The Tufts Daily - Thursday, February 23, 2023

UNIVERSITY

Protesters disrupt Israel-Palestine discussion event, Monaco condemns protest

by Katie Spiropoulos

Protestors disrupted an Israel-Palestine discussion event in Tisch Library on Tuesday evening.

In a statement to the Daily, President Tony Monaco condemned the protest.

“The disruption of the event and the offensive language directed toward the Jewish and Palestinian guest speakers are absolutely unacceptable and a violation of our community standards,” Monaco wrote. “Tufts University police and other relevant offices at the university are investigating and we will hold accountable any members of our community who are found to be responsible.”

The event, organized by

Friends of Israel and

UNIVERSITY

4 Tufts alums create Champions s cholars Fund scholarship

Tufts recently announced the “Champions Scholars Fund” scholarship, which aims to increase educational access and equity. The scholarship is a part of the Women’s Impact Initiative at Tufts and was endowed by four alums: Kalahn Taylor-Clark (LA’99), Joy Ebanks-Frederick (LA’95), Lanique Eubanks (LA’99) and Danika Tynes (LA’98).

The Champions Scholars Fund is also being matched

ethan steinberg reflects on 4 years at the daily, his future in journalism

tor in chief of the Daily, praised Steinberg’s journalism.

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Daily Week that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

When Ethan Steinberg joined the Daily in fall 2019, he was a copy editor and a staff writer for features. Now, as he prepares to graduate this spring, he will have served as managing editor, associate editor, executive copy editor, news editor, investigative editor and written articles for almost every major section.

Today, Steinberg is known at the Daily as a master of his craft, with a keen eye for detail and sensitive reading on campus climate.

Chloe Courtney Bohl, former edi-

“I always recognize Ethan’s work when I read it because he has such a clear, distinctive and attention-grabbing voice,” she said. “He’s such an excellent writer in addition to being an excellent journalist … [and] one of the people that I look up to the most in the Daily.”

During his time writing for news, Steinberg wrote extensively on local and university COVID19 policy, finding compelling stories to illustrate issues clearly for readers.

“If you dive deep enough into [a story], there’s always something interesting, something that other people don’t know,” Steinberg said. “Everything’s a story, right? So you just have to frame it as a story, obviously, within the bounds of truth.”

see

dollar for dollar by the Schuler Access Initiative, a matching gift challenge created by Jack Schuler (A’62) and his daughter Tanya Schuler Sharman (E’91). The Schuler grant matches up to $25 million raised as aid for low-income students, including students eligible for Federal Pell Grants as well as those with undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.

Sara Judge, vice president for development at Tufts, oversees all fundraising operations

on campus, and helped to raise funds for the Champions Scholars Fund, among other endowed scholarships.

Judge said that the Champions Scholars Fund is just the beginning of WIIT’s initiatives.

“We see [the Champions Scholars Fund] as a first initiative, so WIIT … has chosen financial aid and has set this goal of engaging 130 women in supporting endowed scholarships,” Judge said. “But once we reach

Tufts

Tufts J-Street U, was a dialogue between Roots representatives Sarah Mandel, an Israeli citizen, and Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian.

Members of both student groups were in attendance.

and Aaron Gruen News Editor and Executive News Editor

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sarah Mandel, an Israeli citizen, and Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian, speak at Tisch Library on Feb. 21.

UNIVERSITY

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

22.

Brendan Hartnett Makenna Law

Elena Lowinger

Faye Thijssen

Former President of Costa rica speaks at Fletcher s chool climate change event

by Megan Reimer News Editor

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and The Fletcher School hosted a conversation with former President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada on Feb. 15. Moderated by Alnoor Ebrahim, professor of management at Fletcher and Tisch College, the event focused on the critical role of small countries in the climate crisis, given that conversations about climate change are typically dominated by larger nations.

Ebrahim kicked off the event by praising Quesada for his commitment to climate change mitigation efforts. Quesada has received a number of accolades for his work toward climate justice, including the National Geographic Society’s “Planetary Leadership Award” and the U.N. Environment Programme’s “Champion of the Earth” award and is now a professor of practice of diplomacy at Fletcher.

“He has been an inspiring example of how political leaders can pursue effective governance while championing nature. … As president, he demonstrated how a small state like Costa Rica can work to find solutions for global crises when large countries will not or cannot,” Ebrahim said, quoting Fletcher Dean Rachel Kyte.

Ebrahim explained how Costa Rica has emerged as a global leader in tackling the effects of climate change. The goal of the event, he said, was to explore how other small states can follow its lead.

“Four years ago, Costa Rica launched its National Decarbonization Plan, which was really the first of its kind under the Paris Agreement,” Ebrahim said. “Many countries still have not launched theirs. So here’s a small state taking action on the global stage.”

Quesada spoke to Costa Rica’s ability to lead by example.

“We are a nation without a huge gross domestic product, but our standards of health are of a developed country. We have the highest ratio of investment in health and the results,” he said. “That shows the power of example. … When [the decarbonization plan] came out, nationally it was not so powerful … but internationally it had a huge impact, because we were the bicycle on the five lane highway.”

Quesada explained that, as a small unit of power, Costa Rica is often perceived as having minimal influence over combating climate change, especially compared to its more powerful counterparts such as China and the United States. However, these doubts have only fueled Quesada’s commitment to climate justice.

“Whenever [someone says] it’s impossible, you’re on the right track,” he said.

Costa Rica has a long history of contributing to the battle against climate change.

In 2007, the U.N. published a piece on the country’s commitment to eliminating their global carbon footprint, quoting former President of Costa Rica Óscar Arias: “We do this with the hope that, eventually, we

will be able to show the world that what ultimately needs to be done, can be done.”

Quesada pursued this mission during and after his own presidency. Throughout his time in office, he focused on decarbonizing Costa Rica’s economy, setting a goal for the country to achieve net zero emissions by the year 2050. His administration also launched the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a group of over 100 countries that aims to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.

According to Quesada, courageous leaders in areas such as climate change practice empathy and avoid feeding into polarization.

“I do believe there’s a power in empathy, not to gain power

itself but for a larger end, which has to do with reaching out to the other. There’s a lot of ‘us and them’ going on right now,” he said. “Getting into an empathy position means renouncing … power. … Polarization, I think it’s a very dangerous game.”

Before taking questions from the audience, Quesada explained his plans to help develop the small state diplomacy work done at Fletcher by creating a class on asymmetrical diplomacy.

“[We are working with Fletcher] to train diplomats from small countries … in several topics of the environmental agenda,” he said. “[We are working] not only to train them, but to create cohorts … networks of change [and] networks of empathy.”

PROTEST continued from page 1

Just before the talk started at 7:30 p.m., protestors entered the room dressed in masks and makeshift face coverings and congregated in the back.

About 15 minutes into the presentation, loud music interrupted the discussion as the protestors began to shout phrases such as, “Roots, Roots, you can’t hide, you’re protecting genocide.”

Megan Amero

Aedan Brown

Sophie Dorf-Kamienny

Lindsay Garfinkel

Lucy Belknap

Julieta

Roots, a Palestinian-Israeli initiative, describes their aim as “to transform enemies into partners through direct human contact, deep listening and recognition of the other’s history and experience.” The group is entirely based in the West Bank, but Mandel and Sayegh were visiting Tufts as part of a speaking tour to U.S. colleges and universities.

After a few minutes of chanting, one protester began to directly address Sayegh. Remarks included various profanity and insults in both English and Arabic. One of the protestors called Sayegh a “slut” in Arabic.

Language used by the protestors resembled previous activism by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine, but no group has taken credit for organizing the demonstration. In an Instagram post, SJP wrote they were “not responsible” for the protest, but were “proud that individuals chose to protest.” SJP did not respond to the Daily’s request for comment.

As they continued chanting, Tufts J-Street U and Tufts Friends of Israel leaders informed demonstrators that TUPD officers were en route. It is unclear who called TUPD to the event. The protestors remained shouting in the back row for several minutes before suddenly fleeing the scene.

After protesters had evacuated, the event continued on as planned.

Mandel discussed her reaction to the protestors following the conclusion of the event.

“I would have really loved if they would have stayed and listened,” Mandel said. “I would encourage all the students on campus to really open their minds to people that are different to them, even if it feels

incredibly challenging to listen to the differences.”

Sayegh said he wished the protesters would have been more respectful but understood their frustration.

“I sympathize with [the] people’s opinions … as a Palestinian myself,” Sayegh said.

Ian Kaplan, vice president of Tufts Friends of Israel, responded to the protest.

“I’m disappointed and saddened that the very idea of dialogue on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has become controversial,” Kaplan, a sophomore, wrote in an email to the Daily. “These conversations need to be had, but when students take it upon themselves to disrupt these conversations … they not only harm those trying to do the right thing, but they undermine the fundamental mission of the university. … I don’t think Jewish students should be intimidated by this, but rather empowered to stand up for themselves and what they believe in.”

Tufts J-Street U also commented on the protest.

“J Street U Tufts was excited to have a dialogue event with Roots to hear from an Israeli and a Palestinian who have the shared experience of living in the occupied West Bank,” the organization wrote in a message to the Daily. “An integral part of dialogue is listening to those with differing opinions, therefore we fully support all student groups’ right to protest and express their opinions.”

Monaco contextualized the protest within the national trend of increasing antisemitism and reiterated the university’s commitment to fighting antisemitism on campus.

“The incident is especially disappointing given the many steps that the university and its community members have taken to address antisemitism on campus, part of an alarming trend of increasing antisemitism nationally,“ Monaco wrote. “Incidents like last night’s will not deter us from our work to improve the quality of Jewish life at Tufts and combat campus antisemitism in its various forms.“

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Former President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesado is pictured.

Monaco condemns protest at Tufts Friends of Israel and J-Street U event as ‘a violation of our community standards’

Steinberg, former colleagues share stories

STEINBERG

continued from page 1

Alex Viveros (LA’22), former editor in chief of the Daily, praised his friend and former colleague.

“Ethan is so talented,” Viveros said. “He’s so fearless and yet such a good person; I’m honestly so impressed by the way he communicates with people and gets information.”

Courtney Bohl said Steinberg’s reporting “helped me to understand that factual journalistic writing doesn’t have to be boring.”

“He had served two semesters on the managing board, he had nothing to prove to anyone, but he would attend these Somerville Board of Health meetings and report on rapidly evolving, chaotic COVID policy,” Courtney Bohl said. “Having a chance to read and

edit his work that semester taught me so much about journalistic writing.”

After spending two semesters working on the managing board, Steinberg began writing for the news and investigative sections. Within the Daily, he is known for his distinct prose and journalistic skill.

“I’m honestly so impressed by the way he communicates with people and gets information,” Viveros said. “There’s a stereotypical view of journalists poking around … but [for] Ethan, there’s so much thoughtfulness when he reports.”

After serving as managing editor in spring 2020 and associate editor in fall 2021, Steinberg joined the news section in spring 2021. Courtney Bohl, who was executive news editor of the Daily

at the time, said Steinberg “set a super high standard for the entire News section.”

“[Ethan is] one of the people that I look up to the most in the Daily … in terms of the standards that he sets for writing, reporting and editing as well,” Courtney Bohl said.

While he may be recognized at Tufts for his stories on Black Lives Matter protests, teaching assistants’ pay disparities and campus bomb threats, Steinberg has written at Forbes and currently interns at Morning Brew, where he contributes to the personal finance newsletter. He plans to pursue a career in journalism after he graduates.

“I just know he’s set up for success in the future,” Viveros said. “And I think, really more than anything, his philosophy on journalism is gonna help the industry a lot.”

For Steinberg, the most rewarding part of his time has been seeing the Daily through COVID-19 pandemic and working to make the paper more inclusive. During his junior year, Steinberg served on the Diversity & Inclusion Report Committee, which compiled data on the Daily’s staff and reporting to offer suggestions on how to create a more equitable work environment and source of news.

“When I started, the Intentionality & Inclusivity team was almost defunct,” Steinberg said. “It was rebuilt … during the time that I was here and so to see it kind of flourishing now and producing things like the diversity report and like affinity groups … has been rewarding for me to see.”

Viveros credited Steinberg with having “saved the Daily.”

Scholarships created to expand educational access, equity

“Every college paper is going through this crazy transition, figuring out their identity in a non-print, predominantly online world, and I think Ethan is at the forefront of that now and as a leader, he should be so proud,” he said.

Courtney Bohl said that Steinberg’s leadership will be part of his legacy at the Daily.

“[Ethan] set such an incredible example of what it means to be a leader in the Daily,” she said. “He’s extremely humble and he takes his work extremely seriously.”

Steinberg reflected on the achievements he is proudest of.

“I’m proud of having served on the committee that published the diversity report, because I hope that continues,” he said. “I feel like I learned a lot from the people who I’ve worked with.”

that goal, then the women of Tufts will figure out another goal.”

The Champions Scholars Fund itself started with Taylor-Clark, a member of the board of trustees, when she was appointed to be a co-chair of the WIIT initiative.

“Immediately, she realized we needed a different way of raising significant resources to make a lasting impact. She also knew, as a divorced mom to a small child building her career, there was no way to offer enough resources on her own to endow a legacy. She was inspired to send a note to our group of friends to ask if any of our women (alumnae) friends would want to collectively endow a scholarship. The other three then had interest,” Taylor-Clark, Ebanks-Frederick, Eubanks and

Tynes wrote in a collective email to the Daily.

Tynes said that for her, the decision to join the scholarship fund was an easy one.

“When I received the invite to participate in this scholarship, it wasn’t a question,” Tynes wrote.

“Indeed, the sustainability proposition of the scholarship, the model of using collective strength to provide for [a] better future for more students who need it, and the ability to ‘pay forward’ the same access to education that I had, provided instantly compelling reasons to contribute.”

The alums decided to name the scholarship the “Champions Scholars Fund,” rather than name it after any individual.

“We named it ‘Champions Scholars’ because we are inspired by the idea that Champions are

defined by both their falls and failures as well as their achievements – and it is in how they navigate both that creates a true Champion,” they wrote.

The four women are passionate about providing financial aid to Tufts students.

“Financial aid remains one of the major barriers for otherwise talented and highly eligible prospective students to enter Tufts. All four of us know well the importance of needing financial aid (outside of loans) to ensure an equal opportunity of success,” they wrote. “We were all beneficiaries of financial aid at Tufts. We thought it was important to give that opportunity back – as soon as we could – and in whatever way we could.”

Judge said Tufts has been excited by the level of engage-

ment with fundraising for financial aid.

“I think that [fundraising] almost grows on its own,” Judge said. “We’ve been really pleased to see how many people have been excited about getting engaged and supporting financial aid.”

Now that the Champions Scholars Fund is an official for prospective Tufts students, the alums hope to inspire similar scholarship funds around the country.

“What is exciting is that we can share our experience as a model for others and are being asked to do so at national philanthropic meetings and conferences,” they wrote.

Judge has enjoyed watching alums reconnect to create scholarships and give back to Tufts.

“It’s been a really exciting initiative to be a part of,” Judge said. “One of the goals is to really build this community of engaged alumni, and that’s been, for want of a better word, fun to see develop. There’s just a lot of joy involved with the WIIT community, so that’s been very gratifying.”

The alums excitedly anticipate the fund’s first round of students now that their scholarship has come to fruition.

“One of the major reasons that we were so excited to support this fund over a five-year period is that we know the fund will live in perpetuity – beyond our lifetimes,” the alums wrote. “We are extremely proud to be able to contribute to that end. And we are excited to meet the first Champions!”

CHAMPIONS continued from page 1

DAVID KIM / THE TUFTS DAILY

Dowling Hall, the site of Tufts’ financial aid office, is pictured on Jan. 25.

Collaboration between universities yields novel biodetection methods using proteins, silk

by Sarah Sandlow Senior Staff Writer

Imagine if there were ways for your mask to detect a COVID-19 infection or your bra to detect signs of breast cancer. Researchers at Tufts University and the University of Washington are working to make these speculations a reality. Labs at the two universities recently developed a novel way to detect viruses, toxins and other biomarkers through the use of de novo protein switches in a silk fibroin matrix. The research, published in Advanced Materials in December 2022, stemmed from a collaboration between the Silklab at Tufts and the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington.

Alfredo Quijano Rubio, a former graduate student at the University of Washington and a co-author of the study, explained that a protein switch is a computationally designed protein molecule that can open and close depending on the external stimuli present. In the context of this research, these protein switches are used as biosensors, opening and closing to detect the presence and amount of a particular analyte.

“The key part is that this is very different from your classic biosensors, which are usually based on antibodies and require multiple steps,” Quijano Rubio said. “[The protein switch mechanism] all happens in solution because the proteins have been designed to open and close in solution. It’s basically a onestep reaction.”

To test the specificity of these protein switches for various molecules, the researchers looked at the receptor binding

domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein; the anti-hepatitis-B antibody; the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which is implicated in breast cancer detection; and Botulinum neurotoxin B, a protein that can be found in spoiled foods. Quijano Rubio said that the protein switches are pretty sensitive for these specific molecules and

“It seemed like it was an opportunity to have a material that combined these things, and … the result would have been greater than its individual parts,” Omenetto said.

Omenetto recalled the day he met David Baker, head of the Institute for Protein Design and another co-author on the study. The two connected almost

Quijano Rubio elaborated that the protein switch is made up of two parts. The platform of the protein remains constant while the binding domain is modified based on the specific molecule it is trying to detect. Once created, the biosensor is combined with the silk matrix. The protein switches made at the University of Washington are then shipped

materials,” Omenetto said. “If you had to single out the one thing that is the main difference, [it’s that] the processing of silk into all of these different formats starts from a water-based solution. That’s actually very important for biologicals [and] for foods.”

An analyte is sensed and visualized in solution through a Key-Cage mechanism, as described in the paper. Quijano Rubio explained that this is a two-component system in a state of equilibrium with the analyte. The cage portion contains the binding domain for the molecule as well as a luciferase component, which creates fluorescence in the presence of a desired molecule. The only way to form the luminescent complex and detect the molecule of interest is to have both the key and the analyte present to ‘unlock’ the cage and allow for the luciferase reaction to take place. The amount of light visualized is proportional to the amount of analyte present.

can detect concentrations in the low picomolar range.

Fiorenzo Omenetto, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is the primary investigator and director of the Silklab and a co-author of the protein switches study. He said this collaboration combines the University of Washington’s protein switch technology and Tufts’ silk fibroin matrix development.

The research process resulting in these findings lasted about two years.

immediately over their respective projects.

“The real story is that we were both kind of sitting away from the crowds in a very self-promotion-heavy … conference, with a lot of ‘alpha types’ telling you how they were going to solve the problems of the world,” Omenetto said. “Then we went and sat in a quiet space and then I said, ‘I liked what you commented,’ and he said, ‘I liked what you commented,’ … and we said, ‘We should think of doing something together.’”

to the lab at Tufts to be incorporated into the silk matrix.

Omenetto explained that the silk fibroin matrix is especially useful because it’s versatile, implantable and even food safe. Different biomaterials were tested throughout the process, but silk was chosen because it worked so well as a water-based stabilizer for the protein switches.

“There’s a combination of really favorable features that silk has, from the mechanical standpoint, from the transformation standpoint, in all these different

Omenetto said that this technology is applicable outside of the laboratory in so many ways, as long as there are passionate people eager to work on developing the materials and scaling them up. He mentioned that he could see protein switch technology applied to materials that detect COVID-19, sense breast cancer and monitor mental health through chemical indicators implicated in mental illnesses.

“I think there’s a lot of good that can be done and a lot of challenges too … [that] are not going to be trivial,” Omenetto said. “It’s a matter of finding people that are as invested and as passionate and committed as you to doing these things. … These people are out there, but you have to meet, you have to cross paths.”

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The switch protein, 1o6a, is pictured.

Originally published Feb. 21

by Grace Nelson Contributing Writer

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Daily Week that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

For Tufts Daily staff members, it should come as no surprise that a multitude of different eyes and perspectives check over an article before its publication. From correcting grammatical errors to double and even triple-checking facts, there are plenty of diligent editors working behind the scenes to ensure the Daily publishes its best possible work.

What you may not know, however, is that there is a group of students uniquely qualified in reviewing and revising wording to ensure that no exclusionary or problematic language slips through the cracks. This essential revision process is just one of the many progressive actions taken by the Daily’s Intentionality & Inclusivity Committee.

The Intentionality & Inclusivity Committee, more commonly referred to as I&I, consists of a group of students independent of the managing board dedicated to making the Daily as inclusive as possible. According to its mission statement, the committee operates under the goal of ensuring that the Daily’s coverage “is equitable, accurate and contextualized,” devoting careful attention to the representation of identities in both the staff and subject matters of the Daily. Odessa Gaines, one of the spring 2023 I&I co-chairs, elaborated on what exactly the committee does to realize its mission.

“Our big mission statement really boils down to making the Daily community more intentional and inclusive in everything we do. Some of that is internal in terms of … the bonding events we have like the Hunt,” Gaines said. “Last year, [the Hunt was] very exclusive in certain ways to different people in different staff levels.”

According to Gaines, the I&I Committee felt that the Hunt was not as fun for new members, so they brought their concerns to the managing board in order to make the event more inclusive to all staff members. In addition, the I&I Committee seeks to elevate the perspectives of marginalized groups on Tufts campus.

“More external [initiatives are] talking with executives … and editors, and trying to get them to push writers to expand to broader communities. So because it’s Black History Month, we’re real-

FeaT ures

in the qualitative coding of the report, reviewing survey responses and brainstorming tangible solutions that the managing board could implement to foster a more diverse community of journalists.

One data point that struck the committee as particularly concerning was the underrepresentation of low-income students and students on financial aid. In the survey, 57% of Daily staff indicated that their annual household income was higher than $250,000 and around 80% indicated that they were not on financial aid. According to Hanna, this data indicated to the I&I that changes were necessary to bolster low-income students within the Daily.

“We collected all this data [and] we [saw that] there’s really big gaps in economic classes within the Daily,” Hanna said. “There’s a lot of really wealthy people [so] how do we get more lower income students involved? How do we get more accessible to people?”

ly pushing for people to write about the Black communities on campus.”

According to Gaines, I&I functions as a safe space where students can express any concerns they might have regarding inclusivity and accessibility within the Daily. As someone whose identity does not coincide with the predominantly white and straight Tufts Daily staff, Gaines feels that I&I is a means through which they can ensure that their identity, and those of their peers, are respectively portrayed in the Daily’s reporting.

“For me, as a student who does not represent the rest of the Daily in terms of my identity, I think just having this organization where you can express [your] concerns … is the most important thing,” Gaines said. “I think having I&I intentionally go about these actions and understand [that] these people exist and [that] they might have different views … just makes everything so much easier for people to feel welcome with the I&I space and the Daily space as a whole.”

In addition to fostering a community among members of the Daily and encouraging writers to broaden their subject matters, the I&I Committee also engages in what Gaines dubs as “ethical” revisions, in which the committee examines any wording that may be perceived as exclusive or hurtful by Daily readers. This review process is integral in ensuring that the Daily does not stray from its core values of inclusive and accurate reporting.

“We fact check certain articles [that] might have weirdly word-

ed language,” Gaines said. “We usually get sent those articles [and] we give our input [on] how to rewrite something to make it sound more sensitive to everybody else.”

Sophomore Avery Hanna, an I&I project member and former co-chair, expressed a similar sentiment regarding the importance of the I&I reviewal process. As a member of a committee dedicated to promoting equity within student journalism, Hanna needs to consider multiple factors when determining if an article is suited for publication, including questions of whose voices are amplified and what implications the subject matter has for the broader community.

“A lot of times, [the managing board] will reach out to us and ask us to look over an article,” Hanna said. “We try [to] be mindful and look through like, what are we publishing? Are we doing a good job of covering a wide range of student voices?”

However, to fully realize the mission of promoting equitable journalism, the I&I Committee knew it was not enough to simply amplify diverse voices and subject matters; the Daily also needs a diverse population of journalists, each of whom brings their own unique perspective and background to the articles they write. In order to analyze the demographics of the Daily staff, a group of students spearheaded the creation of a Diversity & Inclusion Report Committee to draft a report during the summer of 2021. This committee is a team entirely dedicated to retrieving and publishing data on the Daily staff’s identities and experiences.

As this was the first iteration of a Tufts Daily Diversity & Inclusion Report, the committee faced the daunting challenge of determining which categories to include in the questionnaire. Ethan Steinberg, former managing editor and member of the 2021–22 Diversity & Inclusion Report Committee, explained how the committee decided which questions would be included. Not only did the committee look to other collegiate reports such as The Daily Princetonian and The Stanford Daily, but they also brainstormed their own questions that they hoped would produce both interesting and beneficial data points.

“The end goal of this all was to be able to create a list of actionable items that could be implemented by Daily staff and that could ultimately make the [Daily’s] coverage better and more inclusive, and also make the organization itself a more inclusive and welcoming space for staff,” Steinberg said. “We had that goal in mind and tried to extrapolate from that goal which metrics would be most interesting and most useful to have.”

Operating under I&I, this committee released a survey to the Daily staff in November 2021 containing questions on a plethora of different subject matters, including race, sexual orientation and even household income. As responses poured in, the next step for the committee was to analyze the responses and formulate a cohesive report that both highlights the Daily’s issues and offers recommendations to remedy them. Hanna and Gaines were both involved

To tackle this imbalance within the Daily population, the student-run newspaper began fundraising for financial stipends that Daily staff members can apply for, making journalism a more feasible prospect for low-income students. For Steinberg, tangible action like these stipends indicate just how valuable the 2021–22 Diversity & Inclusion Report is.

“[The Diversity Report] already has helped to hold the staff and the leadership accountable for implementing changes and for making the Daily . . . [an] even more welcoming and inclusive space,” Steinberg said. “It gives us a space to reflect back on what was accomplished and what still needs work.”

Looking ahead, the Diversity & Inclusion Report Committee plans on publishing a new report every academic school year, marking a new trend of equitable progress within the Daily. This data will allow the I&I Committee to continue the conversation about equitable journalism within the Daily and to reach their goal of better representing the diverse backgrounds and identities of the Tufts student population.

“By having more preemptive and active conversations about areas like intentionality and inclusivity, we can make sure when problems … arise, that we’re well informed and prepared to address them in the best possible way,” Hanna said. “We’re students trying to learn, and by having intentionality and inclusivity committees … we’re able to make sure we’re learning across all areas and producing well-rounded, well-prepared journalists.”

The daily’s Intentionality & Inclusivity Committee fosters welcoming community among student journalists, sources, readers alike

CHARLENE TSAI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Avery Hanna (left) and Odessa Gaines (right) are pictured presenting to the Daily community in Dec. 2022.

stumbling into a passion: s enior delaney Clarke recalls her unexpected journey of dedication to the daily

by Katie Furey Features Editor

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Daily Week that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

When Delaney Clarke joined the Features section of the Daily “casually” as a staff writer during her sophomore spring, she had no intention of her time at the paper being anything more than a low-commitment hobby.

“For some reason, I just kept attending the meetings, and I was oftentimes one of few people there,” Clarke said. “Then I just kept taking assignments after assignment after assignment after assignment because I just started to really enjoy it even though it just started as a hobby.”

Clarke originally joined the Daily to pursue her interest in writing. As an engineering psychology major, she found few opportunities to write, and the Daily seemed like the perfect outlet to do that more frequently.

“I joined the Features section just to write,” Clarke said. “In my major, there wasn’t a lot of writing. It’s more research or engineering classes, computer science, so I always wanted to write more. In high school, I always wanted there to be a school paper, but we never had one.”

Clarke’s fear of conducting individual interviews had previously kept her from joining the Daily.

“I was really scared of talking to people one on one,” Clarke said. “That was what always held me back from joining.”

Overcoming this fear was a challenge Clarke faced while writing her first article.

“My first article was very trial and error,” Clarke said. “I don’t know if it went over very well. It was kind of all over the place, and I didn’t know what questions to ask people. Every call, I just kind of drifted off and ended the interview.”

When asked to write another article, Clarke still felt nervous but was committed to doing an excellent job on it.

“It was an article on Meatless Mondays at Carm, and … I started diving into it,” Clarke said. “I took it very seriously, … and I ended up doing all these interviews, and I was really nervous about the article.”

After writing the article, Clarke received positive feedback from one of her interviewees, which helped bolster her confidence as a writer.

“I remember it came out, and one of the sources emailed me, and they were like, ‘You did a really good job.’ I remember thinking, ‘Oh, okay, I’m decent at this,’” Clarke said. “I guess from there, I was kind of like, ‘Okay, I can do this.’ And with each article, I started to like it more and more, and I felt like I became better and better at holding a

conversation and thinking of questions to ask people.”

Clarke became an assistant features editor during her junior fall and was surprised when she was selected to be the section’s executive editor during her junior spring.

“[When asked to be the executive features editor], I was kind of taken aback, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know,’” Clarke said. “I didn’t think this was going to be a leadership thing. But, then I thought about it, and I was like, I really enjoyed the Daily so far. I think it might be fun to try leading a group of people and see where it goes.”

Clarke described the executive features editor role as a work-intensive and, at times, isolating position. Despite these challenges, she found the position to be a wonderful opportunity to get to know writers better, developing a sense of community within her section.

“Going from assistant editor to features exec, I had no idea the workload of being an exec and how it is kind of all-consuming,” Clarke said. “There’s so much preparation over winter break, like turning over the reins and making sure I knew who was in my section, who’s writing, who’s not, and then just gathering content. … It was kind of difficult to corral people and get them to write.”

The workload was particularly taxing given Clarke’s course schedule at the time.

“Every day, the articles would come in and be edited, and then from 4–6 [p.m.], I would just be [editing] them and then sending them off,” Clarke said. “I was not sure how much time that would take because I was also taking five of these really big classes for my major at the same time. … It’s a mindset. You just get used to it.”

For Clarke, one of the best parts of being executive features editor was getting to know writers on a deeper level.

“Over the winter, I was kind of starting to freak out because I was like, ‘Oh, my section is really small,’ because a lot of juniors went abroad and I had a lot of young writers and new writers,” Clarke said. “But then what was nice is, even though we were a smaller section that semester, a lot of people would show up to the meetings weekly, which I really enjoyed, and I loved the process of getting people to talk about their articles and build off of one another.”

After her term as the executive editor for the Features section, Clarke moved on to serve on the Daily’s managing board during the fall semester of her senior year. During the summer before she started on the managing board, Clarke was anxiously hypothesiz-

ing what serving on the managing board might be like.

“For [the] managing board, it was kind of like the reverse, where I was excited to be on the managing board, but then over that summer, I started to get nervous because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s my senior fall. Why did I sign up to do this again? What if we don’t like each other?’” Clarke said. “I was getting nervous because I was going to spend four nights in the office every week.”

To Clarke’s surprise, she had no reason to be worried about the dynamics of working on the managing board and became close friends with all of her fellow ‘m-boarders.’

“I was worried we wouldn’t click, but then when I went into the fall, it was honestly one of the most fun and rewarding semesters ever,” Clarke said. “I really loved working with the other m-boarders and we ended up all becoming like best friends. … There are people from different class years and different majors, people I probably wouldn’t have known [without being on the managing board]. … I felt like I learned so much from them, not just about journalism, just about life.”

Currently, Clarke continues to build community within the Daily through her role as co-social chair and co-instructor of an ExCollege course for current Daily section

executives and managing board members.

Reflecting on her time with the Daily, Clarke noted that knowing when to lean on others for support was a key skill she learned through her leadership positions.

“Understanding when I need a break is a hard thing,” Clarke said. “I think the leadership positions are very taxing but also very rewarding, and I think you really have to have a good mindset of understanding when you do need someone else’s help [editing] or when you just need support from someone else.”

Clarke hopes that others can find value in the variety of experiences the Daily provides, regardless of their future career interests.

“I think a lot of people are surprised when they hear what I’m majoring in and how much commitment I’ve given to a paper,” Clarke said. “It is a little unusual. I don’t think I’m going into journalism, and I think I joined the paper knowing I wouldn’t go into journalism. … A lot of the skills I’ve gained as an exec and a managing editor are things that can be applicable to lots of areas of life, even just how to work in an office with a multitude of different personalities and working styles, how to lead a group of people, how to meet tight deadlines and also how to put a lot of work into something that I was really passionate about.”

COURTESY DELANEY CLARKE

Senior Delaney Clarke is pictured.

wee K e N der

arts section alums reflect on lessons learned amid flourishing careers in media

by Henry Chandonnet Executive Arts Editor

Editor’s note: The Daily’s editorial department acknowledges that this article is premised on a conflict of interest. This article is a special feature for Daily Week that does not represent the Daily’s standard journalistic practices.

Writers for the Daily’s Arts and Pop Culture section have aspired to a myriad of career paths. From political science majors to computer science lovers, there is not one set way to be an arts writer. The Daily provides more than a journalistic education; it builds life skills and connections.

But for those who do enter the media world professionally, the Daily helps establish a professional backdrop for budding editorial aspirations. The Daily recently got to catch up with three arts alums currently working in media, who reflected on their pathways from Daily staff writer to working journalist, editor and producer.

Cassidy Olsen (LA’18) knows the journalistic landscape intimately. After serving as executive arts editor in the fall of 2017, Olsen graduated to a budding editorial career. While working a day job at Reviewed, the consumer product branch of USA Today, Olsen moonlighted as a freelance film critic. Those pieces, which ran in publications like DigBoston and The Improper Bostonian, were akin to the reviews she wrote for the Daily.

In fact, it was film criticism that first drew Olsen to the Daily’s basement office. After a push from some friends, she started reviewing movies for the arts section.

“I was doing film reviews, and I think it’s that I had always been really interested in film criticism,” Olsen said. “I read a lot of film criticism growing up, I saw a lot of movies [and] had a lot of opinions.”

After the pandemic thoroughly disrupted the media landscape, Olsen “soft retired” from journalism and relocated to Dublin, Ireland. There she would gratify her urge to get back behind the camera, moving into commercial film production, landing herself in the current position of senior editor for In The Company of Huskies. Still, Olsen continues to find her knowledge from the Daily applicable.

“I think the Daily will always be really important, regardless of whether people pursue it professionally,” Olsen said.

During her tenure as executive arts editor, Olsen was able to shepherd in a bright-eyed new first-year: Chris Panella (LA’21).

Starting their term by writing a couple of op-eds, Panella, who uses he and they pronouns, soon found a home for himself in the arts section. There they would complete a series of editorial feats, including interviewing the likes of Olivia Wilde, Robert Eggers and Anya Taylor-Joy.

After leaving Tufts, Panella journeyed out to Los Angeles, where he worked an internship for Lucasfilm. Still, it didn’t take long for them to jump ship for their beloved Boston.

“I moved out to L.A. and was like, ‘oh, this is my future in entertainment.’ And then I quickly found that I missed journalism,” Panella said. “I missed The Tufts Daily a lot, I missed the ability to pitch stories and write and kind of have a craft. And I realized that I was a journalist.”

After a year of writing mattress reviews for Reviewed (the same platform as Olsen’s postgrad work), Panella secured their biggest professional achievement yet: a Breaking News Fellowship with Insider. Though he’s pursuing a different beat than the arts interviews he published for the Daily, Panella carries with them much of their editorial training from the campus publication.

“I pitched three things that got shot down, and I was asking for feedback,” Panella said. “The reason I’m so comfortable with accepting this feedback, and then taking it into my next pitch, is because of the Daily.”

Enlisted at about the same time as Panella was Steph Hoechst (LA’21), another committed arts writer and editor. Hoechst and Panella remain close friends from the Daily; on the day of our interview, Hoechst had plans to meet up with Panella that night for drinks.

Having been trained in news before swapping over to the arts section, Hoechst found a niche for herself in on-campus arts interviews. She reminisces fondly on her interview with the heads of TFL Comedy and with former Beezlebub Deke Sharon (LA’91). Still, after taking up the mantle of executive arts editor for the fall of 2019, Hoechst found herself relishing the community above all.

“Arts is such a tight-knit group,” Hoechst said. “I really enjoyed being in charge, not only of what our section was putting out, but also [as] kind of a social leader as well.”

Hoechst accompanied Panella on their brief Los Angeles trial period, though her stay only lasted three weeks. By then, she was ready to move back to Boston and take up a video editing position for The Inception Company. If there’s one thing that Olsen, Panella and Hoechst all have in common, it’s that they worked grueling entry-level jobs to pave their way. Editing corporate media was never Hoechst’s dream profession, but she took it in stride.

“It was good to have a year of just toughing it through content that sucked, to now develop the skills I needed to be here,” Hoechst said.

Now Hoechst works as a production assistant for FableVision, a children’s educational interactive media company, where she uses

many of the logistical tools she learned by running the arts section.

“It’s really strange, because I never was like, ‘oh, being an arts exec is going to help me be such a good producer,’” Hoechst said. “But, now that I’m here, that was totally my first foray into project management.”

Among Olsen, Panella and Hoechst, one lesson learned remained communal: the ability to try, fail and try again.

“I feel comfortable failing and getting feedback in that way,” Panella said. “The Daily I think teaches you to be really open to feedback from your peers and from people who have more experience than you. And it teaches you that a core aspect of journalism is constantly improving your reporting and writing skills.”

Olsen confirms this notion: “I definitely had some times where I felt like I messed up, and I feel like that was actually really important.”

Still, what the Daily intends to inspire more than anything is a love of journalism in its purest form. It’s a passion for storytelling, from interview pieces to criticism, that grows from the basement of Curtis Hall.

“The Daily taught me to love pursuing a beat and looking for stories, and then telling those stories,” Panella said. “So I would say I owe a lot to the Daily and I owe a lot to my time there, because I don’t think I would be a journalist if I didn’t get pulled into the arts section by Cassidy.”

COURTESY STEPH HOECHST, CASSIDY OLSEN AND CHRIS PANELLA Steph Hoechst (left), Cassidy Olsen (middle) and Chris Panella (right), three former writers for the Daily’s arts section, are pictured.

In Photo: A look at the Daily since September

PHOTO CREDITS: NICOLE GARAY, AARON GRUEN, DAVID KIM, RACHEL LIU AND JULIA SHANNON-GRILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

In Photo: Through the lens of our photo execs

PHOTO CREDITS: DAVID KIM AND QUAN TRAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

S. and Jack Clohisy

Queeries

A thanks to the Daily

Welcome back to another week of Queeries! This week we’re talking about the Daily and the importance of queer voices. Being queer is a lifelong journey of breaking the boundaries that surround gender and sexuality, but being societal rule breakers is exhausting when it feels like your voice is not being heard. For us, the Daily has supported our voices and given us a space to not only banter with one another but also create an environment where we feel valued, included and empowered to succeed.

The Queeries column started off as a fun way to bond with friends, delve more into the queer pop culture we care about and learn more eccentric facts and hot gossip we previously didn’t know about. But as we’ve been writing this column, we have realized that we are reaching a larger audience than we had originally thought. Our thoughts and opinions, regardless of how quirky they may be, are resonating with others. The Daily not only gave us an opportunity to share our beliefs, but it also showed itself as a safe, uplifting space for members of the queer community.

Every community needs a space where they can uphold their rights and demands and share their stories with their society. LGBTQ+ press was initially born out of necessity. We needed activism, and we’re creating a renaissance of our own. It is only within the past decade that major news outlets started covering LGBTQ+ topics more regularly, and as a well-known, independent, student newspaper, the Daily has readily opened its arms to caring for this community.

Finding community within the arts section has allowed for queer perspective and voice. How many other times during one’s four years at Tufts do they have the opportunity to review and discuss art pieces created by queer artists that will reach an audience not only on Tufts’ campus but also to any online viewer or interested party? Historically, queer voices have been suppressed by university administrations across the U.S. with some college students even creating separate papers and news outlets catering to the queer community.

We are so incredibly grateful to write for a paper that values queer perspective and offers us and other students a platform to express ideas and discuss topics often underrepresented and underreported. The Daily wears many hats when it comes to what roles it serves in the greater community. One, it offers a space for informing students and community members about newsworthy events, and two, it allows for deeper thought and reflection on how the Tufts community benefits from different perspectives.

Roughly 50 years ago, university students were fighting for a gay voice, but today, spaces such as the Daily offer that outlet to uplift and amplify a multitude of queer perspectives.

Saba S. is a columnist at the Daily. Jack Clohisy is a senior studying computer science and cognitive and brain science. Jack can be reached at jack.clohisy@tufts.edu.

a message from our assistant arts editors

by

To celebrate the Daily this week, the arts section’s new assistant editors describe their experience with the Daily and what it has meant to them.

From Erin:

I had no prior experience with journalism until I joined the Daily this past semester, but I loved art. I felt as though books, movies, paintings and music provided many of the answers to the questions I had. If it didn’t provide answers, it offered a conversation. Often, after finishing a movie or closing the back cover of a book, the desire to articulate whatever reaction or emotion it elicited within me would rise and swell in my chest to the point that it felt unbearable. But the thought of publicly sharing an opinion, even for something as minor as a poorly made television program, was unnerving. As an act of compromise, I translated my thoughts into reviews in a journal. I considered these responses an incredibly personal thing, and so these reviews remained hidden in a desk drawer until the end of high school. But eventually, the dimensions of a notebook began to feel confining, and I became interested in learning how to bring my opinions to print. The Tufts Daily has been an incredibly supportive and passionate community, providing a space for me to learn and grow as a writer and assistant editor. The Arts and Pop Culture section of the paper offers the opportunity to not only share news about art but also to participate in the criticism that makes the art worth anything in the first place. I am eager to continue growing as a writer for the section and am excited to read the incredible reviews submitted by fellow students!

From Ava:

Because I worked as an arts editor for my high school newspaper, I was super excited to join the arts section of the Daily. My high school was small and not much attention was paid to the arts and entertainment section. It was difficult to get ideas off the ground, let alone find other people with the same interests as me. Suddenly, the Daily came into my life like a shining beacon of hope. I first found my footing by writing movie reviews — something I had always been passionate about. I had worried at first that my writing would not be of the right caliber for a college newspaper, but I soon found that the Daily welcomes all sorts of voices and stories. The people I worked with were so helpful and encouraging, allowing me to explore all sorts of topics that I never would have been able to. It would have been easy for me to keep my critical ravings to my Letterboxd account, but the Daily showed me just how to engage my artistic criticism with the world around me. So far, I have been able to interview Hollywood stars, explore events in the Boston area and amplify artistic voices in the Tufts community. Through working for the Daily, I have been given the opportunity to expand my art criticism skills and grow a platform (one that exceeds my nine Letterboxd followers). There is no other community I would rather be a part of on this campus.

From Megan:

I transferred to Tufts this fall, and when I came to campus, I knew I wanted to be involved with the Daily. At my old university, I also wrote for my student newspaper, and it was an invigorating and insightful experience that I wanted to carry with me at Tufts. Since joining the Daily, I have been surrounded by exciting and passionate people who care deeply about the importance and integrity of journalism. They

seek to tell stories and shed light on current issues and events affecting our community. It is a vital aspect of student and university life, and I feel grateful to be a part of it. What the Daily does is create a space for students who love to write, tell stories, investigate or use media for other informative outlets and allow them to expand those abilities among each other. This is a community of students helping other students become the best writers, editors and leaders they can be, and that sort of support is hard to find. As a news editor and assistant arts editor for the Daily, I feel like I can delve into many facets of the community and use my interests to impact my stories, passions and insight to help others learn.

From Matthew:

I came to the Daily and journalism somewhat late. I never contributed to my high school newspaper, and I was not a part of the Daily for the entirety of my freshman year. As a history student, I always saw myself sitting among my old books rather than reading newspapers and viewed journalism as too contemporary to fit my interests. But since I started a job doing real historical research, I have realized the immense importance of journalism as a historical record. It is through journalists that the voices of real people are given a place to stand in history. Often what the news chooses to cover, or what the interviewer chooses to ask, constitutes our understanding and knowledge of history. The Daily has allowed me to partake in this fulfilling work while also providing me with a fun and creative outlet. While I’ve only written about music for the Daily so far, I joined the arts section because from music to film to books to paintings, I love everything arts, and I hope to branch out with my writing in the future. I have loved being able to write about my passions and look forward to future projects with the Daily!

Saba

Erin Zhu, Ava Dettling, Megan Reimer and Matthew Winkler Assistant Arts Editors

COURTESY MATTHEW WINKLER, ERIN ZHU, MEGAN REIMER AND AVA DETTLING Assistant Arts Editors Matthew Winkler (top left), Erin Zhu (top right), Megan Reimer (bottom left) and Ava Dettling (bottom right) are pictured.

Last Week’s Solutions

SUDOKU

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

Brendan: “Let’s go high on this one.”

MISSED CONNECTIONS

You: Live on the other side of the country and probably don’t even remember me anymore. Me: Making up fake scenarios in my head that just happen to line up perfectly with iconic movie scenes because I’m bored out of my mind and totally not because I miss you

You: The Tufts Daily newsroom, potentially leaking gas. Me: Just trying to make the damn paper. Where: Cummings 614. When: Too late.

ACROSS

1 Frequency of this publication

6 Each section has its own

7 "Tufts Daily, ____ 1980"

DOWN 1 "___ WASSSUP!"

2 Singer DiFranco 3 Light 4 Inc. relative 5 "___-haw!"

Difficulty Level: Finding an empty room in Cummings at 10 p.m. when there is a potential gas leak in the newsroom

CROSSWORD

If you were an Instagram user in 2019, you likely remember an early iteration of online outrage: the Amazon rainforest wildfires. As fires tore through the Brazilian Amazon — partly due to regular farming practices and partly due to excessive deforestation — social media users were quick to direct outrage toward the news media.

“Even #SaveSpidermanFromSony has been reported more by the media than #PrayforAmazonia and it’s absolutely shameful,” one fashion influencer captioned a posed outfit post. Instagram and Twitter ran rampant with false and misleading photos of the fires as users scrambled to participate in the activism. The thing is, the American news media was covering this crisis, and they were

With tomorrow marking 54 years since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines, a case fundamental in affirming the First Amendment rights of students, we write to stress the importance of a responsible free press and the important role of student newspapers in holding university leadership accountable and ensuring an informed readership.

The Daily has benefited from the ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines and the protections for student journalists which our predecessors have sought to establish for us in the past 43 years. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Daily’s first-ever issue this Saturday, we write to reflect on the work that these protections have enabled and consider the important role of a responsible free student press.

As a financially independent student newspaper, our coverage does not bend to the wishes of the university and other powerful institutions.

This fall, the Daily published two articles outlining investigations into the workplace environments of several crucial administrative offices at the university.

Early in the fall semester, the Daily published an article that explored a poorly managed Office of the Provost, especially when it came to handling the university’s approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice following the departure of then-Chief Diversity Officers Rob Mack and Joyce Sackey.

Several weeks later, the Daily published an investigation which uncovered discrimination and a

EDITORIAL

Before you blame ‘the media,’ read the news

doing so with much more context than any aesthetically pleasing Canva graphic and Instagram story caption could provide.

In the month of August, The Boston Globe published at least 12 stories about the Amazon forest fires. The New York Times published at least 15. The Washington Post published at least 10. So the question remains, why was the news media being blamed? Are people perhaps becoming too far removed from a true definition of ‘media’?

To put it in a political context, extremists on both sides of the aisle have long been distrustful of mainstream news media. Sen. Bernie Sanders notoriously criticized coverage by the “corporate media” during both of his presidential runs, while former

President Donald Trump famously skipped the news media entirely to take his views directly to Twitter. Over the past few years, their distrust has seeped into popular American culture. In 2020, 53% of Americans reported holding the belief that news organizations “don’t care about the people they report on.” The result is that any disaster that isn’t receiving swift action (or even if it is) is quickly blamed on a lack of media attention.

With the death of local news and the surge of social media popularity in the last decade, an increasing number of Americans are getting their news from social media. More than 50% of adults in the United States use social media as a source of news. It’s quick, it’s free, it’s effortless and

EDITORIAL

— most notably — its algorithms let users confine their news to digital echo chambers. But those who rely primarily on social media for news are significantly less knowledgeable on current events and more likely to believe false information, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center report. And when the echo chamber fails to give users the real news of the day, they chastise the media for a lack of coverage.

From the 2019 Amazon fires, to ongoing coverage of Ukraine, to this month’s Ohio train derailment, the news media has faced criticism for ‘hiding’ important stories or ‘not paying attention to’ international and domestic crises, almost all of which major outlets covered extensively. Even the term ‘the media’ now can’t escape

On a free student press

hostile workplace culture in Tufts’ admissions office at the hands of Dean of Admissions JT Duck. We subsequently called for Duck to be placed on leave and removed from this year’s admissions cycle until an external law firm concludes its independent investigation.

In 2018, the Daily reported that University President Anthony Monaco attended a meeting at Harvard with Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia. Tufts did not disclose the meeting, held on March 25, 2018, between Monaco, five other leaders at Boston-area universities and Crown Prince Mohammed.

The crown prince has long been criticized for blatant human rights abuses. Just a month after the Daily published the aforementioned investigation, he ordered the execution of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, drawing international condemnation.

The Daily published an editorial in January 2019 urging Tufts to cut its ties with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, as Tufts and Purdue Pharma helped ignite the current opioid crisis: The Sackler family used their wealth to push pro-opioid messaging at and through Tufts’ Sackler Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences beginning in the late 1990s. Tufts has since dropped the Sackler name from all university programs and buildings.

By sharing stories not otherwise promoted by the university, and by demanding accountability from the Tufts administration,

the Daily recognizes the privilege that Tinker v. Des Moines and other rights outlined in the First Amendment have granted us as student journalists.

This privilege conferred to the Daily comes with great responsibility. As such, we remind our staff, readers and fellow student journalists of three key obligations to which we must adhere.

First and foremost, the Daily has a responsibility to its own staff. The writers, editors, photographers and other staffers who help create the Daily are themselves members of the Tufts community. Therefore, it is crucial for the Daily to support its staff members as they learn and grow as journalists. As such, we resolve to promote and stand by their work in the face of unfair attacks from individuals or other sources. Particularly as we find ourselves in a hostile media environment, where accusations of ‘fake news’ are ascribed to controversial pieces and journalists face unprecedented attacks, it is integral for us to support our journalists as people and students in the face of hate.

This responsibility is also why the Daily never shares draft articles with anyone before the article publishes. A writer’s work is theirs, and sharing drafts outside the organization opens the article up to undue modification.

Second, the Daily has a responsibility to its sources. In the most basic sense, it is our duty to ensure that a source is never misquoted or misrepresented in print or on the internet. However, there is also

a more nuanced responsibility the Daily owes its sources.

Often, sources disclose information to the Daily confidentially or may become endangered if their identity is revealed publicly. In these nuanced environments, it is important for the Daily to maintain a positive relationship built on trust and respect with its sources — and protect their privacy — in order to continue informing the community and facilitating discourse among the widest variety of its members.

Finally, the Daily also has a responsibility to its readers to be “the first and foremost source read-

its negative connotation, and the collapse of trust between news organizations and the people they exist to inform has brought on an age of misinformation.

Before you blame the media, read the news. Good, sound journalism is still available. While some high quality news outlets are behind paywalls, many are non-profits, allowing anyone to view their reporting without a subscription. Further, Tufts students have access to The New York Times and The Washington Post for free — and additional news outlets can be accessed through Tisch Library. Despite the occasional blunder, high quality news media remains accessible to those who seek it out, but that quality relies on the continued support of its readers.

ers turn to for news, information and ideas about Tufts University and the Tufts community, as well as Tufts’ perspective in the media landscape of its host communities,” according to the Daily’s constitution. As such, it is critical that the information we publish meets the highest standards of factual accuracy and clarity.

These standards, which guide our reporting and editing process — and which can lend themselves to any student newsroom — help to establish an organization that can serve as a crucial source of information and as a public forum for a healthy community such as Tufts.

GRAPHIC BY MIKE KOURKOULAKOS

Does sophomore housing actually break first-year friend groups?

by Justin Solis Opinion Editor

Recently, rising sophomores were forced to go through the notorious Tufts housing lottery. Many students were left disappointed by poor lottery numbers, leading to a pervasive question echoing around campus: Does the sophomore housing lottery system hurt first-year friend groups?

When considering the housing lottery, a few fundamental issues come to mind. First, the fact that there are limited rooms means that Tufts housing cannot give everyone their first choice living situation (ranging from 10-person suites to triples). Naturally, the big-ticket living arrangements (10-person and six-person suites) tend to quickly fill up with the first few lottery numbers. If no one in your friend group is able to acquire a good lottery number (ranging from 1,000–2,000), then the responsi-

bility falls on students’ shoulders to figure out their next steps.

In my experience being a firstyear student, friend groups tend to arise from proximity. Dorms such as Hill Hall are engineered in such a way that facilitates frequent drop-ins and hangouts from dorm room neighbors. The flexibility of being able to visit your friends at any time by simply walking a few feet results in lasting connections. Most students wish to keep the close friendship commute they became accustomed to in their first year. When it becomes harder to remain closer on a locational basis, students fear losing the connections facilitated by their previous proximity.

Second, the specific suite types are inherently restrictive in their size. The sizes of suites offered at Tufts only accommodate up to 10 people. This means that large friend groups of over 10 students that wish to live together are stuck in an uncomfortable

predicament. They must pick and choose who they want to live with if they can even acquire a coveted 10-person suite in the first place.

The stress created by the housing lottery exists especially for those who were not lucky enough to find a close friend group early on in their first-year experience. The deadline to declare your living arrangement passes before the end of the year, raising the possibility of making new friends after housing decisions have already been made.

As for possible solutions, Tufts is lucky in that there are a multitude of different colleges from which it can draw inspiration from. The most efficient and easy-to-implement solution that Tufts could transition to is a housing process similar to the University of Michigan. At UMich, housing is not guaranteed for returning students. This means that while students have the option to look for a room on

VIEWPOINT

campus, they can also choose to live elsewhere. This gives them more flexibility to choose their living arrangements. Allowing sophomores to live off campus has a multitude of benefits for all involved parties.

First, students will get to pick the living arrangement they want, letting friend groups stay and live together. Second, the cost of renting off campus could, in some instances, be cheaper than Tufts’ housing rate. This benefit can be huge for students looking to find ways to offset the high cost of Tufts’ tuition. The last benefit for students is that having a portion of the class living off campus results in freeing up lottery numbers and rooms that would otherwise be taken. This diversification of housing offerings means that everyone has a higher chance of getting their ideal living arrangement.

This plan could help the university as well, offering a

College basketball and the security dilemma

by Toby Winick Opinion Editor

Every year, I try to win my friend group’s March Madness bracket pool, and I always fall short. The challenge of making a perfect bracket is so close to impossible that Warren Buffett offered $1 billion to any fan that could, but no one did. Therefore, it would be understandable if I was simply bad at making brackets, but I like to think I’m pretty good. So this year, in an effort to make it atop the pool, I found a new source of inspiration: political science.

It would be hard to find a political science class in the country that doesn’t teach its students about the security dilemma. The security dilemma is the process by which a country attempting to make itself more secure — by making defense treaties, building ships and planes or relocating weapons — makes other states less secure, causing them to respond in kind and making each state less safe but with greater military capabilities than before.

What does this have to do with college basketball?

Common political science paradigms like realism and liberalism hold that one, if not the, primary goal of a state is to survive. In college basketball, and particularly in the postseason tournament, teams must also survive. Instead of building weapons for security, they maintain their status by winning basketball games.

Like states, teams must allocate resources efficiently to protect themselves. This comes in the form of planning offense and defense with limited time in a season. States face a similar dilemma on how to treat their adversaries when their safety is in question every single day.

Does playing better really make it so teams are less likely to win? Of course not, but it does cause teams

to respond in kind. An offense that attacks the middle beats the holes in a zone defense. A team with a dominant big man struggles against a defense that stacks the paint. Similarly, states may construct anti-missile systems in response to an adversary creating missiles or simply make more of their own missiles. I want to examine how offense and defense interact as a successful strategy for a team’s ‘security’ considering the dilemma.

Robert Jervis’ seminal paper “Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma” does just this. Jervis, who got his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, which has a basketball team currently posting a 3–24 record, examines the intertwined variables of whether offense or defense has the strategic advantage. The paper asks whether states can differentiate

offensive and defensive postures, and it shows how those variables impact the security dilemma.

I believe that — when it comes to men’s college basketball — offense certainly possesses the advantage. After all, teams need points to win, and because defense is reactionary, offense has more freedom. An NCAA analysis that covered the years from 2010–18 showed that the vast majority of Final Four teams and all of the men’s basketball champions except for the 2014 University of Connecticut team posted a better offensive proficiency rating than their opponents. In college basketball, defense doesn’t win championships. However, this wasn’t always the case: Past championship game results show that games used to be much lower scoring. Defense-first teams like Houston and Tennessee are unable to get

win-win situation. Tufts’ enrollment has consistently grown in recent years, rising by over 25% from 2015–21. By not having to worry about having enough sophomore dorms to house the ever-rising number of students, Tufts can continue to increase enrollment without having to deal as much with providing housing for sophomores. Overall, if your friend group has concerns about remaining together next year, it’s possible for friendships to be maintained regardless of distance as long as everyone puts in the necessary work. It is important to note that the housing lottery can be a stressful time, especially in the midst of midterm season. But regardless of whatever your future living situation may be on campus, my first year at Tufts has shown me that living in close proximity to so many strangers quickly turns into living in close proximity to so many friends.

over the hump just as countries that do not adapt will be eliminated or overpowered.

I do not believe that offensive and defensive postures are distinguishable. Both teams and states have natural strengths, but teams often try new strategies, and some strategies fall out of popularity. Moreover, states and teams have different policies toward each adversary and opponent, so teams can’t be sure that they know which posture to expect.

So what can Jervis (who redeemed himself by later teaching at basketball powerhouse UCLA) tell us? He states that when offense is favored and postures are not distinguishable, the security dilemma is at its most dangerous. States are unable to anticipate the actions of others and are inclined to be increasingly aggressive. I would argue that this is represent-

ed in the level of parity this year. There has certainly been a deviation in traditional planning and team hierarchy. There has been an incredible number of upsets, which is admittedly difficult to quantify. But Eastern Illinois beating Iowa as 31.5-point underdogs marked the biggest upset by point spread ever. Kansas State, who started the year unranked, beat four ranked teams (including No. 2 Kansas) to make the top five at one point. Meanwhile, UNC, who started the season ranked first, fell all the way out of the top 25 faster than any preseason No. 1 ever. I could go on, but this year has been one of the most exciting in college hoops history. The security dilemma is incredibly strong with more teams adapting in new ways to rise to the top. Whatever happens, I can’t wait for March. Thanks, Jervis.

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An NCAA men’s basketball game is pictured.

VIEWPOINT

Fear of losing donors threatens Harvard’s academic freedom

by Clint Chen Contributing Writer

Money and freedom, in the current world, seem to be contradictory. The misuse of power to censor, intimidate and silence scholars and students is threatening the fundamentals of academia. Do we have to choose one, or can we have both?

The renowned Kennedy School at Harvard University reversed its decision on Jan. 19 and offered a fellowship to Kenneth Roth, the former director of Human Rights Watch. The reversal came after public outcry against Harvard’s initial decision, which touched on sensitive issues such as academic freedom, donor power and the long-standing Israel controversy.

The dispute flared up months ago when The Nation exposed that Douglas Elmendorf, the dean of the Kennedy School, refused to approve the proposal by the school’s Carr Center of Human Rights Policy to offer a one-year fellowship to Roth.

“The reason,” The Nation writer Michael Massing said, was “Israel.” Roth and Human Rights Watch previously criticized Israel for violating human rights and its “apartheid” in regards to its conduct toward Palestinians. At the time, Elmendorf claimed that HRW was biased against Israel.

After this revelation, the public, including Harvard students, faculty, alumni and free speech groups, were furious and criticized Elmendorf’s decision. Although Elmendorf quickly reversed course and asserted that his initial decision was an error, the influence of donors and Elmendorf’s fear of being ‘antisemitic’ should not be neglected. According to an op-ed

Roth authored in The Guardian, Elmendorf had a pleasant conversation with him, but at the end, he asked Roth if he had any enemies, to which Roth replied that the Israeli government “undoubtedly detests” him. Therefore, evidence could suggest that Harvard vetoed the fellowship because it feared the criticism for hiring someone who the public sees as ‘anti-Israel,’ notably from the university donors or administration members. Although it is still not clear what role donor pressure played in the decision, it is not uncommon for large donors and administration members to exert influence on academic institutions, particularly in controversial cases, and it signals part of a broader trend of universities facing pressure to silence or marginalize critics of Israel.

Academic freedom is not just about protecting the right to express one’s views, but also about creating a space for critical inquiry and debate. By denying Roth a fellowship, Harvard is sending a message that certain perspectives or criticisms are not welcome on its campus, which could have an enormously negative effect on academic freedom more broadly to the whole nation.

Harvard, as one of the richest institutions in the world, chose to compromise its commitment to academic freedom for university donations. Admittedly, it seems reasonable for the Kennedy School to reject Roth’s fellowship. After all, all universities depend on donations from their alumni and other donors to operate at a high level by conducting research and maintaining international influence. It is fair that donors have a say in the decisions. However, if uni-

versities, companies and society in general are made to abide by the rules of the rich and powerful, the world would largely be controlled by those people without the strong voice of the underrepresented. University should be a place for diverse voices, including criticism and judgment. In this case, it would be difficult for people to hear the criticism of Israel, and other scholars and students’ opinions on Israel might be stifled. Those who have criticism opposing the status quo deserve to be heard. There have been many examples of the influence of potential donors undermining

either freedom of speech or academic freedom. Some of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media outlets have been forced to close due to government and sponsor pressure from some of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing officials, and any attempt to report about communism-related issues has been substantially curtailed. In this situation, Hong Kong news staff, in fear of the pressure, had to avoid reporting some of the truth with regard to China. The lost independent news agencies and censored news content are likely to put both democracy and freedom of speech at stake.

Similarly, a university should allow scholars to have a certain degree of freedom regardless of where the university administration and donors stand. College is where innovation and the search for knowledge happen, which propels our society to grow and advance to the next level. Universities should stand firm in their commitment to promote academic freedom, even if it means facing criticism and potentially losing donors. Academic freedom is a fundamental principle that should not be compromised for financial reasons or fear of public criticism.

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VIEWPOINTS AND COLUMNS Viewpoints and columns represent the opinions of individual Opinion editors, staff writers, contributing writers and columnists for the Daily’s Opinion section. Positions published in Viewpoints and columns are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion.

OP-EDS Op-Eds provide an open forum for campus editorial commentary and are printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch, is pictured.

women’s basketball attacks Nes CaC play with offensive dominance led by Maggie russell’s 40-point performance

by Keriann Slayton Staff Writer

Junior forward Maggie Russell cemented herself as one of the all-time greats of Tufts women’s basketball, scoring 40 points in the team’s 75–61 victory over Bowdoin in the first round of NESCAC tournament play. The Jumbos faced off against the Polar Bears in Cousens Gymnasium for their second matchup of the year, and after a tight first half, the Tufts offense stepped on the gas pedal and never let up. Russell’s 40-piece topped her previous career high of 33 points, which she set against Bates earlier this season, and she now stands in second place in school history

Bharat Singh

The Final Whistle

Napoli and Real Madrid draw first blood

It was the perfect start. A slight hesitation allowed Mohamed Salah to pounce on Thibaut Courtois’ poorly controlled attempted clearance, burying the ball beyond the Belgian goalkeeper. 2–0 Liverpool. White shirts stood in disbelief as Anfield erupted in euphoria. Perhaps the catalyst for a much-needed resurrection for what has been a poor season for the Reds. Darwin Núñez’s first, a cheeky flick, had given

for most points in a single game, a record set by Ellie Strobel’s 44 points in 1994.

While Russell had a remarkable game, the Jumbos trailed for the entire first quarter and went into halftime with a fragile 2-point lead. Sophomore guard Sofia Gonzalez, who added 13 points to the scoreboard, commented on the back-and-forth battle of the first half.

“I think that we had a little bit of a mentality that because we had won before we were gonna win again, and I think that first quarter showed that,” she said.

The Jumbos regrouped and made adjustments based on the knowledge they gained in the first contest against the Polar

Liverpool an early lead, and for a moment it seemed like Anfield’s magic was at work again. But if there’s anything stronger than Liverpool’s historic record at home it is Real Madrid’s ability to recover from a deficit.

Tuesday night will go down as another memorable Champions League night as reigning champions Real Madrid and runaway Serie A leaders Napoli firmly established leads, all but sealing their quarterfinal spots. For Madrid, a nervy start was quickly forgotten with a moment of individual brilliance from Vinicius Jr., whose right foot dagger nestled in the bottom corner of Brazilian National Team teammate Alisson Becker’s goal. Even at 2–1, the visitors seemed more composed than the hosts, who didn’t make life difficult for Real Madrid’s creative attacking outlets. Soon after, Vinicius Jr.

Bears, taking the lead during the second quarter and maintaining it for the rest of the game.

“When we had played them before, we knew that they were also a very good 3-point-shooting team,” Gonzalez said. “If we had ever lapsed on defense, then they had a very high probability of making those shots, so I think a lot of our emphasis came on helping defense and rotations and trying to stop them from doing what they do best.”

After halftime, the Jumbos found a higher gear. As the defense worked to eliminate the 3-point threat, the offense exploded, and the team’s free throw percentage reached 91.7%, the highest since January 2020. In addition to her 40

struck again, this time scoring off Becker’s mistake in the box. Courtois’s early error essentially canceled out. With the scores tied, Madrid began dictating play. Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga dominated midfield, exchanging effortlessly while intercepting and shutting down most Liverpool attacks. Veteran Luka Modrić, playing slightly ahead, had enough time and space to thread dangerous passes for the front three.

But it wasn’t just in open play that Madrid outperformed their opponents, a perfectly executed set piece from Modric early in the second half found the head of Éder Militão. After taking the lead, it was smooth sailing for Ancelotti’s men. Reigning Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema added a fourth and fifth, capping off a scintillating night for the Spanish side.

points, Russell went a perfect 16–16 in free throw opportunities and tallied 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.

Gonzalez leads the team in her success from behind the 3-point line, adding two against Bowdoin to bring her total to 64 3-pointers on the season, which is 40 more than the team’s No. 2 3-point threat, sophomore guard Annika Decker.

“I think just my teammates set me up in positions for me to be successful,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve just worked a lot on shooting, and I feel like that’s just shown, and I really wouldn’t have been able to do it without the spots that my teammates have put me in.”

In Frankfurt, the contest wasn’t as one-sided. Eintracht Frankfurt began the game well, playing at a high tempo and forcing several saves out of goalkeeper Alex Meret. Frenchman Kolo Muani was Frankfurt’s outstanding player, anchoring several attacks as the lone striker in front of Mario Götze and Jesper Lindstrøm. After enduring Frankfurt’s initial wave of attacks, Napoli began creating their own and were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute. Winger Khvicha Kavaratskhelia stepped up but was denied by a full-stretch save from Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp. Shortly after, Napoli capitalized on a quick breakaway as Hirving Lozano found Victor Osimhen in the box to make it 1–0 Napoli. In the second half, Muani was sent off for stepping on midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s foot as he lunged for a loose ball.

Tufts will stay home to face Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday. Two wins away from a conference title, the Jumbos are focused on one game at a time.

“Coach says this a lot, but every game is just another championship,” Gonzalez said. “We need to focus on that game first and then we’ll worry about everything else.”

The conference tournament inspires a unique energy, and Gonzalez looks forward to the high-intensity matchups.

“I’m very excited for the level of competition,” she said. “I think that the tournament always brings out the best in every team, and it’s going to be no different with us.”

With ten men, Frankfurt was on the back foot and Napoli added a second as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo finished a perfect backheel pass from Kvaratskhelia.

There’s no doubt that both Napoli and Real Madrid are favorites to advance after the second leg. As Liverpool center back Virgil Van Dijk said in this post-game interview, “we have an almost impossible task.”

Liverpool has overturned a three-goal deficit before, but Real Madrid looks extremely solid as a unit and will be tough to break down at home. Napoli should be able to advance, but Frankfurt does possess attacking talent and an early goal in the second leg could cause an upset.

Junior Callie O’Brien drives in for a layup during the women’s basketball game on Feb. 11.

Bharat Singh is a sophomore studying international relations. Bharat can be reached at bharat. singh@tufts.edu.

Matt Goguen

Keeping up with the 617

Diamond in the rough

While the rest of Red Sox nation struggles to grapple with a tumultuous offseason that left more questions than answers, a few prospects within the system are flying under the radar. Specifically, starting pitcher Brayan Bello isn’t garnering enough attention, considering his second-half breakthrough in 2022. While Bello’s debut displayed signs of rookie growing pains, he quickly recovered and pitched a formidable second half. With throwing tools that mirror Red Sox great Pedro Martinez, Bello has an All-Star selection ceiling coming into 2023.

Signed as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2017, Bello quickly rose through the Red Sox minor league system; even with the 2020 season shortened due to COVID-19, he was ranked as a top 20 Red Sox prospect in 2022. Bello made his debut on July 6, 2022 against the Tampa Bay Rays, and looked slightly disorganized on the mound. Now, most rookies demonstrate a certain type of nervousness when making their first big league start — it’s natural. However, his struggles continued over his first four starts, in which he went 0–3 with an ERA of 8.91. In his following start against the Houston Astros, Bello only lasted two-thirds of an inning before injuring his left groin.

After his return to the mound just three weeks later, Bello settled nicely into the Red Sox rotation. Over his last eight starts, Bello struck out 40 batters and held a 3.46 ERA, a pleasant change compared to his debut. By reworking his change-up, Bello overpowered hitters with an average velocity of 88.3 mph; his changeup runs above average, or wCH, was 3.2. Although his fastball seemed deflated towards elite hitters, Bello suffered from bad luck as he induced hard contact on 27.7% of all pitches thrown.

Although his second-half numbers don’t display a hall-of-famer in the making, his poise and confidence grew following each start. Before his groin injury, Bello would grow visibly frustrated on the mound after a bloop hit or missed strike call; the frustration would boil over eventually and affect his composure throughout the start. Now, he seems less frantic on the mound and has recognized which pitches work for him (i.e. his deadly changeup).

Due to some forearm tightness that has sidelined Bello for the time being in spring training, FanGraphs slots Bello as the No. 1 starter at AAA Worcester. While this seems like the most likely option for Bello, I believe that he deserves a shot at the final rotation spot. In those last eight starts in 2022, he displayed a pitching potential that Red Sox fans haven’t witnessed in years. Once his batted ball percentages return to league average, Bello would be a No. 3 starter in the Red Sox rotation at the least. And, after his pitches and location continue to develop, there’s no reason to ignore the inevitable all-star hype that will surround Bello. He is that “diamond in the rough” pitching prospect that this Red Sox system was searching for; hopefully us Red Sox fans can finally cherish another all-time pitching great.

Men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams shine bright at the Triangle Classic

In their last meet before the Division III New England Championships, both the men’s and women’s indoor track teams had a strong showing at the 2023 Springfield College Triangle Classic in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday.

Following a strong indoor season thus far, the ’Bos traveled to Springfield to determine qualifiers for the upcoming Division IIIs as well as lock in a few more wins and bests before the season’s end.

Some notable standouts from the men’s team included senior Alex Lemieux who finished fourth in the 60-meter dash with times of 7.16 seconds in the preliminaries and 6.98 seconds in the finals. Also in the 60-meter, junior sprinter Luke Botsford locked in fifth place at 7.11. However, the two later swapped when Botsford won the 400-meter, running a speedy 49.93, this time followed up by Lemieux at 50.91.

Also in track, sophomore Naheim Washington earned third place overall with an impressive finish of 23.34 seconds in the 200-meter dash.

The Jumbos continued to pull out top times with sophomore Charlie Koenig coming in fifth overall in the 1000-meter run and sophomore Martin Horne finishing in fourth place.

Later in the field, sophomore Karsten Kropp finished second in the high jump clearing 1.85 meters with sophomore Edward Kiboma clearing the same height

but taking seventh. Additionally in field events, first-year Casey Lambert earned a collegiate career-high mark of 12.55 meters. This jump also earned him fourth overall.

The Jumbos also saw team members place in the weight throw. Sophomore Eric Meyer earned fourth with a toss of 14.95 meters, followed by fellow sophomore Derek Schmaeling in sixth at 13.75 meters and first-year Martin Decker in seventh with a heave of 13.64 meters.

On the women’s team, many strong performances came from the field. Senior Jaidyn Appel snagged the win in the high jump, clearing the nation’s top height at 1.77 meters. This also marked a personal best for Appel and she even reset her own school record.

Sophomore Sarah Firth also posted a personal best height of 3.90 meters in the pole vault. This height earned Firth the victory, ranked her No. 2 in Division III and notched her a school record. In the same event, Saturday marked a careerhigh for sophomore Nyla Thompson at 3.45 meters. Thompson took sixth at the Triangle Classic and bumped up to No. 43 in the national rank.

The hurdles were another place that the Jumbos shined at the Triangle Classic. Junior Maddy Silveira snagged not only a personal best in the 60-meter hurdles but also a win for Tufts at 9.57 seconds.

The women’s team also took first and second in the 5,000 meters, with first-year Vivian Lau snatching the victory with a collegiate-best time of 20:27.19 and senior

First-year Lexi Dean also led the pack winning the 1,000 meters for the Jumbos. Dean ran a personal best time of 3:03.96 to snag the victory, with fellow first-year Julia Dolce following immediately after at 3:09.55 in second place.

First-year distance runner Gwenyth Stach wrote in an email to the Daily about the women’s team’s performance and feelings about the meet overall.

“It was a strong last meet before D3s, lots of people [earned personal records] and performed very well,” Stach wrote.

Stach, who is a member of both the track and cross-country teams, also talked about the team’s chemistry and connection during the competition.

“The team chemistry is really good, everyone is always cheering each other on and working together,” Stach wrote.

Following the Triangle Classic, the team prepares for the culmination of the indoor season: the Division III NECs at the New Balance track facility in Brighton. While not all members of the indoor teams will continue on to the championships, it is still an exciting moment for the Jumbo track and field programs.

“The team is really looking forward to D3s next weekend at the track at New Balance,” Stach wrote.

Like most travel events, the championships provide an opportunity for the ’Bos to not only compete on a larger scale but also continue to bond as a team and end their season, hopefully on a high note.

Matt Goguen is a sophomore studying biopsychology. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.

Sarah Sandlow following right behind at 21:14.46.

BOWIE BELLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Track and field is pictured in the Tufts Cupid Invitational on Feb. 4.

by Katie Spiropoulos Staff Writer