The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Prior to vaccination requirement announcement, TCU Senate called for increased vaccine accessibility

by Ava Autry Staff Writer

University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan announced in an email to the Tufts community on April 25 that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available to all students, faculty and staff between April 28 and 30 at the Gantcher Center.

According to the email, all students are required to be vaccinated prior to their return to campus for the fall 2021 semester. Students in the Tufts University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, and the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, have a vaccination deadline of July 1. While faculty and staff are encouraged to get the vaccine, they have an option to decline, and there are also possibilities for religious and medical exemptions for all.

Prior to this announcement, students in the Tufts Community Union Senate attempted various efforts to call for a vaccination mandate and heighten accessibility to the vaccine for the Tufts community. In their final meeting of the academic year on April 19, TCU Senate passed a resolution regarding advanced accessibility on behalf of the administration for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming fall 2021 semester.

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Bendetson Hall is pictured in the spring.

The original wording of the resolution pushed for a vaccine mandate, but there was debate surrounding this aspect that prevented its inclusion into what was ultimately passed. In the end, the resolution passed without a vaccine mandate but with a call for heightened accessibility to the vaccine with 15 senators voting in favor, one opposing and six abstaining.

The original form of the resolution also cited internation-

al COVID-19 infection totals, vaccine efficacy statistics and information on how the virus disproportionately affects communities of color as reasons to institute a mandate.

Ritesh Vidhun, a member of the Administration and Policy Committee in the Senate and a Class of 2024 senator, was a member of the team of senators that conceptualized and proposed this legislation to TCU Senate.

He spoke to the original motivations for the legislation regarding hope, accessibility and inequity.

“We saw increases in vaccine rollouts across the country and I guess we just had more optimism that students would be able to be vaccinated over the summer,” Vidhun, a first-year, said.

He mentioned the inequities within health and vaccine distribution that the resolution

addresses, particularly in the final version.

“If a large majority of students are vaccinated, it would directly help those communities on campus that are particularly at risk for illness for COVID, specifically immunocompromised students, students of color,” Vidhun said.

“We felt that this policy or this mandate would promote see VACCINES, page 2

Wellness center resolution receives support from TCU Senate, lack of tangible response from administration

by Colton Wolk and Sam Klugherz

Associate Editor and News Editor

The Tufts Community Union Senate passed a resolution on April 19, advancing the bid to establish an on-campus wellness center and putting pressure on the Tufts administration to heighten its support for student mental health initiatives.

Matthew Alswanger and student wellness organizations led the efforts.

The resolution was submitted by Alswanger, along with seniors Kirsten Grazewski and Dani Coates and juniors Ananda Kao, Sarah Beatty and Uzochi Oparaji.

The proposed wellness center would provide a dedicated

space for mindfulness and offer wellness programming, mental health resources and stress-reduction activities, according to Alswanger, who graduated in February. The proposal also suggests offering scheduled times during which the center would only be open to students of color, emphasizing accessibility in its programming.

The center would offer wellness-focused student groups, including Active Minds and Morgan’s Message, a relaxing space on campus to host club activities.

“When you look at where the programming takes place, it’s usually in classrooms or in small spaces that aren’t aesthetically pleasing for wellness,” Alswanger said. “They’re all

on board to basically have this space as a dedicated space for their events for their meetings.”

The resolution cites several studies and a student petition in support of an on-campus wellness center.

“A student circulated petition for the creation of a wellness center on campus garnered support from over 30 clubs and signatures of over 600 students in 6 days,” the resolution says.

The resolution concludes by calling on Michelle Bowdler, executive director of health and wellness services, to respond in writing to the resolution within two weeks, addressing how the university will pursue the initiative.

The Senate meeting at which the resolution was proposed

and voted on was attended by Bowdler and Ian Wong, director of the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention, who both offered support for student efforts to promote wellness on campus.

Bowdler and Wong nevertheless noted significant concerns with implementing the proposal.

“My biggest red flag was the timing of it and the staffing,” Bowdler said in the meeting.

“Ultimately, we don’t have an available space, and we don’t have the funding to make this happen. But do I think it’s a good idea to pursue and think about further? Sure.”

Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, indicated the universi-

SPORTS / back

ARTS / page 4

FEATURES / page 3

Softball improves to 12–2 with conference victories over Bates, Wesleyan

Oscars mostly fall flat in COVID-19 format, despite deserving awardees

Solomont reflects on a lifelong relationship with Tufts

ty’s support for the motivations behind the center.

“We agree that a dedicated space concept is worth further study and exploration of how it might support student mental health and wellness,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily.

Collins added that the Mental Health Task Force appointed by University President Anthony Monaco, which delivered its report in 2019, recommended that the university consider establishing an Integrated Wellness Outreach Center, similar to the center proposed by Alswanger.

Collins, however, echoed Bowdler’s concerns surrounding the resources needed to realize see WELLNESS, page 2 NEWS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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TCU senators spearhead resolution on mandate, accessibility VACCINES

continued from page 1 equitable protection from the virus.”

Ibrahim AlMuasher, a Class of 2023 senator, introduced the original legislation along with Vidhun. He spoke to why the Senate makes these sorts of recommendations, and the goals that he hoped this resolution would achieve. AlMuasher also noted that the Senate holds power in making recommendations to administration, as they serve as a voice of the student body, but that it is a soft power.

“This resolution was a way to try to begin that conversation with the admin,” AlMuasher, a sophomore, said. “I think us using that soft power is sort of saying, ‘Hey, students support this, please support this as admin.’”

Before this resolution was introduced, the committee

that brought it forward ran a survey in order to gain a pulse on student opinion regarding a vaccine mandate.

The survey found that out of 346 responses, 66.8% of students agreed with the statement, “I would support Tufts mandating a COVID vaccine requirement for all on-campus community members for the Fall semester.”

Additionally, 94.2% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement, “I would support Tufts making the vaccine available to all students as soon as that is possible,” and 5.5% agreed. Only five respondents, comprising 1.5% of the data, strongly disagreed.

Despite the support displayed by the student body, there was some pushback within the discussions held by the Senate on April 19. Vidhun

spoke on the chief criticisms of the resolution, which were largely comprised of beliefs that the vaccine mandate would be inequitable and inaccessible for a significant portion of the student body.

“The main criticism … was sort of saying that this mandate would be inequitable, because students who are marginalized in our country, and specifically international students also, might not be able to access vaccines before the start of the year,” Vidhun said.

There was also discussion about the fact that Black Americans have historically been discriminated against within the field of medicine and wanted access to vaccination to be recognized within the final recommendation.

“Another issue that was brought up was hesitancy

toward the vaccine, specifically how students who are Black might have generational trauma or past medical racial discrimination throughout American history, and it’s important to acknowledge this,” Vidhun said.

Vidhun emphasized that when TCU Senate introduced this mandate resolution, it only wanted it to be established if the university could make vaccines accessible.

Both Vidhun and AlMuasher believe that vaccination within the greater Tufts community is essential to regaining a sense of normalcy. Similarly, Jordan touched on how vaccines represent this return to normalcy in his April 25 message.

“With increasing COVID19 vaccination coverage and access, there is now, more than ever, a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Jordan said.

University offers verbal support but no resources WELLNESS

continued from page 1 the center, and emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is Tufts’ priority at this time.

“Currently there is not the funding, space, or staff to launch a wellness center next year, and the staff of Health & Wellness will continue to face significant demands managing the university’s response to the pandemic and its impact,” Collins said.

Collins did not specify whether Bowdler would respond within the requested two-week timeline, but noted that both Bowdler and Wong plan to meet with a Senate committee next year to discuss the wellness center in more depth.

Alswanger said he first proposed the idea last year at

office hours hosted by Monaco.

Although dialogue with the administration had slowed due to the pandemic, he collaborated with members of the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center to develop a business plan, after which discussion began with the TCU Treasury.

“The goal was to try and get a capital expenditure funding request through the Senate at the last meeting in order to seed fund this,” Alswanger said. “That was contingent on the university providing a space.”

According to Alswanger, the university did not provide the space. Alswanger expressed his frustration.

“We were basically handing them on a silver platter money

and an idea, and they basically said ‘No, thank you,’” Alswanger said. “So instead of getting the money we decided we need to at least get something out of this — let’s pass a resolution, so that going into next semester we can reapproach this.”

Another option is to have a student-run wellness center, similar to the Mindfulness Room at Carnegie Mellon University, according to Alswanger. He noted that having a student-run center would potentially ease the university’s concerns about a lack of time to implement the proposal.

Regardless, Alswanger stressed the importance of receiving a formal response from the university as a signal

that the university is committed to supporting students’ mental health.

“We all would like a formal statement from the university, from [Bowdler], basically saying this is a priority based on the students’ overwhelming support, given the petition we’ve done, given the resolution, and this is something that we’re going to allow our time to work on with you and not just push this away,” Alswanger said.

“What we’re looking for is really just a response that indicates the university recognizes that students overwhelmingly want this … that they’re willing to actually invest the proper time and resources and to make this happen going forward.”

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Features

3 Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Alan and Susan Solomont honored with renamed Distinguished Speaker Series

by Ari Navetta

Assistant Features Editor

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Distinguished Speaker Series will be renamed the Alan and Susan Solomont Distinguished Speaker Series in honor of Dean Alan Solomont (A’70) and his wife, Susan. The renaming will be announced today at the final Distinguished Speaker Series event of the semester, hosting primatologist Jane Goodall.

Solomont is retiring at the end of the semester after seven years in the role of dean and a lifetime of involvement with Tufts University, starting with his undergraduate years. The renaming is made possible by a gift to Tisch College from the Solomonts.

“Alan has left an indelible mark on Tufts, championing the cause of civic engagement both here and across the country through Tisch College’s influential research and programming,” University President Anthony Monaco wrote in a statement to the Daily. “We’re indebted to both Alan and Susan for all they have done for Tufts and Tisch College, particularly for students whose civic lives have been changed for the better by their passion and commitment.”

Solomont has been involved with Tufts for much of his professional life, and his role in what is now Tisch College has been particularly influential. Originally from Brookline, Mass., Solomont came to Tufts in 1966. Despite making friends early on and joining a fraternity at the end of his first year, Solomont did not discover his intellectual interests until later in his undergraduate career.

“I got very interested in urban studies and the plight of American cities back in the ’60s,” Solomont said. “There was a professor who was the dean of Jackson College and a professor of political science who was teaching courses in urban studies, and there were some in the political science department, and I fell under her spell, frankly, and just got really excited about this field.”

Solomont’s interest grew as he became engaged in the civil unrest and turbulence of the 1960s.

“After dinner every night we’d go down and watch the news — and there were only three sources of news, the three networks,” he said. “We’d either watch Dan Rather or Walter Cronkite, or Harry Reasoner … We’d watch the Vietnam War unfolding in real time.”

Solomont soon was actively participating in protest movements.

“My first visit to the [Tufts] president’s office was uninvited,” Solomont said.

The year 1968 saw young people across the nation take civil rights and anti-war movements to the national stage. Solomont, who attended the Democratic National

Convention in Chicago, Ill., was no exception.

“I was a page to the Massachusetts Democratic Party, so I was on the floor the night Hubert Humphrey was nominated over Eugene McCarthy, and it was the day of the violence in Grant Park,” Solomont said. “The Democratic Party fractured and didn’t win the White House again for 25 years, with the exception of Jimmy Carter who was maybe a Watergate aberration.”

Overall, Solomont’s time at Tufts made a long-lasting impact on him.

“I became intellectually awakened, politically awakened, and it set me on the path — even though I have a very circuitous path — it set me on the path that ultimately wound up in my being the dean here,” Solomont said.

Following graduation, Solomont traveled to Spain through the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. After his year of travel, he became a community organizer in Lowell, Mass. and was fired from a job at a nursing home for union organizing.

He then decided to attend nursing school at what was then the University of Lowell, now UMass Lowell. This led him to the private sector, where he started an elder care company. Solomont was then appointed to the board of the University of Lowell by former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.

“I really became awakened to the importance of public higher education and the fact that … most of the kids in Massachusetts who went to college went to public institutions,” Solomont said.

Solomont was looking for further work in higher education when a development officer at Tufts named Eric Johnson asked if he and Susan would be interested in supporting new projects at the university.

“He was being very generous in lots of different places, and Tufts was his alma mater,” Johnson, now senior vice president of university advancement, said. “And so we developed relationships starting back then where I helped him get involved with Tufts, helped [him] and his wife Susan figure out where they really wanted to focus their philanthropy.”

Solomont began working with what would become Tisch College but was then the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affairs. He became a trustee in 2000.

Solomont, who had worked on five presidential campaigns — those of Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton (twice), Al Gore and John Kerry — then decided to share his expert knowledge of the institution of the U.S. presidency with Tufts students. For four fall semesters, Solomont taught a course bringing in

EDDIE SAMUELS / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Alan Solomont, dean of Tisch College, is retiring at the end of the academic year after seven years in the position. weekly guest speakers, leading experts in their fields, to discuss their experiences and knowledge with his class.

“I came to see the influence that people out in the real world and public figures and leaders had on these undergraduates,” Solomont said. “[Students] really found it fascinating to get to know these people [who] they mostly read about in the newspapers or in the news, and also they learned an enormous amount about how the presidency worked from people who worked in the White House.”

Solomont’s work at Tufts was put on pause when he was selected by former President Barack Obama to become the U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra. He and Susan lived in Spain for three and a half years, during which Susan wrote “Lost and Found in Spain” (2019).

When they returned to the United States, Solomont had two criteria for his next endeavor: he wanted to be on a college campus, and he wanted to be doing something different from what he was doing before he left — preferably something less demanding. Tisch College, at the time, was searching for a new dean, and Solomont was encouraged to apply. He was selected by the hiring committee and began his new, decidedly demanding role as dean.

Thinking back to his instructing days, Solomont was looking to bring public speakers to campus again and decided to create a series out of the concept: the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series.

“Our first event was in the fall of 2014 with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and we’ve hit the ground running ever since,” Jessica Byrnes, program administrator at Tisch College, said.

The series has been extremely successful, and spurred the creation of several other programs.

“We have the Civic Life Lunch Series which started, I think, in 2016,” Byrnes said. “We have pop up events, we have some other donor-related event series like the Edward R. Murrow Forum, which brings a leading journalism figure to campus every year.

We have the Solomont Lecture on Citizenship and Public Service which was actually created when Alan stepped down as founding board chair of Tisch College, long before he became dean.”

Tisch College emphasizes hosting speakers from a variety of backgrounds who have had different pathways into civic service.

“A big part of our college goal is trying to help students … understand that you can be a civic leader no matter what field you go into,” Byrnes said. “Civic life is a part of any field that you can pursue, whether it’s investment banking, whether it’s engineering, whether it’s politics and public policy.”

Things have looked rather different for the Distinguished Speaker Series this year, but there have been some upsides to an all-virtual format. “[COVID-19] happened, and we couldn’t have people on campus,” Solomont said. “But a funny thing happened: We found that we could get more speakers.

We didn’t have to set up Cohen [Auditorium] and we didn’t have to arrange food and we didn’t have to fly somebody in and get them a hotel overnight.”

In addition to the higher number of speakers and ease of setting up a Zoom call instead of an auditorium, the virtual format can support many more students.

Solomont estimates the overall attendance for all Distinguished Speaker Series events this year has reached 25,000.

After such a successful year, Solomont said it feels right to be retiring now, having made it through the 2020 elections and a year of the pandemic. His work at Tufts will continue to grow thanks to his decades-long dedication and passion.

“I love Alan for a number of reasons, but I think he’s really exceptional at understanding what work the college is doing well and investing additional resources in that,” Byrnes said. “He’s really expanded our research footprint in an effort to really contribute to repairing democracy and studying democracy, and sharing those nonpartisan research findings with people in the field in the hope that it makes a difference.”

Casey Cummings Coffee Talk

Mr. Crêpe

L

ast year, as a first-year, Mr. Crêpe was my favorite restaurant. Ever. I could walk in at any time of the day and not feel bad about eating a crepe filled with Nutella and whipped cream; whether it was 8 a.m. or 8 p.m., a dessert crepe was always socially acceptable. After over a year of popping into Mr. Crêpe during almost every trip to Davis Square, I can now say that I am pretty experienced with making what to order a tough choice.

Coming back this fall, I was a little worried about how Mr. Crêpe would operate given the pandemic and COVID-19 protocols. However, on my first trip to Davis Square, I was happy to see that Mr. Crêpe had set up fun outdoor seating and had installed plexiglass dividers for their indoor seating. While I did make use of their outdoor seating when it was warm out, my favorite Mr. Crêpe experience happened over Thanksgiving break.

Remember when Tufts graciously gave us UberEats credits to feed ourselves over the Thanksgiving break? (I mean, how could you forget when the “Tufts Memes for Quirky Queens” Facebook group was filled with memes about the faulty credits?) Well, I decided to use my credits for breakfast, of course. I ended up ordering two sugar and butter crepes and an iced coffee from Mr. Crêpe while staying well under my $20 UberEats credit.

Then, once the crepes and coffee were delivered to my door, it was time to really finesse my order.

On one crepe, I added Nutella, berries and bananas which I had grabbed from Carmichael Dining Center a few days earlier. On the other crepe, I got really fancy and added ricotta cheese (for which I was judged very harshly by my friends), blueberries and honey.

What do I order?

Savory crepes: The baby spinach, tomato and basil crepe with ricotta and an overeasy egg!

How I finesse the menu: Honestly, after my little UberEats experience, I have been converted to the sugar and butter crepe.

Adding tons of fruits and toppings adds up really fast. I mean, adding sliced bananas on my crepe costs $1.70 … meanwhile, I can grab all the toppings I want from Dewick or Carm and add them as I wish to a simple crepe for only $3.95. Also, if I just want a little snack, a sugar and butter crepe is super good on its own!

What I want to try next: The apple crisp crepe which is a crepe with applesauce, toasted almonds, graham cracker crumbs and a scoop of ice cream!

Casey Cummings is a sophomore studying international relations. Casey can be reached at casey.cummings@tufts.edu.

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

tuftsdaily.com

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

2021 Oscars disappoint in more ways than one

by Catherine Cahn Staff Writer

“Think of this as a movie set, an Oscars movie with a cast of over 200 nominees,” Regina King said in her opening monologue at the 93rd Academy Awards in an attempt to explain why there was not a mask in sight.

So let’s pretend the Oscars ceremony was a movie; right away, one could tell it wasn’t going to be a good one. King’s monologue concluded with the presentation of the award for best original screenplay to Emerald Fennell, the writer of “Promising Young Woman” (2020). Many media outlets had predicted the win.

Though the screenplay is a good one, it lacks the layered brilliance of past winners, such as “Parasite” (2019), and even fellow contenders, such as “Minari” (2020).

Not all of the winners were disappointing, however, with actresses Frances McDormand and Youn Yuh-jung taking home well-deserved awards for best actress in a leading role and best actress in a supporting role, respectively, and Daniel Kaluuya earning the award for best actor in a supporting role for his portrayal of Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021).

“Mank” (2020), which entered the Oscars with 10 nominations, the most of any film, left with only two wins — those for best cinematography and best production design. Although both of these awards feel right for “Mank,” it is actually more surprising that the film secured 10 nominations than the fact that it won so few awards.

“Mank” simply had no chance at securing best picture, and it seemed like Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, who were nominated for best actor and best supporting actress, only received the nominations because the lack of strong films released in 2020 led to no other reasonable options for the categories.

Temporarily moving away from the nominees and winners of each category, it would not be

the Oscars without the speeches marked by passionate responses to the U.S.’s social and political climate, as well as the powerful personal anecdotes.

Will McCormack and Michael Govier, the creators of the best animated short film winner, “If Anything Happens I Love You” (2020), a film about a school shooting and a victim’s family dealing with loss, reflected on the topic of the film in their acceptance speech. They demanded that the people of the United States do better to protect communities from gun violence.

Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s acceptance speech for the best live action short film winner, “Two Distant Strangers” (2020), similarly reflected the topic of their film. The speech centered on police brutality toward Black Americans.

“Today, the police will kill three people … because on average the police in America every day kill three people … and those people happen to disproportionately be Black people,” they said.

Thomas Vinterberg, whose film “Another Round” (2020) won for best international feature film, began with a personal anecdote about his childhood dream of giving an Oscars acceptance speech.

The speech soon took a more emotional turn, telling the story of how four days into shooting the film, his daughter was killed in a car accident. Vinterberg continued on to pronounce his love for his daughter and dedicate the film to her, in between deep breaths to stop his tears.

Contrasting the expansive length of some acceptance speeches were both of Frances McDormand’s moments with the microphone. The first, which came when “Nomadland” (2020), which McDormand starred in, won best picture, was a mere two sentences, which concluded with, “We give this one to our wolf,” followed by a series of odd howls. McDormand’s next speech was for her Oscar for best actress in a leading role, which

VIA ABC

A promotional poster for the 2021 Oscars is pictured. began with her wish for a karaoke bar at the awards ceremony, and then immediately, without introduction, went into a strangely metaphorical poem comparing her work to a sword. Thankfully, McDormand’s performance in “Nomadland” was strong enough to balance out the bit of absurdity present in her appearances at the Oscars.

Any great film needs a good ending, and this was the 93rd Oscars’ greatest downfall. In a typical year, the ceremony ends with the climactic award for best

picture. This year, however, the order was switched, with best picture being presented third to last, followed by best actress and then best actor. The clear suspense that was built up for the best actor category led to much speculation that the night would end in the powerful and emotional announcement that the late Chadwick Boseman had won for his exceptional performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020). So it was no surprise that the real winner was quite a letdown. When Anthony Hopkins

was presented with the award instead, the buzzing dissatisfaction was not so much because he did a poor job with his role in “The Father” (2020). In fact, Hopkins gave a wonderful performance. The disappointment was one part because Boseman was the favorite, and another because Hopkins was not even present — in real life or virtually — to accept his award. Thus, the could-have-been great ending to an unusual Oscars was a letdown, just like most of 2020 in film.

A&P

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Inspirational and aspirational fashion at the 2021 Oscars

by Grace Rotermund Contributing Writer

Hollywood is back. The Oscars are back. And the red carpet is most certainly, definitely, undeniably back.

The Academy Awards, where celebrities usually line up for what seems like miles to show off their custom high-fashion atelier house gowns or tuxedos from up-and-coming designers, were held this year on April 25. This year, however, only about 170 people were granted the honor of attending in person, as even the golden lights of Hollywood are not immune to the lurking threat of COVID19. Thus, the pressure was on for designers and attendees alike to stun, wow and create a memorable Oscars “moment.”

This challenge was, of course, met in true Tinseltown fashion.

The color of the evening was surprisingly not traditional Oscars gold, although Leslie Odom Jr. (nominated for best original song) and Carey Mulligan (nominated for best actress in a leading role) both stunned in glittery, golden ensembles. Odom Jr.’s monochrome-gilded Brioni threepiece looked fantastic next to his wife and plus one for the evening, Nicolette Robinson, who wore a black, off-theshoulder gown from Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.

Mulligan wore Valentino couture; her low-cut bandeau top effortlessly connected to a high-waisted, floor-length skirt with plenty of drama.

Andra Day (nominated for best actress in a leading role) wore gold as well — probably the best out of the three, in a slinky metal contraption made custom by Vera Wang that turned heads immediately. The asymmetrical design swung down from one shoulder to a carefully draped bodice that in turn dripped into a trailing skirt, all made from the same golden chainmail. Questlove, the DJ for the evening, showed up in gold Crocs to complement his black suit and mask. Make of this what you will.

Chris Panella Comfort Cartoons

Quirky and smart ‘Phineas and Ferb’

F

or my last “Comfort Cartoons” column, I want to celebrate the upcoming summer season with my favorite animated show. “Phineas and Ferb” (2007–15) was a seminal show throughout my childhood, a program I could consistently rely on for escapism and quirky humor. Most episodes follow stepbrothers Phineas

DERIN SAVASAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

In an interesting turn, red dominated the lineup this year, with Amanda Seyfried (nominated for best actress in a supporting role) absolutely destroying in an Armani ballgown. The strapless scarlet tulle dipped into a low V-neckline and then exploded out into a skirt that was more than wide enough to ensure social distancing standards.

Add to that an old Hollywood twist for hair and simplistic makeup, and you have one of the best looks of the night.

Angela Bassett’s brighter red column dress by Alberta Ferretti, with matching clutch and shoes, also brought some classic glamour to the carpet.

The dress had a giant bow on the back that doubled as wide, puffed sleeves, with the tail end of the bow dripping down

the back and becoming a short train that screamed elegance.

Reese Witherspoon (presenting one of the awards) wore Christian Dior; her burgundy and crimson-pleated sheath dress unfortunately was not as big of a hit, and instead made her look a little matronly or like she was going to prom in the early 2000s. Laverne Cox also stunned in a deep pink — not technically red, but her Christian Siriano multi-layered peplum ballgown was so vibrant that it came very close. Cox’s look was one of these aforementioned Oscars “moments” — the dress was made from an insane amount of tulle and was worth every yard, as the movement was incredible.

Masks barely touched the red carpet. This feels like an odd

choice, considering that the pandemic is still going strong, although it is likely that most celebrities are already fully vaccinated. Additionally, attendees were asked to wear masks when not on camera. However, Hollywood missed some fantastic opportunities here to create matching mask-and-gown sets like those seen at the Grammys earlier this year.

One honorable mention for the evening goes to Zendaya.

Half the world is already head over heels for the ex-Disney starlet (now Hollywood superstar) and the neon yellow Valentino couture she showed up in, with a midriff-baring cutout, matching heels and dripping silver jewelry, safely secured the other half. Margot Robbie also wowed with some new bangs and a sleek, silvery

Chanel trumpet dress — the sweetheart neckline and thin straps made the floral pattern fresh, not overdone like flowers can sometimes feel. The reflective material on her dress shone under the lights. The singer H.E.R. took the cake, however, with a (buckle your seatbelts) Prince-inspired, entirely matching, cobalt-beaded jumpsuit, cape and heels setup

by Dundas that simply wins everything. She also won the award for best original song alongside Tiara Thomas, whose feathered and deconstructed white three-piece by Jovana Louis was truly elegant while simultaneously crisp and new.

Although many stars astounded with their looks, H.E.R., winner of best original song, was the best dressed of the night.

Flynn and Ferb Fletcher — who use their summer vacation to build insane inventions and go on amazing adventures — and their pet platypus, Perry, who’s a secret agent. It’s a pretty genius premise that sets up “Phineas and Ferb” for consistently interesting plots and great characters.

Considering that this is probably my most re-watched show ever, I figured I should trace my history with it. I want to write a sort of love letter to “Phineas and Ferb,” which grew as a franchise into movies, spin-offs, musical specials and various themed and holiday episodes. I remember watching “Rollercoaster” when it first aired as a preview in 2007, and being immediately excited by the animation, voice acting and Phineas and Ferb’s dynamic with their older sis-

ter, Candace Flynn. The whole “busting” trope — Candace trying to get the family’s mother, Linda Flynn, to see the citywide rollercoaster the boys had built — was hilarious.

I watched the series for years after that, tuning in for the “Summer Belongs to You!” (2010) special (featuring singer Chaka Khan!) and the “Phineas and Ferb: The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension” (2011).

The latter had an electric guitar giveaway in which I was especially invested. No, I didn’t win. Yes, I’m still upset about it.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint my love for “Phineas and Ferb,” no matter how many times I re-watch it. It might be the music — most episodes feature some absolute bangers, like “Busted,” “Disco Miniature Golfing Queen,” “E.V.I.L. B.O.Y.S.,” “Ready for the Bettys,”

“Truck Drivin’ Girl” and “Ain’t Got Rhythm.” It might be how amazing the plots were: portals to Mars and trips across space, nerd conventions, Greek chariot races, Sherlock Holmes investigations, “Wizard of Oz” dreams, time travel and a selfaware escape tower. It might be the puns and the jokes, which always felt so intelligent. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost written a paper about all the show’s references to economic theories and the bourgeoisie.

But I guess the common trend in all of that is how I found comfort and relatability in the show. I would consider myself a quirky kid (as pretentious as that sounds). I had a strange sense of humor that came from being the youngest in a big family and often had to find ways to keep myself enter-

tained. “Phineas and Ferb” was my best friend during those years, a show that made me feel less alone. Now, with every re-watch, I’m reminded of just how lucky I was to grow up with the triangle-shaped kid and his quiet British brother.

As I finish “Comfort Cartoons,” I want to acknowledge the shows I didn’t get to write about. Honorable mentions include “Kim Possible” (2002–07), “American Dragon: Jake Long” (2005–07), “The Proud Family” (2001–05), “Codename: Kids Next Door” (2002–08), “The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy” (2001–07) and “Ben 10” (2005–08).

Chris Panella is a senior studying film and media studies. Chris can be reached at christopher.panella@tufts.edu.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Wednesday, April 28, 2021

F& G

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Kate: “I’m glad that’s a photo and not real life in front of me.”

Fun & Games

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Taurus (Apr. 20–May 20) Put away provisions for the future. Review shared resources and budget for growth.

Identify risk factors. Your credit rating is on the rise. Build together.

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

Difficulty Level: Registering for classes when you’re in the middle of a test

Monday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

a hairbrush.

Recycle me.

tuftsdaily.com

Eli Striker The Strike Zone

Upset in Ecuadorian election causes setbacks for nation’s left wing

I

n November 2019, Evo Morales, Bolivia’s longtime president, resigned from office after an audit uncovered inconsistencies in the recent presidential election. Morales, Bolivia’s president for nearly 14 years, was only allowed to run for a third consecutive term because of a 2017 court ruling which critics claim was slated in his

Opinion favor. Despite this controversy, Morales remains highly popular within Bolivia; a leftist populist, he was the first indigenous president in the history of the majority-indigenous country. Morales’ popularity was validated in the 2020 presidential election, as his hand-picked candidate, Luis Arce, won the presidency in a landslide. Arce’s victory prompted many to predict a leftist resurgence in nearby Ecuador, which had been governed from 2007 to 2017 by Rafael Correa, an authoritarian populist whose socialist policies were beloved by the working class.

Despite various controversies, including an in absentia conviction on corruption charges, Correa remains beloved by many Ecuadorians.

During the preliminary round of the 2021 presidential elections, Correa’s previously unknown protege Andres Arauz won over 30% of the vote, over

10 points higher than the second place candidate, Guillermo Lasso, who subsequently defeated Yaku Pérez, an indigenous environmentalist, by less than half a percentage point.

Lasso, a conservative banker, supported neoliberal policies which directly opposed those espoused by Correa, who was seen by many as the dominant force in Ecuadorian politics after his presidency ended in 2017. Despite all odds, however, Lasso was victorious in the April runoff elections against Arauz.

Lasso’s victory in the presidential election serves as a repudiation of “Correismo,” but it is unclear if his neoliberal policies will resonate in a country where the left remains a potent political force.

Ecuador has had a complex relationship with neoliberalism as a whole; the constitution declares that nature, or “pachamama,” possesses

7 Wednesday, April 28, 2021

inalienable rights, which is in inherent defiance of neoliberal capitalists who want to exploit the country’s natural resources. In addition, recent neoliberal policies have been poorly received by the Ecuadorian populace. In 2019, in concordance with the International Monetary Fund, President Lenin Moreno decided to revoke subsidies for petroleum, doubling gas prices overnight. Violent protests broke out across the nation in response to these policies, as thousands of Ecuadorians were arrested or injured, and Moreno was forced to flee the capital city of Quito.

It is therefore surprising that Lasso — whose political ideology is similar to that of Moreno — was elected to office. Lasso differentiated himself from Moreno during the election by promising progress on social issues such as LGBTQ rights and prioritizing environmental conservation.

However, Lasso will be hardpressed to implement fiscally conservative policies that are popular with Ecuadorians, as working-class voters are looking desperately for solutions after the COVID-19 pandemic battered the nation’s economy.

Lasso’s willingness to prioritize environmental concerns may be a particular point of contention, as ecological policy is the chief priority for many indigenous people: a powerful force in the nation’s political ecosystem. Lasso demonstrated political savvy by threading the line between fiscal conservatism and social liberalism during the elections; hopefully, this will allow him to improve Ecuador’s economy and restore faith amongst its voters.

Eli Striker is a sophomore studying international relations. Eli can be reached at eli.striker@tufts.edu.

8 Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Tufts softball secures NESCAC Championship bid with wins over Bates, Wesleyan

by Isaac Karp

Assistant Sports Editor

Pack your bags! Tufts softball has clinched its trip to the NESCAC Championship with a four-game sweep over Bates and Wesleyan. Long bus rides to away games rarely worry the Jumbos who are 9–1 on the road and 12–2 overall. This team has been a juggernaut all season, and it seems like any opponent they face must retreat to the corner of the ring and withstand a barrage of punches.

With the ‘Bos rolling on a seven-game win streak and championship aspirations on their minds, the East Division’s leader will look to finish this season on a strong note, and possibly get ranked along the way.

The road trip finished up in Lewiston, Maine, a state where the Jumbos already hold a 2–0 record against Colby this year.

Interestingly enough, Maine broke off from Massachusetts for statehood in the early 19th century. If that never happened, who would Tufts have to crush on a perennial basis?

Maybe Maine should rethink its secession.

The final game of the series with Bates gave Tufts a slight scare. The scoring began with junior pitcher and infielder Nicole Russo continuing her RBI tear by singling to right field to drive in sophomore center fielder Michelle Adelman, who leads the league in runs scored. Russo also crossed home plate later in the inning on a wild pitch to give Tufts a 2–0 lead. But the Jumbos’ bats really caught fire in the second with a 10-run romp.

Senior infielder Emma Della Volpe smashed a grand slam to contribute four of those runs — a knockout punch if there ever was one. Della Volpe, who experienced a recalled home run against Bowdoin two weeks ago after she missed home plate on her trot, was much more careful about stepping on every base.

“I definitely was thinking about it yesterday, when I was running the bases for sure,” Della Volpe said. “I do believe, though, that I got the plate with my heel and I think our video footage would say the same.”

Russo also homered, while sophomore left fielder Katrina Yuzefpolsky and Adelman each contributed RBIs. Head coach Lauren Ebstein clearly thought the ‘Bos had it in the bag, and they held Bates to a goose egg for the majority of the game.

However, when senior pitcher Cassie Cancemi replaced Russo on the hill in the bottom of the fifth, Bates scored nine straight runs in an attempt at a comeback. Fortunately, the Jumbos responded with a two-RBI single from Adelman and a tworun home run from first-year infielder Lexi Grein. The score would stay at 16–9 with firstyear pitcher Sophia DiCocco closing out the final two innings, and Tufts surviving a tumultuous bout with Bates.

Della Volpe knows how quickly this team can get hot, even in the face of a potential comeback.

“Yeah, I think we could have been a little bit better at making adjustments as we went from bat to at bat,” Della Volpe said. “It showed on Sunday playing Bates that our hits are contagious … so when we get it going it seems like we can really do some damage.”

The proceeding game was less of a competition as Tufts senior pitcher Kristina Haghdan went seven innings with only one hit, zero earned runs and eleven strikeouts. An absolute gem. Haghdan, the Nolan Ryan of the NESCAC, has solidified her status as an ace while holding opposing hitters to a .153 batting average and leading the conference in strikeouts with 48, 10 above the runner-up. Tufts also delivered blow after blow hitting-wise with Adelman

leading the way by going three for five with one RBI out of the leadoff spot. Adelman went six for eight on the day and was named co-NESCAC player of the week for her effort at the plate. The win was really a team effort, however, as six different Jumbos had RBIs to give Tufts the 8–2 win over Bates and sweep them on Sunday.

“Everyone did really well against Bates, it wasn’t just a few individuals and the other team had grit which was awesome, but I think we’re all pretty confident that we had the game,” said Adelman.

Saturday’s slate of games at Wesleyan yielded similar results — but with far less offense. In the second game, both teams only scored in the first inning. Tufts put four on the board early though only one was earned. DiCocco pitched the full seven innings and let up six hits and one run scored, but held Wesleyan scoreless after the first, strik-

ing out seven. DiCocco now leads all NESCAC pitchers in earned run average and has garnered seven wins of the season, as Tufts cruised to a 4–1 victory.

“Our pitchers are awesome.

They’re so good, and they get so many strikeouts, and I don’t get a lot of balls to me — and I’m okay with that,” Adelman said. “They’re doing what they’re supposed to do, and that’s awesome.”

The first game of the doubleheader sported a pitcher’s duel and poor batting. Only four Jumbos had hits — a rare sight for this team. The scoring occurred in the fifth inning when Della Volpe reached first on an error by the pitcher and sophomore third baseman Rachel Moore advanced home.

The other run came from an RBI by shortstop Mia Steinberg that sent Adelman home on a fielder’s choice. When the Jumbos’ offense struggled, their defensive play picked up — especially

that of Della Volpe, who threw out the potential game tying run at home in the sixth inning.

She also turned two to close the game out in the seventh, but Della Volpe has made these types of plays all season long.

“I definitely really like playing defense — I like to just get a ton of reps in practice,” Della Volpe said. “I think our defense has been great this year and we have such amazing pitching.”

Haghdan went three scoreless innings to get the save.

Although Haghdan and senior pitcher Kirsti Van Meter — who pitched four innings — combined for eight walks and eight strikeouts which is unusual for the pair of seniors, they only let up one run, helping Tufts to a 2–1 finish over Wesleyan.

With the championship in sight, Tufts has two games left next weekend against Brandeis.

If the Jumbos seem confident, it’s because they’ve earned it.

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts softball team played Colby on April 10.

Men’s tennis beats Bates, falls to Brandeis

by Tim Chiang Staff Writer

The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos earned their third straight conference win with an 8–1 victory over Bates on Saturday. In a heated matchup between two nationally-ranked top 20 teams, Tufts took its first loss of the season against No. 8 Brandeis 6–3 on Sunday.

Against Brandeis, Tufts was the first on the scoreboard with an 8–5 victory by junior Niko Hereford and sophomore Rishabh Sharda at No. 3 doubles. Yet, the top Tufts duo of senior co-captain Boris Sorkin and sophomore Josh Belandres lost to Brandeis’ Adam Tzeng

and Jeffrey Chen, 8–6. Brandeis notched the final doubles match to secure a 2–1 lead.

Then, in a clash between two nationally-ranked rivals, No. 2 Sorkin defeated No. 25 Anupreeth Coramutla at the top singles slot, 7–5, 6–2 to even the team score at 2–2. However, Brandeis battled back to register three set victories over junior Isaac Gorelik at No. 2 singles and Sharda at No. 3 singles.

With Brandeis leading 4–2, junior Paris Pentousis dialed in a 6–4, 6–3 win at No. 4 singles to wrest another point back for Tufts. Still, Brandeis’ Dylan Waters defeated junior co-captain Jack Moldenhauer 6–3, 6–2 to clinch the match for the

Judges. First-year Corey Marley also fell to host Brandeis in a third-set super tiebreaker at No. 6 singles.

Despite the gutting loss, Gorelik noted the silver lining.

“It was really important for us to lose in a competitive setting,” Gorelik wrote in an email to the Daily. “You could tell [Brandeis was] hungry and playing to win … The opportunity to play a team that was competing at that level was awesome and what we wanted since last March. We are upset with the result but thrilled we got to compete like that against Brandeis.”

Against Bates on Saturday, Sorkin and Belandres led 3–1 before Bates’ Leo Kupferman and

Cameron Kania had to retire at No. 1 doubles. Then, the Bobcats tied the match with an 8–6 victory at No. 3 doubles. Pentousis and first-year Mauricio Gutierrez closed out doubles play in a tight tiebreaker with an 8–7, 7–4 win to establish a 2–1 lead for the Jumbos.

Tufts went on to register victories across all six singles matchups in straight sets. Gorelik won at No. 2 singles 6–3, 6–1, and Pentousis emerged victorious at No. 4 singles 6–2, 6–2 to put the Jumbos up 4–1. Then, Sharda clinched the match with a 6–3, 6–1 win over Bates’ Alexander Gujarathi at No. 3 singles.

Sorkin, Moldenhauer and Marley also all tallied wins to

complete Tufts’ sweep of the singles matches.

With just one conference matchup left before the postseason, Gorelik expressed that the Jumbos are looking forward to bringing their best.

“I’m extremely confident in our team,” Gorelik said. “We just need to keep up the intensity and belief in ourselves. There were moments in the match [against Brandies] yesterday where I really thought we were the better team.

We just need to put it together.”

Tufts is back in action against Connecticut College on Sunday, May 2. The NESCAC Championships will kick off the following weekend on Saturday, May 8.