The Tufts Daily - Thursday, April 7, 2022

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXIII, ISSUE 41

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Thursday, April 7, 2022

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Tufts medical students celebrate match day

GRACE ROTERMUND / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts University Health Sciences Campus is pictured on Sept. 30, 2021.

by Coco Arcand News Editor

Fourth-year students at the Tufts University School of Medicine found out which residency programs accepted them last month on Match Day. This year’s Match Day marked the first time that students were able to celebrate their matches together in person since the COVID19 pandemic began two years ago.

Match Day, which fell on March 18 this year, occurs on the same day for each medical school across the country. At TUSM, 205 students

were matched into 25 specialties in 32 states.

The process of determining one’s desired specialization spans all four years of medical school and occurs through various career exploration programs and opportunities.

Dr. Amy Kuhlik, dean of student affairs at TUSM, explained that as students end their third year of school, they begin to finalize their decision on which specialty into which they hope to match.

“Students in the summer prior to their fourth year of medical school … do their final career exploration to determine what field

of medicine they’re hoping to pursue,” Kuhlik said.

After choosing their specialty of interest, students begin to fill out the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Melisa Granoff, a TUSM student who matched at the Cambridge Health Alliance for psychiatry, described the application process.

“You put together an application much like you would for college applications or medical school applications, where you have your transcript and your letters of recommendation and all of your extracurriculars,” Granoff said. “And you write a personal statement, usually about why you want to go into that field and how you got into medicine.”

Before the pandemic, some students in the fall of their fourth year had the opportunity to do various clinical rotations in their field of interest at different sites around the country. These rotations are often called “audition rotations” as students are essentially auditioning for future spots in residency programs.

This year, however, students were able to complete only one rotation

outside of their home institutions’ systems due to the pandemic.

Kuhlik explained that this meant students had to apply to programs without ever experiencing the work environment in person.

“Some students were able to get into hospitals just to take a look around, but for the most part, it’s sight unseen,” Kuhlik said. “So, unless it was the one place where you did your away [rotation] or one of your home institutions, you may never have visited that city, … and you … probably haven’t visited that residency program.”

After applying to programs of interest, students wait to hear back from programs about whether they received an interview, at which point they choose programs from which to accept interviews.

Interviews were held virtually, which represented another major change.

The transition to the virtual interview format had various consequences. In the past, students would often be able to accept only a few interviews due to the logistics and financial constraints of traveling.

Once a student denied an interview request, another applicant would be invited to interview.

However, as the logistics of traveling were no longer a factor in virtual interviews, students could accept every interview request despite not being interested in every program.

Kuhlik called this phenomenon “interview hoarding,” which resulted in fewer students being matched across the country.

“If you imagine interview hoarding, now you’re talking about a situation where in some specialties, …

60% of the places were interviewing the same 25% of students, which is a real problem and resulted in more students’ … being unmatched,” Kuhlik said.

On the other hand, Kuhlik noted that virtual interviews are more equitable as they eliminate monetary constraints on traveling, which used to prevent students from accepting interviews.

Following the interview season, which normally lasts from around November to January, students rank the programs at which they interviewed, with number one representing their top choice.

Similarly, programs rank every candidate that they interviewed, and see MATCH DAY, page 2

Local representatives Alumni Association honors 12 seniors sponsor legislation for farefree MBTA pilot program

by Elizabeth Zacks Staff Writer

by Ella Kamm News Editor

A bill proposed by representatives of Medford and Somerville that would establish a one-year farefree bus pilot program within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is moving through the Massachusetts House and Senate, having recently been referred to the Joint Committee on Transportation.

The pilot program would make fares completely free for 10 priority MBTA bus routes and 10 other routes that saw higher-than-average ridership between March and December 2020. At least three of these routes would have terminals at MBTA commuter rail suburban stations, MBTA subway stations and bus depot destinations.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Patricia Jehlen in the Senate and State Reps. Christine Barber and David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf in the House, is currently waiting on a report from the Joint Committee on Transportation after receiving an extension until April 8. “​​ This legislation intends to increase ridership on public transportation, prioritize environmen-

tal justice communities, decrease cars on the road and carbon emissions, and promote public health,” Barber, who represents the 34th Middlesex District, wrote in an email to the Daily.

Proponents of the bill outlined the various benefits of free fares for low-income riders, rider experience and the climate. Jehlen, who represents the Second Middlesex District, told the Daily in an email that the program would speed up ride times and make routes more reliable.

“There would be less dwell time, as buses wouldn’t have to wait for passengers to pay,” Jehlen wrote.

“This would reduce commuting time and make timing more predictable for bus riders, making transit more attractive, and increasing a shift from cars to transit. It also could reduce crowding and buses leapfrogging. The National Association of City Transportation Officials estimates that the time it takes to pay fares is 1/3 of the time a bus spends en route.”

Jehlen also explained how free fares would contribute to racial and economic justice efforts. see BUSES, page 2

Disclaimer: Alex Viveros is the current investigative editor and science editor of The Tufts Daily. He also has served on the Daily’s Managing Board, ultimately as editor in chief.

Viveros was not involved in the reporting, writing or editing of this article.

The Tufts University Alumni Association held its annual Senior Awards Ceremony on April 5 in the Cabot ASEAN Auditorium of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy to honor the accomplishments of 12 seniors.

This year, Amma Agyei, Amber Asumda, Emma Downey, Claudia Guetta, Olif Soboka Hordofa, John Cioci Lazur, Ellie Murphy, Joslin “Jos” Regalado, Christian Senecal, Alejandro “Alex” Viveros, Lidya Woldeyesus and Ariel Zedric received awards.

Associate Director of Student and Young Alumni Engagement Joda Glossner, who is also the office of alumni engagement’s liaison to the Awards Committee, discussed the significance of the awards in an email to the Daily.

“Each year since 1955, the Tufts University Alumni Association (TUAA) has recognized six to 12 members of the Senior Class for

their academic achievement … , campus and community participation, and outstanding leadership,” Glossner wrote.

The Awards Committee co-chairs — Peter Brodeur, Peter Bronk and Maria Madison — wrote in an email to the Daily that the senior nominations are received throughout the year from across the Tufts community.

“The awardees represent the diversity of academic interests, achievements, leadership and, perhaps most at the heart of being a Jumbo, giving back to community and working to make a better world,” Brodeur wrote.

Agyei is majoring in biomedical engineering and serves as the first Black female Tufts Community Union Senate president. She pre-

viously served as an Africana community senator, the Black Student Union president, an Africana Center peer leader and a SQUAD pre-orientation coordinator. She has also served as a teaching assistant.

Agyei told the Daily in an interview that she has learned many lessons from her time as a Tufts student.

“I’m not scared to hold a leadership role, because I feel like I’ve just held so many and also [in] very different areas,” Agyei said. “I feel like I’m so much better at time management and also knowing when to say no to certain things.”

Agyei will attend the Tufts Graduate School of Engineering for mechanical engineering. see SENIORS, page 2

COURTESY SHELBY CARPENTER

Recipients of the 2022 Alumni Awards are pictured during the Awards Ceremony on April 5.

SPORTS / back

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

Softball hits it out of the park with back-to-back wins against Bowdoin

Column: David Wingens on the notorious campus center bathrooms

Sweet or ‘SOUR’? The story behind Rodrigo’s hit album

NEWS

1

FEATURES

3

ARTS & POP CULTURE

4

FUN & GAMES

6

SPORTS

BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, April 7, 2022

THE TUFTS DAILY Alexander Janoff Editor in Chief

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TUSM students match into residencies, reflect on pandemic application process MATCH DAY

continued from page 1 an algorithm then matches students to programs.

Kuhlik emphasized how exciting it was to celebrate in person for the first time in two years.

“We had just a lot of fun … and it was very celebratory,” Kuhlik said.

“It felt like the first time we’ve all been together in such a celebratory way in a couple of years.”

For students, Match Day represents the culmination of a grueling application process.

For Michael Mastroianni, a TUSM student who matched at the Columbia University Medical Center for orthopedic surgery, this day also represented the beginning of a lifelong dream.

“I’m a native New Yorker, so I’ve been kind of hoping to go back to New York,” Mastroianni

said. “I’m a die-hard Yankees fan … [Columbia University Medical Center] has the Yankees’ team doctors as well, too. So, it’s just kind of a little bit of a childhood dream being fulfilled there.”

For others, Match Day brings both excitement and sadness, as it means the chapter of life spent at Tufts is ending.

Ilana Goldberg, who matched at Thomas Jefferson

University Hospital for internal medicine, discussed her feelings about leaving Tufts after studying here as an undergraduate and postgraduate.

“I’ve really enjoyed being at Tufts for these last eight years,” she said. “It’ll be sad to leave, but I’ll always be a double Jumbo, and I feel like I’ve just grown a lot as a person from being here.”

Legislation for a year-long fare-free bus pilot moves through Mass. House, Senate BUSES

continued from page 1 “Since bus riders are more likely to be low-income and people of color than subway or commuter rail [riders], fare free buses can contribute to reducing inequality and increasing economic survival for those workers,” Jehlen wrote.

Beyond expanding access to transportation, Barber said that the program would have an impact on air quality in poor, nonwhite communities, thereby improving health outcomes.

“Transportation emissions worsen health issues like asthma, reduced lung capacity and respiratory illnesses particularly in environmental justice neighborhoods, where residents of color are exposed to 26-36 percent more pollution from vehicle emissions compared to the exposure of white residents,” Barber wrote.

Jehlen said that a variety of factors make this moment apt for the pilot program.

“This is the right time for fare free pilots,” Jehlen wrote. “It is also a crucial time, as commuting patterns and work patterns are changing, so it may be more possible to change those patterns.”

Jehlen said that state surpluses and funds from the American Rescue Plan Act could be used to fund the pilot program and that MBTA fares account for only a small portion of their revenue.

“There would be no cost for fare collection, which would offset some of the lost revenue,” Jehlen wrote.

“Bus fares are less than 10% of [Regional Transit Authority] revenue and only 5% of MBTA revenue. The cost of the new contract for [the] MBTA fare system is over $600M and years away from completion, with [an] estimated $33M in annual costs to operate.”

The idea to reduce or eliminate public transportation costs is not new in the Boston area. Jehlen said that Regional Transit Authorities in Worcester and Lawrence implemented free fare services during the

pandemic and saw a 20% increase in ridership, according to Jehlen.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has also made the goal of providing free public transportation central to her administration, recently announcing the launch of a two-year free fare program on Routes 23, 28 and 29.

“Expanding fare-free transit to Routes 23, 28, 29 will better connect our communities, increase ridership, and ease congestion for all our residents,” Wu wrote in a press release. “We hope this is just the beginning of access to fare-free public transit in Boston. [I] look forward to working with our partners across the Commonwealth to build a sustainable, reliable, accessible, and affordable transportation system that truly serves our residents and our local economy.”

Both Barber and Jehlen said that the implementation of a fare-free bus pilot program would allow for data collection and observation of its impact on public transportation, information that could be used to

QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

A city bus is pictured near Downtown Crossing Station on Feb. 11.

build a larger, more permanent plan in the future.

“The pilot will provide valuable information on the benefits and ways to design a fare free program,” Barber wrote.

“Given the results, we will work to create permanent free fares on environmental justice routes and having fare free or low-income fare options for every person in need.”

Tufts seniors recognized for academic achievement, leadership, community involvement SENIORS

continued from page 1 Asumda is majoring in international relations and minoring in entrepreneurship for social impact. She chaired the first annual Black Womyn’s Empowerment Conference, was a Building Resilience in Immigrant Communities student fellow, a Tisch Scholar, an Africana Center peer leader and a UN Millenium fellow. Asumda is also a Diversity Admissions Council member and a Tufts University Social Collective executive co-coordinator.

Asumda discussed her adjustment to Tufts in an interview with the Daily.

“In the beginning, I didn’t really know if I belonged at Tufts,” Asumda said. “But throughout the pandemic, throughout my time at Tufts, …

I’ve been able to have the resources to … promote and help the communities I care most about.”

After graduation, Asumda hopes to attend law school and become a practicing attorney in the field of international law.

Claudia Guetta, who is majoring in community health and sociology, has been involved in many social justice organizations and is a program coordinator for the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College. She is also a teaching

assistant at MCI-Concord with the MyTERN re-entry program.

Guetta reflected on the sense of community she has found at Tufts.

“A big thing throughout all of my work and time at Tufts has been realizing how important community is to me,” Guetta said. “When we’re in community, and you have all of these different parts making up the whole, you can just do so much more and have so much more impact. And I think the senior awards are a way of recognizing community.”

After graduation, Guetta will attend the Tufts University School of Medicine and hopes to keep engaging with the intersections between medicine and the carceral system.

Olif Hordofa is double majoring in mechanical engineering and math. He has been involved in organizations such as Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society, and has been on the boards of the National Society of Black Engineers, the Engineering Students Council and the Math Society. He was also a founding member of the Eritrean-Ethiopian Student Association.

Hordofa told the Daily in an interview that Tufts has helped him navigate the world and his academics.

“Tufts has offered me that navigation toolkit of coexisting with people and depending on others, helping one another and just this spirit of Ubuntu, which is, ‘I am because we are … I am my brother’s keeper,’” Hordofa said. “That spirit is something that I think Tufts cultivated in me.”

After graduation, Hordofa will be working in the Fusion Rotation Program at Applied Materials and hopes to one day return to school for his Ph.D. Lazur, who is majoring in anthropology, has been involved with the Interfaith Student Council, the University Chaplaincy and the CAFE pre-orientation program during their time at Tufts. Lazur also participated in the Tufts Summer Scholars program, and they are currently working on a senior capstone on Tufts’ Universalist history.

Lazur told the Daily that their research on the school’s ethical and religious leadership has made them feel more connected to Tufts.

“I feel like I have really dug myself in at Tufts. I feel very meshed in the institutional history and have really tried to understand a lot about this school, so

it’s a nice way to recognize that work,” Lazur said. “I’m really excited to be part of the alumni community and be able to reflect on the school that way, too.”

This summer, Lazur will be a co-coordinator for CAFE and hopes to work in student affairs or religious leadership development.

Regalado is majoring in sociology, with a focus on social inequalities and social change, and minoring in dance. At Tufts, Regalado has been involved with ENVY and Roti and Rum, served as a peer leader for the FIRST Resource Center, was a BLAST scholar and worked at the Edwin Ginn Library. She was also a research assistant in the DICE Lab. Regalado hopes to work to provide college access to historically marginalized communities or in youth civic empowerment and engagement.

Regalado said that it was an honor to receive a Senior Award.

“It was more about knowing that there was a whole group of people who were impacted by me as a person or in the work that I did, that felt motivated enough to write letters of support for me that convinced a group of alumni to then choose me is I think what matters the most to me” Regalado explained.

tuftsdaily.com

David Wingens Potty Talk

A celebrity in our bathrooms This week, rumors flew around Tufts’ campus. Everyone could feel a disturbance in the plumbing as someone of great import was touring our bathrooms. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, was hanging out in the Campus Center trying to make new friends. In that process, she probably ended up using at least one of the Campus Center’s many bathrooms. In the wake of this monumental

Features occasion, I chose to take on what are likely to be some of the most trafficked facilities at Tufts University — the Mayer Campus Center bathrooms. Specifically, I will attempt to tackle both the Hotung bathrooms and the all-gender bathroom.

AMBIANCE As soon as I walked into the all-gender restroom, it was as if I had been transported onto a car of the Orange Line of the T. Just as with the Orange Line, the tacky, fake wooden flooring lent it a phony charm unbecoming of a utilitarian space.

If the all-gender bathroom was striving for charm and fell short, then the Hotung bathroom was quite the opposite.

Made up almost entirely of metal and concrete, this bath-

room almost screams at you to turn around and find somewhere else to go. If you stay a while, however, you may grow to appreciate the unabashed misanthropy it exudes.

Whether you prefer fake warmth or genuine coldness, the CC has a bathroom for you. 7/10.

PRIVACY While they are not technically very private, I have personally never seen anybody enter these bathrooms. They are so well hidden in the corner of Hotung, that privacy is really not a problem.

Given the Hotung bathroom’s obscurity, many will instead trek upstairs. Luckily, the all-gender bathroom has a very prominent and easily operated vacancy indicator

on the door handle, so it is unlikely that anyone will try to open the door while it is occupied. 8/10 CONVENIENCE They are pretty convenient if you are already in the CC, but I would say that they are a bad option for a quick stop on campus. While the Campus Center is undoubtedly central, this creates problems for those just trying to pass through as everyone who has ever been even a minor acquaintance of yours sits in the Campus Center all day just waiting to wave and make about four minutes of meaningless small talk. Often, those are a crucial four minutes, and I need not tell you what might happen to a potty trip deferred. 5/10

3 Thursday, April 7, 2022 HOW MANY THINGS DO I HAVE TO TOUCH Normally, I would give these bathrooms a very poor score here. There is really nothing that you don’t need to touch, and the sinks function such that you may need to touch the spout mid-wash.

That being said, given that royalty recently graced these humble rooms, there does seem to be some upside to their tactility. Namely, we can touch the same toilet, sink and hand dryer that might have been used by a U.S. senator. 4/10 Senator Warren could have found better bathrooms elsewhere. 6/10.

David Wingens is a junior studying international relations. David can be reached at david.wingens@tufts.edu.

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

tuftsdaily.com

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Tate McRae brings her North American Tour So you were wrong: 2022 to Boston’s Royale RaiAnn Bu Micro-Trend of the Week

A survival guide

After seven weeks of hard-hitting fashion journalism, the well has run a bit dry.

There’s nothing else to report on, a lull as the seasons transition. So instead, I have constructed a guide based on learned and lived experience on how to survive wasting your money.

Step 1: Regret.

Everyone has their flaws. At one point in time, my flaw was an addiction to eBay. Email notifications of item price drops, new offers and items listed bombarded my phone. It was the rush of a good deal that got me hooked — twisted justifications in the urgency of a good deal. It got so deep that I would watch bidding wars for entertainment.

In that time, I accumulated a steady supply of black going-out tops, I.AM.GIA and graphic t-shirts. It was enough to outfit a mid-tier SEC sorority on a Saturday night.

After the haze of rush, the purchase and the honeymoon waiting period, the shine wears off. The top is so unique, it’s unwearable. Slowly the top buries deeper into my dresser, in lieu of the same sweater I’ve had for years. There comes the uncomfortable reality: It’s just not my style.

Step 2: Reform.

When I consider the pieces I don’t wear, they often come from a time of personal dissatisfaction, boredom or uncertainty. I’ve used clothing as a replacement for personal growth, defining my life through eras of dressing. If I dress differently, the change I need will inevitably come. I will treasure different values, have different goals or reach the satisfaction I’ve needed.

This misconception comes from years of conditioning from our corporate overlords echoing the postmodern consumerist mantra: “You are what you buy.” Advertisements and companies have assigned moral values to clothing. For example, the modern “it girl” is more so defined by her fashion choice rather than her actual lifestyle. And for a while, I bought into it.

Today, this consumerism is unavoidable.

Even when consciously avoiding shopping platforms, you can find something for sale.

Social media has transformed into one large shopping platform, marketing products in exchange for happiness. So, consider the human attributes tied to products, a boundary that has become so difficult to tell with social media.

Step 3: Repentance.

Now stuck with literal baggage, I try to right my wrongs. I try to lend out my clothing as much as possible, circulating trendy pieces to extend their lifetime because everyone likes something new and novel. Or swap clothing with friends, who I know would appreciate the pieces.

When worst comes to worst, there is the option of donation. I strongly advocate for donating to local hospitals or trusted charities rather than thrift stores. Savers and other thrift stores often run as for-profit businesses, prospering through selling donations back to the community. Their questionable practices include selling or donating unsold bulk clothing to impoverished countries, hindering local textile economies due to influxes of donations.

I.AM.GIA — 2/10 a temporary, poor-quality thrill RaiAnn Bu is a sophomore studying community health. RaiAnn can be reached at raiann.bu@tufts.edu.

Tate McRae is pictured performing at the Royale on April 1.

by Miriam Vodosek Contributing Writer

Eighteen-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae brought her 2022 North American Tour to Boston’s beautiful Royale nightclub last Friday. The night was filled with high energy and girl power, and it featured an all-female lineup.

Waiting in anticipation for McRae to perform, the audience kindly welcomed TikTok-famous singer GAYLE, who performed four of her songs. The crowd’s

energy picked up when she sang her final song “abcdefu” (2021), and the audience chanted along to the popular song that has been trending on TikTok. Mimi Webb followed as the second opener. The English singer sang her hit songs including “Dumb Love” (2021), “Good Without” (2021), her newest single “House on Fire” (2022) and a beautiful cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You” (2011), which the crowd sang back loudly. Both GAYLE and Webb watched McRae’s set from the balcony of the Royale and waved down to fans cheering for them.

MIRIAM VODOSEK / THE TUFTS DAILY

Anticipation grew further as handlers prepared the stage for McRae to start her set. The crowd screamed when a large ‘T’ and ‘8’ were revealed behind the stage, and the adrenaline in the Royale spiked.

The crowd cheered loudly as the music and lights started, and McRae and her two backup dancers appeared, starting the show with her song “stupid” (2020).

From the first moment, McRae spread her high energy by waving and smiling at fans in the audience and going up to see CONCERT, page 5

Olivia Rodrigo discusses heartbreak that inspired ‘SOUR’ in documentary ‘driving home 2 u’

by Ryan Fairfield Staff Writer

The release of her single, “drivers license,” back in January 2021 launched Olivia Rodrigo into pop superstardom.

With her follow-up singles “deja vu” (2021) and “good 4 u” (2021), Rodrigo proved to the world that she is more than just a Disney Channel child actress. Rodrigo continued to gain critical and popular appeal with the release of her debut album, “SOUR” (2021), which broke multiple streaming and charting records. Due to drama surrounding the album, as many of the songs seem to be about Rodrigo’s past relationship, Rodrigo kept a majority of the details of making the album quiet from the public.

Rodrigo’s documentary, “driving home 2 u” (2022), released on Disney+, finally provided an intimate look at the writing, production and creation of her hit album. The documentary follows Rodrigo taking a road trip from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, as much of the “SOUR” album was written on drives between her hometown in California to Salt Lake City, where she filmed “High School Musical:

The Musical: The Series” (2019–). Along the way, Rodrigo reminisces over creating “SOUR,” while stopping at various spots along the way to perform all the songs from her album.

After a brief opening montage of various social media clips and interviews from the start of her career, Rodrigo opens with discussing and performing her song “happier” (2021), which was one of the original songs Rodrigo posted on her Instagram and what caught the attention of producer Dan Nigro.

After seeing the video of Rodrigo on Instagram, Nigro reached out about working with her. “happier” was the first song the pair produced together and eventually led to the duo creating the entire “SOUR” album together. As seen in “happier” and a majority of the other songs on the album, “SOUR” was inspired by heartbreak and Rodrigo’s feelings of loneliness.

“Nobody understood how I was feeling or related to it, so I think by writing songs about exactly how I felt I was creating like a friend for me,” Rodrigo said in an interview regarding the inspiration for her debut album.

What makes “driving home 2 u” a mustsee for Rodrigo fans — and for those who are interested in her music — is that she delves into the details about each individual song and the inspiration behind them.

The documentary feels very intimate and unfiltered, with Rodrigo explaining specific details regarding each song. Rodrigo even takes time to address the drama that surrounded “drivers license” when it initially came out, which makes it one of the first times she has explicitly discussed this topic.

“I realized part of the reason I wanted to get my license so bad was because of … this boy. I always felt bad about being too young to drive over to see him. Too young to have any real freedom,” Rodrigo said when reading an excerpt from her diary which inspired “drivers license.” “I always thought he should be with a girl who had those liberties. I feel his hold on me loosen more and more lately.”

Rodrigo goes into more detail about the drama when she talks about “deja vu,” the second single she put out. It was never explicitly confirmed by any parties see DOCUMENTARY, page 5

A r t s & P o p C u lt u r e

Thursday, April 7, 2022 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

5

GAYLE, Mimi Webb open for McRae in Boston CONCERT

continued from page 4 the edge of the stage to be closer to them. She even took a fan’s phone and filmed herself from the stage. This first song set the mood for the rest of the lively concert.

Throughout the concert, McRae showcased her musical range. McRae delivered a variety of songs from slow ballads that highlighted her stunning voice to upbeat dance pop songs that allowed her to show off her talent as a dancer.

She performed songs off of her 2021 EP “Too Young to Be Sad” including “bad ones,” “rubberband,” “r u ok” and “wish i loved you in the 90s.”

McRae also sang some of her early releases including “One Day” (2017), which went viral that same year after she posted a video of herself singing it on YouTube. She also performed her newer songs “feel like shit” (2021) and “she’s all i wanna be” (2022). McRae mentioned that she had announced her debut album earlier in the day

on social media. She told the audience the debut album titled “I Used to Think I Could Fly” will be coming out May 27. She had a big smile on her face as the audience cheered and celebrated the announcement with her for a moment.

McRae also performed the popular song “You” (2021), an upbeat collaboration with Regard and Troye Sivan, as well as a cover of the song “Breakeven” (2008) by The Script. She told the audience that the song by The Script has

always been very special to her and that she has always resonated with it.

Attendees impressively belted the singer’s lyrics at the top of their lungs and danced along throughout McRae’s entire set.

After a flawless performance of McRae’s most popular songs, fans were eager to hear more.

Fans chanted for her to return to the stage for an encore.

Shortly, the stage lights started to flicker and the music began again. McRae returned to the

stage for one final song and ended her concert with “you broke me first” (2020).

Her impressive vocals and dancing pushed her stage presence over the edge. It was nearly impossible to look away.

The concert was over quickly, and McRae’s fans noticed her appear on the balcony of the Royale directly after finishing her set. Fans cheered as she waved down. The concertgoers left the venue with smiles on their faces,humming the melodies to McRae’s songs.

With 'driving home 2 u,' Olivia Rodrigo tells the story of 'SOUR' DOCUMENTARY

continued from page 4 involved, but rumors that “drivers license” was about Rodrigo’s relationship between “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” costar Joshua Bassett, and his rumored girlfriend, Sabrina Carpenter, were the topics of conversation — and of many news articles — following the release of the song. Rodrigo was hesitant about releasing “deja vu” amid all the drama, because she did not want to seem vengeful or bitter.

“There was so much drama that was around ‘drivers license’ and so much hate. I thought if I put [‘deja vu’] out, then I was also playing into this drama love triangle, … and I just didn’t want to do that,” Rodrigo said.

After addressing the drama and performing “deja vu” in the documentary, Rodrigo moves on to discuss the rest of her album and her views on love and relationship that helped inspire it. Rodrigo specifically talks about a fan-favorite song, “favorite crime,” which captures many of her feelings about her past relationship. In “favorite crime,” one of the lines is, “One heart broke, four hands bloody.” Rodrigo included this line to emphasize that relationships are between two people, and when they end, both individuals can be at fault.

“Heartbreak is a two-way street.

You couldn’t have gotten your heart broken if you didn’t put yourself in the position to be hurt. I think writing this song sort of helped me forgive myself,” Rodrigo said when discussing the guilt and sadness she felt when her relationship ended.

In addition to the behind-thescenes footage and commentary from the creative process behind “SOUR,” Rodrigo also delivers stellar performances of all of the songs from her album. From a rock version of “jealousy, jealousy” under an overpass to an orchestral edition of “good 4 u” in a canyon, Rodrigo showcases her vocal and performance range, proving that she is capable of pushing her own boundaries and able to explore a variety of different music styles.

Rodrigo also surprises viewers with an unreleased song that plays during the end credits. The song, “baby is you,” continues the theme of heartbreak in “SOUR”, while hitting audiences with relatable, moving lyrics for which Rodrigo has become known. In one of the lyrics, Rodrigo sings, “I still can’t call anyone ‘Baby’/ ‘Cause ‘Baby’ is still you

to me,” emphasizing the pain she felt after her breakup and how hard it was for her to get over her ex.

Some might argue that the performances in “driving home 2 u” take away from the purpose of the documentary, which is to tell Rodrigo’s story of the creation of “SOUR,” although the performances only highlight a personal side of Rodrigo and the emotion behind the songs she wrote. It is because of her songwriting that Rodrigo was able to garner so much attention and praise and why it makes sense for her to have highlighted her vocal and lyrical abilities in the documentary. With the performances, behind-the-scenes clips and deep commentary, Rodrigo shows the world how much work went into creating her Grammy-winning album and the immense emotion and pain that sparked it.

COURTESY IMDB

The promotional poster for "driving home 2 u" (2022) is pictured.

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Softball off to soaring start with wins against Bowdoin SOFTBALL

continued from back Friday’s game was a pitcher’s duel from start to finish.

Bowdoin starter Anna Halliday and Tufts’ sophomore ace Sophia DiCocco were superb from 43 feet. After Bowdoin scratched across an unearned run in the top of the third, Tufts responded with two

runs in the bottom half of the inning and held the 2–1 lead, sealing the win for DiCocco. “[DiCocco] is obviously amazing,” junior outfielder Michelle Adelman said.

DiCocco’s stats this year would prove it. DiCocco has conceded six earned runs in 67.2 innings this season pitched while only walking five batters.

DiCocco is not the only force the Jumbos have inside the circle, and this was proven in Saturday’s first game.

“We’ve added a few pitchers this year which is really helpful,” Adelman said. “We [also] have Sky who … deferred last year, and then we have Lacey. … Between the three of them, we have a really strong pitch-

ing staff, which, historically, is always a strength of our team.”

While Tufts’ offense exploded for nine runs on 13 hits, sophomore pitcher Sky Johnson allowed only one hit through six innings pitched.

After splitting with MIT on Tuesday, Tufts now sits at 16–4 on the year. While any program would be pleased with

this start, the Jumbos have the longer-term aspiration to add 2022 to their outfield banner list of national championships.

“We know we’re a good team, so it’s really important, mentally, that we stay in it and we know that we’re better than who we play next,” Adelman, who poured in three hits in Saturday’s first game, said.

Track teams shine at Snowflake Classic TRACK

MINA TERZIOGLU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Student athletes in several men’s track and field teams are pictured competing at the Snowflake Classic at Dussault Track on April 2.

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continued from back the team creates a great ambiance at home meets.

Now that the first official meet — dubbed a rust buster by the track community — is over, the athletes want to ramp up their performances in future races.

“People rode the high wave from cross [country] into track, and that’s been going really well,” Bidgood said.

Looking toward the rest of the season, Bidgood reflected on some of her personal and team goals.

“I [want] to be more confident with racing and take risks,” Bidgood said. “Our team goal is to always do well at the NESCAC meet, and we have a really good chance of being competitive at that meet.”

Tufts will race next at Re n ssel a er Po ly te c h n i c Institute against Bates and MIT this weekend.

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Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Softball sweeps Bowdoin in opening NESCAC Series

COURTESY ALEXIS MASTRONARDI

Tufts pitcher Sophia DiCocco readies to throw the ball at the double-header against Bowdoin on April 2.

by Steven Landry

Assistant Sports Editor

After losing in extra innings to Bowdoin last year, the Tufts softball team seized its revenge in three games against the Polar Bears this weekend.

A foundation of their success so far this season, the Jumbos’ pitching and defense shined again in their first conference challenge. Tufts took

Friday’s game with a score of 2–1 and rolled in Saturday’s first leg, winning 9–1.

The 10-inning series finale was emphatically concluded with a walk-off single that found left field grass. Chasing one run in the bottom of 10th inning, the Jumbos tied the game, then scored the winning run against the Polar Bears, winning their 11th consecutive game to improve to 15–3

on the season. The star of the moment was junior utility player Kat Yuzefpolsky, who brought home first-year utility player Meggie Murphy to end the game at 6–5.

Saturday’s hero had been hitless as she approached the plate in the bottom of the 10th, but her confidence was unwavering.

“It had not been my best game, so at that point the fact that I was still in the lineup … I

understood that [coach Lauren Ebstein] still believed in me and that I was still the person for this job,” Yuzefpolsky said. “It didn’t have to be pretty, it didn’t have to be a home run, but it just had to get the job done and that’s what happened.”

After another close game, which ended 1–0 in the Jumbos’ favor against the MIT Engineers on Tuesday afternoon, the Jumbos are now 6–1

in games decided by one run.

This is largely thanks to their focused play in the field, which has them currently ranked No. 3 nationally in all of Division III in earned run average at 0.87.

“The fact that we’ve had this strong defense backing up our pitchers allowed us to only score a couple runs and win a close ballgame,” Yuzefpolsky said. see SOFTBALL, page 7

Tufts outdoor track teams have robust start at Snowflake Classic

by Brigitte Wilson Sports Editor

The Tufts men’s and women’s track teams had an excellent weekend as the hosts of the Snowflake Classic, held at the Clarence “Ding” Dussault Track and Field Complex.

While some athletes raced over spring break in San Diego at the Point Loma Nazarene Un i v e r s i t y Collegiate Invitational, this weekend was the first all-team meet and the official season opener for the men and women.

The men’s team finished second out of the 16 schools com-

peting, with several individuals winning events and placing high nationally. Junior Alex Lemieux came in first in the 100-meter event, with a time of 10.83 seconds and achieving a national ranking of 26.

Senior Sam Gatti attained the 32nd place national ranking, finishing first in the 10,000meter event with a time of 31:44.12. The long jump event was also a shining spot, with junior Carter Rosewell finishing first with a 22’3 3/4” jump.

His jump gave him the 42nd placement nationally.

The women’s team placed first out of 18 teams and many

athletes also won their events.

Junior Campbell Devlin won the 400-meter hurdles event with a time of 1:04.15, earning the seventh national place.

The Jumbos also won the high jump and 1,500-meter events, with junior Jaidyn Appel achieving 5’5 3/4 and a No. 7 national ranking and senior Tara Lowensohn finishing in 4:45.63 and reaching 35th nationally, respectively.

Junior Kate Bidgood placed third for the Jumbos and eighth overall in the 1,500meter event with a time of 4:54.85. Bidgood was incredibly happy with the race. Seven

other athletes from the Tufts women’s team participated in the event.

“I always like racing alongside my teammates,” Bidgood said. “It’s really a confidence boost to race with the people you practice with every day.”

Bidgood mentioned how the Snowflake Classic was met with both anxiety and excitement as the official spring season opener.

“Everyone was really excited about how we started the season,” Bidgood said. “The first meet is always a little nerve wracking, … [especially] if you’re coming back from an

injury or you didn’t race well during indoor season, but … the positivity and excitement was infectious.”

The event was also notable as it was the first Snowflake Classic hosted at Tufts since 2019.

“I like hosting meets,” Bidgood said. “When we’re home, the team spirit is really awesome. … Friends and family come to watch, so the atmosphere and vibe is really encouraging and positive.”

Bidgood noted that while hosting may be stressful for coaches, she appreciates how see TRACK, page 7