WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
Lizzo’s 3rd studio album a lesson in self-love see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4
Jumbos dominate in last regular-season meet
First-years should be able to choose roommates see OPINION / PAGE 6
SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE
THE
VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 56
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T HE T UFTS DAILY Tuesday, April 23, 2019
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.
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Ayanna Pressley speaks on experiences, policy making at Tisch College event by Bella Maharaj Staff Writer
Rep. Ayanna Pressley spoke on a variety of subjects, including her congressional campaign and her stance on legislation supporting the impeachment of Donald Trump, last night at the ASEAN Auditorium in an event organized by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Alan Solomont, the dean of Tisch College, led the interview, which lasted for over an hour. Pressley represents the Seventh District of Massachusetts, which includes the Somerville side of the Tufts campus. Pressley is the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress as a representative for the state of Massachusetts. Solomont said that,prior to her current position as legislator, she was a member of the Boston City Council — the first black woman to be elected to this body. In an interview with the Daily before the event, Pressley discussed what she has learned from her time in public office. “What I’ve learned is that your past informs your present. But you don’t have to be hostage to it,” Pressley said. “And at the same time, you should stand in the truth of that lived experience — whatever it is — and carry that with you in every room.” She expanded on this point, referencing her own past and history of trauma. “When I talk about being a survivor of sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse, when I talk about the struggles of being raised in a single parented household and my father battling and overcoming addiction or how it destabilized our home when he was incarcerated, that is my truth,” she said. “I’m standing in it. I’m not hostage to it. I should have been a statistic for a lot of reasons.” In her talk in the ASEAN Auditorium, Pressley said her lived experiences have emboldened her conviction and directed her focus to support women, particularly marginalized black women. “The Massachusetts Seventh [District] is the most diverse and unequal district in our delegation and arguable one of the most unequal in the country. From Cambridge to Roxbury, life expectancy drops by 30 years and immediate household income by $50,000,” she said. Alongside Rep. Katherine Clark, who represents the Medford side of Tufts, Pressley is currently cosponsoring a new piece of legislation called Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (Be HEARD), which is meant to address workplace harassment and discrimination for lower-income workers. Please recycle this newspaper
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Rep. Ayanna Pressley is seated in front of the audience in ASEAN Auditorium at the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series on April 22. “I didn’t feel that the faces of those [the #MeToo and Time’s Up] movements were inclusive of every worker,” Pressley said in her talk. “And so this bill is not just about Hollywood; it is not just about Congress. This is about farm workers, this is about tipped workers, this is about domestic workers.” Some components of Be HEARD include an extension of the statute of limitations for when a survivor can file a grievance or claim, a lift in the cap on monetary compensation and an elimination of pre-employment non-disclosure agreements. Be HEARD is one of more than 115 pieces of legislation that Pressley has either sponsored or cosponsored in the little more than 100 days she has been in office, according to Solomont. Pressley has also been a strong advocate for the Green New Deal and attempted to pass an amendment that would lower the voting age to 16. The latter legislation, however, was defeated 305–126, according to The Hill. The discussion eventually shifted to the current status of the Democratic party. When asked whether the divisions in the current Democratic party posed any risks for the 2020 elections, Pressley responded by calling for increased diversity in government. For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily
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“We’re very celebratory about the fact that this is the biggest most diverse, representative class in the history of Congress,” she said. “A more representative government means that different questions are asked. And new issues are considered.” She elaborated on this by hinting at future dissension in the Democratic party and expressing her thoughts on how to remain stable through this change . “There is going to be conflict. We are building new muscle and when we have built that muscle effectively, then we can figure out how to flex it,” she said. “But it does mean for right now we’re experiencing growing pains, and I think people should not project their worst assumptions about what this will mean.” Solomont later asked about how she saw the issue of President Donald Trump’s impeachment following the release of Robert Mueller’s report. “I do believe what we have seen from the Mueller report, what is unredacted, does make the case for witness tampering, obstruction of justice, lawlessness, efforts to suppress the independent investigation in the first place,” Pressley said. “No one person is above the law, including the occupant of this White House.” Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com
Pressley also stated she has signed onto a resolution offered by Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Al Green to initiate impeachment proceedings in the judiciary committee. During a time for student questions, Pressley was asked about her motivations to incorporate her personal experiences in to her work. She opened up about her father’s struggles and triumphs. “My father went on to become a professor of journalism. He pursued advanced degrees while he was incarcerated. He came out … a few credits short of a Ph.D., went on to become a professor of journalism and is now a published author. He made it to the other side,” she said. “But he was someone who was battling a substance abuse disorder, an opioid addiction because of trauma he experienced in his life, and he was self medicating like millions of Americans.” Pressley explained that when she shares her life experiences, she aims to acknowledge that her experience is the shared experience of millions of others, and her goal in standing in her truth is to liberate the truths of others. When asked by the Daily what advice she had for students to remain engaged citizens, Pressley said, “Make sure you’re getting an education beyond the classroom.”
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OPINION.....................................6 SPORTS............................ BACK
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, April 23, 2019
THE TUFTS DAILY Elie Levine Editor in Chief
EDITORIAL
David Levitsky Anita Ramaswamy
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Lee and Miller announce campaigns for TCU President
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The TCU Senate Candidate Meeting in Braker Hall on April 10 is pictured here. by Matthew McGovern
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All students will have the opportunity to cast their votes for next year’s Tufts Community Union (TCU) president this Thursday. This year, the two candidates are juniors Shannon Lee and Philip Miller. They were nominated by TCU senators in a meeting on Thursday, April 18. Lee has served as a Class of 2020 senator for three years. In her first year as senator, Lee served on the Allocations Board, and as a sophomore, she served as a diversity officer and chair of the Community & Diversity Committee, according to her campaign website. “Student groups are at the center of my platform and my mission; it would be remiss for a president not to include other key student groups in the long term trajectory,” Lee, a junior, told the Daily. “The goal of the president is to support and serve students in pursuing their own goals.” Her campaign is centered around five points: academic opportunity, accessibility, accountability, transparency and community. Lee also emphasized goals such as making housing more accessible, revising current exam policies and working alongside students. In her first year in the TCU Senate, Lee spearheaded the Swipe It Forward program, which allows students to donate meal swipes to food-insecure students. Additionally, Lee has worked to create gender neutral bathrooms across campus and supported Tufts Dining workers in unionizing, according to her website. “The president and senate oftentimes work on long term projects, but I think it’s important that we have small projects as well that we can accomplish. It’s important that we have both. For example … a longterm one is the creation of new dorms. That doesn’t happen overnight,” Lee said.
Other elements of Lee’s campaign emphasized included working with students, encouraging participation in decision-making processes and helping students navigate the Tufts administration to pursue their inquiries. In particular, Lee plans to work closely with student groups such as Tufts Student Action, Tufts Housing League and the Group of Seven themed houses on campus, according to Lee’s website. “I have worked on a range of topics: education, issues of diversity and inclusion, services, policies related to the administration. I have served on the executive board as well as the allocations board … I have the ability to put on a lot of different hats,” Lee said. Phil Miller is the other TCU presidential candidate. Miller served as a Class of 2020 senator during his first year and his sophomore year. Miller is currently studying abroad at University of Oxford, and serves as the Pembroke College representative to the Oxford Student Union, according to his website. Miller’s campaign is based on three central points: a stronger student body, a stronger Tufts and a stronger TCU Senate. In an interview with the Daily, Miller emphasized his focus on tangible goals and projects and seeing them all the way through. As a first-year, Miller began work on the Textbook Exchange. Since its inception, Miller told the Daily that it has saved students about $200,000 and currently includes 10 other universities, with more joining soon. “The Textbook Exchange is running completely [independent] of me right now. We have an entire executive board, an executive director, directors of marketing, operations, finance … I created a program that will last after I leave Tufts,” Miller said. As a sophomore, Miller served as the Education Committee chair, creating a
new system of tenure and promotion evaluation, which has since become the standard procedure, according to his campaign website. “The [evaluation] reports I had been getting were poor — some of them were four sentences long,” Miller said. “I created a new quantitative method, and the quality improved greatly. From now on, all professors are graded on this metric.” He also emphasized engaging the Tufts STEM community in the political scene at Tufts as a priority of his, saying that that there is very little representation of STEM majors and engineers on the TCU Senate. Miller also supports expanding high school placement credits and creating a high-occupancy residence hall. “When I make a promise, I commit to it and I’m going to do it well, such as with the Textbook Exchange. I really want to focus on tangible changes … Being abroad has showed me how much I love the Tufts campus, and I really want to make positive changes in it,” Miller said. “I would encourage people to take five minutes to get informed about who they are voting for — [information] is very accessible online — then … make an informed choice on election day,” current TCU President Jacqueline Chen, a senior, told the Daily in an interview. Leah Sugrue, current chair of the TCU Elections Commission (ECOM), told the Daily that ECOM is working to streamline voting to make it easier for students to vote. Students can vote with the Voatz app or in person at the Mayer Campus Center, Eaton Hall or Halligan Hall all day on Thursday, according to the ECOM website. Additionally, Sugrue, a first-year, said that there will be a candidate forum at 4:30 p.m. on April 24 in Braker Hall, Room 001, where students can ask each candidate specific questions regarding their policies and priorities.
TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
ARTS&LIVING
‘Drag Race’ hits midseason stride
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A promotional poster for RuPaul’s Drag Race is depicted.
Arts Editor
Hey, kitty girls! We’ve officially reached the midpoint of the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” It feels like just yesterday Branjie was just a twinkle in VH1’s social media marketing eye, and ‘opulence’ was only an SAT word. So far, season 11 has exceeded this writer’s expectations, delivering sickening looks, a new injection of creativity to the challenges and a varied cohort of supremely talented queens. More pertinently, this season has presented genuinely engaging storylines and some very fractious drama, allowing each of the queens to show multiple sides of their personalities. Not since season 2 has “Drag Race” brought us what feels, quite simply, like a diverse set of people who all have divergent motivations and differing opinions of each other. Our most recent episode featured the show’s best-known challenge, Snatch Game. For season 11, the challenge was revamped amid calls that the mock game show/celebrity impersonation contest was getting stale. Ergo, we were blessed with the Snatch Game at Sea, which accomplished the herculean task of being essentially the same as its landlubber counterpart with a few nautical motifs added to the decor and some porthole/glory hole puns thrown in for good measure. The finale, though, featured a lip sync for the herstory books between frontrunners Brooke Lynn Hytes and Yvie Oddly to Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry.” Hytes leaned into her professional dance background, while Yvie showcased her backbreaking contortion skills to earn season 11’s first double shantay, keeping both heavyweights alive. At this stage, A’keria C. Davenport, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Nina West, Plastique Tiara, Shuga Cain, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Yvie Oddly remain in the race to be America’s Next Drag Superstar. Earlier in the season, Ra’jah O’Hara seemed to be shaping up to be the season’s villain. This storyline was shaken up by her establishment as the lip sync assassin when she sent Mercedes Iman Diamond and Scarlet Envy packing. However, the season’s second designfrom-scratch challenge, a farm-to-runway extravaganza, did in the Dallas queen on episode seven.
Season 11’s fresh set of challenges has been one of its greatest strengths so far, partly due to the reintroduction of more design challenges. On earlier seasons, at least three design challenges was the norm, but acting challenges have become increasingly prevalent as “Drag Race” has gotten more mainstream. The daunting design challenge’s return to prominence is welcome news for longtime fans, allowing the queens to flex their creative muscles and reminding us of the staggering amount of talent that it takes to thrive on this show. In those design challenges, Brooke Lynn Hytes has claimed the title of queen to beat; she’s won two of them. Hytes snatched the top spot on episode one with a stunning latex Detox-inspired jumpsuit and with her Monster Ball lewks on episode five. Hytes is also one half of “Branjie” — the first onscreen couple in “Drag Race” herstory. Lovebirds Hytes and season 10 returnee Vanessa Vanjie Mateo have charmed fans with their budding relationship. Cynics will say it’s all for the cameras, but it’s quality gay content. In any case, it’s been gratifying to watch Vanjie show a more holistic persona following her brief-but-iconic stint on season 10; she’s been navigating her newfound beau and struggling with charges of repetitive runway looks from Michelle Visage. This season has also introduced some never-before-seen challenge formats, such as episode six’ “Draglympics” challenge. The episode, which featured an uproarious cameo from the queen of protein powder Love Connie, split the cast into teams representing Tuckpantistan and Glamazonia for a choreographed set of athletic drag feats. The Draglympics garnered A’Keria a deserved first win and also provided a major point of contention in one of the season’s main conflicts between Silky and Yvie. Yvie Oddly has a whimsical, often macabre take on drag that has won her legions of admirers on social media and on the judges’ panel. She has butted heads with some of the queens due to her bluntness in providing advice. This attitude, which could have been edited to make her out to be a young and arrogant queen, has been complicated by Yvie’s revelation of her struggles with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a tissue disorder that could end Yvie’s drag career prematurely. With that in mind, Yvie has maintained that her critiques are borne of respect for her
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Tuna Margalit Review Rewind
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by Tommy Gillespie
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competitors, as she doesn’t want anyone to waste their time on “Drag Race.” Conversely, Silky has been adamant about remaining true to herself and her ebullient personality in the competition, even going so far as to discount the judges’ advice in some cases. This confidence has earned her two challenge wins, but some have called Silky out for cockiness and spotlight-hogging. When Yvie suffered a minor ankle injury in the Draglympics, Silky suggested that, in the next episode, Yvie should be the next to go, a-la Eureka in season nine. Yvie pointedly shaded her back when Alyssa Edwards showed up to choreograph a line dance for the farm-to-runway challenge. The bad blood spilled over into “Untucked,” where, after a charged exchange, Yvie insinuated that Silky had no talent. This erupted into an every-queen-for-herself shouting match that got heated enough for Brooke Lynn to build a protective cushion fort to hide in. As of the Snatch Game, Yvie has taken the initiative to apologize, but Silky has remained wary, expressing unbridled glee when Yvie landed in the bottom two. Interwoven between these larger arcs have been a number of smaller narratives, such as Mercedes’ experience as an immigrant and the show’s first Muslim contestant. Plastique has opened up about her Vietnamese family’s unfamiliarity with drag and the difficulties she has gone through trying to hide it from them. Plastique’s openness even earned her a warm hug from the notoriously icy RuPaul, who in that moment may as well have written “I’d like another Emmy, please” on his forehead. Season 11’s greatest strength has been in variety. It features the most queens in the show’s history, yet it has not attempted to place them into camps like season five’s pageant vs. comedy enmity or season seven’s veterans vs. newcomers friction. Instead, a more organic storyline has played out on season 11; it now showcases a set of eight über-polished queens who, as any people are wont to do, have acted, spoken and thought in different ways at different times for different reasons. The result has been wildly entertaining, and the producers should take note: this is how “Drag Race” should be done in its mainstream era.
‘Long Shot’
he Movie: “Long Shot” The Year: 2017 (technically 2003) The People: Juan Catalan as himself, a man accused of murder; Alma Oseguera as herself, Juan’s girlfriend; Melissa Catalan as herself, Juan’s young daughter; Todd Melnik as himself, Juan’s criminal defense attorney; Larry David as himself, the star of the show that was being filmed at Dodger Stadium the night of the murder; and Sam Fernandez as himself, General Counsel to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The (Kinda) Non-Revealing Plot: Juan Catalan was accused of murdering a young woman on May 12, 2003. He maintained his innocence throughout the many hearings and interrogations he went through. With all the people who had helped attorney Todd Melnik exonerate Juan present (yes, I ruined the fact that he got exonerated — don’t watch this if that’s all you care to find out about), this documentary captures many of the perspectives of the night of the murder and legal battle that changed Juan’s life forever. Notably, however, none of the prosecutors or detectives on this case agreed to be interviewed for the documentary. Unofficial Genre: The film is a crime mini-documentary, plain and simple. My Opinion (Emotional): This story floored me. From the first footage of Juan in court, I could see the fear and worry in his eyes. That theme ran throughout the entire 40 minutes. One gut-wrenching example of this is when Juan’s daughter testifies in front of him as a witness. As she slowly responds to a lawyer’s line of questioning, the camera pans to Juan, red in the face and crying. In retrospect it’s easy to say I immediately sympathized with Juan because, as a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2000–) fan, I had read about this case many times and knew its outcome. But the point of the documentary is not about finding the result; it’s to reflect on life, chance, the sacredness of each moment and the actions one takes in life. The last interview shows Sam Fernandez, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ general counsel, whose role is relatively small in the documentary. However, his words are profound. He says that it’s dangerous to “go around viewing life from the ‘What if?’ perspective,” and that every moment could become a “What if?” moment. It’s an interesting perspective that highlights the importance of every moment as well as the danger of dwelling on hypotheticals, especially when things do work out — like they did for Juan. My Opinion (Technical): Not much to say here — the documentary style went by the books. I will say that the reveal of proof for Juan’s alibi stood out in particular. For almost 20 minutes, the frantic search to prove his alibi leads nowhere. Then, in a desperate attempt, Juan’s attorney sees him at the game in a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” scene and just like that, Juan’s misfortunes are completely reversed. A clear shot of Juan at the end of the frantic build-up made my jaw drop. Overall Rating: Due to its incredible story, interesting moral and great build-up and release of tension, I’d give this film a 8.5/10. I took some points off only because it played it safe with its stylistic choices. If You Like This, You’ll Also Like: “Three Identical Strangers” (2018). Tuna Margalit is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Tuna can be reached at yonatan.margalit@tufts.edu.
THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Allison Morgenstern Making my (Den)mark
I
April Break
just spent the past several days exploring Greece, both Athens and Santorini. Luckily, my program gives us an additional mini-break in April for the Easter holiday, so I was able to squeeze one more trip into my abroad time without feeling like I missed too much of Copenhagen’s spring weather. And like Tufts’ spring break, this vacation came at a perfect time; I was in need of a quick getaway from school assignments. For my last trip abroad, I met up with a friend who is currently studying abroad in Athens. I was a little stressed about making the trek down to Athens by myself, especially because all my trips have been with friends or with my class. I even had a friend on my flight to Copenhagen at the beginning of the semester. Even though I didn’t actually do a ‘solo trip’ in Greece, it did force me to navigate different airports, public transportation and hotels by myself. By the time I left my hotel in Athens to catch my return flight to Copenhagen, I felt comfortable enough to stay a few more days by myself. Not only was this trip worth it because I got to see my best friend, it also made me feel a little more confident in my own travel skills. If you had asked me at the beginning of the semester if I could travel on my own for a weekend, I would have said no immediately. Now, I feel like I could potentially go somewhere alone and really enjoy myself without stressing too much. I’ll add that to my bucket list. Anyways, I would say that Santorini has jumped to first place in my rankings of abroad trips. While Finland and Amsterdam are at a close second and third, Santorini really cannot be beat. The weather was perfect — sunny, a little windy, but much warmer than Copenhagen and less rainy than Athens. Additionally, I still can’t get over how beautiful the island is. Greece has always seemed like a made-up place to me — probably because I was obsessed with the Percy Jackson books in middle school. Oh, and the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005, 2008) movies, of course. I finally got my chance to sketch the beautiful white and blue buildings, just like in the movie, and the rest of Santorini really lived up to the hype. I’d say the most memorable parts, besides getting to experience this new place with great people, were the sunsets. On both nights of our stay, we took a bus out to where many people go to watch the sun go down. We were not disappointed. Even though we had to wear three layers of jackets and sweaters, both nights were really special. The sunsets were so beautiful, they looked fake. I still can’t believe I was actually there. I had an amazing time in Greece, but I am excited to have the next three weeks to enjoy my time in Copenhagen before I head back to the States.
Lizzo’s ‘Cuz I Love You’ blends musical genres, preaches self-love
VIA GENIUS.COM.
The album cover of Lizzo’s ‘Cuz I Love You’ (2019) is pictured. by Geoff Tobia Jr. Staff Writer
This past Friday, Lizzo released her third studio album, titled “Cuz I Love You” (2019), through Nice Life and Atlantic Records. Blending pop, hip-hop and funk together, Lizzo brings a fresh energy that music fans desperately needed. Lyrically, she brings wit and radiant energy on a level that many of her counterparts fail to provide. “Cuz I Love You” is a project that pop, R&B and hip-hop fans will not want to let slip by. The album starts with title track “Cuz I Love You,” an X-Ambassadors assisted ballad that showcases Lizzo’s passionate voice. Delivering an energetic flow with audacious lyrics makes for an excellent buildup to the hook, where Lizzo cries out “I’m cryin’, cuz I love you.” The production
from X-Ambassadors gives the track more substance, adding a horn section and electric guitar to immediately follow her hook. One of the most empowering songs on the project is “Like A Girl.” Epic bassheavy synths over a trap beat perfectly match Lizzo’s bold and to-the-point lyrics. Not a single ounce of passion is wasted in her songwriting, name-dropping successful women such as Serena Williams and Chaka Khan. Immediately following is “Juice,” one of the record’s lead singles. An evidently funk-influenced collection of guitars, bass, and drums serves as the most prominent element of this track. Nevertheless, Lizzo’s presence anchors the song, as it does for the good majority of this project. The album’s instrumentally low moments coincide with the album’s most lyrically powerful moments. On
Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires. SMOKEYBEAR.COM
“Soulmate,” Lizzo sings about her unstoppable self-confidence and shows how easy it is to love yourself, despite what other people think or do. “Jerome” tells the tale of a previous love interest that she regrets and lets other boys know her standards. In contrast, “Cry Baby” shows some of her insecurities about being in love. “Tempo” is easily one of the most hype songs of 2019 thus far. Assisted by rap legend Missy Elliott, this hip-hop cut has some of Lizzo’s best bars, featuring an entire verse of cake metaphors. Missy Elliott complements the eerie yet hypnotizing beat very well, delivering a flex-filled verse that matches Lizzo’s spark. Another guest feature contribution from Gucci Mane enhances the extremely funky “Exactly How I Feel.” In an interview with Apple Music, Lizzo describes “Better In Color” better than any reviewer could. “This is the nerdiest song I have ever written, for real. But I love it so much. I wanted to talk about love, attraction and sex without talking about the boxes we put those things in — who we feel like we’re allowed to be in love with, you know? ” The final two cuts on this project, “Heaven Help Me” and “Lingerie” are more ballad-like, R&B-influenced closing songs. All in all, “Cuz I Love You” does more than enough in 33 minutes to prove to listeners that Lizzo’s name is one to remember. Lizzo shows beyond a doubt that she is a multifaceted performer: singing, rapping and crooning equally well. While the project lacks quality on occasion, Lizzo’s outstanding presence on every song shows a promising future. Each song from “Cuz I Love You” has its own identity and offers a taste of different genres each time. “Cuz I Love You” delivers an important message that we still struggle with in today’s society: Love yourself. People are different in their own, beautiful ways, and gender, race, body type or sexuality should not get in the way of anyone wanting to express themselves. As shown by the striking album cover art, Lizzo has no problem showing the world that she’s proud of being herself. Through this album, Lizzo wants to show everyone that self-love and getting rid of negativity that stems from self-hate are the easiest steps to start loving life.
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Allie Morgenstern is a columnist for the Tufts Daily. She is a junior studying Child Study and Human Development and can be reached at allison.morgenstern@tufts.edu.
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Tuesday, April 23, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY
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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY David: “Don’t go to college, become a smalltime drug dealer.”
SUDOKU
LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY
Taurus (April 20–May 20)
Preparation saves time and money. Research provides value. Find a hidden treasure as you plot your itinerary. Good news comes from far away.
Difficulty Level: Having 4 exams on one day.
Monday’s Solutions
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Noah Mills Spaceship Earth
Earth Day, nearly 50 years later
A
lthough every day should be treated like it is Earth Day, the day we have officially designated to celebrate this space rock we all live on is now upon us. As we all take an extra bit of time to make sure we are doing the best we can for our planet and thinking about plugging into groups working to fight for the planet year-round, it is important to look at Earth Day’s origins to see what we can learn from past environmental struggles. The fight against climate change is by no means a new one, and people have been protesting dirty water and air for over 50 years. A notable figure in this movement was a Wisconsin senator named Gaylord Nelson. Motivated by FDR’s New Deal policies and a passion for the natural world, he worked to introduce congressional legislation to create jobs in conservation and improve education, infrastructure and healthcare programs. He helped to create the nationally recognized Earth Day after being inspired by anti-Vietnam style teach-ins. The effects were massive, and he was key in making climate change and conservation a national priority. Nowadays, many groups are once again working to fight climate change and are attempting to create a global dialogue about the issue. Around the world, a group by the name of Extinction Rebellion has occupied spaces, demanding that the severity of climate change is recognized and solutions begin to get drafted in government. Domestically, the Sunrise Movement has been working on a Green New Deal that will comprehensively tackle climate change along with problems of unemployment, healthcare and infrastructure. These movements have both done a lot to get people talking about climate change and helped to form dialogues about a need for action; however, we must also analyze the means by which the Sunrise Movement and related groups hope to go about solving this problem. Both Extinction Rebellion and the Sunrise Movement are attempting to use electoral politics to solve the problems of climate change. Their power stems from uniting people and their votes as a means of gaining political power over politicians. This can create change and will likely lead to some progress in the coming years. However, one must still be skeptical of whether the roots of the problem will be solved in this way. Regulations can do a lot of good, but they will never fully tackle the desire of CEOs and shareholders to profit by any means possible. They will never stop these people’s ability to corrupt politicians with their influence and wealth. Since politics are so susceptible to manipulation by those they are trying to regulate, a new path needs to be taken. Instead of attempting to change the rules, perhaps the companies themselves should be fundamentally changed. A company run by its workers is a company run by the ethics of its workers. Although a shareholder may place profits over the environment, a democratic group of workers would prioritize protecting the environment they and their families live in. Environmental groups must look at this path if they want to create lasting change, and, on this Earth Day, they should have a conversation about exploitation of workers and the environment, as the two go hand-in-hand. Noah Mills is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Noah can be reached at noah.mills@tufts.edu.
Opinion
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
EDITORIAL
First-years should have the option to choose roommates The Class of 2022 is the first class of students mandated to be randomly assigned roommates in their first year. The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) changed their roommate selection policies last year, hoping to group first-years of disparate identities and thus “broaden their horizons.” The policy takes the pressure off of incoming students to find a roommate on social media and deters students from gravitating toward students from similar backgrounds. It theoretically fosters diversity, as first-years are paired up with students from different cultures, religions and interests. According to data provided by Director of ResLife Joshua Hartman to the Daily in an email, there were only 11 roommate switches related to roommate issues in the fall semester of 2018. While the randomized rooming policy has worked for many, we believe ResLife should continue to offer an option for firstyears who wish to choose roommates. While this data demonstrates high retention among random roommates, the policy change might not have benefitted all students. For some, random roommate assignments are a major source of discomfort and stress. Students with mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression,
for example, may feel more comfortable living with someone that they know and trust. Students prone to high stress may need similar accommodations. While the roommate survey attempts to bring together students with similar living and studying patterns, the ambiguity of some of the questions preserves the probability that randomized roommates will end up having very different social and academic lifestyles, which could cause conflict. It is important to note that, while there seemed to be a relatively low amount of first-year roommate changes recorded from fall 2018, some roommate changes are unofficial and are not reported to ResLife. In addition, these statistics do not account for the many first-years who were very unhappy with their living situations but decided that it would be too stressful or awkward to ask for help or request a roommate change. Roommates are highly determinative of the quality of the firstyear experience. First-years should have the option to pick the person they will live with for the entire year. Additionally, the shortage of on-campus housing for Tufts students has thrust many students into forced doubles or triples, worsening standards of comfort and cohesion in dormitories. The lack of indepen-
dent spaces on campus to study or find privacy can further contribute to first-year discomfort when they are at odds with their roommates. Getting rid of randomized rooming would not necessarily fix these problems, and ResLife should continue to revise the process. If a first-year is particularly uncomfortable with being randomly matched, they should have the option to choose their roommate. Additionally, the rooming survey should include more detailed questions about social, living and academic habits as well as room for describing interests and passions. ResLife could administer a pre-survey for next year’s class, in which Class of 2022 students could give feedback on their first-year roommate experiences and suggest what questions future firstyears could be asked. It is crucial that ResLife ensures that students are adequately matched up based on the criteria they provided in the survey. Taking this choice away from students is unfair. There are plenty of other institution-wide changes that can be made to foster growth and diversity among students, and forcing all first-years to be matched up with strangers is not the best way to do that.
The “It’s Not Like I’m Drunk” Cocktail 2 oz. tequila 1 oz. triple sec 1/2 ounce lime juice Salt 1 too many 1 automobile 1 missed red light 1 false sense of security 1 lowered reaction time Combine ingredients. Shake. Have another. And another.
Never underestimate ‘just a few.’ Buzzed driving is drunk driving.
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
Tuesday, April 23, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY
Women's Track and Field wrap up regular season with home win WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
continued from page 8 The previous weekend, Tufts traveled to Conn. College to compete in the Silfen Invitational. The team competed on both Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. Friday mainly featured distance events, and participants had to reach a qualifying mark in order to participate. Tierney and Toth, the team’s two nationals athletes for the indoor season, both achieved PRs on Friday. While the 1,500-meter race isn’t Tierney’s main event, she participated in the 1,500meter to face top-level competition at Silfen. Tierney placed fifth out of 76 competitors with a time of 4:37.44, despite having to make adjustments to adapt to the pace of the race. “I’m happy with the result, but was hoping to go a little faster,” Tierney said of her career-best 1,500 performance. “I’m hoping to have an opportunity to improve my time later in the season”. In an exciting race, Toth won the 800meter event with a time of 2:14.79, giving her the 16th-best time in the nation. “I was pretty excited. I’d been wanting to break 2:15 since high school,” Toth said. “It felt pretty good to do that.” Another notable performance came from first-year Danielle Page, who had an huge PR in her first 5k meter race of the outdoor season. Page led Tufts in the race, with her 17:46.53 performance putting her at a No. 46 national mark.
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Sam Weidner Weidner's Words
Tiger back on top
T
MADELEINE OLIVER / TUFTS TRACK AND FIELD
Senior co-captain Kelsey Tierney runs in the 10k race and places sixth at the NESCAC Championship at Trinity College on April 28, 2018. Next weekend, the Jumbos travel to Middlebury to compete in the NESCAC Championships. The team’s goal is to
place in the top two or three and get as many Jumbos qualified for the Div. III New England Championships as possible.
his past week Tiger Woods completed the comeback that so many had been awaiting for so long. His win at the 2019 Masters Tournament marks his 15th major win and his first one since 2008. He became the oldest player to win the Masters since Jack Nicklaus’ last Masters win in 1986. After having been written off by so many, the win marked a major moment in golfing history and excited a group of fans who had been turned away from the sport for so long. Tiger’s career since his last win in 2008 has been filled with controversy. Beyond a slate of injuries, most remember the morning in November of 2009 when news headlines read that Tiger Woods had been in a car crash after being chased out of his house by his wife. She had found out he was cheating on her after looking through his phone at 3 a.m. when Woods was knocked out on Ambien. To make the story even better, all of this happened on Thanksgiving night! More recently, Woods was arrested on drunk driving charges, leading to a mugshot taken in Jupiter, Fla. at 3 a.m. that barely even looks like the Woods one would remember wearing the green jacket in 2005. It seemed like the only news that you heard about him was with regard to some new scandal and not about any level of golf success. It made countless sports pundits tell him to announce his retirement and save some amount of his dignity, while he still could. The story was that he wouldn’t be able to reach his peak ever again. It even led to the now-viral video where Woods was filmed watching a slew of clips of people saying that his career is finished, that he will never return to his top form again, all while sitting back and smiling. He seemed to be the only person who actually knew that the story was about to flip. Despite these controversies, Woods is back on top again. It is important not to forget about his past, but Woods should be remembered now for being one of the greatest golfers and winners to ever do it. The two memories of his legacy aren’t mutually exclusive and don’t have to be, but both are a part of the journey of ups and downs that shaped his career. He has won the second most majors of all time; he is the only player to have won all four professional major championships in a row; he has amassed the most career earnings of any player in PGA tour history; and he has spent the most time of any golfer ever atop the world rankings. People will probably never forget the leaked text messages between Woods and one of the women with whom he cheated on his wife, but if this is the last win he gets, he has ended on a high note.
Sam Weidner is a junior studying mathematics. Sam can be reached at samuel. weidner@tufts.edu.
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Sports
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Jumbos start off their long road stretch strong with win over Colby
EVAN SLACK / THE TUFTS DAILY
First-year Aidan Tucker throws a curveball during Tufts' 24–6 win over Mass. Maritime on March 27. by Jacob Dreyer Staff Writer
The Tufts baseball team started off its 12-game-long road trip on April 19 strong, as it secured a 4–1 win over Colby. It was the team’s fifth win in a row and they are now 20–5 overall with an impressive 6–1 conference record on the season. The Jumbos started off the scoring in the game in the top of the second inning on an RBI sacrifice fly by senior infielder and co-captain Will Shackelford to score junior outfielder JP Knight. The Jumbos did not hold the lead for long, however, as the Mules countered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the second inning. The Mules’ sophomore catcher Ryan Hecht scored on an RBI groundout to tie the ballgame at one at the end of two innings. The Jumbos quickly regained the lead with one run of their own in the top of the third inning, and they didn’t give up the for the rest of the game. First-year infielder Peter DeMaria broke the tie in the third
on an RBI double to score in senior outfielder Casey Santos-Ocampo and give the Jumbos a 2–1 lead. Senior catcher and co-captain Harrison Frickman extended the lead for the Jumbos to 3–1 in the fifth inning on an RBI single, scoring in DeMaria. In the sixth inning, DeMaria produced again, ripping an RBI double to score junior outfielder Justin Mills to put the Jumbos up 4–1. Starting first-year pitcher Aidan Tucker pitched masterfully in his fifth win of the season. He threw a complete game, only giving up the one run and four hits while striking out two Mules. Tucker spoke about why this game was special for him. “There were a couple of innings in a row where they had guys on base and they didn’t score early in the game,” Tucker said. “I think after the fifth inning was where I realized I had the shot to go the distance, and I knew that I wanted to.” He also spoke about those who have helped him start off so strong in his first year.
“I think just great coaching [has helped a lot],” Tucker said, reflecting on his 11th appearance of the season. “I have learned a lot since I got here. I have just taken in a lot that the coaches are saying and starting to actually put it to use and it’s really working out well for me. Coach always says down and hard with the fastball and I think that has been the key. I also picked up a new pitch from one of the older guys on the team, Spencer Langdon, which has really been effective for me the past couple of weeks.” Older pitchers on the team have also been essential to Tucker’s success this season. His performance on Friday was his first game where he lasted all nine innings. “They have helped a ton. Even just learning physical things like that pitch. The mental part has been a huge part. Freshman coming in, kind of nervous, don’t know what to expect, they really helped settle me down after a little bit of a tough start and help me get going a little bit better since then,” Tucker said.
Mills spoke how this win was the perfect example of how Tufts baseball has played all season. “We are just trying to go day-byday, playing well … The rest will take care of itself,” Mills said. “We are not particularly focused on winning, but we are … trying to come out every day and play our game and play the way that we want to play. It was nice to get that win.” He also spoke about the elements of Tufts baseball that have lead to their early success. “[It’s a] gritty style of play,” Mills said. “We are not trying to be … [heroes]. It’s team baseball. Everybody knows their job.” Tufts was supposed to continue its road trip with a doubleheader against Colby on April 20. However, those two games were postponed, so the Jumbos will look to extend their five-game winning streak on April 23 away against the Suffolk Rams.
Women’s track and field looks toward championship season by Helen Thomas-McLean Assistant Sports Editor
The Jumbos hosted the Sunshine Classic last Saturday, taking first place overall in what was the last meet of the regular season. Tufts amassed an impressive 305 points over the course of the day, distancing themselves from runner-up Plymouth State by 181 points. The team didn’t let the rainy conditions interfere with its performance, as multiple Jumbos achieved PRs and season-bests in spite of the unpredictable weather. With championship season right around the corner, the team had to weigh the benefits of having runners compete in the rain. “We rested a lot of people because it was the week before the start of champi-
onship season, and we didn’t want to risk anyone slipping,” senior co-captain Kelsey Tierney said. Despite the complications of competing in the wind and rain, junior Rhemi Toth believed that the team competed to the best of their ability. “I think everyone handled the weather well, and didn’t let it get in the way of competing,” Toth said. Tierney believes that the wind worked to the advantage of some events — the sprints in particular. “The wind really helped a lot of the performances, even though it kept some people on the bench,” Tierney explained. Tufts excelled in the track events, claiming victories in the 100-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter races, as well as in the
3000-meter steeplechase and the 4×100meter relay. Junior Alina Strileckis finished first in the 100-meter dash with a career-best time of 12.73. First-year Tara Lowensohn impressed in the 800-meter, coming in first place with a career-best 2:17.96. Senior Julia Noble finished first in the 1,500-meter, setting a personal record with a 4:50.86 time. The relay team of sophomore Olivia Schwern, junior Raquel Whiting, senior Kylene DeSmith and Strileckis won the 4×100meter relay in 50.09 seconds, a season-best time for the group. In the 3000-meter steeplechase, first-year Lucy Tumavicus won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 12:37.18, which is her career-best performance in the 3,000meter steeplechase event.
In the field events, Tufts won another five events, scoring victories in the high jump, pole vault, triple jump, hammer throw and javelin. Sophomore Jacqueline Kirk set a personal record in the high jump, reaching a height of 1.61-meters. In the pole vault, senior Sydney Ladner hit a PR at a height of 3.28m, winning the event. In the triple jump, first-year Kathryn Ezeoha won the triple jump with a leap of 10.95 m, good for Tufts’ best triple jump performance of the outdoor season. Representing Tufts in the throws, senior co-captain Evelyn Drake won the hammer throw with a 45.01-meter hurl. In the javelin, junior Erin Logee came in first with a 31.07-meter throw.
see WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD, page 7