New Boston Avenue dorm to house almost 700 students
Toby Winick Staff Writer
Following Tufts’ Sept. 12 announcement of plans to build an upperclassman-only dorm on Boston Avenue, the university has released new details about the project, which is set to be the largest residence hall in Tufts history. To be located at 401 Boston Avenue next to Dowling Hall, the building is planned to host 677 beds across multiple different unit layouts and feature retail store space on the bottom floor.
“The proposed project will include approximately 300 apartment units … with the predominant unit being 4-bedroom apartments, with two shared bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a living room,” Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, wrote in a statement. “The unit mix will also include 1-bed studios, 2-bedroom, and 6-bedroom apartments to offer a range of configurations and price points for Tufts upper-division students.”
Tufts first announced plans to build a new dorm on Boston
Avenue in December 2022. At the time, the university said it aimed to construct a residence hall that would host 398 juniors and seniors and open in fall 2025. However, those plans fell through.
“The University’s first announcements envisioned a different approach to the project, but changing market conditions made that approach no longer economically feasible,” Collins wrote.
The new dorm, now planned to open in fall 2027, will match Tufts’
efforts to create more on-campus beds in recent years.
“Over the past eight years, Tufts has added more than 700 beds through multiple projects that have expanded housing options on campus,” Christina Alch, director of residential life and learning, wrote in a statement. “This new housing will continue to meet the university’s goal by significantly increasing the number of juniors and seniors who are able to live in University sanctioned housing.”
Students at Tufts are not guaranteed on-campus housing beyond their sophomore year, meaning that upperclassmen face the choice of either entering the on-campus housing lottery or searching for an off-campus house. The house-hunting process can be strenuous for students, who often have little clarity on rates, timelines and how and where to search for houses.
First-year Max Kogan said he will “most likely live off campus”
as an upperclassman, noting that the low chances of winning the lottery make it difficult to live on campus. Kogan, who might have a chance to live in the dorm come 2027, shared his thoughts on the project.
“I definitely like how there [are] going to be options for juniors and seniors for housing,” he said. “Increasing the amount of people that have on-campus housing is definitely a benefit, because having multiple options [means] you can decide for yourself, rather than just, ‘Oh, I guess I’m forced to live outside of campus.’”
The housing rates for the Boston Avenue dorm will be higher than the rates for older residence halls on campus, Collins said. According to Tufts’ Residential Life & Learning website, the upperclassmen housing rate is currently $11,960.
“The rates will need to be competitive with, or comparable to, the cost of living in off-campus housing in the Medford/ Somerville area,” Collins wrote, pointing to inflationary pressures,
see DORM, page 2
Somerville launches second year of participatory budgeting
Somerville officially launched its second-ever round of participatory budgeting on Sept. 20, allocating $1 million of the city’s budget toward city improvement projects that will be voted on by residents. Participatory budgeting, which Somerville first implemented in 2023, strives to involve more community members in the democratic process by giving them a voice in how the city’s budget is spent.
To submit an idea, any Somerville resident age 12 and up can fill out a form on the city of Somerville’s website. Proposals can be made in five categories — “Streets & Sidewalks,” “Parks & Green Spaces,” “Community Resources,” “Arts & Culture” and “Education” — or placed under “Other.” The website also has a feature where people can comment on others’ posts or indicate support for an idea.
Megan Huckenpahler, Somerville’s budget analyst, reads all the submissions and
then connects with different city department heads, who work with subcommittees made up of Somerville residents to refine the proposals into fundable projects. Somerville residents must apply through the website to be part of a subcommittee.
“[Subcommittees’] favorite meetings are the ones where they meet with city staff and hear about how they prioritize projects and think of their work,” Huckenpahler said. “Since that’s a part [of government] that not a lot of residents would see otherwise, like a peek behind the curtain. They’re always shocked at all the regulations and steps and hurdles you have to go through to get a project off the ground.”
During Somerville’s first participatory budgeting cycle, residents submitted over 900 different proposals. From those proposals, the city produced a finalized list of 20 proposals that were voted on by over 3,890 people. Five projects were ultimately selected, addressing the issues of the city’s rat popu-
lation, community food access, construction of Somerville’s Bicycle Network Plan, bus stop improvement and the effects of urban heat.
The first project to be com-
pleted was the adoption of BigBelly trash cans around the city to reduce the rat population. The food access project is also up and running, with community fridges stocked with
fresh produce located around the city.
During the construction season next spring and summer, 1.61 miles of bike lanes will be implemented throughout Somerville. Shade structures are currently in procurement and will be installed at the Capuano School. Lastly, the participatory budgeting team is in their final talks with the MBTA about bus shelters and hopes to install them in the spring at the most highly trafficked locations.
According to Huckenpahler, Somerville’s participatory budgeting team has assessed the successes and failures of the first cycle in 2023 and has implemented changes for this next round. Last year, white people were overrepresented in both voting and submissions, submitting 75% of the proposals and making up 84% of voters. This year, the city hopes to address the issue of accessibility by hosting a mix of in-person and virtual meetings
BUDGETING, page 3
Amelia Sammons
Conributing Writer
RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY
Dowling Hall overlooks Boston Avenue and the Medford/Tufts station on Wednesday.
AIDAN CHANG / THE TUFTS DAILY
Davis Square is pictured on Oct. 15, 2020.
in
Story tips? Questions? Concerns? The Tufts Daily is the entirely student-run newspaper of record at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. An editorially and financially independent organization, the Daily’s staff of more than 100 covers news, features, arts and sports on Tufts’ four campuses and in its host communities.
of the Massachusett people and within the territories of the Nipmuc and Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) tribes. Let
Computer Science department to require prior programming experience for introductory course
Zoe Herrmann Contributing Writer
The Tufts Department of Computer Science has announced a major change in its curriculum, with the introductory course “Introduction to Computer Science” — or CS11 — now requiring students to have prior coding experience before enrolling. The addition of a prerequisite will be implemented starting in spring 2025.
To fulfill their prerequisite, Arts & Sciences students seeking to enroll in introductory computer science courses this coming spring semester are encouraged to enroll in CS10, a course that will supply students with the fundamentals covered quickly in the first weeks of CS11. Alternatively, they have the option to opt out of taking CS10 by passing an exam conducted similarly to the Tufts language placement exams. Engineering students are encouraged to enroll in ES2, with the option to take an exemption exam like that of CS10.
Dave Lillethun, an assistant teaching professor in the CS department, wrote in a statement to the Daily that the department made the change following a growing number of students with prior programming experience enrolling in CS11. The department observed this increase after the creation of a committee several years ago designed to evaluate if CS introductory courses were aiding students.
According to Lillethun, the department was worried that students without prior experience in programming were left “feeling they are not doing well or don’t belong in the class because other students who have a leg up from their prior experience appear to ‘catch on’ quicker.”
According to Richard Townsend, an assistant professor in the CS Department, the goal
of adding a prerequisite was to ensure that students were in the right courses for their skill level.
“It was the committee’s professional opinion that adding this prerequisite would better serve the wide diversity of student backgrounds, instead of forcing all students to follow the same path,” he wrote.
When asked whether he considered CS11 to be a “weed out” class, CS Department Chair Jeff Foster wrote, “The department wants every student who wishes to be a CS major to be able to do so. We think the introduction of CS10 will help us achieve this goal.”
Sophomore and CS11 teaching assistant Aryaa Modi, who took CS11 last fall, praised the department’s decision to introduce a prerequisite course for the class.
“I think a [prerequisite] is great. I think it’ll get more students … up to pace and help them [spend] more time on the key concepts, instead of just spending a couple weeks,” she said. “Maybe this makes CS a little less intimidating and [tries] to help people find the fun in it a little more.”
Modi says she didn’t believe CS11 was being used as a weed-out course. However, former CS11 student Sophie Clemens, a junior, offered a different perspective.
“I would consider it a weedout class because I’m not going to pretend that it’s not difficult. You do need to be committed to the major and be willing to struggle and put in effort,” she said. “[The addition of a prerequisite] definitely takes care of the students who are struggling a lot in CS11 and makes them feel more prepared for the major and might convince them to stay.”
Clemens said that she personally was not happy with the department’s decision to add prerequisites for CS11.
“I think if I’d had to take CS10 instead of CS11, I would have just been frustrated. … It means I would have had to [have] taken all my other courses a semester later,” she said. “As of right now I’m going to be taking core CS classes up until my last semester of senior year.”
Modi pointed out that the current 2027 degree sheet recommends taking CS11 in the spring
of one’s first year, meaning that students would have to take CS10 their freshman fall.
“Students with no programming experience … just kind of have to keep [that] in their mind and start their degree a little sooner,” she said.
While both Modi and Clemens expressed that CS11 can be a difficult class for some students, they also noted that the department offers a lot of support.
Clemens noted that when she took CS11 in fall 2022, many resources were offered to her, the lectures were very helpful and there were office hours “all day, every day.” Modi recalled her CS11 professor forbidding “showboat questions” from students in the class in order to avoid making less experienced students question if they were out of place.
The first CS10 exemption exam will be held on Oct. 9 and will be the first step in revealing how the greater Tufts community, specifically students interested in entering into computer science, react to the addition of prerequisite requirements for CS11.
Reenvisioned dorm on Boston Avenue will drive down local rent, university says
DORM continued from page 1
and
For students considering living in the dorm, the university is “committed to making sure that all eligible students will be able to be part of this new residential community regardless of their financial means,” Mike Howard, Tufts’ executive vice president, wrote in the initial community announcement about the dorm last month.
The new dorm is partly an effort to alleviate the impact of student rentals on Medford and Somerville communities by housing upperclassmen who would otherwise live off campus. Through freeing up more units for Medford and Somerville residents, the university hopes to drive down rental rates for students and locals alike, Collins wrote.
“This has been something that the residents and the students have been asking for for a long period of time, so it’s nice to see follow-up on that,” Medford City Councilor Matt Leming said.
“With Medford, one issue that I ran into when canvassing is that residents, particularly in the Hillside area, would sometimes [complain] about undergraduate houses where there are parties on Friday nights. They generally didn’t like that too much,” Leming added. “Simultaneously, I think that a lot of students at Tufts, would like to be able to have guaranteed on-campus housing during their duration there and not have to go hunting around Medford and Somerville for private housing.”
Leming expressed concern about residents being affected by disturbances caused by the construction project.
“As with any construction project of this scale, there will be some inconveniences during the construction phase, such as noise, occasional traffic impacts, and the need to use a few of the on-street parking spaces during the project’s construction phase,” Collins wrote. “The university and Capstone, the development team, will work to minimize these impacts to the community to the greatest extent possible.”
Tufts has partnered with Capstone Development Partners for the new dorm, a firm based in Alabama that specializes in student housing. In September, it completed a multi-use project at Florida Polytechnic University containing 430 beds, social media studios and office space.
According to Collins, Tufts and Capstone will hold meetings with local government officials and res-
idents to solicit feedback about the new dorm project.
“We have already begun preliminary meetings with city officials and on Thursday held our first community meeting with neighbors. Ultimately, the project must be approved by Medford’s Community Development Board,” Collins wrote.
The Community Development Board consists of seven members — six mayoral appointees and one state appointee — and meets twice a month. Tufts has not formally filed the development proposal to the board yet.
Alch noted that the development plans for the new dorm are solidified and encouraged students to give their input.
“The development team will be seeking input from current students in surveys and focus groups, so I would encourage students to participate and provide feedback when possible,” she wrote.
BRIANA CHEN / THE TUFTS DAILY
Students work at the Tufts Computer Lab in Anderson Hall on Tuesday.
Medford mayor to select new fire chief in January 2025 using new examination process
Originally published Sept. 30.
The City of Medford announced on Sept. 18 that it would move forward with the search for a new fire chief and deputy chief with “assessment center” examinations. Deputy Fire Chief Todd Evans has been the acting fire chief since March, when former Fire Chief John Freedman retired following a period of mass sick leaves by firefighters in February.
According to Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, around 80 firefighters called out sick for their day shifts and returned at night between Feb. 2 and 6. Other firefighters were called upon to fill in those shifts and consequently collected overtime payment.
The sick-out peaked on Feb. 3 when 21 out of 23 scheduled firefighters called out sick for their day shift and returned for the night shift. The firefighters collected sick pay and overtime, costing Medford taxpayers over $90,000, according to the city. Freedman retired a few days later.
Following the sick-out, which Lungo-Koehn calls an “illegal work stoppage,” the mayor’s office reported the incident to three state agencies. She told the Daily that the state of those reports remains confidential.
After Freedman’s retirement, Lungo-Koehn proposed that the Medford City Council approve a Special Act to send to the Massachusetts state legislature, removing the fire chief position from civil service. This would have allowed Lungo-Koehn to hire someone outside of the Medford Fire Department to serve as the fire chief.
According to Medford City Council President Isaac “Zac” Bears, the City Council was not initially supportive of the proposed change.
“The general feeling of the members of the members of the council [was that] this is a major change that deserves additional discussion,” Bears said.
The resolution was ultimately pushed to committee on Feb. 20. Bears said that when the City Council later spoke with the mayor, she informed them that she was going to “move forward without that change.”
From there, the firefighters union petitioned the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission to look into the mayor’s intention for removing the fire chief from civil service and the change in examination process.
In a statement to the Daily, a spokesperson from the union Medford Firefighters Local 1032 wrote, “Our complaint to Civil Service carried on as an open ‘investigation’ because the Commissioner had ordered the city to abide by the Mass Laws that govern Civil Service requiring them to call for an exam for both vacant positions.”
Meanwhile, Lungo-Koehn interviewed all five deputy fire chiefs to find a temporary successor for Freedman, eventually tapping Evans to serve in the interim.
The search for a new fire chief
The Medford Human Resources Department and others recommended that LungoKoehn conduct an assessment center examination to make fire department promotions, rather than using the traditional written civil service exam.
Assessment centers focus on emergency scenarios and job simulations to score candidates. The use of assessment center exams to find a new fire chief would not be unprecedented, as the Medford Police Department uses assessment centers to make promotions.
"[The union is] upset with me now that I chose to do an assessment center for deputies and chief, because they’re used
to taking this written test and then choosing the person that gets the highest score,” LungoKoehn said.
The union argues that the civil service exam promotes impartiality.
“The Union feels that the written civil service exam is the best way to promote impartially, while identifying the candidate with the appropriate knowledge and job experience, who will be best suited to command a fire scene,” the spokesperson wrote.
Lungo-Koehn recounted an issue that arose with the civil service exam where she says the union essentially hand-picked the fire chief.
“When former chief Freedman was appointed, four deputies signed up to take the chief’s test. At the time, they paid for the test, they signed up, but they didn’t take it. Only one person took it, so I was left with one choice for fire chief,” she said. “They basically handpicked their fire chief.”
The union also argues that
the mayor must renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement, given the change in the examination process.
“Changing our exam process is subject to collective bargaining and must be negotiated during contract negotiations,” the union spokesperson wrote.
On June 13, the Civil Service Commission closed the investigation requested by the union into the city’s proposed promotion procedures. The union then filed a complaint in the Middlesex Superior Court, seeking to prohibit the city from conducting assessment center exams until they renegotiated the contract.
“The Union filed for the injunction to stop the mayor from making a unilateral decision which disregarded the Union’s contract with the city,” the spokesperson wrote. “Injunction through the Superior Court is not a typical course of action for Municipal Union but we felt it was the only means of recourse that would obtain the fastest result.”
The injunction request was denied on Aug. 19.
Lungo-Koehn said that Human Resources had reached out to the union twice to initiate bargaining before the city scheduled the assessment centers. According to Lungo-Koehn, the union refused both times.
“The Union absolutely does not want to stall the process, as all of this has been extremely disruptive to our emergency operations. We are obligated to defend our rights as a Union and want to keep nepotism out of our promotional process, which was the main reason civil service was created to begin with,” the spokesperson stated.
Both the union and the mayor stated that a labor charge and a grievance are scheduled to take place after the assessment centers and subsequent promotions.
For now, assessment center examinations for fire chief and deputy fire chief are scheduled for Jan. 17, 2025 and Dec. 10, respectively.
Somerville participatory budgeting initiative invites community members to propose city projects
BUDGETING
continued from page 1
for subcommittees, instead of only meeting in person.
Another change to the process is that voting will take place in April rather than in the fall, allowing construction teams more time to plan for projects.
“Last year, we had winning projects that were voted on in the fall, and [there] wasn’t enough lead time for our teams to get them done in this next summer construction season,” Huckenpahler said. “Ideally, with voting happening in April, they can have a full calendar year to plan and then get everything, hopefully, completed the following year.”
The participatory budgeting process in Cambridge, which inspired the project in Somerville, is currently in its 11th cycle. In Cambridge, community members can submit ideas over the phone, through the website, by email, mail or in person.
“I actually remember the very first [participatory budgeting] cycle from when I was in middle school,” Melissa Liu, participatory budgeting and engagement coordinator for Cambridge, said.
“It’s something that stuck with me for so long. Being able to vote in a citywide process was like, ‘This is crazy, I thought voting is what adults do.’ It really made me more conscious of the space that I live in. It gave me a
bit more of a community-oriented perspective.”
Unlike Somerville, Cambridge allows nonresidents to participate in the participatory budgeting process so long as they have a connection to the community. Also unlike Somerville, Cambridge does not have an age restriction for submitting proposals. By removing age limits, Liu said that more families in the area have become engaged in the governmental process.
“It’s often a family-oriented thing we hear from Cambridge families,” she added. “It’s a whole thing they do over the dinner table with their kids and it’s awesome. We [also] go to classrooms to collect ideas.”
For the second year, Cambridge is also allowing people to submit ideas for “operating projects,” or projects that require ongoing costs for up to three years. This also distinguishes their process from Somerville, which only accepts proposals that require one-time expenses.
"[Operating projects] open the realm for something very creative and identifies these more niche problem areas that, if solved and if addressed, really could have huge impact, with some really creative proposal development coming from our volunteer delegates,” Liu said.
Somerville Councilorat-Large Jake Wilson also
expressed the importance of creativity in the proposals.
“My personal belief is that if people are having to propose infrastructure improvements, street safety or sort of nutsand-bolts stuff, that’s a sign that we’re failing to address those needs as a city,” Wilson said. “It should be a nudge to us as a city government that we should be doing more to address those so people can vote for fun stuff for participatory budgeting.”
The submission window for the second round of participatory budgeting in Somerville will be open until Nov. 20, with the city set to begin implementing the winning projects in summer 2025.
BRIANA CHEN / THE TUFTS DAILY
The Medford Fire Department is pictured on Saturday.
Josue Perez Assistant News Editor
Molly Sullivan
Essentially Tufts
Melvin Calderón
Melvin Calderón — who works for C&W Services, a cleaning company contracted by Tufts for the Medford/Somerville campus — sat in Room 313 of the Olin Center for Language and Cultural Studies during his dinner break. Next to him sat two used paper plates, a navy blue lunch box and Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, “It Ends With Us.” As he recounted the story of how he learned to speak English, YouTube elevator music played from his iPad.
“Let me tell you this funny story,” Calderón said. “I used to have a girlfriend, [at] 19 years [old] or something like that. Her parents decided to put her in English classes, so I decided to go with her.”
Calderón was asked to take a placement test upon entry into the class and was surprised by his results. The instructor said Calderón had already learned English grammar and didn’t need to take elementary level courses. “I learned English as a teenager in my country from music,” he said. “That’s how I found out I can speak [English]. What I did was [sing] The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, you name it. … And I wasn’t the only one. A lot of my friends did it that way without knowing that we were learning.”
Calderón is from San Salvador, the large capital city of El Salvador. He is the youngest of nine siblings, three of whom currently live in the United States. He was born in 1959 and moved to the U.S. in his forties.
“It was completely easy in my case, because … I have papers. I learned English a long time ago, a very long time ago, and I know everything about a household here,” Calderón said.
In El Salvador, Calderón taught companies how to use different computer technologies. He explained that in the 80s, the leaders of many companies in El Salvador did not know how to use computer applications as tools for their company. Those who did know how to operate computers were often pushed into a career of teaching about them.
“At that time, I remember, if you [knew] simple things like a word processor, a spreadsheet [or] a database, you were a genius,” Calderón said.
Upon arrival in the U.S., Calderón took English and computer science classes at Bunker Hill Community College.
In his free time, Calderón enjoys reading, listening to music, talking with others and exploring new places on walks. He spoke of days in his past where going out took up more of his time — now, he tends toward more relaxing hobbies and errands.
“On the weekends, I used to have more fun than before, but getting old, you start changing habits. Now, my weekends are kind of shopping, supermarket, laundry and making some food for the week. Kind of boring. But anyway, I am satisfied,” he said.
Calderón has always loved reading and recently started using Goodreads to record what he’s read. Before his current Colleen Hoover novel, Calderón read, or at least attempted to read, “Dean and Me: A Love Story,” the auto -
FEATURES
The Hunt: Breaking down the search for offcampus housing, Part 1
Claire Wood Features Editor
While on-campus housing at Tufts is guaranteed for first and second-year undergraduates, juniors and seniors often embark on the journey of securing off-campus accommodation. The process is intricate, time-consuming and usually competitive as students seek apartments at a reasonable price point and location from campus.
The Daily spoke with juniors Chrystal Coleman, Jasmine Lewin and Michelle Zakaria who just signed a lease for their senior year.
ABOUT THE GROUP:
Coleman, Lewin and Zakaria sought to sign a lease on a new apartment for their senior year.
“We’ve had some problems with the landlord in the past,” Lewin, an applied mathematics and architectural studies student, said of the group’s current apartment. “We had some flooding in our kitchen, we had a lot of mice. … When we first moved in, too, it was trashed.”
Zakaria, a computer science student, added that prior tenants abandoned an old Invisalign and a box of pastries that was rotten in the refrigerator by move-in day.
The arrangement of groups also changed, as Zakaria, Coleman and Lewin will be living in a six bedroom apartment next year rather than a four person apartment.
THE WANTS:
As noted, the group searched for six bedrooms in total, but was indifferent about splitting those bedrooms among different units.
One hope in the house hunting process was to secure two bathrooms for six housemates.
“Already with the four person [house], one bathroom can sometimes be a little rough,” Lewin said.
Often most important, cost was a factor and the group had a budget in mind during their house hunting journey.
“This year, if we wanted to renew the lease, [our landlord] is increasing our rent and making us pay for water,” Coleman, a cognitive brain science and Spanish student, said.
“But, that still would be cheaper than the lease that we did sign,” Zakaria said.
Zakaria also noted that they wanted to avoid paying for laundry on top of high rents.
“We didn’t want to have to pay for laundry, because right now we don’t,” Zakaria said.
THE PROCESS:
While some groups feel strongly about avoiding brokers’ fees, this group has consistently used them.
biography of Jerry Lewis. He doesn’t usually like biographical texts, but he’s enjoyed a few in the past, notably Barry White’s “Love Unlimited and Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.”
A big part of Calderón’s love for reading is what he calls his “net” of people who share books with him — primarily, his siblings, sisters-in-law and nieces. He also loves “microlibraries,” or Little Free Libraries. These are small shelves of books that people can take or give to. Calderón often visits the one in front of Paige Hall on campus. Despite living walking distance from
“Both years we’ve had a broker,” Zakaria said.
Timing often plays a role in apartment hunting success, and Lewin noted that getting an early start made a big difference.
“Because we started looking so much earlier … we signed a lot more quickly than last year,” Lewin said.
Understanding how to put together a group of housemates was also easier this year. The questions of study abroad and whether to become an RA impacted the group’s junior year housing process, but the assurance that everyone involved would be living off campus for the entirety of senior year made things easier.
“The logistical nightmare of trying to figure out just how many rooms and spots we needed, and if we could fill those rooms and spots for semesters and the summer was kind of rough,” Coleman said. “This year was definitely just a lot easier, because no one’s going abroad senior year … [and] we knew who we were going to live with and who we wanted to live with.”
THE APARTMENTS:
The group toured six apartments in total during their quest for senior year housing.
Though there wasn’t a particular neighborhood the group toured most, the residential streets behind Carmichael Hall proved popular.
“It just ended up that a lot of the houses were back behind Carm,” Lewin said.
However, that location isn’t as ideal as the group’s current downhill apartment.
“Most of us take classes down[hill]. Right now we live next to SciTech, which is more convenient,” Zakaria said. She noted, though, that there were simply more available apartments on the other side of campus.
Being uphill rather than downhill was still better than being significantly far from campus.
“There were a couple [apartments] that did look really nice… they were just so
the Boston Public Library, Calderón isn’t as privy to public libraries.
“That’s a world that I would love to get into. … That’s one of the things that, in my country, didn’t work because there was only one library and nobody goes there.”
Instead of larger libraries, Calderón opts for sharing books in his net, in Little Free Libraries and in a bookshelf that lives outside his apartment.
far from campus, which made it kind of hard,” Lewin said.
THE FINAL DECISION:
After touring six apartments, the final decision ended up being relatively clear to the group.
“I think the one we ended up signing definitely stood out,” Lewin said.
Though it was pricier than the other apartments the group toured, its location and quality made it an attractive deal.
“The one we signed was right next to campus. And even though it was a little more expensive, it was really nice,” Lewin said.
Coleman said that a designated dining space and a cushioned window seat set the tone for the apartment.
“All the rooms had really nice lighting, and they were all decently sized,” Lewin added.
FINAL TAKEAWAYS:
The group shared again that they felt putting together a thoughtful group and doing so early was one of the most important elements of house hunting success.
Zakaria also noted that subletting can be a great option for anybody unsure of who they want to live with and what their plans are for the coming year.
“If you want to do a really specific group, you have to get on it early,” Zakaria said. ”[But, if] you’re just going to sublet and live by yourself, you literally have until like April. There’s always someone looking for a subletter.”
Coleman also noted that strong communication between group members is key.
“We had issues [when] people had opinions and they just didn’t share them…” Coleman said, “Just be so upfront about [your opinions and say] ‘This is what I want, this is what I think.’”
The house hunting process ended in success for Coleman, Lewin and Zakaria. Stay tuned for another edition of The Hunt, coming soon to a newsstand near you!
“I have two libraries, one in my apartment, another outside, because I feel bad trashing [books],” Calderón said. His neighbors often take books from his library outside of his apartment door.
Calderón has created a community here in Boston. His family, large and loving, exchanges books and visits each other when they can. Many of his siblings have children and, now, even grandchildren. This doesn’t make it easy to come out on top but, Calderón said, “I’m still the favorite uncle.”
OLIVIA WHITE / THE TUFTS DAILY
Three houses on Main St. are pictured on Tuesday.
Molly Sullivan is a sophomore who has yet to declare a major. She can be reached at molly.sullivan@tufts.edu.
Birthdays the Tufts way
Kaitlyn Wells Senior Staff Writer
For her daughter’s first birthday in 2019, Kylie Jenner hosted the inaugural edition of Stormiworld, a yearly celebration that featured theme park rides, gift shops, custom gilded cakes and celebrity guests. Call it an epic spectacle or an obnoxious display of wealth; it’s certainly quite different from how we approach birthdays here at Tufts.
Birthdays are a holiday like no other. Virtually every corner of the world acknowledges them, and although birthdays are all about the individual, you share your special day with millions of other people. Certain cultures and movements prescribe divine significance to the time and place of one’s birth. Throughout history there have even been periods where communities only celebrated birthdays of religious figures or of men.
After arriving at college, senior Gigi Copeland rekindled the birthday party ritual that she had put on hold for a while.
“I never had a birthday party in high school. It was all elementary and middle school,” Copeland said. “College has been a return to … the youthful whimsy of hosting your own birthday party and just being like, ‘Yay, let’s jump up and down and eat cake.’”
Copeland views birthday parties as a twoway exchange of care.
“It’s a chance for you, as the host, to show your friends how much you appreciate them by inviting them and gathering everyone together to have fun. It’s also an opportunity for your friends to show how much they care about you by showing up for you,” Copeland said.
Senior Maysam Hassan agrees that birthdays are a time to make someone feel special.
“Even people who you probably don’t talk to all year long will probably send you a message,” Hassan said. “You feel loved by everyone else. … You see how above and beyond people can go for you.”
If a birthday falls early into the fall semester for a first-year student, there isn’t much time for them to become acquainted with Tufts before their big day comes along. Sophomore Olivia Ballentine has a September birthday, which she celebrated with a small dinner in Boston and a surprise birthday cake during her freshman year.
“It was weird because … I was celebrating with a completely new set of people in my life that I barely knew yet,” Ballentine said. “I was like, wow … things are changing, I’m in college. It made me realize how differently my life was going to be now that I was 18.”
Some birthdays have even stranger timings, coinciding with other notable events. Senior Krish Savla’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, which has spelled trouble for him in the past.
“It sucks, because I’ve gone out to lunches or dinners with my friends at college, and [there’s] been red balloons, heart-shaped balloons, red lights, couples being all giggly in front of me, and I can’t do that anymore,” Savla said. “My sister is also in Boston, so my sophomore year I got dinner with her, and … the waiter was like, ‘Oh, what can I get your girlfriend?’ And I lost it.”
Frankie Bancroft, a sophomore, experienced some differences in how he planned birthday parties before and after coming to Tufts. During his first year, he noticed people hosting joint parties for birthdays that coincided. When it comes to invitations, the social shift from high school to college can change the ways we navigate these special occasions.
“A lot of my friendships in high school [were] very friend-group-oriented. … I would just text my friend group chat, and it would be very casual,” Bancroft said. “Now I definitely … have to plan something and text individual people.”
Copeland views a birthday party as a great way to strengthen friendships and introduce people to each other.
“I’m not of the belief that everybody who you invite has to already know each other. I think [birthday parties are] an opportunity for me to get to know certain people better,” Copeland said. “And then my different friends from different social circles, they can get to know each other.”
For her birthdays at Tufts, Copeland has hosted a karaoke night and a themed party in her suite. Last year, Copeland’s birthday occurred while she was studying abroad in London. To celebrate, she visited a friend in Oxford for afternoon tea, noting that turning 21 in the U.K. was not as momentous as it would have been in the United States.
Birthdays also mark the passage of time and can bring a dose of existentialism for some.
“As I get older, I’m always just more afraid of getting older. But I think that’s a me problem,” Ballentine said. “Birthdays are just a good way to celebrate yourself, and not [just] the age that you’re turning but also what you’ve done in the past year … and everything you’ve accomplished.”
Ballentine and Hassan both feel a bit uncomfortable taking up the spotlight during a birthday celebration. They’ve also each had a birthday party planned for them by friends at Tufts and have found it easier to relax and enjoy the celebration that way.
“My birthday falls on the 18th of December, so it’s always on finals week, and I’m not the type who likes to celebrate my birthday a week early or a week later,” Hassan said. “Freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t do anything with my friends.”
However, Hassan was able to celebrate with her friends in her junior year.
“My friend insisted, and she said, … ‘This time I’m going to take care of it, and we’re going to celebrate. We’re going to get everyone here despite finals and stress,’ — and it was a great time,” Hassan said.
On the flip side, it can be empowering to have more control in the birthday party planning process. It can serve as a way to curate a type of fun that represents you better than other social gatherings at Tufts.
“When it comes to parties, if you want it done right you have to do it yourself,” Copeland said. “I think girls should throw
Introduction & Lucy in the Chai
Ever thought it would be nice to have a review of every signature drink at The Sink by a girl you’ve never met? No? Well, I’m giving it to you anyway. You’re welcome. My name is Dylan Fee, and I thought it would be a great semester to break my bank account by reviewing almost every drink from The Sink via this column. If you live under a rock (or maybe just in the Metcalf basement), The Sink is the only student-run coffee shop on campus. It’s in the Campus Center, all of the tables are always taken, the music consists of either a niche indie band you’ve never heard of or something featured on a “brat” summer playlist and the workers all dress cooler than you. I’m already an avid Sink-goer and can say that the drinks are without a doubt worth the (usually long) wait.
more parties, because when boys throw parties, they are bad at it, and especially when the power, the agency to throw a party is concentrated within the hands of frat guys and athletes. … No offense to them, that’s never gonna be the vibe that I want.”
For those who celebrate their birthdays, there are so many approaches to take. Birthday parties can be intimate, impromptu, elaborate or skipped if it feels like a year to take a breather. Savla described a birthday ritual that his friends had during his first two years at Tufts.
“We had a group chat of, like, 25 guys … and anytime it was someone’s birthday … 25 men used to literally just go [to their dorm] and scream and yell at [midnight], and that was something we did, and it was fun.”
Hassan shared that she tends to enjoy celebrating her birthday in smaller ways as she gets older. Conversely, one of Hassan’s friends at Tufts did something quite unusual for her most recent birthday to celebrate the milestone of turning 21.
“My close friend, it was her birthday two days ago, and it was her 21st birthday,” Hassan said. “She ends up booking a flight to Las Vegas, goes there, spends the day and then comes back. So everyone really does it differently!”
Figuring out financial responsibility is another consideration to take into account at a birthday party, especially if it’s a celebration that involves more expenditure.
“If they want to go do an activity that is kind of expensive, they should treat the people that they’re bringing. But at the same time, it’s difficult, because I know from being in the other perspective of … [wanting] to treat them because it is their birthday,” Bancroft said. “When you ask someone to come to an event for a birthday that requires some spending, they do have the option to say no if they don’t want to do that.”
Whether it’s devouring a cake from Lyndell’s, hosting a gathering or leaving for some off-campus fun, Tufts students can celebrate their birthdays in whatever fashion they please.
“I think [birthdays are] something worth celebrating,” Copeland said. “Even if you think, ‘Oh, it’s stupid, I’m 34, now I’m turning 35,’ … who cares if it’s stupid, it’s an excuse to have fun and be silly, and why would you not take that opportunity?”
However, I’m a creature of habit and rarely stray from my typical order of a chai. I will use this column to venture outside of my norm and explore new drinks with you, the reader. Disclaimer: I usually don’t drink coffee because it makes my tummy hurt, so just know I’ll be fighting through my afternoon lectures once a week for y’all.
I am a classic iced-drinks-when-it’swarm and hot-drinks-when-it’s-cold kind of gal. But for the sake of this column, I will be sampling both the hot and iced versions of each drink, paired with different milks, each week.
From there, I will give you my thoughts on said drinks and provide a justification for the 5-star scale rating. If you take scathing hot issue with my review, I challenge you to let me know. With that being said, let’s get into this week’s drink: Lucy in the Chai.
While I’ve never tried this signature Sink variation, which offers an espresso-laiden twist on a regular chai, the name is a huge draw. Who doesn’t like the Beatles? I was certainly “in the sky with diamonds” after that caffeine boost.
Waiting in line was a respectable nine minutes and 27 seconds, a relative win compared to the Sink’s typical rushhour lines. Yes, I timed it — don’t judge me. I got my two drinks, both made correctly despite all of my modifications.
Upon first taste, these drinks felt like a one-woman show starring Sabrina Carpenter — heavy on the espresso, especially in the hot version that had the addition of whole milk absorbing the chai flavor.
I’d recommend ordering this drink iced as I could still detect notes of chai. It’s like the chai flavor was in the room next door, similar to the hidden taste of a La Croix. With hints of cinnamon and chilling ice cubes, I could see myself with this drink standing in a pumpkin patch wearing flip flops — caught between summer and fall. However, if you want to pick apples wearing UGGs and a cozy sweater, I’d stick to the regular chai.
A few hours post drink and the tummy ache was going strong, let’s just say it’s not that “me espresso.” Stay tuned for next week’s cozy drink: Medford Fog.
Always brewing the best reviews, Dylan Fee
COURTESY FRANKIE BANCROFT
Frankie Bancroft visits the Snowport holiday market with his family during his birthday weekend in December 2023.
ARTS & POP CULTURE
‘Megalopolis’ is unparalleled — for better or worse
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you tried to make a movie about everything? Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” may have your answer. A sprawling exercise in maximalism, the film, despite its grand ambitions, ultimately captures very little.
Though Coppola began the first steps of the movie’s development in 1983, fulfilling this cinematic dream was an uphill battle.
Turned down by most major studios, the “Godfather” visionary moved to self-finance the film in 2021 with a more than $100 million loan against his wine business. Despite securing funding, the production was plagued by controversy. During the production process, nearly all the members of Coppolas’s visual effects departments were fired. This was followed by a “Megalopolis” extra who accusing Coppola of sexual harassment during the filming of an Atlanta nightclub scene. Coppola has since filed a $15 million libel suit against magazine Variety.
The plot at the center of the unrestrained and chaotic film is fairly simple: America is a direct parallel to the Roman Empire, and it, too, will soon fall. The story is set in “New Rome City,” almost an exact 1-to-1 copy of New York City. Played by Adam Driver, the head of the city’s design authority is Cesar Catilina, a drug-addicted Nobel laureate presented
as a modern Da Vinci but played like Kylo Ren if he was cast as Da Vinci. We first meet Catilina as he stops time from atop the Chrysler building and introduces his magical substance, Megalon, which can last forever and save humanity. However, he soon clashes with Mayor Cicero, played by Giancarlo Esposito, a character who is a stubborn figure of the old establishment and accuses Catilina of conspiring to ruin both his political career and the city.
Does that sound at all familiar? Well if you took any sort of Roman history class, it should. Coppola attempts to fold the story of the 63 BCE Catiline conspiracy into his narrative, but he doesn’t end up borrowing much more than the characters’ names. Instead, the film opens up numerous other plots that relate only partially to Catiline’s quest to build his futuristic utopia.
One of the few storylines that does find itself following the main plot involves the mayor’s daughter Julia, played by Nathalie Emmanuel, a hedonistic party animal who can flawlessly quote Marcus Aurelius just as easily as she can do a line. Initially, Julia feels equal desire and hatred towards her father’s rival. But as the film progresses, she gets closer and closer to Catilina, and soon enough, the pair is fully immersed in forbidden romance (what a surprise!). Unfortunately, Driver and Emmanuel have little on-screen chemistry, and thus their relationship — which is
central to the narrative — is difficult to watch at times.
This dynamic between the Cicero family and Catilina could certainly fill a film by itself, but Coppola doesn’t stop there. A slew of other characters find themselves playing a part; only Aubrey Plaza turns in a performance that’s at all above average as news anchor Wow Platinum, another former lover of Catilina’s. Once the architect leaves Platinum behind, she immediately embarks on an elaborate revenge plot that involves taking over the bank of mega-billionaire Hamilton Crassus III, played by Jon Voight. Then there’s Crassus’ son Clodio, played by Shia LeBeouf, and his sidekick Jason, played by Jason Schwartzman. Sensing the public’s discontent with the politics of both Cicero and Catilina, Clodio transforms himself into a Trumpian figure, leading various mobs and causing generally inconsequential mischief. Dustin Hoffman’s character, Nush Berman, also has some impact on the film — or so I’m told.
Plaza’s wit is a rare bright spot in a film full of hopelessly overacted nonsense; the only other half-decent work comes from Laurence Fishburne as Catilina’s hard-boiled chauffeur Fundi Romaine, who also narrates the action at times. Especially weak are the performances of LaBeouf and Voight, though for opposite reasons. While LaBeouf continually makes desperate attempts to give his character’s
plot significance through grandiose expressions and movements, Voight’s expression is so unchanging that the viewer questions whether his face can move at all.
Plenty happens among all these characters — a carnival serves as a wedding reception, a space satellite falls from the sky, Catilina gets shot in the face yet miraculously survives — but most scenes feel either like excuses for Coppola to incorporate various philosophical musings on America and humanity or extraneous drivers toward an endpoint.
Unsurprisingly, the film is at its best when the story comes second to Coppola and the crew’s ability to create a visually compelling image. A car chase where Julia tracks Cesar through Times Square and into shady backstreets is beautifully photographed and
directed, with a neo-noir feel. When Catilina experiences a drug trip, the viewer is treated to exciting visuals that evoke the anxiety of a film like “Climax.” Unfortunately, such moments are few and far between.
Watching “Megalopolis” is truly a singular experience. It’s a film that shouldn’t exist, and yet, it does. After all, Coppola’s bullish determination to make the film despite a bloated and incoherent script is at least a little bit admirable. As Frank Capra put it, “There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness.” Dull may be the one thing that “Megalopolis” isn’t, and although many — myself included — may deem it one of the worst films of this century, every idea that gets turned into reality is worth something.
Conan Gray brings back vibrant 1980s aesthetic in his Found Heaven tour
Liv Jordan Contributing Writer
Conan Gray performed a satisfying mix of songs that showcased both his emotional depth and his animated personality during the Found Heaven tour at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Sept. 25.
Gray began his career by posting vlogs on YouTube as a teenager and quickly gained popularity with the release of his first song “Idle Town” in 2017. Since then, Gray has continued to write songs with strong lyricism, releasing the album “Kid Krow” in 2020 and “Superache” in 2022. His newest album, “Found Heaven,” was heavily inspired by 80s synth-pop, marking a shift from the indie pop sound of his previous albums.
Gray started off strong, appearing in a matching set of silver leather pants and a crop top amidst white jagged curtains hanging above the stage, opening with his upbeat song “Fainted Love.” He then jumped into performing “Never Ending Song,” and the lighting shifted to flashing laser beams in the iconic shade of yellow of the “Found Heaven” album cover.
The curtains came down during “Eye of the Night,” revealing a giant star outlined in bright colorful lights, which brought the 80s vibe to the stage. His next two songs, “Killing Me” and “The Exit” were both performed with the same dramatic intensity, despite having contrasting meanings. “Killing Me” expresses an anguish in not being able to let go of a toxic relationship, while “The Exit” is about wanting to hang onto someone who has moved on.
Conan Gray then took a break from singing to interact with the audience, where his sense of humor was on full display. He accepted a Capri-Sun that a fan brought, declaring the fruit punch flavor to be “a real delicacy.” After taking a sip of Capri-Sun, Gray said, “That’s the end of one of my favorite activities, which is people watching,” eliciting cheers from the crowd as he launched into his hit song “People Watching.”
His next song, “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” a soulful lamentation over not being enough for someone you love, slowed things down. The transition to his next song was jarring, with sudden strobe lights and Gray’s voice screaming “jigsaw, ah-ah,
ah” over a forceful drumbeat. The song “Jigsaw” deals with a similar hurtful situation as “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” but with an emphasis on anger rather than sadness. This was followed by a performance of “Family Line,” a heartbreaking song that outlines Gray’s childhood trauma.
Gray then took a moment to emphasize his vulnerability, confessing that as a child he hadn’t been afraid to die because he felt like he didn’t have much to lose. “But then I started to get older, and I started to see the world and I started to make friends and open myself up to the possibility of being loved,” Gray said. He went on to say that he started to realize just how much he had to lose and how scared he now was to die.
“I wrote this song as a reminder to all of you who think you know how the future is going to go. I promise you, you don’t, and that’s the beauty of it,” he continued, before beginning to play “The Story.” Gray performed the song by himself on a guitar, illuminated by a single spotlight, which created an incredibly intimate atmosphere.
Afterward, Gray quickly bounced back to a fun and lively vibe with his songs “Found Heaven,” “Boys and Girls” and “Lonely Dancers.” He then sang “Winner,” another emotionally heavy song, followed by “Heather,” his most popular song with over 1 billion streams on Spotify. Gray introduced his next song, “Memories,” in a speech where he told the audience, “Unfortunately, this is my very last song. And I never lie.” When
he finished the song, he took a final bow and ran offstage. Evidently, he did lie, as Gray immediately ran back out wearing a black sparkly cape to sing “Bourgeoisieses” and “Maniac.” His actual final song, “Alley Rose,” was the perfect ending to the night, a cathartic song about a lost love. Gray left the stage to loud cheering, as colorful confetti rained down on top of an audience that truly “Found Heaven” at the concert.
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Conan Gray is pictured above in a photoshoot for "Jigsaw."
Noah Goldstein Contributing Writer
VIA EPK.TV
Adam Driver is pictured as Cesar Catilina in "Megalopolis."
Miranda Lawson showcases solo work in Dances at Noon Series
Boston-based movement artist Miranda Lawson performed in the Tufts Dance Program’s Dances at Noon series on Friday. The series is put on by the Tufts Dance Program, a part of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. In 2013, Senior Lecturer Daniel McCusker founded Dances at Noon as a way to connect the dance program to the larger Boston area dance scene.
For the latest installment of this initiative, Jenny Oliver, head of dance performance, curated a showcase of work by one of her former students. Lawson graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2022 with a bachelor of arts in dance and psychology.
The solo performance began with a spoken word poem where Lawson looked into audience members’ eyes and asked, “Where do you go?” Dressed in a monochrome bubblegum pink outfit, the artist touched on themes of anxiety and overthinking in spoken word poetry before Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” started playing. Once the upbeat pop song began, Lawson started moving through the Jackson Dance Lab in a style recalling hiphop, contemporary and house.
This first work in progress titled “cRaZy” builds off of her recent
one-woman show, “qUaRtEr LiFe cRiSiS,” and challenges the many norms and conventions of traditional dance creation. “cRaZy” fuses together pop, country and techno music by featuring Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” in a mix punctuated by glitches and a disturbingly long repetition of the sound “hahaha,” evoking feelings of paranoia and insanity.
“I love to make the audience uncomfortable and stare at them for so long, or do something right at them,” Lawson said in an interview with the Daily. “I love to see the way that they react and become involved.”
During a brief transition period where Lawson changed costumes behind a curtain, Oliver praised Lawson’s ability to integrate props, diverse music and spoken word poetry in her performances.
In her second work in progress, “1v1,” Lawson came out onto a dimly lit floor dressed in baggy shorts, a white tank top and a durag to the sounds of the start of a boxing match. The theatrical lighting set the stage for the artist to run in a circle around the room before stopping to stare down the audience.
“When I’m in one spot for too long I’m like, ‘Ugh, this is boring, gotta move. They must be losing interest, gotta move,’” Lawson said. “I try to challenge myself with how much ground [I can] cover.”
Resembling a boxing match, the piece was divided into four ‘rounds.’ After the first round, Lawson walked across the space like a ring girl carrying a piece of paper that read “Round 2.” During the second round, she danced to a mashup of three songs, including Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” that layered onto each other before devolving into chaotic noise. Her musicality stood out in this segment as she moved in a way that highlighted her sharp lines and strong background in several dance styles.
Round three featured yet another Chappell Roan song, “Pink Pony Club,” but with another unexpected twist of repetition. During this segment, Lawson performed bits of several iconic dances, including the hand jive and the running man. The four rounds concluded with a sign that read “Time Out?” and Lawson retiring to lay on the floor upstage.
While lying on her back, the low light accentuated her laborious breathing and the light hand drumming on her chest. “I gotta find peace of mind,” Lawson sang from the floor before beginning her spoken word poetry. Ostensibly because this was a showing of works in progress, Lawson was reading from a piece of paper; however, a significant part of her work is based on improvisation.
“I’m fascinated by improvisation and being in the moment and
seeing what happens,” Lawson said. Because of her background in psychology, the artist is interested in “the different thinking patterns that people have: How do those manifest in [the] body?”
During a brief post-performance discussion with the artist, Lawson shared that almost the whole performance had been improvised. She said that some of the ‘scores’ — guidelines used to guide improvisational work — she used were acting boneless, spineless and devoid of limbs. Despite the challenges of solo performance, Lawson described the vulnerability as “the only way she exists.”
Lawson is a member of the Urbanity Dance Company in
Boston’s South End and will perform as a soloist in Urbanity’s fall dance crawl “Go Stop Listen. Still Wait Go.” from Oct. 17–19. She hopes to build on the two works in progress she showed at Tufts in the near future.
“I’m building a third section and hoping to get that together and have a full performance with lighting and everything … at the very beginning of 2025,” Lawson said.
Dances at Noon is a recurring series that is free, open to the public and an excellent opportunity for the Tufts community to watch some amazing and inspiring dance performances from local artists.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ soars beyond Shakespeare’s expectations
Jeremy Stern and Alexander Minager
Contributing Writers
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Everyone recognizes these iconic words from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” a classic of ninth grade English.
This past Saturday, Diane Paulus’ newest adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge graced the stage as the classic tale of budding family feuds, star-crossed lovers and dueling townsfolk met a lively contemporary touch that is still relevant in our hearts today.
In this modern adaptation of the timeless classic, the themes of love, hatred and what it means to be alive are ever-present. Romeo, of the Montagues, and Juliet, of the Capulets, find themselves trapped amid a high-stakes back-and-forth between families, where the two must learn whether or not love will prevail over generational hatred.
Romance is in the air for the titular characters, beautifully played by Rudy Pankow, who acted in “Outer Banks,” and Emilia Suárez, who acted in “Up Here.” Pankow’s youthful and giddy interpretation of Romeo brings a smile to the audience’s faces as we watch him fall madly in love with Suarez’s Juliet, who hides her emotions inside the walls of nobility. With such a young cast full of breakthrough performers, the duo takes Shakespeare’s classical text and gives it a modern-day feel that keeps the audience engaged. Pankow and Suarez take the dynamics of young love to entirely new levels. Romeo climbs onto the balcony to unite with his
lover, and the two enchant the crowd with monologues of raw and undeniable love.
They enlist the help of the wise Friar Laurence, played by Terrance Mann, Romeo’s trusted confidante who charms the stage with his ukulele solo. The fatherly Friar guides Romeo in his coming-of-age journey and stamps the story with the bitter consequences of young love when it is announced his letters to Romeo were never delivered.
The story would be remiss without the endearing presence of Romeo’s sidekicks, Mercutio played by Clay Singer, and Benvolio, played by Brandon Dial. The two provide moments of well-timed comic relief within this romantic story, acting like “frat bros” while playfully mocking Romeo for his newfound love. Singer literally embodies the not-often-seen physicality of Shakespeare’s words with his remarkably erotic and wild gesticulations that are sure to crack a few smiles (“Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.”).
Paulus, Tony Award Winner and Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theatre, rarely seems to lose focus with her directorial vision — from Romeo’s first sight of Juliet at the masked ball to Juliet’s final sight of Romeo’s pale face, the show is always about the burgeoning romance accelerating in front of us, and the thread of love is never lost. A key symbol throughout the play is the glowing orbs first shown at the masked ball as partygoers throw them around until one hangs in the air like a moon in the night sky. Later in the show, Juliet heartbreakingly clings to one as she longs for the sight of Romeo, staring into the light with a painful
reminder of the woozy and erotic euphoria they felt on the hopeful night of the party.
While Paulus’ direction soars in its ambition and scale, the fight scene between Tybalt and Mercutio, a major turning point of the play, falls flat. What’s often depicted as a gritty contest of swords turns into a lackluster knife fight of much smaller scale, dialing down the stakes and dampening the moment on stage.
Paulus sought to work again with choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (after they collaborated on the American Repertory Theatre’s “Jagged Pill”) to focus specifically on the humanity of the characters through their movement. Cherkaoui’s work is most present in the masked party scene. With house music bumping in the air and revelers entering the stage carrying glowing orbs of light, Cherkaoui’s pulsing vision blends narrative and spectacle in equal measure.
In an especially clever use of blocking, Paulus and Cherkaoui posture the scene where Friar Laurence gives Juliet the fatal sleeping potion. The stage is enveloped by a dreamlike whisper and you see his lips stop moving as he blueprints the plan. In a scene of beautiful timing, we see the perfect outcome: Juliet curbs her marriage with Count Paris and reunites with Romeo. Of course, in the end, tragedy strikes, and Paulus’ romanticization of the perfect plan is a foil for reality to come.
After the last line has been said, Paulus’ and Cherkaoui’s vision culminates with a brilliant moment of stage design. In a unique addition to the story’s end, the lights brighten, the floor rises revealing a
pool of dirt and grass emerges from underneath the stage, as a final floral arrangement is constructed to commemorate the two lost souls. Shakespeare’s material is something that famously works well with a stage stripped down to its barest elements, and Amy Rubin’s set design is no exception. Finding your seat at the Loeb Drama Center, it’s hard not to wonder what’s to become of the stage in front of you. A tall, wooden structure stands deceptively bare, cutting off most of the sage from the audience’s gaze. However, throughout the show, this structure cleverly transforms, dividing scenes within the act and standing as the ancient Verona walls that separate the Capulets from the Montagues. The wooden edifice also becomes the furnishing for both the famous balcony scene and the space where Romeo murders Tybalt.
Jen Schriever’s distinct light blue lighting design is felt in the air as haze engulfs the theater, and the sharp boxes of light divide the stage and isolate moments of intimacy. To start the show, Romeo and Juliet first enter walk-
ing through parallel boxes of light, visualizing the divide to come. Later, in a questionably abrupt design decision, the audience is caught off guard when a white veil drops from the ceiling and projects the disproportioned silhouettes of the Capulets arguing over Juliet’s body. Other notable design elements include Daniel Lundberg’s ominous background sound design with music composed by Alexandre Dai Castaing, which fill the onstage action, and Emilio Sosa’s costume design which tastefully refuses to situate the show in any specific period. There is no argument. Shakespeare should first and foremost be seen on the stage, where it was intended to be enjoyed. In this unexpectedly unique rendition of “Romeo and Juliet,” the cast breathes new life into the story we all know, leaving the audience with a blooming sense of hope. Paulus’ idea to strip the play from many of its conventions is an abundant success. There is no required reading to feel the tense display of romance unfolding in front of you — in fact, if you are lucky enough, it may be best to go in blind.
Julieta Grané Editor in Chief
JULIETA GRANÉ / THE TUFTS DAILY Miranda Lawson is pictured during her performance at Tufts’ Dances at Noon on Friday.
JEREMY STERN / THE TUFTS DAILY
An advertisement for “Romeo and Juliet” is pictured.
HOROSCOPE
OPINION
VIEWPOINT
Handicapping the violence in Sudan
Alexander Degterev Contributing Writer
Having already covered how outside powers could aid civilians amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan, it is time to talk about what should be done to ensure a swift end to the conflict itself from the perspective of the U.S. government.
First off, the coalition of nations under The Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Group, or The ALPS Group, needs to reassess the actions of some of their member states. The ALPS Group, whose primary members include the U.S. and Switzerland, has held a summit to open humanitarian corridors to relieve the pressure on Sudanese civilians. The group now needs to look inwards at their own members — namely The United Arab Emirates, a key ally of the Rapid Support Forces — supporting the principal culprits of egregious violations against the civilian population of Sudan. There has been evidence of the UAE profiting from Sudanese gold obtained through the conflict, which is then used to buy weapons and war materials. Additionally, many associates of the ALPS’ African Union members have also provided funding and other forms of collaboration for the Rapid Support Forces. These countries allow weapons and war materials to flow through their borders into Sudan, sometimes even traveling through designated humanitarian corridors. Hosting a new summit to underline the terms for strict sanctions and arms embargoes could be a start to solving these problems. It is mind-boggling how some of the most notable and direct contributors to the current violence are allowed to play mediator while being responsible for the suffering of the civilian population. They need to be held accountable before being invited back to the table.
The second focus should be the wide range of foreign powers who are funneling a broad assortment of weapons, war material and sometimes even soldiers to either side of the conflict. Countries like Türkiye and Serbia are not beyond direct reproach and must be held responsible for not upholding the international arms embargo on Sudan enacted by the United Nations Security Council in
2004, later reinforced by the international Arms Trade Treaty in 2014. Other contributors, namely the China-Russia-Iran power bloc, would require a far more elaborate solution due to their growing independence from ‘Western’ markets. So far, the Russian economy, despite stringent sanctions from the majority of the West over their ongoing war in Ukraine, has managed to somewhat skirt along. This is primarily due to military aid and enhanced economic cooperation from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. However, there are areas where this unofficial alliance lacks, for example in the semiconductor industry where China and Russia are both vying for global dominance yet lack the most recent technological advances of the West. Semiconductors are vital to a myriad of modern appliances in addition to being the key component of most modern weapon platforms. The United States could put extra stress on these pressure points as they have done with ASML, a Dutch-based company producing important parts used in the production of semiconductors that has agreed or been pressured into various sanctions against China. The United States must continue pinching these pressure points and expanding the range of these types of sanctions, which will continue to hit these major powers where it hurts and help with bringing them to some sort of a negotiating table.
Finally, the United States should focus on the corporations that fuel both sides of the war effort. The Department of State and Department of the Treasury have already stamped a number of sanctions on companies that are known benefactors of either side of the conflict. This must be expanded to various other international conglomerates that are in violation of an ongoing U.N. Security Council arms embargo. A wide range of weapons geared toward Turkish and Russian civilian markets have found their way to both sides while more advanced weaponry and ammunition which flow primarily from Russia, China and Belarus have also been found in the hands of fighters from both sides. Many of the companies that are most complicit in this arms trade are located in countries that are either direct state parties of the Arms Trade Treaty or
signatories in the process of ratifying the treaty. Even more appalling is the massive amount of weaponry being diverted from civilian markets as a way to dodge embargoes. Similarly appalling, companies seem to be middlemen for various arms companies. Ashoka Manufacturing Ltd., for example, is a middleman and the ‘largest supplier of weapons to the Sudanese market,’ despite the fact that it is based in India — a founding member of the UN and non-permanent member of the Security Council eight separate times. Initiatives should also be led to enforce international sanctions on companies that are directly controlled by either of the opposing sides, most notably Al Junaid Multi Activities Co Ltd., which controls the gold production that lines the Rapid Support Forces and its foreign contributors’ pockets, and Defense Industries System, the army-owned, primary internal arms manufacturer of the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Sadly, at the current moment, it seems like there is no complete resolution in sight. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, recently proclaimed at the U.N. General Assembly that the military was pursuing peace with all countries that have laid down their weapons or who respect the Juba Peace Agreement signed in 2020 — which the Rapid Support Forces has been accused of routinely ignoring. Both sides have also continuously dismissed resolutions set at the Jeddah talks, the most widely recognized and ongoing overtures for peace. The United States has a responsibility to cut both the international lifelines that enable both sides to continue enacting violence and cripple the economic institutions that are benefitting from a humanitarian crisis.
Justin Solis Rooted Reflections
Not all conservation is equal
In a previous Tufts Daily article, I advocated for summer jobs that are intrinsically linked to the local community and ecosystem. This was not merely out of a desire to create a generation of fishermen and farmers. In isolation, it is too easy to believe idealistic rhetoric that disregards practical solutions to tackling environmental issues. I believe that those emotionally removed from the land around them place undue value on preservation rather than conservation.
To provide context, the environmental movement can be split into two subcategories: preservation and conservation. Preservationists seek to preserve the land indefinitely from any use or interaction — examples of this include wildlife preserves.
are submitted for review to The Tufts Daily Executive Board before publication.
Conservationists take a different approach by acknowledging the need for nature to be protected while ensuring that nature is used in sustainable ways.
This summer, I worked at an environmental non-profit while also obtaining my commercial fishing license. Through my interactions with career fishermen, I’ve come to understand that the way we approach environmental protection must be changed. In the field of fisheries management, we must adopt a program of abundance-based management, scaling the legal maximum of caught fish to match the local population data, rather than preventing humans from using parts of the ocean altogether. This creates a more precise way of ensuring species stability while also allowing humans to engage with the environment as they have always done. Abundance-based management is already in place, but it has been traditionally used in specific situations as an alternative to consistent catch limits. Incorporating programs like abundance-based management on a broader scale could balance economic and environmental interests without having to choose between preserving a section of land or giving businesses free reign. Under this model, environmental zones are not explicitly closed down — resource harvesting is instead scaled based on current availability. Businesses can stay open and continue to harvest the resource while the environment is monitored to prevent overharvesting.
Preservationists and conservationists both advocate for environmentalism, but their methods of execution are different. The most famous example of this debate was between John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. The critical argument between the two men was over the Hetch Hetchy Valley in California. Muir wanted the valley to remain untouched, believing a proposed dam would ruin both Yosemite and, by precedent, every national park. Pinchot advocated for limited development which he believed would help provide San Francisco with water access. The ultimate result? The Hetch Hetchy valley is now responsible for providing 80% of San Francisco’s water and is home to multiple hydroelectric projects, while Yosemite was the sixth-most visited national park in 2023.
We cannot view the Earth as a piecemeal composition of land with sections either that can or cannot be disturbed by humanity. This dystopian view of sprawling urbanization interrupted haphazardly with tracks of land will never be enjoyed by anyone. The environment is not a series of interchangeable parts but a cohesive, interconnected community.
Humans are as much of a part of nature as the songbird or a blade of grass blowing in the breeze. We were not transported to Earth by an alien spaceship and consequently are not invaders of nature. Instead, we are a part of the environment, and conservation practices should reflect that. We must understand that we are not somehow superior to nature, residing above it, but rather deeply embedded within it.
Justin Solis is a junior studying political science and environmental studies. He can be reached at justin.solis@tufts.edu.
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.
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An official sets up U.N. flags before U.N. General Assembly General Debate from Sept. 17, 2017.
Linda Huang Opinion Editor
Originally published Oct. 2.
With the presidential election approaching, the topic of abortion has drawn increased concern from voters, particularly from young female Americans. A New York Times/Siena College poll from August shows that abortion is the most crucial issue for women under 45 to consider when casting their vote. At the same time, a Guardian poll indicates that 67% of women under 30 plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris likely due to her commitment to expanding reproductive rights. As a woman living in the U.S., I share these concerns about the future of abortion access and its potential impact on women’s autonomy.
While the judicial branch has largely determined abortion laws in the U.S., the president can still assert significant influence on these laws. This is because the president has the power to appoint United States Supreme Court justices, who have and continue to play crucial roles in deciding abortion-related rulings. In the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case which overturned Roe v. Wade, thereby ending the constitutional right to abortion, former Republican President Donald Trump had appointed three of the six justices in the majority.
Stop denying women’s bodily autonomy, Part 2
To this day, Trump continues to take pride in shaping the court that led to the abortion ban. If he gets re-elected, the U.S. will likely see further restrictions on reproductive freedoms in an increased number of states.
Though their bodies are not directly affected by abortion policies, cisgender men should reconsider the role they play in influencing decisions on the issue of abortion law. They can focus on voting for politicians who benefit them in other areas, such as tax cuts and inflation control because their anatomical privilege of not having a uterus allows them to not consider bodily autonomy as a decisive or even important factor in their vote. This creates an inherently unfair voting mechanism because women — who make up half of the American population — must first prioritize an issue that threatens their fundamental right to bodily autonomy before they can even consider policy issues on other important fronts.
Economic concerns are of course very important. Many male voters support Trump precisely because they are enticed by his agenda to fix the economy through methods such as aggressive tax cuts. However, the very financial challenges the Trump administration seeks to address do not carry the same weight as the loss of bodily autonomy that Harris aims to protect. Trump’s
economic policies primarily favor the wealthiest 1% and often leave struggling communities behind. Restoring Roe v. Wade will help all women — roughly 50% of the population — directly while helping all parents who are not ready to emotionally or financially raise a child. Hence, unless Trump’s blueprint to fix the economy can enhance access to fundamental rights for certain communities in other ways, voting for him and passively neglecting the issue of abortion speaks volumes about one’s moral priorities. By voting for Trump, you are accepting the denial of women’s bodily autonomy and advancing the court’s capacity to limit women’s reproductive freedom.
Reproductive health care is a deeply personal matter that should not be subject to state discretion inhibiting a medical professional’s ability to provide care. Individuals who will never experience pregnancies should also not have the authority to place the decision of what a woman ought to do with their body in the hands of the state. While government authorities realistically cannot limit themselves to enacting policies solely on issues that pertain to their own experiences, abortion is uniquely significant because it only pertains to the fundamental rights of women. This issue transcends mere political debate and
differences in opinion; it touches on the core principles of personal autonomy and freedom for half of the U.S. population.
To any cisgender man reading this, your privilege that comes with not having a uterus protects you from pregnancies caused by rape or incest, guarantees that your life will never be at risk at the cost of bearing a fetus and at the very least allows you to approach presidential elections without the burden of considering your reproductive autonomy as a decisive factor in your vote. It is now time to recognize this privilege and return it to those whose lives and bodies are in fact directly impacted by their uterus.
The Amazon is ablaze: It’s
been anything but short n’ sweet
Kaashvi Ahuja Staff Writer
Originally published Oct. 2.
As the Amazon, the lungs of our Earth, currently burns with an intensity far surpassing the infamously devastating fires that took place in 2019, the world watches in unsettling silence — a dangerous reflection of our diminishing sense of climate urgency at a time when critical elections could shape the future of our planet.
In the summer of 2019, the Amazon experienced nothing less than a blazing inferno. 72,843 fires — an 80% increase from the year before — destroyed at least 103,079 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest, killing 11,514 plant species and 3,079 animals.
Large regions of lush forest were cleared to plant soy or graze cattle and burning was proven to be a quick and cheap way for this to happen. However, these fires were rarely managed and tended to get out of control as a result. Since then, Jair Bolsonaro — a Brazilian president who opened up the Amazon for business by abolishing conservation measures, reducing spending for environmental agencies and crippling Indigenous land rights — has been replaced by leftist Lula da Silva, who, while far from perfect for Brazil, has been better for the Amazon. However, this year the region is suffering its most deadly drought since 1950, with once gushing tributaries now plunging to hauntingly low levels, endangering the lives of
animals and people’s livelihoods. But it hasn’t stopped there.
This relentless drought has paved the way for catastrophic fires to ravage Brazil, consuming vast stretches of the Amazon and the Pantanal — the world’s largest tropical wetlands — while engulfing cities in smoke. Unlike today, in 2019 there was public outcry all over social media about the wildfires, whereas current trends on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram appear to revolve around celebrity feuds or upcoming film releases. Regrettably, the plight of suffocating orangutans no longer makes the cut. Why should it? It doesn’t affect us, right?
Climate change is no longer a looming threat — it is a present reality, escalating in severity with
each passing year. We are observing a surge in extreme weather phenomena in both frequency and intensity, and the Amazon basin is just one example of this. Rising sea levels are impacting nations across the globe, causing coastlines to flood and worsening the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes and heat waves. The resulting climate refugees will inevitably lead to widespread human suffering and heightened geopolitical conflict.
Ironically, the very solution that could save us now teeters precariously on a Bunsen burner, consumed by the very crisis it once shielded us from. The rainforest has long served as one of our most essential buffers against climate change; therefore, it is our duty to restore it and prevent its further
destruction. How? Let’s do what we do best — talk about it. This year stands as our most critical juncture, with at least 70 countries having held or are poised to undergo political elections. We must garner attention for this environmental crisis and pressure new or returning politicians to propel it at the forefront of their agendas.
We must acknowledge that these politicians and large transnational corporations hold real power to affect meaningful change. They are the ones who enact policies that can either secure or jeopardize the future of our planet. So unless a TikTok exposé on why Sabrina Carpenter hates Camila Cabello can save our rainforests, let’s redirect our attention. If celebrity outrage can make headlines, it’s time ours does too.
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A man holding a “Keep Abortion Legal” sign is pictured in Washington D.C. on June 24.
VIEWPOINT
Defensive domination in Jumbos' win over Mammoths
once again after a quick three and out.
After a disappointing loss last week against the Wesleyan University Cardinals, the Jumbos faced the undefeated Amherst College Mammoths on Saturday. The Mammoths had won their first two games of the season with impressive defensive performances, limiting Hamilton and Bates to seven points each.
To begin the game, the Mammoths won the toss but deferred to the Jumbos, who chose to receive. Tufts started with the ball on their 15-yard line. In two runs and two passes, the Jumbos were set up at their 34-yard line. On third down, senior quarterback Michael Berluti threw a 13-yard pass intercepted by the Mammoths’ defensive back Luke Harmon.
After a 2-yard run by the Mammoths to start their drive, quarterback Mason Morrow completed a short pass for a 12-yard gain. On the next play, junior linebacker Trevor Hillier got into the backfield to pressure Morrow, who scrambled and threw an interception to senior linebacker Will Duncanson.
The Jumbos started their next drive on their 33-yard line by running for a short 3-yard gain. A few more plays into the drive, after a penalty on the Mammoths and an 8-yard completion, Berluti dropped back to pass once again, completing an 11-yard throw to senior tight end Jack Elliott. Elliott ran the ball for an extra 20 yards after the catch to get into the red zone, after which the drive stalled out. Junior kicker Vaughn Seelicke made a 30-yard field goal to end the drive and put the game’s first points on the board.
The next drives for the Jumbos and the Mammoths each ended in 17 total yards gained before punting, and then the Mammoths punted
The first quarter came to an end on a short run by sophomore running back Christian Shapiro. To begin the second quarter, Berluti completed a deep 40-yard pass to sophomore receiver Matt Rios at the Mammoths’ 8-yard line. After a short run by Shapiro, Berluti was able to punch the ball into the endzone on a 5-yard run, and the PAT attempt by Seelicke was good.
The Mammoths began their drive looking to score their first points, and in 10 plays and 37 yards, it was fourth down with two yards to go.
On the Jumbos’ 38-yard line, Morrow dropped back to pass but his attempt was broken up by senior defensive back Jameer Alves, causing a turnover on downs.
The Jumbos took the momentum from the turnover to march down the field in a powerful fashion. Berluti showed off, throwing for 34 yards and running for 25 yards and a touchdown to end the drive. The Jumbos then went for a 2-point conversion, which was successfully run in by senior quarterback Luke Leongas.
On the next drive for the Mammoths, they were once again held to a three and out. The Jumbos’ offense took time down into the last minute of the half at which point Seelicke missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.
For the third time, the Mammoths were held to a three and out and punted the ball back to the Jumbos, who ran the time out in the first half of the game.
To begin the second half, the Mammoths were stunted again by the Jumbos’ defense in three plays, with graduate student defensive lineman Javier Rios and Duncanson combining for a sack on third down.
During the next drive, Shapiro ran for 22 yards on
three runs and Berluti passed for 18 yards on his first two attempts, while also rushing for six. A few plays later, Berluti passed to Cade Moore for a 20-yard touchdown. Seelicke’s PAT attempt was good, giving the Jumbos a 25–0 lead.
The next drive for the Mammoths ended in three plays again; however, the Jumbos gave the ball right back by fumbling on third down. The Mammoths began their drive with hopes of a late comeback dwindling, resulting in a 23-yard pass for their first first down since the second quarter, but on the next play, Duncanson got his second interception of the game.
After a Jumbos punt, the Mammoths substituted in backup quarterback John Collier. Collier led the Mammoths down the field, just outside of the red zone. But Collier was tackled for a 5-yard loss by senior defensive lineman Jalen Hill and intercepted on the next play by sophomore defensive back Ty Richardson.
The Jumbos got the ball back with just over 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, which they impressively used up in 17 rush plays in a row, ending the game and winning 25–0.
In this dominant win for the Jumbos, Berluti passed for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 59 yards and two touchdowns. The Jumbos ran for 197 yards, led by running back Shapiro with 85 yards. The Jumbos had 427 total yards while holding the Mammoths to 119. Ultimately, the Jumbos dominated in almost every statistical category.
After the game, senior defensive lineman and team captain Dom DeCrescenzo discussed the Jumbos’ dominance on the defensive side of the ball.
“This was [Coach Civetti’s] first home win against Amherst ever in his career,” DeCrescenzo
towards the near post. His muted celebration contrasted the ferocity of the strike. The floodgates had been opened. By the 42nd minute, his hat trick was complete and the game was decided. Daizen Maeda’s early equalizer was a faint memory for the traveling Scottish fans. A historic 7–1 thrashing.
said. “I told the guys at halftime, let’s get this done for him. … He bleeds brown and blue.”
To get the win, Decrescenzo emphasized the importance of practice. “I think what we face in practice is the best we’ve seen in the NESCAC. And I believe that wholeheartedly,” he explained, “Let’s just do the same thing that we do in a practice that we do in games.”
The Jumbos will host the undefeated Trinity College Bantams on Saturday.
Bharat Singh
The Final Whistle
Karim Adeyemi, Dortmund’s Latest Wunderkind
Acombination of neat triangle passes deep into the Dortmund half was broken by the Celtic press, as Gregor Kobel launched a long ball forward.
Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy was the first to react, steadying himself before gently caressing the soccer ball towards Julian Brandt with a deft touch. With runners on each side and a scrambling Celtic backline, Brandt threaded a pass into the path of Karim Adeyemi.
Signal Iduna Park roared their star on as Adeyemi buried the ball beyond veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. 2–1.
But like his relentless playing style, Adeyemi’s opener was a mere teaser for the night. Close to the half hour mark, an overhit, outswinging corner was retrieved by the youngster who looked poised to cross before unleashing a rocket
The last Dortmund player to score a first half hat trick in a major European tournament was Márcio Amoroso in 2002, the year Adeyemi was born. Beyond his trademark of dazzling defenders with blistering pace, officially setting the record as the 2nd fastest Bundesliga player in history at 36.7 kph in 2022, Adeyemi possesses countless abilities that are often overlooked. One that complements his speed is his close control. In the 2022–23 Champions League Round of 16 against Chelsea, Adeyemi broke the deadlock with a scintillating solo run covering two-thirds of the field in a matter of seconds. While accelerating, he took around a dozen touches at top speed, subtly manipulating the ball past the defensive midfielder. His spatial awareness and timing further allow him to exploit wide positions and receive through balls on counterattacks.
Having represented Germany in the last European and World Cups, the 22-yearold has substantial major tournament experience and will be an incredible asset for the national team going forward. This season alone, Adeyemi has netted five goals in seven starts in all competitions. Moreover, his goals per 90 minutes has increased from 0.3 to 0.6 since last season, emphasizing his increasing attacking returns.
With Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible title victory last year and the regular challengers of FC Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig, it seems Dwortmund’s best bet for silverware will be a cup competition. As last year’s finalists, Dortmund will be expected to reach at least the quarterfinals of the Champions League from where the luck of the draw will decide their fate. Adeyemi’s role will be key against stronger defenses towards the latter stages of the competition. Under new head coach Nuri Şahin, a former player for the team himself, Adeyemi has the spotlight and will hope to establish himself as one of the world’s elite wingers this season. Europe’s heavyweights will undoubtedly come knocking for Adeyemi’s signature next summer, but for now, his focus is dead set on breaking records and etching his name in Dortmund history.
Dexter Joffrey Contributing Writer
JOHN MURPHY / THE TUFTS DAILY
Quarterback Michael Berluti celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Amherst on Saturday.
Men’s tennis finds a dominant start to the season at regionals
8–7 win in their round of 32 match against Babson College.
fans kept him and his teammates on track.
On the weekend of Sept. 27–29, men’s tennis came out with, according to senior Vuk Vuksanovic, the strongest start the team has seen in years during their performance in the three-day ITA Northeast Regionals tournament. Six of Tufts’ top tennis players participated in the singles draw, four teams of two participated in the doubles draw and four players participated in the B draw for singles.
Heading into the tournament, Vuksanovic discussed his team’s focus. “You’re just trying to have good days, or have your bad days not be as bad,” he stated. “Consistency is pretty much what determines a good player from a great player.”
Consistency and composure, as practiced, turned out to be the cornerstones to Tufts’ successful run.
Senior Lachie Macintosh particularly showcased veteran experience on day one in his 6–2, 6–1 rout of Gordon College’s Jeff Bodner. As a whole, the Tufts team came out with a commanding performance, with only one loss across all draws on day one. The partnership of Macintosh and first-year Nico Tremblay especially showed their ability to keep their composure, in a tight
In addition, junior Javier Gonzalez and first-year Stavros Mastrogamvrakis grabbed a clutch 8–7 win in their contest and carried this momentum over into day two with another 8–7 win in the round of 16. With regard to singles matches, Vuksanovic found a rhythm in his round of 16 match, with a 6–1, 6–1 win over Middlebury
With the help of fans, alumni and each other, Tufts men’s tennis manifested superior poise which produced positive results for the team.
For Vuksanovic, his routine and preparation including meditation and mindfulness proved to be monumental to his victory in the ITA singles championship. In a dominant
composed of Jumbos. In a close Tufts vs. Tufts semifinal, Gonzalez and Mastrogamvrakis pulled out a win against Macintosh and Tremblay.
On the other side of the bracket, Vuksanovic and senior Derin Acaroglu began with a strong team performance, winning their first two matches 8–1 and 8–4 against competitors from University of Saint. Joseph and Babson. The duo eventu-
“CONSISTENCY IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT DETERMINES A GOOD PLAYER FROM A GREAT PLAYER.”
College sophomore Nikky Kondamuri.
Vuksanovic remarked that the ITA tournament was “the best I’ve ever felt,” in his time at Tufts.
Moreover, Vuksanovic noted that he “got lucky” that he was able to experience a supportive crowd of students and alumni. In close competitions such as the ITA Regionals, he describes tennis as a mental game. In an exceptionally stressful senior season, as the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament, Vuksanovic maintained that Tufts teammates, alumni and
run to the finals, where he only lost one set in the entire tournament, Vuksanovic prevailed in the singles bracket.
In the B singles draw, junior Andrej Djokic brought out an exceptional performance throughout his tournament run, especially in a 6–1, 6–3 semifinal victory against Wesleyan University sophomore Brett Keeling. Djokic fell short in a three set thriller in the finals to Babson freshman Eddie Wang.
On the doubles side, Tufts players held a similar position of dominance, with three of the top four semifinalist teams
ally fell in a well-matched 8–7 loss to their Tufts teammates, juniors Alex Ganchev and Sacha Maes, in the quarterfinals of the doubles draw.
Ganchev and Maes, following their quarterfinal battle, took a decisive home court victory against junior Max Litton and senior Max Lustgarten from Wesleyan, paving the way for a third Tufts vs. Tufts doubles matchup in the final.
The final would be decided by injury default, with Gonzalez and Mastrogamvrakis finding a regional championship for their partnership. Due to the team’s
triumph in the ITA Northeast Regionals, the five players from Tufts men’s tennis who participated in singles and doubles finals have advanced to the ITA Cup, a national tournament including competitors from across the country.
Vuksanovic, looking forward to the rest of the season, discussed his high aspirations for the team.
“I know that every single guy on our team can win this thing separately,” Vuksanovic said. He added that this is the best the team has looked in his four years at Tufts and emphasized that his team’s strengths went past those on the tennis court.
“The one main thing is that we keep each other accountable,” he affirmed. In his discussion of team culture, Vuksanovic also gave insight into the team’s preparation process, expressing, “The preparation for the big tournament starts from the first day when we get together as a team, bringing freshmen into the culture, creating the chemistry and then being on the same page with our goals.”
Tufts men’s tennis will head to Georgia from Oct. 10–13 for the ITA Cup, which showcases matches from the best-performing teams in each ITA Regional tournament. This will be their first time competing on a national level this season.
Bassil Chughtai Contributing Writer
SOPHIA KHAN / THE TUFTS DAILY Tufts senior Vuk Vuksanovic finishes a serve during a singles match at the ITA regional tournament on Friday.