The Tufts Daily - Friday, March 15, 2019

Page 1

Daily arts editors recommend what to see over spring break see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4

SOFTBALL

Softball team kicks off season under new leadership

Men’s lacrosse stretches undefeated streak to 5 games see SPORTS / PAGE 7

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 37

Friday, March 15, 2019

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

tuftsdaily.com

Dining workers vote resoundingly to authorize strike by Alexander Thompson News Editor

Dining workers voted to authorize a strike yesterday by a substantial margin of 137 to 17, according to a press release sent to the Daily by UNITE HERE Local 26, the union which represents the workers. The vote gives the workers’ bargaining committee the authority to call a strike at any time according to the release, but no such announcement has been made yet. “After eight months of negotiations for their first union contract, Tufts University administrators potentially face the first strike at a Boston-area university since the 2016 Harvard Dining Hall Workers Strike,” the release says. In an email titled “Possible Changes in Tufts’ Dining Serices [sic] Operations,” sent to the Tufts community on Thursday afternoon, senior Tufts administration officials including University President Anthony Monaco and Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell wrote that Tufts Dining Services has developed a strike contingency plan to continue to feed students in the event that the bargaining committee calls a strike. As they leave campus for spring break, the officials assured students that the university will notify students of any changes to operations and that the Tufts Dining Services website will have updated information on any changes in services. The email also marked senior administration officials’ first direct response to the negotiations since they began in August. The officials wrote that the union and the university had made much progress in the talks and that they wanted an “equitable agreement” to be reached soon. The vote follows an eight-hour negotiation session on Wednesday in which the two sides could not reach an agreement, according to Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of public relations. According to Collins, the two parties completed three rounds of proposals and counterproposals focusing on the economic issues that have been the key sticking points in the negotiations: wages, healthcare and the status of workers on temporary contracts. “These new proposals represent substantial investment in the University’s dining employees, including lowering healthcare premiums for families by hundreds of dollars per month and increasing the wages of our lowest paid dining employees by approximately 20 percent over a four-year period,” Collins said in an email to the Daily.

Please recycle this newspaper

Cloudy 62 / 43

/thetuftsdaily

KYLE LUI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Dining workers are pictured protesting on March 5. Collins said that the union declined to respond to the university’s third counterproposal, ending negotiations for that day. Mike Kramer, the lead negotiator for UNITE HERE Local 26, said in an email to the Daily that the two sides made progress on Wednesday, but they are still far from agreement on economic issues. “Tufts Dining workers deserve a union contract that gives them the same wages and affordable healthcare that other Local 26 members have won,” he said. “We have said this since negotiations began and the entire Tufts community has embraced the [workers’] demands.” UNITE HERE Local 26 President Brian Lang reaffirmed in the press release sent to the Daily last night that the union was making modest demands. “We will see if Tufts has the moral integrity to rise to the occasion,” he said. Zahra Warsame, a second cook at Carmichael Dining Center, told the Daily that she cast her ballot in favor of the strike as an act of solidarity with her coworkers. “We’re all struggling to make the university understand that we need affordable health insurance for our families,” she said. Warsame said that the prospect of the strike scares her, but that it is a necessary sacrifice. “It’s either make a sacrifice now to make something greater happen or wait another For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

20 years or 10 years to achieve similar goals. So either way you’re suffering, you’re just choosing how fast it’s coming,” she said. “So I’m willing to go on strike, and my coworkers are willing to do the same thing for us to have a fair contract.” A strike could be averted before students return from break. Dining workers at Northeastern University, who were also represented by UNITE HERE Local 26, also voted to authorize a strike. This never materialized, as the union and the university reached an agreement five days later, according to the Huntington News, the student newspaper at Northeastern. On the other hand, a strike by Harvard dining workers in fall of 2016 lasted 22 days and resulted in the closing of several campus dining halls and cafés, according to the Harvard Crimson. Many Tufts Dining student workers have signed pledges distributed by the union committing themselves not to “cross the picket line.” “I understand and agree that students working during a potential strike at Tufts University would prevent workers from securing respect, equality and affordable healthcare,” a photo of the pledge reviewed by the Daily states. Student activists praised the workers for their decision. Jesse Ryan, a member of Tufts Dining Action Coalition (TDAC), said that students

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018,  Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com

will support the workers in whatever they have to do to get a fair contact including a possible strike, even though this outcome would be difficult for the people involved. “The thing is that Tufts has the power to ensure that a strike doesn’t happen, and it is Tufts responsibility to the workers and to their community to settle a fair contract in negotiations so that workers aren’t forced to strike for the basic standard of what they deserve,” Ryan, a sophomore, said in an electronic message to the Daily. TDAC has led a series of actions to increase the pressure on the university, including phone banking — calling senior administration officials telling them to agree to a contract favorable to the workers — on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, according to the TDAC Facebook page. Tufts officials referenced community outreach in their email to the Tufts community. “The University has heard from a number of community members in the past weeks regarding the negotiations with the union, and we want to thank all those who have taken the time to share their concerns and comments with us,” they wrote. They added that they welcome further input. Collins said that Tufts has proposed additional negotiation sessions in the immediate future.

NEWS............................................1 ARTS & LIVING.......................3

FUN & GAMES.........................5 SPORTS............................ BACK


2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, March 15, 2019

THE TUFTS DAILY Elie Levine Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL

David Levitsky Anita Ramaswamy Managing Editors Luke Allocco Jessica Blough Austin Clementi Charlie Driver Jenna Fleischer Juliana Furgala Kat Grellman Abbie Gruskin Liza Harris Zachary Hertz Gil Jacobson Rachael Meyer Catherine Perloff Seohyun Shim Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Alejandra Carrillo Robert Kaplan Noah Richter Jilly Rolnick Alexander Thompson Grace Yuh Costa Angelakis Jenna Fleischer Sean Ong Michael Shames Fina Short Sidharth Anand Amelia Becker Mark Choi Sarah Crawford Mitch Lee Ellie Murphy Ananya Pavuluri

Libby Langsner John Fedak Tommy Gillespie Stephanie Hoechst Setenay Mufti Christopher Panella Rebecca Tang Danny Klain Yas Salon

Aneurin Canham-Clyne Mikaela Lessnau Kaitlyn Meslin Amulya Mutnuri Elizabeth Shelbred Simrit Uppal Shane Woolley Arlo Moore-Bloom Yuan Jun Chee Ryan Eggers Liam Finnegan Jeremy Goldstein Savannah Mastrangelo Maddie Payne Haley Rich Brad Schussel Josh Steinfink Sam Weidner Julia Atkins Tim Chiang Jake Freudberg Noah Stancroff Helen Thomas-McLean Alex Viveros Daniel Nelson Madeleine Oliver Christine Lee Anika Agarwal Ann Marie Burke Mike Feng Ben Kim Max Lalanne Meredith Long Julia McDowell Evan Slack Kirt Thorne Caleb Martin-Rosenthal Ann Marie Burke Annette Key

Associate Editor Executive News Editor News Editors

Assistant News Editors

Executive Features Editor Features Editors

Assistant Features Editors

Executive Arts Editor Arts Editors

Assistant Arts Editors

Executive Opinion Editor Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

Assistant Sports Editors

Investigations Editor Executive Photo Editors Staff Photographers

Executive Video Editor Video Editors

PRODUCTION Daniel Montoya

Production Director Ryan Eggers Catalina Mengyao Yang Mia Garvin Jordan Isaacs Maygen Kerner Aidan Menchaca Kiran Misner Alice Yoon Isabella Montoya

Executive Layout Editors Layout Editors

Executive Graphics Editor

Myshko Chumak Justin Yu Caroline Bollinger Rachel Isralowitz Nathan Kyn Ali Mintz Nihaal Shah Liora Silkes Rebecca Barker Chloe Lyu Ethan Resek Ryan Shaffer Aadhya Shivakumar Russell Yip Abigail Zielinski

Executive Copy Editors

Deepanshu Utkarsh Roy Kim

Executive Online Editor Online Editor

Esra Gurcay Rebecca Tang Asli Akova Ercan Sen Amy Tong Mitch Navetta Amanda Covaleski Olivia Ireland Lillian Miller Christopher Panella

Executive Social Media Editors

Copy Editors

Assistant Copy Editors

Social Media Editors

Assistant Social Media Editors Outreach Coordinator

BUSINESS Olivia Davis Executive Business Director

tuftsdaily.com


Friday, March 15, 2019

ARTS&LIVING

‘JLA: Tower of Babel’

T

VIA FLICKR

A self-portrait of Robert Mapplethorpe is pictured.

Arts Editor

“Mapplethorpe” (2018) is the newest biopic starring Matt Smith (of “Doctor Who” fame) as Robert Mapplethorpe, an iconic photographer of the 1970s whose subjects ranged from flowers to friends to an underground BDSM club. The movie follows Mapplethorpe from his early years as a starving artist with Patti Smith (Marianne Rendón), to his growing prominence and famed homoeroticism, and throughout his career until his death from HIV/AIDS at the age of 42. Smith has played a gay artist in a biopic before, in his depiction of writer Christopher Isherwood in BBC’s TV movie “Christopher and His Kind” (2011). But where that was a tender portrayal of a man and his lovers, this feels more like a collection of fragments. First is the homosexual denial, then the self-discovery and sleeping around, then the significant relationship, then its downfall congruent with the rise of fame, leading to a decedent and selfish lifestyle until eventually he is humbled (here, by disease). “Mapplethorpe” is strangely formulaic for a movie about such a complicated and contradictory man. The movie has been the subject of sharp criticism for toning down the life of one of the most famously controversial and degenerate modern artists.

Mapplethorpe’s relationships with his family, including his assistant photographer brother, are treated more as afterthoughts that get tied up a little too neatly by the end. His drug use and personal psyche are largely hidden from the audience and played more for laughs than genuine character exploration. The real egregious sin of the movie is the absence of Patti Smith beyond the first half hour. Smith was a lifelong friend and muse of Mapplethorpe’s who is treated here like the first girlfriend who leads to a gay revelation. Rendón is a little too doe-eyed and conventional-looking for Patti, which doesn’t help. A scene of the photoshoot for her first album, “Horses” (1975), is surprisingly absent from the photographic montages despite being such a famous testament to the photographer and iconic friendship. Smith and Mapplethorpe’s early romantic relationship at the Chelsea Motel feels like a caricature of young bohemians, telling each other that they are the only people in each other’s world, in an encounter far too hokey for Smith’s skills with language. But to its credit, the film doesn’t shy away from some aspects of Mapplethorpe’s life. Mapplethorpe’s harsh treatment of his brother is explored rather well — until illness magically brings the brothers together again — as is his consistent snobbery. Another caveat worth mentioning is Mapplethorpe’s treatment of his black

tuftsdaily.com

Drew Weisberg Hidden Panels

FILM REVIEW

‘Mapplethorpe’ is an intriguing but tame film on the legendary provocative artist

by Setenay Mufti

3

subjects, which has been described as fetishization, and his simplification of black masculinity into sexual objectification. This is explored in the film, though briefly; in one powerful scene, Mapplethorpe’s black boyfriend, Milton Moore (McKinley Belcher III), confronts him about his attitudes. Smith is the obvious star of the show as he portrays the artist with furious energy, brooding and hungry when he’s unsuccessful and self-centered when he is. Smith’s Brooklyn accent is a bit stiff — he’s originally from the United Kingdom — but captures his cocky young ambivalence well. The makeup artists and hairstylists also did a commendable job with Smith’s aging, as well as his hard-to-watch transformation as his illness progresses. Belcher’s performance is fantastic as well, bringing a standout energy to his short role. Overall, hardcore lovers of Mapplethorpe’s work and his life as depicted in Patti Smith’s autobiography “Just Kids,” which heavily features him, may be disappointed by the tameness of “Mapplethorpe.” Perhaps, had Smith given her consent to contribute to the making of this film, the results would have been more dark and fruitful. But for those who enjoy photography and biopics and have a casual enjoyment or curiosity about Mapplethorpe’s work, “Mapplethorpe” is a satisfying, if understated, choice.

here are occasions where a comic’s plot is so bizarre, so out there and yet so ingenious that I curse myself for not coming up with it myself. A prime example: “JLA: Tower of Babel.”(2000) Collected in JLA Vol. 4 (2014) and written by Mark Waid, “Tower of Babel” sees the world’s ability to process language suddenly failing. Signs and newspapers become mishmashes of random gibberish, and the cause is a mystery. At the same time, each member of the Justice League is under attack by a shadowy enemy with weapons specifically targeting their individual weaknesses. The attacks range from the deeply ironic (Aquaman becomes a hydrophobe) to the downright terrifying (the Flash suffers from “lightspeed epilepsy”). As if the day couldn’t get much worse, the bodies of Batman’s parents have been stolen right out of their graves, leading the Dark Knight on a crusade to recover them. The League is ultimately victorious, but the victory does reveal a secret that rocks the League to its core and a permanent mark on one of its members. Any of you who have seen the animated film “Justice League: Doom” (2012) (which is based on the storyline) know where this is going, but for those of you who haven’t, I’ll let you in on the twist: each attack was based on Batman’s plans to defeat the Justice League. Basically, if you’ve ever wondered where the “Batman is a god who can beat anyone” mindset comes from, this book answers that question. There’s an interesting argument as to why Batman had methods of disposing of each member of the League, as the man himself puts it “I decided there ought to be fail-safes” with Superman replying, “You decided.” With these two words, Waid manages to communicate Batman’s motivation: a man with tremendous power has just questioned why a mortal man needs reassurance against his might. What fascinates me, though, is the way that Waid manages to show Superman’s viewpoint throughout the rest of the arc, as we see the horrors that can occur from unregulated, paranoia about superhumans. Here Waid illustrates the true effect of a conflict between man and Superman, arguing that a man with bulletproof skin only makes a case for stronger bullets. The debate is so fascinating, in fact, that the rest of the book (i.e., Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins are behind the linguistic attack, Batman gets an offer to resurrect his parents, etc.) is overshadowed by this fantastic conflict. What we have here is a prime example of the cerebral heights that a talented writer can bring to a superhero book, breaking down the divine images of superheroes into just a group of scared people with more power than anyone should be allowed to have. “Tower of Babel” is my personal vote for the most human Justice League story I have ever read, and I can’t recommend it highly enough for those looking for a debate on the morality of superheroes. Drew Weisberg is a first-year studying psychology and film and media studies. Drew can be reached at mitchell.weisberg@ tufts.edu.


4

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Friday, March 15, 2019

tuftsdaily.com

What the arts editors want you to see over spring break

VIA NETFLIX

A promotional picture for ‘Russian Doll’ (2019–) is shown. by Libby Langsner Executive Arts Editor

Libby Langsner’s recommendations “Russian Doll” (2019–): The protagonists are intense, complex and compelling, the jokes are extremely witty (to be expected from Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne’s writing) and the plot is unpredictable, despite the show’s cliché premise. This show will make you reach out to people from your past and hug your friends a little harder because hey, we’ve only got one shot on this space and time plane. “Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America” at Boston College’s McMullen Museum: For those interested in the art of Japan, the history of colonization and Westernization or just really into art restoration and seeing a six-foot-tall bronze eagle in person, this is the show for you. “Transit” (2018): The film is based on a novel written in 1944 by a GermanJewish refugee, but instead of taking place in the ’40s, it is set in modern-day Paris. I haven’t seen the film yet myself, but ever since I read Tommy’s article featuring it, I’ve wanted to rush to Kendall Square to see it. Chris Panella’s recommendations “Captain Marvel” (2019): The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 21st installment is an exciting origin story for the character played by Brie Larson. Set in 1995, the film follows Captain Marvel, real name Carol Danvers, as she teams up with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to stop a galactic conflict between

aliens on Earth. It’s fast-paced, actionpacked and the perfect spring break flick. Audiences seem to think so, too: “Captain Marvel” had a $456.7 million worldwide opening weekend, the sixth biggest of all-time. As “Captain Marvel” tops the worldwide box office, she might just be topping something else; there’s apparently plenty of evidence that Danvers could be gay, with fans citing her relationship with character Monica Rambeau. Honestly, we want it. Danvers has big strap energy, and “Captain Marvel” has big success energy. Go see it in a theater near you! “Leaving Neverland” (2019): Another thing to watch is 2019’s most controversial release (so far). After a premiere at Sundance, the Michael Jackson documentary film is on HBO Go. A two-part documentary, the film is definitely a difficult and shocking watch, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Throughout its 236 minutes, “Leaving Neverland” meticulously examines the sexual abuse alleged by Wade Robson and James Safechuck, providing family interviews, pictures and plenty of disturbing details. Sure, the release might’ve thrust Jackson back into the spotlight for a reflection on his sexual abuse allegations almost 10 years after his death, but it’s an important work post-#MeToo movement and an important watch. John Fedak’s recommendation “The Umbrella Academy” (2019–): A superhero show based on Gerard Way and

Gabriel Bá’s comic of the same name, the series follows seven dysfunctional siblings who reunite after the death of their adopted billionaire father in an attempt to solve the mystery behind their father’s death and save the world. While the story material isn’t terribly original, the show’s cinematography and score set it apart from most other productions and elevate its most impactful scenes to new heights. It is a perfect blend of chaotic and formulaic, and its characters only add to the charm. Klaus, in particular, is a stand-out character whose hilarity perfectly offsets the show’s more serious moments. For any superhero buffs, sci-fi nerds or plain old TV enthusiasts, “The Umbrella Academy” is a mustwatch; hopefully a season 2 announcement is imminent! Steph Hoechst’s recommendation “PEN15” (2019): This new Hulu series is a sensitive, awkward peek into the tumultuous lives of middle schoolers in the same vein as cringeworthy, adolescent comedies such as “Big Mouth” (2017–) and “Eighth Grade” (2018). Comedians Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine — who are themselves in their early 30s — play 13-year-old versions of themselves, Anna and Maya, who are inseparable best friends determined to do everything together in seventh grade. All the other actors in the show are actually 13. Konkle and Erskine are wonderfully convincing as Anna and Maya — Erskine sports a bowl cut and Konkle slouches with the same insecurity as any 13-year-old girl

might. Set in the year 2000, the 10-episode series draws on the nostalgia of the era, complete with glittery lip-gloss, late-night calls on the landline and low-rise flare jeans. It’s a thoughtful, wickedly funny love letter to girlhood friendship.

Danny Klain’s recommendation “Us” (2019): Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this film is his follow-up to the horror debut, “Get Out” (2017), that became a national conversation about race in America. If the film lives up to its hype, Oscar voters might have to give it the Best Picture Oscar that “Get Out” rightfully deserved. Through trailers, we have only been able to gather a little bit of information about the plot. Two parents, played by Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, the latter of which was a surprise star of “Black Panther” (2018), take their children up to a beach for a family vacation and what happens next is not exactly clear, but it looks quite terrifying. Sticking within the horror genre, it will be interesting to see where Peele tries to take this film. On a surface level, the trailer alone makes it seem like “Us” will be an incredibly satisfying work to watch, but I am a little hesitant. “Get Out” was one of the few movies recently to break so many boundaries, both as a film and in the subsequent discussion surrounding it; how can somebody be expected to top that or even match it? No matter what, I’ll still be going to see it in theaters when it comes out on March 22.

When life throws you a financial challenge, you’ve proven you have what it takes to ace it. Now it’s time to tackle your retirement savings at AceYourRetirement.org


Friday, March 15, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

F &G FUN & GAMES

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Elie: “I don’t know how you take an artsy dick pic.”

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

Don’t give up someone you love. Prioritize matters of the heart, fun with friends and creative collaboration. Relax and enjoy sweet company.

Difficulty Level: Laying out a newspaper when you’ve got spring break on the brain.

Thursday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

5


6

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Friday, March 15, 2019

tuftsdaily.com


Sports

Friday, March 15, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

7

Men’s lacrosse remains undefeated with wins over Stevens, Endicott

EVAN SAYLES FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Junior midfielder Nick Shanks runs toward the goal in the second round of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament on May 9, 2018. by Henry Molot

Contributing Writer

The Jumbos are off to a scintillating start to the 2019 season, improving to 5–0 with wins over the Endicott Gulls on Tuesday and the Stevens Ducks on Saturday. The Jumbos are familiar with getting off to a strong start — they have lost just once during their opening 10 games in the last four seasons. No. 3 Tufts followed up a huge comeback win against the feisty No. 9 Stevens with a win over non-conference opponent Endicott College. Tufts ground out a 13–5 win against stingy crosstown rival Endicott on Bello Field Tuesday night. The Gulls used a patient offensive strategy to keep the ball away from the Jumbos’ electric offense while forcing senior defensive stalwart Arend Broekmate and his fellow senior defenders to remain vigilant. The Gulls’ strategy was paying off going into the second quarter, as the they kept the game a low-scoring affair at 2–1 in favor of the Jumbos. As the game chugged forward, Tufts’ stellar defensive efforts started to spur rapid counterattacks against an Endicott side that quickly fell apart. “Credit to our defense for dealing with a lot of really long possessions. It was definitely a very different flow from Saturday,” senior attacker and captain Ben Connelly,

said, who converted two goals on three shots in the win. The defense had excellent communication throughout, which was vital to keeping focus and initiating good shifts during possessions that sometimes lasted up to 50 seconds. “We call it being a fireman,” Broekmate said. “[Being] able to react and follow up on whatever their teammates [do].” Much of the energy the team displayed both offensively and defensively came from the Jumbos’ bench, which was extremely vocal and engaged throughout. The Gulls’ sideline was mostly silent. Coach Casey D’Annolfo was happy to get some of his scout team playing time once the game became out of reach for the Gulls. “Those guys work really hard during the week, so it’s always great to see them get in,” D’Annolfo said. Midfielder Aidan Hesse, a first-year, scored an outstanding goal with 2:52 left in the fourth quarter, fighting through six Endicott defenders to fire home a closerange rip. “A lot of these guys could play anywhere in the country … it’s probably the best scout team I’ve seen in my time here,” Connelly added. If Tuesday night ended up being a walk in the park, playing on the road against

national powerhouse Stevens in the team’s fourth game of the season on Saturday was anything but. D’Annolfo and the Jumbos knew it was going to be a battle for each and every one of the 60 minutes. Stevens held a slim 13–10 lead after an electrifying and high-scoring first half, and the Ducks would maintain that margin with a 17–14 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. From there, though, it was the Jumbos’ time to shine: their senior-heavy back line put out a stellar defensive showing, keeping the Ducks off the scoreboard for the final 15 minutes. While the Jumbos had been late on some of their defensive slides throughout the game, their adjustments going into the fourth ended up turning the tables. “We kind of changed around our entire game plan because we’d been struggling with our slides all game. The adjustments got us to get there without having too much on our plate,” Broekmate said. The Jumbos scored five goals in the final period to steal a 19–17 victory from the home side. Sophomore Garrett Samuelson, a standout midfielder, had a massive game, tallying two goals and four assists, including the game winner with 2:01 left in the fourth. Junior midfielder Nick Shanks gave the Jumbos an insurance goal with 1:00 to play. Connelly, who scored three goals on a 70 percent shot-on-goal percentage,

recognized the importance of the defensive effort in opening up play for the offense. “Our defense locked it down completely. They had a good clearing percentage which kind of fed us in that fourth quarter,” the Winnetka, Ill. native said. While the fourth quarter comeback showed great resolve, Connelly wants the team to start faster in its coming games. “We need to be dialed in from the start and be less worried about making a million plays instead of just making that first one,” Connelly said. With the win, the Jumbos locked up their first victory of the season against a nationally-ranked opponent, a valuable experience in the competitive NESCAC division. “It’s good to get that experience on the road, which sets us up for later in the season when we’re gonna have to go on the road and play more good teams,” Broekmate said. While the future of the program remains as promising as ever, as do the Jumbos’ chances of competing for a national title, Broekmate and Connelly are seasoned enough to know that they must take things one week at a time. “Right now, the game I’m most excited for is Colby [next week],” Connelly said. The two NESCAC rivals square off tonight at 7 p.m. in Maine in the Jumbos’ second conference contest of the season.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER


8 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Friday, March 15, 2019

Under new leadership, softball starts season with spring break trip

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Tufts sophomore infielder Mia Steinberg runs up the first base line in a game against Babson on April 17, 2018. Assistant Sports Editor

The Jumbos begin their season this week under the new leadership of interim head coach Lauren Ebstein. While the late-winter snow continues to thaw here in Massachusetts, the team travels to Clermont, Kissimmee and Winter Haven, Fla. for their annual season-opening spring break trip. Cheryl Milligan, the winningest coach in terms of total games and win percentage, who was at the helm for 15 years, stepped down in November 2018. Ebstein was promoted from associate head coach to interim head coach. Ebstein (LA ’07) is a career Jumbo; she pitched for Tufts, graduated in 2007 and has since returned to the coaching staff twice. Most recently, she served on the coaching staff since 2014, holding the title of associate head coach since 2015. After the four-year letter winner graduated, she was an assistant for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, too. Despite the transition, Ebstein explained that her familiarity with the team will reduce the challenges that come with taking over a program. “Anyone who takes over is going to be a little bit different,” Ebstein said. “And there are things we’re doing as a coaching staff that are slightly different from last year, but

it’s probably about the same as it could be for them having a different coach.” Ebstein hopes to build upon last year’s campaign, when the team went 32–10 overall and made it to the NCAA Regional Final before losing to MIT. Ebstein knows what it takes, too — she was a part of the coaching staff for the 2015 team that went 51–0 season en route to a national championship, as well as the national championship side the year before. Overall, it was a successful season, but it was a down year for an offense that typically ranks in the top of the NESCAC — last season the team’s batting average fell to eighth in the NESCAC at .309. Although the team only graduated five seniors last year, they lost two of their top offensive players in Samantha Siciliano (LA ’18) and Raven Fournier (LA ’18). Fournier’s older sister, Allyson, was a four-time AllAmerican who won three national championships with Tufts from 2013—2015. Both placed onto the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England team and received All-NESCAC honors. Siciliano hit .390 with 4 home runs and 22 RBIs, while Fournier hit .381 with three home runs and 25 RBIs; both ranked in the top 10 for batting average within the NESCAC. “I don’t think we had our best hitting year last year,” Ebstein said. “Making sure

that we’re putting those pieces together hitting-wise will be something that we continue to work on from Florida and then through the season.” On the defensive side of things, the Jumbos will rely on two young, strong pitchers who had breakout seasons last year: sophomores Kristi Van Meter and Kristina Haghdan. As first-years, they led the pitching staff: Van Meter finished the season with a 1.09 earned run average (ERA) and Haghdan finished the season not far behind with a 1.43 ERA — the top two marks in the NESCAC, respectively. Van Meter was NESCAC Rookie of the Year and also earned NFCA All-New England honors. “I don’t think last year I did everything that I could have done — you could ask any pitcher on the staff, and there’s always something you want to work on,” Haghdan said. “We’re really lucky [as pitchers] that we are able to coach each other, which I think is really special. As a staff, we warm up all together, and we’re watching each other as closely as we can. So, this year, in general, we’re very much relying on each other.” Aside from pitching, other factors benefiting the team as they transition to new leadership will be depth and youth. Sophomores and juniors comprise more than half the team, and most players can play several positions.

“We have a lot of depth, so that will be exciting for us to see in Florida with a lot of games in a short amount of days,” Ebstein said. “That’s a huge strength to have so we’re excited about that.” In Florida, the Jumbos face off against some of the top-ranked teams in the NFCA poll, including No. 22 Wisconsin-Eau Claire and No. 4 St. Thomas (Minn.). After spring break, the Jumbos also have games against No. 10 Williams and No. 5 MIT on their schedule. Both the NESCAC and non-NESCAC opponents on the schedule present important matchups for this year’s young team. “We’ve been stuck inside and we’re really excited to go outside to Florida,” Haghdan said. “I think the team as a whole — it feels like we have unfinished business to do because we lost in the championship of regionals, so I think everyone has the mindset that we want to make it really far this season, but we also know we need to take care of the small details that lead up to postseason.” The first game of the 15-game trip in Central Florida will be played on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. against Amherst in Kissimmee, Fla., just a few miles from Disney World. If everything goes according to plan, Dumbo won’t be the only high-flying elephant in Kissimmee next week.

ION OF STA IAT TE OC

TERS RES FO

NATIONAL A SS

by Jake Freudberg

FO

U N D E D 192

0


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.