The Tufts Daily - Tuesday, April 28, 2020

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VOLUME LXXIX, ISSUE 37

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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

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Tufts anticipates significant budget deficit from COVID-19 costs

by Jessica Blough News Editor

APRIL 20 — Tufts expects to come in drastically over budget this fiscal year due to an estimated $15 million in unexpected costs and lost revenue resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Administrators estimate that costs associated with the pandemic could rise to over $50 million next fiscal year.

In response to the unexpected costs, the university will suspend hiring, wage and salary increases, capital project spending and spending on nonessential services.

Tufts cancelled all in-person classes and asked students to move off campus in mid-March to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. All in-person events for the rest of the semester have been cancelled.

All of Tufts’ schools will face significant financial losses caused by the virus, Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, said in an email to the Daily. All areas of the budget have been negatively impacted.

The university is currently uncertain if it will reopen in the fall and is planning for multiple possibilities, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James Glaser said in an interview with the Daily.

“I wish we could tell people, you know, here’s the plan, but some things have to develop further,” Glaser said.

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Ballou Hall is pictured on April 20, 2018.

Major costs The university is expecting both a decrease in revenue and an increase in costs as a result of COVID-19, Collins said.

Before this semester, Tufts had come in with a surplus budget every fiscal year since 2009, and that surplus budget was expected to increase from $5.7 million this year to $28.9 million by fiscal year 2024, according to previous reporting by the Daily. The School of Arts and Sciences was expected to run a surplus this year for the first time in several years, according to Glaser.

“This obviously knocks that way off course,” Glaser said.

Room and board reimbursements cost the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering approximately $8 million, according to Glaser. Tufts has also pledged to pay work study students for their regular hours regardless of whether they are working remotely through the end of the semester.

The university will also lose revenue from clinics at its dental and veterinary schools, which have been closed. Summer programming has been scaled back and

classes will be online only, resulting in more lost revenue.

Glaser and Collins both said that the university expects to face additional costs in fiscal year 2021 from health care, technology and financial aid. Tufts is committed to meeting all demonstrated financial need for its students, and Glaser said that the university expects that this need will increase for many students in the coming year.

“We anticipate that this crisis is going to hit students and their families, and then it will require us to have additional financial aid that we have not budgeted,” Glaser said. “We’re very proud of [meeting demonstrated financial need]. And it means that we have to prepare for that.”

The university also expects to experience losses from philanthropy and its investments, both significant sources of income for the university. During the last major financial crisis in 2008, the administration projected that the school’s endowment would decrease in value by 25%, according to the Daily, partially due to a $20 million loss in the Bernard Madoff scandal. In response, the university planned for $36 million in budget cuts in fiscal year 2010.

Collins and administrators did not respond to questions about whether the unexpected costs would prompt Tufts to raise tuition for the 2021 school year. see BUDGET, page 2

Sarah Wiener elected TCU President

by Robert Kaplan

Executive News Editor

APRIL 24 — Sarah Wiener was elected as the Tufts Community Union ( TCU) President over opponent junior Grant Gebetsberger, following the close of a 48-hour election window that began on Thursday at midnight.

Wiener, a junior who served on the TCU Senate for three years except for one semester abroad, won the election with 53.89% of the vote over Gebetsberger’s 44.52%, while 1.59% of voters abstained.

One thousand and four voters participated in the election, translating to a voter turnout rate of 17.37%, according to Elections Commission (ECOM) Chair Matt Zachem, a sophomore.

The light turnout falls short of the participation rate in the two most recent TCU Presidential elections that were contested. Last year’s was 26.79%, when outgoing TCU President Shannon Lee, a senior, was elected.

In 2018, turnout was 29.5% for the election of former TCU President Jacqueline Chen.

Wiener’s win came in the first election cycle among recent years to be held over two days, instead of the usual 24-hour window, due to the closure and evacuation of campus necessitated by the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.

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COURTESY SARAH WIENER

Sarah Wiener is pictured.

In a statement on his campaign’s Facebook page, Gebetsberger thanked his supporters for their energy despite the stresses surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and congratulated Wiener, a long-time friend and colleague, on her victory.

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“Sarah is one of the most hard-working people I know. Her approach to solving problems on campus is supremely creative and her commitment to follow through on ambitious projects is unwavering,” Gebetsberger wrote. “I want to thank her for run-

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ning such a positive campaign – I’m so happy that we can go back to working together again!”

Wiener likewise thanked her campaign’s supporters and praised Gebetsberger’s candidacy in a statement posted to her Facebook page following the close of the election.

Wiener alsvo expressed excitement over her victory, applauding the connectedness of the Tufts community she witnessed in the election.

“Even though we were disconnected across the country, students showed how much they care about our community throughout the election. I am so honored to have been elected,” Wiener wrote in an electronic message to the Daily. “I hope everyone is staying healthy wherever they are. I think the election has shown that no matter where we are, we are stronger together.”

This year’s election was also notable for its absence of any referenda on the ballot. One intended referendum was proposed by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which sought to garner student support in calling upon Tufts to stop sending its police on military training trips abroad.

Lee told the Daily in March that SJP’s referendum would be postponed until the fall semester, when a possible return to campus would help boost student participation past the minimum threshold needed so it may pass.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

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Tufts-based researchers design model connecting hospitals, college residential halls

by Matthew McGovern News Editor

APRIL 24 — Researchers at the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG), who usually focus on redistricting, have developed a new model in recent weeks to alleviate the burden on hospitals as they fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The model, which connects hospitals with residential spaces at local universities that have offered to house COVID-19 patients and health care workers, was announced in a community-wide email from Executive Vice President Mike Howard on April 10.

The announcement follows Tufts’ commitment earlier this month to house up to 1,600 first responders, medical personnel and patients in the battle against COVID19. The MGGG’s models show a potential flow of people to Tufts from three nearby hospitals: Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, Winchester Hospital and HealthSouth New England Rehabilitation Hospital.

Moon Duchin, associate professor of mathematics and founder of the MGGG, explained how these models were developed.

“President Monaco reached out to me and asked me if our Redistricting Lab had the expertise to put together a matching model very quickly,” Duchin wrote in an email to the Daily. “And it turns out we’ve got the right combination of expertise: math modeling, geospatial data, and web development.”

The models the MGGG developed took into account 98 hospitals and 66 colleges throughout Massachusetts, Duchin said.

Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, praised the utility of these models and how they may be used going forward.

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“The model is valuable in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 because it helps planners visualize connections between hospitals and colleges,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “As the situation continues to unfold over the spring and summer, we can use the matching to decide how to potentially extend our network to other hospitals.”

He explained that the technology could be expanded to other universities. Tufts has been promoting it to other universities by webinar and other means to assist them in effectively responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Barbara Stein, vice president for operations, explained that Tufts will heed the guidance of healthcare providers in determining timing and use of its available beds.

“We are awaiting the arrival of patients, which we expect could happen any day,” Stein wrote in an email to the Daily.

Full occupancy of all 1,600 beds is unlikely due to isolation protocols and other factors, according to Stein.

Stein clarified that other responsibilities involved in accommodating personnel and patients would be shared by partnering organizations.

“We also have had many discussions with our partners to iron out details over responsibilities, logistics, and protocols,” Stein said. “For example, the healthcare providers will provide all care and support, including medical care, food delivery, waste removal, security, cleaning, and other needs.”

In addition to the model for the universities and hospitals in Massachusetts, the MGGG has developed “beta” models for New York and Michigan.

Duchin explained that the MGGG received additional funding which will support the expansion of its modeling project over the summer.

“We want to expand to all 50 states and to move to a dynamic model that can keep up with events as they unfold,” Duchin said.

The topics motivating these models are the focus of Duchin’s course in the math department, Mathematical Modeling and Computation.

“We want to solve a relatively simple optimal transport problem: we imagine a flow of people from hospitals to colleges and we want to minimize the travel time while respecting the limits on total capacity,” Duchin said.

She added that a key contributor in the development of this model was Parker Rule, a first-year student of hers who took the course.

Duchin also emphasized the importance of input from senior leadership at Tufts — namely Stein, who helped determine Tufts’ potential bed capacity — and at partner organizations, which included Michael Apkon, the chief executive officer of Tufts Medical Center, and Assaad Sayah, the chief executive officer at Cambridge Health Alliance.

Stein emphasized the importance of collaboration bevwtween many groups and institutions to adequately address the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its impact on the community.

Among these collaborators are Duchin and the MGGG, whom Collins praised as an important part of efforts to respond to the coronavirus.

“It’s another example of how Professor Duchin’s work is making a positive impact on public life,” Collins said.

Tufts suspends hiring, other expenditures in deficit reduction measures

BUDGET

Executive Investigative Editor

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continued from page 1 Wage, salary and hiring freeze In an April 14 email signed by University President Anthony Monaco, Provost and Senior Vice President Nadine Aubry and Executive Vice President Mike Howard, the administration notified all Tufts faculty and staff that the university has implemented “an immediate moratorium” on hiring, excluding externally funded positions.

Merit cycle salary and wage increases will be suspended, as will those related to market adjustments and cost of living.

Increases related to promotions and provided by contracts will not be affected.

Some schools had finished their hiring cycle for next fiscal year, including the School of Arts and Sciences, according to Glaser. The hiring freeze would then impact hires for fiscal year 2022.

Capital projects and spending All capital projects have been suspended, with those in advanced stages paused and planned projects put on hold indefinitely.

Local government restrictions on nonessential construction have paused work on the Cummings Center and other construction projects in advanced stages, according to Barbara Stein, vice president for operations for the university. Construction on the Michael Labs in Pearson Hall and a new elevator at the School of Dental Medicine has also stopped, according to an email from Director for Capital Programs Gretchen Von Grossman.

Capital Programs said that projects planned for this summer that will not be able to start on time for fall completion will be halted.

Tufts will require approval from host cities Boston, Medford and Somerville to restart their construction projects when the restrictions are lifted.

“When work is allowed to resume, Tufts contractors will be required to submit a safety plan to the host communities, for approval by each municipality, and no work would take place until

approvals are in hand,” Von Grossman wrote in an email.

All discretionary spending will also halt, university administrators said in their email to faculty and staff, including spending on nonessential facilities and travel for university personnel.

Going forward The administrators emphasized in their email the importance of protecting Tufts’ “long-term health” and maintaining high educational standards while caring for faculty and staff.

“At this time, we cannot make promises or predictions about what decisions we will face moving forward,” they wrote.

“But we can pledge to you that when there are challenging decisions to be made, we will make them in as open and equitable a manner as possible.”

Collins said that the university may take additional measures in the coming months while responding to economic conditions and instructions from authorities.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Tufts earns 1st urban Bee Campus certification in Mass.

by Sam Klugherz

Contributing Writer

APRIL 21 — The Medford/Somerville campus became a certified Bee Campus USA affiliate and the first urban Bee Campus in Massachusetts on April 3, with the help of theTufts Pollinator Initiative (TPI), a collaborative effort of students and faculty committed to supporting pollinators on campus.

Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, is a program that brings colleges and universities together around pollinator conservation. Tufts joins 97 other universities around the nation united in sustaining habitats for pollinators.

As a Bee Campus, Tufts has pledged to a variety of commitments that ensure a dedication to pollinator conservation. These commitments, which have been carried out by TPI, include the creation of pollinator habitats on campus and community outreach efforts that aim to raise awareness about pollinators.

Last spring and fall, TPI planted native pollinator gardens on campus at three locations: one outside of Tisch Library, one near 574 Boston Ave. and one outside of Barnum Hall.

“Those gardens are the hallmark of the Tufts Pollinator Initiative in that they’re super visible on campus,” TPI Media Coordinator Rachael Bonoan said.

The gardens serve as food resources for a diverse range of pollinators, with plants and flowers that bloom from May through October, according to TPI Committee Chair Nicholas Dorian.

“Providing flowers throughout the year ensures that we’re not only benefiting species that need them all year long, but that there are no gaps in the species that we’re protecting,” Dorian, a third-year graduate student in the Department of Biology, said.

Last summer, TPI observed monarch butterflies laying eggs in the gardens, highlighting one example of the increasing pollinator diversity on campus, thanks to the gardens.

“That means we’ll have monarch caterpillars, and they develop into butterflies, and

then we’ll have more monarch butterflies on campus, which obviously everybody loves monarchs. They’re great, charismatic pollinators,” Bonoan, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biology, said.

“People will be noticing the pollinators more and stopping to look and take a moment, which is always fun,” Bonoan said.

TPI has also created large signs to be installed at the gardens so viewers can learn about pollinators and what kind of resources they need.

TPI has promoted community awareness for pollinatorsatmanyeventssuchasTuftsCommunity Day, Earth Fest and on-campus workshops, reaching over 2,000 people within one year.

To achieve their goals, TPI received funding from the Tufts Green Fund, which awards a total of $40,000 to sustainability projects proposed by members of the Tufts community.

“The Green Fund really gave us the opportunity to do all these kinds of events and reach out,” Bonoan said.

Social distancing restrictions have not stopped TPI from continuing outreach, which is now taking place mostly online. TPI is working on a YouTube channel for educational videos about pollinators.

“We also have a planting guide on our website that people can download and use to plant their own pollinator gardens in urban areas,” Bonoan said. “Helping pollinators right now is something that can definitely be done in your own backyard.”

TPI is also working on surveying pollinator biodiversity on campus and has created an iNaturalist Project where users can log data points to continue the documentation of the insects they are supporting.

“We hope that members of the community will be able to go to our gardens and record insects they see, whether there is a butterfly or a bee, and share with us their sightings,” Dorian said.

Bonoan also reflected on the wider impact that Tufts will have as a certified Bee Campus.

“We are the first urban campus in Massachusetts to be a certified Bee Campus,

COURTESY NICHOLAS DORIAN

Tuts Pollinator Initiative members plant the first of three pollinator-friendly gardens on the Tufts University Medford/Somerville campus. so what we’re really hoping for is to set a precedent,” Bonoan said. “We hope that facilities from different campuses can pick up our planting guides and know what to plant for pollinators.”

Molly Martin, Bee City USA coordinator, agreed that Tufts is acting as a role model for other campuses in urban areas by becoming a Bee Campus.

“There’s quite a bit of pollinator conservation going on in more rural areas, but people don’t think so much about urban areas, and that’s a huge area where we can be increasing pollinator conservation,” Martin said.

Martin added that campuses offer particularly valuable opportunities for pollinator conservation.

“Campuses are a perfect place because they manage usually quite large grounds, and they have the initiative to change the way that those are managed,” Martin said.

In fact, despite the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a surge in campuses signing

up with Bee Campus USA to become certified, according to Martin.

“Preserving pollinators is growing in interest among citizens of urban areas, but there’s still a lot to be done,” Dorian said.

One main barrier to the development of pollinator-friendly habitats is the notion that they can be messy and uncared for, but TPI is working to correct the misconception.

“We do want to encourage and demonstrate that gardening for pollinators can [be], and often is, aesthetically pleasing,” Dorian said.

Looking towards the future, TPI plans to continue engaging in public outreach events and maintaining the gardens in order for Tufts to keep up its certification as a Bee Campus.

“The gardens on campus are primed and ready to go. There’s already plants sprouting,” Dorian said. “Those blooms will be appreciated by pollinators this year, and in future years.”

Tufts University, Tufts Medical Center establish seed funding program for COVID-19 research

by Liza Harris News Editor

APRIL 22 — Tufts University and the Tufts Medical Center jointly established a seed funding program to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus; the program offers $300,000 in grants that are available to research teams across the university and medical center. The university hopes to fund six research projects, each of which will be allocated $50,000 to fund coronavirus research.

Caroline Genco, vice provost for research at Tufts University, and Errol Norwitz, chief scientific officer at the Tufts Medical Center, are overseeing the program.

Genco explained that the program was built to support research that ultimately will help the university manage the damaging effects of the pandemic.

“The COVID 19 Rapid Response Seed Funding Program represents a joint effort byTufts University and Tufts Medical Center to support projects designed to help the community deal with both the immediate and long-term effects of the global crisis,” Genco wrote in an email to the Daily.

According to Norwitz, the hospital and university are each allocating $150,000 toward the program for a total of $300,000. He explained that half of the projects funded will be at the medical center, while the other half can come from any sector within the Tufts community, including graduate schools, the School of Engineering, or the School of Arts and Sciences.

“We’re trying to create synergy amongst the Tufts faculty members,” Norwitz said. “We want collaboration and ideally we want it within our family, but because the medical center is putting up half the money, we’d like the lead investigator to be at the medical center.”

The seed funding program can support a number of different research initiatives, Norwitz and Genco said.

“Based on the combined expertise of the University and the Medical Center, we foresee funding projects that leverage our unique constellation of resources, bringing together strengths across the disciplines,” Genco wrote.

Applicants have the opportunity of partnering with different community-based and non-profit organizations with a preference for those in Tufts’ host communities, according to Genco.

Norwitz suggested an app that tracks ventilators in a U.S. state or the discovery of a technique to sterilize N-95 masks as examples of potential projects. “[Projects should be] ideally impactful at the level of the patient. That’s hard to do in six months, to find something that will really make a difference, but we hope people will come up with good ideas,” he said.

Genco emphasized that research projects from diverse subject areas are being considered.

“Areas under consideration include medicine and health care, public health, technology and model development, and societal impacts,” she said. “Projects that build on the strengths of diverse and interdisciplinary teams of three or more researchers are encouraged.”

According to Norwitz and Genco, a committee will decide which projects are funded.

Applications are due on April 30 and will be funded by May 15.

“We have convened a panel of experts from both Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center.

Together these reviewers will evaluate projects based on the probability of generating new knowledge and/or changing clinical practice (access to treatment and diagnosis),” Genco said.

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The Tufts Medical Center exterior is pictured during sunset on August 28, 2014.

Tufts is not alone in establishing such a program, according to Genco.

“Not only are universities and health care institutions offering similar programs, but most federal agencies have allocated specific funds in their budgets, supplemented by the CARES Act, to spur research and development in this space,” she said.

Genco added that the committee expects to receive a large number of applications.

“We believe we will receive a robust number of applications based on the remarkable response we’ve had across both our institutions,” Genco said.

She explained that the university and the medical center will fund research from both campuses to continue having a great impact.

“We will need to be strategic in making these awards. Part of our strategy includes funding as many applications from [Tufts Medical Center] as from [Tufts University] to ensure that our combined strengths are given the support they need to continue to have the impact for which [Tufts University] and [Tufts Medical Center] are known,” Genco said.

“We have incredible resources and smart people and we just want to get them to come forward,” Norwitz said.

Tufts Medical Center is not formally affiliated with Tufts, but it shares the university’s name and is the primary teaching hospital for the Tufts University School of Medicine.

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Tufts to pay dining workers through May 9

by Alexander Thompson Staff Writer

APRIL 27 — The university and the labor union which represents its dining workers signed an agreement on March 27 to keep Tufts Dining’s more than 100 workers paid through May 9.

No more than 20% of dining workers are working on any given day at DewickMacphie Dining Center and the Commons Marketplace, the two Tufts Dining establishments which remain open, but all employees are being paid in full regardless of whether they work or not, according to Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations.

UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents the workers, confirmed this, according to Tricia O’Brien, a retail division union shop steward who works as a service attendant in Mugar Café.

University President Anthony Monaco’s March 10 email announcing the closure of campus due to the escalating coronavirus pandemic immediately raised concerns for dining workers as it would drastically reduce the need for staff.

Union shop stewards began talks with the university that week, meeting with Tufts Dining leadership in Dowling Hall on March 12 and again over a conference call later that week, according to O’Brien.

The university sent a draft agreement to the union on March 16 which the union rejected due to differences over temporary workers and other issues, O’Brien said.

Negotiations between David Ossam, Tufts’ newly hired director of labor relations, and Local 26 representatives continued for the next two weeks before the agreement was signed.

O’Brien criticized what she characterized as a lack of communication from the university in the days following the announcement of the closure, saying the university kept dining workers “in the dark.”

“I don’t know how many times I had to send out emails for them to actually get back to us,” she said.

However, O’Brien said she was pleased that the university agreed to pay the dining workers until May 9.

Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center is pictured on April 25, 2020.

Tufts Labor Coalition heralded the agreement the day before it was signed in a statement on its Facebook page.

“This is a huge win for our community and it would not have been possible [without] the support of students and workers alike,” the group wrote.

A March 12 post on the group’s Facebook page calling on Tufts to guarantee wages garnered more than 700 commented signatures from students and alumni.

Local 26 also pointed to the university as an example of leadership in a Facebook post calling on other area universities to do the same.

The union and the university are currently working on a new agreement which will determine workers’ status after May 8.

“We have a list of concerns that need to be addressed. They range from personal health, health care, job security, wage continuation etc,” O’Brien wrote in an electronic message last week.

Tufts has taken a serious financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic and is facing about $15 million in costs and lost revenue associated with the pandemic.

Administrators estimate that these costs could rise as high as $50 million in the next fiscal year which starts in June.

Some workers are worried that they could be furloughed as a cost saving measure.

Idah Duche normally works swiping ID cards in Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run, but for the past month has been working about every other week at Dewick.

Duche has a lot more time at home than she had before the campus closure, but she says it is hard to enjoy when she is worrying about whether she will lose her job come May 9.

“It’s really going to be frustrating, because I am a mother of four and living without any paycheck is going to be something which is very difficult,” she said. “I’m kind of drained … just thinking ahead [about] what is going to happen.”

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Duche hopes the university and the union will come to a new agreement as soon as possible, so she can begin looking for another job if she is laid off.

One thing that has helped, Duche said, is that Local 26 pledged that its health plan will continue to cover her and many of her colleagues at Tufts even if the university lets them go in the next six months.

Despite her worries about the summer, Duche thanked the university for paying workers in full until May. She also noted that Tufts is taking workers’ safety seriously by providing masks, gloves and copious disinfectant.

Duche hopes that students will be back on campus soon, and said that the days she is still working keep her mind off all the uncertainties of the pandemic.

“If I go to work honestly it’s okay, because for me it’s kind of some form of relief that I am just doing good for the Tufts community,” she said.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

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Students, DCA documenting moment in time during COVID-19

by Katie Furey

Contributing Writer

APRIL 24 — The COVID-19 pandemic will without a doubt make the history books, and as members of a generation living through this crisis while in college, every Tufts student will have a story to share with the people of the future.

Tufts students are finding unique ways to document these times.

One such student is Megan Kang, a senior who has been documenting this time through photography. Kang first began falling in love with the art of photography while abroad in France through the Tufts in Talloires program and took that passion back with her to Medford upon her return.

“I started really loving photography and specifically landscapes and nature ever since I studied abroad,” Kang said.

“I think just living in Paris really opened my eyes to capturing the nature as the seasons changed … So I brought that into Tufts when I came for my senior year.”

However, her photography is taking on a whole new meaning with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Kang, whose family currently lives in South Korea, has been spending her time since Tufts moved to online instruction in an off-campus house with some friends in Medford. With few students on campus, her photography has become quite different than it used to be.

“Currently I’m working on my Tufts in spring project, and it’s been bittersweet because when you walk around the campus, spring is definitely here, but the

students aren’t,” Kang said. “It’s a lot of locals and their kids going on walks and picnicking on the Prez Lawn.”

Kang has been working on a series throughout the school year that she wanted to wrap up before the end of the year.

“I’ve been capturing the colorful phases of this little tree right next to the French House, where I used to live until just a month ago,” Kang said. “I took one in the fall, one in the winter with the snow and I recently got a picture in the spring with the magnolia. Before my flight back home to Korea, I hope to capture its early summer green.”

First-year Olivia Ting has been documenting her experiences during this pandemic in a different way. Ting has been writing — journals, poetry, letters — while at her home in Pelham, N.Y. Ting has always loved writing in the form of journals and letters, but her passion for creative writing truly sprang into action during the shift to online classes and the current pandemic.

“I think [creative writing] was just really intimidating because I’d never taken a poetry class or done any creative writing whatsoever, but poetry was the main form that I wanted to try,” Ting said. “Then, once spring break hit, I was like now seems like a really great time to try it.”

Ting noted that her writing has been helping her process her new normal of living as a college student during a pandemic and that her thoughts and feelings have been complicated as she tries to do this. see DOCUMENTING COVID-19, page 6

COURTESY MEGAN KANG

COURTESY MEGAN KANG

COURTESY MEGAN KANG

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DCA provides outlet for student work documenting COVID-19 DOCUMENTING COVID-19

continued from page 5 “It’s been a lot of poems, just kind of like me rambling but trying to make it sound profound or try to make something beautiful out of something that’s seemingly simple or not beautiful, or kind of tragic, like this entire situation,” Ting said.

Much of Ting’s writing recently has been about missing friends and being on campus, as well as about mental health.

“Writing about mental health is so difficult. There’s so much,” Ting said.

“Something that I’m really struggling with actually is figuring how to articulate whatever my feelings are regarding mental health … or trying to make sense of all of the things that I’m feeling in regards to this entire situation.”

Ting and Kang are not alone in their efforts to document how they are processing this pandemic. Tufts students have been painting, playing in virtual concerts and posting memes and other social media content to acknowledge their feelings of uncertainty and isolation or to try to find the silver lining in all of this.

The ways in which Tufts students are documenting this pandemic can be remembered for years to come and analyzed by future students through the COVID-19 Documentation Project organized by Tufts Digital Collections and Archives (DCA).

The DCA is operated by a team of archivists who manage the university’s records and is home to both digital and physical archives.

“We have records of the university that go back to even a little bit before 1852 all the way up through right now,” Dan Santamaria, director of the DCA, said.

“So we have the records of the university administration and the president’s office, departments and alums and students.”

Following the announcement that Tufts would be moving to online instruction, the DCA started putting together a program for students and staff to submit their media documenting this momentous time in history from their perspectives.

“When this all started happening — not immediately, because immediately I think we were all sort of in the same boat as everyone else, trying to figure out what we would be doing for the next couple of weeks — but really quickly, we thought, ‘This is something that we’ll want to document,’” Adrienne Pruitt, the collections management archivist for the DCA, said.

Soon after the announcement that Tufts would move online, the archivists started searching their records for information on the Spanish Flu. They found minimal records from the Spanish Flu pandemic more than 100 years ago, which marked the last time Tufts closed for a pandemic.

“There’s not a lot of first-person accounts about that, so we didn’t want that gap in the records to occur again,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt noted that this project could be helpful for students and faculty to document their lives and how they’re feeling at this time.

“We thought it might be helpful for other students and other people across the university who were maybe looking for a way to process this or who would naturally be keeping a journal anyway,” Pruitt said.

Margaret Peachy, the DCA’s digital archivist, has been working to document the various websites that are putting out information regarding Tufts’ response to this crisis. The DCA now has this ability to document more material than was possible during the time of the Spanish Flu pandemic.

“We’re collecting official university sites, so announcements from the president’s office, the provost’s office and from all of the different schools, but we’re also crawling specific Tufts Daily articles,” Peachy said. “We don’t usually curate our web collections to this extent, so I think this will be a really interesting encapsulation to look back on to really be able to see the public-facing response from the university that was put out there on the web.”

Currently, the DCA is taking submissions of COVID-19 related content being produced by students and faculty.

“Right now, it’s really focused digital submission, so that might come in the form of text, whether it’s a narrative or a diary or even email correspondence, photos, videos or really anything that folks are using to document their experiences,” Jane Kelly, the DCA’s records and accessioning archivist, said.

Nevertheless, the DCA still encourages students to notify them if they are interested in submitting physical content in the future.

“It would be great if people are working on physical projects, whether it’s a diary or artwork or something like that, to contact us so we know what they’re working on and we can be ready when they’re ready to submit it, ideally when everybody is back [on campus],” Santamaria said.

Students who are interested in submitting items to the DCA, whether digital or physical, can find more information on its website.

The DCA is hoping to hear from anyone interested in the project, regardless of how insignificant one may feel in all of this.

“We really do want to hear from anyone and everyone, and I think giving folks a little bit more of a sense of ownership in the historical record, to me, is a really rewarding part of what we get to do,” Kelly said.

Jen O’Malley Dillon keeps the Biden campaign human during COVID-19

by Sam Russo

Executive Layout Editor

APRIL 27 — Last month, Jen O’Malley Dillon (LA’98) was given the daunting task of leading a team of people she barely had the chance to meet. As the Biden campaign’s newly selected campaign manager, she was given just one day to meet her new co-workers before COVID-19 forced the campaign into remote working.

In her one day with the whole team at the campaign’s Philadelphia headquarters, O’Malley Dillon, a Massachusetts native, did her best to lay the groundwork for strong teamwork and interpersonal relationships.

“The first day … [as] I was introducing myself to the campaign … we had to tell everyone that the next day, everyone would have to work remotely, and we didn’t know how long that would be,” O’Malley Dillon said.

COVID-19 has changed how O’Malley Dillon has worked to create relationships, as well as how the Biden campaign as a whole functions.

“From the beginning of my tenure here, we really have had to flip upside down all the things that we know and we traditionally do in campaigns,” she said. “I was most focused on the first day in making sure that I had the opportunity to greet and meet all the staff to make sure that they knew that even though I was coming in late that I had so much respect for what they had done.”

At this point, in the middle of March, the Biden campaign had employees spread across the country in temporary housing, moving from primary to primary. Given how quickly the COVID-19 situation was escalating, the campaign and O’Malley Dillon decided that it was their responsibility to make sure their staff members around the country were able to return to their homes safely.

Despite all of the reshuffling, O’Malley Dillon told the campaign staff on her first day that it was her priority to keep the staff

engaged with each other and the campaign running smoothly.

“I committed to making sure that we all stayed connected. We didn’t know exactly what this was going to look like but we’re going to work together to figure it out,” O’Malley Dillon said. “And I think sometimes when you voice that there’s uncertainty but that we’re going to work together to solve something, that’s honest, and it’s authentic, and it’s real, right? Nobody has all the answers to what we’re going through. And I think being able to talk, in an honest way, was really important, and it’s still important, and it empowers people to have a voice in figuring this out together.”

Since then, O’Malley Dillon has been working tirelessly to keep the human element in the Biden campaign.

“When you’re managing something like this, it’s [about] how do you show up for your team, especially in times like right now where we’re not able to physically see each other,” she said. “Every single week, we have an all-staff Google Hangouts meeting where everyone can see everyone else. We start it with music, and we end it with people telling stories about what’s going on in their lives, and we try to think of that as our home base.”

Looking back, O’Malley Dillon credits much of her success and who she is today to her time at Tufts, where she said she made many of her closest friends. At Tufts, O’Malley Dillon played on the softball team, where she gained many of the teamwork and leadership skills that are so essential to her job today, especially in a time of crisis.

“I am absolutely who I am today in part because of Tufts softball,” O’Malley Dillon said. “The leadership experience and being part of teams are a really big part of my background, [and] Tufts softball was just one of those really critical things about my life.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only forced Biden’s whole campaign staff to work remotely, but has also overturned conventional campaign methods.

“How do we reach people in this new environment? How do you have a political conversation when people are struggling with maintaining a roof over their head or finding food? How do you talk about a primary contest when there are stay-at-home orders?”

O’Malley Dillon said.

In addition to people not being receptive to political messages as they face crisis, it has also become more difficult to reach people at all.

Door-to-door campaigning, which O’Malley Dillon calls the “gold standard of campaigning” for the way it engages people and makes them feel recognized, is impossible for a country in quarantine. To make up for this and to be sensitive to people’s needs in a difficult time, the Biden campaign has adopted new strategies.

“If you’re on our email list, for instance, we want to make sure you have the opportunity to unsubscribe and even unsubscribe for a couple weeks because you just need some time out from getting this content, but not forever,” O’Malley Dillon said. “We are adjusting the tone and the way we’re engaging with people.”

O’Malley Dillon said Biden has been focusing on listening to the needs of the people in this country during the current pandemic.

“One of the things I think that is missing in the discussion from the administration is the people that are on the front lines, the everyday people that are impacted economically and physically, because of this virus,” she said. “Biden … is talking to real people about what’s happening in this country.”

This means reaching out to supporters across the nation.

“We’re spending our time reaching out to people in our communities, our supporters, all across the country … and instead of saying, ‘How do you feel about this election? Are you supporting us?’ we’re actually saying, ‘How are you doing? We’re just here to check in. We want to make

sure you’re doing okay. Is there anything we can do?’” O’Malley Dillon said.

O’Malley Dillon feels that her personal experience with Biden has been similar to how he presents himself to voters during the campaign.

“He’s the exact person on the stage or on TV as he is in his personal life,” she said. “Because he has that connection to people, because his life has been a challenge in many ways, but also a blessing in so many more, he can really connect and relate to what people are going through and has the empathy to show up for them.”

While she prioritizes building connections within the campaign and with potential supporters, O’Malley Dillon makes sure to take time every day to spend with those she holds dear.

Part of that is spending time with her three young children. Every day, she makes sure to set aside time to spend them without the interruption of work. In fact, she set a clear end time for her interview with the Daily to make sure it did not extend into her “family block.”

O’Malley Dillon says being a mother and woman is a central part of her identity.

“So often women in the professional world shy away from or are discouraged from talking about their personal lives or the impacts that their family has on their choices,” she said. “And I feel that I have a responsibility to talk about the fact that I am trying to juggle this.”

O’Malley said she is attempting to adapt to her children’s at-home education by providing constructive lessons, but that, like everyone else’s experiences, it has been “chaos” and “a mess.” Despite these challenges, O’Malley Dillon finds a way forward.

“So, to me, I think as a mom and a mom to young kids, I want other women to know that you can figure this out, that we should be leading this stuff with the big jobs,” she said. “There’s a real opportunity to have all the things, it’s just balancing them at different times and in different ways.”

F e at u r e s

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

7

From New York to California, COVID-19 disrupts Tufts students, their lifestyles

by Ethan Steinberg Contributing Writer

APRIL 27 — Over the past several weeks, COVID-19 has affected the entire university.

Campus closed abruptly, classes went virtual and the Tufts community now lies scattered across the world. As the virus has spread, some locations have been hit harder than others.

According to data collected by The New York Times, over 370,000 cases have been reported in the New York metropolitan area, including over 21,000 deaths. In late March, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, limited public gatherings and ordered essential businesses to implement changes so as to facilitate social distancing.

In a subsequent executive order on April 15, Governor Cuomo mandated that all people in New York wear face coverings in public. Other restrictions have been implemented as well — schools are closed through at least May 15 and Broadway will remain dark until at least June 7. In addition, restaurants have converted to curbside pickup and delivery only. Many of these same restrictions have been implemented by Governor Phil Murphy in New Jersey. Living in the epicenter of a pandemic, Tufts students in the New York area have adjusted to a new lifestyle.

“I’m inside the house,” Max Album, a first-year student from northern New Jersey, said. “I have not actually driven anywhere for the past month or so …

When I go [out] and walk my dog, I wear a mask … and I wear gloves outside, too … and [I’m] social distancing, of course.”

These rigid practices serve more to protect his father than himself.

Ross Sonnenblick From seniors to citizens

2 paths APRIL 21 — Senior spring to social security. On the hill to over the hill.

Graduation to … grandchildren? Here’s what seniors have to say before all is said and done.

Come August, two scenarios might play out for João Basso: He will be forced to leave the country, or he will start a residency position as a quantum computing researcher at Google.

“Quantum computing doesn’t exist yet, but the idea is to leverage the laws of quantum mechanics to perform computation,” he said.

Unfortunately, Basso’s Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa does not exist yet either.

Ross Sonnenblick From seniors to citizens

Out the window APRIL 27 — Senior spring to social security. On the hill to over the hill. Graduation to … grandchildren? Here’s what seniors have to say before all is said and done.

Gabriella Melchiorri, a senior at SMFA, already knows how she wants to decorate her retirement home.

“I have these very specific paintings that I made when I was around 15. One of them is a pink peony flower, and … there’s also a large tulip painting. I envision them being with me wherever I live,” she said.

Melchiorri grew up on Cape Cod. In middle school, she briefly flirted with a career in marine science.

“Art was always on my mind … Once I knew that being a marine biologist was not

“My dad, he’s a senior citizen basically, so he’s super worried,” he said.

Mary-Joy Sidhom, a first-year from central New Jersey, expressed a similar change in lifestyle.

“I’ve stayed pretty much in my house all day. I’m just trying to do my part,” she said.

Sidhom, whose parents are both doctors, has extended physical distancing measures to inside her house in case her parents become infected.

“I know you don’t necessarily have to [physically distance] from people you’re quarantined with, but we have tried to distance to some extent just because, in case they do contract [COVID-19], then not everyone in the house contracts it,” Sidhom said.

Along with mandated physical distancing, students also expressed a noticeable change in etiquette in their communities.

“I try to walk every day [and] I do run into people. But if they see me from a distance, they’ll usually just cross the street, out of politeness. It’s the polite thing to do nowadays,” Ben Lanzi, a first-year currently residing in Long Island, said.

Yet while physically distant, Album noticed that members of his community have become more friendly.

“When I’m on a walk, I noticed people will say ‘hi’ more often … I noticed people are trying to be more social and more outgoing in this time,” Album said. “And I think it gives off a positive vibe to the community.”

Album has also noticed changes in the ways he interacts with his friends, and in the content of their conversations. Over FaceTime he has connected with friends from Tufts, and he described these virtual

conversations as “more intimate” than the ones he had in person.

“We’re sharing our feelings in this time of distress, trying to make everybody feel good,” Album said.

Sidhom has also stayed in touch with her peers, including a Zoom meetup with the Tufts Ballroom Dance Team.

As for Lanzi, who leads an all-first-year jazz ensemble, isolation boredom led him to coordinate a virtual performance of Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

As such, these formerly mundane activities — interacting with friends and rehearsing music — have become more complicated than ever before. Grocery shopping, perhaps the most quotidian activity pre-pandemic, has become similarly complicated and stressful. “[We] try and order [food] as much as we can,” Album said. “But the problem with the ordering systems [is] that so many people are just ordering all the time [so] it gets hard to get a slot … You just have to be on the computer, constantly refreshing,” Album said, referring to grocery stores which offer pickup of online food orders. “[It’s] not really an efficient system.”

In an email to the Daily, junior Dan Berkowitz, from central New Jersey, said that in his town, most grocery stores have been fully stocked except for a few items such as frozen foods and canned veggies.

These complications — of interacting virtually, of physically distancing and of obtaining food — are not unique to those in the New York area.

Numerous other areas of the U.S. have been similarly affected by COVID-19. In

California, many Tufts students are under shelter-in-place orders until at least May. Ashley Trejo, a first-year student from Santa Rosa, Calif., is one of those students.

For grocery shopping, Trejo and their family have tried to support local businesses which may not have access to as many resources as larger companies do.

“The Targets, the Walmarts, all the … big names [are] still staying open. They’re there, but I think those smaller Latinoowned and Asian-owned markets around us — we’re trying to go to those and support them,” Trejo said.

Madeline Keipp, a sophomore from Los Angeles, has supported local restaurants by ordering takeout. She has also passed the time by going on runs and playing games with her family.

For all of these students — whether from California or New York — finding motivation has been the most challenging aspect of this pandemic.

“If you’re looking at it objectively, it should be easier to do work now. [But] I think … right now … everyone’s a little scatterbrained,” Lanzi said.

Album echoed this sentiment.

“You don’t realize until you leave Tufts how much of the mindset that you get … You have your routine, you have your set stuff, [you] get your homework done.

When you go home, [it’s] like you’re in high school again,” Album said.

While unmotivated, Sidhom said that one saying has kept her centered: “We’re not working from home. We’re working through a crisis and as a result of that, we’re at home.”

Alex Viveros contributed reporting to this article.

“For a while, I was very, very worried,” Basso, who hails from Brazil, said. “As an international student, I need the document to work [in the United States for an additional year], and I don’t know how the current state of affairs will influence my OPT application.”

Basso is no stranger to divergent possibilities. He chose between staying in Brazil and moving abroad. He chose between pursuing a conventional education and trying to become a professional violinist.

“If I had many lives, I would have different careers in all of them, but the reason why I chose what I chose is that I think that of all the lives, this is the one that I like the most,” he said.

In this life, Basso chose Tufts. In this life, Basso chose three majors: math, physics and computer science. In this life, Basso said, “I’m pretty comfortable with where I stand with regards to my career, and of course, I was definitely

not in this position when I entered Tufts, so … Tufts definitely helped me get where I am.”

Basso will graduate with 252 SHUs to his name, and last summer, aided by his already eye-popping credentials that would swell to include publications in biophysics and quantum computing, he earned a research internship that sparked a revelation.

“For me, going to the Institute for Quantum Computing [at the University of Waterloo] changed everything,” he said. “People were doing physics research that was supposed to be theoretical, but it was [not theoretical enough] for me. While I was doing my research that was not 100% math, there was so much pure and advanced math that was necessary for anything to work.”

Basso then faced the choice of whether to apply to Ph.D. programs in math or physics.

“I had spent 3/4 of my college time focusing on physics, so … I didn’t just want to waste everything I did,” he said.

Ultimately, Basso applied to graduate programs in both disciplines, and he also slipped in an application to Google.

“I did get into graduate school, but right now I’m working on dveferring those schools and making that decision in the future,” he said. “I really don’t want to miss out on this job opportunity.”

Basso will arrive at another fork in the road when he finally graduates from his doctoral program of choice.

“I guess the two paths are research in industry or research in academia,” he said.

“If I were to choose, I would try and do both.”

“Bear in mind that I’m not in the field yet, so a lot of what I say is speculation,” Basso said.

really my forte, I knew that I was going to go absolutely head over heels into the art world,” she said. At the age of 16, she took a fateful journey into Boston.

“I actually discovered the SMFA when I was on a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with my mom. The Gardner was a huge factor into my college choice, so it always has a very special place in my heart,” she said.

Melchiorri hopes that the Gardner’s influence on her life will blossom like the flowers she has painted.

“I interned at the Gardner during the entirety of my junior year [in college] … Once I finished the internship, I realized how badly I wanted to work in a museum environment,” she said.

With the future looming large in her vision, Melchiorri has submitted applications to several full-time jobs at various art museums and companies.

“My goal is to find a job where I can continue to grow as a budding art professional,” she said.

Someday, Melchiorri hopes to rise to the rank of head curator at an art museum.

In that capacity, she could discover new artists and lift their work into the limelight, but she also hopes to gain acclaim through her own work.

“In terms of my own personal art practice, I would definitely like to [do] commission work and then also … my own independent animation projects that I would enter into film festivals all over the world,” she said.

Of course, Melchiorri has not yet nailed down her first job after graduation.

Unfortunately, several museums and commercial art companies to which she has applied have frozen their hiring operations, and no one can say for sure when businesses will open again.

“This whole circumstance has taken my plans and thrown them out the window,” Melchiorri said.

In the past, the world outside of her window has provided her with artistic inspi-

ration. She has painted its flora and photographed its birds, and even her senior project, an animated short film about a sea witch whose lively mind teems with colorful amoebas and small aquatic creatures, grew out of her experiences by the ocean in her youth.

At present, Melchiorri desires to stay around Boston for the rest of her life. If her wish comes true, then her childhood hometown will remain in close proximity until her intended total of three or four grandchildren come calling at her door.

Inside her house, they will find themselves surrounded by artistic portrayals of Melchiorri’s life experiences.

“I always knew that art was something that I was so passionate about that I couldn’t not pursue it,” she said.

Ross Sonnenblick is a senior studying psychology. Ross can be reached at ross. sonnenblick@tufts.edu.

Ross Sonnenblick is a senior studying psychology. Ross can be reached at ross. sonnenblick@tufts.edu.

8

THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Ross Sonnenblick From seniors to citizens

Normal-ish APRIL 27 — Senior spring to social security. On the hill to over the hill. Graduation to … grandchildren? Here’s what seniors have to say before all is said and done.

This year, Christy Lano decided to adopt a cat. Instead, she fell for a dog.

“There’s this dog I want to adopt … at a shelter right outside of Boston,” she said.

“That’s a big motivation for wanting to move back there. It’s not necessarily the right time; I’m a lot younger than I wanted to be when adopting a dog, but he’s absolutely the right dog.”

Really, the swing from cat to dog exemplifies Lano’s senior year.

“If I’ve learned anything in the last year, it’s that you cannot plan for things,” she said.

In the fall, Lano joined the rugby team.

A mere month into practices, she suffered a serious concussion.

“All of these things that I had planned for senior year just stopped happening,” she explained.

Because of her concussion, Lano missed the first two senior bar nights, and COVID-19 cancelled all such nights to come. “[My concussion] helped me now with not knowing what’s ahead of me,” she said. “Things got back to normal-ish after two or three months, so I feel like I have a better handle on how to cope with the future being uncertain because that’s just been the theme of my senior year.”

During her concussion-induced isolation, Lano never knew how she would feel the next day, and the experience altered her outlook on the foggy days ahead.

“I’m just trying to think about what I can control right now in terms of the

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future,” she said. “I just try to think about, like, the first job.”

Lano, a sociology major, had intended to write a full thesis this year, but the accident that nearly broke her neck cut her thesis in half. Still, she amassed a trove of qualitative data that formed the backbone of a 50-page paper about how seniors at Tufts are thinking about their future romantic relationships.

In addition to writing her thesis, Lano has also conducted qualitative research in a sociology lab at Tufts for the past three years, and said she might like to perform that same sort of work down the line.

“I really want to work for Tinder or Bumble or Instagram; there’s a specific skill set that I need for that, which getting a Ph.D. in sociology would definitely help,” she said. “I really hope they make room for people who want to do qualitative research for product improvement.”

Lano has not ruled out the possibility of a master’s degree in social work, and she has also considered applying to Ph.D. programs in social psychology.

“I had kind of been going through college thinking that by the time I got to senior year, I would know what I want to do, and then I got to senior year and was like, ‘I have no idea, honestly,’” she said.

In August, the uncertainty spooked her, but in April, she said, “My senior year was defined by my accident. I like to know exactly what’s ahead of me, but I didn’t know when I’d have a fully functioning brain again, and I think that really changed my perspective in a good way. You can’t plan for everything, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

As an afterthought, Lano added, “I probably shouldn’t have attached myself to this dog.”

Ross Sonnenblick is a senior studying psychology. Ross can be reached at ross. sonnenblick@tufts.edu.

The “It’s Not Like I’m Drunk” Cocktail 2 oz. tequila 1 oz. triple sec 1/2 ounce lime juice Salt 1 too many 1 automobile 1 missed red light 1 false sense of security 1 lowered reaction time Combine ingredients. Shake.

Have another. And another.

Never underestimate ‘just a few.’

Buzzed driving is drunk driving.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

ARTS&LIVING

9 tuftsdaily.com

ALBUM REVIEW

The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours’ is his most self-aware album yet

by Jesse Rogers

Contributing Writer

APRIL 23 — Who is The Weeknd? I’ve always felt that this vowel-snubbing vocalist was somewhat of an enigma in modern music. This isn’t only because of his rare and almost unparalleled ability to blend hip-hop, R&B and pop (whatever that means) into an expressive finished product; it also comes from his unique capacity for self-awareness.

This isn’t to say that The Weeknd is the only popular artist of our day to exhibit this quality.

I think many SoundCloud-rappers-turnedbreakout-stars like Lil Uzi Vert and NAV are actually quite self-aware, just not in the same way. I enjoy listening to the artists mentioned above from time to time (my housemates can attest), but eventually it gets to a point where it’s just too much for me, and I’m left having to forcefully resist the desire to yell, “enough already” at the moody picture on NAV’s Spotify page while I simultaneously queue up 10 more of his songs, hoping that somehow those droning, auto-tuned vocals and hypnotic trap beats will push me to finally finish the essay I’ve been putting off.

Let me elaborate quickly, because I think this distinction is really important in understanding what separates The Weeknd from other big names in the music industry. Every successful artist (even Kanye West) is in some way married to the persona they’ve created for themselves — it’s how they cultivate a dedicated fan base — but stars like the ones mentioned above sometimes take this to an extreme. Artists like Lil Uzi, NAV (I’m using a loose definition of “big name” here) and others have found a lane for themselves by buying heavily into the glitzy and drug-fueled Hollywood lifestyle. This is actually where their self-awareness comes from — they know how to repeatedly draw attention to their wealth without making you lose interest. But, there’s a price to be paid: This repeated emphasis creates such a strong association in our minds between artist and lifestyle that the two become essentially indistinguishable from each other. Gunna (who has yet to

release an album without the word “drip” in the title) doesn’t keep writing verses about Bentley trucks and iced-out wrists just because he’s proud of his success; he also does it because at this point, these things define who he is as an artist. He’s invested so much into his lifestyle that he can’t afford to stop reminding you of its salient features. The artists I’m referencing here are all extremely successful, so clearly what they’re doing is working, but the persona of someone like NAV is so set in my mind at this point that I couldn’t really imagine him being anything other than a moody Hollywood socialite.

The Weeknd is different. There’s this sense you get when listening to his music that deep down he feels uneasy living a life of excess and indulgence. This awareness fades in and out as the tone of his music changes — it’s completely absent from songs like “Six Feet Under” from 2016’s “Starboy” — but there are moments in every one of his albums where it’s obvious that he’s struggling to reconcile himself with his hedonistic lifestyle.

This self-awareness breeds a sense of urgency — a need to extricate oneself from the hedonism before it’s too late — and from this combination we get some of The Weeknd’s best work. Tracks like 2015’s “The Hills” don’t just rank among The Weeknd’s most popular songs because they’re catchy. They’re popular because they take this urgency and insecurity and shine a spotlight on it. Even “Starboy,” a song that basically amounts to The Weeknd singing his own praises to the tune of Daft Punk, has some conspicuous moments of uncertainty in it. The line “House so empty, need a centerpiece” shows a flicker of insecurity under the bravado.

The reason why I bring this up is because The Weeknd’s latest studio album “After Hours” (2020) sees him take this urgency and self-awareness further than he ever has before. He’s not exactly subtle about it either; the opening lines of the album’s first song “Alone Again” — sung in that characteristic falsetto over eerie synths — are literally “Take off my disguise / I’m living someone else’s life.” While it may not be the next “Born in the

U.S.A.” in terms of subtlety, it really doesn’t have to be. “After Hours” is all about The Weeknd’s bitter struggle to extricate himself from the pit of self-indulgence, and any doubt that this album is moving in a new direction is erased by the “Alone Again” line “How much to light up my star again / And rewire all my thoughts?” As much as he might want to fall back into the numbing embrace of his own nihilism, The Weeknd has looked behind the curtain and there’s no turning back now; the Starboy’s lost his star.

Every song that follows (with one notable exception) further increases the sense of insecurity that The Weeknd feels about his own identity, creating a sense of urgency that permeates the album just as much as the bouncy ’80s-inspired synths that make tracks like “Blinding Lights” and “In Your Eyes” so undeniably catchy. He’s pretty blunt about it throughout the entire thing, too. “Too Late,” which comes right after “Alone Again,” has him delivering lines like “We’re in hell, it’s disguised as a paradise with flashing lights” and the sixth song is literally called “Escape from LA,” which I’m pretty sure is about as on-thenose as you can get.

After “Escape from LA” we get “Heartless,” which I alluded to as the one song that feels starkly out of place on the otherwise tonally-consistent “After Hours.” It’s not that it’s bad on its own, but this upbeat track produced by industry titan Metro Boomin honestly feels really jarring in the context of the rest of the album, like it was just kind of plopped down unceremoniously right in the middle of everything (it’s the seventh song out of 14). I don’t want to say that having your lead single produced by someone with as many accolades as Metro Boomin was just a clever way to hype up the album’s release, but it’s hard not to see it that way.

That being said, “Heartless” in no way ruins “After Hours” as a whole, and the urgency comes back without missing a beat on “Faith,” an eerie track that fades out to the sound of distant sirens and warped vocals referencing an overdose. Then we get to “Blinding Lights,” arguably the catchiest song on the entire

album. There’s a reason this song peaked at number one on the charts — it’s amazing. But here, like elsewhere, the upbeat synths belie a more unsettling message about The Weeknd’s struggle (and maybe in this case his failure) to extricate himself from a life of glamour and excess. It isn’t a coincidence that “Faith” and “Blinding Lights” blend seamlessly together; they both explore the theme of glamour and opulence as blindness. On “Blinding Lights,” lyrics like “Sin City’s cold and empty / No one’s around to judge me” suggest a feeling of freedom and elation, but you’re never quite sure if this feeling is the result of a triumph over nihilism or a descent back into it. The album’s last two songs, “After Hours” and “Until I Bleed Out,” cast The Weeknd’s future in an even more uncertain light, with the last verse of “Until I Bleed Out” consisting of the line “I keep telling myself I don’t need it anymore” repeated over and over as the accompanying synths become increasingly mangled and warped. We know what “it” is; we just don’t know if The Weeknd’s succeeded in breaking the cycle.

There’s a reason why The Weeknd’s appearance changes completely every time he releases a new project: Every album is a new iteration of himself, a new chapter in his story. And to be honest, the most interesting part of The Weeknd to me — the thing that separates him from many other big names in the music industry — is that we have no idea where he’s going. The cover art for “After Hours” shows him grinning at the camera as blood drips down his face, and as the last song ends, we still don’t know why he’s smiling.

Maybe it’s because he succeeded in escaping Los Angeles and its hedonism, or maybe it’s because he failed and is more hopelessly tangled up in it than ever, à la NAV. I don’t mean to get all meta (my days of studying philosophy are over), but due to recent events, the future has become incredibly uncertain for many of us, and although listening to this album won’t solve any of the pressing problems we as a global community are dealing with right now, I think it can be comforting just to sit back and listen to an artist who is as uncertain about his future as we are about ours.

A playlist to ease your quarantine woes

by Mackenzie Tatananni Contributing Writer

APRIL 21 — Yeah, things haven’t improved much since last week — if anything, they’ve gotten worse. As I write from New York, where we have entered a state of full-blown panic, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep a cool and collected head. I’ve always relied on music to ground me, whether I’m making art or working on a paper that I’d much rather not be writing. Keeping in line with this mentality, I have curated a playlist that hopefully some of you can vibe with. Here are some past and current favorites: Tove Lo — “Shifted” (from album “Sunshine Kitty”) (2019) (Also listen to “Thousand Miles,” (2014) “Not on Drugs” (2014) and “Don’t Talk About It” (2016)) This is one of my favorite songs at the moment.

The one condition is that you have to listen to it with headphones or with the volume turned up loud — you cannot miss the pulsing beat that’s carried throughout. The chorus is subtle yet spectacular — once you’re completely immersed in the music, it becomes quite atmospheric. I’ve been a fan of Tove for a while, and the diversity in her discography, especially between her older and newer material, is impressive.

Glass Animals — “Tokyo Drifting” (single featuring Denzel Curry) (2019)

(Also listen to “Life Itself,” (2016) “Take A Slice” (2016) and the new track, “Your Love” (2020)) I was pleased to find that quite a few people have heard of this song, which diverts from the group’s usual sound. It hits harder. It’s the kind of song you might play in a car, windows down.

Its rattling bass, especially in the chorus, might as well blast you into another dimension. It’s certainly hype compared to the rest of this playlist; I’d recommend listening to it during a workout to get the full effect.

Allie X — “Downtown” (from album “CollXtion II”) (2017) (Also listen to “June Gloom,” (2020) “Life of the Party” (2020) and “Sarah Come Home” (2020)) Much of Allie X’s music is characterized by this type of sound: a lulling, drowsy instrumental, punctuated by brighter notes, that moves and breathes on its own. The soft piano in the chorus is especially delicate, and her vocals waver with a hint of sorrow. It’s pop, but just strange enough to be refreshing. This track is best suited for when you’re doing work and, with your attention trained on the task at hand, allow the music to sweep you away.

PVRIS — “Nightmare” (single) (2019) (Also listen to “Hallucinations,” (2019) “Death of Me” (2019) and “My House” (2014)) This track is a bit more aggressive — think Paramore-esque — but frontwoman Lynn Gunn is effortlessly powerful. The bridge feels

like the calm before the storm, anticipating some unseen force that continues to build and build (and when it hits it blows you away).

This track is purported to be off its upcoming album, “Use Me,” which should be released May 1, and is sure to be another development in the band’s continuously maturing sound.

Kilo Kish — “Turquoise” (from EP “K+”) (2013) (Also on “K+”, listen to “Ghost” (featuring Childish Gambino), “Goldmine” and “IOU”) Kilo Kish’s music fits neatly into the genre of mumble-rap, but there’s something charming about her unsteady, almost childlike vocals. Her style is definitely experimental, full of synths and drums, which makes it suited for the more adventurous listener. On a side note, the lines “Yeah, I know you won’t wait/Can’t stop you taking trips out of state” seem ripe with irony at a time when most of us are stuck in place.

THEY. — “What I Know Now” (featuring Wiz Khalifa) (from album “What I Know Now”) (2018) (Also listen to “Pops,” (2018) “Dante’s Creek” (2017) and its collaboration with Lido, “Not Enough” (2017)) I could rave about this duo for hours — they are definitely one of my favorite musical groups. This track, in particular, is one of their darker and moodier, with lots of guitar and drums that reflect their classic 90s-inspired sound. It’s hard not to love the raspy vocals. Put

this on low volume while you’re video-chatting with friends; I’d recommend checking out the rest of their discography as well.

Whethan — “Aftertaste” (featuring Opia) (single) (2017) (Also listen to “Be Like You,” (2018) “Sleepy Eyes” (2018) and his remix of Opia’s “Falling” (2016)) This 20-year-old DJ is another one of my favorite artists. Sure, it’s electronic music, but nothing crazy — in fact, this slow, moody track is easily the calmest on the list. For anyone questioning the diversity of dance music, it will surely put your qualms to rest. It’s the perfect music to listen to while laying on your bed and staring up at the ceiling, wondering why you aren’t being more productive.

Grimes — “World Princess Part II” (from album “Art Angels”) (2015) (Also listen to “Realiti,” “Pin,” “Kill v.

Maim” and “Artangels” — just listen to the whole album) Aren’t I quirky, adding Grimes to this list?

She deserves it though — the Canadian singer has attracted an army of followers who admire her dreamy, unconventional sound. If you want a song that’ll shake up your bland, repetitive routine, search no further. Some of the other tracks on this album are better suited to do work or study to, so listen to this one in particular if you’re yearning for a bit of excitement.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

tuftsdaily.com

Why you should be playing ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’

by Alex Viveros Managing Editor

APRIL 21 — With recent developments requiring all of us to be forced to stay inside, it’s no surprise that the past month has brought us the cultural re-emergence of tons of beloved video games. Whether you’re playing Minecraft, Animal Crossing or even whipping out Call of Duty and NBA 2K, now is the time to get back into the franchises that made you fall in love with gaming in the first place. Seeing people find joy in their individual games in ways they haven’t in years is a much-needed beam of light right now.

But on the other hand, what happens once you realize that you’re craving something new from a game? It’s a stale feeling that many other avid gamers may know — most recently, I felt it after my 14th consecutive round getting pummeled by another kid on “Fortnite” (2017). While this may be enough to cause some people to put down the joysticks, I’m here to make the case for one more game that should be given a chance. Despite its initial controversy at launch, “Star Wars: Battlefront II” (2017) is a masterpiece of a video game, and through a series of reworks and content updates, it has evolved into what I believe is one of the best action shooter games of our generation.

To be honest, I never thought I’d be defending a game that I originally hated so much. Like countless others, I was outraged when “Battlefront II” originally dropped on Nov. 17, 2017. Despite absolutely breathtaking graphics and a huge display of new Star Wars content, the game was plagued by the obvious corporate greed from its publisher, EA. On top of the game originally costing $60, the only way to progress through the game was by unlocking a series of purchasable “loot boxes,” essentially giving players an option to pay to win their matches. The added randomness of the loot box system was so concerning that even lawmakers got involved, alleging that the game encouraged minors to gamble.

Needless to say, the launch of “Battlefront II” is regarded as one of the most disappointing in video game history, and to many, it seemed like the death of EA’s exclusive gaming bid to Star Wars content.

As a huge fan of the EA’s first “Star Wars: Battlefront” (2015) game, I was heartbroken by the launch in 2017. My PS4 is adorned with a Darth Vader decal; like many other die-hard Star Wars fans, I take the handling of my beloved franchise personally. So when I heard that EA had turned “Battlefront II” into a cash-grabbing machine, I promised myself that I would never buy the game.

In a chat with my friends on the game today, I mentioned how ridiculous it now seemed that we are all falling in love with a game we once swore against. In this conversation, my friend echoed the sentiment that describes the game’s recent achievements and successes: “This game’s terrible launch was the best thing to ever happen to it,” he said.

It’s true — despite a launch that drew millions of players away, the redemption story of “Battlefront II” is unparalleled in gaming. The

game today is polished, enjoyable and fulfills all of our desires from the 2015 installment.

Despite having already logged a shocking amount of hours into the game, I still feel like there’s so much I have yet to discover. With over 8 million active players and tons of new promised content in the next few weeks, it seems like the future is bright for this 2-yearold game.

But enough with the talk about the ultimate comeback story of this game; let’s get into what makes “Battlefront II” special. The multiplayer game is set across a whopping 17 planets in the Star Wars galaxy, as well as the second Death Star.

Whether or not you’re an experienced gamer, the first thing you’ll notice about “Battlefront II” is how gorgeous it is. The settings are lifelike; when I dropped into Geonosis for the first time, I immediately felt like I was in the movie “Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002). I started playing this game on a monitor, but the graphics were so beautiful that I decided it was only right to move to the big screen. After all, the game feels less like a shooter and more like a cinematic experience. There is an epic sensation to the constant exchange of red and blue blaster fire, and “Battlefront II” has a way of constantly giving you these movie-like sequences without ever feeling as though it’s worn out.

What surprised me the most about “Battlefront II” was its surprisingly tactical nature in comparison to other EA shooters.

While I loved the first installment, I often felt like it lacked the need for real strategy, and felt catered more toward beginners. This left a huge skill gap in the first “Battlefront” game, and because there were almost no real customizable options, I quickly grew bored.

Putting that in comparison with the complex learning curve and mechanics that present themselves with the newest installment, the original doesn’t even stand close.

In “Battlefront II,” players are forced to rely on more than just the infamous combat roll to outmaneuver enemy blaster fire. Whether this is by ducking behind cover, waiting for teammates, choosing the perfectly customized loadout or running in blasters a-blazing, “Battlefront II” allows you to truly choose your playstyle in a way that is rare among modern shooters.

Far, far and away, the best part of this game is the one that the original 2005 “Star Wars: Battlefront II” game became famous for — its heroes. With a lineup including Darth Maul, General Grievous, Anakin Skywalker and more, the game introduces characters that translate perfectly to the fast-paced nature of Star Wars battles.

The “cool” factor alone was enough to attract players to these heroes, but the game developers chose to do so much more with the characters. To date, I’ve spent innumerable hours grinding through the Heroes vs.

Villains game mode, and I still feel like I’m just grazing the surface of the 22-hero lineup.

This ties back to the freedom of playstyle — when I want to be a high-damage tank, I can choose to be Darth Vader, and when I want to carelessly mess around, I can happily roll through players as BB-8. Every hero

The cover for “Star Wars: Battlefront II” (2017) is pictured. has different skill sets for different situations, and learning how to balance characters with each other almost feels like that of a purely competitive game. As a frame of reference, the only game that I can compare the experience to is “Overwatch” (2015). While I am in no way making the argument that competitive “Battlefront II” needs to be a thing, the potential is there, and I applaud EA DICE for being so careful and thoughtful with the characters that we grew up with.

While I have spent a large portion of my time in the Heroes vs. Villains game mode, it is not the best one. The Supremacy game mode — which pits two 20-player teams against each other in epic intergalactic battles — brings out the core to what Star Wars is all about. When I play Supremacy, I feel like my 5-year-old self again, fighting battles that only my imagination could conjure. Nostalgia aside, the battles in this game mode are great and inspire some of the most rewarding and balanced hour-long comeback matches that I’ve had with my console.

So why should you be playing “Star Wars: Battlefront II” in this quarantine? For starters, it’s available for as little as $19.99 on the Playstation and Xbox Store. Secondly, picture this: you get the whole squad on for a game.

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You all choose your different classes, and gear up in customized Clone Wars era clone trooper battalion armor. You re-enact classic Star Wars moments, all while mastering the skill set of a game that has no immediate comparisons. “Star Wars: Battlefront II” brings all of that energy and more, and it has been some of the most fun I’ve had from a new game in a long time.

I promised myself in 2017 that I would never purchase the controversial “Star Wars: Battlefront II” game that EA launched. And although I find myself loving what the game has turned into, I’ve held up my end of that promise; the “Battlefront II” that we see today is not the same game that launched in 2017.

EA could have easily given up on the game and left the broken progression system to make them what little earnings they could after such dismal opening success. But they didn’t, and the work, dedication and love that the developers at DICE have put into this game over the span of more than two years have amounted to a comeback that stands out in video game history. At its core, “Battlefront II” is an ode to the developers’ unconditional love for Star Wars. That’s a success story I want to acknowledge and be a part of, and I think you should too.

A&L A r t s & L i v i ng Anna Hirshman and Allison Morgenstern HillSide Story

‘Newsies’ APRIL 21 — We are back again with another musical recorded on stage. This time it is “Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical!” (2017). Let’s start by answering the question that is on everyone’s mind: Did you two go out on a weeknight to see this in a movie theater one of the few days it was being shown a few years ago?

Yes. We absolutely did that. That’s right, everyone. During our first year at Tufts, we saw this recorded Broadway musical in theaters, and now we’re watching it during our senior spring. “Newsies” takes us back to the end of the 19th century where Jack Kelly (played by our favorite and yours, Jeremy Jordan) and his fellow orphans-turned-newspaper sellers plan to go on strike in order to earn the pay they deserve. Ordinarily, this standoff between the newsies and Joseph Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard) would be incredibly boring to learn about, but this musical does a great job of making this story more exciting to watch. The Broadway musical is jam-packed with incredible dance numbers and inspiring songs, all performed on a grandiose set. If you’re lacking energy during this quarantine, try watching “Newsies” to hype yourself up.

Allie Morgenstern (AM): I haven’t seen this musical since Anna and I saw it during our first year at Tufts together. I remember after seeing it I was really into listening

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY to the cast recording. There’s nothing like hearing Jeremy Jordan sing to brighten your day. What a guy.

Anna Hirshman (AH): I prepared for watching this musical by spending the last few days watching interviews with and performance clips by Jeremy Jordan. It is a great way to pass the time. After this I am going to rewatch “Smash” (2012–2013) again.

Jordan’s smile (and talent) is so infectious.

As Katherine (Kara Lindsay), the lead female character — and one of the only female characters — says, “[it’s] a face that could save us all from sinking in the ocean.”

AM: I would like to second that statement. I lost track of how many times I felt the need to outwardly declare my love for Jeremy Jordan while watching this musical. When you find a man who is as talented and handsome as Jeremy Jordan, you keep him. Ashley Spencer (his wife) is a very lucky lady. So is Kara Lindsay, who plays Katherine, because they — spoiler alert — kiss! Exciting!

AH: The only part of Jordan’s character that bothers me comes in the form of the writing. I have yet to understand the obsession with Santa Fe among musical theatre writers. There are songs about people who are living tough lives wanting to move to Santa Fe in both “Rent” (1996) and “Newsies.” There are a lot of sunny and warm cities in the United States, so why Santa Fe? AM: I’ve never thought about this before, but it’s a good point. I think I was too caught up in Jeremy’s flawless vocals in the song “Santa Fe.” AH: Regardless, it took me way too long to get into “Newsies,” and I am the first

to admit it. I should have known I would love it, though, based on my love of “Cats” (1980). Yes, I love “Cats,” and you cannot change my mind about that. Both of these musicals provide the perfect combination of catchy songs and normally not-humanly-possible dancing. How do those newsboys move the way they do?

AM: It’s true. These boys leap so high!

And spin so many times! Such talent! Plus, the catchy songs are insanely energetic and will get stuck in my head for days at a time. Some of my favorites include, “The World Will Know,” “Watch What Happens” and “Seize the Day,” all of which gave me the chills at one point or another.

Kara Lindsay absolutely crushes “Watch What Happens.” This song reminds me a lot of my inner thoughts. She spends a lot of time in the song just rambling and saying a lot of things in not a lot of time. Relatable. I’m amazed she doesn’t get tongue-twisted.

AH: The Tufts Daily has never had an official theme song, but I think “Watch What Happens” is a top contender. Lindsay’s performance and the incredible lyrics really encompass what every journalist wants to be: an independent change-maker who gives the voiceless a voice.

AM: Katherine is a savage. She gets to say all the sick burns.

AH: The women are the beating heart of this musical. In addition to Lindsay’s portrayal of Katherine, Aisha De Haas who plays Medda Larkin is a powerful woman who saves Jack Kelly and the rest of the newsies on multiple occasions — and, as she likes to remind us, she is rich. The two of them are significantly funnier than any-

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one else in this musical. I maintain that the next revival or version of “Newsies” should have female newsies. It would allow for some really epic pairs numbers that are rarely seen on the stage.

AM: I support that. Who do we have to email to make this happen?

AH: Alan Menken, maybe? Back to what is really important, in “King of New York,” when all of the newsies are discussing the benefits of their newfound fame, one of the boys says he wants a “pastrami on rye with a sour pickle” and that hit me deep. I, too, would request a classic New York deli sandwich after a brush with fame.

AM: It’s such a great number. The tap dancing is so much fun to watch.

The talent in this musical amazes me.

Although, I hate to say it, but I’m not a pastrami fan. But, I have definitely thought a lot about what I’d do if I were famous. Meeting Meryl Streep is definitely on the (never-ending) list.

Anyway, watching this musical was a highlight of my weekend. It’s so important to find the little things that make you happy during this time.

AH: Whether you are a newsie, Medda Larkin or Teddy Roosevelt, keep working to make the world a better place for yourself and the people around you. And watching a Disney musical never hurts.

Anna Hirshman is a senior studying psychology. Anna can be reached at Anna Hirshman at anna.hirshman@tufts.edu.

Allie Morgenstern is a junior studying Child Study and Human Development.

Allie can be reached at allison.morgenstern@tufts.edu.

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Opinion

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

EDITORIAL

Tufts must adopt alternatives to full-time online learning if fall semester proves unsafe APRIL 21 — The COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into strange and unprecedented circumstances that have demanded immense changes, including the radical transition to online learning.

Given the lack of a COVID-19 cure or vaccine and the seemingly indefinite nature of the crisis, uncertainty surrounds the future, including the upcoming fall semester and prospects of returning to campus.

We appreciate the Tufts administration and faculty’s work to carry out the transition to online learning and professors’ empathetic understanding of students’ needs. However, after a month of online classes, it is clear that virtual learning is not comparable to in-person classes and cannot be the preferred long-term solution; vital aspects of classroom learning such as student collaboration, class discussions and hands-on experiments simply cannot translate through a screen.

Further, this online space compounds many students’ struggles with the transition to home life for reasons including unstable internet access, less-than-ideal study settings, technology problems and conflicting schedules among family members. Without the resources and study spaces found on campus, many students experience difficulty focusing, and without the social aspects of a university setting, some experience isolation and decreased motivation.

These concerns surrounding online learning run in tandem with the uncertainty about the fall semester’s continuation. On April 16, University President Anthony Monaco sent an email addressing these concerns, stating that the uni-

versity is actively preparing for several possible scenarios and will continue to meet full financial need. Among these scenarios, we seek to address an extreme possibility — not returning to campus for any portion of the fall semester. Given the radical nature of the crisis, we propose a similarly unprecedented solution: As an alternative to another online semester, we urge Tufts to delay the fall semester until it can occur on campus in January 2021 and subsequently hold the second semester during the summer as already suggested

by Boston University.

The benefits of deferring the fall semester far outweigh potential disruptions, for having access to a physical learning environment and a social college experience promotes productivity and wellness.

Specifically for STEM students who require laboratories and physical resources, hands-on experience and graduate school preparedness can only occur to the ideal level in an in-person setting. For all students, however, college is a temporary and uniquely valuable experience; students can only maximize their four years with the robust connections, learning, activities and opportunities that an on-campus education yields. This proves especially applicable for first-years, who cannot possibly transition to college life with the same ease without being on-campus. They miss out on the traditional orientation week, eating with new peers in the dining halls, decorating their first dormitory rooms and countless other vital experiences, leading to increased risk of isolation and negative impressions of the college experience. Due to these uniquely on-campus experienc-

es, many students and families consider online education not worth a yearly $79,000 financial strain and would likely defer a semester as a result, placing a greater financial burden on the university and providing further inconsistency to an already uncertain time.

We acknowledge that these changes would significantly alter the traditional academic schedule and may present challenges revolving around work and internships; however, the fall semester would act as an effective replacement for the summer during which students can partake in work and internships, either online or likely in-person given the virus’ expected peak much earlier than the fall. Working during the fall would prove vital for some students, allowing them to recuperate finances and cover the immediate financial impact of the pandemic sooner rather than later. For those concerned about the academic disruption a deferred fall semester would present, Tufts should offer a range of optional online classes in the fall, similar to the variety of offerings this summer. This option would also afford students the opportunity to take classes online in the summer and fall, giving them enough credits to remain home during the summer semester if needed. Additionally, as this plan involves students staying on campus for the majority of the 2021 calendar year, the university could provide one to four weeks off in between each of the three consecutive semesters, allowing students to take a break from academics and visit their families.

In the end, this plan’s strength hinges on the effectiveness and vitality of the

on-campus experience. In tandem with this, online learning cannot continue to make up our semesters. Tufts must not propose a month of online learning with plans of returning to campus later in the semester; this option would overwhelm even more of the college experience, and it could easily fall into a full online semester.

However, as the spring/summer plan would only occur if the entire on-campus fall semester proves unsafe, we also suggest a one month delay of classes if it is possible to return to campus safely.

In this version, classes would run on an October-to-June schedule, similar to those of quarter system schools. This would limit online learning and provide malleability within the academic schedule: If after the month passed, we still could not return to campus, the university would then move to the aforementioned spring/summer semester system.

By implementing this plan, the university not only remains open with its students but also recognizes the isolation and dissatisfaction surrounding online learning, pervasive throughout the student body. While virtual classes were necessary this semester, the university has a unique chance to give students back their college experience by adopting this plan; ultimately, we want to remember Tufts by the laughs, sledding down President’s Lawn and the interconnected growth diffused throughout the Hill, not by staring at a screen with our families cooking in the kitchen behind us. We only get four years, and we must be on campus to create the connections, memories and learning that makes this time count.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

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

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OP-ED

Can public health and politics be balanced in the WHO?

BY COLIN KENNEDY APRIL 27 — I will start off by stating that I disagree with Trump’s decision to withdraw American funding from the World Health Organization (WHO).

I believe the world must be united in combating COVID-19. However, I want to provide some context on the current director-general of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, and how he and the WHO have made certain missteps in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2017, I was living in Ethiopia and was about to graduate from high school.

In March of that year, The New York Times reported that there was a cholera outbreak in Somalia, which shares a long border with Ethiopia, that infected over 13,000 people. According to the WHO, cholera “is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.” To combat this, the country embarked on a new vaccine program against cholera.

That same spring, there was an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) in Ethiopia. According to The Washington Post, by May 2017, 16,000 were infected and 3,500 new cases were appearing each month in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia. Aid officials believed that cholera was circulating throughout the country, but because the Ethiopian health ministry was still calling it AWD, they could not deploy the vaccine.

The WHO was also closely monitoring the situation in Ethiopia.

They “complained privately” that the Ethiopian government was not telling the truth about these outbreaks, given that testing was relatively simple and took less than two days to complete.

Ultimately, despite international pressure, the Ethiopian government was not willing to take the next step and acknowledge the cholera epidemic.

During this time, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, an Ethiopian national and the country’s former minister of health from 2005–2012, was a “strong can-

didate” to be director-general of the WHO. Dr. Tedros was no longer a part of the Ethiopian government after 2016, so the country’s 2017 AWD outbreak was not necessarily his responsibility. However, in 2006, 2009 and 2011, during Dr. Tedros’ time as health minister, there were similar outbreaks of AWD in Ethiopia, “in which cholera bacteria were found in stool samples tested by outside experts.” Further raising speculation, as soon as cases of severe diarrhea appeared in neighboring countries, they were also identified as cholera.

In an article on the accusations held against Dr. Tedros Adhanom by global health expert Dr. David Nabarro, The New York Times highlighted that the case of Ethiopia was not unique.

“Historically, some countries have tried to cover up or play down outbreaks of human or animal diseases for fear that travel restrictions would be imposed, tourism would suffer or food exports would be curtailed,” the article states.

According to the International Health Regulations outlined by the WHO, state parties can screen imports, such as cargo and goods, “when coming from infected areas and when the health authority has reason to believe that the cargo and goods may have become contaminated … or may serve as a vehicle for the spread of any such disease.” The WHO urges countries not to apply these restrictions, but they also ask for member nations to immediately report outbreaks of cholera, which Ethiopia failed to do.

On its website, the WHO states that it strives for “universal health coverage,” with one of its main methods of achieving this goal being the improvement of “monitoring, data and information.” Another one of its objectives is to “detect and respond to acute health emergencies.” Dr. Tedros did not appear to abide by these standards appropriately during the AWD outbreaks in Ethiopia. Instead of identifying the bacteria as cholera

and immediately reporting cases to the WHO, he accepted the watereddown label of AWD, and there is a reason for it.

He is a public health official, but he is also a politician. When it came to the country’s decisions on AWD and cholera, political and economic interests outweighed public health goals, and Dr. Tedros failed to comply with the International Health Regulations. Also worth noting is Dr. Tedros’ membership to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front ( TPLF), one of the ruling political parties of Ethiopia until 2019. He was also Ethiopia’s foreign minister from 2012–2016.

Now, as the head of the WHO, he faces those who may not have wanted the declaration of a global pandemic perhaps for the similar reasons of avoiding travel restrictions and potential negative effects on tourism and exports.

A telling example of this is the WHO’s interactions with China toward the beginning of the spread of COVID19. Until Dr. Tedros visited President Xi Jinping at the end of January, the “WHO was uncritically repeating information from the Chinese authorities, ignoring warnings from Taiwanese doctors — unrepresented in WHO, which is a United Nations body — and reluctant to declare a ‘public health emergency of international concern,’ denying after a meeting Jan. 22 that there was any need to do so.”

China’s political and economic interests here were clear; no country wants trade or travel restrictions to be imposed on it. Eventually, the WHO was able to send its own experts to China to make its own appraisal, but it took time.

After the 2009 H1N1 swine flu was quickly contained after being declared a pandemic, there was a prevailing view that the announcement of a pandemic overstated the actual danger of the virus. As a result, “the [ WHO] gave up its old definition of a pandemic: ‘sustained human-to-human transmis-

sion of a novel pathogen in two or more [ WHO] regions.'”

Indeed, Director-General Dr. Tedros warned the public on Feb. 24 of the dangers of declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. “Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear,” he said.

The WHO is not an independent organization; it is made up of many member states who each have a stake in its decisions. As shown by the Ethiopian response to AWD, we know that countries can choose to understate facts in order to support their political and economic interests.

How can the WHO remain objective when deciding to declare a pandemic if there is no strict definition of one and doing so goes against the political interests of its member states?

We know declaring a pandemic has significant economic implications for the WHO’s member states, but it also galvanizes states to step up public health measures in order to prevent an even worse outcome. Balancing public health with political and economic interests is very difficult, as shown by the former Ethiopian health minister’s track record with cholera.

Yet, the WHO exists as an institution whose mandate requires prioritizing public health over political and economic interests.

Consequently, I believe the WHO should bear some responsibility for the unpreparedness of the world when facing COVID-19, as should some of its member states, who have interests separate from public health.

Right now is not the time to withdraw funding and completely distance ourselves from the WHO. We need to work together to fight COVID-19, and once the pandemic subsides, we can find out with more clarity what went wrong when the WHO tried to balance politics and public health.

Colin Kennedy is a junior studying Quantitative Economics. Colin can be reached at colin.kennedy@tufts.edu.

OP-ED

Why I soar with Sarah

BY SOPHIA ALFRED APRIL 22 — I first got to know Sarah when we were partners for an oral presentation in Spanish 21 our first year at Tufts. Sitting next to her at the high top tables in Tisch, I vividly remember thinking, “dang, this girl can get stuff DONE.” Since that day, Sarah has become one of my closest friends.

From creating clubs, to drafting important Senate resolutions, to standing up for others, it has been a privilege to see time and again how Sarah uses her superhuman work ethic to make tangible, positive change at Tufts.

Improving the communities around her is a genuine passion of Sarah’s.

As a philosophy and political science double major and colonialism studies minor, it isn’t enough for Sarah to just talk and philosophize about the world’s problems. She is constantly challenging herself to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of inequality that operate at Tufts and in the world so she can do her part in dismantling them. If you’ve had the opportunity to get to know Sarah, you know she’s a woman of action and not just talk. When professors of hers have said or written

things that were insensitive to students of marginalized identities, she has had the courage to not let it slide. Instead, Sarah has used these instances as a catalyst for discussion in the classroom to create opportunities where everybody has a chance to reflect and grow. From leading training discussions for the Tufts Wilderness Orientation to pushing our friends to consider other viewpoints in casual conversation, I have seen firsthand Sarah’s ability to create meaningful dialogue surrounding privilege, identity and inclusion.

Sarah’s dedication to uplifting marginalized voices is only one of the reasons I’m voting for her this week. She has also tirelessly advocated for increased student influence on the Tufts administration’s decision-making process. Tufts students have incredibly deep personal and financial investments in their education, and Sarah has been disappointed in the lack of transparency in resource allocation at Tufts. To address this, she organized and created the first Budget and Transparency Town Hall that was more than just a response to a debt or housing crisis. This is now a regular practice and allows Tufts students access to the information about how their tui-

tion money is being used. In addition, there is a growing fissure between the actions of the Tufts administration and the concerns of the student body. In response, Sarah has authored Senate resolutions that call for increased student influence as well as oversight over the Board of Trustees. Sarah’s platform also calls for more Senate outreach, including tabling, in order to make senators more accessible and create a stronger connection between students and the decision-making process at Tufts.

Sarah’s ability to turn ideas into actions isn’t confined to her work with Senate. She has the exceptional ability to imagine creative solutions out of difficult situations. Days after she was cut from the Tufts Varsity Swim Team, I was sitting with her in Carmichael Dining Hall and she said, “Let’s start a club swim team. We know at least 50 people who would want to join.” This was true, but I still thought she was being unrealistically ambitious. Starting a club sport from the ground up is a huge logistical and bureaucratic undertaking, but knowing Sarah, I never doubted her ability to make it a reality. With her leadership and determination, she was able to create a new community at Tufts where

dozens of students have come together to share in their passion for swimming.

Although we are still working on becoming officially recognized by Tufts, I know that the groundwork she has laid for this club will allow it to be realized one day, impacting the lives of generations of Jumbo swimmers. As Tufts works on coming back from this global calamity, Sarah’s unique way of looking at obstacles as opportunities will be exactly what we need in a leader to make it through this difficult time.

Something I love about Sarah is that she has always made it her priority to connect people from all corners of campus. Her passion for inclusivity and uplifting others goes a long way when life is business as usual, but now, at a time when many of us are feeling particularly isolated and apart, I can’t think of a better person to bring us together. Resourceful and down-to-earth, yet never taking herself too seriously, Sarah is the kind of person that you would want to be by your side through any circumstance. I know that Tufts will benefit immensely and become a better place under her level-headed leadership, just as I have become a better person thanks to her friendship.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

tuftsdaily.com

OP-ED

Grant Gebetsberger for TCU President

BY REBECA BECDACH APRIL 22 — While sitting in my off-campus house in Medford this afternoon and thinking about how the semester is coming to a close, I received a message from a friend and fellow student who expressed uncertainty about who to vote for in the Tufts Community Union (TCU) presidential elections. To them and to anyone reading this, I want to voice why I believe you should vote for Grant Gebetsberger for TCU president on April 23 and 24. As Grant’s friend for three years and fellow TCU senator for two, I have seen the dedication, hours and hours of work and truly inspiring amounts of energy he has put into pushing for the needs of students on campus. Here is what I think sets him apart.

Grant is a true leader in that his main objective is to amplify the voices of others and support them in their work. In the past, he partnered with student groups such as Active Minds and Ears for Peers to host a town hall about access to mental healthcare on campus and resources for first-year students becoming accustomed to life at Tufts. He helped set up the first budget transparency town hall that allowed students to ask administrators direct questions about the budget. Grant supports the work of student organizers and recognizes that the TCU Senate is not the sole creator of change on campus.

Some of the most successful advocacy campaigns came from the amazing work of Tufts Climate Action (TCA) and Tufts Dining Coalition, which is why he believes TCU Senate should support the work of organizers with resources and institutional knowledge. Students have voiced to me personally that the resolution writing process is daunting and overly bureaucratic, highlighting the necessity of Grant’s plan to make the resolution writing process more accessible to members of the student body who are not on TCU Senate. He also hopes to make activism more accessible by helping student groups connect with administrators that are relevant to the project they are pursuing.

Grant knows how to identify a problem and fight hard to have it addressed. Most recently, he quickly responded to the Tufts shutdown due to COVID-19 by becoming an organizer in Tufts Mutual Aid (TMA).

He worked with other members of TMA to organize a Google Form to match resources offered by students and community members to students that needed them.

Grant also co-authored along with two other students a course guidelines proposal for the spring 2020 semester, in which they detailed new, equitable course guidelines so that all students, regardless of their situation, would be able to complete their classes online this semester.

Looking to the future, Grant’s campaign

platform states how he will continue to work to help the community rebuild after the shutdown. To address how the refunds received by some students were inadequate to their needs, Grant aims to push the university to make its refund decision-making process public and retroactively issue the refunds students deserve.

A vote for Grant is a vote for a more equitable Tufts experience. His work as a class senator and as diversity officer was and continues to be centered around advocating for more inclusive opportunities and support for underrepresented students on campus. He has produced real change by leading projects and collaborating with other students to install all-gender bathrooms in public buildings and establish new funding for the Group of Six centers.

He has worked to hold the Tufts administration accountable for gender inequality in leadership, supporting faculty of color and committing to increasing the financial aid offered to students. I believe Grant is the candidate that has been most involved with marginalized communities on campus through his work. As president, I know that Grant will stress the importance of making the student body more representative of the population of our country by taking measures to increase the accessibility of our campus. He aims to advocate for Tufts to expand the unexpected hardship fund at the FIRST Center and fight for

Tufts to accelerate its plan to make existing buildings compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, Grant will fight for a more accessible admissions process that does not require standardized testing scores.

Lastly, Grant specifically addresses how he will push Tufts to lessen its impact in the current climate crisis. Thanks to the fabulous work of TCA, Tufts created the Responsible Investment Advisory Group (RIAG) to examine divestment from fossil fuels. As president, Grant will push the TCU Senate to elect a student representative to serve on the RIAG who shares a commitment to fossil fuel divestment and advocate for transparency in the work of the RIAG. In addition to divesting from fossil fuels, Grant believes that the university should seek alternative investments to minimize its carbon footprint and encourage renewable energy production. He will push the university to pursue solar power purchase agreements, thereby investing in renewable energy projects elsewhere in the United States.

I encourage the Tufts student body to elect a brilliant and determined champion for all students as your next TCU president. I am confident that Grant’s leadership will set the right tone for the TCU Senate and encourage the body to use its resources to lift up voices that often go unheard. I am excited and hopeful to see the change that is to come.

Sports Henry Gorelik Off the Gridiron

Draft Reactions APRIL 17 — Steals of the Draft Isaiah Simmons, linebacker: The Cardinals were ecstatic to land Simmons with the No. 8 overall pick. Not only was he one of the top defenders in the class, but Simmons fills a specific need for the Cardinals: covering tight ends. The Simmons versus George Kittle battle will soon become one of the most exciting matchups in football.

Josh Jones, offensive tackle: Another big win for the Cardinals, who were able to scoop up University of Houston’s Josh Jones in the third round. Jones was widely considered to be a first-round talent after a strong week at the Senior Bowl, and the Cardinals feel pretty lucky to have him protecting franchise quarterback Kyler Murray.

CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver: Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy were laughing when they realized Lamb fell to them at No. 17. Lamb was considered by many

Aiden Herrod Turf Monster

The NFL Draft was bittersweet and perfect APRIL 27 — The NFL Draft has a weird place in my heart. As a die-hard football fan, it’s cool to see what moves teams make. It’s fun to learn some of the big college names and predict who’s gonna be a star. It’s great to see my favorite teams invest in their futures — especially when my Dallas Cowboys take the best receiver in the draft at pick number 17.

But the draft has always been a distinctly replaceable experience. You can always watch some YouTube highlights to cut through all the filler moments and break down the actual football implications with a few articles. However, amid the year of COVID-19, this was anything but the case.

The NFL draft this year was easily one of the strangest and most potent sporting experiences I’ve seen recently. It was a blend of video calls, flashy graphics, pre-recorded footage of college athletes and camera footage of millionaires’ homes. It was aggressively

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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to be the draft’s top receiver after a stellar career at the University of Oklahoma.

With Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper and now Lamb, watch out for a high-powered Dallas offense next season.

Mind-boggling picks Damon Arnette, cornerback: With Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 last year and now Arnette at No. 19 this year, the reach is becoming a staple of the Raiders’ draft night strategy. Despite being a physical player, many scouts believe that Arnette is not nearly fast enough to be a starting corner in the NFL. He could have a hard time keeping up with the likes of Tyreek Hill, Keenan Allen and Courtland Sutton in the AFC West.

Jalen Reagor, wide receiver: While it was no secret that the Eagles needed a wide receiver, Reagor was the wrong choice here, made by General Manager Howie Roseman.

Reagor is a burner that can take the top off of a defense, but more of a one-trick pony than a reliable No. 1 receiver. The Eagles will soon regret passing on the more complete Justin Jefferson with this pick.

Teams that impressed Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins had a lot of picks in this draft, giving them

more chances to make mistakes. The Dolphins added University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, University of Southern California (USC) offensive tackle Austin Jackson, Auburn University cornerback Noah Igobinoghene, University of Louisiana-Lafayette offensive tackle Robert Hunt and Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. By investing their early draft picks in the most valuable positions, the Dolphins took a huge step in their rebuilding process.

Baltimore Ravens: Already owning one of the better rosters in the NFL, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta found ways to make it even better through the draft. The Ravens selected Louisiana State University (LSU) linebacker Patrick Queen, Texas A&M University defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, The Ohio State University running back J.K. Dobbins, The University of Texas at Austin wide receiver Devin Duvernay and Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison. Adding Dobbins and Duvernay adds yet another layer of dynamic playmaking ability to the Ravens’ offense.

Indianapolis Colts: Although the Colts traded their first-round pick for former

49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, General Manager Chris Ballard made crucial moves for his team’s present and future success. Drafting USC wide receiver Michael Pittman and University of Wisconsin-Madison running back Jonathan Taylor in the second round gives newly acquired quarterback Philip Rivers some talented weapons in this “all-in” season. Also, selecting high-upside Washington quarterback Jacob Eason provides the Colts, who don’t have a quarterback under contract after next season, with a potential quarterback in the future.

Minnesota Vikings: Selecting LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Texas Christian University cornerback Jeff Gladney and Mississippi State University cornerback Cameron Dantzler helped the Vikings replace the holes left by the departures of Stefon Diggs, Xavier Rhodes and Tre Waynes. Adding Boise State University offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland also helps maintain the strong zone-run scheme that the Vikings leaned on last season.

unique, and we’ll likely never see anything like it again.

This year revealed that the traditional NFL draft is usually a little structurally challenged on its own. It’s a massive spectacle built around executives making decisions and calling out names. Thus, the draft’s format has always been one open to innovation and change.

This may explain why I was genuinely and thoroughly blown away by what the NFL draft brought this year, where COVID-19 demanded that the NFL adopt radical organizational changes in the era of social distancing.

With no other real sports on TV, this was the first event in a month and a half that carried any implications for one of the big American sports leagues. The widespread popularity of the draft was evidenced by its record-breaking near 16-million person viewership on the first night. It was exciting just to be watching something.

The event itself had this loose, breezy sense of fun about it. Commissioner Roger Goodell delivered the names of draft picks from his basement, wearing a cozy sweater and standing in front of a television broadcasting live fan reactions for each team. The booing of the commissioner, a long-standing tradition in the draft, was preserved remotely with fan-submitted videos and the aforementioned fan livestreams. In later

stages of the draft, Goodell plopped down in his easy chair, and the broadcast took on the look of a cozy yule log video, NFL style.

For the first time ever, fans saw the inside of the houses of NFL coaches and executives. Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury drafted from his massive ivory mansion, showing it off in all its modern architectural glory with a wide camera shot. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had his chair commandeered by his adorable husky in round two. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones drafted from his massive yacht, sitting in an all-white room reminiscent of a Bond villain’s lair.

A video conference of various commentators and NFL personalities stood in for the commentary that guides the viewer through a traditional draft. They spoke over each other occasionally and cracked jokes. It was clear that these guys had missed their jobs and were happy to be back together talking football.

The camaraderie was evident, and it was only accentuated when they brought up the heartwarming underdog stories that are always on display in the draft.

These stories are the core of the draft. So many of the players selected have incredible, touching stories to tell. The draft is the moment where all the hard work they’ve done in the face of adversity is awarded with a spot on an NFL roster.

The overarching message of hope that the draft delivers so well was more prominent than ever this year. The stories of players’ journeys and the current state of our country and the world brought a combined, potent sense of bittersweet emotion.

While the players themselves were denied their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk the stage and hug Roger Goodell, they still got to spend their draft night among family and friends. The reaction cameras captured the raw emotion of the players receiving the call from an NFL team.

The message of hope held a greater meaning this year for teams, players and fans across the country. To begin the draft, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning delivered a heartfelt monologue, asking fans to persevere and hold out hope for full stadiums in the future, which would indicate we have returned to a normal, joyous world. He and countless NFL personalities thanked front-line workers throughout the draft. It wasn’t escapism, as no event altered this greatly can provide that right now. However, the draft was the perfect remedy for a world devoid of the spectacle and joy of sports.

It was fun, emotional and a little strange at times. It was perfect.

Henry Gorelik is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Henry can be reached at henry.gorelik@tufts.edu.

Aiden is a sophomore studying Film and Media Studies and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Aiden can be reached at aiden. herrod@tufts.edu

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

tuftsdaily.com

The Anti-Bostonian Redux: Boston-Gronk party down in Tampa

by Jeremy Goldstein Sports Editor

APRIL 23 — Gronkshell warning!

This occasion calls for a resurrection of an old friend, a jazzed-up and jealous New York sports fan, called “The Anti-Bostonian.”

For one, it is rather difficult for me to continue exploring the world of English football to sufficiently fill more columns for “The Little Londoner.” More than anything, however, the opportunity to hammer Patriots fans just one more time was just too tempting.

Of course, the year I wrote the column both the Red Sox and the Patriots both managed to win their respective league championships. Perhaps my negative writings served as the exact bulletin board material needed for John Farrell and Bill Belichick to rally their troops. On behalf of everyone everywhere, I apologize for lighting their collective fire.

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

Analysis on every Patriots draft pick APRIL 27 — The New England Patriots headed into the 2020 virtual draft beginning a new era under the reign of Bill Belichick, as Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have fled south for the warmer weather in Tampa Bay. Their list of draft needs was relatively long, and they hoped to rebuild through this deep draft class.

Round two, Pick 37: Kyle Dugger, safety Do not let Kyle Dugger’s Div. II smallschool competition fool you: this man can play football. He has elite speed and range in the backfield and has shown absurd talent when returning punts. He serves to be a backup in his rookie season to Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung, but Dugger will blossom under the Patriots’ defense

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

3-round Patriots mock draft APRIL 21 — The New England Patriots head into the 2020 NFL Draft in a novel situation regarding its current roster, as Tom Brady and many key defensive cogs no longer remain with the organization.

Known for being very conservative with their draft choices, the Patriots just can’t afford to keep trading down and receiving middling picks. This is a draft where the Patriots need to focus on rebuilding a solid roster and reviving a sunken fan base.

Round One, Pick 23: Kenneth Murray, linebacker, University of Oklahoma To start, I don’t believe the rumors that

In all respects, the news of Rob Gronkowski moving to Tampa Bay does not change anything about the Patriots prospects for the 2020 season. This move illuminated that unless President Brady was at the helm for the Pats, Gronk would remain comfortable in his world of boat parties and WWE. Now that Brady’s in Florida? Well, the hefty pass-catcher can now continue to engage in both of those activities while playing professional football. Sounds like a sweet gig.

Thus, the Patriots will not really feel his loss on the field — they did feel it last season, as they limped to the 15th best offense in the NFL (the first time they have been out of the top 11 since 2003) without Gronkowski. Belichick and company almost completely neglected the position in the passing element of the game, as the now-retired Ben Watson was their leading catcher at the position with a measly 173 yards.

Gronkowski, meanwhile, did not struggle to put up gaudy catching statistics. By the time he retired, he was the all-time leader in tight end yards per game (68.3), TDs per game (0.69) and yards per target (9.9). Like George Kittle, Gronk also earned his keep in the trenches, but his career 88.7 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade is beyond elite and shows that, surprisingly, the party-boy did not lose focus when the spotlight was not on him catching passes.

The Patriots will feel the loss of Gronk’s presence from people like me, the lowlife internet persona, or eager twitter-users ready to rub the impending success of the Buccaneers right in the faces of Pats nation.

Surely six championships are worth a little bit of playful banter on social media? Surely the 28–3 comeback alone was worth a lifetime of social media churlishness. Here’s an example of what to expect:

There’s also a large likelihood that by the time this article is published, Julian Edelman too will have been traded down to glorious Tampa Bay. No, this is not going to happen.

Remember, Gronk was never going to play for the Patriots in 2020 anyway and you should consider this transaction just a surplus fourth-rounder that appeared out of thin air. Perhaps the Pats can use it to trade up in the draft? According to NFL.com’s positional group draft rankings, tight ends rank 10th out of the 11 groups.

The real sting is the ever-so-tasty concept of seeing the mighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers reach the playoffs while the Patriots do not. The term “jealous Patriots fan” does not currently exist in common vernacular but we better contact MerriamWebster quickly so they can make an addendum to their next dictionary.

and can hopefully contribute on special teams as well.

Round two, Pick 60: Josh Uche, defensive end When the Patriots first picked Uche, I was confused with their decision.

However, Uche is the perfect pick for the Patriots. Although he is a little raw, he will definitely be a solid developmental piece for the Patriots this season and serve as a backup to Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley.

Round three, Pick 87: Anfernee Jennings, outside linebacker The Bill Belichick-Nick Saban connection continues as the Patriots take another linebacker from Alabama. Jennings doesn’t possess the elite tools to become a Hall of Famer, but is able to slide into a situational pass rusher role, which the Patriots love.

Round three, Pick 91: Devin Asiasi, tight end It took four draft picks, but the Patriots finally selected a tight end, which was arguably one of their biggest needs heading into Friday night. Asiasi is a plausible receiv-

ing threat across the middle, but lacks in the blocking department. The Patriots are known to have tight ends that can both block and receive (aka Rob Gronkowski), so this pick is a head-scratcher.

Round three, Pick 101: Dalton Keene, tight end This pick also turned some heads in the NFL community. Only 10 picks after they drafted Asiasi, the Patriots decided to pull the trigger on Dalton Keene, who is mainly a blocking tight end. Although that fills a need, Keene has limited receiving tools and is projected to have a restricted role in the Patriots’ offensive scheme.

Round five, Pick 159: Justin Rohrwasser, kicker I am actually a big fan of this selection. Kicker was an underrated need for the Patriots heading into the draft, and confidence in special teams is vital for a potential playoff team.

Round six, Pick 182: Michael Onwenu, offensive guard The Patriots needed some guard depth this offseason after losing many key

reserve linemen in free agency. Onwenu will serve as depth on the offensive line.

Round six, Pick 195: Justin Herron, offensive guard Although not an extremely athletic prospect, Herron could develop into a plausible backup role for the Patriots this season behind Marcus Cannon.

Round six, Pick 204: Cassh Maluia, inside linebacker Maluia will be a sleeper out of this year’s draft class. He wasn’t on many big boards, but he flashed some athletic potential in college. He can develop into a valuable special teams contributor.

Round seven, Pick 16: Dustin Woodard, center With their final pick, the Patriots take yet another linemen who has the ability to play all positions on the line. Although I don’t expect Woodard to make the final roster, he might be able to sneak in as a backup due to his versatility.

the Patriots are interested in trading up for a quarterback. Belichick isn’t one to take a major risk and is content with rolling out Jarrett Stidham in week one. Instead, the Patriots should hope to revive a depleted linebackers core by drafting Murray, who was Big 12 co-defensive freshman of the year. He works best in a scheme where he can run downhill and battle against blockers, which he wasn’t able to do in college.

Belichick can implement him into the 3–4 scheme, hopefully turning Murray into an impact rookie in 2020.

Round Three, Pick 87: Adam Trautman, tight end, University of Dayton Unsurprisingly, the Patriots should go with a tight end in round three. Losing Rob Gronkowski to retirement after the 2018 season decimated Brady’s weapons in 2019. Brady lost his main guy across the middle, and it hurt the offense toward the end of the season. Trautman is a very intriguing prospect and has risen up draft

boards over the past few weeks. Although he comes from a small-school program, he exhibits a toughness and athletic ability that the Patriots should not pass up on.

Round Three, Pick 98: Kenny Willekes, defensive end, Michigan State University Lawrence Guy and John Simon are a solid DE duo, but they combined for only seven sacks last season. Behind them, the depth chart rounds out with situational pass rushers Deatrich Wise Jr. and Chase Winovich, who are both still unproven.

Therefore, the Patriots need to focus on the defensive side of the ball with this pick.

Willekes comes from a defensive-heavy program and can contribute immediately as depth for the Patriots. He also possesses a fierce mentality that Belichick cherishes.

Round Three, Pick 100: Antonio Gandy-Golden, wide receiver, Liberty University With Stidham becoming the captain of the offense, the Patriots should load him

with weapons or give the wide receiver room a little more depth. If the Patriots go with the latter, they should draft the unproven Antonio Gandy-Golden. He will strictly be a red zone target for the Patriots because of his frame (6’4″, 222 pounds).

Gandy-Golden will ease the pressure off of N’keal Harry, who looks to have a prominent role in the Patriots’ offense this season. Although scouts have little to no faith in Gandy-Golden, it isn’t the first time the Patriots have drafted an unproven prospect. Remember Tom Brady?

In the first three rounds, the Patriots have a handful of ways to go about their four picks. It’s crucial that the front office makes few mistakes and uses the picks to its advantage. This is a retooling year for the Patriots, and this draft should not be taken lightly.

Matt Goguen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.

Matt Goguen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Sports

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Missed seasons and opportunities: How student-athletes are faring at home

by Brigitte Wilson Contributing Writer

APRIL 21 — While universities’ abrupt closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have brought about feelings of instability and sadness to many college students across America, student-athletes face the unique challenge of staying in shape with no gyms, trainers or practices.

The Tufts strength and conditioning coaches, who help athletes maintain performance and prevent future injuries, must accommodate athletes that do not have access to exercise equipment at home, according to Dan Kopsco, director of sports performance.

“The off-season is largely about helping shore up deficits in an athletes’ performance,” Kopsco wrote in an email to the Daily. “Then, helping them improve for their role in their sport by getting more flexible, adding muscle mass, getting stronger, and running faster.”

While the goals of the strength and conditioning department remain the same, the means for athletes to achieve these goals have shifted due to the global pandemic.

“Since everything is shut down and each student-athlete has different access to equipment, we have sent out different workout plans to the athletes who request them,” Kopsco wrote. “Any athlete who requests a workout is getting a body-weight-only plan (i.e. no equipment available) and if some athletes have specific goals or specific equipment and they often request something tailored for them.”

Kopcso pointed out the advantages of staying active during the pandemic and discussed the benefits that exercise can have on mental health, mood, productivity and schoolwork.

Kopsco shared that athletes returning to play have to follow guidelines for practices and volume, and those returning to optional offseason training will have other rules governing the intensity of their training to ensure that they are safely increasing their work capacity.

In some cases, such as for fall sports, recent stay-at-home orders and recommendations for social distancing have not directly impacted the season. While almost all of the winter sports were able to finish out their seasons before students departed campus, every spring athlete at Tufts lost the opportunity to compete in the 2020 season. However, some winter teams were unable to finish out their postseasons. This includes the men’s basketball team that had come off a successful season with a NESCAC championship and an excellent performance in the NCAA regionals.

For spring athletes, training has radically changed since being home, as sophomore Peter DeMaria, an infielder on the baseball team, said.

“I am training like I’m in season in terms of working out, still trying to grow and hit even with no access to a cage,” DeMaria said.

Many players on the Tufts baseball team play for a summer league, and while no official decision has been made on whether the season will happen, DeMaria is preparing under the assumption that they will play. Luckily, the

players are able to stay in touch, and DeMaria remains thankful for the ability to do so.

“We talk to each other every day in a big group chat, and we try to have weekly meetings,” DeMaria said. “It’s pretty cool that, because of the technology, we are able to sort of be together every day because that’s how we are on campus.”

According to DeMaria, an offseason would usually entail positional lifts, with pitchers lifting on their own while others get together at the cage to make sure their swings feel right. He shared hopes that this winter will look the same, with team workouts and group gatherings.

“Players have to get creative with workouts because we don’t have the luxury of the gym we normally have at [the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center], so it’s based on what we have access to,” DeMaria said. “I can’t wait to compete with the guys again. It’s a really special thing to be around the players all day, and the camaraderie we’ve built is amazing. It will take the team as a whole to get together and build chemistry for the incoming guys and gear up for next season.”

Unlike baseball, the women’s track and field team was almost through its indoor season when the university announced that in-person classes were canceled.

Sophomore Iman McPherson shared her experience being home and said that the team is staying in touch through Slack and honoring the seniors to keep morale up.

“The track coach posted a picture of different seniors and everyone wrote what they

appreciated about them, and the sprinters have had practice Zooms, so we’ve been able to keep in touch,” McPherson said.

The women’s track and field team does not normally use direct guidance from the strength and conditioning coaches. They have continued to use Volt, a fitness training app, to do workouts, update each other on their progress and take responsibility for their own training. To accommodate those that don’t have access to exercise equipment, McPherson said that the app contains different body-weight workouts specified to lifting experience and which events the team participates in.

“I’m pretty new to track, so I was really excited for the outdoor season … I felt like I had been on a roll in the winter season, so I was ready to carry that into the spring,” McPherson said. “But everyone will ratchet it up in the fall and keep going from there.

I look forward to being together with the team again.”

Unfortunately, much about upcoming NCAA Div. III sports is currently unknown due to the uncharted territory the global pandemic has created. As professional sports are considering the reality of having games with no fans, it is likely that the return will look different than life prior to the pandemic.

Whether fall 2020 sports will be affected

by COVID-19 is unclear, but like most institutions, the NCAA is making contingency plans for any possibility. Until decisions are made, student-athletes at Tufts will continue to stay in touch and keep motivation high as they are eager to get out and compete again.

NBA goes back to basketball’s roots

by Arnav Sacheti Staff Writer

APRIL 21 — As ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones best put it, the NBA HORSE Challenge was the NBA’s well-intentioned attempt to continue “keeping score” during the sports hiatus caused by the coronavirus. Jones was also a commentator for this challenge, mediating over a select group of eight seasoned professional basketball players playing a traditional playground game on the nights of April 12 and 16.

The field included former NBA players Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, current NBA players Zach Lavine, Mike Conley, Chris Paul and Trae Young, as well as WNBA players Tamika Catchings and Allie Quigley.

For those of you who didn’t grow up playing in the parks, allow me to explain to you how HORSE works. It is a two player contest; let’s call one player A, and the other B. First, A attempts a shot in whatever way they like. If A misses the shot, then B gets to attempt a shot in whatever way they like, taking the role of A. However, if A makes the shot, then B has to copy the shot in the same exact way. If B fails to make the shot, B gets a letter from HORSE. The player that spells out HORSE first loses.

Given the gathering restrictions brought upon by COVID-19, the contest was self-recorded by the players in their own homes, with some of the family members also providing an extra camera to zoom in on shots. Some of the players, such as Conley, were working with state-of-the-art indoor courts, while others were playing on outdoor courts and even in their driveways. At times, these differences in conditions seemed to create clear advantages for certain players, but at

Chris Paul dribbles the ball. other times, the sheer talent of these players triumphed in spite of the situation.

Sunday night featured the quarterfinals where we got to see the entire field showcase what they’ve been working on at home. Billups, or “Mr. Big Shot,” came from behind to defeat Young, who is regarded as one of the best shooters in the league, by hitting clutch shots from the 3-point line and the midrange. Mr. “Indoor Gym” Conley defeated Catchings,

KEITH ALLISON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

who was only working with a driveway hoop, quite easily. Finally, Lavine used his athleticism to defeat the older Pierce, while Quigley employed her fundamentals and shot-making ability to eke out a win against the equally talented Paul.

The four semi-finalists competed on Thursday night to decide the winner. Lavine and his athleticism proved too much to overcome for Quigley, and despite Billups’ reputation as a crazy

shot maker, Conley defeated him with crazy shots of his own that Chauncey just couldn’t match.

The final was set to be a show mainly because both Lavine and Conley had used their strengths of athleticism and ambidexterity respectively throughout the tournament. Now was the time to see which strength would win out. It was a tough battle, but Conley got the win through off-hand shots and crazy layups that Lavine simply could not match. In addition, Lavine was hit with rainy and slippery conditions during the final, giving him a clear disadvantage against Conley.

For his win, Conley was given $200,000 to donate to a charity of his choice in order to help with the coronavirus relief efforts.

Overall, the tournament was a far cry from what we have come to expect in regular game-play. The footage was grainy, and at some points the voices of the commentator and players lagged. In addition, at times the event was a drag as they kept switching between showing the different courts, as well as showing a myriad of advertisement breaks.

However, it was refreshing to see the NBA community come together in these trying times, especially in a way that allowed the roots of the game to be showcased through HORSE. Although through video cameras, the traditional smack talk and the post-match Twitter exchanges were all still in full swing, creating the competitive vibe that we have come to cherish about sports. We should be grateful to technology, for not only giving us an opportunity to maintain our civic duty in this ongoing crisis, but also giving us a short respite from worrying about the future and an inspiration to keep playing sports when this is all said and done!