The Tufts Daily - Thursday, November 8, 2018 by The Tufts Daily

Pen, Paint, and Pretzels’ fall production of ‘Eurydice’ presents iconic Greek myth with modern twist see WEEKENDER / PAGE 5

DON MEGERLE

From pool to course: 47 years at Tufts

Puerto Rican students, family, find community support at Tufts after Hurricane Maria see FEATURES / PAGE 4

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXVI, ISSUE 43

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

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Tufts community gathers for watch party on election night

COURTESY DANI MUSOFF

JumboVote members Laurel Bliss, Caroline Enloe and Dani Musoff pose for a photo at the election night watch party in Hotung Café on Nov. 6. by Bridget Wall Staff Writer

Members of the Tufts community gathered in the Mayer Campus Center’s Hotung Café Tuesday night to watch, discuss and celebrate the results of the

2018 midterm elections. Energy levels were high throughout the night, and many students stayed until 11:00 p.m., the end of the event. The event, entitled “Election Night Watch Party,” was planned and organized by JumboVote with the help of

the Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and Andrew Goodman Foundation, according to JumboVote member and event coordinator Caroline Enloe. These groups worked together to fund the event, as well as to spread awareness and draw a variety of students in, according to Enloe, a junior. She said that the goal was to give students a place to watch the election and a space to talk about the results and learn more about polling. Before the event, Enloe said that she was unsure about its turnout. “This is a midterm election and people aren’t going to be as excited,” she said. “People aren’t seeing [this election as being] as momentous as it was in 2016.” But Enloe’s concerns proved largely unfounded. Hotung was packed from 9:30 to 10:00 p.m., and those in attendance were heavily invested in the polls. Many students had their computers out and were looking up live results of key races, as well as those in their home states. Enloe stood at the front of the room and filled in a map of congressional districts in real time. Hotung’s televisions were tuned to CNN for the returns. First-year Parker Killenberg came to track the election results, especially the heavily contested gubernatorial elec-

tion between Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams in her home state, Georgia. “I am from a state that has a really important election so I wanted to find out more about what other people thought and have some support as I watched the results,” Killenberg said. The Georgia gubernatorial race had yet to be called Wednesday night, though Kemp, a Republican, was leading with 100 percent of precincts reporting, The New York Times showed. Also present at the watch party was Brian Schaffner, Newhouse Professor of Civic Studies in Tufts’ Department of Political Science. Schaffner explained to students how polling works, clarifying some misconceptions. “[Schaffner] had a little presentation made up for the students to break down what polling is, how you can intelligently understand what’s happening, because polling is very confusing and people take it many different ways,” Enloe said. First-year Zosia Stafford attended to learn more about the elections and share her emotions with a group. “I felt like I wasn’t quite as educated about a lot of the races this year, and see ELECTION, page 2

Confucius Institute Review Committee hosts final open meeting by Alejandra Carrillo Contributing Writer

Disclaimer: Tys Sweeney is a columnist for the Daily. He was not involved in the writing or editing of this article. Tufts’ Confucius Institute Review Committee held its final open meeting in Eaton Hall on Oct. 31 to discuss the university’s relationship with the Confucius Institute (CI), which promotes Chinese language and culture and has financial ties to the Chinese government. A previous meeting was held on Oct. 16 in Coolidge Room of Ballou Hall, according to the committee’s email to the Tufts community. Tufts has been considering whether or not to renew its contract with the CI, which is scheduled to expire in June 2019, since June of this year. Debate regarding press attendance at the open meeting ensued, as the Review Committee was not in favor of media outlets being present. However, a reporter from the Daily remained at the meeting, which was attended by about 50 people, and conducted interviews with attendees after the event.

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First-year Haitong Du shared his opinion that the university should maintain its relationship with the CI. “My experiences with the CI have been generally positive … many people are concerned that people working at the CI are spies of the Chinese government, but this is not the case at Tufts,” he said. Du noted that with rising tensions between China and the United States, events like the CI’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration are beneficial because they familiarize Americans with Chinese traditions. “I believe that is what we need [in this] time of political confrontation between the U.S. and China,” he said. “People in the U.S. are generally hostile against the Chinese culture, and if the CI can facilitate this cultural exchange, it would be helpful.” He shared that the CI provides services that are not otherwise offered by Asian culture groups on campus, such as the Chinese Students Association and Singapore Students Association. “I have been to some of their events and, first, in comparison to the events

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The Confucius Institute at Tufts, located on Packard Avenue, is pictured on March 27. organized by the CI … they are loosely organized [and] very much based on friends’ invites, so they have a lot less impact, and they cost money,” Du said.

“These are some big factors that deter students from joining.” see CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE, page 2

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................4 WEEKENDER..........................5

FUN & GAMES.........................8 OPINION.....................................9 SPORTS............................ BACK

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, November 8, 2018

THE TUFTS DAILY Seohyun Shim Editor-in-Chief

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JumboVote's election night watch party draws packed crowd ELECTION

continued from page 1 I think it’s a super important year to be educated about it, so I wanted to hear people talk about the election, and get a little closer to the results,” Stafford said. As races were called through the night, the crowd alternately erupted in cheers or let out a chorus of boos, depending on the winning candidate. The overall mood of the room constantly shifted as students joined

and left the watch party and as more races started to get called later into the night. Peter de Guzman (LA ’18), student outreach coordinator at Tisch College, said that it is sometimes very hard to tell early on how the results will swing, leading to shifting emotions throughout election night. “I think it is cool this year that there’s a lot of enthusiasm, but it’s easy to become too optimistic in politics a lot, depending on your politics,” de Guzman said.

As the watch party drew to a close, major news outlets began reporting that Republicans would hold the United States Senate and Democrats would flip the House of Representatives. First-year Neerav Gade shared his feelings about the election results. “I do still think that there is a lot of work to be done, and there [are] some votes that I feel like the Democrats lost [that] they shouldn’t have,” Gade said.

Meeting attendees divided on Confucius Institute CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE

continued from page 1 Human rights activist Yang Lan, who was wounded in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, according to the Tibet Action Institute, was present at the open meeting and discussed his opinions about the CI in an interview with the Daily. Lan characterized the Chinese Communist Party, not the Chinese government, as the oppressor of the people. He added that the CI is part of the oppressive regime. “[The CI] is just a tool of Chinese propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party,” he said. Lan claimed that the CI cannot accurately represent Chinese culture to Americans. “Tufts and American students and professors want to know more about

Chinese culture, but the Confucius Institute cannot do that in an accurate way,” he said. “Of course, [the CI] can give information about Chinese language and cultural elements, but I think it’s twisted, very shallow and incomplete.” Sophomore Tys Sweeney was also present at the Review Committee’s open meeting. “I think the faculty and staff prefer this [review] process go unnoticed … and present the face that they want to hear people’s voices but they don’t want that,” Sweeney said. “[The CI] compromises the integrity of the university … Tufts is saying, ‘Sure, we will give you our space and [the CI] will give us money and programming.’ Even if we can’t replace it, we shouldn’t be compromising the integrity of the university, of free thinking and free pursuit of knowledge.”

Sweeney added that the university should fund a Chinese cultural center instead. Jessica Kline, a master’s candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, echoed Sweeney’s disapproval, questioning the objectivity of the academic curricula that the CI offers. “If [the CI is] supplying textbooks, [one has to ask] ‘What is being portrayed in these textbooks?’” Kline said. “We know that the Communist Party of China has a lot of human rights violations, [and] there is a general concern that by promoting the CI, they are silencing human rights issues and human rights defenders.” The Review Committee will submit a summary of its findings and recommendations to the Provost and the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences by Nov. 20, according to the press release announcing its formation.

SoBe founder shares entrepreneurial journey at Tufts Entrepreneurship Center event by Madison Reid Staff Writer

David Nickerson Investigative Editor Rachel Hartman Executive Photo Editor Anika Agarwal Photo Administrator Erik Britt Staff Photographers Andrea Chavez Allison Culbert Mike Feng Kenar Haratunian Ben Kim Max Lalanne Christine Lee Julia McDowell Madeleine Oliver Evan Slack Ana Sophia Acosta Executive Video Editors Annette Key Asha Iyer Video Editor

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John Bello (A ’68), founder of the SoBe brand of beverages, discussed his journey from Tufts student to successful businessman at the first Tufts Legends of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Series, held in a packed Cohen Auditorium on Nov. 2. Bello serves on Tufts’ Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for Athletics. The bi-annual event — hosted by the recently rebranded Tufts Entrepreneurship Center (TEC) of the Gordon Institute — features a Tufts alum who is an entrepreneurial “legend,” according to Jack Derby, TEC director and Cummings Family Professor of Entrepreneurship, who moderated the event. Bello opened the talk by touching on his love for Tufts. He said that he met his wife during his time at Tufts. Bello also discussed his time as president of National Football League Properties, the marketing arm of the NFL, and as founder of SoBe. He interspersed his stories with entrepreneurial advice, saying that it is important to “abandon yourself to other people’s strengths” and “be exciting, new and different.” He encouraged students to apply themselves in their endeavors. “You’ve got to get out, you’ve got to be aggressive, you’ve got to go through the doors of opportunity that are presented to you,” he said. During his presentation, Bello spoke about his time as a student at Tufts. Bello was a member of the football team, an ROTC student with the Navy (which he later joined) and a member of Delta Upsilon (DU). Bello Field, home of Tufts’ men’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse teams, is named in his honor. Current DU member and Tufts football player Dan Dewing, a senior, introduced

COURTESY CAROL DENNING AND NANA YOUNGE

Tufts Entrepreneurship Center Director Jack Derby speaks with trustee John Bello (A ’68), founder of SoBe, at the inaugural Tufts Legends of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Series in Cohen Auditorium on Nov. 2. Bello onstage alongside fellow senior and women’s lacrosse player Maria Dattolo. They came to support John and learn from his career. “Hearing from a guy like that is very important for young students who are trying to set their own path,” Dewing said. In an interview after the event, Bello shared what Tufts taught him outside of academics. “What I really learned was how to interact [with] and deal with people. I had a broad cross-section of relationships — the football team, fraternity, Navy ROTC. I was in a rock ‘n’ roll band who I’m friends with to this day,” he said. Alex LaPiana, co-captain of Tufts’ football team and member of DU, said that the event went very well, thanks to Bello and Derby, and that he would certainly go to future talks in the series.

“Bello and Jack Derby are both two guys who have been really successful and have a lot of things to tell people,” LaPiana, a senior, said. “It was great to hear them talk to one another and bounce ideas back and forth and talk about how they’ve been successful in their careers. I thought they did a fantastic job.” This speaker series is part of an ongoing effort to spark entrepreneurship on campus and encourage learning outside the classroom, according to Derby. “It’s the idea of being an experiential learner outside the classroom,” Derby said. “Our mission is to bring entrepreneurship to all of the 10 colleges [that make up Tufts].” The next speaker will present in April, in conjunction with the TEC’s $100K New Ventures Competition, according to Derby.

News

Thursday, November 8, 2018 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

Police Briefs — Week of Nov. 5 News Editor

Express yourself On Oct. 31 at 3:15 p.m., Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a report of suspicious behavior. A student had attended a university event earlier in the day for community members to discuss the future of the Confucius Institute at Tufts. The student expressed their views in favor of the institute, while another person expressed their views in

opposition to the institute. After the discussion, the individual approached the student and asked to take a picture with them. When the student declined, the individual made intimidating remarks to the student. The individual, described as a balding man in his 30s or 40s, has made no further contact with the student. Vote with your flyers On Nov. 1 at 1:38 a.m., TUPD received a report that paper flyers that read “It’s okay to be white” were post-

SMOKEYBEAR.COM

Putting out the fire with chemistry Later that day at 7:34 p.m., TUPD was notified of a trash can fire at Pearson Chemical Laboratory. Before TUPD arrived at Pearson, the fire had been extinguished by graduate students using a fire extinguisher. The fire was caused by improper

ION OF STA IAT TE OC

TERS RES FO

Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires.

ed on JumboVote get-out-the-vote signs around the Medford/Somerville campus. TUPD is currently investigating and asks anyone with any information regarding the incident to reach out.

NATIONAL A SS

by Jenna Fleischer

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disposal of hot sand, which melted the plastic bag in the trash can. Yield to fast talkers On Nov. 4 at 12:52 a.m., TUPD officers yielded to a pedestrian on Professors Row. After the officers yielded, the individual made derogatory comments towards TUPD. TUPD identified the individual as a Tufts student and told them they were free to leave. The student was then reported to the Dean of Student Affairs.

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Features

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Coping with Disasters, Part 2: Puerto Rican Over tea, not fire students discuss fears, community support after Hurricane Maria

Haruka Noishiki El Centro

t Tufts, we call ourselves quirky. We say that we’re striving for equality and for inclusion. We say we want diversity. But who really is this “we”? Who is included in this narrative? In one of my seminar courses, I sit in the same seat every class. I won’t say that there is no shuffling, but most people find their usual seats every time. I know that we will start the course by complaining about certain desk structures and certain institutional dysfunctions, and I know that we will discuss matters with which the group feels comfortable. I often find myself in echo chambers at Tufts. Not only are we full of echo chambers, but it feels as though often those preaching inclusivity and diversity are the ones who shun opposing or differing points of view the most. I understand this rationale all too well; if you believe that you represent the truth, why shouldn’t you propagate your ideologies to those who don’t understand? In seeking spaces filled with those who share our views, we find comfort and ease, yet that seems to run in stark contrast to the basic ideology of inclusion and diversity. It’s problematic that people of different views do not have a chance to bring those views to the table and build a new worldview out of what they have shaped together. I have heard from people of faith or of certain political views that they won’t dare share their views in most settings at Tufts. We cannot call ourselves open to diversity if there are people who feel shunned when they have views that deviate from the main narrative. A quick Wikipedia search reminded me of this famous quote, commonly attributed to Voltaire though originally coined by Evelyn Beatrice Hall: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” I think it’s exactly what those who speak to inclusivity try to stand for and often fail to truly represent. The groups that are more single-minded may not be my own echo chambers; they may not mirror my ideologies and beliefs. Still, I often find myself stuck in spaces that offer a limited bandwidth of thought. I struggle to find arenas that allow for a true diversity of thought, for a little room for exploration. If there are agorae that allow for a mix of views, they feel like mere collision facilitators — places where opinions can clash, but nothing more. In seeking a space that allows for such a fusion, I have found few with true freedom and equality in people’s appreciation of views. Of course, the pursuit of true inclusivity should not come at the cost of respect. It is never acceptable to hail some belief, symbol or ideology that propagates hate or that invokes a deep and fundamental sense of hurt in anyone. However, I am ready to, instead of debating with closed ears, listen to people with differing opinions in order to understand where their points of views come from. Haruka Noishiki is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Haruka can be reached at haruka.noishiki@tufts.edu.

SGT. JOSE AHIRAM DIAZ-RAMOS / U.S DEPT. OF DEFENSE

Residents walk through the flooded streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sept. 22, 2017. by Justin Yu

Assistant Features Editor

Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part story. Part 1 was published on Nov. 7 and can be found online. For those affected by natural disasters, the days, weeks and even months after the incident can be trying times. For students at Tufts who are unable to be with their families, these periods can be especially difficult. Last fall, Hurricane Maria touched down in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, affecting numerous Tufts students who call the island home or have family there. One such student, Alfredo Gutierrez, is a junior from Ponce, Puerto Rico. As the island is hit by hurricanes every year, Gutierrez described not being very worried in the days before Maria made landfall. When the storm struck, however, power lines and cell towers were toppled, knocking out communication all across Puerto Rico. Gutierrez, who was at Tufts when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017, first became aware of its effects from the news but noted that the reports did not address the storm’s local impact. “The news was the first source, but the news doesn’t really tell you how, specifically, your community was affected,” he said. Without information from home, Gutierrez found solace in communicating with other Puerto Rican students on campus. “We were reaching out to each other constantly because you just don’t know what your family’s going through,” he said. “This sounds extremely morbid and exaggerated, but you don’t know if they’re okay. You don’t know if they’re in the hospital, you don’t know if they’re doing fine … That uncertainty was a very difficult position to be in.” Relief came 10 days later for Gutierrez when he received a call from

an unknown number, which turned out to be his mother. Despite being understandably devastated by the damage that Hurricane Maria had caused to the country and local community, she passed on the good news that the family and its house were okay. “The worst part wasn’t the actual hurricane … it was the aftermath,” Gutierrez said. “Every day was a struggle to get gasoline, even food [in Puerto Rico]. Knowing that they [were] struggling every day and I [was] here in this beautiful school, living a great life, I felt a little guilty.” Cell service was restored to Ponce in late November, finally giving Gutierrez the ability to communicate with his family on a consistent basis — a luxury he had previously never considered. “You take it for granted,” Gutierrez said. “I barely called my parents before the hurricane because it [was] … so easy. It’s just a phone call — whatever. But then you don’t have that, and it hits you really hard. So now, it’s so much better just knowing that you can be in communication and not taking that for granted and just calling as much as you can.” When Gutierrez wanted to return home over Thanksgiving break, his parents strongly advised against doing so. “They were like, ‘We don’t want you to see this; we don’t want you to be here,’” Gutierrez said. “It was a feeling [that] I wanted to go back, but it probably wouldn’t be best for my emotional stability.” As a result, Gutierrez returned to Puerto Rico during Tufts’ winter break for the first time since Hurricane Maria. By that point, power had been restored to some parts of the island and lines at the supermarket were no longer as extreme as they had been during the months before. “Things were getting back to normal,” Gutierrez said. “I felt like, ‘Okay, I’m glad I saw this, and I’m glad I see that things are getting better.’”

Regardless of the physical state of the island, though, Gutierrez noted that the effects of the hurricane have and will continue to plague Puerto Ricans. Even now, with many aspects of his community having returned to normal operations, Gutierrez noted Maria’s lasting impact on Puerto Rico’s memory. “It comes up in conversation every day. It’s stained [the community],” he said. Another Tufts student affected by Hurricane Maria was junior Jacquie Bonnet, who is also from Puerto Rico. Like Gutierrez, Bonnet was pained by the knowledge that her family was struggling so far away and that she could not do anything to help them. “I know they were having a bad time and struggling with food and water, so my heart was shattered to pieces because I had no way of helping them,” she told the Daily in an electronic message. Bonnet echoed Gutierrez’s sentiment that the camaraderie in Tufts’ Puerto Rican community made her feel very supported during a difficult time. “All my Puerto Rican friends on campus, we have a group message and would talk daily,” Bonnet said. “We were … constantly reminding everyone that if someone needed support, we were there. We were all scared and sad, but we had each other to rely on.” Bonnet noted her appreciation for the entire Tufts community’s conduct in the aftermath of the hurricane, explaining that many people graciously extended their support. “My teachers were so nice,” Bonnet said. “Especially the teachers from the [Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies] … I can’t even describe how nice it felt that all my teachers and the whole faculty of the drama department would send me emails and give me hugs and were just there for me. I’m forever grateful for this and truly honored to be part of such a wonderful community at Tufts.”

WEEKENDER

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

Pen, Paint, and Pretzels to showcase innovative retelling of Greek myth in ‘Eurydice’

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A promotional poster for ‘Eurydice,’ presented by Pen, Paint, and Pretzels, is pictured. by Stephanie Hoechst Assistant Arts Editor

Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps), Tufts’ student theatre organization, will perform its fall show, “Eurydice,” this weekend in Balch Arena Theater. The production, co-directed by senior Chopper Carter-Schelp and sophomore Rosa Stern Pait and stage managed by sophomore Laura Wolfe, moves the myth of Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice, out of its original ancient Greek setting and into a more contemporary context. “Eurydice” is a one-act play written by Sarah Ruhl in 2003 that follows Eurydice’s death and descent into the Underworld, where she is reunited with her deceased father, a figure not in the original Greek myth. “[Her father]’s been dead for a few years, and she’s able to reunite with him in the Underworld, which creates … tension for her between going back to Orpheus,” Stern Pait explained. “So the focus is on her and her relationships with Orpheus, with her father and with this character called the Lord of the Underworld — in the myth, he would be the god Hades — and he’s sort of another player in her life and in her death.” 3Ps’ production of “Eurydice” features a small cast of seven actors, but Stern Pait and Wolfe have been working hard to make the show a thoughtful reproduction of Ruhl’s work. The show is the first one that Stern Pait has directed in her time at Tufts — she was originally credited as assistant director but has since taken on the full directorial role. “The original director and the creator of this [adapted] concept is my close friend, and this was a show … and a

playwright she had interest in for a long time,” Stern Pait said. “She chose the show because she saw a lot of potential for using it to tell a queer narrative … and also saw a lot of aesthetic potential in the imagery that we could use to tell the story that we wanted to tell.” Since stepping into the role of director, Stern Pait has jumped at the chance to synthesize the show’s original format with her own ideas for the production. “The challenge has been taking a concept that wasn’t mine — a vision that I didn’t come up with — and meshing that with my vision for the show and with my directing style, which I would say is pretty different,” Stern Pait said. “The vision and the concept itself, we’re going with, but I would also say that we dropped some of the more heavy-handed and graphic imagery in favor of a more subtle and a more emotive storytelling.” Stern Pait has risen to the occasion, embracing her directorial role with aplomb. “It’s been a really cool experience seeing … all of the different people who are involved and also what each of them do, [as well as] the resources we have available and all the limitations we have and how to figure out how to make the most of [them],” she said. This production is not the first time Stern Pait and Wolfe have worked together. The duo was involved in the Bare Bodkin Theatre Company’s production of “Fefu and Her Friends” last semester, which was performed at the Women’s Center. After such an intimate venue, Wolfe noted that Balch represents a significant step up as it relates to her role as stage manager.

“Stage managing in Balch is a lot different from the Women’s Center … there is just a lot more to coordinate because this show is more technically heavy than Fefu,” Wolfe said. “But I’ve had a lot of resources and people to rely on, which has been really helpful, and also when the director is your very good friend, it makes it a lot more fun.” Stern Pait and Wolfe have been forced to contend with the show’s limited budget and learning to maximize the return on their resources has been central to their development of the production. “We have a real theater and we have all this space and we’re doing it ‘[theatre] in the round,’ and so how do we make the best use of all the resources we have there? And then we have certain limitations,” Stern Pait said. “So we couldn’t go into costume stock — how do we get around that and also use that to our benefit?” As stage manager, Wolfe has had to deal with the show’s budget constraints more than anyone else. “Because we have budgetary limitations, we’ve been going through furniture stock and the actors’ closets to design the show,” she said. “There’s a lot of stuff there, but it’s a lot more difficult than being able to just buy stuff.” Despite these challenges, Stern Pait and Wolfe have greatly enjoyed working with the talented cast, noting its exceptional camaraderie. “We actually ended up having an almost full audition docket, which was cool,” Stern Pait said. “We have some really wonderful actors, and a lot of them are new, which is really fun because you can kind of mold them a little bit … and they’re really, really

committed, they’re really dedicated and they care a lot about the show. It’s just a pleasure to work with actors who care so much.” Wolfe concurred, noting that her relationship with assistant stage manager Joanna Kleszczewski, a first-year, has represented the social nature of the cast and crew. “Over the course of the rehearsal process, [Kleszczewski has] been opening up as a person and making lots of friends,” Wolfe said. “That’s not really strictly related to the play, but it’s really nice to see, and I feel like I’ve helped with that.” Stern Pait also highlighted the relationship between Wolfe and Kleszczewski. “They’re really close with each other and with us, and that’s been the saving grace in every difficult moment,” she said. “Like okay, sure, maybe we don’t have any lights and we can’t get the costume stock, but we’re just here to make friends.” In terms of the production itself, Stern Pait advises audience members to bring tissues. “It’s a really fascinating play … and we’ve been able to really delve into the text,” she said. “I love our actors so much. I feel like they bring so much experience and thoughtfulness and wisdom to the table … I would say my biggest piece of advice for anyone coming to the show is to watch them, really look at them. Everybody who’s onstage — they’re each doing something. And every character is a whole world.” “Eurydice” will be performed in Balch Arena Theater on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for free.

THE TUFTS DAILY | WEEKENDER | Thursday, November 8, 2018

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Tufts Latinx Film Festival’s ‘Relatos Salvajes’ finds humor in the surreal, mundane by Amanda Rose

Contributing Writer

There is something uniquely rich and warm about emotions shared across languages. Watching a film — whether gasping at dramatic irony, cackling at the antics of a foolish character or crying out in disbelief at its conclusion — brings out that which unites us: our ability to recognize and celebrate each other’s experiences and where they might intersect. The Tufts Latino Center’s screening of “Relatos Salvajes” (2014) did precisely that, bringing to life a space of laughter and community in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room on Oct. 31. The screening, presented as part of the inaugural Tufts Latinx Film Festival and in partnership with the Film and Media Studies Program and Department of Romance Studies, dove into a dark comedic world in a series of disconnected vignettes that culminate in a diverse anthology film. Juliana Berte, senior lecturer of Romance studies, introduced the Argentinian film. “It’s not about anything exceptional. It’s about issues that will never be on the front page of a newspaper,” Berte said. Despite the mundane subject matter, “Relatos Salvajes,” directed by Damián Szifron, remains at the top of Argentina’s list of most popular films. Berte added that the film has won scores of international awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. The main charm of the film lies in the way it entertains fantastical responses to everyday woes. After an HBOinspired title sequence of wild animals — a reference to the film’s title, “Wild Tales” — six scenarios unfold, charting the everyday struggles of the protagonists. From road rage and the anguish of a towed car to marital infidelity and

a waitress’ revenge, each situation escalates right up to the edge of dark comedy, sometimes toeing this line quite carelessly. Most scenes land perfectly within the genre, generating the expected cringes and laughter from the audience at the absurd and grotesque behavior reflecting one’s darkest impulses. Others push the limit into emotionally-disturbing sequences that threaten to lose their grip on the comedy. Nightmarish and gut-busting in equal measure, “Relatos Salvajes” invites viewers to pick a favorite vignette and defend their choice, regardless of where it falls on this scale. It is uncomfortable, relatable, hilarious and thought-provoking. The vignettes also seamlessly fold social commentary into their meandering plots. These include the dangers of dismissed aggression; unorthodox views on the relative quality of life in prison; the influence of class on the justice system; and many others. While there is no real connection between the scenes, they build to a climax of sorts. The final scene features a feuding couple who turn their wedding into a rampage of revenge. They find solace in each other by the end of the night, just as the audience is left to find the humanity in the folly presented on the screen. The beauty of the varied narratives of “Relatos Salvajes” is that every viewer can find a character or gripe to latch onto, regardless of culture. Rendered with just enough humor to blunt these biting messages, “Relatos Salvajes” is a wonderland of unmitigated instinct, a two-hour adventure of the ordinary becoming absurdly delightful with just a little bit of daring. The festival closes Friday with a screening of the TV series “Vida” at 1 p.m. and “Coco” (2017) at 3 p.m., both in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room.

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for ‘Relatos Salvajes’ (2014), which screened at the Tufts Latinx Film Festival, is pictured.

CORRECTION A previous version of the Nov. 7 op-ed “A call for moral leadership, solidarity” printed an incorrect version of the Hebrew introduction. The correct passage is posted below. The Daily regrets this error. ,‫ָּכל ַה ְמ ַא ֵּבד נֶ ֶפ ׁש ַא ַחת ִמיִ ּ ְש ָׂר ֵאל‬ ּ ּ‫ל‬ ‫ ַמ ֲע ֶלה ָע ָליו ַה ָּכתוּב ְּכ ִא ּו ִקיֵ ם עוֹ ָלם ָמ ֵלא‬,‫ וְ ָכל ַה ְמ ַקיֵ ּם נֶ ֶפ ׁש ַא ַחת ִמיִ ּ ְש ָׂר ֵאל‬.‫ַמ ֲע ֶלה ָע ָליו ַה ָּכתוּב ְּכ ִאלּ ּו ִא ֵּבד עוֹ ָלם ָמ ֵלא‬

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

Opinion

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Tys Sweeney Pretty Lawns and Gardens

CARTOON

A case for charismatic megafauna

BY SHANNON GEARY

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he case against the charismatic megafauna model for conservation is strong: Publicizing species such as elephants, lions and whales skews efforts to protect lesser-known or less attractive species, including many at-risk insects, plants and crustaceans. And this, in many ways, is very true. It’s often viewed as acceptable to spray a bee nest, while killing an elephant for trampling crops is widely condemned. For this reason, campaigns to save iconic animals irritate conservationists — the BBC’s Chris Packham even said he would “eat the last panda” if it meant spending the money poured into their conservation on “more sensible things.” Yet there remains a strong case for charismatic megafauna. They are not the waste of resources many insist they are, but a necessary standard-bearer for the conservation movement. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List reports that over 27 percent of species — more than 26,000 in total — are endangered, including 25 percent of all mammals. Pandas are only one of these species; elephants, African and Asian, represent two. So the case goes that charismatic megafauna distract from a larger issue: a modern mass extinction. But what’s the alternative? Should we make the Andrahomana Cave giant pill millipede the face of the conservation movement? Who would donate? What child would want to hug one? While the use of charismatic megafauna for marketing and fundraising purposes has been demonized, there is no reasonable alternative. In a world where national governments are too concerned with short-term politics and devote too few resources to the mass extinction our planet faces, conservationists turn to nonprofits, who then turn to mega-donors and the public. Simply from a financial perspective, the panda is a better marketing tool than a millipede. But there is another argument for charismatic megafauna. They serve a vital role in nurturing a new generation of conservationists, scientists and engaged, caring global citizens. I believe it is important for a young child to care about saving the pandas. Or the polar bears. Or the elephants. Or any number of other charismatic species. Charismatic species provide an introduction to conservation that appeals to the young, one from which they can learn and grow. I began my journey as an environmentalist when my uncle gave me a World Wildlife Fund stuffed snow leopard and a booklet about the species’ place within an ecosystem. Snow leopards are cute, and it’s not a distortion of any issue to engage a young child in an important, if limited, conversation about the environment. Charismatic megafauna have a place as a building block in the development of a good environmentalist because it’s easy to get someone to care about a whale or a lion, and from that starting point, with a rudimentary understanding of the issues, perhaps an engaged conservationist will be born. If a young child cares about a lion, perhaps a teenager will fight for a deer or fish and perhaps an adult will donate money to save a crab or a tree. And if not, the panda is still great marketing material. Tys Sweeney is a sophomore studying political science. Tys can be reached at tys. sweeney@tufts.edu.

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S p o rts

Megerle builds legacy of athletic success, selfless mentorship over 47 years at Tufts MEGERLE

continued from back was hard to miss at the NESCAC Cross Country Championship at Franklin Park on Oct. 27 with his thick jacket and passionate calls from the edge of the course. Joel Williams, who joined Tufts in 2015 as head coach of the cross country and track and field teams, explained that Megerle played a key role in integrating him into the community. “He is one of the most positive people on campus,” Williams said. “Every week, he will send us a good luck message before every race … [Megerle] just has a sunny disposition — he’s always excited to see you. I think the advice he gives without trying to is to look for the silver lining and keep a positive attitude, and things will go in the right

direction.” Megerle’s passion for running is about more than just mileage; it’s about compassion. Despite transitioning from the pool to the course, Megerle has retained his wondrous spirit and passion for human connection. “The first singlet crossed the finish line and fell into my arms, and I was just mesmerized, enraptured,” he said. “I was just sold on this whole thing. And each runner after that, all 176 of them … each one of them was a national champion [to me].” Of course, as is the nature of marathons, it has not always been rosy. Megerle recalled one incident when an asthmatic athlete, of whose condition he was not aware, passed out about 20 meters from the finish line and had to be stretchered to a medical tent for treatment. He vowed never to let it happen again. Megerle, who rises at 3 a.m. every day,

now spends his day checking in on his athletes, attending their medical appointments, feeling out their psychological habits, organizing photographs and setting up food stations for when they finish training. But what does the future hold? What is driving him to stay? According to Megerle, there is a tradition in which Tufts alumni walk at Commencement 50 years after their graduation. Megerle wants to stay for the return of his first swimming team. “I’ve got to do three more years,” Megerle said. “Then we’ll re-evaluate.” When Megerle ushers his first Tufts swim team down the aisle at graduation, it will complete the circle of family that he has cultivated over five decades on the Hill. And on Marathon Monday, he will still be there, as always, at Mile 9.

Tufts defeats Middlebury in NESCAC tournament for first time in program history VOLLEYBALL

Thursday, November 8, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

continued from back four-point rally midway through the set, moving the score from 12–7 to 12–11. The Polar Bears recovered to take an 18–12 lead, and while the Jumbos fought to stay in the set, they could not regain the lead, losing the set 25–21. While the teams were tied at six in the fifth set, the Polar Bears edged ahead to put the score at 10–7. The Polar Bears continued to widen the gap, taking a 15–9 victory in the final set and winning the match 3–2. Despite their narrow loss, the Jumbos have nothing but respect for their competitors.

“Bowdoin played an excellent game, and we wish them the best in the NCAA tournament,” Stewart, who is also co-captain, told the Daily in an email. A day prior, Tufts swept Middlebury 3–0 in the quarterfinals, overcoming a 3–1 defeat earlier in the season. This victory held a special significance for the Tufts volleyball program — prior to this season, the team had never beaten Middlebury during NESCAC tournament play. The Jumbos shined offensively against the fourth-seeded Middlebury, collecting 10 service aces and posting a hitting percentage of .263. The Panthers trailed behind with a team hitting percentage of .137 and just three service aces. On the

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defensive end, the Jumbos had nine blocks and 42 digs while the Panthers had five blocks and 49 digs. Most of the first set saw the Jumbos neck-and-neck with the Panthers, but the Jumbos were down two points late in the set at 18–16. The Jumbos built momentum to take a 20–18 lead before the Panthers fought back to tie the set at 21. After maintaining a tie at 25–25, a kill from Nwankpa placed the Jumbos back in the lead, putting the team in a position to secure the win with a score of 27–25 off a bad set by Middlebury’s junior setter Chellsa Ferdinand. Tufts took an early lead in the second set, which it maintained by a narrow margin throughout the set. Middlebury was able to close the gap to two points late in the set, putting the score at 22–20. However, the Panthers couldn’t shake the Jumbos’ momentum, making a service error to give the ball back to the Jumbos. The Jumbos did not need a second invitation, as they went on to end the set with a service ace from junior setter Rachel Furash and kill from Stewart to seal the set 25–20. The third set began tentatively with the Jumbos and Panthers taking turns in lead early on in the set. The teams tied the score at 11–11 before Bell changed the momentum of the set with two service aces. After breaking the tie, Tufts rapidly established a lead, gaining traction through stellar offense to eventually clinch the match with a 25–17 victory in the third set, as it boasted an impressive 16 kills with a hitting percentage of .556 on the set. First-year opposite hitter and NESCAC Rookie of the Year Cate Desler led the team with eight kills, with Bell and Nwankpa following closely behind with seven. Stewart said that the team’s preparation helped them achieve the program’s first NESCAC tournament victory over Middlebury. “We prepared well and executed our game plan,” Stewart said. “They are an excellent team and well-coached, so we were very happy to get a win.” The end of the season is bittersweet for the team — while they will be sad to say goodbye to the 2018 season, the team has had many incredible experiences together that they will remember in years to come. Senior outside hitter and co-captain Mackenzie Bright said that the Emory National Tournament and New England Challenge at MIT were highlights of the season. “It has been an absolute privilege to play on this team for the last four years, and I truly wish I could do it all over again,” Bright told the Daily in an email. “I am going to miss this very … much.”

Bradley Schussel The Coin Toss

NFL Week 10

elcome to The Coin Toss, where I make bold predictions about your favorite professional sports. Let’s recap last week’s NFL predictions:

Prediction Saints over Rams

Outcome Did I get it right? Saints 45– 35 Rams Yes!

Steelers over Steelers Ravens 23–16 Ravens Chiefs beat Browns by 17+ points

Chiefs 37–21 Browns

Yes!

I just barely missed a 3-for-3 week, as the Chiefs were one measly point off from my prediction. Still a solid week for bold predictions, with two correct. Now let’s get into NFL’s Week 10… Browns beat Falcons in Cleveland This may come as a surprise based on my prediction from last week that almost came true. This is a very different matchup for the Browns; the Falcons are nowhere near the Chiefs’ level. Still, Atlanta opened as road favorites by 3.5 points in Vegas. Maybe they shouldn’t be favored, even against the 2–6–1 Browns. The Falcons are on a three-game win streak, but they’ve done so against three mediocre teams: the Buccaneers, Giants and Redskins. The Browns may just be the toughest opposing offense they’ve faced in recent weeks. The Falcons have clawed their way back to 4–4, but their defense is still battered by injuries after losing several defensive starters early on. Call me crazy, but I think the Browns can put some points up and pull out a win at home over the Falcons. Bold enough for you? Colts score 30+ on Jaguars’ defense If you still believe in Jacksonville’s defense, I don’t blame you. I’ve been a believer too, but it’s gotten to a point where we have to consider that the unit isn’t what we thought. I think they’re about to get lit up by a divisional rival that’s been playing very well this year. This would be only the third time this year (at Chiefs, at Cowboys) that they’ve allowed 30-plus points, but I think it will happen again this week. The Jaguars’ defense is eighth in points allowed per game, which isn’t awful, but the Colts have also scored the sixth-most points in the league. Their offense has seen strong play from Andrew Luck and the emergence of Marlon Mack. This is propelled by the play of their offensive line, which has turned around since last year and started to look like a cohesive, strong blocking unit. I think the Colts will have plenty of motivation to score on the Jags’ defense, and that will lead to 30-plus points on the board. Nick Mullens continues breakout against Giants (250+ passing yards) All aboard the Nick Mullens hype train! The 23-year-old is expected to start on Monday Night Football against the Giants. Mullens looked very good against a weak Raiders defense (it’s okay, Jon Gruden — pass rushing is hard to find), putting up 262 yards and three touchdowns. I don’t think it was a total fluke. He’ll face another good matchup in his second NFL start. The Giants are 16th in passing yards allowed per game (244), so it’s quite possible that Mullens could go over that and break 250 against their defense. The 49ers like him enough to give him another start, and I think he’ll come through on Monday Night Football. Bradley Schussel is a sports editor. He is a senior studying biomedical engineering. Bradley can be reached at bradley.schussel@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Thursday, November 8, 2018

FEATURE

Meet you at Mile 9: Megerle’s legacy extends nearly five decades, many more miles

MEREDITH LONG / THE TUFTS DAILY

Donald Megerle, director of the Tufts President’s Marathon Challenge, poses for a portrait in his office on Nov. 6. by Jeremy Goldstein Assistant Sports Editor

You can find Donald Megerle, director of the Tufts University President’s Marathon Challenge, at Mile 9 of the Boston Marathon every year, banana in hand and arms outstretched, ready for a hug from Tufts runners donning golden singlets. “I like thinking, as far as I’m concerned, that they’re running to me,” Megerle said. “It’s not an ego thing, it’s not a self-centered thing … You nurture them, you’re with them through [physical] therapy, for the good days [and] the bad days, all that stuff, so when they finish, all that stuff kind of just surfaces.” So whose arms are these Tufts marathoners running into? After 47 years at Tufts, Megerle has created his own institution of trust. This legacy is revealed in the hundreds of photos around his desk in

the University Advancement office, which is also laden with glass trinkets. The trust factor that Megerle has built with many members of the Tufts community is the product of years of matching the mileage and dedication of his runners. For Megerle, it was not always miles; it used to be yards. A graduate of Bethany College, Megerle tabbed himself a half-decent collegiate swimmer. Megerle took a job on the coaching staff for the school’s men’s cross country team when he was still a senior after illnesses and absences led to an opening, and he did not flinch. After assisting with the cross country, track and field and swimming teams at Bethany, he made his way to Tufts by way of Springfield University, which he joined after graduating from Bethany. A long, illustrious career as coach of Tufts’ men’s swimming and diving team began in 1971. According to Megerle, the

landscape of New England sports looked very different at the beginning of his tenure, when Tufts competed in a division with 55 other schools from the region, excluding the Ivy League. The program quickly grew in stature, featuring five AllAmericans between 1971 and 1977. Under Megerle’s leadership, Tufts swimmers finished second in New England eight times and in the national top 10 six times, featuring 92 All-Americans. Megerle’s dedication was also recognized by the International Swimming Hall of Fame, as he won a Paragon Award in 1999 for outstanding contributions to the sport. These badges of honor were not simply a product of his athletes’ raw talent, but of his remarkable ability to cultivate each of them during their time at Tufts. Scattered amongst the glass menageries in Megerle’s office are countless books on sports psychology and how to succeed at the highest levels of athletic competition.

In other words, the factors that motivate athletes. His answer? Trust. If a young swimmer’s performance seemed off, Megerle would contact high school coaches for input. If that didn’t work, he would dial their parents. He sought to build his circle of trust beyond his athletes and to their families as well. With a sort of gleeful pride, Megerle explained how he has “ushered” about 10 of his former athletes’ weddings. These efforts were not just to aid the performance of his teams, but done for the goodwill of the individuals, and he chartered his contagious brand of mentorship throughout the entire Athletics department. Megerle recalled that after seeing a Tufts quarterback hang his head after wide throws and misreads, he would meet the student in Tisch Library every week to discuss his mental makeup on the field. Slowly, however, the conversations divulged away from the field. “‘Coach, are these conversations still about football, or are they about life?’” he recalls the quarterback asking. And thus, Megerle unlocks the man behind the man. He has always given the same spirit of generosity and selflessness to Tufts’ coaching community as well. After deciding to step down at the conclusion of the 2004 season, Megerle played an active role in the hiring of Adam Hoyt, then an assistant swimming coach at Trinity. Hoyt has held the position of Tufts’ men’s swimming and diving head coach ever since. “His knowledge and his willingness to share [his knowledge] has made me a better coach and better at spreading the mission of Tufts,” Hoyt said. “He opens a ton of doors to all the other resources because he knows all the other people on campus. He is a great advocate for how to manage relationships, improve relationships and be successful within relationships.” Megerle also has a long-standing love affair with the track community, dating back to his Bethany College days. He see MEGERLE, page 11

Volleyball records first win over Middlebury in NESCAC tournament, falls in semifinals by Helen Thomas-McLean Contributing Writer

After a momentous victory against the Middlebury Panthers in the NESCAC quarterfinals, the Tufts volleyball season came to an end in a 3–2 loss to the undefeated Bowdoin Polar Bears. The Jumbos finished the 2018 season fifth in the NESCAC with a 6–4 record in conference and 16–10 overall. Tufts traveled to Brunswick, Maine for the NESCAC tournament over the weekend. The Jumbos took on the first-seed Bowdoin Polar Bears on Saturday for a place in the NESCAC finals. While the Jumbos lost the match, they gave the Polar Bears a run for their money, taking the match to a deciding fifth set. In the first set, the Jumbos and the Polar Bears fought tooth and nail, tying the score 10 times

throughout the set. However, at 14-all, Bowdoin scored four straight points and never looked back, as it ultimately edged ahead at the end of the set to put up a final score of 25–22. Tufts made a spirited comeback during the second set, leading Bowdoin by eight midway through the match at 15–7. Bowdoin was able to narrow the gap, yet Tufts continued to rally to win the set 25–20 at the end through a kill from junior middle hitter Christina Nwankpa. The Jumbos continued to carry the momentum in the third set, winning the set by 12 points. Bowdoin took an early lead in the fourth set, yet Tufts battled hard to lower the deficit. Kills from junior outside hitters Brigid Bell and Maddie Stewart led to a

JULIA MCDOWELL / THE TUFTS DAILY

see VOLLEYBALL, page 11

Tufts’ volleyball team poses for a photo in celebration of its 3–0 Senior Night win over Conn. College on Oct. 26.