The Tufts Daily- Thursday, August 29 (Matriculation)

MATRICULATION 2024: DEFINING MOMENTS FROM THE LAST YEAR

Matthew Sage Managing Editor

Originally published Sept. 27, 2023.

The United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants voted to sign a union contract in agreement with Tufts University on Sept. 25, 2023. The contract signing ends a sevenmonth-long effort that included an organized strike to earn benefits and union representation for the university’s 141 RAs.

On Sept. 23 and 24, 2023, 99 RAs, represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153, cast their ballots. 95 RAs voted in favor, while four voted against signing the contract.

Under their inaugural contract, RAs will receive 80 meal swipes and a $1,425 stipend per semester worked. RAs are also no longer considered at-will employees, meaning they now require just cause to be fired by the university.

“We’re pleased to have reached agreement on a three-year contract with the RAs,” Patrick Collins, executive director of public relations at

Tufts University, said. “Our provision of free housing, an annual stipend of $2,850, and 160 free meals a year, as well as other meaningful measures, is generous and fair. With the union’s ratification of the contract complete, we’re looking forward to working productively with the union as we move ahead implementing the new contract terms.”

Senior David Whittingham, an RA for two consecutive years, has worked on the union’s bargaining committee since their first negotiation meeting with the university in February 2023. He voted to accept the contract.

“I think we did what we needed to do and we were successful,” Whittingham said. “You never get everything you ask for, but I think that in the end … we won.”

According to Whittingham, 70% of Tufts RAs are on financial aid and 70% have to work one or more additional jobs during the academic year.

“This sort of payment will allow people, if they want, to hopefully cut back on the work that they have to do and be able to spend more time on their academics or on other

things in their lives,” Whittingham said. “So to me, that’s the biggest thing that I’m happy we got.”

The contract also limits an RA’s number of residents on their floor to 50, including a maximum of 30 first-years. RAs will also not have to move into campus more than eight days prior to when first-year students move in.

“We’re important mentors to our students,” Whittingham said. “We’re there to help guide them, especially for the first-years, through their first year of college. … Having the extra compensation will allow people to not have other commitments; I think that makes people be able to be more available to the residents.”

During contract negotiations, ULTRA organized and executed a workers’ strike during first-year student move-in day on Aug. 29, 2023.

“I think it made a difference,” Whittingham said. ”[Tufts] had been refusing since May to put the stipend into the compensation package, and then they were willing to move on that afterwards.”

Senior Daphne Garcia is excited about the new contract. She is serv-

ing as a first-year RA for the third time and attended two bargaining sessions.

“I was never really expecting much,” Garcia said. “I was expecting maybe around $1000 … Once they were able to offer us more than $1300, I was happy with that. I mean, these are going to go directly to my [student] loans.”

ULTRA’s contract is set to expire in August 2026.

“I think it’s a good amount to receive now,” Garcia said. “I hope that future [RAs] can definitely ask for more money.”

Garcia said that she has saved almost $30,000 in housing costs by becoming an RA. She says this money “is huge for her family,” and that, while she receives financial aid, the stipend “is not enough.”

“There’ll always be a certain degree of tension or opposition,” Whittingham said. “They spoke at the bargaining table about how they want a positive relationship, they want there to be trust, things like that. But I think my only thing would be that trust has to be earned. And so if they hold up their end of the bargain, so to speak, I think we’re happy to as well.”

Originally published April 9.

Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Somerville’s Police Chief Search Committee announced on Nov. 9, 2023 that their search for the next chief of the Somerville Police Department will continue. Somerville has been in the process of selecting the new chief since December 2020, when former Chief David Fallon retired.

According to Jesse Clingan, Somerville city councilman and member of the Police Chief Search Committee, the nationwide search for a police chief produced three finalists, all from the general area. Those finalists were announced in October and following live interviews, the committee selected one candidate for Mayor Ballantyne to approve, whom she then rejected.

The mayor’s office did not respond when contacted for comment by the Daily.

Ballantyne’s decision has garnered mixed reactions from those involved in the search.

“We did the work. We came

together as a community with the understanding of what the City of Somerville needs. … We were all in agreement on at least two of those candidates,” Clingan told the Daily. “I’m not happy about it.”

solidarity’: Students set up encampment for Palestine on Academic Quad

over the weekend.

Amid a national wave of encampments for Palestine on college campuses, Tufts students have set up tents on the Academic Quad to demand that Tufts divest from Israel and that charges against student protesters across the country be dropped.

Protesters first put up the tents on April 7 but temporarily took them down on April 17, in order to focus on a separate demonstration where they installed an “Apartheid Wall” on President’s Lawn. Students rebuilt the tents on Sunday evening, after the arrest and suspension of more than 100 Columbia University students at their encampment

“In this moment of massive mobilization, we think it’s especially important to take up space on campus,” one student at the encampment said. ”[We think it’s important to] provide a hub for organizing and engagement where people can plug into the ongoing efforts and find out what they can do that will be meaningful in solidarity.”

“One of our main demands is dropping the charges on students across the country who have received disciplinary violations and arrests in response to encampments,” one student explained. “As long as these demands are not met, we will continue to hold this encampment.”

“Gaza Solidarity Encampments” have been set up on college campuses across the U.S., includ-

AARON GRUEN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Resident assistants picket in front of the Joyce Cummings Center on Aug. 29, 2023.

Anna Fattaey News Editor

ALEXANDER THOMPSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

A Somerville Police Department patrol car is pictured outside SPD headquarters on Jan. 31, 2020.

Estelle Anderson and Julieta Grané Executive News Editor and Editor in Chief

H Mart to open in Davis Square

Dhruvii Mehta and Carly Cohen News Editor and Staff Writer

Originally published April 25.

A new branch of the beloved Asian supermarket, H Mart, is expected to open in Davis Square, according to employees of company locations in both Burlington and Cambridge. One worker told the Daily over the phone that although the opening has been continuously delayed, she believes its doors will open this summer.

The store will open at 240 Elm St., according to an LLC filing made by H Mart CEO Il Yeon Kwon to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in June of last year. This property was previously home to the bfresh grocery store before it closed in October 2023 due to an inability to meet financial expectations. The space has remained vacant since.

H Mart did not respond to the Daily’s request for comment, nor did the presumed building owner for 240 Elm St.

Famous for selling authentic Korean goods, H Mart’s opening in Davis Square is an exciting prospect for many in the Tufts community. Jules Lee, secretary of the Korean Student Association, talked about her excitement about the potential opening.

“I grew up in New Jersey, and there’s a really big Korean community … so H Mart was the go-to grocery store that my parents and

I always went to growing up as a kid,” she said. “It’s really cool having H Mart so close to us … because it reminds me of my family and the food that we eat.”

She explained the greater impact that the opening would have on the Tufts and Somerville community.

“I feel like we don’t really have much of a Korean presence in Boston … so it’s good to finally have that grocery close to me,” she said.

Lee talked about the growing public awareness of Korean cultures and traditions and how the new H Mart will allow for more interactions with that culture.

“A lot of people are [becoming] more aware of … Korean culture through K-pop and K-dramas, and even Korean food, so I think a lot of people already know what H Mart is,” she said. “H Mart doesn’t only serve Korean food, [the stores] have Japanese and Chinese groceries that are familiar to a lot of the Asian community. … It will be a cool way to explore our culture and have that cool interaction.”

While the potential opening is exciting to prospective customers, the cost of food at H Mart may serve as a barrier to access.

“I think [the H Mart in Cambridge] is pretty expensive, so I don’t know if the prices will be the same in the one that’s [opening] in Davis. … Because of the prices and also how far [the H Mart in Cambridge] is, I think

it is pretty inaccessible to Tufts’ students.”

Similarly, community members on social media platforms have raised concerns about the H Mart in Davis’ prices and thus lack of accessibility. The store’s prices have been described as more expensive than other markets in the area.

In addition to price concerns, there is discussion of the potential impact on other Asian markets in the area. After H Mart’s Cambridge location opened in 2014, two other small Korean grocers in the area went out of business shortly after. The first was Lotte Market and the next was Mirim Oriental Groceries, which went out of business in 2015.

But an employee from Reliable Market, another Asian

supermarket in Union Square, said she is not worried about the future competition. Although she declined to share her name, she spoke with the Daily over the phone about H Mart’s new opening.

“We don’t like it, but we don’t have any choice,” she said. ”[But] we’ve been here 40-plus years, so we have our clientele … a different customer base. Not students, mostly residents.”

There are currently no grocery stores in Davis Square, and the nearest stores in neighboring areas are more than a 20-minute walk away. Lee believes having greater accessibility to groceries — “and also Korean food” — will be beneficial for students.

“We wish them all the luck,” the Reliable Market employee said.

‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ demands divestment

ENCAMPMENT continued from page 1

ing New York University, MIT and Emerson College.

But the focus should stay on Gaza, one student at the Tufts encampment emphasized.

“It’s really important to note that the encampment we set up is in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza,” the student said. “It’s because of a national call for encampments that started due to the situation in Columbia, but it is in solidarity with Palestine ultimately and primarily.”

Students explained that the encampment is not only a means of protest but also an educational space where community members can deepen their understanding of the situation in Gaza. There is a community library at the center of the tents, containing books that have mostly been donated by Tufts professors.

“We feel urgently that educating ourselves is an imperative that we have to center in this space,” one student said. “It has been really wonderful to see people spending time in the space and reading the books and discussing them with each other. I’ve heard multiple times people explain something that they just learned from one of our books to somebody around them who isn’t reading the book.”

A student staying at the encampment pointed to the increased collaboration with local organizations for Palestine, as well as an outpouring of food,

book and supply donations from community members.

“There [have] been two separate avenues of activism,” the student said. “There [have] been Medford and Somerville for Palestine and separately Tufts SJP. There’s been a really beautiful interlinking while the encampment has been up. Having a very physical presence on campus has provided a site for solidarity to be formed.”

The encampment’s visual presence on the Academic Quad, a frequent vantage point for campus tours, has drawn the attention of visiting prospective students.

“We’ve been handing informational flyers to tour groups and engaging in conversation

with anybody who comes up to the tenting site,” a student said.

“We’ve had a lot of meaningful and productive conversations with a lot of people who have a lot of different viewpoints.”

One student at the encampment shared that since tents were erected, interactions with the Tufts administration have been relatively minimal. However, protesters said they received complaints from administrators about putting signs on trees. Tufts University Police Department was previously dispatched during a vigil on April 8 for Palestinian lives lost.

“We had a vigil during our first set of encampments,” the student said. “And [a TUPD officer] came

by and harassed people while they were sitting in vigil, and demanded that we take down the candles as they were a fire hazard.”

Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, addressed the police presence in a statement issued after the vigil.

“In addition, standard university practice is to monitor public gatherings on campus to ensure the safety of all community members – both those who are demonstrating and those who are not,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. “The officer in the video was dispatched due to concerns about candles burning near nylon tents set up on the academic quad. Once the officer was able to observe that the candles did not appear to pose an immediate fire safety issue, he left the area.”

Students for Justice in Palestine are planning their next protest, “All Out for Palestine,” on Friday at 12 p.m. on the Academic Quad.

“Our cultural, academic and financial investments around the world are not separate from the concepts that we teach, and the liberatory ideologies that we claim to support and uphold,” a protester shared. “In having an educational space and also an organizing space … I think that it’s strengthened a lot of our relationships and strengthened [our] clarity of purpose and commitment.”

MATTHEW SAGE / THE TUFTS DAILY

240 Elm St., the former home of bfresh and the future location of H Mart, is pictured on a sunny afternoon.

ESTELLE ANDERSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tents at the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on the Academic Quad are pictured.

Engineers will now register for classes side by side with Arts and Sciences students

Shannon Murphy Senior Staff Writer

Originally published March 13.

On Monday, Tufts announced a pilot program involving new changes to the registration process for undergraduate students. Engineering students will now register two days in advance for School of Engineering and select Arts and Sciences courses required for their degree progress — mostly those under the math, chemistry, biology and physics and astronomy departments — but will register for other classes simultaneously with Arts and Sciences students in their class year at randomly assigned times. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts and those enrolled in a combined degree program will register on the same day as their class cohort, but at the earliest registration time available.

This marks a shift from the previous registration process, in which all engineering and School of Museum of Fine Arts combined-degree students registered for all classes one day prior to Arts and Sciences students of any class year.

“A significant increase in interest in STEM disciplines at Tufts has occurred at a rate that out-paced the growth of introductory STEM courses at Tufts,” Chris Swan, dean of undergraduate education and an engineering professor, wrote in an email to the Daily. “This has contributed to a bottleneck for students interested in STEM, both in SOE as well as A&S. The new registration process seeks to alleviate the bottleneck, although we recognize that this is only part of the solution.”

An email sent to undergraduate students on Monday said that the registration changes ” will address student and faculty concerns with the existing model and increase equity

in access to courses across all three undergraduate populations, while preserving priority access for SOE and SMFA students for those courses essential to their degree progress.”

According to Samuel Thomas, professor and dean of academic affairs at the School of Arts and Sciences, the revised process was intended to make registration more equitable for all Arts and Sciences and Engineering undergraduate students and address the challenges unique to each degree program.

“One of the primary drivers of this pilot has been to reduce the inequities between students in different schools to accessing courses, while recognizing the differences in flexibility that students have in navigating the different curricula,” Thomas wrote in an email to the Daily. “Students in the School of Engineering have a much more rigid curricular plan and students in the School of the Museum of Fine Arts face logistical difficulties due to commuting to the Fenway and studio schedules, which requires special consideration.”

Thomas also mentioned that student feedback has been the driving force behind these changes, exemplified through discussions between the administration and the Tufts Community Union Senate.

“For a number of years, we have heard from students about dissatisfaction with the scale of the registration priority that some groups of students have had over others and these changes are inspired by that feedback,” he said.

Junior Nessren Ourdyl, education committee chair of the TCU Senate, explained the Senate’s role in providing student insight into the process.

"[The administrators] proposed what [the changes] would look like and we kind of gave initial reactions and ques-

tions that we had,” Ourdyl said. “I think that helped smooth out the presentation process of how this would be communicated. We also just asked some clarifying questions that we had as students. They were really just looking for feedback.”

Ourdyl believes that care was put into these changes and has confidence that the changes will have an overall positive impact on students.

“I’m hopeful,” she said. “I think it’s going to have its kinks to smooth out, but I’m hopeful and optimistic that this will be a good change for students in their course registration experience. I think it will help smooth out some of the other issues involving overenrollment and mitigate a lot of things within the Tufts academic experience.”

Catherine Freudenreich, professor and biology department chair, explained in an email to the Daily that the previous registration system had resulted in many Arts and Sciences STEM students being unable to secure spots in introductory courses required for timely progress toward their degrees.

Freudenreich believes that the revision to the registration process will assist in reducing this issue for biology majors and Arts and Sciences students in general.

“This will be very helpful for Biology majors who want to get into high demand Biology courses and Biology courses needed for the major in a timely manner,” she said.

For the Department of Computer Science — which offers its majors in both the Schools of Engineering and Arts and Sciences — the change could alleviate the anxiety that Arts and Sciences computer science students feel over losing class slots to engineers.

“Based on guidance from the CS faculty, the vast majority of CS courses, including CS 11, will not be part of priority registration,” Thomas wrote.

Vedant Modi, a sophomore studying computer science in the School of Arts and Sciences, explained how these changes could allow non-engineering students to pursue preferred classes.

“I could foresee this benefitting [Arts and Sciences com-

Three-year search for a new police chief continues

continued from page 1

Clingan has asked to be taken off of the committee as they move forward in finding new candidates.

Charlie Femino, who served as Somerville’s acting police chief from 2013 to 2014, will continue as interim acting police chief again until a replacement is found.

Myles Herbert, a Somerville resident and member of Somerville’s Civilian Oversight Task Force had negative opinions about Ballantyne’s decision.

“It’s just kind of another example of a city or a mayor slow-walking reform,” Herbert said. “Ballantyne is someone who, when confronted with a tough issue, will go with a study

every time. It’s called decision paralysis … it’s ‘perfect’ being the enemy of ‘good.’”

Denise Molina Capers, Somerville’s racial and social justice director and chair of the Police Chief Search Committee, supported Ballantyne’s decision.

“We have an ordinance and the ordinance is a very key part of the way the system is designed. We have to follow the ordinance in this process,” Molina Capers said. “Everyone is engaged and there is no one person that is making a decision. It was designed to have a team of individuals who help make the best decision for Somerville.”

Clingan expressed concern that Somerville has been left

without an official police chief for years. On his constituents’ reactions, Clingan shared that “people are frustrated, it’s somewhat embarrassing.”

According to Yolanda Smith, Tufts’ executive director of public safety, TUPD expects to continue the community policing model which she says has worked best for both police departments.

“We have a very good relationship with the Somerville Police Department, who always support us in our time of need. I cannot say that there has been any adverse effect during the hiring process of the new Police Chief. Chief Femino and his team have remained committed to assisting TUPD,” Smith wrote in an email to the Daily.

Councilman Clingan said he hopes that a new police chief can “bring people together in a balanced way that understands the role of police is that of more of a customer service role in the way they deal with the public.”

Somerville currently has multiple task forces working to reform the city’s police force, including the Public Safety for All Task Force, the AntiViolence Working Group and the Civilian Oversight Task Force. Molina Capers noted that each group includes community members.

“All this very hard work that’s being done [creates] information that the new police chief would have available to them in order to make decisions that

puter science students] because [they could] end up in CS elective classes that are necessarily more fun,” Modi said. “I have some friends who … ended up in elective classes that they don’t really want to take, and they don’t really like any of them. And then it’s sort of an extra stress that really shouldn’t be there because the focus should be on the core classes and not some elective class that you aren’t interested in.”

According to Thomas, registration times will begin at 10 a.m., with 300 students enrolling every 30 minutes instead of the original 15 minutes. After registration concludes, the administration will collect student feedback regarding the new modifications and use it to continue improving the course enrollment process.

“This is a pilot and we will be soliciting feedback about what aspects of registration have improved and any concerns after registration concludes,” Thomas said. “We will use that information to inform how we approach first-year registration in the summer, as well as registrations in future semesters.”

best fit the very diverse needs of Somerville constituents,” Molina Capers said.

Alexander Gard-Murray, a member of the Civilian Oversight Task Force, explained why having a civilian oversight body could be helpful in similar situations in the future.

“The goal with an oversight board is to give the community additional confidence that they have a voice in how policing is run in Somerville,” Gard-Murray said. “So if we have people who aren’t committed to reform in the future or if we have problems with filling posts in the future, hopefully a good civilian oversight board will make it easier to navigate those periods because civilians will have this extra body looking out for them.”

NATALIE BROWNSELL / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Science and Engineering Complex is pictured on Oct. 4, 2022.

FEATURES

Everything you need to know about Tufts University Prison Initiative

Program, founded the prison initiative in 2016.

Originally published March 28.

In movies, the process of someone being incarcerated often gets more attention than how they return to society. The entry to prison is often portrayed as a rugged odyssey, while the reentry to society is simply reduced to someone walking out the prison gates to a car with a friend waiting. So what does reentry actually look like? And how has Tufts assisted with that process?

Since 1994, federal Pell Grants — government funding that helps students pay for college — have been barred for incarcerated college students. Effective July 2023, they have been reinstated for approved programs like the Tufts University Prison Initiative, which offers higher education in prison and which will now be able to access this financial support.

These approved programs vary greatly, so this article will mainly provide an overview of TUPIT — which leads reentry assistance efforts at Tufts — and how you, as a Tufts student, can get involved.

Hilary Binda, TUPIT’s executive director and senior lecturer in Tufts’ Civic Studies

In the decades before, Binda worked with youth and adults in prisons and schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As of 2016, Tufts had no initiative assisting reentry, so Binda, informed by her experience with the carceral system, created TUPIT in collaboration with the School of Arts and Sciences faculty members, the Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

TUPIT was founded with the intention of providing incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to pursue an associate and/ or a bachelor’s degree in prison. Now, eight years after its founding, TUPIT has grown into a tree with many more branches. The program has grown to include a journal for incarcerated writers around the U.S., a program called MyTERN which provides practical reentry resources and events that raise awareness for this cause at Tufts and beyond.

TUPIT accepted its third new cohort in December 2023, and 12 students from the first cohort that started in 2018 just graduated in January.

But all of this is still rather abstract. To see how TUPIT works in action, it can be helpful to see how a cohort of incarcerat-

ed students would participate in the program from enrollment to graduation.

As with any higher-education program, students apply for TUPIT. Information sessions are held within the incarceration facilities TUPIT collaborates with (which include the maximum, medium and minimum security facilities at Souza Baranowski Correctional Center, Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Concord and Northeastern Correctional Center) and applications are sent out. The application includes a form for basic student information and two essay questions.

Upon collecting applications, a panel of administrators and professors from TUPIT conduct interviews over two days, and each student is asked to complete an in-person writing project. By December, the results are released, and approximately 15 students enroll in the first part of the TUPIT program.

What are the available degrees? At TUPIT, each student must first pursue a two-year liberal arts associate degree provided by the Bunker Hill Community College (to clarify, the teachers are Tufts professors; Bunker Hill only provides the degree because associate degrees are not available at Tufts.)

Upon completion, students have the option to apply to the Tufts Civic Studies bachelor’s degree program, also taught at the prisons. For both degrees, though the course options are limited, each student still must obtain the same number of credits, fulfill the same requirements for their degrees and be held to the same academic standards as non-incarcerated students.

This might seem like an odd system: Why can’t the students obtain a bachelor’s degree right away if it’s available? By getting an associate degree, even if the student leaves prison after two years, they’ll still have a completed associate degree instead of an incomplete bachelor’s degree.

Besides technicalities, it’s equally important to understand the challenges of pursuing these degrees within prisons and how TUPIT works to support students in that process.

Prisons are disruptive environments, and students often deal with external stressors along with their education, such as preparing for trial, managing relations with police and other prisoners and coping with separation from family and friends. Tyler, a current TUPIT student at MCI-Concord, described his experience.

“Outside of TUPIT, this year has been beyond personally

challenging. I lost someone very close to me and I have a relative who’s experiencing serious struggles with school and the criminal legal system. Trying to find space to grieve and be present for my struggling family member has been beyond emotionally overwhelming at times. I’m balancing that with the simple struggle of trying to navigate an institutional space that can [be] quite hostile and antagonistic at times,” he wrote.

TUPIT, however, offers several avenues of support.

Firstly, as Quinn Williamson, the academic director and program administrator at TUPIT, explained, the program often helps reduce prison sentences.

“We are actively shortening sentences … Our director has spoken at multiple court sentencing hearings where the judge has asked her to tell [the court] about the program and the impact that she sees the program having on the particular student,” Williamson said.

Binda also explained how the program works to bring incarcerated students to lower-security prisons and the significance of that change.

“We have worked with the Department of Correction … to be able to bring people who are in our class up at [the maximum security facility, Souza], down to

Jake Ren Staff Writer

COURTESY HILARY BINDA

The first graduating cohort from the TUPIT program is pictured in January 2024.

a lower security level. So they have more freedom, more capacity to learn. … And then we have this on-campus program. That pathway from max to medium to minimum to the campus is unique [to TUPIT],” she said.

TUPIT’s faculty and undergraduate teaching assistants also provide academic support that helps students persevere through their studies. Currently, professors teach TUPIT classes in addition to their existing classes on the Medford/Somerville campus, and every TA dedicates 6–8 hours each week to support student learning in a class they have already excelled in, provide feedback on essays and sometimes lead recitations.

Last but not least, TUPIT also has a one-year program that provides students with the necessary resources for societal reentry.

MyTERN, held on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, is composed of 13–15 formerly incarcerated students each year. TUPIT students automatically gain a spot in the program, but other formerly incarcerated individuals can apply too. Students don’t need to have graduated from TUPIT to enroll in MyTERN. As long as they are no longer incarcerated, they can pursue the undergraduate certificate in civic studies from Tufts.

Unlike the rest of TUPIT, MyTERN also provides opportunities for networking, which are extremely helpful for individuals coming home from long sentences.

Students take courses in civic studies that focus on social justice, policy and local government and storytelling through podcasting and public speaking. Some MyTERN courses focus more on practical skills such as technological and financial literacy as well as restorative justice practices. This provides students with the necessary toolkit to secure employment and maintain a sustainable lifestyle.

In MyTERN, students also join a supportive community. Within the program, students get to network with organizations and potential employers. David Delvalle, a MyTERN graduate and Tufts Civic Studies bachelor’s student, spoke on how the program helped with his employment.

“The networking aspect was huge. I got my job working at Haley House as a program manager through a TUPIT speech. I [was invited] to Tufts Medical Center to go speak to a bunch of medical students about food insecurity, and Haley House was on the panel next to me, and they came out and offered me a job on the spot. The job led to me getting — I was homeless — my one-bedroom brownstone. … That changed my life,” he said.

The other crucial parts of the community are peers and mentors. Prison is, by design, isolated from society. Upon reentry, people find that society has changed, systems have been revamped and new technologies have become prevalent. In this

disorienting new world, it can be easy to get lost and return to bad influences. At MyTERN, students find community members who can guide them through the convoluted processes of obtaining crucial reentry resources, such as employment, housing, transportation and childcare, making the right path an accessible option.

Jody Boykins, a current student, described how the community of MyTERN — as well as TUPIT in general — impacted his life.

“I came home from incarceration in 2020. [After] my first incarceration, I immediately went back to everything I knew I was not supposed to because I had no support, I had nothing to fall back on,” he said. ”[At MyTERN and TUPIT, however,] I’m around a whole bunch of people who can feel what I’ve been through. … When you’re feeling down, you have that bad day, you have a number to call, you don’t have to call the local drug dealer, you don’t have to call somebody who ruined your life. I call Hillary now, I call David, I call people that are really powerful presences in this world.”

At TUPIT, higher education in prison begins with an application. Upon acceptance, students work towards earning an associate degree and can then go for a bachelor’s. During or after the bachelor’s program, students can choose to enter the MyTERN program. Beyond

MyTERN, some students continue their education at Tufts, while others complete their degrees at Bunker Hill Community College. However, regardless of their path, the network they’ve built remains a phone call away. As Williamson explained, “No one is gone from the community once they graduate; everyone is still supported.”

To become involved in assisting the reentry process, Tufts students have three main options. The information and links may look like a lot — and they are — but treat this more as a helpful appendix to find the most interesting opportunities.

In Prison

With TUPIT, involvement works in two ways: 1) joining an Inside-Out course and 2) becoming a TA. Inside-Out courses are classes with half Tufts students and half incarcerated students, taught at prisons. Alternatively, you can also apply to become a TA for a TUPIT course.

On Campus

For MyTERN, the options are similar: 1) joining a MyTERN class and 2) becoming a MyTERN TA. Similar to the Inside-Out program, there are courses in MyTERN with mixed cohorts, only these are taught on the Medford campus. You can also apply to be a TA or tech tutor (recommended that you first attend a MyTERN course beforehand).

Tutoring

You can also become a tutor with the Petey Greene Program.

PGP is a national nonprofit organization that operates independently from TUPIT but has worked with TUPIT extensively to make its in-prison programs possible. PGP tutors can choose to tutor at a facility near them one or more times a week for one hour each time. PGP is a great option for those who are first engaging in supporting the reentry process, because there are relatively fewer work hours per week, but the work and the community remain rewarding.

If you want to learn more about the cause, you have a few more options: 1) follow @tuftsprisoninitiative and @peteygreeneprogram on Instagram, 2) sign up for the mailing list and 3) listen to the MyTERN Conversations podcast — “conversations about life before, during, and after incarceration” — available on Spotify and from the website.

Some of these applications may seem dauntingly complex, and you might be unsure about your chances of being accepted. You might wonder if you’re the right fit to help or not. You probably have more questions like these that this article didn’t answer. But before you become deterred by the paperwork and technicalities, explore the programs’ websites a little more, ask the contacts provided above, find friends to join you and address your concerns. Become part of the support network for reentry. Your help can touch more lives than you might imagine.

ARTS & POP CULTURE

Students, faculty mourn end of Tufts/NEC dual degree program

Originally published May 19.

After nearly 50 years of providing rigorous academic and musical education to Tufts students, the Tufts/New England Conservatory five-year dual degree program is coming to an end. The decision to end the program was made in summer 2023, and its termination was announced by email to students in the program and Department of Music faculty and staff on Oct. 25, 2023. NEC faculty were notified of the decision on Oct. 24. Students currently enrolled in or accepted into the program will be allowed to complete it, but no new students will be accepted into the program, and it will end when the last student graduates. There are currently 14 students in the program.

The program was co-founded in 1976 by T.J. Anderson, a world-renowned composer who served as chair of the Tufts Music Department from 1972–80, and composer Donald Harris, then vice president of the NEC, in an effort to improve Tufts’ music offerings. It offers a Bachelor of Science or Arts from Tufts, in addition to a Bachelor of Music from the NEC. It is the only program in the country that offers simultaneous bachelor’s degrees from a liberal arts university and an unaffiliated conservatory. The program boasts alumni as distinguished as Chad Smith, the president and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

According to Dean Carmen Lowe, who advises students in the program, the decision to end the program was made by James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with Provost Caroline Genco, University President Sunil Kumar and other advisers.

“The decision to end the dual degree program was made last year by Tufts. As part of the arrangement with NEC, one of the partners could pull out if the program was no longer working,” Glaser wrote in an email to the Daily.

Upon receiving the news that the program was ending, students and faculty were invited to an open meeting on Nov. 9, 2023 to discuss the decision, which was, at that point, final.

Cost was a major factor in the decision to the program. In the November meeting, it was estimated that the program cost Tufts close to $400,000 per year and that “the costs outweighed the benefits.” In his statement, Glaser also mentioned the program’s high dropout rate (close to 50%, according to Lowe), the pressure placed on the students and administrative challenges, including conflicting schedules and transportation concerns.

The Daily interviewed three students about their experiences in the program: graduating fifthyear Julien Rollins, fourth-year Lily Stern and third-year Oluwanimofe Akinyanmi. The Daily also interviewed faculty and staff in the music department, including former chair John McDonald; studio manager and NEC/Tufts alumnus Peter Atkinson; and part-time lecturer Sid Richardson, a Tufts alumnus and faculty member at Tufts and the NEC. Most of the interviewees attended the meeting on Nov. 9.

Though many students in the program reported having busy schedules during the school year, they still find the time to focus on what is important to them.

“I really love everything I’m doing,” Akinyanmi explained. “It is nice to be busy with something that you enjoy.”

“What they were saying about students struggling, it’s partly to do with the fact that we don’t get that much support,” Stern said, discussing administration’s concerns about dropout rates. “I would say that a lot of the students are thriving, actually.”

“We’re kind of an orphan program,” Rollins said, echoing Stern’s feelings. He called Lowe “the first dean in a while that has actually cared about the program.”

Of the seven students, faculty and staff the Daily spoke with, only Lowe was consulted about the deci-

sion, though she did not have the final say.

“I wish there was more of a conversation about it,” Akinyanmi said. “Nobody told us until after the decision was made.”

In the meeting, students realized that even representatives from the NEC were surprised by the decision. According to Stern, Tufts administrators made the choice to stop accepting applicants without consulting with NEC beforehand.

“It was a unilateral Tufts decision,” Stern said.

When asked about their feelings on the program’s ending, all students and faculty agreed that it was a disappointment.

“It was such a great opportunity to be able to explore your interest in music and an academic discipline at a high level at two of the best schools in the country,” Stern said.

“It makes sense,” Akinyanmi acknowledged. “I guess money is a reason, but we’ve had a lot of really successful graduates from the program, and I feel like it’s something that Tufts should be proud of, so it was a little disappointing to see it canceled.”

“It’s a unique opportunity,” added Atkinson. “It brings people to Tufts that wouldn’t otherwise come here.”

Over 65 program alumni signed a petition addressed to administrative leaders asking Tufts to reconsider the decision to end the program and requesting further communication. Despite this, McDonald doubts that the decision will be reversed.

McDonald expressed confidence that the program could have continued if enough support had been provided. He suggested that Richardson, a faculty member at both institutions, had enough knowledge to help students navigate the two schools. Richardson told the Daily that, had he been asked, he would have been willing to play this role. In an email statement to the Daily, NEC Provost Benjamin Sosland wrote that “NEC made every effort to extend this partnership,” and expressed disappointment at the program’s ending.

Glaser suggested that Tufts hopes to consider a combined bachelor’s/master’s program with the NEC, similar to an existing program at Harvard. Dean Lowe

mentioned that this model can be less stressful and more affordable for students. However, students say that these require a higher level of musicianship before college, making them less accessible. Rollins explained that students like him from rural areas would have been unable to receive the level of pre-college training acceptance to these programs requires. McDonald also seemed doubtful that undergraduate music training in a liberal arts university could substitute for an immersive conservatory experience.

When asked about the program ending, Dean Lowe was optimistic about future collaboration between the two schools.

“The way the program has been running has been extraordinarily stressful on the students. It feels like so many of them are missing out on so much of their undergraduate experience. There are a few rare students who really thrive, but even then, it’s extremely stressful,” Lowe said. “I’m hopeful that we can come up with a program that’s better, that is focused on a bachelor’s and a master’s between the two schools.”

Tasha Oren on the past, present and future of film and media studies at Tufts

Originally published May 16.

This year, 49 students are graduating from Tufts with a degree in film and media studies — 36 with a major and 13 with a minor. What is currently the largest humanities program at Tufts, interestingly, didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Branching off from a communications minor, the program was created due to a high interest in the sphere of film and media. In its first year, FMS only had six students. Now, it has over 170.

“We feel [it] is our strength that we have students who are much more well-rounded,” Tasha Oren, associate professor and director of the Film and Media Studies Program, said in an interview with the Daily. Oren expanded on this, noting that the program differs from several other institutions in that it offers an education in film and media studies within a liberal arts context. In the program, students not only learn how to make films and television but they are also taught media literacy. They learn about the history and theory behind films, as well as the cultural impact of media. Though the major is flexible, it requires that students take

at least one class in theory, social science, practice and non-U.S. film and media. In this way, students gain exposure to various aspects of the industry.

FMS is still developing, however. “We’ve got more and more people who are joining us and teaching more courses,” Oren said. “We hope that we will grow even more.”

In the last few years, the program has expanded steadily. New faculty have been hired, including Denise Cummings, who specializes in Indigenous media and film, and Tufts alumnus Mat Rappaport (LA’94), who specializes in media art. Cummings has created connections with the Somerville

Theatre so that students can view films there, fostering a relationship between Tufts students and the extended community. In the fall, Rappaport will be teaching a class on the media industry’s use of artificial intelligence.

“We want to make sure that we’re always teaching in a media universe that reflects what is out there,” Oren said. “We’re always trying to make sure that we’re giving students tools that are relevant to the world that they live in.”

The media landscape is ever evolving; one of the more sizable changes at the moment is the departure from mass media. With the growth of various streaming plat-

forms and a rise in self-produced content, audiences are increasingly fragmented. Ten years ago, this may not have been an issue; now, students need to be trained to navigate such an environment. The program’s central goal is to supply students with skills that are useful to society; as the media environment develops and changes, the program will shift accordingly.

Beyond this, the program also prepares graduates for a career outside of university. According to Oren, over one-third of graduates work in media industries. Perhaps most unique to the department is its

Abbie Klein Arts Editor

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Granoff Music Center, home of Tufts’ music department, is pictured on Aug. 8, 2020.

Annika Pillai Arts Editor

Best Boston concert venues on the Green Line

Shannon Murphy Senior Staff Writer

Originally published April 11.

With the Green Line now extending to Tufts, getting to see your favorite artists live in concert when they come to Boston is easier than ever. While there is plenty of young, local music thanks to schools like Emerson College and Berklee College of Music, Boston is also host to many popular artists on tour. There is no shortage of places to hear live music around Tufts, but if you ever find yourself riding on the T and looking for somewhere to rock out, here are a couple of must-visit venues within a 10-minute walk from Green Line stops!

TD Garden

Green Line Stop: North Station

Ticket Price: $$$

The home of the Celtics and the Bruins, “The Garden” is a Boston staple located directly above North Station, just a few stops away from Tufts. Here, you can see some of your favorite popular artists on tour. Most recently, Olivia Rodrigo and Nicki Minaj performed their hits in the giant, round arena which seats nearly 20,000 people. While its size may feel overwhelming, the Garden is extremely accessible, with 34 restrooms and 42 permanent concession stands available. Sometimes, on the day of the concert, the outside of the venue also lights up in colors associated with the artist performing, reflecting the excitement of live entertainment into the Charles.

MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Green Line Stop: Hynes Convention Center

Ticket Price: $$

This 5,000 person venue is located right next to the iconic Fenway Park.

The outdoor ballpark has had a history of offering concerts during the summer months, but its new indoor music venue operated by Live Nation Entertainment brings even more performers to Fenway. It opened not too long ago in August 2022, but its beauty is well beyond its years, with a huge stage that can be seen from every seat in its three levels. The glamour of MGM makes for an unforgettable concert experience, complete with modernized lighting and sound systems. Having

hosted artists of all types, from smaller acts to bigger names like boygenius, Mitski and Kesha, Fenway’s new addition to the music scene is sure to have a long star-studded future ahead.

Paradise Rock Club

Green Line Stop: Babcock Street Ticket Price: $

A much more intimate venue with a capacity of 933, Paradise Rock Club is a place where you can connect with your favorite local names or touring alternative artists. Located on

FMS department navigates changing media landscape

FMS continued from page 6

own in-house internship administrator, Leslie Goldberg, whose role is rare among academic departments on campus. Goldberg’s only job is to connect with students and help them find opportunities outside of Tufts. One of these opportunities may be through a Winternship — a program offered by FMS that supplies students with a three-week long winter internship opportunity.

“They are interns between the Christmas break and the new semester, and they get real, practical experience,” Oren said. “People actually end up in positions, either in those same companies or within the same kind of environment that they’ve interned with.” The department also assists in navigating the opportunity to ensure that students are able to get the most out of such a short experience. After graduating, the doors are wide open for FMS students; several go off to work directly within the industry, while others pursue additional schooling.

“We’ve got people who are in Hollywood … in filmmaking and television making ... production and in talent agencies,” Oren said.

Some students even go off to pursue careers in entertainment law — the options are endless. But how are graduates in this department so successful? What exactly does the FMS program provide?

"[We teach a way] of thinking a lot more than tools,” Oren responded. “What we’re trying to instill in students is a habit of mind, an ability to look at something and say, ‘I can understand it because I know the history of it … [and] because I understand the ways that critics and philosophers and writers and scholars have thought about it.’”

Oren expanded on this, noting that education in film is multidimensional; skills are only so useful to the current environment. As technology advances, these skills will need to be developed as well — and that can only happen through understanding the historical and aesthetic background.

“When you come out with a Tufts education … you’re in the position to make your own job, create a job that doesn’t exist,” Oren said in reference to this year’s graduates. “The most important skill that Tufts students are learning is how to envision [their] own contribution that nobody has ever had before.”

Commonwealth Avenue near Boston University, the club always attracts a plethora of college students due to its proximity to so many schools. Many popular artists made stops at Paradise before their fame skyrocketed, including Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, The Talking Heads, Coldplay, Grace Potter, Hozier and Father John Misty. Whether you know all the words to the artists’ songs or just want to bask in pure musical excitement, this oasis of vibes can’t be beat.

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Kendrick Lamar performs at a concert at TD Garden on July 22, 2017 in Boston, Mass. on The DAMN. Tour.

MICHELLE SHIU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Professor Tasha Oren is pictured in her office on April 18.

FUN & GAMES

CROSSWORD

Interested in submitting a puzzle? Reach out to production@tuftsdaily.com

Late Night At The Daily

Kat: “MBTI is at least a pseudoscience, horoscopes are mysticism.”

Difficulty Level: Keeping your O-Week friend group together through October.

SUDOKU

OPINION

EDITORIAL

The Daily’s 2024 declassified Tufts survival guide

The Editorial Board

Originally published April 11. If you’re reading this article right now, you might be a newly admitted student to Tufts University. First of all, congratulations! As the Tufts Daily Editorial Board (that’s us), we hope to make your years at Tufts better by providing our infallible wisdom as students slightly older than you. Even if you aren’t an admitted student, we hope the quick tips and tricks we’ll lay out for you in this guide are still helpful.

1. Don’t buy textbooks before the first day of class. Professors will explain the extent to which textbooks will be useful for their class and often reveal that they are not necessary. If you do need a textbook, there are alternative avenues that are almost always more affordable than the bookstore: Some are on reserve, some you can find online. For literature classes, check out ThriftBooks for cheap and reliable secondhand books.

2. Get a city library card for discounted admission to museums, among other benefits. It’s free with proof of your Massachusetts mailing address. In our experience, a letter mailed to your on-campus address or even an email from the Office of Residential Life & Learning has sufficed. The Somerville Public Library West Branch is a short walk away in Davis Square, and the Boston Public Library in Copley Square is well worth the visit and accessible on the Green Line. In addition to books, you can reserve museum passes for free or reduced admission to the Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, Institute of Contemporary Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Museum of Fine Arts and others. (The MFA is also free with a Tufts ID, but the free passes are useful if friends and family are visiting.)

3. Sign up for the free food e-list. You’ll get emails when events end with extra food — it is both free and is usually better than the options in the dining halls.

4. Classes to consider in the fall: First-year Yoga, Technical and Managerial Communication with Amy Hirschfeld, Introduction to Psychology with Lisa Shin and Samuel Sommers, Introduction to the U.S. Healthcare System

with Amy Lischko, or any class with David Proctor or Jess Keiser. The Experimental College Explorations seminars are also a unique first-year experience that provides interesting commentary on often unconventional topics.

5. If you’re having trouble navigating SIS — the Student Information System — on your phone, the easiest fix is to “Request Desktop Website” in your mobile browser before you log in to SIS. This may not mean anything now, but it will save you when you’re frantically trying to find the listed classroom on the first day of classes.

6. Give upperclassmen meal swipes. It’s a rite of passage for first-years, who are required to purchase the premium meal plan, to use their eight guest swipes to treat upperclassmen to a meal at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center or Fresh at Carmichael Dining Center. Sharing a meal is a great way to make a new friend and get advice from someone who has been in your shoes.

7. If you want to get onto the Dewick roof, which you shouldn’t, whether it’s for

“Pumpkining” (the tradition of placing pumpkins on high places for Halloween) or just to hang out, which, again, you shouldn’t, walk in between Hodgdon Hall and Dewick, go behind the line of trees on your left and you’ll see the lowest part of the Dewick roof. From there it is up to you to climb. Or don’t! This fun spot is not recommended by the Editorial Board.

8. Get coffee from the Sink — it’s good! Tufts’ student-run coffee shop, the Sink, lives on the second floor of the Mayer Campus Center and serves beverages such as chai, mocha, drip coffee and cappuccinos as well as snacks like muffins, cookies and bagels. However, the real stars of the Sink are the specialty drinks: Lucy in the Chai, Medford Fog, Cinny Vanilly and Hot Karl, to name a few. This Editorial Board recommends ordering a small iced Beesting with oat milk.

9. If you’re ever in the mood for free ice cream, the Dean of Students Office on the seventh floor of Dowling Hall has a freezer usually stocked with ice cream sandwiches, popsicles,

drumsticks and more. When you walk in from the front entrance, go through the first hallway on your left and then into the first room on the left every Monday through Friday from 9 a.m–5 p.m!

10. Vote! Make sure you figure out your absentee ballot situation before you come here. Consider whether your vote is more valuable in the Medford/ Somerville area or in your hometown. JumboVote is a great resource.

11. The MBTA offers $10 unlimited commuter rail passes on the weekends. For less than the cost of an Uber, you can take a day trip to towns like Salem, Rockport, Gloucester or Providence.

12. Mystic River is a 30 minute walk away. Bring a blanket, food and friends for a scenic picnic on the water.

13. Things you should bring to Tufts: Two towels. Comfy slippers. A fan. Cold medications. Notebooks/paper, if you take notes by hand. A fighting spirit to tackle the Targets shared by other Boston schools.

Go to the Somerville or Everett Target, not the Porter one for dorm stuff. Somerville’s Target is easily accessible by bus.

14. Things you shouldn’t bring: A TV or expensive electronics for your dorm room. New versions of household essentials you already own — dishes, pillowcases/pillows, decor, laundry basket. Phone wallet (you’ll get free ones).

15. Some of our favorite local restaurants in Davis Square are Diesel Cafe, Foundry on Elm (get the grilled cheese) and Dakzen. Our favorites in Porter Square are Yume Ga Arukara and Bagelsaurus. For local chains we recommend Flour Bakery + Cafe and Life Alive. Finally, and most importantly, don’t delay in joining the independent student newspaper of Tufts University: The Tufts Daily. Joining clubs is a great way to make friends and get involved on campus. Whether you’re a writer, editor, filmmaker, entrepreneur or influencer, there is a place for you in the Daily, and we would love to have you.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free of charge to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS: Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily Editorial Board. Individual editorialists are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Editorial Board. Editorials are submitted for review to The Tufts Daily Executive Board before publication.

VIEWPOINTS AND COLUMNS: Viewpoints and columns represent the opinions of individual Opinion editors, staff writers, contributing writers and columnists for the Daily’s Opinion section. Positions published in Viewpoints and columns are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion.

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

ADVERTISEMENTS: All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the editor in chief, executive board and business director. Full ad policy can be found at tuftsdaily.com/advertise.

GRAPHIC BY RACHEL LIU AND KAITLYN WELLS

Sadie Roraback-Meagher Opinion Editor

Originally published April 23.

Perhaps the most notable oddity of former President Donald Trump’s business career is the diversity of his ventures. Besides real estate, the former president has sold NFTs, wine and golden “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers. Most recently, Trump has embarked on his newest scheme: Bibles.

For $59.99, the “God Bless the USA” Bible, which holds the King James translation, the Pledge of Allegiance, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, can now be purchased online.

While the “God Bless the USA” Bible is another laughable odyssey of Trump’s business career, it’s more importantly emblematic of his dangerous codependent relationship with Christian nationalism.

Trump is no stranger to sympathizing with Christian nationalists. Early in his presidency, white supremacist rioters took to the streets of Charlottesville, Va. to protest the removal of a Confederate statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee. While marching, insurgents chanted “Jews will not replace us,” implying that white Christians are meant to be in

VIEWPOINT

Trump, the Bible salesman

power. Rather than condoning the appalling actions of the rioters, Trump asserted that there were “very fine people on both sides.” Trump also kept his promise of appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, a case that had been of chief concern for the Christian right over the years.

These appeals towards Christian nationalists likely led to their significant electoral support for him in 2020. As one Public Religion Research Institute poll found, there was a strong correlation between strong Christian beliefs and support for Trump in 2020.

But Christian nationalists’ support isn’t limited to just casting their ballots for Trump. The Jan. 6 insurrection is perhaps the most significant demonstration of the extent to which Christian nationalists will go to defend Trump.

Insurrectionists stormed the capitol to stop the certification of 2020 presidential election results and to prevent then president-elect Joe Biden from assuming office. Throughout the ordeal, Christian nationalism was on clear display: Demonstrators were seen waving the Bible atop the Senate dais, crying, “Jesus Christ, we invoke your name!” and hold -

ing signs reading “Trump is my president” and “Jesus is my savior.”

Given the immense regard Christian nationalists have for Trump, it’s unsurprising that he has ramped up his efforts to harness their power. In addition to Bibles, Trump has pandered to his Christian base by declaring that he would establish a national Christian Visibility Day and a federal task force to fight anti-Christian bias if elected. He also claimed at a convention in Nashville,

VIEWPOINT

Tenn. to be “taking bullets” for Christians. To hear a former president — and potential future president — disregard the separation of church and state by making Christianity so central to his policy platform and leaning into dangerous rhetoric should be a red flag to all of us. Moreover, with the already increasing presence of Christian nationalism in politics, from anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to the in vitro fertilization saga in Alabama in February, there is a clear cause for con -

cern regarding the blood pact Trump has made with Christian nationalists. What is to become of the establishment clause if Trump is elected to a second term? I doubt it aligns with what the Founders would have wanted.

With such prominent political figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis embracing the ideals of Christian nationalism, Trump’s behavior may seem on par with far-right Republicans. But it’s imperative not to normalize such a fusion of religious extremism and politics. The Trump-evangelical bond should prompt increased efforts to deter the ever-growing threat posed by Christian nationalism. More Republicans should follow in the footsteps of party members who have taken a stand against Christian nationalism, such as Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who stood against the decision for a public religious charter school. Christian nationalism threatens the institution of democracy by creating a dangerous us-versus-them narrative that has begun to seep into individual rights. These radical religious beliefs do not belong anywhere near the White House.

Course registration is broken: Here’s how we can fix it

Linda Huang Opinion Editor

Originally published Jan. 29.

For students at many universities, the first week of a new semester is often filled with exhilaration and curiosity. Students add all the classes that interest them to their schedule, sometimes enrolling past the credit limit temporarily to figure out which ones suit them the most. For students at Tufts, however, the scene is quite different. The first week of school is stressful and hectic: Students worry about finding the best combination of classes, maneuvering through plans to drop unwanted classes and add new classes, all while trying to fit into an 18-credit limit and not lose a vital position on a waitlist.

The culprit for all of this stress and anxiety is the lack of a shopping period. A “shopping period” refers to the first one to two weeks of every semester, where students enroll in as many courses as they want, regardless of total credit limits. Currently, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Barnard College and many other institutions of similar size already have this practice in place, allowing students to explore classes that are best in line with their interests. As a multicultural institution that proudly champions the diversity and flexibility of its education, Tufts ought to do what’s best for students’ interests and give us similar opportunities.

A critical concern about the lack of a shopping period is the constraint it places on students’ intellectual curiosity. The current system, wherein students are compelled to select classes within a specified credit limit, makes students prone to selecting classes that fulfill their major requirements and neglecting classes they find genuinely exciting. This in turn limits students’ ability to pursue their passions, directly contradicting Tufts’ ethos of fostering students’ varied and interdisciplinary interests. It

is only when students experience these interesting classes firsthand that they get a true taste of what they may have initially deemed ‘useless.’ In turn, this makes them more likely to choose classes outside of their field of study. It is thus the university’s responsibility to take necessary avenues to embrace the mission that it promises and let both current students and incoming applicants fully understand what it means to have a Tufts education.

Moreover, the lack of a shopping period makes selecting

desirable classes more difficult for students, especially given the many limitations that already exist within Tufts’ course registration system. Imagine you are on the waitlist for a class you really like, but the professor will not give you a definite answer about whether or not you will get off the waitlist. You believe it would be sensible to put this class aside and try out a new class. However, you also cannot afford to drop this class and lose your top position on the waitlist. Having a shopping period, where you could drop in on any class

you want, would easily resolve this issue. You could try out both classes, then decide which one to take.

With information on how other schools navigate the shopping period available online, it is certainly feasible for Tufts to adopt this approach. Brown’s website, for instance, states that students can add as many classes as they wish to a “primary cart,” before officially settling on classes after the shopping period ends. Given the viable models that exist at other private universities, Tufts should learn from their example and implement a similar process for course registration. Even if changing the course registration process entirely may not be done immediately, other efforts such as increasing waitlist capacity or making course syllabi open to students during registration, as others have already advocated for, would be beneficial. Such improvements could help to both increase the visibility of course content so students can gain greater insight into different classes and to help students make more informed decisions when adding courses to their schedules.

As a multicultural, diverse and inclusive institution, Tufts must do more to give students as much freedom as possible to explore their niche interests in diverse disciplines. Allowing for a shopping period will do exactly that.

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Donald Trump is pictured at a rally in 2019.

NATALIE BROWNSELL / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sarah Lee Day’s ExCollege class is pictured on Oct. 17, 2022.

VIEWPOINT

Green is the new black: How we’ve demoted sustainability to a passing trend

Kaashvi Ahuja Staff Writer

Originally published Nov. 23, 2023.

Do you own a metal straw? Maybe you do and maybe you take it everywhere with you. Maybe you do but you’ve forgotten about it and it’s lying somewhere unused, collecting dust. Can you remember why you bought it? For the planet, right? That’s what one would expect. As is commonly known, plastic straws are bad for marine ecosystems. But why did you truly buy the metal straw? Was it really to reduce your plastic consumption for the sake of turtles, or was it to participate in the larger trend that gave merit to this concept of “saving the turtles?”

The optimist in me may argue that it doesn’t matter, that regardless of whether your motivation to do so had intrinsic or extrinsic origins, the impact is still a net positive for the planet. Maybe that’s right, but on the other side of this argument, the trends we adopt are potentially fuelling a fire that is undermining the effectiveness of the sustainability movement.

The capitalist craze of the “Save the Turtles” movement brought to attention a very important environmental issue: the endangerment of marine ecosystems and their organisms due to the careless consumption of plastics. As a result, companies were publicly pressured into pledging to reduce the plastics they made available, for instance, Starbucks aimed to eliminate the provision of sin-

gle-use plastic straws by 2020. Starbucks wanted to stay trendy, so they adapted to stay relevant to the increasingly “woke” community in the U.S. and adopted a save-the-turtles style environmental mantra as their daily anthem. Common sense would suggest that this helped to reduce the issue of turtles dying from plastic disposal and consumption, but why do studies show that plastic waste is washing into the ocean at an ever-increasing rate? A 2020 study by Oceana found that 88% of the sea turtles and marine mammals killed in U.S. waters by plastic ingestion, drowning or strangulation were threatened or endangered species. Things like chewing gum, microplastics, ropes and bottle caps have also caused the untimely death of these creatures. Plastic straws aren’t the only threat to endangered ocean life, they are just the easiest to capitalize on and find a trendy enough replacement for.

People are judged for using plastic straws, but when have you seen someone being considered unthoughtful for chewing gum? Gum is made with a rubber-like substance, which makes it very hard to decompose. It’s terrible for the environment because 80–90% of gum is incorrectly disposed of. Gum can become stuck to the ground, get into drainage systems or find its way into a landfill. Eventually, gum can end up in waterways that lead to the ocean.

Discarded gum can pose a danger to fish, birds and other

animals. They mistakenly ingest the plastic as food and choke on them. The gum could also get stuck in their digestive system, causing them to die of starvation. However, organizations haven’t been as successful in advertising plastic-free gum. The public just hasn’t caught on because it hasn’t been established as a trend, so we’ve given less credence to it as an environmental issue.

While I’m not trying to convert people to start eating Simply Gum as opposed to the more accessible options like Orbit, Juicy Fruit or Wrigley’s, I am calling for more people to recognize the power that trends have over us and the harm they pose in undermining environmental problems that aren’t labeled “trendy.”

VIEWPOINT

Maxwell Shoustal Managing Editor

Originally published Nov. 7, 2023.

I absolutely hate waking up early. This semester, I am taking a grand total of one class before 10:30 a.m. — the first of my college career. The entire day before class, I dread the thought of having to wake up at such an ungodly hour. Coming from Los Angeles, I am quite used to having a plethora of sunny days throughout the year. In fact, Los Angeles has about 275 days of sunshine per year compared to Boston’s average of 200. Last year, I found myself wishing that I could wake up earlier and enjoy more hours of sunlight per day during the winter months. Now that daylight savings is over and the sun is setting earlier, I will once again face this Catch-22 of either waking up earlier or missing out on hours of sunlight.

There are plenty of good reasons to strive for more hours of daylight. Chief among them is happiness. Quite simply, basking is a wonderful thing. There are few things that a person can frequently bask in, yet the light of the sun provides humanity with a respite from their overwise basking-free lives. Given

Furthermore, this opens the discussion to an issue we all know has existed since before we were born, but one we only address and recognize when we see it trending on our “For You” pages on TikTok, our feeds on Instagram or the headlines of the newspapers we read. The climate crisis is arguably the most pressing issue of our time. While climate change may affect different communities unequally, climate change itself doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, sex, sexual preference or religion, yet we seem to dismiss its urgency when something else occupies the headlines. This isn’t to invalidate any other cause. It is just to state that global warming is something that affects us

On the nature of daylight

the importance of sunlight, it is easy to see how seasonal depression is a very real phenomenon, and spending time in the daylight during the winter months is important to improving your mood. Thus, I do not wish to

argue that it is foolish or not worthwhile to try to spend more time outside during the light of day. However, I believe an often overlooked factor to some people’s melancholy during the winter months is their own

reflection of what their sleeping habits say about them.

There exists a societally cultivated notion that those who sleep in are lazy or generally less hardworking than those who wake up early to seize the day. For example, when Steve Harvey discussed the importance of waking up early, he argued that you should do so because the stock market is already open on the East Coast by the time you wake up in Los Angeles. Given that Tufts is on the East Coast, this might be slightly less of an issue. However, the genius of Harvey’s message still rings true. Indeed, perhaps day traders hoping to monitor stock prices earlier in the morning could benefit from waking up early. For the rest of us though, the idea that waking up late somehow makes you lazy is a clear logical fallacy. Like myself, many people who wake up late also go to bed late and are perfectly capable of being awake for as many productive hours as early risers. However, this societal stigma only applies to people who sleep in.

For this reason, it is easy to feel unproductive or lackadaisical on days where you sleep in. This is especially amplified

all. Despite this, most of us only consider it when it comes to the burning Amazon rainforest or when New York’s skies turn yellow, heavy with air pollution. We wear rose-colored glasses when we read dystopian fiction that glamorizes these landscapes, but we remain ignorant of the dystopian reality in which we are living.

Why do we wait for something to become a trend, an aesthetic, for us to reflect on our lifestyle and consider a more sustainable way of living? Will we wait for turtles to start choking on gum before we decide to make plastic-free gum trendy? Who knows? If the climate crisis movement is promoted as the theme of next year’s Met Gala, maybe we aren’t doomed after all.

when the sun setting earlier in the day serves as an inescapable visual reminder of your slothfulness and brings you shame. It doesn’t have to be this way though. It is high time for society to recognize that it’s not inherently bad to sleep in late — all that matters is what you make of the time you have while you’re awake.

In Franz Kafka’s novella, “The Metamorphosis” (1915), when Gregor awakens to find that he has been transformed into an exceptionally large insect, he thinks, “how about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense?” I much prefer the utility of Gregor’s pondering to Harvey’s. Of course, waking up a bit earlier to get more sunshine is typically a good idea from a physical and mental health perspective. However, there are probably plenty of days when you wake up feeling — metaphorically, at least — like you’re in Gregor’s position. It is valuable to acknowledge then that it’s society’s fault that we’re conditioned to feel lazy about sleeping in late, and not any fault of our own. It is perfectly valid to simply be productive later in the day. Plus, college is just a bunch of nonsense anyway.

VIA CHEMIST 4 U

Plastic straws are pictured.

NATALIE BROWNSELL / THE TUFTS DAILY

Businesses on Boston Avenue are pictured in the evening in December 2022.

From brown and blue to red, white and blue: Jumbos in Paris Olympic Games

Max Druckman

Deputy Sports Editor

published May 19.

There is no higher honor in sports than competing in the Olympic or Paralympic Games. To hear your nation’s national anthem, to bear the blazing torch and to gaze at the interlocking rings is to be etched in athletics lore for eternity.

At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, 15,440 athletes participated in the Olympics and Paralympics. Over the last four years, thousands more have worked tirelessly, practicing their craft for countless hours, to be among the select few with the opportunity to compete at the 2024 Paris Games.

When the eyes of the world tune in on July 26, two of the athletes on their televisions will be Tufts Jumbos. Jesse Grupper (E’19) and sophomore Alex Flynn will both represent Team USA this summer. Grupper will compete in boulder and lead climbing, while Flynn will compete in Paralympic rowing.

For both athletes, their participation is a culmination of a lifetime of hard work and persistence, with their time at Tufts playing a key role in their success.

Grupper’s introduction to climbing came at a young age. “My sister started climbing when I was about six years old, and I was brought to the gym with her pretty consistently,” he said. “I had a ton of energy as a kid. … I started taking lessons when I was about six and I just never looked back. It just always felt like the sport for me.”

Even while a student at Tufts, Grupper continued to make climbing a part of his life. Balancing training and academics improved his performance in both, as the two ultimately complemented each other.

“I’ve always found that balancing climbing and school or work has always made both a little bit better,” Grupper said. “When I was at Tufts, … I would structure my day so that I would try to get most of the brunt work [of] school done within the start of the day. … Then, in the evenings, I would go to the gym that was local to us — it’s called [Central Rock Gym] — and I would spend probably three hours there.”

The most impactful and informative lessons of Grupper’s climbing career came in the classroom. A mechanical engineering major, Grupper built skills in critical thinking and problem-solving, which translated seamlessly into climbing.

“With climbing, you start with a start hold and you have some amount of holds

in between that and the finish hold, and it’s up to you to figure out and be creative about the method that you’re going to use to get to the top,” Grupper said. “And, similarly, with engineering, you’re given a problem statement and you’re given some tools to get out with, and it’s up to you what that problem solution will look like.”

After graduating from Tufts in 2019, Grupper made the bold decision to turn professional. Since then, he has traveled the world, competing in places ranging from France to Singapore to South Africa.

“It’s been quite a wild ride,” Grupper said. “Right after Tufts, I was quite excited to spend a year just focusing on rock climbing and competition climbing in general, and I set off at the end of 2018 competing on the World Cup circuit. I thought that that would be it, that would be my year, and then, I would retire. … I was wrong.”

Once Grupper turned professional, he continued to excel. On the 2022 Overall Lead World Cup circuit, Grupper finished third. That same year, he won the National Team Trials in Atlanta. Rock climbing was introduced as a sport at the 2020 Games, providing a clear, but still daunting, goal of qualifying for the next edition of the games.

“The Olympics, in general, has always been a dream for me … but it kind of felt like climbing wasn’t something that the Olympics … thought should be included,” Grupper said. “The first realization was having it be included, and then I think the next time that I realized for myself was in 2022 when I qualified for the combined discipline which is the format for the Olympics going into Paris. And I think that was when I fully realized that this was a possibility.”

Finally, at the 2023 Pan American Games, a dream was realized. Grupper dominated the Boulder and Lead Combined discipline in Santiago, Chile, taking home the gold and qualifying for the Olympics.

For sophomore Alex Flynn, the wait to go to the games was shorter — just two years of collegiate rowing. A native of nearby Danvers, Mass., who also skis and wakeboards, Flynn brings a breadth of experience to this summer’s Paralympic Games.

Similar to Grupper, Flynn found his sport accidentally — he needed something to do after school. Eventually, he found his way to Tufts, where he raced the varsity 4V8 boat as a first-year. In the sum-

mer of 2023, he was selected by USRowing to compete at the PR3 mixed four boat at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. He also earned the opportunity to compete at the 2023 Para Rowing Regatta to Paris prior to the World Championships, on the same course that the Paralympics will be held this summer. The summer of 2023 was quite successful for Flynn. He garnered a silver medal in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain and won gold in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain at the 2023 Para Rowing Regatta to Paris. The results marked the second time in Flynn’s international career that he placed in the PR3 mixed four, as he finished fifth at the 2022 World Championships. With a return to Paris in the cards again this summer, Flynn is hoping that he can add to his trophy cabinet.

No matter the outcome of their events this summer, Grupper and Flynn will have the experience of a lifetime. Wearing red, white and blue, the pair will have the chance to show the world their talent, passion and hard work, and how a stint in brown and blue helped get them to the zenith of global sport.

Tufts women’s rowing clinches first national championship

Rachel Liu Senior Staff Writer

Originally published June 5.

Making program history, the women’s rowing team won the NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday in Bethel, Ohio. Tufts’ first varsity eight rowed to a definitive victory, and the second varsity eight claimed second to secure the highest team score for the Jumbos.

The weekend’s results put an exclamation mark on a dominant year for Tufts rowing. Tufts won the Collegiate Eights race at the Head of the Charles in the fall and never looked back,

achieving its first-ever NESCAC title on the road to the championships.

For Lily Siddall, in her first year as head coach, watching the first varsity eight surge out to a strong start in Saturday’s final on Harsha Lake was “surreal.” Midway through, Tufts led by about a length on Wesleyan University.

“You could see the dream really start to come together,” Siddall recalled.

The 1V maintained its lead throughout, clocking in at 06:51.162 for the 2,000 meters, more than three seconds ahead of second-place Wesleyan’s time of 6:54.334. Trinity College came away with third, crossing the line at 6:55.979, neck-and-neck with Williams

College, who finished in 06:56.214.

Coxed by sophomore Hannah Jiang, the 1V lineup was filled by sophomore Rose Tinkjian, first-year Janna Moore, senior Shira Roberts, senior Emma Mahoney, senior Summer Maxwell, sophomore Samara Haynes, graduate student Karen Dooley and sophomore Emma Lyle.

“We expected going into the race [that it would be] very gritty [and] a very tough race,” Jiang said. “Crossing the line with such a huge margin … was awesome.”

Tufts was undaunted by a close loss to Williams in the qualifying round the day before, falling behind the Ephs by mere milliseconds. While both first and

second place in the heats automatically advanced, the 1V made the necessary adjustments to win when it mattered.

“Normally we rely on our third 500 to be really strong and [for] our fitness to carry us through and make moves back on other crews as they start to get tired,” Maxwell, co-captain of the team, said. “But that didn’t really work for us in the heats. We had to change our plan and be more aggressive in the first half of the race to try to get out ahead earlier.”

The initial race also helped get some of the nerves out after not racing for three weeks.

GRAPHIC BY BEX POVILL

Originally

Tufts women’s rowing secures historic championship title

ROWING continued from page 13

“We were more mentally prepared to fight it out in the finals and that really helped to push us and give us the edge,” Jiang said. “We will do what it takes in order to get our bow ball over the line first.”

After the second varsity won their heat by open water, they faced another competitive Williams boat in the finals. Tufts led early on, but Williams clawed back to cross the finish first in 6:56.229, closely pursued by Tufts at 6:58.134. Trinity placed third with a time of 7:05.245.

The 2V consisted of first-year coxswain Maddie Rosato, senior Margot Durfee, junior Reilly Uiterwyk, graduate student Amanda Downing, sophomore Hadley Keefe, junior Lucy Howell, senior Aoife Schmitt, sophomore Julia Zipoli and firstyear Sydney Barr. It was the program-best finish for the 2V at nationals, Uiterwyk said.

“To get to make that kind of history was unreal,” Uiterwyk said. “We had three seniors in our boat who have played a really integral role on the team. Getting to go out with a podium finish for them was something I was really happy to get to do.”

The 1V and 2V scores put Tufts at the top of the standings with 54 points, while Wesleyan and Williams tied for second with 47 points. A faster 1V time gave Wesleyan the tie-breaker for silver. Trinity placed fourth with 46 points. The NESCAC podium sweep exemplified the Jumbos’ challenging conference schedule prior to the championships.

To win it all this year represented a full-circle moment for Siddall. The very

same athletes she recruited during her first year as an assistant coach in 2019 are now graduating.

“I wanted to help them end it on a good note,” Siddall said.

After missing out on NCAAs in 2021, the team placed sixth in 2022 and medalled in 2023, earning third place. Now, the seniors leave Tufts as national champions.

“This isn’t something that I would have really dreamed to be possible when I was a freshman at Tufts,” Maxwell said, starting college amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The program has come a long way in the last four or five years,” assistant coach Ethan Maines said. “The culture of the team has shifted a lot, and it’s become a place where people are really excited to be every day.”

That enthusiasm extends throughout the whole roster and has translated into results.

“You can’t row a boat alone,” Uiterwyk, an incoming team co-captain, said. “There’s 50 people who have put everything into getting this. … We’re so grateful.”

Jiang further noted how even as the seniors “paved the way” for the team, the returning rowers are still “really hungry to win.”

“Though I’m extremely proud of the lineup I got to be a part of this season, I don’t think it’s magic or a ‘struck by lightning’ situation,” Maxwell said. “Tufts will be able to go forward, and even as my class has graduated, produce really fast boats.”

The newest graduates join the ranks of alumni who have propelled the program to its current status.

“This year’s team is the one that will be reflected on paper as the one that did it,” Maines said, “but a lot of people from many years before built the foundation for it to happen this year.”

Siddall was promoted to interim head coach at the beginning of the season, taking over from Noel Wanner, the previous director of rowing.

“As a women’s sports team, having a young, female head coach feels so empowering and awesome to be able to go out and work together with someone that really understands … what it’s like to be a female college athlete right now,” Maxwell said. “It’s been absolutely fantastic to see her blossom

Tufts men’s lacrosse wins national championship

Zachary Myers Staff Writer

Tufts men’s lacrosse traveled to Philadelphia to play the Rochester Institute of Technology in the Division III National Championship on May 26. After a crushing defeat at the hands of Salisbury University in last year’s final following an undefeated season, the Jumbos returned this year with the hope of claiming a fourth title in program history. The two programs have historically been equals, with Tufts entering the matchup with a 3–4 all-time record against RIT, including a loss to the Tigers in March. This exciting rematch took place at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles. After a successful season despite a loss in the NESCAC tournament to Hamilton College, the Jumbos regained their form in the national tournament and earned their spot in the finals. Their current form, combined with their valuable experience from last year, meant the Jumbos were ready for the championship.

“You can’t learn from your mistakes if you don’t make them, and there were a bunch of mistakes we made in [the championship] game last year,” Tufts senior goalkeeper Conner Garzone said. “It wasn’t pretty at all times during the season. We had some bad games. We had some good games.”

With something to prove, the Jumbos came out ready and firing when junior midfielder Charlie Tagliaferri netted the game’s first goal just 18 seconds into the first quarter off a feed from sophomore midfielder Jack Regnery. After a series of back-and-forth goals, Tagliaferri scored his third of the game to put the Jumbos up 3–2, kickstarting a three-goal run that saw the Jumbos go up 5–2. Goals from junior attack Max Ettinghausen, junior midfielder Cam Delcristo, Regnery and

sophomore attack Garrett Kelly gave Tufts an 8–5 lead going into the second quarter. Despite an early goal from Kelly, RIT was able to tie the game up with seven minutes left in the half after three straight goals. A late goal saw the Jumbos go into the break up a goal, but the momentum Tufts had from their hot start was gone.

“Fortunately, we’ve seen RIT every year since 2021, so we are pretty familiar with each other. … When we go on a run, we know that they are capable of coming back. When they go on a run, we know what we have to do to try to counter punch that. Earlier in the year, they went on a run after we did and we weren’t able to counter punch,” coach Casey D’Annolfo said in response to the second-quarter push by RIT. “For our guys, it’s just keeping that mental toughness, which is what they did. … I think having that little cushion early on was good for our guys. It settled us down a little bit

and allowed us to play with fewer nerves out there.”

D’Annolfo’s belief in his team’s mental toughness was not an empty one. Despite another strong third quarter push by RIT, goals from first-year attack Chase Beyer, senior attack Kevin Christmas and Regnery sent the title game to the fourth quarter tied at 13 goals apiece.

In the fourth quarter, the mental toughness, experience and maturity of the Jumbos were clear on both ends of the field. On the offensive end, goals from Regnery, junior midfielder Sam Frisoli, Kelly, Beyer and sophomore midfielder Victor Salcedo saw the Jumbos end the game with 18 goals. On the defensive end, the Jumbos held RIT to just one goal. When the final horn blew, the scoreboard showed a score of 18–14. For the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2015, the Tufts men’s lacrosse team were national champions!

into the role of head coach and lead us with such determination and positivity.”

Part of why Siddall came to Tufts five years ago was to win a national title, and she saw this program had the vision for it, she said.

“I believe so strongly in what Division III and specifically the NESCAC stands for,” Siddall said. “This championship will continue to help us have more momentum as we continue to build [and] make more history for Tufts rowing.”

Editor’s note: Summer Maxwell was a deputy features editor at the Daily. Maxwell was not involved in the writing or editing of this story.

“When it ended it was a pretty surreal feeling, especially seeing all of the work pay off and just trusting the process even with the bumps we had in our season,” Ettinghausen wrote in a message to the Daily. “We are champs now, and no one can take that away from us, which is pretty special.”

In the end, an exceptional performance by Tagliaferri meant he was named as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championships. Kelly tallied four goals, two assists, two grounders and two caused turnovers. Regnery scored three goals, and Ettinghausen and Beyer each finished with two goals, an assist and two grounders. The Jumbos won 22 of 36 faceoffs, allowing them to maintain possession for extended periods of time.

Finally, on the defensive side, the Jumbos were relentless, causing 18 turnovers and claiming 49 ground balls to the Tigers’ 34. Notable performances in the back came from junior defenders Joey Waldbaum and Michael Ayers and sophomore long-stick midfielder Ben Frisoli. Between the pipes, Garzone made 11 saves, including a massive stop late in the fourth quarter that led to a Tufts goal at the other end of the field.

“If you would have asked us, ‘Is this the senior class that’s going to do this?’ I don’t know if we would have felt 100% sure about it. Super small group. They have a lot of different roles in the program and we are a pretty young team,” D’Annolfo said. “Just over the course of the last month, they really bought in and made us the best version of ourselves.”

Tufts men’s lacrosse finishes its incredible season with an even more impressive national championship. These results are a credit to the coaching staff that led this elite team and to the seniors who set the standard for what it means to be a Jumbo.

Tufts women’s rowing team raises national championship trophies.

COURTESY LILY SIDDALL

Originally published May 31.

Men's lacrosse celebrates the program’s fourth national title.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

In Photos: Jumbo scavenger hunt

Spot the Jumbos around campus!

PHOTO CREDITS: RACHEL LIU, OLIVIA WHITE, CORA HARTMANN, KAITLYN WELLS