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Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series headlined by notoriety, diversity in spring 2021
COURTESY JENNIFER MCANDREW
A collage of portraits of those invited to speak at Tisch College’s Distinguished Speaker Series is pictured. by Jack Adgate
Contributing Writer
The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life announced the guests who will be speaking in its virtual Distinguished Speaker Series during the spring 2021 semester on Feb. 8. Headlining the list are Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Chief Medical Advisor to the President Anthony Fauci and political leader and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, among other influential civic leaders. Students and community members can now register to attend the Distinguished Speaker Series events online at the Tisch College website. The Distinguished Speaker Series at Tisch College has invited many prominent figures over the years, including former Senator and Democratic presi-
dential candidate John Kerry, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the late Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis. Jennifer McAndrew, the director of communications, strategy and planning for Tisch College, has oversight of the selection process for the Distinguished Speaker Series. In her work, she helps decide who is invited to speak and helps initiate the process of contacting them. The selection process for the series is much more drawn out than many may think. “Sometimes the process [of inviting speakers] can be two years, or even longer … sometimes we get a really quick response, jump on it, and we schedule it,” McAndrew said. “[Sometimes someone agrees] and then it takes a year for us to schedule it because of their travel in pre-COVID times or just their schedule.”
However, Tisch College has been successful in getting speakers to accept invites by adjusting to their schedules and making arrangements that work for both parties. “We give [speakers] different options. It doesn’t have to be nighttime, it can be more informal,” McAndrew said. “Adding the lunchtime format to our speaker series which we did two years ago as an option has also expanded the likelihood that we get more [accepted invitations].” In addition to Pelosi, Fauci and Abrams, this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series includes Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, conservative political commentator and former Republican politician Michael Steele and Obama White House staffer and co-host of Pod Save America Dan Pfeiffer. McAndrew also described how Tisch College aims to have purpose in its speaker selections.
Considering the role that this year’s speakers have had in the public sphere, they are certainly achieving this goal. “We really have intentionality around attracting a diverse range of speakers, and we mean that diversity in terms of racial diversity, gender diversity, socioeconomic diversity, life experience … we’re not just interested in political figures … we really want all aspects of civic life and public life represented,” McAndrew said. Aside from COVID-19, a major difference in this spring’s Distinguished Speaker Series is that Alan Solomont, dean of Tisch College, will be retiring at the end of the spring 2021 semester after seven years in the position. Solomont (A’70, A’08P) had an illustrious career in public policy before assuming the role of dean in 2014. “We’re really cognizant that this is Dean Solomont’s last semester as dean, he’s retiring … [we wanted to] raise the bar, go out with a bang,” McAndrew said. Jessica Byrnes (LA’12), special programs administrator at Tisch College, spoke further about the process of securing speakers, and explained that the contact between Tufts and the desired candidates for the Distinguished Speaker Series is often indirect. “If they’re an elected official, usually we go through their congressional office or a staff member … sometimes speakers are [represented] by agencies that we work with,” Byrnes said. Speaking to the success and notability of the Distinguished
News Editor
Tufts Community Union Senate shared a post on their Facebook page on Feb. 19 about their COVID-19 Communication Project in cooperation with University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan and Medical Director of Health Services Marie Caggiano. The project will allow for the clear dissemination of information about updated safety protocols and the status of infection on the different campuses through the use of TCU Senate’s social media platforms. Meeting on a biweekly basis, TCU Senate members Sarah Wiener, Sharif Hamidi and
Mathew Peña will work closely with Jordan and Caggiano to best present the latest updates regarding COVID-19 to the Tufts community each week. In an email to the Daily, Jordan and Caggiano explained what the work will look like from their end. “Student Senate leaders and we will meet twice monthly to review current case numbers and trends and to support interpretation of campus-specific COVID prevalence and its MedfordSomerville campus-wide health implications,”Jordan and Caggiano said. “We will answer questions and brainstorm strategies to communicate with the general student body.”
They emphasized that TCU Senate both suggested and is leading the project. The TCU senators will act as the liaison between the student body and Tufts leaders on COVID-19 protocols and guidelines. Sharif Hamidi, TCU treasurer and a community health major, explained the goals of the partnership and the way the process will work. “Our goal is to solicit students’ questions and concerns, and share them with two people who are very well-equipped to answer them — all three of us [on TCU Senate] have been sharing that responsibility, as well as recording and disseminating their answers,” Hamidi wrote in an email to the Daily.
by Sam Klugherz News Editor
Sarah Wiener, TCU president, explained the reason why they thought students need to have clearer access to guidelines and the current situation on campus in an email to the Daily. “We’ve heard a lot about students feeling alarmed and anxious as a result of irregularly timed emails that give us updates on COVID-19 protocols …This way when students are making decisions about their day-to-day behaviors, they can be informed about what X amount of days with a Y increase in case counts should mean for them,” Wiener said. Wiener also explained what the group has done so far, and
The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) assigned incorrect lottery numbers to some students applying for 2021–22 on-campus housing earlier this month. Many of the numbers assigned incorrectly were not even compatible with students’ class years. Students in all class years were affected by the issue, according to David Watts, assistant director for housing services. Rising seniors were the most impacted. Tharina Messeroux, a rising senior, received a lottery number between 500 and 2000, which is the range of lottery numbers designated for rising juniors. “I received 1038 … a bunch of my friends that are also rising seniors got rising junior numbers, which was very weird,” Messeroux said. Andres Antonio, a sophomore, said he knew of people in Messeroux’s position. “A lot of my rising senior friends all got rising junior numbers,” Antonio said. According to Antonio, some students who did not even complete on-campus housing applications also received lottery numbers. “My suitemates who are living off campus next year still got numbers, even though they didn’t apply,” Antonio said. Some current seniors may have also received lottery numbers, despite anticipating graduation at the end of the semester. Messeroux posted in the Tufts Class of 2022 Facebook group inquiring if any students in her year received numbers within the rising senior range as they should have. “Did anyone actually get a senior lottery number?” Messeroux said in her post. Though current juniors did not say they received senior numbers as Messeroux was asking, two current seniors replied to the post indicating that they received lottery numbers from ORLL. However, not all lottery numbers were assigned incorrectly.
see COVID-19, page 2
see HOUSING, page 2
see TISCH, page 2
TCU Senate launches COVID-19 Community Project, partners with Dr. Jordan, Dr. Caggiano by Sara Renkert
Residential Life botches housing lottery number assignment for 2021-22
FEATURES / page 3
ARTS / page 4
SPORTS / back
Students grapple with realities of studying abroad during COVID-19
Pearl Charles sparkles and shines on “Magic Mirror”
Historic deals, big trades in MLB offseason keep fans on their feet
NEWS
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FEATURES
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ARTS & POP CULTURE
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FUN & GAMES
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OPINION
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, February 23, 2021
THE TUFTS DAILY Megan Szostak Editor in Chief
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Special Programs Administrator Jessica Byrnes explains contact process for securing speakers TISCH
continued from page 1 Speaker Series, Tufts does often have previous attachments to candidates in consideration. Byrnes also described the influence that Tufts as an institution has on the decision-making process of whether speakers want to visit. “Sometimes we have a personal connection to them, or a board member does, or someone else at Tufts does, and we work with them to invite that person to campus,” Byrnes said. “Tufts has a lot of very impressive people with
really wide networks, and I think that’s been a constant resource for us.” Like all other events this year, the 2021 Distinguished Speaker Series will be held virtually. James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and a professor of political science at Tufts, found that the transition from in-person to virtual events due to the pandemic was actually helpful to the process of securing speakers. “Zoom has made it possible to do a lot more [speaker events],” Glaser said. “It seems like the schedule [for guest speakers] is
fuller, and that’s one of the few things that’s been better in this period in terms of campus life.” Glaser also reiterated the importance of the diverse sets of views and backgrounds in the Distinguished Speaker Series. This spring’s group will showcase views from various positions across the political spectrum and involved in different areas of public life. “Students learn from hearing from people that they might agree with and from people that they might disagree with,” Glaser said. “I think it’s an important compo-
nent of this kind of program, to bring in diverse voices, and that doesn’t just mean ideologically different, it means in lots of different ways.” Glaser praised Tisch College for its impact on enhancing civic life at Tufts and beyond. “It’s a blessing to have Tisch College. Tisch College is a magnet for people who want to participate in a university where this kind of agenda is being set,” Glaser said. “I’ve been going to lots of these events for my whole time at Tufts, and Tufts students routinely make me very proud.”
Res Life says all numbers will be assigned correctly in advance of group formation days, beginning March 15
HOUSING
continued from page 1 Antonio said he received a lottery number within the correct range for his class year. “I was one of the people who wasn’t really affected by it that much,” he said. The technical difficulties stemmed from incorrect information within the Student Information System, according to Angelic Sosa, associate director for residential operations. “The system that randomly generates lottery numbers bases those numbers on specific ranges dependent on a student’s SIS classification. Unfortunately, some of the information in the system was incorrect,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. Watts confirmed that ORLL is correcting the issues and that students who received incorrect numbers are being reassigned new numbers. “Impacted students are being reassigned lottery numbers within the corrected number range pertaining to their class year,” he wrote in an email to the Daily. After Messeroux received the wrong number, she emailed ORLL and was given a new number within the corrected rising senior range. The email, which Messeroux shared with the Daily,
MENGQI IRINA WANG / THE TUFTS DAILY
The outside of the Office of Residential Life and Learning is pictured on Mar. 4, 2019. said that Messeroux’s new number was assigned relative to her position in the previous lottery number range. “If you had a low/good lottery number previously, now you will have a comparable number, based on what was available, in your new number range,” the email from ORLL to Messeroux said. Some of Messeroux’s friends who received incorrect lottery numbers assumed that ORLL would assign new numbers automatically since so many students had incorrect num-
bers. Messeroux, however, said that in her and her friends’ experiences, they had to email ORLL to get a new number instead of there being an automatic process in place. “So now [my friends are] emailing them, so I think it’s if you reach out, they fix it,” she said. The next step in the student housing and selection process begins on March 15, when rising juniors and rising seniors may begin forming groups on the housing portal. Watts asserted that the number assignment issues will not
cause delays in the forthcoming group formation and housing selection process. “All corrections will take place prior to the group formation days, so no delays will occur,” he said. Sosa added that ORLL apologizes for the issues and any trouble they have caused for students. “We’re aware that the housing selection process can be stressful for students and apologize for any added stress as a result of this error,” she said. “We’re happy to say that this issue has been resolved and students have been appropriately updated.”
Wiener, Hamidi, Peña noting a lack of clear communication surrounding COVID-19 guidelines, protocols COVID-19
continued from page 1 what they hope to do in the near future. “We have made a rough draft of what the first communication would look like based on a weekly conversation with Dr. Caggiano and Dr. Jordan,” Wiener said. “After getting the bullet points approved by them, we are now working on internal mechanisms in [the] Senate to make the posts happen regularly every week.” Hamidi also emphasized the concerns of students and the benefit of collective knowledge about how to maintain safety on campus. “The rapidly developing nature of the pandemic means that the university’s administration has to constantly monitor data and nimbly adjust to changing cir-
cumstances, which has understandably left some students feeling confused or inadequately informed regarding public health components,” Hamidi said. “And of course, none of us are qualified to answer these kinds of questions the way that Dr. Jordan or Dr. Caggiano are.” The TCU members were inspired by a COVID-19 governmental communication program. “We thought of various types of media and what students are receptive to … We talked some about New York Governor Cuomo’s regular updates for his community and thought about how we could regularly communicate information from that,” Wiener said. This project was also informed by a meeting between the executive board of TCU Senate and Dean of Student Affairs Camille
Lizarríbar at the end of last semester, which was held to discuss what safety protocols would look like for the spring. Lizarríbar then connected the executive board of TCU Senate with Jordan and Caggiano, and they spoke about issues in COVID-19 communication. “We asked what [the] Senate could do to support Tufts’ COVID response and to ease confusion and anxiety among students, and this project was the solution we came to,” Wiener said. Hamidi said that he, along with Wiener and Peña, is glad to be part of the program and part of the efforts to share this vital information with the Tufts community. “I know all three of us feel very fortunate that we get to meet with Dr. Jordan and Dr. Caggiano on
COURTESY PATRICK COLLINS
Michael Jordan, University Infection Control Health Director, is pictured. a regular basis, and Tufts is lucky to have two incredible leaders like them directing the university’s response to the pandemic,” Hamidi said.
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Features
Students grapple with uncertainty about studying abroad next year
3 Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Marco Sheng Transferable Skills
Starting with starting
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NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES
The view from an airplane is pictured. by Chris Duncan Staff Writer
With vaccines being administered every day in Massachusetts, the United States and much of the world, many are hoping to see a return to relative normalcy before too long. For some in the Tufts community, a return to normalcy means finally getting the opportunity to study abroad. Applications for study abroad programs running during the 2021–22 school year were due Feb. 1; those hoping to study abroad next year have already made tentative plans. But for many, the uncertainty and frustration of the past year persists, whether it be navigating Tufts’ strict guidelines regarding international travel or coping with the rapidly closing window of opportunity to travel in college. Sophomore Isabel Castro is looking to spend time in Portugal, but since Tufts doesn’t have any programs in that country or pre-approved external programs, her way forward is ambiguous. Castro says that she has been looking at external programs through Portuguese universities, but many of them advertise very little about their programs for American students, making her research into studying abroad much more difficult. Her big advantages, Castro said, are her family ties to Portugal and her dual citizenship, which makes it easier for her to travel independent of a university. “Next semester, if Tufts says that they’re not doing any programs abroad, I could just do a leave of absence and either become an au pair there or just take classes at the universities there,” Castro said. “There are so many opportunities there for Portuguese Americans like myself.” According to Castro, a main factor she would then have to consider is what she wants the rest of her college experience to look like. “I haven’t had a normal spring yet at Tufts, and the only normal spring that I could have would be my senior year, which is kind of crazy to think about,” she said. Castro’s thoughts reflect a sentiment shared by many students — the sense that the time to study abroad, and to have a “normal” college experience, is running out.
Junior Julia Shufro, who has always wanted to study abroad in Paris, shares this anxiety. Shufro was accepted to the Tufts-in-Paris program but withdrew last May prior to making a deposit in anticipation that the program would be cancelled. In her efforts to go abroad, Shufro applied to the Wellesley-in-Aix program in Aix-en-Provence, France. She was accepted to the program for fall 2020 but was met with resistance by Tufts’ safety regulations regarding study abroad. Despite the efforts of staff at both Tufts and Wellesley College, Shufro ultimately could not attend the program, leaving her without many alternatives. “It’s very frustrating … I had to find housing on my own, I was scrambling for it in November … [the program] was something I was very much looking forward to,” Shufro said. Similarly, junior Jen Frye was planning to spend the 2020–21 school year in Madrid, but ultimately withdrew from the Tufts-in-Madrid program. Frye recalls making a similar decision to Shufro: withdrawing from the program before making a deposit due to doubts about travel safety. Now, looking forward to next fall, Frye remains uncertain. “Essentially, there are just a lot of unknowns,” Frye said. “Tufts has no idea how fast the vaccine rollout will be this summer, [and] they don’t know what the COVID situation will be in those other countries in the fall.” Frye and Shufro believe those who work in the Office of Global Education are trying their best to navigate a very difficult situation. “[Tufts Global Education] did really try to help me,” Shufro said. “So certain people at Tufts were absolutely willing to help me with my study abroad options, but Tufts as an institution wasn’t having it, and was not supportive of that idea, claiming that because of the testing protocol here, it would be safer here.” Frye’s communications with the Office of Global Education gave them the sense that the timeline for when it will again become safe to study was very much still up in the air, and that all the Office of Global Education could do was harm reduction.
“What Melanie [Armstrong, assistant director of global education] told me was essentially they’re trying to avoid another evacuation situation like what happened this past spring. They really don’t want to send students abroad and have to bring them back home again,” Frye said. Castro remembers what happened in the spring of 2020 vividly. Many of her friends on the soccer team had to return to Medford last spring after only a few weeks at their respective programs. “Right when we were finishing up our practices, one of them came, and we asked them what they were doing here, and they said they had been sent home,” Castro said. “One of my teammates was saying it was really hard for her because it took her three or four weeks to really feel comfortable with her host family’s home, and right when she really got into a whole groove and knew her way around the town, she got sent home.” Castro, Shufro and Frye’s stories echo those of many in the community who don’t want their chances to study in another country to slip away, but who also have no control over what develops in the next six months. For now, whether students will be able to study abroad in the fall of 2021 remains in flux. Students interested in this prospect are encouraged to contact the Office of Global Education for advising. Shufro is considering both Tufts-inParis and Wellesley-in-Aix, should the programs be options during the next school year. Frye approaches the prospect of future study abroad with a pragmatic sense of pessimism, but remains hopeful for their time after Tufts. “I don’t think that the national vaccine rollout will move quickly enough so that Tufts undergraduates are vaccinated by the time the fall semester rolls around,” they said. “I also think the new strains of COVID that are coming from England, South Africa, Brazil, that are more resistant to the vaccine, are going to throw a wrench in the vaccine rollout program. So I am making backup plans. I still would very much like to study abroad, but I know that there are other opportunities for international study in my future if I can’t go with Tufts.”
hen I started writing this column, a question popped into my head. Why does one write a column for the Daily? Reach isn’t the reason — I’d be happy if even my housemates read this. Impact? I mean, it’s a small student newspaper (no offense). Money for sure isn’t being deposited into my bank account. Why does one type away at square keys and put those results on the World Wide Web for all to see? That’s maybe a rhetorical question, but I’ll give one answer: I’m writing this column to hold myself accountable. I’m writing this column to prove something to myself. I’d be really happy if you joined me on this 10-week journey and, perhaps, be a part of a dialogue. But the audience of this series, the shareholders, the persona numero uno — that’s me. What’s this column actually going to cover? Why is it called “Transferable Skills?” To be transparent, I’m not totally sure about that first one. And that’s okay. All I know is that I want to reflect on myself more openly, relate my struggles with the struggles of humanity and the issues in society. To be a bit selfish, I think I’m pretty wise. And I like doling out advice. If my words, created in random, stream-of-consciousness glory, connect with you, help you or even inspire you (in addition to serving moi), then I will have done my job. I call this column “Transferable Skills” because (a) I’m a transfer student and (b) I think a life well lived comes from adding tools to your toolbox. Like the ability to hold two different, disparate and maybe even opposing things at once (there’ll be a lot of that!). Here are some ground rules or pieces of advice that I hope I can stick to and that might be of use to you as well: 1. Vulnerability isn’t the same thing as oversharing. In other words, I’m not trying to be that guy who complains all the time. 2. Specificity is attractive and universal. What I mean by this is that people are more compelled when you are specific, and from a storytelling perspective, the more specific you are, the more universal you can be. 3. Curiosity killed the cat but saved the human. Curiosity is just my favorite. If you want to learn how to get out of a funk, start with curiosity. If you want to be a better listener, start with curiosity. If you want to enjoy an academic subject, start with curiosity. 4. Optimism is more joyful than truth. Truth can be gratifying. Truth is probably “right.” But if you’re constantly looking for the truth about the world, about others or about yourself, that honestly doesn’t sound too fun. Everyone hates the person who’s trying to be right all the time, but I don’t think I’m ever annoyed at anyone who looks at the bright side of things. 5. Don’t just be nice, be generous. This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Be flexible, forgiving and effortfully kind. Marco Sheng is a senior studying psychology. Marco can be reached at marco.sheng@tufts.edu
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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture
tuftsdaily.com
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Pearl Charles finds magic in her mirror’s image by Maeve Hagerty Assistant Arts Editor
COURTESY PEARLCHARLESMUSIC
The album cover for “Magic Mirror” (2021) by Pearl Charles is pictured. Aside from the shimmery imagery and effervescent keyboard synths, the album tells a story of longing, heartbreak and self-discovery. One of the best tracks from the album, “Imposter,” begins with the lyrics “Never look into the mirror” and continues on to declare, “I am the imposter/ I already lost her/ I keep looking for myself.” This song is emblematic of the album’s general tone, with profound personal introspection over saxophone, keyboard and drifting country guitar riffs. This idea continues in “Don’t Feel Like Myself” with the same focal mirror-based self-examination as Charles writes, “A face in the
mirror, your reflection won’t look you in the eye/ Too scared to die, but barely alive.” The title track “Magic Mirror” is truly a memorable song. Charles asks, “Magic mirror, what can I do?/ I’ve been lost inside of you/ I’m a magnet for your twisted point of view/ My eyes are red, my heart is blue” in a peaceful duet with her piano. Her voice has a truly ethereal quality that softens and smooths over her often complex, varied background and makes her music simply special. However, it is her song “What I Need” that is undoubtedly the catchiest, and most emblematic of Charles’ distinc-
tive style. The song’s upbeat instrumentation is laden with a melancholy, meditative narrative which is surprisingly carried with ease. It strikes just the right note between Charles’ two warring moods and soothes the conflict between sorrow and enthusiasm until they achieve harmony. And yet, the album’s lyrics are not all solemn and dramatic. Chirpy love songs like “All the Way,” “Sweet Sunshine Wine” and “As Long As You’re Mine” balance the more pensive nature of the album and produce a rich, soulful tracklist. However, the album is not without its flaws. Oftentimes,
the instrumentation is lacking, or in the case of “Only For Tonight,” slightly overpowering. There are moments when the tone and message can feel sickly sweet, but they are few and far between. “Magic Mirror” is definitely an album to remember, and it’s a refreshing start to 2021. It is safe to say that there are not many current albums like “Magic Mirror” or artists like Pearl Charles. After the stress and general fatigue left in the wake of 2020, “Magic Mirror” is just as enchanting as it claims to be and possibly the perfect album for this moment.
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Mirror balls and glitter eyeshadow, sequined dresses and hippie sunglasses and Country ballads melding into disco dance classics; a young woman in a sparkling dress and cowboy boots stares at her reflection in the mirror and retells what she sees within. This is the image conjured by the critically acclaimed Jan. 15 release of “Magic Mirror,” a fresh fusion of genres and melodies in one coherent, celestial album by the up-and-coming indie icon Pearl Charles. With a long history in music beginning when she was just five years old, Los Angeles native and California Institute of the Arts alumna Pearl Charles is an accomplished musician and singer in the early stages of her blossoming career. As her second LP, following “Sleepless Dreamer” (2018), “Magic Mirror” is a welcome cup of nostalgia chased down with innovation. Seemingly the love child of music from such artists as Fleetwood Mac, Kacey Musgraves, Abba and many of the greats that emerged from Laurel Canyon during the ’60s and ’70s, Pearl Charles’ clear voice gently shines over the tracks and breathes sentiment into her characteristically-vibrant, cosmic-country guitar warbling and disco keyboarding. Though the media (this author included) often compares Charles to famous musical acts that came before her, Pearl Charles’ music is entirely her own and worthy of individualized praise. From the album’s narrative to the sound mixing, it would be unfair to call the music Charles produces anything other than original, despite its roots in the works of artists who have influenced her. From the vivacious disco opening that is “Only For Tonight,” Charles clarifies a cogent tone of melancholy often underscored by conflicting yet sonically-fitting upbeat music. The buoyant track feels like a seminal disco dance number from the ’70s, yet the lyrics focus on a failed one-night stand that results in lingering feelings with lines like “Don’t think twice/ Although we’d never make it/ Tonight I’m gonna fake it/ Only for tonight.”
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Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY
Drew Weisberg A Fantastic Voyage
‘Nomadland’ captures the emotional lives of American drifters by Catherine Cahn Contributing Writer
You may have met Frances McDormand as Laura Bishop in “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) or Marge Gunderson in “Fargo” (1996), but you will not truly know McDormand until you have met her as Fern in “Nomadland” (2020). In Chloé Zhao’s new adapted film, McDormand stars as a nomad who is forced out of a sedentary life when her home of Empire, Nevada is taken off the map. As she journeys across the western United States with nothing but a van packed with a bed, a stove and her most valuable china, Fern meets an array of eccentric characters, each of them taking her along on some kind of emotional or physical journey. The beauty of “Nomadland” does not just lie in the story it tells; it actually comes to life through its unique casting. Although the film is not based on a true story, it is strongly rooted in real events and experiences of those considered to be nomads. Many of the driving characters, such as Swankie, Linda May and Bob Wells are actually played by the nomads themselves. The cast is certainly not stacked with Hollywood regulars, but it does an authentic and commendable job of bringing a tranquil yet emotional story to the screen. “Nomadland” has a productive sort of silence to it, one that makes little noise but offers so much commentary. Many of the nomads are either chasing or embracing a life of peace, making the film’s quiet outlook fitting and meaningful. Scenes of Fern driving down winding highway roads, with nothing but open land around her, are common as she moves from one place to the next. The film also avoids bombarding the viewers with dialogue. Conversations are only packed with necessary words that drive the characters’ developments and relationships. Just as the characters in “Nomadland” leave behind anything unnecessary, so do their discussions. The minimalist attitude of the film does not end there, but actually continues to a point that avoids directly showing many important scenes. Much of what happens in “Nomadland” must be inferred instead of being directly stated. When Fern chooses not to pursue a relationship with a nomad named David (David Strathairn), there is never a scene that shows her goodbye. Instead, she is shown wandering around the quiet house, and then she is simply back on the road. Even when Swankie, a thoughtful
and fulfilled character, dies, there is never a scene breaking this news to Fern and the other characters. Instead, they peacefully sit around a fire, throwing rocks into the flames as one whispers an occasional comment about their dear friend. Wonderfully, the silence is never uncomfortable or awkward; it sits just right. The wonder of “Nomadland” does not only rely on the strong performances of its cast and a carefully crafted screenplay — the directing and cinematography also provide worthwhile messages to the film. Each scene frames the characters in a way that allows viewers to get the most out of their expressions and body language, whether those are dimly lit close-ups as
characters share their histories or full shots as Fern wanders along oceanside cliffs with the giddiness of a child. Long shots are also a common device in “Nomadland,” whether they are of open land as Fern urinates along a fence or of the contrasting corporate world inside an Amazon factory. Despite the content or shot type of each scene, the entire film holds either a dim or blue tone, signifying that no matter what is happening, Fern is on an emotional journey. “Nomadland” is not just the fictional story of Fern; it is a deeper look into how real people who have chosen to forgo a typical life in pursuit of something more adventurous live
their lives. None of the characters, however, are carefree. They all hold important burdens and, through sharing them with one another, find helpful companionship. Character development is not the aim of “Nomadland,” but the film instead strives to show the power that lies within an unconventional life. Although the story is tinted with sadness, there are specific moments of joy that serve to recognize the gifts our world has to offer. Nomad or not, “Nomadland” has an important message for everybody — that of the importance of community, the necessity of self-fulfillment and the idea that perhaps “home” is not a place, but something that can be carried with you.
VIA IMDB
A promotional poster of ‘Nomadland’ (2020) is pictured.
5
“In the beginning…”
I
n November 1961, the impeccable writing of Stan Lee and the powerful pencils of Jack Kirby united to bring the world “Fantastic Four,” a superteam made up of four ex-astronauts who developed stupendous powers after their space mission was interrupted by a cosmic radiation storm. And thus began the journey of our four heroes: the ductile Reed “Mister Fantastic” Richards, who can stretch his body to any length or form, Susan “Invisible Woman” Storm Richards, who can disappear and project indestructible force fields, Ben “the Thing” Grimm, a hardtalking, hyper-durable dynamo of strength with a heart of gold and Johnny “Human Torch” Storm, a hot-headed pyrokinetic playboy. Despite their great popularity in the Silver Age of comics, though, the Fantastic Four have struggled to maintain widespread recognition. This is due, at least in my assessment, to a lack of quality mainstream media representation over the last half-century. From no less than three failed film franchises (including one that was buried by the studio that created it), to a painful ‘90s cartoon with a theme song that reeks of disco, it seems bizarre that the family that ushered Marvel into the Silver Age has been so misrepresented. Be that as it may, the four will soon be getting another film reboot from Jon Watts, the director of “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017). The film is believed to be produced by the newly-registered company “Solve Everything Productions.” Eagle-eyed Easter egg hunters and fellow Fantastic fans will note the reference to the legendary 2009–2012 run of “The Fantastic Four” and its sequel “FF” (or “Future Foundation”) by writer Jonathan Hickman. Hickman is a maestro of Marvel, starting with the one-shot comic “Legion of Monsters: Satana” in 2007, and eventually securing a hit series with “Secret Warriors” in 2009. More recently, Hickman was the engineer behind Marvel’s critically lauded relaunch of the X-Men franchise, beginning with his sister mini-series “House of X” (2019) and “Powers of X” (2019). You can even take my word for it, seeing as I once referred to Hickman’s work on the 2015 mega-event “Secret Wars” as “an action-packed tribute to one of the greatest comic companies in history.” With the possibility of a Hickman-inspired movie on the way, how could a comic aficionado like myself resist a deep dive into Hickman’s run to discover what makes it worthy of reference? I implore you, reader, to prepare yourself for a weekly waltz into the ambitious adventure, superior sci-fi and alienating alliteration of this retrospective of Jonathan Hickman’s “Fantastic Four.” Drew Weisberg is a junior studying film and media studies. Drew can be reached at mitchell.weisberg@tufts.edu.
6
THE TUFTS DAILY | FUN & GAMES | Tuesday, February 23, 2021
F& G
tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Kate: “Sometimes it’s hard for me to like John Mayer when I like Taylor Swift so much...but I can’t be a perfect person.”
FUN & GAMES
SUDOKU
PROCRASTINATION
Difficulty Level: Finding Zoom links for classes
By Matthew Hixson
Monday’s Solutions
SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...
CROSSWORD
tuftsdaily.com
Elizabeth Buehl Building Blocks
Classroom to cell
I
n September 2020, I published the first iteration of my column, Sobremesa. I advocated for an approach that tackled the root causes of the injustices in the U.S. criminal justice system. Today, I am calling for the same action with a more targeted approach: we must build the initial blocks for substantive change in the U.S. education system. The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the process of students from minority, economically disadvantaged neighbor-
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Opinion hoods moving from the education system straight to the prison system. Direct routes, such as in-school arrests, and more indirect mechanisms, such as suspensions, expulsions and dropouts, all facilitate this system. This pipeline has devastating implications. It increases the number of people of color behind bars and contributes to the problem of mass incarceration in the United States that stems from a systematic emphasis on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Among the contributing factors to the school-to-prison pipeline are school resource officers. School resource officers are police officers who work in schools and were originally intended to keep schools safe. Many of these officers are
untrained in important areas, including, but not limited to, de-escalation and racial equity. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, which aims to end police brutality against people of color, we must ensure that students feel safe in school regardless of the color of their skin. It is simply impossible to grant students the safety that they deserve with untrained school resource officers lingering in hallways. Other policies that perpetuate the pipeline include the zero tolerance policy and the broken windows policy. States began to institute their own zero tolerance policies in the 1990s. Simultaneously, broken windows policies aimed to penalize petty crimes. These policies exacerbate racial disparities in suspension
7 Tuesday, February 23, 2021
rates and form a disheartening fluid mosaic of racism and classism that introduces volatility into many schoolchildren’s lives. It is in the hands of the American people to say enough is enough. We must no longer stand for these injustices. The entirety of our nation’s youth deserve much more. We must begin by creating new disciplinary policies within our schools. Rather than excessive suspensions and expulsions, we must create educational, empathetic avenues that give students the room to grow as individuals. We must also institute diversity and inclusion training among all teachers, faculty, staff and students. While this would look different in each school, one goal would remain constant: the pursuit of equity for all.
The ball is in each one of our courts. Here at Tufts, there are many different youth mentorship opportunities. Through organizations like Strong Women, Strong Girls and DREAM, undergraduate students are able to mentor youth in the local Medford/Somerville community, serving as role models, sources of advice and listeners for impressionable students.To see action at the national level, we can all write letters to policy makers demanding change. We must act now and build the foundation our nation has always deserved before one more student slips through the pipeline. Elizabeth Buehl is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth.buehl@tufts.edu.
8 Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
Eventful offseason sets the tone for baseball in 2021 by Ethan Steinberg Managing Editor
Baseball fans are beginning to emerge from hibernation. With pitchers and catchers reporting to camp for all 30 MLB teams last week, spring training is officially underway. For some fans, the new season comes with added excitement, given the busy offseason that’s played out since the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in late October. The Miami Marlins made headlines — and history — early when they hired Kim Ng as their general manager. Ng, the first woman and first East Asian American to hold that position for any Major League team, received a flurry of congratulatory messages from baseball executives and even some of her idols, like Michelle Obama and retired tennis superstar Billie Jean King. Ng comes with a great deal of experience, having served as the senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB since 2011. Prior to assuming that position, she was the assistant general manager for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The New York Mets front office also made waves in the fall. Fred Wilpon, who has owned at least part of the team since 1986, along with his son Jeff and brother-inlaw Saul Katz, ceded control when Steve Cohen bought 95% of the team’s shares for an estimated $2.42 billion. Cohen, a lifelong Mets fan, is the wealthiest owner in baseball. Cohen was arguably quick to flash that superlative. After former All-Star and Gold Glove award winner Marcus Stroman accepted an $18.9 million qualifying offer from the Mets in mid-November, Cohen’s front office signed Trevor May to a two-year deal. May, formerly a Minnesota Twin, is a
Isaac Karp Power to the Players
Djokovic is victorious, but his track record is still questionable
T
here was euphoria in Australia on Sunday, when Novak Djokovic, the Serbian professional tennis player, won his 18th Grand Slam after defeating Daniil Medvedev in three straight sets. Djokovic now ranks third in total Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. The two players ahead of him, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are widely lionized for their sportsmanlike demeanor and gentlemanly behavior. Djokovic, on the other hand, has a problem-
strikeout-heavy reliever who adds depth to the Mets bullpen. The Mets also made an upgrade behind the plate, signing James McCann, a former Chicago White Sock, to a four-year, $40.6 million deal. McCann broke out with his bat and made an AllStar appearance in 2019 after several mediocre seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Perhaps the biggest news of the offseason for Mets fans came in early January, when the team announced it had acquired shortstop and four-time All-Star Francisco Lindor, along with right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco, from Cleveland. Lindor is an offensive juggernaut who boasts some of the league’s best defensive skills, making him the elite player Mets fans have been craving for years. Notably, the Mets missed out on reigning NL Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer, who was a free agent this winter. Bauer announced his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a theatrical video he posted to his YouTube channel in early February. He earned a threeyear, $102 million deal with two opt-outs. Bauer will round out a rotation that already has two former Cy Young award winners in Clayton Kershaw and David Price. The reigning World Series champions didn’t stop at Bauer, though. Just four days prior to the start of Spring Training, the Dodgers re-signed Justin Turner to a two-year, $34 million deal with a club option for 2023. Turner, who will be celebrating his eighth consecutive year in Los Angeles, has hit above .300 in four of the past seven seasons, though at age 36, he is moving away from his prime. Turner has also become notable for his violation of MLB’s COVID19 protocols at the end of the 2020 season. He tested positive for atic track record that includes making disparaging comments about equal pay for women and questioning the validity of COVID-19 precautions and vaccines. Yet, as opposed to Federer and Nadal, who often side with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) over the players, Djokovic has become a prominent voice in the call for reform in tennis. His decisions off the court frequently prove rash, and each mistake magnifies his reputation as a mischief-maker. His most recent mishap dates back to June 2020, after the ATP cancelled its tournaments because of the pandemic, giving Djokovic an opportunity to launch a player-run exhibition tournament called the Adria Tour. He carried on with the matches despite widespread criticism and demand for their cancellation due to the pandemic, none of which seemed to faze the man not always affectionately known as the “Joker.” Many see him as
COURTESY JOSE FRANCISCO MORALES / UNSPLASH
A baseball player is pictured. the virus and was subsequently pulled from Game 6 of the World Series in the eighth inning, only to celebrate maskless with his teammates after they won soon after. The Tampa Bay Rays, who won the American League in 2020, also made moves this offseason. They traded Blake Snell, the former Cy Young award winner, to the San Diego Padres for four relatively well-regarded prospects. They also signed righty Chris Archer, their former ace who spent his last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Along with Snell, the Padres acquired Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs for Zach Davies, a right-handed pitcher, and four prospects. Darvish, a four-time All-Star who won eight games for the Cubs in the shortened 2020 season, will add star power to an already solid rotation in San Diego. Another big move in the National League came when the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed arguably the best catcher in baseball in J.T. Realmuto. He’s a
defensive stalwart who’s put up consistent numbers at the plate, and at age 29, has several years of productivity left in him. Also in the National League, the Colorado Rockies traded Nolan Arenado, their longtime third-baseman who happens to have eight Gold Gloves and five All-Star appearances on his resume, to the St. Louis Cardinals. Although Arenado struggled with a shoulder injury last year, he brings a wealth of experience and adds depth — at the very least — to the Cardinals’ lineup. In the American League, probably the biggest move came when the Toronto Blue Jays signed George Springer, the former Houston Astro, to a six-year, $150 million deal. Springer adds pop to the lineup — he slugged 39 home runs in 2019 — and he has a track record of winning, despite being caught up in the Astros’ cheating scandal that has since marred their 2017 World Series victory. Springer’s former teammate, Michael Brantley, decided to stay in Houston. A career .297
hitter, he signed for two years and $32 million. Finally, it wouldn’t be an offseason without notable action from the New York Yankees. This winter, they signed a couple of elite players in Corey Kluber and DJ LeMahieu. Kluber, who signed for one year and $11 million, has battled injuries the past two seasons, and at age 34, his glory years likely have passed. Nonetheless, Kluber has two Cy Young Awards under his belt and adds notoriety, at least, to a depleted Yankee rotation. LeMahieu, who signed a six-year, $90 million deal, has been solid over the past two seasons with the Yankees, batting over .300 in both of them. To round out the offseason with a bang, budding superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. signed one of the largest deals in MLB history — a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the Padres. It’s safe to say that baseball fans were kept entertained this winter. Here’s to a safe and exciting season, and perhaps one that lasts longer than 60 games.
arrogant and even indifferent to safety, accusations backed up by the lack of restrictions placed on attendance and player interactions at his event. Djokovic’s first match against Viktor Troicki hosted around 4,000 fans, none of whom were required to test negative for COVID-19 beforehand. After a series of blunders, including a positive COVID-19 test for former world number three Gregor Dimitrov, the tour was cut short. Djokovic himself soon received a positive test as well, and the barrage of criticism continued. Djokovic’s beef with the ATP is not limited to the COVID19 regulations. He has long been at odds with the revenue share in tennis, arguing for more distribution among players. In 2019, Djokovic led a group of ATP players to vote against the contract renewal for Chris Kermode, former ATP Tour’s executive chairman and president. Kermode’s crime was that he’d sided with the
tournaments over the players too often, which Djokovic refused to tolerate. The Serbian player became so fed up with the ATP that he decided to start his own player’s association, the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he noted is the first “player’s only” association since 1972. However, Djokovic failed to include women in his organization, leading many to wonder whether Djokovic is really an advocate for all professional tennis players. Most recently, members of the women’s and men’s circuits worked together and signed a letter of engagement arguing for a raise in the revenue share, with stars like 2017 U.S. Open women’s champion Sloane Stephens and Djokovic leading the way. According to Vasek Pospisil, a veteran men’s singles player and co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association, the association’s goal is to provide more competitors with the resources needed
to earn a good living. Clearly, a great deal of professional athletes in tennis feel poorly compensated for their efforts, as evidenced by the United States Tennis Association’s report that found that only about 14% of U.S. Open tournament revenue in 2018 went to the players. The players know this inequity needs addressing, but the question of who speaks for them remains an equally important issue. Appreciating Djokovic on the court is easy. His perseverance under pressure, masterful backhand and genius return game has secured him a spot as an all-time great. But the mantle of leadership does not suit him well, and a transformation this drastic in a sport with inflexible traditions requires someone responsible who has the courage to advocate for everyone. Isaac Karp is a first-year who has not declared a major. Isaac can be reached at Isaac.karp@tufts.edu.