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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 38
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Milo Koretsky to assume McDonnell Family Bridge Professorship by Jack Adgate
Contributing Writer
Tufts appointed Milo Koretsky as the first McDonnell Family Bridge Professor this past December. Koretsky will act as a bridge between the Tufts School of Engineering and School of Arts and Sciences, and will assume the position this month. The appointee to the McDonnell Family Bridge Professorship, which was founded in 2017, must hold a distinguished faculty position in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics as well as in discipline-based education research. Koretsky will teach in both the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Department of Education. James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, explained that the professorship is a tool for the university to adapt and grow the way it teaches and learns, with a focus on STEM and related academic areas. “The Professorship is the result of a generous gift from the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021
In response to workstream recommendations, TUPD aims to increase transparency with updated website by Peri Barest
Assistant News Editor
COURTESY MILO KORETSKY
Professor Milo Koretsky is pictured with his students. to support the creation of the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction (IRLI), which is one of the first research centers dedicated to understanding how students learn at the university level,” Glaser wrote in an email to the Daily. “IRLI is dedicated to discipline-based education research, currently in the STEM field.” Before his appointment as bridge professor, Koretsky taught for nearly 30 years in Oregon State University’s Department
of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. There he led the Engineering Education Research Group, and is a fellow of the Center for Lifelong STEM Education Research at Oregon State University and a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education. Koretsky earned his Ph.D at the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.S. and M.S. from the University of California, see KORETSKY, page 2
The Tufts University Police Department announced plans to update its website and increase its social media footprint in response to the “Digital Communication” recommendation from the workstream on Campus Safety and Policing. The workstream’s report included 17 different recommendations across five main categories, and the Digital Communication recommendation specifically called on TUPD to increase transparency, accountability and community engagement through its digital presence. “The Department of Public Safety should develop a comprehensive digital strategy that utilizes social media and the department
website to increase visibility, better engage the university community, proactively share information to build trust, and promote the department’s mission and values,” the report says. Interim Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Gerard “Chip” Coletta said the updates will include information about TUPD’s policies, as well as statistics on the types of calls they receive, among other data. “We felt that it was a very reasonable recommendation,” Coletta said. “It’s something that we’ve been thinking that we should be doing more of because it does work towards transparency and trust for the department if we’re free with information, and see TUPD, page 2
European study abroad programs remain on track for fall, could still change
by Sarah Sandlow Deputy News Editor
One year into the pandemic, countries in Europe are beginning to witness a new wave of COVID-19 infections as vaccination efforts continue slowly throughout the EU. Despite the conditions of the pandemic in many countries in Europe, Tufts Global Education currently plans to continue with its fall semester study abroad programs, but will reconsider if necessary. “We are monitoring, on an ongoing basis, infection rates, vaccination rates, and travel restrictions/conditions both here and in our program locations,” Assistant Director of Tufts Global Education Melanie Armstrong wrote in an email to the Daily. “It is not yet known if the current infection or vaccination rates either here or in Europe will have any appreciable impact on the viability of programs for the fall.” Mala Ghosh, associate dean of Tufts Global Education, said that the Tufts Global Education department is working with each director abroad on planning for
classroom spacing and necessary accommodations, as well as preparing for quarantine, vaccination and testing protocols. “We meet regularly as a global team, and I work with each director [one-on-one] to continuously assess the current situation in each country,” Ghosh wrote in an email to the Daily. “We are cautiously optimistic that the vaccination roll-out will improve conditions in each country.” Ghosh added that, because each country is handling vaccinations and the pandemic differently, she is in close communication with senior leadership at Tufts and local university partners as the situation evolves. Armstrong said that as of now, there have been no specific formal program changes made because there is still a good amount of time before the fall semester. However, potential changes may include mask requirements in designated areas, housing shifts, class size limits and virtual orientation programming in case of arrival quarantine. Aliya Magnuson said she is studying abroad in the fall
because she is a member of the track and field team and wants to participate in the spring season. She is planning on going to Aix-en-Provence through the Institute for American Universities, an external program that is pre-approved by Tufts. “I did a bunch of research on the countries in Europe and which ones might have the vaccine by the fall because the fall is approaching pretty [quickly], so they kind of have to have plans already,” Magnuson, a sophomore, said. “France seemed like a pretty good option.” According to Armstrong, the spring semester is usually more popular among students who apply to study abroad. This was the case for applications for 2021– 22 as well, just with a slightly larger discrepancy. She added that more rising seniors applied for the fall due to the cancellation of study abroad this year. Magnuson said the coordinators for her external program have not been in contact with her about the state of the fall semester. However, IAU runs a May semester as well as one over the summer, so she believes they are waiting to see how the spring
and summer semesters play out before changing any plans for the fall. “I think my biggest concern is that it’s an international university, and there are going to be students from all over, so they’re probably not all going to have the vaccine,” Magnuson said. “I think it’ll be interesting to see how [the program does its] in-person classes because they haven’t communicated that very much.” Ghosh said that Tufts has not made any official decisions
regarding a COVID-19 vaccination requirement, although it is possible that some partner schools or the governments of host countries may require vaccine documentation or proof of a negative COVID-19 test result for entry. “Students who are not vaccinated should expect additional entry, visa, and travel restrictions, all of which may combine to make their participation see ABROAD , page 2
BERT KAUFMANN / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Rome in Focus is one of the summer study abroad programs Tufts offers.
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The US looks to protect its own hegemony in hoarding vaccines
Obama and Springsteen podcast centers discussions of family, work, race and America
Men’s soccer looks ahead to fall season after yearlong hiatus
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, April 7, 2021
THE TUFTS DAILY Megan Szostak Editor in Chief
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Glaser, Qu enthusiastic about Koretsky's forthcoming contributions to both schools KORETSKY
continued from page 1 San Diego. All of his degrees are in chemical engineering. Koretsky said he sees the shift to Tufts as building upon what he has been doing at Oregon State University. He was also complimentary of the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction, and how the institute can facilitate his work to revolutionize learning in STEM fields. “This is an extension of the work I have done in the past 15 years,” Koretsky said. “[The IRLI] makes sense to the scholarship on how people learn, and there are remarkable people in that institute.” The School of Engineering’s announcement in December of Koretsky’s appointment to the professorship touched on that work. “Koretsky studies and develops technological innovations that promote knowledge integration and higher order cognition,” the announcement said. “He has a particular interest in helping faculty effectively use research-
based instructional practices to enable more equitable learning, and in understanding what prevents students from connecting the knowledge learned in class to the demands of professional practice.” Professor Koretsky has experience as an engineer, researcher and educator that Glaser and Jianmin Qu, dean of the School of Engineering, believe will be a positive addition to the university. “Professor Koretsky’s experience is all the more notable for its breadth,” Qu wrote in an email to the Daily. “He combines a deep technical background in chemical engineering with an equally impressive history in the study of innovative engineering curricular design, where he has taken a leading role in developing technology-based instructional tools.” Glaser spoke similarly of Koretsky. “Koretsky was chosen because he is a brilliant and accomplished national leader in engineering education research,” he said. “We know
he brings outstanding bona fides to the role and we will benefit from his research and scholarship.” Koretsky was attracted to the Tufts faculty and the collaborative work environment at the university. The STEM community at Tufts is something of which he is happy to be a part. “The really exciting thing about Tufts is that there is just that amazing nucleus of learning scientists across [all of the STEM fields],” Koretsky said. “Interacting in it, in a collaborative way, in an intimate way with these folks … is really exciting.” Fellow Tufts faculty will be able to look to Koretsky not only as a colleague, but as a mentor as well. His experience and expertise across the field of education will provide fellow professors a useful resource to aid in the learning process for students, according to Glaser. “We also are confident that he will be a leader at Tufts, someone who will help drive forward the very exciting IRLI
project, along with Prof. David Hammer, the current director of the Institute, and some of our other exceptional faculty in this area,” Glaser said. Koretsky will also be innovating the way students learn. A crucial aspect of Koretsky’s role as bridge professor will be to help enhance the way Tufts professors teach their students, in both the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences. “He brings tremendous experience in the fundamental study of education to Tufts and to our research and outreach hubs like the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach and the Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction,” Qu said. “He will work with colleagues across departments to help support transformations happening in education at Tufts to benefit how we teach our students and how others beyond Tufts teach their students, and I look forward to his voice joining our school.”
Coletta supports changes to TUPD’s digital presence TUPD
continued from page 1 I think it’s information that the community has a right to.” Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, emphasized the importance of transparency for building trust between TUPD and the Tufts community. “This is an important project that will increase transparency and make the department’s priorities, operations and data more visible to the community,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “The changes, which are already underway, will continue over time, and provide a level of information that we hope will better engage the university community, help to build trust and make clear the department’s mission and values.” TUPD is collaborating with Tufts Technology Services to make these updates. It aims to complete the project in two to three months, while making ongoing changes as applicable. “[TTS] has the technology to set up the system for us, and to educate us so that we have a department member that can manage the content,” Coletta said. “We’ll manage content, TTS will manage the platform in the back end of the technology.” Members of Tufts Action Group, a collective of faculty, staff and students who invite community members to envision the university as a more just and inclusive institution, played a role in creating the workstream’s recommendations.
“While TAG as a whole did not have a role in the policing and campus safety workstream there were members present who were a part of the research, conversations, and writing of the recommendations,” Hope Freeman, director of the LGBT Center and interim director of the Women’s Center, as well as a member of both the steering committee of TAG and the working group for the workstream, wrote in an email to the Daily. She added that TUPD’s digital presence is an important first step in addressing TAG’s hopes and the workstream’s recommendations for TUPD. “I think that transparency and accountability is important in all of our work, not just TUPD,” Freeman said. “I believe that a digital presence of TUPD is a start to that transparency that many members in the Tufts community long for … This is an opportunity for Tufts as a community to hear, receive, and apply the recommendations offered in the Policing and Campus Safety report.” Coletta emphasized the role of two-way communication in the digital world. The updates will not only increase the accessibility of statistics but also streamline TUPD’s process for receiving feedback. “We want to have the ability to take complaints, either anonymous or otherwise, [including] complaints against our officers [and] complaints against others in the community, so that we can
investigate them,” he said. “We feel that it’s important that we take those types of complaints, especially against situations where … there was some issue with the way the officer behaved.” Coletta said that the current website is not transparent enough about the three types of complaints community members can make: reporting the actions of someone in the department, reporting crimes and reporting other general safety concerns relevant to the university. Beyond updating the website, TUPD is also reviewing its policies, and any changes there will be reflected on the site, Coletta said. The department is updating its policies in accordance with both the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission and the workstream’s recommendations. “Our policies comply with the Accreditation Commission standards, but we want to go beyond that [and] make sure that our poli-
cies are anti-racist, that we’re looking at our protocols and procedures to make sure that procedurally, we’re doing things appropriately for the community,” Coletta said. He added that the Accreditation Commission is making some minor changes to its standards to comply with police reform legislation passed at the end of last year in Massachusetts. Coletta said that TUPD’s response to the workstream is a work in progress, and that the department is working on an implementation plan to address each of the recommendations. “I think [the recommendations] will ultimately improve our ability to provide a service to the community,” Coletta said. “We’re working through the implementation plan of each of the 17 recommendations. Some are very easy; they’re low-hanging fruit, [so] we’ll be able to get them done right away. Others might take a little bit longer.”
GRACE LABER / THE TUFTS DAILY
The headquarters of the Tufts University Police Department are pictured on March 5.
Tufts Global Education monitoring vaccine rollout in program locations ABROAD
continued from page 1 in study abroad impossible,” Ghosh said. “We do recommend that students receive the vaccination before traveling abroad.” Armstrong said country- or program-specific suspensions may
be necessary if local metrics such as vaccination rates and infection rates, as well as public health guidance, indicate that it may be unsafe to run the programs. “We hope to avoid suspending our programs and we are working on various potential
program modifications aimed at supporting operations on-site,” Armstrong said. “However, as we have all seen, the course of this pandemic is unpredictable and has had ebbs and flows.” Until then, though, Armstrong and Ghosh remain hopeful.
“Our goal is to operate our European programs and do our best to ensure smooth operations on-site based on evaluating the recommendations and evolving situation on the ground in each country,” Ghosh said.
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Casey Cummings Coffee Talk
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Cafe Luna
ast semester, in an effort to have the coolest door in Harleston Hall, my roommate and I hung a sign on our door that read, “Brunch Recommendations (please add your recz).” Surprisingly, the list became quite popular and it filled up quickly with local restaurants like Danish Pastry House, Bagelsaurus and — ironically — The Pub. However, among the long list of cafes, bagel shops and pubs, one restaurant caught our eye: Cafe Luna. Neither my roommate nor I had ever heard of Cafe Luna, and we knew we had to try it.
Features Cafe Luna is in Cambridge, which means you are going to need to drive, Uber or take public transportation to get there. But it’s all worth it, I promise! Cafe Luna offers beautiful outdoor seating, something that my roommate, our friends and I love. However, if it’s still too chilly to enjoy outdoor seating, Cafe Luna also offers a COVID-19-responsible adaptation to indoor seating: The storefront is made up of large, paneled windows, which can open to increase airflow in an effort to minimize COVID-19 risks. Obviously, all that natural light makes Cafe Luna a pretty place to eat your brunch, too! In addition to its indoor and outdoor seating, Cafe Luna records your party’s phone number for contact tracing, uses touch-free online menus and requires its servers to wear masks.
While I was feeling quite safe eating at Cafe Luna, I was also very excited about the menu. As a huge fan of sweet breakfasts, I was immediately drawn to the waffles, french toast and pancakes. Among this section of the menu were Nutella stuffed with strawberries waffles, caramelized bananas and pecans french toast and pancakes topped with cookie butter. The menu also had all the breakfast classics: omelets, avocado toast, breakfast burritos and egg plates. With a menu full of so many fun options, making a choice was almost too hard to do. What I ordered: After a very long internal debate, I decided on the lemon curd and blueberry compote french toast, and I do not regret it. It was four slices of warm cinnamon french
3 Wednesday, April 7, 2021 toast topped with lemon curd, blueberry compote and powdered sugar. I would go back just to have that again; I loved everything about it. What my roommate Chloe ordered: pancakes with the Oreo crumble and chocolate drizzle toppings. She gave those pancakes her highest reviews. What I want to try next: I really need to go back to try the cafe’s lemon ricotta pancakes, which are only offered on its weekend brunch menu! Although, its toasted s’mores with marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker crumbs french toast is tempting, too. Casey Cummings is a sophomore studying international relations. Casey can be reached at casey.cummings@tufts.edu.
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021
‘Renegades: Born in the USA’ balances tough conversation with undeniable chemistry by Kate Seklir
Executive Copy Editor
In their latest pandemic ventures, former President Barack Obama and rock star Bruce Springsteen commandeered the podcast space, sitting down for “Renegades: Born in the USA” (2021) to unpack their shared understanding of family, work, race and America itself. The eight-episode series, which debuted on streaming services on Feb. 22 and has released weekly episodes since, follows their upbringings, personal lives and careers in an ultimately successful attempt to humanize the two figures and craft a unifying American story from which its listeners might take inspiration. Their chemistry is palpable throughout each episode, giving readers an exclusive look into their off-camera personas. The duo provides insight into the present condition of the country, assessing how it came to be so divided, a prescription that Obama makes in the series’ minute-and-a-half teaser. The podcast, in its high-quality production and editing, cultivates a somewhat cinematic ambiance, and listeners can almost see the wood-paneled, rustic framework of Springsteen’s home studio where the two are seated and hear the clinking of whiskey glasses set off to the side as the conversation naturally unwinds. Interspersed with snippets of Springsteen’s songs, the first two episodes, “Our Unlikely Friendship” and “American Skin: Race in the United States,” chronicle the two men’s respective personal and professional developments and kickstart hard conversations surrounding systemic racism in the United States, successfully striking a balance
between looking back and looking forward. Obama discusses the racism and struggles he experienced growing up in Hawaii and the effects that race played in his conceptions of self and feeling like an outsider throughout his early life and career. Springsteen follows suit, talking about how race manifested in his hometown of Freehold, NJ and the eventual eruption of race riots there during the Civil Rights Movement. Fans of Springsteen will recognize this anecdote from his song “My Hometown” (1984), in which he croons and references this same experience. It plays in the background as Springsteen talks, its melody taking on new meaning as he describes the event that inspired it. The second episode of the podcast, “American Skin: Race in the United States,” begins with somewhat of a disclaimer and diagnosis by the former president. “We know that bridging America’s racial divide is going to require concrete policies to address the ongoing legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, but, it also requires each of us,” Obama said. “In our workplaces, in our politics, in our places of worship and in a million daily interactions to make more of an effort to understand each other’s realities, not to mention our own unspoken attitudes.” The conversation moves to Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist and only Black member of Springsteen’s E Street Band since 1974. Theirs was a lifelong friendship that made the difficulties Black Americans face more visible to Springsteen. Springsteen struggles, at times, to talk about this relationship and the racial differences between himself and his late friend.
VIA SPOTIFY
The cover of “Renegades: Born in the USA,” a podcast featuring a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, is pictured. Hearing the stuttering and hints of uncertainty take the place of his usually self-assured and wise rhetoric, however, creates some of the most valuable conversations of the first two episodes. “How do you hold the same country that sent man to the moon with being the same country of Jim Crow?” Springsteen asked the former president. Obama attributes it to a reckoning — one of America’s intensely divided racial past (and present) — that never came. He discusses
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the generational effect of systemic oppression, diving back into his presidency to explain that he had evaluated a concrete reparations program as politically unattainable during his two terms. “The politics of white resistance and resentment … the talk of the ‘undeserving poor’ and the backlash against affirmative action … all that made … any coherent, meaningful reparations program … a non-starter,” he said. While much of the podcast sees Obama removed from his
former role as president, this is a rare moment that could have also occurred during a debate or press briefing in 2015. The podcast’s seventh episode, “Fatherhood,” which was released on March 29, sees the two men redefining what it means to “be a man.” They discuss how their hectic schedules, as a politician and musician, respectively, forced them to prioritize family time and reevaluate their own lifestyles and choices to reconcile career and family. The sheer love that these two men have for their families shines through in this episode. It’s a purely autobiographical installment, but one that necessarily humanizes them and adds to the balanced image of personability and intentionality. The real shining stars of the series, though, are simply the voices of Obama and Springsteen, and their acute ability to tell a story. Obama’s deep and thoughtful tone and Springsteen’s rasp and ruggedness create a soundscape that is somewhat lulling, yet imbued with intention and intelligence. If you understand what “Renegades: Born in the USA” was meant to do — center Obama and Springsteen as the stars of the show and discuss topics as they relate to them and their own lives — the podcast does a commendable job. The highlights come in moments that reveal vulnerability and discuss weighty subject matters, and are bolstered further by the casual, yet intensely thoughtful tone of the two throughout the series.
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Why streaming services need to evolve by Drew Weisberg Arts Editor
To say that the streaming market is becoming crowded is like saying legroom on an airplane is in short supply. It’s an obvious statement that anyone with a half-decent sense of perception could surmise, what with elder statesman Netflix and Hulu being horned in upon by pluck youngsters like Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock and Paramount+, all of which launched in the past two years. With so much content
coming out in the middle of a pandemic, these services have seen great success with offerings like “WandaVision” (2021) and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021), which drew huge viewership on Disney+ and HBO Max, respectively. In fact, Anthony Mackie, star of the new Disney+ show “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) said, “I just want to see somebody do an algorithm or figure out if we were in a movie theater how much money we would have made. Because I know it would’ve been more than Tom Holland as
Spider-Man!” If true, this means that streaming services hold massive power over the future of Hollywood. The questions are as follows: How do they maintain this power (pandemic notwithstanding), and what will be their next move? The key lies in the main appeal of a streaming service: convenience. The question has been asked countless times before: Why would a family of three spend money to see “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021) in a theater when they could pay a monthly fee of $14.99 — undoubtedly less than
GRAPHIC BY SOPHIE DOLAN
The logos for HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock and Disney+ are pictured.
Chris Panella Comfort Cartoons
Mature and electrifying ‘Static Shock’
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his week, we’re looking at “Static Shock” (2000–04), an influential animated series following Virgil Hawkins, a 14-year-old boy who fights crime as “Static,” a superhero with electromagnetic powers. The show is another installment in the DC Animated Universe, premiering before the culminations of the DCAU, “Justice League” (2001–04) and “Justice League Unlimited” (2004–06).
“Static Shock” begins with a focus on Virgil’s home life: He lives with his older sister Sharon, a college student, and their widowed father Robert. The family is haunted by the death of Virgil and Sharon’s mother, Jean, a paramedic. She was killed by gunfire during the fictional Dakota Riots. Following her death, Robert and Sharon centered their lives on collective and cooperative care in their neighborhood — Robert started working at a community center and Sharon started volunteering at the same center and a hospital. At its best, the show is sort of a family drama, exploring the tensions and traumas of the Hawkins family. But, it’s also interesting to see how Static’s powers and role as a superhero mesh with that. He gets his powers after being exposed to a mutagen —
Quantum Vapor — during an event the show refers to as the “Big Bang.” It’s a transformative moment not only for Virgil, but also for others, specifically gang members and other Dakota citizens. Some of those exposed to the quantum juice gain either superhuman ability or deformity; this event prompts most of the stories in “Static Shock.” In many episodes, Static works to either thwart or assist the “Bang Babies” (those who gained powers during the “Big Bang”). The main villain of “Static Shock” is also a Bang Baby. Ebon, the alias of Ivan Evans, can manipulate darkness and dimensions — he’s basically a walking, talking shadow. It’s a great complement to Static’s abilities of light and electricity. Ebon’s younger brother, Adam, is also transformed, becoming
at a theater — to watch it and hundreds more titles and series on HBO Max? Additionally, streaming services eliminate the “opportunity cost” of seeing a stinker of a film in theaters and having to demand your money back. Didn’t like “Godzilla vs. Kong”? That’s perfectly fine when streaming because you can turn it off and switch to any number of films or shows. Do you need another snack? You’ve curated the perfect selection in your fridge. Do you need to use the bathroom? Pause the entertainment. This model proved successful for Netflix, so much so that it managed to kill off its video renting competitor, Blockbuster, and then mocked its demise by creating a Netflix original documentary all about it. This explains the proliferation of streaming services, as more and more media conglomerates see the success of Netflix (with its more than 73 million users in the United States alone) and decide they can cut out the middleman and release their content on their own services. This should terrify any consummate consumer for two reasons: First, it should absolutely frighten you how many different properties each conglomerate owns; and second, this will no doubt be a model of diminishing returns. This concept was well put by “Burn Notice” (2007–13) star Bruce Campbell
in a Reddit AMA where he said, “There’s 100 million TV channels out there now. There’s only six people watching each channel.” How many people will pay for a new streaming service? At what point will the content of each service be stretched so thin that the reboot of “Punky Brewster” (2021–) just won’t be enough to sway average Joe to put money down for a Peacock subscription? What model might save streaming? In my opinion, focus. Take Shudder, a smaller streaming service that caters to a specific audience by specializing in thrillers and horror movies. If streaming services accept that they can’t be “catchalls,” then they may as well cultivate a loyal following and serve that niche as well as they can. Admittedly, this isn’t always a successful model. DC Universe, a streaming service based around DC Comics’ content was defunct as of January 2021. These problems, though, are for executives who are paid a lot of money to solve them. Instead, we ought to demand more from our streaming, advocate for ourselves and demand that we be satisfied with what our monthly subscription fee grants us. I think I speak for everyone in saying we’d like to be funding more seasons of “Stranger Things” (2016–) and fewer seasons of “Punky Brewster.”
Rubberband Man. Adam’s plot is more redemptive and he becomes Static’s ally throughout the series, which creates interesting conflict. Much of this leads to explorations of government corruption, community organization, gang crime and scientific experiments. They’re all heavy topics seen from the perspective of the Bang Babies. The mutants become oddities and pests for the government and community organizers. For example, in the Season 4 episode “No Man’s an Island,” the mutants are kidnapped for experiments on a mysterious island and they have to band together to save themselves. It becomes an “us versus them” story. All of this is told through almost comic book-esque animation style and color; much of
the animation feels a little flat in the first season, as if we’re reading a comic book. By its later seasons, it becomes more akin to something like what we see in “Justice League.” Similarly, the show’s fights only get better throughout. The fire and electricity between Hotstreak, another villain, and Static in “Aftershock” are fun to watch, but by “No Man’s an Island,” the fights are much more visually complex. Now, more than 20 years since its premiere, “Static Shock” is still an excellent animated series, a strong member of the DCAU and a great rewatch. “Static Shock” is currently available on HBO Max. Chris Panella is a senior studying film and media studies. Chris can be reached at christopher.panella@tufts.edu.
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Aries (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Lead with heart. Good fortune flows through social networks and community efforts. Notice dreams and intuition. Adapt plans for new opportunities. Recharge to help others.
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VIEWPOINTS
In response to crises, the US has chosen to weaponize its vaccine policy as a diplomatic tool by Andres Borjas Contributing Writer
Possessing one of the largest stockpiles of COVID-19 vaccines, the United States holds special weight when it comes to distributing the vaccines worldwide, and the concept of “vaccine diplomacy” is becoming an evermore important buzzword for American foreign policy. Policymakers, however, increasingly view the United States’ COVID-19 response as a weaponized diplomatic tool. This perception works to no one’s benefit and more fundamentally exposes a half-heartedness and fragility to U.S. foreign policy that does not bode well for the return of American global leadership in the near future. At the core of this weaponized model of vaccine diplomacy lies the national anxieties that made up the core of “America first” and that now pervade vaccine policy, shaping the issue into a matter of national security and foreign policy. This need to “securitize” vaccines is driven by the now all-too-common feelings of individual, social and national insecurity that the pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated across the country. The botched initial response to the pandemic left the United States. as the most COVID-19ridden country on the face of the earth. By summer, polls began showing a growing loss in social trust and national pride. The national unease brought a moment of renewal for anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists who shouted through their keyboards about “plandemics,” cabals and Bill Gates to a receptive audience facing a shattered world.
Eli Striker The Strike Zone
Solidarity and human rights in Colombia
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olombia has a long history of civil war. Tra g i c a l l y, violence between the Colombian military and leftists dates back to La Violencia of the 1940s and ‘50s, in which the Conservative government persecuted Liberal Party members, and escalated after the formation of FARC — a leftist guerrilla group — in the early 1960s. Colombia’s civil war officially lasted over five decades and claimed over 220,000 lives. A 2016 peace deal between
These factors all aided in catalyzing the political violence that transpired during the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, an event that has been considered the first American self-coup. China, meanwhile, leveraged the opportunities arising from America’s internal upheaval by challenging the United States militarily in the South China Sea and assuming a leading role in supplying the world with vaccines and desperately needed medical equipment. Needless to say, many saw 2020 as the poignant end of American primacy. For an America scarred internally and scorned internationally, the vaccine was a path toward renewed security and power. After our annus horribilis, the world has seen the fragility of American cohesion and has questioned the country’s claims to hegemony. Back to normal as fast as possible, as such, is not as much the preference of a rich country that can afford it, but rather a necessity for its survival. This is the rationale that attempts to justify the fact that for every one American there are about four vaccine doses reserved. Meanwhile, in the whole of Africa, that number barely reaches 0.2 doses per person. In all, only 10 countries have administered about threefourths of all vaccine doses. For the United States, this hoarding is symptomatic of a desperation to prevent the next wave of social unrest — one jab at a time, all the while disregarding the Global South’s struggles, where many countries may not receive enough supply to vaccinate the majority of their populations until several years down the line. Even while some semblance of self-denial has found its way into U.S. foreign policy, the thin-
ness of promises made is hard to miss. Biden’s donation of more than 2.5 million AstraZeneca doses to Mexico, while amounting to the largest vaccine transfer from one country to another, seems meaningless when considering America’s 300 million strong AstraZeneca stockpile might simply end up unused. In other less publicized instances, the vaccine paranoia has been more clear. In February, the United States backed other rich nations in opposing a waiver to the Agreement on TradeRelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which would allow for widespread production of COVID-19 vaccines and other treatments without infringing on international property rights. This arrangement benefits Moderna and Pfizer the most, the country’s vaccine champions, who are now the face of
the Colombian military and FARC was supposed to resolve a decades-long, low-intensity war between the two parties. Unfortunately, neither party has lived up to the terms of the agreement, as FARC has continued to militarize since signing the treaty. However, the government is no less culpable than the guerrilla groups; in March, the military bombed a youth-inhabited rebel camp, killing multiple children. These human rights violations occur in part because there is little mutual understanding between human rights groups and the military. The Colombian military has long felt animosity toward Colombian non-governmental organizations, which they associate with leftist groups, and believes that human rights NGOs weaponize media and technology to unfairly scapegoat the military
for the two-sided civil war. This mutual animosity has led to decades of human rights violations, as both groups vilify the other and justify violence against the opposite party. In her 2007 book “Counting the Dead,” Winifred Tate interviewed human rights activists and military officers in an effort to catalog their respective motives and ideals. In her chapter “Solidarity with Our Class Brothers,” Tate argues that the human rights frameworks utilized by early Colombian NGOs were based on class solidarity and integrated into leftist teachings. The first Colombian NGOs stemmed from left-wing guerrilla groups during the 1960s and ‘70s and were organized by “militantes” who, despite their radical titles, participated in a variety of grassroots services including social and political work, education and political
American power, centrality and indispensability in the same vein that other powerful entities, like Google, Amazon and Facebook, have been for decades. The vaccine is also key to recouping power vis-a-vis China. President Biden took the opportunity this March during the first summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the joint project of Australia, India, Japan and the United States to contain China, to announce the bloc’s vaccination initiative. Not surprisingly, great power competition infuses the core of this joint project, as the Quad members aim to provide their vaccines to Southeast Asia as a means of keeping China’s out. The U.S. posture is a shrewd reminder that in international politics, altruism will almost always come second. Even while Americans have often played
the role of the good Samaritan worldwide, especially in the realm of global health, right now, we are a country backed into a corner, looking to claw our way back. Internally, even as the choice to not widely share the vaccine incurs heavy costs — the loss of countless lives around the world and billions of dollars in trade — large stocks and lofty promises are upheld as a matter of national security. Externally, vaccines offer an avenue to regain the world’s adoration, thus transforming into a central component of a foreign policy seeking to protect American hegemony. Until the United States feels safe, the rest of the world will not be. Andres Borjas is a junior studying international relations. Andres can be reached at andres.borjas@tufts.edu.
VALERIA VELASQUEZ / THE TUFTS DAILY
propaganda. In interviews, leftwing leaders explained to Tate that their actions were motivated not by hatred of the military, but rather by leftist teachings regarding class solidarity, or “sharing what I have with my class brother.” Despite these motives, the officers whom Tate interviewed overwhelmingly spoke of a “politically motivated war against them” waged by leftist human rights groups. In response, the Colombian military has worked to incorporate human rights rhetoric into military doctrine in an attempt to portray itself as a victim — rather than a perpetrator — of human rights abuses. The prevalence of these beliefs indicate that military officers misunderstand the true motives of human rights NGOs. Colombian leftists motivated by class solidarity would likely empathize with many
military officers’ predicaments, as many officers come from working-class backgrounds and would therefore be considered their “class brothers,” according to Tate. If the military understood human rights NGOs’ motives, tension between these groups would diminish. As the aftermath of the FARC peace treaty has demonstrated, legal agreements alone will not prevent civil violence in Colombia. Dialogue is necessary for both parties to empathize with one another, as empathy and solidarity — rather than toothless legal treaties — are what will lead to peace between the Colombian military and leftwing activists. Eli Striker is a sophomore studying international relations. Eli can be reached at eli.striker@tufts.edu.
8 Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
Reigning champions make no excuses after lost season by Isabel Castro
Contributing Writer
The Tufts men’s varsity soccer program has swiped four NCAA championship titles in its past six seasons, most recently taking home the crown with a 2–0 victory over Amherst in 2019. The common denominators among these titles have been traditional preseasons, schedules consisting of full-contact competitive play and former head coach Josh Shapiro. In soccer, many coaches say that players should know what they’re going to do two plays ahead. A pandemic was never thought to be one of those plays. Just over a year ago, Kyle Dezotell was hired as the new varsity coach after Josh Shapiro took the head coaching job at Harvard University. In an interview, coach Dezotell said he was able to transition smoothly into Tufts’ men’s soccer program thanks to the commitment of his players. Despite the pandemic-induced cancellation of the fall 2020 season, Dezotell and his athletes have vowed not to use the lost season as an excuse for poor performance in the upcoming fall. “It’s been interesting, to say the least, but thankfully, I think this program is in such a strong position. It has such a strong player-led culture and leadership that, even though it’s been pretty weird for me, I think our program and our players have fared just fine,” said Dezotell. Many players have decided to take a semester off to preserve their eligibility as full-time students at Tufts. This outflow has affected recruiting and training for the men’s program. “Certainly next fall … the numbers are going to be interesting because we have the entire senior class coming back for next year. And when building a roster you wouldn’t be planning on
Henry Gorelik Off the Gridiron
Justin Fields is the No. 2 QB
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FL Network called it “the throw of the pro day season.” There was one particular throw in Zach Wilson’s pro day that stood out to NFL scouts and Twitter alike. “The throw” had the former Brigham Young quarterback in a sprint right bootleg, rolling toward the left hash and hitting receiver Aleva Hifo in-stride 60 yards downfield, as Wilson was still drifting to his left. But when former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields made a nearly identical throw in his pro day several days after Wilson, the NFL media was silent. Fields
seven extra players, even after you brought in your recruits, so [we have] … like 35 or 36 players on the roster for next fall, which is definitely too many.” Derek Enge, a senior on the men’s soccer team, has decided to stay for a fifth year despite being eligible for graduation as early as last fall. He’s taken a leave of absence for the entirety of the 2020–21 academic year, meaning he has not trained with the team since the start of the pandemic. “I decided to stay to play for an extra year, because I had a lot of discussions with my parents, with friends and with people that are currently working,” Enge said. “I basically decided that this is a pretty unique time in your life and you’ll only get four years to play soccer. I talked to a bunch of people, all of them had said, ‘Look, if I could go back to that time and play again, I would easily do that.’” Despite inconsistent access to gyms, fields and fellow athletes, Enge and his teammates have found ways to adapt and continue to train effectively. In addition to running and individual conditioning, Enge, for example, has been training with several local soccer groups. Coach Dezotell has a lot of pride in the team’s student leadership. For Enge, a team captain, his physical absence has been a challenge, but it has not kept him from fulfilling his leadership role. “I’ve tried to stay as involved as possible with the team. [It’s been] especially weird being one of the captains on the team and not being able to be there on a daily basis. Helping the team and having an impact on some of the new guys has been pretty tough. But I’m looking forward to the summer [and] hopefully being able to play with some of the guys that are also in Boston, and then next fall as well,” said Enge.
The Tufts men’s soccer team celebrates its 2019 NCAA championship win. Coach Dezotell has reminded when August comes around, it’s his players that they need to be also so unique in that … most conscious of other Div. III pro- of these players will not have grams outside of the NESCAC played competitive soccer for that are playing games this spring. nearly two years.” For example, Calvin University, Will Raphael, a junior on a Div. III program that Tufts has the team, has played with the consistently played in the NCAA Sandwich Knights of the Cape tournament, traveled to South Cod Amateur Soccer League for Bend, Ind. on March 16 to face the past two summers to prepare the University of Notre Dame, a for previous fall seasons. Raphael top tier Div. I program. Calvin lost is unsure where he might play by just 1–0. this summer, due to the time he While peer institutions like is committing to an internship Calvin are playing games this in Boston. spring, Tufts men’s soccer has “I’m going to try to play on been limited to groups of 10 and a team this summer, and at the has been doing small-sided drills. very least practice with organized The team hasn’t been able to teams in the area,” Raphael said. play 11-on-11 on a full field since “But I’m not entirely sure of the before the pandemic. commitment level yet. I know “It’s really important that that we definitely encourage our players find opportunities to play players to play in the summer competitive 11 v. 11 games this and it’s something that’s generally summer,” Dezotell said. “We’ve expected of all our players.” just encouraged guys that aren’t Max Clivio, a first-year on the here, who are taking time off, team, decided to take the spring to really start to ramp it back semester off because there were up. Because, you know, while I more competitive opportunithink guys in this program know ties in his home town of Miami, what they need to do to be ready Fla., where there are fewer public
took the snap, took a step to his right, spun and rolled out to the left hash, and delivered an impressive pass from the 30-yard line that led his receiver into the end zone. Maybe the lack of excitement was because Wilson made “the throw” first or because Fields did not throw across his body like Wilson did. I don’t buy it. I believe the discrepancy between the reactions to these two throws highlights a larger issue in the media coverage of Black quarterbacks. In the days after Fields’ jaw-dropping throw, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky reported that he has heard that Fields is the “last guy in, [and the] first guy out.” Orlovsky also said there were questions about Fields’ work ethic and asked, “Where is his desire to be a great quarterback?” Boston sports radio host Gary Tanguay added that Fields has “established himself as a one-read QB and has con-
cerns between the ears.” In the meantime, there have been no widespread media concerns about white quarterback prospect Mac Jones, despite his DUI during the 2017 season. This difference in coverage blatantly evidences the way the NFL media instinctively doubts the intelligence and intangibles of Black quarterbacks. The criticism of Fields is eerily reminiscent of the criticism faced by former Heisman Trophy winner and now NFL MVP winner Lamar Jackson throughout his pre-draft process. Former NFL Executive Bill Polian infamously viewed Jackson as a wide receiver in the NFL, advising him, “Don’t be like [Terrelle Pryor] from Ohio State and be 29 when you make the change.” Furthermore, an Atlantic Coast Conference coach said Jackson “can’t make throws and can’t read coverages.” While Fields has not been asked to play another position, the NFL com-
COURTESY JORDAN CIUFFETELLI, TUFTS ATHLETICS
munity has raised concerns that Fields, likeJackson, is not smart enough to play quarterback. While all prospects are heavily criticized, it does not feel like a coincidence that the type of criticism directed toward Black quarterbacks scrutinizes their cerebral capacity. There is a mountain of evidence that should quell any doubts about Fields’ work ethic, commitment to becoming an elite quarterback and football IQ. First of all, Fields could have easily opted out of this season and still been one of the top quarterback prospects in this draft class. Instead, he chose to return in order to improve as a player. Next, despite breaking two ribs in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson, Fields threw for 385 yards and six touchdowns. With a 93 PFF rating against Clemson and an 86 against Alabama in the CFP championship, Fields produced the highest ratings of any quar-
health-related restrictions. Over the summer he will play with the Waterhouse Football Club in Kingston, Jamaica. “It’s a high-level team with lots of players trying to play overseas in Europe and many of them are successful,” Clivio said of the Waterhouse Football Club. “It’s a very physical league … So it’s something new, but I think it’s a good way to adjust to the college game.” As the year without competition comes to an end, the Tufts men’s soccer program is eagerly awaiting the fall season. According to Dezotell, they’ll be ready. “I have no doubt that our players will be ready. I think, at the end of the day, we also have built-in advantages in the NESCAC, too. We have really good players that are really driven humans and really good students, and they’re going to do what they need to do to be ready,” Dezotell said. “We’re going to be just fine and we’re going to be ready.” terback that faced those two teams this past season. Lastly, despite the constant claims that Fields has tunnel vision, he has a 90.6 grade on throws after his first read which is the highest of any college quarterback since 2019, according to PFF. It is fairly clear to me that racial prejudice, rather than tangible evidence, has dominated both the conversation about and evaluation of Justin Fields. The NFL community’s problematic habit of fixating on Fields’ shortcomings overtly demonstrates the racism ingrained within the NFL. If I were Jets General Manager Joe Douglas, I would ignore the racist narratives created by the media and select Justin Fields at No. 2 overall to be the next franchise quarterback of the New York Jets. Henry Gorelik is a sophomore studying international relations. Henry can be reached at henry.gorelik@tufts.edu.