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T HE T UFTS DAILY
VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 17
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.
tuftsdaily.com
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Public Art workstream recommends commissioning new artwork to represent university diversity
Students on Boston and Grafton campuses receive vaccinations, continue to face restrictions
by Ria Agarwal
Assistant News Editor
ELAYNE CHEN / THE TUFTS DAILY
Artwork displayed in Campus Center. by Bo Johnson
Contributing Writer
University President Anthony Monaco announced the results of the Public Art workstream, launched in July alongside four other workstreams as part of the university’s initiative to become an anti-racist institution. The Public Art workstream was
chaired by Dina Deitsch, director and chief curator of Tufts University Art Galleries and Marty Ray, chief of staff of the Office of the President. According to Marty Ray, the catalyst for the creation of the Public Art workstream was the portraits in the Coolidge Room in Ballou Hall, which were all of white, male past presidents of the university.
“There were numerous concerns that have been raised over the years that the portraits of individuals on campus were skewed toward memorializing white men, a fact that was proven by our campus art audit, even long after individuals of color had made significant contributions to Tufts’ history,” Ray wrote in an email to the Daily. see WORKSTREAM, page 2
Shari Redstone talks law school, business ventures in lectures hosted by Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts by Ella Kamm
Contributing Writer
Shari Redstone (J’75), ViacomCBS chairwoman and president of National Amusements, was hosted by Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts to talk about her career as a woman in business and share advice on being successful and giving back. Redstone was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2020. Redstone was introduced by Jordan Sclar of Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts. “[She] graduated from Tufts in 1975, she went on to earn law degrees at Boston University, and after practicing both corporate and criminal law, Ms. Redstone joined National Amusements, becoming president of the company in 1999,” Sclar, a junior, said. “In 2011, she co-founded Advancit Capital … [and] in 2018, Ms. Redstone facilitated the merger of Viacom and CBS.” Redstone opened by discussing her education and the way it has impacted her career.
“Even if you go [into] business, law school is the best education,” she said. “It does change the way you think, it changes the way you read, it changes the way you watch TV, it changes the way you relate to people.” She said that although she did not ultimately continue in her law career, the perspective she gained from law school has helped her in every career pursuit. “It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about having the right questions,” she said. After law school, she worked toward a master’s degree in social work, although she did not complete it due to personal circumstances. It was afterward that she set her sights on business. She credits her evolving career path in part to her undergraduate education, which set a tone of change and flexibility. “I think Tufts really allowed you to pivot,” Redstone said. “They really allowed you to change your mind, and they gave you the
resources and the support you needed to not have a straight path but to have a curvy path.” When Redstone began working at National Amusements, she had to quickly adjust to a new industry in which she had no prior experience. “I was with a group of men who had been doing business a certain way for x number of years, and it was really hard to go up against that,” she said. “So, when I first went into National I often say that the first year I just listened. The second year, I would say my opinion, but always give in. And then the third year, I actually started to try to have an impact in some of the things that I wanted to do.” A major theme of Redstone’s talk was flexibility and the importance of being entrepreneurial in any business. When she founded Advancit Capital, she saw an opportunity to combine a traditional business venture with a more see REDSTONE, page 3
Students at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton are still being tested regularly and dealing with pandemic guidelines, despite the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines on the two campuses. According to the Tufts COVID19 dashboard, the seven-day totals through March 1 reported 2,073 and 778 unique individuals tested on the Boston and Grafton campuses, respectively, including students, faculty, staff and affiliates. On both campuses, every student is offered testing, even those who have already received the vaccine. The third-year and fourth-year students at the Tufts University School of Medicine have been offered vaccines, and according to third-year Tara Ahmadi, most accepted. She said the school also has plans to vaccinate firstand second-year students soon. Although the continued testing policies may seem unnecessary after students have received their COVID-19 vaccines, Michael Jordan, university infection control health director, maintains the importance of following public health guidelines and continuing to test. “Vaccinated individuals are treated no differently than non-vaccinated individuals in any of our protocols,” Jordan wrote in an email to the Daily. “Individuals who have been vaccinated are still expected to abide by all health and safety policies.” Jordan added that beyond testing, vaccinated individuals
must also stick to normal pandemic safety policies. “The need to mask, maintain proper social distance, and practice good hand hygiene continue to be necessary,” Jordan said. The availability of testing and COVID-19 vaccines has had varying effects on classes and academics on the Boston and Grafton campuses. Dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Alastair Cribb explained how the increased availability of testing and surveillance has allowed students to engage in hands-on research. “Having rapid, efficient testing available on-site, including drive-through testing following exposures, has been critical to keeping faculty, staff, and students safe while continuing our work,” Cribb wrote in an email to the Daily. “We have also been able to safely offer critical hands-on teaching and maintain our research programs, which includes working directly with SARS-CoV-2, because of testing availability.” Similarly, the Tufts University School of Medicine has been able to continue with some hands-on teaching, though students have experienced changes in classes and continue to face academic difficulties as a result of the pandemic. “For first- and second-year students, most classes are virtual (lectures, small groups are all on [Zoom]),” Ahmadi wrote in an email to the Daily. Ahmadi explained that even the programs that remain in-person have been altered from past semesters. see VACCINES, page 3
NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY
The entrance of the Wildlife Clinic on Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, on Aug. 22, 2014.
EDITORIAL / page 7
FEATURES / page 4
WEEKENDER / page 5
Tufts must prioritize equity once vaccines become available
TUSC strives for creative, accessible programming during pandemic
Sapphire looks to build community, create safe social space for women
NEWS
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FEATURES
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WEEKENDER
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FUN & GAMES
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OPINION
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SPORTS
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, March 4, 2021
THE TUFTS DAILY Megan Szostak Editor in Chief
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Report advises yearly commission of artwork representing BIPOC figures WORKSTREAM
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Sculptures displayed in Olin Center for Language and Cultural Studies.
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“It is clear that the university portraits do not display the diversity of Tufts’ community and history in respect to race, ethnicity, and gender,” the report said. The workstream report recommends changing how Tufts University Art Galleriesselects artwork for its collections. According to Deitsch, in the past, all art proposed for the collection was examined by a Gifts of Art Committee and vetted to make sure it complied with their collection policy, but this will change. “At this stage, we can see that our racial and gender breakdown of artists is unbalanced and in our new collections policy—that we’re in the process of editing and circulating through the Gifts of Art committee—we’ve laid out a set of clear priorities for any new artwork that includes focusing on artists from underrepresented communities; alumni artists; building from our exhibitions program; and artworks that strengthen teaching and learning for faculty,” Deitsch wrote.
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Works from “Blackout Poetry” assignment for Black World Literature class displayed in Tisch Library. “To specifically address the stark absence of Black portraiture on view or in the collection, and in accordance with working against anti-Black racism as a core value, the [Public Art Committee] recommends we begin with a commission of two historic Black figures from Tufts’ community as soon as Summer 2021,” the report said. The report advises commissioning artwork of notable Black, indigenous and people of color on an annual basis for at least five years. Deitsch again emphasized that creating art takes time, so these will not be immediate changes, but she said she hopes the process will move quickly.
continued from page 1 The paintings were taken down in September 2020. According to Ray, the preexisting Public Art Committee, which had previously worked on a project involving the Alumnae Lounge in the Aidekman Arts Center, took on the duties of the workstream. “Members [of the workstream] included students, faculty, and staff ranging from academic leaders, art historians, our campus photographer, the University archivist, and our VP of Operations who oversees all capital projects,” Ray said. The report examined the demographics of the subjects and artists on display on the Medford/Somerville campus and revealed a massive underrepresentation of marginalized groups. In particular, of the 47 portraits on view representing historical university figures, 100% of the subjects are white and 98% are men. Of the 196 total objects on view, 83% are made by white artists, and of those depicting human figures, 83% are white and 83% are men.
ELAYNE CHEN / THE TUFTS DAILY
Artwork displayed on the walls of Barnum Hall. Deitsch added that while these changes may not be immediately apparent, the hope is that over time, the composition of the university’s art holdings will change. In Addendum 1 of the report, the workstream members detailed the guiding principles the Public Art Committee and related entities will use when developing and commissioning new works of art for the university collection. One of the guidelines outlines the prioritization of representation. “Ensure that both figures/subjects and artists are from formally excluded or marginalized groups in terms of their race, gender, and ethnicity,” the report said. “This means prioritizing women, LGBTQ people, Black people, Indigenous people, and faculty, staff, and alumni of color as subjects and seeking out commissions from artists representing those identities.” A section of the workstream is dedicated to the Coolidge Room, calling for the replacement of the portraits that once hung there with new ones, and suggests specific individuals as subjects.
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Collage, paint, pencil on canvas by Chinese artist Qiu Deshu displayed in Tisch Library as part of the Museum Without Walls gallery.
“Two braids and a Border Town” by Ameye Marie Okamoto (‘24), displayed in Barnum Hall.
“I would hope that we can start engaging with artists later this spring and summer to begin a process so that we can share new work—be it a portrait or mural or community project—next academic year,” Deitsch said. Deitsch added that interested students can get involved with these developments. “Look out for calls for focus groups and community meetings in the coming months ahead,” Deitsch said. “The galleries have a new student advisory board as well that will be integrated into this process that can help connect students to this work.” Ray said the university administration is in agreement with the findings and recommendations of the workstream. “While the President and the Senior Team do reserve the right to make final decisions on implementation, we have been supported throughout this work and the financial commitment that the University has made makes us confident that we’ll be able to implement most of our recommendations in due course of time,” Ray said.
News
Thursday, March 4, 2021 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Students at TUSM assist with Redstone notes importance of philanthropy in vaccine administration attaining success in business world VACCINES
continued from page 1 “For certain things such as [medical interviewing and doctor patient relationship] the students would travel to the hospital. But, there have been changes,” Ahmadi said. “There used to be four students per group traveling in the prior years, this year only two of the four people would go to the hospital and two would join on [Zoom].” She added that this is also true for students in other programs. Students used to go to the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center in groups of four to practice physical exams. However, the ratio of students to instructors has decreased from 4-1 to 2-1, and the anatomy labs have been shortened from three hours to one hour. As a result, most first-year students have not conducted dissections. In most cases, fourth-
year proctors who have already dissected the cadavers explain the structures to the first-year students. In general, students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and master’s programs participate in hybrid instruction, with classes conducted both on campus and remotely, per Jordan. “The lecture portion of courses are delivered remotely while the laboratory or handson portions of the program are in-person,” Jordan said. “No graduate courses are entirely remote.” On both campuses, the testing and immunization processes have functioned efficiently and effectively. Tufts University School of Medicine, for example, asked students to assist in the vaccine distributions. “About 40 third- and fourthyear students volunteered to do training for vaccine administration,” Ahmadi said.
SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY
Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts hosted Shari Redstone, the current chairwomen of ViacomCBS and president of National Amusements, who gave a Q&A Webinar over Zoom on March 3 to Tufts students.
REDSTONE
continued from page 1 innovative approach that looked to the future of the market. “I really believed that the future of the media and entertainment industry was going to be how technology eventually intersected with traditional media and traditional business, and ultimately that’s exactly what happened,” Redstone said. Her latest venture, ViacomCBS, is preparing to launch Paramount+, a new streaming service. “There are those who think we have to be in streaming or in linear, [but] that is a false choice. We are in streaming and linear,” she said. “We can do it, because we create content that people want to see.” She also spoke about the role ViacomCBS plays in seeking
to address issues of discrimination, including racism and anti-Semitism. “We actually have a focus in the company called Content for Change, and while I think we’ve done a good job in the company, how do we use our content to have an impact on people who are watching our content, to create the kind of conversations that create change,” Redstone said. Redstone said that as a woman in business, she feels a responsibility to further efforts like Content for Change and bring a different perspective to the table. “I do think [female]leadership, whether you’re looking at corporations, you’re looking at countries, you’re looking at families — I do think it’s really, really important,” she said. “[I have an opportunity] to really try to make changes in diversity, in inclusion,
COVID-19 AT TUFTS
in equality — to make that a higher issue,” Redstone said. In addition to her career in business, Redstone spoke about many other interests, including philanthropy and spending time with her family. She said that balance between being a successful business woman and having a positive impact on the world is important to her, and that it drives her philanthropic efforts. “I almost felt guilty when I went into corporate America and I didn’t pursue a career more in social services in one way or another, but then I realized what the resources are that we have, where we can have an impact,” she said. “[Philanthropy] is a part of everything I do. Sure, we’re in the business to make money, but that’s not what you feel good about at the end of the day.”
4 Thursday, March 4, 2021
Kevin Zhang Tales from the T
T
Next stop, Montreal
he Green Line Extension is scheduled to finally open in December. Once in service, it will bring accessible, convenient rapid transit to much of Medford and Somerville and provide a slightly more convenient ride for SMFA students. And most importantly (for this column), it will restore rail service to Tufts after over four decades. The first trains ran by Boston Avenue in 1835 with the Boston and Lowell Railroad, between Boston and Lowell (railroads usually aren’t known for creativity). Built when railways were in their infancy, the line used the best technology and standards available — the 1830s-equivalent of high-speed rail. This meant a flat, straight route with minimal road crossings. It also meant, briefly, laying the rails on granite blocks, which had the minor effect of jolting trains apart. The Boston and Lowell Railroad was created to serve, and excelled at serving Lowell’s booming textile mills, proving superior to the existing canals (apparently Boston has a slight tendency to freeze in the winter?). This did mean, however, that passenger service was initially a mere side hustle. It wasn’t until 1889 that College Hill Station opened where the Joyce Cummings Center will stand. This was replaced in 1900 with Tufts College station, roughly where Bacon Hall stands. The Boston and Lowell Railroad’s passenger traffic, however, plummeted after streetcar lines started popping up (including two along College Ave and Broadway by 1925). Or what was the Boston and Lowell Railroad — in 1890, it was acquired by the Boston and Maine Railroad. Freight and local commuter trains soon ran alongside the Boston and Maine Railroad’s express trains serving, yes, Boston and Maine, but also Albany, Washington D.C., and even Montreal. This was the golden age of railroads, when silver-haired conductors would check pocket watches as parents tearfully waved at their children as they faded into the horizon and toward new life. This (admittedly idealized) period ended after World War II, when the rise of automobiles and airliners — and subsequent tectonic shifts in travel patterns — led to intercity, freight and commuter traffic spiraling faster than a pre-med student during finals week. Tufts College Station closed in 1958, a victim of system-wide service reductions. Intercity trains were slowly axed, and it seemed commuter trains would follow. Locals did not vibe with this, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was founded in 1964 to support failing transit throughout Greater Boston. It purchased the B&M line in 1973 and has operated commuter traffic since. It even opened Tufts University station in 1977 on the site of Tufts College station, but this closed after two years. Which brings us to today. The line — now the MBTA’s Lowell Line — still carries commuter, intercity and freight traffic, and the Green Line Extension will soon add transit to the mix (albeit on separate tracks). With an increase in automobile traffic ironically causing a resurgence in rail traffic, this almost-200 year-old railroad will remain a key piece of infrastructure well into the future. Kevin Zhang is a sophomore studying civil engineering. Kevin can be reached at kevin.zhang7@tufts.edu.
Features
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TUSC gets creative with virtual programming, ukulele lessons by Delaney Clarke Contributing Writer
With Tufts students currently scattered around the globe and campus social distancing guidelines requiring that most student organizations remain virtual, it is no surprise that managing an organization whose main purpose is to host campus-wide activities would be quite a challenge. Yet, despite the setbacks of organizing large-scale events virtually, Tufts University Social Collective has continued to provide accessible and enjoyable programming, attempting to garner a sense of community for students at a time when it is truly hard to find. TUSC’s executive coordinators, junior Cara Dufresne and senior Saherish Surani, spoke of how the programming board plans to ensure that this year’s events are accessible to all students. Surani explained that including both on-campus and remote students in events is a major goal for TUSC this year. “One of the things that we’ve been really actively working on is making sure that our programming is inclusive to both students who are on campus or in the Medford/Somerville area as well as those who are in different time zones all across the world,” Surani said. “We have been trying to mail out items as much as we can so that students can still participate.” Dufresne added that TUSC is also working to make events economically accessible. “This year TUSC is trying to make the commitment that all of our events will be free to students,” Dufresne said. “And, so far, with all the Winter Weekend events, we’ve kept that up and hopefully for the rest of the semester everything will be the same…our mission is to make everything accessible for all students and that’s really important to us, especially with the impacts of COVID-19.” In order to develop programming that encourages a sense of community for both on-campus and remote students while also complying with social distancing guidelines, TUSC members have had to be creative. Each of TUSC’s events expressed this creativity differently. Winter Weekend events included a virtual embroidery night, in which students were given their own embroidery kit and followed along with a student-teacher over Zoom. TUSC’s Film Series is no longer showing films in
person, but students are allowed to access free movies through either the campus WiFi network or a virtual private network application. For one particular events series, however, shifting to a virtual format was especially challenging. Sophomore Jordan Meek, programming coordinator for TUSC’s Concert Series, spoke of the difficulties the Concert Series faced in creating virtual programming. “As coordinator of [the] Concert [Series], I felt like our department was particularly impacted by COVID because, obviously, there’s no concerts happening and then there’s also regulations on singing on campus,” Meek said. “So, we were forced to get creative a little bit, think outside the box on some events that we could plan, and we wanted to kind of keep people involved on campus.” Thinking outside of the box, Meek and the Concert Series team developed an idea for a unique activity that TUSC had never attempted before –– ukulele lessons. The lessons, which began on Feb. 16, are taught by junior Xiaokun Dong and sophomore Rachel Edelstein. Participants attend one live lesson over Zoom per week supplemented by pre-recorded videos. Dong and Edelstein both lead two groups of about 10 students, so there are close to 40 participants in total. The lessons, which Dong and Edelstein carefully developed, allow students to connect with one another in small cohorts. During these weekly Zoom sessions, students learn how to play hit songs such as “I’m Yours” (2008) by Jason Mraz, “Don’t Stop Believing” (1981) by Journey, and “Riptide” (2013) by Vance Joy. Junior Kianie Ramirez, a participant in the ukulele lessons, has found the lessons to be a great way to connect with other students. “With the pandemic, it’s easy for days to start feeling the same with the same people. In a way, it’s a reminder that I am a student AT Tufts with other students as well. It’s really easy to forget sometimes
that there is a world outside my living arrangements,” Ramirez wrote in an email to the Daily. In addition to allowing students to meet new people, the ukulele lessons offer a chance to develop new skills and gain a creative outlet. Junior Michelle Nguyen, another student participant, shared her experiences with the lessons. “Kianie and I are suitemates, and after our lessons, we always reconvene to show each other what we’ve learned,” Nguyen wrote in an email to the Daily. “Especially with COVID going on, it’s been hard to find new hobbies and find time to do something other than classwork. I’ve never had the opportunity to receive free instrument lessons, so I was really excited.” Dong has been playing the instrument on and off for five years. According to Dong, although teaching music lessons virtually has its challenges, the student participants have been making steady progress in their lessons and having fun along the way. “The ukulele lessons definitely lightened up my life, and I feel like my students would feel the same,” Dong wrote in an email to the Daily. “It widens up our social circles, adds a touch of flavor in each of our weeks, and music always has a way to a smile on faces.” Whether through ukulele lessons, free movie nights, embroidery or another one of their creative ideas, TUSC has certainly adapted to the reality of remaining virtual this semester. When looking ahead to the rest of the semester, Surani looks on the bright side. “I think something we’ve noticed, especially in this past year, is an opportunity for us to continue having programming because we do have an amazing group of coordinators and a staff advisor that works really closely with them,” Surani said. “We’re excited that … a silver lining of this whole year, this whole situation, is trying new events that we might not have been able to otherwise.” GRAPHIC VIA THE NOUN PROJECT
WEEKENDER
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Community organization ‘Sapphire’ seeks to empower women of color through art by Devina Bhalla Arts Editor
Christine Barthelemy (LA’19) and two of her closest friends, Gigi Abellard and Salena Deane, formed their community group “Sapphire” last May with a vision of inspiriting and celebrating the art and stories of women of color. Deane loves art and Abellard wanted to start a book club, so with Barthelemy, they decided to combine the two ideas into what is now Sapphire. “We came up with making a community organization that would be nonprofit and that would emphasize community and learning, and just women of color,” Barthelemy said. Their mission statement captures the vision for their organization: “To cultivate a safe space for womxn to socialize, read, teach, and learn from and about each other. We encourage the creation and discussion of art and literature through an intersectional lens, with an emphasis on Blackness and gender.” The meaning of the name “Sapphire” is two-fold. It stems from a 1920s stereotype of Black women as aggressive and overbearing. As members of “Sapphire” takes back the term, they are able “to reclaim discriminatory labels such as ‘domineering female’ and ‘angry black woman,’ turning the stereotypes on their heads to embody what i[t] means to be 3 young, hard-working, black women,” as their website says. As a gem that comes in different colors and represents different traits, sapphires are able to encapsulate an array of people, colors and personalities all within one word. Sapphire is also a multifaceted organization. It offers a book club,
Ramona Meng Xi Beyond the Underneath
The humble machine that created acid house
T
he 11th edition of the music production software “Ableton” was officially launched on Feb. 23rd. The next day, the Shanghai Ableton User Group had a jam session with the newest version of Ableton implemented, as well as a range of electronic music instruments. I walked toward the drum machine and saw John adjusting the nobs. This was my first time seeing him not in front of a DJ set but something else. He said he doesn’t necessarily like producing tracks, but he likes “machines.” He handed
VIA SAPPHIRE
The logo for Sapphire, an organization of women of color focusing on books and art, is pictured. publishes two separate biannual publications — a literary magazine called Sapphire Hues and an art book series — and holds other community events, all of which are currently virtual. Since its conception, the organization has slowly been growing and gaining support. “It’s been really lovely just seeing our friends and family and also other members of the community being really receptive of it,” Barthelemy said. The first thing Sapphire did was start its book club, Books & Booze. The club’s first book was “In the Time of the Butterflies” (1994) by Julia Alvarez. “In the Time of the Butterflies” is a historical fiction novel that retells the story of the Mirabal sisters who fought against Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Barthelemy talked about this choice, saying, “We wanted to start off with a really strong book that kind of emphasized the whole theme of sapphires, [of] strong women. So who better to start the book club off with than [four]
women who basically saved an entire country.” Some of the other books that Books & Booze has read include “The Vanishing Half” (2020), “Hood Feminism” (2020), “Bad Feminist” (2014) and “The Right Swipe” (2019). The club reads a variety of genres, some more theoretical than others, all of which share a different perspective of the experiences of Black women. Barthelemy’s favorite part of the book club, other than the reading, is when new people come, bring all of their unique life experiences and enjoy discussing the books. “[It’s] been really amazing just being able to meet people and now we’re growing connections, gaining friends and that’s exactly what we wanted to do — just build a community. It’s been so nice and really fulfilling,” Barthelemy said. Other than Books & Booze, Sapphire Hues just published its first art book entitled “Our Palette” in January. The book includes the visual art of artists from all over the world, celebrating and highlighting “the hues of being a woman of color,” as Barthelemy put it. For the
book, they put out an open submission call for artwork of any medium and ended up getting both domestic and international submissions, from countries like Cuba, Nigeria, India and Turkey, to name a few. They had contributions from artists across the United States as well. “It just became this extremely varied selection of pieces that were just so beautiful,” Barthelemy commented. Inspired by the different colors and meanings of sapphire gems, Sapphire wanted to make a book about all the varied, vibrant colors of the gem and the experiences those colors can represent. “We figured [that] we just wanted to make an art book that … started from black and white and got all the colors in between,” Barthelemy said. There is a print version and a free digital version of the book. They have not published Sapphire Hues yet, but submissions to the magazine will begin on May 1 with a hope to publish annual fall issues. Sapphire also hosts special events, such as “This Round’s On Us,” a virtual gathering includ-
ing games, conversation and much-needed social interaction. They also have hosted book giveaways and posted writing prompts on their social media to give members another avenue for thoughtful reflection and self-care. Sapphire is welcoming to all people. “We want anyone and everyone to join regardless of gender or race,” Barthelemy said. “It shouldn’t just be women of color learning about everything. Everyone should learn about women of color. Everyone should learn about these histories and these theories.” Among their main priorities for 2021 are publishing the first issue of Sapphire Hues, building membership, growing their book club and mentoring new members to whom they can pass on all they have learned. Sapphire will also continue to have events like “This Round’s On Us” and are even looking to host a poetry extravaganza in April. “Our biggest emphasis is that … we want women of color’s voices to be uplifted and to be recognized, but [we are] very inclusive and we want everyone to learn,” Barthelemy said.
me the headphones and started to adjust another “machine.” Along with the classic 4/4 house beat, the bass sound from the headphones became more and more acidic. I started to smile. About acid. Acid is a subgenre of house music and techno that has a very polarized spectrum of like and dislike from both music consumers and producers. You could tell from its name that this genre does not have the “everyone would like me” type of persona because, just like how its name is said, it’s not neutral. The acid sound is so eroding and squelchy, you could find it extremely edgy and relieving in terms of its rawness and fluidity, or extremely irritating and unbearable in terms of its fickleness and squeaky resonance. It’s either the feeling of being immersed in a pool of energy and anticipation, or the feeling of being locked inside an unbearable boiling pot of auditory torture. Sometimes acid music literally sounds like acid — boiling and popping bubbles of music notes. It can be artisti-
cally concrete in the imitation of liquid but also abstract and malleable to create other audio environments. “303?” I asked. “No, TB-3 — similar!” I wished the synthesizer, or the “machine,” he was adjusting was a Roland TB-303 since TB-303x is the synthesizer that technically created the sound of acid. TB-3, as it says on its official website, is “based on the wildly influential TB-303.” Even though nowadays TB-303 is being acknowledged as one of the most influential synthesizers in the history of electronic music, it was a commercial failure at first. So much so that the synthesizer was discontinued in 1984, only two years after its first release. Its original purpose of mimicking bass guitar sound to accompany musicians in live performance was questioned back then due to its squelchy tone that didn’t resemble an authentic bass sound at all. However, in 1987, a group of electronic musicians called
Phuture from Chicago started to experiment with the potential of TB-303. They created the unique “squelching, resonant and liquid sound” and released “Acid Tracks” in 1987 that marked the birth of the acid genre. Some notes in “Acid Tracks” still make me squint due to the sharp, penetrative popping squeaks. Nevertheless, the evolving tone from rumbles to bubbles and the ever-changing nature of this track show off the great flexibility and capacity of acid.
I was playing around with the nobs and sequencing on TB-3, trying to bring out as much various tonality as possible. That’s the reason I like acid music: it’s raw, radical and boundless. It mingles with your heartbeat and makes you wonder what could arrive next. Ramona Meng Xi is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Ramona can be reached at Meng.Xi@tufts.edu.
6
THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Thursday, March 4, 2021
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tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Ethan: “Speaking of adios, have you studied for the Spanish test?”
Fun & Games
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MY DOG: SPRING FORWARD
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By Aidan Chang
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Opinion
7 Thursday, March 4, 2021
EDITORIAL
As vaccination process moves forward, Tufts must embrace equitable strategy
remains ineligible for vaccination. In addition to lower-risk portions of the student body, this group also includes individuals whose positions put them at greater risk of contracting the virus — among them residential assistants, dining workers and custodial staff. Additionally, some of Tufts’ neighbors in Medford and Somerville may face greater exposure to the virus due to their proximity to a college campus. When the vaccination process moves forward and Tufts is able to distribute vaccines in the phases to come, it is critical that Tufts embrace an equitable strategy that gives as much access as possible to communities who are put at risk by the university’s day-to-day operations. Tufts has been approved by the state to distribute vaccines
as part of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program, according to an email sent to the community by University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan on Feb. 1, though a later email on Feb. 18 clarified that Tufts does not currently have vaccines. But when Tufts is able to begin distribution, it will have to follow the state’s rules, which involve a plan consisting of three phases. The first, which lasted from December to February, made healthcare workers, first responders and those at long-term care facilities eligible for vaccination. Currently, the state is mid-way through Phase 2, which grants eligibility to seniors, people with certain medical conditions and workers in select industries. Finally, Phase 3, when the general public will
be eligible for vaccination, is expected to begin in April. For a college student who is young, healthy and occupied with a mostly-online course load, waiting for the state to move forward in these phases will be a mild inconvenience. But for community members at a higher risk, the matter is a more urgent one. Dining workers and custodial staff, for instance, who are not yet eligible for vaccination under the state’s current guidelines, work in close proximity to large numbers of students everyday. In addition, RAs are responsible for enforcing COVID-19 guidelines, a position that can put them near students who aren’t complying with masking policies. Tufts must prioritize these groups for vaccination in the policy that it adopts. It is also important that Tufts cooperates with its host communities, whose residents are just as entitled to vaccination as Tufts students. If, before the end of the semester, Tufts is able to begin vaccinating the general student body, the university should offer its resources to local residents living near campus as well. Tufts reopened for in-person classes this fall in spite of significant local opposition, and it should make overtures to compensate for the risks it brought with that decision. Offering testing services to the local community has been a good start to that process of reconciliation; offering vaccine services would be even better. In deciding who is eligible for vaccination, the state’s policies will always have the ultimate authority. This, however, doesn’t mean that Tufts cannot take action before Massachusetts enters Phase 3. Tufts is part of the
Republican from Pennsylvania, joined by Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, and 79 other members of the House of Representatives, objected to the electoral votes from the state of Pennsylvania that I was mistaken. CPAC reinforced that I was overly optimistic in January. I am a registered Democrat. From a partisan standpoint, the Republican party of Trump, Cruz, Hawley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is committing suicide. What may grant them short term political gains is offset by the long-term effects of their ways. Conservatives are disaffiliating from the Republican Party and settling for moderate Democrats such as President Joe Biden. Sounds great for a Democrat, but it’s wrong to celebrate. Our electoral system is set up for a two-party democra-
cy. Formation of a new center-right party would never work — in fact, it would solidify the rule of the Democratic Party. As a believer in democracy, I offer the following advice to Republicans across the aisle to save their party and maintain U.S. democracy: First, ditch Trump. Biden won because he merged two coalitions — the left and moderate Republicans. The latter realized the harm that Trump inflicted upon the country and its democracy and switched sides for a respectable candidate: a little “d” democrat. Republicans shouldn’t repeat this in 2024. The moderate Republicans who still believe in conservative politics and social order but respect U.S. democracy need to be recaptured by the Republican Party.
Second, recognize past mistakes. The roots of Trumpism can be traced back to former President Ronald Reagan and opposition to the Civil Rights Movement, but Trump’s presidency was born out of the Tea Party Movement, bred from racialized fears that were inflamed when former President Barack Obama won the presidency as a Black man. Following Obama’s election, Republicans engaged in the politics of hostage taking, where they took hostage any minor piece of legislation proposed by Democrats in order to stoke division, which they capitalized on in the 2010 midterms. Republicans must acknowledge the consequences of this behavior — on policy, partisanship and democracy — and end their obstructionist ways. Finally, become tolerant of your political opposition. If
BY SAM FARBMAN Following nearly a yearlong effort to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine in December 2020, a hopeful note to the end of a dark year. That month, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts initiated Phase 1 of Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID19 vaccine rollout plan, and the first doses were administered to healthcare workers and longterm care residents and staff. Since then, some members of the Tufts community have sporadically become eligible for vaccination — first, health care workers at Tufts Medical Center, and later, first responders, including the Tufts University Police Department and Tufts Emergency Medical Services. Still, a significant portion of the Tufts community
Brendan Hartnett Democracy in The Daily
Saving the Republican Party
F
rom the stage that resembled a Norse rune, to Sen. Ted Cruz whining about masks, to confusing remarks about the 10th Amendment, last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference was historical. Late at night on Jan. 6, I thought the Republican Party would hand Trump his third divorce. I should have known when Rep. Scott Perry, a
trade group the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, which has lobbied the state legislature on issues such as universities’ budgets and development plans. While lobbying does not necessarily guarantee success, Tufts and its trade group should try to flex their political muscles and fight for these communities with the same fervor they’ve brought to issues affecting university finances. Even if Tufts is unable to enact legislative change to support these vulnerable communities, there are other ways the university can equitably distribute the vaccine. Each time the state enters a new phase, Tufts should directly reach out to the most vulnerable of its eligible students and employees before resorting to a first-come, first-served basis among all who are eligible. Though RAs may technically become eligible at the same time as the rest of the general public, Tufts should try to directly offer some of the earliest doses to RAs, rather than making them compete with students who are in safer positions. Tufts, like every other institution in the world, is operating with a great deal of uncertainty over what the coming months will bring. For this reason, we do not expect the university to have a definitive timeline for its own vaccination process. What we do demand is that our university commit to upholding principles of equity throughout that process. Some populations in the Tufts community are at greater risk than others, and any equitable distribution process should account for these varying levels of need.
Sen. Mitt Romney’s resistance to Trump taught us anything, it’s that Democrats can respect the opposite party when they respect us. Democrats are not your enemy; they are your political opposition. Late Sen. John McCain said it best when he defended President Obama in 2008, stating, “He’s a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.” Accept that Democrats will not destroy America, as some Republicans propose, and fix your party so that together, we can have a more perfect union.
Brendan Hartnett is a sophomore studying political science. Brendan can be reached at brendan.hartnett@tufts.edu.
8 Thursday, March 4, 2021
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
First-year swimmer Jillian Cudney discusses importance of team during pandemic by Catherine Cahn Contributing Writer
COVID-19 restrictions have taken a toll on many aspects of campus life at Tufts this year, and athletics is no exception. The modifications have taken different forms across different varsity sports. For swimming, in addition to the expected masking and distancing around the pool, practices have been broken into smaller groups of 12 athletes and shortened to 50 minutes. All in-person meets were canceled and virtual meets that were on the radar were nixed once the stricter enforcements were put in place in November. These tighter restrictions included calling off all team practices and closing Tufts’ fitness center, which includes the pool. Going from November to February without access to a pool was difficult for Jillian Cudney, a first-year student on the women’s swim team. While some other athletes were able to continue practicing their sports individually, swimmers were unable to get in the pool. “Swimming fitness is like no other. There’s a certain feel for the water that running or going to the gym is not going to make up for,” Cudney said. Spending so much time unable to practice and compete caused Cudney to reevaluate why she swims, and wonder what her life would look like if she stopped. Without practice or any competitions on the horizon, Cudney took a step back to examine her priorities and consider whether swimming was one of them. Cudney eventually concluded that, even with the current challenges, swimming was not something she wanted to give up. Instead, she became more determined to hold herself accountable to her swimming responsibilities, even outside of a normal season. She does know, however, that her competitive athletic career will come to an end eventually, which is something that this elongated absence of swimming made her cognizant of. Although this was not a pleasant thought for Cudney, she did find it to be a productive one. “I realized there’s more to my life and my day than a sport,” she said.
Matt Chen 3-Point Play
All-Star announcements, the return of fans, COVID-19 woes
A
s we near the NBA All-Star break, event participants have officially been announced, along with replacements for a couple hobbled stars. With COVID-19 numbers beginning to decline in some states, teams have begun allowing fans back to their arenas or increasing the number of fans allowed at games. A recent COVID-19 outbreak within the Toronto Raptors organization has forced more postponements, and has severely depleted the Raptors roster for their Wednesday game.
EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY
Hamilton Pool is pictured on Feb. 16, 2018. As long as swimming is still in her life, however, Cudney will remain grateful — and that includes right now. During a first year as unsettling as this one, with many classes online and restrictions on gathering sizes, Cudney has found that being a member of the swim team has benefitted her Tufts experience greatly. As soon as she arrived on campus, Cudney knew she had people she could reach out to during a time when it was hard to feel a part of something. “Having a teammate support system was crucial,” Cudney said. Cudney has also found other silver linings associated with being on a sports team at Tufts during an abnormal year. She spoke of getting to know teammates who swim other strokes and distances, something she was only able to do when this year’s practices became based on schedule availability instead of their usual grouping by event.
“The people that you were grouped with during practices was pretty random, so across different strokes and distances you got to meet people that you otherwise might not have interacted with as much,” Cudney said. “One positive was getting to know people you were thrown together with instead of people you might’ve sought out based on similarities. [It] kind of forced you to get to know people, but in a good way.” According to Cudney, spending so much time with the same small group of people also made it easier to build strong relationships with them, instead of the looser ones that are more likely to form in larger settings. Cudney specifically credits the team’s coaches and upperclassmen with creating a positive environment for firstyear students. “They’ve been very accommodating and have done a phenomenal job of getting to know us, and some of the upperclassmen as well,” she said.
Despite the difficulties the swim team has faced this season, Cudney has been able to reignite her passion for swimming, find a support system that makes her see Tufts as a home and consider what life will look like when it is time to say goodbye to the sport t she has dedicated so much time and effort to. Although the swim season this year is far different from how it has been in years past, Cudney appreciates how being a member of the swim team has improved her first-year experience during the pandemic. While she misses the camaraderie of a swim meet, Cudney said she is thankful for the close relationships and new interactions that smaller settings have granted her. For Cudney, even with the turbulence and uncertainty that this swimming season has brought, it all goes back to the feeling of being in the pool. “There is no substitute for having time in the water,” she said.
1. Star-studded All-Star lineup We’re less than a week away from AllStar “Night.” All-Star Game participants were announced last week, with Kevin Durant and LeBron James captaining their squads in a pool of players headlined by Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry. With Durant and Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis unable to play due to injury, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker were named as replacements. It’s not an All-Star event without the skills challenge, 3-point contest and dunk contest. Participants for all three events were announced Tuesday evening. The skills challenge will be headlined by Doncic, Sabonis and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul. The 3-point contest will be headlined by Curry, and Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The slam dunk contest, with an unusual three-person lineup this year, features Indiana Pacers guard Cassius Stanley, Portland Trail Blazers guard
Anfernee Simons and New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin. Fans were sorely disappointed when it was announced that high flying New Orleans Pelicans alltar forward Zion Williamson declined to participate. Nonetheless, these star-studded lineups are sure to provide fans with some top-tier entertainment come Sunday, March 7. 2. Return of the fans With COVID-19 numbers beginning to drop in some states, some teams have begun allowing fans back to their arenas, while others are in the process of increasing the maximum number of fans allowed. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, both of which allowed fans at reduced capacities since the beginning of the season, have begun increasing the number of fans allowed at home games. The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets began allowing fans back into their arenas at 10% capacity on Feb. 23. While all of this is occurring, teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, both of which have not had fans at
home games all season, announced that they would be allowing fans back at a reduced capacity starting March 22 and March 14, respectively. 3. Raptors COVID-19 outbreak update The Toronto Raptors were the most recent team to suffer a COVID-19 outbreak within their organization. The Raptors saw their last two games postponed and had to play with a depleted roster Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Not only did the Raptors miss the services of stars Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, but they also played without head coach Nick Nurse due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing protocols. As we enter the second half of the NBA season, it’s worth paying attention to the status of players and teams regarding COVID-19, and whether a bubble-like environment may be necessary for the playoffs.
Matt Chen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.chen@tufts.edu