The Tufts Daily - Friday, August 27, 2021

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Friday, August 27, 2021

Matriculation 2021: Defining Moments from Spring 2021 Racial, ethnic inequities apparent in Medford and Somerville vaccine administration

by Alex Viveros

Executive Investigative Editor

Originally published May 4, 2021.

Disclaimer: The numbers below reflect rates of vaccination against COVID-19 in Medford and Somerville at the time of original publication.

The cities of Medford and Somerville reported that 37.01% and 33.36% of their residents, respectively, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data released by both cities last week. In Medford, 57.37% of the population has received at least one shot, while Somerville reports that 58.17% have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

When broken down by race/ ethnicity, both cities show that white residents are the most vaccinated group per capita.

In Medford, 38% of white residents, 20% of Black residents, 23% of Asian residents and 24% of NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

CVS Pharmacy in Davis Square, which administers COVID-19 vaccines, is pictured on Oct. 25, 2020.

In this Matriculation issue of The Tufts Daily, we have reprinted articles published during the spring 2021 semester that best encompass the student experience at Tufts during that time and showcase the strong and consistent reporting of the Daily’s staff. Executive editors selected these articles from their sections, and we have republished them here almost exactly as they were published originally. Original publication dates are listed below each byline, and while language and class years mentioned in articles are consistent with that from the original time of publication, writers’ rankings have been updated to reflect current standings. We hope that this special issue serves as a warm welcome to Tufts, and we encourage all students interested in the Daily to get involved by scanning the QR code at the top of this page!

The Tufts Daily Managing Board, fall 2021

see VACCINATIONS, page 2

Tufts admits record-low 11% of undergraduate applicants

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts University offered admission to a record-low 11% of applicants for the undergraduate Class of 2025.

by Sam Klugherz News Editor

Originally published April 12, 2021.

Tufts University offered admission on March 30 to a record-low 11% of applicants to the undergraduate Class of 2025. It is the most ethnically and racially diverse undergraduate class ever admitted to the university.

The record-low acceptance rate follows a 35% increase in the number of applicants, which rose in part due to Tufts’ SAT/

ACT test-optional policy and the robust array of virtual engagement programming offered to prospective students.

Dean of Admissions JT Duck explained that admission to all of Tufts’ undergraduate schools for the first-year class became more competitive in comparison to previous years.

“With significant growth in the applicant pools for all undergraduate programs, gaining admission to Tufts was more competitive this year regardless of whether students applied to the School of Engineering,

FEATURES / page 5

OPINION / page 12

SPORTS / page 14

Test-optional policy advances equity and inclusivity in admissions process

Tufts must improve support for mental health issues worsened by pandemic

Student-athletes look back on seasons impacted

by COVID-19

School of Arts & Sciences, or School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts,” Duck wrote in an email to the Daily.

Duck added that the Regular Decision applicant pool was similar in composition to the Early Decision applicant pool, with Early Decision I and II admissions decisions released to applicants in December and February, respectively.

“The academic strength, community engagement, and demographics of the Early Decision and Regular Decision pools this year were similar, and both pools were historically diverse and historically large,” Duck said.

Overall, admitted students represent 50 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Almost 12% of those admitted are international students, with 100 different citizenships represented in the admitted class, according to Duck.

Students of color make up 56% of the admitted class. Black students represent 11.3%, Hispanic see ADMISSIONS, page 3 NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, August 27, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Madeleine Aitken Editor in Chief

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White residents the most vaccinated group per capita in both Medford and Somerville VACCINATIONS

continued from page 1 Hispanic residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of April 29. When counted by those who have received at least one dose, 56% of white residents, 30% of Black residents, 46% of Asian residents and 43% of Hispanic residents have received at least an initial vaccine.

In Somerville, 37% of white residents are fully vaccinated, while 28% of Black residents, 23% of Asian residents and 16% of Hispanic residents have been completely immunized as of April 29. When accounting for those who have received at least one dose, 64% of white residents, 43% of Black residents, 47% of Asian residents and 29% of Hispanic residents have been given at least one shot.

It remains unclear what the effect of age may currently have on the vaccine rollout among different racial/ethnic groups in Medford and Somerville. By the end of Phase 2 of the Commonwealth’s vaccine distribution plan — which lasted from Feb. 1 to April 18 — all individuals older than 55, along with those with one or more medical conditions, K–12 educators and workers in certain categories, were eligible for vaccination.

Because the median age of white residents (42.8 years) is higher than that of Black residents (32.7 years), Asian residents (33.9 years) and Hispanic residents (28.1 years) in Massachusetts, some have questioned whether a portion of the racial and ethnic disparities in vaccine distribution may be attributable to older populations receiving the vaccine first.

Boston Indicators, a research association affiliated with the Boston Foundation, published data brief in early April that estimated the age-adjusted vaccina-

tion rates among different racial/ ethnic groups.

The brief found that in Massachusetts, when adjusted for age, 35% of white residents, 31% of Black residents, 33% of Asian residents and 26% of Latino residents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of April 9.

Meghann Ackerman, the deputy director of communications for the City of Somerville, acknowledged the apparent disparities in vaccine distribution in an email to the Daily.

“Black and Latinx populations have a shorter life expectancy than the white population, and Black and Latinx immigrant populations skew younger,” Ackerman wrote on April 27. “Because the early groups eligible were [age-based] there were fewer Black and Latinx residents in those early phases … In the age-adjusted data, Somerville has very close vaccination rates for our white, Black, and Asian populations, but still lower rates for the Latinx population.”

Ackerman also cited language barriers, difficulty in access, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation surrounding the process — such as false information that one must pay, provide insurance or show ID to receive a vaccine — as contributing factors toward vaccine disparities.

Jackie Piques, the director of communications for the City of Medford, also included vaccine hesitancy and access as potential reasons for vaccine disparity, among other factors.

Across Massachusetts, the racial/ ethnic disparities in vaccine distribution among the states’ most vulnerable communities have been well documented. A team of researchers conducted an analysis in mid-April that found that by and large, the distribution of vaccines in Massachusetts

was not going to communities most affected by COVID-19.

Specifically, the April 14 analysis compared the proportion of COVID-19 infection to the proportion of COVID-19 vaccination by race/ethnicity. The authors noted that although non-white residents made up 62% of confirmed COVID19 infections in Massachusetts, they represented only 26% of fully vaccinated individuals in the state.

“It’s a stark reminder that we have a lot of work to do to address the inequities in vaccine distribution such that it better aligns with COVID infection risks, and that it addresses long-standing inequities across racial and ethnic groups,” Thomas Stopka, co-author of the study and associate professor of public health and community medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine, said.

Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an attending physician at the Tufts Medical Center who focuses on infectious disease, said outreach, access and education surrounding vaccination could work to undo disparities among communities of color.

“There are also other socio-economic insights and social issues that might prevent someone from getting [vaccinated] in these communities,” Andujar Vazquez said.

“Not every 95-year-old that is not an English speaker can go onto the internet and do a vaccine appointment. So there’s a lot of different examples of how difficult it can be for certain communities, patients and individuals to be able to get an appointment, because we know that getting health care in general for these communities is difficult.”

Both Piques and Ackerman indicated that the cities of Medford and Somerville have taken steps to combat vaccination dispari-

ties among racial/ethnic groups.

Included among these are multilingual resource lines, targeted outreach to communities of color and collaboration with local faith leaders and community partners.

Piques mentioned that the City of Medford is also co-opting the Commonwealth’s “Trust the Facts, Get the Vax” campaign, an effort intended to educate the public about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.

There are currently no cityrun vaccine clinics operating on a regular basis in either Medford or Somerville, according to Piques and Ackerman. The Medford Board of Health was able to partner with the Medford Housing Authority to provide on-property vaccinations through April 30, and the City of Somerville collaborated with the state to provide vaccinations to those in state-authorized affordable housing senior buildings.

Although there has been widespread debate among public health officials regarding when, and even if, the world may reach herd immunity, it was originally estimated that approximately 60–70% of the population would need to be vaccinated in order to do so, according to Nature.

Stopka said that in order to reach a sense of normalcy in Massachusetts, prioritization should be given toward vaccine equity in communities with a high risk of infection, many of which are home to communities of color.

“If we’re vaccinating well in one community but not in a neighboring community, we will have struggles in reaching herd immunity,” Stopka said. “If we want to achieve success in combating the pandemic, we do need to do it in a more equitable way across the entire community to have the best chance of success.”

News

Friday, August 27, 2021 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

3

Tufts alumnus and former adjunct professor Ben Downing running for governor of Massachusetts

by Aexander Janoff

Executive News Editor

Originally published April 5, 2021.

Tufts alumnus and former adjunct professor Ben Downing (AG’08) announced his candidacy for governor of Massachusetts earlier this year. Downing graduated from Tufts with a master’s degree in urban and environmental policy and planning in 2008.

After graduating with a degree in political science from Providence College in 2003, Downing worked for former Rep. John Olver (AG’56), also a Tufts alumnus, who represented Massachusetts’ 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives, before enrolling in Tufts’ graduate program for urban and environmental policy and planning in 2005.

Downing ran for the Massachusetts State Senate at 24, while he was a student at Tufts.

He ran partly because he wanted to improve the communities in western Massachusetts where he was raised.

“My whole generation was basically told to study hard and get out,” Downing said. “I felt like I had a responsibility to give back to that community and to make sure that more kids got those opportunities and that we change that narrative we were telling people.”

Serving over 10 years in the State Senate, Downing was Senate chair of the Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy Committee; a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and chair of the Revenue, Higher Education, Ethics & Public Service Committee.

Many of his legislative accomplishments supported and progressed the liberal agenda in Massachusetts, and they involved topics including curbing climate change, increasing rights protections for LGBTQ individuals and establishing fairer tax reform for underprivileged communities and families.

Downing taught a class called “Massachusetts State

Government: Learning While Doing” in the political science department every spring from 2016 to 2020.

“I was proud to collaborate with Ben on the development and support of the Tisch College course at the State House, which got terrific feedback from our students, and I have always found him to be an engaged alumnus who is dedicated to our students, to Tisch College and to the university,” Dean Alan Solomont (A‘70) of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life wrote in an email to the Daily.

Political science professor Deborah Schildkraut echoed Solomont’s sentiments.

“The course [Downing] taught in our department was very well received and provided fantastic opportunities for our students in MA state government,” Schildkraut wrote in an email to the Daily.

Downing said that a major goal of his as governor would be to reduce the vast economic inequities in Massachusetts, which he believes are hidden under an aggregated high standard of living across the Commonwealth.

“I think … the gaps in our society, many of which COVID has exposed and blown wide open … were present before COVID, and the normal that too many want to return to would be widening economic inequality, widening racial and gender, wealth and wage gaps,” Downing said.

Massachusetts’ Human Development Index, which tracks social and economic development, is the highest in the United States. Nevertheless, Downing explained that not all residents in the Commonwealth enjoy a high standard of living.

“That rings hollow to African American families in Suffolk County whose median wealth is $8 while the median wealth of white families in Suffolk County is $250,000,” Downing said.

Many of Downing’s solutions to these inequities involve improving education, introducing tax reform, strengthening

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ben Downing, former Massachusetts state senator, is pictured emissions standards and rebuilding infrastructure.

“We’re going to finally invest in transportation in Massachusetts, in the way that we need, to allow us to solve climate change through investments in transit, and also to drive the economy forward, and we’re going to pay for all of it by asking the wealthy to do more through comprehensive tax reform,” Downing said. “Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in the nation. We don’t need to have crumbling infrastructure; we don’t need to have a fragmented childcare system; we don’t need to accept the status quo of widening racial wealth wage gaps.”

Downing also mentioned the ways in which his platform could benefit college students in Massachusetts. Specifically, Downing believes his transportation and housing reform proposals could improve student

living and educational success for many.

If he wins the Democratic primary, Downing’s challenger would likely be incumbent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, should Baker seek reelection. Despite progressive politics in Massachusetts’ state legislature, as well as several progressive representatives and senators from Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress, Baker is one of several Republicans, including Mitt Romney and Bill Weld, who has won Massachusetts’ governorship.

Solomont said he believes some Massachusetts residents vote for Republican governors to hedge against a progressive legislature.

“I think some Massachusetts voters are attracted to the idea of a bipartisan State House; and given the overwhelming majorities of Democrats in the legis-

lature, some voters might see a GOP governor as a sort of partisan balance,” Solomont said.

Downing also pins the phenomenon on the higher standard to which voters hold a leader.

“Legislative offices are largely determined based on one test for voters: Does this candidate share my values?” Downing said. “A governor … is held to two tests: Does that candidate share my values, and can I trust the candidate will stand up for me, especially when it requires standing up to the majority in the legislature.”

Downing points to his history of standing up to his Democratic colleagues in the legislature as evidence he can pass a voter’s second test.

“I’ve had plenty of votes where I’ve been on the other side of a majority of my colleagues, and have still been able to work with them,” Downing said. “I think it’s the ability to be independent, to secure voters’ trust, and if you have their trust, I think they will allow you to lead with your values around a bold agenda.”

Downing acknowledges that running against Baker could be an uphill battle. He holds faith, however, that voters will choose the correct candidate. He hopes to enforce this belief by promoting a positive agenda and ensuring that any disagreements between himself and his challengers are purely professional. “[Baker is] a good man and a dedicated public servant who I disagree with, and they are strong disagreements,” Downing said. “I think the voting public should see that debate … I think it’s an incredibly important [debate] for us to have. I think by focusing on the record, we get away from some of the petty personal stuff, and we can put before the voters a real choice on the issues. Who’s the candidate whose policies and positions will build a fairer, stronger Massachusetts? I’m convinced that it will be me, but that’s not up to me to determine when all is said and done.”

Tufts runs virtual Jumbo Month for admitted students ADMISSIONS

continued from page 1 and Latinx students represent 13.5% and Asian American students represent 20.1% of the admitted U.S. students. An additional 10.5% of admitted students are multiracial.

Duck added that 100 admitted students identify with a Native or Indigenous heritage, and 20 admitted students are enrolled citizens of their tribes, representing 17 tribal nations.

“Our commitment to recruiting a broadly diverse applicant pool and enrolled class each year that pulls from the most talented, accomplished, and interesting prospective college students of all backgrounds, from all parts of the country and world, will drive our admissions process for years to come,” he said.

More than 10% of the admitted class are first-generation students, and more than 10% worked with college access organizations, including over 200 admitted students affiliated with QuestBridge.

Curry Brinson, a diversity and recruitment co-chair for Tufts Tour Guides, praised the virtual admissions programming, which allowed Tufts Admissions to broaden its student outreach.

“It’s really nice that there’s a virtual format offered that shows you what campus is like. You meet actual students, they make themselves available to you, they give you their emails and admissions tips,” Brinson, a junior, said. “And you can do it all from the comfort of your own home without having to worry about any sort of financial restraint.”

Brinson explained that the diversity and strength of the accepted class is a testament to the success of the virtual programming.

“Clearly … the accessibility factor has already welcomed in an awesome batch of new students,” he said.

Duck confirmed that Tufts Admissions plans to continue with virtual outreach initiatives even after in-person efforts resume.

“We will continue to offer virtual admissions programming for prospective students, even after we are able to travel and to host visitors on campus again,” Duck said.

Admissions will also continue for at least two years with the test-optional policy, which played a role in making Tufts more acces-

sible to prospective students and achieving the large increase in the number of applicants.

“Tufts will continue its SAT/ ACT test-optional pilot for two more years, at which point we will make a decision about our testing policy moving forward,” Duck said.

To welcome the accepted class, Tufts Admissions is hosting a virtual Jumbo Month in lieu of in-person Jumbo Days, according to Associate Director of Admissions Beky Stiles, who leads Jumbo Month events.

“Our campus partners and current students have been tremendous supports in our planning of over 80 virtual events to celebrate the many spaces and experiences of being a student on the Hill,” Stiles wrote in an email to the Daily.

Some highlights of Jumbo Month include themed panels hosted by current students, professors opening up their classrooms to the admitted Class of 2025 and conversations held by all of the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion identity-based resource centers.

Admissions also launched a new social platform called the Tufts Admitted Student Network, allowing current students to openly and honestly share their Tufts experiences with admitted students. Three hundred current students have already joined the platform, according to Stiles.

“And, of course, we are hosting a series of socials to connect admitted students to one another and to current Jumbos,” Stiles said.

4 Friday, August 27, 2021

Features

Tufts students work to ease social isolation of older adults during the pandemic

tuftsdaily.com

Kevin Zhang Tales from the T

New train just dropped

I

Originally published May 11, 2021.

AARON APOSTADERO / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Medford Senior Center is pictured.

by Ari Navetta

Assistant Features Editor

Originally published April 5, 2021.

Disclaimer: Arielle Galinsky is a contributing writer at The Tufts Daily. Arielle was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

As COVID-19 swept through nursing homes across the United States in the early months of the pandemic, the country’s health care resources became focused on containing the spread of the disease, especially among the most vulnerable citizens.

By late June 2020, 54,000 nursing home residents and workers had died from COVID-19.

Despite making up less than 1% of the U.S. population, nursing home residents represented 43% of COVID-19 deaths at the time.

After nursing homes bore the brunt of early COVID-19 deaths, the nation moved to stop the spread among the population.

Nursing homes were left reeling from such devastating losses, trying to train workers on proper precautions and dealing with finan-

cial struggles. During this stage, a new threat to the health of America’s elder population emerged, one that has long plagued this population but is often overlooked. The mental health crisis resulting from social isolation and anxiety is now exponentially worse.

One student group at Tufts has set out to combat this issue on a local scale, providing volunteer opportunities targeted at prehealth students to ease the isolation of the geriatric community. Advocates for Quality Aging (AQA) began in fall 2020 as a health care blog featuring interviews with geriatric health care providers, social workers and others in the industry. Founder Paul Ly wanted to give pre-health students at Tufts an idea of what life was like for those serving the geriatric community.

Ly, a senior, discovered an interest in geriatric care after his sophomore year at Tufts when he returned home to Seattle for the summer.

“I found this adult day care center called Full Life Care, and I pretty much spent my whole summer working with them, taking

care of older adults, running these mini book club sessions,” Ly said. “We do this thing called memory care to help older adults kind of just jog [their] memory. I also spent a lot of time shadowing a geriatric primary care provider, so I learned a lot about how older adults in certain areas may get different levels of access to health care and such.”

Ly’s interest in educating students about geriatric care transformed during the pandemic.

“Initially I wanted to provide a lot of prehealth students on this campus [with] an idea of how the older adult population is growing and how there should be more health care providers ready to tackle this incoming wave of older adults,” Ly said. “But over time that passion kind of turned more into a volunteering passion, and I think it makes even more sense now than ever because we’re in a pandemic.”

The difficulty of reaching health care workers amid a pandemic and the see SENIOR, page 6

think by now it’s time to address the elephant in the station — and I don’t mean Jumbo’s flattened corpse. Let’s talk about the Green Line Extension, or GLX: What is its history, what will it bring, why did we spend $2 million to name one station, I mean seriously, who on Earth thought that was a good idea?

Anyways, calls for the GLX — a subway line following the Lowell commuter rail line through central Somerville — have been made as early as 1922 — and again in 1926, 1947 and 1990. In the end, other subway extensions (including the Red Line to Alewife) received higher priority, and it wasn’t until 2005 that planning officially began.

Sixteen years later, it’s nearing completion. The Union Square branch will open in October, carrying “D” branch trains from Union Square to Riverside. The Medford branch will open in December, carrying “E” branch trains from Medford/ Tufts to Heath Street via the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. In total, there will be seven new stations (including a rebuilt Lechmere) and a new storage yard to support a new fleet of modern trains.

The GLX, now in its fourth reboot, has unsurprisingly diverged significantly from the source material. Original plans called for service from Tufts all the way to Woburn, but track upgrades in the 1950s precluded any extension north of West Medford.

Service between West Medford and Tufts was dropped after enough bureaucratic bickering to fill a TCU Senate meeting.

Central to the debate has been the question of how the GLX will affect affordability and gentrification within Somerville, a highly complex topic on which the Daily has published an excellent podcast episode. And of course, the project’s no stranger to cost and schedule overruns, like the Big Dig for which it was coincidentally designed to help offset pollution.

The GLX has seen its fair share of rightful criticism, and its true effects perhaps won’t be known for several decades (at which point it’ll be really clear what we should’ve done instead!). But we do know that today, Somerville is the densest city in New England, and it’s only growing. It’s built by design to be walkable and transit-oriented, a boon to low-income and immigrant residents. Despite this, it’s only served by two “T” stops at its periphery, and huge swathes of the city depend on buses for transit, with their delays and unreliability.

There’s no question that Somerville, and communities like it all over Boston, deserve reliable, efficient transit like the GLX — the question is if we’re up for it. It’ll mean confrontations and compromise.

It’ll also mean catching up, at rates only seen in a student four weeks behind on lectures during finals month. But in the end, it’ll mean taking the steps toward making our cities truly inclusive, sustainable and livable places to reside.

The GLX is not perfect — far from it — and there are surely lessons to be learned.

But if nothing else, it’s a bold step forward, and it’s up to us to keep that momentum.

Kevin Zhang is a junior studying civil engineering. Kevin can be reached at kevin. zhang7@tufts.edu.

F e at u r e s

Friday, August 27, 2021 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

5

Standardized tests were never a standard: Impact of Tufts Admissions going test-optional

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

A student is pictured studying for a chemistry midterm exam on Oct. 14, 2020.

by Jillian Collins

Executive Features Editor

Originally published March 5, 2021.

At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Tufts University announced that, for the next three years, prospective students would not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores with their applications.

Tufts has historically mandated these test scores as a part of the application for undergraduate admissions, so this change will allow applicants greater flexibility.

According to some professors and students, the change is also a significant step toward equity and inclusion in college admissions.

The unique obstacles prospective students are facing due to COVID-19 were the main push for Tufts’ Office of Undergraduate Admissions to implement this new policy, according to JT Duck, dean of admissions and enrollment management at Tufts.

“Very suddenly last spring, high school students faced an enormous amount of uncertainty about how to balance their school commitments, stay connected to their friends, stay healthy, and support their families. Taking a standardized test for college admissions should not have been at the forefront of their thinking,” Duck wrote in an email to the Daily. “We wanted to take the issue of testing off the plate of any high school student … considering applying to Tufts and allow them to focus on their immediate world.”

Alongside the additional stress of balancing the pandemic, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions was concerned that standardized tests would not be offered as frequently.

“Historically, many of our applicants have taken the ACT or SAT in the spring of junior year, and sat for it again in the fall of senior year,”

Duck said. “With various testing dates being curtailed or canceled in the spring, we worried that students who could be great matches for Tufts would not have access to the exams on a reasonable timeline, or the opportunity to submit scores that they felt reflected their best performance.”

While the test-optional policy was originally brought on by COVID-19, it has sparked other conversations around college admissions. Professors and students on campus are questioning the legitimacy of these tests.

Erin Seaton, co-director of educational studies, favors this new policy and explains the inequities behind standardized tests.

“How you do on a standardized test isn’t a measure of one student against another. It’s a measure of the systemic privileges that you’ve had throughout your education.

That could be, access to classes, curriculum, textbooks, tutoring and parental support,” Seaton said. “It was always a measure of inequality. To use that as a standard never worked in the first place.”

Natasha Warikoo, professor of sociology, shared similar thoughts on the exclusivity of standardized tests.

“We know that SAT scores are highly correlated to family income … and that they’re not good predictors of the grades that people are even going to get in college,” Warikoo said. “These standardized tests create more inequality and they don’t do a very good job of even predicting who is going to be successful.”

Taking the emphasis off of standardized test scores means that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions can holistically evaluate other components of the application and give prospective students a better chance to express themselves.

“In our first year of being test-optional, we are intentionally reducing and reimagining the role of the SAT and ACT in our process,” Duck said. “In practice, that means we are leaning into curricular rigor, class performance and grades [and] insights gleaned from letters of recommendation.”

Seaton found cumulative evaluation to be a better indicator of how well a student would perform at Tufts.

“I would suggest looking very holistically … at students’ ability to think critically about themselves in the world. We want students that are going to be able to carry that into the classrooms at Tufts,” Seaton said. “That could include interpersonal relationships. How do you work with other people?

What do your recommenders say about you as a human?”

According to Warikoo, the inequities of college admissions lie not only in standardized tests. They are also ingrained in different high schools’ education structures and offered extracurricular activities.

“We can’t assume that just getting rid of the SAT or the ACT is going to lead to equity necessarily. We need to think, well, what’s the alternative?” Warikoo said. “If we’re placing more emphasis now on extracurricular achievement [we have to think about that].

Extracurriculars are also a domain that are unequally accessible to kids. If you’re going to be a star athlete or a star musician, you’re going to need a lot of coaching … which costs a lot of money, or private coaching or private music lessons or an expensive instrument.”

Warikoo believes the best way to evaluate a student is by looking at their high school grades.

“Grades are some measure of, ‘Did you go to class? Did you get your work done? Did you study for your tests?’ All schools have grades and there are top perform-

ers in every school,” Warikoo said.

“A’s are distributed [more] equitably than are high scores on the SAT [or ACT].”

Sophomore Mindy Duggan, who is studying child study and human development, felt that her standardized test scores did not accurately reflect her academic performance.

“I was actually worried about submitting my scores because I wasn’t sure that they reflected my abilities as a student,” Duggan said.

“It was definitely stressful on my part to see that score and kind of compare it to … my grades in my classes. They didn’t quite match up.

If I had the option not to submit those I definitely would not have.”

Duggan sees this new policy as a way of reaching different types of students and learners.

“It’s a way to be more inclusive.

I know some people aren’t the best test-takers,” Duggan said. “I know in high school I was not the best test taker and I did not look forward to taking the SATs or ACTs, I’m very much an essay-based [student].”

According to Warikoo, the underrepresentation of minority groups is a drastic issue in college admissions everywhere. Having test-optional policies might reduce some of these disparities.

“I think [colleges are] not so good at identifying young people with potential who are from disadvantaged groups. I don’t think that’s unique to Tufts, but I do think that is a problem,” Warikoo said. “The reality is that there are so many amazing young people in this country who could thrive at a place like Tufts. So why not have a class that more reflects the kind of distribution of 18 year olds in the country?”

Seaton predicts that the removal of standardized tests will create more space for students with learning disabilities.

“I teach a class about learning disabilities for students with learning disabilities. [Standardized tests are] a huge barrier and not a measure at all [of] their academic abilities,” Seaton said.

In addition to opening pathways for students with learning disabilities, she believes it will open doors for minority groups. “[Standardized tests are] a measure that is directly correlated with wealth and with racist ideologies, so [the test optional policy] opens up pathways for students of color. It opens up pathways for students that speak English as a second language.

It opens up a path for students that come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” Seaton said.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has already seen a more diverse applicant pool this year, after the implementation of the test-optional policy.

“For the Class of 2025, there are more than 31,190 first-year applicants, a 35% increase over last year.

This year’s applicant pool is also the most diverse on record. For the first time, students of color comprise a majority of U.S. applicants: 51%.

About half of all applicants did not submit SAT or ACT scores,” Duck said. “The size, depth and diversity of this year’s pool is the result of many changes we made to our admissions process, including our test-optional policy in response to COVID-19.”

Many more barriers will have to be removed for Tufts to become a more inclusive institution, but Seaton and Warikoo think going test-optional for the next three years is a good start.

“We really have to be thinking about the systems and the structures that we are a part of,” Seaton said. “This focus on standardized testing as a measure for admissions can’t hold with being an anti-racist institution.”

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continued from page 4 logistical restraints of physical distancing brought about a new focus for AQA. “Our group had to take a bit more of a creative approach,” Ly said. “How can we make use of any other technology we have while providing students with a good volunteer experience [and] easing the loneliness of older adults?”

AQA has launched a partnership with the Medford Council on Aging where volunteers help geriatric patients access now-ubiquitous virtual services such as Zoom and lead a weekly book club, according to sophomore Ivian Zhang, director of community events for AQA. Elders have had a particularly hard time dealing with social isolation, as many of them are less familiar with virtual ways of staying in touch than younger populations.

The Tufts Public Health Society is another group that has taken initiative in easing the isolation of geriatric adults. The group has partnered with the Medford Senior Center to provide a similar service where volunteers call residents on a weekly basis. First-year Arielle Galinsky, a Tufts Public Health Society board member, has long been interested in intergenerational communication and wanted to continue this work during the pandemic.

“When the pandemic hit, and with the understanding that these

senior residents were some of the hardest hit by the impacts of social isolation, I got involved by becoming a ‘call coach’ to 50–60 residents weekly,” Galinsky wrote in an email to the Daily. “I knew that both the senior citizens and students alike could benefit from conversation during a period of such isolation.”

The work has not been without challenges, however, and both AQA and Tufts Public Health Society have experienced unexpected setbacks that required creative solutions.

“Seniors are weary to lend their phone numbers out to people they do not know — which is totally understandable,” Galinsky said. “The hope is to get every student matched, or at least find another avenue for that student to get involved with doing something to uplift the spirits of Medford seniors.”

AQA currently has about 30 active members working as volunteers. Like some other clubs this year, it is experiencing some difficulty engaging those who have expressed interest but were not placed in volunteer positions.

“We try to not turn away help … and I’m assuming that the people that sign up for volunteering are pre-health students who are just looking for volunteer opportunities, and I understand that during this pandemic, it’s just mad hard to find volunteering opportu-

nities,” Ly said. “My goal is to [create] as many volunteering opportunities as possible for the students.”

In an effort to achieve this goal and help as many geriatric adults as possible, AQA will soon launch three new volunteering initiatives with a local hospice. These include a pen pal program, phone call program and fundraising campaign led by Tufts students to raise money for personal protective equipment, Ly said.

AQA has additional plans to get more students interested in geriatric health care.

“Aside from volunteering, we’re going to focus on bringing back the blog, but we’re also going to focus on scientific engagement — bringing in speakers from the National Institute of Aging, or maybe the Massachusetts Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, getting them to talk about age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s [and] dementia,” Ly said.

Ly highlighted the many social difficulties faced by elders, and pointed out similar challenges faced by students at the moment.

“It’s difficult because [elders] can’t physically leave their homes to go for a walk in the park or such, and it’s also kind of the same way for us students — we’re kind of required to stay in our dorms and quarantine, follow social distancing and COVID-19 protocols,” Ly said.

He also described systemic issues with nursing homes that have been brought to the fore by the pandemic. “[The pandemic] shows that disparities in health care are very real for older adults,” Ly said. “If you have a lot of money you can afford to stay in a very luxurious and nice nursing home and you have access to competent staff members, but if you don’t have that much money then you end up getting placed in … pretty crappy nursing homes. You might end up getting stuck with very incompetent health care workers.”

However, Ly is optimistic about virtual programs such as Zoom reducing social isolation and providing safe, accessible volunteer opportunities for those looking to help. Ly predicts such technology might stick around after the pandemic because of its ability to connect volunteers to adults living in remote areas.

Overall, Ly is proud of the work AQA has done and anticipates much more to come.

“I think the pandemic makes us even more passionate about our mission than before,” Ly said. “The term social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. …

With Zoom, all these platforms, we’ve been able to reach out to a lot of older adults and I’m very happy with the direction that AQA is taking.”

Galinsky has come away from this experience with a renewed

Fall 2021

appreciation for the importance of connection, and sees it as one of the few things we can rely on during times such as these.

“A phone call to an elderly individual [in] your life (whether it be your grandmother or a neighbor) can make an enormous positive impact on their spirits,” Galinsky said. “While there is a lot that cannot be controlled during the pandemic, we are all capable of developing and maintaining connections with the most vulnerable populations.”

Galinsky has also been thankful for virtual platforms and wants to continue this work but hopes to return to in-person formats once possible.

“My goal, post-COVID, is to initiate a program where Tufts students physically go to local nursing homes or senior communities, pair up with one of the residents, and learn and document their life stories,” Galinsky said.

Zhang sees this focus on quality of life, rather than longevity, as the primary goal for future geriatric health care workers.

“Our predecessors’ work has significantly lengthened the lifespan of the average person, and it is down to us now to care for the wellness of geriatric populations,” Zhang wrote in an email to the Daily. “We also should never overlook the individuality of geriatric patients [or] ignore their unique life perspectives.”

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Friday, August 27, 2021

‘The Decameron Project’ remembers life and fiction touched by COVID-19

by Sadie Leite Arts Editor

Originally published March 16, 2021.

March 2021 sits uncomfortably with many of us, a reminder of March 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic’s unsettling consequences. One year ago, in response to the massive changes taking place, a certain book began flying off bookshelves. It was Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron” (1353), a collection of short stories told by a fictional group sheltered outside Florence, Italy as the Black Death devastated 14th century Europe.

The New York Times Magazine created their own “Decameron,” with short stories detailing COVID-19. On July 7, 2020, the magazine issue was published. Then, on Nov. 10, 2020, The New York Times Magazine released “The Decameron Project” as a print book, explaining the project and presenting the 29 stories.

Victor LaValle’s “Recognition” (2020), the first story in the collection, dissects death by introducing past lives and their odd manifestations. The protagonist, unnamed, befriends a woman named Mirta. At the end of the story, Mirta explains through her door that she recognized the character because they met in a past life. Seconds later, Mirta’s door opens and she is found dead. She has left the protagonist a note, ensuring they would

meet again in another life.

Culminating quickly, the story teaches that death, though jarring, immediate and unwanted, can also connect. In the fiction’s comforting claim, guilt is mitigated by the promised continuation of friendship, assured by a supernatural ghost or a festering deja vu.

In the preface to the collection, renowned author Margaret Atwood’s story, “Impatient Griselda” (2020), is hinted to be genius. It is. An alien, sent as a part of an “intergalactical-crises aid package,” distracts quarantined humans with an atrociously entertaining story, all while berating humankind for its despicable qualities.

Immediately, the alien’s translation device cannot interpret the word “vegan” in a request for snacks. The suggested and obvious solution, then, is to not eat. The “little young entities” don’t like the alien’s bluntness or that it looks like an octopus. It enjoys this, as its lack of skeleton makes oozing under doors manageable.

Continuing with hilarious discrepancies in language and culture, the alien tells a folk story of sisters tricking and killing a duke. The story is almost believable until the alien nonchalantly states that the sisters ate the corpse, a more substantive and menacing translational glitch. Still, the alien insists that “storytelling does help us understand one another across our social

and historical and evolutionary chasms.” The story initially appears to prove the opposite.

Yet, the ridiculousness of the misconceptions reveals human ignorance. Fiction does unite, especially during difficult times. Those who reject this pleasure because of their natural differences should have their corpses eaten.

Etgar Keret’s story “Outside” (2020), translated from Hebrew

by Jessica Cohen, features a character who has forgotten everything about his life before isolation. He goes outside, trying to remember if he was a social worker. His instincts are revivified by a beggar asking for food.

He remembers to ignore them and walk with a head down. The story ends with the line, “The body remembers everything, and the heart that softened while you were alone will harden back up in no time.” The story is brief but insightful. Isolation stole our humanity. Yet, in the world before, were we more inhumane?

Edwidge Danticat’s “One Thing” (2020) tells the story of Marie-Jeanne remembering the behavioral intricacies of her science teacher’s husband. She is “the love of Ray’s life,” talking to his unconscious body through a phone held to his ear by the nurse also regulating his ventilator. Danticat’s beautiful writing effortlessly paints the pain of losing loved ones to the debilitating effects of COVID-19. It is an intensely moving story to end the collection.

controversy over McCammond alone seems to have received as much coverage as each of the brand solidarity announcements put together.

Soon after Condé Nast announced McCammond’s hiring as editor in chief of Teen Vogue at the beginning of March, racist tweets that McCammond posted in 2011 resurfaced, such as “Outdone by Asian #whatisnew” and “now googling how not to wake up with swollen, asian eyes.” Just days after her hire, more than 20 members of the Teen Vogue staff expressed concern to management in a joint letter. Despite McCammond’s repeated apologies, disapproval of her position increased until she finally relinquished the role last week. This came just two days after the Atlanta shootings and before she had officially started the job.

While it is good that companies are trying to combat racism, their steps seem largely performative considering the Asian stereotypes perpetuated by the fashion industry as a whole. The Atlanta shooter, Robert Aaron

Long, admitted that he was motivated by “sexual addiction” and “temptation … that he wanted to eliminate.” This reflects a larger dehumanizing effect of Orientalism upon Asian women, who are seen as both appealing and threatening, exotic and sexually submissive.

“The Orient was almost a European invention, and had been since antiquity ‘a place of romance, exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes,[‘]” a pioneering theorist of Orientalism, Edward Said, explained in his book, “Orientalism” (1978). “The Orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also … one of its deepest and most recurring images of the other.”

In the United States, Asian women face dual stereotypes as both a fetishized “other” as described by Said and a submissive model minority. For several who work in spa services, this leads to assumptions that they are involved in sex work and creates a constant danger of harassment and assault.

Far from just being incidentally involved through

VIA AMAZON

The New York Times Magazine’s “The Decameron Project” (2020) includes 29 short stories written during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the introduction to the collection, Rivka Galchen writes, “Memento vivere.” In Latin, it means, “Remember that you must live.” She marks this message as the meaning of “The Decameron.” We live through fiction, reading stories

that are so much like our own to remember our place in this new world.

“The Decameron Project” is available everywhere and should be purchased by anyone impacted by COVID-19 — which is everyone.

McCammond’s individual racism, the fashion industry actively furthers these stereotypes. It frequently hypersexualizes models and appropriates cultural clothing, while depicting female garment workers as impoverished yet industrious laborers.

Designers and brands have long appropriated styles such as the Chinese qipao, Vietnamese Áo Dài and Japanese kimono to represent a sexual, undifferentiated Asia. This phenomenon traces back to the first travels of Europeans to Asia, and to the resurgence of “Asian chic” in the 1990s and early 2000s — see Sandra Niessen, “Re-Orienting Fashion: The Globalization of Asian Dress” (2003) — as well as the embroidered qipao dresses of Urban Outfitters and other fast-fashion retailers today.

This matters because fashion is key to how we see ourselves and others. A recent study suggests that even accessories as simple and necessary as face masks make it easier to see each other as threats and harder to recognize shared humanity. With racist assumptions connect-

ing Asians to Donald Trump’s dubbed “Kung flu” and “Chinese virus,” Asian Americans are made even more susceptible to violence. And while some Asians feel so embarrassed by monolids that they opt for double eyelid surgery, other non-Asians see no problem following the recent “fox eye” makeup trend which gives a more slanted eye appearance.

As the Thai celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose explains, “People’s eye shapes are not trends. We’re not handbags of the season.” Both the fashion and beauty industries thus have extensive histories that persist today of capitalizing on Orientalism for economic profit and commodifying Asian people in an extremely harmful way.

Brands posting about standing in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community without mentioning this context come off as shallowly attempting to maintain face.

Indeed, according to the firms McKinsey & Co. and Bain & Co., China has been the world’s largest

Canceling Teen Vogue’s Alexi McCammond won’t end anti-Asian hate

by Phoebe Wong

Executive Arts Editor

Originally published March 23, 2021.

Content warning: This article references racial and sexual violence.

The fashion industry plays a key role in recent violence toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, but it goes far beyond the latest controversy over Alexi McCammond, who was set to be the next Teen Vogue editor in chief. Asians have faced an onslaught of racism and violence over the past year of the pandemic. Just last week, on March 16, eight people — six of whom were Asian and seven of whom were women — were shot and killed at three massage parlors in Atlanta. In response to the ongoing violence, brands such as Valentino, Nike, Adidas, Converse, Tommy Hilfiger, Benefit Cosmetics and U Beauty have expressed condolences and declared their support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community over the past few months. However, the

see FASHION, page 9

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How the fashion industry perpetuates anti-Asian violence FASHION

continued from page 8 years and will be responsible for nearly half of luxury goods purchases by 2025. As increasingly important consumers, Asian consumers provide a financial incentive for brands to at least appear to be aligned with Asian communities.

By contrast, Asian American designers, editors and business people speaking up about Asian hate are much more genuine.

Renowned designer Phillip Lim recently moved his studio to New York’s Chinatown and began raising funds and awareness for grassroots American Asian and Pacific Islander organizations. “I can’t separate a world of fashion with the reality of what’s happening to our people,” Lim explained in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Sister designers Jessica and Emily Leung similarly explained their commitment by stating, “Fashion is the front lines of raising awareness; it’s the first thing others see when forming their impressions.” While there were only two Asian women on Allure’s cover of the more than 300 issues before Michelle Lee became editor in chief in 2015, Lee has since used her position to feature Asian people more prominently.

Moreover, in conversation with Eva Chen, Instagram’s

director of fashion partnerships, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen argued, “If there are structures that have systematically locked the Asian American Pacific Islander community out, we will turn to other platforms like social media in order to democratize our voices … We have choices now. No one is invisible when we demand to be seen.”

As just one example, the Instagram account @chinatownpretty posts photographs and stories of various elderly Chinatown residents in their everyday outfits, showcasing not only their incredible style but also their complex humanity and defiance of simplistic stereotypes.

These efforts are inspiring, but the comparatively minimal commitments of most nonAsian industry leaders reveal that fashion still has a long way to go. McCammond’s racist comments deserved to be interrogated no matter how long ago they were made, but spending too much time sensationalizing the Teen Vogue drama glosses over deeper issues at hand.

McCammond’s exit was not a solution to fashion’s complicity in violence against Asians and, beyond silencing racist voices, we need to recenter Asian voices challenging stereotypes.

In addition to voicing their support, non-Asians with

COURTESY EMILYWARDWEL

The inside of a Teen Vogue magazine is pictured. power in the industry can open their platforms to help others be heard. As consumers, we need to think twice when buying clothing that may be appropriated or when relying on Asian workers at salons for our own beautification. Asian garment workers are just as integral to clothing production as designers who are normally credited with all the creative genius — see Thuy Linh N. Tu’s “The

Beautiful Generation” (2010) — and Asian beauty includes everyday Chinatown residents as much as the occasional runway model. Above all, Asian people are more than just a subservient model minority to serve the West or an exotic, sexual plaything to entertain its fantasies.

David Yi, co-founder of Very Good Light, is one of many more voices expressing these sentiments, and I’d like to leave

you with his poignant words here: “Silence is violence …

Are you going to stand up for us? Are you going to see us? Or are you going to further make us invisible like we’ve always been in this country? You love our K beauty, our J beauty. You love our ancient healing practices, but you don’t love us.

You can’t have it both ways …

You can’t love the innovation that comes out of Asia without loving us.”

‘Drivers License’ is just the beginning for Olivia Rodrigo

by Camille Shimshak Contributing Writer

Originally published Feb. 8, 2021.

TikTok, the video-sharing social networking app that has swept the world during the pandemic, has brought new meaning to internet virality. The app has launched musicians, dancers, fashion influencers and more into overnight worldwide stardom. One of its most recent targets is Olivia Rodrigo and her emotionally saturated, painfully relatable heartbreak anthem: “Drivers License” (2021). The song is a phenomenon that has become almost impossible to avoid. In its first week, Rodrigo’s lead single debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and set Spotify’s record

for most streams in one week worldwide. The music industry has its eyes on Rodrigo, as the song shatters previous notions of what a breakout single is capable of and shows no signs of slowing down.

Rodrigo is a proud member of Taylor Swift’s school of music, as seen through her heartfelt, honest lyricism and storytelling.

“Drivers License” catalogs the experience of Rodrigo getting her driver’s license, something she and the boy who broke her heart had “always talked about.”

She describes driving alone past his house and even cathartically admits in the song’s harmonious bridge, “I still f—–g love you.”

However, producer Dan Nigro’s complex production and inventive arrangements make her stand out against other young

CAMILLE SHIMSHAK / THE TUFTS DAILY

Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single ‘Drivers License.’

female singer-songwriters, leading fans to dub her the lovechild of Taylor Swift and Lorde. An early contender for the 2022 Grammys Song of the Year award, the single reads like an intimate journal entry and plays like a cinematic masterpiece.

The viral sensation that is “Drivers License” can be attributed to a perfect storm of factors: the quality and relatability of the song itself, support from celebrities such as TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and Taylor Swift that maximized its reach and — potentially the most powerful catapult to virality — a compelling scandal. Rodrigo, a seasoned teen TV actress, currently stars in the Disney+ series, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” (2019–).

Some believe that Rodrigo’s co-star, Joshua Bassett, is the boy in “Drivers License.” Fans combed through each line, piecing together a story of an alleged love triangle between Rodrigo, Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter, another Disney star thought to be Bassett’s new love interest and, as Rodrigo supposedly identified her in a now-famous lyric, “… that blonde girl/ Who always made me doubt.” The details of the supposed love triangle sparked widespread debate and conversation, as social media detectives each contributed their research, theories and opinions to the case — predominantly over TikTok.

Less than a week after the release of “Drivers License,” Bassett dropped “Lie Lie Lie” (2021), a song whose lyrics seem to match up with the speculated narrative, even though a demo was posted in 2019 and their rumored breakup is thought to have occurred sometime in 2020. “Lie Lie Lie” stirred up rumors of it all being a publicity stunt, with its fishy timing and suspiciously similar music video to that of “Drivers License.”

Then, on Jan. 22, Sabrina Carpenter made her grand appearance. She dropped a surprise single, entitled “Skin” (2021), featuring very pointed lyrics to Rodrigo’s “Drivers License.” Carpenter’s bubbly melody and soft tone, reminiscent of Ariana Grande, address Rodrigo directly through lines such as, “Maybe you didn’t mean it/ Maybe ‘blonde’ was the only rhyme.” Carpenter’s response tells the story of triumphing over criticism and a publicly constructed narrative that she feels strays from the truth. As fans pit the three songs against each other, choosing sides and contemplating the rights and wrongs of each actor in the love story dominating popular culture, the tracks continue to soar in the charts.

At the core of this frenzy lies the near-universal experience of teenage heartbreak.

Rodrigo’s plea has been heard and echoed by young people

nationwide, as they fit themselves into the narrative, identifying as the heartbreaker, the heartbroken or maybe even “that blonde girl.”

It has long been argued that teenage girls are the driving force of the pop music industry despite the harsh criticism that teenage fandom may elicit. According to a survey conducted by Morning Consult, young adults are twice as likely to prefer streaming music than adults. If one looks back on truly viral musical phenomena, such as Beatlemania or the Rolling Stones, they are often carried by the earnest, obsessive admiration of a predominantly young female fanbase. “Drivers License” and its responses speak directly to these young people, and are thus being carried toward infamy.

However, one is forced to wonder what the long-term impact of such a fast and drama-filled rise to fame will be on these three burgeoning stars. Rodrigo’s own inspiration, Taylor Swift, was the victim of widespread public criticism regarding her character and dating history. Has the story of “Driver’s License” shifted too far away from the celebration of Rodrigo and her powerful and heartfelt debut, and instead toward the media trap of pitting two talented women against each other?

Regardless, one thing is clear above all of the noise: Rodrigo is a pop powerhouse and this is only the beginning for her.

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COVID-19 and student mental health: Where we are, how to do better

by Eliza Dickson

Contributing Writer

Originally published March 19, 2021.

Content warning: This article mentions suicide and mental health struggles.

A year ago, students were abruptly forced to depart campus as COVID-19 began to spread across our country. Little did we know we would be saying goodbye to college life as we knew it. The college experience has always been built on the foundation of community, and with COVID-19 restrictions severely limiting most forms of connection, the toll on our mental health has been steep.

Pre-pandemic, mental health struggles were prevalent among college students.

Young adulthood is a mentally turbulent period; it is a time of transition that comes with new stressors and intrinsic biological risk that make mental health difficulties common. In a pre-pandemic survey, 65% of college students reported anxiety, 30% a mental health condition and 10% thoughts of suicide. For some time, young adulthood has been recognized as a common age of onset for numerous serious mental disorders.

The pandemic has exacerbated these already widespread mental health issues among college students. A CDC report on mental health during the pandemic found that in the 18–24 age group, one in four people had considered suicide in the past 30 days. In the fall 2020 exit survey conducted by TCU Senate, 73% of respondents rated their mental health as 5 or lower on a 10-point scale and over 80% stated that their mental health negatively impacted their motivation, academics, work and social lives. Social isolation was the second most cited issue impacting students’ learning and experience. The guidelines put in place to keep us safe are wholly necessary, and careless behavior is inexcusable. Yet when students are forced to choose between being safe and fulfilling their social needs, it’s easy to see why caution tends to get thrown to the wind.

For first-years, this lack of community is especially pronounced.

These statistics are frightening, yet not surprising considering the cumulative stressors on college students over the last year. The pandemic has introduced a host of new risk factors that contribute to the development of mental health issues and crises. Prolonged exposure to stress increases risk for anxiety, depression, substance use problems, sleep disturbances

BY CECILIA OROZCO and even physical pain and injury. Online classes entail an inherent risk; according to a study published in 2021, spending eight or more hours per day looking at screens correlates with increased psychological impact induced by the pandemic.

Over all of this lingers a persistent feeling of uncertainty: Will we be sent home again? For many, particularly those without safe home environments to which they can return, the prospect of getting sent home proves not only disruptive but detrimental.

The pandemic has stripped us of our typical coping strategies for stressful times. Student clubs that provide a break from rigorous academics have been limited in their activities or unable to meet, and spring break was, in large part, eliminated. Tufts students are dedicated to their academics, but so few chances for respite erode students’ capacity to remain focused and engaged.

Tufts has taken some measures to address the mental health issues brought about by the pandemic. Tufts Health and Wellness has encouraged student participation in an online mental health education program, Kognito, designed to educate students about how to support peers struggling with their mental health and direct them to resources. Notably, Tufts implemented exceptional pass/fail again this spring, which students said was crucial to supporting their mental health

and academic success, according to the TCU fall exit survey. Additional resources offered by Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services, such as workshops and discussion groups, amount to important tools that teach coping skills and build a community around self-care.

Despite this, the barriers to seeking help are insurmountable for many. Lack of trust in counseling services is one of the factors that deter college students from seeking help. Clearly, this is the case at Tufts; the majority of respondents to the TCU fall exit survey stated they do not believe CMHS meets their needs, and 60% rated the accessibility of CMHS as 5 or lower on a 10-point scale. This, along with the general stigma surrounding mental health issues, makes getting help incredibly challenging.

In order to address the lack of confidence in CMHS, Tufts must act in response to the needs students have clearly expressed. TCU reported that students specifically asked for “increased one-on-one time with professionals” and “increased diversity in CMHS’s staff.”

Therefore, Tufts should allocate resources for CMHS to hire more clinicians in order to meet the need for long term, one-on-one counseling. To address the need for greater diversity, it is critical that CMHS hires more clinicians of color and LGBTQ clinicians. Once students take the initial step of reaching out for

help, one that is daunting in and of itself, they must have uncompromised access to the care they need.

To address mental health emergencies, the number of mental health professionals on call must be increased.

Additionally, TUPD should be removed from all mental health crisis calls. Police officers are not equipped to deal with mental health emergencies and may even exacerbate these crises, especially for students of color.

Because the barriers to care are so great, TCU Senate’s recommendation for CMHS to take a more proactive approach to student mental health and to publicize opportunities should be implemented.

The Senate also recommended a weekly newsletter from CMHS, which could substantially augment the visibility of essential resources. Additionally, CMHS should leverage students’ passion for mental health care, and hire student ambassadors to promote opportunities to peers and bridge the gap between CMHS and the student body.

Analogous to physical health checkups, Tufts should offer screenings for mental health symptoms and risk factors, and when necessary, the detection of such conditions should lead to a referral for care. Tufts should also mandate Kognito training for all students and faculty, so that everybody is equipped with strategies to recognize signs of mental health difficulties in themselves and others.

In addition to making CMHS more accessible, Tufts must address the effects of social isolation. Students should be offered more spaces and opportunities to safely spend time with friends. Tufts should adopt the Senate’s recommendations to make the JumboLife platform more user friendly and create new social media spaces to help students learn about events. Once the weather is warmer, Residential Life should facilitate socially distant, outdoor events; spending time outside is a great way to bolster mental health.

Now more than ever, it is important to check in with your friends; it is a myth that asking about mental health issues or suicide will make things worse. To students who are struggling, know that you are not alone. As it gets warmer and case numbers continue on a downward trajectory, some problems may subside. Nevertheless, the pandemic has elucidated the urgent need to address students’ mental health.

Students need a robust support system, now and always.

VIEWPOINT

Marijuana legalization must include efforts to dismantle systems of racial injustice

by Faye Thijssen Opinion Editor

Originally published April 26, 2021.

On March 31, New York became the 15th state to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. This new legislation comes as part of a growing national trend toward legalization and decriminalization of drugs. For many people, the news of legalization implies a positive shift toward freedom for personal, recreational use.

While this cultural and political change is worth celebrating, it is important to recognize the implications of these changes on the racial inequities that have long

plagued the economic and legal systems of marijuana usage.

Many New York lawmakers, particularly nonwhite Democrats, advocated for nuanced legislation that would address some of the racial inequities of marijuana legality. Although Gov. Andrew Cuomo initially pushed back on these policy proposals, it was eventually decided that 40% of tax revenue from cannabis will be redirected to Black and Latinx communities, which are disproportionately affected by marijuana drug charges. Additionally, anyone who has previously been convicted of marijuana-related offenses that are no lon-

ger criminalized will have their records expunged.

These recent legislative acts highlight the racial inequities embedded in the cannabis industry, reflected throughout other states and communities in the nation.

Black and Latinx individuals comprise 31% of the U.S. population, but account for nearly 50% of all marijuana-related arrests. However, even as owning and using cannabis is becoming more widely accepted and formally legalized, those who profit off this sociopolitical shift in attitude toward weed are overwhelmingly wealthy and white; between 80% and 90%

of the legal cannabis industry is run by white business owners.

The industry in Massachusetts is hardly better off in comparison to the national average. Massachusetts voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2012 and recreational cannabis in 2016, and the state made headlines for opening the first recreational marijuana stores on the East Coast in 2018.

Over the past two years, the gross sales of cannabis in the state have surpassed $1 billion. However, data shows that about 73% of workers in the Massachusetts cannabis industry are white. Although the see MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, page 13

Op i n i o n

Friday, August 27, 2021 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Legislators, consumers should push for an equitable marijuana industry MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

continued from page 12 state provides equity programs for people from communities disproportionately criminalized for marijuana, as of 2019 only two out of 105 provisional and 79 final licenses were issued to applicants from these programs.

As states shift toward the legalization of marijuana and other drugs, legislation should follow the example of New York and retroactively apply legality to expunge the records of those who have been convicted for crimes that are no longer illegal.

Additionally, some portion of the revenue from taxes on cannabis should be designated to funding programs that work to dismantle the systems of racial injustice in drug criminalization.

In addition to the legislation, businesses and individual consumers should become informed about the power structures implicated in their purchase of recreational and medical cannabis. Legislation and the demographic control of the cannabis market both influence the industry and its impacts

BY KAYLA DRAZAN on society. If cannabis users consciously choose to buy from dispensaries that are not complicit in upholding the dominance of large, white-owned cannabis chains, they will help to disrupt the racial inequities in the market. Additionally, consumers can contribute to political and social efforts to encourage lawmakers to push for legislation

that facilitates a more equitable industry.

It is vital to bring these conversations to college campuses, where marijuana use is common; a 2020 report from the National College Health Assessment showed that 35.9% of college students have used cannabis for nonmedical purposes. Especially

for a school like Tufts that has a predominantly white student body, it is imperative that students who use cannabis engage as conscious consumers. It is the responsibility of students — especially white students — on campus to contend with the hypocrisy and privilege of participating in a system that system-

atically benefits wealthy white business owners at the expense of communities of color. In order to combat these inequities, students should contribute to efforts to reform the United States’ justice, legal and economic systems to reflect the demographics of consumers and rectify racial injustices.

VIEWPOINT

Tufts, other universities must diminish the influence of privilege in admissions processes

by Sara Kessel Opinion Editor

Originally published April 14, 2021.

A little over a year ago today, I received my acceptance notification from Tufts University. In that moment, as I stared in shock at the blue confetti on my computer screen, all of the sleepless nights, extracurricular activities and college application writing had been seemingly justified.

However, it was also impossible to feel anything but absolutely drained by the college admissions process. The jaded attitude many students have toward the process isn’t necessarily because of the time they put in to get a simple yes or no. Ultimately, no matter how much effort an applicant may put in, or how badly they want or deserve to be at a university, privilege-based barriers persist that prevent many from having a fair shot.

The college admissions scandal that emerged two years ago publicized the illegal behavior that many students and admissions experts already knew existed. On March 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a scheme led by William “Rick” Singer in which wealthy parents paid thousands to guarantee their children’s admissions into top universities through Singer’s “side door” operation. This entailed funneling money into a fake nonprofit run by Singer, who would then falsify athletic recruitment or standardized testing to ensure students’ admissions.

The recently released Netflix documentary “Operation Varsity Blues: The

College Admissions Scandal” (2021) has reignited discussion regarding the false meritocracy of the U.S. college admissions system. As students, we need to continue shedding light on how both explicit and implicit privileges allow families to continue to game the system with little consequence. But when addressing these inequities, we must also not ignore the role institutions like Tufts play in allowing these advantages to sway admissions, especially while attempting to promote an environment of diversity and inclusion.

The criminal practices and shady influences of ultra-rich families are not the only ways privilege manifests within the college admissions process.

Often, there are implicit advantages that improve a student’s application in the eyes of an admissions board. “Harder,” more advanced classes might appear more impressive to colleges and universities. However, the quality of education a student has access to depends largely on their location and socioeconomic background; thus, admissions processes can often serve to institutionalize privilege and reinforce class structures. And even when schools try to take this inequity into account, families with higher incomes often have greater access to the “soft skills” valued in the college process. Having the means to pay for expensive niche sports, private college counselors and other extracurricular pursuits amount to other ways one student can have an unfair advantage over another.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated bar-

riers for students with limited access to activities both in and out of school. As many universities and colleges implemented test-optional policies, it is likely that many have come to weigh the nonacademic portions of an application more heavily. The barriers to support and communication in an online environment also make it much harder to navigate the required application forms. This, combined with the immense financial and personal pressures induced by the pandemic, has contributed to a decline in the number of low-income applicants this past admissions cycle. The Common Application reported that the number of students “whose family incomes were low enough for them to have the fee waived fell by 2 percent,” while the number of students filling out the FAFSA form decreased by more than 12% nationwide.

It would be remarkably easy to place all of the blame onto uber-wealthy families who abuse their privileges to the fullest extent. At least, that’s the narrative that some universities implicated in the scandal promote. Wanda M. Austin, former interim president of the University of Southern California, called her university a “victim” and isolated the incident to those involved, stating, “It is immensely disappointing that individuals would abuse their position at the university this way.” However, it is these colleges that allow these abuses to occur. By continuing policies such as legacy admissions and thus failing to address the innate elitism and financial motivations within their admis-

BY KAYLA DRAZAN sions processes, prestigious universities are just as guilty — if not more so — than those who directly broke the law.

Tufts University ranks 10th in the nation on a list of colleges that admit more students from the top 1% of household incomes than the bottom 60%.

The university cannot continue to claim that it is a “diverse” and “inclusive” environment when such an overwhelming

portion of its students come from this level of wealth. As a student body, we need to pressure our school to end the “back door” of elitism and privilege that allows wealthier students to get admitted at disproportionately high rates.

Unless we understand that the fault lies primarily in a university’s complicity, the college admissions process will never truly be a meritocratic one.

14 Friday, August 27, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Coaching in COVID-19: How athletics staff adapted

by Keila McCabe

Assistant Sports Editor

Originally published March 11, 2021.

Disclaimer: Jack Clohisy is an assistant arts editor at The Tufts Daily. Jack was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

For almost a year, Tufts athletics has been in a state of purgatory: limited and distanced practices, uncertainty regarding when competition will resume and teams left waiting for the day when things return to normal. For coaches, scheduling, recruiting and connecting with their teams continues to be difficult. In the face of extraordinary circumstances, Tufts coaches have been forced to adapt to the challenges.

Hall of Fame baseball coach John Casey, currently in his 39th season coaching the Jumbos, said that many facets of his job have been different because of COVID-19, including his heightened role as a strong leader for his players during the pandemic.

“It’s really a simple analogy: No matter how bad the storm is, if the captain looks like he knows what he’s doing and he’s not panicking, that calms down the whole ship,” Casey said. “If the captain runs around with his head cut off, everyone goes ‘Oh boy, we’re in trouble.’ That’s your job as a leader. And our kids deserve that leader. They fire me up.”

Presented with the challenge of engaging with athletes while also following COVID-19 guidelines, coaches have taken a variety of approaches. While some have used the time to allow their athletes to focus on schoolwork and extracurriculars, others have seen it as an opportunity to specifically address certain issues on the team. First-year women’s volleyball setter Maddie Yu said her coach hosts Zoom meetings to discuss athlete mental health and issues of diversity.

“Every other week we switch between class meetings with the coaches and individual meetings with the coaches,” Yu

ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Carzo Cage in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center is pictured on Feb. 5. said. “Once a week, we have sports psychology meetings. And then, every Friday we do DEI, which is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We get material to read or watch before the meeting and then we discuss them as a team. It’s been really good as a team to get that education and it’s brought people closer, talking about such a complicated topic.”

Sophomore men’s track and field hurdler Jack Clohisy gave another example of creative coaching during COVID-19 with his coach’s intensified interest in track around the world.

“The way our coach keeps us engaged is through sending us results from professional track meets,” Clohisy said. “He loves to share results, times, practices, videos, all that stuff. Even talking about our past results and goals from the past. It keeps us involved with the track atmosphere. It makes us aware that track is still happening outside of just us.”

Tina Mattera, the coach of the women’s field hockey team, agreed with the sentiment of holding on to optimism, as she has also creatively adapted to the pandemic. More specifically, this year’s practices have been designed to give her players something fun to do

outside, rather than a means to prepare for competition. However, she said she is struggling to form the relationships with players that she relied on heavily in past years.

“The [lack of ] connection is the hardest part,” Mattera said. “I love the bus.

I always walk around the bus and hang out with the [first-years] and chat with them. I love getting to know their families, the parents, [their] little brother or their dog. I don’t know that right now.

The amount of time I spend with a player normally is maybe 20 hours a week, and now it’s three.”

For Casey, the largest challenge has been uncertainty.

“Being completely honest with you, it’s the ‘why’ that hurts the most for the guys and coaches,” Casey said. “Tell me why we’re doing this. It’s really hard when one of your players comes up to you and says ‘Coach, they’re practicing football 500 yards off campus, why can’t we be in larger than a group of ten, why is this happening?’ I don’t have the answers, and I feel bad.”

In addition to altering practice plans and team bonding events, coaches’ methods of recruiting have changed drastically. Casey

said that it would be very important in the next few years to keep recruiting numbers low. The NCAA is allowing athletes that have lost a competitive season to play an extra year either during graduate school or by saving a semester of classes to graduate later. Given these conditions, Casey and other coaches across the country are faced with the challenge of a growing roster but fewer players leaving the program.

For a coach that relies heavily on connection with potential future athletes, Mattera’s largest struggle with recruiting stems from the lack of in-person interaction.

“I’m such a people person,” Mattera said. “I want to meet the players. If I see someone I like play, I’ll say ‘Hey! Come tour the campus! Bring your mom with you!’ The fact that we can’t have visitors right now makes that hard. I’ve called a few top recruits and said I like their film.

But I want to see players in person.”

Despite the challenges to both athletes and coaches alike, Mattera said her focus is to bring the fun back into field hockey for her athletes. She hopes to foster the same spirit her players had when they were children and there was less pressure to succeed. Her effort to provide joy for her athletes has not gone unnoticed. Mattera said she often receives thankful texts from her players after practice and has noticed enhanced levels of gratitude from the team.

“We talk about what a privilege it is to play and how you only get these four years to enjoy this experience,” Mattera said. “That’s going to be so magnified.

Something has been taken away from them. And as they’re getting it back, they’re appreciating it more because they didn’t have it. We’ll take that with us going forward for a long time. Just appreciating the experience and the ability to be able to compete.”

As COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward, coaches will be able to interact with student-athletes on a more regular basis. Hopefully, once more restrictions are lifted, teams will have fulfilling seasons, cognizant of how lucky they are to play.

Spring athletes reflect on lost 2020 season, year without sports

ALEXANDER THOMPSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts Lacrosse team plays a match against MIT at Bello Field on March 4, 2020.

by Ananda Kao

Executive Sports Editor

Originally published on March 15, 2021.

During halftime of a Tufts men’s lacrosse game against Ithaca College on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, head coach Casey D’Annolfo pulled his team together for a halftime speech no coach could

have imagined giving. D’Annolfo had to inform his players that the game, only the team’s fourth game of the season, would be its last. A year ago, Tufts’ spring sports teams were just getting started when the season was pulled out from under them.

Hunter Watts, a sophomore midfielder on the men’s lacrosse team, recalled the

whirlwind of events leading up to his coach’s halftime speech.

“I remember that Monday night … we were just going over how Amherst canceled, Middlebury canceled, and we were thinking, ‘Wow, there’s no way where our season’s going to get canceled, we’ll find a way to make it happen,’” Watts said.

When he and his teammates were informed of the news the next day, they were shocked.

“It took a while to process it honestly, the whole next week it was just so weird — it was different,” Watts said.

Once the NESCAC canceled spring sports due to the pandemic, hundreds of athletes, coaches and athletics staff members were forced to abandon plans and shift their lives within days. For many Tufts spring sport student-athletes, the news was hard to swallow.

“It was definitely heartbreaking. There were a lot of tears shed. It was just tough in the moment, especially because we didn’t realize how serious COVID was,” Becca Gable, a sophomore defender on the women’s lacrosse team, said.

“Looking back, obviously we all believe that was the correct decision. But at the moment, it didn’t help at all.”

For Gable and other spring sport athletes, the lost season brings up thoughts of what could have been.

“We were three games in and were finally hitting our stride,” Gable said. The women’s lacrosse team was fresh off a come-from-behind win against conference rival Amherst.

“It went from one day making jokes to the next day, everyone getting sent home, so it was definitely really really tough,” Gable said. “We definitely had a great squad last year and we were going to go far if not all the way, so it’s just hard to see that go.”

Most students were asked to pack up their belongings and return home two months earlier than they ordinarily would have. Suddenly, all the lifts, sprints and practices no longer had an end goal in sight. For many seniors, they would never step foot on the field, court or track again.

Jack Schwartz, a sophomore pitcher on the baseball team, remembers the impact the abrupt end to the season had on his senior teammates.

“The hardest thing … was being in our locker room and seeing [the seniors] see SPRING ATHLETES, page 15

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A year without sports SPRING ATHLETES

continued from page 14 crying, that was just one thing that was really hard for me,” Schwartz said. “All the seniors were coming up to the [firstyears] and were like, ‘You guys will carry on our legacy, we really hope that you guys can play next year.’ They were thinking that far ahead and were thinking more about us than them,” Schwartz said.

Besides being blindsided by the cancellation of athletic competition and in-person classes, nobody could imagine the impending longevity of the pandemic when it hit just over a year ago. Many athletes believed it would all blow over by the fall. A month into the spring 2021 semester and still no Tufts sports team has played a game.

Spring sports teams have been able to participate in physically distanced, small-group practices for much of this year, even

Jenny Lu In the Paint

Basketball players’ support for Black Lives Matter Originally published Feb. 25, 2021. s we continue to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the voices of Black individuals, let’s look back at some of the loudest voices in basketball and their contributions toward the Black Lives Matter movement this past year.

A

though the prospect of a season was up in the air.

These practices were valuable for many student-athletes who enjoy working on their game and spending time with their teammates.

“In the fall it was really nice because we got to practice as a team, socially distanced, of course,” sophomore Michelle Adelman, an outfielder on the softball team, said. “It was just really fun being able to practice with everyone even though we didn’t know when we [would] play our first competition, we [knew] that competition [was] coming at some point.”

Practicing and training during a pandemic with no games in sight wasn’t easy for many athletes, but teams tried to maintain positive attitudes.

“Expectations were kind of low, but everyone seemed to keep an optimistic approach towards things … [and] we were

approaching it like [we were] gonna play,” Schwartz said.

“Guys on our team really just wanted to be out there and they just love baseball so much that they’re going to train hard no matter what.”

Some athletes realized during the pandemic that relationships with teammates and coaches are tightened during the season; they felt they lost part of that last year.

“During the season, I think that’s where you really start to form those meaningful bonds and connections,” Watts said.

“When you’re competing and actually trying to win, you kind of just get in that groove and everybody gets on the same page — the chemistry gels. So yeah, it’s been very testing.”

Others felt that the extra time and unique circumstances provided by the pandemic allowed them to create closer, more unique bonds with different people on their teams.

“We found ourselves in a lot of unique situations where we’d be hanging out after practice, social distancing, and would realize that people didn’t really hang out like this before COVID,” Gable said. “I feel like everyone got closer because so many conversations were opened … really genuinely checking in on things like mental health just because everyone was going through such big changes in their lives.”

Many Tufts athletes said their coaches have played an instrumental role in supporting them during the year without sports.

This support often came in the form of open communication and advice. Schwartz reflected on a motto from his coach that resonated with him and his friends on the baseball team.

“One of our coach’s phrases that he says all the time is, ‘Know no other way.’ I think that’s been a pretty big message, especial-

ly during this time,” Schwartz said. “What he means is, we all love baseball, we try super hard in practice, we try super hard in games. But, if you’re cleaning your room, you know no other way than to work hard. So, you clean your room really hard or you go to class and study really hard … So, that’s definitely been a message that has resonated with me in these times.”

On Tuesday, the NESCAC announced that it would allow spring sports competition to resume in April. Even though it has yet to announce further details, this is the most hope spring athletes have had in over a year.

“I love structure and having lacrosse back — real practice and real purpose,” Gable said.

“When we practice, I think it’s going to ultimately be good for all of us and it’s gonna end up being a really great semester.”

Alex Sharp contributed reporting to this article.

When protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other lives lost due to police brutality took place across the country this past summer, the NBA and WNBA wondered whether finishing their seasons was the right priority. After much debate, both leagues decided to carry out the playoffs in their respective bubbles, vowing to use their platforms for social activism.

Players stood firm in their beliefs even when the NBA lost support and viewership from Republicans who felt that sports players should stay out of politics. Although viewership during the COVID-19 pandemic declined across all sports for a number of reasons, 70% of Republicans said they were less likely to watch sports due to players’ social justice stances, according to a Marist Poll.

Donald Trump and other right-

wing politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz also publicly denounced the NBA. Despite this, NBA and WNBA players continued to kneel during the national anthem to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. NBA players could choose between several social justice messages to put on the back of their jerseys and WNBA players wore similarly powerful messages on and off the court.

Following the shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, 2020 when the basketball playoffs were in full swing, teams scheduled to play in the NBA and WNBA boycotted their games. Aside from using its national platforms to promote social justice, the WNBA played a role in flipping the 2020 Georgia Senate race to elect Democrat Raphael Warnock. Amid their seasons in August, the Atlanta Dream and Phoenix Mercury players were

already spreading the message by wearing shirts that said “VOTE WARNOCK.” The players’ decisions to support Warnock were deeply personal, as Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler was the incumbent Republican senator in Georgia and has long criticized the WNBA’s outspokenness in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Players like Elizabeth Williams, Chennedy Carter and Sue Bird publicly spoke about their endorsement in several interviews. Even Warnock acknowledged that the WNBA’s support was “one of the many turning points in the campaign,” in an interview with USA Today. The WNBA generated momentum and drove donations to Warnock’s campaign, helping elect the first Black senator in Georgia.

Many generous players have also made significant donations toward social justice. One notable example is Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday and his wife Lauren Holiday, former member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. In December, the couple announced that they were donating the remainder of their 2020 salaries to Black-owned businesses and nonprofits.

NBA and WNBA players, who play within leagues that are majority Black, have shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black community this past year. They have established themselves as leaders.

Jenny Lu is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

Jenny can be reached at jenny. lu634410@tufts.edu.

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