Friday, February 24, 2017

Confucius Institute offers cultural exchange between American and Chinese students see FEATURES / PAGE 4

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tufts one win away from likely rematch at Amherst

Modern retelling of ‘King Stag’ takes the Balch stage see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXIII, NUMBER 19

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, February 24, 2017

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Charlie Baker speaks at Tufts, prompting walkouts and protest

by Daniel Nelson News Editor

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker discussed public policy and civic engagement at Tufts last night in an event repeatedly disrupted by a number of student protesters.

The event, a part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s Distinguished Speaker Series, began after 7 p.m. in Distler Performance Hall, which holds 300 people. The event was sold out, but about 180 people attended, onethird of whom walked out of the venue during three separate-but-coordinated protests.

Following opening remarks by University President Anthony Monaco, Tisch College Dean Alan Solomont began the event by considering the nature of civic engagement, mentioning that in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, many Americans have felt a resurgence of civic passions.

“The new eagerness to participate in our democracy also comes with a sense of trepidation about engaging with others with whom they have profound differences,” Solomont said. “How do we have productive conversations in such a polarized political environment? When do we stand our ground to fight for our beliefs and when do we compromise in search of common ground? How do we move forward together?”

In a conversation facilitated by Solomont, Baker began by talking about the changes he has seen during his more than two decades in state government,

SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Two students ask whether Massachusetts will be a sanctuary state during Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s talk in Distler Auditorium on Feb. 23. particularly after he became governor in 2015.

“The number of times we spent [during the campaign] talking about the

MBTA in particular — if it got 15 minutes, I’d be surprised,” Baker said. “And yet that became in some respects one of the most overwhelming issues of the

first two years of our administration.”

Fewer than five minutes after Baker see BAKER, page 3

Social hold lifted for Greek life organizations without cease-anddesist orders

by Elie Levine

Assistant News Editor

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (Panhel) have lifted their voluntary holds on social events for eligible Greek life organizations.

This means fraternities and sororities in good standing with the university can register to host social events, according to IFC President Jack Friend and Panhel President Meaghan Annett.

The four organizations currently not on cease and desist are fraternities Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) and ATO of Massachusetts, and sororities Kappa

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Alpha Theta and Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), according to a Feb. 17 Daily article.

IFC voluntarily suspended all fraternity social events last November, and Tufts affirmed the social hold two days later, according to a December 2016 email from members of the Tufts administration.

After administrators lifted its social hold, they informed IFC that they could decide to allow eligible fraternities to host social events.

Tufts Executive Director of Public Relations Patrick Collins told the Daily in an email, “We will be working closely

with the IFC to offer additional training and to ensure organizations have proper risk management policies in place before any social events take place.”

IFC voted unanimously to permit social events, Friend said. ATO and ZBT can host events starting the weekend of March 3. Before they can register to host events, fraternities are undertaking an intensive Risk Management Assessment Training process, Friend added.

Likewise, according to Annett, Panhellenic sororities that are in good standing with the university can cosponsor or attend events, though sororities do not currently host public

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parties in their houses. Annett noted that Greek life leadership is actively working to improve the risk management system for social events.

“We are continuing to work as a community to modify the social scene to bring more parity between sororities and fraternities,” Annett told the Daily in an electronic message.

Members of ATO and ZBT reacted to the news with enthusiasm.

“We are pleased that the administration and IFC released the event hold and are excited to provide a fun, safe space going forward,” ZBT President George Triantafillou said.

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................4 ARTS & LIVING.......................5

COMICS.......................................8 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, February 24, 2017

T HE T UFTS D AILY Kathleen Schmidt Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Jei-Jei Tan Miranda Willson Managing Editors Joe Walsh Executive News Editor Ariel Barbieri-Aghib News Editors Zachary Hertz Gil Jacobson Robert Katz Liam Knox Daniel Nelson Catherine Perloff Emma Steiner Hannah Uebele Charles Bunnell Assistant News Editors Emily Burke Daniel Caron Aneurin Canham-Clyne Juliana Furgala Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Jesse Najarro Minna Trinh Costa Angelakis Executive Features Editor Becca Leibowitz Features Editors Jake Taber Emma Rosenthal Emma Damokosh Assistant Features Editors Zach Essig Elie Levine Jessie Newman Sean Ong Hermes Suen Grace Yuh Eran Sabaner Executive Arts Editor John Gallagher Arts Editors Cassidy Olsen John Fedak Assistant Arts Editors Libby Langsner Setenay Mufti Paige Spangenthal Anita Ramaswamy Executive Op-Ed Editor Stephen Dennison Cartoonists Shannon Geary Noah Kulak Haebin Ra Miranda Chavez Editorialists Julia Faxon Hannah Kahn Lena Novins-Montague Lanie Preston Eddie Samuels Executive Sports Editor Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editors Maddie Payne Maclyn Senear Josh Slavin Liam Finnegan Assistant Sports Editors Savannah Mastrangelo Brad Schussel Sam Weidner Sam Weitzman Ray Bernoff Executive Photo Editor Margot Day Staff Photographers Scott Fitchen Thaw Htet Lilia Kang Max Lalanne Rachael Meyer Zachary Sebek Alexis Serino Seohyun Shim Angelie Xiong Sitong Zhang Ezgi Yazici Executive Video Editor Olivia Ireland Executive Video Admin.

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tuftsdaily.com

New student organization looks to offer supportive space for female, non-binary students

by Maddie Gupta

closely with other groups on campus will be beneficial to all members of Avian.

Avian, a new student organiza“We want to create a heightened tion that aims to create a conscious awareness and diverse involvement and supportive space for female and of our group members so that we can femme-aligned non-binary students, come back together, and share these was formed this semester. experiences and develop more as peoHarper Hopkins, Avian’s consciousple,” Williams said. ness education chair, said that the As of now, Avian is not officially group was created in order to provide affiliated with Tufts. a space for people impacted by what “We are simply a group of people she referred to as “first-order misogwho all happen to go to Tufts. In the yny.” future that may change, depending on “Everyone is, of course, impactthe needs and wants of our members,” ed by misogyny, but the people who Hopkins said. experience it directly in their daily Groh discussed the challenges that life are people who I would say are the organizers faced in Avian’s formaimpacted by first-order misogyny,” tion.

Hopkins, a sophomore, said.

“We want it to be created in a According to Tai very community-based Williams, the orgaway with everybody’s nization’s meeting input,” Groh said. “Also, “A big part of our aim is to have social coordinator, Avian part of the challenge events, grow friendships and have women is unique because it has been creating the aims to fuse together and female-identifying non-binary people organization [by] trying the public service misto keep other people’s gain leadership positions.” — Selena Groh sions of several existinterests in mind, but ing organizations at also recognizing that Tufts. people might not be “Looking around campus, I think sonal and local,” Groh said. “We’re interested until they know what the there are a lot of incredible organi- looking at local groups, campus orga- organization is.” zations currently focused on having nizations and smaller national causes.

According to Hopkins, articulating a specific cause or for solely social We don’t feel like we would be able to the goals and purpose of Avian has purposes,” Williams, a senior, said. contribute meaningfully to some of also been a hurdle.

“What we’re trying to do is create one the larger national charities.”

“It’s been difficult refining the lanthat combines the best parts of these.”

Williams discussed the importance guage with which we talk about ourHopkins feels that Avian is import- of varying the type of work that Avian selves and refining what exactly we ant because it caters to an existing will eventually do. want ourselves to be,” Hopkins said. demand on campus for a group with “We would like to choose a differWilliams agreed with this, commentAvian’s core social justice ideals. ent cause to support each month so ing on the obstacles they have faced in “It’s simply a matter of ecological that the purpose of our group in terms gaining recognition on campus. niche. There isn’t really an organiza- of social justice is fluid, and we’re able “I just want people to hear the tion on this campus that is basical- to have an impact in a lot of different name Avian and understand what that ly a purely social organization that ways,” Williams said. means,” Williams said. also has heavy founding social justice According to Groh, Avian also plans According to Williams, Avian will principles,” Hopkins said. to collaborate with the Group of Six be having a holding a general interest Williams believes that Avian could centers at Tufts to ensure that the meeting next week. play an important role in strengthen- organization is self-regulating and “I’m really excited to get this group ing the Tufts community. community based. off the ground. I’m looking forward “We have the opportunity to create “In the future we want to have to growing our membership, becoma unique and needed space where workshops with Group of Six cen- ing an active part of this campus and people get to socialize and form new ters and possibly guest speakers from meeting everyone who is interested,” friendships while strengthening exist- Tufts faculty,” Groh said.

Williams said. ing friendships and also contributWilliams believes that working Staff Writer

ing to social justice causes,” Williams said.

Publicity Chair Selena Groh said that friendship is one of the core tenets of Avian.

“A big part of our aim is to have social events, grow friendships and have women and female-identifying non-binary people gain leadership positions,” Groh, a sophomore, said.

Groh also commented on how her experience as a member of a Greek organization at Tufts shaped the organizers’ vision for Avian’s philanthropic work.

“Having been a part of Greek life before, I had experience of the ways in which philanthropy works in those organizations. For Avian, I wanted something that would be more per-

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MARGOT DAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

From left, Tai Williams, Sydney Giacalone, Selena Groh and Harper Hopkins, the organizers of Avian, pose for a group photo.

Friday, February 24, 2017 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

News

3

Students walk out of Charlie Baker speech, express anger about his policies BAKER

continued from page 1 had begun, students spoke out. As Solomont was asking Baker a question, about 25 students throughout the auditorium stood up and began to chant “No ban. No wall. Sanctuary for us all.”

As the chants continued, banners from the two upper stands unfurled reading “BAKER: PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.” Then, two students who had started the disruption asked Baker in unison if he would declare Massachusetts a sanctuary state.

“No,” Baker responded, “and I’ll tell you why.”

Before Baker could give his response, the chants started up again and the protesters marched out of the auditorium.

They gathered outside of the building, where they continued to protest the event.

Parker Breza, a sophomore who helped organize the protest with Tufts Student Action (TSA), said the walkout was meant to present Tufts as unified against Baker.

“We wanted to come together as a big group to show the variety of issues that Governor Baker’s policies are impacting, and let Tufts University know that we’re not going to be complacent and give a platform to a politician that’s harming our community,” he said.

Once the hall had quieted down, Baker explained that his resistance to making Massachusetts a sanctuary state, which would effectively mean that law enforcement agencies in the state would not work alongside federal immigration officials to carry out deportations, was grounded in his belief that the decision should be a local one.

Calling the sanctuary issue “a difficult one,” Baker said that the most important thing he could do as governor is “remember that [he’s] not the only part of government that matters.”

“I don’t want to take away the right of duly-elected local officials to make the decisions that they believe are in the best interests of serving and supporting people who live in [their] communities,” Baker said.

After Solomont and Baker returned to their discussion, Baker talked about how he grew up in a politically-divided household. He said that watching his mother, a liberal, and his father, a conservative, talk through their differences was enlightening.

“If you’re not willing to listen to people who don’t spout the same thing you do all the time, you miss out on a chance to learn and to grow from the life experiences and the points of view that other people bring to bear,” he said.

Solomont and Baker touched on Baker’s popularity in Massachusetts, despite the fact that the state is dominated by Democratic politicians. Baker said that, by working with his political adversaries on Beacon Hill, he could find common ground.

The event was again disrupted by about 15 additional protesters who chanted “This administration is against education.” They demanded that Baker not cut funds to public education, to which Baker responded that he has never done so.

After the protesters cleared the auditorium, Solomont noted that the purpose of the Distinguished Speaker Series is to expose students to important public figures.

“And I wish that more of our students would listen,” Solomont said.

Later in the event, Solomont said he believed many young Americans had lost faith in politics because of last year’s

SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker gives a talk on his policy plans in Distler Auditorium on Feb. 23 presidential election.

In response, Baker said that it was important to remember that “there are things that happen every single day in government that are positive.”

One of the programs Baker offered as proof was Massachusetts’ efforts to fight back against the opioid epidemic. He said that he had heard many stories of opioid-related deaths from constituents across the state and directed his staff to research the trend.

“This needs to be something that we chase, and we chase hard,” Baker said.

As part of the fight against opioid abuse, he mentioned a number of bipartisan state regulations promoting opioid education and requiring prescription writers to take a course in pain management.

“For the first time in the last 18 years, the total number of opioid prescriptions written in Massachusetts went down by 15 percent last year,” Baker said.

As Solomont moved the discussion into the student question section, a third group of protesters, numbering about 15, again disrupted the event with chants demanding racial and economic justice in Massachusetts. They asked Baker to commit to stopping the militarization of the police.

Baker responded that, while he was unsure of what the students meant by the question, he was proud of the state’s treatment of local protests since Baker became governor, which he said have never resulted in any violent confrontations.

Following the event, the students who had walked out gathered outside of Distler and chanted. Students’ opinions of the event, and the intervening protests, were mixed.

Organizers from Tufts United for

Immigrant Justice (UIJ) and TSA said in a press release that the walkout was planned in response to a number of Baker’s policies, including his opposition to the Safe Communities Act, which would prevent police in Massachusetts from working with federal immigration officials.

“While in office so far, Governor Baker has attempted to prevent Syrian refugees from living in Massachusetts, threatened to prevent undocumented students from receiving in-state tuition or driver’s licenses and is trying to cut funding from family planning services and public schools,” the press release said.

Lupita Estela Rodriguez, a junior who helped organize the protest as a co-president of UIJ, said she is hopeful that the university will not host Baker again.

“Tufts shouldn’t support politicians — or not even just politicians — but people that oppress these communities,” she said, referring to marginalized groups she felt were the target of Baker’s policies.

Robert Whitehead, a first-year and vice president of Tufts Republicans, said that he had “never been more ashamed to be a student at Tufts.” His views were echoed by George Behrakis, the club’s president.

“Of all of the people to protest, you protest one of the most moderate governors, in a state [considered Democratic],” Behrakis, a first-year, said. “I think its sad that we can’t even listen to each other.”

In contrast, Benjamin Kaplan, president of Tufts Democrats, said that he was “happy to go to a university where students have the space to voice their opinions.”

Kaplan, senior, said that he thought

that Baker had deflected the student’s questions rather than answering them outright.

“Charlie didn’t answer the concerns of those students,” Kaplan said. “He is unable to address the concerns of those students because at the end of the day, he is a conservative governor who hides behind the veneer of a couple of moderate social positions to push a really conservative agenda.

Protester Katie Saviano spoke of her personal reasons to attend the walkout.

“For me specifically, Charlie Baker is part of the larger Republican administration that I’m currently really frustrated with,” Saviano, a senior, said. “I think that seeing him on campus and giving him a voice is saying that Tufts students are okay with the kinds of policies that a Republican administration is putting forward especially in relation to immigration, education and racial justice.”

In an interview with the Daily after the event, Solomont stressed Baker’s commitment to public service.

“He chose to do this because he believes in the role of government in serving the public, and we want to present examples of people who are doing that so that we, as students and faculty, can learn how our democracy works,” Solomont said.

Solomont said that he understood the students’ passions, which he similarly felt when he was a student at Tufts.

“But I think that what is missing in our dialogue is being willing to listen to people with whom either we think we have differences or we do.” he said.

“Democracy is by definition about differences. When there’s only one point of view, you don’t have a democracy.”

Catherine Perloff contributed reporting to this article.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Features

4 tuftsdaily.com

Confucius Institute seeks to deepen connection between United States and China

by Emma Rosenthal Features Editor

The Confucius Institute at Tufts University (CITU), launched on June 24, 2015, provides programs in Chinese language and culture as a collaboration between Tufts and Beijing Normal University (BNU).

Located at 112 Packard Ave., the institute seeks to deepen the connection between China and the United States through mutual understanding, according to Mingquan Wang, director of CITU. “The general goal for CITU is to increase mutual understanding among people in China and in the United States.

More specifically, through its dozens of events and activities each year, CITU provides support and service in Chinese language instruction and culture programming and facilitates academic exchanges and collaborations between the two institutions … and the two countries,”

Wang told the Daily in an email.

Executive Administrative Dean in the School of Arts and Sciences and Confucius Institute Board Member Scott Sahagian said that he joined the Confucius Institute Board after he had already been working in the School of Arts and Sciences.

“I was asked to join the board after a decision was made to partner with Beijing Normal University,” Sahagian told the Daily in an email. “It has been interesting to work with the director in making CI happen. The opportunities for Tufts students and for other students within our cohort to interact gives Tufts opportunities we would not have had.”

According to Wang, some of the events and programs that the institute holds include conferences and teacher training, workshops and lectures, exchange programs for BNU faculty and student visits and sponsoring scholarships. CITU works with international

students and faculty and organizes services for Tufts students on campus.

Wang said that CITU programming includes conversation nights at the Chinese House, one-on-one tutoring services for Chinese language students, open guest lectures on Chinese culture and cultural events like the Confucius Institute Day, held on Sept. 24 in the Alumnae Lounge.

Wang elaborated on the one-on-one tutoring program in Chinese language that the institute provides, describing it as not only an academic service, but also as a way for students to connect on a personal level and learn about cultural and national differences. “[The one-on-one program’s] goal is to promote and facilitate both linguistic and cultural exchanges between American and Chinese students who would like to improve their language skills, learn more about each other’s cultures and develop friendships,” Wang

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Confucius Institute at Tufts (CITU), pictured here on Feb. 16, offers non-credit Chinese language and culture classes in collaboration with Beijing Normal University.

wrote.

As a board member, Sahagian does organizational, logistical and design work to plan events and activities.

“I assist the director in the areas of space and finance on campus. I discuss the vision and implementation of the vision, once it has been vetted by the board,” he said.

Wang said the institute is discussing potential future plans for CITU. “One of the things we are thinking about is to design a series of culture presentations based on the needs of the community and hold mini sessions on campus on a monthly basis,” Wang wrote.

As the director, Wang is highly involved with CITU, and the work he does outside of the institute complements the work he does within it. Wang is the language coordinator for the Chinese Program and has been teaching at Tufts for 28 years.

“I play an active role in the Chinese Language Teachers Association in the region,” he said. “I am one of the founders of the New England Chinese Language Teachers Association [NECLTA] and have been on the NECLTA board since its 2012 inauguration. My experience at Tufts and my position in NECLTA enable me to utilize CI resources to provide the service people need.”

At CITU, the board members are not the only people who contribute to the success of the organization. The institute has staff who work in conjunction with Wang and the board. While the board makes decisions about the direction and structure of the institute, the staff members do the day-to-day work of running the events and activities and teaching the classes.

Hongyan Liu, a graduate intern working on his master’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, is a staff member at the Confucius Institute involved with the teaching and conversational aspect of the institute.

“My main task here is to help students [in the] Chinese program with their Chinese language [skills] through conversation practice sessions,” he told the Daily in an email.

Wang explained that the Confucius Institute seeks to broaden Tufts’ commitment to multiculturalism.

“CI’s mission to ‘promote the development of multiculturalism and construct a harmonious world’ aligns well with Tufts’ ‘dedication to globalism and active citizenship’ and ‘commitment to humanitarianism and diversity,’ which are deeply held ideals at Tufts and part of the Mission Statement of the School of Arts and Sciences,” Wang said.

These values that Wang refers to allow CITU to work effectively within the Tufts community and help guide its events and collaborations. Though these ideals already existed within the Tufts community, the Confucius Institute brings a new angle to Tufts’ multiculturalism, focusing on China-U.S. relations. “[CITU] enables Tufts to extend its leadership role in enhancing the understanding of the Chinese language and culture at Tufts, in the Greater Boston area and beyond,” Wang wrote. “It also strengthens Tufts’ role in global collaboration.”

WEEKENDER

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COURTESY TED SIMPSON

From left: Paxton Crystal, James Williamson and Amanda Rose perform in “The King Stag.”

Natalya Baldyga’s ‘The King Stag’ reimagines a classic fairy tale for the modern stage

by Cassidy Olsen

Assistant Arts Editor

Balch Arena Theater, the versatile theater-in-the-round nestled in Tufts’ Aidekman Arts Center, has long provided a space for dazzling drama, comedy and experimental performances. The 2016-2017 season, however, has brought something both old and new to Balch: a seven-show run of “The King Stag” (2016), an adaptation of Carlo Gozzi’s eighteenth century Venetian comedy by Assistant Professor of Drama and Dance Natalya Baldyga.

Although she has worked in multiple languages throughout her career and produced translations as a scholar of theater historiography, Baldyga had never completed an entire translation and adaptation before “The King Stag.”

According to the adaptation’s prologue, Baldyga first encountered the play in its original Italian as a college student while working for Italian director Giovanni Pampiglione in Rome and returned to Gozzi as a subject in her research and writings throughout her scholarly career.

In an interview with the Daily, Baldyga explained her reasons for approaching “The King Stag” again in 2016 with adaptation in mind.

“The translation that I would give my students to read bothered me because there are sections of this play that are completely improvised. So you really have to make strong choices as a translator … every translation becomes an adaptation,” Baldyga explained. “It always drove me crazy to see that my students had a certain impression of this play, while inside I was thinking, ‘But that’s the translator, not the actual play.’”

Unsatisfied with the existing translations of “The King Stag,” Baldyga set out to produce her own translation and modern adaptation that would combine her scholarly interests in eigh-

teenth century theater with her artistic love of performative theater.

Magic has a clear role in the fairy tale comedy, which takes place in the kingdom of Serendipity, where King Deramo (played by senior Paxton Crystal) is in search of a wife. Granted with the power of two magical secrets, Deramo is able to see past the deceit of women, including the exuberant Smeraldina (first-year Hanna Carr) and obstinate Clarissa (first-year Jacquie Bonnet), the latter of whom actually loves the knight Leander (senior Blair Nodelman).

Meanwhile, Deramo’s treacherous Prime Minister Tartaglia (senior Yuval Ben-Hayun) attempts to use one of the magic secrets against him to steal his true love Angela (sophomore Amanda Rose) and gain control of the kingdom.

However, the magician Durandarte (sophomore Tony Howard) and the rest of the ensemble use their combined power — and a bit of magic — to set things right.

In addition to her dissatisfaction with current translations, Baldyga cited the magic in the show and her love of “magical, non-naturalistic theater” as inspirations for her adaptation.

She also referenced a performance of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” (1791) by the Théâtre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis that she saw four times while pursuing her Ph.D. that solidified her love for theater.

“People were singing opera and sliding down the set [of “The Magic Flute”], and I had never seen anything like it,” Baldyga recalled. “And I realized I was sitting there with my mouth open. I was a bitter student in grad school, and I was used to criticizing everything. I realized I was watching it as if I was 4years old.”

It was this gift of wonder that she hopes to bring to audiences and the Tufts community with her adaptation, particularly during today’s polit-

ical and social climate. In order to situate her adaptation in the context of current events and to prevent the show from seeming like a ‘museum piece,’ Baldyga changed some aspects of the play following the election in November.

“I looked to Alison Carey of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, who said that, ‘Our failure to tell stories of collective activism is literally killing us,'” Baldyga said. “After the election, that came back to me, and I decided that if I was going to support democracy, which I do, then I need an ending in which there was collective agency.”

Baldyga also altered the speech given by the magician Durandarte at the end of “The King Stag” to better reflect her adaptation’s message of collective activism and the power of truth-telling to a modern audience.

“Durandarte’s [original] speech at the end is this dig against Enlightenment science and how it’s killing magic,” she continued. “And I thought that that just didn’t fit here, so I gave him an entirely new speech, along the lines of, ‘This is your land. And the stewardship of this land belongs to you. And you are the only ones who can keep it safe from tyranny.'”

Although these changes were made after Baldyga completed her adaptation and work on the actual production had begun, some of the changes were made with input from the student actors. One notable change made by Baldyga was to grant more agency and power to the women in the show, while allowing for open interpretations of the gender and sexuality of its characters. The role of Leander, originally named Leandro and played by a man, was thus played by a woman in this iteration of the play.

“I wanted to change the gender of at least one of the characters,” Baldyga said. “And so Leander seemed [like] a good choice. I liked that Leander

is a knight, so you get someone who has a very active role. That pairing [of Clarissa and Leander] really seemed to work well. When we had auditions, we just loved the actresses [ Jacquie Bonnet and Blair Nodelman] who had those roles together. It felt right.”

Nodelman, who plays Leander, explained in an email to the Daily her perspective on the character and the significance of changing their gender identity in the modern adaptation. She explained that the dynamic of the show was altered by the gender of the character, even though it bore great resemblance to the original Leandro.

“While both are knights, there are different circumstances for male and female knights simply by virtue of the body occupying that title,” Nodelman wrote. “This has translated for me into a hypersensitivity of body language.

Because Leander is a knight, I’m conscious of my posture, stance, gait and even how I respond to what is happening in the play.”

Nonetheless, Nodelman does not feel that the gender and sexuality changes completely altered the character.

“Early in the rehearsal process, Natalya [Baldyga] and I established that Leander’s sexuality does not define her nor is it the reason Tartaglia does not want Clarissa to marry Leander,” she wrote. “Within the world of the play, her sexuality was inconsequential.”

She nonetheless stressed the significance of representing gay characters in the play.

“For audiences to see a lesbian couple on stage without any political references made toward them is incredibly important,” Nodelman wrote.

“Especially with the children’s matinee coming up on Saturday, it’s important to represent several types of relationships and challenge audiences to simsee KING STAG, page 6

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Friday, February 24, 2017

Polykhroma Polykhromatic

On virtual creative spaces

W

here do we find creative communities at Tufts? Perhaps our first instinct is to begin our search in physical space: Tufts has dozens of performance groups, ensembles and unique publications, as well as an Arts Haus and a Crafts House. There’s also the SMFA, art studios in Lane Hall, the Crafts Center and the Tufts Art Gallery. While this approach yields a vast number of artistic options, it misses a critical demographic: the Tufts communities that are not visible in our physical environment, but rather exist in our virtual world — not ‘at Tufts,’ but ‘of Tufts.’ Perhaps to gain a more holistic understanding of Tufts’ creative ecosystem, it’s necessary to consider these groups and their functions within campus social life.

So let’s dig in, and why not start with one of the biggest? “Tufts Memes for Quirky Queens” is a Facebook group presently consisting of nearly 4,300 members (and counting) and is open to any Tufts student (pending confirmation by a group admin).

In this group, members post visual media with comical captions relating to college life.

New content tends to appear on the page every few hours, streaming into members’ news feeds. While the group’s description requests that members post “OC” for original content, some posts are entirely produced by their creators while others borrow elements from popular online memes. Of course, regardless of content, the meme formula is present within each — a simple display of visual media, accompanied by stark black or white text and an ironically sloppy DIY aesthetic (think bad Photoshop meets Microsoft Office Word Art circa 2004).

Despite references to general meme culture, overall references on this page remain specific to life at Tufts — rejection from Brown, stir fry night at Carm, controversy over Greek life, Tony Monaco, etc. The essential impulse is not to offer nuances to the collective Tufts experience by sharing a unique perspective but rather to surface the latent, universal aspects of life at Tufts by hyperbolizing them. Comment, like, tag your friends; each post demands its own critique, allowing space for viewers to react.

The act of relying on popular metaphors to articulate one’s personal experience is not a novel concept; it’s something we do often in everyday conversation. As social creatures, we are constantly borrowing from a cultural ‘commons’ of linguistic devices — expressions, proverbs and clichés — to express ourselves and relate to one another.

“Tufts Memes” operates through exactly these means of appropriation, only in multiple systems — incorporating borrowed tropes from internet culture, Tufts culture, pop culture and the collective experiences of students in general. That said, perhaps the reason we so often neglect to mention meme communities when discussing arts-related groups on campus is not that they are not always visible to us, but rather that they are hidden in plain sight. They fit easily into our daily lives, drifting by on our newsfeeds, chiming into our ongoing internal monologues and aligning too closely with our identities as Tufts students to be examined objectively like the works we encounter in the physical world.

So, what does it mean when we post, look, like and share? What kind of art world might we be creating?

-Ella Huzenis, Polykhroma Polykhroma is an independent curating collective founded by eight students excited to encourage active engagement among our community with the arts.

tuftsdaily.com

'King Stag' actors embrace improvisational scenes, modern gender roles KING STAG

continued from page 5 ply accept a queer relationship without any politics attached.”

Although these changes could be made without disrupting the foundation of the play, one aspect of the original script left Baldyga and the actors at a loss: the improvisational scenes.

“I thought I could teach it because I’ve worked with people in improv, but I realized it wasn’t for me. It became very clear after one rehearsal that I couldn’t do this,” Baldyga said.

Nodelman added that she was “petrified” to do improvisation.

Luckily, Baldyga got in touch with Matt McMahan, a professor of Drama and Dance at Tufts who also does improvisation in Boston.

“I said, ‘Matt, can you come in and help?’ and in one hour, he had gotten them farther than I could have in months. So if those scenes succeed, that success is due to him,” Baldyga said.

Nodelman said that working with McMahan and the other actors helped her to overcome her fear of improvisation and develop the skills necessary to succeed in those scenes.

“I learned from doing this show and from acting classes that improv is more about gut reactions and instincts. It’s gone from being completely paralyzing to actually one of the best parts of the show for me,” she explained.

Looking forward, Baldyga hopes to publish her adaptation in the near future.

“The goal is to have it published alongside the literal translation so peo-

ple can compare what the playwright actually said to what the 21st century take on it might be,” she explained.

“When I do get it published, the students can also have their names in it as having originated the roles.”

Baldyga believes the play was able to come to fruition only through collaboration with Matt McMahan, as well as with the entire cast, production team and movement director Daniel McCusker.

“Talk about collective agency: the very making of this is the embodiment of that,” Baldyga said. “And that makes me really happy. The fact that I know all these incredibly talented people is the only reason I could make this show.”

“The King Stag” runs today and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater, and the family matinee will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m.

5 artsy classes recommended by the arts section To celebrate Majors Week, the arts section of the Daily has compiled you a list of inspiring classes related to arts, offered by various departments:

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1) Cassidy Olsen, arts editor: FMS 0078 – Japanese Film “Whether you’re a seasoned film student or a newbie looking for a double whammy art and world civilization credit, FMS 78 – Japanese Film (cross-listed as JPN 80) offers something new for everyone. The course explores the history of Japanese film through weekly screenings and discussion. Readings and assignments are light but interesting, lectures are engaging and the course is taught in English, so there’s no need to worry if you’re entirely new to Japanese language and culture.”

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2) Setenay Mufti, assistant arts editor: ENG 0005 – Creative Writing: Fiction “If you love storytelling and personal challenges, you’ll enjoy English 005, or Creative Writing: Fiction. Open to any student who’s passed the college writing requirement, it gives students space for developing individual skills at their own pace. Although taught by many in the English department, the class with Marcie Hershman will teach you how to deconstruct — literally and figuratively — your work in a positive setting, rounded out by light reading, short writing exercises and extensive peer review.”

3) John Fedak, assistant arts editor: ENG 0007 – Creative Writing: Journalism “Creative Writing: Journalism is a great class for those who want to delve into all things investigative and artsy.

Taught by Neil Miller of the English department, the class covers anything and everything from news reporting to restaurant reviews, allowing each student to apply their own personal streak to the world of journalism.

Students who want to learn formal skills while also applying their own opinions and individuality will love this introductory course.”

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4) Antonio Bertolino, columnist: FAH 0092 – Special Topics: Intro to Contemporary Art “Are you a die-hard Damien Hirst fan? Do you really not get the hype behind contemporary art and don’t understand why critics worship artists who make cuts in their canvases? No matter what your stance on contemporary art, FAH 92 is a class catered to students with all kinds of backgrounds in art history. The readings are not always the clearest, but you will get exposed to paintings, sculptures, videos and performance art pieces that will stimulate you to think in new and creative ways.”

5) Eran Sabaner, executive arts editor: FAH 0121 – Armenian Art, Architecture and Politics “Tufts students, regardless of their major, should take Armenian Art, Architecture and Politics for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Christina Maranci is the only professor in the Western Hemisphere that specializes in Armenian art. It is truly remarkable to study the art and culture of a civilization art history textbooks tend to neglect. Also, the course is a great introduction to art history as a discipline. Non-art history majors will not only fulfill their graduation requirements (the course counts for humanities, arts and world civilization [credits]), but they will also learn a great deal about visual culture.”

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Friday, February 24, 2017 | ADVERTISEMENT | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Free Pizza: Not Just the Stuff of Dreams Â

English Majors Meeting Monday, February 27th East Hall Lounge (113A) 12:00-1:15 PM Join English Department faculty for informal conversation, a truly free lunch, and answers to all your questions about majoring in English. Learn about how majoring in English can not only be fun and rewarding but also extremely useful for prospering in the world of work.

All are welcome!

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Friday, February 24, 2017

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Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Eddie: “Are you gesticulating to your loins?”

Comics

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 24, 2017

SUDOKU

Difficulty Level: Having the talk with your lowest-lottery-number-having suitemate.

Thursday’s Solution

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

CROSSWORD

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Test in which contrasts are helpful, briefly 4 __ stiff 10 Minor set-to 14 Huffington Post owner 15 Wedding offering 16 Defunct food coating 17 Domestic shamelessness?

20 Boundary 21 Legal tender with a torch 22 Dealer’s offering 23 __ voce 25 Body shop supply 26 Near giveaway at the liquor store?

30 2016 Billboard Top Artist 31 Besides Linus, the only Nobel laureate in two fields 32 Take badly?

35 Alluring 36 Postgame staple 37 Candy __ 38 Feb. setting in Spokane 39 Artist at Giverny 40 Opposite of 56-Across 41 Fort Knox?

43 Philosophers’ group 46 “Cutthroat Kitchen” host Brown 47 Second name, perhaps 48 “Zounds!”

51 They’re often tough to beat 53 Result of way too many leaves in the eaves?

56 Opposite of 40-Across 57 Album contents 58 ENT’s group 59 Arcade trademark word 60 Part of many art museum names 61 Table support DOWN 1 Ancient spell caster 2 Produce stand sites

By Jeffrey Wechsler

3 “My turn” 4 Part of NSF: Abbr.

5 Telling it like it is 6 Opposition leader?

7 First name in Chicago politics 8 It’s thrust in competition 9 Phone button letters 10 Without aggression 11 Zeus remains largely neutral during its narrative 12 “A dagger of the mind, a __ creation ... ”: Macbeth 13 Potatoes may be cooked in one 18 Unloose 19 How stand-up comics usually work 24 Ring site 25 Salon sound 26 [I’m shocked!]

27 Enhance through change 28 Showed impatience, in a way

2/24/17

Thursday’s Solution Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

29 Poetry Muse 32 One moving with frequency?

33 Russian Orthodox church feature 34 City on the Aare 36 Kaiser, for one 37 Songs of Seville 39 Maine road sign image 40 Nothing 41 Buffalo Bill feature 42 Really loving

2/24/17

43 Generational tales 44 Barnyard sound 45 Request to a dealer 48 Verify the story of 49 Above the crossbar and between the uprights 50 Forced bet 52 Obstruction 54 Tach stat 55 SEAL’s org.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 25, 2017

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

ACROSS 1 Muslim veils 7 Curly’s dad on “Sesame Street” 15 “For unto us a child is born” source 16 One way to serve fowl 17 “See?!”

18 Counterbalanced, say 19 Penn., for one 20 Thing to do with your fingers 22 Attain, as great heights 23 Brewmaster’s need 25 Plenty of horn?

27 Payless box letters 28 It often follows 12 30 “Anthem for Doomed Youth” poet Wilfred __ 31 Thirsts 32 Structure from the Arabic for “lighthouse” 34 Low bar?

36 Green machine 37 Some timeshares 41 Poet friend of author Ernest 43 Point of view?

44 Downtime?

47 Like some ukuleles 49 Many a group vacation photo, in slang 50 2008-’09 Japanese prime minister Taro __ 51 __ chief 53 Urquhart Castle’s loch 54 Created with 56 Ran 58 Cool 59 Rule broken by deities?

61 Target of a whacking 63 “Mad Men” actor John 64 Elicits 65 Name on many bars 66 Acknowledge subtly

BONUS CROSSWORD

2/25/17

By Julian Lim

DOWN 1 Strikes a chord 2 Kind of muscle contraction 3 Pepper with punch 4 First __ 5 Canine sounds 6 Osso buco cut 7 Tree with greenskinned fruit 8 Maugham’s “Cakes and __” 9 Irritating growth 10 Chlorine’s periodic table follower 11 __ Men: one-hit wonders of 2000 12 Carte part 13 Tatum O’Neal received her Oscar at it 14 Overhauls 21 Seas 24 Best Actress after Field 26 Struck (out) 29 “Yes!” singer Jason 31 #3 on the 2016 Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

33 Like 100 on most tests 35 Mountaineer’s expectation 38 Productivityincreasing trick, in modern parlance 39 Herbal beverage 40 Overlooks, as a fault 42 Prefix with fauna 43 Airline to Eilat

2/25/17

44 Starve, to Shakespeare 45 Worth keeping 46 Tender turndown 48 Some retreats 51 Sweet __ 52 Toon pursuing l’amour 55 Small salamanders 57 Conn of “Grease” 60 Trick ending?

62 One in an order

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, February 24, 2017 | ADVERTISEMENT | THE TUFTS DAILY

FEBRUARY 27th– March 3rd Monday, February 27th Education: Learn about the Education department and major by joining faculty for pizza and conversation. 12-1:15pm Paige Hall Media Center English: Majors Luncheon. Learn about majoring in English from 12pm-1:15pm East Hall Lounge International Literary & Cultural Studies (ILCS): Interested in the following majors? Arabic, Chinese, German, ILVS, Japanese, Judaic Studies, Russian. For info and refreshments, come to Olin, Laminan Lounge, 1st Floor, 12-1:15pm Sociology: Join us for pizza and cake and mingle with prospective majors, other current majors, our faculty and alumni to discuss Sociology--all students are welcome to attend, so bring a friend! 12-1:15pm Eaton Hall 124 Religion: Curious about what it means to study religion in a university setting? Want to find out what you can do with a Major or Minor in Religion? Please join faculty and students from the Department of Religion for a casual lunch-time discussion. 12-1:20pm Eaton Hall 302

Tuesday, February 28th International Relations: As part of Majors Week, chat with prospective and declared IR majors, meet with faculty about the program, and learn more about the exciting opportunities available in IR! From 9-11am Cabot Intercultural Center Hall of Flags

Wednesday, March 1st Anthropology: Please join us for the Anthropology Majors Event for Lunch and Conversation in Eaton 302 12pm Community Health: Come hear about the Community Health Major and meet faculty and staff. Refreshments served. 574 Boston Avenue Suite 208 12pm-1pm Chemistry: Information session for the following majors: Chemistry ACS-Certified, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Chemical Physics in Pearson 104 12-1:15pm Economics: Thinking about a Major in Economics? Braker 113 12-1:15 Mathematics: Dumplings and Derivatives: a reception for the Mathematics major. Bromfield-Pearson 117, Math Conference Room 430pm Physics & Astronomy: Come learn more about majors in Physics & Astronomy from current students and faculty. Pizza will be provided 574 Boston Ave Room 402 12pm-1:30pm Political Science: Come chat informally over coffee and snacks with Political Science faculty and current majors 3rd floor Packard Hall Lounge 4pm-5pm Film and Media Studies: Reception for interested students with current students and faculty 95 Talbot, 2nd Floor Conference Room 12-1:15pm Psychology: Get to know a few Psychology professors, ask any questions you might have about our five majors (Psychology, Biopsychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive & Brain Sciences, and Engineering Psychology), and enjoy a pizza lunch! 490 Boston Avenue, first floor conference room .12pm-1pm RCD: Majors Week Lunch with The Consortium of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora. 12-1:15pm Eaton 124

Friday, March 3rd Mechanical Engineering: Tufts ASME welcomes you to come by to learn more about Mechanical Engineering and hear seniors talk about their experiences in the major . Anderson Hall, Room 206 12pm-1pm Biology: A chance for prospective biology majors to meet biology faculty Barnum Lobby 3pm– 4pm

Coming up Next Week March 6th History: History Open House Pizza and drinks will be served. East Hall Lounge 113A 12-1:15pm

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THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Friday, February 24, 2017

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Friday, February 24, 2017 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

S p o rts

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Stingy Jumbo defense to be key against high-scoring Polar Bear offense WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

continued from page back game, and we’ve been practicing that the past couple of months.”

The Jumbos boast the second-stingiest scoring defense in the nation, giving up just 42.1 points per game, and they have been successful this season in keeping many of the high-powered offenses in the NESCAC from reaching their season averages. Last weekend, half of Bowdoin’s points were scored in the paint. But Tufts will also have an edge there with 6-foot junior forward Melissa Baptista and 6-foot-2

senior tri-captain center Michela North, two of the conference’s best defenders down low, holding a distinct height advantage over all of Bowdoin’s starters.

The Polar Bears are led by junior guard Kate Kerrigan with 9.0 points per game and sophomore guard Abigail Kelly with 8.3 points per game. However, one of their greatest offensive strengths is their depth in scoring, with eight of their 16 players averaging more than five points per game.

It should thus come as no surprise that Dillon believes the key to victory will be a strong defensive performance.

“The key will be to play our game – to

play our defense,” Dillon said. “Bowdoin is a very good offensive team, and if we stick to our game plan, play the defense that we’ve been working on since day one, then I think that would be the biggest factor in the game. We need to do better from the field too: we need to hit more shots, but I would put more emphasis on the defensive end.”

Should Tufts prevail on Saturday, it will likely be looking at a rematch against No. 1-in-the-nation Amherst in Sunday’s championship game. The conference championship hosts face fifth-seeded Colby in the other semifinal game on Saturday.

The last three meetings between Tufts

and Amherst were decided by a onepoint margin. While the Jumbos are taking it one game at a time, Dillon believes that the team learned from its narrow 36-35 defeat a few weeks ago — the team’s only loss this season — and is ready for some payback, if it gets the chance. “[We learned that] every possession matters,” Dillon said. “We had a lot of empty possessions, a lot of turnovers and when it comes down to that one point, you have to know that every possession counts … [We’re] more prepared to take care of the ball and treat the ball like it’s our baby.”

Palleschi, Smith look to impact likely final home games of their careers MEN'S BASKETBALL

continued from page back be out for blood.

“We are a confident team and we know that when we play well, we’re able to beat anyone that comes on the court,” senior tri-captain center Tom Palleschi said. “We just hope that we can beat Williams before we look ahead. Because without a win on Saturday, Sunday means nothing.”

Middlebury is tied with Tufts with a NESCAC record of 8-2. However, in a headto-head tiebreak, Tufts came out on top as

the first seed. In January, the Jumbos overcame the Panthers 91-85. Tufts built a solid lead in the first half, thanks to 11 points from Pace and six from Palleschi, establishing a 48-37 advantage. Despite Middlebury scoring 48 in the second half to Tufts’ 43, junior guard Everett Dayton helped the Jumbos keep their lead with 11 points and three assists in the second half.

While Middlebury and Williams like to move the ball up and down the court and let their offenses dictate the course of the game, Trinity is a defensive force.

The Jumbos saw this firsthand on Feb. 3, where they outlasted the Bantams 78-75 in

overtime despite averaging 83.7 points per game. Last weekend in the quarter-finals the Bantams held the Wesleyan Cardinals to only 49 points.

Against Trinity, Savage was again the team leader with 18 points. He was followed closely by Garrett, Pace and Smith, who scored 17, 16 and 15, respectively. In the match-up, two Bantams scored over 20 points, so the main focus would be keeping those two under control.

Palleschi will be returning to the court for the first time in four-and-a-half weeks after suffering a dislocated kneecap against Wesleyan on Jan. 20. Palleschi is a 1000-

point scorer, the Jumbo all-time leader in blocks and will be a big asset against the Ephs who field four players 6’8” or over.

For the senior class consisting of Palleschi, Smith and tri-captain center Drew Madsen, a win on Saturday will give them the first opportunity of their careers to win a NESCAC ring. Although they will likely receive either an automatic or at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, this weekend may be the last home game of their Tufts careers.

The semfinals will be held at Cousens Gym starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and the final will be on Sunday.

MEN'S SQUASH

Jumbos ‘racquet’ up the intensity at CSA Championships

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Brett Raskopf sets up to backhand in a match against Dickinson at Harvard's Murr Center on Jan. 20.

by Caleb Symons Contributing Writer

The Jumbos battled through three challenging contests at last weekend’s College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships, ultimately progressing to the semifinals before being knocked out by the thinnest of margins.

The tournament, which was held at multiple locations in the greater Boston area, divided its 62 participants among eight divisions based on their national rankings. Entering as the No. 28 team in the country, Tufts qualified for the D Division’s Conroy Cup, a step up from its participation in the E Division’s Chaffee Cup last year.

In the first round, Tufts faced a familiar

opponent in No. 29 Hamilton. After losing 6-3 on the road to the Continentals early in the season, the Jumbos won by the reverse scoreline during the NESCAC tournament.

Friday’s rubber match at MIT proved to be as competitive as the pairs’ history would suggest, and Tufts prevailed in a hard-fought 5-4 victory.

After beating their Hamilton opponents in the year’s first two match-ups, co-captains, junior Braden Chiulli and sophomore Aidan Porges, split decisions, with the former losing in five sets (11-8, 11-4, 11-13, 11-13, 11-7) and the latter winning in four (11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9). Sophomore Alan Litman provided the decisive victory from the No. 1 spot with a comfortable 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 win over

Hamilton’s Colin O’Dowd.

The victory propelled Tufts into the semifinals, where they faced No. 25 Hobart College — the top ranked team in the Conroy Cup. In the teams’ first match-up since 2013, the Statesmen triumphed with a 5-4 victory.

The contest featured two matches that lasted the full five sets, both resulting in victories for the Jumbos. During the first one, firstyear Raghav Kumar overcame a 2-1 deficit for an 8-11, 15-13, 9-11, 11-1, 11-6 win. Then, in the sixth match of the day, Porges nearly blew a 2-0 lead against Hobart’s Graham Henderson before rallying to win the decisive fifth set, 12-10.

“Those were two big wins,” first-year Siddharth Jejurikar said. “We [thought] that

we were stronger on the bottom end of the ladder, so we knew that we had to pick up those victories in the top five [spots].”

Despite the team’s two narrow victories, the Jumbos could not manage to scrape together the additional three wins required to advance, as the Statesmen handily won four matches in straight sets, and first-year Cristian Escalona provided a fifth victory by beating Tufts sophomore Imran Trehan in four sets.

The loss dropped the Jumbos into Sunday’s third-place game against another NESCAC opponent, No. 27 Bowdoin, at the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass.

There, Kumar recorded his third victory of the weekend (11-7, 11-4, 12-10), but the Redwood City, Calif. native’s performance was one of the lone bright spots for the Jumbos, as they fell 6-3. Again, two matches were decided in five sets, but this time, both were won by the Polar Bears.

It certainly did not help the Jumbos that Porges suffered a pulled muscle while tied 7-7 in the fifth set of his match. The sophomore co-captain battled, but understandably dropped four consecutive points to provide an abrupt conclusion to an otherwise drawnout match. “[Bowdoin] is traditionally one of the better teams in the conference and the nation … but when you look at the match scores, you realize how close it was,” coach Joe McManus said. “Those kind of matches can go either way.”

The Jumbos’ 1-2 showing at the CSA Championships meant that they ended the season with an overall record of 14-10.

Additionally, it guaranteed that the team remained ranked No. 28 in the country to close the year, an improvement of five spots from last year.

In assessing how the tournament plays into the bigger picture for the program, McManus noted the contributions the team received from its younger members.

“I learned about our strengths [this weekend],” McManus said. “Since there aren’t any seniors on this team and we have a great recruiting class coming in, I couldn’t be more excited about the future of the team.”

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Friday, February 24, 2017

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Tufts heads to Amherst for NESCAC Championship weekend

by Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editor

After downing Williams 58-40 in the opening round of the NESCAC tournament last weekend, second-seeded Tufts (24-1 overall, 9-1 NESCAC) will take on third-seeded Bowdoin (21-3 overall, 8-2 NESCAC) at Amherst in the semifinals Saturday. The nationally-ranked No. 3 Jumbos hope to have a repeat of their Jan. 6 match-up against the No. 17 Polar Bears, which the Jumbos won at home 46-43.

Tufts is currently riding a streak of three straight comfortable wins after a tough 36-35 loss to Amherst on Feb. 4.

The game was a battle for the top seed in the conference and hosting rights for the NESCAC championship weekend. Just eight days prior to Saturday’s win against Williams, the Jumbos also handily beat the Ephs 61-27 and then steamrolled Rhode Island College 74-27 a few days later.

“It feels really good to seal the deal and take it to the next weekend, especially since we just played Williams a couple of weeks before that,” first-year guard/forward Erica DeCandido said.

“It’s kind of a spring board to what we hope [are] more games this weekend, but we just have to take it one game at a time.

This Saturday’s opponent Bowdoin comes into the semifinals in fine form, winning its last nine games in a row.

However, like Tufts, Bowdoin’s last defeat came at the hands of the No. 1 seed Amherst (25-0). In the Polar Bears’ last match, they improved on their 68-49 regular season-ending victory over the Conn. College Camels, recording a 72-47 win last Saturday. Bowdoin

shot 28-of-67 (41.8 percent) from the field in the most recent win and scored 34 of its points off turnovers.

Tufts and Bowdoin also lead the conference, averaging 12.0 steals per game each this season, so ball control could be a deciding factor. The last meeting between the two teams saw them turn the ball over 52 times combined, with Tufts giving up a season-high 22 turnovers.

DeCandido, however, thinks that this game will be different, especially given the experience the first-years have now.

“I think that one of the main things [about the previous victory over Bowdoin] was that [it] was our first NESCAC game,” DeCandido said. “I think I can speak for the [first-years] that it was a hard adjustment and we weren’t sure what to expect. But going into this game, we’re really determined and focused. We’ve been working hard all week for this, so we’d go into this one with the right attitude and just try to execute what we’ve been executing all this season.”

Reflecting on that first match-up, junior tri-captain guard Lauren Dillon thinks the team will have to improve on its offensive output to keep up with the NESCAC’s highest-scoring team, as the Polar Bears average 74.8 points per game. The Jumbos have already been steadily increasing their scoring over the course of the season.

“We worked a lot on our offense [since] that game,” Dillon said. “We need to score more than the 46 points we put up on the board that [first] SITONG ZHANG / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Katie Martensen attempts a shot in the game against Trinity on Feb. 4, 2016. see WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, page 11

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Jumbos two wins away from becoming NESCAC champions

by Maddie Payne Sports Editor

ANEGLIE XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior Everett Dayton drives to the basket during a game against Williams on Feb. 10.

The Jumbos are preparing for a historic weekend at home, starting Saturday, when they face the Williams Ephs in the NESCAC semifinals. If they win, they will face the winner of the Trinity vs. Middlebury contest on Sunday, also at home.

This year was the first time that the Jumbos were first-seeds in the NESCAC regular season, and therefore the first time they have been given the opportunity to host the second and third rounds of NESCACs. This is a huge advantage for Tufts, which holds a home record of 11-1. On the other hand, the Ephs, Trinity Bantams and Middlebury Panthers have away records of 7-5, 7-5 and 7-2, further compounding Tufts’ advantage.

Williams is in the semifinals this year after upsetting last year’s tournament winner, Amherst, 76-69 last weekend. Earlier in February, the Jumbos beat the Ephs 93-68 at home, handing Williams its fifth conference loss. Despite the big margin, the Jumbos are not underestimating the Ephs.

“We’ve been focusing on our defense.

We played good defense against Williams last time, and they didn’t come close to as

many as they usually score against us. Our goal has been to get ahead of shooters and get them off that three-point line,” coach Bob Sheldon said.

The Ephs are known for their ability to shoot from the perimeter. They average 27.2 three-point attempts per game and make 9.2. Despite making eight three-pointers against the Jumbos earlier in the season, the Ephs faced a strong defense from the Jumbos, which included 12 steals and three blocks. This held Williams to a mere 68 points, below its average of 76.2 points per game.

First-year Eric Savage shone against the Ephs in the previous match-up, scoring a game-high 17 points in only 11 minutes. Senior tri-captain Tarik Smith, and junior guard KJ Garrett both tallied 15 points, while junior guard Vincent Pace led the Jumbos in rebounds, with nine.

Should the Jumbos beat the Ephs on Saturday, they will advance to the NESCAC championship to face the Bantams or the Panthers. The Jumbos have defeated all three other teams in the final four of the tournament already this season, so no matter who they face, their opponent will

see MEN'S BASKETBALL, page 11