The Tufts Daily - Tuesday, April 3, 2018

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PHOTOSPREAD

Dining Services discusses goals for theme nights see FEATURES / PAGE 3

A look at Monday’s protest against the tuition hike

Wes Anderson creates quaint canine world in ‘Isle of Dogs’ see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 6

SEE PHOTO / PAGE 7

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VOLUME LXXV, ISSUE 41

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T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Tufts Student Action holds rally to protest tuition hike by Emily Thompson Staff Writer

On the afternoon of Monday, April 2, about 20 students gathered on the lower patio of the Mayer Campus Center as part of a rally to protest the raise in tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year. The tuition increase was announced in a March 29 email from James Glaser, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Jianmin Qu, Dean of the School of Engineering. According to this email, tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year will be $70,941 in total, a 3.76% increase from last year’s $68,372. The rally, organized by student group Tufts Student Action, began with short speeches by Amira al-Subaey, a junior, and Ava Ciosek, a first-year, both of whom expressed their disapproval of the impending tuition hike and advocated for Tufts to “halt the hike.” “When Tufts Admissions proclaim that they cover 100 percent of financial need, all I think about is the fact that I was forced to take out over $20,000 in private loans from private banks with absurd interest rates to continue my Tufts education,” al-Subaey said in a portion of her speech. “I know that see TSA, page 2

KIRT THORNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Students participate in a protest against Tufts Tuition hikes on the Lower Campus Center patio on April 2.

New data science major to become available in fall 2018 by Sarah Minster Staff Writer

Tufts has officially approved a new data science major in the School of Engineering, to become available next fall. According to Dean of the School of Engineering Jianmin Qu, this new major results from recent initiatives for progressive data science research and education. Alva Couch, an associate professor of computer science, co-authored the data science program proposal along with Shuchin Aeron, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. The Board of Trustees officially approved the program in February 2018, according to Qu. According to Qu, the data science major requires 38 courses, including foundation, introductory, breadth and concentration courses, humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS) courses, as well as a capstone experience. Couch described the data science program as an “agile degree program” that will react to new technological developments and innovations in real time. “Data science is actually a mix of applied statistics, computer science,

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Halligan Hall, where the computer science and electrical engineering departments are housed, is pictured on April 11, 2017. machine learning and obscure fields such as decision theory,” Couch stated. Eric Miller, department chair of electrical and computer engineering, emphasized the relevance of making this new major available. He also stated that the program’s development has been spurred on by student interests.

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“It’s an important intellectual area of study … data science is a very new area. It combines elements that are relevant to electrical and computer engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, but it’s not any one of those things in particular,” Miller said. “It was import-

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ant that we — both as a department and as a university — have a good program in this area for our students.” Miller estimated that 10 to 20 data science undergraduate students will declare a data science major in fall of 2018, when the major becomes available. Aeron expressed his hope that the program would expand in future years. “We really hope that the program grows in a healthy manner,” Aeron told the Daily in an email. “At this point we anticipate a quick growth in first 2-3 years, reaching a steady state subsequently.” Couch first identified the need for a data science major as he was conducting his own research and going through the hiring process. “I found very quickly that I could not hire people that I needed … The computer science major does not give you enough experience in data analysis,” Couch explained. “The data science major started as a simple and self-serving objective to create students that I could hire … It was a very selfish agenda; I needed people with a specific skill set.”

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................5 PHOTOSPREAD.................. ....7

see DATA SCIENCE, page 2

COMICS.......................................8 OPINION.....................................9 SPORTS.....................................10


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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, April 3, 2018

THE TUFTS DAILY Catherine Perloff Editor-in-Chief

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continued from page 1 this isn’t fair and that’s why I organize with [Tufts Student Action], because I believe that a world where I don’t have to sacrifice my family’s financial stability and shackle myself to a lifetime of debt is possible.” After the short speech, the group participated in several chants, such as “Affordable tuition, need-blind admission,” and “Stop this exploitation, respect our right to education.” Later, the students moved into the Mayer Campus Center with a large poster of a check for $70,941, representing the cost of tuition at Tufts. Several students signed the check with reasons why they support halting tuition hikes. During the rally, al-Subaey told the Daily that as a student on financial aid, stopping tuition increases is personal to her, and that financial aid does not always increase proportionally with tuition increases. “I believe … education is a fundamental human right, and I think that $71,000 a year doesn’t reflect that,” al-Subaey said, “We’re inundated with this rhetoric [from the administration] that Tufts is accessible and meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, [but] there are low-income students like me on this campus that are food insecure, that use the food bank that [TCU Senate] created, or that are on private student loans, or that have to drop out or transfer or take a leave of absence because they can’t afford to pay [for] the next semester.” Al-Subaey also spoke about the university’s response to the demand to halt tui-

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Students protest tuition raise, affordability issues in general tion hikes, noting that the university often responds by saying that students do not understand complex financial concepts. “[The administration] is saying that first of all you don’t understand these issues, they’re more complicated than you think … and that Tufts is staying in line with other elite universities’ increases in tuition,” al-Subaey said. “They also say that it’s the Board of Trustees that make these decisions, not us.” Ciosek talked about Tufts Student Action’s efforts to increase transparency, accountability and accessibility in the budgeting process and deciding how much tuition will be each year. “In terms of transparency, we want to know where the money is going especially where it pertains to the Board of Trustees. There’s a lot of incentives for tuition increases because of the occupations they all have,” Ciosek said. “With accountability, we want the administration to take responsibility for the tuition increases … and not just blame it on increasing janitorial staff wages, or unionizing workers. [The administration] definitely tries to separate and divide activist groups in order to oppress all.” Ciosek emphasized the importance of accessibility in education, noting that forcing students to choose between learning and affording an education is not fair. Ciosek also spoke about other work that Tufts Student Action is planning regarding accessibility to education. “We’ve been talking about a tuition freeze … and we’ve been trying to pressure

Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates to make free higher education an important issue for local governments so it will eventually be an issue at the national level,” said Ciosek. Al-Subaey also mentioned two TCU Senate resolutions concerning affordability at Tufts. One of these, “S. 18-2 A Resolution Asking Tufts to Maintain its Current Level of Affordability,” will be presented at the Senate meeting on April 8. TSA is working with Tufts Housing League to draft another resolution, “A Resolution to Create a Formal and Transparent System for the Request of Institutional Information at Tufts,” the abstract of which is available now. At the end of the rally, the group marched to Ballou Hall to present the check and their demands to the administration. Elizabeth Dossett, a junior, spoke more about the specific demands for the administration. “[We want] justification and explanation for all tuition increases, for Tufts to live up to its claim of meeting 100% of demonstrated financial aid, and for greater transparency in how financial aid is calculated,” said Dossett. “We want Tufts to move to a need-blind admissions policy, because over 200 students a year are rejected because of their low-income status. We also want community based-budgeting, which means making these tuition decisions as a community with professors, students, parents, and everyone who is affected by them getting a seat at the table.”

Tufts to offer data science major

Liam Knox Investigative Editor

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continued from page 1 Representing the computer science and electrical and computer engineering programs, respectively, Couch and Aeron worked collaboratively to pass the program proposal. Both Couch and Aeron stressed the need for investment in the field of data science, and the timeliness of this program. Couch was careful to distinguish data science from computer science. He said data science focuses heavily on analysis, problem-solving and applied machine learning. Miller also stated that data science is based in both theory and real-world applications. Examining data and solving problems has real-world applications in many areas of study, Miller explained.

Aeron and Miller each expressed their high expectations for the future of the data science program at Tufts. According to Miller, the program will facilitate collaboration and creativity. “It is time to realize the significant role that computing and learning plays in our daily lives … It is now becoming a reality that significant advancements in material science, biology and other life sciences domains … will only be possible with right data analytic tools supporting the exploration and development,” Aeron wrote to the Daily. “It is really exciting to teach and educate future engineers to exactly do this and teach them how to closely collaborate with folks in bio, physics and other domains to make human life better.”

Qu expressed his support for the program under the School of Engineering, underlining the relevance of the degree and the importance of problem-solving and data analysis in today’s time. “This is a timely program, as society increasingly needs experts in data-intensive science to help solve real-world problems. The program is designed to educate the next generation of engineers who will go on to empower informed decision-making in industry, government, academia, and more,” Qu told the Daily in an email. “The new major provides more options for our students in a rapidly growing field … An increasing number of employers are searching for data scientists and data analysts. By offering this new major, Tufts is getting ahead of the curve.”

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Don’t keep me posted On March 27 around 1 a.m., Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) received a report that had been relayed to a guard at the Cabot Intercultural Center of unauthorized postings throughout the Academic Quad area. The posters were directed in opposition to Students for Justice in Palestine. While TUPD was unable to identify the individual responsible for posting the flyers, the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a self-identified conservative anti-Islamist group, claimed responsibility. TUPD removed the postings. Bite was worse than the bark Later that day around 5 p.m., TUPD received a complaint from a Tufts student that their dog had been bitten by another dog at Triangle Field. The student did not get the other dog’s owner’s information. TUPD canvassed the area, but was unable to locate the other dog and its owner. Have a nice fall, see you next trip On March 28 around 1 a.m., TUPD and Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) responded to a medical call from Wren Hall. A student called to report that their friend had too much to drink and fell out of their bed. The inebriated individual was treated by TEMS and transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

A TUPD vehicle is pictured outside of Sophia Gordon Hall on May 9, 2014. Best thing since sliced finger Later that day around 8 p.m., TUPD and TEMS were called to Lane Hall, where a student suffered from a finger laceration. The student was taking apart a box fan and cut their finger on the metal blade. It was recommended that the student go to the hospital, but they signed a refusal form.

Food for thought On March 31 at 12 p.m., a group of 25 students confronted the manager of Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center in his office about the potential unionization of dining employees. The group stayed in the manager’s office for approximately 10 minutes and then dispersed.


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Features

Recipe for success: Themed meals prove a hit with students, dining staff

3 tuftsdaily.com

Hayato Miyajima Jumbo Exchange

Political awareness

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RACHEL HARTMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

A student reaches for dressing at the salad bar in Carmichael Dining Hall on April 2. by Jenna Fleischer

Assistant News Editor

Easter and Passover meals, Tailgate Brunch, Dim Sum Brunch, Street Food Dinner, the list goes on. Such themed gastronomical delights await hungry students in our dining halls, proving that beyond just being a necessity, campus food can provide us with comfort and joy. Themed meals at Tufts started decades ago as “monotony breakers,” according to Patti Klos, director of dining and business services. Realizing that students may get tired of fixed menus, Tufts Dining Services sought to offer variations to change things up several times throughout the semester. “There are all kinds of opportunities to introduce things that aren’t necessarily something you’d want to eat every day, but it’s fun to try different things,” Klos said. “It’s definitely something we do because we want to have change, excitement and interesting things for our student customers and other guests we serve.” Motivations behind themed dining Peter Soucy, unit manager for Carmichael Dining Center, cited three main reasons why Dining Services holds themed meals. Themed meals allow dining staff to expose students to diverse cuisines from different cul-

tures, celebrate holidays and festivities and give students and staff something different to look forward to, according to Soucy. “It’s great for my staff to cook different items outside what’s on the cycle menu. It’s a nice change of pace,” Soucy said. “We also have a diverse workforce, so they’re actually able to cook foods from their backgrounds or countries of origin.” According to Soucy, the most popular themed meal is, unsurprisingly, Night of Favorites, featuring students’ top picks. However, the dining halls also draw crowds for a variety of other themed events, including Under the Sea and Scrape Your Plate. “Under the Sea is great because we bring attention to different species that are perhaps underutilized and are a lot of times bycatches. But just because they aren’t what the fishermen were exactly after doesn’t mean they’re bad,” Soucy said. “With Scrape Your Plate, we have students scrape off what’s left on their plates before sending it back to the kitchen. What it does, without trying to place any guilt on anyone, is bring attention to food waste and help people think about how much food they’re putting on their plate.” Some themed meals allow Dining Services to collaborate with other groups in the Tufts and Medford/

Somerville community. The annual Station House Chili Fest held in October started in order to recognize emergency responders, as there is a history of chili in station houses. October is also Fire Prevention Month, so Dining Services combined the two to meet an audience in a different way. “We use this as a way to introduce students to the emergency responders in our community, such as TUPD [ Tufts University Police Department] and TEMS [ Tufts Emergency Medical Services], and then it expanded to the local fire, police departments and others,” Klos said. “Our culinary team often has an internal challenge to come up with new types of chili, some versions include ‘How hot can you make it?’ and recently ‘What other ingredients can you add?’” Authenticity and representation Soucy and Klos both emphasized the care and thought that goes into preparing dishes that are as authentic as possible. Dining Services researches different cuisines and also uses their “in-house staff ’s knowledge as a resource,” according to Soucy. “We don’t pretend to be experts in a particular area, so we try as much as possible to involve individuals who have experience or authority in the area [of the themed meal we’re providsee THEMED DINING, page 4

ime flies; I can’t believe it is already April — there are now only one and a half months left in my stay here in the States! It might not yet be the time to review my study abroad experience at Tufts, but these days I cannot help but look back a bit, wondering what I have learned over the days of the exchange program. When I think about it, what comes to my mind first is Tufts students’ high levels of political awareness. Not only are the vast majority concerned about politics, but also a number of students actually organize and participate in political activities, which I find cool. I was born and raised in a country where the public is often associated with political apathy. It is illustrated, for example, by its relatively low voting rate against other developed, democratic countries. However, compared to the situation before, people’s activism in Japan has been stimulated and become a relatively significant presence since the 2011 nuclear power plant disaster in the country. With a few exceptions, it is still extremely hard to find active civil movements, demonstrations or marches in Japan. Also, you will rarely see college students in Japan take part in those kind of activities. It is not that they are not interested in politics, but it is still most definitely uncommon for them to do something to change the status quo through political actions like participation in social movements. Sadly, I myself have never joined any organizations related to political movements back home, nor have I thought of the option of organizing or participating in an activist group on my own. It is probably because I did not know anyone around me doing such things and was not motivated enough to do something by myself. I love discussing political issues, I have my opinion and I go to the polls. Outside of that, though, I have to admit that I have done nothing else. This is why I was really pleasantly surprised when I witnessed the Boston Women’s March in January. There was a sea of people who have the same shared passion and are actually trying to make some change in society. There was obviously a lot of students. What struck me the most was the atmosphere and environment that allowed anyone to raise their voice to fight against what they believe is wrong. I am certain that the march was one of the most unforgettable, mind-blowing moments for me over the past seven months. Apart from that, I am always impressed by Tufts students who actively commit to social movement activities. There seem to be quite a few students here who are members of groups involved in politics and social change, and who are making an effort to shape society for the better. It is so different from the society in which I grew up, but it is simply cool and truly admirable. I am aware that there is no point in just being impressed, so hopefully I will not waste and will rather harness this experience somehow when I return home. Hayato Miyajima is an exchange student from Japan majoring in international relations. Hayato can be reached at hayato. miyajima@tufts.edu.


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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Tuesday, April 3, 2018

tuftsdaily.com

Dining staff cook up a storm for themed meals with help from student input THEMED DINING

continued from page 3 ing],” Klos said. “We try to portray the meals as a sampling of the foods from a particular tradition or culture, so that we’re not doing it in a way that’s offensive, but rather an opportunity to introduce some dishes.” Klos added that it is equally important that advertising, decorations and promotion for such themed meals are appropriate. To Soucy, themed meals offer the possibility for students to have a taste of home, as well as a welcoming environment. “For many [first-years] this is the first time in their life they’ve been away from home for an extended period of time, so we want to do meals that make them feel comfortable coming in,” Soucy said. “It can be a little daunting if you’re coming 5,000 miles from home, so we like to have these types of dinners that lend some fun to the atmosphere.” Ella Ji, a first-year from China, felt that the food at the most recent Dim Sum Brunch on March 11 was “pretty accurate.” “It was a great comfort to have the cuisine from your home country,” Ji said. “My friends and I felt the [intention] was more than the dim sum itself, [it felt nice] to be remembered as part of the school.” Byron Zhong, also a first-year from China, agreed. “The Dim Sum Brunch was actually pretty decent, I appreciate their attempt,” Zhong said. “Some of the dishes were more accurate than others. The shumai was pretty authentic,

but the dumplings were deep-fried [as opposed to steamed] which is not how most people in China make them.” Preparing for a themed meal Preparation for a themed meal is similar to that of a regular meal. Based on historical information, along with what day of the week and time of day the event will be, Dining Services is able to determine what demand is likely to be and thus plan accordingly for how much food they should prepare, according to Klos. K l os sa id tha t the me d me a ls a re p l a n n e d a t l e a s t t h re e w e e k s i n a d v a n c e, b u t t h e y h a v e t o p l a n e s p e c i a lly f a r a he a d if the y ’re us ing a n un c ommo n o r unco nve ntio na l i n g re d i e nt a nd ne e d to give s up p li e r s a d vance no tice. She a dde d tha t Ca r m i c h a e l a n d D e w i c k Ma c P h i e Dining Centers may intentiona l l y p re p a re d i f f e re n t d i s h e s f o r t h e m e d me a ls. “Because of the way each dining hall is set up, our teams’ ability to prepare certain things might be better in one hall versus the other,” Klos said. “They really try to use a method of preparation to better take advantage of the equipment they have or the skills of their team. We like to give them the creative license.” Apart from students, Dining Services employees also largely enjoy the themed meals and the change of pace from time to time. “I think employees enjoy themed meals because they enjoy pleasing their customers. The themed events are also a change of pace; they generate some excitement. I think everyone can get jazzed for that,” Klos

said. “The culinarians sometimes get super excited because they may have helped develop the recipe or may have inspired it. Sometimes the front of house staff are excited because it’s an event they enjoy decorating for.” Klos added that there have also been more pop-up food events, similar in style but smaller in scale to a full themed meal. “We did a chocolate fountain on Valentine’s Day, which was super popular,” Klos said. “We’ve also been testing new soup recipes, so the culinary team was doing a sampling period in the dining centers, which gave the students a chance to taste these recipes and tell the chefs what they thought.” So ucy no te d tha t the concept of s e r v i n g s t re e t f o o d f r o m a r o u n d the w o r ld ha s go ne over well with bo th s tude nts a nd e mployees, wh o we re a ble to he lp cho ose represen ta tive f o o ds. “In the past 15 years, with the Food Network and those types of shows, along with farm-to-table and other movements, people have a lot more knowledge about cuisine than when I went to college,” Soucy said. “It makes our job that much more challenging, but it also raises the bar for us and makes us do better.” Klos is hoping to introduce ramen and pho, along with other popular food items, in the future. “I’ve seen a couple other university dining centers be able to do [ramen],” Klos said. “There’s some neat things emerging on the food scene, so we’re looking to see if we want to bring in some new, or even just revamp classic, concepts.”

Klos and Soucy noted that student suggestions play a crucial role in Dining Services’ efforts to improve. “We do what we call ‘Meet the Managers,’ where we ask students what they like and what they’d like to see improved,” Soucy said. “[By] talking to them face-to-face, we get suggestions about themed meals and different things students are interested in seeing in the dining halls. It’s good as a learning experience for us because there are things we may not notice that students then bring to our attention.” According to Klos, comments and feedback have led to recent changes such as making chopsticks regularly available, serving less Thanksgiving food items during other parts of the year, and the addition of dishes to the regular menu. For example, butternut squash bisque, a popular dish, became a regular menu item after starting out as part of a themed meal. Klos expressed that Dining Services wants to enable students to take a break from a busy college life through the food and service that they offer. “We know students are busy, but we hope that when you come to a meal you have a little bit of time to just kind of relax, enjoy your friends and the food,” she said. Soucy emphasized his desire to give students something to look forward to. “There’s something important about people coming in and eating together, sitting down and breaking bread,” he said. “It’s a chance for students to build relationships outside of the classroom.”

FIRST YEARS and SOPHOMORES Come Learn about SYNAPTIC SCHOLARS TONIGHT, April 3, Eaton 124, 8:30-9:00pm SYNAPTIC SCHOLARS is beginning its application process for its next cohort

Applications are due Monday, April 9, by 12:00pm (noon) Synaptic Scholars creates a framework for looking at intellectual juxtapositions, critical thinking, and self-directed explorations. As mentors and leaders with eclectic passions, the Scholars create a supportive community in which to pursue projects, take intellectual risks, and reflect their learning off their peers of other academic disciplines and classes. The program is designed to cultivate a strong sense of personal responsibility while encouraging scholars to enrich the University’s intellectual life. The Synaptic Scholars program enables students to realize their potential in intensive, creative, interdisciplinary ways. After being accepted into the program, Scholars develop immersive and rigorous internships, research initiatives, and projects that fuse seemingly divergent interests during their time at Tufts.

Past Synaptic Scholars have explored mega-cities, Nigeria and photojournalism • health disparities and race in the U.S. • indigenous rights, the global mining industry, and conflict resolution in El Salvador • cognitive science and terrorism • restorative justice, memory and Uganda • food insecurity and the buy local movement, etc.

For more information and the application: tuftsgloballeadership.org


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

ARTS&LIVING FILM REVIEW

‘Ready Player One’ is an explosive pop culture juggernaut

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for Ready Player One (2018) is pictured. by Christopher Panella Staff Writer

Pop culture can be all-consuming. Whether it be the film references (1980’s “The Shining”), music artists (Duran Duran) or the video games (1979’s “Adventure”), the last few generations have grown up with an indispensable cultural knowledge, all found in “Ready Player One” (2018). Helmed by the legendary Steven Spielberg, the blockbuster is well aware of this shared knowledge and makes ready use of it through an actionpacked and sincerely fun and enjoyable story. “Ready Player One” follows Wade Watts as he and a few friends explore a virtual reality (VR) platform titled the OASIS. In a quick introductory narration, Watts explains that the film’s future world, set in 2045, is in complete desolation. People use the OASIS to escape

their plights. The OASIS’ late creator, James Halliday, was obsessed with pop culture from the late 20th century and early 21st century. Halliday left behind Easter eggs within the game which present the finder with full ownership of the OASIS and inheritance from the extremely rich Halliday. Watts’ narration may seem simple, but it starts the story off running, and with a 140-minute runtime, the film needs all the running it can get. In addition, the film’s story about an awkward boy falling in love with a kickass girl and getting help from his group of ragtag friends to save the world in a final battle, isn’t exactly new or becoming less popular (cough, “Stranger Things”). What makes “Ready Player One” more than this trope is its deep-rooted commitment to generations of source material. The film is mostly set in the OASIS, meaning most of what the audience watches is

what the characters see through their VR headsets. The audience sees their avatars, their gameplay and the gorgeous OASIS universe almost as if the audience is playing the game with them. In the film’s best visual moments, it feels like watching a video game walkthrough on YouTube. There are amazing moments where establishing shots pan from the ceiling to the back of the characters as they walk, exactly like moments in roleplaying video games. There are mountains of film references, video game nods and television jokes. There are possibly over a thousand (according to screenwriter Zak Penn) blink-and-you’ll-missit moments, like avatars in the OASIS being characters from favorite video games like the “Batman: Arkham Series” (2009-2016), films like “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and “Say Anything” (1989), television like “Mobile Suit Gundam” (1979) and music like the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” (1976). Arguably, there is no way to find every single pop culture reference in every frame of the film, no matter the number of viewings. It’s not even just the visual references that make this film so enjoyable; it’s the film’s recognition of its well-worn metaphors and hilarious one-liners. IOI, the villains of the film who want Halliday’s OASIS for themselves appear like every other mysterious bad guy organization in every other film ever. When IOI’s CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) acknowledges his stereotypical villain-in-a-suit trope, “Ready Player One” makes the swift decision to poke fun at itself. That’s where this film avoids being just another “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” (2003): “Ready Player One” knows it’s in theaters to bring in audience members, write an ode to pop culture, have a really fun 140 minutes, sell some popcorn and soda and call it a night. It doesn’t try to have any extremely meaningful moments or raise the stakes for its characters, nor should it. Aside from some slight emotional backstory behind Watts and his love interest Samantha Cook (Olivia Cooke), the characters are relatively one-dimensional, and they don’t need to be anything more than that. There is one moment when Cook explains to Watts that people in the OASIS only present what they want others to see, and this theme trickles into characters like Helen (Lena Waithe) and other moments in the film, but it isn’t overdone. In many ways, “Ready Player One” is one of the world’s best video game walkthroughs and one of the most mindlessly fun movies around. For anyone who loves pop culture, the film will feel like a nostalgic thrill ride. It’s Spielberg’s love letter to the culture he helped create, and the film is most definitely a love song audiences can sing along with.

FILM REVIEW

‘Isle of Dogs’ is a touching, artful tribute to man’s best friend by Stephanie Hoechst Staff Writer

After only a few minutes of Wes Anderson’s new stop-motion animated film, “Isle of Dogs” (2018), it’s clear how much care went into crafting the grimy, spirited and quaint world and characters of Megasaki and Trash Island. From the grander construction of detailed set

pieces and complex action sequences, right down to the subtleties of facial animations and nuances in characters’ movements, “Isle of Dogs” absolutely bursts with eccentric personality and tenderness. The film’s handcrafted charm eloquently renders a love letter to man’s best friend by balancing quirky, humorous verve with a subtler, quieter poignancy. At the end of the day, Anderson’s film can convey

love because it was so lovingly crafted. “Isle of Dogs” takes place 20 years in the future, in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki. The essentially totalitarian state and its figurehead, Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura), decree that the city’s diseased dog see ISLE OF DOGS, page 6

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Nikki Margaretos Is This Thing On?

Hayley Kiyoko, exceeding expectations

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ome may recognize her as the spunky guitarist from the film “Lemonade Mouth” (2011), and others may know her affectionately as Lesbian Jesus, the moniker given to her by fans. Either way, Hayley Kiyoko is worth keeping an eye on. The bleach blonde L.A. native released her first full length album, “Expectations” (2018), last Friday. The highly anticipated release comes three years after her viral summer hit “Girls Like Girls” (2015). As the name alludes, it’s one of Hayley’s earliest public expressions of her sexual orientation. The music video tells the story of a young girl who is in love with her best friend, who happens to be in an abusive relationship. In an epic role reversal, we see a heroine saving the girl from her violent boyfriend. No lie, the video had me tearing up a little bit. Though I’m not an expert on all the gay artists out there, I might say that few are as vocal as Kiyoko. In an interview with Fuse, Kiyoko shares her struggle to figure out her sexuality in high school: “As you grow older … you become wiser and realize, ‘Oh, I just need to love myself.’ And then nobody else’s opinion really remembers.” In the video for her single “Gravel to Tempo” (2016), Kiyoko dances embarrassingly yet unashamedly through the halls of her high school, as a way of getting the last laugh from the popular girls from whom she used to seek validation. In fact, Kiyoko encourages other girls to reconcile with their feelings, too, a common theme throughout her music. That was an eloquent way of saying that Kiyoko tries to convince all of her crushes that they also like girls, even if they don’t know it yet. While Kiyoko’s early work was more subtle, “Expectations” is unabashedly gay. We’ve watched Kiyoko step out of her bedroom fantasies in “Sleepover” (2017) to confront her feelings with full force. Standouts from her album include “Feelings” and “Curious” in which Kiyoko both confesses her overemotional tendencies in a flirtationship and subsequently teases a girl who won’t own up to the fact that she likes Hayley more than her boyfriend. “I’m just curious, is it serious?” she plays. In a powerful collaboration, Kiyoko lets R&B/hip-hop queen Kehlani take the reins on “What I Need,” in which she appears to make a little progress with the same girl from “Curious.” Kehlani, who is bisexual, plays the unsure love interest and offers her perspective. The two women join together for a powerful chorus, with Hayley’s persistence complimenting the sweetness of Kehlani’s hesitation, which grows into realization. Other female pop stars have dabbled with gay lyrics. Unforgettably, Katy Perry fetishized this in her first hit, “I Kissed A Girl” (2008), completely shedding her past life as a clean Christian singer. Ironically enough, this song sparked something within a 17-year-old Kiyoko, who knew at the time she was gay. She told The Guardian, “It was a very exciting moment. Of course, I wished that it was a gay girl singing, but I was like, ‘That’s gonna be me.'” So there you go, Katy Perry exoticizing gayness actually brought some good into this world. Nikki Margaretos is a senior majoring in economics. Nikki can be reached at nikoletta.margaretos@tufts.edu.


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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Tuesday, April 3, 2018

tuftsdaily.com

'Isle of Dogs' features nuanced, impressive voice acting ISLE OF DOGS

continued from page 5 population — which includes all domestic canines — is to be exiled to Trash Island, a desolate and borderline uninhabitable dumping ground off the coast of Megasaki. However, Kobayashi’s 12-year-old ward, Atari (Koyu Rankin), rebelliously hijacks a plane and flies it to Trash Island to search for his beloved dog, Spots (Liev Schreiber). There, Atari befriends a pack of five dogs who have been struggling to survive since their exile — Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum), who help Atari cross the bleak landscape of Trash Island in search of Spots. Meanwhile, back in Megasaki, Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig), an American exchange student and plucky reporter at her high school’s newspaper, investigates the government corruption that led to the dogs’ expulsion from the city. According to a series of featurettes detailing the process of creating “Isle of Dogs,” every one of the nearly 900 characters is a handcrafted wireframe puppet, filmed in stop-motion on a miniature set. Human characters have individual mouth replacements for each phonetic sound, and dogs can be maneuvered to open their mouths and move their joints and faces appropriately. This process only further emphasizes how much work and attention to detail went into “Isle of Dogs.” The film capitalizes on this handcrafted charm — the dogs of Trash Island are covered in real fur that’s matted and tangled from their hardened survival, explosions and smoke are made up of clumps and spindles of fibers and clothing drapes as though it were a costume on a full-size model. This technique means that the film maintains its lavish textures while

still allowing elements to feel representative and stylized, drawing the audience in to a rich, detailed world that feels enchanting and playful at the same time. If you’ve ever seen a Wes Anderson film before, you’ll be familiar with his idiosyncratic aesthetics and storytelling. Color and lighting play a heavy role in defining mood and space; each scene feels entirely its own based on its visual distinctiveness. The tone is subdued at times and quite theatrical at others, yet its pacing remains pleasantly even-tempered and ruminative. This characteristic is due in large part to its particularly grounded voice acting, as the seasoned cast allows characters to speak with more subtlety and understated nuance. And when the film decides to be funny, its dry humor is spot-on. One noteworthy aspect of “Isle of Dogs” is that it doesn’t provide any subtitles for Japanese voice acting — and Japanese human characters speak a lot. They’ll often be translated via a plot device such as an interpreter, but there are several scenes where human characters make long declarations in Japanese, and it’s up to the audience to interpret their message based on inflection and body language. While it initially appears to hinder understanding, this omission actually underlines the movie’s message of the bond between humans and their dogs — the dogs, just like the audience, can’t understand what their masters might be saying, but it doesn’t diminish the emotional attachment between the two. Despite some of this ambiguity, however, “Isle of Dogs” remains a carefully crafted story full of sumptuous detail and emotional tenderness. It’s mature at times and hilariously juvenile at others, making it feel both poignant and whimsical all at once.

Commencement

2018

Save the Date SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018 Visit our website at: commencement.tufts.edu University Commencement Office telephone: 617.627.3636 E-mail: commencement@tufts.edu Don’t forget to stop by the Commencement Fair at the Campus Center on April 4 during Senior Days, to pick up graduation announcements and other commencement-related information.

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for Isle of Dogs (2018) is pictured.


tuftsdaily.com

TUITION HIKE PR OTEST A L L P H OTO S BY K I R T T H O R N E

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 | PHOTO | THE TUFTS DAILY

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Seohyun: “Could we clone Evan so we could have one every year?”

Comics

SUDOKU

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.38)

CROSSWORD

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Difficulty Level: Drunkenly forgetting that calzones aren’t kosher for passover. Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Apr 2 00:13:54 2018 GMT. Enjoy!

Monday’s Solution

Reach a wider audience. Buy an ad in our Commencement issue and expand your influence in the greater Tufts and Medford/ Somerville community. Contact us at business@tuftsdaily.com for more information.


Opinion

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

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EDITORIAL

Ellen Kullman is a bizarre choice for commencement speaker The 2018 Commencement Ceremony features Tufts Alumna Ellen J. Kullman (E ‘78). Kullman is renowned for her tenure as the CEO and Chair of DowDuPont Inc., formerly known as DuPont, the world’s largest chemical corporation. She appeared in Fortune Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,”on Forbes “100 Most Powerful Women” list and was the first female CEO in DuPont’s 200-year history. Kullman’s impressive accolades and rank in the male-dominated C-suite demand respect; however, Tufts’ invitation to her as commencement speaker is misguided. Amidst the university’s concerted efforts toward an environmentally sustainable campus and the student body’s consistent interest in promoting eco-friendly initiatives, the choice of Kullman is downright confusing. DuPont has a history of environmental degradation, which it is paying for — literally. Under Kullman’s watch, the company paid $500,000 for multiple instances of poor water quality at its Edge Moor plant in Delaware, $3.3 million to the EPA for violating the 57 Toxic Substances Control Act, and $70 million

to settle a class-action suit concerning decades of pollution, just to name a few. The environmental issues are not the only significant blot on DuPont’s record. DuPont has been accused, and found guily of, safety negligence. In 2015, a jury in Columbus, OH deemed DuPont responsible for $1.6 million in personal injury when Carla Bartlett was diagnosed with kidney cancer after drinking water contaminated with a chemical known as C8. The case came to light just days after Dupont announced Kullman’s immediate retirement. DuPont scientists had researched the carcinogenic nature of this chemical long before it came to public attention, but, according to Bartlett’s lawyer, kept its dangers under wraps for years. Instead of terminating their usage of such a harmful toxin — a known carcinogen — the company kept this knowledge confidential and continued its usage. After the lawsuit, the company released a statement which said that “safety and environmental stewardship are core values at DuPont.” This was further proven false when DuPont’s historical documents revealed clear correlation

between cancer and C8. The man-made chemical did not exist a century ago and now is found in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. In West Virginia, a similar situation surfaced under Kullman’s leadership, in which DuPont was fined nearly $1.3 million for their failing to curb the release of toxic substances. The Environmental and Protection Agency noted that DuPont failed to report harmful toxicity levels in a timely fashion on five separate occasions — one of which was the dumping of 80 tons of methanol into West Virginia’s Kanawha River. DuPont has consistently failed in promoting the general welfare of our planet and the human beings who share it. When Tufts invited Kullman as a speaker, it actively diminished the significant shortcomings of her company and the very real lives it has significantly and seriously damaged. Bringing Ellen Kullman to send off our seniors into the world, knowing what we know about her tenure at DuPont, goes directly against the values Tufts claims to hold dear.

CARTOON

Spring Break withdrawal

by Nasrin Lin The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board. EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

Nesi Altaras Looking Out

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Statues

n High Street, above the entrance of Oxford’s constituent college Oriel, there is a detailed, life-size statue of Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes is a notorious racist, imperialist and colonizer who personally brought anguish to millions in Southern Africa, most of all in Rhodesia, a colony that bore his name. He also happens to be a prominent benefactor of Oriel, even creating the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford. His commemoration is a choice. Who we remember and venerate is not an inherent decision. It is not ‘natural’ that many statues be dedicated to this wealthy donor, that president, or another. There are reasons beyond having been president or giving huge sums of money that lead to having your statue across the United States. That’s why we see more of Theodore Roosevelt and much less of Calvin Coolidge. We choose based on the values a person is supposed to represent; we stand them up in the middle of public squares because of what they stood for. Unlike the value judgments that lead to commemoration, statues are quite permanent. This is the problem with statues that have overstayed their welcome. And once a statue has been in place for some time, it becomes difficult to get past the inertia and move them. This act has become so difficult that accomplishing it in the American South is powerful enough to launch a national political career, like Mitch Landrieu is attempting to do with his new book “In The Shadows of Statues.” The United States has not been the only place that has had a reckoning with statues of people who do not deserve them. The “Rhodes Must Fall” movement began in South Africa in 2015 at the University of Cape Town and spread to other schools in the country. Statues of such a heinous man standing in modern South Africa was an affront to many whose families were directly affected by him. The same was true at Oxford, where mostly Southern African students led the as-yet unsuccessful movement for the fall of Rhodes. But when will this reckoning arrive everywhere? The public spaces of Belgium still hold statues of Leopold II, who is known for the atrocities he committed in the Congo. No movement has taken hold to re-evaluate how he should be remembered and why he is still commemorated with statues. There are many Britons whose statues should be questioned because of their vile actions and opinions, but the most obvious is Winston Churchill. He still maintains his status as a Hollywood hot topic as well an inspiration for Oscar nominees and countless statues littered across Britain, despite his casual racism, strong support for imperialism and involvement in the 1943 manmade famine in Bengal that killed millions. Though it is not enough to re-evaluate and take down statues of imperialists and racists. They also need to be counterbalanced by people truly worth remembering for their courage. A recent example from Denmark, where a statue of the leader of a Caribbean worker revolt against Danish landowners was recently revealed, should give guidance and hope. Commemoration should not only be deconstructed, but also reconstructed. Nesi Altaras is a junior majoring in international relations and economics. Nesi can be reached at nesi.altaras@tufts.edu.


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Sports

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Tufts takes two of three in weekend series with Bowdoin

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior infielder Christian Cain fouls off a pitch in Tufts’ 3–1 win over Bowdoin on March 30. by Ryan Eggers

Assistant Sports Editor

The Tufts softball team played a trio of crucial games last weekend — its first series against a NESCAC opponent in the 2018 season. In a three-game homestand against the Bowdoin Polar Bears (14–5), the Jumbos were able to pick up wins in two of the three games. After two victories for Tufts that featured strong pitching and defense, Bowdoin finally prevailed in the final game of the series on Saturday afternoon, 7–6. The game was the most thrilling of the series, as the teams played an additional two innings after being tied at the end of seven innings. Five of the Jumbos’ runs came in a scorching second inning, which started with an RBI single from sophomore first baseman Casey Maggiore. Shortly after, first-year second baseman Emma Della Volpe notched her first collegiate home run in a big way with a grand slam. The swing gave the Jumbos an early 5–0 lead, but the Polar Bears weren’t finished. A lone sacrifice fly in the fourth inning made the score 5–1, but Bowdoin still needed a miracle in the final inning to stay alive. The Polar Bears found such fortune with an RBI single and a three-RBI double

in the top of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. The eighth inning passed with no runs from either team, but junior shortstop Samantha Valdivia followed an RBI double with an RBI line out gave the Polar Bears a 7–5 lead after the top of the ninth. Tufts didn’t go down without a fight, as first-year shortstop Mia Steinberg cut the deficit to one with a sacrifice fly, but the comeback effort then stalled. The first half of Saturday’s doubleheader went much more smoothly for the Jumbos, who won comfortably thanks to a big fifth inning. First-year pitcher Kristina Haghdan (4–3) threw a complete game and only gave up two runs in her victory, one of which came via an error. Senior catcher Raven Fournier kicked off the day with a bang by bringing herself and junior left fielder Kristen Caporelli home with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. An error gifted the Polar Bears a run in the top of the fourth, making the score 2–1. The Jumbos quickly responded in a big way, putting together an impressive string of at-bats in the fifth inning. RBI singles from sophomore third baseman Jamie Stevens, junior first baseman Kelsey Dion and senior shortstop Sara Willner-Giwerc opened up a 5–1 lead for the hosts. A sacrifice bunt from sopho-

more center fielder Annika Han gave Tufts a little more insurance, closing the inning having put four runs on the board for a 6–1 advantage. The Polar Bears scored a run with an RBI single in the top of the sixth. Unlike their rally in the subsequent contest, though, that’s all the Polar Bears had left to offer in the game, as the hosts secured a 6–2 victory — their second win of the weekend. Tufts’ first win came on Friday in the opening game of the three-game set against Bowdoin. It featured an impressive bout between both teams’ pitchers, as Tufts first-year Kristi Van Meter (6–2) and Bowdoin sophomore Kate Hoadley (5–2) both threw complete games for their respective sides. Another strong fifth inning from the Jumbos earned them the victory, though. The visitors started off on the right foot, as senior second baseman Lauren O’Shea’s solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Polar Bears an early lead. It seemed to be the start of a rough day for Van Meter, but she and the rest of the Tufts defense refused to allow another run. Despite Van Meter’s virtuoso performance, the Amston, Conn. native is still looking to improve in her first collegiate season.

“I’d say it’s a work in progress,” Van Meter said. “I’m a [first-year], so I’m still learning how college hitters handle their at-bats. I think the more I learn about how aggressive people are [on] different counts … the better I can adjust my game and take advantage of certain situations.” Though their defense held strong, the Jumbos still needed to score to secure a victory in their home opener. Della Volpe, the NESCAC Player of the Week, kicked off the offensive attack in the fifth inning with an RBI double that tied the score at one. Senior second baseman Samantha Siciliano followed with a two-run home run, giving the Jumbos a 3–1 lead. Following two quick outs in the top of the seventh, Van Meter allowed a single to senior catcher Claire McCarthy. Van Meter got the next Bowdoin batter to ground out, however, wrapping up Tufts’ victory. With the weekend results, the Jumbos improved their season record to 13–5 and opened their campaign in the NESCAC East with a 2–1 mark. “We weren’t perfect, but we did improve — especially in some of the areas we’re trying to focus on,” Van Meter said. The Jumbos’ doubleheader against the MIT Engineers (11–4–1) originally scheduled for today was postponed Monday night, with a new date to be determined.


Sports

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Sam Weidner Weidner's Words

Stopping a bad beat

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EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior defender Brian Powers possesses the ball during Tufts’ 11–8 victory against Conn. College on March 31.

Jumbos remain unbeaten with close win over Camels by Onat Tarimcilar Staff Writer

The No. 3 Tufts men’s lacrosse team earned another hard fought victory on Saturday afternoon, besting NESCAC opponent Conn. College (7–2) by a score of 11–8. The Jumbos are now 7–0 overall and 4–0 in conference play. After a dominant first two weeks of the season — a stretch in which the Jumbos won games by an average of almost 14 goals per game — their last three matches have proven much more difficult. Saturday’s game was Tufts’ third straight contest settled by a margin of three goals or less. While the opponents have gotten stingier and the scores less lopsided, the Jumbos have nonetheless still found ways to keep winning. Junior attackers Danny Murphy and Ben Connelly continued their formidable play, scoring three goals apiece against the Camels. Murphy and Connelly, who rank first and second on the team in points this season, respectively, have been key cogs within an extremely efficient offense. “We are all clicking as a unit,” Connelly said. “It’s not two people or one person. Everyone has good games, but the offense is a sum of parts. Our defensemen get involved, our middies advance the ball well — everyone that is important to the offense has been playing really well.” Despite their offensive prowess, the Jumbos posted their most pedestrian offensive output of the year by a sizable margin on Saturday: Tufts had yet to be held to fewer than 16 goals in any game this season heading into Saturday’s contest. However, the

Conn. College defense and junior goalie Jameson Hill made life difficult for the hosts, allowing only 11 goals in all and just three in the second half. The Jumbos seemed poised to run away with the game after scoring six unanswered goals in the second quarter, but they were unable to put away the Camels. “From watching the film, I just thought our stick skills were poor in the second half,” Connelly said. “It is always a combination of a lot of things, but [on] simple fundamental play like ground balls in the corner, for example, we were not making those plays.” Junior midfielder Nick Katz offered a different explanation, instead giving Conn. College more credit for Tufts’ offensive struggles. “I just attribute it to their style of play,” Katz said. “We are in attack mode the second we step on the field. They play a much slower pace [that is] more strategic to get their personnel matchups. So when they were able to maintain possession from face-offs and turnovers, they would slow the game down and keep us from building our lead.” The numbers reveal many of the dynamics that Connelly and Katz highlighted. Tufts lost the ground ball battle 28–23 over the course of the game, only scooping up 10 in the second half. To Katz’s point, Tufts was just one-of-eight on face-offs in the third and fourth quarters, allowing the Camels to slow down the game and play at their pace. In a game where Tufts’ typically-potent offense remained contained as Conn. College held possession for a large chunk of the second half, it was up to the hosts’ veteran defense and the play of

sophomore goalie Mason Pollack to grind out the victory. “We have a lot of leaders on defense, and those leaders stepped up,” Katz said. “It was a great example of one part of the team lifting the other parts to achieve team success.” The Jumbos’ defense — led by senior co-captain Connor Lansdale, junior Arend Broekmate and junior Stewart Stockdale — forced 13 turnovers in the second half and successfully cleared 14 of its 16 opportunities throughout the game. After Conn. College scored three straight goals out of the halftime break to close its deficit to two, Tufts held strong, outscoring its opponents 3–2 the rest of the way. The win keeps Tufts tied atop the NESCAC standings with No. 7 Amherst (8–1) and No. 4 Wesleyan (7–1), both of whom also remain undefeated in conference play. The team will look to maintain its position in a critical four-game stretch, as three of the contests feature top NESCAC opponents: Williams (4–4, 3–1 NESCAC), Wesleyan and Amherst. The Jumbos must continue their strong play on both sides of the ball in order to stay unbeaten. To do so, they are remaining intensely focused on improving their own game each day, without much interest for the broader conference landscape. “We try and emphasize the idea of being where our feet are, so we are not thinking far ahead or letting records or ranking build up our ego,” Katz said. Connelly echoed his teammate’s sentiment. “Just trying to get better every day,” he said. “That’s all we are worried about.”

arch Madness has drawn to a close and left in its wake countless busted brackets. Across the country this week, bracket pool winners will collect their money from reluctant coworkers and get ready for when the biggest gambling month of the year comes around again. It is estimated that wagers this year totaled almost $10 billion on the entire tournament. Frequent sports bettors just intensify in March, and those who usually never bet might at least enter one friendly wager. Sports betting (besides online betting that uses offshore accounts) became illegal in nearly all states when Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which banned state-sanctioned sports gambling. But that might change when the Supreme Court rules on overturning the ban in a case that should be decided in the next few months. The current ban affects every state except for Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of New Jersey and legalizes all sports gambling across the United States, there is potential for a massively profitable industry. It is estimated that Americans annually bet at least $150 billion on sports through bookies, online sites and March Madness pools. The estimated $250 million that is bet legally each year seems insignificant in comparison. Legalizing sports betting could help facilitate a massively profitable industry around an activity that many Americans already participate in. However, whichever way the Supreme Court rules, it is important that legislation regulating sports gambling places strict limits on the role of professional sports leagues. While many leagues have been opposed to legal sports gambling in the past, some have begun to change their tune. The NBA recently offered to place its support behind the movement, making it clear that it would support any effort to legalize sports gambling if it were granted one percent of revenue from any bets placed on its games. Allowing professional sports leagues in the United States to impose these conditions would be a large mistake. There is something that seems fundamentally wrong about the NBA, which facilitates all of its games, also having a stake in all betting that happens with regard to its games. Not only can you argue that this creates a large conflict of interest, it’s inevitable that this would lead to the NBA advertising for and encouraging fans to place more and greater bets on all different aspects of its games. If fans choose to bet, that is fine, but they should not be encouraged to bet on entertainment by the same organization that both creates the entertainment and profits off bets placed on it. The NBA should focus on bettering the quality of the league and games, not on expanding a betting industry for self-benefit. Sam Weidner is a sophomore majoring in mathematics. He can be reached at samuel.weidner@tufts.edu.


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THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Tuesday, April 3, 2018

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HAPPENING TONIGHT!

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