The Tufts Daily - Sunday, May 21, 2023 (Commencement)

T HE T UFTS D AILY COMMEnCEMEnT 2023

Letter from the EIC

Julia Shannon-Grillo congratulates the Class of 2023, thanks Daily staff Page 3

Monaco sits down for final interview with the Daily Page 6

Somerville unveils plan for safer cycling Page 18

Students grapple with accessibility support issues after StAAR/ ARC merger Page 4

Prof. Kendra Field highlights unsung heroes in ‘Black Feminist DC’ exhibit Page 19

Ballantyne, Markey discuss Somerville’s national leadership in fight for a greener future Page 20

Barnacles, snails, evolution: Prof. Jan Pechenik recaps 40-year career Page 22

Eric Grin discusses emergency medicine, STEM education Page 22

Jaden Pena spans campus communities through music, athletics, student government Page 26

Faculty and staff taking courses redefine what it means to be a Tufts student Page 26

“Little Women” on the big stage: Senior co-directors reflect Page 32

In Burlesque, “there’s never anything to lose … except your clothing” Page 38

Ukrainian athletes’ resilience on show at Boston Marathon Page 41 On Mystic Lake, Legler’s legacy lives on Page 44

The Editorial Board thanks President Monaco for his time at Tufts Page 41

Theo Henry looks back on high school, college hoops Page 45

Congratulations, Class of 2023

Dear Class of 2023 and the Tufts community,

Congratulations on completing another year of intellectual curiosity and creative adaptation. Today, Tufts graduates a class that has seen a lot. It’s fair to say the Class of 2023 had the most tumultuous college experience a collective can have. From being sent home in March of your freshman year to adjusting to hybrid learning and modified extracurriculars to facing a slew of bomb threats just as things were beginning to look normal, this class has taken every challenge in stride. I’ll save you all the in-depth COVID-19 recap — if you’re really itching to read it, take a look at previous Commencement editions. But as the final class with a memory of pre-pandemic Tufts, you have spent the past year defining the school you graduate from today. Those of us who have some time left in this place thank you for it.

With an unpredictable four years of Tufts came an unpredictable four years of the Daily, and just as every senior has

shaped the lives of future Jumbos, I hope the past year of the Daily has set the standard for its future.

Since last May, the Daily has proven itself as an informant to the Tufts community. We broke the story of alleged discrimination by Dean of Admissions JT Duck, we dove into years of battles that led to the unionization of resident assistants, we published an inaugural special edition focused on Tufts’ host communities, we provided live updates to a campus under threat, and we called on Tufts to do its part in ending the epidemic of gun violence, all while standing by our staff as they wrote articles to an exceptional standard of journalistic integrity.

From our tiny, windowless, bathroomless basement, the people who comprise the Daily kept an independent student press alive and thriving. The culmination of all of their work is in your hands today. To the Daily’s staff, thank you. You have produced a paper that I hope you are immensely proud of.

As I wrap up a full year on the Daily’s managing board, I am hyperaware that these achievements would not have happened without our incredible system of leadership and support. To the spring 2023 executive board: Thank you for your trust, thank you for being inspiring role models to your sections, and thank you for seeking out a home at the Daily. To the fall 2022 and spring 2023 managing boards: Thank you for working tirelessly to highlight the potential of this newspaper, thank you for being the most thoughtful friends, and thank you for believing in me.

The world our seniors graduate into may present an overwhelming instability, but if the Class of 2023 learned anything from their Tufts degrees, it is how to let ambition make the best of uncertainty. You will be missed, but you will make us proud!

With lots of love,

Julia Shannon-Grillo Editor in Chief, Spring 2023

THE 87TH MANAGING BOARD OF THE TUFTS DAILY

The 87th managing board is pictured outside the Daily’s newsroom on May 4.

‘a lot of challenges’: Tufts’ failures as an accessible campus

by Delaney Clarke Senior Staff Writer

One evening last semester, former Tufts sophomore Morgane Hanley was on their way to their 6–9 p.m. lab, only to find that the accessible entrance that they typically used to enter Pearson Hall was locked.

The entrance that Hanley, who is physically disabled, was taking was the accessible entrance into Pearson. It is a side entrance with a ramp and a push button that automatically opens the door. According to Hanley, there was a sign on the side of the building that stated that this entrance was locked after 5 p.m.

“I was able to reach out to the StAAR [Student Accessibility and Academic Resources] Center and they were able to get that changed — now it’s no longer locked,” Hanley said. “[But] it was really disheartening for it to be my responsibility to have to change that and for me to have to be going to my class and face that barrier.”

Inaccessible infrastructure on campus limits access to various on-campus structures

For Hanley, moments like this have been commonplace throughout the 1 1/2 years they spent as a Tufts student.

“I have had to report many, many broken accessible door opener buttons, for example,” Hanley said. “Sometimes several times a day at Tufts I would just be navigating campus [and] going to different classes, [and] I would run into several broken working buttons on campus, which is really unfortunate when that’s something that really helps me navigate a space.”

In the fall semester, Hanley recalls that there was no system implemented by Tufts Facilities to routinely check the accessible door buttons.

“It was my job to then report [broken buttons] to either StAAR or directly to facilities and they would be in charge of fixing that,” Hanley said. “[That] is understandable;

however, when that’s happening many times a day … that can really take a toll.”

Greg Walters, the senior director of Facilities Services at Tufts, wrote in an email to the Daily that facilities is planning to add a system to check buttons on a periodic basis soon.

“Facilities is adding the push buttons to their preventive maintenance plans to check them on a periodic basis for proper operation and function,” Walters wrote.

Walters added that if a student encounters a broken button they should submit a work order to facilities either online, through the Facilities Service Request System or by calling the Operations Control Center.

“We strive to make our facilities as accessible and welcoming as possible to all, so we appreciate hearing from community members when they notice a problem such as an inoperative door push button,” Walters wrote. “If there is a request to add a push button opener to an existing door, these are best placed through the StAAR Center.”

Hanley explained that repeatedly encountering broken door buttons took an added unnecessary toll on their ability to navigate campus each day.

“It shouldn’t be on the disabled person to have to report that,” Hanley said.

The Daily asked Associate Dean of StAAR Kirsten Behling what a student should do when an accessible door button is broken.

“The best thing to do is submit a Facilities Service Request. You can also let us know and we will contact facilities as well. Finally, Tufts has a barrier reporting form that we check daily,” Behling wrote in an email to the Daily.

In addition to inaccessible entrances, certain infrastructure inside on-campus buildings present barriers to accessibility as well.

Noe Montez, chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, highlighted the challenges of navigating the Jackson Performance Hall.

In order to access Jackson’s dance labs, most entrances require using stairs. Without the use of stairs, one has to navigate a back entrance, wait for an elevator and enter a tight space.

Montez explained that the theatre department would like to make the space more accessible, but the outdated infrastructure makes that difficult.

“We’re trying to do things to make our spaces accessible as much as we can but what’s really needed is a significant infrastructure [update],” Montez said.

Students on campus have had difficulty acquiring accommodations

Beyond issues with navigating on-campus infrastructure, Hanley also encountered difficulties with the StAAR Center’s accommodation process. Their biggest problem with accommodations was with the opportunity to have an in-class note-taker.

Hanley explained that the note-taker program is set up on a volunteer basis, meaning that they did not receive notes until another student in the class volunteered to take notes for them.

Last fall, they recalled that they did not receive notes for their Global Environmental History class until November.

“I’ve had many instances where at least once a semester, two months into my courses, I still didn’t have notes for a class,” Hanley said.

Hanley explained that they felt their overall experience at Tufts was marked by continuous self-advocacy in order to acquire the accommodations they needed to succeed academically.

“Everyone’s accommodations and situation looks different, but to me there isn’t that: ‘Oh, we hear you when we’re going to try to make change, and this is what we’re doing,’” Hanley said. “Of course, in a university setting, change can take a long time, and I understand that, but this is what I need to be a successful student and to show up every day.”

Ultimately, Hanley decided to transfer schools, citing Tufts’ accommodations services as a primary factor. When Hanley spoke with the Daily, they were in the midst of officially transferring colleges while taking courses at their local community college.

“The underlying reason I decided to leave Tufts was because of the difficulty I had with the accommodation services and just the toll that [that difficulty] was taking on me, not only physically … but also the toll that [it] was taking on my mental health” Hanley said. “A lot of these issues are unfortunately in other colleges as well … [but] I felt like I did deserve a better environment.”

This difficulty with requesting accommodations is an experience shared by a Tufts first-year student who wished to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Bella throughout this article.

When she was accepted to Tufts, one of the first things Bella did was reach out to StAAR to begin the process of requesting accommodations for her hearing aid, among other accommodations.

“I applied to Tufts ED II and right after I received my decision, I pretty much turned around and emailed

the StAAR Center, asking to set up a meeting,” Bella said. “That meeting was held in February of last year. That meeting did not go very well. It seemed right from the get-go that accommodations were going to be a barrier.”

She explained that the StAAR Center told her that the accommodations process typically starts in the summer before school begins, but the student explained that she needed assistive technology and that starting the process the summer before school began might be too quick of a turnaround.

Behling discussed the typical process the StAAR Center follows when students begin to request accommodations in the email.

“Students who need academic accommodations are more than welcome to connect with us when they decide to come to Tufts in May,” she wrote. “However, we recommend that we wait to meet about academic accommodations until August, so that the resources are more front of mind. If a student wants to meet earlier that is fine too. We also meet with a lot of [prospective] students as they look at and consider Tufts.”

Bella described that she was unable to retrieve information from the StAAR Center on which hearing aid brand she should get. At the time, she was choosing between two of the top hearing aid brands — Oticon and Phonak, both of which she described as being mostly only compatible with their own brand of equipment.

She explained that since she needed a hearing aid before the first day of school and the inner ear piece is custom built. The student decided to select a brand based on recommendations from her audiologist. As she arrived on campus, Bella realized that the equipment at Tufts was not compatible with their new custom hearing aid.

“[My audiologist] mostly works with Oticon so we got an Oticon,” Bella said. “Well guess

RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Pearson Hall accessible entrance is pictured on May 9. RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY

The steps by Paige Hall are pictured on May 9. see ACCESSIBILITY, page 5

Students discuss accessibility issues on campus

continued from page 4

what? [Tufts doesn’t] have Oticon equipment.”

She said that throughout the semester the StAAR Center contacted her with different ways to implement assistive technology that is compatible with Oticon, but the different suggestions were types of assistive technology that she explained would not work for her. She said that as a result she went the first semester without in-classroom assistive technology.

She stated that the center tried to have her personal audiologist give a recommendation for assistive technology, which according to her is not a job function of her audiologist.

“They were trying to make my personal audiologist give a recommendation on assistive technology and I’m like, ‘That’s not her job. That’s a different job title,’” Bella said. “It’s two different things. One person does the hearing aid and one person does the [assistive] technology.”

When asked if there is a person on StAAR’s staff who specializes in assistive technology, Behling wrote that all StAAR Center staff are trained in assistive technology.

“Each team member is trained, and consistently up-dated, in assistive technology,” Behling wrote. “We took this approach so that we can work with a student in the moment and not have them have to come back for another appointment.”

Bella went on to describe that the StAAR Center proceeded to propose a few other technology ideas that might work with Oticon, none of which were adequate.

She explained that she understood one proposed solution would have required every person in her class to hold a device to speak into and press a button when they talk for the entire duration that they spoke. It would have also required Bella to wear equipment herself.

“It was asking a lot of other people, and assistive technology is not supposed to do that,” she said.

Ultimately, Bella decided to retrieve an assistive technology recommendation from elsewhere and has assistive technology that doesn’t work for all of her classes.

Students on campus are sometimes unaware of what accommodations Tufts offers

Jessie Goober, who uses both she and they pronouns, started the student organization Access Betters the Lives of Everyone during their first year at Tufts.

Goober, a senior, stated that one of the goals of ABLE is to create a physically accessible Disability Center to provide people on campus with disabilities a comfortable and safe space. She described that it is not in the StAAR Center’s capacity to generate a sense of community for students with disabilities, which she hopes the creation of a Disability Center could provide.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about what the StAAR Center does,” Goober said. “They used to be called SAS, which was Student Accessibility Services, but they actually merged with another organization called ARC … [which] used to be the tutoring [center].”

When asked why SAS and ARC merged, Behling explained the move was made to create an easier process for students.

“The merge allowed us to create a more streamlined process of support for students, to educate the entire staff as to what we each do, and to creatively collaborate around new programs/ resources that students were asking for and need,” Behling wrote.

Goober explained that in their opinion, the merger makes it so that the center is not specialized for students with disabilities.

“Now they are no longer an organization just for students with disabilities,” Goober said.

“They’re for all students.”

Goober illustrated how a Disability Center would also be able to advocate for students with disabilities and help students in navigating the accommodations process.

“There’s no checks and balances for the StAAR Center,” they said. “If I don’t get my accommodation for any reason, I don’t have anyone to go to; the only person I can go to is StAAR.”

To help students obtain accommodations, Goober pulled together various resources on Tufts’ accommodation request process into a Google Drive folder.

“When you apply [for accommodations] it’s really confusing,” Goober said. “It’s not that they don’t know how to — they do. It’s just the way that [StAAR is] sending the information out is … not in an easily accessible way like in a Google folder like the one I just made.”

Behling encouraged students who are not able to get accommodations approved to follow StAAR’s grievance process.

“If a student does not get the accommodations that they asked for, they are more than welcome to follow our grievance process,” Behling wrote.

“We frequently work with students who need accommodation adjustments based on their disability, or the classes that they are taking, or their study abroad experiences, etc. Students should come back as often as they like to work through any new accommodation needs that arise.”

Goober explained that part of what makes the accommodation process so frustrating is that students often have to keep pushing to figure out how to properly articulate what they need.

“There’s no list of accommodations, there’s no ‘this is what you could have,’” Goober said. “It’s like [they’re] gatekeeping resources.”

When asked whether the StAAR Center provides students with a list of accommodations, Behling stated that the StAAR

Center prefers speaking with students rather than using a standard list.

“We don’t have a standard list of accommodations. Instead, we speak with each student individually to see what they might need and then go from there,” she wrote. “Often we need to create new accommodations specific to their needs.”

However, Behling added that based on student feedback the center will begin to list accommodations on their website beginning this summer.

“We will put examples of the types of accommodations that some students use on our website this summer,” she wrote. “This is a result of student feedback that we have received.”

Hanley shared a similar sentiment with Goober, in that while at Tufts they often felt left in the dark about certain accommodations they could ask for.

“Sure, [StAAR’s] suggestions were helpful but there were other things that I had no idea that were even possible or that I could ask for,” Hanley said.

They went on to contrast this experience with Tufts accommodation process with their accommodation at the school Hanley currently attends.

“Where I’m at now … we went through all the accommodations that the school offered and we talked through [them], and [the school’s accessibility representative] was like ‘tell me what you might need,’” Hanley said. “And just having that already made a huge, huge difference.”

Moving forward?

Jose Armando is a Class of 2026 TCU senator who has helped to bring many different projects related to disability to the forefront.

To assist with campus mobility, Armando, a first-year, is working on putting together a project called Ride the Hill, which would provide a Tufts-managed shuttle service to take students to different stops around campus.

Tufts currently has a Lyft program that students can use to get around campus. Behling explained that this program was the result of an alumni gift.

“If the Lyft accommodation is appropriate to help them navigate an access barrier, we

will give them a monthly credit for use of Lyft. Students may take Lyft anywhere within a 1.5mile radius of the campus center (this will help to get them to Davis for the Redline),” Behling wrote. “The idea behind the Lyft accommodation is that it provides flexibility in terms of where, and when (rather than waiting for a shuttle) a student can access campus.”

Bella has used the Lyft program before, but said that the program is difficult to use due to Lyft being a third party company.

“The tips come out of your own pocket … and you can’t just not tip,” she said. “One time the app went down, and I was by the SEC, and I was trying to get to a religious event, and I was stranded there. I called the StAAR Center and they would not help me.”

Armando cited a recent TCU survey, which found that 51% of students wished there were more shuttle stops around campus. He highlighted the ways in which he hopes the Ride the Hill project will aid students.

“Ride the Hill, for me, is a way to bring support to students who have mobility issues or physical disability,” Armando said.

In addition to the Ride the Hill project, Armando is supportive of ABLE’s quest to create a Disability Center, partly due to his own experiences with the accommodations process.

“The problem is in order to get accommodations, you have to prove that you need the accommodations, and that can take months,” Armando said. “The StAAR Center [provides] great services, but the problem is that they don’t focus on the topic of disability.”

This semester, the TCU Senate established a disability community senator. Tufts’ first disability community senator is sophomore Itamar Oelsner.

Oelsner stated how he hopes his position will support students with disabilities in getting necessary resources.

“There’s a lot of things that the administration does to make sure that students have what they need in order to succeed, but there’s definitely room for improvement,” Oelsner said.

Oelsner’s hope that Tufts can see the benefit that establishing a Disability Center would have for the student body.

“I think the administration needs to recognize that this is a serious want and a need from students on campus, and a lot of people could benefit from it,” Oelsner said.

Bella noted that although Tufts may not be able to change its landscape, there is a lot the school could still do to better accommodate students.

“Obviously Tufts is built on a hill — you can’t knock down the hill,” she said. “But there are things that you can do to help people navigate life here to where it doesn’t hurt them or negatively impact them.”

A sign indicating the hours of the accessible entrance to Pearson Hall is pictured on May 9.

The path to Tisch Library is pictured on May 9.

Q&a: Monaco sits for final annual interview with the daily, reflects on accomplishments, hopes for the future of Tufts

by Julia Shannon-Grillo and Aaron Gruen Editor in Chief and Executive News Editor

As his 12-year tenure as president of Tufts University comes to a close, Anthony Monaco sat down with the Daily to discuss his legacy, accomplishments and hopes for the university’s future.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Tufts Daily (TD): President Monaco, thank you so much. We’re so honored to be doing your end-of-year interview. The first question we had was — knowing that your time as president would be coming to a close at the end of this year — what kind of experience has the last year been for you?

Anthony Monaco (AM): It’s been an experience which I would describe as normal but not normal. We as a community went back to many in-person traditions. The Joyce Cummings Center and the opening of the Green Line featured quite prominently in our sense of coming back. There were many more events at the Cummings Center, the views were wonder-

ful, the spaces were great for students and the ballroom as an open space for either student- or university-run events really made a difference. It was a moment of pride coming out of the pandemic that we could accomplish that. It really

changed the nucleus of activity in a sense.

I would say that the TCU Senate and the events they organized really made us feel like we were back to normal, and people were interacting well. But at the same time, it’s on a

Class of 2023 looks to carve space in job market shaped by lofty layoffs, low unemployment

by Ethan Steinberg News Editor

Members of the Class of 2023 are expanding their job-search horizon as they get set to graduate into a labor market that is simultaneously desperate and reticent to welcome them. A survey from the college recruiting platform Handshake showed that 47% of college students in its network are applying to more jobs in response to economic uncertainty, while 36%

are opening their job search to more industries.

Applications to government, nonprofit and retail work have boomed, and students have indicated more willingness to move to a different city than in previous years. Across all colleges, U.S. employers are expecting to hire 3.9% more graduates than they did a year ago, but that prediction is down from 14.7% in the fall, a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found.

Meanwhile, the labor market continues to bustle. April’s 3.4% unemployment rate matches the lowest in 54 years, and the jobs report — posting a net gain of 253,000 — jolted upward from March and bucked the downward trend central bankers have been hoping for in order to curb inflation. The labor market’s continued stirring, fueled by gains in outpatient medical centers, restaurants and professional and

see JOBS, page 9

backdrop of national political divide, increased gun violence, increased mental health disorders in this generation and looming climate change, which is a major challenge. I feel that, although we’re back to normal, there’s an underlying

feeling that things are not the same and that challenges have increased, which feeds back into the sense of community. The Tufts community showed its strength during the pandemic, and I hope it continues to show strength against these major challenges, because universities have a lot to offer in that realm of understanding and also thinking about how to apply understanding to help society.

I really have enjoyed this last year. It was wonderful to celebrate with students and faculty and staff at many different events, which did feel like normal. But I guess underneath is this feeling that things aren’t the same.

TD: Are you confident moving forward?

AM: I certainly am confident about the role that universities will play in rising to these challenges and the strength of community here to advance many values and principles as we rise to those challenges. But at the same time, sometimes, everyone feels that some of them are so

see INTERVIEW, page 8

deans, administrators discuss experience working with Monaco

by Aaron Gruen Executive News Editor

As University President Anthony Monaco prepares to leave Tufts alongside the Class of 2023, the Daily reached out to senior members of the administration to get a sense of his leadership style and character. While much of the Tufts community’s interactions with Monaco have been in passing, if at all, those who know him well described the outgoing president as “principled,” “conscientious” and “brilliant,” among other ways.

James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, has worked with Monaco since he became university president in 2011. He told the Daily that Monaco leads with “great clarity.”

“You know where he stands. You know what the goals and priorities are,” Glaser wrote in an email to the Daily. “He’s persuasive that those goals and priorities are the right ones, and that makes it easy to work together to reach them.”

Kyongbum Lee, dean of the School of Engineering, said that Monaco leads decisively with a strong sense of values, persuading those who work with him by appealing to their sense of mission and purpose.

“He led the university with conviction that our words and actions should be aligned with our mission and values,” Lee wrote in an email to the Daily. “During a tumultuous time when cynicism has increased in our national discourse, he took clear, principled stances on a number of issues of importance to the Tufts community, and encouraged students to take actions on their own principles.”

Caroline Genco, provost and senior vice president ad interim, recalled meeting Monaco for the first time in 2015 when she was chair of the immunology department at Tufts University School of Medicine.

“Tony took the time to meet with all department heads individually at TUSM that year to learn about our work, needs, and priorities firsthand,” Genco wrote in an email to the Daily. To this day, she added, “he has continued leading through community-building” and “always puts people and our community first.”

“His ground-up, community-oriented approach to leadership demonstrates his commitment to civic engagement and service,” Genco wrote.

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

University President Anthony Monaco is pictured in his office on April 18.

UNIVERSITY

Incoming TCu Senate President arielle galinsky talks accomplishments, goals

by Matthew Sage News Editor

Arielle Galinsky was named the winner of the Tufts Community Union Senate presidential election by the TCU Elections Commission on April 28. Galinsky, the current TCU Senate vice president, will serve as the TCU Senate president for the 2023–24 academic year.

Presidential voting began at noon on April 27, ending at noon on April 28 with ECOM’s announcement of Galinsky’s victory. Both Galinsky and her opponent, Wanci Nana, won Class of 2024 TCU Senate seats which were announced by ECOM on April 19. Galinsky then launched her presidential campaign via Instagram on April 20, followed by Nana on April 21.

According to ECOM’s Instagram post announcing the win, she won 69.96% of the 1,781 votes cast.

Galinsky, born in Canton, Mass., is a double major in biopsychology and community health with a minor in political science. Within the Tufts community, she is a co-president of Tufts Best Buddies, a co-president of NeuroNetwork, the curator of TEDxTufts and a co-founder and president of Tufts Legacy Project. Professionally, she works as a U.S. congressional intern for Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and as a legal services volunteer at the Suffolk Probate and Family Court in Boston.

Galinsky has been a Class of 2024 senator since her freshman year, when she ran during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was very isolating. There was very much a lack of community,” Galinsky said. “When I came to Tufts, I really had no desire to run for student govern-

ment. That wasn’t even on the horizon. But after a few weeks of being there … there were just so many issues that arose because of the pandemic. … Students were so unhappy. … Ultimately, what drove me to run for Senate was the conditions that we were in, and what kept me to stay was just my love for the projects and for the opportunity to get to be that bridge between administration and students.”

Galinsky has been a part of many initiatives over her three years in the Senate. She is proud of her previous work combating menstrual product inequality through a project that places free menstrual products in several buildings across campus. She has seen the project grow from its beginning stages to now being institutionalized at Tufts.

She also helped create the Food Security Senate Subcommittee,

which aims to reduce food insecurity on campus. This year, the Senate sponsored a campus food pantry, a grocery store shuttle pilot program, a meal swipe drive that accumulated 1,800 meals to be donated to other Tufts students and provided grocery bags to students staying on campus during school breaks.

“My goal as president is to make these long-term, permanent solutions, and then [to expand] a lot of the different initiatives and concerns that students have been coming to me with,” Galinsky said.

She highlighted student concerns over the formation of new student organizations, a lack of cultural center funding and improvements to the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center as some of her priorities. During her presidency, Galinsky also hopes to further student men-

tal wellness day programming, increase attention and funding toward club sports and introduce a subsidized spring break trip program.

“These are just some examples, but definitely all with this common theme of working to ensure that barriers are lowered for students so that they can excel during their academic and extracurricular activities here at Tufts,” she said.

Winning the presidency “means everything” to Galinsky. Despite starting in the premed track, Galinsky’s work in the Senate has inspired her to pursue a career in policy.

“After working for three years on some of these projects, seeing them come to life now has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my Tufts experience,” she said. “Winning this presidency means the opportunity to con-

tinue the work I love, to be able to work alongside students to advocate for their needs and ensure that their Tufts experience is as smooth as possible.”

Galinsky believes there is a portion of the student body that “might not realize the impact of what student government and Senate has on their lives.” She said she will work to increase transparency with students through Senate Town Halls and hopes to increase voter turnout in future elections.

“We can do a better job showing that there are channels of communication that are through [the] Senate, and that it’s really important to know who your elected officials are,” Galinsky said.

Jaden Pena, the outgoing TCU Senate president, worked closely with Galinsky during his time at Tufts.

“What I’ve loved most about working with Arielle is that she is so genuine when approaching concerns that need to be addressed,” Pena wrote in an email to the Daily. “No matter the project or initiative, Arielle is truly driven by her want to make Tufts a better place and it is reflected in every meeting, discussion, or conversation I’ve ever had with her.”

Krystal Mutebi, the current TCU diversity officer and women’s community senator, will serve as Galinsky’s vice president. The TCU Executive Board, including Galinsky and Mutebi, has already begun meeting with administrators to coordinate events for the upcoming school year.

“Regardless of whether you voted for me or not,” Galinsky said, “I’m excited for the opportunity to work with you and alongside you to be able to actively pursue positive change on this campus.”

The senior class of The Tufts daily, in their own words

by The Tufts Daily News Staff

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on several conflicts of interest. This article is a special feature for the Daily’s Commencement edition that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

The Daily spoke with several seniors who have served on the executive board during their time at Tufts. They represent active and retired staff members with roles ranging from copy editor to editor in chief. Many of them joined the Daily before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and recall working in the newsroom before Tufts sent students home for the spring 2020 semester. Others joined later on, with this school year marking their first time serving on the executive board of the Daily. Here are their stories.

Alexander Janoff

Senior Editor, Spring 2023

Editor in Chief, Spring 2022

by

Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali, News Editor Alex Janoff’s

journey with student journalism actually began in high school but surprisingly not as a writer.

“I was never really a part of the school paper until senior year when [the editor in chief] needed a business manager, and he dragged me along. So, I joined my high school paper as a business manager,” he said, sharing that he soon began to write and realized he wanted to continue with it in college, joining the Daily after attending the general interestmeeting in his first year.

Janoff has participated in many roles at the Daily, but he looked back on his time working on an interactive COVID-19 dashboard with former editor in chief Alex Viveros (LA’22) as the project he was most proud of.

“We noticed over the course of that semester that … we wouldn’t get really consistent data … [and] we would notice that some of the data they would present would kind of conflict with other data,” he said. “I think we did a really good job in informing the community, which is one of the jobs of the newspaper, but also holding the university accountable.”

He added that his funniest Daily-related memory remains working on joke articles for the April Fools’ Issue.

Janoff also discussed his experience of being named in a lawsuit during his tenure as editor in chief in March 2022.

“One of the articles that we put out received some blowback from one of the subjects. … It went back and forth … trying to appease the source and issue a clarification. But it was pretty clear that this person wanted the article written the way they wanted it written, which is not what we do at the Daily,”

he explained, elaborating that the lawsuit claimed the article caused emotional distress. “I have a lot of respect for our writers … and I wasn’t [going to] let one of our writers be arm-twisted into changing the article.”

Janoff highlighted his engagement with the Daily community as his biggest takeaway from his four years with the newspaper.

“It’s impossible to put out or produce a newspaper by yourself, and we have such a great team here,” he said. “Handling [team] dynamics was definitely something that was really important.”

He added that he also appreciates how the Daily’s journalism is influenced by how much the team cares about the Tufts community.

“I think it’s hard to be an apathetic journalist,” he said. “We all have some interest in journalism, but I think a lot of our interest is more in telling stories about our community and about our peers.”

For Janoff, being at the Daily means knowing more about Tufts.

“I think remaining engaged with the Daily not only connects you more with the Daily community, but it also connects you a lot more with the Tufts community,” Janoff said. “You really do know what’s going on. And that’s something I really like: being in the know.”

Brendan Hartnett Editorial Editor, Spring

by Aaron Gruen, Executive News Editor

2023

Despite working at the Daily for four years, Brendan Hartnett’s senior spring was his first — and only — semester serving on the executive board. Now, as executive editorial editor, he enjoys having the power to “stir the pot.”

“It’s nice to see that we’re able to get stuff going,” Hartnett said. “My goal has been to use the power of the Editorial Board to make clear

COURTESY ARIELLE GALINSKY

Arielle Galinsky, the Tufts Community Union Senate president-elect, is pictured.

Monaco shares advice for incoming President Kumar

continued from page 6

overwhelming. It’s hard to marshal one’s optimism all the time, and I think that’s a feeling that — coming out of the pandemic — many people feel.

TD: Looking back, which accomplishments are you proudest of as president?

AM: Overall, there’s several that I’m most proud of. One is that we’ve been able to show our research potential and ability to garner interdisciplinary grants between schools, focused on important challenges. At the same time, we haven’t lost our sense of culture, the student-faculty relationship and the sense of community which we’ve built that on. It’s really important that one doesn’t pursue research at the cost of the values and community that you’ve built. You don’t want to lessen the student experience in doing so, and I think we accomplished that.

The second biggest thing I’m proud of is the increase in diversity of the student body in particular and ongoing efforts to increase the faculty diversity. What we tried to do when we saw increased diversity in applications is reflect that in the students we admitted. We increased financial aid, but we also provided support for the different backgrounds that students bring with them and their different identities through the identity centers and other support systems, through the School of Arts and Sciences and centrally as well.

When one sees such a change in your student body, that has to be reflected in the faculty, and that’s a lot of the work ahead and part of our efforts, but one must also provide the support and programming to make people feel included from day one. That’s a tall order that we will always be working on. The third is how we handled the pandemic and came out of it stronger as a community and a university.

TD: Is there anything over the last 12 years that you wish you would have done differently?

AM: I’m not one for looking back. Every time there’s a challenge, particularly one which requires you to get feedback from the community, you really do need to listen before you make a decision. I think what I’ve learned over the 12 years is how to get feedback from the community better and when to do it fully.

Sometimes, when you don’t have enough time, you’ve got a principled value decision to make for the university and all the evidence is there, it’s not time to build consensus, it’s a time to act. I would say the Sackler decision was one of those examples, where the evidence was there. Yes, there was advocacy from students particularly and other corners of the university to do something, and we worked with the trustees to make that decision, but it was not a long, drawn-out consensus-building process. It was something that we felt we had to do based on our princi-

ples and values, and learning from that experience on how we will do fundraising differently in the future and how we will look carefully at the donors and their source of funding.

TD: On the note of looking back, if you could go back 12 years and give yourself one piece of advice entering office, what would you say?

AM: I think the most difficult thing when you enter as a leader is managing the expectations of everyone in the community: the trustees, the advisers at all the schools, the faculty, the staff, the students, your colleagues in the senior team. They’re also comparing you to the previous leader and their style. You’re trying to balance those expectations with finding your own voice and using your own style of management and decision making and building evidence for decisions or changes that need to be made. That is something that every leader needs to manage in their own way.

I think one piece of advice I would give any new leader is, you need to find your own voice, but you don’t want to leave the community behind in doing so. It’s a balance between what they’re expecting of you and what style and voice you would like to have on issues from your own background and experience.

TD: And on that note, what advice have you shared with incoming President Kumar?

AM: Well, it’s interesting, one of the first things he said to me was, “I get what you’ve done here with increasing research without losing the sense of community. That’s really important to me.” So, I think he understands — coming from Johns Hopkins, which has a similar undergraduate campus but many graduate and professional schools that do important research — that the student-faculty relationship is at the core of what we do, and you build research on top of that. He understands, being the provost for six years at Hopkins, what that means. So my advice is to absolutely keep making improvements, keep Tufts on the trajectory it’s on, but don’t lose the community in the process. I think he gets that right from the start, which is nice.

TD: What do you see as the biggest issue currently facing Tufts?

AM: We talked about all the major challenges that are going on nationally and globally, the environment in which we’re working. In particular to Tufts and other universities like it, we’ve enjoyed a big increase in undergraduate applications over my tenure. It’s doubled to more than 34,000, but this is on a backdrop of national applications to colleges, which is declining quite significantly year-on-year. That is also playing out in graduate school applications, not to our professional schools, which always are very selective, but to the various master’s and doctoral programs we have.

We need to address how we’re going to be more compet-

itive in garnering applications nationally on the backdrop of a decrease. We’ve done well at the undergraduate level, and I think we need to make sure in the future that we can do that well and provide a good student-faculty experience for our programs in graduate education. That’s been challenging for some schools, where they really are about master’s and doctoral programs. They’re not providing professional health degrees.

I think that’s one of the biggest challenges as a university, but also at a time when training individuals in further degrees couldn’t be more important, particularly in the STEM subjects and other social sciences and the humanities, where they are working on social justice issues, health justice issues and some of the technical innovations which are driving change in our society.

TD: What’s next for you?

AM: I’m doing a sabbatical here, which will probably continue if it goes well. I’ll be working on the rise in mental health disorders and trying to understand a model in which that could happen, given that they’re all heritable disorders. I have been working with colleagues in evolution as well as various other departments to think about ways in which we could address this. I worked on mental health disorders at Oxford, and then I took this job and 10 years later, there hasn’t been a lot of progress on understanding because it seems the DNA doesn’t provide that heritable material for mental health disorders. During the pandemic, I went back and revisited the whole thing and provided a new model that I’m exploring with colleagues that may provide an understanding of why it’s rising, which is called epigenetics. It’s a field that’s being explored in a variety of ways.

TD: How has Tufts changed in your time here?

AM: Well, the student body has always been active and good advocates for what they want. I think what I’ve seen before the pandemic, is the activism heightened and it also was playing on the political divide in the nation. But coming out of the pandemic, the advocacy is just as strong from the students. They have a very strong TCU Senate at the moment, and there’s been a lot more constructive engagement with the administration where they’re doing pilot projects on things they would like to see changed, providing the evidence that it makes a difference and then convincing administrative staff at various programs and schools to make changes. I think that’s a very good relationship change. I felt before, it turned a little negative at times, and it wasn’t a platform for positive change; it was a platform for a lot of protest. Then the pandemic hit, and I think coming out of it, I feel optimistic that the student body is back at constructive engagement in many ways.

I feel that the sense of community has strengthened, and certainly our leadership role in civic life and civic engagement has vastly improved. We have a great new leader in Dayna Cunningham, and Alan Solomont at Tisch College really brought the programming up to a new level. This is going to be an increasingly important area for all universities in the future, and Tufts has been leading — it really does strengthen the university.

The environment is more difficult financially, healthwise and in climate change — those things really are the world we’re working in now, and I think that has definitely changed over 12 years. The height of those challenges has become apparent, that there’s very little time to act. Tufts is trying to engage on those challenges, particularly the climate change challenge, by starting new institutes and research centers going forward that are focused on these areas.

TD: In June 2020, you announced the university would take actionable steps to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. The university pledged to spend $25 million on these efforts and recently doubled its initial investment to $50 million. How do you feel about the progress made thus far? And what do you hope the university accomplishes with this added funding in the coming years?

AM: I would say that the effort is community wide. I was inspired by what I heard was going on in departments and divisions by faculty and staff and students during the summer of 2020, where they were questioning their own policies and practices and questioning the way they do things and trying to root out bias and any racism that was systematic. We felt we wanted to harness that energy and we launched the initiative.

A lot of it is about trying to increase the number of faculty from diverse backgrounds, particularly in STEM subjects, thinking about pipeline programs, but also faculty development; we are following a cohort model of recruiting faculty and we need to retain the faculty we have in order to build that sense of community. That’s a big part of it.

Financial aid, of course, is part of the effort and always will be, but we’re doing well now on both diversity of applications and diversity of matriculated students. We need to backfill not only the financial aid but what I discussed earlier about support in various avenues of the university and the student experience for that change in the student body. It’s never complete, and it’s always work. It requires every member of the community; it’s not something led from the top only, and it’s not something that’s grassroots only. It needs everyone in the university to contribute to this effort.

TD: And is there anything that you didn’t get to do in your tenure that you hope President Kumar will accomplish? Any

unfinished business that you’re leaving?

AM: We have a residential dorm that we’ve planned, and we’re hoping to get it approved in the first part of President Kumar’s tenure. It’s a big project and the cost went up post-pandemic for a variety of reasons. I think the students would agree that this is essential to the future of the college and the student experience; that’s something I hope he’ll be able to accomplish. The pool needs to be replaced; it has been slowly deteriorating, and it’s not getting better with age. And we have committed funds and there’s a fundraising effort now to try to close that gap. But like the dorm, the costs have gone up. As I mentioned there is a lot of work to be done to assist some of the graduate programs to rethink their programming for the future, how they can be more competitive to garner applications from all over the country. Regarding new methods of education, hybrid programs and things that aren’t maybe traditional: I would say that that’s a piece of work that all universities are looking at, and I’m sure President Kumar will continue the work that we started over the last couple of years in that area.

TD: On that particular challenge of housing, how have you seen that change in your time here?

AM: Well, when I arrived, there was clearly a need for improvement in housing, but I didn’t want to build a shiny new dorm until we had gone through and renovated and made systematic improvements to all the older dorms. We also added community housing, which is like off-campus living but on campus with Tufts as the landlord. That has worked out well; we added 400 or so beds through that process, but that really was the setup for building a new dorm. We borrowed the money at a low interest rate and now we’ll put that money into new living space for juniors and seniors.

TD: Well, those are all of our questions, but is there anything else you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?

AM: I just want to say I’ve enjoyed the Daily as a voice for the students. We’ve worked closely through our media people like Patrick Collins to have a good relationship, and I’ve certainly enjoyed reading the Daily when it’s printed and seeing it as an important voice and feedback to myself and the senior team. We do take the op-eds and the articles seriously, because it’s a serious journal and we appreciate the effort that students put into keeping it independent as a voice, but also reflecting many, many aspects of our community. So, thank you for continuing the tradition of an independent free press here at Tufts. I’ve enjoyed my interactions with you and the information it provided generally.

Career Center advises on job search amid tech, banking, consulting layoffs

JOBS

continued from page 6

business services, could point the Federal Reserve toward continued interest rate hikes.

But for recent grads, companies with some of the most competitive programs have already been afflicted by massive bouts of layoffs in what appears to be a pre-recession economy. Nineteen of the 25 firms with the highest-paying internships have jettisoned large portions of their workforces over the last 12 months, with some squeezing out as much as a quarter of their employees.

In the latest spate of job cuts, Amazon, Lyft, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Gap and Vice Media have all trimmed staff. Meta announced plans in mid-March to slash 10,000 jobs; McKinsey earlier this year began shedding 1,400 employees and Microsoft is cutting 10,000.

While the labor market at large remains fertile, Tufts’ graduating seniors are likely to find themselves running into a dry patch. Per the Career Center, 52% of the undergraduate Class of 2022 landed a job in technology, finance, media, consulting or real estate — industries that have

all been blitzed by layoffs in the last year.

Nine Tufts graduates in 2022 went to Amazon, eight worked jobs at Microsoft, another eight at Ernst & Young, and six went to Accenture, according to a separate report from the Career Center that includes data from about 60% of the graduating class. Those companies are among the largest employers of recent alumni, but still they represent only a narrow portion of the student body’s activity after college.

Many of the job cuts stem from the tech industry, where chief executives have hinted that generous hiring in the early months of the pandemic bloated payroll obligations, becoming burdensome as interest rates climbed higher, inflation began rising and earnings stagnated.

Companies from Netflix to Google to Amazon all benefited from the burgeoning demand for tech that spawned out of initial office closures. But once the public health crisis receded and people again began to leave their homes, equity shares plummeted, strong-arming some firms into shrinking their payrolls. The tech-heavy NASDAQ ended 2022

down 33.1%, its worst performance since 2008.

“When the pandemic hit and there was this huge work from home thing, people needed more technology,” Brian Bethune, a practicing economist who lectures at Tufts, said. “But now, we’re on the opposite side, where that surging demand has dissipated.”

The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by a quarter percentage point earlier this month, bringing the benchmark federal funds rate to a 16-year high at a range between 5–5.25%. It was the 10th consecutive rate increase but it could be the last, Fed officials indicated.

Bethune attributed some of the economy’s current woes — like inflation — to the stimulus checks Congress wrote three years ago. He said they contributed to mounting pressure on the demand side of the economy as the supply chain faced disruptions from the war in Ukraine.

“This [was] kind of like you’re going down the monetary highway in an 18-wheeler at 80 miles per hour, and then you realize that you went through not one stop sign but many stop signs,” Bethune said, referring to Congress and the

Federal Reserve. “So now you’re saying, ‘Well, we’ve got to slam on the brakes.’”

The effects of a pullback in the tech sector, a gradually consolidating banking industry, and even slowed output growth may be yet to hit Tufts. Bethune said in an informal survey of his students, about 80% indicated they’d landed summer jobs or internships. Over in the Career Center, Executive Director Donna Esposito, speaking with the Daily in late April, said Tufts continues to put up “good data” with employers.

“I think students are understanding that things are taking a little bit longer these days in terms of search, but the reality is our experience is that many students don’t start their search until after graduation,” Esposito said. “That’s been the case for quite a while.”

The Career Center links students with resources for the job search, working with them to keep an open mind, identify their skills and make connections with alumni. Recorded workshops are kept on the center’s YouTube archive, and for graduating seniors, alumni career advising is available free of charge for life.

Senior Maggie Basinger has worked at the Career Center for

Senior leadership: Monaco leads with ‘great integrity’

MONACO

page

Lee referred to Monaco’s launch of a mental health task force in 2016 as an example of his care for the Tufts community. The task force’s recommendations lead to the creation of a steering committee which continues to review and assess student mental health and wellness.

“It is clear that Tony takes great joy in not only seeing our students succeed academically, but also find personal fulfillment and happiness,” Lee wrote. “Tony deeply cares about the well-being of the entire Tufts community.”

Since becoming university president in August 2011, Monaco has overseen the school’s acquisition of the SMFA, the introduction of the Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution initiative and the growth of the school’s endowment by over $1 billion.

Peter Dolan (A’78), chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tufts, has worked with Monaco for as long as the president has been at Tufts. He called Monaco “off the charts smart.”

“With Tony, it’s always about what’s best for the institution,” Dolan wrote in an email to the Daily. “It’s never about him. He puts Tufts first and brings very little personal ego.”

Genco, Glaser and Lee all praised Monaco’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted Tufts for nearly a quarter of the president’s tenure.

“In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Tony led a COVID-19 test pooling initiative, not only protecting our campus community, but also our host and neighboring communities,” Genco wrote. “During a time of isolation

and uncertainty, he brought pieces of Tufts together.”

Glaser commended Monaco’s handling of the pandemic as an example of his skill as a leader.

“As Tufts president, he has applied his brilliance and creativity to our very complex environment,” Glaser wrote. “His leadership of Tufts through the pandemic was illustrative of this. I don’t think anyone could have done it better.”

Monaco is also a renowned geneticist; since arriving at Tufts from Oxford University, he has worked with various departments to research genetic mental health disorders. He plans to continue his sabbatical once he steps down as president this June.

“Tony approaches everything as a true scientist—with close attention to detail and curiosity. But he never loses his humanity and compassion when making complex decisions,” Genco wrote. “In fact, his compassion and empathy are at the core of all the work he does—from research to mentoring to leading an R1 university.”

Early in Monaco’s tenure, Glaser recalled hearing him talk about his research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“I was struck not just by the complexity of the problem, but by the creativity and brilliance of his solution,” Glaser wrote.

Monaco continues to tell stories about his own research and others’.

“He is always sharing scientific articles and research that he’s fascinated by and updating us on the Gifford House animals,” Genco wrote. “His passion for research and lifelong learning shines through in everything he does.”

three years as a student fellow, hosting weekly drop-in hours and occasional workshops covering job-search basics, like how to build a resume and write a cover letter. Despite a recent slowdown in some tech, banking and consultancy firms, she said she hasn’t seen much of a shift in the outcomes or attitudes of the students she works with.

“The job process is still the same — we’re still telling students to do the same processes, and students are finding success through the same processes,” Basinger said. “I wouldn’t say that at any point it’s been easy getting a job.”

Esposito recommends that students check out the skillsbased learning program Udemy, which is available to Tufts students for free. For graduating seniors unsure of what their next steps are, Esposito said she would remind them to be flexible and explore an array of different industries.

“The Class of 2023 has really lived through a lot over the [last] four years,” she said. “The grit and the resilience that you have had to develop because of that is going to do nothing but help you in the job search, and I think employers value that.”

Monaco regularly attends student-run events and performances on campus. Dolan said that Monaco “genuinely cares about the students and the student experience.”

“I love to see him at student events where he can get wildly enthusiastic about our Tufts students’ success,” Dolan wrote.

Though Lee has only worked with Monaco as dean for two years, he said he feels fortunate to have learned from his leadership.

“I greatly appreciate that Tony has provided the space for us deans to chart our schools’ own courses, while helping us move forward together towards the shared vision of a stu -

dent-centered research university,” Lee wrote.

Glaser said Monaco’s principles are clearly defined and “align beautifully with the ethos of Tufts.”

“He has made decisions and set priorities in ways that the community could support,” Glaser wrote. “And he has led us with great integrity.”

University President Anthony Monaco is pictured on the Academic Quad on May 5, 2022.

Cover to cover:

Class of 2023’s 4 years on campus, reviewed

by Ethan Steinberg News Editor

Editor’s note: The 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 recaps in this article are reprinted from the 2022 Commencement Issue of the Daily, with light edits.

2019–20

The Class of 2023’s first year at Tufts was shaken by a series of developments that made Tufts the focus of national news, before being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey and Karl Rove, a former special adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush, were among the many guests who visited Tufts as part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

While impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Donald Trump prevented then-Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bennett from visiting, fellow candidate Marianne Williamson met with Tufts Democrats in October.

Margot Cardamone became the FIRST Resource Center director after the Office of Student Success and Advising was dissolved in September, and Marvin Casasola was hired as the next Latino Center director.

Early in the fall, the Tufts campus was struck by three consecutive incidents of hate within one month. First, a Jewish student returned to their residence hall on Sept. 15 to discover a swastika affixed to their door; second, a different student found a homophobic slur carved into their door on Oct. 2; third, a sign was defaced at the African American

Trail Project exhibit in the Aidekman Arts Center. After the final incident, University President Anthony Monaco announced the formation of two bias response teams to focus on supporting the Tufts community.

The Tufts community also learned in September that Monaco attended a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the previous year, though the university did not disclose it at the time.

Tufts again made headlines in December by deciding to remove the Sackler name from its health sciences campus and programs, and establishing a $3 million endowment focused on substance abuse and addiction prevention and treatment. The university made the decision following the completion of an independent review of its relationship with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma by former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts David Stern and Attorney Sandy Remz.

Tufts announced on Jan. 2 that for $2 million over 10 years, “Medford/Tufts” would be the name of the new Green Line Extension station then under construction at the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue.

Spring semester began with Tisch College’s historic move to Barnum Hall from Lincoln-Filene Hall, which also coincided with the beginning of its 20th anniversary celebrations. Barnum Hall had been closed for about a year since extensive renovations that began in May 2018 and finished the following summer.

industry. The Board of Trustees established the advisory committee four months prior, after nearly seven years of student activism on the issue.

The semester was upended, however, when Monaco announced on March 10 the closure of campus and shift to online classes due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. Tufts confirmed its first positive case days later while students spontaneously organized financial and material support through Tufts Mutual Aid.

Although classes resumed remotely on March 25, campus buildings were shuttered as many students were forced to return home, some petitioned to remain and others still were quarantined on campus. Students studying abroad as well as exchange students at Tufts all returned home, though some faced great difficulty as travel bans were implemented worldwide.

Dining workers’ hours were cut with most dining locations closed, but they secured an agreement to extend benefits through the end of the semester. Among other academic policy modifications, faculty approved a new and temporary Exceptional Pass/Fail grading system, which was opt-in and would satisfy all academic requirements. The administration reaffirmed its commitment to meeting full demonstrated need in financial aid, despite an expected $15 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year and an estimated $50 million shortfall in the next.

instead held a virtual all-university degree conferral ceremony.

2020–21

The Class of 2023’s second year began unconventionally, as Tufts’ academics and activities adapted to a hybrid model in adherence with COVID-19 public health guidelines. While Tufts welcomed students back to campus, some opted to either attend classes remotely or take a leave of absence.

Tufts implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety of community members, including routine testing for students, pooled testing that extended to Somerville and Medford residents and the implementation of The Mods, which facilitated the ability to quarantine students who tested positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts.

Online programming allowed for a robust lineup of speakers through Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Anthony Fauci, voting rights activist and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and author Ijeoma Oluo were only a few of the speakers to visit Tufts virtually this year.

The Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion was renamed as part of a larger restructuring effort. This change additionally welcomed three new full-time staffing positions.

national reckoning with police brutality and white supremacy in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Student organizations also phone-banked, assisted with voter registration and worked at the polls leading up to the presidential election in November.

Shortly after Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election was announced, Tufts faced challenges within its own student government when the Tufts Community Union Judiciary suspended the Senate Executive Board and Elections Commission in November. The Judiciary believed that the Senate Executive Board and ECOM were planning to appoint students to vacant Senate seats — a violation of the TCU Constitution. The Judiciary then revoked its suspension after less than 24 hours, having resolved what had been a miscommunication between the three branches.

TCU also held a special election at the end of November, which included referenda by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine and Tufts for a Racially Equitable Endowment, both of which passed. Although 42% of the student body voted — the highest turnout for a special election in Tufts’ history — the university announced that it had no plans to take action on either referendum.

Divestment lobbying made headway in February when the administration appointed members to the Responsible Investment Advisory

of

Having initially canceled ceremonies entirely, the administration responded to outrage from many members of the Class of 2020 by promising to hold Commencement in person when it would again be safe to do so. On May 17, Tufts

The year was also marked by student activism and political engagement. Members of the Tufts community marched in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, formed new campus organizations focused on anti-racism and reevaluated the lack of representation in departmental curricula. This came after a summer of protests and a

Many students left campus early in fall 2020, with Tufts asking those who traveled for Thanksgiving to remain home and complete classes virtually. Students did not return to campus until late January for the spring semester, which began Feb. 1. Most study abroad programs remained suspended and spring break was condensed into a three day weekend, in part due to traveling risks posed by COVID-19.

RACHEL HARTMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks to the Tufts community in September 2019.

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Medford/Somerville campus COVID-19 testing site is pictured in September 2020.

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Joyce Cummings Center is pictured on April 13.

MINA TERZIOGLU / THE TUFTS DAILY Tufts community members rally in support of Ukraine in March 2022.

COVID-19 to Monaco’s retirement: Looking back from 2019 to now

RECAP

continued from page 10

Tufts and its surrounding communities were affected by multiple acts of hate early in 2021. Many reacted to the insurrection at the Capitol that took place on Jan. 6, as well as the involvement of Jessica Turner, a member of the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The university shared the results of an investigation in February regarding a September incident involving Tufts University Police Department’s response to three women of color hanging a mask on the Jumbo statue as part of a university-sponsored effort to promote JumboVote and Healthy@Tufts. The investigation concluded that discrimination did not factor into the incident.

This announcement came only days before two Zoom bombing incidents — one at a diversity, equity and inclusion event — occurred back to back. Monaco subsequently announced the creation of Bias Education Response Teams in March, which are designed to address the impact of hateful and discriminatory acts, as well as provide support to the community.

The Board of Trustees voted to ban direct investments in 120 coal and tar sands companies, which was announced in a Feb. 10 email to the community. However, many environmental organizations on campus remained unsatisfied with the decision, citing a lack of divestment in current holdings.

Monaco also shared the recommendations of five workstreams created in July 2020 as part of the university’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution in a Feb. 17 email. The workstreams — Institutional Audit and Targeted Action, Campus Safety and Policing, Public Art, Compositional Diversity and Equity and Inclusion — were composed of faculty, staff and students.

The Class of 2023 witnessed the monumental reform and restructuring of Greek life on campus as health protocols prevented traditional rush. Following discussions prompted by the online account “Abolish Greek Life at Tufts” over the summer, all members of Alpha Phi and the majority of members in Chi Omega disaffiliated from their national chapters, creating local sororities The Ivy and Thalia, respectively. New members were welcomed through virtual recruitment in the spring.

The university announced that it would close the Confucius Institute in March. The decision came after months of weekly protests from the local Tibetan, Uighur and Hong Kong communities.

A record-low 11% of students were offered admission to the Class of 2025, and the accepted students comprised the most ethnically and racially diverse undergraduate class in Tufts history and are part of the first class that applied under the university’s new test-optional policy.

Former TCU President Amma Agyei (E’22) made history in April

as the first Black woman elected to the TCU presidency. Agyei won over Tim Leong (LA’22), who served as TCU vice president.

For the second year in a row, the university planned a virtual Senior Week and Commencement, despite concerns voiced by the senior class.

Tufts welcomed civil rights lawyer and author Bryan Stevenson to deliver the 2021 commencement address on May 23.

2021–22

The Class of 2023’s third year at Tufts saw the return of majority in-person classes, extracurricular activities and study abroad programs, though new variants of COVID-19 left many pandemic guidelines in place, like masking indoors and routine testing.

To facilitate a return to in-person activities, the university required that all students arrive at Tufts fully vaccinated, assisting international students with vaccinations if they were not yet available in their home countries.

However, not all students were able to live on campus. Approximately 100 first-year students were assigned housing at the Hyatt Place in Medford.

The first week of academic classes was marked by an act of hate. A student reported the removal of a mezuzah — a traditional Jewish symbol — from their doorpost in early September. Later that month, another mezuzah was stolen, and Black Lives Matter posters were found purposefully torn down on campus.

The beginning of the academic year saw a number of changes in leadership, with the arrival of Dayna Cunningham as the new dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Kyongbum Lee as the interim dean of the School of Engineering and Yolanda Smith as executive director of public safety.

Tufts mourned the passing of community members in the fall and spring, including students Madie Nicpon ’23 and Cher Xiong ’24; Margaret Rose Vendryres, who was the incoming dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts; Danielle Abrams, professor of the practice in the performance department at the SMFA; and Sheldon Krimsky, the Lenore Stern professor of humanities and social sciences in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.

Tufts students rallied around local campaigns leading up to the 2021 mayoral elections in Medford, Somerville and Boston on Nov. 2. Somerville saw the election of Katjana Ballantyne, its first new mayor in 18 years, while Boston elected Michelle Wu, who is the first woman and first person of color to hold the position in the city’s history.

The university announced its intent to establish an Indigenous student identity center under the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion in November, hiring Vernon Miller as its director in February. In April, the community voted in favor of a referendum proposed by the Tufts Community Union to add an Indigenous community senator seat to its organization.

After years of construction, the Joyce Cummings Center finally opened its doors to students

in late November. The six-story building, for which planning began in 2015, houses the departments of computer science, economics and mathematics, and is regularly used to host large-scale student gatherings.

The fall semester was cut slightly short when a December outbreak of the omicron variant of COVID-19 led the university to move all finals online after Dec. 17. The first three days of the spring semester were held remotely due to high caseloads in January.

In February, Monaco announced his intent to step down as university president during the summer of 2023, marking the end of a 12-year tenure.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, students rallied to support Ukraine by protesting, compiling resources on the war and putting on a concert to raise money for medical aid to the country.

Tufts saw yet another increase in the number of applications and offered admission to a record-low 9.7% of applicants to the Class of 2026. To compensate for a lack of housing for these incoming first-year students, the university announced its intent to build temporary, dorm-like structures in place of The Mods on the tennis courts on Professors Row.

The Working Group on TUPD Arming announced its recommendation on March 29 that TUPD alter its arming status to a “hybrid model,” comprising a combination of armed officers and unarmed security professionals. This announcement came a year after five workstreams released report recommendations on how the university can become an anti-racist institution.

The School of Medicine announced plans to open a new Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice on April 8. The center works to address and combat structural racism experienced in health care fields.

Tufts held its first in-person Spring Fling since 2019, featuring performances from Tufts student Ella Jane, BIA and Aminé. Senior week also featured in-person events for the first time in three years.

The Class of 2022 celebrated Commencement on May 22, while the Class of 2020 had an in-person ceremony on May 27. Awardwinning scholar Erika Lee (LA’91) delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2022, while Neil Blumenthal (LA’02), co-founder and co-CEO of the eyeglasses company Warby Parker, delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2020.

2022–23

The Class of 2023’s final year on campus began most similarly to its first: without COVID-19 as a major concern for most students. Mask mandates were nixed and testing requirements abandoned as students, for the first time since March 2020, were able to gather without the looming possibility of a school-mandated, multi-day isolation.

To that end, the university eliminated the units of modular quarantine housing that for two years sat atop the varsity tennis team’s former home, replacing them with an archipel-

ago of first-year housing stock. The modular-style dorms, which accommodate 150 first-years, were branded as “The Court at Professors Row.” As the university plows forward in its plan to grow enrollment, The Courts will remain a standard among other, more traditional first-year living arrangements — but likely only until 2025, when the university is projected to finish construction of a multi-story residence hall on Boston Avenue.

The campus’ expansion was a major theme during the Class of 2023’s time at Tufts. Following years of construction and myriad delays, the MBTA’s Green Line Extension opened its doors on the final day of classes in December. Dozens of students horded the station before dawn to get a seat on the first train as it rolled toward East Somerville and into downtown Boston. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey — plus former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker — all headlined the station’s long-awaited ribbon-cutting ceremony later that morning, in a celebration largely symbolic of the university’s geographic expansion over the last decade.

Tufts also broke ground on — and later opened — a new baseball field named after former provost and professor emeritus Sol Gittleman. Renovations are also underway at Eaton Hall, the historic quad-facing academic building that most recently housed departments like religion, sociology and anthropology.

The graduating class’s senior year was also marked by a string of racist and antisemitic incidents in a pattern that has grown familiar to the community. A club sports team was suspended and faced with an investigation by the university after some of its members were allegedly involved in an antisemitic incident at a competition off campus. And in April, racial slurs sent via a chat box on Zoom interrupted a Solomont Speaker series event with the rapper Dee1. Monaco condemned both incidents and reiterated the university’s commitment to anti-racism and the fight against antisemitism.

Attacks against Tufts’ work to fight racism continued during finals week in the fall, when seven bomb threats were sent to a flurry of university departments from an unknown email over the course of nine days. The threats, listing “anti white racism” as one of its motivators, prompted evacuations from residence halls, the Campus Center, Dowling Hall and a spate of academic buildings, pushing finals online.

Tufts’ upper leadership faced criticism this year after a pair of Daily investigations uncovered a series of high-level departures and a culture in two administrative departments that former staffers described as toxic. The diversity office opened the academic year with a third of its positions empty after two of its chief officers quietly departed in August. Their departures followed a restructuring in the provost’s office — which oversees the university’s diversity work — and an alleged consolidation of administrative power.

The admissions office, too, was reported to be under investigation by an outside law firm following current and former staffer allegations of racist and antisemitic behavior on the part of the dean, JT Duck. Since the Class of 2023 matriculated on campus, at least 22 admissions employees — half of the office’s current size — departed their roles. The investigation came as the attack on affirmative action reached the Supreme Court and as the university pledged its support for Harvard and the University of North Carolina in their ongoing legal battle against the group Students for Fair Admissions.

Tufts resident assistants announced their intention to unionize in November. After the administration declined to voluntarily recognize the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants , RAs voted 99–3 with 72% turnout to form a union. ULTRA engaged in negotiations with the university over the course of the spring semester, but has yet to ink a contract.

It was another record-breaking year for undergraduate admissions, when Tufts delivered offers to 9.5% of applicants to the Class of 2027, the lowest acceptance rate on record. The pool was historically diverse and represented nearly a 50% spike in applications from 2019, when the Class of 2023 first applied.

The incoming class will enter a university with markedly different leadership from the one that students have come to know over the past decade. The Johns Hopkins provost Sunil Kumar will move into Gifford House and take the reins of the presidency from Monaco in July, who is retiring after a 12-year stint in the role.

Also in the last year, Kyongbum Lee became the dean of the engineering school, Scheri Fultineer took the helm of the SFMA and Howard Woolf announced his retirement as ExCollege dean following 40 years in the office.

Spring Fling was headlined this year by the 2010s pop sensation Flo Rida, who arrived more than an hour late and after many students had already left the annual music festival. Flo Rida was preceded on stage by the DJ trio Cheat Codes, TikTok music star Charlie Curtis-Beard and the Tufts student band Fease.

The performances came a day after junior Arielle Galinsky, the TCU Senate vice president, declared victory in the race for TCU Senate president. She will succeed graduating senior Jaden Pena.

The Class of 2023’s final weeks on campus were marked by an end to the national COVID-19 emergency — and to the university’s vaccination requirement. The move represents the elimination of the last of Tufts’ major COVID-19 mitigation policies, which defined much of the graduating class’s tenure at Tufts.

At the Commencement ceremony on Sunday — Monaco’s last as university president — United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed will deliver the keynote address. Mohammed is known for her work fighting climate change.

Rebecca Barker and Robert Kaplan contributed reporting to this article.

In Photos: Tufts in bloom

PHOTO CREDIT: ALEX JANOFF, RACHEL LIU, DAVID KIM AND QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Q&a: Monroe France on strategic vision for Tufts’ dEIJ initiative

by Daniel Vos Deputy News Editor

Monroe France started his position as the first vice provost for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at Tufts on April 3. Since then, he has met with students, faculty and staff across the university to discover DEIJ opportunities and challenges. The Daily spoke with France about his experience getting to know Tufts and the importance of his office in higher education.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Tufts Daily (TD): Tufts released the initial findings of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey earlier this year. What stood out to you about Tufts, especially in comparison with your time at New York University?

Monroe France (MF): When I look at the climate survey at Tufts, there are no major surprises. When I look at the way Tufts approached the climate assessment — a little bit differently than what we’ve done at NYU when we did our climate assessment — generally, people are liking the climate. The feedback we got across the board is OK, with some dis -

tinctions. And some of those distinctions are not surprising: that some of the experiences of some of the staff and faculty of color are not congruent with the experiences of faculty and staff in the majority group. What I would say are some of the differences between the two universities is this conversation around class and economic stability. In my work at NYU, we did not ask those specific types of questions. So I think we have a lot more information here with this climate assessment at Tufts, where we can really understand how people are experiencing the economy.

TD: What are the next steps with this data set?

MF: We’re engaging an expert in the field, external to Tufts, that’s going to work with us to do a further analysis of the data so that we can develop a set of university-wide themes. The climate assessment is only one tool that we’ll use to create a strategic vision across the institution. My role is to help create strategic vision and strategic alignment across the institution.

see FRANCE, page 16

Tufts community members talk mifepristone access, courts on reproductive rights

by Ella Kamm Deputy News Editor

The Supreme Court issued a stay on April 14 before blocking a decision by a Texas judge that would threaten widespread access to mifepristone, a drug used as part of a medication abortion. The Daily spoke with experts on abortion access about what this decision means for reproductive health care access and how states are responding.

The case was initially brought by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a coalition of anti-abortion doctors and organizations.

“They went to Texas specifically … so they could get this particular judge to hear this case, because Judge Kacsmaryk, before

he was seated on the bench, was an anti-abortion activist, and his family still is,” Sarah Lee Day, a lawyer, said. Day has taught an ExCollege class on abortion and the U.S. judicial system for two semesters.

On April 7, Texas U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that 23 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration improperly approved mifepristone as a way to terminate a pregnancy, arguing that the agency had ignored safety concerns. Kacsmaryk has previously criticized Roe v. Wade and has worked for the First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group.

Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone from being released, and when taken with the drug misoprostol, is used to

end a pregnancy up to 10 weeks gestation. If mifepristone’s FDA approval is revoked, misoprostol will still be available and can be used by itself to trigger an abortion, albeit with worsened side effects.

“We know that medication abortion is safe and effective,” Day said. “We know that it’s safer than Tylenol; we know that it’s safer than Viagra. There’s already a very, very, very, very low percentage of the time that medication abortion isn’t going to be effective. … These doctors should never have had standing to bring this case.”

Around the same time Kacsmaryk issued his ruling, another U.S. District Court in Washington issued an injunction protecting access to mifepristone in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

“You’ve got these dueling injunctions,” Day said. “So they went to the Fifth Circuit.”

The Fifth Circuit, which Day said is known to be a conservative court, issued a preliminary ruling that partially overturned Kacsmaryk’s decision, finding that the statute of limitations to challenge the FDA’s initial

as university increases enrollment, some students express frustration with housing lottery system

by Katie Spiropoulos News Editor

As Tufts continues to increase its enrollment numbers, some students have faced unexpected — and unwanted — results with the housing lottery system. While first-year students are assigned dorms late in the summer, returning students seeking on-campus housing must enter a random drawing.

Angy Sosa, associate director for residential operations, explained the origin of the system and Tufts’ reasons for utilizing the lottery.

“We have been using the lottery system for on-campus housing selection since before I arrived in 2018. Lottery numbers are randomly assigned to students who submit housing applications by the deadline to allow equal access to on-campus residences within their class year,” Sosa wrote in an email to the Daily. “Lottery processes, being randomized for all students, make the process as fair as we are able to given the breakdown of the student population as well as the differences in the types of spaces available on campus.”

Rising sophomores received lottery numbers from 1,000–3,000 with lower numbers indicating a higher priority time slot to pick housing. When first-year combined degree student Gaby Jacobs-Alarcón entered the housing portal with No. 2,538, she knew her number was high but had no idea that options

outside of the dorms listed on the sophomore housing webpage would end up being her only choice.

“We wanted to get into Lewis but couldn’t even get into there,” she said. “Everything was gone by the time we had to pick, except for [The Court] and 32 Dearborn Road.”

Despite knowing little about the address, Jacobs-Alarcón and her roommate only had five minutes to decide — so they went with a room in 32 Dearborn.

Jacobs-Alarcón learned after signing her housing contract, however, that her housing choice would cost her family more money than a traditional dorm due to its setup as a stand-alone house.

“We were not aware [of the cost] until after, because we were so set on just getting the room because we were afraid time would run out,” she said.

First-year Winnie Stach found herself in a similar situation to Jacobs-Alarcón when it came time to search for housing. Stach, whose lottery number was 2,974, first attempted to form a suite group with some friends, but when the plan fell through, she was left with few options.

Rather than the usual housing choices available to continuing students, Stach was left to choose The Court, a residency community that has typically held first-years rather than sophomores.

The Court at Professors Row, which was constructed in 2022, con-

sists of three modular buildings that house 50 students each. The residences were added in order to create more housing as Tufts expands its incoming student class sizes.

Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations, said the university is midway through a plan to manage the growth of its student body. According to Collins, by 2026 the university will house around 6,600 full-time students on its Medford/Somerville, Fenway and Tufts abroad campuses.

“The actual number of full-time students will vary from year to year due to unpredictable forces, such as the number of people who actually enroll after being admitted, the number of students choosing to study abroad, or the number of students who choose to take gap years or leaves of absence, among others,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “We are continuing to focus on our ongoing priority of adding more beds and building or renovating more residential spaces on campus.”

Additionally, Collins revealed that Blakeley Hall, which is currently used to house Fletcher School students, will be converted to an undergraduate dorm with more than 100 beds.

“We continue to require all firstand second-year students to reside in university housing while continuing to grow the number of thirdand fourth-year students who live on campus,” Collins said.

Sosa explained that Tufts gives more individualized attention to students who are unable to find housing.

“Each year, there are a small number of students who still need to be placed in housing or did not select housing through the room selection process,” Sosa wrote. “Since sophomore students are required to live on campus, we work with them individually to identify a space based on their preferences. … This process runs concurrently with our waitlist of juniors and seniors who may still want to live on campus for the fall based on their individual needs.”

Sosa also mentioned that the university has slightly changed its approach to offering housing for juniors and seniors, who are not guaranteed housing on campus.

“The number of juniors and seniors applying for on-campus housing varies from year to year based on factors such as choosing to live off-campus or study abroad. This year, we changed our process to allow juniors and seniors to select on-campus housing in the fall—a suggestion that came from members of the TCU senate,” Sosa wrote.

The goal of this is to allow more time for the Office of Residential Life and Learning to accommodate students who have not found housing.

“Moving the process earlier gives students more time to consider alternative housing and manage the off-campus housing process,” Sosa wrote. “Additionally, with this earlier timeline, the Office of Residential Life and Learning is able to reach out to waitlisted students earlier so students know their housing status sooner and can plan accordingly.”

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The United States Supreme Court building is pictured. see MIFEPRISTONE, page 17

Graduating Daily staff share insights from their time at the paper

SENIORS continued from page 7

the stance of the Daily on certain issues and hold powerful individuals and groups and institutions accountable.”

Hartnett’s trajectory at the Daily began his first-year fall, when he worked at the Daily as a copy editor.

“It was just an extracurricular. I didn’t really see it as related to my academic nor career interests at the time,” Hartnett said.

Hartnett recalls being in the Daily’s newsroom the Monday before students were sent home due to the pandemic; he returned the following semester during virtual production of the newspaper, at which point several of his friends were on the managing board.

Hartnett copy edited throughout his sophomore year and started the opinion column “Democracy in the Daily” in response to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capital. Hartnett also served as a chair of the Daily’s Intentionality & Inclusivity Committee.

In his current role, Hartnett has also enjoyed meeting more people at the Daily.

“It’s been really rewarding getting to know members of the executive and managing board better than I have in the past,” Hartnett said. “I’ve met a ton of really cool, really driven and really talented people, and that was such a great gift of this semester.”

Now, Hartnett has come full circle: “I didn’t think it was relevant to my career, but now [the Daily is] one of the best things I’ve done, I think, for my career.”

Following graduation, Hartnett plans to work as a James C. Gaither Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, working with the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance program.

If there’s one thing he wishes he did earlier, however, it’s joining the executive board.

“I should have been on executive board … so long ago for access to free food,” Hartnett mused.

Madeleine Aitken

Editor in Chief, Fall 2021

by Katie Spiropoulos, News Editor

Maddie Aitken started her Daily career as a writer for the news and features sections and has not looked back. After serving as executive news editor, Aitken worked her way to the top of the masthead to serve as editor in chief in fall 2021.

Now, in her final semester at the Daily, Aitken tackles a new side of journalism from her more traditional writing posts as she serves as the executive audio producer.

“I was really proud of what the Daily was doing last semester and loved being really involved in that process,” she said.

For Aitken, serving as editor in chief was the most impactful part of her Daily experience.

“It is such a unique thing to be able to do, and I just really enjoyed the gratification of getting to work so hard on something and then have this tangible product that comes out every day,” Aitken said.

As a reporter before serving on the executive board, Aitken had to navigate working for a college paper while being a student in a world dominated by the pandemic. She

translated her experiences into articles for the Daily.

“I think that my most difficult article was one about how students were not complying with the university guidelines while COVID was increasing in fall 2020,” Aitken recalled. “It was hard from a reporting angle to get people to talk about that.”

Aitken has since written for the arts section, too, which have turned out to be some of her favorite experiences at the Daily.

“I got to interview Del Water Gap, who is an artist that I love,” Aitken said. “It was something that I was doing for a journalism class that I eventually turned into a Daily article, but the assignment was to profile someone that we didn’t know, and I decided to just kind of shoot my shot and I sent him a message and I didn’t think that he would ever reply.”

commitment, less stressful way to get involved.”

Priven started her career at the Daily as a copy editor, going into the office two to three times per week. She climbed the ranks within the copy section, eventually becoming an executive copy editor during her sophomore spring. By her junior year, Priven was a managing editor, a role almost completely different from her prior day-to-day work at the Daily.

“[I was] editing each night more for accuracy and clarity and integrity and making sure that we were following different journalistic ethics,” Priven said.

Priven said that while her love of editing was based on a passion for grammar, she appreciated the opportunity to work with the Daily on more thematic and journalistic editing.

the Daily actually began in the copy section.

“It was sometime in freshman year. … I heard about it from someone in Carmichael, and I went to the first GIM,” he said.

However, after the emergence of COVID-19, his interests changed.

“I went home and … wanted to get into photojournalism,” he shared. “And I thought, … I’ll give it another shot, but just in a different part of the Daily. And that’s sort of how I got into being a photographer for the Daily.”

Tran discussed his experience as a sports photographer as the highlight of his time with the Daily

“I had no experience photographing any of the sports events. But then, I showed up, I watched the games,” he said. “Being there, close to the action, … I got some pretty good pictures and that sort of opened up a new passion for me.”

always, ‘You have a phone with you,’” he said. “Being able to see the moment is something that takes practice. … Don’t be afraid to just take a few snaps!”

Hannah Harris Managing Editor, Fall 2020 by Katie Spiropoulos, News Editor

Harris began her time at the Daily in the fall of 2019 and has run through the different ranks of the paper ever since; now, she holds the same position she held as a firstyear: editorialist.

“I started as an editorialist at the Daily, actually, my first semester of freshman year. [Then] I was opinion exec my freshman spring,” Harris said. “When we came back to campus during COVID, I was a managing editor, and then after that, I was audio exec for two semesters. And then after that, I was the outreach coordinator … and now, editorialist.”

In the end, Harris said that managing editor was her favorite role.

“Everything that I love about student journalism and everything I love about the Daily was on full display, and that is, in large part, about the people,” Harris recalled. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a more dedicated group of people than the people I worked with and continue to work at the Daily with.”

Like many of the graduating seniors, Harris was at the Daily throughout the peak of the pandemic; as managing editor, COVID19 had a huge impact on her job.

Aitken has reviewed and written on big names in the music world such as boygenius, Teagan and Sara and Maggie Rogers and covered a variety of Boston-area concerts for the Daily.

Now, as graduation approaches, Aitken is plotting a career in journalism.

“I am planning to go into journalism, which is definitely a direct result of my time with the Daily, which is really cool,” Aitken said. “I feel like the Daily has been the biggest part of my Tufts experience, that definitely will be something that I remember forever — as corny as that sounds.”

Mariel Priven Managing Editor, Fall 2021

by Olivia Field, News Editor

Mariel Priven, a senior and former managing editor for the Daily, decided to join the Daily during her freshman year. Though Priven had a background in journalism in high school, she was nervous about joining a student-run publication in college.

“I had loved journalism in high school. I was very involved in my small student paper and was a little nervous to join a written section,” Priven explained. “When I found out about the copy editing team, especially as someone who is a little nerdy about grammar, I was excited there was just a low

“That was definitely a very rewarding experience. I think as much as I love grammar, it was a nice change,” she said.

For Priven, the work environment — and people — also made a difference.

“It was a really warm environment, and the people were amazing. … I really felt when I was in the office that people loved journalism and loved what they were doing and were doing everything out of passion and because they were rewarded by it, and not because of something they wanted to put on their resume,” Priven said.

Priven said that the Daily is valuable, both for individual students and for Tufts at large.

“I think that it’s such an opportunity for growth and learning outside of the classroom,” Priven said. “In terms of our audience, I think that given that we’re a college campus and given that the people who can make up our community are students, I think it is really valuable to have students reporting and students writing about what’s going on on our campus.”

For him, it was the experience of going out and taking pictures and of contributing to something larger that motivated him to become the executive photo editor.

“I wanted to be more involved in the process of planning things out … to give back to the Daily and … give guidance or direction to photographers coming in. That was … my hope, that they would find the same experience I had.”

Tran underscored presenting at DailyCon, the Daily’s semesterly training event, as an experience he often looks back on.

“I dread public speaking, but it was just such a fun time being up there,” he reminisced. “Talking about photo techniques, [which is] something I enjoy doing, and … just presenting and doing a little photo walk afterwards.”

He added that being a photographer prompted him to attend events he never would have otherwise, which added to not just his time with the paper, but as a Tufts undergraduate.

“Managing work life, school life, … also managing the staff for the first time … just having the whole system run smoothly is more difficult than I anticipated, but it was a fun challenge,” he said.

“During that [fall 2020] semester, it was when the COVID restrictions were really heavy, and I was really grateful that we got to go into the office for most of the semester before we got shut down towards the end because cases spiked,” Harris said. “It became kind of my social life during that semester.”

Working through the pandemic, Harris said the Daily gave her a sense of journalistic mission.

“I think that it was really unique to have such a purpose during that time. … When things were so unpredictable and so scary on campus, we knew that we were doing our job and doing our job well for as long as we could,” she said.

With the clock ticking quickly on her time left in college, Harris plans to work for a production company in Los Angeles where she currently works part time.

“We do podcasts and TV development … but it’s pretty cool because … I get a lot of different opportunities to work in a lot of different types of projects,” she said. “I think [the Daily has] set me up well professionally because I feel like it taught me how to work hard and work on crunch time and, when things are hard, to keep going.”

Harris is grateful for the opportunities she has had with the Daily and thinks of it as a part of the broader Tufts experience.

Despite his current position as executive photo editor, Quan Tran’s journey with

Tran’s biggest piece of advice to aspiring photojournalists is to always keep their cameras ready.

“They ask me, ‘Oh, do I need a camera for this?’… and my answer’s

“I don’t think Tufts would be the place it is without the Daily,” she said. “Some of the hardest and best things I’ve done at Tufts [were] through the Daily. … I think that the Daily is a wonderful place, and I’m really grateful that I’ve been a part of it.”

Quan Tran Executive Photo Editor, Spring 2023 by Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali, News Editor

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Members of the Daily’s senior class are pictured.

TCu Senate reflects on one of its most productive years yet

by Joey Montalto Contributing Writer

From hosting a farmers market to placing first aid kits around campus, the Tufts Community Union Senate launched a variety of pilot projects this academic year, making it what some senators say is one of the most productive years in recent history.

The TCU Senate has organized dozens of projects, with nearly every senator spearheading their own pilot project. Among other initiatives, senators have distributed menstrual products around campus, begun creating

a Wellness Center in Stratton Hall, organized shuttles to drive students to grocery stores and hired female-identifying strength and conditioning staff to lead classes on Monday nights.

TCU President Jaden Pena feels that his approach of having each senator lead their own passion project while also supporting each other has been a driving factor of the senate’s overall success.

“I’m most proud of the TCU Senate as a whole,” Pena, a senior, said. “We were by far the most productive senate that there has ever been at Tufts.”

The process of completing a pilot project takes an enormous amount of time, effort and funds. This year alone, the senate has spent $650,000 in supplemental funding and budgeted nearly $3,000,000. All of the supplemental funds went toward enhancing student life and the student experience.

“I’ve been genuinely astounded by the level of productivity because everyone is working on projects, which was not the case [before]. … Everyone is very involved,” Senator Avani Kabra, who chairs the Administration and Policy Committee, said.

Senator Anand Patil, who led an initiative to install emergency first aid kits in buildings across campus, discovered his project when he needed a Band-Aid but realized there were no formally maintained kits on campus.

“[First aid kits] seem like something that’s very simple that we should have at the school,” Patil, who represents the Class of 2026, said.

Patil reached out to administrators across several departments and was told that he had to put together a sustainability plan detailing every penny of funding. Left with little guidance on how to write one, his first plan was rejected. Ultimately, his hard work paid off: Tufts listened to his concerns and installed first aid kits in seven public buildings.

Another successful pilot project was the TCU’s first Food Security Week, hosted in March by the newly formed Food Insecurity Subcommittee. Throughout the week, students could use meal swipes to purchase items from food drives and pantries across campus.

Emily Childs, a Class of 2024 senator and member of the subcommittee, spearheaded the project alongside Vice President Arielle Galinsky and Caroline Spahr, a Class of 2026 senator.

“There is a food desert at Tufts that kind of goes unacknowledged in a lot of ways,” Childs said. “There’s limited dining resources on Tufts’ campus and limited outside restaurants, especially ones that take JumboCash. … Both [BeFresh and Stop & Shop] are mini-

mum 20 minute walks from the [Campus Center].”

In collaboration with Tufts Eco Reps, Childs also organized a campus-wide clothing swap called “Jumbo Exchange” on April 19. The event was an opportunity for students to exchange clothes in a lively setting complete with live music and artisan stands.

“I really wanted to lean into making it a social experience, while also prioritizing this sustainable consumption and conscious consumerism that I think is so vital,” Childs said.

Because senators need to communicate with administrators on top of handling funding, the emails and papers can stack up. Patil, for example, had to communicate with dozens of administrators and seek funding from 10 different sources before his idea for first aid kits could become a reality.

“No matter how good of any idea you have, it takes a ton of time at Tufts to get anything done,” Patil said.

TCU senators have already begun planning for next year. Notable future projects include allowing students to have a certain number of wellness day absences; making laundry machines cheaper and, ultimately, free; and introducing shuttle buses around campus for students and faculty with mobility issues.

“If it weren’t for a group of senators staying up until midnight on a Wednesday night or until two in the morning on a Sunday night, none of this would be possible,” Pena said. “They just … never fail to amaze me.”

France discusses past DEI work, upcoming Juneteenth celebration

My hope is that we’ll be able to do some real strategy that’s based on what we’ve learned from the climate assessment, and we’ll be working with the external consultant to help us to do that, and then finally, we’ll come out with a full report.

TD : In certain states, some universities have started to close their DEI offices after opening them only two years ago. How do you plan on using your office to set an example of the importance of your role for other universities in the country?

MF : I see my job as both internal and external. I’ve already come with years of experience in this work, globally. I’m deeply engaged in many global spaces in these conversations, both in higher education but also external to higher education. I believe this work has to be done across sectors and with deep partnership with tech firms, deep partnership with corporations and deep partnership with nonprofits. As a leader that has been in this space for over 20 years, pushing 25

years in this space, I think that, for me, it’s really critical that I’m in these spaces, uplifting the best strategies. I think my role as a person who’s been in the field for a long time is to also help create strategic alignment across institutions.

We have a big Supreme Court decision that’s coming out around affirmative action. I’m in conversations about that, on a national level, and in fact, I’m even going to be in global conversations about that this summer for an organization that brings together thought leaders across industries, because these really important people need to understand globally what we’re up against in terms of the attack on education.

It’s really critical that I am in conversations with colleagues throughout the field, on a national and global level, and it also helps to work to be stronger at Tufts, because when I’m out there listening to what other peers are doing and benchmarking, it helps me to think about our practice and our work here at Tufts in a more thoughtful and intentional way.

TD: Is there any aspect of your work that you feel often gets overlooked, especially when working with the various institutions within the university?

MF: You have to sometimes orient people to the idea that diversity, equity and inclusion maps across all areas. So I have to be in conversations with financial aid, with our legal counsel. I have to be in conversations with our IT people. I have to be in conversation with alumni development, every space across the institution, and then also the provost’s office and the president’s office. That, I think, is sometimes missed. There’s not one area of work for an institution that I should not be mapping into. I think that’s very lost on people who find it as an additive rather than embedding it.

TD: Are there any plans for a Juneteenth event this summer?

MF: Absolutely. We’re right now looking at two dates. We have a committee. That will include representation from across the university that will work with us to help create the vision and strategy for Juneteenth.

Center.

LOCAL

workers fight for unionization in greater Boston’s cafe industry

by Elise Fong Staff Writer

Unionization is on the rise in the Greater Boston area, with workers at independent cafes and major chains alike fighting for more rights in the workplace.

Kali Fillhart, a barista at Tokava Coffee, previously played a role in the successful unionization campaign at City Feed, a cafe and deli in Jamaica Plain. Now, Fillhart and her colleagues are trying to bargain with Tokava’s owner.

“We have a union now; we’re working on bargaining, but the owner is not doing anything to cooperate and is just letting the lawyer do what lawyers do,” Fillhart said. “It’s really hard because ultimately, these people don’t care about the workers, they just care about making the money and it’s exhausting being the one on the front line having to deal with customers and also ownership.”

Tokava Coffee’s owner could not be reached for comment.

Across town in Somerville, workers from Diesel, Bloc Cafe and Forge Baking Company, all of which have the same owners, recently finalized their contract after announcing their intent to unionize in December 2021. Chris Duncan, a worker at Diesel Cafe in Somerville, explained the motivation behind the unionization effort.

“There was not a lot of clarity on what company policies were, and it did not feel like there was a lot of payoff or reward for sticking around for a long time,” Duncan said.

Mia Kundert, a baker and barista at Forge, wrote in an email to the Daily that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues, as workers in the industry saw layoffs and reduced hours. However, the union effort at Pavement Coffeehouse inspired workers to band together.

“We announced our intent to unionize in December 2021 and were voluntarily recognized by management shortly after, followed by an extended period of collective bargaining until we reached a contract agreement,” Kundert wrote.

The committee met with management several times a month for 11 months, bargaining and ironing out the contract. Duncan, who served on the committee for about nine months, said the process was a test of patience.

“Management was bargaining in good faith. I don’t really think that they were trying to delay the process, but the fact that it was taking so long was contributing to a lot of turnover and frustration, I think,” Duncan said. “There was a sense, especially when we were getting close to really finishing the contract, that a lot of people just wouldn’t be around to really benefit from it.”

Kundert, who was also a member of the committee, noted that challenges stemmed from the small size of the Diesel, Bloc and Forge business, representing three independent cafes as opposed to a local or national chain.

“While our primary goal is to make sure employees are treated with respect and compensated fairly, we also have to take into consideration that the company does not have unlimited resources and still needs to be able to survive and continue to thrive in Somerville,” Kundert wrote. “We want the company and the union to succeed together, which took a lot of trust and a lot of compromise on both sides during the bargaining process.”

Kundert added that the owners and CEO of Diesel, Bloc and Forge have been receptive to the process, engaging in biweekly labor-management meetings that allow employees to bring thoughts, concerns and suggestions to management.

“Employees feel more confident in addressing concerns knowing that their fellow workers are there to back them up,” Kundert wrote. “It gives people a real sense of solidarity.”

The process ultimately led to a 2 1/2 year contract that was ratified by workers in February 2023, which included a pay increase, set raises

for employees, paid time off, leaves of absence and holiday pay.

“We’re hoping these will curb the high rate of employee turnover that we’ve seen in the last three years and help craft a more stable long term work environment,” Kundert wrote.

One of the main issues that Fillhart and her coworkers at Tokava hope unionizing will address is better communication from management. She shared that her boss frequently implements changes such as increasing prices, ordering different ingredients and changing hours without informing the staff. She thinks more workers should unionize.

“Workers should have a voice in every store, every department, every cafe because ultimately all it means is worker solidarity,” she said. “The greater impact is that workers realize that we deserve better and that better is possible. … I truly believe that if workers had more say in the business, the businesses would be better off.”

Workers like Kundert and Duncan believe that the benefits of unionization foster a sense of community, empowerment and solidarity among workers beyond just better wages and benefits.

“Beyond getting raises and that sort of thing, I think that we feel more powerful,” Duncan said. “We feel like we’re able to make our

voices heard, and that has been very valuable. … I have found a lot of comfort in how this has helped build a sense of community among the workers.”

Kundert added that she appreciates the support received from the Somerville community.

“Despite price hikes our stores haven’t seen a dip in orders or catering,” Kundert wrote. “People like to know that their money is going towards a business that supports its employees and it sets an example for other workers and employers that peaceful and practical unionization of small businesses is possible.”

The push for unionization is not limited to independent cafes, as evidenced by recent efforts by Starbucks workers in Somerville, who petitioned to unionize and join Starbucks Workers United on Feb. 24 this year, joining a national trend of Starbucks workers.

Barista Alyssa Milliken, who works at the Starbucks at 711 Somerville Ave., explained the reasons for her team’s unionization.

“Besides the stress, what personally motivated me to start unionizing was the amount of stress and strife my coworkers were going through,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. “A lot of them are students, and consistently I’ve seen their availability be ignored, hours cut, and just generally treated with

a general lack of empathy from our direct managers.”

In response to workers’ unionization efforts, Milliken said, they faced intimidation tactics from management, including management bringing in workers from other Starbucks cafes to work at their store and facing pushback on wearing pro-union shirts.

In a statement to the Daily, a Starbucks spokesperson wrote, “we have maintained and consistently enforced our existing dress code policy.”

“Our dress code policies for customer-facing partners are lawful and intended to align with applicable health and safety regulations—and specifically allow the opportunity for partners to display their support for a union and other approved company sponsored organizations,” the spokesperson wrote.

Milliken said workers have received support from Somerville customers and regulars. Milliken also credited her coworkers and other unionized workers for their support throughout the process.

“I honestly don’t know if I would have even thought to bring this up to my coworkers, let alone how to begin or go about the process without seeing other Starbucks and local coffee shops bring in the news about their efforts,” Milliken wrote.

ExCollege instructor unpacks court decisions on medication abortion

MIFEPRISTONE

continued from page 14

approval of mifepristone had long passed. However, they did roll back approvals made since 2016, namely rules that allowed patients to obtain mifepristone by mail and with a telehealth appointment.

The Supreme Court heard the injunction from the shadow docket, ultimately deciding to temporarily block the lower courts’ decisions to ban or limit mifepristone, with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissenting.

“They [just heard] about the procedural posturing of the case; nothing has happened in terms of the merits of the case,” Day said. “It will go back to the Fifth Circuit, the Fifth Circuit will hear the merits, and then it will go up [to the Supreme Court].”

Abortion advocates are concerned about this latest attempt to block access to abortion; today,

medication abortion accounts for over half of all abortions in the U.S., according to the Guttmacher Institute.

“This action is very scary to a lot of people. It is very uncertain to a lot of people,” Paige Duff, a junior and sexual health advocate, said. “What many people were turning to as a source of solace in the wake of the Dobbs decision was that medication abortion was accessible.”

Day said that while she thinks the Supreme Court should dismiss the case procedurally, the current makeup of the court indicates that the future of mifepristone approval is up in the air. She predicted that Justices Thomas, Alito and Neil Gorsuch would likely rule against the FDA, and that the three liberals on the court and Chief Justice John Roberts would rule in favor.

“The big question marks become [Justices Amy Coney

Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh],” she said. “In terms of the FDA approval process, I do not think that Coney [Barrett] or Kavanaugh is going to be willing to say, ‘No, judges should be able to override the FDA in this matter.’ … So the bigger question becomes the Comstock Act.”

The Comstock Act was originally passed in 1873, and among other things, prevents the mailing of abortion medication; however it has not been enforced by the federal government in decades, and judges as well as legislators have repeatedly narrowed the law’s scope.

Day said she was unsure of how Coney Barrett and Kavanaugh would approach the Comstock Act, which she characterized as a “zombie law.”

“If this was a normal group of justices, there would be no question,” she said. “But our Supreme Court and our federal judiciary is not normal anymore.”

In response to this insecurity, some states have stockpiled thousands of doses of mifepristone. At a press conference on April 10, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced that in addition to signing an executive order clarifying protections for medication abortion providers, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst purchased around 15,000 doses of the drug at her request.

“That’s sufficient to ensure coverage for well over a year,” Healey said at the press conference. “Medication abortion will remain safe, legal and accessible here in the Commonwealth.”

If the Comstock Act is enforced, Day said, it would not be legal to distribute mifepristone and other abortion medication to patients via mail. However, Day said that it would also prevent the distribution of some other drugs, such as Viagra.

“Ultimately, I think that this is going to turn out okay … in states where you have [an] attorney general that isn’t hostile towards the right [to an abortion],” she said. “In states that are hostile to the right, that’s a completely different story.”

In the meantime, Duff said that efforts to clarify and educate people on their rights are important to ensuring access to reproductive health care, giving the example of people getting confused between mifepristone and Plan B.

“There’s all of this fear-mongering, [and] there’s all of this really scary rhetoric,” she said. “I would say that one of the basic things that people can do is make an effort to stay informed. … It’s an unfortunate reality that this [case] might not go our way, and Dobbs didn’t go our way, but we kept fighting.”

RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Diesel Cafe is pictured on May 10.

UNIVERSITY

Robert goldstein discusses time at Tufts, Mass. public health priorities as he takes dPh reins

by Peri Barest News Editor

Kate Walsh, Massachusetts secretary of health and human services, appointed triple-Jumbo Robert Goldstein (LA’05, M’12, GBS’12) as the state’s commissioner of public health on April 4. Goldstein’s time working with the Sharewood Clinic as an undergraduate and medical student shaped his commitment to helping underserved communities access medical care, he told the Daily a week into his tenure.

While Goldstein knew from the start that he wanted to be a physician and was involved in the pre-medical society on campus, it was his time working at the Sharewood Clinic that introduced him to the power of public health. Project Sharewood has been providing free health care services to residents of Boston and Malden since 1997 and is staffed entirely by volunteer physicians, medical students and undergraduate students. When Goldstein started volunteering, Massachusetts did not have universal health care, and the clinic provided services to refugees, immigrants and people without health insurance.

“Sharewood was one of the greatest opportunities because as an undergraduate I could sit with patients for a long time and listen,” Goldstein said. “What was very clear to me is that those that I wanted to care for were those that were most marginalized in our community, faced the biggest barriers and had the greatest struggles in accessing care. For me in the beginning, and still, a lot of that care revolved around those living with HIV and at risk for HIV. It started me on a career path towards infectious diseases and HIV management — that work is public health.”

Goldstein continued working with the clinic during medical school, during which time he was a proponent of HIV and STI testing services. After graduating from medical school with an M.D. and a doctorate in 2012, Goldstein went on to complete his residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He served as chief resident and later became faculty in infectious disease at the hospital.

When he was working at MGH, Goldstein realized that the transgender community was at greatest risk for HIV. He helped found the hospital’s Transgender Health Program in 2018 and served as its medical director.

“I realized if I really wanted to have an impact on HIV and the epidemic, I had to train myself to provide gender-affirming care and to welcome folks into clinic so that they could access prevention services and treatment services,” he said. “Really what I was doing was lifting up the work of so many others — trans, nonbinary folks, people who had family members who are trans and nonbinary and people who are really committed and engaged with the community.”

Marjory Bravard (M’10), who was friends with Goldstein during medical school and worked at MGH at the same time, recalls Goldstein championing a bed policy for transgender patients.

“Mass General has shared rooms — a good 70–80% of the rooms are shared rooms — and so there became a concern where [staff] were not sure … what to do with transgender folks. And it was leading to not only delays, but uncomfortable questions for patients,” she said. “We went through a formal process of coming up with the policy that

see GOLDSTEIN, page 19

amid negotiations, SMFa part-time lecturers hold firm against Tufts’ proposed pay cut

by Spenser Walsh Staff Writer

The Tufts University parttime lecturers union, represented by SEIU Local 509, is currently engaged in a pay negotiation process on behalf of part-time lecturers who work at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

The union has been negotiating on behalf of part-time lecturers in the School of Arts and Sciences since fall 2013 and recently secured a new five-year contract with the school which will apply to parttime faculty until 2027. However, due to a planned change in the way courses are scheduled, pay for SMFA lecturers was tabled from the general contract to a separate negotiation, which is currently underway.

According to John Ros, SMFA lecturer and union negotiator, the union is focusing specifically on achieving higher pay, which has presented a challenge and an opportunity.

“It’s easier in that the conversation is very direct,” they said, “but it’s maybe harder because there’s less bargaining chips. … This is one conversation that we’re having, and it’s proven quite difficult.”

In a statement to the Daily, Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, said the university is “committed to constructive engagement at the bargaining table and fair treatment of all Tufts employees.”

LOCAL

“We’re looking forward to continued discussions with the union and good faith negotiations on wages and other issues,” Collins wrote. “Out of respect for the union and the negotiation process, we think it is appropriate to limit our discussion of specific proposals to the bargaining table.”

SMFA courses were previously broken up into either three- or six-hour periods but were restructured to last a uniform five hours starting in fall 2023. SMFA parttime lecturers receive payment based on courses taught, hence the need to renegotiate a new payment structure for this specific issue.

Tufts began negotiations with the first offer of an overall 16.6% pay cut, excluding compensation for once-mandatory review boards from the base salary.

Ros said the university used the restructuring of course length as an excuse to cut pay. To make up the difference, Tufts offered a flat fee for lecturers who participated in up to five review boards — the final assessments for SMFA students on a per-review board basis. This reduced the lecturers’ pay cut from 16.6% to 7.7–9.8%, according to Ros. However, historically the base pay rate has been determined by

see SMFA, page 20

Somerville releases final plan for new citywide bike network

by Estelle Anderson News Editor

Somerville released its first-ever Bicycle Network Plan on April 11 to build an 88-mile system of connected bike lanes throughout the city. The network, which will be completed within the next few decades, would make Somerville the only municipality in Massachusetts besides Cambridge to establish a citywide bicycle network.

“There’s quite a lot to be excited about here,” Tom Lamar, chair of the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, said. “There’s a lot of detail that went into this plan after some pretty thorough outreach. … I’m really excited that this network plan lays out a pretty thorough network of streets and has … put a lot of thought into what routes make the most sense everywhere.”

As early as 2014, Somerville ranked No. 1 in the Northeast and No. 5 in the nation for bike commuting, according to the League of American Cyclists. Despite the popularity of biking, however, Somerville’s current 30.1 miles of bike lanes is

a fragmented network deemed by many locals to be unsafe. When asked in a city survey how comfortable they felt biking on a scale of 1–10, the average response from Somerville residents was 5.5.

“I’d say maybe half of [the current bike network is] very pleasant,” Lamar said. “But there are also a lot of very stressful sections along busier roads or roads without any dedicated bike infrastructure and dangerous intersections. … Biking is pretty great, it’s pretty useful, … but it’s clear that it could be so much better than it currently is.”

According to George Schneeloch, co-founder of Somerville Bike Safety, an improved bike network could play a significant role in reducing these safety concerns.

“People who may not be super comfortable riding on many of the roads in Somerville today may choose to do so if there’s infrastructure in place which either slows down traffic … or provides protected bike lanes in order to separate … bikes and motor vehicles,” Schneeloch added.

Previously, Lamar said, Somerville’s efforts to build

new bicycling infrastructure were largely opportunistic, with city planners adding new bike lanes if a street was due for regular repaving, for example. According to Lamar, the inefficiency of this approach prevented a complete network from coming together.

“[Street by street] is not the most productive way to fight this out,” he said. “You need to be looking at this more holistically and be [thinking], ‘We need a safe route to get from this neighborhood to this school or to this square. What streets are the possible options for that? What are the most direct routes or the flattest routes?’”

The city’s new Bicycle Network Plan was developed with these questions in mind. A combination of one-way protected bike lanes, off-street paths and walk-and-bikefriendly streets called neighborways, the network includes some form of bikeway on 54% of Somerville streets. It aims to make biking a safer, less stressful endeavor for residents by connecting places of

CHARLENE TSAI / THE TUFTS DAILY

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts is pictured on April 5.

history professor Kendra Field co-curates dC exhibit on Black feminism

UNIVERSITY by Arvind Pillai Staff Writer

Kendra Field, associate professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Tufts, co-curated a new exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition, titled “We Who Believe In Freedom: Black Feminist DC,” opened in March and was created in partnership with the National Women’s History Museum. The endeavor goes hand in hand with Field’s past work and research, including her book “Growing Up with the Country: Family, Race, and Nation after the Civil War,” which draws heavily on African American family history and archival research.

Field explained the goals and content of the exhibition, which will be on display through September 2024, in an email to the Daily.

“‘We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC’ tells the stories of Black women and feminists who fought long and hard, bravely and creatively, for their rights and place in society,” she wrote. “This exhibition showcases the past, present, and future of Black feminism within and beyond the nation’s capital.”

Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the DC Public Library, also spoke on the exhibition’s significance.

“The Library’s partnership with the National Women’s History Museum is an opportunity to amplify the voices of activists and leaders known to too few,” Reyes-Gavilan wrote in a statement to the Daily. “It is a step towards recognizing the importance of Black women’s outsized contributions in the struggle for freedom and justice.”

Field explained the process for setting up the exhibition, in

partnership with both the libraries and other colleagues.

“My longtime colleague Dr. Sherie Randolph and I co-curated this exhibition together over the last year. I covered the earlier (post emancipation) era, and Dr. Randolph covered the civil rights and Black power eras,” Field wrote. “It was wonderful to have the opportunity to explore more deeply the intergenerational communities that shaped several of the DC individuals I had encountered in my previous research as a historian.”

Zoe Schoen (LA’19), a project administrator and research assistant for the African American Trail Project, helped with research for this project. She spoke more about the work that went into preparing the exhibition.

“I mostly was looking for images and archival documents that we could show that would be compelling,” Schoen said. “One of the things that was really important to us was to try to find archival audio of the women who were featured speaking in their own voices.”

Schoen added that to help tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement, the team worked with local activists to collect personal photographs and items. Field noted how the late 19th and early 20th century stories that she researched in the creation of the exhibit were inspiring to her too.

“It was a gift to see how their work and communities in DC shaped the powerful lives, choices, and movements of future generations, of the civil rights and Black power generations, from Pauli Murray to Loretta Ross,” Field wrote.

She also explained how the culmination of her previous research and work experience helped her create the exhibition, highlighting specifically her expertise in family history.

“As a historian, my approach to the past and to storytelling has always centered on biographies and life histories,” Field wrote. “Exploring an individual life in depth, and in context – the particular struggles an individual was up against, and the creative, brilliant, and often surprising ways in which they responded – can reveal so much about American history, expanding our collective imagination for the past, and for the present.”

Schoen elaborated on the importance of the exhibit in its present-day context.

“I think it’s a radical exhibit, and it highlights some unsung heroes of the reproductive justice movement,” Schoen said. “It certainly establishes that the Civil Rights Movement began well before we tend to think that it

Goldstein talks trans health care, COVID-19

GOLDSTEIN

continued from page 18

Robbie championed. Now, the patient’s preferred pronouns are pretty visible in the medical record, and there’s a clear bed policy that the patient gets a bed [of] their preferred choice.”

Goldstein said that today, the political landscape around trans healthcare is worse than it was when he was with the program. He encourages everyone in public health to lift up the trans community.

“We have a role to … educate the community to know that trans care is lifesaving care,” Goldstein said. “Genderaffirming care is lifesaving care.”

Goldstein ran for Massachusetts’ 8th Congressional District in 2020 but lost to incumbent Stephen Lynch in the primary. That same year, he received a call from his boss at

the time, Rochelle Walensky, who asked him to join her team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For two years, Goldstein worked in public health policy at the national level.

“That work allowed me to go and visit states and cities and counties and understand local public health in a way that I didn’t before,” he said. “Through that process, it inspired me to want to come back home and to do work … to improve the health of people that were right around me.”

When the commissioner position opened up at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Goldstein jumped at it. Now, as Goldstein embarks on the new role, he hopes to ensure that Massachusetts remains a leader in access to reproductive care. He is also focused on main -

taining access to health care as the state and country end their COVID-19 emergencies and using the lessons from the past three years to invest in public health infrastructure for the future.

Dave Munson (M’09), a physician with the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program’s Street Team, worked with Goldstein at the Sharewood Clinic and remembers him as a “damn good doctor.”

“I think Robbie has a dynamic personality. He is really passionate about underserved populations and marginalized populations, those communities, and I think that was clear, even back then in terms of the passion and the commitment that he brought to the work,” Munson said. “He has this natural leadership quality about him where he is able to relate

began, and I think it argues also for the radical nature of Black feminism, in particular the way that Black feminism has constantly pushed the wider feminist movement to expand.”

Field said that talking about the past, and the origins of movements and language, is critical.

“I think a lot about the proximity of this past – how so many living today have grandparents whose own parents or grandparents experienced the end or immediate aftermath of American racial slavery,” Field wrote.

Schoen pointed out that issues discussed today, including those surrounding women’s autonomy, were also discussed by formerly enslaved people.

“There were women coming out of enslavement who had already started to think about

to a lot of different types of people.”

Despite his new role leading the Department of Public Health, Goldstein has not forgotten his peers at Tufts who are also working to create change.

“We joke often that all of us have decided to use our Tufts degrees to do good, but not necessarily to make money. … We’re all so proud of that,” he said. “The same is true for my Tufts Medical School classmates, … people who have made a tremendous impact on public health and health care. And that makes me really proud to say that I’m part of that cohort and I am friends with those people.”

Bravard said that Goldstein is one of the most generous people she has ever met. She remembers Goldstein and his husband letting her stay at their place once when she was sick, and frequent-

some of these structures and how they were operating, and the need for women to come together to support each other and to fight for really radical ideas that expanded well beyond the category of women,” Schoen said.

Schoen said that, from personal experience, Field was a great fit as a co-curator for this exhibit.

“[She] is particularly an expert in Black genealogy and Black family history,” Schoen said. “I think she brought attention in the exhibit to not just these women but to their biographies more broadly. … I think when we can understand people in a more complex way that goes beyond just their public persona, we can also understand what drove them to dedicate their lives to particular struggles.”

ly letting others stay over during residency.

“Robbie has always been very much one of the most dedicated clinicians I’ve ever met. He just goes above and beyond for everyone,” Bravard said. “He was always the one staying late and making sure that everyone was getting the absolute best care they possibly could.”

Goldstein is proud to be a Jumbo, and said that he hopes current Tufts students continue to listen to the community and incorporate equity into all their work.

“Especially for students who are coming through right now,” Goldstein said, “I would challenge them to think back and to not think about incremental change, but to think about dramatic, wholesale change that really does benefit the most amount of people.”

COURTESY KENDRA FIELD

Kendra Field (left) is pictured with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sherie Randolph at a National Women’s History Month event.

UNIVERSITY

university experts discuss differences between OEO, green dot, CaRE, Sex health Reps

by Kaashvi Ahuja Staff Writer

For responding to issues of sexual misconduct or discrimination and harassment on campus, Tufts has departments including the Center for Awareness, Resources and Education and the Office of Equal Opportunity. However, despite being organized and managed differently, there remains confusion in differentiating the offices.

Alexandra Donovan, director of CARE, and Jill Zellmer, executive director of OEO, have spoken on the functions of their respective groups in the hopes of providing clarity for those who need it.

“CARE is set up to respond to anyone who’s been impacted by sexual misconduct. We offer confidential support for that,” Donovan said in an interview with the Daily. “We are unique in that we are the only office that offers confidential support around sexual misconduct.”

Unlike OEO, CARE contains several affiliated student groups aimed at student education and outreach.

“Green Dot and the Sex Health Reps are student groups that are attached to CARE,” Donovan said. “They

are considered department student groups, which means that they have a staff adviser from CARE, but they are run by students, for students in our peer-to-peer education programs.”

Donovan also touched on specific things CARE can do to provide support, including communicating with OEO on behalf of students who may not feel comfortable reporting an incident directly to OEO. CARE

can also accompany students who may feel nervous about going to the Tufts University Police Department about their problems.

“We have a lot of flexibility in that regard. With OEO, they

are upholding policies, they are responding in a very systematic way. They don’t have that flexibility of what they offer … so it feels very different in that way,” Donovan said.

Zellmer noted that Tufts is, by law, required to have an organization like OEO to serve the community.

“There must be an office at all institutions that investigates discrimination and harassment of all protected categories, including sexual misconduct,” Zellmer wrote in an email to the Daily. “The OEO serves this function for the university communities at all our schools and its oversight includes faculty, staff, students, patients, visitors, etc.”

As an institution of higher education, Tufts must adhere to specific government guidelines.

“When we conduct investigations for Tufts, we must follow federal, state, and local laws and regulations such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the MA Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD),” Zellmer wrote.

Because of OEO’s compliance function, Zellmer

see OEO, page 21

Markey, Ballantyne discuss green new deal at Somerville high School

by Carly Cohen Staff Writer

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne spoke at Somerville High School on April 24 to discuss the Green New Deal and its local implications.

The Green New Deal is a resolution aimed at mobilizing every aspect of American society toward a 100% clean and renewable energy system by 2050.

Mayor Ballantyne opened the meeting by describing the climate action progress that Somerville has already begun and the city’s goals for the upcoming years.

“We can make Somerville a national leader, a national model for climate resilience, connecting our environmental efforts with the city work on housing with the economy and social justice,” Ballantyne said.

She described how Somerville is already ahead of the curve,

being “one of the first communities in the country to set a goal to be carbon negative by 2050.”

Ballantyne also described the goals she has for the city in the coming year. Her administration is laying out an action plan in 2023, which would — according to Ballantyne — focus on those residents of the city that are the “most likely to bear the brunt of climate change impacts.”

Ballantyne believes that a specific reduction factor crucial

for reaching this goal is green transportation.

“We need to continue making sustainable transit the safe, easy choice for getting around,” Ballantyne said.

With the Green Line Extension up and running, she noted that 85% of Somerville residents are within a 15-minute walk of a T station, which is a large improvement from recent years.

Along with transportation targets, she said she hopes for

Somerville to join a state-run project that allows municipalities to prohibit fossil fuels in new constructions and major renovations.

“In Somerville, buildings account for two-thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions,” Ballantyne said. “To achieve carbon-negative status, we’ll need to make our buildings carbon-free. We’ve begun restructuring some of the city’s housing

see GREEN, page 21

SMFA part-time faculty face pay cuts under Tufts’ proposed contract

SMFA continued from page 18

a step system, where every four years the lecturers move up a step in the pay scale. The addition of the flat rate pay for the review boards was the same for all lecturers regardless of time served, which led to an increased pay cut (9.8% versus 7.7%) for lecturers who had taught at SMFA the longest.

“We were appalled,” Ros said. “We told them, ‘Wait a second, you’re actually saying that the people who have given you the longest service are actually going to make even less money.’ That became a huge issue.”

In the opinion of SMFA parttime lecturer Lizi Brown, the

offers made by Tufts signify a lack of respect.

“We expect respectful and thoughtful negotiations with Tufts.

We’re very disappointed that we haven’t seen this in our talks this spring,” Brown wrote in an email to the Daily. “An example: both of their offers have been regressive, involving pay cuts. They also don’t recognize all the work Part Time Faculty do, minimizing the efforts of SMFA Faculty, while at the same time increasing our reviewboard responsibilities.”

Ros said that not all professors would be able to participate in review boards, meaning that they would receive the larger pay cut. This emphasis on review board participation for a competitive sal-

ary and the pay cut disparity based on time served gave negotiators a lot to address heading into their April 26 meeting.

Ros said the first offer the union made was to couple the review board and course pay into a comprehensive single salary for the part-time lecturers that was “stepped” appropriately by years served at the SMFA.

“We wanted to keep review boards as part of our per-course salary,” they said, “but [Tufts] came back rejecting our proposal. … They are very serious about wanting to uncouple review boards.”

Tufts held firm on a 16.6% pay decrease for the base per-course pay of lecturers and changed the review board rate from a flat to

a stepped model, where those who had taught for longer would receive a higher payment per review board completed, addressing the union’s previous complaint. However, to make up the 16.6% difference and avoid a pay cut, lecturers would have to complete eight review boards rather than five, which, according to Ros, would be impossible for all parttime lecturers to do, as there simply “aren’t enough review boards to dole out.”

While disappointed about failing to secure the coupling of the review board and course pay, Ros made clear what their bargaining unit wanted at the end of the day.

“We need to see a salary increase, is our bottom line.

Period,” they said, “regardless of what that structure looks like.”

Ros also emphasized the massive amounts of uncompensated labor that they and other parttime lecturers are forced to complete, including preparing for the negotiations.

“Part-time lecturers … created a system [ahead of recent negotiations] that said, ‘This is how we could do review work,’” Ros said. “As part-time lecturers, all the part-time faculty on our side of the table are volunteering our time to be in these meetings. All the Tufts admin are getting paid to be at that meeting, and the fact we have to correct these issues that shouldn’t be our issues to begin with is really telling about what’s going on.”

GRAPHIC BY EMMA SELESNICK

New bike plan aims to increase safety, encourage cycling

BIKE

continued from page 18

interest across the city and reducing levels of traffic stress.

“The goals are primarily to increase biking as a main mode [of transportation]; to provide infrastructure that is safe and comfortable for people biking of all ages, abilities, genders and backgrounds; and to ensure that every resident in Somerville has access to bicycling,” Viola Augustin, a senior planner in Somerville’s Mobility Division, said.

The current Bicycle Network Plan is the result of an extensive public process that included community meetings, online surveys and group bike rides. After releasing a draft of the plan in November 2022, the city received feedback about its construction timeline, which was longer than many residents and advocates hoped for. In response, the new plan includes roughly 40 miles of a “priority network” to be completed by 2030.

“[The priority network] is reasonable, but there are a couple of omissions on there,” Lamar

said, pointing to Beacon Street as an example of a vital area that was excluded from the priority plan. The street is the city’s most heavily trafficked corridor for biking, used by an estimated 500 cyclists during peak hours.

Schneeloch echoed this sentiment.

“Unfortunately, [regarding] the southern part of Beacon Street between Washington Street and Inman Square, … they’re not going to do any work on that in the next seven years according to their plan,” he said. “I hope that they reconsider that.”

Some Somerville residents have also raised concerns about the new bike network’s impact on parking spaces. Lamar said that creating bike lanes often requires reclaiming new parking spaces and repurposing existing ones, a challenge that the city is prepared to take on.

“We’re committed to — if at all possible — keeping parking on one side, but even that will be challenging for some people,” Augustin said.

“We are very aware of people that are older and also …

accessible parking needs to be maintained. … Streets are complicated public spaces, and a lot of programming has to be accommodated. So, we will have to make compromises, and those compromises are always challenging.”

Construction on the network is slated to begin within the next year, according to Augustin. To accelerate the process, the city plans to use a method called Quick-Build, which uses low-cost, short-term materials that can be designed and installed relatively quickly.

Leaders of CARE, OEO explain organizational differences

OEO

continued from page 20

described the office as naturally more reactive. This sentiment led to students asking for a more proactive office, leading to the creation of CARE in the 2014–15 school year.

“The CARE office … was implemented … as a department under AS&E’s Office of Health and Wellness,” Zellmer wrote. “The CARE office is policy confidential. … However, CARE still has to report de-identified data to TUPD for federal … purposes and is subject to the laws and regulations

of the state. Only clergy, medical providers, and clinicians acting in those capacities for Tufts are confidential by law.”

Zellmer noted that, while OEO collaborates closely with CARE when possible, OEO does not oversee the Sex Health Representatives or the Green Dot program, a student-run organization which focuses on teaching bystander intervention to students. Zellmer also suggested that confusion about the role of the two offices may have stemmed from shared leadership between the offices in the past.

“If there is confusion among students about the differences between OEO and CARE, it may have developed because the Executive Director of the OEO used to supervise the CARE managers. Tufts moved away from that model over 5 years ago in order to better support students,” Zellmer wrote.

Donovan spoke to the confusion regarding the two offices.

“The confusion between OEO and CARE comes up a lot because we both do this work, we just do it in very different ways,” Donovan said. “Sometimes CARE will accom-

pany someone to OEO … but we are two distinct offices. I don’t know who comes to see them, and they don’t know who comes to see me.”

Donovan explained that CARE specifically gets confused with counseling or another confidential resource on campus, whereas the organization is specifically concerned with offering support surrounding sexual misconduct.

The issue of misidentifying Green Dot and Sex Health Representatives occurs less commonly, Donovan said, because they are both student groups, neither one of which

Markey calls for more green tech to fight climate change

GREEN continued from page 20

division to create a clean, green Somerville, a division focused on weatherization and energy efficiency of existing residential buildings.”

Along with this, she said her office put $1 million into helping low-income property owners with their comprehensive home improvements.

Ballantyne ended her speech by quoting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“The world already has many of the tools required to shift away from fossil fuels and slow down climate change,” Ballantyne said. “It’s doable, but it’s not getting done. We just need the will to invest in the transition from fossil fuels. In Somerville, we have that will.”

Markey noted the historic changes in Somerville as a leader for environmental solutions and described how low-income communities across America have faced the brunt of the conse-

quences of the country’s delayed action on climate change.

“We have to reduce the overall risk long-term to those who are most vulnerable in our society,” he said.

According to Markey, the first step in doing this is by creating new technologies to help reduce the catastrophic consequences of climate change.

“It turns out that the demand is massive for wind and solar, for electric vehicles and for battery storage technologies,” Markey said.

He also argued that implementing these technologies will not only give the country more sustainable ways to derive energy but will also provide jobs for those who face the largest consequences.

“Ultimately, we want 40% of all the [funding for the Green New Deal] to go into communities of color, into Native American communities and into those communities that have historically always been sacrificed,” Markey said.

Markey hopes that this action will lead to a larger global response by providing justice to even more victims of environmental racism and classism.

“It’s going to create justice for those communities that have histor-

ically been most affected adversely by climate change, by environmental justice, and ultimately, it’s going to trigger a global response of climate action,” he said.

Markey wants this work in climate change reduction to

“The community is very, very excited about this,” Lamar said. “It’s a solid plan overall. It’s definitely improved from graphs we looked at before. The community is really happy with it as is. … The main question now is: How do we get this done?”

offers confidential care. They offer peer-to-peer education around prevention.

Another distinction between the groups is that OEO reports their numbers, whereas CARE does not.

“Having a CARE office that doesn’t report to OEO allows students to have a more private place to talk about sexual health, sexual education and consent awareness, among other things,” Zellmer wrote. “Both OEO and CARE have more autonomy, transparency, and authenticity this way which benefits students.”

impact the future in monumental ways. He spoke of these hopes and pictured a world where “children actually have to look to the history books to find that there was a climate crisis.”

A bike lane near Powder House Circle in Somerville is pictured on May 10.

Sen. Ed Markey and Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne are pictured discussing the Green New Deal at Somerville High School on April 24.

Q&a: Professor Emeritus Jan Pechenik looks back on storied marine biology, education career

by Anushka Singh Staff Writer

In a career spanning over 40 years at Tufts, Professor Emeritus Jan Pechenik has left an indelible impact on marine biology and generations of students. The Daily sat down with Pechenik to discuss the questions that have motivated his work for the past four decades and the unexpected — and rewarding — turns his teaching has taken.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Tufts Daily (TD): How did you come to Tufts?

Jan Pechenik (JP): I was an undergraduate at Duke University. I took a marine invertebrates course which I found really interesting. The diversity of life in the ocean is just so amazing; we know so little about so much of it. I thought, well maybe I’d go into research, but … I had to decide whether to take the MCAT test for medical school or the GRE, which were for some reason given on the same day that year. So I flipped a coin and it came up heads. I took the GRE and ended up doing graduate work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. … Then I got a chance to come to Tufts.

The thing about Tufts is we have no marine facilities here, and so I had to find species that could work with no running seawater, no algal culturing facilities, things that you’d find in most marine labs. One of the main animals I’ve worked with is a snail called Crepidula fornicata. They all start off as males, become females as they get older and they form stacks on top of each other. … I’ve also done some studies with a small marine polychaete worm and with hermit crabs. Those are the three main groups of animals I’ve been able to work with here. I’ve had some great undergraduate students and graduate students working on all those organisms.

TD: Do you have any research, or any particular story that is closer to your heart for any reason?

JP: One of the things I keep coming back to is something that I called latent effects. Latent effects are experiences that animals have had early in development that don’t kill the animals, but then the question is, did those experiences influence how well the juveniles do after the animals metamorphose?

One of the first studies I did actually was with barnacles with a colleague in North

Carolina. Barnacles release these wonderful, tiny, microscopic larvae that eventually metamorphose into an entirely different larval stage, which looks like a rice grain with legs. If they don’t find the right cues, they will just keep swimming until they do. Once they attach, they never move again.

We found if the larvae had even delayed metamorphosis for a single day, the juveniles grew much more slowly. The implications of that are pretty intriguing. Because once you’re stuck on this rock, that’s it, you can’t move again. If you’re surrounded by other individuals, then you’re growing more slowly, and you’re likely to be crushed, and also you’re going to be more vulnerable to predators.

And it’s interesting in itself, but also typically, the EPA has a system where you look to see what concentration of a pollutant causes 50% mortality within 96 hours, and anything higher than that is evil. And if it’s lower than that, then you know it’s safe. Well, the pollutant doesn’t have to kill things directly to be evil. … So that’s something that’s becoming more and more important.

TD: [Besides research, what were the highlights to the teaching side of your career?]

JP: One of the things I like about Tufts is that it’s not just research that’s valued — teaching is also valued here. Science isn’t just about memorizing

things. It’s a way of thinking and learning how to express yourself clearly and logically

Senior Profile: Teamwork is everything for former TEMS Executive director Eric grin

by Tvisha Goel Staff Writer

Many students have a story behind their passion. Inspiration is hard to come by, but when it does come, it often fuels the drive behind a career choice.

Senior Eric Grin’s inspiration comes from his first hospital experience.

“I had an appendectomy in … the eighth grade,” Grin said. “I had always been irrationally afraid of surgery … and my mother’s kind of a hospital-phobic.”

He described how the surgeon explained everything that was going on and what was going to happen as he went into the procedure. That intersection between science and communication is something that stood out to him.

“As a person, I felt really respected,” Grin said. “I had never seen medicine as a science field and also one where you’re interacting with people.”

With this experience in mind, Grin was propelled into the medical field and went on to join Tufts Emergency Medical Services in college.

From the second semester of his junior year to the first semester of his senior year, he served as executive director of TEMS. His experiences in the organization have only bolstered his love for the multifaceted field.

He described that the EMS field, much like when becoming a doctor, consists of patient interaction, academic work and teamwork.

“You’re interacting with people, you’re doing academic work, especially on the acute care side of things,” he said. “There are a lot of situations where you have to make a lot of judgment calls very quickly. … Also, giving good care means working in teams really well. In EMS that means you’re working with nurses, firefighters, paramedics [and] you’re working with the doctor when you get [to the hospital].”

Grin, an EMT and aspiring trauma surgeon, is often faced with the pressure of having to make those quick decisions, which begs the question of whether or not the decision is correct.

“There have definitely been times when I’ve made mis -

takes, and you know, who wouldn’t? Especially when I was a new EMT,” he said. However, Grin, a double major in biochemistry and Russian and Eastern European studies, believes that it’s important — when placed in those situations of not knowing exactly how to proceed — to ask for help and recommendations from peers.

“I think it’s a factor of recognizing when you are less comfortable and knowing how to ask for help, and how to work in a team,” he added. “Over time, you develop those skills. Now I work with newer people and it’s the same sort of thing. We might go on [a] call, and something might not go right, and very often it doesn’t go right.”

Mistakes can often cause a fear of failure as opposed to promoting perseverance. But Grin encourages students to acknowledge that mistakes will be an inherent part of the learning process, as he has learned much from his own experiences through his college and EMT career.

COURTESY JAN PECHENIK

Marine biologist and Professor Emeritus Jan Pechenik is pictured. see PECHENIK, page 23 COURTESY ERIC GRIN

Pechenik on human environmental impact, retirement plans

PECHENIK continued from page 22

and in a convincing way about the results that you obtained. I was hired to teach a marine biology course. I was like, “How can I come up with a question that there’s no way that students can look up?” As an optional exercise, I asked students to write a poem about some aspect of the topic that we’ve been talking about. And students put in an amazing amount of work. Long after the course is over, the only thing that they remember about marine biology is the poem that they wrote. So I wrote a paper about that for a teaching journal.

When I started teaching, students didn’t like the textbook we were using at all, the book I had used as a student. So I wrote a short chapter on each major animal group that I wanted to cover in the class, and I drew some pictures and had it printed out. One day, somebody from a local publisher, Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, said, “Mr. Pechenik, you could turn this into a pretty good book.”

I thought, “Invertebrate biology doesn’t change very much, and so I’d only have to go through this once.” But with the rise of molecular research, there have been just a lot of changes over the past several decades, especially about our understanding of how the different

invertebrate groups are related to each other. So that book is now a seventh edition.

I noticed students were having a really hard time reading the research papers and writing about them. There was a committee established, many years ago, that led a really wonderful program for faculty and students called Writing Across the Curriculum. When the director left, I somehow became the director of that program for six years. Not only did we learn a lot by doing it, but it presented just a wonderful opportunity for faculty from all different departments to work together on a common cause.

Grin discusses experience at TEMS, as TA

GRIN continued from page 22

“If you are doing something in which you are never making mistakes, it’s probably not that hard, right?” Grin said. “If you make a mistake, it’s very important to learn from it and think about why did something not go the way [you] wanted it to, what factors contributed to that, what can [you] do to try and avoid that in the future.”

He added that sometimes, in the medical field, some things are outside of your control, and it’s frequently better just to move past these sorts of errors than to dwell on them.

“But there’s also a level of not being so hard on yourself where you’re beating yourself up again and again about something that happened months and months ago that you have little control over,” Grin said. “So I think that it’s a mix of taking a lot of responsibility for things that are under your control and then also

realizing that sometimes outcomes aren’t going to be the way you want them to be.”

Grin also mentioned that he appreciates the learning and teaching aspects of being on TEMS.

“I … co-taught [the EMT class] with the instructor at the time, [who’s] now retired,” Grin said. “He was the one who taught me back in my freshman year when I got my [EMT] license. Working with students has definitely been a highlight for me. It’s really fun to introduce people to a field that often they know very little about … and people are eager to learn.”

During his college journey, Grin also explored the educational side of his science experiences, becoming a TA for biochemistry and a tutor for the Student Accessibility and Academic Resources Center. He is interested in applying those educational skills to his work with TEMS.

“At TEMS, a big focus of mine has been trying to pro -

mote more training and education … to mentor younger students and get them excited about things,” he said.

Grin said that underclassmen can easily become discouraged by early-level STEM courses.

“You get a lot of freshmen and sophomores who come in and have this idea that they are excited about science and want to do it,” he said. “But they come into these introductory classes and some of them start getting worried and think … ‘This is so hard. I’m not enjoying this. I shouldn’t go into this field.’”

He believes that learning in STEM fields is difficult for everyone, and those who succeed are students who develop the skills necessary to do so.

“Yeah, some of these introductory classes can be tough, but not everybody comes in with this natural ability to ‘do science,’ it [takes] a skill set,” Grin said. “You can [teach] people to appreciate the sub -

TD: Do you have any parting thoughts?

JP: What am I going to do now? I’m going to start playing accordion again for square dances and contra dances, which I used to do a long time ago when I was a graduate student. Also a lot of bike riding, and running science writing workshops. I’m going to do one in Copenhagen coming up at the end of May.

I would never have expected to end up doing all the things I ended up doing. Especially once you’re tenured, you really have a lot of freedom to spend your time doing what you think is worthwhile.

Three years or so ago, I came up with the idea of teach-

jects and try strategies to grow as learners because I feel like everyone can really succeed in that. It’s just a question of motivating themselves and

ing a course about evolution for non-science majors. I do this with Eric Dopman. A lot of the students at the end of the semester say they had no idea that science could be so interesting. They thought it was about memorizing things, but no, it’s about life on our planet and also about the way human beings are affecting the selective forces acting on organisms all over our planet too.

So that’s been really satisfying. I really enjoyed the mixture of being able to do research, but also teach in interesting ways and to teach courses that I would not have expected to be teaching initially when I first got here.

having confidence in themselves. I hope I can maybe leave a little bit of a legacy of that, something to pass on to other people.”

Eric Grin is pictured in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

s enior Profile: tCu President Jaden Pena fosters understanding and inclusion through his leadership

by Mark Choi Features Editor

“The best compliment that I’ve ever received was from one of my high school musical directors,” Jaden Pena said. “He told me that what he loved most about me was my ability to bridge different communities. And I think that was really an awakening moment for me.”

Indeed, Pena’s time at Tufts has been marked by his commitment to bridging differences and promoting understanding across different communities. As a varsity football player and a tenor for the Beelzebubs, an all-male a cappella group on campus, Pena knows all too well how our identities and interests can be singled out and used to label us.

For Pena, though, it is critical to pursue true interests and passions in the most authentic and truthful way.

“I’d say most people have multiple, different talents that

they could be providing for the world that might just be hidden by someone’s inability to push their comfort levels,” Pena said. “When you look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day, only you know if you’re doing everything that you want to be doing. … Nobody else can extract it from you.”

Academically, he discovered that his two majors, political science and music, sound, and culture, are highly complementary and have deepened his empathy for others.

“In theater classes, people share different stories and share different experiences,” Pena said. “Through that exploration and through those classes, I’ve gained various other perspectives that I never would have [otherwise]. … I think that [it] definitely shaped who I am as a person and how I look at the world, which then definitely affects how I look at politics in general.”

With this understanding in mind, Pena ran on a platform that centered around diversity, equity and inclusion for the Tufts Community Union Senate presidential election last spring. Relatedly, a centerpiece of his campaign was his promise of advocacy for and representation of the student body to the university administration, Pena recounted.

“When I was running, I didn’t just run on a platform of ‘I want to do this. And I wish I could do this. And this is a dream that I’m going to sell you,’” he said. “I really ran on a platform that was like, ‘I am going to do everything that I can do to advocate for the needs and wants of this community.’”

True to his promise, Pena was guided by the mission to bridge the gap between the student body and the university administration throughout this school year.

“Going to meetings with administrators, I knew that if I were advocating for something that would enhance student life, I knew that I had the support of thousands of undergraduates behind me, which was more empowering than pressurizing,” he said.

In this respect, Pena added that his understanding of equity has underlied his projects and initiatives, including various town halls to foster greater understanding across the university’s communities.

“Equity, to me, is [about] ensuring that the resources that Tufts is providing are accessible to all communities on our campus,” Pena said.

To this end, he spearheaded and helped organize many efforts as the TCU president, such as combating food insecurity issues. As a TCU senator last school year, Pena also chaired the committee on community diversity and inclusion, and he

served as the diversity officer on the executive board of the senate.

Reflecting on this school year, Pena explained and cited the TCU senate’s communal efforts and many accomplishments.

“I don’t want to take the credit of others, but I get to, being the president, be involved in every single project in one way or another,” Pena said. “Our outreach committee did town halls that had different community senators have little roundtable discussions. … There was a Black faculty meet-and-greet that was hosted by two senators [and] that was unbelievably successful.”

In light of his involvement with the student government, Pena further elaborated on his understanding of good leadership.

“Good leadership, to me, is taking the passion and inspiration — or taking the passion and devotion of others — and let

see PENA, page 29

Faculty, staff take courses alongside students through the tuition remission program

by Carmen Smoak Assistant Features Editor

Throwing caps in the air, many graduating seniors are about to take their first step out of a lifetime of education and into the next phase of adulthood. After taking countless courses at Tufts, these young adults earn their degree and their freedom from the classroom.

However, not all people who take Tufts courses are just students; staff and faculty take courses as well — at no cost. As part of the Tuition Remission program, full-time employees at Tufts are able to take up to four courses a year, and part-time employees can take a maximum of two courses a year. Additionally, undergraduate courses are tax-exempt for employees, and the same is possible for graduate courses if they are related to their current career path and approved as professional development.

Sally Brzozowski, associate director of digital engagement at Tufts, is a 2023 graduate from the Tufts Gordon Institute master’s program in engineering management. For Brzozowski, the Tuition Remission program is an opportunity to be on the receiving end of its educational services.

“It’s a huge incentive of working here, and one I wish more people took advantage of,” Brzozowski said. “It is just a really great way to, … be involved in the university and to see what it’s like to be a part of the [educational] system.”

Phoebe Sargeant is an administrative coordinator in the political science department. She earned two Tufts degrees as a student, and now, as an employee, is pursuing a master’s degree in history. Sargeant outlined the monetary benefits of the Tuition Remission program.

“Every course is around $3,000 or $4,000 now,” Sergeant said. “With four classes a year, that’s 16 grand of your compensation that you’re not taking advantage of.”

The Tuition Remission program is not for everyone, though. John Callahan, a mem-

ber of the groundskeeping staff who takes Tufts courses, elaborated.

“There’s a lot of people who work here that don’t do it,” Callahan said. “Everyone has their spot that they settle into in life that they’re happy with. And if you’re already there, why screw with it?”

For those Tufts employees that are able and willing to take on the extra time commitment of courses, it can be an incredible and rewarding experience. Staff and faculty can pursue a degree through the program or take any assortment of courses

for the sole purpose of personal fulfillment.

Sargeant, who attended Tufts as an undergraduate, spoke to her own experience as a longterm Jumbo.

“I can blend into the students really well, which I think also is helpful for me to say ‘yes’ to these courses and find myself in these courses because I’m comfortable in the university,” Sargeant said.

The program is designed so that all staff and faculty can partake in it, no matter their educational background. It did not stop Brzozowski, having

graduated herself with a bachelor’s degree in English and political science, from enrolling in engineering management courses.

“[Tufts] is such a high caliber school to offer such a pathway,” Brzozowski said. “I do think it’s also this great equalizer, that is … available to so many people.”

With a wide range of course offerings available, staff and faculty have a lot of choice when it comes to exploring their interests in class. Sargeant

COURTESY PHOEBE SARGEANT AND JOHN CALLAHAN

Phoebe Sargeant (left) and John Callahan (right), two Tufts employees taking university courses, are pictured.

s enior Profile: Wendell Phillips award recipient Isabelle Charles reflects on her time at tufts

by Elizabeth Zacks Deputy Features Editor

Isabelle Charles, a senior majoring in English and Africana studies, is the 2023 recipient of the Wendell Phillips Award. This annual award is given to a senior who is both an exceptional speaker and has a great sense of responsibility toward the community. As the Wendell Phillips Award winner, Charles will give a speech as part of Commencement weekend during the Baccalaureate Ceremony on May 20.

The Wendell Phillips Award was established in 1896, and the

winner delivers an inspirational message to the graduating class centered around the ideas and values of civic engagement.

Charles sat down with the Daily and explained how applying for the Wendell Phillips Award was a chance to look back on her time at Tufts.

“I’d been reflecting on my senior year and my Tufts experience for so long,” Charles said. “Being a writer and trying to compartmentalize everything, I was like ‘Wow, how would I describe this whole experience, these four years?’”

During her academic career at Tufts, Charles double majored

in English and Africana studies. She switched from sociology to English in her sophomore year when she realized she missed aspects of the English curriculum such as creative writing.

From the start of her college experience, Charles decided to pursue courses in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, which houses the Africana studies major. She was spurred by a love of history, her own background and her advisor — former Professor H. Adlai Murdoch, who previously taught Intro to Africana Studies.

“[Murdoch] has just been instrumental to my experience,” Charles said. “My mom is Jamaican and Panamanian, my dad is Haitian, and so that’s what struck me to go into Africana studies.”

Charles was also involved in a variety of on- and off-campus extracurricular activities throughout her time at Tufts.

She was a member and eventual co-president of the Ladies of Essence, Tufts’ only all-femme a capella group that specializes in music from the African diaspora and African tradition.

“It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding in the end,

because it’s a very talented group of individuals,” Charles added.

During her sophomore year, when she was at home due to the pandemic, Charles wrote for the Tufts Observer. When Charles returned to campus her junior year, she became the magazine’s poetry and prose editor.

“I joined the Observer as a staff writer, and that was really fun because I had met a lot of new people through the Observer, and I was able to write again in a way in which … was different to class writing or academic writing,” Charles commented.

see CHARLES, page 30

s enior Profile: enrique rodriguez receives tisch Presidential award for Civic Life

by

As the academic year comes to a close, members of the Class of 2023 prepare for graduation, including Enrique Ernesto Rodriguez, a 2023 recipient of the Tisch Presidential Award for Civic Life. Each year, the award recognizes Tufts undergraduate and graduate students who have made notable contributions to community service and leadership.

“I’d just like to thank everyone who made my experience the experience that I had, all my friends and the community that I’ve built. … They’re the people who got me to where I am today and who gave me the ability to do all these great things on campus and for the community,” Rodriguez said. “Thank you to everyone who supported me and believed in me.”

Growing up in Lake Worth, Fla., Rodriguez had been interested in pursuing a premedical track, but after learning about biomedical engineering in high school, they were drawn to the field.

“In my high school biology class, we were watching some videos where a scientist … was growing an ear on a mouse, and I was like, ‘Oh, that was really cool,’ so I asked my teacher what it was and he was just telling me that it was biomedical engineering or tissue engineering, so that piqued my interest,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez knew they wanted to go to college in Boston after reading about medical work conducted at hospitals in Massachusetts. While visiting the campus on Jumbo Days, Rodriguez liked both Tufts’ size and the people, but they were particularly impressed by the comprehensive support system that Tufts offered them.

“I really liked the support system that BEST … [or] Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts … provided me … because of my background as a first-generation student. I felt like hav-

ing that extra support system in place was really attractive to me,” Rodriguez said. “I felt supported the most by Tufts, and it felt like a great fit for me.”

Luckily, Rodriguez’s impression of Tufts was reflective of their overall experience. Rodriguez felt they received the most support from the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion identity centers on campus.

“I felt like I was able to build community, and if I didn’t see a community that I identified with or felt needed to be here, I felt like there was at least a way for me to make that community or advocate for that community to be made or heard,” Rodriguez said. “I felt supported and I felt like Tufts was what I expected it to be for the most part.”

Over the course of their time at Tufts studying biomedical engineering, Rodriguez has participated in an abundance of research and lab experiences, including their capstone project of building a 3D model of the brain to track electrical signals of neurons.

“It’s supposed to help with understanding neuronal connections and in the future potentially diseases like neurodegenerative diseases,” Rodriguez said. “But for now, it is to address a gap in knowledge of tracking electrical signaling in the brain.”

Outside of academics, Rodriguez has been an active community member both at Tufts and within the Greater Boston area. Rodriguez has mentored students in the BEST prematriculation program to help students transition into their undergraduate education and has tutored participants in physics. Through Tufts’ STEM Ambassadors program, Rodriguez has taught science to students in Boston public high schools.

“We go into public high schools in the greater Boston area and we teach these students specific concepts related to STEM that aren’t traditionally taught in a high school classroom,” Rodriguez said. “For example, I was teaching about

rare diseases and why it’s important to research rare diseases and about the importance of representation in STEM.”

Rodriguez has had a lot of teaching experience throughout their experience at Tufts. In addition to being a physics learning assistant, Rodriguez has been involved in the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach at Tufts. Rodriguez’s work through this center included teaching robotics and computer science to kids at a local YMCA, participating in discussions on anti-racist and justice-centered curriculums in engineering education and leading discussions about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the context of computer and data science. Rodriguez also conducted research at the Tufts Medical School’s Shen Lab and served as a mentor to high school students from Boston through the Center for Science Education.

“I mentored them through this program called “Mini [Med] School,” and I helped to design curriculum … and help [high school students] figure out financial aid and what it takes to apply to college,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was also the treasurer of the Tufts Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program, a Tufts Community Union senator on the Allocations Board and a Blackout Step Team member.

In their time as a highly involved student and community member, Rodriguez has received the BEST Scholar, 2022 Tufts DEIJ Service Award, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and 2023 Tufts Senior Award.

Rodriguez said the Tisch Presidential Award for Civic Life suited their personality and service-related experiences at Tufts well.

“I feel like I am a very community-oriented person, and everything I’ve done has been to build community or uplift or shed light on a community … whether it was advocating for

a community or just building a community,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is looking forward to graduating after four years of hard work. Rodriguez acknowledges that while COVID-19 consumed much of their college experience, they value the unique experiences that arose because of the pandemic.

“While I am upset that it feels like parts of my college experience were removed, not every college experience is going to be the same.” Rodriguez said. “Through [the COVID-19 pandemic] … I still found ways to get involved and advocate for community and help my peers and pursue my interests, it just wasn’t the … most ideal way.”

Rodriguez is looking forward to continuing to pursue their passions after graduation. Rodriguez hopes to work as a research assistant in Boston with the plan of attending school in the future to either teach biomedical engineering or become a doctor.

“[My] end goal is to ultimately help people as much as I can, whether it’s through education or through healthcare,” Rodriguez said.

Reflecting on their time at Tufts, Rodriguez stresses the importance of incoming Tufts students taking advantage of the available resources and support systems on campus when adjusting to college life. Rodriguez feels it is crucial to ask for help when necessary, especially for first-generation and minority students.

“Annoy the people that say they will help you … and remember that everyone’s story is different,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone is starting from different places, [such as] how some people had the opportunity to take a lot of AP classes. … Just because you feel like you are behind does not mean that you are actually behind. Just know that you belong here and that you were chosen for a reason.”

Maya Katz Features Editor

COURTESY ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ Enrique Rodriguez is pictured.

From their first to final year, these roommates have lived together through it all

by Isabelle Kaminsky Deputy Features Editor

Editor’s note: Jill Collins is a former executive features editor for The Tufts Daily. Collins was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

Every Tufts student knows this feeling: Who will my first-year roommate be? How should I fill out this housing form? We constantly refresh our new tufts.edu email, finally get a name and immediately look up the person online. Will we be friends? Will we get along? Will we even speak?

Tufts’ random housing selection provides a multitude of opportunities for incoming firstyears. It is a chance to meet someone you perhaps would not otherwise have met, gain different perspectives and learn how to live with someone new. For some, it is the beginning of lifelong friendships. For a select few, the random assignments led to roommate pairings that would last all four years.

Seniors Sonia Mody and Amanda Aprati are among those who have lived together since they were first-year undergraduates. Randomly assigned to live together in Hill Hall, they have lived together ever since.

Aprati described the pair’s first interaction online after they got matched.

“[I] randomly got the email, was so nervous to open it, saw her name and immediately searched her name on Instagram, and we followed each other,” Aprati said. “And then I was really excited because I thought that she was so fun and sweet.”

Aprati then messaged Mody on Instagram and wrote, “Hey, looks like we’re roommates. LOL.”

This marked the start of an online connection, so by the time they moved into Hill Hall, Aprati and Mody felt like they already knew each other.

“We were texting a lot during the summer,” Mody said. “Even the first day we moved into the room and hung out for the first time, it was never awkward.”

After moving in, Aprati and Mody constantly hung out together. They ate every meal together and met their closest friends through the other. While they would have their own separate days, they would always come back to Hill Hall to talk and spend time together.

Mody shared one of her favorite memories from living with Aprati during their freshman year.

“We were up really late at 1 a.m. … and it was just me and Amanda in her bed just talking, and we’re laughing, having such a good time, literally giggling,”

Mody said. “Our RA was like, ‘Can you guys keep it down? People are trying to sleep.’”

Aprati added, “You would have literally thought we were having a party, [but] we were just dying laughing for so long that everyone could hear it in the hall.”

The two became fast friends, and they credited part of their success to also being able to coexist in their living space very well.

“We got so lucky that it wasn’t just that we are best friends, but also that we’ve lived very well and easily together and never had issues.” Aprati said.

Sophomore year, Aprati and Mody lived in a double together in a suite in Latin Way with some of their other friends.

“There were two doubles and everyone wanted the doubles … to get that college experience of living with a best friend,” Aprati said. “[Our other friends] would fight it out over who’s getting the last double, and it was literally never a consideration that Sonia and I would get singles because it was just a package deal that we were living together.”

For their junior and senior years, Aprati and Mody lived in an off-campus apartment together. Their rooms were just a few inches away from each

other, so they truly never lived too far apart for the duration of their Tufts experience.

Aprati reflected on the pair’s friendship after living together for four years.

“ Everyone says the best friends are ones you can literally do nothing with and just feel comfortable and happy in their presence,” she said. “And I feel like that’s huge for someone that you’ve lived with for that long.”

Seniors Bo Johnson and Will Hotch have also lived together the entire time they’ve been at Tufts.

Hotch described the pair’s first interaction online where he accidentally “ghosted” Johnson.

“I was in the mindset of … there’s too many people to follow [on Instagram] from Tufts. So I was like, [I’ll] follow people back when I meet them. So Bo followed me and I was like, ‘Oh, cool guy from Tufts. If I meet him, I’ll follow him back,’” Hotch said. “But because of that, I never saw any [of his] messages.”

A few days later, Hotch finally received the email and finally realized that he had an unread message from his future roommate.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, no, I ghosted the person that’s

see ROOMMATES, page 31

after nearly 50 years at tufts, Professor Jeffrey Berry discusses his retirement, research, teaching

by Kendall Roberts Features Editor

Professor, author, adviser, researcher, mentor, scholar and friend. These are just a few words to describe Jeffrey M. Berry and the legacy he created for himself at Tufts.

Berry worked at the Department of Political Science since 1974 and officially retired in the fall of 2022 after nearly 50 years of teaching. Berry explained that his love for political science was nurtured from childhood, inspired by his mother’s influence.

“I think my mother was the reason I got into political science. She was very interested in politics and so she talked politics with me,” Berry said. “I can remember at a very early age reading the newspaper.”

While Berry was growing up, agriculture was the center of the economy in his hometown of Fresno, Calif. At a summer job where he made deliveries to farms, he learned about the exploitation of Mexican laborers in the area. It was a profound experience that sparked a long journey leading to his master’s degree thesis on Cesar Chavez, who was the first person to orga-

nize Mexican farmworkers in California.

“When I made deliveries to these farms, I saw the exploitation,” Berry said. “It made a big impact on me. So I carried that passion or concern into graduate school. … That’s sort of an intellectual link between where I grew up and what I ended up doing for a living.”

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree at the University of California Berkeley, he made a trek across the country to pursue his doctorate from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. After accepting the job to work at Tufts

in 1974, Berry began building a life with his family in Boston and conducted research on interest groups and urban politics.

Berry collaborated with Kent Portney, a former professor of political science at Tufts, on several publications. Alongside Portney and Ken Thompson, he co-authored “The Rebirth of Urban Democracy.”

“Kent and I continued to work together on many things, so we became very close writing and research partners,” Berry said. “He was a big part of my Tufts life.”

Berry has also collaborated across departments. Working with Sarah Sobieraj, professor and chair of the sociology department, Berry explored the role of cable news networks and talk radio in American political lives.

As of recently, Berry is wrapping up a five-year project alongside Dean James Glaser and Professor Deborah Schildkraut that explores the differences between liberals and conservatives. Berry has appreciated the opportunity to work alongside other professors and faculty members during his time at Tufts.

“I’ve not merely been at Tufts, but I’ve had research that was actually based at Tufts,” Berry said. “I was very happy with having these wonderful people to work with.”

Berry has often valued collaborating with Tufts undergraduates

on publications, especially since the political science department does not have a graduate program.

“I have quite a few research assistants, in some cases, collaborators who are undergraduates. That was nice too, because they got mentored rather than taught, so I think that was important to their personal development,” Berry said.

One of Berry’s favorite projects to work on was his book, “A Voice for Nonprofits” which he co-authored with former Tufts master’s student David Arons.

“I was very passionate about that subject,” Berry said. “My co-author and I were trying to figure out ways to make nonprofits more politically effective, and so both of us did this work with a real passion about the nonprofit sector.”

Not only has Berry contributed heavily to political science research, but he has also taught many classes from The Presidency and the Executive Branch to seminars on media and city politics. While Berry could not name a singular favorite class he has taught, he loved the chance to discuss American politics with students.

“I loved all my classes, and I’m … going to miss them all,” Berry admitted. “I love standing in front of the classroom, both talking and

COURTESY SONIA MODY, AMANDA APRATI, AUTUMN STELZER AND JILL COLLINS

Sonia Mody and Amanda Aprati are pictured behind Hill Hall (left) and Autumn Stelzer and Jill Collins are pictured at Houston Hall (right).

JIAXUN LI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Jeffrey Berry, former professor in the political science department, talks during an interview in his office in Packard Hall on Feb. 10, 2016. see BERRY, page 31

s enior Profile: Julia Perugini makes the most of her 4 years at tufts in and out of the classroom

by Jack Clohisy Senior Staff Writer

Julia Perugini cannot pinpoint a singular moment in her life when she decided to pursue a career in health care.

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. “I’ve always thought that careers in medicine offered the most profound opportunity of being there with people during both the best and worst days of their lives … [and] it’s a field where I can always learn.”

Now, the Shrewsbury, Mass. native is approaching the end of her time at Tufts. Perugini reflected on the moments throughout the four years here that shaped her interests and brought her a community of friendships and meaningful academic experiences.

As a biology and international relations double major, Perugini noted how she was able to combine her interests in different areas through the academic programs offered by Tufts.

“Coming into college, I had always loved science and math, so I’m not surprised that I ended up majoring in biology. However, I really enjoyed Spanish as well, and I ended up majoring in international relations. This was definitely not my initial plan,” Perugini wrote. “I wanted Spanish to be a part of my education, and IR has an eight-semester fluency requirement. I also was interested in knowing more about health systems.”

Perugini reflected on her experiences in the classroom that left an impact on her education.

“Professor Vesal Dini for physics was one of the most caring professors I’ve ever met, and I appreciated his approach to teaching,” Perugini wrote. “It was my first ‘flipped classroom’ experience, and I think that it was quite amazing to see how he was modifying his teaching style as research was being released on which methods are most effective for learning.”

In an effort to learn more about health systems, Perugini

also took it upon herself to engage in meaningful extracurricular opportunities. She was a research assistant in the Research on Ethics, Aging, and Community Health lab, served on Tufts Emergency Medical Services and did volunteer work in Boston.

“I volunteered at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights for a while and there is an aspect to that role that deals with access to housing, hygienic products, food, wifi, transportation, and all of these other factors that are so crucial for someone’s health. These kinds of issues come up with EMS as well, such as when someone wants to refuse care because they are worried about the cost of an ambulance ride,” Perugini wrote. “These experiences made me want to study community health as well, but I also wanted to get a little bit of an understanding of economics and the financial system. International relations, with a TC3 concentration (global health, nutrition, and the environment) allowed me to study Spanish, community health, and economic topics at the same time, alongside biology.”

Perugini volunteered in a local emergency room in high school, which sparked her interest in pursuing emergency opportunities when she arrived at Tufts.

“Once I knew I wanted to become an EMT, I took the class at Tufts. The TAs were from TEMS, and they were so enthusiastic about their experience on Tufts EMS. I did decide to join it, and it has been so wonderful,” Perugini wrote. “Being an EMT is by far the most intense clinical position I have had.”

For all the challenges she took on, Perugini and her fellow TEMS member Eric Grin won the Richard W. Vomacka Student Speaker Competition earlier this year at the National Collegiate EMS Foundation Conference in Boston for their presentation titled “From Brugada Syndrome

to Commotio Cordis: Sudden Cardiac Death in Young People.” Clearly, Perugini’s commitment to health care has landed her well-earned recognition for her talents.

What’s next for Perugini?

This fall, she will be attending medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Perugini replied, “Hopefully in ten years, I’ll be a clinician! I have really enjoyed my experiences as a mentor and a preceptor, and I definitely want to go into academic medicine.”

As a member of the women’s varsity indoor and outdoor track and field team, Perugini also wants to continue running in her free time after college. This year, Perugini was a team captain, a testament to her ability to be a leader both on and off the track. While she was excel-

ling in the classroom, Perugini also dominated on the track. During her junior year, Perugini set a school record as a member of the women’s 4×200-meter relay, placing second at the New England Division III Track and Field Championships.

It would be remiss to ignore that much of Perugini’s time at Tufts was affected by the COVID19 pandemic that hit during the spring of her first year.

“I’m very lucky that all of my Zoom classes were so organized. I appreciate how quickly my professors adapted to the circumstances. I will say, doing organic chemistry labs alone was definitely difficult, but I still really enjoyed my academic experience sophomore year,” Perugini wrote. “We were doing modified track lifts and workouts outdoors in smaller groups, and I even had to run a 400m in a mask that spring.

But, I also got incredibly close with the people I was spending so much time with.”

As her time at Tufts comes to a close, Perugini offers some advice to future incoming students.

“I’ve loved being involved in a variety of things on campus and in Boston! The experiences you have do not have to fit together perfectly. What I’ve learned from track and field is so different than what I’ve learned from research, and that’s different than what I’ve learned from TAing Spanish, and the list could go on and on,” Perugini wrote. “I would say just get involved in things that excite you, and don’t be afraid to start these experiences early on.”

If there’s anyone who highlights the strength, excitement, resilience and excellence of the Tufts graduating Class of 2023, Perugini checks all the boxes.

Pena reflects on Tufts college career, discusses understanding of equity, leadership, community

PENA

continued from page 26

ting that inspire you,” he said. “I never tried to be [a] leader, that’s like, ‘we’re doing this no matter what,’ or ‘this is how this is going to work.’ I always take a collaborative approach to things and listen to the ideas of others.”

In this respect, Pena thanked and credited his football coach, Jay Civetti, who has shaped his understanding of leadership over the years.

“Coach Civetti, he capitalizes [the word] team every single time he types it out. I remember, in my freshman year, [asking] him, ‘Coach, why do you do

that?’ And he was like, ‘You will know by the end of your time here,’” Pena said. “And surely, every single day was a reminder of why we capitalize ‘TEAM,’ whenever we type it out.”

Among his many passions and interests, Pena also emphasized that the football community is where he feels most at home at Tufts. This season, he cited, is his 16th football season.

As a first-generation student, Pena added how football has opened up many opportunities for him, including his education at Tufts.

“Football really was a blessing in my life, because it got

me to … a college like Tufts University,” he said. “How I first heard about Tufts was through football. My high school football coach told me about Tufts and told me about the NESCAC. … I think it was like a match made in heaven.”

Overall, while it has not always been easy to balance his two majors, extracurricular commitments and various leadership positions, Pena shared that the people at Tufts continued to motivate him, through the ups and downs.

“Making the world a better place and my passion for my communities is definitely what

I believe gets me out of bed every single day,” he said. “It’s easy to get out of bed, early morning on a Sunday after a late Saturday night, to go meet with an administrator to advocate for something that will improve or better someone else’s life. It’s easy to get out of bed and go to a 6 a.m. football lift when you are willing to do whatever it takes to win for your brothers on the team.”

Reflecting back on his four years at Tufts, Pena concluded that he can now see how his college journey has been animated by his desire to make this world a better place.

Moving forward, he ultimately aims to extend and build on his endeavors at Tufts through a career in politics.

From this perspective, Pena elaborated on his understanding of what a better world might look like, consonant with his commitment to equity and leadership experiences.

“I think a better world looks like a world where people can be themselves unapologetically and live their life exactly how they want to live their life, without any fear or with the utmost freedom, which each individual in our world deserves,” he said.

COURTESY JULIA PERUGINI Julia Perugini is pictured.

Isabelle Charles on literature, Wendell Phillips award

During the second semester of her junior year, Charles became the president of the Tufts English Society. She organized events including meet and greets, professor panels and creative writing showcases, and her love for the English department left her honored to hold the role.

In the fall of, and the summer after, her junior year, Charles had an internship at “Basic Black,” a show on GBH, Boston’s PBS station.

“It was a very incredible experience being able to see how news is made behindthe-scenes,” Charles said. “I was able to do some research because they do a whole different slew of shows on different topics. … But the focus is definitely on the interests of people of color in the Boston area specifically, but also nationally as well.”

During the summer between her junior and senior year, Charles was also an editorial intern at Transition Magazine, the magazine of Africa and the African diaspora housed at Harvard’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.

At the same time, Charles was conducting research funded by the Ted Shapiro Memorial Award under the race, colonialism and diaspora department at Tufts, which became a precursor for her senior thesis.

“That research was a lot more about family history for me. And it also was … kind of a precursor to my now-thesis,” Charles said. “I started from a very personal frame … then I moved on to how diasporas have worked in the Caribbean and how they evolve.”

Sam Russo and David Wingens Potty Talk

The final flush

Today, we join our spiritual predecessor Larry Bacow and come out of retirement. Just as Larry left in search of a better life, today we too say our goodbyes. We hope, however, to leave one nugget of our wisdom behind.

For our final flush, we will reveal undeniably the greatest bathroom on Tufts’ campus.

We found this bathroom long ago but have been reticent to divulge its whereabouts to the larger community lest we lose it for ourselves. But today, as we prepare to say goodbye to our dear old Brown and Blue — or should we say Brown and Yellow — we open the floodgates to the swarms of students and parents who will descend upon this holy site in search of an ounce of privacy on this overenrolled, under-dormed campus.

This lavatorial nirvana finds itself in the unlikeliest of places: the Michael wing of Pearson

Charles’ passion for literature and research is reflected in her application process for the Wendell Phillips Award. During this time, Charles read a collection of works centered around the college experience, simultaneously taking notes that would later inform part of her application.

“I was reading these books … and I was finding an amalgamation of all the things that I was experiencing, seeing, feeling, all the emotions,” Charles said.

The application for the Wendell Phillips Award included a letter of intent, a resume and a recorded speech. After submitting her application, it was reviewed by the Committee on Student Life. At the start of spring break, Charles was notified that she was one of the four finalists selected for the award. Coincidentally, Charles knew of, or knew personally, the other three finalists.

“That was Fatima Lawan, who is one of my really good friends and we also have the same birthday; … Jaden Pena, our student body president; and Mark Lannnigan, who I actually lived right across the hall from in Miller Hall,” Charles said.

Two days after the four finalists presented their 10-minute speeches at an open forum in Goddard Chapel, Charles received a call notifying her that she had been selected as the Wendell Phillips Award 2023 recipient.

“Immediately, I called my parents, I called my brother and then my grandma as well, my aunts, uncles,” Charles said. “I have a very big family and we’re very close, so it was super super exciting, and I just remember that being such a very joyful moment.”

Hall. If you’ve read our first article on the bathrooms of the Michael wing, you’ll know that every floor is judged by its proximity to the “level of discharge,” which is the basement. However, our favorite “level of discharge” is in fact all the way upstairs.

After climbing the seemingly interminable steps, a bathroom-goer spots a sign of impending relief: a bright red sign printed simply with the word “RESTROOM.” After yet another set of stairs, he is greeted by two Fenway Parkgreen doors, neither of which are identified as bathrooms except for the small rotating indicator on one of them reading “VACANT.”

In fact, the only reason we knew that the other door held a bathroom was that the door was flung wide open — or as open as it could get. See, dear reader, this bathroom’s door serves a dual purpose. When it is in the closed position, it is a standard bathroom door. When it is in the open position, however, it serves as a door to the sink section of the bathroom.

The fact that the sink has three walls surrounding it as well as

While writing her speech, Charles was inspired by Wendell Phillips, the 19th century abolitionist and advocate for Native Americans, to write about the importance of community.

“I emphasize in my speech … the importance of community, and the importance of that to my Tufts experience and also to the experience of other people in my communities at Tufts,” Charles said. “We’ve dealt with a lot of heavy-duty things, and I think that the ability to come together as a community to support one another has been … so instrumental to our own sense of grounding.”

Charles also explained that in her speech, she reflects upon the importance of civic engagement and of helping others.

“I really wanted to articulate … the importance, also, of our civic engagement … and how Tufts students have been helping other people throughout our Tufts experience,” Charles said. “We need to continue to do that as we go out into the world.”

Charles said that she sees every day how passionate and excited people are to be able to make some kind of change in the world. The message of Charles’ speech is that in order to create change, we have to come together as a community and understand others’ stories.

“Everyone has a different story. … We must also have the ability to listen and to advocate for other people and to also understand other people’s stories alongside our own story,” Charles said. “There is so much more emphasis, so much more depth, so much more strength when we all come together to try to create change.”

a makeshift door suggests that the architect of this bathroom (the eponymous Michael?) may have been a member of the movement of people who propose using the sink for urination as a means of saving water.

The bathrooms are illuminated by such an eclectic array of light fixtures that they must have been built either with no electrical planning at all or with a level of care unsurpassed in all of Tufts architecture (except, of course, the blessed soul who made the echo spot).

The only potentially more carefully planned detail of these bathrooms is the waiting area (read: hallway) outside them. Specifically, the tiling is exquisitely done. Amid a sea of captivating gray tiles artfully splotched with white paint from the walls, sits an 8×4 oasis of blue. This is not a uniform blue but rather contains a variety of blue tiles laid down in a pattern whose meaning we have yet to discern. However, they somehow point to the two missing tiles that lie ahead, a gentle reminder that, even at our best, there is always room to improve.

The sinks, toilets and soap were all fine.

From her own personal experience at Tufts, Charles said that one of the things she has learned is that members of communities are built to provide mutual support for each other.

“Whether that is through the groups that I’m a part of, or through my closest friends … something that I’m definitely going to take away is the importance of leaning on your people, leaning on your community when you need to, and also being there for them as they need to lean on you,” Charles said.

Charles added that her family has been very supportive during her college experience.

“I would not have been able to go through the four years

Before we sign off, we’d like to pay homage to three bathrooms we’ll miss most. These three spaces hold some of our most cherished memories from our four years here, and we look forward to returning to them whenever we visit campus.

1. Tisch second floor: A student favorite, these bathrooms are a great place to study, kick back with friends and have awkward encounters.

2. Lane Hall downstairs: Just because the showers don’t work doesn’t mean this isn’t a great place for an aspirational shower! Also, the bar soap we spotted there in October 2021 was still there earlier this semester, which is a win for those of us who might forget to plan ahead!

3. Bathrooms in the new locker rooms in the gym: Even though we don’t remember where the gym is, we’ve heard these are super nice and probably means that the administration cares a little bit about (athletic [read: conventionally attractive]) students.

To us, talking potty means more than simple lavatorial description, it means experi -

without the support of my family,” Charles said. “I’ve been so incredibly blessed to be a part of such an incredible group of people. … They’ve been such great role models.”

Through writing the Wendell Phillips Award speech, Charles has been able to reflect on how she, as an individual who is a part of a community, can contribute to some type of change in the world.

“It’s just such an honor,” Charles said. “I’m so incredibly grateful and blessed to be able to give this speech and to be able to reflect on what I’ve seen and what I’ve experienced and also the ways in which the students all around … have done all the good work that they have.”

encing the school we love at its most vulnerable. We go where others would not and discover truths about the school that today becomes our alma mater. Along the way, we’ve been asked if we “need any help” more times than we can count, been looked at uncomfortably for leaving the single stalls together and — when we asked to take a peek (leak?) inside Gifford House — been told by Executive Director of Media Relations Patrick Collins in an email, “Unfortunately, we’re unable to facilitate your request – I hope you understand.”

Pearson Hall, Michael Wing, all the way up: 9.5/10. Privacy and whimsy take the (urinal) cake, crowning this otherwise pedestrian bathroom as Tufts’s finest, or at least its quirkiest. With empty bowels and heavy hearts, The Sanitation Scorers

COURTESY ISABELLE CHARLES 2023 Wendell Phillips Award recipient Isabelle Charles is pictured.

CHARLES continued from

Sam Russo is a graduate student studying computer science. Sam can be reached at samuel. russo@tufts.edu. David Wingens is a senior studying international relations. David can be reached at david.wingens@tufts.edu.

Learning for life: Tuition Remission program allows Tufts employees to take courses with students

REMISSION

continued from page 26

enjoys having a formal setting to engage in topics she is passionate about.

“I was able to take creative writing, something I [wanted] to do for myself for years [but] never had the chance to [as an] undergrad,” Sargeant said. “It’s going to count for nothing [toward my degree], but I had so much fun. I had a blast, I learned a ton.”

Brzozowski also explored more creative course offerings. The first class she took through the Tuition Remission program was at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. From there, Brzozowski decided to seek out courses that would apply toward a master’s degree that she could pursue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[Class] was my favorite part of every day, when I would take my lunch hour to do this project management homework,” Brzozowski said. “It felt like recess for my brain, and that was in fall 2020 where there wasn’t that much else a person could do for entertainment, … so I did that and I was like, ‘if this is what this degree is, then I have to go for it.’”

Brzozowski encouraged others to try out things, even if the end goals are unclear.

“I follow the idea of prototyping your life, design thinking for one’s life, including, if you’re considering something, prototype it and test out your theory,” Brzozowski said. “I said to myself, … if I like this class, maybe I should consider this great degree, and I loved the class, so as soon as I was done, I applied for the [Tuition Remission] program.”

Experiences like this show how many educational paths the Tuition Remission program can reveal.

“You don’t appreciate how many doors education can open for you until those doors are closed in front of you,” Callahan said. “I think working has taught me … that.”

Callahan is not currently pursuing a degree through Tuition Remission; however, taking courses has been a meaningful learning opportunity in his eyes.

“One thing I’ve appreciated about these classes is, they’re actually pretty realistic to work life,” Callahan said. “They’ve been more open-ended [with] open discussions, and you have to discuss with other people.”

Overall, the program offers the opportunity to pursue learn-

ing that is applicable to the lives and careers that employees are already building.

“One thing that drove me and made it more rewarding, is that I could really use everything I learned,” Brzozowski said.

The difficulty of taking a course while working full-time cannot be underestimated.

“You enjoy it at the end of the day, but there’s going to be moments where it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s a lot of work, what did I get myself into,’” Sargeant said.

Callahan compared a commitment to lifelong learning to his own love of physical fitness.

“Exercising is my favorite thing. You always have to push yourself physically and education is just like that,” Callahan said. “You’ve got to push yourself to learn more.”

Brzozowski’s takeaways from the program include experiencing Tufts through many roles: as employee, student and an alum.

“I do think the Tufts education is so valuable, and it’s nice to be able to be a part of it, not only by doing so much of the communications, but also by being an alumni as of a few weeks from now,” Brzozowski said.

For Tufts’ staff and faculty members, the Tuition Remission program opens the door to an accessible, well-rounded educational and social experience.

“It is a totally awesome deal,” Callahan said. “I’ve met a lot of really great people, I’ve learned a lot of great things to improve myself. I’m very curious and eager to do more. It’s been a whole new world basically, a very eye-opening experience.”

Lucky roommate assignments evolve into lasting friendships as they live together for all 4 years at Tufts

ROOMMATES

continued from page 28

supposed to be my roommate.’ So it was an uphill battle at first to regain my reputation,” Hotch said.

While they became good friends living in Hill Hall together freshman year, Hotch and Johnson grew even closer through living together in a small COVID-19 residential cohort in Lewis Hall their sophomore year. In part, because the circumstances required that they spent almost all of their time together.

“I think that we got lucky,” Johnson said. “The whole cohort system sophomore year ended up helping because we had to spend a lot of time together. So, we had other friends before but I think that’s [how] we became better friends.”

The two ended up living in a room together when they moved off campus their junior year.

Because they found a room that was big enough for two people, they reasoned that it was a smart decision because they could both pay less in rent.

“I thought that was a more common thing,” Hotch said. “But we were the only ones that I was aware of that did that.”

Some of their favorite memories together are renting a Zipcar to take an hour-long road trip to get vaccinated and stopping at the beach along the way, and meeting up five times when they were both studying abroad.

Both Johnson and Hotch agreed that Tufts’ random firstyear roommate assignment is a beneficial exercise in personal growth, regardless of how it turns out.

“There’s a whole paradox of choice, … where the more options you have, you think that whatever you [pick] will be so perfect,” Hotch said. “So I like that part of the random room-

mate, … just make the best of it. … It will unfold however it unfolds, I think that that’s a good experience for a college freshman to have honestly.”

Lastly, seniors Autumn Stelzer and Jill Collins were matched to live in Houston Hall their freshman year and went on to live together for the next three.

“You’re waiting all summer [thinking], who’s my random roommate gonna be?” Stelzer said. “So, you get a name and you’re like, ‘Okay, let me Google them.’ And so I found Jill’s Facebook and I sent a picture to my grandma. She was like, ‘Two gorgeous roommates!’”

The two connected online and texted over the summer. They quickly started hanging out when they got to Tufts, and Stelzer shared a story of the two bonding on their first night out in college together.

“We walked back in the rain. We’re soaking, we’re alone on

the first night in O-Week in our dorm room. And we took a selfie or something in the mirror and then we just … hung out the whole night. … It was just really fun,” Stelzer said. “And then we just bonded that night after we were soaked in rain at Lax House and it was just a really fun, cute night. … That was actually the last time we ever went to Lax House.”

The two then moved into a suite together in Latin Way for their sophomore year. They shared special experiences, such as a tumultuous road trip from Chicago back to Tufts, and having one of their best Thanksgiving dinners together in their Latin Way suite. Despite the joyful memories, living with a close friend requires careful maintenance of the relationship.

“I think that you build deep connection … by going through hardships and repairing that,” Stelzer said. “Because

we prioritize our friendship, we were forced to deal with things when things weren’t working out. Like if we were disagreeing on something, … we had to talk about it for the sake of the friendship. … You couldn’t ignore each other — you were living together.”

After graduation, Stelzer and Collins will be adding a fifth year to their roommate tenure, as they plan to move to an apartment in Brooklyn together next year. Their random roommate assignment will soon outlive their time as Tufts undergraduates as they venture out of the Medford/Somerville campus together.

“Now that we’re kind of reflecting on this, I feel like me and Jill are two very open-minded people,” Stelzer said. “I think we could be friends with whoever we got put with and, luckily, I happen to be paired with somebody who’s awesome.”

Jeffrey Berry, a mainstay of the political science department, retires with fulfilling memories

BERRY continued from page 28

engaging students in conversation about American national politics.”

According to Berry, Tufts has changed a lot over the years, both as a university and within the political science department. During Berry’s academic career, the international relations program was created in 1977.

“We essentially became two political science departments,” Berry said. “More traffic goes through our department than any other department, so we became bigger because Tufts international relations became sort of a bellwether — it became a signature program of the university.”

Berry also explained that when he first started teaching at Tufts, the political science department only had 10 faculty. Since then, the

department has more than doubled in its size.

“The [political science] department became more research-oriented over time,” Berry said. “Tufts was a small college that became a university later in its life, and so it took time for it to transition.”

Berry is departing from Tufts knowing that the political science department is in good hands.

“I think in my fields, in particular, American politics, it’s just really first-rate,” Berry said. “It’s hard to walk away from because I love my American politics friends and colleagues. … They’re great scholars, so the department is in very good shape.”

Berry also reflected on the changing demographics of Tufts students over the years.

“Of course, the population of Tufts students has become more

diverse because America has become more diverse, so it’s a different student body than when I entered,” Berry said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was challenging to teach from a distance and feel removed from the community while learning was done remotely.

“COVID was painful for me, as it was for the students,” Berry said. “I missed the campus. I missed the relationships with my advisees, so it was hard. The day Tufts closed down, … I didn’t really get to say goodbye to people.”

Persisting through the difficulties, Berry was grateful to return to teach in person before his retirement.

“I’m glad that I got to go back and teach a little bit in person before I retired,” Berry said. “I loved my classes that I taught in the fall,

which was my last semester. … I loved the courses, [and] I loved my students who were enrolled.”

Following his retirement, Berry plans to stay busy. He will still be present on Tufts’ campus to finish up his book with Schildkraut and Glaser. In addition, he will also be attending classes with his wife at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement and is training to be a nonprofit consultant through SOAR Management Consulting Group, an organization that offers pro bono consulting to small nonprofits.

“To my surprise, I’m actually busy,” Berry said. “I’ve never woken up since retirement and said to myself, ‘Gee, what am I going to do today?’”

Berry is also looking forward to traveling and spending time with friends and family, including his two daughters and grandchildren.

Upon reflecting on his time at Tufts, Berry offered some advice to students.

“Challenge yourself, because there are courses that demand a lot in terms of research skills, and so I would gravitate to those to do more than just the bare minimum,” Berry said. “I would take advantage of research opportunities. … It’s about being mentored as opposed to being taught. That would be my advice.”

All in all, Berry is very appreciative of his time at Tufts, and views it as a permanent home after close to five decades of inspiring students, colleagues and political scientists worldwide.

“I hope I remain part of the Tufts community because I love Tufts,” Berry said. “So I’ll be back on campus every once in a while.”

arts & POP C u Lture

the astonishing women behind ‘Little Women’

by Blake Anderson Arts Editor

In the fall of 2019, the Office of Residential Life and Learning unintentionally created a lasting friendship. As Alexandra Everbach and Lucy Morrison moved into their respective singles in Carmichael Hall, they were without a doubt excited to meet new people. Though first-year interactions with strangers can often feel awkward and forced, this was not the case for Everbach and Morrison. They had something very special in common that served as an instantaneous spark of connection: a mutual love of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel “Little Women.”

The two new friends prided themselves on their admiration for its many contemporary and reenvisioned interpretations — though they admit to being the fondest of the 1994 Winona Ryder adaptation. These two also shared a love of the stage musical, which features music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and a book by Allan Knee. In fact, these Class of 2023 graduates loved this story so much that they directed their very own production of “Little Women” during their senior spring semester.

Morrison recalls first meeting Everbach over Instagram.

“We were talking about where we were from. And I was like, ‘I’m from Concord, Mass.,’” Morrison said. “And Alexandra was like, ‘Well, I’m from Dallas, but I’ve been to Concord.’ And I’m like, ‘How have you been to Concord? You’re from Texas,’ and she’s like, ‘Well, my favorite book is written there. It’s ‘Little Women.’”

From this moment, the two found a niche in their friendship that would grow into a fully formed musical production.

Getting to put on a rendition of the show that meant so much to them was by no means easy. The duo of directors faced many logistical challenges when it came to mounting their production on the stage. But after a community vote from Torn Ticket II, Tufts’ student-run and student-led theater group, “Little Women” was approved.

The duo of directors then had to secure the rights from the company that licenses productions of “Little Women,” Music Theatre International.

“The rights took forever to get because there were a few productions close to us,” Everbach explained. “We were about to call

it quits. The day that we were about to be like, ‘OK, we give up, the show might not happen because we only have three more weeks and we’re about to go on spring break,’ we got them.”

With the newly acquired rights and the ASEAN Auditorium as a venue, the show began to come together. Everbach and Morrison were wowed by the talent of their cast, which was notably made up of underclassmen alone.

Morrison loved working with her cast: “I think they really wanted to be a part of something that was such a passion project. We cared so much. We’re so loud about how much we love

the show. And they just worked so hard,” Morrison said.

This production brings a special sense of closure to the Tufts careers of Everbach and Morrison. The show’s subject matters of love, independence, hope, grief and joy were all very real to the directors. As the curtain closes on their time at Tufts, they take a piece of “Little Women” with them. When asked what lines or moments from the show resonate with them after the production, they took a moment to speak about how the conclusion of the production and the conclusion of their time at Tufts were beautifully in tandem with one another.

Morrison remarked on the production’s glorious outcome.

“‘As unexpected as can be / Astonishing.’ That’s what [Jo March] sings at the end of ‘The Fire Within Me,’” Morrison said. “The odds were so stacked against us, but we made it work. And it was astonishing. We got incredible feedback. We were so happy with [the show] to begin with, but the fact that so many people loved it and enjoyed it was just so fulfilling.”

Everbach, who performed the role of Meg March in her high school’s production of the same musical, now finds herself returning to the story she loves so much.

“The [line] that really got me when we were doing it this time was Beth’s line right before she goes into ‘Some Things Are Meant To Be.’” Everbach paused. “‘We grow up too fast.’ And so I think that’s a full circle moment. Four years later, I’m finishing college and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. … We grew up too fast.’”

As Everbach mentioned, the show beautifully prophesizes how “some things are meant to be.” The friendship and creative collaboration of seniors Everbach and Morrison seems to be one such thing; at Tufts, they will evermore be remembered as the astonishing women behind “Little Women.”

enior Profile: Former executive arts editor Jack Clohisy reflects on Daily experience

by Ryan Fairfield Arts Editor

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for the Daily’s Commencement edition that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

As hundreds of prospective first-years roamed around campus on Jumbo Days, former executive arts editor and senior Jack Clohisy reflected on his journey with the Daily over the course of his college years. Clohisy, who grew up not too far from Tufts in West Newbury, Mass., is graduating with majors in computer science and cognitive and brain science and has been a contributing member of the Daily since the summer of 2020.

Clohisy discussed what prompted him to join the Daily.

“I had always had a passion for the arts, specifically music, and I always liked writing as well,” he said. “But, I’ve never been in a space where I could write my thoughts that were published to a wider audience.”

Clohisy started his Daily career with an op-ed that was published in July of 2020. He wrote about racism in the music industry, a product of his passion for music. Following this piece, Clohisy went on to write a column in the fall of his sophomore year, “The Weekly Rewind.” After spending

some time in the opinion section, Clohisy transitioned to arts.

Clohisy joked that being a part of the Daily was a “snowball effect” for him, with him starting as a columnist and eventually increasing his involvement and working his way up to executive arts editor during the fall 2022 semester.

“I just started to find lots of excitement in a lot of different areas that the Daily had to offer,” Clohisy said.

Wanting to be more involved in the Daily’s process and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a student newspaper, Clohisy applied to be an editor and soon went on to become the section’s leader.

“I was curious to take on a role that might have been a little bit more administrative or a position where I got to work with a wider group of people,” Clohisy said.

As the executive editor of the arts section, Clohisy saw and edited every article that was published under that section, while also being able to connect with more of the Daily team like the managing board and other executive editors.

When asked about the Daily community, Clohisy said he found it to be incredibly unique.

“The community aspect of the Daily has been something I’ve appreciated during my time with the Daily, specifically, because everyone at the paper has a passion in a different area,” Clohisy said. “And that’s something that’s really unique, because I feel like it’s

very reflective of the Tufts community as a whole.”

Being a part of the Daily allowed Clohisy to connect with various members of the Tufts community, whether they were reading his articles or being interviewed for one. Clohisy referred to his series of articles interviewing Tufts professor Stephan Pennington as the pieces he was most proud of. The three-part series, which Clohisy said could have been 10–15 articles long, brought him a specific sense of pride as he felt he was able to share someone’s personal story and spotlight a unique voice in the Tufts community.

“I really was proud of those pieces, not because of necessarily my writing or my specific contribution, but to even just be a part of a conversation that got to spotlight his voice,” Clohisy said.

Looking back on his years at the Daily, Clohisy said he was happy to have found a place that allowed him to express his creativity.

“What I learned from [the Daily] was to be able to go off into whatever the next chapter of my life looks like, and find my next ‘Tufts Daily arts section,’ Clohisy said. “To find the next space in my life where I am able to express that creativity and find a community of people that value people’s independent, individual excitements and their passions.”

Ultimately, Clohisy talked about how gratifying writing for the Daily is and how it is a space where one is able to express their

passions and write about what they love, while also informing fellow members of their community — something that is an incredibly fun experience.

“We’re giving information to the Tufts community and the greater community at large,” Clohisy said. “But, you get to talk about things that you love, and you don’t always get to do that in professional journalistic spaces. So have fun with it, write what you want and be creative.”

Having written countless articles himself, Clohisy advised

non-graduating members of the Daily to keep writing and keep expressing their voices.

“It’s always great to build up page upon page upon page of your articles, of your opinions, of your pieces, of your interests,” Clohisy said. “I think, for myself, I’m going to look back at when I was in college, and I’m going to see all the different pieces that I wrote and it’s going to bring me back memories of those times in my life where I was out when I wrote those pieces, and it’s like a mini time capsule to have for myself.”

COURTESY LUCY MORRISON AND ALEXANDRA EVERBACH

Lucy Morrison and Alexandra Everbach are pictured.

COURTESY MEG HATTON

Jack Clohisy is pictured.

the seniors of Beats are not ready to stop playing

by Carl Svahn Arts Editor

It takes very little to make a member of the BEATs team laugh — about as much as it takes to get them to start hitting a paint bucket.

Maybe the most unique performance group on campus, BEATs, short for “Bangin’ Everything at Tufts and then Some,” is known for making music by, well, banging everything they can find — from trash cans to street signs. In recognition of their club, four of BEATs’ graduating seniors, “Eightball” (Emily Walker), “Vanellie” (Francesca Guthrie), “DJ Gran” (Jojo Kuo), and “Trent (the Giver)” (Neil Arora), took the time to look back on their long, complex and ridiculous Tufts journeys. By their own request, this article will refer to them primarily by their BEATs names.

These nicknames are just one example of how, according to all of the seniors, the club acts as an escape from the stresses of Tufts life. When a new member of the club is accepted, they are given a mysterious yet purposefully silly nickname that they then stick

with for as long as they stick with the club itself. Trent even joked that he doesn’t think younger members of the club know his real name. Yet all of these seniors still call each other by their BEATs names, a sign of their dedication to the fun of the group.

BEATs’ spirit remains as foundational to its success as it was when the group was formed in 2002. Eightball, who is friends with one of the original founders, says that the group was founded to satirize Greek Life and other more prestigious performance groups at Tufts, particularly how seriously they took themselves at an already stressful school.

“It’s a very good way to release stress and just be with a bunch of people who want to do the same,” Eightball said. The club does have practices and do care about their routines and shows, but even then, they still have fun.

For the Class of 2023, this fun was only interrupted by the boogeyman of this decade’s college students: COVID-19. The pandemic effectively shut the club down for a year, and though the then sophomores attempted to help transition to a new reality, they felt that the fun that the club was known for could not be recaptured over a Zoom call. So

they stopped, and waited until they could come back.

“If you ask every person on BEATs what their favorite thing about BEATs is, I think they’re all going to give a very similar answer,” Trent said. “We all love the drum and we all love to make music together, but I think it’s that last part of doing it together that’s really special.”

Soon, they came back to performing in person with each other, managing to put on several shows since all pandemic restrictions were lifted on campus this year and acquiring a new set of freshly nicknamed-members. The seniors had their last show on April 20 — an on-brand and traditional performance date for the group — where they reconnected with past members. Fourteen alums came, some of whom still remembered the intentionally chaotic and irreverent songs.

“There were like 20 of us all getting super excited,” DJ Gran said. “It’s such muscle memory to play all these songs.”

In that meeting of minds, they played a song some of the alums had written, “Sfspatch von Deli” a song so crucial to and repre-

sentative of the club’s spirit that, according to club legend, Tony Monaco himself helped play it at one point. All of the seniors attest that Monaco has said they are his favorite performance group. Even the mention of the end of their times with BEATs brings the seniors to tears.

“I have had a very weird Tufts journey,” Vanelllie said. “[COVID19] hit at a weird time in my college experience where I just hated school. I really did not like Tufts. Partially for that reason I took a year off from Tufts and then came back. BEATs is the only thing that has been consistent for my entire college experience. It is the only group of people I have consistently loved throughout college.”

Eightball agreed with the sentiment: “You know, when you’re there, you are never going to find something like it again.”

In terms of their futures, the seniors only had two things in mind: keeping in touch, and making a request. For their, and his, last year on campus, they want to do the one thing they’ve never dared to do before: ask Tony Monaco to play “Sfspatch von Deli” with them.

s enior Profile: athena Nair discusses activism and the arts

by Ava Dettling Assistant Arts Editor

Since their arrival at Tufts, Athena Nair has remained an influential figure in the social and artistic life on campus. They have participated in campus organizations such as the Jumbo Drag Collective, TEDxTufts, various musical theater communities and many more.

Outside of school, Nair, a psychology major, has testified at congressional briefings on eating disorders. They served as the youngest member on the board of The Body Positive, a national organization dedicated to providing compassion and support for those struggling with their bodies.

Nair reflected on their achievements, struggles and favorite memories from their time at Tufts. They talked all things arts and activism, sharing the impact they’ve made on Tufts — and similarly, the impact Tufts has made on them.

Art and performance have heavily shaped Nair’s journey at Tufts. They cite one of their biggest influences as Tufts professor Kareem Khubchandani in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

“Through all my spaces — the queer spaces, the performance spaces, the Desi spaces and then the interactions and overlaps of all of them — I would hear about [Khubchandani] and then we finally got to meet,” Nair said. “My first class with Auntie was Intro to Queer Studies in fall 2020. So, I would say that Auntie also really guided my journey at Tufts.”

Nair continued to highlight the influence of Khubchandani’s teaching.

“Studying queerness, and studying queer dance, queer nightlife, I learned so much more about myself,” Nair said. “I felt myself opening up on so many journeys. I have known that I’m queer for a very long time, but that has meant a lot of different things. … Getting the chance with [Khubchandani] to explore that in so many ways through performance has been so important.”

Throughout Nair’s academic career, they have put on multiple musicals that have challenged typical boundaries. After putting on a virtual musical with the help of Khubchandani, Nair took on their second challenge with the production of “Chicago” in the spring of their junior year.

“One of my big ventures as I embark from Tufts is doing [“Chicago”] professionally and with a decolonizing and drag vision,” Nair said. “Bringing out the camp and drag aspects, adding new aspects, playing with gender, also bringing my Bollywood expertise and knowledge and South Asian classical dance expertise and knowledge, all of those come into the art that I’m making.”

Nair continues to make spaces more inclusive with their work on body positivity and fatphobia. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they ran two different weekly virtual support groups about body positivity. Their 2020 TEDxTufts talk unpacked America’s fear of fatness through discussing fatphobia, diet culture and body positivity. Currently, they are teaching a

class at the Experimental College titled Fatphobia and the Body Positivity Movement, which has been “so exhausting and so gratifying,” according to Nair. Exhausting but gratifying is perhaps the right way to describe Nair’s time here at Tufts. While much of their work has been fruitful, it did not come without struggle.

In their attempt to diversify and transform typically whitewashed and heteronormative spaces, Nair said, they have often felt discouraged and drained by the process. They spoke particularly of their experience in stu-

dent musical theater and a capella groups.

“Amidst these projects, like the musical that I did, and then ‘Chicago’ and drag, I feel like I’ve also been navigating so many spaces at Tufts that [I have been] trying to adjust and change and sometimes that really doesn’t work,” Nair said. “That has been a big part of my work is that I’m doing my own thing. I’m building my own community.”

Nair’s most notable experience at Tufts may be their continued journey of radical self-love and acceptance, as they termed it. When asked how they are able

to make such a difference on the people and spaces around them, they harkened back to the importance of internal change first.

“It started with like, I need to change the world,” Nair said. “[But I realized that] I can’t help other people love themselves until I know what it’s like to love myself.”

Yet, self-love will continue to be a challenge despite the progress Nair has made. In order to combat these moments of selfdoubt, Nair emphasized the importance of allowing grace and tuning into your body’s needs.

“At base, I have this radical love for myself,” Nair said. “[It’s not] the same as liking myself all the time. It’s not the same as even accepting myself all the time. It is love, the way that I love people in my life and siblings and family [but] can still be really frustrated and have moments of tension and agony. … Given that I have this whole world inside of me, I try to hold myself as if I’m holding a kid or a younger self, just with that gentleness and love.”

Some of Nair’s favorite memories on campus include the opportunities to dress without inhibition. Whether going to class or a red-carpet walk, the chance to dress up every day has been a source of great joy during their time at Tufts.

“It’s really fun to bring people joy and color, and to show people that you can show up anywhere, wherever you want, and you can honor yourself and your energy however you want,” Nair said. “I guess that’s something that I’m proud of that I bring to a lot of different spaces, being unabashed and celebrating myself, however I feel like I want to.”

COURTESY BEATS

The graduating seniors of BEATs are pictured.

COURTESY ATHENA NAIR

Athena Nair is pitcured.

s eniors of trunk celebrate 4 years of finding joy in children’s theater, performance

by Nate Hall Arts Editor

Traveling Treasure Trunk is unlike any other student group at Tufts. In fact, they might just have more fun than anyone else on campus.

Tufts’ oldest children’s theater troupe, known to many as “Trunk,” has been entertaining children at local daycares, preschools and hospitals with original skits, songs and plays since 1987. In their final months at Tufts, the four graduating seniors of Trunk reflected on their experiences in the group over the last four years.

The journey of every “Trunker” starts with an audition. The seniors of Trunk talked about why they decided to try out as firstyears and described their own audition experiences. For senior Joshua Leferman, it was a performance during his first-year orientation week that introduced him to the group.

“It was beginning of freshman year, and I really had no idea what I was doing. … And then I saw Trunk at the O-Show,” Leferman said. “Now, I believe that I was one of like two people in the audience who found that funny, but I found it so funny. And I was like, that is a group of people that I want to be a part of.”

While many discovered Trunk in their first weeks at Tufts, senior Samantha Kelleher knew she wanted to join Trunk before she was even on campus.

“In high school, I was involved with children’s theater,” Kelleher

said. “That was actually a huge part of why I wanted to come to Tufts. I actually wrote about Trunk in my ‘Why Tufts’ essay.”

Trunkers write, direct and design costumes for all of their performances, and the troupe is constantly building on the work of former members, taking old stories from past years of Trunk and making them their own.

“We write new content every year, and some of it stays and some of it doesn’t,” senior Ruth Greenfield said. “The one thing that always changes is we write a play every semester. And that’s always different. But it’s fun. The content lasts for ages.”

The most rewarding part of Trunk? According to the seniors, it’s the joy of performing for kids that makes it all worth it.

“My favorite part of Trunk is always the kids,” Leferman said. “It’s always been the kids, [and] it

always will be the kids. … The nice thing about performing for kids is that kids are — for the most part — a judge-free zone.”

Kelleher echoed this sentiment, explaining the fun of tapping into a youthful silliness.

“You can’t embarrass yourself around kids because they just love the ridiculousness of everything,” she said. “So it’s just being as chaotic and silly as possible, which is something that you don’t get that often in college.”

The seniors also discussed how Trunk has evolved as a group over the years. The club was made up of just a few seniors when current senior Madeline Porter joined in 2018, and after those seniors graduated in 2019, the group was led by an entirely new cohort of first-years and sophomores. Porter, who has now been a member of Trunk for five years, reflected on the changes the club has made.

“All the traditions that we knew were taught to us by those two seniors and the little bits and pieces that we got from the other members [in] fall 2018,” Porter said. “Because everyone kind of got immediately replaced by entirely new people who had no idea what was going on, we changed a lot of the traditions.”

One of the biggest changes was Trunk’s leadership structure. Instead of the traditional hierarchy, Trunk has adopted a task-based structure with roles like Truncle — the social chair, short for “Trunk’s fun uncle” — and Biz Lightyear, the business manager.

“We have positions that you run for every semester, but we don’t have a president,” Greenfield said. “We’re a horizontal group, and that’s been really nice.”

The seniors also discussed the challenges of adapting to the pandemic. After being sent home in 2020, Trunk began performing for students over Zoom in spring 2021.

“We basically did everything virtually,” Leferman said. “All of the shows took place in our rooms, to the detriment of all of our roommates. So you can imagine at 9 in the morning when we’re going to kindergartens and preschools and making loud, weird noises … and the audience would be whoever decided to show up on Zoom.”

For many of the seniors, Trunk was a vital support system during the early months of the pandemic.

“Trunk, for me, over [the COVID19 pandemic], was honestly just a really great social thing to have,”

Kelleher said. “It was nice to have people to text, to have that support system outside of your little pod.”

Last year, Trunk celebrated its 35th anniversary, and this April, they held a reunion event on campus that brought together Trunkers of past and present for a day of celebration and performance. Trunk took advantage of its strong network of alumni to organize the event and reconnect with former members of the group.

“We invited everyone who we could find who had been in Trunk in the past 35 years and we met in [Curtis Hall], and for four hours we played games,” Greenfield said. “We did a Trunk show where people signed up on a whiteboard to perform little skits. … You’d have people who are in Trunk currently performing with people from 10 years ago.”

Many of the seniors plan to apply the skills they’ve learned in Trunk to their future jobs after graduation. Greenfield and Leferman are interested in pursuing careers in education, and Kelleher wants to work in children’s television. The seniors shared their gratitude for the time they’ve spent in Trunk, and talked about the joy that Trunk brought to their college experiences.

“I came into college in not the best spot,” Leferman said. “And for me, Trunk was an outlet to be able to … really talk about what was going on in my life, and for that I’ll always be grateful. So yeah, my life would be much worse without Trunk.”

s enior Profile: Freshman 15 founder Ben Lanzi’s inspirational musical journey

by Matthew Winkler Assistant Arts Editor

Graduating senior Ben Lanzi, who is majoring in music and minoring in Chinese, is ubiquitously associated with the Tufts music department and jazz scene. Lanzi, a pianist, singer and conductor, has performed with the Tufts Jazz Orchestra, Small Jazz Ensembles, Chamber Singers and Concert Choir. But perhaps what Lanzi is most known for in the Tufts community is founding and leading the Freshman 15, a student-run jazz big band. Lanzi recently reflected on his journey from musical rookie to leader.

Somewhat shockingly, Lanzi did not even know how to read music or play an instrument until high school.

“I didn’t get into music till I was a sophomore in high school,” Lanzi said. “I used to listen to K-pop because I thought Korean was a cool language. … There was one song that sampled Moonlight Sonata, which everyone loves, and I was like, ‘This is really cool.’… What if I learned to play this?”

Lanzi then started classical piano lessons, where he fell in love with the instrument and the music.

“I was very into it,” Lanzi said. “That was how I got away from

things. And I just really loved classical music.”

The same year he began piano, after joining his high school’s choir for an arts credit, Lanzi surprised himself by developing a passion for singing. Being in choir gave Lanzi the chance to try singing jazz, where he discovered a more comfortable form of musical performance.

“At the end of high school, I had the opportunity to sing in the jazz band in the school,” Lanzi said. “I loved that, being front and center. On piano, I wouldn’t like to have been front and center, because I’d be nervous. But singing I really felt at home. I didn’t know how to sing jazz, really. I was kind of just making it up.”

Despite his inexperience in jazz, Lanzi dived headfirst into his newfound passion the moment he arrived at Tufts.

“I got to Tufts and I was like, ‘Well, I have to do something with [jazz singing],’” Lanzi said. “I met a few people, who are now my friends, in the lobby of Granoff at the music open house. … I was like, ‘What if we started a band?’”

The impetus for creating a student-run jazz band instead of going through one of the music department ensembles was to give Lanzi more creative control and create a sense of camaraderie.

“I had such a good time in the first rehearsals and I was like, ‘Wow, I feel at home doing this,’” Lanzi said. “And it was a trust thing. Most of those people, the people in the group, had way more experience than me, … but I knew that I loved that sound, and that I wanted to get it. I wanted to be able to have my own vision and decide what we did.”

By the end of that fall, Lanzi’s ragtag group quickly grew into a full big band known as the Freshman 15. After a yearlong hiatus in Lanzi’s sophomore year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Freshman 15 hit the ground running, becoming a Tufts Community Union-recognized organization in the spring of Lanzi’s junior year. The band also gained more of a unique identity when, after a year of dedicated

study to the art of arranging big band music, Lanzi started incorporating his own charts of jazz standards in Freshman 15 performances.

While the Freshman 15 has allowed Lanzi to challenge himself as an individual and learn singing, jazz, leading and big band arranging, a key point of the band is to connect with people.

“One of my mission statements … is to introduce jazz to audiences here as an enjoyable form of art and music that should make you want to dance, and just enjoy yourself,” Lanzi said. “People love our shows. We never worry about [whether we will] get enough people at the show or whatever. They show up, and they love it. And I think they like the music, which makes me feel good, because my job is to make sure that we play music that they like.”

One of Lanzi’s fondest memories with the Freshman 15 was when the band brought big band jazz to the wider Tufts community in November 2021. Invited by Tufts University Social Collective, the Freshman 15 opened for saxophonist Tim Hall on the roof of Tisch Library.

“We were all just there having a good time. … We had a huge crowd, there was like a couple hundred people,” Lanzi recalled. “It felt so informal and fun. That’s how it should be, because that’s how big bands are meant to be enjoyed. … It was kind of a dream come true.”

Ultimately, Lanzi looks back fondly on his time leading the Freshman 15.

“I’m proud of what we’ve done,” Lanzi said. “It’s been a great source of camaraderie for me.”

Having entered with only three years of musical experience and just one of jazz, Lanzi founded and led a jazz big band and contributed to a whole host of other musical ensembles. In the process, he not only enriched himself through his dedicated study of music but also enriched the entire Tufts community by sharing his passion. At the end of his Tufts career, Lanzi serves as an inspiration for chasing passion, inspiring others and pursuing what makes us happy.

QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating seniors Josh Leferman, Sami Kelleher, Ruth Greenfield and Madeleine Porter of Traveling Treasure Trunk, Tufts’ children’s theater troupe, are pictured on May 2.

COURTESY JAMES BOOTS-EBENFIELD

Ben Lanzi and the Freshman 15 are pictured.

In Photos: Who let the dogs out?

PHOTO CREDIT: BOWIE BELLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Burlesque seniors aim to foster sexy, fun, positive vibe

by Odessa Gaines Arts Editor

Comprising around 300 undergraduate students, Tufts Burlesque Troupe is one of the largest student dance groups you’ll find on campus. Committed to creating a body-neutral environment fit for exploring oneself and celebrating diversity, this no-audition group has been a second home to many students over the years. Welcoming to students of all years and levels of dance, the Troupe embraces sexiness and comfort in one’s own body.

Current undergraduate seniors and Burlesque executive board members Nyssa Singhal, Alexa Brown, Nick DaRosa and Julia Murray reflected on their experience with Burlesque.

Burlesque has grown greatly over the past few years, representing and welcoming students from all walks of life.

“I feel like it’s given me my place at Tufts and [also] my community,” DaRosa said.

And, with such high demand to see the Troupe’s shows, members of the group’s executive board and dance choreographers are actively making efforts to keep this inherently vulnerable space safe for all.

“One of the biggest changes that we’ve had for this semester is we have an OEO … adviser,” Murray said. “They’ve been great with helping us navigate through difficult situations.”

With only one hour of rehearsals for the troupe per week and a large end-of-the-semester showcase, the

choreographers in Burlesque need caution and precision to create choreography that is fun, inventive and easy to handle for all levels of dancers. Additionally, the choreography needs to make the dancers feel confident in their bodies — both in the rehearsal room and on the stage.

“I really enjoy coming up with the dance [and] every single aspect of the performance,” Murray said.

With dances that don’t take themselves too seriously and lean into the more silly and playful side of Burlesque, the choreographers are able to create something fun and distinct for the entire organization. And most importantly, Burlesque choreographers make an intentional effort to meet all of their dancers where they are.

“We do a lot of work with [choreographers] beforehand about specific language to use,” Murray said.

This semester’s 17-dance show — Generation XXX — took viewers on a journey through time, from the Big Bang all the way to the future where technology rules over society. Dances ranged in theme from the actual birth of the universe to artificial intelligence to a three-partner dance and butt dinosaurs.

In a message to the Daily following the show, Brown shared her excitement over the evening’s performance.”

The show went amazingly and we’re so thankful and proud of each and every dancer, choreographer, and board member,” Brown wrote.

“We could not be more excited for the future of burlesque!”

Beyond fun and sexy dance numbers, Burlesque also simply acts as a vessel to bring light and new experiences to any Tufts student. Burlesque has helped many find their place at Tufts, in addition to exploring their bodies and feeling confident in their own skin. One recent change that has come out of the troupe has been the effort to include both body-positive and body-neutral language.

“The shift has been more recognizing and embracing differences in how people view [their] body,” Singhal said.

Brown, Singhal, Murray and DaRosa also reflected on their goals for the future of Burlesque. Singhal discussed expansion as

a goal of the graduating members of the executive board, but ensuring that that expansion happens safely.

“I think that’s our main goal: looking for ways to bring Burlesque to the wider community while still respecting the troupe members and respecting the original goals of the troupe,” Singhal said.

Part of that effort to respect the Burlesque dancers entailed a recent decision to move back to a closed dress rehearsal.

“We experimented with having the dress [rehearsal] be open last semester because there was such a demand for the shows, but we realized that just made dancers feel unsafe,” Singhal said in the days leading up to the performance. “Now we’re shifting to a closed dress, but it’s going to be way more intimate.”

Ultimately, the Troupe strives to be a space where everyone feels empowered to embrace their own being and identity completely.

“It’s not a sexual awakening, it’s like a sexiness awakening,” Brown explained. “It kind of changed my life.”

For others, Burlesque has been a creative output that has become an integral part of individual identity throughout their years at Tufts.

“It has also really shown me that I’m a creative person, and that I enjoy dancing,” Murray stated.

With a laugh, DaRosa boldly summed up the organization in a single sentence: “There’s never anything to lose … except your clothing.”

s eniors of tutV reflect on community, futures in film

by Megan Reimer Assistant Arts Editor

Tufts University Television was founded in 1977, making it one of the oldest clubs at Tufts. It is a student-run production studio that “strives to foster a supportive and collaborative community where anyone can learn about filmmaking and develop their own artistic voice.” Their content includes documentaries, scripted content, music videos and more.

As graduation brings new roles to fill, the graduating seniors of TUTV reminisce on their time with the club. Three talented and dedicated seniors have helped make TUTV a special place, and their time with the club has taught them many lessons to carry on in their prospective careers.

Kaycee Feldman, a station manager for TUTV, is a senior double majoring in film and media studies and physics. She is from Doylestown, Pa. and joined TUTV in her first year at Tufts. Feldman was head of the club’s scripted content section and treasurer in her first few years in the club.

“I started getting involved with TUTV back in my freshman fall. I was at the club fair before COVID,” Feldman said. “I was walking around the Academic Quad, and saw this neat-looking club called TUTV.”

Feldman also noted that Horror Fest, one of TUTV’s club-wide proj-

ects, was a major pull. Also drawn in by Horror Fest was Amelia May, a senior film and media studies and astrophysics double major who joined TUTV as a sophomore. She is the current leader of the club’s scripted content section.

“I got involved with TUTV in my sophomore year toward the end of the year,” May said. “I was in a physics class with Kaycee Feldman … and we were chatting about just cartoons. … It turned into her trying to get me to join TUTV. I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know we had a TV club!’ It was great. The first project I actually got involved in was the beginning of my junior year. It was Horror Fest.”

May got her start helping create a project for Horror Fest named “SQUAB,” which is about a man who is convinced that he is a pigeon.

“It was a really fun experience,” May said. “It was the first time I’d done any work in film. Since then, I’ve gone on to declare a film major, and I’m hoping to work in [film] after graduation.”

Another senior, Eliseo Vigil, is the programming manager for TUTV. He is majoring in film and media studies and hails from Denver, Colo. Vigil joined TUTV in his sophomore year and became the head of the scripted content section when he was a junior.

When asked about the most rewarding part of being in TUTV, Vigil referenced his effort with

Feldman to bring back live broadcasting.

“[Feldman] had a lot of the ideas, and we had some of the equipment for it. I was the one who was qualified and pushed technically to make it work,” Vigil said. “I rebuilt the TUTV control studio, the control room, the studio. I reintegrated technology for live switching and for live broadcasting, as well as new lights for our live performances.”

As to what kept people coming back to TUTV, Feldman’s answer was clear: the community.

“I think that the community that we build is always just such a joy to be around,” Feldman said.

“We have our very tight-knit core where you can just come in and hang out and sort of bond over a

shared interest in film and television and … get into nerdy debates. … I love the people in my club, and I’m gonna miss them when I graduate.”

After graduation, May, Feldman and Vigil will be translating their many lessons and skills from their various positions into their lives after graduation.

“Being the station manager has helped me a lot in figuring out what are effective ways of communication and what are ways that I can work with people and get projects off the ground,” Feldman said. “A lot of what I have learned at TUTV is how to work with people, how to organize myself, how to keep projects going, and also figuring out what people need, opening that line

of communication. … I think it’s applicable to any aspect of life, relationships, professional life, all of that.”

Vigil wants to work in broadcast, noting that TUTV has helped him push further into new roles and challenge what he believes he may be capable of.

“It’s really nice to have that vote of confidence in myself to be able to step forward in roles that I may be uncomfortable with or not feel like I’m entirely 100% qualified for, to see what I can do to make things happen,” Vigil said.

May said that her TUTV projects have helped her gain significant film experience before breaking into the industry.

“After graduation, I’m planning on moving to the Bay Area and working in film production, so hopefully I’ll be getting jobs PA-ing or EC-ing,” May said. “I don’t think that would be nearly as possible without the knowledge and the experience I’ve gotten from TUTV.”

While these three seniors may have had different starts, roles and responsibilities in TUTV, their involvement has readied them for the future of media production and broadcasting. In an industry that is fast paced and uniquely skill based, May, Vigil and Feldman have been well equipped throughout their time at Tufts to thrive.

QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating seniors of Tufts Burlesque Troupe are pictured on May 1.

COURTESY TUTV

Members of TUTV are pictured.

Institute seniors cry witchcraft in their musical production of ‘the Crucical’

by Saba S. Staff Wiriter

Editor’s note: Blake Anderson is an arts editor at the Daily. This article is a special feature for the Daily’s Commencement edition that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

Seven seniors were caught in a “witch hunt” on April 28 in The Institute’s production of “The Crucical.” As the members of The Institute accused one another of witchcraft, their group became embroiled in persecution during this 90-minute musical.

Originally formed in 2007, The Institute is Tufts’ only audition-based sketch comedy group made up of actors, writers and filmmakers who are bonded by their shared love of humor and satire. The ’Tute puts on three shows a semester — a collection of live and video sketches — and goes out in a blaze of glory, writing and producing a musical as their sixth and final show of the year.

In this year’s musical, each member shone with their own unique skills and inside jokes used to depict the character they played on stage. The ’Tute and ensemble worked fluidly as a team, seamlessly moving in and out of characters and songs, but the night’s performance was specifically a time for the seniors to showcase their talents and devotion for the community that the ’Tute has provided them.

As the four senior writers of the ’Tute, Blake Anderson, Max Behrendt, Duncan Kirstein and Zach Lowenstein were some of the brains behind the production.

Anderson initially joined the group looking for “a tightknit group of friends” but has found something more within comedy.

“Comedy is such a versatile skill to have,” Anderson said. “You can really connect with someone through humor and knowing how to do that is a really awesome skill. … I wouldn’t trade the sense of comedic impulse that I’ve gained from the group for anything.”

While writing the musical began with the group riffing off one another and trying to make each other laugh, the political satire is clear throughout the show.

“We get to have a little bit of commentary about what it means to have a witch hunt,” Anderson said.

As the head writer of The Institute, Behrendt is responsible for organizing the writing and pitch meetings.

“It’s made me feel a lot more comfortable and at home at Tufts,”

Behrendt said. “It’s such a solid community that we’re actually working together at something we all enjoy and are also friends.”

Kirstein, although a writer, captivated the audience and delivered each of his lines with a sense of responsibility and pride.

“The Institute has a very unique bond between everyone that I haven’t experienced in other groups,” Kirstein said.

“I think when The Institute succeeds at its highest level, it’s because we’re making each other laugh the hardest and having the most fun with each other.”

The friendships that these seniors have found through comedy shows how powerful and important The Institute is in making people laugh and creating interpersonal relationships.

Lowenstein is a music major at Tufts, and he flaunts his sketch comedy writing skills along with his music skills in “The Crucical.”

Lowenstein finds the dynamic and evolving group to have been a place where he can find continuity in comedy.

“I really like the thought process behind what goes into writing a successful joke, and I study our shows when they go up on YouTube,” Lowenstein said. “What did I think the audience was going to laugh at in this sketch and then what did they laugh at?”

Charlotte Magee is the current president of The Institute, working hard to run meetings, boost morale and be a “friendly face in a position of power” for anyone who needs it.

“I love to infuse physical elements into comedy wherever I can,” Magee said. “It’s one thing to say a joke, … but if you can really infuse it in your entire body … I think that’s going to take the comedy a lot further than just being able to deliver a line.”

Magee’s stage presence in “The Crucical” created comfort

for not just the actors who she’s grown to know and love, but the audience who can sense her compassionate inclination.

The Institute isn’t just a group of students who write and perform comedy sketches. The group also consists of filmmakers who bring this written work to life. Ben Bortner studies film and media studies at Tufts and is the current producer of The Institute.

Bortner offered some insight into his filmic process.

“I like to go through the script … and sort of draw what I think things would look like,” Bortner said. “More recently, I’ve tried to do cooler lighting setups.”

Jamie Boots is another senior filmmaker for the ’Tute studying film and media studies. Boots notably finds inspiration in his peers.

“Hanging out at The Institute, I get a lot of ideas because we’re constantly doing bits for each other to entertain each other, and then a lot of times that turns into a joke,” Boots said.

Bortner and Boots’ commentary gave an invaluable look at the group’s filmmaking process, and once again proved that the ’Tute is a place for individuals to grow their talents, advance their ambitions and find a community at Tufts.

While The Institute seniors are saying farewell to their collegiate comedy careers, there is no doubt that their legacy will shine through future ’Tute shows. In such a close-knit group, The Institute’s internal dynamic will always include a manifestation of the past, and a genuine love that these seniors have for each other.

thanks For the Laughs: tFL seniors reflect on their time in tufts comedy

by Sam McQuaid

Editor’s note: Sam McQuaid is a senior member of TFL, Tufts’ gender minority sketch comedy group.

On April 14, the TFL seniors performed in the final show of our Tufts comedy careers, a sentence whose language may sound a bit lofty given its reference to a sketch comedy group but holds great emotional significance for those of us graduating. Simply saying the phrase “non-audition gender minority collegiate sketch comedy group” is a surefire way to get a chuckle in conversation or a laugh during a stand-up set (we even put it on a sticker!). But even though we say it for laughs, it holds the weight of so much love. None of us would be quite the same without the group of hilarious and supportive people we’ve amassed.

In 2019, when we were only three years out from our inception, we were little-known enough that there was not very

much pressure to do well. We don’t mean to imply that we weren’t at all funny then or that being an up-and-coming comedy group for gender minorities is a walk in the park; we definitely felt we had a lot to prove. But we were still getting our footing. Now, in our seventh year, and as our first-year members are set to graduate the year of our 10th anniversary in 2026, we feel the drive to meet the quality stan-

dards that we know our audiences have come to expect. While that can certainly be stressful at times, it pushes us to maintain our own standards and values; when we hit a stride, that’s when we reach higher.

In the past four years, we’ve experienced some immense growing pains. TFL used to be so small that our five-person executive board numbered nearly half of our members. Now we

have an expanded executive board of over 10 people and 30–40 people involved in each show, many of whom are consistent and dedicated members. As we continue to grow, which we hope we will, we are constantly looking to adapt our structure to work for us. We’ve added, eliminated and merged e-board positions. We’ve learned how to write comedically, how to film and edit and caption (though we’re always looking for more video team members…) and — lest I be overly saccharine — we’ve formed some really solid relationships along the way. We have an unofficial motto in TFL: We refuse to let someone go on stage and not be funny. This is not to say that we bar people from performing based on our own opinions of their comedy — in fact, we encourage our members to bring their authentic humor without fear of being judged — but rather that we want everyone to feel confident in their sketches and standup sets, and we will always work

until we have a piece people are happy with. It’s this dedication to each other’s success that both reflects and shapes the culture of the group. One reason why our content thrives is that we respect each other, and we have fun making it. We let members play to their strengths and also make space for them to explore areas of content creation that are new to them.

There are seniors who have been involved with TFL all four years of their time at Tufts, there are senior walk-ons and everything in between. The truth is that you find TFL when you need it, whether that is after being rejected from all the a cappella groups you auditioned for, when you are struggling to socialize because you’re holed up in your dorm all day as a pandemic rages on outside or if you’re just looking for a fun way to spend your senior year. Somehow you end up among a gaggle of kind and comical people who encourage you to be your best and funniest self.

DAVID KIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating seniors of The Institute are pictured on May 4.

COURTESY SAM MCQUAID

Members of TFL, including seniors Emma Guerette, Sam McQuaid, Lee Romaker, Isha Mayor and Grace Abe, are pictured.

F & G

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Aaron K to Aaron G: “Perfect timing! We’re listening to Mormon rap.”

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THE 87TH EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE TUFTS DAILY

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Letter from the Editorial Board: Thank you, Tony

by The Editorial Board

Dear President Monaco,

As we approach the end of the spring semester, and with it the end of your 12-year tenure as president, we, the Daily’s Editorial Board, wanted to take the time to thank you for your commitment to bettering the university and acknowledge your many accomplishments throughout your tenure at Tufts.

You led Tufts through several important initiatives and some tumultuous times during your time as our president. While many of your accomplishments predate even our most senior board members’ matriculation in September 2019, we nevertheless wanted to express our appreciation for your hard work.

Some of your accomplishments, such as the acquisition of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, seem so fundamental to Tufts as an institution that it is hard to envision a university without them.

Similarly, other work done behind the scenes to ensure the university’s institutional well-being is not without notice. Under your leadership, the Tufts endowment has nearly doubled, thanks in part to initiatives such as the Brighter World fundraising campaign, which expands financial assistance for students in need. Thanks to your financial aid initiative, Tufts brought in hundreds of millions to be used for financial aid, striving to make Tufts accessible regardless of wealth.

by

Also during your tenure, Tufts removed the Sackler name from all facilities and programs, acknowledging the Sackler family’s role in advancing the opioid crisis by deliberately targeting high-volume prescribers to boost Purdue Pharma’s sales of OxyContin. By standing up to a powerful family like the Sacklers, and by establishing an endowment focused on substance abuse and addiction treatment and prevention, under your leadership, Tufts has rectified a problem of its past while addressing the omnipresent issue of opioid addiction.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Tufts in spring 2020, you led the university with poise. Your

of the country not only on the battlefield but also in international sports competitions such as the Boston Marathon.

POVILL

pandemic response team, which included Tufts’ best and brightest, ensured that we could return to campus safely and re-engage in collaborative learning by the fall of 2020.

Not only did you usher in a safe return to campus, but you — along with several others — then designed and tested a pooled COVID-19 testing strategy for Tufts’ neighbors and community schools. This shows your compassion and dedication not just to the Tufts community, but also to the people of Medford and Somerville. It’s inherently important to give back to these cities which offer us so much as a university; when you can leverage your academic and

clinical skills as you did, it makes your contribution all that more meaningful and effective at bettering the lives and health of Tufts’ host communities.

Before you came to Tufts, you focused your research on mental health. You continued this research during your tenure as president and have indicated an intention to continue further once you step down. While mental health disorders are not unique to our generation, they are notably common among our peers in a way that is distinct from older generations. Your interest in and focus on learning more about the afflictions our generation struggles with speaks wonders to your

compassion and care for Tufts students’ well-being.

In July 2020, you announced the beginning of the Tufts as an Anti-Racist Institution initiative to “eradicate any structural racism at Tufts.” While the goal of becoming a fully anti-racist institution is far from complete, the initiative itself delivered over 180 recommendations across five workstreams that can help to make Tufts more diverse, equitable and inclusive. A lot of work remains, but by beginning these workstreams, Tufts has taken the first step in addressing these problems: identifying them. Initiating and undertaking such an important and wide-ranging project in the final years of your presidency is admirable and will no doubt engrave your legacy at Tufts.

Throughout all of this, you led with humility, always quick to credit your team. Easily approachable, you knew how to solicit feedback from the student body and the greater Tufts community. An excellent collaborator, you taught us — by example — how to be better students and better people.

Your leadership through these monumental efforts, changes and initiatives did not go unnoticed, and we express our deepest admiration and appreciation for all the hard work you have done to improve our school’s financial stability, student life, reputation, diversity and inclusiveness.

Sincerely,

The Tufts Daily Editorial Board Brendan, Julia, Alex, Hannah, Makenna, Elena and Faye

As Ukrainian military forces are preparing for the awaited counteroffensive, Russia continues to shell the country daily. Despite the constant attacks, Ukrainians try to live their lives, coping, in part, by collecting large sums of donations for the army and presenting the strength

Among the recent Russian attacks are a strike on a museum of local history in Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region and shellings in Kherson. The museum attack on April 25 took the lives of at least two people, one of whom was a museum worker, and left 10 injured. The city where the strike took place is home to a large railway hub and was freed from Russian occupation last September. Kupyansk is not the only locality around Kharkiv suffering from the violence. Russians continuously send missiles and drones both to Kharkiv and surrounding territories.

Kherson, another city liberated by the Ukrainian army, also regularly experiences deadly Russian attacks. On April 15, the shelling killed a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter, who were walking together by a local

school. Eight days later, Russians bombed the city with aerial bombs and directed kamikaze drones at residential buildings. The attacks are just a few examples of multiple Russian attacks on civilian objects that do not store any weaponry.

The effects of the war on the mental health of Ukrainians cannot be denied. Ukrainian men are generally not allowed to leave the country as they may be needed for military service. Yet, the nation has still been proving its incredible resilience both through successes in the combat area and through participation in various contests, including sports.

Ukrainian runners who took part in the 2022 Boston Marathon shared that the sport for them is an instrument for healing. Igor Krytsak, who obtained a threeday travel permission to participate, pointed out that they had to stop training entirely for a prolonged period of time, yet running the marathon was symbolic in

terms of representing the strength of Ukraine. In messages to The Associated Press, Krytsak reflected that during the race, he thought about people in his home country who are currently besieged, hiding or running away from shelling. He thought about those who are defending the state and those who won’t wake up to a new day because of Russia’s violence.

During the 2023 Boston Marathon, the attention was directed toward Ukrainian runners again. In order to participate in the event and to raise funds for Sunflower of Peace — a charity that supplies Ukrainian medics in the war zone — TV anchor Marichka Padalko trained by running daily in Kyiv. In her interview with The Boston Globe, she shared that running is the only activity that helps her feel like herself. The movement gives Padalko the opportunity to dream of the future Ukrainian victory in the war and her husband returning from the frontline alive.

Ukrainian defender Artem Moroz lost both of his legs fighting in the Kherson region and yet participated in one of the races of the 2023 Boston Marathon on two prosthetic limbs. At first, he was supposed to ride in a wheelchair and push it with his hands, but suddenly he and his assistant changed roles — she sat in the wheelchair, and Artem pushed her while running on prosthetic legs.

Despite the challenges, Ukrainians have shown remarkable strength, not only on the battlefield but also in other fields. We must continue to stand with Ukraine, whether through donating to the military efforts, supporting athletes or other initiatives that help promote the country’s commitment to freedom.

Mariia Kudina is a sophomore studying studio art. Mariia can be reached at mariia.kudina@ tufts.edu.

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at Boston Marathon, ukrainian athletes show resilience in midst of war

ukraine at War

Mariia Kudina

GRAPHIC BY BECKY

by Toby Winick Opinion Editor

The world has changed a lot in the last four years. Over the course of the Class of 2023’s tenure at Tufts, the state of the undergraduate experience changed tremendously. Tufts is in a unique position due to the issues that have arisen from its character and quality as a university.

It’s no secret that every year, the acceptance rate at Tufts and many other universities seem to consistently decrease. This is a phenomenon driven by an increased number of applicants to many schools. With more applications, the acceptance rate becomes automatically lower and the class more ‘prestigious,’ as Tufts admissions officers are able to choose from a greater quantity of talented applicants, while admitting the same number.

Despite this, nationwide college enrollment has actually gone down consistently. The primary reason for this is cost. At many four-year universities, tuition (without state benefits or financial aid) totals in the tens of thousands. Even among com-

The strike Zone

Eli

Striker

China’s role in the Russiaukraine war

During the first year following the Feb. 24, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, China maintained a neutral stance, as Beijing attempted to undercut democracy without provoking Western economic sanctions. However, China’s true stance in the war was put on full display in March of this year when President Xi Jinping visited President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and the two leaders signed an agreement that promised a stronger relationship and

Is there a future for Tufts?

munity colleges, enrollment and graduation declines have continued because prospective students find the opportunity cost of tuition too high compared to money they can make immediately out of high school.

Tufts, as a private institution, has done little to remedy these concerns. For-profit institutions are largely the ones driving tuition hikes; from 2010 to 2020, tuition at these colleges increased 233.8% while the overall rate of tuition increase was just 12.1%. While not a for-profit university, Tufts has been consistently increasing tuition year-over-year for at least the past decade.

This is problematic, as Tufts’ identity is built on building a diverse community of active citizens. However, Black, Hispanic and low-income students are those most disproportionately affected by declines in college enrollment. By raising the cost barrier, Tufts makes it harder for marginalized students to attend. Even with Tufts’ pledge to meet 100% of need, one-fifth of all undergraduate students are still receiving federal student loans. Moreover, Tufts has proportionally fewer students on grant aid (40%) than neigh-

condemned American hegemony. Worryingly, Beijing has allegedly considered further expanding its trading repertoire with Moscow by selling weapons — including artillery shells and attack drones — to Russia. Arming Russia would officially end any pretense of Chinese neutrality and undoubtedly provoke a series of Western sanctions against Beijing. Instead, China should work to broker a realistic peace treaty with Russia and Ukraine, asserting itself as the world’s foremost diplomatic leader at a time when geopolitical tides are turning in favor of the developing world and the Global South. Given Russia’s military ineptitude and the severe consequences that would accompany such a decision, Beijing should resist the urge to send arms to Moscow. Arming Russia would be a rash mistake that would compromise China’s position in regions where it seeks to grow its influence. China

bors like Harvard (55%) and MIT (58%).

When looking at college rankings, the social mobility component largely favors schools that take in low-income students and produce economic growth. Of course, Tufts and its peers trend towards the lower end, as they take in many wealthy students, but Tufts in particular ranks almost 100 spots lower than Harvard and MIT.

Tufts as an institution also highly values academic curiosity, or encouraging students to think creatively and freely through their liberal arts education. However, a changing college climate makes it harder and harder for students to do that.

works to consolidate soft power in countries in the Global South by presenting itself as a respecter of national autonomy, but arming Russia discredits the claim that Beijing pursues a foreign policy based on respect for territorial integrity. Moreover, Putin has proven himself to be impulsive and irrational over the course of the war, unraveling his previous reputation as a military strategist as well as Russia’s reputation as a global superpower. To put it simply, China would sacrifice a great deal of political clout in selling arms to Russia, and Moscow has not proven itself worthy of such a high-stakes investment. Instead of investing its political and economic capital into risky war efforts, China would benefit most from brokering a peace agreement to end the war. Beijing’s original 12-point plan calls for an end to unilateral sanctions but does not call for the restoration

OP-ED

As increasing STEM job growth has made computer science, physics and engineering degrees much more rewarding, Tufts has shifted its approach as well. Recent construction has included the Science and Engineering Complex, which opened in 2017, and the Joyce Cummings Center, which opened in February 2022. Moreover, Tufts infamously grants engineering students priority registration for classes, and they often take up spots in humanities and social science classes that are required for other students in order to fulfill their own HASS requirements. Interestingly, the earlier registration slot for engineering students first appears on

of territory to Ukraine, making it a non-starter for Kyiv. In contrast, a realistic peace plan could involve the restoration of Ukrainian territory in exchange for favorable trade agreements for Moscow and multilateral negotiations to provide guarantees for future Ukrainian sovereignty in exchange for Ukraine promising never to join NATO. Given that Russian propaganda blamed the onset of the war on NATO expansion, this agreement would give Putin a political ‘out’ and allow him to claim the war ended on his terms.

China would reap political rewards in the Global South by successfully negotiating a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Beijing recently announced a Global Security Initiative, which detailed an ambition to assert itself in global peace talks, especially in the Global South. Alliances in the Global South can benefit China through trade,

the academic calendar in April 2018, before which registration for undergraduate and graduate students began on the same day.

Ironically, this helps low-income students, despite compromising Tufts’ values. It is true that because low-income students do not have a financial safety net, they more often choose to study STEM fields that can lead to higher incomes.

Herein lies the problem: Tufts’ success depends on its wealth. Right now, it does not appear that Tufts’ culture of liberal arts education is sustainable, and Tufts’ administration has taken significant steps in order to combat it. Whether this is an indictment of the perceived ‘uselessness’ of liberal arts degrees or of Tufts itself is up for debate. Tufts’ internal renovations and admissions policies such as growing minority enrollment and going test-optional are pertinent to its goal of diversity. However, case studies of tuition hikes and the School of Engineering’s growth demonstrate that Tufts’ liberal arts identity can’t coexist with a student market that demands both accessible education and an aid to their social mobility.

increased influence in multilateral institutions and potential military bases in the event of future Chinese expansion. China recently made waves with its involvement in the peace agreement between longtime rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, but other efforts to resolve conflicts in developing nations such as Afghanistan and Myanmar have been unsuccessful. However, were China to successfully broker a peace deal to end the RussiaUkraine war, it would send a message to developing countries that China is a more viable partner for diplomacy than the American-led Western alliance. If Xi is a truly rational actor, he should back up his statement that Beijing is a benevolent broker of peace.

Tufts Burlesque needs a reset — the community deserves more

by Felipe Campano

Tufts Burlesque is a unique space on campus. With over 300 dancers, making it one of the biggest organizations at Tufts, Burlesque offers many students a special space for empowerment, healing and a fun opportunity to meet others and perform for an audience in a show unlike any other. In a blur of lingerie and colorful lights, Burlesque shows at Tufts are one of the hottest events on campus. It’s a tragically common tale: anxiously waiting on Tufts Tickets for Burlesque tickets to drop only to end up coming out of the frenzy feel -

ing like you were hit by a hurricane — and with no ticket. With bold displays of sexiness, drama, good music and ‘camp,’ it’s all very exciting. However, Burlesque is also unique in how vulnerable it is; going up onstage in front of hundreds of your peers and dancing almost nude is no easy feat. Unlike nearly any other space on campus, there is a great deal of risk involved when people who are oftentimes complete strangers come together to put on a performance that so heavily revolves around nudity and sex. Equally important to all of that excitement and energy, then, are the rules and the club

culture that make the shows possible.

In order to function properly, Tufts Burlesque has had to maintain a strict culture of sobriety, consent and boundaries. Dancers are forbidden from showing up to practices or performances inebriated, partner work is usually put off until after the first group bonding and choreographers are not to engage in any kind of romantic or sexual relations with their dancers in order to maintain a safe power dynamic. However, at least in recent years, it seems as though Burlesque has begun to stray from its stated mission and goals; a number of dancers

are leaving the Burlesque experience with feelings of discomfort, unfulfillment, hesitation and even pain surrounding incidents of violations of consent or discrimination. From conversations with other past and present Burlesquers, it seems as though many potential dancers experience serious doubts around returning.

In trying to understand what was leaving such a bad taste in people’s mouths, I spoke to many of my peers, from former and current Burlesquers to those who for whatever reason hesitate to join and to those who were desperate to do so.

conversation, it seemed as though some themes were repeatedly coming up independently: discussions of their experiences with partner work and consent, feelings of discomfort surrounding the infamous afterparty and even the way the organization and its operations are set up. After much reflection and a lot of talking, I decided that I wanted to take action.

Over the course of a few weeks, I gathered the stories and needs of the community members I spoke to into a big melting pot-style Google Doc

Eli Stiker is a senior studying international relations. Eli can be reached at eli.striker@tufts.edu.

Tufts Burlesque should preserve community well-being as club grows

BURLESQUE

continued from page 42

and set to work crafting a nearly 13-page laundry list agenda of areas where the club can likely use a tune-up, complete with some anonymous experiences, concrete suggestions for future improvements and comparisons with how other clubs have handled similar issues — then I brought it to the Burlesque executive board. In a meeting with some of the board members and a supporting fellow Burlesquer that lasted about two hours, we went through each item together, talked them out, shared notes and set out goals for changes they could implement for the spring 2023 show and beyond.

Following the end of the semester, some really great updates were made, but much work is left to be done — Burlesque still deserves more.

The agenda is as extensive and exhaustive as possible, suggesting changes to a variety of topics including: creating greater community among the Troupe, improving the safety of dance practices and bondings, big changes and safety checks for the Burlesque afterparty (which has taken on a not-sosavory reputation as an ‘orgy’ of sorts), board operations, affinity dances and so on. Among the list of suggestions were required discussions of

consent and body dynamics in every dance, better checks for ensuring consent between partners and Green Dot monitors at the afterparty. While the executive board did manage to implement some of the suggestions before the spring show — namely requiring sober monitors for the afterparty; a closed dress rehearsal; expanding the executive board; and hosting a pre-show, club-wide Action for Sexual Assault Prevention presentation — there are still changes left to be made.

As one of the most common concerns expressed in all of my conversations, the lack

of transparency and somewhat detached leadership of Burlesque from its community prevents a lot of people’s feelings from being heard and addressed directly. Especially with four out of eight executive board members graduating this year, ensuring that the incoming board is able to stay true to the needs of the community is duly important. As a passionate Burlesquer, I want to make sure the rest of my community is heard; however, as I’ll be away from campus in the upcoming fall semester, my options for getting involved are limited, leaving me with

a request to the community instead: Please help keep the club accountable to what it could — and should — be.

In order to give the community as much help as I can, I decided to create an abridged, community-friendly version of the agenda I brought to the executive board. Separated by topic in distinct sections, and with specific recommendations and concerns listed therein, it is my hope that some members of the Tufts community will be able to keep the pressure on the club to continue to improve and grow. The list is by no means perfect or all-in -

clusive, and obviously they are, of course, suggestions, so it is not my expectation that everything will be addressed in its entirety. However, seeing as the list is compiled directly from the interests of the community, it is my hope to see as many of these positive changes be implemented as is possible within the power of the Burlesque community and the executive board.

Nothing big ever starts without people talking about it first; in the same vein, in order for the club to heal its current issues and move in a better direction, the first step is to encourage conversation about said issues. With enough time and collective interest, I firmly believe the Burlesque community can come together and demand improvements for the future of the club. With the right people in charge and the right support from the ground up, I see a future Burlesque that is safer, more enjoyable, more diverse, more inclusive, sexier and more empowering than ever before. It’s about time Tufts Burlesque puts on its big girl pantyhose and gets to werk!

Felipe Campano is a sophomore studying environmental studies. Felipe has been a dancer with the Tufts Burlesque Troupe for two semesters.

sailing coach Ken Legler leaves his legacy at tufts

by Arielle Weinstein Executive Sports Editor

Tufts is just one of the hallmarks of the journey of sailing coach Kenneth Legler’s historic career, but it will be the one where that coaching career comes to a close. As both a competitive sailor and a coach, he has made a dramatic impact on the sport as a whole.

With this being his 43rd and final year as the Jumbos’ head coach, he has amassed a large number of awards and accolades during his tenure, including an induction into the Intercollegiate Sailing Association Hall of Fame.

Before he came to Tufts, Legler sailed throughout high school and college. He attended the University of Rhode Island primarily due to the financial considerations it offered.

“I ended up kind of choosing a sailing school if you will. I actually got into Tufts, because it was so much easier back then, but the tuition was $5,000 instead of $3,000 for URI. My dad wanted me to make up the difference, but at the time minimum wage was only [$1.25] an hour. So I wouldn’t have been able to sail,” Legler said.

He excelled in college sailing, becoming an All-American and winning the dinghy and team racing national championships in 1977.

Leaving the college sailing scene, he was not initially looking to become a sailing coach, as running a sailing center was his top choice. The availability of running such centers was very limited however, and he found himself embarking on a different path.

“I took the first coaching job available after college which was assistant coach at [the U.S. Naval Academy],” Legler said. “And that dovetailed into head coach at [the U.S.] Merchant Marine Academy.”

At the Merchant Marine Academy, Legler made an immediate impact, winning two national championships. He decided to make the switch in 1980 to his college rival: Tufts.

“I knew they were loaded with talent. And [they were] also [in] the Boston area, and there weren’t all that many head coaching jobs available,” Legler said.

He took over for head coach Joe Duplin, who was a world champion sailor in the Star class, named for a type of two-person sailboat.

“The now-retiring sailing master at MIT was a Tufts undergrad at the time, and he actually talked me into applying to Tufts because the former coach was leaving,” Legler said. “So I said, ‘Sure.’”

The program was in good hands with Legler, as he won

his first national championship at Tufts in that year in the coed dinghy championship. The next year, the team went back to back in the coed dinghy championship, winning again with a different group of sailors.

Legler continued his success with Tufts throughout the ’80s and ’90s, trading national championships with the U.S. Naval Academy. Recruiting had a large role to play in the success of those years.

“We were able to dominate in the ’90s because nobody else was

recruiting except us and Navy,” Legler said.

Tufts commanded college sailing in that stretch, taking five women’s dinghy national championships in 10 years, along with winning the coed national championship again in 1997 and ripping off four back-to-back team racing national championships from 1993–96. Tufts set records along the way.

“We won eight women’s nationals — more than any other school,” Legler said.

Now, women’s sailing has become more competitive, as the recruiting scene coupled with the college admissions scene makes it difficult to attract both the best sailors and students from across the country.

“We enjoyed a recruiting edge 30 years ago, because Tufts was just beneath the Ivy Leagues and above all the rest, above Tulane and Michigan and Boston College and other schools so we had a layer to ourselves,” Legler

s enior Profile: Joelle Zelony reflects on basketball, team building, Jumbo friendships

by Sam Dieringer Staff Writer

As the Jumbos wrapped up their final game on the hardwood this March, the team rallied one last time around senior co-captain Joelle Zelony.

Zelony, a shooting guard, graduates Sunday along with the rest of the Class of 2023. As the only senior on the 2022–23 Tufts women’s basketball roster, Zelony is slated to leave the rest of her teammates behind as she launches into her professional career.

Growing up in Atlanta, Ga., Zelony fell in love with basketball in elementary school after her parents first signed her up for a recreational basketball league. Zelony continued to play Amateur Athletic Union basketball and stayed in the sport through high school. She attributes much of her success at Tufts to the relationships she fostered on her high school team.

“I love the team aspect [and] I had an awesome group of girls in high school that I played with. … I just loved being around that atmosphere,” Zelony said. “My coach from high school was amazing also. He definitely helped me get to where I wanted to be, which was a high academic school with a great basketball program.”

When Zelony first arrived at Tufts, she knew she wanted to be a part of something special. Over the course of four years, Zelony can confidently say that she has been a part of just that.

“My goal when I got here was just to be a part of something great. … I definitely have checked off that goal,” Zelony said.

In the final round of the NESCAC Tournament this year, Tufts faced Trinity, a team that it had narrowly beaten by 1 point earlier in the season.

“We played Trinity, which [was] also a top 25 team at the time, … and we just blew them out,” Zelony said.

The Jumbos took down the No. 3-seeded Bantams in a decisive 57–38 victory to claim the NESCAC title. Zelony reflected fondly on the accomplishment, which was the fourth title in the program’s history.

“I would say winning the NESCAC Championship was definitely the highlight of my career,” she said. “I remember being in the game in the last few minutes, and we were all just looking at each other like, ‘We did it,’ which was the best feeling ever.”

The season concluded in a memorable NCAA Tournament run. The team made it to the Elite 8 off of three strong wins

against U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Skidmore College and nationally ranked No. 5 Trinity University (Texas).

“I know going into my freshman year, in everyone’s mind, the goal was to win a national championship, which, sadly, freshman year, got cut short,” Zelony said. “But we’ve come pretty close, and won a NESCAC Championship this year, which is awesome.”

Zelony emphasized that the closeness and camaraderie of her team senior year is what separated it from prior seasons.

“Overall, in my whole basketball career, this year has been the closest team I’ve ever been on, like all of us are best friends,” Zelony said. “From that standpoint, it’s made this year so special and one I’ll never forget.”

She also remarked on the fact that activities off the court with the team contributed to this strong relationship.

Zelony reminisced on “just the little things even outside of basketball with [the team], like going on random adventures and hanging out.”

After graduation, Zelony, who studied economics and entrepreneurship at Tufts, plans to attend Columbia University to receive a master’s degree in sports management. When asked what lessons and

skills she’d take away from her time on the Jumbos, she emphasized the importance of a solid work ethic and effective communication.

“I would say, skill-wise, just being a leader and checking in on people, and always having that open end of communication,” Zelony said. “In terms of basketball, working hard, taking that anywhere I go in

the future. Just always having a work ethic to be the best I can be.”

Above all else, it’s clear that Joelle Zelony will have a lasting impact on Tufts women’s basketball for years to come.

Zelony signed off with: “A thank you to my parents, coaches and teammates who have been there through it all at Tufts!”

COURTESY KEN LEGLER

Ken Legler, head coach of the Tufts sailing team, is pictured at a regatta in France in 2014.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

Joelle Zelony is pictured after the NESCAC Championship game on Feb. 26.

see LEGLER, page 46

s enior Profile: theo henry bids basketball adieu

by Spencer Rosenbaum Staff Writer

On March 3, the Tufts men’s basketball team faced off against Widener University in Keene, N.H. It was the most significant game of the season to date; the tension was apparent and the Jumbos needed someone to step up. That someone was senior guard and captain Theo “Sarge” Henry. When the squad’s season was on the line, Henry took charge and lived up to his nickname, leading the team to the 78–66 victory with 19 points, including a 12–12 performance from the line. However, this leadership did not magically appear out of nowhere. Instead, it is a trait he has cultivated throughout his basketball career, starting from the very beginning.

As the youngest in his family, there is a sense of pride in being able to compete and battle against your siblings. For Henry, playing pickup against his older brothers Spencer and Oliver was where it all began.

“Having two older siblings, we’d really get after it, so that’s kind of where I learned to play, to be tough,” Henry said. “Me and my brothers and my dad, we used to play two-on-two, one-on-one all the time, every night.”

From these backyard battles in Ardmore, Pa., Henry began to develop his game, which he would then take to local recreational leagues, to middle school and then to Lower Merion High School, alma mater of the late great Kobe Bryant. This high school basketball program was one that Henry hoped to be a part of growing up, and due to

the environment created by the coaches and players there, it felt like a college program to him.

“I’d say one of my coaches, Coach Doug Young really had a personal influence on me: We worked out together all the time and he was key in my player development, growing as a point guard, developing my skills and also on a personal note, growing up,” Henry said. “You spend every day of your life doing something and it teaches you a lot. You can’t say enough about my experiences at Lower Merion.”

One of these incredibly influential experiences for Henry was his performance in a home episode of what was an enormous perennial rivalry with Chester High School during the district playoffs.

“Huge matchup and packed crowd like I’ve never seen — it was as packed as the gym’s ever been,” Henry said. “We won in a really close game and I had some really key plays to help my team win, and it was an iconic matchup and something that was really fun to be a part of.”

Wanting to take his game and studies to the next level after playing for a strong, tightknit high school program, Henry began the college search and recruitment process. The Daily asked Henry what ultimately made him decide that Tufts was the place for him.

“It certainly wasn’t the weather. I remember coming up here; it was a rainy day, I had just finished a visit somewhere else and it was miserable,” Henry joked. “It was just like the team, the camaraderie, the culture, the guys — it was a

player-led team and they welcomed me in right away on my visit. We played pickup, I felt like it was a good fit from a basketball standpoint, and then I spent the night here and we just had a fun time together. I really enjoyed the guys and I saw a place where I could kind of have a family in the basketball side of things, and also it’d be a great fit for my academic pursuits.”

It was this culture and camaraderie that he noticed on his visit with the coaches and players that would still be evident to him after four years with the program.

“I can’t say enough about my teammates. These guys have become my brothers over four years,” Henry said. “My class coming in, those are my guys; just an amazing group to go to battle with every day. I couldn’t ask for more out of my teammates and the basketball experience in college as a whole.”

In the midst of Henry’s college career, Brandon Linton joined the team as head coach. Henry acknowledged Linton’s influence these past two years.

“I think Coach Linton encouraged my growth, always kept it straight with me, and I’ll always respect the way that he came in and let the players thrive in our role,” Henry said. “He always valued the relationships and I felt like in a college setting where you have so much going on, it is really important to have coaches who value relationships.”

With this support from his teammates and coaches, Henry was able to find success as a Jumbo. Despite coming in as

an underdog, not playing much during his first-year season and having his sophomore season canceled due to COVID-19, he started making strides his junior year and truly broke out during his senior campaign.

“I really broke out and showed who I am in terms of a player, a leader and just had some really key games, especially down the stretch in the tournament, and personally that was super rewarding,” Henry said. “I really like to share my leadership and experience with the younger guys on the team and influence them the way I think I’ve had older teammates have an influence on me.”

As the Jumbos transition to a younger squad next year, this influence will be significant in guiding them in the right direction. Henry’s impact as a leader was demonstrated in his game, too, with his grit, determination and will to win.

“Everything comes from my will to win, really just doing anything that my team needs for me,” Henry said. “A lot of that time that’s guarding the best player on the other team or stepping up to make big shots: just do it all and more than anything holding the team together and I think being a steady voice, a steady person for my teammates to lean on and lead them when things got tight.”

In any given game this could be seen in Henry’s ability to direct the team in huddles, run the offense, get a steal when needed, dive for loose balls and take a charge. With leadership like Henry’s, the Jumbos had an outstand -

ing 2022–23 season, making it to the NCAA second round and putting up a fight against a very strong Keene State squad. Entering the NESCAC playoffs, however, it was uncertain if the Jumbos would make the NCAA Tournament. It was Henry’s favorite memory — the NESCAC quarterfinals victory away at the highly ranked Middlebury in a packed gym when the squad found itself as heavy underdogs — that solidified the prospect of an at-large bid.

“When we played them there before, they beat us by 16. We came in there with a plan, we came in there hungry and I mean we took it to them. We went into double [overtime] — they did some crazy things to kind of bring it back — but no, we fought, we weren’t going to quit and we did what few people did that year, and that’s beat them in their home gym,” Henry said. “Unbelievable game. Unbelievable atmosphere. One that I’ll definitely cherish for years to come.”

In sports, it is memories like these with your team that you nostalgically reflect on for the rest of your life. As Henry moves on from Tufts and basketball, he will move to New York City to work as a software engineer for Snapchat, and he soon hopes to venture out into entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, he will be grateful for the memories and experiences with the men’s basketball program forever, and the program undoubtedly will be just as grateful for his contributions because, without them, it would not be the same team.

Theo Henry is pictured during the Feb. 4 Senior Day matchup against Bowdoin.

Legler ends 40-plus year career at Tufts

LEGLER

continued from page 44

said. “What happened was Tufts got harder and harder to get into; it became equivalent to the Ivy Leagues. At the same time, the Ivy Leagues started recruiting, and there’s your win style.”

The Ivy Leagues also have the capability to offer scholarships to students, a significant advantage in the recruit -

ing process. As such, Tufts has stayed within the top sailing schools in the country over the past years but hasn’t won any dinghy national championships since 2003. It is still an appealing place to sail, simply because of the acclaimed history that encompasses its coaching staff. Legler has coached 92 All-American sailors throughout his career.

Legler’s recruiting strategy is simple; he looks for pure skill and students who are eager to sail as often as possible.

“If they [train] through winter sailing in their local frostbite fleet, they don’t have to go to the big championship in California just to prove they can sail in a big fleet,” Legler said.

His motto does not change much in the coaching realm once those students reach Tufts, emphasizing having fun along with striving to get the best results.

“They have to be able to keep up with academics, keep up with sailing and also keep up with just enjoying life,” Legler said. “And if they can pull off all of those three things, they’re doing great.”

As he transitions away from coaching, he will look to finally take some time for himself and enjoy sailing away from competition. Without the pressures of coaching, a lot more time opens up for personal enjoyment of the sport as well as making an impact on the literature side of things. He hopes to publish a book on sailing in the next year.

“It’s going to be called ‘College Sailing and Other Short Course Racing.’ And I don’t know if I’ll

finish it in ’24, but I hope to finish it in ’24,” Legler said.

He will sail in his free time away from coaching, still holding onto the passion that has guided the majority of his life.

“I’m still sailing whenever I can,” Legler said. “I sail all winter in Boston Harbor and in the summer. And starting next year, I’ll be sailing in the fall and spring too.”

The Tufts sailing team is ranked just outside of the top 15

in the country in open rankings and No. 14 in the women’s rankings. Both the women’s and coed squads received bids to nationals, which begin on May 23. No matter how the team finishes, however, Legler has a different measure of achievement as he leaves Tufts.

“I like to think that I’m going to leave behind a team that sails for fun and enjoyment by being successful.”

tufts seniors take valuable lessons from Boston marathon

by Arnav Sacheti Staff Writer

The 127th Boston Marathon on April 17 featured a field of 30,000 runners ranging from those running their first marathon to Eliud Kipchoge, the world record holder for the fastest marathon. One thing all of these runners have in common is their passion and love for the sport and their sheer determination to complete one of the toughest things that a human can do.

Two Tufts seniors, Sam Schrage, who ran his sixth marathon, and Anthony Bruno, who ran his first, certainly embodied all of this. These qualities carried them through their training process leading up to the Boston Marathon as well as through the race from start to finish.

With so many runners from around the world all in one place at the starting line in Hopkinton, Mass., Schrage was struck by the exuberance and passion all of the racers exuded.

“It’s such a cool experience because even though it’s a good amount of time in the cold, you’re just with so many people who are just so cool and interesting,” Schrage said. “Everyone comes with a different story, and I find that runners are really friendly people.”

The good-naturedness of the running community extended to the supporters who came to watch the marathon as well. The cheers that Bruno and Schrage heard throughout the course, especially toward the later miles, were critical in keeping them motivated to finish the grueling race.

“My coach Johnny [Gregorek] was there with the entirety of the New Balance Boston pro team. And when I [went] by, they went absolutely insane,” Schrage said.

“It was really cool that a group of like 12 pro runners went insane when I went by.”

Bruno and Schrage are both founders of the Tufts Running Club and serve on the club’s executive board, and many of the club members were present at the Puma Cheer Zone at mile

24.2. Schrage felt proud to don the Tufts Running Club singlet during the race.

“It was my last opportunity to wear the Tufts singlet from the club team. … It meant a lot to me, but it was emotional, to say the least,” Schrage said.

Although the marathon training process for both

Schrage and Bruno was grueling, the running community surrounding Tufts helped them prepare physically and mentally for race day. For Bruno specifically, having Schrage as an experienced marathoner in his corner helped him immensely.

“Having the very detailed schedule laid out by [Schrage] was helpful,” Bruno said. “Between the club running team and the marathon team, that’s six days a week where I have someone to run with.”

Bruno also cited how critical the Tufts Marathon Team and coach Donald Megerle were in inspiring him to complete his first marathon.

“I can’t overstate how great of a resource Don is and how helpful he is to everyone. Whether you’re running

Boston or Providence, … he’s got wisdom. He’s always got the food and the stuff for you. And he is so helpful. He’s such a great asset to this university,” Bruno said.

Each race comes with its own challenges and learnings, which is something Schrage is still finding out even after his sixth marathon.

“You always have to remember that so many things can go so many different ways in a marathon, especially with the changing courses, and a time on one course is not a time on another course,” Schrage said. “It’s something that I have to remember.”

As much as someone can train for a marathon, there is still a lot that they cannot predict and prepare for, especially because a

marathon will always require you to push your body to the limit.

“From miles 20 to 24 I had to take a bunch of walking breaks and I was like: Am I just gonna keep getting more and more tired? I’m doing it more walking than running,” Bruno recalled. “I was able to fully run the last two and a half [miles] without stopping. I felt good.”

Even though this level of physical taxation may seem intimidating, according to both Bruno and Schrage, running a marathon is still worth it.

“It’s so intimidating at first but the more you run, and the more support you get, the more you realize it’s absolutely doable,” Bruno said. “As long as you’re willing to put in the work, you will be fine. Don’t not do it because it’s too hard.”

COURTESY KEN LEGLER

Legler is pictured racing in the 1977 college sailing nationals.

COURTESY KEN LEGLER

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS / TUFTS UNIVERSITY, SAM SCHRAGE

Anthony Bruno (left) and Sam Schrage (right) are pictured running the 2023 Boston Marathon.

s enior Profile: Ian Daly delivers stellar career through dedication, leadership

by Bharat Singh Deputy Sports Editor

Like his favorite player TrentAlexander Arnold, who has gone from boyhood Liverpool fan to club icon in the last five years, former Tufts men’s soccer co-captain Ian Daly stands out for his work ethic and positive outlook. The recent graduate’s impact on the program has left a legacy grounded in humility, unity and hard work.

During his college recruitment process, Daly wanted to find a school with a strong athletic and academic reputation.

“I was focused on trying to find the best academic opportunity that coincided with my soccer goals and really Tufts fit all those checkboxes,” Daly said. “For me, luckily enough, my dad was willing to film a lot of my games … and help me put together some highlights to talk to coaches, from there I was lucky enough to connect with at the time Coach [Josh] Shapiro, who’s now at Harvard, … and he took a chance and I’m incredibly grateful that he did.”

In his first two years under Shapiro, Daly was a part of the first Tufts team to win back-toback national championships. Despite these historic achievements, his greatest memories were made by his teammates who he formed irreplaceable bonds with.

“Definitely at the top of the list of greatest memories is winning championships, but I think specifically within that is doing it with a group of your best friends,” he said. “Because winning just by yourself is rewarding but not in the same way it can be when you can do it with a group that you are so close with. So, winning in 2018, 2019 and also the NESCAC in 2021, that team that year was so closeknit … and it was really such a rewarding experience to win and celebrate with your friends.”

Daly also talked about memories off the field and how he grew closer to his teammates by opting for a fifth year at Tufts.

“Taking a fifth year, I’ve got to be with an additional class of people at Tufts which has been an absolute treat because you get to meet people who are like-minded like yourself.” Daly added, “It really does forge this [brotherhood] to play with them, so I think that will be something irreplaceable in my life. It’s the intimate relationships and bonds you create with these people when you go through this arduous, intense lifestyle. … It’s truly a unique experience.”

Daly also stressed how precious little moments with friends are and why they should never be taken for granted.

“We had our banquet this last weekend for the 2022 team, … and people were telling stories of sitting in Dewick with [their] teammates for hours on a Wednesday night talking about

nonsense or soccer or school or anything. Those moments being around such close friends and being together are little moments that I definitely took for granted then but looking back now are incredibly valuable,” Daly said.

Beyond his team, Daly highlighted the strength of the larger Tufts Athletics family and how he’s deeply grateful for the support he’s felt during his time on the Hill.

“With such strong athletic programs across the board, everyone really looks out for each other and everyone’s supporting each other so you end up having this really large community of athletic teams that are all rooting for each other’s success,” Daly said. “If you look to the stands, nine out of 10 people are other athletes who are out supporting their friends and that really is an amazing experience. I’ve talked to some friends who’ve played sports elsewhere — it doesn’t seem like that’s something that can be taken for granted.”

Junior midfielder Woovin Shin commended Daly’s leadership on the team, especially having seen him grow into a more vocal figure over the last four years.

“Ian has grown as a player in many ways, but most importantly, he has become a

more vocal and effective leader on and off the field,” Shin wrote in an email to the Daily. “His leadership has helped make the team stronger and more cohesive, and he has inspired others to work harder and always strive for the best.”

Also a member of the national championship-winning team, Shin recalls some of his best moments with Daly.

“Some of my best memories with Ian include winning the national championship my freshman year, practicing back in the [Bay Area] together and grabbing some incredible burritos after, and rock climbing together in the local gym,” Shin wrote. “[Daly is] an absolute legend and I am grateful to have shared time both on and off the field with him.”

Despite the highs, Daly faced his share of hurdles. Some of these came during the 2019 season. In contrast to his undefeated first year on the team, this 2019 team had to endure some tough losses while Daly was beginning to emerge as a core leader. Navigating those difficulties — especially a particularly tough 1–2–2 stretch — was hard, but Daly emphasized the importance of leaning on each other and seeing your teammates as people rather than just teammates.

“Because it is such an emotional game, you can’t always

think about it in terms of logistics and soccer and tactics and teammates, you have to think about it in terms of the people that are playing the game,” Daly said. “We ended up doing pretty well in 2019 so it was nice to have a resolution to that challenge.”

In terms of individual and team growth, Daly commended the high-quality recruitment following his first year and how this has pushed everyone on the team to be better players.

“Individually, one of the biggest things I’ve noticed is strength,” Daly said. “We have such amazing trainers and athletic staff and gym facilities at Tufts, so if you listen to what the coaches say it’s hard not to get a little stronger. I would also say the confidence I have in myself as a player grew a ton [from] being around a very positive community of players and coaches who are always encouraging you to strive and take risks.”

Daly also discussed noticing the team grow stronger and more competitive after several years of really competitive and successful play.

“By the time I was a senior, the kids in the team were unbelievable,” Daly said. “It became a great competitive environment to be in because

you have these guys who largely were considering either [Division I] schools or Tufts, and that’s incredibly valuable for Tufts soccer. … So that was definitely a significant change.”

One of these talented players is sophomore forward Ethan Feigin who explained how Daly has influenced him in his two years at Tufts.

“When I first joined the team, Ian was definitely someone I looked up to,” Feigin wrote in an email to the Daily. “Being on a team with 7 super seniors, it would have been easy for him to let them take the majority of the leadership roles within the team, but from day one he was always a leader on and off the field. Off the field, he was someone you were always comfortable approaching and asking questions about anything. On the field, he wasn’t only the most skilled and technical player, but was the hardest working by a substantial margin.”

Despite the stellar accolades and statistics which include more than 80 games for Tufts and 19 goals, Daly’s impact on the Tufts soccer program runs deeper than scoresheets and trophies. His legacy rests on sheer grit, collective growth and passion for the people and game he loves.

Ian Daly is pictured.

“and forever and forever, as long as the river flows, as long as the heart has passions, as long as life has woes; the moon and its broken reflection and its shadows shall appear, as the symbol of love in heaven, and its wavering image here.”

-henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “the Bridge”