WOMEN’S SQUASH
Students explore Boston art gallery scene with TAGSS see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 3
Jumbos edged in first round of conference tournament
Preview: Men’s and women’s basketball vs. Trinity see SPORTS / PAGE 7
SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE
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Wednesday, February 7, 2018
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Latino Center reopens following repairs by Shirley Wang Staff Writer
The Latino Center, located in Bolles House, has reopened after being closed over winter break for repair, Director Julián Cancino said. Cancino, who became the director of the Latino Center in September 2017, said that after his first few days in the office as director, he felt the house was in disarray and not conducive to community gathering. This is the first time the center has been redone since its founding in 1993. Many of the repairs took place over break, according to Cancino. There is now a new carpet and new window décor. Clunky and inoperative AC systems sitting on the frames have been removed, different furniture will be installed later in the semester and the walls have all been repainted with new colors. “This room is blueberry, the one raspberry and the floor in the kitchen is flan with golden sprinkles,” Cancino said. Whereas previously the wheelchair ramp from outside to the kitchen area was blocked by a microwaves and tables, the area has now been cleared and computers have been removed until further notice. At the moment, the space is bare, with blank walls and no clutter. Cancino spoke about his vision for a better selection of couches, tables and lighting, though he did not yet know where he would find those items. “I feel like I’m selling the ice cream before buying the cow,” Cancino said. Cancino coordinated with Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon and Senior Director of Diversity, Pluralism and Inclusion Linda Daniels in the fall to make repairs to the Latino Center, according to McMahon.
She said that Facilities Services began to work on improving the house’s carpeting, lighting and furniture in January and later started work on the floor, but these repairs have taken longer than expected. McMahon referenced the current renovations in the Africana Center’s kitchen, noting that the work being done in these two centers can sometimes pose a challenge for the students who spend time there. “We very much appreciate [students’] patience as these upgrades are undertaken,” she told the Daily in an email. According to Cancino, Rubén Salinas Stern, who served as the director of the Latino Center from 1993 to April 2017, kept the center filled with books and plants. Both Cancino and Stern expressed that the Latino Center feels like home for both its faculty and the students it serves. “I spend as many hours here as I do in my own home … I think it’s an amazing space. I think it’s the best space on campus as far as I’m concerned,” Stern said in an April 2017 Daily article. “It’s a home, not just a center,” Cancino said. “For a lot of Latino students who are minority within a minority, they feel safe in dorm rooms, maybe labs, the campus center, but this is a safe space for them and we want to create it very intentionally.” Cancino said he feels that the updated aesthetics will help people reimagine the space as one focused on wellness and the needs of students. He said that the space is not just for Latino Center events, but also for napping and filling moments in between classes and student group meetings. He added that he has plans for mental health-focused programming and hopes to celebrate the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Latino Center with an archival histo-
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(From left to right) Andres Almanza, Julián Cancino (Tufts Latino Center Director), Alberto Rivera and Khalil Payton pose for a portrait shot outside the newly renovated Tufts Latino Center. ry project that will preserve sentimental objects in Bolles House. “As we continue to grow and expand the vision and impact of the Tufts Latino Center, we honor our history. In partnership with the University Digital Collection and Archives, we seek to permanently preserve and make accessible this history, the valuable contributions of Latinos at Tufts,” Cancino told the Daily in an email. One item that will stay is a framed photo of the Bolles House from its early days. Alberto Rivera, a senior who worked with Cancino to plan the Center updates, expressed his respect for the Latino Center. Rivera works as a peer leader for the center and has been a part of the community since his first year at Tufts. “You learn a lot outside of the classroom and this is one of those spaces where I learned a lot. I was exposed to different ideas and dif-
ferent terms even that I wasn’t even aware of before coming to Tufts. Fostering that space was what led me to feel like I depended on it,” Rivera said. Sara Pizarro Jaramillo, a senior at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts and an intern at the center, hopes that as part of these changes, they might be able to bring part of that sense of community to students at the SMFA as well. “I think that it would be good for us to know there’s a community there that can help us and that we can relate to,” she said. “If you come here from a different place, there [are] a lot of people that you don’t know … I definitely am glad it’s here.” Rivera said he knows the center is going through changes, though he has high hopes that it will be a home again. “I know that after I graduate the place will carry on without me,” he said.
New TUTV series aims to share Tisch College hosts Eric T. marginalized stories Washington for conversation on diversity in the judiciary
by Isabel Valdelomar Contributing Writer
Disclaimer: Ray Bernoff is a staff photographer at The Tufts Daily. He was not involved in the writing or editing of this article. “The Athena Project,” an anthology-style docu-series, will be released next year through Tufts University Television (TUTV ). The series’ producers and co-founders, junior Amanda Rose and sophomore Rachel Sobel, said they aim to create a platform for marginalized individuals’ voices.
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Sobel and Rose said they aimed to interview any female-identifying, gender-non-binary or transgender Tufts student interested in telling their story and then take portions of each account to construct a cohesive series that will air on TUTV’s Youtube channel. According to Sobel, the producers currently have 25 individuals scheduled for pre-interview meetings, about half of which have been completed. The creators explained that they recognize how empowering it can be to share one’s personal story, and wanted to see ATHENA PROJECT, page 3
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The Honorable Eric T. Washington (A ’76) spoke Tuesday at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s event “Black on the Bench: Diversity in the Judiciary.” Washington served as the Chief Judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals from August 2005 to March 2017. The lunch was part of Tisch College’s ongoing Civic Life Lunch series and was cosponsored by the Department of Drama
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and Dance, Tufts’ Black Theater Troupe, the Africana Center and the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. The event was moderated by Domonique Johnson (LA ’10), program manager at the Africana Center and a graduate student in the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership program. During the first half of the event, Washington addressed questions from Johnson about his time at Tufts and his early career inspirations.“ see WASHINGTON, page 2
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, February 7, 2018
THE TUFTS DAILY Catherine Perloff Editor-in-Chief
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New docu-series emphasizes individuality ATHENA PROJECT
continued from page 1 “upend” what they saw as society’s blind spot for people of marginalized gender identities. “[We were] mad as hell … because we see the stories that are not getting told in the modern media and pop culture, and that are getting replaced with white cis male stories,” Sobel said. The anthology is structured around the stories that individuals share, so the contributions do not need to fit into a particular mold. The focus is on the stories themselves, rather than on an idea or a political point, according to senior Kerry Crowley, co-producer of “The Athena Project” with Ray Bernoff, also a senior. Sobel stressed that the focus is on creating a safe space specifically for marginalized gender identities, so that anyone can feel comfortable sharing their story. Participation is also open to those who wish to be filmed anonymously, a request that Rose and Sobel assured they will work to accommodate. Sobel mentioned how relieved some interviewees were to know that they did not have to be identified to contribute. In an attempt to welcome as many people as possible, they hosted a training for those who did not have experience working with cameras and other required equipment, according to Sobel and Crowley. Sobel said that this reflects their efforts to uproot demographic imbalance and stick to their model of inclusivity. Crowley said she felt the idea was remarkable. While series like “Humans of New York” have similar ideas, Crowley stressed that a docu-series so invested in a variety of different voices, rather than a mutual cohesive standpoint, was a novel concept. The project’s videos will not be structured
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Asha Norman-Hunt, technical director for The Athena Project, teaches students how to use the equipment in the Tufts University Television room in Curtis Hall on Feb. 3. around themes until after the interviews are completed, according to Crowley. Rose and Sobel also said they want interviewees to feel comfortable speaking up about whatever topics they choose to emphasize. Sobel said they are not specifically looking for stories about gender. “Many, if not all, of our episodes’ themes will be tangentially related to gender or not even related at all — for example, we’re anticipating episodes with themes like home, religion and spirituality, and what makes you happy,” Sobel told the Daily in an email. “However, many individuals do come to us with specific experiences, positive and negative, related to their gender identity, and we certainly welcome those stories.” Crowley also noted that Rose and Sobel are being transparent about the project and are making sure all interviewees are happy with how they are portrayed.
After envisioning the idea for “The Athena Project” last November, Rose and Sobel pitched the project to TUTV, which accepted it. They then recruited members for their rotating crew, as well as potential interviewers and interviewees. Rose and Sobel said they wanted to make sure anyone who was interested did not feel the pressure of total commitment, so they plan to switch out the crew periodically. Rose stressed that she wanted crew members to be involved at every level of the process. “A lot of these crew members we are also inviting to be editors as well so they can be part of … post-production,” she said. The producers said they hope to make edits to all of their footage over the summer. According to “The Athena Project” GIM Facebook event, they will most likely be airing the docu-series in winter 2019.
Civic Life Lunch highlights prominent African-Americans in law Executive Video Editor Staff Videographer
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WASHINGTON
continued from page 1 Boston was a very segregated city,” Washington said of the city in the early 1970s, elaborating that segregation at the time existed not only along racial, but also ethnic, educational and class lines. He also described Tufts’ reaction to the civil rights movement at the time. “This school was trying to do the right thing, but they weren’t ready,” Washington said. Washington said he attended Tufts in the years immediately following the 1969 founding of the Africana Center, then known as the Afro-American Center. He said that due to the emergence of prominent black lawyers and judges during the civil rights legal disputes of the preceding years, it was a heady time for young African-American students interested in law. Washington noted figures such as Thurgood Marshall, who became the first African-American person to serve on the US Supreme Court in 1967, and Vernon Jordan, who became president of the National Urban League in 1971, as among his key inspirations as a young law student. He also emphasized the efforts of municipal and state judges. “There are more cases heard in [the] New York state court in a day than are heard in federal court in a year,” Washington noted. In the second half of the event, Washington addressed questions from the audience covering a range of topics, including how institutions should define diversity, the place of technology in justice and judiciary issues including overuse of plea deals.
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Eric T. Washington is pictured on Dec. 3, 2012. “Diversity has to include enough people to actually have diversity of experience within [each] group,” Washington said, adding that “diversity is not just pure numbers.” Dr. Heather S. Nathans, chair of the Department of Drama and Dance, said the department had cosponsored the event as part of a collaboration with the and Tufts’ Black Theater Troupe and New Repertory Theater, which had brought “Thurgood,” their show about the life of Thurgood Marshall, to Tufts on Feb. 3. “One of the things that we do a lot of the times that we run new shows is we coordinate talkbacks,” Nathans told the Daily in an email. “This is just kind of an extended talkback in a way, because
it’s connected to the themes that will be explored in the production.” Caila Bowen, artistic director of the Tufts’ Black Theater Troupe, explained that the troupe had also become involved in the event by collaborating with the Department of Drama and Dance to bring “Thurgood” to Tufts. Bowen, a junior, told the Daily in an electronic message that the Civic Life Lunch was included as a “‘real world” component to the show. “[The event] elucidates that the historical work is not ‘done’ and people that look like us have not only been doing this work for a long time but we are also still doing this work and will probably continue to do this work for a long, long time,” Bowen wrote.
ARTS&LIVING
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
MOVIE REVIEW
‘Winchester’ tricks ultimately fail to deceive by Jordan Anthony Elijah Barnes
Looming around the center of brothers Michael and Peter Spierig’s most recent film, “Winchester,” is the all-too-familiar haunted house. It’s a sprawling city of a mansion, but the camera makes use of claustrophobia — the film moves with a labored familiarity. We turn corners with our surreptitious protagonist, Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke), as he bumbles through the mansion, happening upon ominous secrets and disturbing visions. The owner of the house, Mrs. Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren), is a widow and the heiress to the massive Winchester fortune, made from selling rifles. Sarah Winchester is consumed by guilt: She (accurately) states that she has derived her wealth from the widespread proliferation of death. She is convinced that the spirits of those murdered by Winchester rifles haunt her home, and she seeks to make peace with those spirits by constantly building rooms onto her house, either to give them places to make peace, or to lock them up if they are too ghastly. The story is set in 1906, and the set design reflects a sense of stiff, early-20th century austerity. Butlers speak in hushed, forced tones; every step seems louder than the last. The house is large and looming from outside and like a labyrinth inside. The home constantly bustles with activity, which adds to the otherwise painfully dull scenes of Dr. Price sneaking through the corridors. The people who work around the house seem to hold an almost obsessive reverence for Mrs. Winchester, and her lingering guilt complicates their respect. In one of the more striking scenes in the film, Dr. Price is able to see all of the spirits: men and women, all dusty, all dirty. At one point, Dr. Price looks into the face of a nameless (and, crucially, voiceless) young black man in chains. He is significant for two reasons: because he is the singular black face among the dead, and because his appearance is instrumental in the triumph of what the film supposes as good over evil. His silence turns his role as a specter of the past into a tool for the present, illuminating one of the major inconsistencies with the film. It seeks to stress the importance of reckoning with history, but fails to understand how the film itself is reckoning with history as well. The use of the ghost of the enslaved young black man rings dissonant because it is seemingly done without any
COURTESY BLACKLAB ENTERTAINMENT AND IMAGINATION DESIGN WORKS
A promotional poster for Winchester is pictured. thought. Here, the film employs the tired, played-out and altogether lazy trope of the ‘Magical Negro,’ relegating this black character to the scars on his back and his capacity to assist the protagonist in moving the plot of the story forward. In this film, the stakes never feel high enough: Never does it elicit that twinge of anxiety about what is around the corner. Through hackneyed and heavy-handed foreshadowing, the plot mainly exposes backstory, and the film dangles the story ahead of you on a string. There is rarely biting tension, and the film could use it. “Winchester” sits precariously on the divider between thriller and horror, and
it does nothing well enough to land on either side. The aesthetic qualities of the film suggest to the viewer a possibility of meditative thriller or macabre horror, but the plot and dialogue lack the thrust and staying power for the former, and the scares are too predictable for the latter. The Spierig Brothers took a stab at some worthwhile pursuits: meditating on our connection to our sordid pasts, discussing our obsession with guns and mapping out the links between capitalism and gun violence. Unfortunately, the film falls flat, and the depth of the film is revealed to be smoke and mirrors.
GALLERY REVIEW
TAGSS tour of galleries in Boston exposes students to variety of contemporary art by Ellie McIntosh Contributing Writer
When wading through the multitude of commercial contemporary art galleries in Boston, even knowing which area of the city to go to can be difficult. Thankfully, the Tufts Art Gallery Student Society (TAGSS) provided the solution to this problem on Friday by offering students the opportunity to tour the best commercial galleries in Boston. From the long-renowned powerhouse Krakow Witkin Gallery to relative newcomer Matter & Light Fine Art, TAGSS
has opened the door to exploring contemporary art. The TAGSS tour explored two vastly different yet equally significant art districts in Boston. The tour, lead by Director and Chief Curator of Tufts University Art Galleries Dina Deitsch and Curator Abigail Satinsky, visited five galleries, two on Newbury Street and three in SoWa Art and Design District, all unique in their own way. Krakow-Witkin Barbara Krakow has been a major player in the Boston art scene for over 50 years, but even today she makes a point
of being a welcoming part of her gallery. To this end, her office is purposely located right next to the entrance to the gallery, so she can greet visitors right as they enter. The fifth-floor gallery does not have window space on Newbury Street. The subsequent low overhead costs of the space have allowed the gallery to stay open since 1983, an unprecedented length of time. The space is small, allowing for three separate exhibits showcasing the gallery’s tremendous caliber of artists. The work see TAGSS, page 4
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Christopher Panella A Column From a Galaxy Far, Far Away
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Contributing Writer
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icture this: a 10-year-old boy wearing oversized basketball shorts and bright orange Crocs hops off his bicycle, runs through a backyard to his house and sits dangerously close to the living room television. That 10-year-old boy is me, and yes, I did own bright orange Crocs, and they were the ultimate accessory. I still own a pair, and I find them very comfortable! Anyway, 10-year-old me grabs the remote for the television and changes the channel to watch an episode of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008–2014). “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was a fantastic and severely underrated show. It had moments of drama, comedy, “Star Wars” lore and amazing characterization. Sometimes, like when I had mononucleosis last semester, I will binge the entire series just to relive the wonder. The show wasn’t exactly my introduction to “Star Wars,” but it helped make me the extreme fan I am today. My background with “Star Wars” actually began years before, when I went to see “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” (2005) in theaters. Prior to seeing Anakin Skywalker transform into Darth Vader (spoiler!), I watched the original trilogy of films and the two preceding films in the prequel trilogy. Not to be dramatic or anything, but these movies literally changed my life. I began to carry my green lightsaber around with me all over the neighborhood, re-enacting scenes like the Battle of Hoth from “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and Qui-Gon Jinn’s death (spoiler, again!) in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” (1999). I compiled my favorite moments, scenes and television episodes. I read some books and learned more about my favorite characters (Princess, now General Leia in particular). My love for the series continued steadily over the years, but was reignited in 2012 with Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm. In 2015, I went to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on its opening night. Let’s just say that I died. I was so excited, consumed by the fact that this vast galaxy of characters and plots and cute droids was back and ready to grow as a franchise. Since then, I’ve spent most of my waking moments either researching, reading news or simply thinking about “Star Wars.” Yes, I know I sound pretty lame, but my mom thinks I’m cool and that’s all that matters. I thought, for my first column, it would be a great idea for me to list some of my favorite things about the series. Let’s begin the listicle! My favorite character is most definitely Leia and she’ll be getting a column, so don’t worry about that. My favorite movie is probably “Star Wars: A New Hope” (1977), but “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017) come VERY close, and my rankings constantly change. I’m currently obsessed with “Star Wars: Forces of Destiny” (2017–), which is a web series that focuses on female characters across the series. Now, after spending the past month defending “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” from internet trolls, I’m beyond thrilled to bring my opinions and excitement to a galaxy near you! Keep a lookout for my column on Wednesdays. May the force be with you! Christopher Panella is a first-year majoring in film and media studies. He can be reached at christopher.panella@tufts.edu.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Wednesday, February 7, 2018
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Galleries in SoWa feature range of art styles
Derek Castle R.E.A.L Talk
What is R.E.A.L.?
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VINTUS OKONKWO / THE TUFTS DAILY
Tufts senior, Siming Chen, admires artworks on display at the Aidekman Arts Center on Oct. 1, 2017.
TAGSS
continued from page 3 of Jenny Holzer, whose work has been featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, among others, is currently on display in the “One Wall, One Work” exhibition. None of the pieces have descriptive labels. According to Andrew Witkin, who was leading the walk through the gallery, labels distract from the experience the viewer has with a piece of art and forces an opinion on the viewer’s perspective. Labels put the work of art into a box, perfectly ready to be consumed and understood (which is never the intention of art). This shift could be seen in several of the galleries on the tour, as gallerists move away from labels that tell the viewer how to look at the piece and instead allow for individual experience and discovery. NAGA On the other end of the spectrum is Gallery NAGA. The gallery is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary with a showcase of the gallery’s artists in alphabetical installments. ‘M’ through ‘V’ are on display from Feb. 2 to Feb. 24. Despite the unusually large number of artists, the gallery acts as a home for the community of artists with which it works. Director Meg White explained how the artists have become like family. The gallery does more than just display art; it creates a serving and loving community. Matter and Light The SoWa district of Boston is the latest artistic community that strives to protect and foster brick-and-mortar galleries. Matter and Light Fine Art, founded in 2016, is relatively new to the scene. Their current show, Bryan Christie’s “Every Angel is Terror,” is open from Feb. 2 to March 31. The artist exhibits multi-layered silk screen masterpieces that put the human form into a new perspective. Christie’s background in medical illustration lends the exhibition a touch that imbues life and uncertainty into familiar forms. Kabinett Kabinett held its inaugural exhibition in January at SoWa, having relocated to the arts district. Run by Tufts alumnus Gabriel Boyers, this eclectic gallery is a mix of old and new, placing prehistoric Chinese artifacts next to contemporary pieces. Boyers’ current exhibition is “Killers and Thrillers” which focuses on works that marry the macabre with the beautiful. To the right of the door, one sees a small and unassuming cabinet full of makeshift knives. Boyers explained that they are shanks recovered from California’s Folsom Prison in the
1950s. On the other side of the wall is a collection of photos centered around the deaths of artists, both modern and old. A sketch of Van Gogh on his deathbed is juxtaposed with a picture of Elvis in his open casket. Gallery Kayafas If Krakow-Witkin represents the known and the accepted, Gallery Kayafas looks for the new, the young and the up-and-coming. According to Gallery Kayafas’ director, the gallery has been in its current space on Harrison Avenue for eight years and is known for its connection to new artists. The latest exhibition, a collection of works by local artist Frank Egloff, examines pop culture and its relation to the pressing current issues. The work “re #angelaba-
by” depicts “Instagram famous” Chinese blogger Angela Yueng Wing. Blurring out Wing’s face, Egloff asks us to question how we see such superficial celebrity as it faces the reality of police brutality and political conflict in the triptych across the gallery (“Rituals of Intimidation,” “Structural Composition” and “a room in Argentina”). The clo s e relationsh ip between Deitsch and the gallery owners allowed students to learn about working in the commercial art world and get advice from those who have worked in it for decades. TAGSS has opened the door and provided the opportunity for everyone at Tufts to take a closer look at contemporary art in our very own hometown of Boston.
Join Us For
A Conversation with Hank Azaria and Joe Schrank Join the Dean of Student Affairs Office and Health and Wellness at Tufts for a conversation with Emmy-winning actor and Tufts alum Hank Azaria and Joe Schrank, founder of thefix.com! Don’t miss this chance to hear from one of Tufts’ most notable alums, and to have a conversation with a nationally recognized writer, speaker, and media commentator on the subject of addiction, recovery, and mental health.
• When: Wednesday, February 7, 4 – 5:15 p.m. • Where: NEW location - ASEAN Auditorium • Admission is FREE! Get your ticket now on TuftsTickets.com, or visit the Campus Center Information Booth
e would all know about a program that has been a part of Tufts for about 50 years, right? You would think so, but the R.E.A.L. (Resumed Education for Adult Learning) program is something that many people are not aware of. According to the Tufts Student Life website, the R.E.A.L. program started in 1970 with Tufts offering women the chance to get a college degree or complete bachelor’s degrees that were unfinished. It wasn’t until 1976 that men had the chance to do the same. Currently, there are more than 40 students enrolled in the R.E.A.L. program, and you probably see them every day on campus. There are programs for returning students at many universities, but Tufts stands out from these schools: R.E.A.L. students attend classes with traditional-age students and are a part of everyday campus life. Other programs vary, but online classes and night classes are sometimes the only option for adult students, which segregates adult students from the rest of the college experience. There are advantages and disadvantages to being an adult student, on Tufts campus and in any classroom. Some students feel isolated because of the age difference, and some have large responsibilities outside of school, like children or work. Many R.E.A.L. students have been working fulltime jobs for years before returning to school or are veterans of the armed forces. Each student has a different path and offers a unique perspective to discussions in class. R.E.A.L. students are just that — students. Everyone in the program is here to learn, even if most have been out of school for some time. R.E.A.L. students worry about the exam and struggle over the homework as much as anyone else. They are studying to be engineers and doctors. They major in a variety of departments. Some are pursuing graduate school and others will move on to jobs after graduation. The end goal is the same: receiving their degree from Tufts University. There’s more to the R.E.A.L. program than just people over the age of 24 in school. There is a history and a heartbeat. There is also a future. For R.E.A.L. students, the Returning Student Organization (RSO) helps plan that future. The RSO is a student organization for R.E.A.L. students to help support each other and provide community, according to their website. There are various events each semester that change depending on the interests of the current group of students and officers. The next time you confuse a student for a professor or a TA, think about this: R.E.A.L. students are with you every day. Say hi. Ask questions. You might just learn something new. Derek Castle is a staff writer at the Daily. Derek is a senior majoring in English. He can be reached at derek.castle@tufts.edu.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY
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EDITORIAL
How to fix first-year community Many in the class of 2021 believe that the Tufts social scene is particularly lacking. This is partially a byproduct of the general campus structure that hinders the ability to make meaningful connections. Fortunately, the re-evaluation of residential setup is underway, and it has potential to create the environment necessary for first-years to find their social niche. First-years need social spaces that are specifically for first-years. Navigating through one of the most significant transitions of their lives, incoming students would benefit immensely from an inclusive, safe space to converse about common experiences. Tufts does not currently offer the necessary resources to properly transition first-year students into college life, as noted by the Student Life Review Committee. A large part of the problem is the limited number of communal spaces that can enable engagement and conversation within living communities. Take, for example, Houston Hall. The winding hallways and lack of common spaces have created a strange allocation of space in the first-year hall. The
organization of Houston is not at all conducive to fostering community. This is particularly unfortunate for firstyears, for whom community integration is incumbent upon positive residential situations. In addition, if Tufts successfully implements the necessary actions to rectify this issue, it could be a selling point for prospective students. On tours, high schoolers are most likely focused on their immediate future rather than their junior and senior years. Therefore, having collaborative and strong first-year communities would be especially appealing from an admissions standpoint. Another way to go about this issue would be to localize all first-years around the Res Quad in Miller, Houston and Carmichael Halls. Having all first-years live uphill to increase communication and integration among first-years would alleviate some of the social pressures correlated with the moratorium on Greek Life, which has left a hole in social opportunities. It is understood that there may be some logistical issues with this reorganization, considering that Tufts Dining’s largest clientele is first-years, and this
would lead to an influx of first-years eating in Carmichael. However, if Tufts lifted the requirement that mandates firstyears having unlimited meal plans, it would help mediate this problem. Vanderbilt University has implemented a similar structure to the one described above. They have dedicated an entire portion of their campus to firstyear residential life, referred to as “The Commons.” It is fully equipped with an eco-friendly dining hall, fitness center, recreational rooms and even showcases musical performances. Their setup has been overwhelmingly successful, with Vanderbilt cited by The Princeton Review as having “the happiest students.” Tufts should keep the notion of a building stronger community in mind when renovating first-year living conditions. Moving to college is arguably one of the most transformative experiences in a student’s life, and the university can do so much more to create a stronger, more sustainable and more welcoming community. This sense of unity is one that is invaluable to first-years. It will take time, but this renovation could be the first step in the right direction.
CARTOON
BY REBECCA TANG
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.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Aneurin Canham-Clyne Red Star
I
Socialism or barbarism
f you want to preserve capitalism and inequality, drastic measures will be necessary for social control and the entrenchment of privilege. Given ecological collapse, social atomization and the privatization of public space, there’s little room left for capitalism to expand. War, exclusion and genocide are the logical ends of the American ideology and the self-interest of capital. This is what the coming decades hold. That’s a long way of saying we now face a choice: socialism or barbarism. Neoliberalism was the way out for a while, cutting labor costs and allowing corporations to pursue rent-seeking behavior while simultaneously lowering their tax burdens. But the last ten years have demonstrated that neoliberalism returns nothing to a working person. You may have a cell phone, but rent is half your income, and the rest is medical debt. The electoral success of Sanders and Trump reveals that the middle way is broken, and the people understand this at a base level, even if columnists and pharmaceutical heirs do not. Paul Krugman writes, “unemployment declined despite not-so-fast growth is a sign that growth will be a lot slower going forward.” The millions of unemployed workers who made a recovery for the owning class possible in the Obama era are now back at work.There’s no untapped reserve. Union weakness also means that the working class can’t enforce the social democratic bargain that the Sanders Democrats want. Growth, or rather accumulation of wealth, and profit need cheaper or more productive labor. Wages are low, and productivity stagnant. Ecologically, temperatures are rising, nearly a third of arable land has disappeared, fish stocks are collapsing and clean water is still inaccessible to hundreds of millions of people. The ecological basis of infinite accumulation is almost gone. There are two solutions. The first option is increasing reaction, evermore walls, evermore prisons, ever fewer unions, less public space, destroying what little material barriers exist against the far right until eventually, not next year, but maybe in thirty years, the capitalist class pushes hyper-exploitation on us with the power of the nationalist right. In that choice, hyper-surveilled wage labor, nationalist purification, racial violence and slave labor are the natural outcomes of a drive to push labor costs lower and protect the privilege and accumulation of billionaires and the relative position of comfortable whites. The alt-right understands this. This is the point of far-right politics: privilege, property and nation. The armed fascists in Charlottesville shouting “Jews will not replace us” act to psychologically prepare the rest of the political system for the horrific violence necessary to preserve American supremacy and the profits of big business. The other choice, my choice, is socialism. Democratic ownership of the workplace, the redistribution of property and profits, the creation of public space and infrastructure, the end of imperial war and exploitation, the replacement of racist power structures with reparations and egalitarian social relations, and ecologically sustainable planning are the elements of 21st century socialism. Over the next weeks I will present a socialist critique of current issues and concrete examples of socialist policy and values. My project is to ready us for the struggle for equality. We have not yet begun to fight. But they have. Aneurin Canham-Clyne is a junior majoring in history. He can be reached at aneurin.canham_clyne@tufts.edu.
Sports
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY
BASKETBALL
Tufts basketball teams prepare for regular season finales by Bradley Schussel and Onat Tarimcilar Sports Editor and Staff Writer
Men’s basketball The Tufts men’s basketball team approaches the final game of the regular season with a record of 16–7. With a NESCAC record of 5–4, the sixthplace Jumbos have a lot to play for in their Sunday matchup with the Trinity Bantams (15–7): The top six teams in the NESCAC are only a handful of games apart, so the Jumbos could jump as high as third place by the end of Sunday. There were several bright spots this season for Tufts, including a scorching 18.2 points per game from senior guard and co-captain Vincent Pace. The Bridgewater, N.J. native also led the team in rebounds with 8.5 per game. Both figures are in the top five of their respective statistical categories among all NESCAC players. Additionally, sophomore guard Eric Savage stepped into a larger role this season, finishing second on the team in both points (13.8) and rebounds (6.9). Last season, Tufts finished 19–5 in the regular season, earning the top seed in the NESCAC tournament for the first time in school history. However, the team was bounced from the NESCAC Tournament semifinals by sixth-seeded Williams. Tufts also ran out of luck in the NCAA tournament, suffering a Sweet Sixteen loss to eventual champions Babson. The dip in the team’s 2017–18 regular season record could speak to the loss of impact graduates Tarik Smith (LA ’17) and Tom Palleschi (LA ’17). The Jumbos also dealt with several injuries this season. One of the most notable maladies was senior guard and co-captain Ben Engvall’s ACL tear in the offseason, which caused him to miss all but five games. Engvall averaged only 7.8 minutes per game in those contests. Senior co-captain guard Thomas Lapham spoke to the effect of not having Engvall available for a large part of the season. “It’s definitely had an effect,” Lapham said. “He’s been playing a lot of minutes pretty much since he got here. Especially earlier in the year, it hurts not having a guy who’s a big part of both our defensive and offensive rotations. He’s a senior as well, so you hate to see him sidelined. It’s definitely good to have him back now.” With Engvall healthy and the NESCAC up for grabs, the Jumbos will hope to erase their postseason memories from last year and find more success in tournament play. Tufts has never won a NESCAC title in men’s basketball and last appeared in the championship game in a 2006 overtime loss to Amherst. Before the team can look to the postseason, however, it has one more game to worry about. The Jumbos will host the Trinity Bantams on Sunday in the final game of the regular season, with tip-off at 2 p.m. Trinity has a 4–4 NESCAC record, just a half game behind Tufts in the conference standings. “Right now the NESCAC standings for the tournament are up in the air,” Lapham said. “So all we can do is go win on Sunday. We have to control what we can control, get a win and hopefully get home-court [advantage] for the first round.” If the Bantams beat the Bates Bobcats (11–12) on Friday, they could leapfrog the Jumbos with a win on Sunday. With the two teams potentially fighting for a
7
Yuan Jun Chee On the Spot
Why the Alexis Sánchez deal is huge for United
O
RACHEL HARTMAN, EVAN SAYLES/THE TUFTS DAILY/
Tufts sophomore guard Miles Bowser (left) and senior guard Lauren Dillon (right) are pictured. higher seed in the NESCAC tournament, Sunday’s matchup could prove to be a tense affair. Women’s basketball The No. 9 Tufts women’s basketball team (20–3) goes into every season with high expectations. Though the Jumbos expect to win every game, the season is long, the schedule is tough and bumps in the road are inevitable. Still, with one game left in the regular season, they look primed for another deep postseason and potentially a fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four. Tufts’ dominance has become routine in past years, and this season is no different. The team is outscoring its opponents by nearly 20 points per game and is unbeaten in nine games at Cousens Gym. The Jumbos are led both on and off the court by their four seniors, while depth and a balanced offensive attack are staples of their success. Coach Carla Berube has nine players averaging double-digit minutes and has started eight different players over the course of the year. The team is led in scoring and rebounding by sophomore guard/forward Erica DeCandido and senior forward Melissa Baptista, respectively. DeCandido has averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, while Baptista — a member of last year’s All-NESCAC First Team — has contributed 13.0 points and snagged 7.1 boards per game (not to mention 1.7 blocks, which is tied for third best in the league). Meanwhile, junior guard Jac Knapp and senior guard and co-captain
Lauren Dillon have handled the brunt of the backcourt responsibilities, playing 33.1 and 29.4 minutes per game respectively. Dillon — last year’s NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year — ranks second in the NESCAC in steals (2.4) and is tied for sixth in assists (3.2). The Jumbos are coming off a weekend in which they lost 50–43 to the No. 1 Amherst Mammoths (22–0) — the defending national champions and perennially Tufts’ biggest test — and beat the Hamilton Continentals (14– 8), 69–53. The team currently sits in third place in the NESCAC standings behind Amherst and No. 5 Bowdoin, to whom Tufts suffered a loss earlier in the season. The Jumbos will visit the Trinity Bantams on Sunday for their final game of the regular season. Led by junior forward Courtney Erickson (12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game), Trinity is 14–8 overall, but only 2–6 in NESCAC play. The Bantams are on the outside looking in at the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament, and a win over the Jumbos is their only chance at postseason play. “We never overlook any opponent, and we know they are going to be fighting for their lives,” Knapp said. “No game is easy. We are just looking to head into the tournament on a strong note.” Barring a major fluke, the Jumbos will play in March’s NCAA Tournament. For now, though, the team’s sights are set squarely on beating Trinity and the NESCAC tournament.
n Jan. 22, a potentially seismic shift occurred in English football when Chilean forward Alexis Sánchez swapped the red of Arsenal for that of Manchester United, with Armenian attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading the other way in the deal. This represents the biggest swap in English soccer since the Ashley Cole-William Gallas saga in 2008. The deal is significant, as it represents the first step that Manchester United have taken to address the gap between their “noisy neighbors” who are running away with the league this year. It reminds one of the Robin van Persie deal in 2012, when the Dutchman chose red over blue. The result was almost instantaneous, as van Persie scored the winner in the first Manchester derby of the year, and his goals propelled United to their 20th league title. There is probably no better player who was available this transfer window than Sánchez. And the deal made sense for the Red Devils. It was clear that Mkhitaryan’s early season form had evaporated, and in the last few months that he was at Old Trafford, the fans were starting to grow frustrated with him. Groans could easily be heard whenever Mkhitaryan overhit a cross. While there was obvious reason for City to try to lure Sánchez again for a complete freebie in the summer — why would you want to rock a system that has helped you establish this kind of dominance in the league? — the fact that Manchester United were seen as an attractive destination speaks volumes to the appeal that still is the Theatre of Dreams. It’s the first step for Manchester United in rebuilding (again), given the crazy amount of money that Pep Guardiola has spent and how he has upped the level of competition in this league to a very high standard. In acquiring Alexis Sánchez, Manchester United fans, for the first time in a very long time (think Cristiano Ronaldo and the early days of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, perhaps) have a player they can be excited about. And no, Paul Pogba does not qualify in that category, due to his recent performances. The fact that the Chilean was targeted and fouled so many times in just the few games he’s played this season speaks volumes to his influence: Sánchez has been fouled 56 times, fourth highest in the league, and picked up a season-high seven fouls against Huddersfield, which brings back memories of how Ronaldo was treated in his earlier years. Sánchez comes with impeccable skill and unbelievable close-control and turning abilities. In his debut at Yeovil Town last month, Sánchez had a hand in two of United’s goals, and he was the main man against Huddersfield (unlike Pogba, who was benched), running into space, coming deep for the ball and picking out players with passes that not many other players would have been able to see. With more performances like these, I can think of no better inheritor of the No. 7 shirt at Old Trafford, as it’s clear that Alexis Sánchez gives Manchester United a genuine chance at finishing best of the rest this year. Yuan Jun Chee is a sports editor at the Daily. He is a junior majoring in history and international relations. Yuan Jun can be reached at yuan.chee@tufts.edu.
8 tuftsdaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
WOMEN'S SQUASH
Jumbos fall to Mammoths at NESCAC Championships by Sejal Dua Staff Writer
The fifth-seeded Tufts women’s squash team surveyed its competition this weekend at the NESCAC Championships in Clinton, N.Y., where it fell to fourth-seeded Amherst, 7–2, in the first round of play before taking on Hamilton and Bates in the consolation bracket. With large crowds packed into Hamilton’s Little Squash Center, the Jumbos prepared themselves to play a handful of familiar opponents. Tufts entered the tournament with an 11–4 record, seeking to improve or maintain its current standing in the conference. On Sunday morning, the Jumbos competed in consolation play against the sixth-seeded Bates Bobcats. Having lost to Bates 7–2 on Jan. 26, Tufts was well-acquainted with the strength of its opponents. This time around, the Jumbos secured three wins against Bates at the bottom of the ladder, but were defeated 6–3 overall. Playing in the eighth position, senior Lauren Banner put her best foot forward on Sunday, easily topping Bates senior Hannah Conner in three games. Tufts junior Sahana Karthik served Bates junior Molly Brooks a five-set loss in the seventh position (11–4, 6–11, 11–5, 7–11, 11–6), while Tufts first-year Chloe Kantor defeated Bates junior Katie Bull in the ninth spot (10–12, 11–4, 11–0, 6–11, 11–7). In the second position, sophomore Claire Davidson fell to Bobcats sophomore Vicky Arjoon in four sets (11–5, 9–11,
11–6, 11–9), and the rest of the Jumbos were defeated in straight sets. “I think we were a little disappointed to lose against Bates,” Burns said. “We all fought hard, so we were proud with the effort that we put forth.” With an undertone of vengeance, Burns expressed excitement for the prospect of seeing Bates again at the College Squash Association (CSA) Nationals later this month. Following its first-round loss to Amherst on Saturday, Tufts took advantage of an eighth-seeded Hamilton team that it had already defeated once this season, winning 8–1 this time around. “The win against Hamilton was significant, as it secured our position in the top six,” first-year Julie Yeung told the Daily in an email. “I was just thinking back to how I finished my match against the Hamilton [player], and the tremendous support that both the women’s and men’s team[s] displayed while I, or even the rest of the team, was playing. Everyone was cheering loudly and encouraging each other.” After she dropped the first set, 11–6, to Hamilton senior Rafiatou OuroAguy, Yeung rallied to win the next three games and secure a point for her team. Playing in the third position, Tufts junior Zarena Jafry also won in four sets (11–3, 11–6, 6–11, 11–7). It was the second victory of the day for both players, as they each defeated their Amherst opponents that morning, as well. In the eighth position, Banner was edged out in four sets by Hamilton senior Marina
ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY
Tufts women’s squash faced off against Wellesley on Jan. 27, 2016 at MIT’s Zesiger Squash Courts. Hartnick. Nevertheless, the Jumbos secured a a few competing in back-and-forth four setdecisive 8–1 match victory. ters, but eventually fell to the Mammoths. Saturday commenced with a formidaReflecting on the weekend as a whole, ble challenge, as the Jumbos matched Tufts felt proud of its results against up against the fourth-seeded Amherst three strong NESCAC opponents. There Mammoths, whom they had fallen to 7–2 in is still room for improvement, but the the first match of the season. Jumbos seem to have put up a perfor“I think our match with Amherst was a mance representative of their season to competitive match,” Burns told the Daily in this point. an email. “They definitely had an edge on us, “I think people fought hard each rally but we are really close behind them and are and supported each other really well,” Yeung training hard to catch them in the future.” said. “As a team, I think we succeeded in the Despite the different venue, sense that we held each other together in Tufts again fell to Amherst, 7–2, at the both defeat and victory.” NESCAC Championships. Yeung’s straightTufts aims to replicate the same cohesive set win over Amherst senior Haley McAtee in unity and competitive play in the remainthe first position was the highlight for Tufts, ing portion of its season. The Jumbos as Jafry also contributed a win from the third will host the Boston University Terriers in position, edging out junior Rachael Ang in a non-conference matchup on Saturday, five sets (11–4, 12–10, 9–11, 8–11, 11–5). before concluding their season at the CSA The rest of the Jumbos fought hard, with Nationals from Feb. 16–18.
MEN'S SQUASH
Tufts stumbles in NESCAC tournament by Ryan Albanesi Staff Writer
Facing tough league opponents in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the NESCAC tournament, the Tufts men’s squash team fell to a 7–10 record, with two losses and one win over the course of two days. After a heartbreaking loss to Conn. College on Saturday morning, Tufts responded by dominating their afternoon opponent, Wesleyan, with a score of 8–1. Five of the Jumbos’ eight victories came in straight sets, while first-year Daniel Hutt won a marathon five-set match against Wesleyan junior Kevin Le, 14–12, 11–7, 6–11, 3–11, 16–14. “[The losses to] Bowdoin and Conn. [College] were definitely upsetting, but the team bounced back and took care of Wesleyan,” coach Joe Raho said. “That’s a slight silver lining, and I thought the team played well, fought hard and took care of business.” Junior co-captain Brett Raskopf agreed. “Conn. [College] was definitely a bad match for us, and we didn’t expect to lose to them, but to go and beat Wesleyan literally the next hour, when everyone was totally exhausted, showed me how resilient we can be,” he said. “That was a huge win, and I was really proud of that.” In a consolation match earlier that morning, the No. 28 Jumbos faced off against the Camels, who are ranked just behind them at 30th in the nation. Tufts defeated Conn. College 7–2 earlier in the season. However, perhaps due to exhaustion from their match the night before, the Jumbos struggled to win in a number of
drawn-out matches, eventually losing to the Camels 5–4 in heartbreaking fashion. “It’s a tough thing … to finish an emotional rollercoaster of a match late, and then the next morning we leave early and have a tough loss,” Raho said. “It really hurt. The guys and I were super bummed because I think we were better than them, but they came to play.” Despite the disappointing loss, several matches stood out for the Jumbos. In the second position, junior Alan Litman recovered well from a defeat the previous night, beating his opponent in straight sets: 11–6, 11–7, 11–5. Junior co-captain Aidan Porges won at the fifth spot in four sets (11–8, 9–11, 11–3, 11–9), and in the ninth slot, senior Josh Lee won his first game in a drawn-out battle, 19–17, before rattling off two more wins, 11–2 and 11–3, to close the match. “The thing about any season is that you want to have these 5–4 matches,” Raho said. “You want to play teams at your level and see who is just a little more talented, or trained a little harder or wanted it a little more. It’s a test of character and a test of squash, so I think this stuff is good for the team and makes them tougher.” On Friday, Tufts faced off against eighth-seeded Bowdoin in a firstround match. Since the ninth-seeded Jumbos were ranked outside of the top five in the NESCAC, they had to win to enter the main draw of the tournament. The last time the two teams competed, on Jan. 27, Bowdoin defeated Tufts in a hotly contested 6–3 match. On Friday, though the score remained the exact same, the Jumbos put up a much better fight. “We absolutely played well — better in that game than when we played them
RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY
Junior co-captain Brett Raskopf kneels to hit the ball in a match against Dickinson at Harvard’s Murr Center on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. during the season,” Raho said. “There were lots of matches that ended in five games, and … we performed well and gave it everything.” Raskopf agreed. “Bowdoin had beaten us almost exactly a week before that match, so obviously we wanted to beat them this time around,” he said. “But I think we played them closer this time than five days ago. I was proud of the guys for that.” The top three Jumbos all fell to their Polar Bear opponents, with the top two — sophomore Raghav Kumar and Litman — losing in five games. Kumar fought hard before losing 9–11, 11–8, 15–13, 7–11, 11–5, while Litman fell to junior Satya Butler by a score of 6–11, 11–7, 11–6, 8–11, 12–10. Bowdoin’s other three victories came in the sixth, seventh and eighth spots. After their performance at the NESCAC Tournament, the Jumbos are likely to be placed in the “D” bracket of the College
Squash Association (CSA) national tournament, leaving them with an opportunity to finish the season ranked anywhere from No. 25–30 in the nation. “The next two weeks are really important,” Raskopf said. “The emphasis will be on fitness, and I think if we work hard on it, that should be the difference if we see Bowdoin and Connecticut College again.” Along with fitness, Raho believes the team needs to show more courage in closing out the more competitive matches. “The more and more [the players] are in the tight matches, the more they realize every match is high-intensity and pressure-filled,” Raho said. “They can’t hide from it, and they need to embrace it … [and] not shy away from the big moments.” Before Tufts can redeem itself against its NESCAC rivals at the CSA Nationals on Feb. 23, the squad will take on MIT on Thursday and Boston University on Saturday.