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T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com
Monday, October 26, 2020
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Alpha Phi, most of Chi Omega to disaffiliate from national organizations by Alejandra Carrillo and Alexander Thompson Executive News Editor and Assistant News Editor
Facing outcry over the high price of dues and criticism on social media, Alpha Phi and the vast majority of Chi Omega members will disaffiliate from their national organizations and plot a new course. These announcements mean that by next year, Tufts will only have two remaining sororities. This is in stark contrast from six years ago, in 2014, when Tufts’ then-four sororities were reporting record recruitment numbers. The changes come after months of backlash. Over the summer, all elements of the Greek life system on campus took heat on Instagram from Abolish Greek Life at Tufts, an informal student movement pressing for a ban on fraternities and sororities on campus. The organizations saw a high number of drops and decided to suspend fall recruitment due to the pandemic.
Kallisti St. John, president of Alpha Phi prior to its disaffiliation, explained in September that the sorority shared different priorities from its national chapter. “Over the past few months, it’s become clear that we just have completely different goals for what we want … what we want to focus on right now with COVID, with the social climate,” she said. St. John noted that the national chapter of Alpha Phi still required members to pay dues, despite the ongoing pandemic, which further encouraged the sorority to break ties with its national chapter. Each member of Alpha Phi was able to make their own decision on whether or not to relinquish their membership. All 103 members did so, according to St. John. “Our international [chapter] decided to send us all an email saying that the chapter has been revoked due to … no membership,” St. John said. see GREEK, page 2
JEREMY CALDWELL / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES
Chi Omega is pictured on Sept. 26, 2015.
Headlines from off the Hill #EndSARS Nigeria protests ongoing Nigerians have taken to the streets over the last three weeks to protest the continued existence of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS), a police unit charged with tackling violent crime in the country. Created in 1992, SARS officers operate anonymously, wearing normal street clothes and driving unmarked cars. The squad has drawn heavy criticism for years and has been linked to extrajudicial killings, torture and cases of ill-treatment, according to Amnesty International. Some also claim that SARS targets young people for money. Protests began on Oct. 3 following the death of a Nigerian man during a stop-and-search operation, although the police claim SARS was not involved. Despite the president saying he will shut down SARS, protests are continuing because the Nigerian government had previously promised to disband the force, but has not followed through on its vow. Protesters say they will not be satisfied until the president decisively
disbands SARS and addresses other broader problems with the Nigerian police. Election roundup: 8 days until Nov. 3 The last presidential debate occurred Thursday evening. The event introduced a mute feature to help mitigate interruptions and control how much each candidate could talk, resulting in a much more civil and substantive conversation compared to the first debate. The candidates tackled contentious issues ranging from the pandemic to health care to the environment. Early voting opened on Oct. 17 and will continue through Oct. 30 in Massachusetts. As of Oct. 23, more than 1.4 million residents of the state, 30.8% of registered voters, had cast their ballot. These numbers may indicate an increased number of people voting in comparison to the 2016 election. This weekend, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff and several other close members of his team tested positive for the coronavirus. Pence and his wife announced Sunday that they have both tested negative.
FEATURES / page 3
An outstanding overnight oats recipe
Despite Pence’s close contact with aides who have tested positive, he is refusing to quarantine. Finally, the Senate advanced the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in a procedural vote on Sunday held to break the Democratic filibuster of her nomination. She is expected to be confirmed today despite widespread controversy over placing someone on the highest court so close to the election. Pope Francis endorses same-sex civil unions In the premiere of a documentary on Wednesday, Pope Francis endorsed civil unions between same-sex couples, a clear break from his predecessors and members of the Roman Catholic Church. His remarks have the potential to lay out a pathway for the recognition of gay people by the Church and shift worldwide debate regarding gay rights. Despite Pope Francis’ revolutionary remarks, the Church does not have plans to change its standing on marriage and sexuality. — Jilly Rolnick
ARTS / page 5
Tufts organizes flu clinics with CVS Pharmacy by Madeleine Aitken Deputy News Editor
Tufts is holding various flu clinics in conjunction with CVS Pharmacy between Oct. 25 and Nov. 14 in the Gantcher Center, in an effort to meet increased vaccination demands. In past years, Health Service has offered flu shots to students and community members through its facilities. This year, however, administrators at Health Service were concerned about social distancing measures while students waited in line for the vaccine. “We needed to enlist an outside flu clinic provider to handle the increased volume and frequency,” Michelle Bowdler wrote in an email to the Daily. Bowdler, who is the executive director of health and wellness services at Tufts, said students can alternatively get vaccinated with their primary care provider or at any local pharmacy. The organization of these clinics comes after an August state mandate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that requires all university students in the state to get vaccinated for the flu.
“It’s very important that students comply with the requirement, especially because we don’t yet fully understand the health outcome of contracting COVID-19 and flu simultaneously,” Medical Director of Health Service Marie Caggiano wrote in an email to the Daily. Caggiano said Health Service is also encouraging remote-only students to be vaccinated so that they will protect themselves and those around them. All students who returned to campus this fall must get vaccinated and provide documentation by Nov. 19, unless they have a specifically approved medical or religious exemption. “Students who are out of compliance with the requirement risk not being able to be on campus for the Spring semester,” Caggiano said. The clinic requires reservations to ensure adequate social distancing, and 6,000 appointments are available, according to Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts. CVS is helping with the organization and execution of the clinic.
OPINION / page 7
‘Ecologies of Acknowledge- Prioritize student wellness ment’ stresses importance and manageable workloads, of recognition, respect for computer science occupied lands department
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, October 26, 2020
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continued from page 1 “A committee considered various options and chose CVS because of experience that committee members have had with the company conducting past student flu clinics on other Tufts campuses,” Collins wrote in an email to the Daily. Jenna Pollock, who is a pharmacy manager at CVS, was involved in the organization of the clinic and will be helping administer the flu shots at Tufts. She said that CVS is in the process of organizing many clinics like the one that will be held at Tufts. “CVS Health also works with a number of organizations, including school districts, college campuses, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, to offer immunizations via off-site clinics like these,” Pollock said. Collins expressed the importance of keeping up the momentum of doing well with the pandemic, and hopes it continues through flu season. “President Monaco has commended students for their commitment to taking care of themselves, each other, and
NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY
CVS Pharmacy in Davis Square is pictured on Oct. 25. the members of our immediate and extended communities,” Collins said. “As we enter the flu season, we encourage every member of our community to do all they can to continue to minimize the potential spread of infection in our community. Getting the flu shot is an important step, as is continued observance of guidelines on
mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing.” Pollock explained why yearly flu shots are essential. “It’s important to get the flu shot every year because the body’s immunity response to the vaccine declines over time. Flu viruses can alter from year to year, so receiving a new vaccine formulation is required to
provide optimal protection,” Pollock said. She expanded on the importance of getting vaccinated this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage. “We want to avoid adding any undue strain on our hospitals and emergency response workers and do what we can to avoid a ‘twindemic,’” Pollock said.
Abolish Greek Life members express caution against formation of new women’s clubs, local chapters GREEK
continued from page 1 She expressed that Alpha Phi has worked to maintain a larger focus on diversity and inclusion, and added a diversity and inclusion chair to its structure. She said it also prioritized scholarship and disbursed over $1,000 to members who needed assistance in paying their dues. The disaffiliation means that Alpha Phi will change its name to The Ivy and undergo several internal changes. “The Ivy is a symbol of connectedness and linkage,” St. John said. “We’re writing a new constitution … also including a lot of bylaws to make these changes.” Su McGlone, director of fraternity and sorority life, explained the implications of Alpha Phi splitting from its national organization. “They’ll be able to set up support structures as well as financial and membership policies that align with their current values, that will be able to adapt to change quickly, should they need to in the future,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. However, she also indicated some risks that result from breaking ties with the national chapter. “They have less overall support, and they are starting from scratch so there may be some hoops to jump through that we can’t currently anticipate,” McGlone said. McGlone said the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life will support Alpha Phi in obtaining insurance and registering its new organization
with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She hopes these changes do not point to the end of Greek life at the university. “Like any institutionalized entity, there are a lot of things that are wonderful about fraternity and sorority life, and a lot of things that need to change,” McGlone said. “I don’t think this is necessarily indicative of a movement to end Greek Life at Tufts, at least I hope it isn’t.” Chi Omega, another sorority, is headed down a similar path, but is taking a slightly different route. The sorority’s leadership decided to allow each member to decide individually. Those who wished to disaffiliate were to drop their membership before Oct. 14. Just over 20 members of the 120 member sorority chose to remain, according to Gabi Osher, the president of Chi Omega. This means that Chi Omega still has enough members to operate as a sorority. Osher said that Chi Omega is considering several different avenues, including becoming a women’s club or local chapter. She noted there is a disaffiliation committee that is continuing to look for alternatives. “It’s really important that if and when Greek life is phased out that there is an alternative,” Osher said. “That’s what this disaffiliation committee is trying to achieve.” Similar to Alpha Phi, Osher said that the movement to disaffiliate was sparked by the national organization’s requirement that members pay full dues
despite the pandemic’s canceling most events. However, because the university is housing students unaffiliated with the sorority in the Chi Omega house this year, the sorority did not have to pay its rent, allowing it to cover all members’ dues. Despite this, the dues request still struck many members as tone-deaf, according to Osher, who personally supported retaining the national affiliation. Dues were not the only source of discontent for members of Chi Omega. Some were upset over the fundamental nature of a sorority. “A lot of people are very upset about the fact that this fundamentally is an organization and system that tends to benefit white women who are financially stable and have the means to pay … and therefore kind of exiled a lot of others without intentionally meaning to,” Osher said. Kappa Alpha Theta, Tufts’ youngest sorority, founded on campus in 2013, will retain its national affiliation. The sorority has faced a large number of drops in the past three months, according to CEO Gwen Mecsas. Mecsas spoke about the national organization’s response to criticisms against Greek life. “Our national organization is really centering issues of systemic oppression, our organization’s history and diversity and inclusion in every single chapter across the country right now,” Mecsas said. “[That was] something that if we were
going to stay a Greek organization on this campus we needed to see it from our national organization.” As was the case in other sororities, Kappa Alpha Theta held discussions about race and inclusion during the summer, including conversations with members of Abolish Greek Life at Tufts. The sorority has also set up alumni funds to assist members with dues and the executive board is reviewing Kappa Alpha Theta’s policies to ensure the organization is welcoming to all students. The leaders of Abolish Greek Life at Tufts indicated tepid support for the sororities’ disaffiliation. “While we would rather see an administration-led university-wide ban of all Greek life organizations, we are happy the chapters are taking their own initiative and think this is a step in the right direction,” they wrote in a statement to the Daily. The leaders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said that they believe Greek life protects and perpetuates privilege on campus and expressed disappointment that Kappa Alpha Theta is not taking similar steps to Chi Omega and Alpha Phi. The Abolish Greek Life members cautioned against the formation of new women’s clubs and local chapters. “We are wary of replacing the current system of Greek life with social organizations or social spaces that will have many of the same features of Greek life under a new name,” they said.
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Dorm recipes: How to make overnight oats
BY AIDAN CHANG by Aisha Catena
Contributing Writer
Difficulties with the dining system are all a result of the present restrictions under which staff and students have to live, but that does not mean people living on campus without a kitchen have to relinquish their desire for delicious food. There are many things one could cook in the dorms. Therefore, this is the first installment of a series on dorm recipes. This week’s recipe will be on how to make the bougie coffee shop staple, the TikTok trending and the Instagram-worthy overnight oats. Sophomore Evelyn Abramowitz has been making overnight oats in her dorm room at Harleston Hall since the start of the school year. In case you are wondering what exactly these renowned oats are, Abramowitz described them as “cold and mushier” than regular oatmeal. Although she acknowledged with a laugh that her description sounds somewhat unappealing, she told me about the first time she tried them on a trip to Amsterdam, and that they were so good she started making them at home. Abramowitz had not made overnight oats at Tufts until this semester. “I had a banana that was going bad and I realized, ‘ooh, I can make overnight oats with this,’” Abramowitz said, adding, “Stop food waste!” The oats are an incredibly versatile recipe that can adapt
to whatever you have in your fridge and will last a couple days after preparation. Abramowitz described the recipe as “ridiculously easy,” and she constantly alters it depending on what ingredients she has and what taste she is in the mood for. I asked her if she had any tips for newcomers in the oat world on some alternatives she would recommend for the recipe, and she shared that there are “endless choices.” Abramowitz said one can make them with “literally whatever they want,” including greek yogurt, plant-based or dairy milk, banana, chocolate, berries or chopped-up apple. “You just need oats, some sort of liquid and a sweetener,” Abramowitz said. Abramowitz described her experience eating on campus this year as “interesting.” This is because she has had to put a lot of effort into planning her meals ahead of time so that she can get them on the right schedule. “I think the quality [of the food] has been pretty good,” she said. “I just obviously miss sitting in the dining hall.” Abramowitz is grateful for the dining staff and thinks that Tufts has dealt with food catering quite well, but she finds it stressful to have to constantly think about what, when and where she will eat. Therefore, recipes like her overnight oats have helped her daily schedule. Overnight oats are not simply Abramowitz’s dorm room treat; over the last couple of years they
have become a cultural trend among Generation Z brunch-goers. From 2016–17 there was a 51.4% increase in social media activity related to overnight oats, with413,200 Instagram posts about the food. During quarantine, there has seemed to be a resurgence of oats’ popularity in the TikTok world. Abramowitz thinks this can be attributed to the “homey” and “warming” qualities of the meal and how one “can make it look very aesthetic.” The popularity of this recipe has not only increased due to visual reasons — the trend is related to another cultural phenomenon during quarantine: the increase of indoor exercising and healthy cooking. The recipe has been branded as a healthy alternative to sweet and comforting breakfast items due to its versatility in ingredients that allow it to be low in calories but high in nutrients. Rolled oats, a key ingredient in overnight oats, have a healthy balance in nutritional composition. The oats are high in a fiber called beta glucan that is linked to lowering cholesterol levels and helps combat a variety of diseases, including diabetes. Other nutrients in the oats include protein, iron and magnesium. The reason why overnight oats are appealing for a healthy diet is that soaking the oats overnight makes them more digestible by breaking down starches. As Abramowitz would say, the endless options of toppings you could put on the oats allows the
dorm-chef to decide what exactly they desire from the recipe: getting their morning fruit or having some sweet chocolate chips to get them up and at it. Abramowitz generously gave me a taste of the overnight oats she had prepped the night before. To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of oats — unless covered in sugar and submerged in warm milk, of course. But Abramowitz’s overnight oats were better than I expected: the creamy texture of the banana was not too gooey or potent; the bitterness and hard texture of the chocolate balanced out the mushiness of the oats (not my favorite); the blueberries she sprinkled on top were refreshing and comforting. Overall, if I were into the taste of oats and was accustomed to eating breakfast, I would definitely try out this recipe. For those of us who find pleasure in cooking and eating, it is necessary to remind ourselves that there are still some things we can achieve in our rooms with the help of our microfridge and common room kitchens. This sentiment is especially prevalent as the seasons change, winter begins to creep upon us and we start spending more time inside. Now, imagine yourself waking up on a snowy morning and knowing you only have 30 minutes to get to class: Is there a bowl of overnight oats somewhere in your imaginary future? Then check out the recipe below.
Evelyn’s overnight oats recipe for one: Ingredients: For the oats: 1 overripe banana, rolled oats, oat milk creamer, small chocolate chunks, honey. Toppings: blueberries, chia seeds. How to: Add a cup of oats into any container of your choice, leaving space for liquids and oat expansion. Mash a banana and mix it with the oats. Add the oat milk creamer so that the oats are fully submerged and the liquid rises up over them. ( There will be more liquid than your final product will have as the oats will soak it up overnight. You can always add more liquid as time passes and the oats begin to absorb it.) Mix the ingredients. Sprinkle in the chocolate chunks and continue mixing. Drizzle in honey for added sweetness. Cover the container and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add blueberries and chia seeds before eating. Keep in mind most of these ingredients can be substituted for anything of your choice. The only essential ingredients are the rolled oats and a milk product of your choice. Here are some replacement options for oat milk creamer: dairy milk, almond milk, greek yogurt. Toppings: fruit, granola, chia seeds, chocolate, peanut butter.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Monday, October 26, 2020
Lena Leavitt Little Bit of History Repeating
Gravestone depictions
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passage toward damnation or redemption would be), was refreshing for the spirit. Then, as Puritanism relaxed over the 18th century, “soul effigies” began popping up. These winged fleshy faces (no less creepy) displayed distinct hair, clothing and slightly smiling eyes and mouths. Childlike winged cherubs began to emerge, providing comforting security among death’s heads’ cold uncertainty. By the 19th century, the hot new iconographical image on America’s cemetery scene was the urn and weeping willow. Postrevolutionary culture and attitudes no longer reflected Orthodox Puritanism’s steely obsession with the afterlife. American citizens looked toward ancient Rome and Greece for architecture and imagery. The willow, an ancient symbol for mourning, drooped over the imperial Roman urn which carried ashes, encouraging family members to commemorate the life of the deceased. Instead of “Here
lyes … ,” the gravestones read, “In memory of …,” taking on a more personal tone. All caution of graven images was thrown to the winds: Cemeteries boasted a range of unique carvings such as lambs, wheat, clasped hands for married couples and statues of angelic women, as 19th-century well-to-dos embraced neoclassicism, individuality and ornate design. I am glad that in America, celebrating the world and life of a person has replaced Puritans’ constant looking up for heaven. At its worst, fear of the devil led to their committing paranoid and abhorrent acts in the name of God (Salem witch trials, anyone?). Still, while I don’t believe in infinite fiery torment or blissful paradise, I find death’s heads, with their old reminders of life’s end, timelessly chilling. Lena Leavitt is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Lena can be reached at arlene.leavitt@tufts.edu.
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trolling along any old New England cemetery (as one does), you’ll most likely find gravestones with winged skulls curling across their crests. I remember staring at these “death’s heads” for too long during elementary school field trips to Boston’s Granary Burying Ground: their hollow eyes and teeth in a row, wings unfurled in cracked yet perfect symmetry. There’s a stark blankness to their gaze, a tiredness in the curved shape where their noses would be. The death’s heads arose in the 1670s and floated almost exclusively over colonials’ graves for over a century, nearly until the American Revolution. Some scholars
have speculated that death’s heads were meant to represent the soul departing from the body after death, an eerie contrast of physical decay and spiritual awakening. However, early European and American carvings suggest that they were more likely a simple reminder of mortality. Cold winters, starvation and disease made death common among colonials. According to Cotton Mather, a prominent Puritan minister, “That Man is like to die comfortably who is every Day minding himself, that he is to die shortly. Let us look upon every thing as a sort of ‘Death’s Head’ set before us, with a ‘Memento mortis’ written upon it.” Mather didn’t mean that one should be constantly terrified of death. Death’s heads invited Puritans to consider hell’s gruesome horrors and instead hope for heaven. Fear of hell made heaven sweeter; contemplating death, the awe-inspiring transition from the temporal to the eternal (however unpredictable the forked
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Monday, October 26, 2020
‘Ecologies of Acknowledgment’ calls for recognition of occupied land
Maeve Hagerty Maeve’s Music Mondays
Behind the stigmas and supergroups of K-pop
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VIA SARAH KANOUSE AND NICHOLAS BROWN
From “Ecologies of Acknowledgment” by Camille Shimshak Contributing Writer
This fall, the Tufts University Art Galleries (TUAG) is showing “Ecologies of Acknowledgment,” a collaborative project between writer and interdisciplinary artist Sarah Kanouse and researcher and writer Nicholas Brown. The exhibition, which opened on Sept. 8, 2020, and will remain until March 2021, features a video installation and a framed letterpress print that consider the process of writing an impactful and lasting land acknowledgment. The video installation features the voices of three Indigenous women of the Nipmuc, Massachusett and Natick Nipmuc tribes, who have chosen to remain anonymous to “highlight the collective experience of their peoples.” Their voices are overlaid with clips of the natural environment alongside clips of the Western development of the land as they recount the story of historical land use of Deer Island in Boston Harbor and discuss the concept of land acknowledgment. Land acknowledgments are verbal or written statements that recognize Indigenous peoples as a certain land’s original inhabitants. Deer Island, which now holds a plant that processes water waste, was once the site of the internment of hundreds of Indigenous people. Hundreds of members of the praying towns Natick and Ponkapoag were transported to Deer
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Island, incarcerated and forced to live in conditions similar to those of a concentration camp, according to “Ecologies of Acknowledgment.” The narrators discuss the lasting effects of captivity, forced removal, displacement and land privatization on Indigenous people. Generations live under the weight of a history of loss and displacement and thus face tremendous difficulties both individually and as members of their communities. The effects of historical trauma can be seen in the widespread violence, poverty, homelessness and poor health plaguing Indigenous people today. “Ecologies of Acknowledgement” urges its audience to go beyond merely acknowledging and instead accept the relationships and responsibilities that come with living on occupied land. One of the narrators describes a “true land acknowledgment” as “working with the people of that land and asking them what that means for them, for that place,” a process that is symbolized by the exhibition’s heavily annotated letterpress print of a land acknowledgment. “Ecologies of Acknowledgement” requires us to understand that by living on occupied land, we are benefiting daily from the displacement, removal and murdering of Indigenous people. The conversation surrounding the acknowledgment and appreciation of Native American land and Indigenous communities is gaining national atten-
tion. More and more states and cities are officially renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, and many institutions are releasing formal land acknowledgments. As a university campus located on Wôpanâak and Massachusett territory, Tufts students must expose themselves to Indigenous voices and think deeply about their own relationships with the land they occupy. “Ecologies of Acknowledgement” provides the opportunity to learn the “forgotten history” of Deer Island, which is only a 30-minute drive from Tufts’ campus, and highlights voices belonging to one of the tribes whose land the university occupies. In the video, the narrator belonging to the Nipmuc tribe reflects on how its name means “freshwater people,” an example of how closely tied Native American peoples are to the land they inhabit. Ecologies, the relationships organisms form with each other and their environments, are especially relevant to the experience of Indigenous peoples. Their identities are intrinsically bound to the land they inhabited for centuries before colonizers arrived in the Americas. Acknowledging this experience and understanding the Western role within it is crucial to building a better future for Native American people. One woman in “Ecologies of Acknowledgement” echoes this point. “We’ve been here for thousands of years, we’re still here and we will remain here.”
TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER
y brief stint as a K-pop fan was often characterized by an overwhelming sense of awkwardness. I was always ashamed to admit that I listened to K-pop because I felt that people would draw assumptions based on the popular “Koreaboo” trope, which is normally defined as a non-South Korean person wholly obsessed with South Korean TV dramas, K-pop and culture, when in reality my love for K-pop was mainly fueled by my decision to study Korean and my general love for good music. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve overcome those early insecurities and embraced the versatile, often stunning, style of K-pop. Characterized by both solo artists and massive supergroups (i.e., the group NCT, which has 23 members), K-pop has lots to offer. So, let’s explore the best K-pop songs and artists for every mood, and I will warn those of you unfamiliar with K-pop in advance: It is very addictive. While I was a fan of the seven-member boy group BTS (I know, that is basic of me as they are one of the most successful groups of all time), I still branched out to a lot more. I started with the BTS song “Dimple” (2017), which was the first K-pop song I ever listened to and loved, and for me it is extremely nostalgic, while “2! 3!” (2016) is another BTS song for the lying-in-bed-scrollingthrough-old-photos type of feeling. For relaxation I would recommend the BTS song “Singularity” (2018), sung by group member V, and its accompanying music video, “instagram” (2017) by solo artist DEAN. I’d also recommend “Bad Boy” (2018) by the girl group Red Velvet, and “Glue” (2018) from the lesser-known R&B/hip-hop group PLT. For dancing music, I have too many recommendations to articulate. From one of the pioneers of modern K-pop, the four-member boy group BIGBANG, the song “BANG BANG BANG” (2015) is my go-to for jumping around my room with friends. The four-member girl group 2NE1’s song “I Am The Best” (2011) is a pump-up song like no other. Similarly, “Gucci” (2017) by Jessi, 2NE1 member CL’s “Hello Bitches” (2015) and BTS’ “Burning Up (Fire)” (2016) are all perfect for dancing. But, to me the true female powerhouse of K-pop dance music is BLACKPINK. With four members and a unique style of branding beyond the cute characteristics of many K-pop girl groups, BLACKPINK is probably one of my favorite K-pop groups. The BLACKPINK songs “BOOMBAYAH” (2016), “As If It’s Your Last” (2019) and “DDU-DU DDU-DU” (2018) are more than just dance music: They push at female roles in K-pop and strengthen women’s voices in the genre. K-pop is a package deal: catchy and meaningful songs, complicated dance-moves, impressive music videos and an extremely dedicated and welcoming fanbase. It’s easy to be drawn in, and even easier to stay. I will always love K-pop even as I’ve drifted away from newer music, simply because I have such good memories of going to concerts, screaming repetitive lyrics with friends and binge-listening to the newest albums. I hope you can give it a try, too. So, until next week, happy listening! Maeve Hagerty is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Maeve can be reached at maeve.hagerty@tufts.edu.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Monday, October 26, 2020
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Opinion EDITORIAL
The computer science department should provide immediate solutions to overwhelming workloads While a long-standing issue, students have recently expressed concerns about the overwhelming workload required in computer science courses. In response to these concerns, the Department of Computer Science implemented a task force to review the department’s curriculum over the course of this academic year and computer science professors have provided flexibility with course requirements. While these efforts are commendable, they are insufficient to promptly remediate student stress levels caused by overwhelming amounts of work in computer science classes. In addition to a long-term examination of the computer science curriculum, we recommend that the task force initiate an immediate review of issues caused by the pandemic and continue to work with professors to alleviate student stress. Except for revamping Intro to Computer Science (COMP 11) in 2019, the Department of Computer Science has not made significant updates to its curriculum in years, necessitating a long-overdue restructuring of curricula. Furthermore, universities across the country are struggling to find ways to attract and maintain a diverse student body in computer science. Radical changes within the department are necessary and will take time; we commend
the task force for its long-term review of the curriculum. In addition to the task force, some professors responded to student complaints by making changes to course requirements. For example, Mark Sheldon, a professor of computer science, has reduced coursework and hired more teaching assistants to reduce wait times in office hours. These efforts should be recognized as they represent a viable short-term solution to a larger, structural problem within the computer science department. Despite these short-term strides, students taking computer science classes remain overwhelmed by coursework; some students reported that they spend more than 15 hours a week on homework. While computer science classes are notoriously rigorous, the pandemic exacerbates course difficulty and increases student workload, as many students cannot easily collaborate with others or access in-person instruction. As a result, students may sacrifice time spent completing work for other classes to keep up with computer science, compounding stress levels already caused by learning during a pandemic. While the task force aims to address these concerns in its review, putting students through another semester of inordi-
nate amounts of work and stress in computer science classes is unacceptable. In addition to a long-term, structural review of computer science curricula, the task force should also conduct a more immediate, semester-long investigation of the pandemic’s effects on computer science workload. To start, the task force should use the findings of recent midsemester surveys sent out to computer science classes to make short-term modifications of class requirements according to students’ needs. By the end of the semester, the task force must make concrete recommendations to the department about how to limit workload and better support struggling students during the pandemic. In the meantime, computer science professors who haven’t already should follow Professor Sheldon’s lead in making immediate, tangible changes to their classes’ workloads, such as giving more time to complete assignments and extending office hours. In the long term, it is important for the Department of Computer Science to dynamically adapt to the evolving demands of the academic world. In its year-long review, the department should look into more permanent solutions, directing its efforts with the guidance of student feedback.
7 Monday, October 26, 2020
Matt Rice The Countdown
The most dangerous 78 days
There are 78 days between the election on Nov. 3 and the inauguration on Jan. 20. With Republicans challenging the validity of mail-in voting, the likely confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett and the looming threat of militia violence, this could be one of the most strenuous periods of political unrest in the last century. Due to the pandemic, there has been a drastic increase in mail-in voting this election season. With eight days to go before the election, at least 58 million Americans have already voted, an estimated 42% of the total votes cast four years ago. In spite of this high early voter turnout, Republicans have cynically committed themselves to invalidating mail-in votes out of a fear of losing power. In some states, mail-in votes cannot be counted if the voter’s signature does not match an on-file signature from that same voter. Former Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus claimed the Republican apparatus could potentially dedicate part of those 78 days between Election Day and the inauguration to challenging signature matching. In states with close margins like Pennsylvania or Wisconsin, these challenges could lead to Trump being awarded a state’s electors, which in aggregate could potentially put him over the 270 Electoral College vote threshold. Another challenge in this period could come in the Supreme Court. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a stay to halt the Florida recount so that they could review ballot-counting standards. Ultimately, after hearing arguments from both the Bush and Gore campaigns, five Supreme Court justices held that the Florida recount must end, thus handing the presidency to Bush. Leading up to this election, Trump has claimed that he needs Barrett on the Supreme Court so that she can rule on any electoral disputes. Considering his rabid need for loyalty and disrespect for legal precedents, it’s clear Trump is pushing her through the Senate as a possible method of retaining power. So, don’t be surprised if the Supreme Court rules on electoral or ballot standards that could allow Trump to stay in power. The creeping fascism of white nationalist militias throughout our country could lead to voter intimidation or even violence in the streets. Earlier this month, law enforcement arrested 13 men for plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan — who has often publicly clashed with the president — and instigate a civil war in the state. In an interview with Alex Wagner for Showtime’s “The Circus,” one member of a Trump-supporting Georgia militia said “If I feel I need to go overturn a fraudulent election, then nobody on Earth is going to hold me back.” Let’s assume the polls are correct and Biden will be elected president next week. But even if he wins a massive electoral college victory with 350, even 400 votes, his challenges will begin long before he officially takes office. Matt Rice is a senior studying political science. Matt can be reached at matthew. rice@tufts.edu.
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8 Monday, October 26, 2020
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer: A fairytale rivalry
COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are pictured before the start of the 2008 Wimbledon final. by Pranav Jain Sports Editor
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: rivals on the court, friends off the court. The world has seen nearly 17 years of pure domination by these two tennis stars. But how did this rivalry begin? Let’s dive into the greatest rivalry the world of sports has ever seen. Their first meeting at the Miami Masters in 2004 was particularly special. Although Federer was No. 1 in the world at the time, Nadal was a budding talent who ranked outside the top 30. Nadal created a major upset by demolishing Federer 6–3, 6–3 in the third round. It was the first time the tennis circuit had seen a player add so much spin and power to a shot, a combination to which Federer had no answer.
Alex Sharp Sharp from the Sofa
An ode to Ryan Fitzpatrick
T
he headline was enough to make a grown man cry: “Fitzpatrick’s heart was broken after benching.” Ryan Fitzpatrick, the 37-year-old journeyman quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, lost his job this week. “My heart just hurt all day. It was heartbreaking for me,” Fitzpatrick said in a brutally honest press conference. “I’ve been a starter, I’ve been benched all kinds of different ways, but this one just really more so than any of them … I just felt fully committed and invested and felt like it was my team.”
One year later, they met at the finals of the same tournament, but this time with a different result. Federer learned from his mistakes and defeated Nadal in an epic five-set thriller, winning 2–6, 6–7 (4), 7–6 (5), 6–3, 6–1. “I’m happy with my game but not with the final result,” Nadal said at the time. “I think my game was good from start to finish. In the fifth set, once I lost my serve, I lost the match.” It was a match in which Federer had come back from two sets behind to win. A sense of rivalry between the two had already started brewing, and Nadal was hungry for victory. Just a few months later, Nadal got his revenge with a four-set victory over Federer at the French Open. Clay was always Nadal’s favorite surface, and his style of play has always been suited best for the slow, clay courts of
Paris. That 2005 French Open was hence a very important tournament for Nadal, marking his first Grand Slam victory and his first win over Federer at a Grand Slam. In subsequent years, Federer was still dominant on the grass. With consecutive victories over Nadal at the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals, Nadal had no answer to Federer’s attacking game which suited him better on the Wimbledon lawns. The 2008 Wimbledon finals, arguably the greatest tennis match ever played, marked the change of guard in men’s tennis, with Federer finally getting dethroned on his favorite surface and Nadal becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win Wimbledon and the French Open back to back. “Epic ending,” Federer said at the post-match conference. “We
didn’t have the night coming in or the rain delay. The only similarity I see is I was the loser both times.” The five-set thriller, which resulted in a 6–4, 6–4, 6–7 (5), 6–7 (8), 9–7 victory for Nadal, was a memorable match for the tennis greats. Since then, there has been a constant back and forth between the two, with Federer leading the way in grass and Nadal dominating the Paris clay courts. Both of them have suffered numerous injuries and have come back from that in ways nobody had imagined possible. The 2017 Australian Open final, another five-set thriller, was a true testament to that. With both Nadal and Federer making comebacks from injuries, nobody had expected a lot from them at that tournament. Proving everyone wrong, the
two greats defeated the best players in the world to compete against each other in a fairytale final, which Federer eventually won. “It’s the combination of two different styles that makes the matches really special,” Nadal said after the final. “Both of us have a different way to play tennis [and have] a lot of good success with these two different styles. I feel that this rivalry goes not only in the tennis world. People from outside of our world talk about it and that’s good for our sport.” The two have played each other 40 times, with the Spanish star leading the rivalry 24–16. These two legends have always had a healthy respect for each other, and it’s been a privilege to watch two great athletes compete against each other.
If you’re a NFL fan, there is a decent chance Fitzpatrick has started a game for your favorite team. In his 16-year career, Fitzpatrick has played for eight teams: the Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dolphins. Everything about Fitzpatrick’s football career has been unorthodox. He played his college ball a couple of miles down the road from Tufts at Harvard University. While in college, Fitzpatrick interned with the Boston Celtics and picked up prescriptions for the legendary coach Red Auerbach. Fitzpatrick led the Crimson to an Ivy League championship his senior season, throwing for 1,986 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. These are not exactly impressive numbers for a NFL prospect (last year’s No. 1 draft
pick Joe Burrow threw for over 5,500 yards and passed for 60 touchdowns his senior year). Coming into the league, Fitzpatrick separated himself from his peers on paper. Literally. The Wonderlic is a cognitive ability and problem-solving test that NFL teams have long administered to college prospects at the draft combine. It’s essentially the SAT for NFL players. The test is 12 minutes long and has 50 questions, with players receiving one point for each correct answer. The average player score is around 20 out of 50 but quarterbacks tend to perform better. Star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (24/50), Peyton Manning (28/50), Tom Brady (33/50) and Aaron Rodgers (35/50) are all considered to have done reasonably well on the test. Ryan Fitzpatrick reportedly completed the test in just nine minutes, left a question blank and got a 48/50. It is the
third-best score in NFL history, behind only punter Pat McInally (50/50) and defensive end Mike Mamula (49/50). Fitzpatrick’s career has been full of whirlwind games and incomprehensible box scores that make you rub your eyes and wonder if you need glasses. After former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was suspended to start the 2018 season, Fitzpatrick stepped in and threw for more than 400 yards in each of the Buccaneers’ first three games. The three-game run, which included 11 touchdown passes, resulted in the rebirth of the nickname “Fitzmagic,” which he originally earned while on the Buffalo Bills. In 2014, Fitzpatrick, playing for the Texans, threw for 358 yards and a career-high six touchdowns against the Titans. Two seasons later, Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions for the Jets in
a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, tied for the most by any quarterback since 2001. This year in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fitzpatrick became the first player since the great Walter Peyton to finish a game with two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, 20 rushing yards and a reception. Forrest Gump might say Fitzpatrick is like a box of chocolates because, well, you know how that one goes. With his benching in favor of rookie phenom Tua Tagavailoa, Fitzpatrick will once again be roaming the sidelines as a backup. But I have a feeling we’ll see him back on the field slinging the ball again soon. One thing is for sure: The NFL is better because Fitzpatrick, and his beard, is in it. Alex Sharp is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Alex can be reached at alex. sharp@tufts.edu.