athletic fields to enjoy the good weather and cheer on matches on Sept. 11.

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY AARON GRUEN/THE DAILY

Students enjoy free açaí bowls on the Tisch Library Roof, courtesy of TUSC.

Students talk and mingle with masks on on the second floor of the Campus Center on Sept.

9.

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COURTESY PATRICIA CODEIRO

The Tufts field hockey team before its game against Babson on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

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SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Fans watch as the Tufts women’s field hockey team defeats Hamilton 4–0 on Ounjian Field.

Tufts students and their families gather by the athletic fields to enjoy the good weather and cheer on matches on Sept.

11.

ZOE GARADAT / THE DAILY

Students are pictured studying in Ginn library.

OLIVIA BELLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts players huddle on the court during Tufts’ 3-set loss to Endicott at Cousens Gym.

MICHELLE LI / THE TUFTS DAILY

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tisch Library is pictured on Oct. 2.

Students line up for a TUSC event offering free açaí bowls.

TOBIAS FU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Students attend the football game against Williams on Sept. 25.

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY MIA SILVESTRI / THE DAILY

Hana Tzou gives an in-person tour to prospective Tufts students and families on Oct. 2.

First-years participating in the F.I.T pre-orientation and junior Noah Jeager Bruel pose together on the Memorial Steps on Aug. 31.

ARTS & POP CULTURE SMFA’s Artists of Color Union deconstructs identity, constructs community

by Megan Szostak Arts Editor

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts is more racially diverse than the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, but white students still make up the plurality of those enrolled. The Artists of Color Union (ACU) at the SMFA seeks to center the experiences of artists of color at the SMFA and at Tufts, and provides a space for artists to connect with and support one another.

“As a freshman, I lived in the Beacon [Street] dorms, so trying to go to Medford and find clubs there that spoke about my identities was kind of hard,” Geovani Cruz, a co-leader of the ACU, said. “I kind of felt at home with ACU.” According to Cruz and Freya Gupta, the ACU’s treasurer, the organization began to fall into obscurity in 2020 after its former leadership graduated, but was revitalized through the efforts of members and rising leadership.

“It was kind of in our hands whether we wanted to continue it or not,” Gupta, a third-year combined degree student, said.

“We kind of wanted to create a space for BIPOC students to share their identities

VIA @SMFA.ACU ON INSTAGRAM

The SMFA Artists of Color Union are pictured at the fall 2021 club fair. and their culture in a space that’s predominantly white.”

The leadership structure of the ACU is unique in that although different positions are held by different executive

board members, responsibility is greatly shared among members, resulting in a collaborative practice.

“Tufts wants us to have the president, vice president, secretary, all those

things, but, as a club, we want everybody to have a voice and to share their experiences and to share leadership,” Cruz said.

Gupta shared that this structure results in a collaborative experience for members.

“Whoever is comfortable handling a certain project will take charge of that, and then we will work very collaboratively,” she said.

The ACU hosts events and regular meetings during the semester that serve to build community through artistic and social pathways. One event that ACU leadership planned for this semester was a mock review board event for artists of color.

Review boards, which are final evaluations for students enrolled in eight or more SHUs of studio classes, require artists to speak holistically about their semester’s work to faculty and peers for approximately one hour — a demanding yet valuable experience for students.

The ACU’s mock review boards, which took place on Dec. 3, provided artists a see ARTISTS OF COLOR UNION, page 10

BEATs members find community through shared love for drumming

by Emmy Wenstrup Assistant Arts Editor

Tufts has no shortage of quirky acronyms for quirky student groups, between TUSC (Tufts University Social Collective), SUCC (Stand-up Comedy Collective), TDC (Tufts Dance Collective), TMC (Tufts Mountain Club) and many more. What better name, then, for Tufts’ only street percussion group than BEATs (Bangin’ Everything At Tufts).

Daniella Rothstein, a sophomore who joined the group this fall, described the group rather simply: “[It’s] just fun making music in a group dynamic with very cool, inclusive people.”

She joined the group after seeing it advertised at the student organizations fair this fall. “They seemed like a very cool group of people, so I threw my name down on a whim,” she said. She described her reaction to the first email the group sent after the club fair: “I was like, oh, these guys are funny. It’s a very clever, subtle humor email.”

She added that her previous drumming experience supplemented her decision to audition: “I [thought] I can fit their vibe, and then [it’s] also a hobby that I enjoy.”

A friend referred sophomore Luke Pautler to the group and told him about this same group dynamic. Unlike Rothstein, he came in without much drumming experience. Nonetheless, the casual atmosphere of the group drew him in. “I signed up and auditioned and seemed to love the people and the vibe, and it just seemed like a great thing,” Pautler said.

BEATsrehearses once a week, and Pautler described a typical rehearsal. “We show up to the Harleston basement, pull all our stuff out of the closet, just an incredible collection of … pans and bottles and all kinds of stuff, and we open up just kind of talking, catching up and also beginning to jam out a little bit and just kind of feel a

COURTESY BEATS

BEATs club members are pictured. groove.” After some casual pre-rehearsal jamming, the meeting begins by either learning a new song or reviewing something they’ve been working on.

Rothstein added that the group’s camaraderie is so strong that “every once in a while, people need to check in and be like, well, yeah, let’s get back to drumming.”

When learning new material, the group’s music relies on the memories of past performances from older members.

“None of our stuff is written down. It’s a lot of fun to pick stuff up and really have to talk through it and hear it with people,” Pautler said.

Of the group dynamic, Rothstein described it as very supportive. “I think

that there’s a lot of love between all the BEATs members,” she said. “It’s a nice combination of just people hanging out together, and then also growing together in a certain field.”

She added that the group is unique because everyone is laid-back and rejects any sort of cliquey dynamic.

“Everyone talks to everyone, which is a really niche thing with a group this size … [everyone is] very just kind of light-hearted,” she said.

Despite only having been in the group for a few months, both Rothstein and Pautler repeatedly mentioned their love for the group and its members.

Discussions of “cool people,” “a lot of

fun” and overall good vibes dominated our conversation.

All this energy and love for percussion ultimately results in a passionate and engaging performance. BEATs’ November performance at the sQ! a cappella show intermission was full of energy and fun, with enthusiastic shouts from members complementing highly stylized and practiced percussion. If you didn’t get to see the group then or at its end of semester show just yesterday on Dec. 5, make sure to look out for more of BEATSs’ concerts in the spring! The group’s wide range of unconventional instruments allows it to truly, as the name suggests, bang on everything at Tufts.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Monday, December 6, 2021

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Tufts University Art Galleries reflect on stolen land and resilient communities

COURTESY SADIE LEITE

Artwork on display at the Tufts University Art Galleries.

by Sadie Leite

Assistant Arts Editor

In the Aidekman Arts Center, the Tufts University Art Galleries present art with poignant stories, carefully curated by members of the Tufts community. Each exhibit showcases the current passions that the art world at Tufts wishes to share with a greater audience.

A colorful mural, situated before the center’s doors in the Jackson Gym parking lot, stretches with striking blues, greens and reds. The seemingly moving geometric shapes cause the surrounding gray parking lot to fade into the periphery.

Artist Erin Genia created the mural.

Her work’s focus is Native American and Indigenous arts and culture. She teaches about this topic and creates art with varying media to highlight its importance. The piece is titled “Wakpa” which comes from the word used for river in Dakota. Specifically, Genia created the mural as a depiction of the Mystic River, the local body of water near Tufts. Genia hopes to honor an Indigenous perspective with the mural: the mosaic of its colors representing, among other things, the clay, water and earth, critical Native American daily resources. In addition to its effects on indigenous populations,

Genia’s work shows how colonialism and land seizure changed the river significantly, as well.

The artwork is a part of “Unsettling the Archive: Exploring Tufts’ Relationships with Land,” an exhibition in the Aidekman Arts Center. The exhibition has used materials from the Tufts University Permanent Art and Tufts Digital Collections and Archives to present a collection of pieces that aims to further a dialogue about the history of Tufts’ location.

The Slater Concourse Gallery is an open hallway past the entrance of the center. The following art, the bulk of the collection with the mural “Wakpa,” starts with oil paintings from the archives. The pictures in gold frames highlight early scenes of the Tufts campus from the 19th century. With each painting, Tufts’ buildings accumulate, showcasing how the university’s construction altered land stolen from the Indigenous population.

The exhibition also features maps that outline Saunkskwa lands, starting in the 1500s and ending in the 1700s. As the years progress, English colonizers can be seen invading the Indigenous land; colonialism left a dangerous impact even before Tufts’ establishment in 1852.

The Indigenous lands that Tufts now occupies once belonged to the

Massachusett and Wôpanâak peoples.

In the late 16th to early 17th centuries, the female tribe leader Squaw Sachem of Mistick, also called the Saunkskwa of Missitekw, reigned. In a portrait of Saunkskwa, her striking figure stands in front of a background detailing the area’s distinctive natural elements. The piece serves to paint a narrative of the land, emphasizing the historical figures that impacted its modern foundation.

Immediately to the left of the entrance, glass doors open to a large gallery with colorful and playful art. Paintings, photographs and hanging sculptures fill the space.

This show is called “Staying With the Trouble.” The title comes from a book written in 2016 by Donna Haraway, “Staying With the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene.” Haraway is an ecofeminist; in her book, she maintains that society must learn to cultivate a healthier relationship with the world and its living parts. She references Indigenous knowledge in her steps for a solution.

Judy Chicago’s work stands out in the gallery. It features colorful photos with female figures painted in strange colors.

The artist collaborated with students from the California Institute of the Arts’ Feminist Art Program.

Student Faith Wilding is painted green in one piece. Her body is smothered by red smoke; she sits in front of a desolate desert. It comments on the oppressive, often destructive actions of male artists who dominate the Land Art genre. The smoke, specific colors and vulnerable body emphasize the lighter parts of the genre, and how this perspective is powerful too, perhaps even more so than the better known pieces created mainly by men.

Down the stairs is the final exhibition: “Connecting Threads / Survivor Objects.”

The collection features objects from the past which tell stories of Armenian communities. The relics emphasize the richness of the culture almost decimated by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul-Hamid II in the 1890s and the Armenian Genocide of 1915–22.

Tufts University Art Galleries explore engaging and critical stories of other communities and their relationships to our own community here at Tufts. They provide opportunities to use art to expand our perspectives and knowledge in crucial ways.

Anyone can be part of the art community at Tufts: simply visit the galleries and learn. “Unsettling the Archive: Exploring Tufts’ Relationship with Land” is open until April 24.

SMFA's Artists of Color Union creates safe space for expression ARTISTS OF COLOR UNION

continued from page 9 chance to practice sharing their work in a truncated review board format.

“Our freshmen and sophomores have never had an in-person review board,” Gupta said. “We thought that it would be a very important experience for all of us.”

For many members of the ACU, their artwork and their identities overlap. Cruz, a third-year student in the BFA program, shared that both his past experience liv-

ing undocumented in the U.S. and his Salvadoran identity informs much of what he creates.

“It was not until this summer and then about a month ago that I received my permanent residency,” Cruz said. “Now I’m kind of more open about my own identities … [my] freshman and sophomore year, I wasn’t able to actually talk about what my work was.”

Cruz explained that his work has “dramatically changed” since receiving his permanent residency and referenced

several recent woodcut reliefs he created that deconstruct the flag of El Salvador by identifying symbols and colors that appear in the flag.

“A lot of my work is about deconstructing my identity of being Salvadoran,” Cruz said. “Living undocumented for so long, I wasn’t able to be in my own country even though I have documentation that said I’m a citizen there … Now that I’m able to, I feel like my work has dramatically changed into documenting everything that I’ve lived

for, and how that kind of informs my art practice as of now and what I can envision for the future.”

Gupta, who shared that their artwork is also informed by many aspects of her identity including their sexuality and ethnicity, sees the ACU as a space where she can speak freely about their work.

“It feels like such a safe space for me because you get to be who you are without having to filter any aspect of your identity, which is this power that ACU gives me which I’m very grateful for,” she said.

A r t s & P o p Cul t u r e Odessa Gaines K-Weekly

Fostering a community with KoDA

W

hile I typically use this space to write about Korean songs and artists that I think everyone should be listening to, today’s column will center Tufts’ very own K-pop dance association cover group, while recognizing the community it has built.

The Korean Dance Association, or KoDA, is a student-run group that covers popular dances from K-pop groups in showcases, weekly meetings and music videos. This newer Tufts group

Monday, December 6, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

brings together lovers of K-pop and dance from the Tufts community to offer a space for expression and celebration of the arts.

In researching for this article, I sat down with the club’s co-captain and co-founder, Alyssa Eakman, and its underclassman representative, Mary Wilson. The two members explained how KoDA began as a way for Tufts students who fancy both dance and K-pop to mix the two. The club also has its origins in the Korean Student Association’s dance performances.

While the team was virtual during the 2020–21 academic year, KoDA still participated in meetings and cultural shows. However, being in person has allowed the group to come together on a whole other level this semester.

“It’s been very positive,” Wilson said when asked how the group has shaped her college experience. “There are other people that are really interested in [K-pop]. I can definitely make a lot of friends.”

Like any group with a highly passionate member base, KoDA has been able to build a strong community among its members.

From filming music videos to making costumes, to journeying to sets together, KoDA is a family with a clear love for connecting with others through music and dance. The group’s members often enjoy K-pop music videos together and talk about different K-pop artists. And they work tirelessly to prepare for their performances.

“I’ve made a lot of friends through [KoDA]. We love dancing, we love K-pop, we love K-pop dancing,” Eakman said.

KoDA unites students who might not have otherwise met each other. Wilson, for example, mentioned that she enjoys interacting with upperclassmen, while Eakman, on the other hand, likes to work with the incoming classes.

Beyond Tufts, the group has collaborated with other university dance cover groups for showcases and virtual

11

events. In the future, its members hope to leave an even larger impact on the Tufts and wider K-pop communities.

“I think that would be a great thing to develop on and have a huge collaborative effort on,” Eakman said.

These connections not only offer a larger community among the groups but also for those of us who love to watch and enjoy the art. As the group continues to grow in popularity and recognition, it is clear that they will leave lasting connections and impressions on our Jumbo family.

With all the blood, sweat and tears they put into their practice, the community that KoDA is building can’t be stopped, so let’s treasure their passion and love.

You can follow and support KoDA here.

Odessa Gaines is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Odessa can be reached at kayla.gaines@tufts.edu.

Monday, December 6, 2021 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Kate: “What’s that Snickers saying? I’m not me when I’m hungry?”

FUN & GAMES

SUDOKU

GOOD LUCK ON FINALS!

Difficulty Level: Kate when shes hangry.

By Cecilia Orozco

Friday’s Solutions

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Opinion

13 Monday, December 6, 2021

EDITORIAL

A one-day reading period is unacceptable As the semester nears completion, the anxiety provoked by yet another semester of masking, COVID-19 cases and general uncertainty will grow exponentially. In 2019, we published an editorial that asked Tufts to extend the reading period beyond just three days. In hindsight, three days sounds luxurious; fall semesters at Tufts tend to only have a two-day reading period, and this semester is ending with a disconcerting one-day reading period.

What used to be at least a two-day window for students to organize, study and prepare for final exams is now a single day off from classes. There could be multiple reasons for this. As Tufts generally begins classes after Labor Day, a late Labor Day this year forced final exams

to end on Dec. 23 — just one day before Christmas Eve — and possibly impacted the reading period. Additionally, the university delayed the start of classes to accommodate Rosh Hashanah, causing classes to begin on Sept.

8. The last two times classes began this late were in fall 2020 and fall 2015, but these semesters were designed such that the single day of reading period fell on a Monday, providing a threeday cushion between the end of classes and the beginning of exams. This semester, the cushion is only one day, the shortest at least since 2009, which is the earliest year the Tufts academic calendar extends back to.

Tufts stands out among its peer institutions in giving students the least amount of free time to prepare for final exams.

This semester, Bowdoin and Wesleyan are giving students a four-day reading period, Brown is giving students a five-day reading period and Harvard is giving students a six-day reading period. Princeton’s reading period is eight days long. Yet Tufts students have only a single day to transition from a semester’s worth of classes to challenging final exams.

The reading period is a valuable resource for students as they enter the most stressful and highstakes part of the semester. Of course, it allows students to perform better on exams and work on final papers. The packed corridors of the library, the bustling atrium in the SEC and the line at The Sink depict the stress of students. After such a long semester, students need time to prepare for

exams — only a break between classes and final exams can provide that. One day is simply not enough to review nearly 14 weeks worth of rigorous course material for four to six classes.

The benefits of extending the reading period go beyond raising GPAs. The reading period also provides students with time to recoup their mental health; this is something regularly needed following a grueling semester, especially since the pandemic has had an adverse effect on college students’ mental health nationwide. In the past two years, students have noted a general feeling of burnout, resulting in calls for rest and more time off that have gone unanswered.

Further, the reading period provides a time for Tufts students to reconnect with friends and

de-stress. It is during this time that many clubs, sports teams, fraternities and sororities hold bonding events, formals or endof-year performances at night.

This period traditionally fosters community, as, after a long day of studying, students can get together before exams to bond one last time before the end of the semester.

The benefits of the reading period are immense, from improving academic performance and mental health to promoting community bonding before the final, most stressful period of the year. Tufts should follow its peer institutions by extending the reading period and ensuring that a measly one-day break between classes and exams does not happen again, regardless of how the calendar falls.

VIEWPOINT

A love letter to Hodgdon

by Idil Kolabas Staff Writer

“Günaydın!”

The first words I hear in the morning are my roommates saying, “Good morning,” to me in Turkish. The moment I open my eyes, I speak in my native language to my American friends, still not processing that I am not in Turkey anymore. I come to my senses a few seconds later and switch back to English, laughing about it together with them.

I get dressed and walk through the hallway, rushing to my class, as a floormate yells, “I love your pants,” putting a smile on my face. I check the whiteboards hanging on the doors of my neighbors’ rooms: “Write something positive for someone else.” One response says, “You are loved.” I can feel it.

Going down the staircase, I see a group of my guy friends leaving to get breakfast together. We make plans for the weekend on our way out and I dash out of Hodgdon, still trying to make it to class, even

if not on time. I get to class with a smile on my face even though I was five minutes late, trying to at least look like I rushed.

After my classes end, I get to my floor and check the whiteboards once again. I remember the first week when everyone on this floor was a stranger to me. I remember seeing that I was not alone as an international student after reading the list of countries showing where my floormates were from: Honduras, India, Hong Kong, United States, Canada, Nigeria, Lebanon and so on.

I now see the communal bathroom not as a downside of dorm life but as an opportunity to have a conversation with a friend while carrying out my nightly routine. I now see the space in front of the storage room as a kind of nook where I can chat with my floormates until the morning hours. I now see that everything is different from how I saw it the first time I set eyes on Hodgdon Hall.

I love waking up to Post-it notes filled with encouragement, happiness and well wishes on my

birthday. I love getting fresh air with my dormmate in the middle of the night. I love having Sunday brunch that lasts the entire day with my dorm hall neighbor.

I love saying “İyi geceler” just before I go to sleep, and I love that my roommates say “İyi geceler” back to me.

Being 7,758 kilometers, or 4,821 miles, away from Istanbul, I did not think I could feel this at home when I was applying to Tufts.

I love you, Hodgdon. And yes, this is a love letter to you.

Looking for virtual administrative assistants on a work from home basis. Must be very responsible and honest and must be willing to work at a quick pace. Work 5 days a week, Mon-Fri. Salary is $2,000 per month. Send your resume to Nelson Maldonado via email: nmaldonado@idaccountingsolutions.com or Text:(786) 980-5201

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Monday, December 6, 2021

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Former Jumbo Paul Svagdis named head coach of baseball team

by Jack Adgate

Assistant News Editor

Paul Svagdis (A93, AG96), an alum of the Tufts baseball and football programs, assumed his role as the new head coach of the baseball team last month.

Svagdis comes to Tufts university after serving as head coach at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California since 2002.

Svagdis takes the reins from John Casey, who was Svagdis’ coach when he was a Tufts student. Casey retired this year after nearly 40 years leading the Jumbos. Casey, a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has since joined the coaching staff at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. As an alum of Tufts, Svagdis said that the school itself was very influential in bringing him back to the East Coast.

“The big reason [I took the job] is that at Tufts as an undergraduate and graduate student, I had a tremendous experience,” Svagdis said. “It gave me a terrific foundation in life in terms of how to learn.”

Svagdis’ being an alum of the program helps not only the rest of the coaching staff, but the players as well. Senior catcher and captain Ryan Noone finds that the tradition within Tufts baseball is in good hands.

“Coach Casey was at the helm of our program for so long and played such a huge role in bringing our program to where it is right now,” Noone said. “Having a new coach who played under coach Casey at Tufts is a huge benefit and will help us maintain many of the mentalities and traditions that have brought this program success in the past.”

The influence of Casey on the program is prevalent, and Svagdis had nothing but praise for his former coach and mentor.

“Coach Casey was a major influence on my life, and has been a mentor and friend for the past 30 years,” Svagdis said.

“Knowing the history of the program and success of the university, it was a no-brainer to come back.”

After graduating from Tufts in 1993, Svagdis assumed roles as an assistant coach on both the baseball and football staffs, while pursuing his Masters in Education.

After completing his graduate degree in 1996, Svagdis went on to become head baseball coach at Pomona College before he started at Azusa Pacific in 2002.

At Azusa Pacific, Svagdis turned the Cougars into a perennial powerhouse. He totaled 606 wins in his career at the helm of the program, with three 40-win seasons from 2017 to 2019.

Nonetheless, the transition to the NESCAC and Div. III from his former Div. II program on the West Coast will be a new challenge.

“Div. III in New England has some of the best baseball in the country in a lot of ways,” Svagdis said. “I have my work cut out for me, but it’s cool to have to learn new processes.”

Svagdis explained how he is overjoyed to be coaching alongside one of his former players at Azusa Pacific, Brendan Casey, son of former head coach John Casey. The younger Casey has been coaching at Tufts since 2016, and will continue his role as associate head coach.

“Brendan played for me at Azusa Pacific, so he and I are very close,” Svagdis said. “I have a high level of trust in his evaluation of our guys … and he was a necessary component for me to take the job.”

A benefit to Svagdis is the continuity that exists in the Tufts baseball program as a result of John Casey’s long tenure.

“For an alum who hasn’t been back in 25 or 30 years, it’s really cool to hear a common theme, and the same attributes that we were taught in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Svagdis said.

For Noone and the rest of the Jumbos roster, their main goal doesn’t change with the introduction of Svagdis as head coach.

“Our expectations as a team have always been to win a championship and that definitely doesn’t change with a new coach,” Noone said. “We’re all super excited to have coach Svagdis and are lucky to have a coach with his resume, and we’re itching to be able to get on the field with him.”

COURTESY PAUL SWEENEY

Coach Svagdis is pictured.

Svagdis undoubtedly has big shoes to fill. The Tufts baseball program has a record six NESCAC tournament championships since NESCAC championships began in 2001, the most any school has secured.

“I told the players that my job is going to be to earn the right to put the Jumbo uniform

back on,” Svagdis said. “There is a heavy sense of responsibility, and I’m going to have to earn [our players’] respect as a former Jumbo, so that I understand what it means to be one.”

He added that he wants to continue a high standard for Tufts baseball.

“There is a high standard [at Tufts] that has been created that I look forward to chasing a bit as a competitor,” Svagdis said. “These guys have set an expectation in the league and in the NCAA to be one of the top teams in New England, and [we want to] put together a team that gets to a national championship.”

Goalkeeper Erik Lauta shines through incredible skill and humble character

by Bharat Singh Staff Writer

If you’ve been to a game at Bello Field this year, you’ve probably wondered who the tall man wearing bright neon green in goal is. Roaming the penalty area as his eyes scan the opposition’s attacking movement, he tracks the ball like a hawk, ready to charge at any loose ball. In spite of being blinded by the sun as the ball travels through a crowd of players, he manages the save, often at full stretch, palming the ball away.

First-year goalkeeper Erik Lauta has made an immediate impact on the Tufts men’s soccer

program this fall. Still only a few months into his college soccer career, Lauta has been the backbone of a formidable defensive unit, conceding just six goals in 10 conference matches. Lauta’s consistent performances were crucial in the Jumbos’ impressive 15–2–4 run for the season and successful NESCAC title defense.

Alongside his goalkeeping brilliance, Lauta’s fearless attitude and commitment have impressed leaders on the team.

“I think his reflexes are his greatest strength. He saves shots that I haven’t seen saved in a long time, at least in person. For someone who is that young, as

a freshman, to make some of the saves he did throughout the season was ridiculous,” senior co-captain and midfielder Calvin Aroh said. “He got more confident as the year went on.

In the beginning, everyone was a little worried just because of how young he was but after a few games, we weren’t worried at all. He got more vocal, physical and demanding, which you need to be in that position, so he definitely grew into it.”

Aroh further commended Lauta’s qualities off the field.

“I think it’s pretty hard, as a freshman, to speak up and give your input on something. Not necessarily that younger guys

aren’t heard but being able to say what he needs or what he likes is a big quality, especially when you’re that young.” Aroh added that “he’s just a really nice kid off the field … He’s a good guy which is hard to get sometimes.”

Lauta echoed similar sentiments about his transition to Tufts and the brotherhood he’s found within the team.

“It’s been amazing. I knew Woovin Shin before coming here, we played at the same club, so I asked him about Tufts and the team and the first thing he told me was how bonded the team was and how there was a strong family culture here,” Lauta said.

“At the time, I was [excited] but you don’t realize it till you get here. We’re a family, we are all brothers, we have fifth-years and I’m a freshman, but literally, since day one everyone has shown love towards each other and we all get along really well.”

With an incredible 81% save percentage and a goals-against-average of just 0.64, Lauta’s presence in goal has been an injection of energy at the back. His 12 shutouts helped the Jumbos win tight games all season. Among his 60 saves, one in particular stands out to him. see ERIK LAUTA, page 15

Sp o r t s

Monday, December 6, 2021 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

15

First-year anchors Jumbo defense to secure NESCAC title ERIK LAUTA

continued from page 14 “The Stevens game. The shootout, absolutely. It was just the most ridiculous moment of my soccer career. Just the fact that it went to 13 rounds and that in the 11th round we should’ve lost but I was able to make the save was the most memorable moment.”

When asked about his approach to penalties, Lauta explained, “For that specific penalty, the reason I dove the way I did was because he was left-footed, so I dove to my left, which is right for the player. I was thinking there’s so few players that in a moment who have the composure to side-foot it across the goal, most of them will go for power because of how much pressure there is, and that’s why I guessed that way.”

Lauta shared his gratitude toward his coaches and the upperclassmen who’ve helped him thus far.

“Since the very beginning, [junior goalkeeper] Ben Katz has taken me under his wing and made me feel at home here at

Tufts so just a lot of thanks to him. Apart from that I would like to thank all our captains, that’s Calvin, Derek, Biagio, all three of them are players you really respect on the field and I have so much respect for all three of them. And off the field, they’re your best friends as well and people I look up to.” Lauta further thanked head coach Kyle Dezotell: “In the preseason I was always fighting for the spot, but since he played me and I played well, he’s shown me support and helped me, guided me and just kept me confident. The goalkeeper coach, Max Lichtenstein, has also been great and has helped me adapt to college soccer which is much more of a physical game than the academy system.”

After a promising start, Lauta looks forward to building his own legacy at Tufts by helping his teammates maximize their own potential. With a conference title in the bag, Lauta strives to lead his team to a national championship and is excited to see how the next three years will unfold both on and off the field.

COURTESY ERIK LAUTA

Erik Lauta is pictured.

Cummings’ strength shows in journey to become a Jumbo ZACK CUMMINGS

Continued from page 16 Although Cummings’ health at one point required him to stay back a year in high school, he excelled academically at St. Mary’s School in Lynn, Mass. as his physical condition improved and the road toward full recovery shortened. When it came time for Cummings to apply to colleges in 2020, his choice to apply to Tufts through its early decision option was a no-brainer.

“For the last three or four years, I’ve been able to envision myself walking at Tufts as a student,” Cummings said in an interview with NBC Boston.

“Tufts is my family, and when it came down to a big decision like that, I think the decision was right to choose family.”

Cummings found out about his acceptance to the Tufts Class of 2025 while on a FaceTime call with Tufts football head coach, and now-long time friend, Jay Civetti.

“It’s honestly surreal,” Civetti said. “It makes you feel really positive that it’s what you expected the relationship to be, times 1,000. You knew that you were a part of this kid’s life, that Tufts was a part of his life, and that Tufts football was a part of his life so much to the fact

that it ended up helping direct him to make a choice to come to Tufts. That’s pretty unique and I’m very grateful that Team IMPACT paired us and that we’ve been in the position to be a part of his growth and his healing.”

The powerful connection that Cummings felt to Tufts and Tufts football also brought him back to the team in a role focused on what he could do to help them win. In his first season as a team manager, Cummings picked up where he left off, inspiring his teammates to finish the 2021 season on a high note, with four consecutive wins.

“Staying positive during a season when you start out 0–5 is definitely challenging, but Zack made it easier for us to push through,” Jones said. “Whether it was shouting one of us out after practice, or his jokes on the sidelines or being on the field to hype us up on game day before we start officially warming up, Zack’s infectious energy radiated throughout the team and helped pull us out of the place we were in.”

When Cummings isn’t on the sidelines communicating with his teammates, he’s playing a vital role by capturing drone footage of plays run during practice.

“Without Zack, I can’t do my job,” Civetti said.

As Cummings transitions into life as a college student and football team manager, now some distance from the hardships of the cancer he faced in his early teenage years, he has a message for anyone facing obstacles in their own lives.

“Keep pushing forward,” Cummings said. “Just remember that if the day you’re having right now is a bad day, you always have something good to look forward to, you always have the next thing to get to and you always have something to work toward.”

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tuftsdaily.com

“Keep pushing forward”: First-year Zack Cummings’ extraordinary journey from Team IMPACT player to football team manager

by Ethan Grubelich

Assistant Sports Editor

At first glance, Zack Cummings is a cheerful 19-yearold from Saugus, Mass. a firstyear undergraduate student at Tufts University who plans on studying political science and a die-hard New England Patriots fan. But behind his contagious positivity and unending smile is a story of adversity and an extraordinary will to overcome.

When Cummings was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and faced a years-long road ahead toward recovery. It was while Cummings endured the effects of cancer treatment that his unbreakable bond with the Tufts football program began to form.

Cummings and the Jumbos were first brought together by Team IMPACT (Inspire, Motivate, Play Against Challenges Together), a nonprofit organization based in Boston which connects patients facing childhood illness with college athletic teams as part of a two-year therapeutic program. Since its inception in 2011, the program has combated the social isolation faced by thousands of child patients and given tens of thousands of stu-

dent-athletes the opportunity to contribute to something far greater than themselves.

During his two-year therapeutic program, Cummings enjoyed being at team practices, games and dinners, as an official member of the Tufts football team. It was during this time, which overlapped some of the most challenging periods of his battle with cancer, that Cummings found himself leaning on the team for support.

“The Tufts football team was something I could look forward to,” Cummings said. “When you’re struggling with treatment and the side effects that come from treatment, you really just have to get to the next day and keep pushing yourself to move on. And keep pushing yourself to get over the sickness and just try to rehabilitate. I think giving yourself something to look forward to is good for that and Tufts football was a big part of that.”

Cummings’ presence has had a transformative impact on the members of the team. Senior cornerback and co-captain Brandyn Jones has known Cummings since his first football season.

“Zack has been through so much adversity in his life already ― more than most people go through

COURTESY ZACK CUMMINGS

Zack Cummings and Jay Civetti, the head coach of the Tufts football team, are pictured. in an entire lifetime ― but he never let that affect his attitude,” Jones said. “As someone who has also gone through a lot of rough patch-

es, having the opportunity to be close to Zack has given me a new appreciation for life because if he can be happy and positive after all

he’s been through, why can’t I do the same?” see ZACK CUMMINGS, page 15

Senior foil Allison Cheng leads with courage and humility

by Nicole Setow Sports Editor

Standing at a modest 5 feet, 3 inches, Allison Cheng doesn’t intimidate at first glance. You’ll often find this friendly child studies and human development major conducting research in the Kaplan Lab or working in the music department. However, once equipped with a fencing foil and jacket, you won’t want to mess with this former Junior Olympics participant.

The senior foil captain hails from Palo Alto, Calif. With its proximity to both mountains and sea, the city is a hotbed for athletes of all seasons. Cheng herself participated in swimming, dancing and golf before falling in love with the fencing community at age 10. Like many athletes, she owes her early fencing endeavors to her parents.

Concerned by the number of sunburns their daughter was getting while playing outdoor sports in sunny California, Cheng’s parents enrolled her in fencing, where sunburns were never a problem.

However, Cheng’s appreciation for her parents doesn’t stop there.

Despite never having fenced themselves, Cheng’s parents have always supported her in meaningful ways — from driving her to practices to flying with her cross-country to major tournaments. In times of duress, they’re also willing to step back when needed, trusting that Cheng has

COURTESY ALLISON CHENG

Allison Cheng is pictured. the mental fortitude and skill to come out on top. Her parents’ respect for her boundaries, Cheng emphasized, was integral to the development of her self-confidence.

This confidence is evident when she’s on the strip. It’s thrill-

ing watching Cheng fence — she’s an absolute powerhouse.

The momentous “allez!” signaling the start of the bout leads to a frenzy of skillful swipes and parries, all in hopes of ending in a touch. During these exchanges, Cheng displays elements of an

aggressive, defensive player — countering her opponent’s every move but never letting them push her too far into her end.

Since fencing is such a reactionary sport, fencers strike a balance between adapting to their opponent while maximizing their

own strengths. It’s for this reason that many describe the sport as physical chess, though at speeds upwards of 100 mph. The swiftness of each bout contributes to why Cheng describes the sport as so mentally challenging. “[The score] can really change quickly, so if you lose [four touches] at the beginning, and mentally you’re not there, then you’ve already lost the bout,” Cheng said. “Making sure you stay calm and [remembering to] trust yourself is a huge thing.”

As much as Cheng is hungry to improve on her 24–9 record from the 2019–20 season, it’s evident that she is willing to set aside her individual success for the benefit of the team.

“I joined this team so I could [be a part of ] a community and so I could learn how to be a leader,” Cheng said. “[While] there’s always motivation to get better … I think my responsibilities as a captain have definitely changed because I’m looking out more for my teammates … I definitely have to keep the team’s priorities up front.”

What makes Cheng such an impressive leader both on and off the strip is how she wholeheartedly embraces her role. It’s clear how much pride she exudes when speaking about the women’s fencing team, and it’ll be exciting to see the impacts of her leadership at its next conference meet on Feb. 6, 2022.