The Tufts Daily - Sunday, April 5, 2020

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VOLUME LXXIX, ISSUE 35

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Sunday, April 5, 2020

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Following opposition to virtual ceremony, Tufts to reschedule commencement

Research, teaching assistants continue work as university suspends on-campus research

by Rebecca Barker

by Natasha Mayor

Executive Copy Editor

APRIL 1 — In an abrupt departure from the administration’s previous decision, University President Anthony Monaco announced that an in-person commencement will be postponed until the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

The Tufts community initially received an email on March 26 notifying members of the Class of 2020 that commencement would only take place virtually this year, due to the increasing danger of the virus. Four days later the Tufts administration reversed course, deciding to hold an in-person commencement ceremony at a later date, according to Monaco’s email sent to the Tufts community on Monday.

The initial announcement was met with an outpouring of anger and disapproval from members of the Class of 2020 as well as others in the community, including a petition to reschedule commencement that had amassed more than 4,800 signatures as of Tuesday morning.

“We received many thoughtful comments from graduates and their families that made

it clear an in-person event, even if delayed to a safer, more appropriate time, was needed in order to properly recognize the achievements of graduates across the university,” Executive Director of Media Relations Patrick Collins wrote in an email to the Daily.

Monaco made the decision to delay commencement rather than hold a virtual ceremony after deliberating with trustees, the provost and other members of the university leadership, according to Collins.

“Both decisions were made with a great deal of deliberation and consideration, and I am grateful for the time and thought that many people put into the messages they sent to us to express their opinions,” Monaco wrote in an email to the Daily.

“Even though Commencement might not happen as scheduled, I am confident that — at the right time — we’ll be able to honor the class of 2020 in a manner that they deserve and in a way that is worthy of this important moment in their lives.”

While the administration does not yet know when commencement for the Class of 2020 see COMMENCEMENT, page 2

News Editor

MARCH 30 — The Tufts research community has suspended all nonessential on-campus research activities in accordance with new guidelines outlined in a March 19 email from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) as of March 20 at 5 p.m.

The new measures have been taken in a concerted effort to minimize opportunities for transmission of COVID-19, Vice Provost for Research Caroline Genco explained.

“The decision to suspend non-essential research activities on campus was based on the University’s commitment to reducing the community spread of COVID-19 and the resulting need for social distancing,” Genco wrote in an email to the Daily.

Genco explained that the restrictions will impact all university-related research. She added that many research activities were still being carried on remotely and that the OVPR is not yet able to predict when normal research activities can resume.

“In the meantime, my office is thinking about how to ramp-up research activities when

the time comes; we are being as proactive as possible,” Genco said.

Genco noted that, although all research is impacted by this policy change, a few essential activities are still continuing.

“These activities are defined as those that are absolutely necessary to maintain facilities or irreplaceable research assets, such as: essential care for animals or plants; maintenance of equipment that cannot be shut down or maintained remotely, such as liquid N2 tanks and shared computational networks or servers; and responding to a laboratory or freezer emergency,” Genco said.

She added that sponsor agencies have been understanding throughout these developments and that she expects the university to have continued funding support.

“We are waiting for the details of the initial stimulus package, but we are expecting funding support for both new and ongoing projects,” Genco said.

Simin Meydani, director of the Nutritional Immunology Team at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), see RESEARCH, page 2

TCU Senate budgeting, elections to continue

by Alicia Zou

Contributing Writer

APRIL 1 — Elections for theTufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and other student government positions will begin this month as scheduled. The student organization budgeting process, however, will now continue online, according to TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi.

TCU Senate hopes to complete the student group budgets by the end of the semester so student groups will have access to their budgets in the fall, according to TCU President Shannon Lee. Lee, a senior, added that when reviewing the budgets, TCU Senate intends to be more flexible with their budgeting decisions due to the unusual circumstances and plans to focus on student needs for the rest of the semester.

“Completing this year’s budgeting process, and supporting students during this challenging period remain our top priorities for the time being,” Hamidi, a junior, said.

TCU’s Election Commission (ECOM) announced on its Facebook page that this month’s elections will proceed as planned, during which undergraduates will elect the next

TCU President, as well as all positions in the TCU Senate and Judiciary and Committee on Student Life (CSL).

Elections for positions in the TCU Senate and Judiciary and CSL will occur from April 15 to 16 and for TCU President from April 23 to 24.

The elections will take place over 48-hour voting windows, again through Voatz, the online voting platform criticized earlier this year by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for glaring security weaknesses.

While CSL and TCU Senate and Judiciary candidates will not be able to share their goals through a candidate’s forum, as in previous elections, ECOM promised that it will make other options available. For the presidential candidates, ECOM will post a recording of a question-and-answer session with the candidates to the Tufts ECOM Facebook page.

ECOM Chair Matt Zachem noted that this election cycle away from campus will be more difficult for both ECOM and candidates.

“We relied on events like tabling in the [Mayer] Campus Center and hosting a GIM to engage students about running for a seat in

ALEXANDER THOMPSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts Community Union Senate holds its regular meeting in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room on Feb. 9.

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Student Government. Losing this face-to-face aspect of our promotion plan may make it more difficult to get students to run for available seats,” Zachem, a sophomore, wrote in an email to the Daily. “In the same vein, being on-campus was helpful to candidates’ campaigns. While they previously utilized tools like postering across campus and speaking at the Candidates Forum to promote their candidacies and inform students about their platforms, they will now only be able to use online tools to achieve the same effect.”

Lee explained that TCU Senate will no longer hold regular meetings for the remainder of the semester due to the suspension of resolutions, which require participation and community engagement that an online system would hinder.

Lee explained that TCU Senate also postponed the Students for Justice of Palestine (SJP) referendum on Tufts University Police Department’s (TUPD) training with Israeli military to the fall at her own suggestion.

According to Lee, the postponement was made to ensure participation in the SJP referendum when students return to campus, since at least 900 people would need to vote in order for it to pass.

No further supplementary funding requests will be heard this semester, since the TCU Senate has transferred almost all of the student group supplementary funds, totaling $100,000, to FIRST Center’s Hardship Fund, according to Lee. Lee added that this decision was made to preserve student budgets in response to student groups’ wish to donate unused funding from their budgets to help students with financial difficulty.

To maintain funding for student groups, TCU Senate announced on its Facebook page that it moved unused funds from student organizations’ budgets to a supplementary

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funding pool which will be accessed in the upcoming school year. The supplementary funds transferred to the FIRST Resource Center’s Unexpected Hardship Fund for Student Needs are separate from student group budgets but still originate from the student activity fee, according to Lee. Lee believes that this method of relocating TCU funding was most efficient and achieved the same goal. “[The money] is still coming from the student activities, so students should feel … rest assured that their money was going to something that I think we all agree is important and that they cared about,” Lee said. “I don’t think that there’s any difference really whether or not it came from the student group budgets or our supplementary funding pool because … [the money] would have gone to student programming anyway.”

Initially, TCU Senate transferred $50,000 to the Hardship Fund, which was quickly depleted to pay for international flights. The remaining funds contributed to storage costs, workstudy payments and FIRST Center’s reserved funds for future medical costs in case of sickness, according to Lee. In order to continue with student group activities in the fall as usual, TCU Senate has reached the limit of their donations but Lee hopes that the university can contribute more to support students.

“On my end, I’ve been really pushing the university to be dedicating its own resources into the FIRST Center’s Hardship Fund because at the moment, it’s all been donations and TCU Senate’s budget, and I don’t know if that’s really right. I think the university needs to be putting its own money behind this. The problem is obviously, they’re paying for a lot of other stuff like prorating housing and meal plans,” Lee said.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Sunday, April 5, 2020

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will occur, Collins added that the university will take cues from public health officials to determine when it is safe to hold large in-person gatherings again.

Many students were grateful that the university had listened to their concerns.

“In some respects, many of us [felt] that we would rather be mailed a diploma than try to feign happiness at a virtual commencement,” senior Mike Kenler wrote in an electronic message to the Daily. “I am so grateful that our school has listened to our frustrations with a virtual commencement. I think everyone let out a sigh of relief that we will still be able to maintain some sort of normalcy in the future.

At the very least, we will get a proper goodbye to our college experience.”

Senior Anahita Sethi emphasized how the administration’s decision to postpone commencement can encourage students amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am beyond appreciative of the administration’s decision to postpone graduation.

For me, the scariest part of this pandemic is the uncertainty — it terrifies me not knowing how and when it will all finally end. An

The steps on President’s Lawn are pictured on Oct. 13, 2018. in-person commencement will finally give us all something positive to look forward to,” Sethi wrote in an electronic message to the Daily.

She noted, however, that while having an in-person ceremony will allow for some closure of her college experience, many aspects of her senior spring are unobtainable.

“There are still so many things on my college bucket list that I will never get to do. I spent my last night at Tufts visiting my freshman year dorm. I ran into some firstyears that were packing up and had a really

RACHEL HARTMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

nice heart-to-heart with them,” she said. “I told them I would really give anything to be doing something as simple as walking home with my friends from a long night of studying at Tisch.”

In-person senior week events have also been cancelled, according to an email sent to the Class of 2020 from the Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) on March 27. TUSC announced plans for “virtual offerings specifically for the Class of 2020” put together by a new subgroup, called “Tufts University Social Distancing.”

Teaching assistants aid in transition to online learning, some research continues remotely

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corroborated Genco’s statement about funding.

“For example, the Gates Foundation, with whom we have a grant ourselves, we have let them know that this is what is happening. They were very understanding and supportive of the situation,” Meydani said. “I think most funding agencies are going to understand that this is a situation that is not under anyone’s control.”

Meydani said she was more concerned about the impact this may have on students’ research timelines as they work towards graduation, as well as the potential impact on younger professors.

“One thing that does worry me a bit is that, if the situation continues for a long time, what its impact will be in terms of the ability of the young faculty to get their tenure on time,” Meydani said. “This is something that universities, including Tufts, are taking into consideration and are having discussions about it, and we’ll see what solutions they come up with.”

Meydani said that her own work at the HNRCA has been impacted, including an ongoing clinical trial and a couple of animal studies.

“That’s a loss because resources were spent and time was spent in enrolling those subjects, and we were almost close to the finish line,” Meydani said. “Although I have to say that with the true heroic efforts of people in my lab, we’ve been able to minimize the loss of valuable information from the animal studies.”

Meydani noted even if someone wanted to go do work in the laboratories without any person-to-person contact, much of the necessary infrastructure for that work is no longer in place since the new policy came into effect.

Kaley Mientkiewicz, a graduate research assistant at the Kritzer Lab, said that most of her workload has now transitioned to activities she can do remotely.

“Because I can’t be in the lab, I’ve switched more fully to doing a lot of reading and writing and any data processing that I can do on the computer,” Mientkiewicz, a fifth-year graduate student in the chemistry department, said.

She added that she was able to effectively shut down some experiments for the time being without losing too much data.

“I was in the middle of experiments that have pausing points in them so I was able to stop my research at a point and freeze

CHRISTINE LEE / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Joshua Kritzer, associate professor of chemistry, and Jennifer Pace, postdoctoral scholar in chemistry, conduct research in the Pearson Chemical Laboratory on Oct. 24, 2018. samples so they’ll be ready to go when I get back,” she said.

Mientkiewicz explained that nobody is going into the lab anymore, except one person who is performing an essential maintenance task.

“We have one instrument that every once in a while we need to add liquid nitrogen to it to keep our cell stocks frozen, so we have permission to have one person go in once a week and top that off,” she said.

Despite the obvious disappointments of having to discontinue many research activities, all researchers interviewed for this article underlined the importance of undertaking measures to limit person-to-person interactions.

“I think it’s all done to keep our health at the best possible state,” Mientkiewicz said. “I think that Tufts and specifically our department has colmmunicated really well with all of this and we feel really supported in that way. I support the decision and I think that it was a good decision to make for our department.”

Meydani echoed this sentiment and added that the situation is ever-changing.

“The good thing is that all the guidelines that are developed by either national or international agencies or by universities or by a school, are all living guidelines and they update them as new information becomes available,” Meydani said. “I’m sure that as soon as it’s possible for all of us to go back and start our research, we will be able to do that.”

Graduate teaching assistants In terms of the employment status of graduate teaching assistants, Kelsey Rowe and Matthew Welchert, first-year Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy candidates at The Fletcher

School of Law and Diplomacy, said they will continue to be employed.

Rowe and Welchert work for the political science department and said they will continue aiding with their respective classes, although the format of their teaching has changed out of necessity.

Rowe is a teaching assistant for PS142 and noted that it has become more difficult to engage with students virtually.

“I’m really glad that this happened later in the semester so that at least I got to know students prior to moving online,” Rowe said. “I think it would have been really really difficult to get to know people and have the kind of rapport that we have now had this happened significantly earlier in the semester.”

She is also a research assistant for Professor Karen Jacobsen and noted that research progress has been somewhat impeded by the lack of in-person meetings.

“It’s an adjustment for everybody and as we get into it, our processing speeds in terms of getting through work are all a little slower,” Rowe said. “Things have slowed down a bit, but they’ll pick back up once we get back into the swing of things.”

Welchert, who is a teaching assistant for PS61 said he has been having conversations with his students to figure out how best to make Zoom recitations interactive. He said he is impressed by how the undergraduate students have handled all the changes.

“I tried to put myself in their shoes when I was a freshman or sophomore in college and how I would have dealt with this, and I think they’ve been really impressive,” Welchert said.

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Tufts Global Education to overhaul Ghana program, implement interim plan for fall 2020

by Ethan Steinberg Contributing Writer

MARCH 30 — In many ways, the Tuftsin-Ghana program offers students a unique study abroad experience. Students have the opportunity to live and learn with local Ghanaians, to take weekend excursions to sites of historical and cultural significance and to hone their sense of independence as they navigate an academic system that’s substantially different from the one in Medford. It affords an opportunity to enjoy summer-like weather while their New England counterparts brace themselves for winter and most of all, the program provides students with an eye-opening, growth-inducing experience of Ghanaian culture.

Through the program, students from Tufts have studied at the University of Ghana, a premier institution located just outside the nation’s capital.

Introduced in 1996, the Tufts-in-Ghana program has since served many students well. One of those students is senior Adaeze Dikko, a senior who studied in Ghana in the fall of 2018.

“I really, really loved my experience abroad … there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t yearn to be back” Dikko said.

“It was a really, really crucial time in my life, and I was so lucky to have spent it in Ghana with my cohort, which is such an amazing and supportive group.”

Dikko cites the cohort as one of the reasons behind the positive experience.

“We’re all still really close. Every time we get together, we’re just yearning for Ghana,” Dikko said.

Unfortunately, the program hasn’t worked for everyone. Between 1996 and 2000, at least four Tufts students were sexually assaulted while studying at the University of Ghana, according to a previous article in the Daily. Included in these four cases was a violent incident of rape in the spring of 2000 which prompted the former Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Technology Mel Bernstein to suspend the program.

After deciding to add an extensive pre-departure meeting and hiring additional faculty to oversee the program, administrators decided to reinstate it for the 2002–03 academic year.

On Feb. 12, applicants to the Tufts-inGhana program for fall 2020 received an email informing them of a mandatory meeting that was to be held the following week. According to sophomore Iman McPherson, an applicant, the meeting was conducted in Dowling Hall on

VIA WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

The University of Ghana campus is pictured.

Feb. 20. There, faculty from Tufts Global Education informed the applicants that they were planning to overhaul the Tuftsin-Ghana program. “[The faculty] said that there had been some past issues with the program and how the program ran [this past] fall” McPherson said.

Concerns about housing, academics and safety were cited as reasons that necessitated change, according to McPherson.

In an email to the Daily, Senior Director of Study Abroad and Global Education Mala Ghosh confirmed this.

“We have decided to redesign the program in order to meet the academic, cultural, and professional development goals of our current student population,” Ghosh wrote. “We are working with a variety of stakeholders to innovate a robust, intentional experience by strengthening ties to academic departments at the University of Ghana, enhancing cultural excursions, and integrating internship opportunities.”

In the past, the program’s resident director, Kweku Bilson, has led a 10-day orientation for students after they arrive in Ghana. He conducts lessons on the local culture, its history and means of keeping safe, according to a brochure from Tufts Global Education.

This orientation, along with “pre-departure preparation,” “student support services” and housing, are some of the program’s features that will be considered for improvement, according to Ghosh.

Of course, it will take some time to implement these changes. Ghosh expects the revamped program to be ready for the 2020–21 academic year. In the meantime, she and her colleagues are working with students who applied for fall 2020 to customize an interim plan.

According to McPherson, the faculty at the Feb. 20 meeting mentioned that, in the interim, students might live with host families instead of in on-campus hostels. Moreover, they may take classes with fellow international students at the School for International Training’s center in Ghana, and not through the University of Ghana. These are some of the reasons why McPherson decided to withdraw her application.

“I wanted to be really immersed in the university with actual Ghanaian students and professors,” McPherson said.

“I also had some reservations about the homestay. I was thinking, ‘Okay, here’s my day. I go and I take classes with all Tufts or international students and then I go back to my host family.’ [I would] never actually get to meet the students from the country that [were my] own age.”

For Dikko, living in the International Students Hostel was one of the more powerful aspects of the program. “[Being in the hostel], that’s how you’re meeting people, that’s how you’re finding out what’s going on in the city, that’s how you’re tapping into actually living in [Ghana’s capital] Accra,” Dikko said.

Dikko recalls that the experience, like any other study abroad, was challenging in the fact that it is difficult to learn in a new context. For Dikko, the experience of the 2018 fall cohort “wasn’t difficult in ways that could have been better facilitated by Tufts-in-Ghana …

It’s not supposed to be a hand-holding experience.”

Nonetheless, Dikko emphasized that the program is not a “one-size-fits-all,” and that the overall experience, as well as the issues that arise, vary with each cohort.

Given the circumstances, applicants to Tufts-in-Ghana were allowed to submit an application to another Tufts program abroad, even though the deadline had passed.

For McPherson, the situation itself was more upsetting than the way that it was handled by Tufts.

“I think they pretty much handled it the best that they could,” McPherson said.

Over the next year, Tufts Global Education plans to include an array of voices, including some from the Tufts community and others from the University of Ghana, in order to ensure that the changes to the program will be effective.

“As always, our goal is to offer our study abroad students a transformative experience that will help them build skills and enable them to engage with the world around them,” Ghosh wrote.

Arts faculty innovate in wake of transition to remote learning, miss community of in-person classes

by Olivia King

Contributing Writer

APRIL 2 — From drawing to dance, theatre to music, the arts play an important role in the Tufts community. In addition to student clubs and performance groups, Tufts offers students a space to explore, grow and express themselves artistically through formal instruction.

However, the recent transition to remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted arts courses. How do you rehearse a play when your scenemates are scattered around

the world and confined to their individual homes?

According to Heather Nathans, chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, the answer is to evolve. Instead of performing a traditional play, students and professors have worked together to develop alternatives.

“Acting classes, for example, can’t do [multi-partner] scene work at this point because we have folks in different time zones, and of course, we have to be mindful that not everyone has good internet access or computers,” Nathans said. “I think everyone is trying to work with the

students in their classes to figure out different creative solutions, like how about you film your monologue on your phone and then we’ll get to see it that way.”

Individual theatre capstone projects have also had to change their goals.

“I think every individual project is figuring out how it could continue,” Nathans said. “Some say, can I write a reflection on what I was able to create up to this point? Or, if I’d been going to direct a show, can I do it as a podcast?

Can I do it as a radio play? And then how can we [the faculty advisors] evaluate that?”

For dance classes, the solutions are also varied. Renata Celichowska, director of dance, originally held synchronous Zoom classes but quickly changed the format of her course in response to student feedback.

“It seems like a lot of people want a drop-in class, so now I’m planning to do a Zoom meeting that people can drop into,” Celichowska said “I’m not taking attendance, people just come if it’s good for their own sanity and then I’ll record that Zoom meeting. Then students who see INNOVATE, page 4

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Sunday, April 5, 2020

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Arts departments organize to provide resources to students, lament loss of inperson connections INNOVATE

continued from page 3 might not be able to make that particular time can just turn it on and participate as they can.”

Celichowska’s meetings are also in addition to other remote learning materials, such as pre-recorded videos and links to external resources.

Other dance classes are altering their content more significantly.

“Some of the classes are taking advantage of this time to go more theoretical, looking at the aesthetic form of the genre and how it’s developed over time, in addition to perhaps encouraging people to do their warm-ups at home and so forth,” Celichowska said.

Studio art courses, which already often focus on both theory and practice, have also continued to meet remotely. Studio Art Coordinator Patrick Carter holds synchronous Zoom meetings with his class.

Students were able to take their materials home, and therefore can continue to work.

However, according to Carter, the learning environment is quite different online.

“Our work in the studio is quite handson,” Carter said. “There’s something very tactile. In a single moment there’s something quite spontaneous that might happen, all sorts of interactive things.”

Such in-person, impromptu interactions can no longer happen due to the transition to remote learning.

Carter is planning more changes to the class format to try compensate for the lost connection.

“I may have to break the group down into small groups. That way we can individualize things,” Carter said.

The music department too faces significant struggles because of the move to remote learning. Richard Jankowsky, chair of the Department of Music, said that most courses are still meeting and the music department has worked hard to ensure students have access to instruments at home.

In addition, many music groups held performances right before departing campus.

“Some of our ensembles used their final rehearsal that week as a final performance,” Jankowsky said. “Normally their final performance is a concert at the end of the semester, but they used that final rehearsal as a kind of send-off.”

For example, Tufts Symphony Orchestra used its final rehearsal as a chance to play together one last time.

“Our orchestra — realizing that even if they attempted to do their rehearsals online, which would be impossible, it would not be the same — decided to play one of the group’s favorite pieces from this

year, the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony,” Jankowsky said, referring to Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor.

The Tufts community showed up to support one another during the final week on campus. When the orchestra held its final performance, people turned out in full force.

“Normally with these rehearsals in Distler [Performance] Hall, there’s a full stage but it’s an empty hall, no one is in the seats,” Jankowsky said. “When I went in there [for the final rehearsal], there must have been 200 students and faculty there listening to this performance. It got a standing ovation at the end and there was not a dry eye in that recital hall.”

Theatre groups also came together in final performances.

“The cast of Sweeney Todd, when they knew it was our last night of rehearsal, they sang through the whole show, just so that they could say, we sang through the whole show,” Nathans said.

The sense of community that each arts discipline cultivates is what arts faculty fear most about losing to remote learning.

For Carter, being in the studio itself is an important component of the class that’s now missing.

“I think what I miss most is working in the studio and being in that physical space, communal space, because making art in my classes at this point in time is a communal thing,” Carter said.

Face-to-face interactions in art classes are valuable both for the professor to provide immediate feedback and for students to receive help in overcoming artistic obstacles.

“I miss that inspiring space to encourage people in the moment when they’re discouraged, to make people feel like making a mistake is not a negative thing, it’s a positive thing because you’re human.

The studio space makes a lot of sense to students who feel like they’re a little frustrated and they need a little lift or a push in another direction,” Carter said. “One enriching thing about the studio is that environment of curiosity, and that’s one particular thing that I miss.”

Celichowska is now working to try to maintain the community that she had built in her dance classes.

“I’m trying to create our community, to preserve our community, which is I think one of the most valuable aspects of dance in a college setting,” Celichowska said. “We are communal animals in dance and it has so many benefits.”

Celichowska also believes that continuing classes virtually has positively impacted students.

“I’ve seen a lot of students who are really struggling, and I’ve seen the power

of just being together as a community online,” Celichowska said. “It’s really helping in this instance.”

Nathans echoed this sentiment.

“What I appreciate is that folks are trying to continue to connect and to make sure that everyone’s okay because it’s such a tight-knit community,” Nathans said “We spend so much time together that it’s weird and disorienting to not be with everyone.”

The arts, in addition to experiencing strong support from students and faculty, have also been bolstered by administrative assistance.

“The administration, Nancy Bauer, [dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and dean of academic affairs for Arts and Sciences], everybody is just being so incredibly supportive, and so it’s nice to know that we’re really in it together,” Carter said.

In planning for the transition, the Tufts administration reached out to each department to assess their needs.

“The deans reached out to all the department chairs and asked, ‘What are the opportunities you see? What are some of the challenges you see?’ I think they wanted to be aware before they finalized things so that they knew what they should be prepared to support,” Nathans said.

Nathans cited support from James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

“We had a great meeting with Dean Glaser,” Nathans said. “He asked lots of questions, and I know that he took that information into [the deans’] meetings.”

The administration responded by quickly acting to meet each department’s needs.

Nathans, who worked closely with librarians for one of her seminars, has been in contact with them throughout the transition, and the librarians have maintained heavy involvement in her class.

Tufts Technology Services ( TTS) has also collaborated with arts faculty to secure different software and technology to aid in their online classes.

Nathans expressed gratitude for that support.

“I want to give a shout out to both the library, which has been amazing, and then also to Tufts Technology Services,” Nathans said. “TTS got licenses for different platforms that would normally cost individuals a lot of money. They went ahead and got licenses to a lot of software so that people who needed to finish making film projects like our dance and camera students or [film and media studies] students, would be able to do that without a big cost.”

Jankowsky has also been working to secure equipment for music students. To continue with some type of instruction, several music courses require that students have keyboards, and so the department bought and shipped keyboards to each student that needed them, even shipping one to a student who returned home to West Africa.

“We had to reach out to many different vendors because some of them couldn’t ship internationally,” Jankowsky said. “We finally found one, but they were in New York and were shutting down in 24 hours.”

The department did manage to obtain and ship a keyboard to that student so that they could continue to participate in the class.

Such resourcefulness has been found throughout the arts departments, and indeed all of Tufts.

“Everybody looked at what resources they had and tried to say, ‘How can I share my resources with somebody that might need them?’” Nathans, who has been very impressed by the kindness and generosity of the Tufts community, said.

Arts professors are also viewing the sudden shift to remote learning as an opportunity to grow.

“I really looked at this as an opportunity to push my versatility and [comfort with] technological advancements, online and so forth,” Celichowska said. “I do think that this is going to help us continue to take more advantage of what’s out there in terms of remote access and online resources.”

In his studio arts classes, Carter is considering continuing some of his current remote practices — even after the pandemic is over.

“It might be really nice then when everything returns to normal to have an open session on Zoom to invite people to talk, to keep an informal line of communication open rather than email,” Carter said. “You can say, we’ll be open for an optional Zoom session while we’re in the process of something or on break.”

For Celichowska, the crisis has also made her even more strongly value dance.

“While I recognize what a sobering moment we’re all in, I also recognize that celebrating movement and life and joy is so, so vital, and that’s a way that we can contribute when we participate in dance,” Celichowska said.

And Nathans concurs.

“That to me is the silver lining, the really passionate determination on the part of all of our Tufts artists, on the part of artists around the world, to say we’re still here. We’re going to make art,” Nathans said.

Language departments, faculty adapt to online learning

by Kayla Butera Staff Writer

APRIL 3 — COVID-19 and the transition to online learning has shaken up academic life for many students. Some classes may have had an easier transition to online learning based on their nature, while it was a bit harder for others.

Language departments, which are heavily based on discussion, have had to reroute how their classes function.

Preparation for switching to online classes varied between language departments.

According to Spanish professor Nancy Levy-Konesky, Spanish Language

Coordinator Marta Rosso-O’Laughlin had a scheduled WebEx workshop for the Romance Studies Department on March 25.

“Therefore, we were already trying to envision changes to syllabi, to content delivery and so forth in the ‘what if’ mode,” Levy-Konesky wrote in an email to the Daily.

Chair of Romance Studies Department Pedro Palou noted that some professors in the romance studies department were already experts in WebEx, as French and Spanish classes are offered online during the summer and professors were piloting an online Spanish course this spring.

In the Arabic department, preparation was a bit different.

“On March 9, I was informed by my department that I needed to start implementing a plan for the Arabic program in the event the university decided to transition to remote learning. As you know, by Tuesday March 10, the university confirmed this,” Arabic professor Rana Abdul-Aziz wrote in an email to the Daily.

Since the announcement on March 10 to transition to online learning, the language departments have worked tirelessly to train professors to use online platforms.

“We actually had ‘practice’ classes with students before returning to classes and ‘mock’ classes between four professors to check how robust … both plat-

forms [were],” Palou wrote in an email to the Daily.

Rania Belhadj Yahia, a French TA, commented on the support from professors during this adjustment.

“Colleagues at the department took me under their wings and made sure that I could work on Canvas and Zoom,” Yahia wrote in an email to the Daily. “One of them was beyond lovely to take on the little free time she has got to give me tutoring of Zoom and to give me a bunch of good pieces of advice.”

Not only did professors need to receive training for online classes, but they also see LANGUAGE CLASSES, page 5

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had to adjust their syllabi and make their material online-friendly.

“I, therefore, spent most of my Spring break … readapting the syllabus and creating some new material, among which [included] really detailed [PowerPoint] and pdf documents for the students,” Yahia wrote.

So far, online classes have presented both problems and successes for professors.

Levy-Konesky had issues with WebEx, and is now switching to Zoom.

“A few students who could hop on easily last Monday when I held practice classes could not get on once classes began, and needed to use their cell phones. In addition, at times our screens freeze, or the audio is not clear. Additionally, I could not see all of my students at once,” LevyKonesky wrote.

Since her classes are very interactive and require active student participation, she noted these issues are “not acceptable.” However, LevyKonesky is optimistic about some of the features Zoom offers, including breakout rooms.

Abdul-Aziz noted that while breakout rooms are helpful, Zoom is still not the same as regular class.

Alexis Serino Medford Mom

Tiny beautiful things MARCH 31 — In times of sadness, darkness and confusion, I often cling to the comforting words of my favorite author, Cheryl Strayed. Her book “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” (2012) is my own personal bible, and I found myself skimming through it nearly every day of the week of March 9, when I found out I only had a few days to say goodbye to Tufts and my college experience as I knew it.

To say that was the hardest and strangest week of my life is an understatement of the highest degree. I thought I had two more months to start letting go of my college years, two

Ross Sonnenblick From seniors to citizens

Hard conversations MARCH 30 — Senior spring to social security. On the hill to over the hill. Graduation to … grandchildren? Here’s what seniors have to say before all is said and done.

Kella Merlain-Moffatt knows who she is. Her mother, and the world, often ask her to assess her identities. At this point, months from her would-be graduation, she asserted, “I’m GhanaianHaitian-American, or HaitianGhanaian-American. The order really doesn’t matter.”

With her senior thesis, Merlain-Moffatt is attempting to answer some lingering questions: “Why is it that people who are technically Latin American [particularly those from Belize, Brazil, and Haiti] don’t identify with being Latinx, and what are the things that are keeping them from being a part of it?”

Merlain-Moffatt continues to explore her Afro-Latinidad, both in her studies and in her very house.

“For example, in a normal class, when I make the rounds between groups during activities, I usually can focus on a few groups simultaneously and get to hear more of the conversation and thoughts,” Abdul-Aziz wrote. “Online, in breakout rooms, I only know what is happening in that one room.”

Language teachers are trying to make the transition between in-person and online classrooms as smooth as it can be, beyond adapting class material.

Abdul-Aziz said that the Arabic program wanted to focus on making students feel comfortable and acknowledge the mutual difficult circumstances.

“I had my intermediate-level students share their new routine and talk about how it has impacted them negatively, along with any silver linings,” Abdul-Aziz wrote. “Language is all about making connections and interpersonal communication, and I think the virtual class was able to accomplish this.”

Connections between professors and students continue, even with greater geographical distances separating them.

“I told them that I am just an email away if they ever want or need to ask a question or talk because the least we can do when there’s so much chaos all around the world is be there for each other,” Yahia wrote.

According to Levy-Konesky, language classes have also helped students feel more at ease.

“My students seemed to be happy to be together, to see each other, to use their Spanish skills, and maybe to forget for an hour their concerns and worries,” Levy-Konesky wrote.

It’s not only students that miss normal campus life, but also teachers.

“I was lucky enough to have fantastic students in my recitation — some with whom I have developed a

strong friendly relationship — and I miss seeing them ever y week,” Yahia wrote.

As to what Levy-Konesky will miss most about in person classes, she wrote, “EVERYTHING! I miss walking around the room and overhearing their discussions, I miss talking to them before and after class, I miss bringing them chocolates and other goodies. I miss everything that goes on in a classroom that can’t be replicated online.”

more months to brace myself for The Real World™, two more months to find a way to say goodbye to the place I’ve called home for four years. I was forced to uproot my life, move out of my dorm and cram two months’ worth of goodbyes and “lasts” in 72 hours.

It was emotionally and mentally taxing, but also kind of beautiful, because nothing else mattered to me in those 72 hours. Not schoolwork, not job applications, not anything else: It was all about telling the people at Tufts whom I love that I love them, that I’ll miss them dearly and that they’ll always take up such an enormous part of my heart.

Even now in quarantine, I don’t wake up stressed about any of the trivial worries that normally riddled my 21-yearold life. I wake up wanting to hug my loved ones, to hold my mother’s hand and to hug my father. I wake up wanting to sprint back to campus, to sit on my

best friends’ porch and talk about life and love and all of the risks we hope we’ll take someday. I wake up wanting to have one more day at Tufts, one more day to get an oat milk latte from the Rez and sit on Tisch Roof and think about “High School Musical 3” (2008) and what it means to let go. None of these things are currently within reach: They are the tiny, beautiful things I’ve taken for granted.

Like everyone else, I’m still trying to make sense of all that’s happened, trying to find ways to make peace with the cards I’ve been dealt. I don’t know if I’ll ever find the clarity and closure that I long for. But here’s what I do know: A thing I love was taken away from me much too soon.

I am lucky to have loved something so much, and, in the words of Winnie the Pooh, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

This column was supposed to be a way for me to slowly say goodbye to and

express my gratitude for Tufts, my college experience and the friends I found along the way.

This column can still be all of those things, despite the new reality I find myself in.

In re-reading “Tiny Beautiful Things,” I found a quote that I had underlined the first time I read it: “Let yourself be gutted. Let it open you. Start here.”

This whole experience — one riddled with loss, grief and seemingly endless goodbyes — has absolutely gutted me.

But it’s also opened me up in ways that I hadn’t been before: I find myself reaching almost constantly in the direction of love, connection, gratitude and for those tiny, beautiful moments that make up a good life.

I guess the rest starts here.

“I’m IR and Africana Studies, and my concentration within IR is a regional concentration, which is Africa,” she said.

Before the coronavirus sent her back to her native South Florida, she lived in Capen House and called it home.

“I feel like Capen House, the Africana Center, in many ways has been the center of my Tufts experience. It’s given me a community; it’s forced me to have a lot of hard conversations,” she said.

Now, Merlain-Moffatt initiates those discussions herself. Earlier this year, she approached one of her classmates after he made a remark that stood out to her for its racial and sexist implications.

He responded with defensive anger, but she remained calm and requested just to explain her perspective. She gave him his distance, and later, he messaged her, “If you want to talk, we can talk.”

They never talked.

On that occasion, Merlain-Moffatt decided not to pursue the matter any further. Reflecting on the situation, she said, “You have to choose your battles.

All the times I have chosen to have that fight, I’ve found it to be worth it, even

if the outcome initially may not always seem positive.”

The 100th anniversary of the Tufts Africana Center happens to coincide with the Class of 2020’s 50th reunion, and by the time Merlain-Moffatt returns to campus to celebrate those occasions, she intends to have established a prodigious reputation for herself. She anticipates that the top search result for her name will read: “Kella Merlain-Moffatt: Philanthropist, Founder, Diplomat.”

“One of the things that I’d really like to do in the future is to open up an arts education center that focuses on civic engagement for underprivileged youth,” she said.

Merlain-Moffatt believes in the power of words, and she hopes that her socially-aware, creative program will encourage its participants to use their voices.

“I think there is something about having a legacy that extends past you …

I see that being an opportunity to really start new conversations and dialogues,” she said of her prospective life’s work.

Merlain-Moffatt is not yet a notable philanthropist. She has not yet defended her thesis, and the top search result for her name connects to the website for Tufts Admissions.

Nonetheless, her expectations leave her undaunted.

“There are things I’m not concerned about,” she said. “I know I’ll be happy, I know I’ll be impactful, I know I’m destined for greatness.”

Correction: A previous version of this column included several errors. A previous version said Merlain-Moffatt lived in the Africana Center, which should have read Capen House. The column references an incident where MerlainMoffatt spoke with a peer after he made a remark that stood out to her for its racial and sexist implications. MerlainMoffatt did not in fact speak with this peer. The column has been updated to reflect these changes. The Daily regrets this error.

The Olin Center is pictured on Nov. 27, 2018.

ALEXIS SERINO / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Alexis Serino is a senior studying Political Science and Spanish. Alexis can be reached at alexis.serino@tufts.edu.

Ross Sonnenblick is a senior studying psychology. Ross can be reached at ross. sonnenblick@tufts.edu.

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ARTS&LIVING

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Take Care: How to work and learn from home

by Christopher Panella Arts Editor

MARCH 30 — Who thought that our anthem for our current school situation — online classes, working from home — would come from Fifth Harmony? But unlike “Work From Home” (2016) — its biggest song? Regardless, it’s not very good — it’s not as easy as Fifth Harmony makes it sound. Not everyone can work from home, ladies!

There’s so much to consider when we talk about our current situations. As in-person learning shifts to the virtual world, how do we bring ourselves to actually attend — and pay attention to — our classes? It seems almost cruel to have to work and learn while processing the stress of a pandemic. And those of us who came back to welcoming homes are lucky; for some Tufts students, leaving campus meant leaving safety and accessibility. How do those students cope with these changes?

In this “Take Care” article, I wanted to talk about ways to make this strange learning experience a little bit easier.

Hopefully, these tips are varied enough to provide some sort of assistance to all students finishing this semester online.

It would be ignorant — and incorrect — to assume that any given student has a quiet room to work in, a computer with internet to work from and the time to dedicate to their coursework.

1. Block out time during the day to do your coursework — at whatever time works for you!

Setting a schedule and sticking to it is important to feeling some sort of normalcy during a time that’s far from

ordinary. Some of us excel by mimicking the same schedule we had just a few weeks ago on campus. Some students thrive better by replicating the caffeine-induced stress of finishing a paper in the Tisch Library Reading Room at 1:30 a.m. Whatever worked for you at Tufts might work for you now. But it’s important to note that we all most likely need to alter our learning methods to our new surroundings. Some students’ schedules changed the moment they got home — they might suddenly be caretakers, babysitters or having to do jobs to make up for lost on-campus job income. Regardless of your situation, make time for homework when you can. And be honest with yourself about getting that work done — we’re in the middle of a pandemic and no one feels productive.

2. Set a space — even if it’s temporary — that’s yours!

If you have your own room to work in that’s got a desk and is quiet when you need it to be, you lucked out. We have it best; we can work when we want, how we want. But working from your home’s common spaces is a much different process. Dining room tables and kitchen counters are certainly not ideal places to work. But there are ways to make these spaces a little more productive, even if it’s just for a couple of hours.

Find time when you can be in these locations relatively undisturbed. If you can’t, headphones can do wonders to block out household noise. Maybe you’re not the type to listen to music while you work — weird flex, but okay — and you need silence. There are plenty of apps and websites with white noise channels.

While it’s not silence, white noise is similar to silence in that it helps you cancel any distractions and just focus on the task at hand.

3. Take breaks and get sunlight and fresh air when you can.

At Tufts, we didn’t even have to think about stepping outside to enjoy some nature. It was built into our schedules, happening without us even knowing it.

Now, we’re all stuck inside our homes with no agenda and nowhere to go. It can be so easy to stay inside all day, but you need to step outside every so often to enjoy some fresh air and look at a tree.

Even if it’s just a walk around the block or a lean against your front door, give your body a break. This could be especially useful while doing coursework, but it could also come with exercising; if you’re feeling stuck inside, go for a run!

Or do some jumping jacks! If your family’s driving you crazy, take a walk outside and enjoy some alone time. Or run to the end of the street and scream at the top of your lungs! It’s important to keep some sort of connection to the world around us, even as everything’s closed and the streets look like a ghost town.

4. If you have to Zoom into class, do whatever you need to do.

We can only be expected to do so much now that the internet is our new way of learning. For those of us who have synchronous class meetings, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to being on Zoom. Not everyone owns their own computer or can reserve a quiet room all to themselves for classes. And then there are time zones and internet access.

So many issues come into play when we talk about online learning. That’s why

you should make your Zoom area as comfortable as possible. Whether it’s a temporary space — a family computer — or your laptop in your room, make the area ready for learning and working.

It’s also important to keep in mind that not all of us have video-ready Zoom locations in our houses; there are background noises and images, weird lighting and connection issues. At this point, don’t take those problems too seriously.

You didn’t know you’d be finishing the semester online —there’s no need to be concerned right now about how the lighting looks in your Zoom lecture.

5. Celebrate the small victories. We need them now more than ever!

I consider small victories to be everything from getting out of bed and putting on clean clothes to actually attending my Zoom lecture. It’s frankly impossible to focus on schoolwork right now, which means that any time we actually spend studying, doing homework or attending class is commendable. Again, we’re in the middle of a pandemic; our usual school stress is now coupled with plenty of other anxieties about family, the state of the world, health, our futures and when this will all be over. Don’t be too hard on yourself — if you can even think about school during a time like this, then good job. Celebrate with small things: a quick dance party to your favorite song or a snack. Keep yourself connected with your friends as much as you can. Those phone calls and FaceTimes could be really great ways to refresh and reenergize. Most of all, give yourself time and space to adjust to all of this. We’re living in strange times. You’re allowed to feel strange about it.

Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ is pop music escape

by Christopher Panella Arts Editor

MARCH 30 — Picture this: it’s 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night. Normally, you’d be getting all dressed up in some thrifted clothes to go pregame with some friends — and maybe that cute boy you like — before you go to a basement party or a club. But thanks to recent events, you’re stuck in your childhood bedroom, already in your pajamas — the ones you’ve been wearing for the past three days — and looking through Netflix for a movie to watch. Everyone’s gone to bed and you’re thinking of breaking into the five-dollar wine.

It’s safe to say we’re living in unprecedented, terrifying times. We all have our various ways of coping, but thankfully, Dua Lipa’s provided a fool-proof way to ignore our current situations. After “Future Nostalgia” (2020) leaked this past week, Lipa released the album early, hoping the new music would bring some joy to listeners everywhere. The decision brought one of 2020’s best releases to the hands of fans who are surely going stir-crazy and climbing the walls. Especially in our current situations, “Future Nostalgia” is the sweetest of escapes.

The last times we heard from Lipa, she was collaborating with Calvin Harris on “One Kiss” (2017) and with Silk City on “Electricity” (2018). She’s become a household name with her self-entitled debut and the explosive

song “New Rules” (2017). Thankfully, Lipa’s kept going with the good parts of her debut — danceable singles — and ignored the throwaway songs that made it feel clunky. With “Future Nostalgia,” it’s back-to-back hits (well, “Boys Will Be Boys” feels outof-place, but we’ll discuss that later).

There’s some incredible energy on this album that’s reminiscent of previous pop queens (Kylie Minogue, Nelly Furtado, Madonna). And Lipa’s cluing us in on the album’s connection to the pop of the past — with the title “Future Nostalgia,” it’s impossible not to put Lipa in line with those larger-than-life stars. She’s put herself in that position. And it certainly pays off. “Future Nostalgia” is a seasoned pop sound not unlike the disco of Minogue and the sexy pop of Furtado and Madonna.

Lipa sounds more mature on “Levitating” and “Hallucinate” than some pop artists sound albums into their careers. It’s easy to point to these two tracks — they’re the album’s best — and they’re absolutely perfect. “Hallucinate” is especially delicious. It’s the song that you hear from the club bathroom and sprint to the dance floor for, not unlike Ariana Grande’s “Into You” (2015) and Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ “This Is What You Came For” (2016). Those songs were a fun rush; “Hallucinate” feels particularly euphoric.

But with only 11 tracks, “Future Nostalgia” doesn’t waste time just highlighting the two songs that

are sure to be playing at Club Café once this pandemic passes. No, it’s chock-full of bangers ready for dancing. “Don’t Start Now,” the album’s lead single, is great. “Physical” is pure adrenaline. “Pretty Please” and “Break My Heart” are funky. It’s all quick — nearly every song is under four minutes — and wonderful.

Everyone say, “thank you Miss Lipa!”

She released the pop music you’ve all been screaming for.

And we should celebrate that! It’s great to listen to an album that’s obviously been carefully crafted. It’s Lipa’s show — there are no features — and that makes “Future Nostalgia” feel focused and smart. She has seamlessly woven together disco, dance-pop and 80s pop (especially on “Cool”) to create something familiar and fun. And while we certainly will enjoy listening to “Future Nostalgia,” Lipa probably had more fun making it. Lipa’s plenty flirtatious and honest on most tracks, with lyrics about former lovers and new lovers and dancing with lovers.

That sex drive peaks on “Good in Bed,” which features a line about “good pipe in the moonlight” that’s just too iconic to ignore.

But the album’s cohesiveness feels broken by its ending track, “Boys Will Be Boys.” It’s meant to be an empowering anthem fighting against sexism and sexual harassment. And while it might justify its existence on any other album,

it sticks out like a sore thumb on “Future Nostalgia.” Why this song?

And this isn’t to say that Lipa should just stick to making radio-friendly pop songs; questioning “Boys Will Be Boys” isn’t an attempt to corner Lipa into making one genre of music (although the song is also sonically not very good — it feels like it’s missing something, like it was hastily finished). Nor is it an aim to downplay the song’s message. But it is a venture to understand why “Future Nostalgia” ends on such an oddly placed note.

And with “Boys Will Be Boys,” there’s something left to be desired at the end of “Future Nostalgia.” It calls into question whether the song is out-of-place or just plain bad. Does “Future Nostalgia” really need “Boys Will Be Boys” to be good? The answer seems to be no; just because Lipa doesn’t sing soaring ballads about various issues doesn’t mean that “Future Nostalgia” isn’t exploring complex ideas and themes.

But thankfully, “Future Nostalgia” has too much going for it to be ruined by one confusing track. It’s pop that’s indebted to genres and styles before it, but still exists on its own terms. It’ll be a post-coronavirus party staple, so learn the lyrics now. But for now, it’s the fun dance escape we all need. It confirms Lipa’s ability to make more than just a handful of good singles; she’s a full-fledged pop star we should all be paying attention to.

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Sunday, April 5, 2020 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

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‘And Then We Danced’ hampers its own triumphs

by Tommy Gillespie Arts Editor

MARCH 31 — “There is no sex in Georgian dance,” a stern instructor tells protagonist Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) in an early scene of “And Then We Danced” (2019). This directive, barked out when the young dancer imbues his movements with a bit too much personality for the rigid strictures of masculinity required by the nation’s rich folk tradition, strikes a distinctly ironic tone for viewers of SwedishGeorgian writer-director Levan Akin’s drama. As quickly as instructor Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) moves to stifle Merab’s infectious energy, a new male dancer (Bachi Valishvili) enters the studio, catching Merab’s eye. When they embark on a taboo affair, their single-minded pursuit of artistic excellence in Georgia’s famous folk tradition unfurls their various facades in enchanting and unexpected ways.

“And Then We Danced” finds its best moments on this balance beam — seeking common ground for both the nation’s unique cultural tapestry and its contemporary challenges. Its folly comes when, perhaps flabbergasted by the wealth of meaning it uncovers, it inexplicably throws these triumphs off Tbilisi’s picturesque cliffs.

We should not be surprised that a film that gives equal consideration to both time-immemorial traditions and a distinctly modern take on sexuality hits a few bumps along the road. “And Then We Danced,” from the movement it depicts to the quality of its narrative structure to the events surrounding the film’s premiere in its home country, is nothing if not volatile.

After its premiere at Cannes Film Festival last May, threats of violent protests greeted the film’s screenings when it came back to Georgia, with right-wing ultranationalist and pro-Russian factions branding the film as “against Georgian and Christian traditions.” The threats forced the government to intervene to ensure safety at the screenings, with Akin publicly lambasting the threats as “absurd.”

Peter Lindblom Oldies But Goodies

‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ APRIL 3 — In June of 2001, Wilco presented its newly finished album to its record company, Reprise Records, and was promptly dropped from the label. Time Warner had recently merged with America Online and wanted to cut costs with its record companies, which included Reprise Records. As a result, all it took was for one important person in the company to dislike the album, and that person happened to be interim President David Kahne.

On April 23, 2002, Wilco finally released “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” with Nonesuch Records, but all of its fans had heard it by that point. Before signing with the new record company, the band had uploaded the album to its website amid all the uncertainty regarding its release. The

After watching “And Then We Danced,” the idea that Georgian traditions are being insulted seems absurd. Akin and his fellow filmmakers clearly hold the nation’s culture in high esteem, and their film juxtaposes the budding connection between Merab and Irakli with both men’s cellular links to their own heritage. This familiar burden weighs on Merab in particular, who comes from a lineage of revered folk dancers, including his ne’er-do-well brother David (Giorgi Tsereteli). Akin’s film reaches brilliance in its ability to portray the love between the men at its center as a logical and foreseeable outcome of their creative souls, forged intimately in their cultural landscape. With each close-up of Merab’s legs thumping rapidly along the floor and each shaking thud as he falls, Akin and cinematographer Lisabi Fridell remove another barrier between Merab’s attraction to Irakli and his pursuit of artistic excellence.

Yet, “And Then We Danced” is just as apt to fritter this thematic wealth away in the next moment. For each of its transcendent sequences, like its mesmerizing depiction of a group of the country’s famed polyphonic singers, it offers up a poorly-developed character like Merab’s longtime partner and vague girlfriend, who fades away as quickly as she’s introduced, only to resurface with unearned gravitas later on. Nowhere is this frustration more evident than the film’s cinematic high point: as their friends sleep at a countryside birthday retreat, Merab, shirtless in the amber light, dances before Irakli to Robyn’s “Honey” (2018) (an inch-perfect addition to the soundtrack). Gelbakhiani’s delicately-crafted motion bewitches us.

Just as he draws closer, as the scene reaches the moment of greatest potential, we cut away before Irakli can arise, as if the movie has started awake from a dream.

“And Then We Danced” has huge aspirations. With Gelbhakiani deftly guiding us emotionally through a fraught intimation of queer life in a deeply traditional nation, the film, at times, finds something wholly breathtaking. In other places,

though, Akin seems to forget these lofty aims, treading in thin characterization and cliched story beats. In the love affair it depicts, “And Then We Danced” achieves a profound meditation on the paradoxes

of tradition, love and the creative process.

When compared to the scenery surrounding it, however, this searing journey must stand en pointe, teetering without any narrative support.

entire situation was chaotic to say the least, but luckily for the band, the music shone through.

The alt-country sound of its first three albums is apparent, but “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” is a brilliant, experimental product of a multitude of sounds and musical genres. There are shades of psychedelic rock; at times a folk influence is distinguishable, and of course, the peculiar but fascinating radio transmissions that are sprinkled in throughout. Wilco proved that while it represented a throwback to the rock music from decades earlier in some ways, it was also more than capable of forging a new path for itself in the music world.

From the very beginning of the record, lead singer Jeff Tweedy’s impeccable songwriting is on full display with the opening track, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” The first few lines are strange to say the least: “I am an American aquarium drinker / I assassin down the avenue.” What Tweedy exactly means with those lyrics is up for debate, but they are undeniably intriguing. Tweedy continues in the first person and goes on to

explore a faltering relationship with similarly open-ended lyrics, describing what seems to be a drinking problem and his deeply conflicted feelings about his lover. The song is a complicated listen for the audience, as it is transparently sad and dark, yet it also ends with Tweedy singing “I’m the man who loves you” (which happens to be the title of another track on the album). In many ways, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” is an accurate depiction of the nature of relationships on some level: complicated, messy, but filled with love.

Beyond the somber opener there are more upbeat tracks, one of which is “Heavy Metal Drummer.” Telling a story about a young girl who “fell in love with the drummer,” the song’s simple melodic structure is a much-needed change-ofpace for an album filled with sophisticated motifs and musical complexities. The whole experience oozes nostalgia for lost teenage years, with lyrics such as “I miss the innocence I’ve known.”

While there are certainly plenty of other notable tracks that are worth exploring

(“Jesus, Etc.,” “Ashes of American Flags” and “Poor Places” to name a few), any discussion of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” would not be complete without mentioning its last song, “Reservations.” Returning to exploring a relationship, Tweedy sings about how he struggles to make sense of so many aspects of his life, but one thing he knows for sure is his love. The song brings the work full circle, as it examines a relationship in the way that “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” does, but this time in an undoubtedly more optimistic way. The last lyrics that fade away with the track are memorable and heartwarming: “I’ve got reservations / About so many things / But not about you.” So simple but so profound. Hopefully, in a time where we are all quarantining either alone or with friends or family, everyone feels they can say those same words to someone important in their life.

A promotional poster for “And Then We Danced” (2019) is pictured.

VIA IMDB

Peter Lindblom is a sophomore studying international relations. Peter can be reached at peter.lindblom@tufts.edu.

8

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Sunday, April 5, 2020

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‘The Glass Hotel’: An examination of disasters large and small

by Peter Lam

Contributing Writer

APRIL 3 — With the coronavirus moving rapidly around the world, it feels both eerie and well-timed to be reviewing Emily St. John Mandel’s work. Of the author’s past four books, her last was “Station Eleven” (2014), a novel about the devastation of the world following a flu pandemic (Mandel herself has advocated to wait a few months before picking it up). Her most recent work is also relevant, given this country’s current economic outlook: “The Glass Hotel” (2020) shifts gears to a story about financial collapse during the 2008 financial crisis.

Mandel works in the mode of the disaster, examining the collapse of orders which were previously taken for granted. In “Station Eleven,” this was the collapse of society in the wake of mass death in a pandemic; in her latest novel, “The Glass Hotel,” the disasters are on a smaller scale, but are given the same close consideration that they are in her previous works. In “The Glass Hotel,” we follow Vincent, a bartender at a hotel where her half-brother also works.

One night, vandalism appears scrawled on the glass wall of the lobby: Why don’t you swallow broken glass? That same night, Vincent meets the hotel’s owner, Jonathan Alkaitis, and a year later, she is living with him, masquerading as his wife in public. Yet, crimes are taking place in this new world of Manhattan: Alkaitis is an investor at the center of a Ponzi scheme, which includes the savings of both financial giants and his personal family and friends. Mandel builds an intricate story in which she pays close attention to small details that turn out to be important later, all while probing how people react when faced with crises that threaten their existence.

Mandel’s prose is the most impressive part of the novel, showing that she’s equally adept within the fantastical world of “Station Eleven” (2014) as she is in the telling of a financial scandal. It’s not a one-to-one match

— her romanticism that is so prevalent in “Station’s Eleven” is toned down in “The Glass Hotel” — but as always in her writing, she has a way of capturing the truth of her character’s perspectives that feels both original and completely genuine (for example, in one particularly impressive passage, she draws a brilliant connection between a shipping executive and a psychic). She is at her best when she delves into the perspectives of Vincent and Alkaitis especially; there’s a deft awareness in her descriptions of how money changes one’s worldview and security. Vincent becomes a citizen of the “kingdom of money,” and grows to understand the way that the rich can move through society with the confidence that nothing will ever hurt them; this is only exacerbated by her proximity to Alkaitis, who, in spite of the Ponzi scheme he runs, has a certain belief that nothing will go wrong.

Throughout, the novel’s structure pulls the reader in: Mandel plays with time a great deal, unafraid to boldly foreshadow plot details while refusing to give final details until the exact right moment in the text. The result is a book that feels precisely and intentionally woven, as Mandel brings in earlier characters and details at specific moments to advance the plot and build illuminating connections between characters. Yet, as engaging as this is, it also ends up pulling the reader away from the full impact that the story can have. The story is a brilliant meditation on what it means to be faced with a disaster, but the structure’s effect feels less like fitting puzzle pieces together to get a whole picture and more like watching a magic trick take place; the result is impressive, but there’s a lack of emotional resonance that the book needs to fully grip the reader. Mandel’s need to constantly push the plot forward ends up decentering the story a little too much, and as a result at the book’s closure, in spite of seeing each character’s full arc, we aren’t as attached to them as we could be.

The cover of “The Glass Hotel” (2020) by Emily St. John Mandel is pictured.

This is not to say that the novel is unsatisfying or overly contrived; whatever “The Glass Hotel” lacks in resonance, it more than makes up for in its suspense that grips the reader. Especially once the crimes of the novel all start to come crash-

VIA AMAZON

ing down, it becomes clear that Mandel knows how to craft a page-turner that’s difficult to put down. The end result is a novel that takes readers on a wild journey, alternatively thrilling and puzzling — which for me, is almost enough.

tuftsdaily.com

Opinion

9 Sunday, April 5, 2020

EDITORIAL

Tufts must reflect on past and future needs of international students amidst crises APRIL 1 — On the evening of March 10, our student body received an email that outlined the university’s response to the spread of COVID-19. However necessary, this action decimated the normalcy of college life, giving students living on campus only six days to pack their belongings and move out of their homes; with changing travel restrictions and midterms compounding already, this announcement peaked student stress. In an attempt to curb some of this upheaval, the university reassured the community in the email that “students who are unable to return to their permanent residences at this time due to travel restrictions or other significant constraints will be allowed to remain in the dormitories.”

Despite this effort to mitigate anxieties, Tufts did not succeed in doing so, for a series of decisions forced community members, in particular international and exchange students, to deal with unnecessary uncertainty and distress. The aforementioned positive intention of housing was immediately overshadowed by the Office of Residential Life and Learning’s (ORLL) rejecting many requests for extended stay; Tufts received 590 applications for on-campus housing and only 301 of those students were granted a chance to stay on-campus, leaving nearly 49% of students who applied for on-campus housing without a place to live. Unfortunately, these rejections included many international and exchange students, severely limiting their options to purchasing an expensive international flight home amid daily changes to travel restrictions or scrambling to find off-campus housing on their own. Tufts student organizations, such as Tufts Mutual Aid (TMA), as well as the FIRST Center, stepped in to fill the void left by the university and help peers with last-minute housing and travel plans.

Despite the difficult decision to send students home amidst unprecedented circumstances and time restrictions, Tufts should have provided more extensive support to its international and exchange students in the early days of the crisis. As our community moves forward from this

event, Tufts must emphasize the importance of their international populations by ensuring the administration’s proper attention to this valuable community in the future.

Tufts’ handling of the circumstance posed extensive problems for international students. In addition to the pressing time constraints and burdensome expenses that complicated travel arrangements for many students, international students had to take into account international travel restrictions as well as the outbreak status in their home countries. In the university’s email regarding its COVID-19 plans, Tufts announced that all students must desert campus by the afternoon of March 16, unless granted extended stay by the ORLL. While some international students could return home quickly, others faced much hardship as a consequence of the university’s deficits.

Sophomore Lyanna Abdul-Rahman, a student from Singapore, was among the many left scrambling the week of the announcement. She planned to stay on campus over spring break, but she did not receive clear instructions from Tufts’ administration about the new policy until it was too late. After reaching out to three people from TMA, Abdul-Rahman did not receive housing.

“I wish they had given us more time to figure things out,” she said. Luckily, a friend of a friend allowed her to move in; however, the university’s denial led to the need for last-minute stressful arrangements on top of the unavoidable incertitude of the situation.

Exchange students also faced extensive difficulties as a result of the university’s decision to suspend the Global Education program as students in this program were informed that the “exchange student program will close effective March 20, 2020, with the expectation that students would depart the U.S. by that date. However, the cancellation of the exchange program contradicted the university’s earlier public statements, which asserted that the visa status of international students would remain unaffected by the transition to online learning. After the release of the

university’s March 10 email, Carlos Aroca Fernandez, an exchange student who lived in the Spanish house, was denied a housing extension from the ORLL, leading to his quick arrangement to move off-campus only to then receive the email announcing the cancellation of the Global Education program. Further, as Aroca Fernadez experienced first-hand, the delayed communication from the Tufts administration only exacerbated the already persistent stress of exchange students in this time.

Thus, the Tufts administration should have taken greater measures to ensure the security of its international students and must maintain the safety of these students in the future. In order to allow a longer, more stable adjustment period, Tufts should have given students at least a week and a half to move out and mandated midterm rescheduling. While many professors canceled class and pushed back exams on their own accord, some professors still expected distressed students to complete midterms and coursework on top of arranging travel accommodations and moving out. While this adjustment would have helped all students, international students would have especially benefited considering the extreme nature of moving out, shipping items and traveling back to far-away homes. Abdul-Rahman echoed this concern.

“If they had given us a week to figure things out, I think most people living around the area would have gone home early, and then the people who are still behind would have had time to figure out what they were doing,” AbdulRahman said.

Beyond exacerbating these unfortunate move-out and academic situations, the compounded anxieties caused by the housing crisis proved unnecessary, for Tufts has over 25 residence halls, leaving more than enough room for students in need. Although we commend President Monaco’s dormitory to patient-housing reconfiguration, this effort is compatible with fully addressing student needs given this ample dormitory space. When deciding who to grant on-campus hous-

ing to throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the ORLL should have, and should in the future, consider international students in conjunction with the needs of our Massachusetts and global communities — and if the university was truly unable to house international students, they should have immediately connected them to resources or students looking to sublet their off-campus housing.

The university should have addressed the similarly unanticipated impacts on exchange students as well, for students’ visas were canceled as a result of the move to distance learning. Because of the exchange program’s discontinuation, students were left with no choice but to return to their respective countries on very short notice, regardless of their countries’ safety status.

We acknowledge the sudden nature of this crisis that affected both the administration and students. However, this situation must serve as a wake-up call for the university to implement improved strategic procedures to ensure that its international student populations are not affected so adversely again. Further, Tufts should set, and release, a statement on their policies regarding dorm stay extensions, specifying that international community members in pressing situations can remain on-campus.

In order to ensure this effort’s success, the university should also compile a list of those willing to offer emergency off-campus housing. A committee and fund could help organize this necessary action that, although especially imperative in this time, would prove helpful for emergency international situations both on a community and individual basis in the future. On a wider scale, implementing a secondary public procedure that specifies the scale of crises warranting midterm rescheduling would hold professors accountable to changing midterm dates if faced with a community-wide or individual crisis like that caused by COVID-19. In this form, the university expresses its commitment to all students regardless of where they reside across our globe.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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10

THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Sunday, April 5, 2020

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OP-ED

Tufts can do better than virtual commencement HANNAH KAHN MARCH 30 — We knew that our in-person graduation was not going to happen on May 17 as planned. I, along with the fellow members of the Class of 2020, have known that pretty much since the university informed us that classes would be held online for the remainder of the semester. Without realizing, we attended our last seminars, played our last games, went to our last rehearsals and club meetings, ate our last Kosher Deli chicken salad sandwiches and drank our last Medford Fogs. We’ve already had to process that college as we knew it was over.

But of course, it makes sense. Graduation should not take place in May. We cannot plan for families and friends to fly in from around the world in less than two months, to congregate hundreds of people on our campus. It wouldn’t be safe, and it’s not the priority right now. It’s not clear how the coronavirus pandemic will play out, but it is almost certainly going to get worse here in America. The last thing Tufts should do is put students and their loved ones in danger.

But a virtual commencement, with no plans of postponing the real one? Tufts can do better.

Commencement, yes, has a logistical purpose. It’s about getting you the diploma, the precious piece of paper that means your time here is done, you satisfied the requirements, you Did The Thing.

This procedural aspect of commencement can be satisfied online. Fine.

But graduation is also a milestone, a moment in time that allows us to demarcate college from whatever might come

Riya Matta Shades of Gray

Joking ethically

APRIL 3 — I am a wholehearted believer in absurd, even morbid humor. As someone who’s experienced a fair amount of tragedy and death, I know as well as anyone that humor is perhaps the best antidepressant available to us, especially as college students — it is certainly far cheaper and more accessible than actual therapy — and is undeniably a powerful coping mechanism when done right.

In today’s internet culture, however, with the prevalence of social media platforms for jokes and memes — dedicated Facebook groups, Instagram pages and TikToks — “done right” has become extremely subjective and the line between humorous and offensive is one with which

Matt Rice Primary Colors

The staying power of Bernie Sanders MARCH 31 — Once again, Bernie Sanders will not be the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States.

As of today, Sanders has won 914 pledged delegates, while former Vice President Joe Biden has won 1,217 of the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

The last major primary Sanders won was California on March 3. He has lost Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Michigan, Mississippi, Washington, Florida and Illinois to Biden. By any rational or mathematical standard, Biden will walk

next. It carries emotional importance for the individual and the family. No matter how heartily we sing our alma mater on Zoom, or how gorgeous our virtual diplomas are, this sentimental significance cannot be conveyed through a screen. It can only occur when we come together.

In their email to the Tufts community on Thursday, March 26, administrators made no mention of plans for an in-person celebration. The described attempt to “design a unique and participatory virtual experience that will capture the spirit, positivity and fun of a traditional commencement ceremony” is completely unrealistic. I think we can all agree that a giant FaceTime cannot approximate an in-person graduation. This totally undermines the emotional role this ceremony serves for students and families.

Our generation is frequently criticized — and rightfully so — for spending too much time on screens. We are often met with pleas to be present and to connect with each other offline. Now, we are saying you were right — and if we are asking you for the chance to come together in-person, you should listen.

Tufts should follow the lead of the several other colleges that have promised their students an in-person celebration, with the date to be determined. Harvard University president Lawrence Bacow emailed students on Friday, March 20, that they will hold a virtual ceremony “to award degrees so that everyone will graduate as expected.” However, Bacow admitted that “no virtual gathering can possibly match the splendor of our usual festivities,” then committed to “host an in-person celebration sometime later,

once we know it is safe to bring people together again.” He continued, “By then, we will be eager not just to celebrate our graduating students, but also to recognize and acknowledge the sacrifices that so many have made to ensure the well-being of our community.” Tufts, which tries to emulate Harvard on many other fronts, should start with this message.

If nothing else, Tufts should consider that cancelling our graduation is not in its best interest as an institution. The Tufts Class of 2020 is ablaze on social media, sharing its frustration along with a petition that has amassed over 4,000 signatures in less than two days. We are reaching out to alumni, asking them to remember their graduation and the senior spring leading up to it. There is a whole class of students leaving Tufts on a sour note, whose opinions matter to former students and potential donors, and who could be donors ourselves.

Additionally, prospective students choosing between Tufts and other similarly selective universities may see this commencement decision as a bad look for our university. Schools like Brown University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Duke University and others have all chosen to postpone. Others like Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have gone with a virtual ceremony and a tentative on-campus celebration down the road.

Most NESCAC schools are still making their decision on commencement, but of the ones that have, Tufts is alone in cancelling graduation without mention of a future in-person event. This may garner bad press for the university. If Tufts wants to protect

its own image, it should take cues from their peer institutions and postpone.

Let me be clear: We know there are much bigger issues right now than whether or not to postpone graduation. But as students experiencing a transitional period that was scary enough without a global pandemic, we’re looking for normalcy where we can get it and something communal to look forward to down the road.

Every time I’ve called my grandparents over the past year, they sign off with some version of, “And we can’t wait for your graduation!” For my grandpa, who is 92, having family gatherings like this on the calendar keeps him going. That’s to say, this decision affects more than just Tufts students; it’s a big deal for families, too. It’s heartbreaking for students and families who have never lost sight of how big a deal it is to graduate from a school like Tufts, particularly first generation students and other students who’ve overcome a lot to get here. They deserve to wear a cap and gown, to walk across the stage, to come together with their friends and family for a moment that they’ll look back on for the rest of their lives.

We understand that an in-person ceremony may not happen soon, and that’s okay. We are willing to wait. The reason we are so angry is because Tufts, and the people we’ve met here, mean the world to us. We should at least get to say a proper goodbye.

Disclaimer: Hannah Kahn is a former executive opinion editor and executive audio editor at the Daily.

social media users play a constant game of jump-rope. And while the question of what is and is not okay to joke or meme about is certainly an ever-present one, the spread of the coronavirus has given rise to an onslaught of jokes and memes that are seemingly spreading as fast as the virus itself.

Like most of my peers, I have taken great comfort in laughing at these jokes, even feeling relieved at times to see my experience and feelings expressed in meme form and validated by others experiencing the same thing as me. In a time where social-distancing and self-isolation have given way to boredom, frustration and loneliness, these memes and jokes allow me and my peers an invaluable sense of companionship. Memes and jokes, such as some that can be found on Tufts Memes for Quirky Queens ( TMQQ), criticize

the Tufts administration’s lacking response and treatment of students, mock of Zoom lectures and make light of the challenges that uniquely affect Tufts or college students during this difficult time. But since not every corner of the internet resembles TMQQ, a platform where offensive content is moderated and all posts are subject to accountability by your peers, there are also a number of deeply offensive, xenophobic, racist and tone-deaf jokes that come at the expense of others — specifically towards the Asian community right now. They undercut and disregard the severity of the situation and can have dire consequences for those affected.

As the number of coronavirus cases has risen, so has the amount of hate against members of the Asian community; the anti-Chinese sentiment grows, conceivably borne from the false belief that Asians carry and

spread the virus. Jokes along the lines of “my ____ is cancelled because someone in China decided to eat a bat” perpetuate this stereotype and fear of Asian-Americans — a stereotype that can have sometimes severe consequences.

As proven by TMQQ, many jokes and memes related to the coronavirus do, in fact, demonstrate how, whether mundane, self-deprecating or just absurd, comedy, in all its forms, builds communities around laughter.

And through a combination of tact, respect and empathy, there are plenty of ways to create funny, relatable and relevant content without making heartless jabs at widespread suffering and laughing at the expense of a vulnerable population.

away with the nomination, most likely by a larger margin than Hillary Clinton did over Sanders in 2016 considering Clinton had a smaller lead over Sanders at this time four years ago than Biden does today.

But to all the progressives in the party, this is not a cause for despair. Bernie Sanders is a generation-defining candidate like Bill Clinton in the 1990s or Gene McCarthy in the 1960s. Obviously, I’m biased because I voted for Sanders in the Massachusetts primary earlier this month, but this is a political opinion piece so I can be as biased as I want.

Despite whatever qualms you may have with his policies, his campaign staff, the “Bernie Bros” or Sanders himself, he has changed the Democratic Party for the better. Every few election cycles, one candidate has the opportunity to lead the Democrats in a new direction whether that be to the left, the

center or to the right. McGovern ran on ending the war in Vietnam and instituting a universal basic income in 1972, moving the party significantly to the left for a time. Carter brought the party to the center in 1976, holding beliefs on deficit reduction and religious faith.

The party arguably swung to the right in 1992 when Bill Clinton highlighted his tough-on-crime record.

For better, Bernie fits the mold of a generation-defining candidate, moving the party to the left on healthcare, foreign policy, labor and education.

Though it is not wholly evident yet, Sanders has inspired my generation more than any other candidate, and my generation’s first president will most likely have a policy platform akin to Sanders’ than that of Barack Obama.

Sanders’ policy platform has been adopted by notably younger figures in

the party, including Alexandria OcasioCortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and on one issue, Joe Biden himself.

This election is unlike any other.

With Donald Trump in the White House, primary contests being postponed and a pandemic sinking global markets, there is not a single political commentator from the New York Times to the Tufts Daily who can definitively say they know what is going to happen. The only thing that can be said for certain is that Senator Bernie Sanders — the septuagenarian Jewish democratic socialist from Vermont — has changed the Democratic Party for good — and in my opinion, for the better.

Hannah Kahn is a senior studying English.

Hannah can be reached at hannah. kahn@tufts.edu.

Riya Matta is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Riya can be reached at riya.matta@tufts.edu.

Matt Rice is a junior studying political science. Matt can be reached at matthew. rice@tufts.edu.

Sunday, April 5, 2020 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Alex Sharp Game Day

Remembering a classic APRIL 3 — With temperatures increasing, the grass slowly becoming greener and the sun staying up later, spring is officially upon us.

There’s only one thing missing: baseball.

Last Thursday should’ve been opening day.

I celebrated by sitting in a rocking chair on my front porch reminiscing about little league with a bag of sunflower seeds in one hand and a glove and ball in the other. It’s been tough without sports these past few weeks, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that all the sports channels have been re-airing classic games, reminding us why we love sports so much.

In honor of baseball season, it’s time to throw it back to Game Six of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Saint Louis Cardinals.

With the Rangers leading the series three games to two, the Cardinals were on the brink of elimination. The game was held on

a cloudy 50 degree October night in front of an electric capacity crowd at Saint Louis’ Busch stadium.

The Rangers led 7–4 going into the bottom of the ninth inning and called upon their hard-throwing closer Neftali Feliz to face the heart of the Cardinals’ loaded lineup. Feliz began the inning with a strikeout of second baseman Ryan Theriot on a high 98 mph fastball.

Albert Pujols, who had hit .299 with 37 home runs in the regular season, came to the plate. Pujols had been held hitless by the Rangers since a monster five-hit three-homer performance in Game Three. Feliz delivered a first-pitch fastball low in the zone and Pujols turned on it, lining the ball into the gap in left center field for a stand-up double.

Cardinals cleanup man Lance Berkman came to the plate as the tying run and drew a four-pitch walk. After falling behind 2–0 to Allen Craig, Feliz rallied and struck him out looking on a nasty breaking ball.

With the Rangers one out away from their first World Series championship David Freese stepped into the batters box. It was his first career at-bat against the Rangers’ closer.

Moments later the count was one ball two

strikes and the Rangers were one strike away from the World Series trophy. Feliz delivered a fastball and Freese drilled it to right field. The ball snuck over the glove of Nelson Cruz and caromed off the wall. As Cruz chased after it, Pujols and Berkman crossed the plate, tying the game at seven. Feliz got Yadier Molina to fly to right and the game went into extras.

In the top of the 10th inning, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus singled to center off Cardinals reliever Jason Motte. Rangers star and reigning American League MVP Josh Hamilton dug in — and as Joe Buck noted on the broadcast “remember Hamilton has not gone deep yet in the postseason.” On the first pitch Hamilton ripped a homer to right field to give the Rangers a 9–7 lead. The Cardinals retired the rest of the Rangers without allowing any further damage.

The Cardinals began the bottom of the 10th with consecutive singles from Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso before pitcher Kyle Lohse advanced them to second and third with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Theriot grounded out to third, scoring Descalso to make the score 9–8, while once again putting the Rangers an out away from the World Series championship.

Alex Sharp is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Alex can be reached at alex.sharp@tufts.edu.

name is one to watch heading into the 2020 season.

“Tyler’s just been a guy that’s consistently done the right thing every single day he’s come into the building,” Waldron said. “He’s been that guy who’s been working hard, a key contributor every down that he’s been in there.”

Waldron’s work as quarterbacks coach this past season also had him working closely with none other than Los Angeles franchise star quarterback Jared Goff. “[Goff] has been able to come in with that level head every single week, and not get too

high, not get too low and be that steady influence on our offense,” Waldron said.

The idea of collaborating with and relating to countless people from all different backgrounds rings true from the regular season through the offseason, and at the center of it all is Waldron’s genuine passion for football, cultivated at none other than Ellis Oval. That passion has been harnessed by Waldron’s genuine approach to his players and the game, and Los Angeles is a better football team for it.

Tufts alum reflects on NFL career WALDRON

continued from page 13 body has been a really helpful thing along my journey as a coach,” Waldron said.

Vision and communication are huge in the NFL, Waldron said. Something as seemingly trivial as communication can make all the difference in the NFL world, as evidenced by the success of Los Angeles in contrast to the more chaotic organizations like Jacksonville or Cleveland.

“I’ve been lucky to be with a lot of great franchises, and the common theme there

is just everyone being on the same page and everyone having a clear understanding of what their role is within the team,” Waldron said.

Waldron’s position within the organization has allowed him to work with some special players. His work as a tight ends coach in the 2017 season had him directly coaching recent breakout and fantasy football darling Tyler Higbee.

Higbee’s success in the 2019 stat sheets is evidence aplenty for his work ethic under the Rams coaching staff, and his

11

The Rangers elected to intentionally walk Pujols, putting runners on first and second and bringing Berkman to the plate. Three pitches later the count was one ball and two strikes, and the Rangers were again just a strike away. Berkman laid off an inside fastball and whacked the next pitch into center field to score Jay, making the score 9–9.

After the Rangers failed to score off Cardinals reliever Jake Westrbook in the top of the 11th, Freese led off the bottom half of the inning. After working a full count against Rangers pitcher Mark Lowe, Freese crushed a fastball over the center field fence.

Joe Buck yelled “we will see you tomorrow,” and Busch Stadium went bananas.

Twice the Cardinals were down to their final out and twice they were down to their final strike. And they won.

“The way we’ve been playing lately you expect to come back like this. This is a good feeling and I’m pumped we’re playing tomorrow,” Freese said after the game.

And in Game Seven, the Cardinals defeated the Rangers 6–2 to win the World Series.

12

THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, April 5, 2020

tuftsdaily.com

‘Coronanomics’ and basketball

by Arnav Sacheti Staff Writer

APRIL 3 — Congratulations! You are now three weeks into the unprecedented no sports era, and are still alive and thriving. At least that’s what we hope. For the average sports consumer like you and I, the coronavirus has rocked the athletically oriented side of us into a frenzy. We suddenly have no idea what to do with our time, but we can still take solace in watching highlights, game reruns and even online versions of the games, like the Phoenix Suns of the NBA are doing, all while maintaining optimism for play to resume.

For the supply side of the industry, however, which involves the players, teams, leagues and TV broadcasters, among others, the future seems less certain, and the present is dire. Even as the pandemic was gaining steam, many American sports leagues waited to shut down or postpone seasons. They instead tried to find ways to play games without fans so that the maximum amount of revenue could still be generated while ensuring optimal safety.

However, after NBA player Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus on March 11, the NBA suspended its season. This act was followed in domino-like succession by all major American sports leagues in a matter of 48 hours.

Despite being a frontrunner in this matter, the NBA will be on the same footing as

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

Examining Tuukka Rask’s hazy future MARCH 30 — The bad news continues to pile up for Boston sports fans.

First reported by the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, Tuukka Rask has hinted at a retirement following the termination of his current contract, which ends after the 2020–21 season.

When asked about his future workload, Rask said: “I have one year left in the contract, so we’ll see if I even play.”

Rask’s statement about his NHL future is unclear, as he doesn’t clarify whether or not he will return. Some sports fans, ones I like to call Rask critics, rejoiced at

Henry Gorelik Off the Gridiron

The sneaky winners of NFL free agency APRIL 3 — While the headlines of free agency were stolen by Tom Brady signing with the Buccaneers, the Cardinals robbing the Texans by landing DeAndre Hopkins, the Eagles rescuing Darius Slay from the Lions and the Dolphins making Byron Jones the league’s highest paid corner, several teams made quieter moves that will pay serious dividends during the season.

Las Vegas Raiders After going 7–9 last season, the Raiders are starting to show some life in the second year of the Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock regime. They got great contributions from rookies Josh Jacobs, Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby, showing that they have a developing young core as they relocate to Las Vegas. Mayock, the general manager, decided to add some pieces to this young

other leagues in terms of financial impact.

Teams in the league have around 20 games left in their regular seasons, plus the playoffs, and are drawing out hope to be able to finish their seasons at some point. If they are not able to finish without fans, the league would lose about $350 to $450 million in ticket revenues, not including the playoffs, according to data accumulated by sports economist Rodney Fort.

In addition, digital broadcasting poses a larger issue. Far more fans watch games on TV and through other streaming services than they do live, and for this reason, the NBA gets a huge chunk of its yearly revenue of $8 billion from broadcasting. In theory, a lot of this revenue is guaranteed through unbreakable contracts with broadcasting companies such as ESPN, ABC and TNT. However, in the event of an “act of God” such as this pandemic, the broadcasting companies do have a right to abstain from paying all or part of these funds under what is legally known as “force majeure.” Millions of dollars could potentially be lost from these billion-dollar deals.

All of this potentially lost money not only affects the league, but also the people to whom the money trickles down to.

Players stand to make less money in future seasons if the league has to reduce yearly salary cap increases. In addition, if the season is unable to be finished or the games are played without fans, the NBA’s collec-

tive bargaining agreement stipulates that “players lose about 1.08 percent of their salary for every game missed in the event of catastrophic circumstances, including epidemics,” according to FivethirtyEight editor Neil Paine.

Although 1.08% may seem like a small number, especially in terms of the millions of dollars that players already make in salaries, there is still a growing worry among players regarding managing their finances.

Carmelo Anthony, an NBA veteran who experienced the financial impacts of the 2011 NBA lockout, which caused players to lose an average of $220 million from their salaries, addressed the potential financial impacts of the coronavirus.

“It forces us as athletes to educate ourselves on financial literacy, what it means to save money, what it means to start portfolios. This is that time because this just happened. Nobody knew this was going to happen,” Anthony said on Portland Trail Blazers teammate C.J. McCollum’s podcast, Pull Up with C.J. McCollum (2018–).

Unlike the 2011 NBA lockout, which players generally knew about well in advance, this shutdown came abruptly, so players didn’t necessarily have time to plan. Far more than the players, however, this fact strongly affects the many teams and arena employees, as well as the many businesses that are indirectly involved in

the running of the game, including transportation and parking.

Collectively, these employees and businesses involved in a game’s supply chain stand to lose tens of millions of dollars, contributing to growing unemployment numbers. Possibly on a more striking note, especially in this public health crisis, is that while working, many of these employees are guaranteed health insurance with their labor unions, and now even that is uncertain.

In spite of the myriad of economic woes that face the NBA and all sports, there are a few silver linings that I hope we can take away from this situation. First, this crisis has caused the sports community to come together, shedding away our differences in the face of a larger foe. Players such as Giannis Antentokounmpo, Zion Williamson and Kevin Love have all given money to help arena workers and team employees.

In addition, with a larger reliance on technology, maybe we will see innovations in the way sports are presented. Some of these possibilities could include a heavier league reliance on NBA 2K and potentially even virtual reality products. This could create more jobs and increase potential revenue streams for sports, causing more money to be made than ever.

Finally, when sports do come back, and they definitely will, they will come back with a vengeance, and nobody will take them for granted any longer.

this news. Ever since the 2011 championship season, Bostonians have pointed their fingers at Rask each time the Bruins fail to bring the Stanley Cup back to Beantown.

Although some playoff losses were partly due to Rask’s playoff nerves, he certainly wasn’t to blame for the latest choke job last season. During the 2019 playoffs, Rask ranked fourth in save percentage (.934) and third in goals against average (2.02) among qualifying goaltenders. It’s worth noting that both statistics were higher than Jordan Bennington of the Blues, who shut down the Bruins during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Additionally, Rask was having a Vezina Trophy caliber year this season before it was suspended, ranking second in save percentage (.929) and first in goals against average (2.12). In short, Rask is a near-elite goaltender who has been the backbone for the Bruins for a handful of years and his departure

would leave a gaping hole in the Bruins roster. However, the Bruins have a couple of options with how to handle this situation.

Sign Rask to a one-year “prove-it” deal: Following the 2020–21 season, the Bruins will have a couple of players that are due to hit the market, with David Krejci and Ondrej Kase as the most notable. In total, the Bruins will have five free agents during the summer of 2021, giving the front office some wiggle room in the salary cap. Additionally, Bruins stalwart Patrice Bergeron will have one more year left on his contract — he becomes a free agent after the 2021–22 season. If the Bruins want to gear up for one more cup run with their core, it’s best if they sign Rask to a one-year contract with a salary that benefits both sides.

Dip into the farm system: The Bruins currently have four goaltenders in their farm system that are willing to rise to the starting goaltender posi-

tion: Daniel Vladar, Maxime Lagace, Kyle Keyser and Jeremy Swayman. Scouts and analysts are giving praise to the Bruins’ goaltender prospect depth and the Bruins coaching staff are comfortable with any of the four between the pipes. Currently, 6′ 5″ Daniel Vladar seems slated for the starting role after posting absurd numbers in the AHL with a 1.79 GAA and a .936 save percentage.

The Bruins have two solid options following the 2020–21 season. Ideally, the front office would hope to see Rask for a couple more years as the Bruins’ all-star core hopes to bring more championship seasons to Causeway Street.

And for the Rask critics who can’t wait to see him retire, read the statistics.

Rask is an elite goaltender and has left a strong legacy in Boston, even without a Stanley Cup.

core by focusing on the middle and back end of his defense during free agency.

By adding strong safety Jeff Heath and cornerback Eli Apple, the Raiders have added some legitimate talent to their secondary. The additions of linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski will be even more important for the Raiders. Coming from the Los Angeles Rams, Littleton’s provides excellent pass coverage in either man or zone. With the Raiders, Kwiatkoski gets his chance to the heart and soul of this defense after being blocked by Danny Trevathan in Chicago. Through these defensive upgrades, the Raiders are beginning to enter the playoff conversation.

Denver Broncos Joe Flacco’s demise and Drew Lock’s strong end to the season signal the end of Denver Broncos’ general manager John Elway’s patterned pursuit for a tall quarterback.

Elway traded a fourth-round draft pick for Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye, who will join safety Justin Simmons to give the Broncos a very talented secondary.

Elway also traded a late round draft pick for Titans’ defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, who will look to be disruptive on defense alongside Bradley Chubb and Von Miller.

The Broncos also added center Graham Glasnow from the Lions, who will be important in creating a cohesive offensive line that can keep Drew Lock upright.

The upgrade to the offensive line will also support another Denver signing, former Chargers’ running back Melvin Gordon. The Broncos benefitted from Gordon’s botched contract holdout and were able to sign him to a relatively cheap contract despite him being just one season removed from an incredible season. Pairing Gordon with current running back Phillip Lindsay gives Denver a dangerous lightning and thunder combination in the backfield. With these additions, don’t be too surprised if Denver rides its defense and an ascending Lock into a wild-card spot.

Los Angeles Chargers Despite deciding to part ways with Phillip Rivers, the Los Angeles Chargers addressed the weaknesses within their squad. They were able to poach standout corner Chris Harris from the division rival Broncos, adding him to a secondary that already includes safety Derwin James and corner Casey Hayward.

They also added veteran defensive tackle Linval Joseph to slow down opponents’ running backs and provide support

for star pass-rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. With a lockdown secondary and a disruptive front, the Chargers appear to be just a linebacker away from having one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Chargers also addressed their porous offensive line by flipping Russell Okung for the more talented Trai Turner and signing Green Bay’s longtime right tackle Brian Bulaga. In Turner, the Chargers are acquiring a younger and more dynamic offensive lineman while Bulaga, despite his injury history, brings experience and leadership to the unit. Currently, these investments in the offensive linew are going to be protecting quarterback Tyrod Taylor. But I think the commitment to the offensive line could indicate the Chargers’ intentions of drafting a quarterback, whether that is Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert.

Either way, the subtle upgrades made by the Raiders, Broncos and Chargers make the AFC West, which already has the defending Super Bowl Champions, one of the most competitive divisions in football.

Matt Goguen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.

Henry Gorelik is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Henry can be reached at henry.gorelik@tufts.edu.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Sports

13 tuftsdaily.com

From Jumbo to Ram: Waldron takes experience from Tufts to NFL

by Aiden Herrod Sports Editor

APRIL 2 — When the stadium lights shut off and the players hang up their cleats for the offseason, there are still plenty of coaches and executives working tirelessly to deliver the fine-tuned product that is the NFL. For one team, the Los Angeles Rams, a key contributor to the year-round grind is none other than Tufts University alum Shane Waldron (A’02).

Waldron is the passing game coordinator for the Rams, working closely with esteemed head coach Sean McVay and other offensive minds on the staff to put together what is widely regarded as one of the strongest offenses in football.

All of that got started in Waldron’s college days, playing football for the Jumbos as a tight end and long snapper under coach Bill Samko, who stepped down in 2010.

“I enjoyed all the friendships and bonds I formed there,” Waldron said about Tufts.

“Coach Samko was a great mentor to me, and I still stay in touch with him to this day.”

After graduating, Waldron knew he wanted to continue to be around football, but he was not sure if that would be as a coach or in a front office position. He anchored his efforts with a genuine passion for the game of football.

“Once you finish up [college], it’s like anything else, you’re fishing with a net,” Waldron said. “You’re trying to reach out

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Los Angeles Rams logo is pictured. to as many people as you can, you’re trying to apply to every job you can. And once you’re there, it’s all about doing the best you can at the job you’re in.”

Waldron was able to land an opportunity with the New England Patriots, where he worked in various capacities as an intern and assistant. It was there that he decided what his calling was.

“After my initial experience with New England, I knew I wanted to be a coach,” he said.

That turned into a long and fruitful journey through multiple organizations at the high school and collegiate levels, as well as a stint back with the Patriots, before Waldron landed with the Washington Redskins as an offensive quality control coach in 2016. It was there where Waldron worked on the staff of a certain little-known coach named Sean McVay, then the offensive coordinator

of the Redskins. When McVay was hired in Los Angeles in 2017, Waldron went with him.

By this point, Waldron had the position of an NFL assistant coach, a position that carries one of the highest honors and heaviest workloads in the sport of football. But Waldron has always been up for the challenge.

“People always ask me, what do you do in the offseason?” Waldron said. “But it’s a full time job. You go from coaching during the season, then a transition into where we’re at now, where you’re evaluating the college players.”

While players and fans may bask in some lengthy bouts of downtime, Waldron is in the office day in and day out. The NFL represents a unique coaching challenge in its immense turnover. This contributes to the yearlong grind that coaches face, studying countless teams and matchups while also fine-tuning a 53-man roster.

Unless they won the Super Bowl, every team is gripped by what it could have done better.

“It’s still that desire to improve and that desire to figure out what we can do better,” Waldron said. “How can we help our team to win that one more game?”

For all the trials and tribulations that come with coaching in the NFL, Waldron holds the rewarding parts of the job above all else.

“As a coach, one of the most exciting parts of the year is watching the guys grow together and really turn into a team,” Waldron said. “It’s a full time gig, and it’s a lot of fun doing it.”

Ever since that fateful 2017 season when Waldron and McVay went to Los Angeles, the Rams have been one of the top teams in the NFL, especially in terms of offensive coaching and firepower. Waldron has been an instrumental part of that success, working as both the tight ends coach and the quarterbacks coach in past seasons, as well as his current position of pass game coordinator.

Waldron tracks a lot of his success and love for coaching back to the skills he learned at Tufts.

“Being at Tufts, just that ability to develop relationships and friendships with people from all different walks of life … When you get into the coaching profession, that ability to communicate and relate to everysee WALDRON, page 11

Dezotell hired as men’s soccer coach

by Jake Freudberg

Executive Sports Editor

MARCH 30 — The men’s soccer team has a new coach at the helm, as Kyle Dezotell was recently hired as the head coach of one of the country’s top Div. III teams and the reigning national champions.

Dezotell comes to Tufts with 16 years of experience as a head coach at the Div. III level, with stints at Johnson State College (2004–05), Norwich University (2006–15), Manhattanville College (2016) and, most recently, Ithaca College (2017–19).

At Ithaca, Dezotell led the Bombers to their best season in program history in 2018, with a 14–2–2 record that brought the team to the Liberty League championship. In the 2019 season, his team finished ranked No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches Div. III rankings and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, defeating Keene State College in the first round before losing to eventual runner-up Amherst.

“Kyle’s experience, track record of success and reputation within the coaching community really stood out, but in the end, it was his vision for our men’s soccer program, his commitment to academic achievement, mentoring and developing student-athletes, and his alignment with our core values that made Kyle the obvious choice for us,” Director of Athletics John Morris said in an Athletics Department press release.

Dezotell — who played at Middlebury, where he still holds the record for most career goals scored — inherits one of the top programs in all of Div. III. Under the leadership of coach Josh Shapiro, who was hired in January

by Div. I Harvard University, Tufts won four NCAA national championships in the span of six years, including in the past two seasons.

The Jumbos also won two NESCAC championships in 2017 and 2019.

The Jumbos’ recent dominance attracted him to the open position, Dezotell explained, and he looks forward to taking on the challenge of continuing that success.

Junior forward Mati Cano crosses the ball into the box during Tufts 4-0 win over Colby on Sept. 21, 2019.

“What the program has done and what coach Shapiro was able to do was mildly absurd, but that’s certainly the goal,” Dezotell said. “I fully expect and intend to have the program in a position to compete for NESCAC championships and NCAA championships for every year now forward just like the last six or seven.”

The Vermont native also pointed to other factors aside from the program’s success that drew him to Tufts: his appreciation of the NESCAC as well as the opportunity to move his family back to New England.

“To do all that and also become the head coach of the number one soccer program in the country was kind of a no-brainer,” Dezotell said.

His first weeks as a Jumbo have certainly been what Dezotell could best describe as “interesting,” with the current global coronavirus pandemic closing college campuses across the U.S., including Tufts. His hire was announced by the Athletics Department just two days after University President Anthony Monaco announced in a March 10 email that classes were moving online and residence halls were closing.

Dezotell emphasized that everyone is dealing with their own unique challenges because of the pandemic. Because of the situation, Dezotell has not had the opportunity to meet with the team in person, but like so many other people, he has been in touch through Zoom, a web-conferencing tool.

EVAN SLACK / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

“When you’re going through the interview process and such, you don’t envision your first team meeting being online, but that’s how we did it,” Dezotell said.

So far, Dezotell has mainly focused on getting to know the team and supporting them through this unprecedented time. Soccer can take a back seat for now, he said.

“I’m just really trying to connect with the guys in a lot of ways,” Dezotell said. “I’m just trying to immediately give them that support.”

And when life eventually returns to normal, Dezotell is ready.

“To become the head coach of the best team in the country is an honor,” Dezotell said. “It’s something I really look forward to and I’m eager.”