OPINION

tuftsdaily.com

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.

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.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

EDITORIAL A one-day reading period is unacceptable

VIEWPOINT A love letter to Hodgdon

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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.

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. Erik Lauta is pictured.

Cummings’ strength shows in journey to become a Jumbo

COURTESY ERIK LAUTA

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.”

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

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 student-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 patches, 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 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 thrilling 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

COURTESY ALLISON CHENG

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.