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Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Tufts to allow practice of singing, wind instruments in The Mods by Sarah Sandlow News Editor
University officials sent an email on Oct. 13 to all students studying music informing them about a new policy that would allow for singing and wind and brass instrument practice in two of The Mods on the Medford/ Somerville campus. This is a revision of a previous policy, which detailed that no singing or wind and brass instrument playing is allowed on or off campus this fall. According to the email, Mods E and F are the only spaces on campus where singing or playing wind or brass instruments is allowed for students pursuing music degrees. The identified Mods have approximately 40 separate rooms that one person can practice in once a day. The rooms need to be requested and scheduled in advance and are professionally cleaned at the end of each day, according to the email. James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, explained that the original policy was implemented because sing-
ing or playing the instruments creates aerosols that may lead to the spread of COVID-19 if the person singing or playing is infected. “When the university’s health policy makers created our COVID-19 prevention protocols, it was determined that singing [and] wind or brass instrument playing could not be safely allowed on campus,” Glaser wrote in an email to the Daily. “Because we had a commitment to our host towns to apply the same health policies to students living off-campus as to students living on-campus, the singing [and] playing moratorium was applied to all students.” Glaser added that students will also be isolated from others while practicing in The Mods. Currently, the only students approved to use The Mods as practice rooms are music majors, minors and graduate students, according to Richard Jankowsky, chair of the Department of Music. “The pursuit of their chosen academic degree is potentially impacted by the restrictions on their musical activities,” Jankowsky wrote in an email to the Daily. “When conditions
NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY
The Mods are pictured on Oct. 25. permit, it is hoped that the list of approved users can be expanded to include other campus musicians.” Clara Scheutz, who is hoping to minor in music and is studying vocal performance, said she would like to take advantage of
this new policy even though she has not yet declared her minor. “Not only music majors and minors like to sing or play their wind instruments,” Scheutz, a first-year, said. “For a lot of people I think music is a huge outlet … it’s unfortunate that [the
university is] limiting the accessibility for that but obviously I understand their need to.” Glaser spoke to the university’s decision-making process and how the policy may change if see SINGING, page 2
TCU Senate discusses general election, CIRCLE partners with Thanksgiving break Snapchat to promote youth voter engagement by Jack Hirsch
Contributing writer
EMMA BOERSMA / THE TUFTS DAILY
President’s Lawn is pictured on Oct. 18. by Alexander Janoff News Editor
The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate discussed the U.S. presidential election in an online meeting on Sunday night and heard updates from the TCU Senate Executive Board and the various committee chairs. TCU President Sarah Wiener described the ways in which
Senate and university administrators can serve as a resource for students after the presidential election on Nov. 3. “I’ve been hearing a lot from professors asking for feedback about how their classrooms could function like holding spaces for a lot of difficult emotions that I think people are feeling now,” Wiener, a senior, said. “And I expect some healing after the
election, no matter what the outcome is.” TCU Vice President Grant Gebetsberger remarked that the reason the election is under discussion is because the university is aiming to effectively respond to students’ reactions to its outcome. “A part of the intention of bringing this here was just that see ELECTION, page 2
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) recently partnered with Snapchat to provide research and analysis on youth voter engagement for Snapchat’s initiative to prompt users to register to vote. Snapchat sees itself in a unique position to make a positive impact on youth voting, according to Sofia Gross, public policy manager at Snap Inc. “Snap reaches more 13–24-year-olds in the US, more than Facebook, Instagram and Messenger combined — a majority of which are voting age,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. Snapchat is attempting to reach these younger voters, who make up a large segment of their user base, to emphasize to them the power of their votes. They will use CIRCLE’s research on young voters to accomplish this goal. “We partnered with experts like CIRCLE to better understand [Generation Z’s] political power and how we could help
SPORTS / back
FEATURES / page 3
Arts / page 4
Brown brings team spirit to women’s soccer
Graduate schools see increase in applications amidst recession
Glamorous Seoul fashion week innovates for general audience
them to show up and vote,” Gross said. Snapchat produced a white paper called “Don’t Scroll Past Gen Z” about the rising political power of young voters. They used CIRCLE’s data, including polls on young adults ages 18–29 that contain insights on their involvement in activism and their role in the democratic process. Matthew Tolbert, former student co-chair of JumboVote, emphasized the importance of CIRCLE’s work and spoke to its reputation for being an expert on voting and civic engagement. “They are a valuable resource to us, as well as to anyone who does this kind of work … CIRCLE’s data is really unparalleled,” Tolbert, a senior who helps run JumboVote’s Democracy Reps program, said. According to Gross, Snapchat has helped over 1.2 million users register to vote in 2020 in conjunction with TurboVote. This initiative includes resources for young people. see CIRCLE, page 2 NEWS
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
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Only music majors, minors, graduate students allowed to use Mods SINGING
continued from page 1 there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases on campus. “We recognized that banning singing and wind instrument playing placed students pursuing a degree in music at a disadvantage, and we have been working hard to find a solution,” Glaser said. “However, it’s important to note that if at any point the need arises to use the units for isolation and/or quarantine purposes, their use as practice spaces would come to an end.” Jamie Kirsch, lecturer of music and director of choral activities,
said that although the original policy meant the department had to consider other ways of conducting class, he has been able to conduct music theory instruction and begin working on repertoire. Kirsch expressed gratitude for the music community at Tufts and spoke to his hopes for the future. “I feel very lucky to have such supportive colleagues and thoughtful, talented students,” Kirsch wrote in an email to the Daily. “We are all looking forward to a time when we can sing together again.”
Jankowsky added that classes in the department have adapted in a variety of ways to the policy. “As a result of all these adaptations, we were able to offer over 95% of our fall curriculum (and with very strong enrollments) — a testament to the creativity of our faculty and the flexibility of our students,” Jankowksy said. Scheutz mentioned that in her music theory class, the students are allowed to hum scales, with the condition that they must wear masks. She expressed excitement at the opportunity to sing in The Mods.
“For me, at least, singing is … a hobby and I think it’s just a way for me to destress and take time off of my other academic courses so when that opportunity came up I thought … I would definitely do that,” Scheutz said. Jankowsky praised how the Tufts community has come together during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We in the Department of Music are exceedingly grateful to the entire campus community for the strong sense of responsibility and care for each other it has exhibited during these challenging times,” Jankowsky said.
ECOM planning to fill vacancies through election that may include Tufts SJP's referendum ELECTION
continued from page 1 we get asked a lot by administrators of just knowing the way that campus felt after 2016, and they were really blindsided and not prepared for the outcome and for the implications that [the outcome] had for the morale of the student body,” Gebetsberger, a senior, said. Gebetsberger described the impact of the 2016 presidential election on university operations. “It was like a shock,” Gebetsberger said. “A lot of classes were canceled, [and] a lot of people didn’t show up to the classes that they had the next day that were not canceled. A lot of professors didn’t want to teach.” Wiener also provided an update from the Tufts Elections Commission (ECOM). She announced that ECOM plans to fill the remaining empty seats on Senate in an election that may also include the proposed Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine referendum titled “End the Deadly Exchange.” According to Education Committee Chair Iyra Chandra,
the Education Committee is developing a survey regarding study accommodations during COVID-19. During the meeting, Avani Kabra, chair of the Services Committee, said the Services Committee is currently working on a number of projects, including the option of using reusable lunch boxes at the dining halls instead of brown paper bags, in an effort to reduce waste, and introducing name pronunciations on Tufts’ Student Information System. The committee is also working to distribute menstrual products in campus bathrooms. Valerie Infante, a member of the Allocations Board, spoke on behalf of Ibrahim AlMuasher, chair of the Administration & Policy Committee. She discussed the committee’s partnership with Services on the project to provide alternatives to paper bags at dining halls. “In the dining app, we [could] add an option to not [receive] the brown paper bags and bring our own reusable bags,” Infante, a sophomore, said.
Infante later announced that the Administration & Policy Committee is working with the university to allow musicians who sing or play wind and brass instruments greater flexibility in study spaces. Music students are only allowed to practice these instruments or sing in The Mods, according to current policy. TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi said that compared to previous semesters, supplementary funding requests are likely to decrease in volume this semester. Hamidi, a senior, noted that student organizations are reallocating their budgets in a way that allows them to comply with the current COVID-19 restrictions. “This week’s lack of a treasury agenda is also sort of indicative of just how there’s a bit of a slowdown in terms of student [organization] activities and also the fact that a lot of clubs wrote their budgets with the expectation that the COVID restrictions that are currently in place would be different somehow,” Hamidi said. Gebetsberger later announced that he is working to remedy a problem where students are
having difficulty accessing workstudy funding from their financial aid packages. “I sent an email to Patricia Reilly, the head of financial aid, to follow up and see if we could get some answers on the percentage of students who are having this difficulty and to see if there are any remedies being pursued by the office to make sure that students can access the work-study money that they were promised in their packages,” Gebetsberger said. In response to a question on how the university is handling the upcoming Thanksgiving break, Kabra, a sophomore, announced that a Thanksgiving committee is in the process of determining the number of students who will need food services. “They’re trying to partner with local restaurants and things like that to provide food during the few days that we’re off for Thanksgiving, but it’s very difficult because it’s hard to ask one restaurant to all of a sudden [prepare] 1,000 meals on a holiday that they might be closed for,” she said.
CIRCLE, Snapchat encourage civic engagement through vast networks CIRCLE
continued from page 1 “Informed by CIRCLE’s research about habitual voting, we were able to better understand Snap’s role in shaping the habits of future voters and have rolled out resources to reach young people on their 18th birthdays, which is now between 300-500,000 Snapchatters a month,” Gross said. Peter de Guzman, CIRCLE research program coordinator, described the nature of this relationship with Snapchat and how CIRCLE’s research provides a way to understand civic engagement. “[The] partnership is informed by a lot of our research specifically from our past polls and our polling [which] is occurring as well in 2020 … How are young people creating media that they feel represents themselves and the issues they care about, but also how are they receiving that information?” de Guzman said.
Director of CIRCLE Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg acknowledged Snapchat’s ability to reach young voters from a variety of different backgrounds and engage with those who might not fit the mold of a college student at a fouryear institution. “Snapchat in particular … has that broad user base, that includes people that don’t end up going to college, people that live in rural areas, people that are moms or people that are not even 18 yet,” she said. According to Gross, the partnership between CIRCLE and Snapchat formed as a natural extension of the work both organizations were already doing to encourage civic engagement in young people. Kawashima-Ginsberg said that dating back to 2018, CIRCLE’s research found that there is often an information deficit in the voting process. Information on voter registration and how to vote is not always easily accessible, which can pose an obstacle for first-time voters.
ARI NAVETTA / THE TUFTS DAILY
Social media platforms engage users with information on how to vote. “Companies like Snapchat, and even Facebook and Instagram and others, really put a lot of work into translating that information into something that’s right on their feet, right in front of them,” KawashimaGinsberg said. Gross noted that Snapchat plans to work with CIRCLE
in the future to continue to promote a culture of civic engagement. “We want to do everything we can to break down the barriers that have historically kept younger voters from showing up to vote, and empower future generations to speak out and make their voices heard,” she said.
tuftsdaily.com
Features
3 Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Applying to a Tufts graduate school? Here’s what to expect by Kayla Butera
Assistant Features Editor
Applying to schools can be a daunting process, particularly at the graduate level. As with many things COVID-19 has impacted, the application process to graduate schools is evolving under the circumstances. At Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, interviews with applicants are now being done using video, according to Gillian Anzivino, director of admissions. “While we miss seeing candidates in person, most people are now comfortable with video interactions,” she wrote in an email to the Daily. “Some applicants and interviewees have enjoyed the new flexibility.” As part of the dental school application, applicants are now asked to share how they have been impacted by COVID-19. Robert Kasberg, associate dean of admissions and student affairs, has noticed a decrease in some applicants’ volunteer and community service hours due to the pandemic. “Candidates will have to demonstrate their ability to communicate compassionately,” he wrote in an email to the Daily. Since COVID-19 has limited the availability of hands-on experiences, Kasberg detailed how dental school applicants have simulated fine motor skills by not only working in a dental lab, but also through jewelry-making or playing the piano or guitar. “During the pandemic, there might have been more time for applicants to practice some of those micro-motor skills,” he noted. The Tufts University School of Medicine’s interview process has also been altered this year. The school has created a fully remote interview day, which “includes virtual interviews, live and pre-recorded talks for the applicants, a virtual tour, sessions led by current students, and a session for applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM), along with a session for those who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community,” David Neumeyer, dean of admissions at the Tufts University School
Jenny Lu Tuff Talks
Opening up
D
ear J: How do you find a girlfriend/talk to girls if you are truly a nice person but are quiet until you get to know someone well? –Shy Dear Shy: Although I think your question was well intentioned, I would like to warn against the commonly used idea of “talking to girls.” There is no specific way to talk to girls. Girls are just people
ZOE GARDERET / THE TUFTS DAILY
Bendetson Hall is pictured on Oct. 9. of Medicine, wrote in an email to the Daily. One of the questions added to the application is how COVID19 has affected the applicants’ experiences so far. The Medical College Admission Test is also being accepted through the fall as it may have been disrupted earlier in the year. While only some applicants have had a more challenging time finding meaningful work compared to past years, Neumeyer expects more to have difficulty in gaining hands-on experience in the next cycle of applications. “Gaining the experience in medicine is really not meant as much for us as an admissions committee, but rather for you as an applicant, so you can make sure that you are ready and understand as best as you can what it means to be a physician,” Neumeyer said. Anne Moore, program specialist in the Office of Scholar Development, spoke to how being flexible with the changing times is crucial to COVID-19-impacted circumstances. One of her key takeaways is to translate hard skills into experiences that demonstrate a student’s values.
“If you want to go to [medical] school, ultimately what’s that about is helping people. And you know what people need right now, is help. It comes back to how to manifest your values most clearly,” Moore said. “Even though you may not be gaining those skills in the same timeline that you initially anticipate.” In addition to application changes, the medical school’s admissions staff has undergone counseling to adapt to the impact of COVID-19 on students’ applications. “We have trained and will re-train our admissions committee to try to best understand what an applicant has to go through to be ready to apply to medical school,” Neumeyer said. Its admissions staff has also conducted further training on diversity and inclusion in the university’s quest to become an anti-racist institution. One of the trends multiple graduate schools have noticed is an increasing number of applications. Applications to the doctor of dental medicine program at Tufts University School of Dental
Medicine are up 4% from this time last year, and applications to the school’s postgraduate programs are up 27% from this time last year. Aviva Must, dean of public health programs and professional degree programs, saw increased interest in the master’s of public health program, both the on-campus and online formats, which she attributes to the awareness of the importance of public health. “We had an uptick in applicants and in enrolled students, despite our on-campus program being remote,” she said. “As with many things with COVID, many of us have become more extreme versions of ourselves. So if students had any hesitations about whether or not to go to grad school, I think that hesitation has become exacerbated,” Moore said. “I think students who have seen grad school as a key or logical next step are more motivated to go.” According to a 2018 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, during the last recession, enrollment in higher education rose by nearly 3 million. While Moore stresses the importance of having
a clear reason to go to graduate school, she acknowledged that going to graduate school during a bad economy is sometimes viewed as a way to gain credentials and enter the job market when the economy has rebounded. Applying to schools when plans have gone awry can be nerve-wracking, but Moore aims to advise students on adapting to the times, emphasizing that everyone is in the same boat. “With my students, I tell them: Look, you’re stuck, and you’re feeling how am I going to do this, go to grad school, but the rules are changing and they always will,” Moore said. “So look at your feet and look for the opportunities where you are, and try to make the world better in whatever that means to you.” On the graduate counseling side, Moore has been helping students frame their landscape. “I think about the future in three-tosix month blocks of time,” Moore said. The question she poses allows for ebbs and flows: What’s going to make the next season allow for a set of options that look appealing?
and you should talk to them just as you would to new guy friends, which means getting to know their interests and sharing yours. It’s helpful to go into every new interaction with a girl with the goal of just getting to know a friend. This way, there will be no disappointment if it doesn’t lead anywhere romantically since girls don’t owe you a relationship, and you will have gained a new friend. It’s totally okay to be shy! Try to think of other close relationships you have or had in the past and remember how you got there — probably with lots of patience and effort on both ends. If you end up
developing feelings for someone, be honest with them and proud of yourself for opening up. Online dating apps such as Hinge and Bumble could also be a great tool for shy people. You can outline your intentions (to date) in your bio and immediately know that all your matches will have the same intentions. You can also take as long as you want to text and talk with less pressure before you’re ready to meet in person. Good luck! Dear J: How can I open myself up to vulnerability when I’m scared of getting hurt again? –Trust Issues
Dear Trust Issues: There is no timeline for “getting over” past experiences. The only thing you can do is take it step by step. Although it’s unclear if your question is talking about opening up in friendships or romantic relationships, the process is pretty much the same. It’s important to be honest with yourself about how comfortable you are. Push yourself just the right amount to put yourself out there, but draw clear boundaries. Try to go into each new relationship with an open mind about the person because it’s not fair to put your insecuri-
ties and anxieties onto them, but be open about your trust issues and you’ll find most people to be very understanding. Although trust issues suck, remember that you’re now a much smarter and wiser person because of your experiences. You now know which red flags to look for that you missed in the past and you probably have a clearer idea of what or who you don’t want. Jenny Lu is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Jenny can be reached at Jenny.Lu634410@tufts.edu
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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture
tuftsdaily.com
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Seoul Fashion Week stuns on, off the runway
ALEX FINCH / VOGUE
2020 Seoul Fashion Week took place Oct. 20 to Oct. 25. Arts Editor
Running from Tuesday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 25, the 2020 Seoul Fashion Week boasted its usual creativity not only on the runway but with the incredible street style that, as usual, rivals and maybe even outshines the runway looks. Similar to other fashion shows that have persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic, Seoul Fashion Week was held virtually. It featured 45 designers, 35 of whom were veterans to the show and 10 of whom were new and a part of Generation Next. Because of the virtual format, the show locations were sprinkled around Seoul. Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the show has been housed for the past five years, was where the Generation Next designers showcased their lines. Other locations included rolling fields of reeds and a sky bridge. These various locations provided a different vibe to the
show, but a vibe that was refreshing as it gave the designer more discretion over how they wanted their collections to be experienced. While it was not ideal that large crowds could not go to the shows, this new format showed the perseverance of the fashion community to keep producing and sharing art. Perhaps even more impactful for the future of fashion than the various locations, Seoul Fashion Week featured a new technology called “see-now-buy-now.” This new technology is a livestream shopping platform that allows anyone to purchase certain products right off the runway. The live shopping platform will be on Naver, Korea’s largest web search engine, and on the Chinese app WeChat’s shopping platform. See-now-buy-now is important because it opens up a purchasing opportunity to a much larger population; getting clothes straight off the runway was formally only an option for VIP customers.
According to Choi Kyungran, the CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation, “the transition to the digital runway and the introduction of live commerce will not be a temporary measure, but a leading example as an alternative to expand and develop Seoul’s fashion business in the postCOVID-19 era.” It will certainly be exciting to see if this technology starts to be featured in other fashion shows around the world. While it certainly increases accessibility to the general public, it may take away from the artistry and theatrics of fashion shows by making it feel more commercial and profit-driven. Out of the many designers who showcased their spring 2021 collections at Seoul Fashion Week, there was no real common thread. There was a huge variety, which made for an extremely interesting and exciting week. One unique show was ChanceChance by Chan Kim. This menswear show featured
many different colors, patterns and textiles ranging from leather to quilt. A few of the looks featured tops that consisted of blankets that the models wrapped around themselves. ChanceChance’s garments were particularly emblematic of the K-pop style that challenges the typical masculine fashion frames and colors of the past. Seoul boasts one of the most dynamic menswear scenes as the male population there embraces cutting-edge trends and androgonous styles. The wide array of styles in ChanceChance’s show was a great example of this shift in fashion. Another notable show was Minjukim by designer Minju Kim. Her collection effortlessly combined soft, traditionally feminine outlines and colors while also making it feel reminiscent of menswear. Some of the garments seemed to have such distinct elements of both styles that it would take a few seconds to dissect the outfit. Kim experimented with dramatic patterns but kept the colors fairly modest. Her show was
different from other shows in that it seemed feasible that some of its looks could be seen on the streets in America, which usually features a more risk-averse street style. While the shows themselves are incredibly impressive, the street style surrounding the show warrants its own review. Seoul street style is world-renowned for its intense creativity and vision. It seems to shun trends, and the combinations are a form of artistry created in an isolated way by ignoring the pressures that can sometimes be felt by mainstream trends. The result of this is an incredible array of styles. There is everything from neon, patterned, rainbow, loose-fitting garments to very structured, monochromatic outfits. Overall, Seoul Fashion Week was an exciting display of cutting-edge trends. It will be exciting to see if these styles permeate to the streets of places like Los Angeles and New York in the future.
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Tuesday, October 27, 2020 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY
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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ melds history, present by Zane Ice
Contributing Writer
VIA IMDB
A promotional poster for “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020) is pictured.
Iverson Eliopoulos On the Big Screen
‘Hubie Halloween’
I
n 2019, Adam Sandler joked that if he didn’t win an Oscar for “Uncut Gems” (2019) he would make a movie “that is so bad on purpose” just to get back at the industry. Enter “Hubie Halloween” (2020), which is, by any standards, not a good movie. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy watching it. The plot centers around Hubie Dubois, the laughing-
stock of Salem, Mass., who believes that his purpose in life is to keep everyone safe on Halloween. Hubie (often called “Pubie” in jest) is relentlessly mocked, pranked and harassed by his fellow Salem residents. When something in town seems amiss on Halloween night, Hubie takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of the mystery. As the story spirals into ever-growing nonsense, Hubie becomes the hero he believes he was meant to be (and the one that we expected from the start). The best part of the film is undoubtedly the first 30 minutes when you’re not quite sure what vibe to expect. The absurd-
ist humor and the over-the-top aloofness of the characters will take you by surprise. I definitely laughed out loud a few times, mostly because I simply wasn’t expecting the jokes to be so downright dumb. Particularly funny was Hubie’s “swiss-army thermos” which miraculously had a tool for every situation. The film very much leans into the silliness, but by the end you’re left feeling a bit tired. Hubie’s screaming for dear life at every jump scare or talking in his unintelligible voice can only take humor so far. Aside from the lazy writing and contrived humor (which were expected), what really detracted from the film was
As the straightforward title would suggest, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020) wastes no time diving into the centerpiece of its plot. Faithfully based on the events of the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots and the infamous criminal trial that followed, the film uses the courtroom as a springboard to explore the ethos of ‘60s revolutionary politics — with eerily familiar themes. The film features an ensemble cast: seven defendants, multiple defense attorneys, prosecutors, FBI agents and a contemptible judge played by Frank Langella, the ostensible antagonist for much of the story. The conflict between the defendants is represented in the film by the conflict of two, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen). Representing different factions of leftist thought during the late ‘60s, the strained allegiance between the two drives the drama. The story is told in a nonlinear way, with legal depositions interlaced with flashbacks — sometimes even interlaced further with historical footage. The editing in this movie is effective and the fast-paced cuts keep up with Aaron Sorkin’s unrelenting screenplay. Sorkin’s writing — and to a lesser extent his directing — sets the tone for the movie. The movie is heavily dialogue-driven, and although the cinematography is more than serviceable, there are few shots in this movie that are very memorable. Likewise, the actors succeed in bringing Sorkin’s quips and dramatic monologues to life — but few manage to stand out among the ensemble. That being said, the narrative remains incredibly compelling, never stagnating. Although the film doesn’t extensively portray the actual riots, it uses vignettes to capture their energy on a smaller scale. Another great series of short scenes takes place at the
the cringeworthy way that the characters made fun of Hubie. For a film that essentially carries an anti-bullying message, I would have liked the actual bullying to be a lot more realistic. I couldn’t take any insults seriously which meant I couldn’t take any genuine moments seriously either. The cast features a deep star-studded roster all the way from Kevin James to Noah Schnapp, to Shaquille O’Neal. The best performance for me was Steve Buscemi playing (in the most Buscemi way possible) a man who believes he is a werewolf. Sandler himself was unimpressive, especially considering his recent unbelievable work in
cheekily-named “conspiracy office,” a hangout spot for the seven defendants that perfectly captures the aesthetics of the counterculture with ironic posters and joints being passed to the defense attorney. The political themes are also well developed. Going against trumped-up charges of conspiracy and incitement to riot, the defendants argue in defense of democratic institutions, due process and free speech, criticizing the Vietnam War and cultural hegemony. As would be expected, a recurring theme is police brutality and the police state in general. With numerous graphic scenes and inadvertent mirroring of current events, this topic is the most impactful upon watching. This holds especially true for the tragic plotline of Bobby Seale and Fred Hampton, members of the Black Panther Party who face a much more sinister kind of discrimination. Written years ago, the images and themes of the film provide commentary on the difficulty of effecting lasting change. The movie ends on a more sentimental note, but throughout the runtime the film never tries to push a certain ideology. The defendants are likable, but each also has clear flaws. Rather than trying to paint a good vs. evil characterization, the film presents a surprisingly nuanced representation of a polarizing time — even if some of the radical views of the defendants are tamped down. Sorkin is one of the more predictable writers in Hollywood, but in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” he doesn’t fall into the usual traps. The characters provide good laughs, but are not overly quippy to the point of being unbelievable. There’s optimism, but not so much as to be blind to the sobering realities of oppression. If you’re looking for a film where every shot could be a painting, this is not the film for you. However, if you’re looking for a film that challenges your assumptions about American history and humanizes a not-too-distant past, you just might be interested in hearing what these seven misfits have to say.
“Uncut Gems.” Julie Bowen got the short end of the stick, as the writing for her character was almost unbearable to watch. “Hubie Halloween” is nowhere near Sandler’s greatest work, and it will certainly be forgotten by next Halloween. The final half hour of the movie drags and feels unnecessary; despite all this, the movie still has its moments of wholesome fun. If you know what you’re getting yourself into with this truly bad film, you might just enjoy yourself along the way. Iverson Eliopoulos is a senior studying Music. Iverson can be reached at iverson.eliopoulos@ tufts.edu.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
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Rebecca: “Just make something up about Ethan and his apricots.”
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Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Savor peaceful reflection, meditation and introspection this month with Mercury retrograde and Venus entering Venus today. Organizae and plan. Practice soothing rituals and nurture yourself.
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Elizabeth Buehl Sobremesa
Blooming disparities
E
nvironmental privileges tend to blend into everyday life. Some people have the ability to walk across sprawling lawns and look out on glassy rivers, viewing nature as only a backdrop for their fast-paced lives. Unlike environmental privileges, society makes environmental disadvantages glaringly obvious. With fires ripping through California and record-breaking numbers of hurricanes funneling through the Gulf of Mexico, environmental disadvantages are being discussed widely right now.
Opinion Although the media does not prioritize its coverage and some political leaders disqualify it, climate change is looming over our society and affects all aspects of our world. But when you look through a narrower lens, there is a more subtle subdivision of climate change that adversely impacts our society right now: water pollution caused by algal blooms. Algal blooms occur when an overabundance of nutrients infiltrates a water source, leading to an increase in algae growth. Using up a lot of oxygen, the algae create a sheet over the body of water that blocks sunlight. In time, the algae die, and the ecosystem is irreparably injured. Fish float to the surface and vegetation lies limp. Harmful algal blooms also pose a serious risk to human health, as people can become extremely sick and even die if they
consume seafood and drink water from contaminated sources. Studies show that there could be heightened effects of algal blooms in more vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly. Economically, algal blooms are detrimental to fisheries and recreational areas. Fisheries experience considerable economic loss during algal blooms: everyone from fishermen to vendors, to consumers suffers. When algal blooms occur, recreational areas become significantly less attractive, as they often develop a repellent odor. This results in a decrease in tourism revenue, diminished property values and the gradual depletion of an area’s environmental privilege. These health and economic costs disproportionately affect minority and economically disadvantaged populations,
7 Tuesday, October 27, 2020
as they increase the cost of drinking water purification and decrease employment opportunities. Not to mention that disparity in health insurance coverage can leave vulnerable populations sick and without proper treatment. To some, algal blooms seem like a problem we should leave to scientists. Yet there is a lot that citizens can do to help. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), volunteering to scan water bodies for algal blooms, reporting suspected algal blooms and most importantly, advocating to prevent nutrient pollution can all help to chip away at this growing issue. Environmental privilege shields many from facing the ever-prevalent, all-encompassing issue of climate change. While the environment is con-
stantly transforming in every aspect, environmentally privileged groups often preserve the best aspects of the environment for themselves, including clean drinking water. Increased coverage of seemingly more minor environmental issues, like algal blooms, will help bring awareness to climate change’s astronomical impact on both environmentally privileged and disadvantaged communities. Those living in communities shielded from the direct impacts of climate change must utilize their privilege to educate themselves about the environmental impacts of their actions and fight to reduce environmental inequality in our world. 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 27, 2020
Sports
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Getting to know Tufts athletes: Rachel Brown
10–6–3 record, their best record since 2010. Brown’s sophomore year, they made it to the NCAA tournament for the second season in a row and ended with a 11–6–2 record. Last year was, yet again, even more successful — the team boasted a 14–4–2 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA championships. Brown’s junior season was cut short due to an injury just six games into the year. “I didn’t have too big of a playing role my freshman and sophomore year, so I was excited for my junior year when positions opened up on the back line when girls graduated — this was the year I was going to have a bigger impact on the field,” Brown said. “It was six games into the season, against [Colby College], and unfortunately, I tore my ACL in the last 10 minutes of the game. That was very upsetting and a tough time because then it was this year long process that any soccer player just dreads to go through … so that whole year though was rebuilding for my senior year.”
After putting the time and energy into her recovery, Brown was excited to be back and able to finish off her college career on the field as a senior. “I was like, ‘What if I’m gonna have my best soccer year at Tufts and it’s gonna be my senior year — we’re going to go out with a bang,’” Brown said. “So then to find out, due to this global pandemic, that I will not have my senior year was a very hard pill to swallow. It was the sole thing that kept me motivated during this past year and the obstacles that come along with recovering from an ACL. It’s a hard journey, but it was definitely the most rewarding, so I’m more grateful than ever to be 100% and back at practice and playing soccer again. But it was definitely a huge disappointment to not be able to compete and have that larger role on the field that I was really excited for my senior year.” Her teammates credit Brown for leading by example and for her committed and continued passion for the team.
“Rachel leads in her energy. No matter the drill, she gives it her all. Nobody can match her dance moves on game day. She stepped up as the team impact leader when Alessandra Sadler graduated,” junior back Tookie Wilson said. “I think she will leave an incredible legacy for her unparalleled spirit and tempo.” As Tufts is one of the few schools in the NESCAC to allow all students back on campus in some capacity this fall, the sports teams are still able to hold small team training sessions. “Coach Whiting definitely set the tone at our first team practice by saying we are so fortunate to just be together right now,” Brown said. All of Tufts’ coaches have needed to adjust their respective teams’ training due to restrictions put in place by the school to promote social distancing and safety. However, due to the continued compliance of teams and coaches with these restrictions throughout the fall, Tufts has been able to grant teams permission to play contact sports. “Being able to see each other at a socially safe distance at practice, to be able to have that in person contact was huge,” Brown said. “Then, this past week we’ve been able to switch over to contact and being able to actually play soccer in a smart way has been a game changer and something that has kept us competitive and unified during these unprecedented times.” Ever since students were sent home in March and classes were moved online, the women’s soccer team has come up with many different ways to stay connected. In addition to team Zoom calls, which helped head coach Martha Whiting keep her team members updated on the status of their season and allowed the players to check in with each other, the team started a blog. “It was important to stay connected and motivated during
COVID-19 restrictions, and free agency meetings occurred over Zoom. Although many teams overlooked this offseason, the Boston Bruins were attempting to juggle a roster that was inching toward the salary cap, containing many players that were due for contract extensions. Even with the limited mobility the Bruins held in the free agency market, they still managed some large moves during the unorthodox free agent season. The Craig Smith signing: Grade AFormerly a member of the Nashville Predators, Craig Smith is a perfect fit in Bruce Cassidy’s scheme. Signing a contract for three years worth $9.3 million, Smith brings longevity and playoff experience to the Bruins’ forward lineup. Additionally, he finds the back of the net often, averaging 18 goals a season over a nine-year
span. Smith will most likely slide into the left wing slot on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork; however, with David Pastrnak on injured reserve with a hip injury, Smith could play alongside Patrice Bergeron on the first forward line. This move was a solid bargain for a team tight on cap space and gives the Bruins a versatile forward that can play multiple positions in their offensive scheme. Letting Torey Krug walk: Grade F This offseason move was just adding insult to injury. With the Bruins falling short of expectations once again in the Stanley Cup playoffs, their fanbase suffered through yet another heartbreaking playoff ending. Following their quick exit, the Bruins’ front office was quick to enter contract talks with Torey Krug, who was an
integral part of the Bruins’ defense. However, due to salary cap issues and miscommunication between both parties, a contract was never offered and Krug signed with the St. Louis Blues for seven years, worth $45.5 million. Even if the Blues partially overpaid for Krug, it will be extremely difficult to replace his powerful presence on the blue line. He was the perfect combination of offensive and defensive and was effective in all three zones, and many Bruins fans will remember his earth-quaking hit on Robert Thomas during Game 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. His tenacity, work ethic and leadership presence will be missed in Beantown; this loss will significantly cripple the Bruins’ depth on the blue line and their savvy power play. Other than the Craig Smith signing and the decision to let
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Rachel Brown is pictured during a game against Bates College on Sept. 15, 2018. by Ananda Kao Sports Editor
Senior defender Rachel Brown was excited about the potential of a very successful season, both individually as well as collectively for Tufts women’s soccer. However, these dreams were cut short in August when the NESCAC announced the cancellation of the fall sports season. “The cool thing about this team is, ever since my freshman year, we’ve just gotten better,” Brown said. “My freshman year, we made it to NCAAs and that was something that we hadn’t done for some years, so making it to that first round was a very cool experience. When we got out in the first round, we learned from it and built off of that foundation. So, we knew that we were just getting better, and we were really looking forward to our senior year where we believed that we could win it all.” Her first year on the team, the Jumbos earned a NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 2007, finishing the season with a
Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617
Grading the Bruins’ major offseason moves
A
s ludicrous as it sounds, 2020 NHL free agency began on Oct. 9, which in a normal world would’ve been the opening week of the 2020–21 season. Since COVID-19 has radically changed the sports world this summer, NHL front offices struggled to adapt to the revised offseason schedule. Scouting reports on various draft prospects were unavailable due to
these uncertain times,” Brown said. “Something unique that we did to stay connected was that we had a team blog, and every team member as well as coach [Whiting] wrote blogs. You could write anything you want; it was mainly just to give an update about what you were up to during quarantine, crack some jokes, give some updates, keep it lighthearted. It was a fun thing to look forward to each week and see how everyone is doing.” Brown, along with other senior fall athletes, is taking the option of an extra year of eligibility into consideration while planning her future. “My goal is to land a job in consulting or something in medical devices, pharmaceutical worlds and if that happens, then I will unfortunately hang up the cleats and start my professional career,” Brown said. “But, if I don’t land a job then I’m going to be back. So, there’s really no losing situation and whatever happens is going to happen.” No matter what she ends up doing next year, Brown credits her teammates as being an impactful part of her college experience, both on and off the field. “Hands down, [my] favorite part of being on [the women’s soccer team] is the girls that I’ve met and the memories that we’ve made,” Brown said. “We’ve had some incredible wins and being able to celebrate it with the best teammates I could ever ask for, it makes it just that much better. These are going to be girls that are going to be stuck with me for life. The best part is just everything that comes along with these friendships on and off the field — in the locker room, on the bus rides, dancing and being a part of those moments. All the ups and downs, but everything revolves around the girls and just being a part of something greater than just women’s soccer.”
Torey Krug hit the open market, the Bruins were relatively quiet during the free agency period. They were able to lock up Matt Grzelcyk, who has a similar playing style to Krug and could possibly fill the open role on the power play, to a fouryear contract. He’s still no Torey Krug. As more questions loom on the Bruins’ roster, including captain Zdeno Chara, an unrestricted free agent, its holes will continue to pile up. The Craig Smith and Matt Grzelcyk signings were sound decisions by the Bruins’ front office; Nonetheless, the Bruins’ roster is far from perfect and still needs one or two more cheap acquisitions in order to compete for another Stanley Cup. Matt Goguen is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.