The Tufts Daily - Friday, September 25, 2020

THE

VOLUME LXXX, ISSUE 8

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, September 25, 2020

Tufts Dining workers strained by COVID-19 impact, understaffed

by Yiyun Tom Guan and Alexander Thompson

News Editor and Assistant News Editor

Tufts Dining workers say that COVID-19 protocols and the new ordering system are causing a serious staff shortage, leaving them feeling weary and unappreciated.

University officials admit that adapting to the new system has been difficult but pledge that they are working quickly to fill staffing gaps.

Zahra Warsame, a second cook at Carmichael Dining Center, frequently tracks her daily steps on her phone.

Normally, she walks about 9,000 or 10,000 steps a day, but recently she has been reaching 14,000 or 15,000 steps.

Warsame, who is also a union shop steward for UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents most dining workers, attributes this change to the new ordering system.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students would cycle through the buffet at their own pace, helping themselves to hot entrées and sides. Now, along with preparing the food, dining workers are serving, packaging and, in some cases, delivering meals to students.

“They have not added staff to support the operational need.

They just stretch the staff that were there,” Warsame said. “Now

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Dewick MacPhie Dining Center is pictured on Sept. 24. you have to do two jobs instead of one.”

The pandemic has forced Tufts Dining to rework significant parts of their operations to make them contactless and socially distanced, according to Patti Klos, director of dining and business services.

“It’s difficult – for both employees and managers alike – to return to the workplace after being away for 5 months and have to deal with so many changes,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. “I believe

that many staff have already adjusted to the changes.”

The university only hires dining personnel after each open position on campus goes through a contractually required union bid that adheres to a seniority system.

In August, Tufts Dining staff were able to bid on the shifts that were open for the fall semester. Once the bid process concluded, the university began recruiting to fill the vacancies, according to Klos.

A lack of staff, however, led to the delayed opening of the Tower Café because fewer union workers bid for positions there than expected, according to Klos. She added that the university has filled four of 13 vacancies across its operations and is in the final stage of hiring seven more workers.

In a Sept. 13 statement on their Facebook page, Tufts Dining recognized the effects of the pandemic on the university’s dining services.

“We recognize that students are experiencing wait times as our staff adjust to the monumental changes in operations brought about by the current environment,” they wrote.

Christine Tringale, an assistant sous chef at Hodgdon Foodon-the-Run and union shop steward, said that because the dining halls are so short-staffed, some workers are doing jobs outside their classification.

The workers’ collective bargaining agreement specifies various classifications of workers and dictates their pay scale.

Tringale said third cooks are opening and closing operations alone, though this is outside the realm of what their jobs require. “[They are] being asked to do a job they are either not qualified for or do because they have seniority but don’t get recognition for it in pay so they are being taken advantage of,” she wrote in an electronic message to the Daily.

Workers are also voicing concerns over COVID-19 testing, which they say only began two weeks ago. Tufts brought dining workers back to campus for training under the new system, as early as Aug. 9, according to Klos.

“I felt really not at ease coming back to work in an environment in which a lot of questions weren’t answered at that time,” Warsame said. see DINING, page 2

Author Ijeoma Oluo speaks on racial theory, anti-racist conversations

by Sarah Sandlow News Editor

Ijeoma Oluo, author of “So You Want to Talk About Race” (2018), addressed the Tufts community in a webinar on Sept. 22.

The event was a part of the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series. Dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Alan Solomont (A’70) shared opening statements and Joyce Sackey, associate provost and chief diversity officer, was the moderator.

Solomont began the event by indicating that Oluo’s book was chosen for the Common Book program. Under the program, the Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) selects a novel for all incoming medical students to read. This year, TUSM partnered with Tisch College to choose a book.

In light of the importance and timeliness of Oluo’s publication,

the program was expanded to all students and faculty at the medical school, according to Solomont.

He stressed the importance of bringing awareness to conversations about racial justice and praised the community.

“Promoting conversation and action on racial justice is an indispensable part of preparing students to participate in civic life,” Solomont said. “I hope that all of us are heartened by the fact that so many peers and community members want to do this difficult work in community, together.”

Sackey then led the conversation with Oluo and asked if she could discuss the working definition of race, which she includes in her book. Oluo also shared an analogy between race and money.

“Race of course ends up being this … made-up category based on characteristics of skin color,

hair texture, features,” Oluo said.

“A lot of times people try to dismiss the idea of race … [but] money was also made up and we can’t dismiss the idea of money because we won’t be able to eat.

Race functions very similarly.”

Sackey also asked Oluo to elaborate on an idea in her book, which states that anti-racism is an action, as opposed to a sentiment.

“Every time that you look into the system … you have the chance to do something, to make a measurable, felt impact in the lives of BIPOC people. But, the moment you don’t do it, you’re not being anti-racist and so it’s an action, not a state you arrive in,” she said.

After Sackey asked about the importance of speaking about race in an effective manner, Oluo underlined that it is critical to listen to Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), especially when decisions are being made in a community.

“There’s kind of this idea that anti-racism … is this ‘eat, pray, love’ journey for liberal white people,” Oluo said. “It’s not about you … honoring the sacrifice of BIPOC people in these conversations, current and past, with action … is vital. Otherwise, all you’re really doing is taking a field trip in someone’s trauma.”

Oluo also said that racism should be viewed as a public health crisis.

Sackey asked Oluo about the importance of intersectionality, while working to dismantle systemic racism.

“It’s important we try to understand [intersectionality] because if we don’t, and what we’re trying to do is anti-racist work, we’re only making the most privileged people safe,” Oluo said.

Sackey later opened the conversation to questions from the audience.

ARTS / page 4

FEATURES / page 3

EDITORIAL / page 7

Exclusive look into Sylvan Esso’s third album, released today

13 hours ahead, how firstyears grapple with Zoom University

Tufts, respect Indigenous Peoples Day

An audience member asked for the best ways to bring people into a conversation about racism, if they are uncomfortable or apprehensive to engage in a discussion.

Oluo emphasized that it is essential to state the mission of the conversation and guide its direction.

She also explained that it is important to move the conversation forward, regardless of whether the importance of the subject is understood.

“If you manage to get to full adulthood without understanding how systemic racism works … [you have to recognize] that like any other major important issue where lives are at stake, we don’t wait until everyone understands that it’s an important issue before we move forward,” Oluo said. “We say the lives matter and we’re going to do the work.”

NEWS

1

FEATURES

3

ARTS & POP CULTURE

4

FUN & GAMES

6

OPINION

7

SPORTS

BACK

2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, September 25, 2020

THE TUFTS DAILY Alex Viveros Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL Managing Editors Jake Freudberg Associate Editors Jilly Rolnick Alejandra Carrillo Maddie Aitken Jess Blough Tom Guan Liza Harris Alex Janoff Matt McGovern Sara Renkert Sarah Sandlow Anton Shenk Carolina Espinal Renner Kwittken Sam Klugherz Alexander Thompson Alicia Zou

Executive News Editor Deputy News Editor News Editors

Assistant News Editors

Ryan Shaffer Executive Features Editor Sid Anand Features Editors Amelia Becker Jillian Collins Claire Fraise Evelyn McClure Kayla Butera Assistant Features Editor Megan Szostak Executive Arts Editor Devina Bhalla Arts Editors Ryan Eggers Steph Hoechst Tuna Margalit Chris Panella Yas Salon Elizabeth Sander Colette Smith Rebecca Tang Geoff Tobia Drew Weisberg Assistant Arts Editor Liz Shelbred Priya Padhye Paloma Delgado Amulya Mutnuri Mike Wilkinson Caroline Wolinsky Milli Lu Emily Nadler Julia Baroni Carys Kong Annabel Nied Valeria Velasquez Juju Zweifach

Executive Opinion Editor Senior Editorialists

Editorialists Editorial Cartoonists

Sruthi Kocherlakota Executive Sports Editor Tim Chiang Sports Editors Matt Goguen Jeremy Goldstein Aiden Herrod Pranav Jain Ananda Kao Delaney Tantillo Arpan Barua Assistant Sports Editors Jacob Dreyer Henry Gorelik Ethan Ling Arnav Sacheti Alex Sharp Eric Spencer Austin Clementi Executive Investigative Editor Arlo Moore-Bloom Executive Audio Editor Anne Marie Burke Executive Photo Editors Nicole Garay Aidan Chang Staff Photographers Patrick Milewski Menqi Irina Wang Austen Money Executive Video Editor

PRODUCTION Kevin Zhang

Production Director Rachel Hsin Executive Layout Editors Yanqing Huang Laura Mogannam Campbell Devlin Layout Editors Miriam Shamash Tys Sweeney Executive Graphics Editor Sam Farbman Graphic Designers Freya Gupta Helen He Kristina Marchand Calisa Sana Ethan Schreiber Ethan Steinberg Colton Wolk Brendan Hartnett Julian Perry Mariel Priven Kate Seklir Abigail Zielinski Mykhaylo Chumak Justin Yu Aedan Brown Sophie Elia Makenna Law Grace Prendergast

Executive Copy Editors

Michelle Li Tiffany Namkoong

Executive Social Media Editors

Deputy Copy Editors

Copy Editors Assistant Copy Editors

BUSINESS Robert Kaplan Business Director Devina Bhalla Account Managers Coley Goren Sharan Bhansali Business Managers Norice Lu Evelyn McClure Patrick Milewski Luke Allocco Outreach Coordinators Sam Russo

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com thetuftsdaily tuftsdaily tuftsdaily

Tufts Labor Coalition releases petition in support of dining workers DINING

Rebecca Barker Hannah Harris

Please rec ycle this newspaper!

tuftsdaily.com

continued from page 1 Klos said that testing for workers began once the surveillance test site was fully functioning. “[COVID-19 testing] for some workers might have been after they returned to work,” she said.

Student activists have accused the university of neglecting dining workers.

Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) released statements on Facebook

and Instagram on Sept. 13 demanding better treatment for dining workers.

An organizer with the TLC, Georgia Kay, a junior, explained that the Coalition was first approached by a dining worker, who was upset by the Sept. 13 statement from Tufts Dining.

“The statement, in addition to giving false information about the source of late times and delays for food, didn’t even acknowledge the dining work-

ers,” Kay said. “[They’re upset] for the university to be pushing them so hard and to not even baseline acknowledge that work and in fact blame them.”

TLC’s Facebook post doubles as a petition for the university to hire more workers, buy more personal protective equipment, provide assurance of sick time and invest in language translations for workers whose first language is not English, among other points.

As of Thursday, the number of commented signatures on the Facebook post is 365, while the Instagram post has 1,870.

“Our goal is to put as much pressure on Tufts Dining and Tufts administrations as possible,” Kay said. “The students have always and will always stand with workers, we’re always in communication, always having each others’ backs … and we’re not going to stop until these things are massively changed.”

tuftsdaily.com

Features

3 Friday, September 25, 2020

For remote first-years, a different start to college

by Julian Perry

Deputy Copy Editor

Joshua Lim is in his first semester at Tufts, taking a set of courses common for first-years: introductory classes in biology, biostatistics and community health, as well as a music theory course. In addition to the usual challenges of transitioning to college, Lim attends classes from his home in South Korea — 13 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone.

“By the time I reach my 4 or 5 a.m. class, I’m a little worn out,” Lim said.

Lim is one of over 700 Tufts students studying remotely this semester, and for the first-years among them, the entirety of their college experience so far has been online. These members of the Class of 2024 face a unique set of challenges, starting life at Tufts in a manner unlike any previous class. They expressed a variety of reasons for choosing to be remote this fall.

For Lim, safety was a significant concern.

“When I chose to do online, it was partially because I was kind of scared … the numbers [in the U.S.] were quite intense compared to here in Korea,” Lim said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, South Korea has faced just 393 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic. The U.S. has surpassed 200,000 deaths.

“In terms of coronavirus response, Korea’s been pretty hardcore,” Lim said. “At certain times back in February and March, we basically just didn’t go outside at all. Without question, all institutes, all colleges, all schools were shut down.”

Multiple first-years cited concerns that campus could close early, forcing students to leave Tufts and return home.

“As a family, we decided that we didn’t want to risk coming and then getting sent back home shortly after,” Victoria Zhang, a first-year living in Maryland, wrote in an email to the Daily.

Suhasini Mehra, a firstyear living in Switzerland, said traveling internationally concerned her.

“If anything happened, if I wasn’t able to come home, or something, because of the travel restrictions, I didn’t want to risk that,” Mehra said. “I’d rather be home for that during this first semester, make sure that everything goes well, and then hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, I’ll be able to come in January.”

For other students, however, coming to campus was never an option.

“It wasn’t much of a choice,” Ayomikun Adeyanju, a first-year living in Lagos, Nigeria, said.

“U.S. embassies aren’t open here, so I can’t get my visa processed.”

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

A classroom in Eaton Hall is pictured.

Sebastián Fernández, a firstyear living in Paraguay, faced the same issue.

“The embassies are closed,” he said. “They are not issuing visas.”

Once enrolled in a virtual semester, a new journey began, and Fernández found himself satisfied with the first step of that journey: pre-orientation.

“It was really fun, and I really got to know my classmates, so everything went really well,” Fernández said of his experience in Tufts Global Orientation (GO). “We basically did everything that GO participants do when they’re in person.”

Other students also testified to the value pre-orientation programs had for meeting other students, particularly in the virtual setting. Mehra took part in the Cultivate Relationships

by Engaging with Arts at Tufts Experiences program, also known as CREATE. “It was a useful way to get to know some people and have a point of contact from the start,” Mehra said.

This year, all pre-orientation programs were fully online. It was one of few parts of life at Tufts so far to offer the same experience to remote first-years and their in-person peers.

“During pre-o, a lot of others hadn’t moved onto campus yet, and since everyone was virtual, there was no FOMO,” Zhang said, referring to the “fear of missing out,” or FOMO. Once pre-orientation and orientation were over, remote firstyears began their first classes in college. For those living in different time zones than the Tufts campus, attending synchronous classes became an immediate challenge.

“The time difference is probably the biggest challenge for me,” Lim, who is 13 hours ahead, said. “It was a struggle to get used to.”

Ethan Chen, a first-year living in Taipei, Taiwan, is 12 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone.

“I have to manage my time quite wisely, because all the courses are at night,” Chen said. “I had to change my sleep schedule a little bit.”

In addition to the issue of timing, teaching virtually can pose challenges to learning and participating within the class.

“I’m not actually that comfortable talking to a screen on Zoom,” Chen said. “I actually prefer talking in person, faceto-face. That’s my challenge that I’m still facing.”

This also poses a problem in hybrid classes, where some students attend in person and others remain remote.

“Most people are attending in person, and there’s just like two of us that are on Zoom, kind of projected up on the smartboard at the front of class,” Mehra said about her one hybrid course. “It’s been the hardest one, because it’s hard to have discussions when most people are in the classroom, and then some people are online.”

Some remote first-years mentioned difficulty connecting and communicating with professors, which take place over Zoom.

“It has felt hard to build relationships with professors remotely,” Zhang wrote. “Since half of my classes are asynchronous, it’s easy to feel invisible to the professor. Also, I feel like Zoom office hours are even more intimidating than in-person office hours.”

Zhang was not the only student to feel intimidated by signing up to meet with professors for virtual office hours. For Mehra, the idea of logging on for a Zoom call felt less natural than simply visiting a professor’s office in person.

“The concept of office hours is really new, especially as a first-year,” Mehra said, “The Zoom format makes it even weirder. You can’t go to a door and see if it’s open or if some-

body’s inside, you just show up at a Zoom and then maybe somebody’s in the middle of a conversation. So I feel nervous to do stuff like that.”

Lim and Fernández both spoke of having similar apprehensions. But once they had given office hours a try, they changed their tune.

“The concept of office hours, one-on-ones, was a bit new to me, because it didn’t really exist when I was in high school,” Lim said. “Because I was curious, I tried signing up for a few of them … and, without a doubt, it’s given me a chance to really connect with my professor.”

Fernández offered similar testimony.

“One of the things that worried me the most before I started the semester was the office hours, because I know those are a great thing when you’re in person and they’re really helpful, and I was just worried that I was not going to be able to experience that,” Fernández said.

“But … I already did office hours with some of my professors, and they’re just really helpful. They manage to help us virtually. On Zoom, they put up whiteboards, they explain everything … I feel really supported by Tufts.”

While office hours are available for students determined to meet their professors, there is no institutional equivalent for students looking to meet their peers. The challenge of meeting people and making friends in the virtual setting is a consistent problem for first-years starting college remotely.

“I see my classmates through the screen,” Lim said, “We set up GroupMe’s for any group projects and things like that, but that’s probably the limit. I haven’t really gotten to a friend level with anybody just yet.”

Online learning removes some of the opportunities to meet people in college. Instead of talking with classmates after class or bumping into them

outside, students log off of Zoom calls and return to being on their own.

“It’s kind of lonely,” Adeyanju said. “I like being around people. I like meeting new people.

With virtual learning, after class you just face your own work.”

Irene Yoo, a first-year living in Fullerton, Calif., described the remote experience as a challenge socially, particularly when many other first-years can socialize in person.

“It’s kind of frustrating to not be there,” she said, “I really want to be on campus and make friends, and I get FOMO when I see Snapchats of people meeting up. I’m like, ‘I want to be there,’ but I can’t.”

Fostering deep connections and forming lasting friendships are not the only struggles of the remote experience. Without living in the same environment as their classmates, remote students also face higher barriers to simpler connections, like finding people to collaborate with on day-to-day work.

“Some students meet on campus to do their homework,” Fernández explained. “I don’t have that option, so if I want to study with someone, it has to be through Zoom. I have to find someone that is willing to do that, because I know that a lot of people are not really fans of the platform.”

For all first-years, navigating classes and assignments can be challenging in the transition to college. But remotely, students do not have peers around them dealing with the same issues.

“It’s been difficult feeling on top of things,” Zhang wrote.

“There are a lot of small assignments for my classes, and they put them in different places on Canvas, so I’m always afraid that I’ve missed something. I also don’t like not being surrounded by other Tufts classmates — it does feel lonely when you have to keep track of everything yourself.”

Beyond issues within the classroom, Zhang also described difficulties getting involved in extracurricular aspects of the Tufts experience.

“It’s hard finding clubs to join,” she wrote. “I also wanted to get an on-campus job this semester.”

Normally, clubs would offer pre-existing communities, available for students interested in meeting more people. But Mehra, like Zhang, also mentioned barriers toward getting involved in that part of life at Tufts as a remote student. ”I have a long list of clubs that I’d like to join in January if I get to come to campus,” Mehra said, “But for now, everything is [at] like, 3 a.m. for me. So that’s a part of campus life that I feel like I’m really missing out on, and it’s, you know, it’s just kind of sad.”

4

ARTS & POP CULTURE

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, September 25, 2020

Forever ‘Rooftop Dancing’: Sylvan Esso grapples with life’s complexities, diverges from past records Executive Features Editor and Managing Editor

Sylvan Esso is known for its ambiguous lyrics, tender vocals and syncopated rhythms. With artistic decisions departing from indie classics like “Coffee” (2014) and “Die Young” (2017), its latest release “Free Love” (2020) guides listeners through a tour of the human experiences of vulnerability, relationships and change.

Sylvan Esso’s song-writing process is usually split among its members — vocalist Amelia Meath writes the lyrics while producer Nick Sanborn handles the instrumentals. Meath, however, stepped into a producing role for “Free Love,” and her presence is felt in the album’s unique ability to maintain deep meaning engulfed in playful rhythm.

Opening with “What If,” a somewhat scattered piece with sparse instrumentals and distorted vocals, the album cues us into a state of instability and questioning: “What if End was Begin? Then would men be like mothers?” The nature imagery pulls listeners into a terrifying storm, one where “oceans turn to clouds” and life ignores the rules. This unstable condition forces us, as well as Meath herself, into memory recollection — an effort to seek answers within an uncontrollable world. In this form, the lyrics introduce the album as a “memory bank” for us to explore, whether it be our own, Meath’s, or that of which all humans inherently experience.

This haunting introduction sharply transitions to the flirty, hopeful tone of “Ring” which playfully signals listeners to the fresh feeling of seeing a lover across a bar for the first time. However, contained within this honeymoon and dance-like rhythm lies something deeper: lyrics such as “it occurred to me we could never be” and “never melted under forever anyway” reflect a self-destructive attitude of allowing the “Ring” to sweep you into a state of ecstasy while in acknowledgement that the experience is surface level and fleeting.

The verses in “Ring” take a similar cadence as found in the “The Glow,” from the duo’s sophomore album “What Now” (2017). Its steady beat gives way to the chorus’s long, wave-like tones, imitating the sudden onset of pure joy. The song poses the pleasures of the moment as an enigma: are they distractions or just simple manifestations of joy?

The upbeat tempo of “Ferris Wheel” and “Train” reinforce this idea by presenting the individual as stuck on an ever-moving “wheel” of experience.

VIA SYLVAN ESSO

The album cover for “Free Love” (2020) by Sylvan Esso is pictured.

Released on July 21, the album’s first single “Ferris Wheel” captured fans’ attention with its light-hearted, upbeat tempo and vivid summer imagery. The song is about “discovering your power and awkwardly figuring out how to wield it,” according to the band’s Instagram.

Very much a song for dancing, “Ferris Wheel’s” playful nature is best shown through its pulsing melodies and questions that demand a response. On par with the album’s theme, “Ferris Wheel” traces the vignettes of a memory, clinging to objects like a “white tee” or the “neon lights” as well as the temporary state of entrancement: “you’ll do fine for tonight.”

The next track “Train” delves into the physical side of romantic encounters.

With “wind in my hair” and “nothing in my brain,” Sylvan Esso adds a layer of physicality to its inspection of memory, while furthering the established blind, upbeat atmosphere of satisfying cravings for feeling and enjoying sweet ignorance.

“Numb” marks a transition in both the album and the individual’s development.

It departs from dance into intimate reflection, acknowledging the anxiety of an increasingly complex world flooding with immediate emotional paralysis. Hoping to

regain sensation, Meath encourages us to join in on “shaking out the numb” through formless dance “like a kid you see.”

“Free” resumes the disordered structure and minimalism of “What If,” while taking a more folksy approach to its vocal cadence. Much in the way of “There Are Many Ways To Say I Love You,” a standalone single released in 2017, “Free” has no discernible pattern in how its lyrics are sung. This draws us into the individual’s stream of consciousness that finally expresses a level of self awareness: “To be free in illusion/In an illusion of your making of me.” The narrator has finally transitioned from external rapture to finding fulfillment within.

“Frequency” begins the return to the upbeat: After engaging the reflection shown in “Free,” the individual can begin to move back into a greater context.

The song evokes the image of tuning a radio with its punctuating, static-like sound and brief pauses in between. With lyrics like “She’s on a frequency/and I caught it,” “Frequency” addresses the moment of connection between individuals and the desire to “bathe in my new love.”

The song draws distinct parallels with “Ring,” but uses the words “frequency”

and “wave” instead of “ring” to the same themes. This establishes a departure from fleeting, or “ringing” passions to something deeper and more permanent. It’s clear the feeling is a strong, overwhelming passion, but the soft vocals and buoyant delivery gives these feelings a level of vulnerability, knowledge and stability.

The album’s last uptempo song, “Runaway,” returns to dance in its tempo and rhythm. It deviates, however, in its attention to introspection and an individual’s agency in a given situation, perhaps through understanding the self in the context of a simply scary world. The song outright admits the individual’s tendency to “run away,” a level of awareness only beginning to be seen in “Free”: “You can’t just wait for them to show up / You’ve got to got to got to run away.” The repetition of “got to” brings us back into the individual’s consciousness; however, now they can maintain this internal reflection within a rapid-pace, upbeat world.

The album’s penultimate piece “Rooftop Dancing” gives an introspective step into progress; after reflecting on momentary love and its inevitable shortcomings, Meath begins to understand “free love” as a childlike experience of authenticity and vulnerability. She presents a free flowing look into dancing as freedom that is not of rapid movement but rather of “Slo-mo throwing [her] body in the air.” Sylvan Esso emphasizes this childlike feeling by interspersing the song with adolescent vocals, thus drawing listeners into the experience of letting loose to the rhythm and to inhabit this youthful dream world.

Closing the album, “Make It Easy” takes the messaging of “Rooftop Dancing” to plead for a simpler existence, a life often experienced in childhood. Emphasized by repetition and a gradual crescendo, the track’s distorted vocals add tension that ultimately becomes unsustainable.

Meath’s vocals are forceful yet restricted, creating an intimate feeling within the mind of listeners. Each line is briefly delivered, with its tone left hanging in the air and leaving the listener wanting more. Recalling a time when the “World was smaller,” “Make It Easy” captures the vulnerability and simplicity of childhood, requesting that we “Play it again.”

It marks a transition into knowledge and progress. We can now move forward and “make it simple” in an untraditional sense: although our world will never lie stagnant, we can find solace in accepting this while still choosing light, authenticity and “Free Love.”

ION OF STA IAT TE OC

TERS RES FO

NATIONAL A SS

by Ryan Shaffer and Hannah Harris

FO

U N D E D 192

0

Friday, September 25, 2020 | Fun & Games | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

F& G

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Alex: “Abolish the clarinet! “

Fun & Games

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Relax and have fun. Add water to fresh air and sunshine for the perfect combo.

Get immersed in a subject of your passion

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

Difficulty Level: Trying to clean the Daily office.

Wednesday’s Solution

Wednesday’s Solution

CROSSWORD

5

6 Friday, September 25, 2020

Opinion

tuftsdaily.com

EDITORIAL

Tufts must recognize Indigenous Peoples Day Tufts exists on stolen land.

The education, relationships and connections that we profit from as members of the Tufts community would not exist if it were not for the violent exploitation and forced displacement of the Wampanoag peoples that stewarded this land for generations. Indigenous Peoples Day, which Tufts instituted in place of Columbus Day in February 2016, is a time to reflect upon the United States’ settler-colonist history and pay tribute to the lives and cultures lost and suppressed on this land.

Though Tufts observed this day in the past, the administration decided to hold classes on Indigenous Peoples Day this year, which lands on Monday, Oct. 12. In an email sent to the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering (AS&E) faculty in June, the AS&E Executive Committee explained that classes would be held in order to best accommodate this semester’s scheduling constraints. After reviewing a number of options,

including substituting a day of reading period to observe the holiday and canceling classes altogether, the committee decided to hold classes as scheduled.

Tufts encourages students to acknowledge this day by planning and participating in community events; the university also asked instructors to avoid assigning work due on this day and to accommodate any student absences.

By putting academic scheduling ahead of observing the United States’ fraught history of colonialism, Tufts is neglecting its commitment to fostering justice and equality for all marginalized communities. Tufts’ compromise of asking students and faculty to take their own initiatives to recognize Indigeneous Peoples Day does not do justice to the millions of Indigenous lives lost to colonialism. While all members of the Tufts community should take personal time to reflect on this day, the responsibility to recognize it should fall upon the entire institution, not just students and faculty.

It is unrealistic to ask students and professors to observe Indigenous Peoples Day in totality when classes are still being held. Even if professors accommodate student absences and avoid assigning work due on this day, students might still feel obligated to attend class or complete missed classwork and assignments. Time spent learning other subjects takes vital time away from learning about and acknowledging this country’s colonial history. Moreover, the holding of classes and other university events during a time of reflection is counteractive to the purpose of the day and blatantly insensitive to the Indigenous communities this day aims to honor.

Acknowledging this history means also acknowledging the ways in which systemic racism and persecution persist in the United States and the Tufts community. Institutionalized racism within American policing, carceral, education and economic systems have led to the marginalization, discrimination

and killing of countless Black individuals. These racist systems and practices infiltrate our own campus as well; we have witnessed multiple incidents of white supremacy, racial bias and discrimination. While Tufts has taken significant steps to become an actively anti-racist institution, there is still much work to be done to eradicate hate on our campus and to elevate the voices of those historically marginalized — which includes the observance of Indigenous Peoples Day as an academic community.

Canceling classes on Indigenous Peoples Day is just the start of what the Tufts community can do to better acknowledge this country’s and Tufts’ own history of systemic racism. Kris Manjapra, chair of the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, detailed the various ways that Tufts can properly recognize the Indigenous peoples who have lived and continue to live on this land.

“We should participate in land acknowledgements, recognizing the personal and institutional benefits we claim from unceded Wampanoag land,” Manjapra wrote in an email to the Daily. “As an institution, we should promote Native American and Indigenous Studies through our curriculum, including prioritizing faculty hires in this important field.”

Manjapra also discussed “disarming and defunding of the [Tufts University Police Department], in order to invest adequately in the wellbeing and safety of Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian diasporic members of our community.”

In order to better recognize and honor the Indigenous peoples who lived and continue to live on the land that Tufts exists upon, Tufts must cancel classes on Indigenous Peoples Day. On this day and beyond, the Tufts community must reflect upon the ways that the United States’ settler-colonial roots continue to erase and marginalize Indigenous communities and fight to keep these histories alive.

OP-ED

Do you hear the people sing (and play wind instruments)?

NATHANIEL BERMAN Students at Tufts are now living in a Footloose-style fantasy: the university banned singing.

Initially mentioned in a Sept. 2 email, the new rule prohibits any student taking part in in-person classes from singing or playing wind instruments anywhere in public or private in an effort to limit the spread of aerosols. Even students accustomed to singing in the shower will find that engaging in that type of behavior today risks disciplinary action. The university’s announcement acknowledges the hardships imposed by health policies enacted to staunch the spread of COVID-19 but ignores the uniquely impracticable restriction placed upon students studying music.

The new rule is incongruous with previous statements the

administration has made regarding its handling of the pandemic, including its guiding principle of “maintain[ing] the high quality of a Tufts education.” Claiming a music major can continue to receive a high-quality education without singing or practicing their instrument is as nonsensical as claiming an English major can do the same without writing. The administration said that policies like these are “necessary to safeguard public health.” But who is safeguarded by a ban on students singing in their own dorm rooms? Roommates, by virtue of living in close proximity with each other, are already exposed to all manner of their cohabitant’s oral ejecta. By sending mixed messages like these, the administration needlessly erodes the faith of the student body.

The ban stands out because the university has not sanctioned every other activity that could potentially lead to the release of aerosols, nor is it expected to.

Otherwise it might ban speaking above a whisper, as one author in the Atlantic suggested. Ideally, restrictions should balance the costs of intrusions into daily life and violations of students’ freedom of expression with the benefits of the added security they provide. The administration must realize that for musicians, a blanket ban is about as impractical as asking them not to talk.

The timing of the announcement of the ban is also irresponsible, and suggests it was issued almost as an afterthought. The announcement said that “current scientific evidence strongly indicates that singing or the playing of wind instruments generates

aerosolized particles,” which can transmit the virus to others. But that realization was no scientific breakthrough that occurred between the release of the university’s reopening plan in late June and the announcement of the ban just before classes began. The deadline to submit fall 2020 Intent Forms was July 7, and students that chose to attend classes in person are bound by any regulation Tufts chooses to enact. But music students have in effect been forced to comply with a surprise rule that would make their studies impossible if they adhered to it.

The administration cannot truly believe that the ban will eliminate singing altogether. It throws guiding principles in public health to the wind. The failures of abstinence-only education programs have shown that attempting to discourage certain

behaviors by banning them outright is a generally ineffective public health strategy. If they’re not doing it in the shower, students will do it somewhere else.

Despite the new rule, many will undoubtedly continue to sing.

Tufts’ indiscriminate ban, though, will generate unnecessary stigma and fear.

Tufts students are smart. They are more than willing to make sacrifices in order to protect their health and the health of those around them. However, they also recognize nonsense. No one is expecting the concert choir to convene this semester, but exceptions should be made to allow students to sing in the privacy of their own rooms.

Nathaniel Berman is a senior majoring in geological sciences.

Nathaniel can be reached at nathaniel.berman@tufts.edu.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor in Chief, Executive Board and Business Director.

Sports Aiden Herrod Turf Monster

Good vibes or bad vibes?

NFL 2020 season edition

T

he 2020 NFL season has brought with it some truly interesting storylines, both on and off the field.

I’ve chosen to take this time to deliver my own view on what I see as the biggest, most pivotal pieces to the puzzle that is playing football in this bizarre year.

Brady’s outlook with the Bucs? Bad vibes.

Tom Brady doesn’t look like the gunslinger the Bucs offense needs him to be, and I doubt he’ll be able to keep the talented slew of receivers and tight ends properly fed all year. Brady is still likely a top-16 quarterback for the rest of the season, and

Friday, September 25, 2020 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY this team will likely improve and push for a wild-card spot. Sadly for TB12 however, the ceiling of a Super Bowl feels nonexistent.

His replacement in New England?

Good vibes.

Cam Newton is back to being Supercam. He’s slinging the ball and making lower-end receivers look like ballers, and his running hasn’t seemed to miss a beat.

The Patriots system and Cam have evolved symbiotically to form a deadly offense, despite lacking true playmakers outside of Julian Edelman and Cam himself.

The NFC East race? Bad vibes.

For the second year in the row, the NFC East race is shaping up to be ugly. I like the ceiling of the Cowboys the best, especially with all those offensive weapons that stole an insane win over Atlanta in Week 2, but their defense could easily lose them games to Philly or even Washington. I only expect one team here to make the playoffs, and a deep run from that representative is tough to envision.

The NFC West race? Good vibes.

This is the polar opposite of the NFC East. All four teams look ready for a divi-

sional battle royale. Every team is great at something a little different, with the Seahawks and the 49ers still bearing Super Bowl-caliber upsides. Every division matchup from here on out will be a popcorn-crunching affair. Three teams here could easily make the playoffs.

Player health? Bad vibes.

This is not necessarily related to COVID19, though it’s only a matter of time before we get an infection or even an outbreak given the NFL’s non-bubble situation. This is more related to the devastating slew of injuries we’ve experienced leading up to and during the season so far. It could be based on the shorter offseason, it could just be bad luck. But the point is it happened, and we need to push on this season without some truly incredible players on the field.

The health of the season as a whole?

Mixed vibes.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

This season, for better or for worse, is happening. Football, as a larger-thanlife entity and source of escapism for so many, has a way of pushing on and ignor-

7

ing what’s happening in and around it.

Even if COVID-19 derails the season, the NFL will find a way to get things back on track, once again for better or for worse.

Sorting through my emotions as both a fan of the game and a wary watcher of the dire climate we live in will be a process for the entire season. I only ask that you as the reader remain reflective, thoughtful and intentional as you watch the NFL and the rest of sports alongside me this season.

Let’s end on a high note: Gardner Minshew holding onto the Jags starting job? Great vibes.

Minshew Mania is real and I have a bad case of it. This man’s mustache could move mountains and shape the world. I love Minshew’s chances to be a fixture in this league for years to come after his start to the season. Keep on carving up those defenses, my mustachioed hero.

Aiden Herrod is a junior studying film and media studies and entrepreneurial leadership. Aiden can be reached at aiden. herrod@tufts.edu

8 Friday, September 25, 2020

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

UNC field hockey Herro leads Heat to Game 4 win dominates in season over Celtics opener against Wake Forest

by Sruthi Kocherlakota Executive Sports Editor

Like most other athletics this year, many Division I field hockey programs chose to forgo the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic after many athletic programs cited outbreaks during preseason training. Nearly every Division I field hockey conference canceled their fall seasons in hopes that they could hold their championship games during the spring.

On Tuesday, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors green-lit spring 2021 championship play for several fall sports, including field hockey. This plan involves reducing bracket sizes to 75% capacity and setting championship sites ahead of time. The field hockey championship game is set to be held in early May. The ACC remains the sole conference among the field hockey programs that is competing during the fall season.

This conference includes the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Syracuse University, Duke University, Wake Forest University, the University of Louisville, the University of Virginia (UVA) and Boston College.

The ACC began conference play last Sunday, with UNC and Wake Forest competing at Chapel Hill after a slew of postponed games. Despite the large COVID-19 outbreaks at UNC that forced thousands of students to return home in August after a mere week on campus, the Tar Heels hosted the Deacons for the matchup.

UNC, the reigning Division I champion for the past two years, dominated during the matchup. This game marked UNC’s first game back since defeating Princeton University by a score of 6–1 in the championship game last year. The Tar Heels added another tally to their win streak, now at 47 games consecutively undefeated, and have yet to lose a game in over 1,000 days.

The Tar Heels’ came out strong during the first period with four shots, three of which from junior forward and captain Erin Matson. Currently, Erin plays for the U.S. women’s national team, leading the team to a bronze at the 2019 Pan American Games. Matson also was chosen as the 2019 First Point USA/NFHCA Division I National Player of the Year, after being the leading goal scorer for the Tar Heels undefeated 2019 season. Safe to say, Matson is a firecracker on the field, unafraid to put high pressure on any team she comes across.

During the first period, UNC was unable to capitalize on their

short corner, and both teams entered the second period with no score on the board. When the Tar Heels set off for their third short corner play of the day, junior forward Cassie Sumfest swept the ball into the lower left corner of the cage, straight past two of Wake Forest’s defenders and past first-year goalie Tori Glaister. Sumfest scored UNC’s first goal of the season after missing the entire 2019 season due to an injury.

Shortly after the Tar Heels scored, Wake Forest’s sophomore midfielder Nat Friedman received the ball from junior defender Eleanor Winants.

Dribbling down the right side of the field, Winants nailed a pass to Friedman, who was able to tuck the ball into the cage for Wake Forest’s first goal of the season.

Minutes later the Tar Heels revived a penalty corner, hoping to regain their lead prior to the second half of play. The penalty corner was set up with junior midfielder Abby Pitcairn putting the ball into play, reaching sophomore defender Madison Orobono straight at the top. Orobono lined up the ball at the top of the short corner for Matson to nail into the goal. Matson fired off a shot without hesitation and found the right corner of the goal for her 54th career goal for the Tar Heels. With this goal, Matson is now tied for 10th place in UNC history for most goals scored, only one game into her junior season. Maston has quickly risen to the top of several records in the Tar Heels record book, already leaving a legacy for her time at UNC. Entering the third period of play, the Tar Heels held a onepoint advantage. With senior goalie Amanda Hendry in the cage for UNC, scoring was made even more challenging for Wake Forest. Matson quickly dribbled into the Deacons’ corner, slipping a ball past the Deacons’ defense to teammate and junior forward Meredith Sholder who pulled the ball left. Sholder dodged a Wake Forest defender, setting up the ball for herself at the left and fired a reverse sweep shot into the goal, bouncing off the Deacons goalie as she attempted to make a save.

The Tar Heels, who were now up by two points, steadily held their lead throughout the rest of play, thwarting any attempts on goal by the Deacons’ offense. The game ended with neither team adding another tally to the score, and the Tar Heels came away with the season-opening win.

UNC is scheduled to play Louisville away next Friday, Oct. 2, while Wake Forest will play UVA away this Saturday.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown is pictured during a game against the Washington Wizards on April 10, 2018.

by Alex Sharp

Assistant Sports Editor

Tyler Herro is younger than many undergraduate students at Tufts but that doesn’t mean he can’t hang with the best basketball players in the world. The 20-year-old rookie scored 37 points on 14 for 21 shooting in the Miami Heat’s 112–109 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday. Herro scored 17 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, showing off a polished offensive skill set that features a lethal 3-point shot, smooth midrange game and great touch around the rim.

Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Goran Dragic scored 22 points and Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds, as the Heat took a commanding 3–1 series lead.

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens heaped praise upon Herro in his postgame press conference.

“Herro’s shot making tonight … was the difference in the game,” Stevens said, “Jimmy was great late. Adebayo was his typical self. Dragic made some big plays. But Herro was ridiculously good tonight. That rim must have looked like the ocean to him.”

The Heat led by nine points with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter before the Celtics began to knock down shots. Back-toback threes from Jayson Tatum

and Jaylen Brown, followed by three free throws from Kemba Walker cut the Heat lead to two with nine seconds left. However, it was too little too late — Butler knocked down crunch time free throws, and the Heat hung on to win.

The Celtics struggled with the Heat’s 2–3 zone defense for much of the night, turning the ball over 19 times and failing to consistently get good looks at the basket. Jayson Tatum, who has been the Celtics best player throughout the playoffs, did not score a single point in the first half. Tatum came out on fire in the second half to keep the Celtics in it, going 10 for 15 from the field and scoring 28 points. Brown and Walker scored 21 and 20 points respectively, while Gordon Hayward, whose wife gave birth earlier in the day, came off the bench to score 14 points.

The game was played Wednesday night after the news that the police officers who killed Breonna Taylor in her home last March would not be held criminally accountable for her death. One officer was charged with wanton endangerment for firing into Taylor’s neighbors’ apartment. Players, coaches and broadcasters voiced their displeasure with the grand jury’s decision before, during and after the game. As highlights rolled during halftime, ESPN’s Jalen Rose shouted, “It’d also be a great day to arrest the cops that murdered

Breonna Taylor,” before the broadcast quickly cut to commercial.

In his postgame press conference, Butler was asked about what it was like playing an NBA game after learning the news.

“There’s always a lot of emotion that goes on,” Butler said, “You never actually don’t think about it. It’s always much bigger than a sport. It’s always much bigger than basketball.

Because that could be anybody.

That could be me. That could be any African American … it’s always on my heart because I just think it’s some bullcrap and going into the game you have to compete, but at the end of the day, I mean, we’re people first not just athletes.”

Brown, who wore a shirt after the game that said, “this is not a black issue this is a human rights issue” on the front and, “don’t shoot” on the back, spoke about the verdict in a press conference after the game.

“I wasn’t surprised by the verdict,” Brown said. “This society — the way it was built — the intention was never to protect and serve people of color initially. Until we dismantle, recreate or change this system we have, it will continue to have victims like Breonna Taylor and others that fall victim to oppression.”

The Celtics and Heat will play Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday night at 8:30 p.m. The Heat will try to clinch a spot in the finals for the first time since 2014.