The Tufts Daily - Friday, March 16, 2018

Students give input on campus space through Brown & Blueprint Initiative see FEATURES / PAGE 4

TUFTS SWIMMING/DIVING

Jumbos prepare for NCAA championships

Tufts Jazz Orchestra offers students a way to explore culture and music see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXV, ISSUE 34

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Friday, March 16, 2018

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ team discusses race series, investigative process

by Arin Kerstein News Editor

Members of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team discussed their experiences in investigative journalism last night in a panel event hosted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in Barnum Hall.

Panelists Patricia Wen, Adrian Walker and Todd Wallack, all of whom reported for the Globe’s December 2017 seven-part series on racism in Boston, spoke to students and community members as a part of Tisch College’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

Alan Solomont, Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean of Tisch College, introduced both the panelists and moderator Julie DoBrow, Tisch College senior fellow for media and civic engagement. Solomont commended the panelists and noted the importance of media literacy as an essential component of civic life.

“The media is the people’s window into problems in our communities through which to view the decisions of our leaders and into facts that create the foundation for how we approach the world,” Solomont said. “When the truth is hidden, we rely on investigative reporters to doggedly seek it out and expose it for all to see.”

Dobrow opened the panel with a discussion of the revitalization for investigative journalism that has emerged in a media environment involving the spread of fake news and mistrust in the mainstream media.

Wallack and Walker both acknowledged the increased enthusiasm for investigative reporting as demonstrated through increased readership and financial investments in journalism.

“We’re seeing huge hunger for news and for investigative reports and for really digging deep, and it’s ironic given that we’re at a time where people talk about fake news and mistrust in the media, because we’re doing more good journalism than ever,” Wallack said. “In order to distinguish ourselves, we really need to do substantial reporting.”

Wen, the Spotlight team editor, referred to Wallack’s point as a silver lining of the current political moment, but questioned journalists’ ability to impact Americans who preach a narrative of mistrust.

“Despite lots of excellent investigative reporting going on in a lot of different publications, the segment of American society that contributes to fake news, I’m not really sure that it’s actually going to make a difference to that particular contingent of society,” she said.

The panelists then discussed the formation of the Spotlight team and its evolution from an idea based on a British newsroom to its current place as a hallmark feature of The

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Members of the Boston Globe’s Investigative unit Patty Wen, Adrian Walker and Todd Wallack speak in Barnum auditorium as a part of the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series on March 15.

Boston Globe, especially following the 2015 film portraying the team’s uncovering of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Wen noted that the team has grown from a group of three reporters and one editor to a group of six reporters and herself on its most recent series.

Walker described the team’s unique separation from the rest of the newsroom, which allows reporters to dive deeply into issues rather than trying to fit in an intense investigative process in between other responsibilities.

The panelists discussed the process of parsing through the tips they receive to decide what stories deserve coverage, noting that while many stories have national resonance, their primary goal is to hold institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing in the greater Boston area. Walker noted that in turn, many of the best Spotlight stories are systemic in nature.

Among the scores of tips are countless pleas for help on individual situations, Wallack added.

“Unfortunately we can’t tell every individual story,” he said. “So we try to take on new issues, and we try to take on broader systemic issues and find a handful of really good examples that illustrate that broader problem and explain how that broader problem affects

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everyone, and hopefully bring change that helps everyone and not just one person.”

Wen emphasized the powerful role that data has had in informing pieces and shaping stories, particularly in the team’s recent series on racism in Boston.

“We realized writing about race is so emotional and that it was important that if we were going to look at racism or race, we had to try to be as data-focused as possible and try to rely more on statistics than on anecdotes,” she said.

Walker noted that one of the most striking aspects of the experience was the comparison process between statistics they compiled for this process and investigations done in the 1980s.

“I was really staggered when we looked at the data how little the needle had moved in so many areas, whether it was health care or higher education or development or politics,” he said.

Wen acknowledged that the Globe’s “digital-first” approach allows stories to continue to reach readers without being limited by location or time. While she said that the comment boards can inhibit fruitful conversations because of the prevalence of internet trolls, a moderated forum used for the race series demonstrated the potential

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for positive digital conversations surrounding controversial topics.

Conversations on Facebook also allow new user engagement with the issues than what was previously possible, Walker added.

“It’s another way of keeping the series alive that you wouldn’t have had 10-20 years ago,” he said.

Wallack also noted the widespread potential for digital conversations, adding that some users who have met on digital forums surrounding their series have organized in-person meetings to discuss race.

Following the moderated panel, Dobrow opened the event to questions from the audience.

When asked about the evidence of change raised through their reporting, Walker emphasized powerful responses from the community as evidenced by conversations on the ground and local legislative efforts.

Wen agreed, noting that the series on race brought up important conversations for institutions to think critically about their roles within the community. She posed a challenge to think about how institutions define diversity for themselves, drawing upon the team’s exposure to systematic racism within higher education in its race series.

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COMICS.......................................6 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, March 16, 2018

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THE TUFTS DAILY Catherine Perloff Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Mary Carroll Zachary Hertz Managing Editors

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COURTESY MELODY KO FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Elena Rybak-Akimova is pictured in 2005.

Elena Rybak-Akimova, chemistry professor of 18 years, dies at 56

Liam Knox Investigative Editor

Alexis Serino Rachel Hartman Mike Feng Ray Bernoff Erik Britt Sophie Dolan Shaivi Herur Ben Kim Rachael Meyer Vintus Okonkwo Evan Sayles Seohyun Shim Annette Key Ana Sophia Acosta Olivia Ireland Asha Iyer

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BUSINESS

Rayane Haddar Executive Business Director

Romain Dard Receivables Manager

by Jenna Fleischer

Assistant News Editor

Chemistry Professor Elena RybakAkimova passed away from cancer March 11 at the age of 56. RybakAkimova’s research interests were small-molecule binding and activation.

Above the molecular level, she shared her passion for chemistry with students, colleagues, friends and family.

Rybak-Akimova demonstrated an aptitude for chemistry even in her youth in Ukraine. After graduating high school, she participated in the 10th International Chemistry Olympiad, winning first prize and the gold medal.

Akimova’s husband, Alex Kolchinski, said he met her while she was an undergraduate getting a combined B.S./M.S from Shevchenko University. The pair soon became a couple after taking a German language course together.

“She had a very strong personality,” Kolchinski said. “She worked for most of her professional life with iron as a chemical element, so she was sometimes called the ‘Iron Lady.’”

Much of Rybak-Akimova’s work dealt with iron macrocyclic complexes, but her interest in iron did not limit her curiosity for other areas of chemistry.

She also worked with other elements and focused on chemical kinetics.

Several years after Rybak-Akimova earned her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, she and Kolchinski immigrated to the United States in 1992.

Until 1997, she conducted postdoctoral research in Daryle Busch’s group at the University of Kansas.

Becky Roesner, professor and chair of the chemistry department at Illinois Wesleyan University, was a colleague of Rybak-Akimova’s while in Busch’s research group.

“The breadth and depth of Elena’s understanding made her a sought after collaborator and source scientific advice,” Roesner told the Daily in an email. “When Elena engaged intellectually with students … she never focused on their limitations, but rather treated them as though they already were the scientists she believed they could become.”

After her postdoc, Rybak-Akimova joined the Tufts faculty, being quickly promoted from assistant to tenured professor. Through the Rybak-Akimova Group, Rybak-Akimova served as a mentor and advisor to many who have gone on to pursue chemistry at an advanced level, all the while finding time to publish hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals and win three faculty research awards.

Ivan Korendovych, associate professor of chemistry at Syracuse University, said he joined Rybak-Akimova’s lab at Tufts in 2001 as a Ph.D. student. Over the years, Rybak-Akimova also became Korendovych’s friend and colleague.

“She was very meticulous in her lectures but at the same time she tried to make them as much fun as possible,” Korendovych told the Daily in an email.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Syracuse University Olga Makhlynets remembers when she first met RybakAkimova in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2004 while finishing her M.Sc. at the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, Rybak-Akimova’s alma mater. The next year, Makhlynets started her Ph.D. at Tufts and joined Rybak-Akimova’s research group.

“This meeting opened new opportunities and directions in my life and I often think about how fortunate I was to be introduced to Elena that day,” Makhlynets told the Daily in an email.

“Being an international student, I was overwhelmed by the different culture and educational system. It meant a lot to me to have a research advisor who could not only inspire me as a scien-

tist, but also help me adapt to the new environment.”

Senior Adam Zoll, a chemistry major, said he first met Rybak-Akimova in spring 2015 to discuss the possibility of working in her lab. By the end of his sophomore year, Zoll came to know Rybak-Akimova in three capacities: professor, academic advisor and principal investigator (PI) for a research grant.

“Professor Rybak-Akimova served as a mentor and source of encouragement and motivation for me,” Zoll told the Daily in an email. “[Her] enthusiasm for chemistry was contagious … [She] was always on my side, in and out of the classroom. Her belief in my ability to grow as a scientist continues to encourage me toward my goals today.”

Rybak-Akimova’s passion for science and her students are undoubtedly her legacy. Korendovych recalled her often saying she would never think of retirement: “Why would anyone retire from so many new discoveries yet to be made?”

Still, according to her daughter, Anna Kolchinski, Rybak-Akimova’s hobbies were not limited to the field of chemistry.

“Of course her chemistry is important, but her as a person is also important,” Kolchinski, a first-year, said.

“She loved to ski, she loved croissants and having brunch a lot, and she loved to go on walks in the woods every weekend.”

While at first she thought it felt strange to go to college where RybakAkimova taught, Kolchinski said she came to enjoy the proximity to her mother at Tufts.

“I liked being able to go to her office after classes. I would stop by all of the time and visit her for advice or just to talk,” Kolchinski said. “She was definitely more logical than compassionate, but if you really needed her she understood and would be there for you.”

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Features

Friday, March 16, 2018

TCU Senate’s Brown and Blueprint initiative aims to compile student feedback on campus spaces

VIA TCU SENATE

The interactive map on the Tufts Brown and Blueprint Initiative website is pictured.

by Colin Kennedy Contributing Writer

Tufts’ campus has been flooded with advertisements this semester, asking for student input on the physical space around campus.

“Real talk… How should this space be used–and what features should it have?” the poster outside Curtis Hall, home to the former Brown and Brew Coffee House, reads.

This is the work of Brown and Blueprint, a Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate initiative started last fall to elicit feedback on campus space.

The initiative utilizes the digital community engagement platform coUrbanize where students can submit comments about specific physical spaces on a virtual map or via text message.

Students can also request a one-onone meeting with a member of the TCU Senate Administration and Policy Committee.

“Brown and Blueprint was an initiative in response to the Student Life Review Committee (SLRC) report [which discovered that] an underlying pervasive issue on campus was the issue of spatial inequity,” TCU President and senior Benya Kraus, who also sat on the SLRC, told the Daily in an interview.

According to Kraus, Brown and Blueprint, including the website and the posters, has spent about $2,000 and is funded by Campus Planning, the Office for Campus Life and the Office of the President, but not the Student Activities Fund.

Just two years ago, a similar student survey — albeit focused on campus housing — was organized by a working group comprised of Campus

Planning, Facilities Services, the Office of Residential Life and Learning, Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost.

“The focus is housing, but we want to understand how people are using other [spaces],” former Space Management Planner Heidi Sokol was quoted as saying in a 2016 Daily article. “The survey will seek to find out if there are any ancillary spaces that make sense to be part of … the residential hub.” Sokol is now senior campus planner.

According to Director of Campus Planning Lois Stanley, the 2016 campus housing survey — facilitated by architecture and planning firm Sasaki Associates and driven primarily by university staff — differs from Brown and Blueprint in scope and student involvement.

“The 2016 Sasaki housing study was focused on residential facilities. The feedback gathered through a survey and focus groups informed Sasaki’s recommendations for a multi-year undergraduate housing program. Brown and Blueprint, which is a student initiative, addresses the entire campus,” Stanley told the Daily in an email.

Brown and Blueprint is focused on the physical spaces where students learn, meet people and develop a sense of community at Tufts. Kraus said that the initiative can identify campus spaces that have been neglected and have caused some communities to feel undervalued.

“Your access to social capital and sense of belonging on this campus was both caused by and reinforced by your access to space,” Kraus said.

Kraus cited the specific example of spatial inequity with the Africana Center and House in Capen House,

which had been identified by students over a year ago as being in dire need of renovation and cleaning.

“Capen House had a sink unsuitable for washing and cooking,” Kraus said.

“There were also concerns about there being asbestos in the basement.”

Africana Community Senator Fatima Ajose, a senior, responded to these concerns by getting the university administration to refurbish the Capen House kitchen with new cabinets, a new sink and new counter-tops, while the asbestos was cleared out over summer 2017.

Kraus described that moving forward, the initiative can help to identify communities that need improved physical spaces.

“Where is community being built, and where is it not being built?” she said of Brown and Blueprint’s overarching questions.

Sophomore Paul Henjes was one of the students who commented online to express concern with the state of Eaton Hall.

“As a sociology major, most of my time is spent in Eaton [through] office hours and classes. It’s definitely an important building for me … In Eaton, there is no all-gender bathroom, and many of the programs in Eaton tend to be very LGBTdominated,” he said. “I think it would be very important and helpful to have an all-gender bathroom.”

Henjes added that the issues with Eaton Hall point to a larger disparity between facilities for liberal arts and engineering departments.

“I think a lot of liberal arts students don’t feel like they’re valued on this campus as much as engineering students are,” Henjes said.

Emma Phillips, a Class of 2019 senator and Senate Education Committee

member, also voiced her personal concerns with Eaton Hall.

“I was in a classroom last year where the doorknob fell off, which makes it difficult to get in and out,” she said.

“The air conditioning is non-existent in certain areas, so you’re always dying even if it’s 60 degrees outside. It would be nice if funds were allocated to make baseline improvements.”

Phillips believes that the scope of Brown and Blueprint’s effort can reach beyond just classrooms.

“I feel like so many people are focused on the classroom when they see a project like this,” she said. “The university can also serve to provide really good study spaces or social spaces.”

Phillips added that the initiative can spark lots of general improvements across campus, without specifically favoring one area over another.

Henjes spoke in a similar vein, stressing the importance that all students feel that administrators are listening to their concerns.

“I think that students can learn that voices are being heard, and the administration is listening,” he said.

Kraus said that the Brown and Blueprint team plans to compile the comments received, and present a draft report that summarizes students’ concerns about campus spaces at a town hall in mid-April.

“We’re going to be putting together a report that we’re going to hand to the administration with a set of recommendations addressing the issue of spatial inequity on campus,” Kraus said.

Kraus added that the town hall will be the final opportunity for students to have their views be included in the initiative’s findings.

5 tuftsdaily.com

Friday, March 16, 2018

Tufts Jazz Orchestra features unique students in collaborative atmosphere

by John Fedak Arts Editor

Playing at Scullers Jazz Club on Wednesday, March 14, the Tufts Jazz Orchestra added another performance to its already impressive repertoire.

Currently composed of 14 students ranging from first-years to seniors, the group blends experience and talent and has a history of musical achievement.

Led by Director Joel LaRue Smith since 1996, the Jazz Orchestra has toured throughout the world, including countries such as Cuba, Prague, Bulgaria, Portugal and Spain. Smith emphasized the talent that the group possesses, which was showcased at their performance at the world-famous Scullers.

“Everyone is really, really good,” Smith said. “I mean, there’s some major talent at Tufts … Just because kids aren’t majoring in music, doesn’t mean they’re not extremely gifted.”

Speaking about the students’ familiarity with jazz music, Smith emphasized that regardless of a student’s training in jazz, the Orchestra was a place to gain experience.

“We really embrace learning; that’s what we’re here for,” Smith said. “We’re on a journey, as opposed to, ‘You’ve gotta be the best or you can’t be in it.’ Maybe that’s the strength of it.”

First-year Nathaniel Berman, who plays trumpet for the group, discussed how he was able to get involved with the group despite not having much prior experience.

“This is my first semester,” Berman said. “I only just picked up the trumpet in the past two or two and a half years, so before this I hadn’t really played in a big ensemble.”

In addition to jazz, the group frequently branches out into other genres of music as well, and has recently been playing a lot of music by Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire.

“We don’t just do Jazz music, we do R&B and Soul and Latin music, and it’s joyous,” Smith said. “This world, right now it’s in such a tumultuous place on so many dimensions, but we contribute some rhythm and vibrancy …

That’s our thing.”

Smith added that part of what makes their performances so enjoyable is the emotional reaction from their audiences.

“It astounds people: Some people cry, some people dance,” he said.

According to Berman, another enjoyable aspect of the Jazz Orchestra is being able to make music as a part of a group.

“When you get good, it just feels good, just like anything else that you make that you’re proud of,” Berman said. “It’s just really gratifying to practice and then have it all come together.”

Berman, like many of the students involved with the Jazz Orchestra, also plays music in a band outside of the group. “[I play in] a trio with my twin brother [first-year Zac Berman] and another friend [first-year Sam Graber-Hahn] we have here,” Berman said. “We’ve just practiced as much as we can and have played a few gigs on campus. We play mostly Klezmer, which is fringe European/Balkan Jewish folk music.”

According to Berman, the genre of Klezmer came to Manhattan in the early

SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore Esra Gurcay sings ‘September’ by Earth, Wind & Fire during Tufts Jazz Orchestra’s concert in Goddard Chapen on Dec. 2, 2017.

1900s with the arrival of Jewish immigrants, although it has a mixture of origins.

Berman is working on practicing with his trio to get the opportunity to line up more performances.

“We practice once a week,” Berman said. “We’re trying to work up a pretty substantial set so we can play more. Just last weekend, we played for the Russian department … in Distler.”

Although performing on stage can be daunting for some people, Berman noted that as a part of the Jazz Orchestra, a lot of the pressure is mitigated due to the group dynamic.

“Being with so many other people on stage kind of takes away the pressure — we all get along and can laugh at ourselves,” he explained.

Senior Julia Okun, a vocalist with the Orchestra, echoed this sentiment.

“It’s a great group of people,” she said.

“There are people of all different age ranges and backgrounds and experiences, but especially being able to travel in Spain with them last semester, we’ve all gotten to know each other really well, and we have a great musical dynamic.”

Okun has been singing since she was a child but said that singing with a big band is a new experience for her.

“I sing with a lot of different groups of people, but this is the only place where I can go and sing with a backing of 20, 25 instrumentalists, all of whom are either professional musicians or students who are professional quality, and it’s really amazing to be able to sing against such a forceful and talented sound,” she said.

Like Berman, Okun also is involved with groups outside the Jazz Orchestra. She is currently a member of the band “Smoking Babies,” alongside senior Max Hornung, senior Bobby Familiar, junior Zay Smolar, junior Bryan Cleveland, senior Jackson Fulk-Logon and Niticon Davis (LA ’17).

She noted that they’ve been able to play at several different gigs this semester.

“We started off playing primarily house shows around the Tufts campus, but recently we’ve been playing at a number

of small venues around Boston,” Okun said. “We’ve played a show in JP [Jamaica Plain], a few in Cambridge, we have one in Somerville coming up at the Thunder Road, and we also play at the Burren.”

Okun explained that “Smoking Babies” plays a mixture of covers and original music and described a collaborative group atmosphere.

“We all write a lot of our music … so people bring in different songs and we workshop them, and we also do covers as well,” Okun said. “It’s all totally sort of a collaborative effort to practice, get our songs down, find the shows, recruit people and promote ourselves on social media.”

Of course, besides practicing with their respective personal bands, both students also look forward to the Jazz Orchestra’s weekly rehearsals. Speaking to Smith’s talent, both emphasized how much of a difference he’s made with the group.

“Joel is incredibly passionate about jazz music, about our group, about teaching students,” Okun said. “Every day when we come in we know that we have to have our parts down and really be ready to give it our all. [His] expecting that high level from all the members of the group really makes us all grow as musicians.”

Berman agreed. “[Smith is] really good,” Berman said.

“He definitely knows what he’s doing, he’s really good at what he does and keeping track of all the parts, and it’s apparent that he’s been doing this a while.”

In addition to sharing their music with different communities, the Jazz Orchestra is also able to educate people about the African-American contributions to jazz and to music in general. This is something that is important to Smith.

“Well, I’m African-American, and I love sharing the culture of the African diaspora and showing its contributions and its enrichment to the world,” he said. “That is so satisfying for me, because it’s like a world contribution, and I love sharing that and exposing it to students and to the community and abroad. I just think it’s so important that people remember the contributions of the diversity of America.”

Smith explained how jazz is a useful vehicle for capturing the many nuances of our culture.

“It’s socially conscious, it’s entertaining, it’s enlightening, it’s the full package, really, it’s fun, it’s serious, it’s all of it,” Smith said. “I don’t know, I probably sound overzealous but it’s because I am.”

The student musicians have certainly benefitted from being part of such an allaround experience, and both Berman and Okun have gained a deeper appreciation for music after performing with the Jazz Orchestra. “[I like] the gratification that I get after practicing something for weeks on end and then being able to present it in front of an audience, and see all of their reactions, and kind of share the results of my work [with them],” Berman said.

Okun also expressed appreciation for what the group brings to the different students involved.

“It’s a really wonderful outlet to meet people and to be able to have a space to creatively collaborate with each other,” Okun said. “And ultimately, it’s also just fun.”

Smith elaborated a bit about the group’s plans for the next few months, along with the details for their next tour. The Jazz Orchestra’s next performance will be at Distler Hall on April 23 at 8 p.m., but looking even further into the future, Smith said that next year, the group is going to Rome and Florence. Most of the trips take place over spring break to accommodate student schedules.

Smith particularly emphasized the excitement of the group’s most recent performance at Scullers.

“It’s historical, it’s the first time we’ve gone to the premier Jazz Club in New England, which is Scullers,” Smith said. “[But] the best thing is that they’re going to play in front of people that have no connection to them, so that’s … a training and an education in and of itself … That’s what music and jazz really is, it’s touching people’s lives, taking chances, taking risks, you know, putting yourself out there in a very bold and vulnerable way.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Friday, March 16, 2018

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Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Elie: “It was a Daily suck, for sure.”

Comics

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.86)

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ANSWER BY HANNAH KAHN

: Is it weird for a guy and a girl to room together?

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Ask the Daily: Can boys and girls be roommates?

: I don’t think it’s weird for guys and girls to room at all! In the “real world” after college, it happens all the time, but for some reason in college it can be taboo. I think there’s a fear of awkwardness, maybe even sexual tension if the roommates are heterosexual, which I think is exaggerated. If you’re in that situation, I wouldn’t worry — living with someone might honestly make you want to hook up with them less rather than more.

There are some guys I would want to live with and guys I wouldn’t, just like there are girls I’d enjoy rooming with and some I wouldn’t. A roommate doesn’t have to be your best friend; as long as you’re comfortable with the person, whatever gender they are, they will probably make a solid roommate. Additionally, your living situation is not permanent, and if you end up regretting it for whatever reason, Tufts is usually pretty accommodating.

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Difficulty Level: Your flight to Cancun gets cancelled and you have to go home tohttp://www.opensky.ca/sudoku your parents because you have no where to Enjoy! go otherwise.

Generated by on Sun Mar 11 23:50:35 2018 GMT.

Thursday’s Solution

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Sports

Friday, March 16, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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SAILING

Jumbos top podium at two regattas, place second at another

by Ethan Zaharoni Staff Writer

The Tufts sailing team participated in three competitions in the Boston area over the weekend. The Jumbos took second place in the Wood Trophy Team Race at Harvard, first at the MIT Team Race Invitational and posted the top three finishes at the Icebreaker Fleet Race at Tufts’ home venue of Mystic Lake. Conditions on the Charles River were rough throughout both days of competition, with high winds and cold temperatures causing issues for many teams.

Eight teams competed at the Wood Trophy Team Race, as Tufts ultimately took second place after losing a tiebreaker to host Harvard. Racing was particularly rough on Saturday with several boats capsizing due to strong gusts of wind. Senior crew Emily Shanley-Roberts said that the conditions this weekend on the Charles were particularly tricky.

“Sailing on the Charles River is always a challenge,” Shanley-Roberts said. “This weekend, we met a new challenge with a sunken Harvard boathouse. Our regatta was hosted out of the MIT dock so that it could happen. Seeing the sunken boathouse from the river was very weird. As far as the racing, the first day was very windy and posed a challenge to us, as we had yet to practice team racing in lots of wind. The second day was calmer and went quite well.”

The Tufts team at the event consisted of junior skippers Florian Eenkema van Dijk, Jack Bitney and Cameron Holley, alongside Shanley-Roberts, first-year crew Bram Brakman, senior crew Lara Dienemann and junior crew

Ian Morgan. The Jumbos finished the two round-robin events with a record of 9–5. In the final round, the Jumbos won all three of their races, including defeating the host Crimson by three points to bring their record to 12–5. Harvard defeated Tufts in head-to-head races in

than the quality of competition,” ShanleyRoberts said. “We made a lot of progress in our technique and cohesiveness as a team, so this weekend was a success. This coming weekend [at the Graham Hall Team Race in Annapolis, Md.] will be a very challenging event, and we look forward to

COURTESY KEN LEGLER

Junior Taylor Hart (left) and senior Molly Pleskus (right) guide their boat during a practice session on Sept. 15, 2017. both of the early rounds — each time by one point — in both round-robin pools, giving them the tiebreak victory to take home first place.

Shanley-Roberts was less concerned with the result of the meet than with the team’s week-to-week improvement and ultimate goal of returning to Nationals.

“This was a warm-up event for us, so our finishing place was less important

implementing lessons learned from this weekend against stacked competition.”

As a senior, Shanley-Roberts also hopes to show the team’s underclassmen how to become leaders, as well as how to continue to win in the upcoming years.

“I principally hope to effectively guide our racing teams to work cohesively and prepare them to lead our conference next year,” Shanley-Roberts said. “The athletes that will

remain after I graduate have the potential to be the best in collegiate sailing in a year.”

The Jumbos also competed at the MIT Team Race Invitational this weekend, where they finished first with a 17–3 record. Conditions were especially rough on Saturday with a combination of snow and wind, causing the competition to end early after only two and a half round-robin pools had been completed. The teams returned to the river on Sunday, however, under sunnier skies. Tufts’ team consisted of three junior skippers — Christopher Keller, Jackson McCoy and Samuel Shea — and four crews: senior Michelle Chisdak, sophomore Emily Calandrella, first-year Austen Freda and first-year Juliana Testa.

Keller was glad to gain experience in adverse conditions and was pleased with the team’s performance at the event.

“Racing in those tough conditions was exciting — there was a strong breeze, and it is always good to get experience in rough conditions, especially on the Charles which can be unpredictable.”

Keller said. “It felt really good to win. We’ve been training a lot. We felt in sync and were able to execute and sail really fast.

We have more challenging events coming up, and we are psyched moving forward.”

The Jumbos hosted their third regatta of the weekend, with the Icebreaker Fleet Race on Mystic Lake. Tufts took home first, second and third place at the eight-team event, winning in dominant fashion.

The team will travel to the Naval Academy this weekend for the Graham Hall Team Race, while also competing in regattas at the Coast Guard Academy and Conn. College.

Jumbos kick off 2018 campaign in Sunshine State SOFTBALL

continued from back Although the entire lineup poses serious offensive threats, senior utility player and co-captain Samantha Siciliano and sophomore infielder Jamie Stevens join Fournier as two of the Jumbos’ strongest assets at the plate.

“Jamie Stevens is playing great at third base,” Milligan said. “She’s going to add a lot more power to the lineup. She was a [firstyear] last year but boy, she didn’t play like [one]. Sammy hits doubles like it’s her job.”

Milligan also noted that unlike in previous years, this year’s squad possesses great speed, which is an additional aspect for opposing teams to worry about.

“For our offense, we’re a little bit more balanced. We have a lot more speed, in terms of getting on base and stealing bases,” Milligan said. “That hasn’t traditionally been a part of our offense. We’ll see where that takes us.”

Milligan is also excited for this year’s pitching rotation, as the team hopes to rebound from its struggles in the circle last year. Milligan observed that the team’s offense typically carried its pitching last season, and the team gave up too many easy runs. She is especially excited for what the Jumbos’ first-year pitchers will contribute.

“A [first-year] who will probably see some time is Kristina Haghdan,” Milligan said.

“She’s not a big kid, but she throws hard.

As she grows through the season, she may really add something to our team and give us a really different look.”

Unlike the athletes on teams that compete in the fall, the new Jumbos had an entire semester of the offseason to assimilate into the team. First-year infielder Mia Steinberg commented on this dynamic.

“It was definitely more slow-building to build those stronger bonds,” Steinberg said.

“We’re definitely still working on it. We’re going to get so much closer as the season gets going more intensely.”

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior outfielder/catcher Michelle Chisdak connects with the ball in Tufts’ 7–5 win over Bowdoin on April 1, 2016.

But Steinberg, a native of Larchmont, N.Y., also sees the gradual entry as a blessing — at least in terms of academics. She found it a lot easier to adjust to Tufts’ high academic standards without having to also worry about a regular season schedule during her first semester at college.

“Stepping into the school year without the high-intensity [period] of the sport was actually kind of nice because you’re able to get used to being at school, and your student-athlete obligations are second,” Steinberg said. “Once the season gets going, then you’re really immersed in it. It was nice to take a step back in the fall.”

As for adjusting to collegiate athletics, Steinberg and her classmates have found

themselves right at home within the softball program.

“I am really lucky to be on a team that’s super inclusive and really good about getting the [first-years] to connect with Tufts, with the athlete community and the sport in general,” Steinberg said. “Tufts softball has been really good about bridging the gap between home and college. Captains host team bonding at the softball house. Lift was always fun.

We’re all in it together.”

The Jumbos kick off their season with a grueling spring-break trip to Clermont, Fla., where they will play 14 games in nine days. Despite its packed schedule, the team is excited.

“The kids are ready to play,” Milligan said. “What’s fun about Florida is that as much as we love scouting reports and information on teams, we won’t know much about the teams we play down there. There will be teams who haven’t played yet and look a lot different from last year. Some games, you really don’t know what’s in the other dugout and you just gotta go find out.”

Steinberg is excited for her first Florida swing, too.

“It’s going to be a lot of hard work crammed into one week,” she said. “It’s not necessarily going to feel like a vacation, but it’s going to be really, really fun, so I’m excited. We’ve put in a lot of hard work until this point, so I think we’re ready.”

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Sports

Friday, March 16, 2018

SWIMMING

Nationals-bound Jumbos hope to close season on high note in Indianapolis

by Haley Rich

Assistant Sports Editor

For one member of the Tufts women’s swimming and diving team and 11 members of the men’s team, spring break will be anything but a break. The NCAA Championships, held in Indianapolis at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Natatorium, will start on Wednesday and extend for four full days.

Senior co-captain Anna Kimura is the lone Jumbo on the women’s side to qualify for the meet. The Bellevue, Wash. native is seeded 12th in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:19.44, 31st in the 100 breast in 1:05.47 and 35th in the 200 individual medley with a 2:07.45. Although this will be Kimura’s first time competing at national championships, she feels the past four years have mentally prepared her for the meet.

“Over the course of four years as a college athlete, I’ve learned how to manage my pre-race anxiety, and I now have confidence that I can do it,” Kimura said.

“I’ve learned not to psych myself out, and hopefully I can carry that skill into Nationals.”

Not only will NCAA Championships be the biggest meet of Kimura’s career, but it will also be her last. For that reason, her goal is simple: Leave it all in the pool.

“Although it won’t really feel the same without the rest of the women’s team with me, Nationals will be my last meet ever, so I just want to swim with no regrets,” Kimura said. “If that’s what I focus on, whatever my times are, I’ll be happy with them.”

While Kimura will be competing solo, the Tufts men’s team — currently ranked ninth in Div. III and coming off of its first-ever NESCAC championship — will take 11 team members to compete in 11 individual events and five relays.

“Any time you take over 10 athletes to NCAAs, that’s pretty special. We’ll be one of the 10 largest teams there,” coach Adam Hoyt said. “Not only does it show the team’s strength, but it’s also helpful to have so many teammates cheering for you.”

Among the squad traveling to Indianapolis is sophomore Roger Gu, who set the NESCAC record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 19.95 seconds and had a hand in 320 of the Jumbos’ 1,671 total points at the conference championship meet. Gu will compete in an exhausting seven races over the course of the four

DAVE DECORTIN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior Neil Spazzarini swims the butterfly during Tufts’ meet at Wheaton College on Jan. 21, 2017. days, the most of any Jumbo. When asked about the marathon weekend ahead of him, Gu shrugged it off.

“We’ve all competed in long meets before,” Gu said. “This is no different.”

The Ashland, Mass. native is seeded third in the 50 freestyle, sixth in the 100 free (44.31 seconds) and 34th in the 200 free (1:40.15) and will also race in four relays to boot.

Coming off the high of the NESCAC title, Gu says that national championships will be more about fun and less about pressure.

“During NESCACs, we were all very focused. Nationals, though, is more of a fun meet — it’s an experience to even be able to go,” Gu said. “If I drop time, then that’s even better. Nationals is the cherry on top of a great season.”

In addition to Gu’s prowess, junior Kingsley Bowen has the potential to make waves for the Jumbos. Bowen is currently seeded third in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, with times of 48.22 seconds and 1:46.88, respectively. Tufts’ other top10 seeds include senior co-captain James

McElduff, who boasts a 3:56.65 in the 400 IM, and first-year John LaLime, who ranks sixth with a 15:39.93 in the 1650 freestyle.

Even with numerous superstars in the individual events, when asked about which performances to look out for, Hoyt focuses on the relays.

“The relays are always very exciting, and throughout my experience at Tufts, this is the first time we’ve qualified for all five relays,” Hoyt said. “Because the relays are worth twice as many points, they’ll pose a great opportunity to score well.”

Besides LaLime, all the Nationalsbound Jumbos will compete in at least one relay.

“Although [Gu and Bowen] are ranked highly in their individual events, the team success relies on every single athlete this year, which is exciting,” Hoyt said.

To prepare for the meet, Hoyt has been more intent on resting and refocusing the swimmers — who have been competing for over four months — than fitness.

“Coming off the conference championship, these athletes are drained,

both physically and mentally. We’ve been focusing on getting everyone rested and back to mental and physical state where they can start training in a way that will allow them to perform better at Nationals,” Hoyt said. “We’re not looking to gain strength or endurance at this point in the season. We just want to maintain those things and then make slight adjustments and talk about mental focus and race plans.”

With a large Tufts contingent and a strong season behind it, Hoyt has high hopes for the team.

“We scored 10th in the nation last year, and we’re looking to achieve that again or score even better,” he said. “After the NESCAC win, we’re confident but not complacent. There’s plenty of room to improve from that performance — nothing is perfect. That’s something we talk about all the time.”

The Jumbos will arrive in Indianapolis on Monday to get a feel for the facility and do some light sight-seeing before gearing up for four days of competition to close out their groundbreaking season.

SOFTBALL

Tufts reinvigorated following disappointing 2017 season

by Arlo Moore-Bloom Assistant Sports Editor

After an unsatisfactory end to last year’s campaign, the Tufts softball team is back with a score to settle. Tufts coach Cheryl Milligan described the team’s 2017 season as one of their worst in its recent history: the Jumbos’ 65-game unbeaten streak in the NESCAC East Division was snapped by the Trinity Bantams, and the Jumbos missed out on the postseason for the first time in the 21st century.

“We essentially got knocked out of the playoffs by one game,” Milligan said. “It was a really disappointing ending. It was really

difficult to believe for players who had seen so much success in their four years.”

For a team that is used to winning at the highest level — Tufts took home the national championship in three straight years, from 2013–15 — missing the postseason was quite a shock. As much as Milligan laments last season’s woes, she is excited for the new season. Every season is different, and Milligan, entering her 15th season at the helm for the Jumbos, looks forward to seeing what the new group brings to the table.

“This team has been really impressive in their work ethic,” Milligan said.

“I knew we would rebound in some way [after last season], but you never

know what that rebound is exactly going to be.”

Although the team will rely on a balanced attack, senior catcher and outfielder Raven Fournier looks to be Tufts’ most dangerous hitter going into the season. Last season, Fournier posted a .440 batting average, bolstered by four home runs and 25 runs batted in (RBIs). The Springfield, Mass. native brings a wealth of experience into her final season, which she hopes will propel Tufts back to its previous heights.

“It’s all about experience, right? If you have done something 1,000 times, you’re a little more used to what’s coming at you,” Fournier said. “If you take more pitches in

the box, you’ll be more comfortable. If you have the attitude that you can make your own adjustments and get acclimated faster, then it’s just better for everybody.”

While Fournier will likely be singled out by opposing teams as Tufts’ most dangerous hitter, she isn’t fazed by the label.

“I don’t really feel much pressure,” Fournier said. “I just try to stay as confident and collected in the box as I can. I don’t really think that having a certain label should define you as a player. If you can focus on the next pitch and how your team is doing, you’ll succeed.” see SOFTBALL, page 11