The Tufts Daily - Tuesday, October 20, 2020

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

TCU Senate appoints new members to Allocations Board, discusses Tufts SJP’s resolution

by Alexander Janoff News Editor

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate elected two additional members to the TCU Senate Allocations Board (ALBO) and discussed an effort by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to present a resolution titled “End the Deadly Exchange at Tufts” as a referendum to the entire student body.

TCU Senate President Sarah Wiener opened the meeting by introducing Joe Golia, director of the Office of Campus Life (OCL), to the body. Golia explained how the OCL works closely with the TCU Senate and Judiciary.

He introduced the OCL team and described some of the projects the office worked on during

the summer and at the beginning of the semester, including releasing JumboLife, an online, student engagement platform.

Golia also reminded the Senate that many projects do not always produce immediate results.

“There’s so much that has happened, based on what Senate has brought to the floor, but it may have happened after [past senators] graduated,” Golia said. “I always give that piece of advice to just keep it going … and hopefully it is something that could happen.”

Following Golia’s discussion, Wiener, a senior, spoke about Indigenous Peoples Day and providing a platform for members to share resources commemorating Indigenous history. see SENATE, page 2

ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY

President’s Lawn is pictured on Oct. 18.

Parents Weekend adopts virtual format Intersection of politics, religion in Ukraine with live webinar discussed at Fletcher School conference

by Arielle Galinsky Contributing Writer

Parents and Family Weekend, organized by the Tufts Parents’ Giving Program and hosted by Neal Shapiro (A’80) and Juju Chang, was held virtually on Oct. 17. Shapiro is a member of the Board of Trustees and president and CEO of WNET. Chang is the recipient of an Emmy Award and a co-anchor on ABC News’ “Nightline” (1980–).

Over 2,000 family members streamed the live event, which included remarks from administration and faculty.

University President Anthony Monaco opened the event by welcoming parents and families.

He commended university leadership and expressed gratitude for all who have supported Tufts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[I am] so proud of the leadership and resilience [that] our Jumbos have demonstrated through this pandemic,” he said.

Provost and Senior Vice President Nadine Aubry also extended her gratitude to students’ families.

“Without you, our friends and family members, your loved ones would not be part of Tufts today,” Aubry said.

James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Jianmin Qu, dean of the School of Engineering, then shared a few words.

“In the Arts and Sciences, we’ve made big investments this year, in areas such as cognitive and brain sciences, environmental studies, data science, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts and race, colonialism, and diaspora,” Glaser said.

Glaser also highlighted the progress being made in the build-

EMMA BOERSMA / THE TUFTS DAILY

President’s Lawn is pictured on Oct. 18.

ing of the new Joyce Cummings Center, which is expected to be completed by spring 2021.

Qu spoke about the proactive nature of students enrolled in the School of Engineering, speaking specifically about a group of students who utilized Tufts’ 3-D printers to repair 6,000 masks during a period when personal protective equipment was difficult to obtain.

Nancy Bauer, dean of the School of Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) and dean of academic affairs for the School of Arts and Sciences, spoke about virtual SMFA classes and the new changes that have been implemented to improve the academic experience.

“We also gave a box of supplies curated to each of our students so that they could not have to worry at all about finding the right video camera or the right software or the right pastels or the right sculpture materials,” Bauer said.

Alan Solomont, dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, emphasized JumboVote’s initiatives to help students create clear and safe plans for voting in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

“We’re really excited to work with your students and to help each of them plan for themselves a rich and productive civic life at Tufts and beyond,” Solomont said.

Following the deans’ words, the audience heard from other faculty members through speechsee WEEKEND, page 2

by Marianna Schantz and Yiyun Tom Guan

Contributing Writer and News Editor

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy’s Fletcher Initiative on Religion, Law and Diplomacy (RLD) hosted its 2020 conference titled “Ukraine is Not Yet Dead: Religion, Pluralism and Geopolitics in Eurasia” on Friday.

Divided into a keynote address and three panel discussions, the conference focused on the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and issues regarding geopolitics, pluralism and security in the country.

Rachel Kyte (F’02), dean of The Fletcher School, gave opening statements and highlighted the importance of religion and diplomacy to Fletcher’s scholarship.

“An international leader in this day and age, as probably was the case all through the ages, requires some introspection and some study and familiarity with how religion plays out in some of the more complex challenges that the world faces at the moment,” Kyte said.

Following an introduction

by Elizabeth Prodromou (LA’81, F’83), the faculty director of the RLD, and Alan Henrikson, Lee E. Dirks professor of diplomatic history emeritus at Fletcher, John Herbst (F’78), former U.S. ambas-

sador to Uzbekistan and Ukraine, delivered the keynote address.

Herbst began his lecture by stating that religion is essential to understanding culture and politics.

He explained that while Russian and Ukrainian religious histories are intertwined, they are interpreted in vastly different manners by historians from both countries.

“According to the main line of Russian historiography, that intertwining means that the Ukrainian story is a subset of greater Russian history … this imperial interpretation has since been extended to the Soviet Union, then post-Soviet Russia,” Herbst said. “Ukrainian historians see their land as controlled by outside powers, including the Russian Empire.”

According to Herbst, although a majority of Russians and Ukrainians practiced Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Russian Orthodox Church had overshadowed its Ukrainian counterparts throughout history, while Ukrainians sought religious independence. This tension continued through the fall of the Soviet Union, when the two remaining principal churches were the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

ARTS / page 4

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SPORTS / back

Joji’s second album yields inconsistencies

New CELT program creates student-faculty partnerships

Underdogs make their way to the top in opening weeks of Premier League

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, October 20, 2020

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The Fletcher School is pictured on Oct. 14.

“Two things are woefully absent from proposals to resolving the Ukrainian church crisis: a desire for reconciliation among the [Ukrainians] and an entirely new method that teaches communities how to see their neighbors in a new way,” Denysenko said.

The second panel, “Religious Ecosystem: Pluralism, Freedom, and Civil Society,” was joined by Sergei Chapnin, chairman of the Artos Fellowship for Contemporary Christian Culture, Tetiana Kalenychenko, a sociologist of religion and Rev. Andrew Bennett, director of the North American Action Team of the Religious Freedom Institute. The session was moderated

by Prodromou. The panelists reflected on the relationship between religious groups and civil society in both Ukraine and Russia.

Bennett observed a strong sense of solidarity among faith communities during the Euromaidan protests from 2013–14, and he cited this as an example of how religion contributes to social movements. “[Ukraine] demonstrate[s] that a rich presence of religious communities in the public life of a country is very important and can support … justice more broadly and again uphold fundamental freedoms, such as religious freedom,” Bennett said.

The last panel focused on the geopolitics of Eurasia, with guest speakers Nikolas Gvodsev of U.S. Naval War College, Barbora Maronkova, the former director of NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Ukraine, Monica Toft, professor of international politics at Fletcher and Igor Zevelev of the Woodrow Wilson

International Center for Scholars.

Moderated by Sharyl Cross, a global policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the third panel focused on the geostrategic implications of religion in Eurasia.

Echoing Herbst’s keynote address, Maronkova emphasized the political influence of the Moscow Patriarchate and argued that Russia used the church as a tool for warfare and propaganda against Ukraine.

“This brings me to Ukraine, [where] church and religion are used as instruments in the so-called hybrid warfare … where we have seen Russia basically using the Russian church and the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine as one of the many instruments in its toolbox,” Maronkova said.

TCU Senate collaborates with OCL, develops projects SENATE

continued from page 1 “We clearly had classes on Indigenous Peoples Day, and we didn’t have Senate, but we want to spend some time of our meeting today talking about Indigeneity and giving everyone some resources about how to talk about Indigeneity in other spaces,” Wiener said.

During the meeting, Senate also heard one supplementary funding request from the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

NSBE requested $126 to send 11 members to a virtual networking conference. Six members of ALBO voted in favor, none opposed and one abstained. It passed TCU Senate by acclamation.

After hearing the single supplementary funding request, Elections Commission (ECOM) Technician Spencer Ha led an internal election where TCU Senate elected two members to ALBO. “ALBO is basically chiefly responsible for having this first look at all financial stuff that Senate has to do,” TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi, a senior and chair of ALBO, said.

“Whenever Senate has to appropriate any kind of money, ALBO gets

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continued from page 1 Herbst then noted that the struggle between the two churches became a battleground for geopolitical clashes in Eurasia, as exemplified by Moscow’s reactions to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004.

Herbst underlined that religion in Ukraine was instrumental to its nation building and national identity.

“By and large the story of religious development in Ukraine is a positive one for the consolidation of Ukrainian society and nation,” Herbst said. “This was evident from the start of Ukraine’s independence: the government [promoted] confessional toleration [and] took on a new form consistent with the developed civil society in Ukraine.”

The first panel was titled “Contested Histories, Narratives, and Identity in Ukraine: The Intersection of Religion and Geography” and was moderated by Christopher Miller, assistant professor of international history at Fletcher. The main speakers for the panel were Serhii Plokhii, director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, Nicholas Denysenko, associate professor of theology at Valparaiso University and Oxana Shevel, an associate professor of political science at Tufts.

Denysenko discussed the rivalry between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and he noted that crucial elements were missing when addressing the conflict.

the first look at it, so in the spring that means writing the budgets for every club that’s recognized at Tufts, and then throughout the year it also means passing funding requests.”

Hadiya Giwa, Trenton Debonis, Arielle Galinsky, Mariana Janer Angrelot and Miela Efraim, all first-years, contested two vacant seats on ALBO. After an opening statement from each candidate and a brief question and answer period, Ha announced that Giwa and Janer Angrelot won the election.

Giwa’s platform consisted of supporting student organizations that emulate diversity and support students of color.

“I can really see the charge and initiative that ALBO has when it comes to determining the amount of funding that different clubs get,” Giwa said.

“Part of my platform was seeing that there is higher funding for diverse clubs, who specifically support students of color.”

Janer Angrelot’s platform consisted of emphasizing activities that adhered to COVID-19 health guidelines.

“I’m interested in this division because I want to know how ALBO works from the inside,” Janer

Angrelot said. “It’s very important to me that a lot of COVID-19 activities are emphasized, [and] I feel ALBO should take a role in that.”

TCU Parliamentarian Taylor Lewis then explained SJP’s goal to convert its resolution titled “End the Deadly Exchange at Tufts” into a referendum and present it to the Tufts community.

While resolutions are only voted on by the members of the TCU Senate, referenda, on the other hand, reach the entire student body.

“A referendum is usually thought to be a little bit more powerful than a resolution, at least in my mind, because this is something that they have to get signatures for,” Lewis, a senior, said.

According to Lewis, resolutions are usually transformed into referenda by opponents of a resolution, who are hoping to take the decision away from a limited number of senators.

“I think it’s important to understand [that this process] was introduced as an amendment to the TCU Constitution, as a way for opponents [of a resolution] or anyone in the body to basically take the vote out of Senate’s hands,” Lewis said.

The meeting concluded with remarks from TCU Vice President

Grant Gebetsberger and TCU President Sarah Wiener.

Wiener spent time discussing ongoing projects between Senate and the OCL. She also spoke about developments that would make it easier for students to continue spending time outdoors, despite the colder weather and diminishing amount of daylight.

“Some of the ideas that are being pursued and floated around are having twinkly lights wrapped around trees to have more lighting outside, heaters that either project heat off buildings and on the ground and … heated benches,” Wiener said.

Wiener closed the meeting by recognizing the university’s successful efforts in limiting the spread of COVID-19 on campus, but warned Senate to remain cautious.

“We’ve been here longer than a lot of people expected, and it’s starting to show,” Wiener said. “As leaders, something good to keep in mind [is] that we are taking risks every day, and every day the public health and the health of our host communities is in our hands. The best practices that you can have and be a leader in your friend groups and other circles are really important to continue.”

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continued from page 1 es and panels. Four students presented what day-to-day life has looked like for students in a vlog-

like format, showing the testing procedures and the new organization of spaces on campus.

Shapiro ended the event by sharing some remarks.

“Despite all the twists and turns and curveballs we’ve been thrown by this pandemic, there’s a real spirit out there that we’re going to

rise to meet the challenges,” he said. “Tufts will continue to be a light on the hill for students, faculty and our communities.”

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Features

3 Tuesday, October 20, 2020

In new program, CELT pairs students, faculty to address inequity in classrooms

by Ethan Steinberg Executive Copy Editor

This semester, the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) launched the Pedagogical Partnership Program, an initiative that pairs faculty and students to foster conversation about pedagogy and equity in Tufts’ classrooms.

In need of an outlet to express concerns and provide feedback to instructors, seniors Jillian Impastato and Langley Topper conceived of the program last December. They expressed discomfort regarding some of their in-class experiences at Tufts. For Impastato, it was an instructor who stood defensive and unyielding after hearing her voice concerns. For Topper, it involved a professor who enacted microaggressions, and to whom she was uncomfortable approaching with criticism.

Though course evaluations are an anonymous outlet for students to assess professors, Topper felt that they aren’t effective and often don’t enact the changes that many students hope for. And approaching faculty members directly can be difficult for students whose grades are on the line.

Topper and Impastato developed the Pedagogical Partnership Program as a tool to amplify and empower student voices in the classroom. Students are paired with a faculty member for a semester and tasked with attending their partner’s class and giving feedback in a weekly, one-onone meeting. Student partners do not earn a grade, and they take notes on things like engagement, the instructor’s wording and the extent to which the classroom is inclusive of those with marginalized identities, among other aspects of teaching.

“One of the key goals of the program is to really co-create learning environments between students and faculty where, specifically, students with marginalized identities can feel respected and centered in their intellectual contributions,” Topper said.

Tufts joins a network of other schools, including Smith College, Oberlin College and Bryn Mawr College, that have feedback-oriented, student-faculty partnership programs in place. Inspired by the one at Bryn Mawr, Impastato and Topper reached out to Alison Cook-Sather, a renowned scholar and a leader in the field of student-faculty partnership programs. She spearheads Bryn Mawr’s SaLT program, a similar program founded in 2006 and “one of the longest-standing pedagogical partnership programs in the world.” CookSather also led Topper and Impastato toward the director of Tufts’ CELT, Annie Soisson.

CHRISTINE LEE / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

The Tufts Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching is pictured on April 8, 2019.

At the time, Soisson had already been in contact with Cook-Sather, and she had wanted to create Tufts’ own version of SaLT. Until Topper and Impastato came around, it “never quite had the gas behind it to get it going,” Topper said.

The two students met with Soisson in January and used the spring semester to outline a plan and apply for grants. By September, they had secured two sources of funding: a oneyear, Tufts Springboard grant run through the Office of the Provost for Research, and an external, two-year grant from the Davis Educational Foundation.

The funding goes entirely to Impastato, Topper and the other student participants.

“It was really important to us that we were able to pay student partners because what’s challenging about a program like

this is that it’s so different from the traditional academic hierarchy, in which a professor has a lot more power than a student,” Topper said.

Impastato added that the transition to hybrid learning may have helped to attract funding as well as attention from teachers and students.

“I think it helped in our ability to sell the program to students, to faculty members and to different people to give us grants,” she said.

Over the summer, Impastato and Topper piloted the program as student partners. Topper was paired with Professor Sara Gomez and observed her course on food sustainability. From her experience, Topper believes the partnerships will encourage faculty members to think more deliberately about their class-

rooms and their approaches to teaching.

“It’s interesting, as a student, to have the faculty perspective, and I was actually impressed by how intentionally she chose how to put her course together,” Topper said.

Impastato was similarly moved by her experience, but noted that a partnership can be especially empowering for students whose voices often go unheard. This semester, she and Topper recruited students through the FIRST Resource Center with the help of former Director Margot Cardamone.

The result is a group of five student partners this semester, most of whom are people of color, low income or first generation. Ryan Rideau, associate director for teaching, learning, and inclusion at CELT who in recent months

has replaced Soisson as program adviser, shared his thoughts on the program’s role in making Tufts a more equitable institution. Higher education, he said, is “centered upon whiteness,” and students with marginalized identities are often “left in silence.”

Although the Pedagogical Partnership Program will not cure educational inequity on its own, Rideau hopes that it will play a role in doing so.

A student perspective Michelle Nguyen spends her Tuesday afternoons in Professor Kerri Modry-Mandell’s developmental psychopathology course. With her camera turned off and her microphone muted, she observes and takes notes in preparation for her weekly meeting with the professor. see CELT, page 4

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Tuesday, October 20, 2020

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CELT program inverses ‘traditional academic hierarchy,’ provides new perspectives to faculty CELT

continued from page 3 Nguyen, a junior, is one of the five student partners in the program this semester. She and the other four have been placed in classes from a variety of departments — physics, biology, child studies and religion — and of various sizes and modalities.

In her weekly meetings, Nguyen has worked with Modry-Mandell to improve student engagement; in that regard, she has made a tangible impact — ModryMandell now makes more frequent use of the whiteboard, chat and breakout room functions in Zoom. Nguyen also plays a part in reviewing class activities to ensure they are as inclusive and respectful as possible. She spoke to the role the program has in centering students with marginalized identities.

“The program has a really, really big potential to help and give voice to marginalized students, especially because it’s already hard for marginalized students to advocate for themselves in a space that’s predominantly white,” Nguyen said. “A lot of the student partners are people of color. We’re all here, and we all understand the struggles that we had to go through.

So we’re trying to make [it] a lot easier for other students.”

In some respect, Nguyen plays the role of an intermediary between students and the professor.

“I’m ensuring that, because this is a seminar-based class, that there’s constant feedback from the students. If marginalized students are ever uncomfortable, they’re able to speak to the professor anonymously,” Nguyen said.

Outside of her work with ModryMandell, Nguyen meets weekly with Impastato, Topper and the other student partners. They build community — sharing their highs and lows from the week — and devote time to skill-based trainings and discussion.

A faculty perspective Rideau selected faculty partners who have worked with CELT in the past.

“A faculty member can’t … be getting feedback from a student unless they want it,” Topper said. “So it’s really targeting faculty who are already thinking intentionally about learning and teaching.”

One of those faculty members is Erin Seaton, co-director of educational studies and a professor in the Department of Education. Paired with Impastato over the summer, Seaton found great value in her experience.

“As a faculty member, it’s sometimes difficult to ask students how things are going when you’re the person that’s grading them,” Seaton said. “Even if you work really hard to create an equitable classroom, there’s always a power dynamic as a faculty member, so having a student who sits in class, and is kind of filling that intermediary role between the faculty member and the students, is such a thoughtful idea and such a wonderful way to help faculty rethink their practices and the student experience.”

Seaton appreciated how the program bridged the gap between her perspective and those of her students.

“I felt like it made me more prepared, more attuned to the student experience and better able to respond to students,” Seaton said. “There were also moments when [Impastato] noticed things that, from the faculty member [perspective] as a white, cisgendered, heterosexual female, I didn’t always notice the way students might have felt silenced or left out, or the way in which my own practices were disempowering to students.”

Faculty participation in the program can also shed light on some uncomfortable moments in the classroom, ones that might be hidden in professors’ “blind spots,” according to Seaton.

“Having this program in place, offers a really powerful check against moments when students might experience microaggressions, might feel silenced, might feel voiceless,” Seaton said.

Like Rideau, Seaton hopes the program can play a role in making Tufts a more equitable institution.

“Systemically, there’s so much that needs to be done to overhaul Tufts as an institution. But in classrooms, as one piece of those larger systems, this makes a huge difference,” Seaton said.

“It’s a way to give students a voice, and to be seen and heard when that might feel impossible; to engage in conversations with faculty that takes that power dynamic and shifts it a little bit; and that gives faculty a partner who really, I think authentically, wants to offer support and wants to help faculty engage with students, and maybe reengage or re-understand how they create a classroom environment that feels more equitable.”

Plans for the future Given the intersection of a pandemic with the university’s June 19 commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution, Impastato said this semester is an opportune moment to introduce the program.

It gives administrators an opportunity to “put their money where their mouth is” and invest in more equitable classrooms, she said; it also captures faculty members at a time when they are forced to reevaluate their pedagogy and rethink their courses.

Impastato and Topper hope the program will expand in future semesters and outlive their tenure at Tufts; after the current grants expire, they hope that the university will incorporate funding for the Pedagogical Partnership Program in CELT’s annual budget.

More than anything, Impastato views this program as a vehicle to empower students.

“We see this program as a professional development, but it’s also really important that we don’t forget that it’s also a student engagement and empowerment program,” Impastato said. “It was really empowering to hear [professors] want to hear my opinions and my observations. The current student partners — I think they’re already feeling that.”

Jenny Lu Tuff Talks

Long distance relationships, midterms

D

ear J: How do I handle a long-distance relationship?

–Far Away Dear Far Away: Longdistance relationships are going to be hard. Although there is nothing around it, there are ways you can make it easier.

Firstly, being in a committed long-distance relationship is not for everyone, and it takes an immense amount of trust, especially at college, where you are constantly meeting new people and having new experiences.

It takes a committed and self-assured person to look others in the eye and tell them that you are not searching for anyone else. Be honest with yourself and your partner about whether or not that sounds daunting. Also, be sure to set boundaries so both parties can feel secure and loved. For example, maybe you’re comfortable with your partner spending time with others but you draw the line at physical contact.

Before committing to long distance, it’s important to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Long distance has to be temporary, and you have to have a concrete date to reunite or else it will never work out.

If you both decide that you are prepared to take on a long-distance relationship, congrats! Remind each other of your love languages and revise them a bit to fit long distance. If your partner’s love language is receiving gifts, consider occasionally shipping them a surprise or ordering pizza to their door.

Although physical touch is a hard one to fulfill, it’s still possible to get creative. For example, maybe hugging the stuffed animal they gave you will bring some joy.

Schedule time to talk to each other consistently, like a phone call before bed every night and a FaceTime date once a week. And if possible, make an effort to see each other in person, like making a weekend visit twice a month (but please beware of COVID-19 guidelines).

Dear J: How can I balance schoolwork and friendships with exams coming up?

–Overwhelmed Dear Overwhelmed: Midterms are in full swing right now, and although those should take priority, it’s still important to socialize and spend time with others, if that’s a way that you like to de-stress.

It’s been said a lot, but time management is really the key. Set aside time slots to study, and make plans in advance with your friends, not spontaneously. If others make plans that infringe on your study times, don’t worry about missing out because your friends will be there after your midterms!

You can also bond over exams with your friends. Go on Reserve Tufts to reserve study classrooms for you and your friends to quietly work together. Or, if you know people from your classes, meet with them over Zoom or in person to study together. This can be a great way to stay productive while still enjoying the company of others.

You may find it helpful to schedule blocks of time in your week to complete your asynchronous classwork and treat it as a synchronous class. Good luck!

Jenny Lu is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Jenny can be reached at jenny.lu634410@tufts.edu

Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Joji’s ‘Nectar’ isn’t as sweet as it hopes

Iverson Eliopoulos On the Big Screen

‘The 40-Year-Old Version’

“

VIA JOJI MUSIC

The cover for Joji’s album “Nectar” is pictured.

by Siavash Raissi Contributing writer

For those who grew up watching the infectious videos of George Kusunoki Miller, known online as “Filthy Frank,” it’s hard to believe where the YouTube star has ended up today. His over-the-top, edgy videos were the force behind a mass reimagination of humor on the internet and its limits, sparking a new wave of YouTubers attempting to emulate his content, none of whom have since reached his level. So when I first listened to “Ballads 1” (2018), his debut album under the stage name “Joji,” I was left astonished by his level of production and professionalism toward music. It became clear that Miller was destined for more than his humble YouTube career.

Having claimed mainstream fame since then, Joji has managed to develop a distinct sound: one full of melancholy and emotional distress, yet never too depressing to lose its energy. With the latest release of his sophomore album, “Nectar” (2020), and its fittingly sweet sounds of loneliness and love, present this fantastic atmosphere to be enjoyed, though it often suffers from uncreative or inconsistent tracks by its end.

This by no means insists that the album is bad. In 53 minutes, Joji provides hard evidence of his artistic growth since his “Ballads 1” days and presents some of his best songs within this latest track list.

However, throughout the second half of

his album, “Nectar” is plagued with tracks featuring inconsistent levels of production, often leaving the listener bored rather than invoking genuine reactions.

“Nectar” does start with an impressive array of tracks. The first song, “Ew,” establishes the tone of the album using its intense instrumentals. The fuzzy string section combined with a heavy bass creates a lonely atmosphere, culminating in a magnificent crescendo as it leads into “MODUS.” This track continues to develop the album’s tone utilizing Joji’s signature lo-fi beats to create a catchy, yet somber tone.

Then, all at once, comes some of Joji’s finest work to date. The upbeat melody and rhythm of “Gimme Love” creates a distinctly nostalgic sound, evoking images of lively city nights late out with friends.

Its unique acoustic ending also provides a stark contrast to the songs that preceded it, allowing it to stand out from the rest of the track list. “Run” perfectly encapsulates the moody distress felt when one is faced with romantic insecurities and doubts.

Joji’s voice comes to a powerful crescendo as he cries, “Guess I’m not enough / Like you used to think / So I’ll just run,” before diving into a gripping guitar solo. From my first listen, “Run” became my favorite Joji song. “Sanctuary” then follows with its equally energetic lyrics and vocal performance.

Unfortunately, past the album’s halfway point, the album begins to lose consistency. Tracks like “High Hopes,” “NITROUS,”

“Mr. Hollywood” and especially “Normal People” fail to stand out due to their monotonous — and oftentimes mundane — lo-fi piano instrumentals and vocal structure. These songs simply maintain the “emo” aesthetic of Joji’s earlier work without adding anything new or original to “Nectar” overall. “Pretty Boy,” featuring Lil Yachty, does include a catchy melody, but quickly loses its appeal as a result of its repetitive nature.

The album’s latter half does, however, feature some notable highlights.

“Afterthought,” featuring BENEE, maintains a celestial, dream-like sound that easily complements its contemplative lyrics about the impact of breakups. “Like You Do” is the penultimate track on the album, and features a beautifully transcendent melody that perfectly emulates the essence of loneliness.

Overall, “Nectar” presents a gripping journey through Joji’s mind. From the very beginning, the listener is immersed as Joji struggles with understanding the impact of heartbreak and solitude.

However, this captivation is often interrupted by uninspired tracks that have no distinguishable identities, leaving listeners bored.

Despite these inconsistencies, Joji still offers his best work in “Nectar.” In the two years since “Ballads 1,” Joji has proven to fans that his artistry is never done growing and that he will continue to provide listeners with a sound that’s undeniably sweet, sticky and smooth to the ear.

The 40-Year-Old Version” (2020), released in early October, is written, directed and produced by Radha Blank. Blank, who has previously worked as a television writer, plays herself as a struggling playwright in New York City. The film sells itself as a story about a woman who turns to making rap music when her writing career seems stuck, but it is so much more. Blank’s screenplay is an intricate and personal portrait of what it means to be an artist, life in New York City and the issues that come with gentrification.

Throughout the movie, Radha is constantly being told what she should do, how she should write and what decisions she should make. She’s talked down to, disparaged and insulted. Her own play about Harlem is mangled, and in a way gentrified, by white producers who are misguided in their assumptions about the experience of being Black in America.

Radha struggles with grasping that the industry expects her to produce “poverty porn,” a phrase Radha uses frequently in the film. The film is embedded with subtle microaggressions from white people who think they have the best intentions.

Blank herself is easily the best part of the film. Her acting is so effortless and genuine that she doesn’t appear to be acting at all. Her writing is natural and fluid, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny. Her artistic decisions are wonderful as well. In an echo of Spike Lee, the film is often supplemented by old photos or clips of film that take place outside the plot, all in a different aspect ratio. Blank also pays clear homage to Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese with her touching portrayal of New York City itself as a character. It’s clear why she won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Direction Award at Sundance this year.

Cinematographer Eric Branco made the amazing choice to shoot the movie on black-and-white 35mm film, but it is by no means a visually dark aesthetic. Brilliant sun and radiant light capture New York City in all of its beauty, from the inside of the subways to the elite cocktail parties.

In one of the more poignant scenes of the film, Radha speaks to her brother about their deceased mother, who was a painter. She expresses regret that her mother’s life’s work will just end up in storage. He responds that their mother was bigger than her art, that she lived life to the fullest. And that’s what this movie is truly about. Radha wades her way through the struggles of obscurity, only to be faced with the fear of selling out. And it’s only when she really does sell out that she finds the courage to be who she wants to be again.

Radha does end up making some rap music in the film, but rap is really just one way that she learns to express herself.

What end up being more meaningful are her relationships with her brother, with her best friend, with her deceased mother and, my personal favorite, with her drama students. Blank’s movie is a love letter to her city, to the people that keep her going and to the art life that she embraces. “The 40-Year-Old Version” is easily one of the best films of 2020.

Iverson Eliopoulos is a senior studying music. Iverson can be reached at iverson. eliopoulos@tufts.edu.

F& G

Ethan (referring to an article he wrote): “I think I’m going to put some copy errors in for the copy editor.”

SUDOKU

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Express what’s in your heart. Don’t launch until conditions improve. Prepare and polish. Edit and revise. Consider graphics and illustration. Share when ready.

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Difficulty Level: Trying to perfectly time a Hodge order

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Opinion

7 Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Elizabeth Buehl Sobremesa

The Santa María’s war path

O

a hairbrush.

Recycle me.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

pening a new textbook for the first time involves the crisp crack of the spine and the smell of freshly inked pages. There is a feeling of dependability when reading a textbook — an expectation that all of its words are indisputable, cold, hard facts. When you say “in fourteen hundred ninety-two…” to a graduate of an American public school, some might continue with the rhyme, “Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” In American elementary school textbooks, we’re taught about the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Public education glorifies Columbus as a supernatural figure that discovered “unexplored” land. It is time we question this presentation: Are we giving children textbooks filled with facts, or fiction?

Monday, Oct. 12 was Indigenous Peoples Day — referred to by some, including the federal government, as Columbus Day. Currently, only 14 states observe Indigenous Peoples Day, meaning the other 36 continue to celebrate genocide. Donald Trump even took to Twitter to write, “HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY TO ALL!” In a world full of contradicting information, it is important that we make our nation’s true history clear to our youth.

We must reform standard curricula to afford our youth an interdisciplinary, empathetic and historically accurate education on European colonization. We must teach students everything ranging from the search for God, gold and glory to the rich cultures and customs of Indigenous peoples. Rather than framing education about this epoch from the perspective of European people, we must learn from the point of view of Indigenous people.

It is time we stop skimming over at least 15,000 years of meaningful history with coloring books of teepees and cardboard feather crowns. It is time to rewrite history, not to fit the image colonialism portrays of our country’s past, but to illustrate the vivid, saddening truth of the injustices that have taken place.

The transformation of this portrayal of history will undoubtedly affect the future of our nation. Today, inequitable medical treatment, low-quality education and environmental harm continue to disproportionately impact Native American communities. The American government and corporations have contributed toward the contamination of Indigenous peoples’ ground water, the pollution of their air and the dumping of hazardous waste nearby, as well as largely ignored substance abuse problems among their communities. Providing children with a truthful education about the experiences of Native American peoples in the United States will yield a generation of individuals prepared to disrupt systems of long-standing oppression.

Many Tufts students, including myself, make continuous efforts to relearn Native American history. This isn’t a straightforward journey but, rather, a complex process that requires the presentation of correct information and the space for open conversation, debate and raw honesty.

It is time we change this process and create a world where future Tufts classes come to campus ready to expand on their knowledge of Native American history rather than learn it anew.

Elizabeth Buehl is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth.buehl@tufts.edu.

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8 Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

M

ost of New England was not expecting this rollercoaster start to the Patriots’ season. It’s been a whirlwind of COVID-19 cases, big letdowns and surprising performances; or maybe, sans the pandemic, this is a normal season and we’ve just been spoiled by 20 years of Tom Brady — who knows. However, even with the gauntlet that the Patriots had for the first four weeks of the season, their current 2–3 record is nothing short of a disappointment. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, their defense held Patrick Mahomes and their juggernaut offense to 13 points through three quarters. If Cam Newton wasn’t diagnosed with COVID-19 two days prior, the Patriots could’ve won that game. Furthermore, the Patriots miraculously outplayed the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 until they couldn’t execute in the red zone. As a passionate Patriots fan, it’s brutal to witness them continuing to fall short in the big moments.

Against the Denver Broncos, Cam Newton was leading a fantastic two-minute drill until, on fourth and 10, N’Keal Harry ran the wrong route and slipped while doing so — another crucial mistake in crunch time.

The 18–12 defeat to the mediocre Denver Broncos will sting for the next few days. You simply cannot lose those types of games, especially in a season like 2020.

Although I might be sounding pessimistic, New England fans should not be sounding the alarm bells just yet. Other than the Broncos game, Cam Newton was spectacular for the first three weeks of the season; his timing with his receivers was perfect and his game style electrified the New England offense. He might not be 2015 MVP Cam Newton, but he has enough talent to lead a solid offense. Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the pass defense continued its dominance from last year and is striking fear into opposing quarterbacks. Against the Broncos, the secondary caused two game-changing turnovers that led to a tremendous field position for the offense. Even with the ridiculous arm of Drew Lock, the secondary was able to keep the damage to a minimum. Although they lost some key players due to COVID-19 opt-outs, the Patriots’ defense is still better than most. The defensive run scheme needs some improvement, but I am still satisfied with the state of the defense.

This season truly comes down to who can avoid a COVID-19 outbreak; the Patriots have already dealt with two postponed games as five players on the roster have been confirmed to have tested positive. You could also certainly blame the lack of a preseason for the various injuries on the offensive line, which was a wet paper towel against the Broncos’ pass rush. Simply put, the Patriots need to stay healthy this season. As much as it pains me to say this, the Patriots are not a guaranteed lock to clinch a playoff spot. After six weeks, the Patriots are third in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, a sentence I have never heard in the 19 years I’ve been a Patriots fan.

However, there are still reasons to be optimistic; we do have one of the greatest schematic coaches of all time in Bill Belichick and our key players have the talent to perform at a high level. Although the season is far from over, I might be hitting the panic button soon if this team doesn’t improve.

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

Sports

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A surprising view: Teams performing in the Premier League

COURTESY CARLOS FIGUEROA ROJAS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Everton Football Club is pictured on Feb. 23, 2019.

by Michael Wallace-Bruce Contributing Writer

The Premier League is back! One of the most exhilarating leagues in the world returned and has already produced potential “goals of the season” and video assistance referee drama in a month and a half.

Sitting atop the league so far is Everton and although it is too early to give a verdict on the end of the season standings, the dazzling performances of Everton, Aston Villa and Leeds United makes them teams to keep an eye on.

Though not regarded as part of the “big six,” Everton’s global stature and successful performances in the transfer market make them appear as contenders.

However, their performance last year was poor. The team successfully recruited talented players like Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi, Andre Gomes and Jean-Phillipe Gbamin to bolster it in integral positions. Thus, Everton was considered a Europa League candidate. However, the team won only three out of its first 10 games of 2019–20 the season with its new signings barely influencing its play. Furthermore, Marco Silva, the incumbent manager, was sacked in December, with the team staring at a relegation dogfight. In came the decorated Carlo Ancelotti, a fairly attacking-minded coach who had managed Real Madrid and AC Milan to Champions League glory.

Thus, Everton’s finish at 12th place last season, and its total of only 44 goals in the league was a complete disaster.

On the other hand, Everton’s result and performance this year has shifted.

Although they began the year with a +15,000 chance of winning the league, Everton has outperformed their oppo-

nents on the offensive side of the game.

Like most summers, the team brought in exciting new players who have inspired its current success. James Rodriquez, who arrived from Real Madrid for £22 million, has ignited the attacking midfield, along with other new players, with his vision and technique from set pieces. Furthermore, Watford’s ex-midfielder, Abdoulaye Docoure, has been highly effective in a box-to-box role. Compounding on the signing they made last year, Everton remains a highly in-depth team in the midfield and attacking side of the game.

And with players like striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and his strike-force partner Richarlison in good form, Everton may triumph over them all when the season’s curtain unfolds.

Another unlikely team that could cause shock waves across the league is Aston Villa, who were in the relegation zone for most of last season and needed to win their final game to stay in the league. Like Everton, the Villains have started strong, and sit second in the league with a game in hand. The team is also one of the only two without a tally in its loss column, with Everton being the other. The Villains beat last year’s league winner, Liverpool, 7–2, in a match where their star players flourished.

The team does lack skillful attacking players, but the arrival of striker Ollie Watkins and former Olympique Lyonnais forward Bertrand Traoré should enable Aston Villa to get the goals that they need.

Based on last season’s showing, Aston Villa can count on their swift English midfielder, Jack Grealish, who continues to galvanize the team to win games. The addition of Chelsea loan’s Ross Barkley has shifted

some of Grealish’s midfield possibilities.

Barkley certainly has accepted his role. He has immediately proved to be an asset for the team with his performance during the victory over Liverpool and with his injury-time, game-winning goal over Leicester City on Sunday., On the defensive end, English national Tyrone Mings, a center back, has played well and has helped his side secure clean sheets. The team has only conceded two goals so far during this campaign and has made its opponents work hard to find open chances.

The only issue with Aston Villa’s current success is that they have not played many well-established teams in the league.

However, their commanding win over Liverpool should warn teams: They are here to win.

Such characteristics are found in newly promoted sides who are not financially or tactically ill-trained to play in the Premier League — Leeds United is not such a team. Their recent back and forth league encounter with Manchester City, which ended in a 1–1 draw, displayed the qualities the team possesses. Leeds’ ability to quickly shift the ball from flank to flank and their rapid, quick-footed wingers like Helder Costa and Jack Harrison makes them a threat when they are in possession. They also have a composed English midfielder, Kalvin Phillips, who can quickly turn and find a pass to break down a team’s defense.

Although Leeds United’s style of play has not translated to a copious amount of goals — they’ve only scored nine in five games — the team is exciting to watch, and it should be applauded for its achievements in the league so far.