The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, March 11 by The Tufts Daily

MEN’S, WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Sociology professors discuss implications of legacy admissions see FEATURES / PAGE 3

Several Jumbos qualify for NCAA Div. III championships

Editorial: Tufts must reassess transfer credits system to meet student needs, champion inclusivity see OPINION / PAGE 7

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXIX, ISSUE 32

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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COVID-19 SHUTTERS CAMPUS

Classes go online, Tufts asks students to not return after spring break by Caleb Symons Staff Writer

Tufts University announced tonight that it will conduct all classes online starting March 25 in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on its campuses. In an email to the Tufts community, University President Anthony Monaco explained that undergraduate and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy students living on campus must leave their residence halls by March 16. Tufts will allow students who cannot return to their permanent residences to remain in their residence hall, as long as they receive permission from the Office of Residential Life and Learning or the Fletcher School’s Office of Student Affairs. Monaco also announced the cancellation of undergraduate classes on Friday to

give students time to pack their belongings. Tufts will extend its undergraduate spring break by two days, with classes slated to resume online on March 25. Winter sports with remaining games and meets will continue as scheduled without spectators, while all spring sports are canceled, according to the email. Several winter sports teams have postseason competitions remaining on their schedules. Women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s indoor track and field, mens’s indoor track and field, men’s swim and dive and women’s swim and dive are all currently scheduled to compete in NCAA postseason events in the next two weeks. As of now, these events are planned to go on as scheduled and will be closed to spectators. The email also indicated that all spring sports, including NESCAC tournaments,

have been canceled, per a joint decision by the presidents of NESCAC members. No decision has been made on spring sports eligibility for NCAA tournaments. Tufts joins a growing list of Massachusetts colleges that have suspended in-person classes, part of a national effort by schools to stem the coronavirus outbreak by shutting their doors. Both Amherst College and Harvard University informed students in recent days that classes will be conducted remotely following next week’s spring break and asked students not to return to campus. Other Massachusetts schools that suspended classes today include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Babson College, Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. Tufts faculty members were warned last week to prepare for a scenario in

which classes would be conducted online, according to a March 6 email to the Tufts community from Executive Vice President Mike Howard. University administrators also announced last week a number of travel restrictions on faculty, staff and students. Those restrictions included a 14-day self-quarantine period on visitors to campus traveling from a country designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a Level 3 travel warning — its highest risk level. Tufts also prohibited all university-related travel to CDC Level 3 countries and suspended several university-supported international trips scheduled for spring break. This is a developing story. The Daily will provide updates when more information is available.

Tufts SJP pushing referendum to TCU Senate passes 2 resolutions end TUPD training trips by Connor Dale

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Members of Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine are pictured at the annual Honk! parade on Oct. 9, 2016. by Alexander Janoff Assistant News Editor

Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) announced last week a proposed ballot referendum calling on the university to stop sending campus police officers on military training trips abroad. The referendum, which the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate discussed at its March 2 meeting, is part of SJP’s broader campaign to “#EndTheDeadlyExchange,” which seeks to end military training trips for the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) and all other police militarization on campus.

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Over 15 student organizations have endorsed the referendum. “We won’t be silent when the administration engages in policies or behavior that threatens the safety of students on campus,” SJP member Julia Asfour, a junior, said. According to SJP member Molly Tunis, the group initiated its campaign to #EndTheDeadlyExchange after it learned that Kevin Maguire, former executive director of public safety and former chief of TUPD, attended a training trip with the Israeli military in December 2017. She said that both the referendum and the campaign represent an opportunity to hold the university accountable for what SJP views as the militarization of TUPD. “I think it’s easy for [the administration] to pretend that people don’t care about this and that it is just in the past,” Tunis, a senior, said. “And I think it’s really important to show how many students in the present are still really scared by what happened.” The Daily reported in 2018 that Maguire, along with other Boston-area police chiefs and federal officers, attended an Anti-Defamation League-funded counterterrorism seminar in Israel in December 2017. These seminars were criticized by activists both for attempting see DEADLY EXCHANGE, page 2 For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

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The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed two resolutions and approved 14 supplementary funding requests, including an appeal, during its meeting on March 8 in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose room. While TCU Senate had originally planned on reviewing more supplementary funding requests, TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi announced at the time that some events had been canceled due to concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19. Hamidi added that at the time, which was prior to Tufts’ decision to suspend in-person classes for the semester, the events were not canceled due to any action taken by TCU Senate or Tufts, but instead were canceled by the parties involved in hosting the events. “Due to concerns relating to the global coronavirus outbreak, the [Collegiate Alliance for Imigration Reform] Conference hosted by Tufts [United for Immigrant Justice], as well as two of the three competitions attended by the Tufts Ballroom [Team], have been canceled,” Hamidi said. “As a result, Senate will not be voting on those requests.” The first resolution passed by the TCU Senate, titled “S. 20-1 A Resolution Calling for

Tufts University to Publish Undergraduate Course Syllabi” stated that course syllabi should be published and updated frequently on the Tufts Digital Collections and Archives and that course descriptions on the Student Information System (SIS) should be more accurate. The resolution also called on Tufts to update Tufts’ yearly Bulletin with general course information and academic program descriptions This resolution, sponsored by the TCU Senate’s Education Committee, passed with 24 senators in favor, none opposed and one abstaining. The second resolution passed by the TCU Senate, titled “S. 20-2 A Resolution Calling on Tufts University to Reevaluate the Undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences’ World Civilization Foundation Requirement in its Current Form,” called on the school to review and update the university’s World Civilization requirement. The resolution cited an op-ed authored by members of the Education Committee published in the Daily on Feb. 4, in which they argued that educating students on matters relating to diversity would promote inclusivity at Tufts. see SENATE, page 2

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, March 11, 2020

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TCU Judiciary reviews materials, referendum likely to be on spring ballot DEADLY EXCHANGE

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to influence the officers who attend to favor the Israeli government and because some the trainings have been conducted by Shin Bet, which has been accused of using torture tactics. Since launching its campaign to #EndTheDeadlyExchange a year ago, SJP has hosted a variety of educational events ranging from Deadly Exchange-themed peer one-onone meetings to a “#Drag the Deadly Exchange” drag show, according to Tunis. Additionally, SJP launched a seven-day action last semester calling attention to various elements of the police exchange programs between the United States and Israel. The action, which started on Nov. 13 and continued through Nov. 19, reflected a sample itinerary of a typical military training trip. SJP recreated a West Bank checkpoint, for example, to highlight traveling restrictions imposed on Palestinians at such checkpoints. According to SJP member Anthony DavisPait, the group decided to pursue a referendum instead of only a TCU Senate resolution calling on the university to end all military training trips for campus police in order to engage more deeply with the student body on the issue. “We want to exert pressure on the administration, and part of that involves engaging with students so that all of them know about this issue,” Davis-Pait, a first-year, said. “We’re demonstrating to the university that we really do have the support on campus.” SJP’s referendum will only be put on the presidential ballot in April if the group attains

300 signatures in the week following the official submission of the proposal to TCU Senate, according to previous reporting by the Daily. As of press time, SJP submitted all the necessary signatures for turning its proposal into a referendum, which are now being reviewed by the TCU Judiciary in order to ensure that they were collected in good faith. If approved, the referendum question will appear on the ballot for TCU Senate’s presidential elections in April. If the group fails to meet the signature requirement, TCU Senate will vote on the referendum as it would any other resolution, and it would not be included on the presidential ballot as a referendum question. On the other hand, if SJP’s proposal is indeed placed on the ballot as a referendum question, one-sixth of the Tufts student body would need to vote in order for the referendum to pass. The referendum will fail if less than one-sixth of the student body votes or a majority of the voters vote against the referendum. SJP hopes to pursue the objectives outlined in its campaign to #EndTheDeadlyExchange as the semester continues, including getting the university to hold a town hall on the lack of transparency surrounding TUPD activities that is open to the entire Tufts community, according to Tunis. As for now, however, Tunis said that SJP is largely focused on achieving the goals within the referendum. “[This referendum] is about reimagining what safety looks like because, for so many people on this campus, it doesn’t look like policing—especially militarized policing,” Tunis said.

SJP’s referendum also calls for Tufts to formally apologize for sending Maguire on the trip to Israel. However, since the Daily’s investigation, the university has defended Maguire’s participation on the basis of preparing local and university police departments for potential terror attacks. Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations, said that the trip in question was not a military training program, nor was it intended to serve as an endorsement of any particular policy or policing strategy. According to Collins, the counterterrorism seminar was instead attended by executives from law enforcement agencies throughout New England for the sole purpose of learning about the latest methods in preventing and preparing for emergency situations. While he said that the university respects the independence of the referendum process and will await its outcome, Collins rejected any claims that Tufts campus police officers were becoming militarized and upheld TUPD’s and the Office of Emergency Management’s commitment to providing a safe environment for students, faculty and staff. “We strongly disagree with any characterization that the Tufts University Police department is ‘militarized,’” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “To the contrary, the University and TUPD are on the record as being opposed to militarization, have made community policing a priority for many years, and have policies and training in place that emphasize that everyone – regardless of background – must be treated with dignity and respect.”

TCU Senate passes 14 supplementary funding request, some cancelled due to coronavirus SENATE

continued from page 1 The TCU Senate called on Tufts to review the World Civilization requirement and consider including instruction on “cultural competency skills,” or replace it entirely with a “diversity and inclusion requirement.” The resolution also stated that the revised requirement should focus on teaching students to better understand the experiences of marginalized communities, as well as how non-marginalized communities can contribute to advancing “equity, inclusion, and acceptance.” The resolution also called for including the revised requirement into the undergraduate curriculum of the School of Engineering, a comprehensive and transparent review of Tufts’ undergraduate curriculum and establishing policies to do so regularly. Hamidi, a junior, also led the body in reviewing 14 supplementary funding requests from 13 student organizations. Ears for Peers requested $995 to cover food, travel and lodging costs for an additional 10 members to attend a previously approved retreat to Cape Cod. The Allocations Board (ALBO) recommended $896, 90% of the requested amount. TCU Senate passed the ALBOrecommended sum of $896 by acclamation. Tufts Applejam requested $800 to fund a publication, group merchandise and artist fees. ALBO recommended that TCU Senate cover all but the publication fee, totaling $550. Applejam appealed this recommendation to the entire TCU Senate body. TCU Senator Tim Leong voted against funding publication fees in the initial ALBO vote. He argued that they should not cover Applejam’s publication fees in the goal of reaching consistency across all organizations regarding publication fees.

“We don’t really offer … publications to any other … organizations like TUSC or TEDx,” Leong, a sophomore, said. “We felt in order to be consistent, it was only fair that we treat Applejam the same as those organizations, and we weren’t prepared to fund a publication for every single programing group.” TCU Senate eventually voted to increase the allocation to the originally requested $800. TCU Senate passed the requested sum of $800 with 19 Senators in favor, nine opposed and one abstaining. Tufts Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services (ALLIES) submitted two separate supplementary funding requests, one of which sought $2,682 to fund transportation and food costs for a simulation in Rhode Island in early April. TCU Senate passed the ALBO-recommended sum of $2,109 with 28 Senators in favor, none opposed and none abstaining. The second request from ALLIES, totaling $700, would fund transportation and lodging for two speakers. TCU Senate passed the request in full by acclamation. The Muslim Students Association requested a total of $3,200 to fund a series of five guest speakers. TCU Senate passed this request in full with 29 Senators in favor, none opposed and none abstaining. Tufts Turbo requested $3,830 to fund its Turbomania Breakdance Competition. This request would fund judges, an emcee, a DJ and videographer. TCU Senate passed this request in full with 29 Senators in favor, none opposed and none abstaining. Tufts Democrats requested $1,410 for registration, housing and transportation costs to attend the College Democrats National Regional Conference in Washington, D.C. in early April. TCU Senate passed the ALBOrecommended sum of $1,269 by acclamation. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society requested $820 to fund a guest to lead a workshop, covering transportation and lodging

costs. TCU Senate passed the request in full with 29 Senators in favor, none opposed and none abstaining. Tufts’ Ballroom Dance Team requested $3,435 to attend a competition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. TCU Senate passed the ALBO-recommended sum of $3,092 with 29 Senators in favor, none opposed and none abstaining. Girls in STEM requested $179 to provide lunch swipes to elementary school students on a field trip. TCU Senate passed this request in full by acclamation. The Arab Students Association requested $3,045 to cover per diem and travel costs to host speaker Rabab Abdulhadi from March 26 to April 2. TCU Senate passed the ALBOrecommended sum of $2,782 with 19 Senators in favor, eight opposed and one abstaining. Students for Justice in Palestine requested $2,250 to fund two guest speakers. TCU Senate passed this request in full with 28 Senators in favor, none opposed and one abstaining. Global China Connection requested $840 to fund an alumni luncheon, including funds for food, supplies and gifts. TCU Senate passed the request in full by acclamation. TEDxTufts requested $2,000 to fund the printing of 400 program booklets for itsTEDx event on March 8. This request entered a period of debate, in which some senators protested that it would constitute retroactive funding — not allowed by TCU Senate’s policies. Others in favor of the request believed that the booklets improved the experience of attendees, noting that the request had been discussed with TCU Treasurer Hamidi prior to the event. TCU Senate eventually passed the ALBO-recommended sum of $1,000 with 19 Senators in favor, eight opposed and none abstaining.

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Legacy admissions at Tufts from a sociological perspective by Olivia King

Contributing Writer

Last December, a Boston Globe editorial argued that the time has come for colleges and universities to end legacy admissions. Admissions policies favoring the children of alumni have faced increasing scrutiny over the past decade, yet only a few, notably Johns Hopkins University, have eliminated them. Tufts is a university that continues to practice legacy preference in admissions. In an email to the Tufts Daily, Joseph “JT” Duck, dean of admissions, explained Tufts’ current policy. Tufts practices holistic review, which means that admissions officers consider a large array of factors when considering whether to admit an applicant, according to Duck. “No student is admitted to Tufts because they have a family connection to the university,” Duck wrote. Tufts does allow applicants to list any close family members — parents, siblings and grandparents — who are alumni of Tufts. And family connections can make a difference. “It’s when our Admissions Committee is making tough decisions about similarly competitive applicants from similar contextual backgrounds that we would give some consideration to a family connection to the university, with strongest attention paid to a parent connection,” Duck wrote. When two applicants are similar in regard to academics and extracurricullar activities, the student with a family dconnection to Tufts may receive admissions over the student without such a -connection. e Duck understands and appreciates Ualumni loyalty, but does not base admismsion decisions solely on that factor. e “Because of our highly selective holistic and contextual application review proecess, every year there are applicants with sfamily ties to Tufts who are not admitted,” tDuck wrote. “Those families, who typically have deep affection for Tufts, are dunderstandably disappointed. Although owe appreciate their loyalty to the insti6tution, we are confident that our admissions process enables us to make the -most appropriate decisions on each and severy application for admission in each year’s pool.” - According to Helen Marrow, a sociolUogy professor at Tufts who specializes in 8inequality, immigration, race and ethniceity, legacy admissions are often debated in practice. 0 “Legacy students at [elite] schools are smore likely to be wealthy and white than enon-legacy students, so the very existence of legacy preference limits some eaccess for high achieving low- and midxdle-income students, and also for African American, Latino and Native American nstudents,” Marrow said. d This is not to say that individual legacy dstudents don’t deserve their place at Tufts or other elite schools. d “We are not laying blame on individfual people for their positions in these nstructures, but nonetheless we have to runderstand how the structures work,” Marrow said. e Natasha Warikoo, a sociology professor 9at Tufts whose work focuses on racial and eethnic inequality in education, echoed Marrow’s sentiment.

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Lexi Serino Medford mom

An Ode to Troy Bolton

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Bendetson Hall, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, is pictured on Feb. 28, 2018. “I think there’s an assumption that all students who are legacies would not have gotten in if they were not legacies,” Warikoo said. “And that’s clearly not true.” Warikoo recently published an article in The Atlantic titled “The Easiest Reform for College Admissions,” arguing that all selective schools should eliminate legacy preference in admissions. Warikoo has studied the case of Johns Hopkins, which ended legacy preference in 2014 and recently published results for how the policy change affected their school. Hopkins found that the number of legacy students admitted to their school decreased and that the number of Pell Grant recipients at their school increased significantly. “If you reduce the boost for a particular sub-group of people who are applying, then the number of people admitted from that group on a very selective campus like Hopkins or Tufts, the percent of that group will go down,” Warikoo said. Yet despite evidence that ending legacy admissions increases racial and class diversity, colleges continue these policies. “The justification for legacy boost has always been that people who are donating might stop being as generous when they learned that the university no longer gives a boost to the children of alumni,” Warikoo said. The argument follows that fewer financial donations from alumni would mean a decrease in the amount of money available for financial aid. “The argument, not just at Tufts, [but] at all universities has historically been that we have to subsidize these categories of students, particularly legacies, in order to create more money that builds a pot that we can use to then offset the cost of expanding to other underrepresented groups,” Marrow said. Legacy admissions are thus supposed to help universities admit more low- and middle-income students and more students of color. However, Johns Hopkins has demonstrated that this may not be the case. “Turns out you don’t have to have a model like that,” Marrow said, talking about the impact of ending legacy admissions at Johns Hopkins. “Turns out you can actually afford expanding new admits at the bottom without any giant cost to the university.” The economic argument for legacy admissions doesn’t necessarily hold up, according to Marrow.

“The fact that [ Johns Hopkins has] now done this, they’ve gotten rid of legacy admissions and they haven’t found huge economic impacts suggests that other universities could potentially do it too,” Marrow said. However, financial considerations aren’t the only factor universities look at when deciding whether to end legacy admissions. The idea of a university community also plays a role. Bill Gehling (A’74, G’79), executive director of the office of alumni relations, provided a statement to the Tufts Daily. “Tufts is fortunate to have caring, committed and engaged alumni, and we appreciate their support of our mission through a variety of means – giving, volunteering, mentoring, providing internships, networking with new graduates, and others,” Gehling wrote. “While we cherish their loyalty, it’s important to note that decisions on admission are made exclusively by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.” Often in debates over legacy admissions, race-based affirmative action policies are also raised. Some argue that affirmative action policies are the only reason some students are admitted to selective colleges, similarly to the idea that legacy students are only admitted because of their legacy status. “There’s often an assumption that every black, Latinx and Native American student on campus benefitted from the boost, and that’s also not the case,” Warikoo said. “In a ‘race blind’ admissions policy many would also have been admitted.” Warikoo also spoke about the comparisons between legacy preference and race-based affirmative action. “Sometimes I think there’s this logic that we should just eliminate all of it, and I think that’s wrong, and I think that’s misguided. I don’t think that’s a good strategy,” Warikoo said. Marrow also points out that although “affirmative action” is most commonly associated with race, that’s not the only form. “The two biggest forms of affirmative action are legacy admissions and athletic admissions,” Marrow said. Legacy admissions raises questions of equity, financial stability, community building and access. “Universities are social institutions, and they can expand and uphold inequality, but they can also reduce it, and many institutions do both at the same time,” Marrow said.

ot take: “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” (2008) is the best film of the High School Musical trilogy. The production value is incredible, the soundtrack is stellar and the plot is only mildly ridiculous. I will always tear up when, at the end of the film, Troy tells the crowd at the spring musical that he’s decided to go to a college only 32.7 miles away from Gabriella, the person who most inspires his heart. Yes, I teared up typing that sentence. Despite my emotionality for that particular scene, my favorite part of the entire movie is when Troy and Gabriela perform “Can I Have This Dance” and waltz in their high school’s rooftop garden. I, too, would like to dance with a 21-year-old Zac Efron on the roof of East High, but I am not Vanessa Hudgens or living in a fictional movie universe set in Albuquerque, N.M., so the garden rooftop of Tisch Library will have to do (still fielding applications for a Zac Efron stand-in, though). In all seriousness, Tisch Library’s rooftop garden is undoubtedly my favorite place at Tufts. Yes, this is in large part because it reminds me of my favorite childhood film, but also because it’s a beautiful place where I can find moments of serenity on an otherwise hectic campus. This past Wednesday I got out of class early, so I decided to stop by the roof on my walk home. It was a sunny day, warmer than usual. I sat down in the shade of the garden’s trees and looked out onto the Boston skyline — the one I’ve known and loved my whole life — and thought about “High School Musical 3” (HSM3), as I often do, and about the many ways in which my senior year of college isn’t at all like Troy and Gabriela’s senior year of high school, despite the wishes of my inner 12-year-old. But I also thought about the ways in which my life right now is very much like HSM3, because it’s ultimately a movie about letting go, saying goodbye and moving onto a new chapter of life, all things that I’m currently working through as graduation creeps up on me. The film reminds me to embrace change, in all of its forms, with a sense of hope and optimism, despite how hard that all can be. The thought that, in a few month’s time, spontaneous and sunshine-filled afternoons on the Tisch roof won’t be a part of my regular routine is bittersweet. It’ll be hard to move on from my time spent on that roof and at Tufts in general. But the fact that my time left here is limited is making me appreciate it all so, so much more. I’m being forced to live intentionally, to not dwell on the stresses of my senior spring but to focus on the good, on love and gratitude and on connection and joy. It’s hard work. It’d be easier to try to move through all of this quickly and to spend my time worrying about what the future holds. Instead, I’m choosing to soak this all up and to remember that, while my time remaining at Tufts is finite, I’ll always carry the memories from my four years here incredibly close to my heart. And I know that the Tisch roof will always be there to serve as a reminder that, while a lot is changing right now, some beautiful things can hold steady. Lexi Serino is a senior studying political science and Spanish. Lexi can be reached at alexis.serino@tufts.edu.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

ARTS&LIVING

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Amernet Quartet to perform Roustom’s ‘String Quartet No. 1’ in its Boston premiere by Megan Szostak Arts Editor

Prolific composer and Tufts Professor of the Practice of Music Kareem Roustom will have his “String Quartet No. 1, ‘Shades of Night’” (2018) performed in its Boston premiere by the Amernet String Quartet tonight in the Granoff Music Center. Roustom’s nine-movement work follows the changes in the night sky on a journey from dusk to dawn. His initial inspiration for the piece came from Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, active between the 1920s and 1970s, and a piece of hers that used an Arabic word that translates to “the darkest hour of the night.” Upon learning more about the specificities of the Arabic words used to describe the daily celestial metamorphosis and through reading English translations of Arabic texts by nineteenth-century translator and Arabist Edward William Lane, he was struck by the beauty and poeticness of a collection of words used to describe every hour of the day and night, around which he based his entire first string quartet. “These words had really interesting meanings and were poetic and captivating,” Roustom said. “ I thought, ‘this is very interesting; let me start the piece at dusk and end it at dawn.’ Each of the movements is named after one of these words… It is a journey from dusk until dawn that was inspired by this very rich linguistic journey.” Roustom described several movements in more detail. The middle movement of the work is subtitled “Al-fahma,” translating to “like coal.” “Al-fahma” is the darkest part of the night, characterized by its intense blackness and heat. As the composer, Roustom had to figure out a way to make the strings sound “like coal” while adding to the intense imagery and ethereal beauty of the work. Roustom said that while composing, he asked himself what coal sounded like. “I had the string players do this kind of scratchy tone,” he said, “in addition to this very fast, running passage.” He also noted out that there are two movements to describe the dawn: the first, with the subtitle “Al-Fajr Al-Katheb,” refers to a “false dawn” where the sun appears to be rising but is drawn back before crossing the horizon, as if it is not quite the right

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Kareem Roustom, Tufts professor of the practice of music, is pictured. time, and the second, subtitled “Al-Fajr Al-Saadeq,” or the “true dawn,” when the day commences. The fundamental role of Arabic linguistics in inspiring this string quartet gives the composition a very personal connection to Roustom. A native to Syria whose first language was Arabic, Roustom has drawn recent inspiration from Islamic artistic traditions for a variety of his recent compositions, including his “String Quartet No. 1.” He noted that the Syrian Civil War has led him to focus his compositions on the country more than if Syria had not been in a state of turmoil. “Part of that is because I am from [Syria] and I still have family there,” Roustom said, “so I felt that I needed to do some-

thing, so a lot of the pieces I’ve written have been responses to [the war].” Many of Roustom’s recent pieces have been commissioned with the Syrian Civil War in mind and, thanks to his ability to blend the musical traditions of the Middle East and Europe and his aptness to keep the integrities of both styles in his compositions, he succeeds in honoring Middle Eastern musical tradition in a more Western setting. His “String Quartet No. 1” was originally written for the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 2018, where Roustom was the composer-in-residence. It was premiered by members of the Festival Orchestra and has been played a handful of times since then. Roustom is looking

forward to hearing the interpretation of the well-established Amernet Quartet and hopes that they find enjoyment in learning and sharing this piece with the audience. As for the audience, Roustom’s hopes lie in their emotions arising from the performance. “I think as long as it communicates something to them and they are moved in some way by it, that is all I can hope for,” he said. The concert will also feature Benjamin Britten’s “String Quartet No. 2” (1945) and Bernard Rands’ “String Quartet No. 2” (1994). The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. in the Granoff Music Center and is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

Peter Lindblom Oldies But Goodies

‘Aquemini’

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Granoff Music Center on May 7, 2014.

Tufts x NEC Dual Degree students present captivating recital by Miles Singer

Contributing Writer

The doors of Distler Performance Hall opened for the Tufts x NEC Dual Degree recital at 8:00 p.m. on March 7. Silence fell over the crowd as Lila Searls, a first-year in the dual degree program, and Lexie Aguilar, a first-year at the New England Conservatory (NEC), took the stage, both wielding soprano saxophones. The duo performed Christian Lauba’s composition “‘Ars for two soprano saxophones” (1994). Initially intertwining and syncopated melodies created a complex texture and driving feeling, though as the song progressed, it delved into dissonance and rhythmic abstraction. The piece featured multiphonics, with both musicians playing multiple notes simultaneously. The technique made clear the title’s meaning, as the growling of the multiphonics resulted in an “ar” sound. The dissonances and multiphonics marked the piece becoming less tied to rhythmic structure, and it seemed as if it was deconstructing before the audience. The composition soon reversed trajectory, launching into a more articulated and rhythmic section. Eventually, the multiphonic elements reemerged, and the piece plunged back into dissonance. This section carried the composition to its end, concluding with one last multiphonic. Next was Dan Cetlin, a fourth-year student in the dual degree program. After setting up his looper pedal, he began the first song of his set, which started with an alternating pattern of plucked and bowed chords on his violin. Cetlin inputted the sample into the looper pedal and added more layers. First a simple single-line melody was added, followed by another similar melody. The effect of the layers was that of a full string quartet. Cetlin soon began improvising over the loop. He swayed back and forth, eyes closed as new melodies soared out of his violin. The piece crescendoed, utilizing increasingly higher notes, until suddenly all sound ceased. Cetlin transitioned into a new section, introducing a plucked line that set a steady rhythmic foundation. He added a percussive layer, pressing the bow against the strings to make a slapping sound. Cetlin improvised passionately over the new loop. Soon the loop dropped out, leaving only Cetlin soloing on his violin. A single note ended the piece, which Cetlin used a pedal to pitch downwards until it faded out entirely. Cetlin then introduced the song as an original titled “This Light of Mine.”

Following thunderous applause, he agreed to play another song. The second song, “Matilda,” followed a similar arc to the first, and techniques like plucked lines and percussive sounds reappeared. Cetlin improvised over the loops, employing fast syncopated lines. A long cadenza ended the piece. Last was the jazz quintet “FakeArt,” led by drummer Nico Daglio Fine, a first-year in the dual degree program. The group featured Aaron Kaufman-Levine on alto saxophone, Garrett Frees on tenor saxophone, Jonathan Paik on piano and Leo Weisskoff on bass, all of whom are first-years at NEC. Their first song, “For Quintet,” began with a rubato solo from Kaufman-Levine. Weisskoff and Paik joined, creating an underlying rumbling texture, accented by Daglio Fine hitting his cymbals. The texture gradually transitioned into a steady groove. After a piano interlude, Kaufman-Levine switched to soprano saxophone and catapulted into an electrifying solo. Frees joined him for the melody. Eventually the rhythm section dropped out and the saxophones entered a droning, dissonant section. One by one the rhythm section reentered, and the quintet flowed into its next song, a composition by Daglio Fine called “Twice Removed.” The song featured mesmerizing solos by Frees and Paik, and ended with a rubato solo by Kaufman-Levine, mirroring the beginning of the medley.

Daglio Fine told the audience that “For Quintet” was created using Chirp, an Artificial Intelligence program which had analyzed Anthony Braxton solos to write the song. Their next song; “Rice Type Beat,” was based on Chirp’s analysis of Sam Rivers’ solo on “Beatrice” (1965). It was a laid-back waltz, which began with both saxophones playing in harmony. During Paik’s solo the drums dropped out, eventually reintroducing themselves with sparse cymbal hits before transitioning fully into the groove. When it was Kaufman-Levine’s turn to solo, Daglio Fine switched to a hand-drumming technique. FakeArt’s final song was a composition by Kaufman-Levine entitled “Dyslexic Dog.” A bluesy bass solo by Weisskoff kicked things off, and the asymmetrical meter created an unhinged, limping feeling. The saxophones entered, playing intertwining, eccentric melodies, leading into a tenor solo by Frees. As he ventured into higher registers he raised himself higher on his toes, almost threatening to leave the stage altogether. Frees’ energetic solo was followed by a piano solo, characterized by wild arpeggios that traversed the entire instrument. Kaufman-Levine contributed a similarly aggressive and abstract solo. A restatement of the melody ended the set. As FakeArt took a bow they were met with roaring applause, and the recital had reached its conclusion.

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s contemporary artists like Future, Lil Baby and Young Thug continue to dominate the mainstream rap world, it is refreshing to look back to their predecessors from Atlanta, namely the group that changed everything in the 1990s: OutKast. The superduo of André 3000 (André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton) burst onto the scene in 1994 with their debut release “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” and never looked back. OutKast went on to rule the late 1990s and early 2000s, all the while becoming one of the more commercially successful and influential rap groups ever. While they have many excellent records to choose from, their 1998 release “Aquemini” stands out to me. It not only demonstrates the duo’s knack for storytelling and exceptional rapping ability, but it also shows their impeccable musical versatility and creativity. Many people who are at least somewhat familiar with OutKast will immediately recognize the album’s third track, “Rosa Parks.” The famous civil rights activist actually sued the duo for using her name in the title without her permission, though the case was later settled. Beyond that piece of controversy, however, is a truly extraordinary song. Both Big Boi and André 3000 deliver verses filled with clever rhymes and remarkable delivery over a variety of instruments, including both acoustic and electric guitars. Moreover, there is even a harmonica solo, which is unique for any piece of mainstream music, never mind a rap song. Another gem on “Aquemini” is “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1).” The track’s highlight has to be André 3000’s heartbreaking yet powerful verse. He tells the story of a conversation he had with a girl named Sasha Thumper, noting that when he asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she answered, “Alive.” André then proceeds to discuss how the encounter resonated with him both in the moment and as his career progressed: “It made me think for a minute, then looked in her eyes/I coulda died, time went on, I got grown/ Rhyme got strong, mind got blown/I came back home, to find lil’ Sasha was gone.” While André’s account of Sasha Thumper is certainly tragic, it is also inspiring in that it subtly advocates for appreciating every day we have here on Earth. I would also encourage readers to listen closely to the album’s title tracks (“Aquemini”), “SpottieOttieDopaliscious,” and “Liberation (with Cee-Lo),” which further exhibit the duo’s brilliance with the help of artists like Sleepy Brown and CeeLo Green. OutKast changed hip-hop and rap music forever, especially in Atlanta. They oftentimes do not seem to get enough credit nowadays for their allaround musical genius. Along with their other albums “ATLiens” and “Stankonia,” “Aquemini” set a new standard for the music world, as it pushed the envelope on what the “genre” of rap meant and could be.

QUESTIONS?

▪ Marta.rosso-Olaughlin@tufts.edu ▪ Maria_isabel.castro@tufts.edu

ENROLLING NOW ON TUFTS SUMMER SESSION

▪ https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/summer2020

Peter Lindblom is a sophomore sudying international relations. Peter can be reached at peter.lindblom@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Wednesday, March 11, 2020

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Tuesday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

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Opinion EDITORIAL CARTOON

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Sarah Kaplan Funding Out Future

Freed of guilt, free to travel

BY VALERIA VELASQUEZ EDITORIAL

Tufts should revamp its credit transfer system to prioritize equity, transparency Yesterday we discussed the deficits within the distribution requirement system, drawing attention to its rigid, inhibitory nature that prevents students from pursuing passions in depth. This exhaustive requirement, coupled with the clear difficulties in the pre-matriculation credit process, affects Tufts transfer students in particular. Transfer students who are already challenged with the college adjustment process must also navigate the arduous process of credit transfer. With less time and resources than their non-transfer peers, some transfer students experience significantly more pressure to finish their distribution and major requirements, and they may lack the opportunity to explore disciplines outside their major. In order to minimize the stress of the transfer process and champion equal opportunity across its student body, Tufts should increase the powers of its advisors and standardize its credit transfer system. Transferring schools is a long, bureaucratic process in all of its stages. From the application stage to finally arriving at an unknown campus, the transfer process is ridden with uncertainty and stress. After students receive their acceptances in mid-May, they must complete an entirely new orientation, enroll in Tufts classes and familiarize themselves with systems such as SIS and Office Outlook. On top of these unfamiliarities, students must also engage in the inconsistent, tedious process of requesting credit transfers for all classes, both from their high schools and previous institutions. Waiting for approval of credit transfer can take months, causing extreme uncertainty about the process’s outcome and consuming a significant portion of students’ time at Tufts. Thus, the question of whether Tufts will accept credits leaves

many transfer students unaware of their progress toward graduation and unsure if their credits will count toward their major, putting them under much stress and at a significant disadvantage when compared to their peers. Unfortunately, one of the only resources Tufts provides for its transfer students proves inadequate and fails to sufficiently aid in this complicated process; the designated advising deans and pre-major advisors work with so many students that they lack the time to effectively keep track, manage and aid in processing students’ course credits. Max Neve, a sophomore transfer student, told the Daily of his negative experience with his pre-major advisor. “I didn’t have the best of experiences with my pre-major advisor,” Neve said. “She was super busy, had a lot on her plate and throwing another student on that wasn’t helpful.” While advisers aim to proactively submit credit requests and exempt students from distribution requirements, the busyness of advisors counteracts this positive intention, leaving transfer students to navigate the extensive, confusing process alone. Transfer students face major setbacks in their college career as a result of this ineffective process and Tufts’ rejection of credits. Eli Halbreich, a sophomore who transferred from a community college, told the Daily that he lost a year’s worth of semester-hour units after Tufts rejected his credit transfer. “When I was at community college, I was working as well, so I took online classes,” Halbreich said. “Nowhere in the Tufts materials did they say they would not accept online credits.” However, Tufts did not accept 33 out of his 60 requested credits.

Senior Madison Clay similarly experienced the hardship associated with Tufts’ transfer process, which rejected some classes that could have counted toward her major. “I had already worked through two of my major classes and then had to redo them all over again,” Clay said. Rejected credits, like Halbreich’s and Clay’s, could have fulfilled distribution requirements or helped complete majors in less time, allowing transfer students room in their schedules to complete a secondary major or minor, pursue interests in greater depth or simply enroll in exciting just-for-fun courses. Ultimately, this system unfairly limits the scope and opportunity of a transfer student’s education, thus becoming an issue of equity and effectiveness. Further, Tufts should provide greater resources to transfer students and standardize the credit system, ensuring the university’s transparency and allocation of deserved credits. In order to ensure quick credit transfer and readily available advising, Tufts should hire additional advising deans and increase the number of pre-major advisors to aid in the credit transfer process and adjustment to Tufts’ academic life. To further serve these goals and streamline the transfer process, the administration should also create an online database that includes course titles and descriptions of previously transferred credits, allowing for more transparency about course overlap and eliminating the extra step of having departments approve credit requests. In this form, Tufts could calm the stress of an inherently overwhelming time and ensure the academic equity of all Tufts students regardless of matriculation year. Only then can Tufts claim to fully recognize the positive contributions of its student body and treat its transfer and non-transfer students as one and the same.

often feel paralyzed by money when I’m on campus. As a first-year, I’m on the Premium Meal Plan which allows me to eat all of my meals in the dining halls. I have $75 in my JumboCash account each semester which is just enough to do my laundry. But what about exploring Boston? What about all the restaurants in Cambridge that I want to try? What about taking the T to study at the Boston Public Library? At Tufts, I feel a certain amount of guilt every time I swipe my CharlieCard. Every dollar I spend seems to chip away at my peace of mind. Financial accessibility doesn’t just manifest as a monetary issue; it manifests as a pervasive issue of psychological guilt when off campus. The total Tufts cost of attendance is $76,200 for the 2019–20 academic year and continues to increase every year. With such a hefty price tag, I have a hard time coming to grips with spending any extra money. Tufts covers my basic meal and laundry needs, so why should I spend? But basic on-campus needs are only half the battle of the college experience. It is unsustainable for me to be on campus all week, all weekend, all month and all semester. I don’t want that. Still, my desire to fully take care of myself by getting off campus is impeded by the guilt that comes with the Tufts price tag. Tufts can do better in encouraging students to go off campus. Enacting comprehensive support for students to explore our local surroundings begins with the means to do so. With the MBTA Green Line extending up to College Avenue by December 2021, Tufts must offer subsidized public transportation to all students. Tufts currently offers a prepaid semester T pass (for four months) for $320, which includes unlimited travel by subway and local bus. For students to get their money’s worth on this pass, they would have to ride the subway at least 133 times or the local bus at least 188 times in those four months. Tufts does not subsidize the pass, leaving students to front the complete $320 on their own. This discounted pass is a plausible option for students who use public transit to get to a daily job or internship, but there remains a void in Tufts’s support for students who want to get off campus less often for recreational purposes. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology — just four stops away on the Red Line — offers a 50% subsidy for student MBTA passes, allowing students to purchase a monthly LinkPass for $45. With the advent of the Green Line at Tufts by the end of 2021, Tufts should offer a similar program for its students. A subsidized T-pass program would encourage students to explore their off-campus environment and lessen students’ additional expenses. Getting off campus should not bear guilt for students; Tufts can act to alleviate students’ financial burdens by subsidizing public transportation costs.

Sarah Kaplan is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Sarah can be reached at sarah.kaplan@tufts.edu.

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.

Sports

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s, women’s track and field produce many NFL quarterback national qualifiers

Aiden Herrod The Turf Monster

free agency dominoes

verly bold NFL free agency predictions? Yes please. We’re staring down an extremely unpredictable free agency period, in which the quarterback class especially shouldn’t fail to shock and awe. We have veterans, youth and everything in between to scratch that quarterback itch for teams across the league. In a special edition of The Turf Monster, I’m writing out some quarterback free agency dominoes this offseason that could reshape the league for years to come. Buckle up, some of these picks are gonna get spicy. Tom Brady signs with Indianapolis, who trades Jacoby Brissett to Chicago This is the big one. Tom Brady’s free agency has bred endless speculation. I have him going to Indy, a team boasting a massive war chest of money to spend and draft picks to utilize. They sign Brady to a massive deal and build around him, fully committing to a window of two years to win a Super Bowl. Brady is given the chance to do it without Bill Belichick. The Colts in turn offload quarterback Jacoby Brissett to Chicago, who brings him in as veteran competition who can push the struggling Mitch Trubisky in training camp. Philip Rivers signs with Tampa Bay, who lets Jameis Winston walk. Winston signs with New England. Jameis Winston is my favorite player in the NFL. He just doesn’t care about what you think. You want 33 touchdowns in a season? Take 30 interceptions with them. Winston’s last season likely took a mental toll on Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians. Arians decides on a safer veteran in Phillip Rivers, aiming to capitalize on Tampa’s offensive firepower, led by wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. New England sees an opportunity and signs the erratic Winston to a short-term deal. Bill Belichick will try to coach out the turnovers, but will likely age an extra five years in one season trying to deal with Winston’s gunslinger attitude. He’s a real boom-or-bust candidate in New England. Los Angeles signs Teddy Bridgewater, and New Orleans signs Marcus Mariota to a cheap backup deal. Los Angeles still believes they can contend with the right guy under center. They make a move for Teddy Bridgewater, who provides stability and youth at the most important position. New Orleans picks up Marcus Mariota as the backup to Drew Brees, aiming to provide him the stability he never had in Tennessee. Brees and head coach Sean Payton can groom Mariota to be the quarterback of the future in New Orleans, and provide upside as a backup if Brees goes down. Tennessee re-signs Ryan Tannehill, but also makes a move for Saints gadget quarterback Taysom Hill. Tennessee isn’t built like most NFL teams. They boast a tough-as-nails, bowling ball-style offensive roster headlined by Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown. Tannehill’s consistency last season opened things up for Henry, who is the engine for this offense. Taysom Hill provides some extra bulk, trickery and insurance for Mike Vrabel, who spent last season cementing himself as one of the more clever coaches in the league. He’ll put Hill to great use. And there we have it. Free agency is roughly a week away, and I for one can’t wait to see the fireworks fly. May your team of choice spend wisely. Aiden Herrod is a sophomore studying film and media studies and entrepreneurial leadership. Aiden can be reached at aiden. herrod@tufts.edu.

by Arnav Sacheti Staff Writer

In many of the athletes’ last chance to qualify for the Div. III NCAA Championships next week, the men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Tufts National Qualifying Meet on Saturday in the Gantcher Center. Although the cut-off for nationals is tough, with only the top 20in the nation able to qualify for individuals and the top 12 teams for relays, the athletes still performed extraordinarily well. Senior Matt D’Anieri enhanced his already stacked national championship bid with a first place finish in the 800 meters at a time of 1:52.66 that gave him not only the top spot in the New England region of Div. III, but third place in the nation for Div. III. Junior co-captain Harry Steinberg placed seventh in the 3k meters with a time of 8:34.24, which currently ranks 40th in Div. III. “I think it went really well for us — this was a type of meet where it was more about individual performances,” senior co-captain Roman Lovell said. “There can be a lot more pressure. The benefit of having it at home is that you can get a lot of teammates out to support us, and it really gives us an opportunity to better our marks, better our times.” With this growth mindset, the relay teams for both the men’s and women’s side did particularly well this meet, improving drastically on their previous marks.

ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior Harry Steinberg competes in the Tufts National Qualifying Meet in Gantcher Center on March 7. On the women’s side, the distance medley relay squad, comprised of sophomores Tara Lowhensohn and Hannah Neilon and seniors Julia Gake and Rhemi Toth, finished first in the event with a 11:54.85 time, ranking eighth nationally and qualifying for nationals.

The men’s 4 x 400 meters team, consisting of junior OJ Armstrong, sophomores Riley Patten and Sam Oomen-Lochtefeld and first-year Andrii Campbell, finished second in the meet with a time of 3:20.61. This time ranks them 27th nationally in Div. III. Individually, Gake also finished second in the 400 meters with a time of 58.81 that ranks 36th nationally in Div. III. Gake expressed excitement at these dual successes and about the opportunity to race in the national meet. Junior Melissa Rowland placed sixth in the 3k with a time of 10:02.12, her personal best, which is ranked 28th nationally in Div. III. “Melissa Rowland in the [3000m] had a really good race, with a 30 second [personal record],” Gake said. “Unfortunately, she missed out on the national meet by one or two spots, but she had a great race.” In spite of the fact that there was a lot of pressure on the individual athletes to qualify for the national meet, the team aspect was still intact and propelled a sense of belonging, even for those who did not qualify. This type of team camaraderie, along with youth and depth, is what has been driving the Jumbos’ success this season on both the women’s and men’s teams, especially going into the national stage. “I think with the team that we have this year is a very young team, and we have a lot of depth, and that helps us build trust in each other,” Lovell said. “I think that really came out at the end of the season where at the three championships we had, a lot of people qualified, and we had [teammates] come up to Springfield to support us.” Lovell said. Despite the success of the national qualifiers, the Jumbos remain grounded and committed to each other, and are scheduled to carry this mantra down south to Winston Salem, N.C, this weekend for the NCAA Div. III National Championships. Their excitement is unbounded. “I was there two years ago,” Gake said. “It’s a really fun meet, seeing all the competitors out there.”