The Tufts Daily - Thursday, February 20, 2020

Music Department’s Stumpf, students debut Oscar Wilde-inspired operas see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 6

EDITORIAL

Tufts sacrifices academic freedom, TUSM mission with compensation, research space policy

Women’s swim and dive places 2nd in NESCAC Championships at Middlebury see SPORTS / PAGE 12

SEE OPINION / PAGE 10

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXIX, ISSUE 18

Thursday, February 20, 2020

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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Tisch College to fund summer campaign fellowships, national convention trips

by Matthew McGovern News Editor

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life will provide two special summer fellowship programs to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the college’s founding, funding student work for election-related campaigns in addition to four students’ trips to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Students vying for the campaign funding, called the “Tisch Campaign Fellowships,”

will compete for 10 grants of up to $4,000 each, which can be for work on a wide variety of jobs, according to the Tisch College’s website.

The convention trips, called the “DNC and RNC Convention Experience,” offer a fully funded two-week trip for two students to attend each party’s convention.

While Tisch College offered the convention trips once before for the conventions in 2016, this is the first time Tisch College has offered the campaign fellowships, according to Jen McAndrew, director

of communications, strategy and planning at Tisch College.

McAndrew highlighted the variety of work that the campaign fellowships could finance, encouraging students to think beyond the still-uncertain presidential race.

“I think students should think broadly when we talk about campaigns: there are non-partisan voter registration organizations, state parties, and the national party,” see FELLOWSHIPS, page 2

A city ordinance prohibiting the sale of plastic straws and stirrers at Somerville businesses went into effect on Feb. 9. The ordinance, passed by the Somerville City Council last May, aims to reduce waste and pollution caused by single-use plastics.

Under the ordinance, businesses in the city can no longer distribute or sell single-use plastic straws and

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stirrers unless they are requested by a customer.

Somerville Councilor-at-large Will Mbah, who originally proposed the ordinance along with Ward 7 Councilor Katjana Ballantyne, said that he understands that the ordinance will likely have only a small effect on the total amount of plastic waste produced in the community. But he hopes the ordinance will spark a conversation in the community about plastic waste and sustainability.

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“We can no longer sacrifice the environment for our comfort,” Mbah said.

“We’re trying to use these policies to create systemic change that will have a lasting impact.”

The ordinance will be enforced during routine health inspections and businesses found to be in violation will first be given a warning before fines of $100 and $300 are imposed for subsequent offenses. For the first six months, see STRAWS, page 2

see JOHN DIBIAGGIO TRIBUTE, page 3

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

Paper straws and wooden stirrers are pictured in Kindlevan Cafe on Feb. 19.

Staff Writer

by Sean Ong

Former University President John DiBiaggio died on Feb. 1 at 87. He was Tufts’ 11th president, serving from 1992 to 2001.

DiBiaggio’s signature achievements at Tufts include founding the University College of Citizenship and Public Service in 2000 — now known as the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life — and leading a successful capital campaign, “Tufts Tomorrow,” which raised over $600 million and tripled the university’s endowment.

DiBiaggio oversaw the rapid expansion of the university’s physical footprint, including several new buildings in Grafton, as well as Dowling Hall and the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center on the Medford/Somerville campus.

He is also remembered as being an affable and welcoming presence to everyone on campus.

Professor Leila Fawaz, the Issam M. Fares Chair of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean Studies, said that DiBiaggio struck her as “accessible, kind and supportive” during her tenure as dean for arts and humanities for Arts, Sciences and Engineering from 1996 to 2001.

“I recall visitors and parents of prospective students commenting on how exceptionally welcoming he was, compared to many at other colleges they visited. I recall staff mentioning how he would stop by their car in the aftermath of a snowstorm and help them dig their car out,” Fawaz wrote in an email to the Daily. “I recall administrators and others appreciating how fortunate we at Tufts were and noting how lucky we have been with him and with our Tufts leaders who followed him.”

University Professor Emeritus Sol Gittleman, who was provost from 1981 to 2002 and worked under three different presidents, said that DiBiaggio was the first to turn Gifford House, the official residence of the university president, into a center of activity on campus.

New ordinance curtails use of plastic straws, stirrers in Somerville businesses

by Alexander Thompson

Former University President DiBiaggio dies at 87

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NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................6

FUN & GAMES.........................9 OPINION...................................10 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, February 20, 2020

THE TUFTS DAILY Ryan Shaffer Editor in Chief

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FELLOWSHIPS

continued from page 1 McAndrew said. “We want to make it clear that we are supporting all types of campaigns and all political affiliations.”

The Tisch College website also indicated that it will consider a variety of different types of work for these fellowships, including advocacy campaigns for particular issues and voter registration efforts.

The primary requirements are that students secure their own position, and that they work at least 30 hours per week for eight to ten weeks, the program’s website says.

McAndrew recognized that such amounts of unpaid work can cause large financial burdens for student workers, and these fellowships revolved around making this type of work more accessible.

Alan Solomont (A’70), dean of Tisch College, echoed this sentiment, recognizing the merits of campaign work as well as its drawbacks.

“Campaigns and organizing work, though hugely rewarding and valuable, is often unpaid and under-resourced,” Solomont wrote in an email. “We hope that these fellowships will enable more students to pursue meaningful, fulltime campaign internships working for a candidate or on an issue of their choice.”

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STRAWS

however, only warnings will be given, which Somerville announced last week in a press release.

The key issue with single-use plastics and straws especially is the difficulty recycling them, according to Mbah and other advocates of the measure.

According to the Associated Press in April 2018, Australian researchers estimated that approximately 7.5 million plastic straws litter beaches in the U.S., posing a threat to birds and marine wildlife which can die from ingesting them.

Straws will not be disappearing altogether from Somerville restaurants, as alternatives like paper and bamboo straws are not covered by the ordinance.

Customers at Magnificent Muffin, a diner and bakery in Teele Sq., have just started getting used to the new paper straws. While the alternative straws haven’t been received well so far, an employee there explained that despite the customer reviews and the extra cost of the new straws, she supports the ordinance because she thinks it will help reduce harmful

Executive Social Media Editors Outreach Coordinators

BUSINESS Jonah Zwillinger Executive Business Director

plastic waste.

Several blocks down Broadway, Alex Yates was handing out the last of the plastic straws at Kung Fu Tea in Davis Square. Yates, a staff member, said that the shipment of new plastic-alternative straws was on its way.

Kung Fu Tea serves bubble tea, a Taiwanese flavored tea, which often requires a straw to drink. Yates explained that the ordinance might actually help the store sell more of the reusable straws that it offers.

The Somerville City Council worked over many months with small businesses and the Somerville Chamber of Commerce to develop the ordinance, according to Mbah.

He said that many small business owners are environmentally conscious and have given him positive feedback.

The city will, however, hold one session tonight and one in mid-March for business owners to get more information on the implementation of the ordinance.

Some disability advocates have raised concerns about the challenges straw ordinances such as Somerville’s could pose for members of the disabled community, according to Mbah.

People with down syndrome and cerebral palsy, for example, may rely on

Police Briefs – Week of Feb. 18

by Renner Kwittken Assistant News Editor

Executive Online Editor

Sophomore Nic Salem explained that he is applying for a campaign fellowship in his hometown of New York City.

Salem expressed his interest in working for a presidential campaign, discussing his decision-making process about which campaign to apply for.

“A lot depends on which candidate gets more traction,” Salem said. “You ideally want a job that will exist there in the summer, which is not guaranteed for all of the campaigns.”

Salem also expressed concern and uncertainty at the application process, specifically regarding campaigns that may or may not make it through the summer campaign season.

McAndrew cited a few steps that Tisch College has taken to account for that uncertainty, particularly with how the application deadlines were determined.

“We tried to pick a deadline date that was in the middle, so that students could have a little time between now and when the application is due to work this out, but not push it so far out that students have uncertainty if they are going to get the funding,” McAndrew said.

McAndrew explained that planning the campaign fellowship program was a balancing act, encouraging students with concerns to reach out in well in advance of deadlines.

She emphasized that Tisch College had some flexibility on their end with respect to helping students navigate the application process.

For the convention trips, Tisch College will select two students to send to each political party’s convention and work with either a media outlet, advocacy group or logistics organization, according to its website.

Tisch College is partnering with the Washington Center, an independent, non-profit organization, to send the four students to the two conventions and provide the additional programming.

Additionally, students will participate in small group discussions, carry out fieldwork assignments, and possibly conduct interviews, among other activities, according to Tisch College’s website. Tisch College will cover the full cost of the program, including housing, though students must apply for funding for transportation costs separately.

McAndrew added that the funding for these programs originates from the same fund as other Tisch Fellowships, which was primarily built up over time through philanthropy.

The deadline for applications to the national conventions is March 2, with decisions coming out as soon as March 10, according to the Tisch College website. Applications for the campaign fellowships will be due on March 30, and applicants must be able to provide proof of a job offer along with their application.

Straw ban provides exceptions for schools, medical facilities continued from page 1

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Tisch College partners with Washington Center to offer DNC and RNC trips

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My Morning Jacket’s “Steam Engine” (2003) On Feb. 15 at 2:45 p.m., a hot water leak occurred in Carmichael Hall. A heat pipe burst, causing rooms to fill with steam and hot water.

The steam set off a fire alarm, and Medford Fire Department (MFD) and the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) responded. Only parts of the first and second floors were impacted by the event. TUPD notified C&W Services and the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL). No injuries or permanent damage were reported.

Jerome Kern’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933) On Feb. 16 at 12:40 p.m., a fire alarm was set off in Latin Way. The Somerville Fire Department (SFD) and TUPD responded and investigated the incident, discovering that an oven began to smoke while preheating, according to TUPD. After further inspection, TUPD and SFD reset the panel and resolved the issue. ORLL was notified.

Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams” (2013) On the same day at 10:15 p.m., a resident was smoking in a room in Hodgdon Hall, according to TUPD. TUPD informed the resident that

straws to drink.

Mbah said that he and Ballantyne took the issue seriously and stressed that straws will still be available upon request by an individual. The ordinance provides an explicit exception for people with a medical need for plastic straws and for medical facilities; it also allows people to use their own plastic straws.

Another exception the ordinance provides is for schools in the city, who have another three months to implement the ordinance.

With the plastic straw ordinance implemented, Mbah is setting his sights on single-use plastic flatware next.

“These are all part of the same family,” he said.

The ordinance is not the first time the city has tackled the issue of single-use plastics. The straw regulation follows a ban on the distribution and sale of single-use plastic shopping bags the city implemented in 2016.

Somerville is not alone in expanding restrictions on plastic straws. Seattle, Wash., San Francisco, Calif. and Miami Beach, Fla. have all recently banned single-use plastic straws.

Tufts Dining Services announced via Twitter that it replaced plastic straws with biodegradable alternatives in

smoking violated residential hall policy. No further inspection or search was conducted, and ORLL was notified.

Robbie Williams’ “Collision of Worlds” from “Cars 2” soundtrack (2011) On Feb. 17 at 10:00 p.m., a vehicle collision occurred between Capen Street and Winthrop Street, directly in front of the Rainbow Steps.

Medford Police completed the full collision report. The collision occurred when a Tufts Athletics van collided with a telephone pole while turning from Capen Street onto Winthrop Street, according to TUPD. The driver was not under the influence and sustained no serious injuries.

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Features

3 Thursday, February 20, 2020

Faculty reflect on former university president John DiBiaggio's legacy JOHN DIBIAGGIO TRIBUTE

continued from page 1

“His Christmas extravaganzas were wonderful. He had the biggest Christmas tree I ever saw. His house … for the first time, became the center of the university,” Gittleman said.

DiBiaggio remains the only president in Tufts history to have held the presidency at another university before arriving on the Hill. He was president of the University of Connecticut (1979–1985) and Michigan State University (1985–1992).

“The two schools were two gigantic institutions … with big-time athletics,” Gittleman said. “Yet John DiBiaggio said that the happiest nine years he ever had w[ere] at Tufts. He loved it here.”

Despite the differences in athletic culture between Tufts and his previous universities, DiBiaggio continued to display a passion for college sports and was a constant presence at Tufts sporting events, Gittleman added.

DiBiaggio’s two successors as president of Tufts paid tribute to his legacy in a statement.

“John DiBiaggio’s service as president of Tufts capped a remarkable career as a leader in American higher education and has had an enduring impact on the university,” University President Anthony Monaco said.

“American higher education is stronger etoday for his many efforts, and I am proud dto have known him and to have called him not only a mentor and a colleague but also a friend,” Lawrence Bacow, university president emeritus and current president sof Harvard University, said.

Gittleman said that the Board of Trustees’ choice of DiBiaggio to succeed Jean Mayer as university president was ideal because of Dibiaggio’s stable presence.

“Jean Mayer’s presidency was extremely tempestuous, very exciting, very energeteic, very creative, somewhat manic and s… remarkable. We needed to calm things down a little bit,” he said.

Gittleman added that DiBiaggio’s philosophy as university president was, “If it eain’t broke, don’t fix it, don’t try to tinker with things.” n In his 2004 book, “An Entrepreneurial dUniversity,” which chronicled the histosry of Tufts from 1976 to 2002, Gittleman wrote that DiBiaggio retained many key members of the administration from ,Mayer’s tenure — including Gittleman himself — and adopted a delegating style dof leadership.

DiBiaggio’s people-centered approach made him especially adept at collaborating with his colleagues to bring a collecntive vision for the university to fruition, Gittleman said in his interview.

“John DiBiaggio’s virtue as a great president was that he was able to partner with people and make wonderful things happen like [founding] Tisch College … and raising as much money as we did, zooming up in our endowment,” Gittleman said.

One of those individuals whom DiBiaggio partnered closely with is Robert Hollister, the founding dean of Tisch College who served in the position from 2000–2011.

Hollister, a professor emeritus of urban and environmental policy and planning, said that DiBiaggio saw the creation of a university-wide college as a way of combining his own interests in community service with an existing culture of volunteerism and civic participation at Tufts.

“He brought with him a very strong commitment to undergraduate volunteer service,” Hollister said. “One of the first causes [that had] his attention right away when he came to Tufts was the Leonard Carmichael Society. He participated in some of their activities and was … working on that dimension of Tufts culture and Tufts programming.”

The creation of the college, which DiBiaggio saw as his monumental legacy, would not have been possible without his dedication to the cause of fostering in students an ethos of public service and his collegial spirit in convincing the trustees of his plan, Hollister added.

“At the time when … the trustees were ready to formally approve [the college], they all understood the proposal well,” he said. “That was very much the bulk of President DiBiaggio’s approach… It was very much a partnership and collaboration with the trustees.”

Perhaps the clearest display of DiBiaggio’s personal commitment to the new college was his foray into co-teaching its signature course, “Leadership for Active Citizenship,” together with Hollister.

Each class, DiBiaggio and Hollister would invite a different guest speaker to share their public service experiences, both in a community forum that was open to all and also privately with the students in their course.

“The piece that was so impressive to me in that collaboration with DiBiaggio was how confident and respectful he [was] with students. He … never missed a class, he expressed great interest in students’ questions, paper[s], presentations — just an excellent listener,” Hollister said.

Even after leaving office, DiBiaggio continued to teach the course and involve himself with the college for a year as university president emeritus.

In 1999, DiBiaggio created the university-wide Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service to honor Tufts students for outstanding community service and leadership, Hollister added. The award has been renamed the Presidential Award for Civic Life and continues to this day.

Hollister said that DiBiaggio would be “delighted” to see the continuing changes and development of Tisch College over the past two decades.

“He very much approached the development of the college as a legacy project, but he would be the first person to say, ‘I want it to continue to evolve,’” Hollister said. “He had no investment in having an overly personalized creation … that would stay the same over time and that would always be his baby. He expected it, and wanted it, to keep changing and evolving.”

Besides working closely with DiBiaggio as dean, Hollister was the first-ever John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service from 2002 to 2006. This professorship was established in honor of the then-president emeritus in 2002.

Hollister was “moved” to have been named the inaugural holder of the DiBiaggio Professorship.

“I recall vividly the occasion when I gave a speech to the community — an inaugural talk [for the professorship]. That was a wonderful opportunity to express my thanks,” he said. “On the part of the trustees, it was a very appropriate and meaningful way to salute a president’s … leadership.”

Early into his presidency, DiBiaggio oversaw another sea change at Tufts: the

TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES / TUFTS DIGITAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Former Tufts University President John DiBiaggio is pictured. outsourcing of custodial services. Formerly Tufts employees with full benefits, custodial staff were informed in March 1994 of the university’s plan to lay them off and subcontract janitorial services from another company.

DiBiaggio, as president emeritus, had told the Daily in 2001 that outsourcing custodial services saved the university close to $1 million each year.

This decision was met with much opposition from students and faculty, who rallied behind the janitors, Professor of Physics and Astronomy Gary Goldstein recalled.

“We started to first try to talk to the administration — not very successfully — and then we realized we needed to make more noise. So protests began, marches around campus,” he said.

Goldstein added that there were frequent meetings with DiBiaggio and his deputies about this outsourcing decision and its impact on the economic and food security of the custodial staff at Tufts. “[At one meeting] we met in DiBiaggio’s office. We talked about what we thought would have been a fair agreement with the workers and what we saw happening. They were cordial, but no movement,” he said.

Despite their disagreements, Goldstein emphasized that DiBiaggio was, indeed, friendly and personable.

“My own dealings with him, outside of the custodian issue, were just as a member of various committees that met with him … He got along well with the faculty,”

Goldstein said. “He was a congenial person, easy to talk to, seemingly agreeable.”

DiBiaggio retired as university president in May 2001. He stayed at Tufts for an additional year to advise his successor and help with fundraising, while also teaching his leadership course.

When announcing his departure in 2000, he had told the Daily that he would not consider taking on another university president position.

“Where are you going to find a place quite like this?” DiBiaggio said in 2000. “I couldn’t imagine being at another university that would be as desirable as this one.”

Yet, as someone who had spent over 20 years at the helm of various universities, DiBiaggio could not help but remain active in higher education even in his retirement.

He was appointed by former Mass.

Governor Mitt Romney to the University of Massachusetts’ Board of Trustees in 2003 and served as an external advisor to the University of Colorado in 2004 amid allegations of sexual misconduct by its student-athletes.

DiBiaggio’s ability to build on Tufts’ existing strengths made him a successful university president, Hollister said.

“To me, in terms of President DiBiaggio’s legacy, one is of course Tufts’ distinctive focus on education for active citizenship — a key part of his lasting accomplishments,” Hollister said. “He was building on what was already a strong part of Tufts’ institutional DNA, and he was, in fact, reinforcing and taking it to the next step.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Thursday, February 20, 2020

Aadhya Shivakumar What's next

Truly first in the nation

L

ast Tuesday, over 295,000 votes were cast in the New Hampshire Democratic primary — a record turnout. Senator Bernie Sanders won the primary, with Mayor Pete Buttigieg in second and Senator Amy Klobuchar in third place. One of the first towns to vote, however, didn’t quite agree with the rest of New Hampshire.

In Dixville Notch (population: 12, according to the 2010 census), Michael Bloomberg claimed victory. He wasn’t even on the ballot.

Dixville Notch is an unincorporated community in New Hampshire that has held a middle-of-the-night vote for 60 years. In every primary election since 1960, eligible voters have gathered at midnight in the ballroom of The Balsams Resort. People cast their votes in wooden ballot boxes, polls are closed after every eligible resident has voted and results are declared immediately after.

Dixville Notch boasts an impressive 100% voter turnout: impressive, if you don’t think about the fact that only four people in the town voted in the Democratic primary this year. According to Vox, “This year’s midnight vote was nearly cancelled because the town almost missed the required five-person threshold.” Michael Bloomberg won with two write-in votes, and Sanders and Buttigieg were tied for second place with one vote apiece. Bloomberg also won the Republican primary with one write-in vote.

Season 3, Episode 15 of “The West Wing” focuses on a New Hampshire town called Hartsfield’s Landing, which is based on Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location, another town with a similar tradition. Hartsfield’s Landing (population: 42), votes at 12:01 a.m. and reports results at 12:07 a.m. Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) attempts to convince a couple in the town to vote for President Bartlet. He believes Hartsfield’s Landing is important because the rest of New Hampshire doesn’t come in until 9 p.m. Josh says, “That’s 21 hours of the news having nothing to report but the winner in Hartsfield’s Landing. I want it to be us.”

On the show, Hartsfield’s Landing has accurately predicted the winner of every primary since William Howard Taft. In reality, Dixville Notch doesn’t have quite as impressive a record. Bernie Sanders received 100% of the votes (four votes total) in 2016, but did not win the nomination. John Kasich won the Republican primary vote the same year, with Donald Trump in second place, although the latter ended up winning the nomination and eventually the presidency. To its credit, Dixville Notch has been accurate in the past: it gave then-Senator Barack Obama a landslide victory in 2008, with 7 votes.

In 2008, Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight assessed whether Dixville Notch had any real predictive power. He said, “In a word: No.” Statistically, there is no relationship between performances in Dixville Notch and the rest of New Hampshire, let alone the rest of the country.

So unlike its “West Wing” counterpart, Dixville Notch’s midnight voting isn’t much more than a quirky 60-year-old tradition; that is, unless Michael Bloomberg somehow becomes both the Democratic and Republican nominee in July.

Aadhya Shivakumar is a sophomore studying political science. Aadhya can be reached at aadhya.shivakumar@tufts.edu.

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ARTS&LIVING

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Tufts Opera Ensemble premieres tales of love and sacrifice reborn

DAILY PHOTO

The Tufts Opera Ensemble performs “The Nightingale and the Rose” in Distler Performance Hall on Feb. 15.

Arts Editor

This past weekend saw the inaugural performance of a pair of new operas, “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Happy Prince,” by the Tufts University Opera Ensemble. Based on short stories of the same name by Oscar Wilde, the oneact operas were written by Department of Music faculty member and Opera Ensemble co-director Thomas Stumpf. The ensemble gave two performances this weekend: one on Saturday and an afternoon matinee on Sunday. Junior Iverson Eliopoulos conducted the chamber orchestra which accompanied the performances.

Stumpf composed the original scores for the operas with Tufts students in mind. In a note at the end of the production’s playbill, Stumpf described that he endeavored to “write roles that would challenge but not frustrate the singers

of the Tufts Opera Ensemble” and to “create a chamber orchestra that was small enough to fit on the Distler Hall stage.” The students, he wrote, rose to every challenge offered by the music.

“Everything that was difficult about my music was eventually mastered,” Stumpf notes proudly in the program. The stories on which the operas are based were pulled from Stumpf’s own childhood. As an adult, he noted in the program, he “was aware of the depth of multi-layered meanings contained within them.”

The first opera, “The Nightingale and the Rose,” starred senior Kyra Link as the titular Nightingale, who sacrifices her life to help a lovesick student (sophomore Mona Tavangar) win the heart of his professor’s daughter (junior Mikayla Barreiro). But her sacrifice is in vain; the latter spurns the former’s gift of a red rose in favor of expensive gems gifted to her by a lord’s affluent offspring. Nevertheless, the chorus unites

in the finale to vindicate the wisdom of the Nightingale’s final act of selflessness, singing that “the Nightingale, who knew that Love is better than Life and dies not in the tomb — the Nightingale died happily ever after.”

“The Happy Prince” eschews the fairytale forest in “The Nightingale” for a town square in 19th-century London. It featured junior Maya Lazarus as the gilded statue of a prince who enlists a swallow (senior Chloe Malouf) to help him perform acts of kindness for the suffering citizens who were once his subjects. After helping the statue give away ornamental gems and a gold leaf to people in need, the swallow dies at the prince’s feet, and the city’s shallow aristocracy melts down the now-ragged statue. The leaden heart of the prince, however, cannot be melted.

The world premiere of this production required the work of dedicated students and staff. Eliopoulos was tasked

with gathering the talented students who comprised the chamber orchestra. The quality of these performers was of the utmost importance; Stumpf carefully constructed the chamber ensemble “to provide sufficient color and texture” to the music while meeting the constraints of the performance space, he wrote in the show’s program. It was at the behest of Opera Ensemble co-director Carol Mastrodomenico that Stumpf committed to write the operas in the first place.

As such, Stumpf saved his last round of thanks in the program for the staff and performers who made the show possible. “[A]ny piece of music is only as good as the performance it receives,” he wrote , “and I know that Carol [Mastrodomenico] and all the students involved in this production have done their utmost to make the performance beautiful and meaningful and engaging. My deepest thanks to all of them, and I hope you enjoy their gift.”

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Thursday, February 20, 2020 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

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50 Years Ago: Black Sabbath pioneers metal music

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Peter Lindblom Oldies But Goodies

“American Beauty”

by Grateful Dead

G

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The cover of Black Sabbath’s debut alum “Black Sabbath” (1970) is pictured.

by Sam Heyman Arts Editor

Origins of music are sometimes very hard to trace. When it comes to metal subgenres, that can be an especially difficult thing to do. However, no one has to do much digging to find the album that became a foundation for all of metal music: Black Sabbath’s first release, “Black Sabbath” (1970). This past Thursday, Feb. 13, marked 50 years since its release in the U.K. where Black Sabbath garnered appreciation from fans in its country of origin and when it eventually reached the U.S. later that July.

The album kicks off with one of lead singer Ozzy Osbourne’s most memorable performances ever. The leading song, “Black Sabbath,” showcases Ozzy’s unique vocal delivery, the highlight being his wailing cries of “Oh, No!” Instrumentally, the guitar riff is written as the inversion of a tritone, which is referred to as diabolus in musica (this has become very important in metal since: legendary heavy metal band Slayer’s 1998 album of the same name serves as an example), which often suggests a Satanic connotation. This song is also regarded as being the first from a doom metal band, a subgenre which legendary bands like Electric Wizard and Sleep have built their reputations upon.

We then have “The Wizard,” which kicks off with a harmonica contribution from Ozzy: an iconic Black Sabbath song intro. The way that the rest of the band comes in to form the rhythm and beat is equally as impactful. Guitarist Tony Iommi plays an excellent lick, but it gets more impressive when you learn that Iommi lost his middle three fingertips as a teenager in an accident at a sheet

metal factory. Adjusting the guitar to make it easier for him to play individual notes for his artificial fingertips created a heavier sound which makes this song (and many of Black Sabbath’s songs) sound so unique. Further demonstrating the unique guitar sound is “Wicked World,” which features a terrific guitar solo towards the end of the cut.

“Wasp,” meanwhile, gets right to the chase with a powerful guitar riff and another phenomenal performance from Ozzy. After three minutes the song fades out, and the following silence is broken by Geezer Butler on the bass guitar.

That bass line, which kicks off “N.I.B.,” has become one of the most recognizable riffs in the Black Sabbath discography. According to Butler, the song has an entertaining meaning, stating the song is “about the devil falling in love and totally changing, becoming a good person.” The title of the song actually comes from drummer Bill Ward’s beard, which the band named “Nib” after the nib of a ballpoint pen, which Ward’s beard was shaped like at that time.

The final three songs, packaged as one digitally, is a stoner’s / stoner-at-heart’s paradise. Cymbal-heavy drums, a catchy bass line and a smooth guitar riff create the perfect formula for some slow-tempo metal songs. The instrumental to “A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning” is deeply layered, but extremely welcoming and enjoyable. Iommi’s guitar playing is certainly highlighted on this track, and it’s hard to believe that it was all part of a one-day studio session.

It’s fascinating to think about this album’s long-run impact on music as a whole. Without its warm welcome by U.K. and U.S. fans alike, we would not

have gotten other iconic songs from Black Sabbath like “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “War Pigs.” Furthermore, all of the different variations of metal that have been birthed since the release of this album has grown to a tremendous and awesome size. Even bands and artists typically not known for metal music are starting to make their forays into the genre: Artists like Poppy,King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Denzel Curry are showing their appreciation for metal through covers. Denzel covered “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine in 2019.

“Black Sabbath” especially deserves to be recognized as a pioneering album in metal, and its story will always amaze fans. The entire album was recorded in 12 hours, and they took the next day to mix and master the album until it was to their liking. The rawness that this album exhibits is truly incredible. The more you learn about the record, the more there is to appreciate about it. Even today, we’re still learning more about the album.

Rolling Stone Magazine interviewed album cover artist Keith Macmillan, the first time he’s ever sat for an interview, on the day of the album’s anniversary.

We got brand new information about the album cover art from Macmillan, like the identity of the woman on the album cover: model Louisa Livingstone. With information still being uncovered about the album, it’s only a matter of time until we find out more. In the meantime, there’s already so much information to learn about, and we have an album that has thrived throughout its 50-year life.

Now, we can only wait another 50 years to see how much more it will impact music in the future.

rateful Dead certainly built up a rather controversial reputation in its 30-year run. When thinking about the band, people tend to think of two things: it has a loyal, almost cult-like following known to many as ‘Dead Heads,’ and many people experimented with psychedelic drugs at its concerts. But what is often lost in discussions regarding the band is the music itself, which can touch everyone’s soul in one way or another if you keep an open mind.

While the band’s live albums are undoubtedly filled with some of its best songs, if you are looking to start exploring the band, I would suggest that you look no farther than its fifth studio album, “American Beauty” (1970). It is arguably the band’s finest studio record with songs that went on to become fixtures of its live sets for decades. More broadly, the album transcends any one genre, as it draws on folk, rock, bluegrass and country influences, all of which blend together to form a unique and beautiful sound.

The first track, “Box of Rain,” sets the tone and does not disappoint. The harmony of their voices — namely Phil Lesh, who is the lead vocalist, as well as Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia — is simply impeccable. As with many of the other songs on the album, “Box of Rain” is not overly cheerful nor is it deliberately somber; it is realistic about the pain and struggle that comes along in life, but it also provides listeners with an endless number of quotes to help look on the bright side. As Lesh sings himself, “A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through.”

Another great track from the first side of the album is “Sugar Magnolia.”

With an unforgettable chorus and a steady guitar riff, it is easily the most upbeat song on the album. Bob Weir — the song’s lead vocalist — describes both a woman he admires and the wonders of nature in crafting a paradise of sorts for the listener. While the lyrics are by no means groundbreaking, they make you want to explore and enjoy the subtler beauties in nature.

Furthermore, the seventh track “Brokedown Palace,” flows incredibly well in the context of the album and truly captures the essence of the work as a whole, as it is filled with picturesque harmonies and vague but memorable lyrics. The song seems to discuss the pain that comes with loss and growth in life, but it never does so in a transparent manner, which is quite refreshing, as the song can mean something different each time you listen.

As a whole, “American Beauty” can bring optimism to anyone’s life with uplifting, introspective lyrics and soothing acoustic guitar solos. The band had a knack for walking the fine line between stark realism and excessive optimism, and with that came rich, meaningful music. While the Grateful Dead is not everyone’s cup of tea, I believe that many listeners can look past its reputation and appreciate “American Beauty” for what it is.

Peter Lindblom is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Peter can be reached at peter.lindblom@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISMENT | Thursday, February 20, 2020

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FEBRUARY 24—28 Monday, February 24

Department of History - Open House-12:00-1:15pm, Paige Hall, Crane Room

Stop by and meet our faculty and preview the courses being offered Fall 2020: Food will be served Department of Sociology – 12:00-1:15pm, Eaton 124 Department of Religion -12:00-1:15pm, Eaton Hall 3rd Floor Please join us for a delicious lunch to learn more about studying Religion at Tufts from fellow students and faculty Department of Economics – 12:00-1:00pm, Braker Hall, Room 113 Faculty from the Economics Department will be available with information and departmental literature regarding majors, minors, finding an advisor, studying abroad, and declaring a major. Pizza will be served Department of International Literary & Cultural Studies – 12:00-1:15pm, Laminan Lounge, Olin Building Learn a Language, Share a Culture, Change the World!

Community Health – 12:00pm, 574 Boston Ave, Room 401 Join us and learn about the Department of Community Health, our broad program of study and our internship program

Tuesday, February 25 Wednesday, February 26

Department of Anthropology – 12:00-1:15pm, Eaton Hall, Room 302

We will have lunch, highlight the department’s events and projects, introduce our fall courses, and present on our minors Department of Biology – 3:00-4:00pm, Robinson Hall, 3rd Floor Enjoy refreshments and chat with faculty, students and staff about becoming a Biology major!

Community Health – 12:00pm, 574 Boston Ave, Room 401 Join us and learn about the Department of Community Health, our broad program of study and our internship program Department of Chemistry – 12:00-1:00pm, Pearson 106 Requirements of the chemistry and biochemistry majors will be presented and discussed. Juniors and seniors already majoring in these programs will be present to answer your questions. Pizza and Soda will be served as a quick lunch option Child Studies & Human Development – 12:00-1:30pm, Dewick Conference Room Department of Education – 12:00-1:00pm, Paige Hall Media Center Come join Education majors and faculty to learn more about the flexible second major. Pizza and refreshments will be provided Department of History of Art and Architecture – 11:30-1:00pm, Department of History of Art and Architecture Lounge The Department of the History of Art and Architecture and the Program of International Literary and Visual Studies are teaming up to offer undeclared undergraduates an opportunity to learn more about the majors in both areas. Come have lunch with us

Thursday, February 27

Community Health – 12:00pm, 574 Boston Ave, Room 206

Join us and learn about the Department of Community Health, our broad program of study and our internship program Department of Political Science – 11:30am, Packard Hall Lounge Join Political Science faculty members to learn more about majoring in Political Science, review course listings, and more. Pizza will be provided

Friday, February 28 Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program - 12:00-1:00pm, Eaton Hall, Room 124 Department of Computer Science – 12:00-1:00pm, Halligan Hall, Room 245

Tour Halligan, experience the culture of CompSci, find out about the curriculum and get all your questions answered! Snacks will be provided

Thursday, February 20, 2020 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

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F &G FUN & GAMES

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Thursday, February 20, 2020

Spencer Christiansen 2020 Vision

Calm before the storm

A

fter the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic primary election is approaching a significant tipping point in Nevada, South Carolina and on Super Tuesday. After these contests, the race will likely have a distinct frontrunner, and some candidates may drop out if they fare too poorly.

Currently, there is no clear frontrunner in the race. Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg both carry momentum from strong performances in Iowa and New Hampshire but face significant challenges in upcoming states.

In Nevada, Sanders leads the field according to polls, with Biden coming in second. According to Real Clear Politics’ analysis of several polls, Sanders leads Biden by an average of 14 points, 30% to Biden’s 16%, followed by Warren, Buttigieg, Steyer and Klobuchar. However, Nevada is known for being difficult to poll accurately because of its recent switch to the caucus system, leaving more uncertainty in the predicted results than in previous states. Logistical uncertainty also lingers in Nevada as the Democratic establishment works to engineer a substitute to the caucus reporting app that was meant to be used in the state but failed badly in Iowa. Biden still leads Sanders in South Carolina with 28% support to Sanders’ 20%, but his lead has dropped 9% since before the Iowa caucuses. African American voters are a critical demographic in the state and a central part of Biden’s plan to win it. He enjoys 36% support among African American voters generally. Age is a factor in African American support in the state however — with those under the age of 54 Sanders has an edge with 29%, followed by Biden at 26%, Steyer at 23%, Warren at 10% and Buttigieg at 3%. If Biden fails to leave South Carolina victorious his campaign will teeter on the edge of viability — an unexpected position for the long-predicted frontrunner.

After Nevada and South Carolina, the next contest is Super Tuesday. On March 3, 14 states, as well as Democrats living abroad, will cast their Democratic primary ballots, and allocate 1,357 of the 3,979 total pledged delegates in the race. California and Texas are the most significant states in terms of delegates, with 415 and 228 respectively. The outcomes of the Nevada and South Carolina contests will surely have an effect on candidates’ chances in the Super Tuesday states, so I will refrain from speculation as to the outcomes on March 3 until the proceeding states vote, but one thing is certain: the Democratic primary field will look different after the first week of March. Super Tuesday will make and break some campaigns: If candidates do not win big enough to have a mathematically viable shot at the nomination, they will likely drop out. All we can do now is sit and wait.

Spencer Christiansen is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Spencer can be reached at spencer.christiansen@tufts. edu.

Opinion

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EDITORIAL

Tufts must preserve academic and financial freedom in response to TUSM lawsuit On July 1, 2017, Tufts implemented a new compensation policy at the Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) that requires tenured faculty to support 40% of their salary through external research funding; faculty who do not meet these standards may face potential appointment reductions. In response, eight TUSM faculty members sued the university over the new compensation plan and research space allocation guidelines, asserting that the new policies violate preexisting tenure contracts for full-time employment that guaranteed “financial security” and “academic freedom.” TUSM Professors Michael Malamy and Brent Cochran discussed how the compensation plan was originally pitched as an incentive plan to stimulate research productivity. However, underlying financial issues fuel this decision; as of October 2019, TUSM was projected to run a deficit. Reducing faculty salaries may be intended as a cost-cutting measure, turning to increased external funding to assuage financial troubles.

The administration has excluded these financial factors from justifications for the new policies, instead placing a demoralizing onus on faculty to reassess the value of their research in terms of the funding it can secure.

In response to the lawsuit, Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations, wrote in an email to the Daily that “Tufts University believes that [the faculty members’] claims are without merit,” and that the research space guidelines and compensation plan are “equitable, transparent and reward quality research and related productivity, which are integral to the School’s mission.” Contrary to these objectives, the new plan threatens professors’ financial security, decreases research productivity and limits the educational scope of the TUSM program. Above all, despite its intentions, the policy undermines a value that Tufts holds central to its identity: academic freedom.

The tenured faculty members affected by this change maintain that this policy has negatively impacted their financial livelihood and undermined their research. Despite the distinguished careers, decades of teaching and research experience of TUSM professors, the 2017 Compensation Plan places punitive constraints on professors’ research that make it virtually impossible for them to fully and freely do their jobs. As part of the lawsuit, professors have brought up grievances such as having their lab space taken away and experiencing years of salary cuts. According to Professors Malamy and Cochran, tenured professors have either picked up short-term teaching contracts or have left entirely, further demonstrating this new policy’s detraction from Tufts’ vibrant academic life.

Research space guidelines established in 2016 compound these challenges associated with acquiring sufficient funding; under the new policy, the

BY ANNABEL NIED university determines research space utilization based on funding per square foot and can subsequently downsize and reallocate underutilized spaces. In what the complaint deemed a “degenerative spiral,” professors conducting original research that does not yet attract sufficient federal funding would be deprived of the necessary lab space to generate the data critical to obtaining a grant, and their salaries would be reduced in turn.

Further, Tufts’ policy hinders research productivity in ground-breaking areas that have yet to garner federal attention. Professor Henry Wortis, for example, was forced to terminate his perhaps life-saving research on age-related loss of resistance to infectious illnesses when Tufts suddenly closed his laboratory in 2016. With less financial support from the university, faculty are pressured into researching topics that attract external funding sources, effectively limiting their academic creativity and productivity. Moreover, with reduced federal funding for research under the current administration, it has become increasingly crucial that institutions like Tufts support research.

If Tufts continues to act on the 2017 Compensation Plan, it will also undermine the school’s commitment to advancing medical knowledge and fully educating its student body. This

plan could lead to a decreased quality of education for TUSM students, as piling financial burdens make it difficult for professors to balance teaching, researching and acquiring funding. In addition, this policy hampers professors’ ability to engage with students outside of the classroom, for reduced funding and the threat of lab closure prevent faculty members from supporting more students in their labs.

Ultimately, the administration has deprived its faculty of financial security, harmed their pursuit of academic endeavors and reduced professors’ ability to effectively mentor and teach students; in essence, Tufts infringed upon its core value of academic freedom and fractured its own sense of community. In order to restore financial security, academic accessibility and innovation to the medical school, TUSM must respond to the professors’ lawsuit by restoring the previous compensation plan and indemnifying affected faculty members, for this action would serve to revitalize trust, transparency and academic freedom in Tufts’ student and faculty communities. This progress is urgent as this issue threatens the values at the root of a Tufts education: what is our university — an academic environment at its core — if it fails to promote full engagement with intellectual pursuits?

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

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EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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Sports

Thursday, February 20, 2020 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Men’s squash places 6th at NESCAC Championship

11

Jeremy Goldstein The Little Londoner

Manchester United’s American problem

P

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Men’s squash faces off against MIT at the Zesiger Sport’s and Fitness Center on Jan. 27, 2016.

by Pranav Jain Assistant Sports Editor

The No. 24 men’s squash team finished sixth at the NESCAC Championship and upset No. 22 Amherst 5–4 in the consolation round. This marked a historic moment for the Jumbos, who defeated the Mammoths after more than 20 years and had their best finish at the NESCAC Championship in over 10 years.

Tufts defeated Conn. College 9–0 in its first-round match, before bowing down to No. 2 Trinity 8–1 in the quarterfinal round.

Tufts had another close encounter against Bowdoin in the fifth-place match, but ultimately lost 5–4. The consolation match against Amherst was also close, with Tufts narrowly getting the victory 5–4. “[Amherst] was probably our best match of the season,” first-year Sanjeev Jeyabalan, who won his match in the third position, said. “Amherst is a very well-respected team in the NESCAC. Beating them really makes us seem like a force to be reckoned with.”

First-year Kunal Valia was also ecstatic about beating the Mammoths.

“Really glad about the win,” Valia said.

“It was our first victory over Amherst in 20 years and it was a great team effort.”

First-year Vivaan Jaikishan also commented on how the previous match in the season against Amherst, which Tufts lost 6–3, helped them learn from their mistakes and implement a successful strategy when they played Amherst again in the postseason.

“I think we were tired from traveling,” Jaikishan said about the Jan. 31 match.

“Everyone played extremely well and w[as] extremely motivated to beat them after last time, so we all gave it our best.”

Despite only getting sixth place, the Jumbos made the most out of the tournament, ensuring they learned something out of every match. Losing to No. 2 Trinity 8–1, Jeyabalan focused only on the positives.

“It was a learning experience,” Jeyabalan said. “We knew they would win but we were able to take a lot of pointers

from the games. We hope to work on them before the College Squash Association Championships.”

The Jumbos will use the momentum from the NESCAC tounrnament as a source of confidence, moving into the CSA Championships at Harvard on Feb. 28, 29 and March 1.

“It’s a great confidence booster for us,” Jaikishan said. “We’re in the C-draws now, and we are looking forward to caus[ing] many more upsets and win[ning] the C-draw.”

Jeyabalan feels that such a dynamic change in the team has worked in the favor of the Jumbos.

“We just have a stronger squad and I think the team is more prepared as a whole,” Jeyabalan said. “We have been putting in some very good training sessions. We really work hard in training. I think that’s the biggest part.”

The Jumbos will compete against the best teams in the country when they drive down to Harvard College on Feb. 28 at the CSA Team Championship.

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eppering over a grim 0–0 scoreline on a familiar gray evening in Manchester was a cantankerous sea of red fans. Instead of being ready to stand and cheer, however, they were ready to stand and walk out.

Many of the scarves were not in the typical maroon red but instead a green and yellow, the club’s colors when they were first founded. No, they didn’t read “Glory Glory, Man United” or “Busby and Sir Alex”: these counter-mufflers instead proudly read “Glazer Out.” Glazers out?

The club’s American owners?

While my own fandom (United’s red rivals to the north) inhibited me from wearing any kind of Manchester paraphernalia, I couldn’t even find any of the classics. I was tempted to purchase from a gentleman with a hat full of anti-American pins, only to be hawked at when he discovered my nationality, shooting me every piss-take in the book short of “you’ve got your football and we’ve got ours.”

Alas, these fans are tired of the club’s American owners using it as a vessel to clear vast sums of debt. They’re tired of an executive vice chairman disguising himself as its chief transfer officer. They’re tired of the harassment they’ve held from the city’s blue half — though after last Friday’s bombshell, that may change. More than anything else, they’re tired of losing — the club hasn’t finished closer than 15 points to first place since 2013.

The Glazer family turned 3.17% ownership of Manchester United in 2003 to a majority stake in just two seasons, eventually dumping its own personal enormous debt upon one of the biggest franchises in the world. Currently sitting in the red by a staggering 385 million pounds, the Glazers have shepherded the club into its first debt since 1931.

Former United legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson was close friends with the family and helped coordinate the sale: Surely with any sliver of hindsight, literally anyone else would own the club.

The Glazer ownership has stabbed with double-edged swords into the hearts of the common United fan. While the American ownership group has overseen a massive commercial overhaul that has grown the club’s brand internationally and increased its transfer expenditure on quality footballers, it’s been stuck with a product that does not translate to consistent results.

The club’s 0–0 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers was exhibit A to such a case. Big-money transfer Bruno Fernandes made his debut to the great excitement of fans, but after a poor half, he was booed by halftime. Soonto-be 32-year-old Juan Mata, scoreless in the Premier League this season, had the club’s closest chance, a curler from outside the box that was enough to make Wolves keeper Rui Patricio think about diving.

The greatest spectacle was supposed to be the planned walkout in the 58th minute, which to my great dismay didn’t come to fruition. It would’ve been a welcome relief from the dim product on the field. Until the hierarchy on the top of the club is grossly shaken up, United will remain more fascinating politically than from a footballing perspective.

Jeremy Goldstein is a junior studying political science and film and media studies.

Jeremy can be reached at jeremy.goldstein@tufts.edu.

12 Thursday, February 20, 2020

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Women’s swim and dive finishes 2nd at NESCACs for 2nd straight year

THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Members of the women’s swim and dive team dive into Hamilton Pool on Dec. 2, 2018.

by Ethan Ling Staff Writer

The women’s swim and dive team finished second at the NESCAC Championships at Middlebury over the weekend, tying its highest finish in program history for the second consecutive year.

Finishing the meet with 1593.5 points, Tufts battled back and forth with firstplace Williams (1930.5 points) over the course of the four days. Ultimately, Tufts fell short as Williams dominated the final day of competition to successfully defend its title. Amherst closely trailed Tufts the entire way with its third-place effort of 1369 points, but the deficit that Amherst faced ultimately proved too much to overcome.

“We had an amazing meet,” coach Adam Hoyt said. “The women stepped up to the challenge throughout the weekend, and I’m so proud of the effort and enthusiasm which was on display every session.”

The Jumbos kicked off the championship in a record-setting fashion. On Thursday night, senior co-captain Grace Goetcheus, first-year Claire Brennan, junior Abby Claus and sophomore Mary Hufziger achieved a school record time of 7:26.71 in the 800-yard freestyle relay,

finishing second behind the Ephs squad.

The Jumbos’ B relay of first-year Chloe Deveney, first-year Katelin Isakoff, junior Sook-Hee Evans and junior Amy Socha also combined for an impressive swim, finishing with a time of 7:30.24 that would have placed them in fourth had they raced in the championship heat. Both relays were well under the 7:39.30 NCAA B cut standard.

Brennan led the Jumbos in individual scoring, adding 86 total points and placing in the top eight in all of her individual events. Her best swim came in the 100-yard freestyle, where she outpaced her competition to capture her first ever individual NESCAC title in a time of 51.07, breaking her school record set in preliminaries and earning her an NCAA B cut. Brennan also raced in the 200-yard freestyle where she finished second with a school record time of 1:49.36, as well as the 500-yard freestyle, where her fourth-place time of 4:56.49 broke yet another school record.

“I was just super excited to be swimming for such an awesome team,” Brennan said. “The team is such a close-knit group of people, and we work really hard to support each other through everything. The energy in the pool when I won made it such a special moment.”

The rest of the Jumbos followed suit, putting up record swim after record

swim throughout the grueling four-daylong championship. Hufziger captured the 200-yard freestyle crown ahead of her teammate Brennan with a time of 1:48.77, breaking both a school record and a Middlebury pool record. In the 200-yard butterfly, Socha overcame a one second deficit to blow by her competitors in the final 50 yards of the race, finishing first in 2:01.77 and breaking both school and pool records. In the 200-yard IM, Goetcheus used a strong backstroke split to distance herself from the field, ultimately hanging on to finish second in a school record time of 2:04.76. All three swims established NCAA B cuts.

To close the meet, the Jumbo quartet of Brennan, Isakoff, Socha and Hufziger delivered an emphatic performance in the final event of the meet: the 400-yard freestyle relay. Narrowly trailing Williams with one leg left to swim, Hufziger exploded off the blocks and into the pool, splitting a field best time of 50.24 that was over a second faster than any of her individual performances. With her incredible swim, the Jumbos edged out Williams by the slimmest of margins and denied them the coveted relay sweep. Their first place time of 3:24.74 once again established new school and pool records.

“The race was incredibly exciting, and I felt so proud to be able to close a great

meet alongside my amazing teammates with everyone else cheering us on,” Isakoff said. “Finally beating Williams in a relay was so special because it was the type of moment that makes all the hard work worth it.”

Hoyt emphasized the key values that allowed the team to perform consistently throughout the weekend.

“Stay focused, enjoy every moment, have fun and let your bodies do what they do best,” Hoyt said. “We have a close-knit and supportive group of women on this team, and they stick together.”

Overall, Tufts capped off a successful championship weekend filled with fast performances from all swimmers on the team. The Jumbos set 13 new school records and achieved 35 total NCAA B cuts.

The women’s team competes this Sunday at Williams’ February Invitational, before the NCAA National Championships over spring break in March. “[The future looks] very bright,” said Hoyt. “We’ve got great leaders spread throughout our classes. While our level of competitiveness has increased, our team has not lost sight of [the] team values which are focused on how we operate as a team. As long as we continue to embody those values, the sky is the limit for our team and program.”