FIELD HOCKEY
Crowe discusses background, research, Bio 13 see FEATURES / PAGE 4
Jumbos set to start season against Ephs
Lana Del Rey captures current American moment in ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’ see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5
SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE
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VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 3
Thursday, September 5, 2019
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Cummings Center construction begins, building won’t be LEED rated by Robert Kaplan News Editor
The Joyce Cummings Center, the new academic building for which construction has begun near the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue, will not be rated on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, which recognizes a structure’s environmental sustainability, according to Director of Strategic Capital Programs Ruth Bennett. Many of Tufts’ most recent and high-profile capital projects, including the Science and Engineering Complex, the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Complex at 574 Boston Avenue and Sophia Gordon Hall are rated on the LEED green building rating system as part of the University’s strategy to pursue sustainable practices and standards. The LEED system, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, awards projects points on their perfor-
mance in specific categories, such as materials used in construction, site selection and energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Green Building Council’s webpage, the highest possible rating is “Platinum” and the lowest “Certified,” with “Silver” and “Gold” in between. Bennett explained that though the Joyce Cummings Center will not be rated on the LEED Green Building Rating System, it will be designed to use the least energy possible. “We’re really trying to focus on the energy consumption, and thereby the carbon emissions of this building to as minimal as we can get it, because that has the most immediate, direct impact on carbon reduction,” Bennett said. Bennett explained what the actual energy consumption target is, and how it could be related to the LEED Green Building Rating System. “The target is 50 kBtu/sf of energy consumption,” Bennett said. “This is prob-
ably 50% more efficient from an energy consumption point of view than a LEED Platinum building.” Bennett also addressed why Tufts elected to pursue an energy use intensity targeting strategy over a LEED rating. “You could have a … high rated LEED building, and you wouldn’t be reducing your energy consumption as much as we are,” Bennett said. Jenna Clark, a co-leader of Students for Environmental Awareness with Bridget Moynihan, explained why she believed that pursuing LEED ratings is important for Tufts’ buildings. “LEED certification would allow for a certain level of transparency, allowing Tufts students and the public to know exactly what steps Tufts is taking to address the climate crisis,” Clark, a junior, said. Clark speculated that the university chose not to pursue LEED certification because Tufts felt it wasn’t necessary. “It was our understanding of the rationale for not certifying the building that to
Tufts, LEED certification seems unnecessary and costly and that sustainability standards could, and would, still be met,” Clark said. Bennett clarified that though the Cummings Foundation had an active role in the planning of the building, it had no role in determining whether to pursue the energy-use targeting strategy over a LEED rating. “The Cummings Foundation was involved with us in the design process,” Bennett said. “We set the strategy, but they were with us in working towards it.” Bennett added that the decision to not pursue a LEED rating for the Joyce Cummings Center did not mark a departure from a general trend. “We really are focusing on lowering our carbon emissions, that’s a big overall strategic goal,” Bennett said. “I wouldn’t say that it was a process where the policy was changed, but it was more of a ‘this is
see CUMMINGS CENTER, page 2
Rove, Markey, Burke, Andrés to headline Distinguished Speaker Series by Austin Clementi
Executive News Editor
Tisch College of Civic Life announced its fall events, including who will speak at its Distinguished Speaker Series, in an email on Tuesday. According to Jessica Byrnes, the special projects administrator at Tisch College, previous events have included former vice presidents and business leaders. This year’s speaker series will include political consultant Karl Rove, U.S. Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey, activist Tarana Burke and food justice advocate José Andrés. According to the Tisch College website, Rove was the senior adviser to former President George W. Bush from 2000 to 2007. The email states that Rove worked in several different offices, including as Deputy Chief of Staff, and worked with Bush in his gubernatorial and presidential elections. Rove will be at Tufts on Sept. 25. Markey, according to Jennifer McAndrew, the director of communi-
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cations, strategy and planning at Tisch College, has represented Somerville for his entire political career. He was a co-author, along with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of the Green New Deal resolution. Markey received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Tufts last year. Markey will speak at Tufts on Oct. 7. Burke, who founded the #MeToo movement more than a decade ago, will come to Tufts on Nov. 7. Burke has advocated for justice for victims of sexual violence, particularly women of color, for 25 years and was featured in TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year 2017 issue as a “Silence Breaker.” José Andrés is a chef and food justice advocate. The email states that he is the owner of the ThinkFoodGroup, which includes the World Central Kitchen, and he has delivered millions of meals to people in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He will be at Tufts on Dec. 10. Byrnes said in an interview with the Daily that the Distinguished Speaker see TISCH COLLEGE, page 2
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United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be speaking at Tufts on Sept. 12.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, September 5, 2019
THE TUFTS DAILY Jessica Blough
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New Cummings building to build in tandem with MBTA
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continued from page front page a more immediate and more integrated strategy for lowering consumption.'” Director of Government and Community Relations Rocco DiRico highlighted some of the features of the building that form this energy-use target strategy. “The building will feature triple glazed windows that will cut down on energy consumption … [and] will feature solar panels on the roof,” DiRico said. DiRico also highlighted the relationship between the Joyce Cummings Center and the new College Avenue station under construction as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line Extension. “The [Joyce Cummings Center] is a transit-oriented development that will make it easy for people to utilize mass transit,” DiRico said. “The plaza in front of
the building will connect to a pedestrian bridge that will allow students, faculty and staff to easily access the MBTA’s new Green Line Extension station that is scheduled to open in 2021.” The building, which has been in planning as early as 2015, will add auditoriums and classrooms, collaborative spaces and faculty offices in the departments of mathematics, computer science and economics, the Gordon Institute, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy’s executive education and global master of arts program and the Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Studies. According to Senior Vice President for University Advancement Eric Johnson, the building will be named after Joyce Cummings. “The building’s formal name will be Joyce Cummings Center,” Johnson said. “Final details on how signs will be done are still to be worked out.”
This resolves differences between the project’s webpage, where it is called the “Tufts Cummings Center,” and signs at the construction site, where it is called the “Tufts Joyce Cummings Center.” Medford residents expressed frustra-b tion in June over the use of a field as aA staging area behind the Gantcher Center, called the Stearns Estate Field, according to the Medford Transcript. However, DiRico reiterated Tufts’ response to the community’s concerns, which were announced at a June community meeting held in Halligan Hall. “In response to those concerns, Tufts has altered its plan and will be using another area as a temporary staging area,” DiRico said. Construction began on schedule for the Joyce Cummings Center in June and will be completed in 2021, according to DiRico. Occupancy for the building is scheduled to begin over the summer of 2021.
Distinguished Speaker Series will bring politicians, activists to campus
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continued from front page Series began in the fall of 2014 at the initiative of Dean of Tisch College Alan Solomont when Senator Elizabeth Warren came to campus. “We launched [the Distinguished Speaker Series] with that event, with the intent to host public leaders and a realm of different films: journalism, media, government, private sector that are somehow related to civic life, to engage with students, to inspire them to showcase different pathways to civic engagement and talk about really important issues that we’re facing today,” Byrnes said. According to Byrnes, Tisch College relies heavily on recommendations of students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as current events to find interesting and relevant speakers. She added that the college makes selections based on diversity of opinions, pointing particularly to Rove, a conservative speaker. “We’re always looking to get speakers who represent opinions on the ideological
spectrum, and I think it can be a challenge for Tufts to find conservative speakers to come just because Tufts tends to be a more liberal campus,” she said. McAndrew stressed that ideological diversity made up only one part of the search for speakers, emphasizing that for all events, including those outside of the Distinguished Speaker Series, Tisch College seeks younger speakers such as Congressman Will Hurd, who will speak at Tufts on Friday. Byrnes elaborated on this point, saying that gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and differing academic and professional fields are considered in measuring the diversity of the events over a semester. In particular, Byrnes mentioned that Tisch College has never hosted a chef as one of its speakers. “I think that’s a really cool opportunity to talk about food policy and some of the incredible work that’s coming out of the Friedman School of Nutrition and a lot of undergraduate groups on-campus and at the Fletcher School that work around food policy,” she said.
In an emailed statement to the Daily, Solomont emphasized the importance of the Distinguished Speaker Series. “As we approach the 2020 national elections, we are keeping our eye on opportunities to bring candidates — of both parties — to campus, prioritizing event formats that allow students to ask questions directly. To that end, we are kicking things off with Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke this week, and we expect to add others this semester and next,” the statement said. According to McAndrew, 3,700 people attended last year’s Distinguished Speaker Series events. “I think this lineup is particularly ambitious, and particularly diverse in a way that makes me really proud,” McAndrew said. In addition to the Distinguished Speaker Series, the email announced several other events hosted by or that involve Tisch College, including the Beto O’Rourke town hall event which will happen later today, and a visit by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, which will occur on Sept. 12.
News
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Joseph Duck named new dean of admissions
COURTESY LAURENCE KESTERSON VIA PATRICK COLLINS
JT Duck, new dean of admission, is pictured.
by Andres Borjas
Assistant News Editor
g Joseph “JT” Duck has been appointed the new dean of admissions for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, replacing outgoing Dean Karen Richardson, who has been named dean of admission at her alma mater, Princeton University. Duck comes to Tufts following a five-year ten-
ure at Swarthmore College as director of admissions. He previously worked various roles within admissions offices throughout the Boston area at Brandeis, MIT and the Boston University Academy. Patricia Reilly, associate dean of financial aid, explained to the Daily in an email how Duck was chosen to be dean. “The search committee reviewed all applications for the position, interviewed the first round of candidates and recom-
mended finalists to Dean Glaser and Dean Qu, who made the final decision,” she said. A graduate of Haverford College, Duck was the first in his family to graduate college and has emphasized the importance of making the application process accessible to first-generation and low-income students. “I am always thinking about families that may not have the social, financial or educational capital to most easily navigate the American college admissions process, and then thinking of ways to work with an admissions team to reduce barriers to access for those families,” Duck told the Daily in an email. “My job in Admissions, then, is to help build pipelines and processes that allow and encourage students of all backgrounds to consider a Tufts education.” Duck said his passion for admissions came from his desire to understand future generations. “Someone once told me that working in admissions is like having a front-row seat to the future, that makes a lot of sense to me,” he said. “We read their essays, we meet them in their high schools and communities, we interview them over coffee, and we eventually welcome them into our community.” Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Management ad interim Susan Ardizzoni has long known the new dean not only as a counterpart in the admissions world, but also as a colleague within the Tufts Admissions Office. “When he was in grad school at Harvard, we hired him as an outside reader,” she said. “JT and I have always found it easy to talk and confer, I think he would agree, and I anticipate this to continue as he begins his new role at Tufts.” Since his first experience at Tufts, Duck has always considered the possibility of returning to the university. “Tufts has long been a special institution to me,” he said. “The strength of its academic program across the liberal arts,
engineering and fine arts, as well as its commitment to innovation and global citizenship, resonate with me.” Concerning specific changes planned for admissions, Duck noted the continued importance of technology in admissions as a tool to reach out to potential applicants. “A university’s admissions website is among the most important of the vehicles an institution uses to communicate with prospective students,” he said. “The Admissions Office actively thinks about how potential applicants to Tufts interact with our website. As the needs and expectations of our prospective students evolve, we will work to keep our website fresh and current.” Ayden Crosby, chairman of the Tufts Community Union Senate Education Committee, said he sees Duck’s appointment positively, and he believes the new dean’s previous experiences will lead him to pursue policies that will continue to promote the Tufts admissions process as a comfortable experience for applicants. “I had a pretty positive experience with [Tufts] admissions … I think it can be super daunting and intimidating … but it was always very encouraging and never seemed super intimidating,” Crosby, a junior, said. “[Duck] seems super aware of the social issues that surround higher education. Higher education [is] sort of a hot button issue and it is important that whoever is higher up is aware of that and can put their work in context of that.” Duck begins his time at Tufts starting Sept. 12. He acknowledges the uniqueness of his new place of work and is eager to understand the ins-and-outs of the school. “The more conversations I have, the more equipped I will be to guide the Admissions Office to recruit, admit, and enroll the students who are most likely to contribute to and benefit from Tufts,” he said. “It is an honor to serve Tufts in this capacity.”
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FEATURES
Thursday, September 5, 2019
New Faculty Q&A: Lauren Crowe
SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY
Lauren Crowe, lecturer of biology at Tufts, is pictured on Sept. 4. by Sidharth Anand Staff Writer
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. In the wake of Dr. Susan Koegel’s departure from the biology department in spring 2019, cell biologist Dr. Lauren Crowe has joined Tufts as a lecturer who will begin teaching this fall. The Tufts Daily sat down with Dr. Crowe to discuss her background, what led her to Tufts and her plans for teaching one of Tufts’ largest courses: Biology 13. The Tufts Daily (TD): Could you start by telling me a little bit of your background? What was your path to Tufts? What are you looking forward to here? Lauren Crowe (LC): My name is Lauren Crowe [and] I am from North Carolina. I did my undergraduate at [the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill] and got my PhD from Duke. In September of 2016, I moved up to Boston to do my post-doctoral research down in the neuroscience department at Tufts. I was in the program TEACRS [Training in Education and Critical Research Skills], which is a postdoctoral program that is 75% research and 25% teaching and faculty development. During my time at TEACRS, I taught a cell biology course at Bunker Hill Community College, and when I was in North Carolina, I taught at North Carolina Central University, so I have had experience teaching these kinds of courses … I am going into one of the largest classes at Tufts, so I get to see approximately 25% of the Arts and Sciences community, which is very exciting … I am looking forward to interacting with all the students here and getting everybody excited about biology. I am excited about making this class as enjoyable as possible despite its size. TD: What made you want to teach Biology 13 specifically at Tufts? LC: […] In the past, teaching in North Carolina Central, I have been able to see marginalized students fall through the cracks. Being able to teach Bio 13, [it] being such a big introductory class, I feel like it’s a chance to help students who would otherwise be dropping out of
biology without additional support. A lot of my teaching training has been focused on making the classroom more engaging, minimizing stereotype threat and creating a level playing field for everyone to be able to succeed in biology. So, one of the things I am most excited about is being able to … help everybody reach the next level in biology. I feel like there are some advisors who would tell their students to go into communications … instead of helping them and giving them the tools to succeed. TD: Biology 13 is often considered a cornerstone class for many students in terms of their decision to continue or stop pursuing biology. What are some things you plan to do to make this class more accessible for all students regardless of what they decide to pursue going forward? LC: I think a lot of people come into introductory science classes thinking that it will involve a lot of memorization. Memorize this formula, memorize this definition [or] … this set of facts. But science is a whole lot more than that … it’s about applying that knowledge to solve problems we don’t understand yet. Part of Bio 13 and a lot of introductory science classes as an incoming undergraduate is getting you to switch your mind from just memorizing facts and flash cards to being able to think about these problems and apply [the knowledge] and create scientists. So, I think some students [are] not expecting that. And it’s hard — it’s a skill you have to learn. I don’t think it’s fixed. Some students are good at that and some students are poor at it. Every student has the potential to do it, but they need to put in the work to develop the skill … So, my hope is that through the course, we can work on those skills together and create a new generation of scientists. And even if they decide not to go into science and that that’s not their calling, hopefully they’ll be able to take those critical thinking skills and that ability to apply knowledge to unknown problems into whatever field they decide to go into. TD: Is teaching these skills made more difficult with a larger class? How do you plan to gear
such techniques to a larger class, making use of study groups and office hours? LC: Yes and no. In general, it’s a different way of thinking that students haven’t been made to [use] before. I think in a lot of high school classes you do a little bit of it, but you’re starting to increase in your education, you’re starting to develop new skills, all these new expectations are expected of you … I do think that it is a bit of a challenge in a bigger class, so I am doing something called a partially flipped classroom, which puts some of the onus on the students to learn basic foundational facts outside the classroom and then bring that into the classroom … What I’ve seen in the past is that if you spend class time being a passive recipient of knowledge … and doing those problem sets at home where you’re being asked to apply it, then you don’t realize that you have misconceptions that you are applying to the problem … I’d prefer to have students working on the problems in class so that we can clarify misconceptions and apply [concepts] in a supportive environment. It gives you a chance to build a little bit of a community with students sitting around you. We’ll be using a lot of technology, like Poll Everywhere, so it gives us a chance to give immediate feedback between both me and the students. Because of the size of the class … we’ll also be having group office hours … so even if students want to drop in and don’t have specific questions, they still might get something out of listening to other students’ questions … There’s also the optional recitation and we have the [Academic Resource Center] study groups … so there’s a lot of opportunity to build smaller communities within big lecture classes… TD: Do you plan to continue research on campus, or will you be focused mostly on teaching? LC: …Part of the lecturer job description is just teaching and service, but I am interested in pursuing some educational research once I get my feet wet and settled in … One of the great things [about] having such a large class is that you have a chance to try out new techniques
and see if they work or if they don’t, and it would be cool to publish a few case studies in the future. TD: What are some pieces of advice you would give to an incoming first year student? LC: There’s a couple things. More directly related to class and your education, I think that there’s a lot going on in your life. You might be away from your parents for the first time … you might not know anybody here, and it’s tempting to get involved in everything right off the bat and then fall into the pattern of procrastination and cramming. But the research really does show that spaced studying is better. I try to design the course in such a way that you have to do spaced studying, and it holds you accountable for that. Even in other courses, where it may not be as structured, [set] some time aside and [get] into a routine of reviewing your notes before class … and not just coming up on an exam … It’s really about the learning. You’re here to learn and become experts … the cramming-exam cycle will basically allow you to forget most of what you learned, and you want to be able to have these foundations to take to your other courses … The second thing is, I know how important it is to have other things outside your core curriculum to focus on. Whether it’s sports or dance or being an [FYA or CDA], don’t lose sight of yourself, but pick your one or two things that you’re really passionate about and don’t try to do it all … If you’re doing ten different extracurriculars as well as trying to stay on top of your studies and not getting sleep, it leads to health issues and a lot of stress. TD: What do you want to see at the end of the class? What is your goal for the semester? LC: It’s not really measurable, but I just would really like to see Bio 13 be a community. A lot of first years and second years, they’re in this class together and they’re going to be struggling with the same things. Hopefully they’re celebrating their accomplishments together. Like I said, it’s about 25% of the Arts and Sciences students, so despite the fact that it’s a huge class, I’d like to see a community built out of it of students who support each other and celebrate each other’s accomplishments.
Arts & Living
Thursday, September 5, 2019
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ALBUM REVIEW
Lana Del Rey’s American Dream and ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Lana Del Rey performs during her show at the 2017 KROQ Weenie Roast festival in Carson, Calif. by Christopher Panella
Executive Social Media Editor
If the 2010s have been defined by anything, it has been turmoil — changes in both the political climate and the actual climate, social divides that have permanently broken the ground underneath us and economic disparities that only seem to grow. What was once beautiful, or at least seemed that way, is now simply cracking under the pressure. The world of yesterday is only a memory as we hurtle — rather unprepared — towards the future. Sure, it seems like we’re coming into an age of greater technological modernity, where movies are all green screens and people can spend their days wearing virtual reality goggles. But it’s only a greater age of escapism. We long for the past or a perfect world. If anyone understands our current circumstances, it’s Lana Del Rey. On her new album “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” (2019), the alternative-pop phenomenon makes music fit for an end to a decade spent split between longing for the past and a feeling that the future is bleak. Del Rey thrives on idealism and the American Dream — or what was the American Dream, anyway. Lana has spent her past albums dissecting those ideals: big hair, suburban neighborhood, 50s Americana, PepsiCola and ill-fated love with older men. She has spent time hopelessly in sorrow, singing
softly over the sound of cicadas. She has celebrated empty beauty queen personalities, something that feels ripe in the age of social media. She has made pop that’s full of political purpose. But it’s on “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” (2019) that Del Rey dives deeper into the past. It is the place she, and perhaps the world, is most comfortable. On the title track, Del Rey doesn’t seem all too thrilled with the man she’s with. He’s a man-child, but he’s good in bed. She lists the cons, describing a man who thinks he’s far more important, deep and philosophical than he actually is. Regardless of it all, Del Rey accepts it — “Cause you’re just a man/it’s just what you do.” For all the times Del Rey has seen the ugly in a man, she is simply too comfortable to leave. She wants it to work out too badly to let it go. Perhaps it’s the desire for love, but it’s definitely settling for something that’s not as good as it could be. “Why wait for the best when I could have you?” she asks. On “Venice Bitch,” we take a long drive on the coast, the air warm and inviting. There are multitudes to this spacey rock song, a feeling that all Del Rey wants is an escape. Maybe this nine-and-a-half-minute song is her version of that. As it reaches a chaotic culmination of electric guitars, there’s a feeling that maybe a drive with the top down and the sun shining bright is just the dream that people want right
now. It’s like white noise, something to tune out the burning world around us. It’s neither an exaggeration nor album-release euphoria to say that Lana Del Rey is music’s best songwriter right now. Her lyrics are thick and layered. On “Cinnamon Girl,” Del Rey is desperate for love that’s beyond the present — a love that’s forever. She has been hurt — “Hold me, love me, touch me … be the first who ever did” — and she’s practically begging for something that’s too perfect to exist. Well, too perfect to exist in our world. But in the past? In the world of our minds and in the places we go to escape our reality? Maybe not. On other tracks like “California” and “The greatest,” there’s longing for the past and then an acceptance that it’s gone, followed by hope it will return. She sings about wanting someone — a lover, a friend, maybe the country’s lost hope — to return to America, and if they do, she’ll throw a party and take them to all the old places. It’s reminiscent of the good old times. But hope is fickle; on the track “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it,” Del Rey softly describes the bleakness of living between hope and despair. Sonically, “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” exists somewhere between “Ultraviolence” (2014) and “Honeymoon” (2015) with a sprinkle of “Born to Die” (2012). It’s desert rock with some electric guitars, but there are plenty of
cinematic moments — the opening of the title track vaguely recalls “Honeymoon,” but this time, the sound isn’t so eerie and lovely. The honeymoon has ended, and Del Rey wants it back. Moments of swelling sound very nearly burst, like the ending of “Cinnamon Girl.” Rather than continuing into the pop realm of “Lust for Life” (2017), she seems to take a hard right toward the dreamy alternative that made her famous. Her longing for the lost American Dream made Del Rey famous, too. This longing is most evident in this recent work, where Del Rey invokes Norman Rockwell’s artistic reflections of American culture. It’s about escapism, a departure to a world of clean beaches and classic hairstyles. Del Rey escapes there often, but this time, she brings us. And sure, it’s not a complete American Dream, but she’s willing to pretend it’s all there. There’s a desperation to do so — on “Venice Bitch,” she softly requests “One dream, one life, one lover.” And while the world burns and chaos reigns, the past — shown through a grainy VSCO filter with hazy cigarette smoke—is welcoming and peaceful. It’s a desperation to make everything — the imperfect situations and uninviting lovers — perfect again. “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” searches for that perfection and finds it in all the right places.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Thursday, September 5, 2019
tuftsdaily.com
FILM REVIEW
‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ struggles to stay afloat
VIA IMDB
Promotional posters for ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ (2019) is pictured. by Tommy Gillespie Arts Editor
“Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (2019) keeps taking its title character (Cate Blanchett) to wetter and wetter places. In Richard Linklater’s newest project, based on Maria Semple’s 2012 novel of the same name, the reclusive Bernadette Fox finds herself retreating from Los Angeles to Seattle to Antarctica, seeking both a
greater sense of unity with the spaces she occupies and a break from the tedious pleasantries of everyday social interaction. But as she finds her footing and learns to swim rather than have her sense of self washed away, Linklater loses his grip on Bernadette’s journey. The perils of adaptation spell doom for “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” leaving the film with a halfhearted sense of reductiveness. Linklater’s film deviates from Semple’s novel, including a softening of her husband’s character and a shift from the perspective of Bernadette’s daughter Bee (Emma Nelson) to that of Bernadette herself. On the whole, however, the plot is the same: Bernadette, a MacArthur Grant-winning architect, has abandoned her practice for years and withdrawn to a hermit-like existence in the semi-derelict Seattle mansion she shares with her hotshot Microsoftemployed husband Elgin (Billy Crudup). Outside of her beloved daughter, Bernadette’s chief day-to-day concerns include avoiding people whenever possible, delegating all of her personal matters to an India-based assistant named Manjula and antagonizing the busybody PTA moms at her daughter’s school, particularly their leader, Bernadette’s nextdoor neighbor Audrey (Kristen Wiig). We learn through a series of cringe-inducing sequences depicting Bee watching a documentary that the formerly Los Angeles-based Bernadette was once a force to be reckoned with in architecture circles, but that she suffered a break-
down after her passion project (a house constructed entirely from locally-sourced materials) was purchased and demolished by a greedy Hollywood B-lister. When Elgin’s concerns about Bernadette’s mental health lead him to stage an intervention, Bernadette skedaddles — predictably — through a bathroom window, leaving Elgin and Bee to venture out and find her. There is not a single, overarching flaw in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.” Rather, a series of smaller disappointments accumulates, from a litany of groan-inducing lines to odd jumps in tone, to an unbearably clunky thread of expository narration (with cameos from Megan Mullally and Steve Zahn) that rears its unwelcome head multiple times throughout the film. Considered together, these result in a mulligan of a film for the visionary director of “Boyhood” (2014) and “Before Sunrise” (1995). A movie seemingly so perfunctorily produced comes as a surprise for Linklater, who has rather quietly established himself as a veritable auteur but rarely earns mention alongside the Spike Lees, Wes Andersons and Sofia Coppolas of the film industry. Yet, by-the-numbers unfortunately feels like the most appropriate descriptor for “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” which, amidst repeated delays, bypassed the festival circuit for a somewhat underthe-radar August release. As “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is still a Richard Linklater film star-
ring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup, it never crosses into the category of unwatchable. The film certainly has its rare moments — Laurence Fishburne’s appearance as an old architect acquaintance of Bernadette and its consideration of the mental necessities of an artist, for example, tells us that there was a great film buried somewhere in the script. Cate Blanchett channels a similar energy to what won her an Oscar in “Blue Jasmine” (2013), but the script is largely beneath her capabilities. In a film so concerned with architecture, production designer Bruce Curtis also deserves special recognition not only for his gorgeous rendering of Bernadette’s work, but also for the brilliant manner in which he melds the ravages of Bernadette’s mental state with her artistic philosophy. In the spaces she occupies (particularly the home she rarely leaves), Curtis and his team give the natural balance she strives for in her art leeway to rot and infest the space, making for something truly striking. Despite this artistic symbolism and Blanchett’s expertly lived-in performance, however, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” ultimately falls into a familiar trap for novel adaptations: Its script reduces her nuanced inner struggles to broad strokes, turning Semple’s carefully curated perspective for Bernadette into a clichéd misanthropy. At his best, Linklater is a filmmaker of profound empathy and originality, but with “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” he gives us a distinctly cold film replete with beats that we’ve all seen before.
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY
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F &G FUN & GAMES
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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Austin: “I think Slackbot should be a she because it would at least somewhat balance out the lack of feminine energy in this room”
SUDOKU
LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY
Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)
Clean your room and personal space to clear your head. Domestic projects provide satisfying results. Research for best value before buying. Find creative solutions.
CORRECTION
Difficulty Level: Showing up to the wrong classroom
A version of the Sept. 3 article “No. 1 men’s soccer gears up for start of season” incorrectly stated that Joe Braun was a co-captain. The co-captains are Tanner Jameson and Gavin Tasker. The article has been updated to reflect this change. The Daily regrets this error.
Tuesday’s Solutions
CROSSWORD
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Opinion
Thursday, September 5, 2019
EDITORIAL
President Monaco, open your door Dear University President Anthony Monaco, Each semester you open your door to the Tufts community for office hours. You’ve written that “Office Hours serve as an opportunity for members of the Tufts community to participate in an informal open discussion.” Unfortunately, your door is only open for one hour per campus per semester. Just this past spring, you announced an office hour for the Medford/Somerville campus scheduled for between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on March 29 — a Friday. Many
people could not attend due to scheduling conflicts. One hour simply isn’t enough. At this university we have ongoing issues with student accommodations, accessibility, labor, mental health, transparency and much more. Access to Tufts’ top administrator is essential for promoting open and honest conversations on campus and maintaining a level of transparency conducive to community growth. It is impossible for you to get involved with every student project, solve every problem or address every issue. You just
wouldn’t have the time. Leadership, however, is about more than solutions; it’s about listening. Allowing greater unstructured access to you will strengthen the tattered relationship between students and administrators, help foster a sense of unity and empower students with the knowledge that their voices are, in fact, heard. You have the power to hear those voices, President Monaco. You have the power to start off this year on a foundation of transparency and trust. This year, President Monaco, we urge you to open your door to the Tufts community and truly listen. Open
your door once a week or once a month, but certainly more than once per semester. You govern a large university full of undergraduates and graduates who all share in the desire to be heard. A true solution to transparency in the Tufts administration involves engagement with the student body on many levels, but holding more than one office hour per semester per campus is a necessary step toward an improved campus dialogue. President Monaco: Help us build a stronger university through open doors, open dialogue and open arms.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
BY JULIA BARONI
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. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.
Opinion
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY
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OP-ED
Recognizing the Red Zone
9 by Marley Hillman and Nina Benites
The responsibility of preventing campus sexual violence falls on our entire community. More than 50% of campus sexual assaults take place during the first 10 weeks of the school year. This time period is known as the Red Zone. It is especially dangerous for first-years, who are two-and-a-half times more likely to experience sexual violence. Although the most well-known statistic is that one in five undergraduate women experience sexual violence on campus, one in 16 men are also assaulted while in college, and the rates are even higher for queer and trans students, individuals with disabilities and people of color. Though some groups are more likely to experience sexual violence, and others more likely to perpetrate, we must recognize that anyone of any identity can be a survivor, and anyone of any identity can be a perpetrator. These statistics are alarming, and the fear that many of us feel is real and valid. We all must do our part to curb the epidemic of campus sexual violence. Commonly circulated guidance for preventing campus sexual violence advises women to learn self-defense, but this approach is victim-blaming as well as exclusionary to survivors that are
not women. Rather, we all must strive to change campus culture to create communities where sexual violence is unacceptable. The onus of preventing sexual violence is never on the survivor: It’s on the entire community to ensure mutual safety. Here at Tufts, we have resources like Green Dot, which trains students in bystander intervention tactics so that we have the tools to prevent sexual violence. Being a Green Dot means something different to everyone on this campus. Most commonly, Green Dot advises that students learn which ways they feel comfortable intervening in potentially dangerous situations using the Three D’s: Direct, Distract, Delegate. These interventions can be highly-confrontational and direct, such as asking someone explicitly if they feel unsafe or asking a potential perpetrator to back off. Interventions need not be direct to be effective, however. Many people do not feel comfortable or safe addressing dangerous situations in this way. Instead, many people prefer the distract and delegate techniques. A distracting intervention could be to flicker the lights in the room you are in, or to pretend you have lost your phone and ask for help looking for it. Another option is to delegate the confrontation or intervention to someone you feel
can help. All Greek-sponsored parties should have risk managers who are there for exactly this reason. Not all parties have someone designated to this role, however, so in those instances it is helpful to turn to a friend for help diffusing dangerous situations. Green Dot behavior includes more than just intervening in the moment. From walking friends home late at night, to calling out rape jokes, to asking for consent before physically touching someone else, we can all help create a culture where we hold perpetrators accountable and where we believe and support the survivors in our community. If you are interested in the resources Tufts Green Dot provides, please reach out via email at greendottufts@gmail.com or @ tuftsgreendot on Instagram. If you find yourself in a position where you have been affected by sexual violence, know that there are people on and off campus that want to support you. A great on-campus, confidential resource is the Center for Awareness, Resources and Education office (CARE). The CARE office can review what options individuals have within the Tufts community, such as no-contact orders. However, many resources, not affiliated with the Tufts Administration, are also available to pro-
vide support and resources, such as Action for Sexual Assault Prevention at Tufts (ASAP), Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). You can connect with ASAP through their Facebook page or through their email, asapattufts@gmail.com. ASAP is a student-led and survivor-centered organization working to end sexual violence on campus. ASAP focuses their work on restorative justice and supporting survivors in their healing and growth. Recognizing that many students matriculate into Tufts already as survivors, ASAP provides community and support through biweekly survivor spaces, where survivors can gather together, do homework, eat snacks or just be. ASAP also runs programming like discussions on having healthy sex after assault. To all of you, especially survivors, we are here for you during the Red Zone and throughout your time here at Tufts. We believe you and we support you. Marley Hillman is a junior studying sociology. Marley can be reached at marley. hillman@tufts.edu. Nina Benites is a junior studying biology. Nina can be reached at Nina.Benites@tufts.edu
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Thursday, September 5, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Golf excited to host NESCAC qualifier this season
EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES
Former co-captain Taylor Nordan (LA‘18) drives towards the 17th hole in the NESCAC championship qualifying tournament at Indian Hill Golf Club in Newington, Conn. on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.
GOLF PREVIEW
continued from back page Tufts’ home course, located at Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Mass., bodes particularly well for the Jumbos. Knowing a course inside and out can be a fantastic advantage for a team, where players can become familiar with the clubs they choose for particular spots and the paths they like to take to the green.
“This is the first time in history that Tufts has had the opportunity [to host the NESCAC qualifiers],” Pendergast said. “Sandy Burr is a bit quirky, with some tricky and odd holes that we are really used to, while other teams may have only one practice round before the match.” The excitement for the qualifiers is shared by the entirety of the team, and everyone involved will look to bring their
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A-game. If the Jumbos manage to qualify, it will be their third NESCAC championship berth in a row, a considerable feat for any team. Beyond a berth in the championship, Clauson pointed out some of the team’s even larger aspirations. “I think the team feels that this will be the best chance to win the championship that the program has ever had,” Clauson said.
A combination of depth, discipline, experience and chemistry look to characterize an exciting fall for the Jumbos that they hope will lead to even greater things. In the meantime, however, the team’s sights are set on the coming weekend, where they aim to make a splash in their first game action after a long summer and exciting preseason in Los Angeles. The Jumbos begin their run to the qualifiers — and beyond — this Saturday at 11 a.m.
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Sports
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Field hockey looks forward to opener against Williams
EVAN SLACK / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES
Junior midfielder Marguerite Salamone possesses the ball in Tufts’ 2–0 win against Williams on Oct. 20, 2018. by Julia Atkins
Assistant Sports Editor
The ‘Bos are back this Saturday, kicking off their 2019 campaign on NESCAC rival Williams’ home turf. The 2018 NCAA runner-up Tufts field hockey team ended their last season on a 19–3 high, with No. 1 Middlebury claiming all three losses for Tufts as well as the national title. Despite having lost in the NCAA championship game, the Jumbos had one of the strongest seasons in the program’s history. Senior forward/midfielder Brigid Gliwa spoke about her team’s performance last season, as well as alluding toward the success the team is expected to have moving forward. “Last season was a really good run for us,” Gliwa said. “We worked so hard all
season and positioned ourselves in a great place for this year.” Tufts started off their 2018 season with an eight-game winning streak, four of which were shutout victories. After losing only to Middlebury in regular play, Tufts continued on their rampage throughout the remainder of the season, until they were defeated a second time by Middlebury in the NESCAC championship. After losing to the Panthers, the Jumbos earned a bid to the NCAA tournament. They shut out Smith 3–0 in the first round and went on to defeat Salisbury 1–0 in a riveting double-overtime second-round game. Tufts sent Johns Hopkins home in the semifinals, but they were unable to take down the relentless Middlebury in the championship. Looking forward to this upcoming season, the Jumbos have been dialing in during preseason and working towards
another successful year of competition, as expressed by sophomore midfielder Claire Foley. “We’re going to take this one game at a time,” Foley said. “Our first game is at Williams this weekend. We’ve been preparing and working really hard in [the] preseason for this game. We’re focusing on just winning that one, and going from there. One game at a time.” Williams also had a strong 2018 season, with a final record of 12–5. Despite having defeated the Ephs twice last year, the Jumbos refuse to take any match-up lightly. “Our first game against Williams is pivotal,” Gliwa said. “The first game can set the tone for the entire season. Williams also has an advantage over us with their field. It’s known to be hard to play on and they know their way around it much better than we do, so that makes this game
even more of a challenge. We don’t have any easy games this year. Every game is a challenge. We just want to stick to the mindset of taking each game one at a time in order to be successful. We’re really trying to slow things down and stay focused as competition picks up.” The Jumbos have eight new first-years in the lineup, taking the place of the six graduated team members from last year. With such a large incoming class, the Jumbos are excited to see what kind of new talent these first-years will bring. “The [first-years] look really good,” Foley said. “I’m excited to see how they contribute to the team. They definitely have a lot of potential, and it’s been great getting to know them and welcoming them to the program.” The Jumbos face off against the Ephs at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Williamstown, Mass.
Tufts golf preps for run at 3rd straight NESCAC championship berth
by Aiden Herrod
Assistant Sports Editor
The 2018–19 season for Tufts golf was an eventful one, filled with strong showings and pivotal performances from many corners of the roster. Last season, a thrilling come-frombehind performance on the second day of qualifiers gave the squad the necessary edge to vault past Williams into fourth place in the NESCAC. That finish landed the Jumbos their second consecutive berth in the NESCAC championship. However, a fourth-place finish and an early exit ultimately left the squad hungry for more. Tufts will look to build on its
impressive past season this weekend when it hits the course on Sept. 7 and 8 for the Detrick Invitational at the Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn. Fall 2019 has the potential to be a large step forward for the team. Returning the majority of its core after graduating two seniors, many of the big contributors from last season are hoping to take their games to the next level. A considerable number of returning players now possess qualifier and championship experience. Such familiarity will be invaluable as the team gears up for another run, as explained by Tufts coach George Pendergast.
“Experience and depth are the two words that define this team,” Pendergast said. “We have several really strong upperclassmen that have played in a lot of tournaments.” Before the season kicks off this weekend, the focus is on roster construction, with a whopping 17 players trying out this week. “For now, we are focusing on adding depth to our roster with a good incoming [first-year] class,” senior Ethan Sorkin said. In a game where the competition can be defined by mere inches, every step a player takes can have a huge impact. That leads into a huge part of the team’s focus for the coming
year, where Pendergast emphasizes the use of real courses as the primary way he likes to train his team. “We try to get on the golf course and get used to getting the ball in the hole,” Pendergast said. In terms of specific dates circled on the calendar, sophomore Travis Clauson weighed in on a particular date drawing excitement. “The league qualifier is what everyone definitely has their eyes set on,” Clauson said. “It’ll be at our home course, where we believe we can win.”
see GOLF PREVIEW, page 11