The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, November 4, 2020

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VOLUME LXXX, ISSUE 35

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Tufts announces 10 p.m. COVID-19 curfew

TCU Senate discusses Dunkin’ incident, hears supplementary funding requests

by Alexander Janoff News Editor

AVA IANNUCCILLO / TUFTS DAILY

Colorful autumn leaves are pictured on the Academic Quad on Oct. 14.

by Madeleine Aitken Deputy News Editor

Tufts University announced that a 10 p.m. nightly curfew will go into effect on Nov. 6, in accordance with the Massachusetts stay-at-home advisory, in an email to the Tufts community Tuesday evening.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s advisory comes in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts in the last few weeks. He is asking residents to stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for essential needs. The email informed students that Tufts will be following this notice.

The university is instructing students to be in their residence halls or off-campus residences between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they are in the library, an art studio or lab, working or seeking medical care.

Access to the Mayer Campus Center and takeout options will end at 10 p.m. and indoor dining

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

and the fitness center, gym and indoor pool will close at 9:30 p.m.

“Due to the serious health risks of our community and our host communities, students who violate any of our COVID-19 related policies will be subject to disciplinary action,” the email said.

Nadia Vargas, associate director for residential education, said that residential assistants (RAs) are exempted from the 10 p.m. curfew for the purpose of RA duties, meaning they are still allowed to do walkthroughs and handle lockouts between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

“The state advisory exempts individuals acting in the capacity of their jobs to leave their home,” Vargas wrote in an email to RAs. She said that if RAs see residents outside during the hours of the curfew, they should remind them of the advisory.

“Working together for the common good is what Tufts students do, and you continue to make us proud,” the email said.

Some of Baker’s other guidelines state that face coverings are required regardless of social distancing, whether inside or outside, and social gatherings are limited to 10 people or fewer both indoors and outdoors. Both of these advisories are already being enforced by the university, so there will be no change in this respect for the Tufts community.

The email, signed by Michelle Bowdler and Marie Caggiano of Health Service, Dean of Student Affairs Camille Lizarríbar and University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan, also reminded students to remain generally vigilant. Bowdler and the other signees wrote that although the number of COVID-19 cases at Tufts is well below the state average, there has been a recent rise in cases on campus, and this pattern could continue.

“As the weather turns colder and we move indoors, our high rate of negative tests may provide a false sense of security,” they said.

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate discussed claims of racist hiring practices at the Dunkin’ on Boston Avenue and heard supplementary funding requests in an online meeting on Sunday night.

In a conversation led by TCU Diversity Officer Mathew Peña, the body discussed a recent incident at the Dunkin’ location involving a Tufts student who wrote in a Facebook post that they were denied a position on account of their race.

TCU Vice President Grant Gebetsberger mentioned that Tufts students make up the majority of the franchise’s customers.

“There was some talk about our real power, [since] Tufts students are the ones who frequent that Dunkin’,” Gebetsberger, a senior, said.

Both Gebetsberger and TCU Senator Deepen Goradia announced that they will no longer go to that specific Dunkin’ location.

Africana Community Senator Amma Agyei described the bureaucratic process through which an incident like this can be addressed by the Tufts administration.

“The first step [is] to report [the incident] to [the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO)], and then after that, [OEO is] going to contact the committee that deals with community relations between Tufts and the general community,” Agyei, a junior, said. “They will contact Dunkin’ corporate.”

Peña, a senior, then announced a project that would streamline the process through

which Tufts handles issues of racism in the community.

TCU President Sarah Wiener said that the university generally acts with caution when faced with the issue of race, especially if there is an implied legal issue.

“There’s an immediate bureaucratization that has to happen because Tufts now is dealing with questions of liability,” Wiener, a senior, said.

“Whenever there’s a legal question involved, Tufts is much more apprehensive and slow moving.”

Latinx Community Senator Carolina Olea Lezama said she believes that Tufts does not like to admit that there is in fact racism on campus and in the surrounding communities.

“Some people don’t want to admit … racism on their campus,” Lezama, a junior, said. “But the fact of the matter is that there is, and students need to know how to be supported and how to go through that process of who to contact.”

TCU Parliamentarian Taylor Lewis then announced updates about elections and pending referenda.

According to Lewis, a senior, Tufts Elections Commission plans to hold an election before the end of November to fill the currently vacant Senate seats.

Lewis also announced that the International Center and the Women’s Center will appoint representatives to fill the respective Community Senator positions.

Lewis then discussed two pending referenda. According to Lewis, instead of attempting to appeal the referendum through TCU Senate as a resolution, Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine plans to simply bring their referendum titled “End see SENATE, page 2

CIRCLE poll reveals rural youth votes can greatly impact 2020 election cycle

by Sara Renkert News Editor

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement’s (CIRCLE) poll reveals rural youth votes could be a deciding factor in the November elections.

Kristian Lundberg, an associate researcher for CIRCLE, and

Adam Strong, a former research impact fellow for the organization, co-authored a report that examined states with large rural populations, including Maine, Iowa, North Carolina, Alabama and Minnesota.

Lundberg explained that those who have the potential to significantly impact the election and races often live in a “civic

desert,” with few resources for civic engagement or voting.

“It’s a question of if there is enough opportunity and [if ] they have the access that they need to fully take those opportunities,” he said. “There just aren’t as many resources to civic institutions and other forms of engagement [in rural communities].”

Lundberg explained that one of the reasons CIRCLE conducts this research is because engaging with rural parts of the country can make a difference for equity and representation in elections.

“A lot of people might focus on young people in urban communities or young people on college campuses where we can talk about [them being] pivotal in this

SPORTS / back

ARTS / page 3

Ryan reflects on championship-winning volleyball team

Though virtual, The Moth’s storytelling remains powerful

election, when really … in a lot of unexpected places, young people in rural communities can make an impact and I think that’s something that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked,” he said.

Abby Kiesa, deputy director of CIRCLE, echoed Lundberg’s sentiments and emphasized that see VOTE, page 2 NEWS

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, November 4, 2020

THE TUFTS DAILY Alex Viveros Editor in Chief

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President’s Lawn is pictured on Oct. 18.

SENATE

continued from page 1 the Deadly Exchange” directly in front of the student body.

Lewis also noted a referendum

by Tufts for a Racially Equitable Endowment that advocates for divestment from private prisons in the endowment.

Gebetsberger deferred his section to the various committee chairs, who announced updates from their committees.

According to chair Avani Kabra, the Services Committee is working to extend operating hours at the library and translate emails from the university, so parents whose first language is not English can more easily understand them.

Outreach Committee Chair Jalen Little announced classby-class town halls before Thanksgiving break, which will not involve Tufts administrators.

“These town halls will be focused on talking to the students about how we can be most helpful to them as their representatives,” Little, a sophomore, said.

According to chair Ibrahim AlMuasher, the Administration and Policy Committee will release an end-of-semester survey directly following Thanksgiving break. AlMuasher, a sophomore, also announced an ongoing project with the goal of diversifying the admissions process.

“Valerie [Infante] is currently working on an attempt to try to diversify admissions and the communities that admissions approach by trying to send out students from BIPOC communities back into their high schools to try and recruit other students from their high schools,” AlMuasher said.

Education Committee Chair Iyra Chandra announced a col-

laboration with the Community and Diversity Committee to put trigger warnings on certain historical items at Tisch Library.

In her section, Wiener brought up a meeting with Kevin Kraft, associate dean of student affairs, where she discussed how the university can support students both during and after the presidential election.

“Some things we were talking about is if students are going to protest the day after the election and they want support and getting buses or getting N95 masks, that’s something within [Kraft’s] office’s purview to potentially be funded,” Wiener said.

Before adjournment, TCU Senate heard three supplementary funding requests.

The Vietnamese Students Club requested $220 to fund four performers. Seven members of

the Allocations Board (ALBO) voted in favor of the request, with none opposed and two abstaining. The request passed TCU Senate by acclamation.

Parnassus requested $60 to host an interactive virtual event with a speaker. Eight members of ALBO voted in favor of the request, with none opposed and one abstaining. The request passed TCU Senate by acclamation.

TCU Senate requested $2,500 to fund a project by the Services Committee that would send care packages to students. According to Class of 2024 Senator and ALBO member Hadiya Giwa, the project would help publicize the TCU Senate Instagram account.

Eight members of ALBO voted in favor of the request, with none opposed and one abstaining. The request passed TCU Senate by acclamation.

CIRCLE researchers say mission, values drive research VOTE

continued from page 1 Americans and those involved with civic institutions should be cautious not to underestimate the political power of rural youth.

“There are communities where young people have the potential to have a profound impact if people actually talked to them,” Kiesa said.

Kiesa noted that rural areas are not comprised of the same demographics, features or culture and should therefore not be treated homogeneously by civic initiatives and institutions.

Lundberg also spoke to the variety of different experiences young, rural voters share.

“The experiences of a young person living in a state like North Carolina … [in] Charlotte, is probably very different than a young person living in a rural county, [in] different parts of the state,” Lundberg said. “Even within states, there are tremendous … diversities in geography for young people and a bunch of different lived experiences.”

Matthew Tolbert, who leads JumboVote’s Democracy Reps program, said that one of his takeaways from the study was to never underestimate the power of the rural youth vote.

“I hope that Tufts folks that don’t come from these rural

areas are paying attention and understand that these places aren’t the kind of ‘backwater places’ that they think that they are, and that a lot of the change that they want to see will come from these places that they are overlooking,” Tolbert, a senior from Tennessee, said.

Tolbert explained that young people, especially youth of color, have demonstrated their desire for meaningful change in their communities, whether they are urban or rural.

“I think it is particularly powerful especially when you put it in the context of the civil rights movement, which was largely a

rural movement,” Tolbert said.

“A lot of the radical tradition and progressive tradition in this country comes from that exact group of folks, and it’s exciting to see [their] leading the charge today.”

According to Lundberg, CIRCLE’s values will continue to steer their research moving forward.

“The biggest sort of motivating force for us [at CIRCLE] when we’re picking stories is keeping the mission and values at the forefront of our mind … for the sake of changing systems, and actually trying to improve,” Lundberg said.

Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Affiliates of ‘The Moth’ (story)tell all

by Yiyun Tom Guan News Editor

“And the only way I can think of to do, to soothe this room full of crying kids, is to sing. I sing the only song that I know all the verses to: ‘Amazing Grace.’

I walk around singing, and I placed my hand on each child.

And I cry. I cry because this world is unfair.”

Thus said Kristin Huang, a primary care physician at Tufts Medical Center who appeared on the stage of the historic Wilbur Theatre in Boston on Oct. 14 as part of the virtual “Mainstage” program of the storytelling organization, The Moth. In light of COVID-19, The Moth’s virtual programs continue to foster emotional bonds between people through its broadcasting of the most personal, moving and vulnerable stories.

According to Jodi Powell, a producer at The Moth, the idea for an organization focused on storytelling started when its founder, George Dawes Green, gathered his friends in his hometown of Savannah, Ga. together to tell personal stories to each other.

“And as the sun was setting, and night came upon them, they decided to move that circle inside. And they moved inside the living room: cozy setting, close, intimate, safe feeling, but they noticed that there was a hole in the mesh that is put up for insects, and the moths would come in, go through the hole and go straight to the light,” Powell said. “For them, it was symbolic of people going where the story is going, where the light is: being drawn to that vulnerability and brightness and inspiration and closeness that story brings.”

After moving to New York City and perceiving the sense of isolation hidden behind the Empire City’s grandness, Green decided to replicate his home experience, setting storytelling venues

VIA THE MOTH

A promotional photo for The Moth is pictured. in basement bars of New York.

As explained by Powell, this was how The Moth began.

Storytellers can utilize The Moth’s platform by pitching a two-minute story to its pitch line or participating in a StorySLAM, which took place in many major cities before the pandemic, according to Powell. She explained that during SLAMs, many audience members spontaneously signed up to appear on the stage next.

If a storyteller wins a StorySLAM and goes on to a GrandSLAM, or if they participate in a curated Mainstage show, a Moth director like Powell will help elevate the story. There is no hidden formula behind the sheer eloquence of a Moth story; rather, Powell believes a coaching session is a “dance” between the director and the storyteller.

The director asks casual, everyday questions about the story and encourages the storyteller to build upon interesting details, so as to give the story a

Julian Levy Keep the Cameras Rolling

‘Midsommar’ and isolation Content warning: This article discusses trauma.

This column contains spoilers for “Midsommar.” ith a pandemic raging and perhaps the most controversial presidential election in the nation’s history underway, many Americans had one thing on their minds this past weekend: Halloween.

With trick-or-treaters unwelcome and large gatherings discouraged, there was one logical choice left for the cautious and responsible citizen: horror movies.

They’ve long been a staple of the holiday, but they took on a renewed importance

W

more fleshed-out narrative and unique angle.

To Powell, what ultimately makes a Moth story is the storyteller’s willingness to be vulnerable, to lay bare their darkest moments and to reveal their change and growth.

“We talk a lot about being vulnerable. In storytelling, oftentimes that’s what the audience relates to. When you can show a part of yourself — we call it telling on yourself — well, you did this thing that wasn’t that great,” Powell said. “But it’s something that you revisited five years, 10 years, 15 years later, and you’re seeing it wasn’t that great, but it taught me this; Moth stories very much carry this element of change.”

Yet an important element of a Moth event, the deeply personal exchange between the storyteller and the audience, is disrupted by COVID-19, according to Powell.

“There’s a moment when the live audience leans into the show; when I see them, that’s

this year. If you were looking for a fun, maybe even slightly campy thrill-ride to escape back to a simpler time before masks and Zoom trivia nights, “Midsommar” is not that movie. Despite being released in 2019, well before COVID-19 went global, it reflects similar anxieties, emotions and dangers.

“Midsommar” at its core is a movie about how isolating 21st-century society can be. The main character, Dani, experiences a terrible loss at the beginning of the film. Her parents and her sister die in a horrific tragedy, and she is left reeling with the consequences. With nobody to turn to except for her emotionally detached boyfriend, she struggles to deal with her emotions and the trauma that life has beset her. Those around her reach out to help, but through mostly hollow condolences.

Most see her grief as an inconvenience.

It’s only after she travels to the rural village of Hårga, Sweden with her boyfriend that she learns the value of community she’s been starved for. In Hårga, her longing

what I love,” Powell said. “It’s an exchange: The storyteller gives, and the audience receives. And I have to say, in the virtual space, that is difficult.”

Yet on the Wilbur stage on Oct. 14, which was streamed online, the sparks of vulnerability could still be found.

One of the most memorable stories of the night featured Julie Pryor, the director of communications for the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, who recalled a night where her trucker father was too drunk to drive and asked her 14-yearold self to drive his pickup truck.

Meanwhile, Willie Nelson’s greatest hits played. The haunting teenage memory juxtaposes the adult Pryor, who was producing a documentary in Alaska when she volunteered to be the only female truck driver to drive through the North Slope of Alaska. As she thought she was going to be buried by the snow, she heard Willie Nelson on the radio and recalled images of her 14-year-old self lis-

for human connection is finally realized, giving her the tools she needs to move past her trauma. When it comes down to a morbid decision between her boyfriend and the cult Dani has discovered, she eerily chooses the latter, quite literally turning the last remnants of her old life into ashes.

The fact that it’s portrayed as a ‘happy’ ending has less to do with the cult itself and more to do with modern society.

Isolated by relying on technology, individualism and cold rationality over the romanticism of tradition, many are left without the necessary support systems, leaving people to feel detached, hollow and depressed. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this problem. The prevalence of depression has been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic. While lockdowns and other public health measures are necessary to ‘flatten the curve’ and attempt to save lives, it has had an undeniable cost on the mental health of countless individuals. While better than no contact at all, many have come to realize that

tening to Willie Nelson with her father at his final moments. She survived.

So, too, does Kristin Huang’s story have a positive twist. She told the story of being the only Chinese kid at her school in Iowa when she was six; to make matters worse, she was made fun of for sounding like a boy. As she grew up and tried to blend in, she became ashamed of her voice and learned to hide it. Later on, she worked at an orphanage in China where she discovered the only way to pacify a room of crying children is to sing. The world is “unfair” to her in an unexpected way: Her fear, it turns out, is of little concern to these children.

“When I sing in my natural register — yeah, my voice might be deep. It might be different, but it is rich and resonant and powerful. And that makes me feel invincible. That something I’ve been ashamed of my whole life can bring peace and comfort.”

Huang said. “I once was lost, but now I’m found.”

technology is not a viable replacement for in-person human interaction. The ‘rituals’ of the modern world, like a trip to the local coffee shop or going to the office for work, have been disrupted. COVID-19 has shown that there is still a purpose to these shared human experiences and traditions, however small they might be.

Almost everyone has lost something due to COVID-19. For some, it’s a friend or loved one, and for others, it’s as simple as the stability and routine of daily life.

“Midsommar” pointed to one of the central problems of how we live today without knowing how much worse it would become just a few months later. There’s no clearer affirmation of the need for community, tradition and connection than this: Dani will turn to a cult if it means receiving the kind of compassion that she so desperately desires.

Julian Levy is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Julian can be reached at Julian.Levy@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Wednesday, November 4, 2020

F& G

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Anonymous: “Is Alaska attached to Russia?”

Fun & Games

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 22) Expand your territory. You’re entering an adventurous phase. Travel is appealing but not without peril. Study and research.

Prepare for an upcoming launch.

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

Difficulty Level: Getting your dreams trampled on by Florida Man

Tuesday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

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Elizabeth Buehl Sobremesa

Costume or culture?

H

alloween is known by Americans as a fun, lighthearted day to dress up and spend time with friends and family. But this seemingly innocent tradition can easily cross the line into insensitive cultural appropriation.

It may seem benign to don a sombrero on your head, wear feathers and face paint or dress up as a religious figure. But in actuality, costumes can be incredibly harmful, especially when appropriating others’ cultures or dressing up as controversial societal figures.

Cultural appropriation reduces cultures to oversimplified stereotypes. It

Opinion allows privileged people to pluck the aspects they find ‘cute’ or ‘funny’ from a culture and weave them into an outfit.

By sheer ability to pick and choose when they can don these garments, individuals neglect that these cultural backgrounds make up a permanent identity of entire communities.

It is not only the average costume wearer that appropriates cultures on Halloween; many renowned celebrities have fallen into the trap of wearing thoughtless, distasteful costumes. The impact of these costumes can have an even more drastic trickle-down effect. If those portrayed in the media are unable to empathetically choose their costumes, how can we hold society at large to this standard?

One campaign called “We’re a Culture Not a Costume” from Ohio University’s Students Teaching About Racism in Society promotes awareness of this very issue. The organization uses visual advertisements to transform the way that soci-

ety thinks about costumes. This campaign is impactful, and should be used as a model for further advocacy.

In addition to being insensitive to different cultures and ethnicities, some costumes can be inconsiderate toward contentious social issues impacting our world. This year, costumes that stood out as especially inappropriate were those affiliated with law enforcement, including police officers, SWAT Team Members or inmates. Following the recent national advocacy against police brutality, including the murder of unarmed Black individuals, this costume is both insensitive and overtly offensive to those that are impacted by systemic racism on a daily basis.

The prevalence of culturally and socially insensitive costumes speaks to a larger need for education on this topic.

American public education is often unilateral; we are taught facts without always learning of their implications and manifestations in modern society. By injecting

5 Wednesday, November 4, 2020 empathy, critical thinking and cultural sensitivity into education, Americans can avoid falling into the trap of appropriating cultures and romanticizing modern-day social problems when dressing up.

Some smaller actions to chip away at this deeply embedded issue include calling out individuals for unjust attire.

On social media and in person, it is completely valid to kindly make these individuals aware of their wrongdoing. One step that Tufts can take to educate others is to host optional workshops before Halloween each year on the implications of dressing up as people from different cultures or public figures. By doing so, we can learn to stop appropriating cultures and work toward normalizing Halloween as a holiday that does not exploit others’ cultural customs.

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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Sports

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Getting to know Tufts athletes: Jen Ryan

by Ananda Kao Sports Editor

After switching positions when she got to Tufts, senior middle/opposite hitter Jen Ryan has played an important role on the Tufts volleyball team the past three years, helping the team win a NESCAC Championship last year.

“I’ve had, I would say definitely an interesting career at Tufts,” Ryan said. “I came in as one position — I came in and was recruited as a middle blocker — but the first three years, so my freshman through junior year, I was used in a position where I would switch back and forth between the middle position and opposite.”

This allowed Ryan to be involved in the team and play in new ways while being pushed as an athlete.

“So, it’s definitely been very interesting because I basically learned a whole new position while in college and got to play with it,” Ryan said. “It’s been a really great experience because I thought I would just come in and be just a specific position and only get to do that, but instead like I’ve been able to play more defense and try new positions and it’s just been a great experience overall.”

The team has been very successful throughout the three years Ryan has played on it — boasting a 67–19 record, including two undefeated conference seasons.

Ryan said, “I think our program has changed a little bit — we really try to work out what our core values for this team are early on and honestly most of the time, if not the all the time, we are always on the same page, we always are trying to push each other to be better, and that’s been a huge thing for us. It’s just always reaching a new limit and reaching our new highest potential.”

Ryan played in all 30 games her junior year, finishing the season with 197 kills, 24 digs, 57 blocks and 227 points. In addition to the success of the team, Ryan says her favorite part is her teammates.

“I think every year you’re on the team, it feels more and more like a family,” Ryan said. “So, this year and last year you become just so close with the classes that are around you — the class above, the class below you — and it’s been really great

Jenny Lu In the Paint

Playoff winners and losers

T

he Los Angeles Lakers walked away with the 2020 NBA championship, but let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the NBA playoffs in the Bubble.

Winners: Miami Heat Even though the Miami Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the NBA Finals, they’re still walking away as winners and as the Eastern Conference finals champions.

They came into the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East, with nobody considering them title contenders.

Although they had a great season, there were doubts as to whether

VIA SPORTSPIX

Jen Ryan is pictured during a game against Springfield College on Oct. 18, 2019. because I feel that much more connected every year.”

This sentiment is reciprocated by her teammates, crediting Ryan’s leadership and dedication to the team.

“Jen is such a wonderful leader and friend on and off the court,” outside/opposite hitter Cate Desler, a junior, said. “Her attitude and drive make her an irreplaceable member of the team. By always putting the team first, she leads by example and pushes us all to be our best and strive for even higher goals.”

Throughout quarantine in March and the summer, the team had weekly or biweekly Zoom calls to stay connected. Additionally, the players took part in “Takeover Tuesdays” on the team Instagram page to give their followers a look into their days.

In terms of training during this unprecedented time, Ryan, as well as her teammates, utilized adjusted workout plans sent out by strength and conditioning coach

or not Jimmy Butler could carry a team into a deep playoff run.

The Heat ended up dominating the Milwaukee Bucks, winning the series 4–1 without breaking much of a sweat and then going on to win over the Boston Celtics to come out of the East. Although they ultimately lost to the Lakers, the Heat far exceeded anyone’s expectations and Jimmy Butler erased all doubts surrounding his leadership. There were nights when he went off, like his 40 points against the Bucks in the first game of the series, and nights he would only score 17 but still have a positive impact on the game. The rest of the team flourished under Butler, with Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Kelly Olynyk all shining on the court.

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets came in as the number three seed in the West with expectations to make a deep playoff run, but they made history by becoming the first team to ever

Michael Hunter. Back on campus this fall, the team has been working on ball control, getting back to the basics and honing in on their skills, according to Ryan. With the loss of their usual season as well as limitations of small team training sessions, Ryan is missing the things that come along with competing.

“What I’ve been missing is definitely playing games, but I really miss our bus rides,” Ryan said. “As weird as that sounds, I’ve missed like, we have a big team speaker that’s on rollers that we bring to every away game, and like 30 minutes before we get to a place we just start blasting music and singing and dancing on the bus. I really miss that.”

Ryan is keeping her options open for the coming year and is considering using her extra year of eligibility. Either way, she credits her teammates as being some of her closest friends throughout her college career.

come back from a 3–1 deficit twice.

Nikola Jokic averaged 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. His performance cemented him as the best big in the league today and the Joker’s midrange game and passing ability showed his versatility. Jamal Murray also showed throughout the Bubble that he is elite at his position, dropping 50 points in two playoff games against the Utah Jazz. This NBA duo will be one to watch for a long time.

Honorable mention: Phoenix Suns Although the Suns didn’t get a chance to play into the playoffs, they unexpectedly pulled off an 8–0 undefeated run in the NBA Bubble. Devin Booker showed that he is a clutch player, and others such as Jevon Carter and Dario Šarić had some stand-out performances as well.

Losers: Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks finished first in the Eastern Conference

“I would say my favorite part of being on a team is just my actual team,” Ryan said. “I just really enjoy every single person I play with — most of them are my best friends, I live with two of my teammates and they’re my only housemates in my house. I think that the girls that have been recruited, it’s really amazing, and I love all the personal relationships I have with them. We are a very close knit team and I’ve really enjoyed that — I think that’s my favorite part about the team.”

Again, her teammates echo this and admire Ryan as both a teammate and a friend.

“From day one, Jen was so welcoming to me,” Desler said. “Especially since we are both from the Bay Area, she really helped me navigate my first year on the East Coast and is always there to talk whenever I need to. It’s obvious that everybody respects her as a leader, but more importantly as a friend.”

with a 56–17 record in the 2020 NBA regular season. With Giannis Antetokounmpo winning both league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, the Bucks were favorites to win the NBA championship with his leadership. Unfortunately, their playoff run was cut very short in just the second round, losing to the Miami Heat. Antetokounmpo averaged 22.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game in the first three games of the series against the Heat before hobbling off the court with an ankle injury in the second quarter and not returning for the fifth game. Those averages are also a bit misleading because Giannis’ performance was rather inconsistent, and without much help on the court, they never really stood a chance against the Heat. It’s time for the Bucks to fully confront this disappointment of a playoff run and make real changes.

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers and Doc Rivers might possibly be

the biggest losers of the playoffs, and there’s not much to be said that hasn’t been said already. The Clippers were supposed to have a deep bench, but they played arrogantly and sloppily, and blew a 3–1 lead for the third time in Doc Rivers’ career. Kawhi Leonard wasn’t the problem, but the rest of the bench was. Paul George could not produce on the court at all, not to mention Lou Williams, Pat Beverly, Reggie Jackson — the list goes on. The Clippers played like a bad team.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia 76ers This year marks yet another disappointing playoff run by the 76ers and it’s clear that ‘The Process” isn’t working. With Doc Rivers as the new 76ers coach, there will be lots of aspects to revisit, most importantly the dynamic of the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons duo.

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