December 1, 2017 by The Tufts Daily

Students observe impact of music on LGBTQ visibility in Middle East see WEEKENDER / PAGE 5

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

‘Private eyes: They’re watching you’

Students propose increased accessibility at Asian American Center see FEATURES / PAGE 6

SEE INVESTIGATIVE / PAGE 3

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VOLUME LXXIV, ISSUE 56

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Friday, December 1, 2017

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Students propose increased accessibility at Asian American Center by Anar Kansara News Editor

Tufts students and community members are advocating for a more accessible Asian American Center in Start House, by relocating Asian American identity-based housing from the house so that the Center’s office is no longer located in a residential building. The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Nov. 19 calling for this change. The resolution was written by Asian American Center intern Ana Sofia Amieva-Wang, Asian American Community Senator Charlie Zhen, Diversity and Community Affairs Officer Shannon Lee and TCU Historian Jacqueline Chen. Challenges in current space The Asian American Center was created in 1983 “after an incident of blatant intentional racism due to pressure from the Asian American community and its allies,” the resolution stated. According to the resolution, the only space officially designated for the Asian American

Center is the office of Asian American Center Director Linell Yugawa. The office is located inside the Start House, which is the school’s Asian American identity-based house. The front door of the house is locked at all times due to its status as a residential space, and only residents and interns have card access, according to Amieva-Wang, a junior. Interns are present at the house during all Center hours to open the door for other students, she added. In an op-ed published on Nov. 20, Center intern Thao Ho wrote about how the inaccessibility of the space alienates students. Additionally, in a Nov. 13 op-ed, Start House resident Katy Lee mentioned that the shared space of the Center and the residence also pose problems of invasion of privacy. “The colocation of the Center and the House does not provide a good living space for the residents, either,” she wrote. “My housemates and I had our belongings stolen from our rooms when the common areas were being used for meetings.” The lack of control over the space also makes planning events difficult. For example, interns are not allowed to move furni-

ture because it is property of the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife), Amieva-Wang said. According to Zhen, a junior, students have voiced concerns about the inaccessibility of the Asian American Center for quite a while. This past spring, Zhen released a survey asking about student opinions regarding the house, the locked door, and how they envisioned the space. In the survey, the vast majority of respondents said that an unlocked door would make them “significantly more inclined” or “slightly more inclined” to visit the Center, according to Zhen. A focus group he conducted also highlighted issues brought up by students, including how the Center did not fulfill the needs of the community, he said. Asian American Center Staff Assistant Fatima Blanca Munoz agreed that the locked door can make students who visit the Center uncomfortable. “[Students] basically have to ring the doorbell and announce why they’re there and what they’re doing there,” she said. “It’s a residential building, so it doesn’t feel as welcoming.” Amieva-Wang mentioned, that during a standard three-hour shift, frequently no

SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Charlie Zhen, one of the authors of the resolution urging Tufts to relocate Asian-American identity-based housing from the Asian American Center to make the center more accessible to the community as a whole, is pictured here on Nov. 20. one came into the Center. In fact, before she started working at the Center, she had not considered it a space in which she could seek community. After spending time there as an intern, however, her sentiment has changed. see ASIAN AMERICAN CENTER, page 2

Lesley Sachs discusses the battle for women’s rights at the Western Wall

Office of Sustainability publishes FY2016 Sustainability Report

Staff Writer

by Charlie Driver

Lesley Sachs, executive director of Women of the Wall, an organization that advocates and organizes for the rights of women to pray freely at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, spoke about her organization and its movement at the Interfaith Center Wednesday night. The event was hosted by the Tufts Students for Two States coalition. The coalition is led by Tufts Hillel, also includes Tufts Friends of Israel and J Street U Tufts, and is part of the Visions of Peace initiative. Junior Sophia Lloyd-Thomas, co-president of Friends of Israel, introduced Sachs, who has served as the director of Women of the Wall since 2008. Previously, she worked at the Israel Women’s Network, served as executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center and received the National Council of Jewish Women’s Jewel Bellush Outstanding Israeli Feminist Award in 2014. After a brief video showing men mistreating women trying to pray with a Torah at the Wall, known in Hebrew as the Kotel, Sachs began to recount the history of her organization’s more than 30-year battle to have the same rights to pray as men. She explained that the rules that govern conduct at the Wall are rooted in a tradition

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defined by the ultra-Orthodox rabbis who have served as the Wall’s administrators since 1967. Sachs questioned this characteristic of the Wall. “Who decides that the custom of the place is the ultra-Orthodox custom?” she asked. Over time, Sachs said, the women’s section has shrunk after starting off the same size as the men’s section. She also noted that the dividing wall between the men’s and women’s sections grew to a current height of seven feet. see SACHS, page 2

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

In the Tufts Interfaith Center, Tufts Students for Two States presents Women of the Wall with speaker Lesley Sachs on Nov. 29.

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by Jessica Blough

The Tufts University Office of Sustainability recently released its Campus Sustainability Progress Report for the 2016 fiscal year. The report details a slight decrease in both water and energy use since FY2014 on all Tufts campuses. Tufts had largely failed to achieve its 2013 goal, as detailed in the Campus Sustainability Council Report to decrease waste produced by three percent each year. However, Tina Woolston, program director of the Office of Sustainability, told the Daily in an email that Tufts did manage to reduce its waste production by three percent during fiscal year 2017. The Office of Sustainability partially attributes the aforementioned difficulties to the growing undergraduate population and construction on campus, according to Celia Bottger, programs intern at the Office of Sustainability. Much of the report focused on the recent changes made by Tufts Dining Services to promote sustainable practices, specifically in reducing food waste. Director of Dining and Business services Patti Klos attributed this focus to the large portion of water and energy that dining consumes in its food preparation, creation and cleanup. The report says that 16 percent of the Medford/Somerville campus’ waste is com-

posted, although Klos explained that the ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of waste that is produced to zero. “Even if the number of people we’re serving grows, how do we reduce the amount of food that gets composted? Because that’s not your first choice; your first choice is to not prepare it, to have the food more closely match the demand,” Klos said. “When that’s not possible, then you try to find ways to repurpose it.” To reduce waste from the dining halls, Dining Services has begun to rely more on student-based efforts like Tufts Food Rescue Collaborative, which packages leftover food from Carmichael Dining Center and DewickMacphie Dining Center to be sent to Food for Free, a local nonprofit organization, according to the Tufts Environmental Studies Program website. Additionally, during fiscal year 2016, Tufts Dining hosted its inaugural Waste Less Dinner; the event was repeated this fall, and using data from the dinner, it was calculated that the average diner waste 1.2 ounces of food per meal, according to Klos. She stressed the importance of events like Waste Less Dinner in raising consciousness among students and encouraging them to think critically about the waste they produce. The Campus Sustainability Progress Report details the progress of the Eco-Reps Program. see SUSTAINABILITY REPORT, page 2

NEWS............................................1 INVESTIGATIVE....................3 COMICS.......................................4

WEEKENDER..........................5 FEATURES.................................6 SPORTS............................ BACK

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, December 1, 2017

THE TUFTS DAILY Gil Jacobson Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Eddie Samuels Joe Walsh Managing Editors Zachary Hertz Associate Editor Catherine Perloff Ariel Barbieri-Aghib Emily Burke Aneurin Canham-Clyne Daniel Caron Melissa Kain Anar Kansara Robert Katz Arin Kerstein Liam Knox Sophie Lehrenbaum Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Jesse Najarro Daniel Nelson Seohyun Shim Emma Steiner Hannah Uebele Juliana Furgala Kat Grellman Simran Lala Nina Joung Costa Angelakis Emma Damokosh Elie Levine Jessie Newman Sean Ong Emma Rosenthal Grace Yuh Michael Shames Fina Short

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Sachs defends women's right to pray at Western Wall SACHS

continued from page 1 Sachs explained that she and the rest of Women of the Wall are fighting for four rights currently denied to them: t’filah, or the right to pray out loud; the tefillin, ritual objects that ultra-Orthodox Jews do not allow women to wear; the tallit, a prayer shawl that women are not allowed to wear at the Wall; and the Torah, which women are not allowed to bring to the wall. Sachs said that she and the Women of the Wall have fought for these rights through acts of civil disobedience. “[I] was arrested four times for daring to wrap myself in this tallit,” she said, showing attendees a tallit made specifically for Women of the Wall. She later mentioned a recent arrest for smuggling a Torah into the women’s area. Sachs attributed a great deal of importance to these arrests and the global attention they drew. She explained that the Israeli police, faced with a public relations crisis because of repeated arrests and releases of organization members, decided to take some of the women, including herself, to court.

She explained that ultimately, an appellate court sided with the women, ruling that women have the right to pray how they chose in the women’s section as long as no alternate space was available. After this ruling, Sachs said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to the women and other Jewish groups to try and find a solution to the religious tensions. She said that negotiations lasted three years, and resulted in an agreement that she was happy with. The agreement, passed almost two years ago, included plans to create an egalitarian section for prayer located at a nearby archaeological site called Robinson’s Arch. “It’s a good agreement because it honors the religious rights of everybody,” she said. The agreement was frozen by Netanyahu’s Cabinet before any progress was made, a result she blamed on the strong ultra-Orthodox presence in the government. Even with this setback, Sachs expressed pride in the work that the Women of the Wall has done and continues to do. She shared that this December, the organization is fighting to get a chanukiah, a

traditional candelabrum used during Channukkah, in the women’s section during the holiday. Traditionally there has only been one in the men’s section, and women have been unable to light it as per the holiday tradition. Following Sachs’ remarks, sophomore Hanna Carr shared an experience she had with Women of the Wall in Jerusalem in 2014, when women smuggled a tiny Torah into the women’s area. Carr found the experience empowering. “It was this incredible show of agency,” she said. “This is our Torah … [The experience] really made me feel like I was part of a chain of Jewish women.” Sachs believes that the Women of the Wall movement transcends purely religious issues. “This is not a religious battle, this is a political battle,” she said. She explained that at heart, it is rooted in the question of the power dynamics at the important religious site. “Who is running the Mecca of the Jewish people, the Western Wall?” she asked. “Who has the power there?”

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Report highlights sustainability achievements of Dining Services, Eco-Reps program

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BUSINESS Rayane Haddar Executive Business Director Hannah Wells Receivables Manager

SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

The program focuses on peer-to-peer education by stationing student sustainability advocates in dorms and through hosting sustainability-centered events, Tufts Eco-Reps Coordinator Isabael Falls said. The Campus Sustainability Progress Report writes that 690 students have been taught about sustainability issues through eco-rep events. The number of eco-reps is at a record high this year, Falls said, with 25 total representatives ranging across the Medford/ Somerville, School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Health Science campuses. Additionally, though the report recognizes 44 students as having received Green Dorm Room Certifications, Falls said that number has increased to over 300 students this year. Falls, a junior, said the program spreads awareness about sustainability throughout campus.

“Not only does it help students educate other students, but the program itself helps the eco-reps educate themselves,” Falls said. “Then, while we want them to reach out to their residents of their particular dorm, and most of them do, they’re also going to have influence over their own friends.” Still, Falls said Tufts students could be better informed about sustainability. “Tufts, as a student body, could do a lot better with sustainability initiatives,” Falls said. “There’s so much more to do and so many people still don’t know how to do basic environmental sustainability practices. Continuing the conversation about it is really important.” Moving forward, the Office of Sustainability plans to increase its focus on reducing carbon emissions and increasing student involvement and awareness, Bottger said. Specifically, it will focus on the goals of the Second Nature Climate Commitment, signed by University President Anthony

Monaco in spring 2016, according to Bottger. The commitment moves Tufts towards carbon neutrality. “The Office of Sustainability will support the university in creating a climate action plan by spring 2019 that outlines how Tufts will become carbon neutral and uphold this commitment,” Bottger said. “The [Office of Sustainability] hopes to aid the university in reaching this goal by steadily increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings, investing in renewable energy and decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels.” The Office of Sustainability also hopes to increase the prominence of sustainability literacy programs on campus, including the EcoReps, Waste Less Dinners and Eco-Ambassador Program for offices on campuses, Bottger said. Klos said that making this campus more sustainable is an ongoing challenge. “We’re going to be at this forever because it’s important and there’s always more to do, but we’re making strides,” Klos said.

A long battle to increase accessibility at Asian American Center continues with Senate resolution ASIAN AMERICAN CENTER

continued from page 1 “The Asian American Center really is a place I have found community this semester just from working there, because I spend a lot of time with the interns and house residents,” she said. Renewed calls for an improved space As a result of her concerns, Amieva-Wang spoke to Yugawa, house residents and other interns about the lack of student engagement with the Center. According to Lee, a sophomore, Yugawa and community members have pushed for changes in the past, but did not have the needed student support to effect proper change — in part due to the fact that students did not have an accessible space to interact and mobilize. Yugawa did not respond to requests for an interview by press time. To address the inaccessibility of the Center, Amieva-Wang created a petition calling for the creation of accessibility to the Center through the relocation of Start House. The petition was released in early November, and as of press time, more than 550 Tufts community members are listed as signatories. The petition, in addition to demanding relocation of residences from Start House, calls for an expansion of the Center’s footprint within the building. It proposes a social space,

meeting rooms, a creative space and a community library. Zhen stated that timing was a key factor in the success of garnering support for the project that was lacking in previous years. “I don’t think students in the past have really been able to translate the frustrations into action in the same way,” he told the Daily in an e-mail. “I think right now Tufts is at an interesting place in examining spatial equity and social spaces, and that has been vital in allowing us to gain momentum and use our voices in the current conversation.” Zhen also mentioned that calls for the abolition of Greek life have prompted students to openly critique how spaces on campus are utilized for different communities. AmievaWang had a similar assessment. “I think we feel that right now we have the momentum and the support from other students who were excited about this — that it could happen,” she said. Lee added that it can be frustrating for change at Tufts to take so much student effort. “This is a core struggle that a lot of marginalized students at Tufts feel — that nothing ever happens unless they themselves push for change,” she said. “At the end of the day we’re students. We’re paying to be here. All this should not be on students to push administrators.”

After receiving much support from the community, a TCU Senate resolution was written based on the demands listed in the petition, said Amieva-Wang. The resolution text was released on Nov. 12 and was passed during the TCU Senate meeting the following Sunday on Nov. 19. Lee said that marginalized groups on campus are in need of institutional support that is not currently provided, and that the resolution is just the beginning. “We hope this sparks a larger conversation around what resources are being allocated, where and how can we create more inclusive spaces on this campus,” she said. “The Centers provide a critical resource for underrepresented students, and if they are unable to even allow them access to their space, how can they be expected to be able to support students?” Amieva-Wang, Lee, Chen and Zhen are now in the process of organizing meetings with school administrators to implement the resolution, according to Amieva-Wang. They hope to have completed the project by next fall. Amieva-Wang hopes to see more student engagement with this effort. “I think it’s really important at this point in the process that we get other students involved in re-envisioning what we want in an inclusive Center,” she said.

INVESTIGATIVE

Friday, December 1, 2017

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Video surveillance: Cameras spark concerns over appropriate use of footage by Ariel Barbieri-Aghib and Rachael Meyer News Editor and Executive Social Media Editor

Editor’s note: This is the final article in a twopart series produced by the Daily’s Investigative Team. The first part was published on Nov. 30, and is posted online. In 2012, Tufts administration spearheaded a program to establish a formalized surveillance security policy that would cover both the cameras that had previously been installed on campus and the installation of more cameras. Despite some opposition from the student body, the program, which was led by the Department of Public and Environmental Security (DPES), was completed in July of 2014. The university repeatedly justified the policy as a measure to help ensure students’ safety, indicating that would be the primary purpose of the footage; in a 2012 Daily article discussing his vision for Tufts, University President Anthony Monaco addressed student concerns over the new policy in similar terms. “Now I think, as far as I understand it, these are not going to be someone sitting with a deck full of monitors watching Tufts students go about their daily lives,” he said. “This is just on a recording basis, so if there was an assault or if there was a theft or someone got into a dorm room … [Public Safety] could go back … and review the tapes, and that should help them catch the culprits.” Student discomfort with Tufts’ surveillance and policing practices grows Recently, however, student concerns around police presence on campus have been growing, not only in regard to video surveillance but primarily due to Tufts University Police Department (TUPD)’s use of unmarked police vehicles. A Sept. 25 Observer article by Jonathan Innocent highlighted concerns from students with marginalized identities, particularly black students, who felt targeted by the program. In an Oct. 15 email to the Daily, LGBT Center Director Hope Freeman wrote that she had requested cameras be placed outside the Bolles House this past summer to monitor for possible homophobic activity and hate crimes “as a result of numerous reported homophobic and transphobic attacks and slurs hurled at LGBTQ students at the end of last semester.” However, she found that in addition to these cameras, one had been placed in the main lobby of the building. She requested it be removed, and it was taken out less than a week later. “When coming into the center and seeing the camera in the lobby you could already feel a shift in the sense of safety and it was not positive, the students did not like this feeling and neither did the Directors,” Freeman wrote. Such incidents as the ones relayed in the Observer article and by Freeman indicate that a lack of transparency on the part of TUPD can lead to mistrust and suspicion from Tufts community members. “If these surveillance vehicles are to be used in the interest of the community, we should be informed about why, and to what end,” Innocent wrote in the Observer. “The more I walk on this campus at night and notice a black vehicle with tinted black windows parked outside of Aidekman or stowed in the first level parking lot in front of their station at Dowling, it becomes harder for me to know if TUPD is watching out for me, or just plain watching me.” In an interview with the Daily, Kade Crockford, director of the Technology for Liberty Program at the American Civil

EDDIE SAMUELS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Two cameras outside of Tisch Library are pictured. Liberties Union of Massachusetts, spoke on the importance of transparency in surveillance practices. “When surveillance unfolds in secret, communities are not invited to participate in a dialogue or policy-establishing conversations that would enable folks in the community to feel comfortable with surveillance cameras,” she said. Part of the need for these conversations, Crockford said, is in order to ensure that surveillance technologies are not “used in ways the community would find inappropriate.” Spying on streakers? On May 3, 2017, a group of students gathered on the Academic Quad to participate in a loosely planned recreation of the Naked Quad Run (NQR), an annual event that had been a sanctioned Tufts tradition for decades until the practice was ended in 2011. According to TUPD spokesperson Kevin Maguire, NQR was cancelled after the 2011 run due to concerns about students’ health and safety. These concerns were reiterated in a “Jumbo Digest” email sent by the Dean of Student Affairs Office to members of the Tufts community on April 30, 2017 — just three days before the NQR. “The NQR was banned … because of the many serious legal and public safety concerns it raised, including violations of law, injuries, possible predatory actions, and the widespread circulation of students’ photos on the internet without their permission” the email said. The Daily spoke to two recent graduates — Robert Sucsy (LA ’17), who is now a student at the Tufts School of Medicine, and a 2017 graduate who wishes to remain anonymous due to concerns about further punishment from administration — who said that they received disciplinary action as a result of evidence they believe was gathered through surveillance cameras. Both students felt that the use of video footage to investigate students for minor, noncriminal code of conduct violations was inappropriate. Sucsy said that both he and the anonymous student were notified of having broken the Tufts Code of Conduct during Senior Week. Then, on June 15, Sucsy was emailed a letter from the Associate Dean of Student

Affairs Christopher Rossi specifying his individual breaches of Tufts policy. Sucsy was charged with indecent exposure, while the anonymous alum said that they and two other students contacted by TUPD were charged with allegations including indecent exposure, sexual exploitation, and sexual misconduct. According to the letter sent by Rossi to Sucsy, the accused had various options to available to him. Both alumni opted to accept responsibility for their participation in the NQR, which meant that the case was handled by a dean’s decision. Sucsy said that this resulted in him being placed on disciplinary probation, and prevented him from registering for his graduate school classes on time due to a subsequent freezing of his SIS account. According to the anonymous alum, there were at least two other students who were contacted and punished by administration. Sucsy and the anonymous alum will have marks on their transcript through May 2018, while, according to the anonymous alum, the two other students will have marks until December 2017 and an unspecified date in 2019. Sucsy told the Daily that during a phone call he had with administrators about the charges, Rossi, who handled the investigations, referred to evidence of the students’ involvements and promised to back up claims of such evidence if the student did not admit guilt. The anonymous alum told the Daily that they believe the evidence Rossi referred to was footage from Tufts’ video surveillance system. When asked via email, Maguire did not respond to the Daily’s question as to how these students who participated in the NQR were identified. Director of Community Standards Kevin Kraft declined to disclose how students were identified, telling the Daily in an email that he was unable to comment on individual cases due to concerns for student privacy. However, Kraft did confirm that the university is sometimes provided with surveillance footage as part of evidence for investigations, even when they are noncriminal. This is made clear in the video security policy as well.

Rossi did not respond to requests for comment about his involvement in the investigation by press time. Sucsy said that after he admitted to participating in the NQR, he was asked by administration to write a letter regarding his decision to do so. In the letter, which was provided to the Daily by Sucsy, he was asked to respond to such questions as: “What have you learned about yourself and your decision making as a result of this situation?” and “In what ways does running naked in public impact yourself and others?” In response, Sucsy maintained that the event was in no way a public safety concern and had no detrimental results for students, expressing his frustration with the administration’s focus on the case. “As for the impact on myself,” he added, “I have had to spend many hours jumping through hoops so that the administration of a school I no longer attend will not force me out of my graduate program.” In his letter, Sucsy noted the importance of events like the NQR for students, explaining that it is one of the only events where students feel they can have agency in their community. “One of the reasons the NQR is so revered by students is because pretty much every event at Tufts is coordinated through an administrator at one point,” the letter reads. “So the run is an opportunity to take place in an event that we feel we have control over, if only for ten minutes.” Crockford explained to the Daily that for institutions like Tufts, video surveillance is primarily about controlling the actions of community members. “Surveillance is about power and control. If you know what everybody else is doing, and has been doing, with whom, when and where, you have a lot of power to control those people and control the community,” she said. “And that’s clearly what happened here.” Despite having been punished for his participation, Sucsy maintained that the event was an extremely positive experience. “The event which I attended was one of the most positive atmospheres I experienced at any college event,” he wrote in his letter to the administration.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Friday, December 1, 2017

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Cathy: “I know this an abuse of the late nights channel but I left my water bottle at the office so if anyone is swinging by tisch and wants to bring me the tufts Hillel water bottle I stole from bagel brunch help a sister out”

Comics

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.86)

4 5

GARFIELD

SUDOKU

BY JIM DAVIS

8 4

5 1

tuftsdaily.com

3 NON SEQUITUR

BY WILEY MILLER

Difficulty Level: Passing COMP 105 the third time you take it.

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Nov 30 06:49:02 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

PuzzleThursday’s 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63) Solution

Today is a 9. Nurture your health, especially when things get busy. Slow down to avoid mistakes. You’re especially irresistible this month with Venus in your sign. CRYPTIC CROSSWORD BY SONATA

The Tiny Guide to Solving Cryptic Crosswords; Part 6: Putting it All Together Charades are simply a combination of two or more words, or two or more clue types that we’ve discussed before. These do have a limit — standard for clue type combinations is no more than three types in one clue. This is also where you’ll see common abbreviations as part of the clue. Examples from previous puzzles: 9A) Like a cat’s iron rule (6) : FE (iron) + LINE (rule) => FELINE 6D) Diamond editorials without dimension destroyed (9) : EDITORIALS anagrammed without D => SOLITAIRE 1

9 10

Thursday’s Solution

13 14

22 24

23 25

26 27

Across 1 Insult fifty within a range of vision (6) 4 Magnificent joke within Massachusetts, in charge (8) 10 Home and office leaders present for prisoner (7) 11 Vehicle with overly new sketch (7) 12 Laid-back face to clock (4) 13 Swindle hid flawed air-defense at high speeds Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Nov 30 00:46:34 (10)2017 GMT. Enjoy! 15 Vocally allow that woman a figure (6) 16 Curve on peculiar looking strip (7) 20 Repeated pedaling (7) 21 Take bronzes back west of Switzerland, in short (6) 24 Formally busted flail, if coy (10) 26 Spring contained in little apiaries (4) 28 Morning's exotic ruins sheltered in the Southeast (7) 29 See Thor drunkenly end a sentence in defiance (2,5) 30 Gloom near famous Loch (8) 31 Regarded after ring-bearer initially complied (6)

Down 1 Plan she clued went to pieces (8) 2 Immediately popular famous old Marvel writer for an audience (9) 3 Don't start trick for intensity (4) 5 Cacti den entanglement results in an unfortunate mishap (8) 6 Haunted orb tangled on the ground (10) 7 After Tuesday, move a store (5) 8 Magic an adaptation revealed north of Montana (6) 9 Head of department with depravity! (5) 14 "An image of Florence," it translated (10) 17 Uncommonly made from tree xylem (9) 18 Intruders insert key, imprisoning Dutch father (8) 19 Animal caretaker Usher (8) 22 Kicked around a ship for a salad (6) 23 Core out of herbalist's joy (5) 25 Hesitate after the end of higher quality (5) 27 Credit line removed from everlasting tab (4)

Friday, December 1, 2017

WEEKENDER

5 tuftsdaily.com

Tufts community members talk alternative music, queer visibility in Middle Eastern cities by Eran Sabaner Arts Editor

In a scene from a 1980s Turkish “Yeş i lçam” film, trans diva Bülent Ersoy walks down the street, sporting a grey fur coat and diamond earrings. A little boy in his school uniform points toward Ersoy and asks his mother “Is Bülent Ersoy a man or a woman?” The scene cuts into a close up of Ersoy, who is visibly hurt by the boy’s question, hanging her head in shame. The scene has gone viral in Turkey in recent years, perhaps due to its melodramatic editing or its lack of subtlety, both typical traits of Turkish cinema from the era. Yet, the scene also addresses one of the many challenges queer communities face in the Middle East, which arguably stem from ignorance and misconceptions related to gender identities and sexuality. LGBTQ groups in the region face violence and prejudice, whether against trans people or the queer community as a whole. Many Middle Eastern governments view queerness as a “Western vice,” ultimately erasing the queer history of the region. Today, queer-identifying musicians from the region and their allies actively seek queer visibility, promoting LGBTQ rights by correcting misconceptions. Three cities in particular — Beirut, Istanbul and Tel Aviv — play a vital role. These cities are cultural capitals of countries that are relatively more advanced in LGBTQ rights than other Middle Eastern nations, to varying degrees. In this article, Tufts students, alumni and faculty have commented on the increase in queer visibility and its relationship with the alternative music scenes in different parts of the region. Lebanon has recently been enjoying developments in LGBTQ rights. While it is still unclear whether same-sex activity is legal in Lebanon (the penal code is rarely practiced anymore), there have been legal developments in gender identity and expression. Hadi Damien organized Beirut’s first pride fest last summer. Alexandra Chreiteh (Shraythekh), Mellon Bridge assistant professor of Arabic studies, believes the recent developments have opened broader discussions in terms of queer visibility, although there is a disparity between Beirut and the rest of Lebanon. “Homosexuality has gained a lot of visibility in the last 10 years in Lebanon and it has become a little more normalized in certain spaces in Beirut, but not everywhere,” Chreiteh said. “Homophobia is still very much common, in the media and on the street, but I think there have been some advances.” The arts play a major role in visibility, particularly music, noted Chreitch. “Culture is mobile,” she said. “Especially with music, you don’t necessarily need to know the lyrics to enjoy the song.” With their latest album, “Ibn El Leil” (2015), the Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou Leila has been actively promoting queer visibility by addressing gender roles, sexuality and homophobia in their lyrics. As an openly gay man, lead singer Hamed Sinno has become a poster child of Arab queerness in Western media. Yet both Sinno and the band were more implicit with sexuality earlier in their careers.

“Mashrou Leila is very interesting if you look at their artistic journey,” Chreiteh said. She then referred to the music video of “Fasateen” (2008), in which a male figure wears a dress. “The queerness was hinted but it wasn’t that obvious. The aesthetics of the third album have been more explicit,” she said. It is possible Beirut’s acceptance of queer culture prompted Mashrou Leila to promote visibility, yet the band has also encouraged Beirut to be more accepting. Today, Mashrou Leila is not a simple Beiruti band, but a symbol of Middle Eastern queerness, despite bans and arrests of fans orchestrated by some governments. “Mashrou Leila contributed a lot to how the attitudes are changing,” Chreiteh said. “Culture and arts is a way of expressing queerness … it is a way of forging networks of connection, making you feel like you are not alone even if you are facing difficulties in your own country.” The queer community in Turkey has been facing difficulties over the last few years. Historically, Turkey was relatively more accepting of its queer community compared to surrounding nations; homosexuality was decriminalized under Ottoman rule in 1858, over 100 years beforet he United Kingdom. Culturally, the republic has had many queer icons, including Bülent Ersoy and Zeki Müren, who challenged heteronormativity and the gender binary. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the formation of LGBTQ organizations such as Kaos GL and Lambda Istanbul. The first pride festival in Istanbul took place in 2003, making Turkey the first Muslim-majority country to host a pride event. That said, the government has banned Istanbul Pride for the past two years, citing public safety and Eid-Mubarak. The festival went on despite the government’s ban, but participants were subjected to police brutality, rubber bullets and dogs. Today, many members of the queer community find refuge in activist networks formed in the past few decades. Omercan Erol, a first-year Turkish student, is critical of queer communities’ decisions to be more exclusive. “I think activist groups live in a queer bubble,” Erol said. “I spent a lot of time with the LGBT club in Bosphorus University [a public university in Istanbul], and the feeling I got from them was that they chose to separate themselves from the country. Even though they want to change things, I don’t think it is possible to change things without blending with the rest of Turkey.” In terms of visibility, alternative bands show support of the community through their music videos. Examples include The Away Days’ “Calm Your Eyes” (2015), which features a gay couple, and Athena’s “Ses Etme” (2016). Athena’s music video is particularly significant, as it stars professional drag performer Onur Gökhan Gökçek and features shots from real gay clubs in Istanbul. A Eurovision finalist with a large following in Turkey, Athena’s position as an ally has had a large impact on visibility. Erol is skeptical about the overall effect of these videos, but he agrees that “Ses Etme” is an exception. “I saw the Away Days’ concert last year in Kadıköy (a liberal neighborhood in Istanbul) by coincidence,” he said. “I don’t think their video adds much to

SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE

'Ibn El Leil' is the newest album by band Mashrou Leila. the visibility because the people that listen to the Away Days are usually more progressive people,” he said. “Athena is different as they are a very popular band for a long time; its target audience is more spread out.” Erol is equally critical of the queer lingo used in the lyrics of alternative music, referring to psychedelic rock band Jakuzi’s song “Lubunya,” which means “twink” in Turkish. “The people I know in Bosphorus University love the word ‘lubunya.’ They really embrace it. However, using gay lingo also has a role in creating a ‘queer bubble.’ It creates an exclusive language,” he said. “Of course it is great for Jakuzi to have a song like that, because they identify themselves with a community, but I don’t think it adds much to activism and visibility.” As increasing pressures from the government put a halt to queer activism in Istanbul on a grander scale, Tel Aviv maintains its position as a queer-friendly city. Yet, similarly to Beirut and Istanbul, there is a significant disparity between Tel Aviv and the rest of Israel. In an email to the Daily, Tufts alumna and Tel Aviv resident Mollie Dixie Beek (LA ’17) elaborated on the differences. “Tel Aviv is a city filled with international tourists and residents and the vast majority is secular,” Beek said. “Thus, it is visibly more accepting of LGBTQ communities.” “For example, Tel Aviv Pride is one of the most famous prides of the world and year round rainbow flags hang (not just during Pride). There are many gay clubs and bars in central locations,” she said. “I know that there are religious protesters to Jerusalem Pride and that visibility of gay bars/clubs and flags [in Jerusalem] is not as prevalent.” She believes the misconceptions about queer communities are similar to those in the United States. “Just like in the U.S., I think there are a lot of misconceptions about queer communities that stem from ignorance and stigmas,” Beek said. “Visibility or being

‘seemingly accepted’ doesn’t translate into allyship or actual acceptance.” Beek also acknowledged that her limited knowledge of Hebrew prevents her from having dialogue with Israelis. “From my limited interactions with Israelis, it seems that people who aren’t queer don’t really understand this term or concepts of gender/sex/sexuality/identity,” she said. “In both the U.S. and Israel there is still a lot of learning and accepting to be done.” As opposed to Lebanon and Turkey, there is a significant representation of queerness in mainstream Israeli music. Queer-identifying musicians include Amir Fey Guttman, Harel Skaat, Ivri Lider and Dana International, the Yemenite trans artist who won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest. “[Dana] was a huge star in Tel Aviv and in Europe, so she was pretty much the first representation of the transgender community in popular culture,” Beek said. “She rose to fame before our time, so I don’t know how she was received by Israelis initially.” Yet, the fact that Dana International is known by younger generations 20 years later proves that her impact is undeniable. Today, alternative music in Tel Aviv focuses on other marginalized identities, such as Mizrahi Jews. “Ashkenazi music/culture has historically dominated the radio and TV, even though the majority of the population is Mizrahi,” she said. “In the recent years, there is more exposure to Mizrahi music and culture on the radio on TV.” “A-WA is a music group composed of Yemenite sisters who sing traditional Yemeni songs in Arabic over electronic beats. They’ve become super popular, not just in Israel; they now do world tours.” Alternative music has a history of providing voices for marginalized identities. In cities such as Beirut, Istanbul and Tel Aviv, LGBTQ rights are developing, but there is still room to grow. Music in these regions promotes visibility and encourages queer activism.

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Features

Friday, December 1, 2017

Living near Tufts: West Somerville’s housing gentrification and a future with the university by Constantinos Angelakis Features Editor

The following article is part one of a twopart series focusing on local residents and businesses in West Somerville and their interactions with gentrification in the area. The West Somerville community has certainly changed and developed since the founding of Tufts in 1852. However, in recent years, the area has undergone significant gentrification, resulting in notable changes to its housing market. Consequently, for many residents, the West Somerville neighborhood no longer reflects the one they lived in without the rise in housing prices, student presence and Tufts’ impact. Senior Mishla Baz moved into the Somerville area when her father got a job as a professor at Tufts. She then moved into a house on Sawyer Avenue, right in the heart of the Medford/Somerville campus. Her family later moved to the Teele Square area, still nearby campus. She noted that the neighborhood around Tufts has undergone several changes since her family arrived. “The area in general has definitely gotten more mainstream,” Baz said. “When we first moved here, Davis [Square] was considered a little sketchy. I guess it still is considered a little quirkier than Harvard or something, but it’s definitely gotten more mainstream and gotten very gentrified.” However, she noted that living nearby the Tufts campus, especially around fraternity houses, came with some downsides. “I know that being a family that lived on campus, we had a very negative perspective of Tufts students,” Baz said. “I mean, I didn’t personally, but we lived surrounded by all the fraternities, right next door to [the International] House. So I think that was the side that we saw, was my dad going out in the middle of the night to yell at them, or waking up with red solo cups and puke in our lawn. I think that’s a pretty consistent view of local families and businesses.” She noted that Somerville has a visible divide between residents who have lived in the area for a long time and the younger generation of students and young professionals who are moving into the city. “I think that Davis still has the very ‘townie’ vibe,” she said. “If you go to The Burren, there’s always the ‘townies’ and the college students.” Baz said that part of this change in demographics may have to do with the rising prices of housing in the Greater Boston area. “I think that Cambridge is considered super expensive, so when we first moved, we were looking in Somerville because Cambridge was really expensive, but the schools are better there, so there’s kind of that balance,” Baz said. “But definitely more families are moving to Somerville and the schools are getting better because of that.” Edward Beuchert, a resident of the Tufts neighborhood since 1998 and a board member of the West Somerville Neighborhood Association, said that the rise in cost of housing is also an issue in Somerville. Around Tufts especially, he said that the influx of students living off campus causes inflated prices. “Rents have gone up quite dramatically,” Beuchert said. “There’s basically a lot of families that had lived here before, when they sell their houses, they’re being bought by investor, absentee landlords.”

Beuchert said that, because these absentee landlords evaluate houses based on the high profitability of renting to students, the valuation of properties rises. “One reasonable, easy number to use for the annual rent around here for students is $10,000,” Beuchert said. “And they’re able to look at that and say, ‘Well, I can get $120,000 a year in revenue from that.’ And that ends up bidding up the prices of the houses near Tufts to what’s a very bad level.” This ultimately leads to higher property taxes and rents for other residents. “What a city does to calculate its property taxes, where it gets most of its revenue from, is from the housing values. So I end up having to pay a lot more money in property taxes because absentee landlords are buying up the properties next to me and packing them with students who are willing to pay that, because there’s not enough dormitory space, because the Tufts administration doesn’t want to build them,” Beuchert said. Beuchert also described some of the difficulties of living among college students that echoed Baz’s experience. A house adjacent to Beuchert’s was rented out to students who he said would use an outdoor balcony for smoking and parties, making significant noise. “You’d have people going out there at not just 10 p.m., but midnight, 2 a.m., 4 a.m. on weekends,” he said. Besides students, Beuchert said that the demographics of the area are changing more broadly. Years ago, West Somerville was home to more families and working class individuals, as described by a Sept. 25 Tufts Observer article. According to the 2011–2015 American Community Survey estimates, only 34 percent of housing units are owner-occupied in Somerville. Additionally, the survey estimates state that of Somerville households, 82.1 percent have no related children under the age of 18, and 56.6 percent are nonfamily households. As Baz explained, Somerville overall has gentrified drastically, and a younger generation has subsequently moved in. Beuchert said that Somerville remains an attractive city for him and his family to live in. “There are several dynamics going on here. And one of them is that Somerville is a very desirable place to live. And I understand that. That’s why I live here with my family,” Beuchert said. He pointed to the house across the street from his, which was originally owned by a family with young children, as an example of the changing demographics in the city. “Now they rent it out to young professionals, and there’s a lot of turnover with that,” he said. “And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s pretty much every other month … that I see moving trucks out there.” Nevertheless, Beuchert attributed much of the problem with the neighborhood around Tufts to the shortage of dormitory housing provided by the Tufts administration. “I understand how the quad is a beautiful place that you want to have on top of the hill. The fact that it’s open and doesn’t have the shadow from a big building — that’s great. I really have come to love a lot of things about the Tufts campus, and I can understand deeply and identify with the Tufts community about what a great campus it is and if we’re gonna

RACHAEL MEYER / THE TUFTS DAILY

A short walk from campus, Davis Square has faced gentrification in the past few years. The square is pictured on Oct. 19. grow, the growth has got to span out from very responsible, some of these properties here,” Beuchert said. have not been well maintained.” He was especially critical of the proCollins also pointed to rising housposed Capen Village project, which seeks ing prices in areas around Medford and to create a new student housing area in Somerville as evidence of a trend that goes existing buildings in Medford, as described beyond Tufts’ impact. in an Oct. 16 Daily article. “There are many reasons why property “It’s a colonization of Medford and costs have risen across the Greater Boston Somerville residential areas,” he said. area,” Collins said. “In Somerville, rents “Tufts is buying residential houses and [it and housing purchase prices have risen has] turned them into Tufts buildings for dramatically across the city and not just various purposes.” in the area around Tufts. Housing costs Beuchert proposed that the universi- in nearby communities that do not have ty could invest more in building dorm colleges, such as Arlington, also have risen. buildings rather than increasing academic Additionally, the Green Line extension also space, pointing to the proposed building is making the area more attractive to rentat College Avenue next to Halligan Hall, ers and buyers.” described in a Sept. 5 Daily article, as an Collins added that Tufts is committed to example of a possible location. working with neighbors and city officials Executive Director of Public Relations throughout the process of expanding housPatrick Collins, however, said that the ing on the Somerville side of campus. university is working toward increasing While there are certainly implications the number of beds in existing dorms in the surrounding community brought through renovations. Speaking of the pro- about by the growth of Tufts, some of these posed Capen Village project, he said that implications can be positive. Beuchert said some residents have responded favorably that he has audited several classes at Tufts, to the proposal. deejays his own radio show at WMFO, “We have received positive responses Tufts’ freeform radio station, and attends from neighbors who see this as a better way the weekly Environmental Studies Lunch & to have students live in the neighborhood Learn lectures. than within properties owned by absen“I think that, while there certainly tee landlords,” Collins told the Daily in an are negative aspects of the way the Tufts email. “They are also pleased to hear that administration has handled their increased Tufts will supervise the apartments with enrollment … I also feel that my life has graduate resident directors and maintain been tremendously enriched by living the properties. While most landlords are here,” he said.

Sports

Friday, December 1, 2017 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Women’s track and field looks forward to indoor season In last year’s New England Div. III Indoor Championships at MIT, Tufts tied Middlebury and Bates for third, placing behind winner MIT and runner-up Williams. Cox had an impressive thirdplace finish in the 1,000-meter run, while Gake registered a runner-up finish in the 600meter run. Although the Jumbos have lost some strong seniors to graduation and are overall a younger team this year with 27 first-years, senior distance runner Eliza Lawless articulated that the team is hoping to go even further this season. RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY “It’s never about First-year Gia Kim competes in the second 4000-meter distance medley relay heat at the New England Div. III Indoor just the upperclassChampionship at MIT’s Johnson Athletic Center on Feb. 18. men or the first by Tim Chiang the field events, current sophomore Julia years,” Lawless said. “We come together Contributing Writer Kissel scored a seventh-place finish in the as one cohesive team, and we’re really javelin throw, and current senior Jennifer looking forward to pushing for a topAs winter approaches, the wom- Sherwill received third in the discus throw. three finish at the New England Indoor en’s track and field team prepares to Overall, Bowdoin edged Tufts by a slight Championships.” take on the competition indoors. The one-point margin to take ninth, as Tufts The upperclassmen play a key role in Jumbos wrapped up a solid season tied Bridgewater State for 10th. supporting the younger athletes, according last year, dialing in respectable perIn the 2017 NESCAC Championships at to first-year Madeleine Oliver. formances at the 2017 New England Bowdoin College, senior captain Brittany “The upperclassmen really show us that Div. III Championships, 2017 NESCAC Bowman won the 10,000-meter run, lead- coming to practice on time means being Championships and 2017 New England ing the runner-up — current sophomore there a couple minutes early,” Oliver said. Div. III Indoor Championships. Katherine Treanor of Amherst — by a gap “They lead by example and help us stay Last year’s run at the New England Div. of over a minute. Also, current junior Brita informed. Before meets they’ll sent out picIII Championships at Williams College was Dawson placed third in the long jump with tures of the courses to make sure we realspearheaded by the 4×800-meter relay ran a record of 5.29m, while Dawson’s class- ly feel comfortable and know what we’re by current sophomores Lauren Diaz, Julia mate Sydney Ladner placed fourth in the going up against.” Gake and Nicole Kerrigan, and co-captain pole vault with a record of 3.10m. Williams, Members of the cross country team, Samantha Cox (LA ’17), who finished by Bates and Middlebury finished in the top which placed second at the Div. III New a mere margin of 0.04 seconds behind three places, while Tufts came in sixth, with England Regionals and seventh at the runner-up MIT. Their time of 9:14.86 was only a four-point margin separating fourth NCAA Championships, also compete the second fastest time in Tufts history. In and sixth place. in track and field. Thus, many athletes

Jumbos look ahead to some tough competition in the next few weeks SWIMMING & DIVING

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apply their skills, and the efforts of the coaches, captains and other upperclass swimmers have not been lost on this year’s corps of newcomers. First-year Abby Claus wholeheartedly agrees. “My experience on the team so far has been nothing but positive,” Claus said. “Since the first day I arrived on campus, everyone has been so welcoming and helpful in adjusting to being a college student as well as an athlete. Compared to my high school team, we are all much closer and having that support system since day one has been one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed competing on this team so much.” The Jumbos aim to hold their own against top Div. III competition this weekend — namely NYU and MIT — and have been buying in from top to bottom to make it happen. “Everyone has been working their tails off. The biggest difference is that their attitudes in practice have improved tremendously,” Acquaviva said. “I think the leadership from the returning swimmers as well as our captains has been pivotal in setting us up for success. We did bring in a very large, talented class of women who have been able to hop right into our pro-

gram’s training system and not miss a beat. The coolest thing as coaches has been to see the collaboration between the new and returning swimmers as both groups try to learn from and push each other to improve every day.” Also of note is the fact that MIT is hosting a “Cradles to Crayons” drive for the meet this weekend, hoping to collect winter clothing and pajamas to benefit underprivileged children in the area. After MIT, the Jumbos will travel to Wesleyan in Middletown, Conn. on Saturday, Dec. 9 for a meet with the Cardinals, WPI and Williams at 1 p.m. Energized by their growing camaraderie and nearly two weeks of recovery, signs are pointing upward for the Jumbos this weekend and, moving forward, Acquaviva is eager to see how the next few weeks will unfold. “We are excited to be able to race some really good swimming programs in MIT’s fast pool. On both the men and women’s sides, MIT and NYU are currently ranked highly in terms of team rankings,” Acquaviva said. “It will be fun to be able to race some of the country’s top teams and see where we stack up at this point in the season. It is the culmination of training and hard work put in by the whole team for the first half of the season and being able to see the result of that labor should set us up well moving forward.”

are working on transitioning into the indoor season. Oliver highlighted how cross country athletes are working on adapting their running in order to prepare for the indoor track season. “We’re transitioning into running less mileage at a faster pace.” Oliver said. According to first-year Grace Fagan, the shift from cross country to track also involves particular focus on physical fitness. “We’ve been running since the summer for cross country,” Fagan said. “It’s nice to take some time off and focus on lifting more and getting stronger for track. So far, it’s been a pretty smooth transition. We really start practicing after winter break is over, so I’m looking forward to that.” Although track and field is headlined by a variety of individual events, team camaraderie is crucial to success for the Jumbos. Oliver described the importance of support from the sidelines. “We travel and cheer for the team at meets that some of us are not even competing in,” Oliver said. “During fall regionals, we all went up to Maine to cheer for our teammates who were competing and went wild with body paint. During cross country nationals, we took a 20-hour road trip out to Illinois and a 20-hour trip back. It’s a big commitment, but it’s worth it to help encourage my teammates. Having familiar faces and people cheering for you all the way out there really makes a big difference.” Earlier this year, Oliver suffered from a midfoot injury which prevented her from competing. Now fully recovered, she looks forward to the indoor season. “I couldn’t run for all of September, but I’m fully healed now and ready to go,” Oliver said. “It was frustrating when I got injured. I want to get out there and turn all of that negative energy into positive energy.” Guided by a strong sense of team unity and a desire to ensure a smooth transition from cross country to track, the Jumbos look forward to another successful season. Tufts will start its season on Saturday at the Boston University Season Opener.

First-year Jumbos shine as season progresses ICE HOCKEY

continued from back comeback were soon killed, however, as the Golden Eagles scored on the Jumbos’ empty net just two minutes later, ending the game 5–3. Tufts played Babson in its home opener and lost 3–1. The Jumbos started out well defensively, and held out against three Beaver power plays all in the first period. They could not hold out for the whole period, though, as Babson struck first and scored on senior goalie Nik Nugnes in the dying minutes of the period. Babson doubled its lead six minutes into the second period, taking advantage of yet another power play, but this time with a two-man advantage. Penalties have been an issue for the Jumbos this season, as they currently have the second highest number of penalty minutes in the NESCAC. “I don’t think any of us have really played to our full potential yet,” Nugnes said. “We can do a better job staying out of the penalty box, and play with a little more confidence at times. But I am confident that that will come as the season rolls on.”

Tufts pulled a goal back through first-year defender Craig Uyeno, just under a minute after Babson’s early second period goal. The Jumbos were held at just this single goal, as the Beavers shut them out for the remainder of the game and went on to score another goal in the third period, solidifying the 3–1 victory. Despite a slow start to the season, there has been one constant throughout each one of the games; the first-years have contributed massively to the points tally. With only a few games of collegiate hockey under their belts, it will only be a matter of time before these first-years start to gain their footing and really start to shine. “Despite our record, our team is moving in the right direction,” Nugnes said. “The season is a marathon, not a sprint. I think we have a very young, but very talented team. It just takes time to make the jump to the college level. Our group has a really high ceiling, and we are just trying to trust the process so that we can get better every day and peak at the right time.” Tufts faces off against Williams on Dec. 1 and Middlebury on Dec. 2, both at home.

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Sports

Friday, December 1, 2017

WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

Jumbos set to make a splash at MIT Invitational by Josh Steinfink Staff Writer

This upcoming weekend, the 2–0 women’s swimming and diving Jumbos will show off their strokes at the MIT Invitational. Down the road in Cambridge, Tufts will take on MIT, Keene State, NYU, RPI, Wellesley and Wheaton College from Dec. 1–3. Led by coach Adam Hoyt and buoyed by 18 upperclass students, the Jumbos hope to leverage past experience in the meet to come out on top this season. “Our team is really excited for this coming weekend,” senior tri-captain Alli Dorneo said. “It’s one of the only meets we have outside of our championship season where we have the opportunity to race prelims and finals and wear tech suits. It’s definitely going to be a long weekend, but with all of the pre-season and in-season training we have been putting in, I think our bodies are ready and are a lot stronger than we think they are. Overall, we’re hoping to see some fast swims against some competitive teams.” Prior to Thanksgiving, the Jumbos handily defeated Middlebury (155–134) and the Coast Guard Academy (180.5–109.5), clinching both matchups of their opening weekend Nov. 18–19. Despite some swimmers having to compete in multiple events due to a dual meet format, the team proved to be well conditioned for the challenge. Tufts standouts included senior tri-captain Anna Kimura, winning the 200-yard IM on Sunday and the 200-yard breaststroke on Saturday, and junior Colleen Doolan, who won the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly a full six seconds ahead of her competition on Saturday. At MIT this weekend, the Jumbos will face their stiffest competition yet. The coaches have given the swimmers more rest this week in preparation for the meet, fine-tuning mechanics and reducing the volume of laps to stay fresh.

COURTESY DAVE DECORTIN

Senior tri-captain Anna Kimura competes for Tufts swimming. “We are looking at this invitational as a way to gauge where we are at this point of the season. We use it to see where we stand in terms of our team and individual performance and what areas we need to further develop to be successful at the NESCAC and NCAA Championships at the end of the year,” assistant coach Joe Acquaviva said. “Based on how much energy the women have put into training both in the pool and weight room this preseason and season, it will be fun to see them get up and compete rested right now.”

The team’s 15 first-years are especially excited to see what is in store now that they have some real collegiate experience under their belts, and will be sure to play a pivotal role in Tufts’ performance this weekend. According to Sook-Hee Evans, a first-year who racked up multiple wins during the Jumbos’ opening weekend, the first-years have gelled well with the rest of the team. “The [first-years] have become a lot closer with upperclassmen since the beginning of the season as we have become more comfort-

able,” she said. “At the very beginning of the year, the entire women’s team took an overnight trip to Cape Cod to bond, and the men’s team went to the Loj. We also had a few barbecues, and we often eat together in Dewick.” Given the large number of first-years on the team relative to all other classes (nine seniors, nine juniors and eight sophomores), team bonding has played an especially large role. More relaxed and confident first-years means a better environment to learn and see SWIMMING & DIVING, page 7

Ice hockey earns first win of the season by Liam Finnegan Sports Editor

Last week, the Tufts ice hockey team competed in a series of non-league matches. The team played against Babson on Nov. 21 and against The State University of New York at Brockport and King’s College in the WSYB/Catamount Radio Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The team lost against both Babson and Brockport, but picked up its first win of the season against King’s

College, signaling an improvement upon the team’s early season form. Following a 5–3 loss against Brockport, Tufts went on to face King’s College in the match for third place in the WSYB/ Catamount Radio Invitational. King’s College came out strong in the first period, and took an early 2–0 lead over Tufts. The Jumbos retaliated with two quick goals at 15:31 and 17:45 to bring the game to a 2–2 draw to end the first. The Jumbos’ first goal came from sophomore forward Blake McIntyre, whose shot

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior forward Brian Brown is chased by opponents during the men’s ice hockey game against Amherst College at the Malden Forum on Feb. 11.

slipped right through Monarch junior goalie Jake Tugnutt. First-year forward Mason Babbidge scored the equalizer with a wrist shot that went over Tugnutt and into the back of the net. The Jumbos extended their lead in the second period and scored twice more to make the game 4–2. The goals came from first-year defenseman Tom Tresca and senior forward Brian Brown, who took advantage of a power play. The Monarchs nabbed a goal late into the period on a power play, ending the second 4–3. The Jumbos dominated the third period, scoring five goals to the Monarchs’ zero in the third period. First-year forward Hayden Smith, first-year forward Charley Borek, first-year forward Peter Hatton and McIntyre all contributed goals to make the score 9–3 for the Jumbos, sealing the team’s first victory of the season and earning them a third-place finish at the weekend’s Invitational. “I was really pleased with how we responded to the early adversity,” Norton said. “That easily could have gone the other way based on what we have been through this season. Going into the third we were up 4–3 and instead of sitting back playing … to [not] lose or to hang on, we really put the foot down, and found the back of the net five more times.” The day before, the Jumbos faced the Brockport Golden Eagles in the first

round of the Invitational. Brockport took an early lead against Tufts in the first period, with two quick goals coming from sophomore forward Connor Hutchins and senior forward Zac Sikich at 10:44 and 11:13 respectively. Hutchins scored off a long-range slap shot after a pass from Sikich, who then went on to score a goal of his own. The Golden Eagles continued to push the attack in the second period, and grabbed a third goal through a shot from junior defenseman Connar Bass. The Jumbos took a while to gain their footing, but finally earned their first goal of the game 10:25 into the second period. McIntyre took a shot that was off target, but first-year forward Andrew Hadley was there to pick up the scraps and slot in the rebound, making the game 3–1. However, Brockport then scored another goal to extend the lead even further. Thanks to first-year Peter Hatton, who slotted a low shot just past the goaltender at 17:05, the Jumbos stayed competitive going into the final period. With fewer than three minutes to go in the game, the Jumbos took a risk and took out their goalie for an extra advantage on attack. Brown latched onto a pass from sophomore forward Machlan Sawden and scored to make the game 4–3 at 2:11. The Jumbos’ hopes of a see ICE HOCKEY, page 7