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friday, january 30, 2015

VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 9

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Tufts alum reflects on TMC experience

by Aaron Pomerance Contributing Writer

Nicholas Pfosi / The Tufts Daily

Tufts AEPi is currently headquartered at 145 Sawyer Ave., Medford MA.

Alpha Epsilon Pi disaffiliates from national organization

by Nina Goldman News Editor

The Tufts chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) has voted to disaffiliate from its national organization due to a difference of opinion, the brothers wrote in a statement.

“Our long-term goals do not align with those of our national organization,” the brothers wrote in an open letter emailed to the Daily.

The chapter, which was founded on Tufts campus in 1940, voted unanimously to disaffiliate and brought the decision to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life yesterday, according to Director of

Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Su McGlone.

“The fraternity came forward as a whole,” she said.

McGlone said the university stands by the former AEPi brothers as they make this transition.

“They’ve decided to cut ties with the national organization,” McGlone said. “The university supports their right to affiliate as an independent organization.”

A Tufts chapter disaffiliating from a national fraternity is not unprecedented, according to McGlone.

“ATO had a similar situation,” she said. In 1974, the fraternity separated from the national Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) organization in order to accept both men and women,

according to the ATO of Massachusetts website.

The former brothers of AEPi can continue to live on campus, because the house they occupy is owned by the university, according to McGlone. They plan to transition to either an independent social organization or a chapter of a different national fraternity, according to their announcement.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what they decide to do. They have a lot of options,” McGlone said. “I really don’t know how it’s going to pan out.”

This is a breaking news story that the Daily will continue to update as information becomes available.

Leading a group of current Tufts Mountain Club members, John “Whitey” White is ice climbing at Flume Gorge, at the southern end of Franconia Ridge.

The ice is fairly wet today on account of the warmer weather. The group climbs all day, Whitey always there to give someone a belay or show up the younger crowd with his footwork and unquenchable desire to climb again and again and again. He’s eager to give beta—or climbing tips— to students as they ascend the ice pillars that have formed alongside the frozen river on which they were standing.

Whitey never gives up on the climbers; he’s always encouraging, pushing them to keep going.

After a full day of climbing, Whitey treats everyone to a meal at the Woodstock Inn, a common stomping ground for TMC members after a trip. Members joke around as he tells them stories of his days as a Tufts student, his pumpkin-ing escapades and other pranks he has pulled. He reminisces about a “Kids Day” event at school, for which members of the Mountain Club were actually approved to climb buildings.

“We would help kids rappel down what is now Barnum,” he said.

Today, White, now 66, is a Tufts Mountain Club legend.

TMC newcomers often come to the Loj for the first time to find him hanging out in the kitchen, an older man hanging out with a few upperclassmen.

It’s an odd sight: someone that could be someone’s grandfather, talking with current TMC members.

Whitey was born in Northern Maine. The oldest of two boys, he was an active child. He and his brother were very different growing up; Whitey, a mechanic since college, explains that his brother is now a professor at Boston University teaching civics.

Whitey has three daughters, ages 37, 31 and 30, respectively. His oldest daughter lives right by his current home in Newburyport, Mass., and his middle child, Liz, is working as a research scientist out in California. His youngest daughter, Abigail, is a doctor of physical therapy.

Since retiring this past Labor Day (a coincidence that makes him very proud), Whitey has hiked 35 of the 48 mountains over 4,000 feet in New Hampshire, dubbed the “4,000 Footers” — a challenge that many New England outdoorsmen and women take upon themselves.

Whitey said that his interest in the outdoors today doesn’t come necessarily from his childhood, but rather from the Mountain Club.

“Hiking [for me] was a Mountain Club thing,” Whitey said.

He said that his outdoor adventures in the White Mountain National Forest began with “bunny climbs” — which he quickly added was a completely politically correct phrase at the time — in the 1960s, notably Lonesome Lake and Mt. Hale. When he first see WHITEY, page 2

SMFA seeks accreditation, strengthens relations with Tufts

by Emma Steiner Daily Staff Writer

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) is seeking accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), according to SMFA Dean and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Sarah McKinnon.

The accreditation and selfstudy process began in July 2010, when the Museum of Fine Arts Board of Trustees hired Christopher Bratton to be president of the SMFA, Nancy Bauer, dean of academic affairs for Arts and Sciences at Tufts, said.

The SMFA, Tufts’ partner in visual and studio arts, is currently unable to grant degrees independently because of its unaccredited status. In order to issue bachelors and masters degrees, the SMFA must go

through Tufts, Bauer said.

“A degree that is not accredited by an accrediting body is not worth very much,” Bauer explained. “Because the SMFA has never had its degrees accredited independently, all of its degrees are accredited through Tufts. We actually grant the degrees to SMFA students on behalf of Tufts.”

The SMFA plans to finish the accreditation process by 2020, Bauer said. In the meantime, she said, Tufts and the SMFA are working out the details of their future relationship.

“What we have been in conversation about with SMFA during this whole process is how we can strengthen education on both of our campuses,” Bauer said. Part of that process involves making changes on see SMFA, page 2

Courtesy The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The SMFA seeks to become an accredited institution by 2020.

Inside this issue

Today’s sections

Title Fight is reminiscent of ’90s grunge while still managing to be innovative.

The former members of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity share an open letter about their decision to disaffiliate.

see ARTS, page 3

see OPINION, page 5

News 1 Arts & Living 3

Op-Ed 5 Sports Back

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The Tufts Daily

THE TUFTS DAILY Drew Z. Robertson Editor-in-Chief

Editorial

Jacob Indursky Reena Karasin Managing Editors

Audrey Michael Executive News Editor Daniel Bottino News Editors Jenna Buckle Shana Friedman Nina Goldman Stephanie Haven Alexa Horwitz Patrick McGrath Justin Rheingold Kathleen Schmidt Jei-Jei-Tan Denali Tietjen Melissa Wang Meagan Adler Assistant News Editor Marianna Athanassiou Melissa Kain Arin Kerstein Eeman Malik Safiya Nanji Sophie Lehrenbaum Aaron Pomerance Emma Steiner Gabriella Zoia Jake Taber Executive Features Editor Maya Blackstone Features Editors Sophie Dasinger Hannah Fingerhut Jess Mow Mengqi Sun Shannon Vavra Nicole Brooks Greta Jochem Assistant Features Editors Arin Kerstein Becca Leibowitz Yuki Zaninovich Nika Korchok Executive Arts Editor Dana Guth Arts Editors Grace Segers Anjali Nair Assistant Arts Editors Joshua Podolsky Jennifer Straitz Ross Dember Executive Sports Editor Marcus Budline Sports Editors Alex Connors Wil Glavin Sam Gold Steven Hefter Alison Kuah Tyler Maher Jorge Monroy-Palacio Alex Schroeder Maclyn Senear Chris Warren Ray Paul Biron Assistant Sports Editors Phillip Goldberg Josh Slavin Scott Geldzahler Executive Op-Ed Editor Ray Bernoff Susan Kaufman Olivia Montgomory Ruchira Parikh Keran Chen Cartoonists Ty Enos Jennifer Lien Hannah Hoang Editorialists Katie Matejcak Natasha Khwaja Bailey Werner Nicholas Pfosi Evan Sayles Caroline Ambros Sofie Hecht

Executive Photo Editor Photo Administrator Picture Tufts Editor Section Liaison

Blair Nodelman Executive Jumbo Beat Editor Rachel Sheldon Senior Jumbo Beat Editor Aastha Chadha Jumbo Beat Editors Ethan Chan Jade Chan Kristie Le Tanay Modi Nimarta Narang Grace Segers

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BUSINESS

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Friday, January 30, 2015

News

Tufts Chabad sees record number in attendance for Shabbat dinner The Rohr Chabad House at Tufts set a record for the number of people in attendance at its Friday night Shabbat dinner last week, with over 120 attendees.

Chabad Co-president Scott Halperin explained that the high turnout was a result of “easy advertising,” noting the event’s enticing sushi theme.

“The sushi theme [is] a tradition for the first Shabbat of the semester,” he said.

Rabbi Tzvi Backman, who runs the Chabad at Tufts along with his wife, Chanie Backman, and their student board, said that the sushi theme “creates a bit of a hook.”

“Sushi always helps [bring people to the Chabad],” Mrs. Backman said.

“There were a lot of different populations of students present.”

Halperin, a sophomore, said he looks to continue high turnout throughout this semester, as the organization provides classes on Jewish philosophy, kosher dinners on Monday nights and Shabbat dinner every Friday night. Halperin added that Chabad will also sponsor a bone marrow drive this semester.

Rabbi Backman attributed the popularity of Chabad to an active student board.

“The group of students that represent our board embody the message of Chabad,” Mrs. Backman added.

Halperin said he views the Chabad “as the Jewish home for anyone who is looking to be more affiliated with Judaism.”

“It is open-minded and has a homey feel,” he said. “It adds diversity; it provides a second Jewish organization with slightly

more religious background. It is important to see different mindsets of sorts.”

Rabbi Backman also underscored the important role that Chabad plays for students at Tufts.

“People come back to school and continue the Judaism that they bring from home,” he said. “Chabad is an easy outlet for that … [It] makes Judaism accessible, meaningful and enjoyable for the Jewish community [at Tufts].” He added that both Jewish and non-Jewish students who have experienced a Friday night dinner “have come and made it a meaningful experience.”

—by Aaron Pomerance

Tufts, SMFA seek to strengthen resources for artists

SMFA

continued from page 1

both campuses, she explained.

In the past, liberal arts professors teaching at the SMFA were contracted

by Tufts, Bauer said. As part of its effort to become independent, however, the SMFA decided to hire its own faculty.

According to Bauer, Tufts gave its employees teaching at the SMFA a year’s notice that they would no longer be employed by Tufts after September 2014. The SMFA then immediately offered the same professors contracts to teach at the Museum School, she said.

Despite the changes, students will continue to be able to pursue a dual degree from both schools, McKinnon said. Currently, Tufts issues both the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and the

Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees to students in the program; after the SMFA is fully accredited, they will issue the BFA degrees and Tufts will grant the BA degrees, McKinnon explained.

Bauer and McKinnon have been working closely to keep the relationship between the two schools strong and coordinate efforts, Bauer said.

She emphasized that it was the SMFA who began the initiative to receive accreditation and that Tufts responded positively to the opportunity to improve its connection to the arts.

“What this has done, in effect, is to take what was a relationship between the two schools, that had just been kind of drifting and floating along, and caused everybody to take a close look at it,” Bauer said. “So I think what students are going to experience is a redoubled commitment to the arts as

something we want our students to be able to have, the best possible studio art education.”

The next step includes infrastructural improvements for students pursuing dual degrees, Bauer said. It can be difficult for students to travel between Medford and downtown Boston, so Tufts is examining how to transport students back and forth more efficiently, she said.

Tufts is also working to improve options for aspiring artists on its own Medford/Somerville campus, including adding a film and media studies program and providing better studios.

“One thing we are doing is actively looking for better studio art space on our campus,” Bauer said. “Those poor studio artists are stuck in the back of Lane Hall, and they desperately need more space.”

White, passionate outdoorsman, developed hobby in TMC WHITEY

continued from page 1

got involved in the club, he explained nostalgically, TMC was a “social club rather than something athletic.”

Whitey didn’t come to the Loj, which at the time was the second A-Frame (the current building is the Loj’s fifth iteration), until 1967, his sophomore year at Tufts.

During Whitey’s first trip, he joined a friend of his on a dune buggy as they cruised up to New Hampshire. After running out of gas — the buggy didn’t have a gas gauge — they arrived. What he came upon was what he described as a “pretty rustic” Loj. The A-Frame had no insulation, and members huddled around a wood-burning stove in the center of the big room. “[ We] were really forced into a tight group; there were no corners in the A-Frame,” Whitey said.

He said that the Loj embodied the spirit and culture of the club at the time. Tasks, such as cleaning and meal times, were completed with “military precision.” People constantly went on trips, since they would otherwise freeze sitting around in the Loj all day.

At night, Whitey recounted sitting on rudimentary wooden benches around the fire, people sitting as close as they could to stay warm. Everyone would give each other back rubs, primarily to keep the blood flow going. “[Back rubs] seem kind of strange, but it was what you did to stay warm,” he said.

Nowadays, according to Whitey, you can find plenty of sections in the Loj books — a primary documentation of different stories written down by TMCers over the years — from the days of the A-Frame that begin with “You know it’s cold when…”

Whitey also had countless stories of adventures canoeing or kayaking down the Pemigewasset River, or of Tom Hanover, another alum, leading spelunking trips in the New Hampshire area.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY 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. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

“Wherever there was fun to be had, we were there,” Whitey says.

Whitey said that while the club was as accepting as it is today, it also operated fairly independently from the university.

“The Mountain Club was very autonomous,” he said. “There was very little affiliation with the school.”

He went into detail about how he and other members of TMC provided much, if not all, of the maintenance for the third Loj, known as the Farmhouse — a former petting zoo and barn. Whitey talked about the “work weekends” that they, the members of the club, took to fix up the Loj and keep it running efficiently.

“That would’ve horrified the university,” Whitey said.

According to Whitey, they laid in a rudimentary stone road and cut down trees with handsaws and axes to clear an area, so they could, of course, play soccer.

The result, Whitey said, was “kind of like a spa.” He pointed to the third Loj as a turning point for the club’s culture; in the A-Frame, people were outdoors all of the time. “You had to do something,” he said.

In the farmhouse, however, he says “You didn’t have to go out.” More students were coming up simply to lounge around all weekend. People would stay up late and play bridge and rock music.

“It was self-serving then,” he said.

When asked how the club has changed since his day, Whitey mentioned the gear that TMC owns.

“I’m impressed that you are a lot more technical,” he said.

When Whitey was a student, the club wasn’t as accessible because it lacked the equipment that TMC boasts today. He also commented on the way in which today’s TMC reaches out to new members.

“We didn’t go out of our way to recruit people,” Whitey said. “[TMC today provides] a great opportunity … The Mountain Club is performing a service

by showing people the outdoors.”

Whitey says that it is imperative that people in TMC “get out and do it.”

Even today, he lives by those words, continuing to explore the outdoors in new ways.

He said that Tufts alum and TMC member Jeff Longcor — or, as many know him, J-Lo — got him into ice climbing only recently, when he attended VICEfest, a huge ice climbing festival J-Lo founded a few years ago. The day after the festival, he said that he went to Lahouts, a big outdoor sporting goods store a few miles from the Loj, and bought all the ice climbing gear he could.

Whitey has also picked up snowboarding, taking advantage of the senior midweek discount at some of the local New Hampshire ski resorts.

On weekends, Whitey spends time at an alumni Loj that was built by many Tufts’ alums from the 1970s. He proudly declared that these folks are “hardcore, the A-Frame members.” These TMCers looked for a property in which they could enjoy the beauty of New Hampshire and all that they had experienced as Tufts students without infringing upon the current TMC members.

According to Whitey, they found a 70-acre property in Rumney, New Hampshire. They cleared the area, cutting down trees and other debris.

He said that after they brought in a contractor to put in the foundation, the members took it upon themselves to build the alumni Loj; they finished the process in four days.

“And,” he added, “It had to have a dance floor.”

Whitey is still itching for the next voyage, the next opportunity to discover something amazing about the outdoors, and subsequently about himself.

“I have to keep moving before I seize up,” Whitey says. *The author of this article is a member of TMC.

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Arts & Living

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Album Review

Title Fight fine-tunes its sound with newfound '90s grunge on 'Hyperview'

by Nika Korchok Executive Arts Editor

“Hyperview” begins in a slow-moving ark, a story told at half-speed. Title Fight, known perhaps for more millennial punk rock, is shift-

Hyperview Title Fight Anti-Records ing gears and taking a hyperview of its own discography, re-examining it with listeners.

The journey is unexpected yet rewarding. The album is a return to the grunge of the ’90s, yet a step forward, marking a new direction for the Pennsylvanian punk rock outfit. While carefully stepping into the new territory of sludge pop, the band is taking new risks, a move that is sure to pay off big in the weeks to come when the album is officially released on Feb. 3.

On “Murder Your Memory,” the band seems to be singing both to itself and to its audience, reminding both parties of the influences and origins of its music. In this vein, Nirvana verve and classic rock slink (à la The Velvet Underground circa 1970) weave their way through the first few bars before lead singer Jamie Rhoden starts to dole out pieces of lyrics like a reluctant mall Santa handing out toys to children. The song is brief, a mere 2:38, but the half-tempo timing works to great effect. The track is molasses — slow, and just as sweet.

“Chlorine” is wailing guitars and reverb, it’s the kind of unpolished angst that feels like it should be listened to while wearing a dirty flannel and Doc Martens. It may be a reach to say that “Chlorine” is a reference to Nirvana’s iconic baby-in-pool album cover for “Nevermind” (1999), but knowing the depth of Title Fight’s newfound introspection, it may not be far off.

The comparison to Kurt Cobain is unmistakable on “Hypernight” (the album’s third track) and “Rose of Sharon” (the album’s

Jayson Ignasio via Wikimedia Commons

Classic emo/screamo vocals are combined with bass on “Rose of Sharon” and “Hypernight.” sixth track), where Rhoden is yell-singing in classic Cobain style. The tracks could be said to venture into an emo/screamo sound if not for the perfect bass line in the background, rounding out the sound and adding a fullerbodied texture to the track.

“Mrahc” feels like the track where the band has figured out how to not take itself too seriously. It is, quite literally, charm in reverse. With winding guitars that feel very much like “Island in the Sun” (2001) and “Whatshername” (2004), Rhoden and Ned Russin (who plays bass, sings and plays the theremin) blend together Weezer and Green Day in an effortless West Coast cool style. Somehow the East Coast natives have the style down pat.

“Your Pain is Mine Now” is a deliberate joke about angst and a heady love ballad.

The duality is dizzying and unexpected. Given the band’s punk rock history, the punchline feels directed at itself. And with two albums under its belt, it seems fair that the group has gained the maturity to be able to laugh at itself. However, the sickly slow pacing that the track keeps is just plain cool, and lyrics like “Don’t cry your eyes out” are delivered like they are being strained through a sieve; they are just hokey enough to be fun and just morose enough to be beautiful.

The album is undeniably punk with a slower, grungier edge; it is no softer for its pacing and, conversely, packs a strong onetwo punch with every track. But each song’s brevity — many of them clocking in just under three minutes, and never exceeding four-anda-half — keeps the intensity short and high.

While the album feels a little repetitive after a while, tracks like “Trace Me Onto You” blending into “Liar’s Love” blending into “Dizzy,” the album’s consistency prevents the LP from feeling formulaic. Each track has a unique guitar track with verb-echoing riffs and lackadaisical pacing. The sheer honesty of the band’s lyrics, delivered flawlessly by Rhoden and Russin, are heartfelt and searing, tucked into sections where their impact is almost diminished by the mellow ambience of the album.

If there is any takeaway from this album, it’s that Title Fight is more aware than ever, going headfirst into new territory and coming up victorious. It is raw and honest, exploring new paths while paying homage to its punk past, and the balance of the two is evocative and gorgeous.

Restaurant Review

Sapporo Ramen provides casual, delicious eatery for noodle connoisseurs

by Josh Podolsky Assistant Arts Editor

Porter Square gets little love from the Tufts Medford-Somerville community, but if ever there were a reason to fall

Sapporo Ramen

1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA

(617) 876-4806 $ for Porter, it would have to be Sapporo Ramen. Nestled in a narrow hole-inthe-wall, Sapporo is located a twominute walk from the Porter Square T stop. The restaurant’s line perennially stretches out of the hallway into the main throughway of the commercial space in which it is located, but most of the traffic in the building seems destined for this tiny ramen shop anyway.

Diners at neighboring restaurants judge the line with an air of superiority — more than a couple gestured toward the line before laughing and returning to consuming their own food — yet fail to observe the efficiency of Sapporo’s operation. The roughly fifteen-minute wait from when one turns the corner into the hallway and catches sight of the red and gold sign above Sapporo is epic but worth it.

While there are still several tables waiting to be seated, a server takes

jeffreyw via Wikimedia Commons

Sapporo offers tasty, affordable meals in Porter Square. note of how many are in each party and passes around menus; at this point, one is firmly in Sapporo’s gravitational pull and past the point of no return.

Pictures on the oversized laminated sheets give an idea of the gastronomic delights to come, showing the eyes what the nose has known all along. The menu is relatively sparse, offering several appetizers and styles of ramen, for the most part allowing Sapporo to stay true to its ramen mission statement by not diluting its offerings.

Ramen even gets its own side of the menu. Sapporo offers a decent amount of customization in choosing ramen, from the type of broth to the amount of noodles and the fixings that go into it. By far the most outlandish option is the “butter cube,” just the idea of which is enough to make the heart seize for a few beats; the broth is already so delicious and rich that one should seriously consider preemptively scheduling bypass surgery before ordering The Cube. Other, more tra-

ditional, options include extra meat, seaweed and tofu.

The spicy miso ramen with spicy ground pork, corn and seaweed looks decadent but tastes sharp. The reddish broth barks harder than it bites, so anyone with a penchant for spice should make liberal use of the various chili concoctions lying about on the tables. That said, patrons will definitely want to make liberal use of the napkin pile on the tables; this is not a meal for white clothes or anything with sentimental value.

The extra noodles are also a great addition, and, at a dollar more, they are hardly going to break the bank. That is not to say that the servings are stingy.

In fact, the opposite is true. The portions are monumental in size, and so the extra noodles are merely for adjusting the ratio of noodle to broth.

Surprisingly, Sapporo’s atmosphere is lively and energetic, but not rushed. Food lands on the table not long after a visitors are seated, though the process of consuming the meal is a long and social one.

Service is very friendly, annoyingly stingy with the water. Though, most likely this is also a part of Sapporo’s genius: The sheer efficiency of the operation, as there are just two servers to manage all of the tables and the line. All in all, Sapporo more than justifies the trek off campus.

Sapporo is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (except for Sundays, when it closes at 8:00 p.m.) and is located at 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140.

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Op-Ed

Opinion

letter

A Message to the Tufts community from the former members of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity

Nicholas Pfosi / The Tufts Daily

The exterior of Tufts AEPi fraternity house during the late afternoon on Jan. 29.

Dear the Tufts University Community,

Recently the Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter on campus has made some very important decisions regarding the future of our fraternity and we wanted to let you know about them.

As a chapter, we pride ourselves on developing leaders within our community and the world. We hold our members to an extremely high standard and expect them to represent our chapter well. We welcome any individuals willing to commit to our mission of giving back to the community and our ethos of brotherhood.

We strongly believe in diversity of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, background and beliefs. This diversity provides individuals with the tools necessary to succeed as leaders in the modern world.

Recently we have come to realize our long-term goals do not align with those of our national organization. In a unanimous vote our chapter decided to disaffiliate ourselves from Alpha Epsilon Pi’s International Headquarters. We are excited to move forward and continue our mission of developing future leaders on campus.

We are transitioning to become a Tufts-based fraternity, with a new name, with the goal of re-affiliating with a different national fraternity or maintaining our independent status.

We are proud of our members and thankful for the Tufts administration and many leaders in the community who have fully supported our right to be recognized as an independent organization.

Sincerely, The Former Members of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity

Off the Hill | Loyola University of Chicago

Lauren Hames

I want to pose a question about our exploration of space: If we find an inhabitable planet, what is the best method to explore, settle and utilize its resources? There is a good chance that if these planets can support life, they probably already do. In a bestcase scenario, this life would be bacterial and we could utilize it for our own purposes of survival. However, I do not believe that humanity’s current level of consumption is sustainable and it would most likely deplete another planet of natural resources as well.

Once waste leaves our presence, we rarely know — or care — about its impact, and it often accumulates in our oceans and landfills. With the continuation of these processes, how in good conscience can we The Loyola Phoenix

Are we ready for another planet? argue that we deserve a new, untouched planet? With our current values of profit over people I am confident enough to say that we do not. Our current methods of consumption focuses on profit and growth, with little to no heed of the repercussions.

A government-sponsored space settlement could be regulated to an extent and limit the damage done by a human colony in space.

On the other hand, a human colony would be regulated by the same government that continues to harm earth’s own environment.

NASA has no current plans to send any manned missions to inhabitable planets, but private companies such as SpaceX are quickly becoming competitors in the race for space settlement. If a private company is the first to colonize another planet, it is possible that only those who could afford the voyage could resettle on a new Earth-like planet, while those

who couldn’t afford the journey will be left behind. The new settlement, run by a private company, would then be a secular community for the mega wealthy. On a new planet, inhabited by only those who are accustomed to luxury and instant gratification, could anyone control their consumption?

If this settlement was based in self-gain then there would be little to stop further abuses. What if re-settlement wasn’t a choice but a necessity? Ethically we would be resigning those that couldn’t afford passage to their deaths. We currently value personal quality of life and profit over the lives of the poor. The colonization of a second planet wouldn’t be any different.

What if we find intelligent life on another planet? Historically, our culture has treated native populations as subservient and subhuman. We have historically

enslaved natives and infected other races with foreign disease. Would we look at a new planet like the Conquistadors looked at the New World? Would we place ourselves on a pedestal, while we pillage another culture of its dignity and way of life? If history repeats, then we would.

This new manifest destiny could ruin a planet’s population on a large scale.

However, what if these foreign inhabitants were more advanced than us? They could have better technology, defenses or unknown diseases, and we could become the enslaved migrates to their will.

If we had a second chance on another planet, could it be settled peacefully, equally and used sustainably? Or will our mistakes on this planet only be repeated? I only hope that these questions are actually asked before we leave Earth.

The Daily welcomes all thoughts, opinions and complaints from all readers.

Send op-ed submissioins, 800-1200 words, to oped@tuftsdaily.com.

Op-ed Policy 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. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than noon on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.

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Friday, January 30, 2015

The Tufts Daily

7

Sports

Editor’s Super Bowl Picks Super Bowl Champ

Final Score

Bold Prediction

Ray Paul

24­- 21

No one gives up.

Marcus

30 - 24

There won’t be *any* love lost between these two football teams, Al.

Alex C

38 - 6

Belicheck gets doused in yellow Gatorade.

Ross

24 - 13

Chicklet wins the Puppy Bowl.

Will

25 - 18

Jermaine Kearse scores two TDs.

Sam

What game is this?

“Deflategate,” thoroughly debunked, still dominates headlines.

Philip

28 - 23

Kim Chancellor forces two fumbles or picks off a pass to Gronk.

Steven

24­- 23

Marshawn Lynch finds a way to get fined.

Jake

21 - 17

Tom Brady and Gisele engage in coitus at midfield to celebrate Brady going down as the greatest quarterback ever.

Alison

28 - 24

Gisele is shown on TV at least four times

Tyler

24­- 21

Belicheck cracks a smile.

Alex S

28 - 24

L.O.B. takes three picks to the house.

Maclyn

31 - 28

Sherman, Thomas get more injured, still try to play.

Chris

34 - 24

Revis pick-six as Brady loses his shit on the sidelines.

35 - 28

Bill Nye the Science Guy will be proven wrong.

President Monaco

Track and Field

Jumbos finish first at Bowdoin Invitational

by Alison Kuah Sports Editor

Tufts notched 141 points this weekend, placing first out of eight teams at the Bowdoin Invitational, 17 points ahead of runner-up Southern Maine (124) and nearly 30 points ahead of host Bowdoin, who finished in third with 111.33 points. The biggest takeaway for the weekend, however, was neither the podium finishes nor the new personal records set.

“I think that the meet was a significant exercise in team bonding and unity,” junior Veer Bhalla told the Daily in an email. “One major objective was to get everyone cheering for other teammates in order to help them achieve their own personal goal.”

The Jumbos swept the top four finishes in the 1,000 meter, with Bhalla winning the race in a time of 2:31.76 and senior co-captain Marshall Pagano (2:33.26), Sam Garfield (2:35.40) and Joseph St. Pierre (2:36.65) rounding out the top four.

Senior Brian Williamson had another strong performance for Tufts with two podi-

um finishes. In the shot put, he placed second with a mark of 48’ 10.25”, and his heave of 50’ 8” in the weight throw earned him third place.

The 1,000 meters and the weight throw are among the events where Tufts now poses commendable threats to its competitors.

“We added Div. III New England qualifiers in several events including the 1,000 meter, 3,000 meter [and] weight throw among others,” Pagano told the Daily in an email. “The biggest thing is trying to get more postseason qualifying marks and times. It will be crucial to have as many athletes competing at Div. III New Englands as possible.”

The win for Bhalla came after having his 600-meter school record broken by junior Mitchell Black this weekend, who finished with a time of 1:20.21. Meanwhile, sophomore Luke O’Connor emerged victorious in the mile with a time of 4:25.70, and classmate Tim Nichols (8:41.42) and senior Nick Guarnaccia (8:53.10) finished second and third respectively in the 3,000 meter.

Pagano, however, insists that despite the

early success the team can improve.

“Bowdoin, in the grand scheme of the things, isn’t a particularly important meet because it’s an early season one, [but] that said, it can definitely help build confidence and momentum going into more important meets,” Pagano said. “While Bowdoin was a good meet for us, there is still a lot to improve upon. Many athletes are still looking to hit qualifying marks and times. We’re getting into the meat of the season where our workouts ramp up in intensity.”

Yet based on last weekend’s performance, the Jumbos have already begun displaying their versatility as a team, with wins all across the board.

In the shorter events, sophomore Nicholas Usoff clocked a time of 51.52 for third in the 400 meter and junior Bryson Hoover Hankerson placed fourth in the 60 meter with a time of 7.16. Adding more points for Tufts were sophomore Thomas Wang, whose 6 foot leap earned him third place in the high jump, and junior Atticus Swett (48’ 8”) and sophomore Corey Burns (42’ 4.75”), who placed third and fourth in the shot put, respectively.

“I think we did a great job cheering each other on, and getting more invested into our teammates goals,” Bhalla said. “We still need to work on improving our track IQ, meaning learning events outside of our own [but] we did a good job in being more unified. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be trying to hit marks to qualify for later meets, and I think that our unity is going to play a big role in our performance at Div. III New England’s — our major team oriented meet.”

The team will be split this weekend, with half of the squad competing in the John Thomas Invitational at Boston University and half the team hosting the Tufts Stampede at the Gantcher Center. “[The] team was definitely excited about winning the meet and the great performances across the board,” Pagano said.

“We’ll look to carry that momentum into this weekend where most of the team will be competing at home. A couple of our best guys will be at BU trying to hit times to qualify them for Nationals, [so] look for lots of fast times and great marks from the Jumbos.”

Sports

8

tuftsdaily.com

by Joshua Slavin Assistant Sports Editor

In the midst of all things psi and air-pressure-related, the actual Super Bowl has seemed almost like an afterthought. The pervasive “Deflategate” controversy has grabbed national headlines and airwaves across country for almost two weeks. In the wake of the media frenzy, the balls are sure to be properly scrutinized and inflated on Sunday, and that’s all that matters right now. Really, the focus should be on the contest at hand, and it will be a good one.

The Seahawks and Patriots were the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences. Tom Brady and his Pats will try to finally get their first Super Bowl title in a decade, and their fourth overall.

The defending champion Seahawks, meanwhile, are looking to become the first repeat champions since the 2004 incarnation of these Patriots.

Super Bowl preview

While the NFL playoffs sometimes have a tendency to produce random and unpredictable winners, these two teams don’t fit that bill. The Pats and Hawks are the two best teams in the NFL. New England is favored by one point, making this only the third Super Bowl in which a team is favored by such a slim margin, according to the Washington Post.

If the game is as hotly contested as it is predicted to be, what must each team do in order to come out on top?

Keys for the Seahawks:

The Seattle defense is the best in the league and, perhaps, one of the best of all time. Against a highpowered Patriots attack led by Tom Brady, they need to play up to their billing. The formula for slowing down the New England offense is well-known: Get pressure on the quarterback.

Making Brady uncomfortable in the pocket has worked wonders in the past, including the two Super Bowls the Patriots have lost to the Giants. Like any passer, no matter how talented, Brady becomes less accurate in the face of heavy pressure. With an excellent and aggressive secondary, the Seahawks should be able to take advantage of any Brady slip-ups.

On an offense without star passcatchers, the Seahawks depend upon their running game. Running back Marshawn Lynch will see the ball early and often, and his ability to gain yards against the potentially vulnerable Patriots

run defense will be crucial. Lynch is the hardest back to bring down in the NFL, leading the league with 2.53 yards after contact, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

On media day Tuesday, Belichick called Lynch “the best back we’ve faced.” If Lynch gets going, it could be a long day for the Patriots defense.

Keys for the Patriots: The Patriots need to be able to slow down the Seahawks running game, meaning both Lynch and mobile quarterback Russell Wilson. One thing that will allow them to do so is top-notch play out of the secondary. Despite top receiving threats like Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, the Seahawks passing attack isn’t extremely explosive.

Armed with physical cornerback Brandon Browner and one of the best cornerbacks in football in Darrelle Revis, the New England secondary needs to shut down the Seattle receivers.

If they can do that, it will allow for more attention to be devoted to stopping the running game.

Strong man coverage on the outside could allow the Patriots to be more a g g re s s i ve and put more players near the

line of scrimmage in an effort to slow down Lynch and contain Wilson.

The Patriots offense, too, has its work cut out for it against a high-powered Seahawks defense. On their current eightgame winning streak, the Hawks have allowed a mere 9.75 points per game.

Part of what makes them so dominant is the aforementioned secondary, led by another elite corner: the polarizing and vocal Richard Sherman. It is difficult to pass productively against Sherman and his compatriots, but they do have their weaknesses.

The Seahawks are only 17th best in the NFL in short pass QBR allowed. They’ve allowed completions on 71.6 percent of short passes, ranking 27th in the league.

The Pats need to exploit that weak point in the opposing defense and take advantage of short passes instead of trying to create big plays down the field. Short passing means Brady gets rid of the ball quickly and isn’t as vulnerable to the pass rush.

Utilizing those plays and establishing a running game with LeGarrette Blount could keep the Patriots offense moving efficiently down the field.

The two best teams the NFL has to offer will square off in what should be an incredibly entertaining Super Bowl.

Sunday can’t get here fast enough. photo illustrations via mct

Elephants in the Room Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?

Michela North

Sophomore Women’s Basketball

100% Patriots

Favorite Super Bowl snack?

Guacamole and chips

Who should perform at Super Bowl halftime?

Beyoncé. She kills every performance

Cameron Simko

Junior Tri-captain Men’s Swimming and Diving

Go Pats!

Homemade nachos

Seahawks

Pizza

Katy Perry

Patriots

Chicken wings

Kanye

Justin Timberlake

Scott Halperin Sophomore Football

You just won the Super Bowl, you are now going to...

I’m going to Chipotle!

Vacation around the world and never take off my Super Bowl ring

Party and spend time with family

Katy Perry or Taylor Swift?

T. Swift all th way.

She’s perfect and her songs are so catchy

T-Swift

Katy Perry

Hunter Sabety Sophomore Basketball

Disney

T-Swift all day