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Monday, November 9, 2020
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.
Community members, Tufts students celebrate Biden victory in Davis Square by Hannah Harris and Alex Viveros
Managing Editor and Editor in Chief
Several Tufts students joined members of the Somerville community in a celebration at Davis Square on Saturday, following the victory of former Vice President Joe Biden in the general election. The informal celebration promptly followed the announcement of Biden as the president-elect. After days of counting mail-in ballots, the Associated Press declared at 11:25 a.m. on Saturday that Biden had won the key swing state of Pennsylvania, putting him over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency. The celebration drew out support from students, families and Somerville residents alike. Dozens of community members, who were almost unisee BIDEN, page 2
ALEX VIVEROS / THE TUFTS DAILY
Celebration erupts in Davis Square after Joe Biden wins the presidential election on Nov. 7.
Joe Biden wins presidency Headlines from off the Hill
by Jillian Rolnick and Ryan Shaffer
Associate Editor and Executive Features Editor
Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the presidency, after four days of a slow-moving counting process. Despite securing over 4 million votes more than President Donald Trump, Biden has just surpassed the 270 electoral college votes necessary to secure the presidency, according to the Associated Press. “The numbers tell us a clear and convincing story: We’re going to win this race,” Biden said last night, while urging the nation to be patient with the counting of votes. “Democracy works. Your vote will be counted. I don’t care how hard people try and stop it.” After four days of counting, Pennsylvania delivered the final votes necessary for Biden to secure the presidency in the electoral college, winning 290 to 214 over Trump, with 40 votes yet to be allocated, according to the Associated Press. Votes are still being counted in North Carolina, Georgia and Alaska. Those ballots are largely mail-in ballots and were expected to create delays in the release of official results. It became increasingly clear over the course of election night that the race for the presidency was going to be close. Florida defied preelection polls, which
projected a two point margin in Biden’s favor. Trump took the state’s 29 electoral votes by more than a three point margin. However, as the counting of mail-in ballots progressed, Biden gained a lead in many key battleground states. Pushing Biden over 270 electoral votes were Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin, four states that voted for Trump in 2016. Shortly after the race was called, the Associated Press announced that Biden had also won Nevada. Five states so far have been won by fewer than three percentage points, extending news outlets’ coverage late into the night and well into Wednesday. The slow counting process and the advantage of mail-in votes for Biden leaves many races yet to be decided. Trump prematurely declared himself the winner of the election early Wednesday morning. Speaking from the White House, he called the continued vote counting efforts a “fraud,” despite the millions of outstanding ballots waiting to be tallied. At the time of his address, the president showed slim leads in several battleground states, including Michigan, Georgia and Nevada. Major news networks quickly see ELECTION, page 2
US formally pulls out of Paris climate agreement The United States became the first nation to officially pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement on Nov. 4. Though President Donald Trump announced the decision in June 2017, complex rules built into the agreement — meant to deal with the possibility that a future American president might choose to withdraw — made it difficult for the country to pull out in a timely manner. The agreement was signed in 2015 and went into effect in 2016, after 55 countries representing 55% of global greenhouse gases ratified it. Because the United States emits around 15% of global greenhouse gases, the withdrawal is being met with international disappointment and may have devastating implications. President-elect Joe Biden announced on the campaign trail that he intends to rejoin as soon as possible. Americans across the US react to election outcome Festivities of happiness and counterprotests alleging election fraud erupted across the United States, following the Saturday announcement that
Joe Biden won the hotly contested presidential election. In Washington, D.C., thousands filled the streets near the White House to celebrate Biden’s victory in the hours after the results were announced. Similar scenes overwhelmed major cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Boston and New York. In other places, supporters of President Trump gathered to protest the results of the election. In places like Lansing, Mich. and Phoenix, Ariz., protestors yelled chants like “This is not over” and “Trump won.” COVID-19 rates continue to increase On Wednesday, the United States recorded over 100,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time. The next day, America shattered its record, documenting more than 121,000 new cases, a 55% jump from two weeks ago. The Midwest is the largest hotspot for new infections, with more cases per capita than any other region. It saw an 80% increase in cases from two weeks ago. Hospitalization rates are also rising. Thursday showed a 14% increase from the previous week and more than 53,000 patients are currently hospitalized, a number
ARTS / page 5
FEATURES / page 3
SPORTS / page 9
Sunrise Movement brings activism through music
In stressful times, CMHS, Tufts students to give mental health workshops
Sharp from the Sofa: Tuberville, politics and how they don’t intersect
that is quickly approaching peak summer rates. Rates in Massachusetts are also spiking. The state recorded 2,302 new cases on Saturday and a week’s average of 1,571 cases, which is a 68% increase from two weeks prior. Experts maintain that the rise in cases is not due to increased amounts of testing and suggest that broad lockdown measures may be needed to quell the spread of the virus. Did you feel that? A magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook the southern New England region Sunday morning. The earthquake occurred at approximately 9:10 a.m. in Buzzards Bay, Mass. in the southeastern region of the Commonwealth, and it could be felt up to 100 miles away. There were no initial reports of injuries. Earthquakes are rare in the region. The last earthquake of similar magnitude in Massachusetts occurred in 1976. In 1755, the worst earthquake in the region’s history, estimated by seismologists to be between 6.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, caused roofs and chimneys to crumble across the Boston area. — Jake Freudberg and Jillian Rolnick NEWS
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, November 9, 2020
THE TUFTS DAILY Alex Viveros Editor in Chief
EDITORIAL
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Biden flips ‘blue wall’ states Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania
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President-elect Joe Biden in his West Wing Office at the White House, Jan. 10, 2013.
ELECTION
continued from page 1 criticized the president’s declaration, saying that the races in several key states were too early to call. MSNBC and NBC News, which began airing his remarks, quickly cut off his declaration to clarify that it was untrue. On Wednesday afternoon, the Trump campaign announced that it would be suing the states of Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. It demanded that campaign observers have
increased access to the processing and counting of votes, adding to existing Republican legal challenges in Nevada and Pennsylvania. The campaign’s suits are laying the groundwork for it to call into question the results from battleground states, a strategy Trump has been hinting at for weeks. The president is also seeking a recount in Wisconsin. At 4:56 p.m. on Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to announce victory in
Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, states whose results had yet to be called. At the time of the tweet, Trump held a lead of 412,800 votes, which has disappeared since. Additionally, he insinuated in his string of tweets, which have since been flagged as misleading, that secret ballots had been dumped in the state of Michigan and that Biden’s win was therefore illegitimate. As president, Biden’s agenda for the first 100 days in office is
ever growing, with items ranging from addressing the climate crisis to providing affordable health care. One of his main priorities is releasing a national plan to diminish the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A deeply divided country and distrust by the American people in government are only some of the challenges that lie ahead for Biden and his presidency. As of 12:15 p.m. today, Trump has said he will not concede the election.
Celebrations erupt across country for Biden's win BIDEN
continued from page 1 versally wearing masks, stood on the corner of College Ave. and Davis Square, rallying support from cars as they passed through the intersection. Many held signs in support of the Biden-Harris campaign, including some with messages such as ‘Joe!’ and ‘Bye-Don’ written on them. The celebration continued well past sunset. At one point, a band formed and members of the community began dancing outside of J.P Licks. Danielle Pagano, a Somerville resident who lives in Porter Square, described the scene. “I’m really elated right now. I’m really excited to be celebrating with the community where I live,” she said. “I came to Davis and there are kids, older people and people
of color around, which is really wonderful.” Tufts students celebrating in Davis Square shared similar excitement for the election’s outcome. Sophomore Jack Flinchbaugh, who traveled to Davis Square after seeing celebrations on CNN, said he felt both relieved and excited about the Biden-Harris campaign’s success and the defeat of President Donald Trump. “It is a little more celebratory now, but when it first came out, it was just an exhale,” Flinchbaugh said. Sophomore Mason Goldberg also reflected excitement for both Biden’s win and the Davis Square celebration turnout. “I’m super happy that everyone is out here … to see the support from everyone is amazing and just to see how many people are just as happy about this as I am,” he said.
Both Goldberg and Flinchbaugh expressed hope for the upcoming Biden administration, and Flinchbaugh said he looks forward to adjustments in the country’s climate change policy. The event was similar to celebrations across the United States and world. At various locations in Boston, such as at Boylston and Charles St., people gathered to express excitement about the election outcome. Community members in New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta reflected a similar spirit and held celebrations. International events also occurred in London and small towns like Ballina, Ireland, where one of Biden’s distant relatives resided. At Tufts, there has been mixed support for Biden during the campaign trail. Last fall, students rallied support for more progressive candidates,
such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, by forming Tufts for Bernie and Tufts for Warren. While a similar group formed for Biden, it was not as publicized or vocal on campus. Somerville resident Henry Sule, who held a Black Lives Matter banner at the Davis Square celebration, explained that although Biden was not his first choice, he believes that Biden can help push progressive ideas on the national stage. “Honestly, going into the primaries, Joe Biden wasn’t my first candidate. And I think it’s the same story with a lot of people,” Sule said. “But I’ve come around to him. I think he’s the guy to unite the political spectrum. And it showed that he is willing to progress the progressive agenda.”
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Features
Lenny Bruce
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ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY
Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Services is pictured on Aug. 28.
Staff Writer
A contentious presidential election. A pandemic. Financial instability. Virtual classes. College students have faced significant obstacles over the past eight months, raising stress and anxiety for many. Luckily for Tufts students, many people and organizations have stepped up to help students learn to deal with increased stress. Tufts’ Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) moved to virtual-only services in the spring after campus shut down, and services will continue to be offered only in virtual formats through at least spring semester. However, they have maintained prior counseling offerings and expanded services this semester. For many years, CMHS has offered free groups and workshops open to all students. This semester, CMHS has modified these groups to better reflect the times and increased their offerings. Some of the groups currently offered include “Survive and Thrive —Tools for Uncertain Times” and “Coping with Loss in a Remote World.” In addition to these groups, CMHS started a new service called Ask a Counselor. Through the service, students can sign up for a short, 15-minute phone consultation with a counselor. “They’re designed for someone who is feeling like a brief conversation is going to be what they need,” Staff Psychologist and Director of Training Julie Jampel said. “[The consultations] wouldn’t be for somebody who’s in crisis, or someone who is looking for a therapist over time,” Jampel said. “It could be a good way to sort out a problem with the roommate, or think about something that feels addressable in a consultation for 15 minutes.”
The Ask a Counselor service has been fairly successful this semester, and CMHS is currently discussing whether or not to continue the service after the pandemic. “We’re leaning towards keeping it because it seems like it really has a place among what we offer. If students continue to use it and get use out of it, then we’ll continue to offer it,” Jampel said. CMHS isn’t the only organization on campus that’s assisting students in coping with stress. Tufts Burlesque Troupe is hosting frequent workshops open to all Tufts students. Zoe McKeown, a thirdyear Tufts-SMFA combined-degree student and Burlesque member, hosted an October workshop called DIVINE: FREE FEMININITY. McKeown’s workshop combined dance with activating energy storage. “It’s also all about being comfortable and worshipping your own body and celebrating the softness and fluidity,” McKeown said. “I think everyone just deserves to feel like a sexy sensual goddess every now and then.” In addition to dance and confidence, McKeown’s practices also focus on activating Svadhisthana, also known as the sacral chakra, and energy storage in the base of the spine. “I think it’s grounding is very important, as well. You ground in your body so you can ascend in your mind, which is what I try to do during the workshop,” McKeown said. The workshop stemmed from Burlesque experimenting with new virtual-only formats, for which McKeown was grateful. “[Burlesque] is such a wonderful outlet, and I know that a lot of other queer people and femmes can attest to the fact that it
Monday, November 9, 2020
Lena Leavitt Little Bit of History Repeating
Students, CMHS provide mental health workshops during time of high stress
by Olivia King
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feels like a true safe space on campus,” McKeown said. McKeown felt that her workshop was a success. “Everyone who showed up was very engaged, even though some of them felt kind of silly. But everyone totally leaned into it, I was very grateful for that,“ McKeown said. Though she has no immediate plans to host another workshop, McKeown is still looking into the future possibilities. “I would love to do more dance with people, more freeform kind of therapeutic dance, one that takes care of the physical body as well as the emotional body,” McKeown said. DIVINE: FREE FEMININITY was one of many virtual workshops held this semester to help students feel more grounded. Recent graduate Abigail Alpern Fisch (LA ’20) has been leading Koru Mindfulness workshops. According to Fisch, Koru Mindfulness is an evidence-based mindfulness meditation program and curriculum from Duke University. The curriculum she teaches is a four-week introductory mindfulness meditation course for people at any level of mindfulness. The program specifically targets “emerging adults,” young adults aged 18–29 who are undergoing many transitions in their lives such as college and entering the workforce. Fisch first learned about Koru Mindfulness when she enrolled in a workshop during her first year at Tufts. For Fisch, the program was a place where people from many different parts of campus could come together in a safe, supportive space every week. see WELLNESS, page 4
enny Bruce (born Leonard Schneider on Oct. 13, 1925) was labeled a “sick comic” by the media. No subjects were off-limits for his honest, off-the-cuff observations and social commentary, including “taboo” topics like politics, religion, race, sex and drugs (average fare for comedians now). Most of his routines sounded straight out of the dialogue of today. Bruce played Anderson, a phony liberal white man who finds himself standing next to a Black man at a party in a 1961 skit with his friend Eric Miller. In his every attempt to prove his good will to Miller, Anderson further digs himself into a bigoted hole — if this concept makes you think of people today flaunting their wokeness, you can see where Bruce was going. In another routine called “Religions, Inc.,” Bruce criticized organized religion by impersonating various religious television personalities like Oral Roberts and Billy Graham meeting at the headquarters of “Religions, Inc.” for a sales report. “Catholicism’s up nine points, Judaism’s up 15. The Big P, the Pentecostal is starting to move up finally,” he said. Authorities did not appreciate the comparison of religion to big business. When Bruce went to perform at the Gate of Horn club in Chicago, a police captain threatened the club’s owner. “If Lenny Bruce ever says anything against the Pope again — and I’m speaking here as a Catholic — I’m going to arrest you, him and everyone else in this place,” he said. Bruce was arrested numerous times — four times between 1961 and 1964 alone. The third and fourth arrests were at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village in 1964, where undercover agents reported that he said over 100 obscene words. Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan, working with local church officials including Archbishop Francis Cardinal Spellman, had been conducting an investigation of the comedian. In his April 1964 arrest, Bruce was charged with violation of New York Penal Code 1140, which “[barred] obscene material” that could “[corrupt the] morals of youth and others.” Notable artists like Allen Ginsberg, Elizabeth Taylor, James Baldwin and Bob Dylan signed a petition calling for Bruce’s release. “Whether we regard Bruce as a moral spokesman or simply as an entertainer, we believe he should be allowed to perform free from censorship or harassment,” the petition stated. After three months of deliberation, Bruce was required to spend four months in a workhouse. Bruce often questioned semantics, especially around the word “obscenity.” He once posed the question of why a Catholic president like John F. Kennedy could call businessmen “sons of b——” but a Jewish comic saying “motherf—–” was offensive. By the mid-1960s, certain states and countries had banned him, including Australia, England and Scotland. Legal fees and drug abuse left him in debt, and the police continued to harass him. He was paranoid and broken. Near the end of his life in 1966, he said, “I’m not a comedian anymore. I’m Lenny Bruce.” Bruce echoes in George Carlin’s quick wordplay and Richard Pryor’s wry observations. He opened the doors for comedians everywhere. 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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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Monday, November 9, 2020
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Mindfulness, counseling services seek to address pandemic stress, election anxiety share that with [your friends] and get them involved.” After completing a training for Koru Mindfulness this past summer, Fisch became a certified teacher. This semester she has co-taught the workshops, and has enjoyed the process of learning and improving as a teacher. Even if students are unable to enroll in a Koru Mindfulness workshop, Fisch urges everyone to practice mindfulness.
“I always encourage people to download Headspace or listen to podcasts because it can make you happier and the opportunities to learn more about mindfulness,” Fisch said. However, Fisch hopes people get the chance to experience and benefit from Koru Mindfulness as she has. She doesn’t think that getting into mindfulness should be something intimidating.
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getting up and taking walks, you know, we’re not working after hours or before hours. Trying to make sure that we eat well, get enough sleep.” The key to all of these new offerings, from professional counselors to students and graduates, is adapting to new times. “We’re trying to approach this flexibly and be able to provide what’s needed for students and among the staff too,” Jampel said.
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“No one is the expert on mindfulness,” Fisch said. “It requires constant exercising of that mindfulness muscle. You’re never going to be an expert at it.” Fisch and McKeown both consistently practice what they teach others. Even at CMHS, the counselors find it important to look after themselves, as well as students. “We’re trying to practice what we preach,” Jampel said. “We’re also trying to make sure we’re
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continued from page 3 “Sometimes people at Tufts might feel hesitant to get involved with things on their own and I think [Koru Mindfulness] should not be one of those things,” Fisch said. “If you can’t find a friend to go to Mindfulness with you, you should still do it because it’s for you, and then once you have a positive experience, you can
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Monday, November 9, 2020
Sunrise Movement advocates, empowers through protest music
COURTESY SIMONE LEWIS
Tufts students protest climate injustice on Dec. 5, 2019. by Megan Szostak
Executive Arts Editor
“Storms surge and fires burn, but you don’t hear the call / ‘Cause fossil fuels keep paying you, does it weigh on you at all? / Does it weigh on you at all? / Which side are you on now? Which side are you on?” In a clever manipulation of Florence Reece’s “Which Side Are You On?” (1931), members of the Sunrise Movement — a youth-run climate justice movement with a goal to “stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process” — have adapted this American protest anthem to fit their objective of combating climate change. Music occupies a significant role in the young movement, which was founded only three years ago, and acts as a unifying force for its members. Ella McDonald (LA ‘22), an organizer with Sunrise Tufts, discerned the importance of music in the movement in an email to the Daily. “Music flows in the veins of the Sunrise Movement, in every stage of the process of movement-building,” McDonald wrote. “Singing is a frequent practice that helps to sustain the movement, create movement
culture, and remind the public what we’re fighting for.” With a hub at Tufts and at over 400 other locations nationwide, the Sunrise Movement has asserted itself as a catalyst for a climate revolution and as a strong proponent of the Green New Deal, a resolution championed by Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-NY) that aims to temper both environmental degradation and economic inequality. According to Amanda Westlake (LA ‘23), one of the hub coordinators at Sunrise Tufts, the Sunrise Movement takes its devotion to both environmental justice and social justice very seriously. “We recognize that climate change is an intersectional issue,” Westlake said. “People in low income communities are the most impacted by the negative effects of climate change.” As a means to build community and promote the movement’s positions, Sunrise has adopted the habit of singing: a practice that, while temporarily put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, has had a profound effect on the community and the empowerment of its members — musicians and nonmusicians alike. “You don’t have to be a music expert to know about
music in Sunrise,” Westlake said. “It’s not about having an amazing voice or knowing a lot of different songs.” According to McDonald, hub meetings almost always begin in song. “Music can serve a powerful function in meetings to make the space feel more intimate, to get people energized and refocused, even just to call people’s attention back to the front of the room,” McDonald wrote. “The act of group singing … create[s] a powerful sense of solidarity.” In addition to music in hub meetings, Sunrise activists often erupt into song during protests, such as during the climate strikes of 2019. According to McDonald and Westlake, being surrounded by music at these events is an incredibly empowering experience. “During the climate strike in September [2019], one of the things that I remember the most, and that stands out the most, is the singing that happened. It really created an environment of hope, and was a way to express the feelings that we were all feeling,” Westlake said. “All these songs have so much power to move people and so much power [to] impact the way somebody feels, or to share somebody’s
story, or to feel in unison with each other and to feel that sense of community and togetherness.” McDonald, a double major in sociology and music, sound and culture, has held the role of “song leader” for Sunrise Tufts. “This entails teaching and leading activists in singing songs at poignant moments throughout protests,” she said. “Some of these moments are choreographed: someone will give a speech exposing a politician for the amount of the money they take from fossil fuel executives, and I’ll lead the group in singing ‘Which Side Are You On?’” Musical activism is by no means unique to the Sunrise Movement; protest and political music has held a place in the United States since the American Revolution. Notably reaching extreme popularity and influence during the 1960s and 1970s, protest music was often written in response to social and racial injustices, or to support political views held by certain groups, such as the anti-war movement. Songs such as Bob Dylan’s “Only a Pawn in Their Game” (1964), Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” (1971) and Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” (1964) were all extremely influ-
ential during the ‘60s and ‘70s, and they continue to have an impact on political and social movements. “A lot of the songs are historical protest songs borrowed from the civil rights movement and Indigenous people who have protested. A lot are from the ‘60s anti-war protests,” Westlake said. “We try to also find out the meaning and the history behind songs before we share them, so we know what we’re singing. We don’t want to appropriate any songs — we want to only use the ones that are appropriate for us to sing.” Both Westlake and McDonald are ardent climate activists on their own who have stepped up to lead and inspire others both within and outside of this movement. Perhaps the movement’s use of music contributed to its empowerment and impact. In reference to the protest music of the 1960s and 1970s, McDonald said, “Even when the movement ends, it can live on through music.” The Sunrise Movement is certainly still in its infancy, so it will not be going anywhere anytime soon, but the impact that it is making on the world of music and activism will extend far into the future.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Monday, November 9, 2020
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‘Lovecraft Country’ explores reality through Presidential cam- horror, fantasy
Maeve Hagerty Maeve’s Music Mondays
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n light of last week’s presidential election, I thought that today should bring a special edition of the column. At the risk of delving too deeply into my own political biases, we begin. Presidential campaigns work carefully to craft an image that represents their candidate, and what better way than to have a cultivated playlist with a few core songs to play during rallies and TV advertisements? Let’s delve into some of my favorite, and some of the more confusing campaign anthems from the past few decades. In his 1992 campaign, President Bill Clinton successfully branded the Fleetwood Mac song “Don’t Stop” (1977) and still played it often at events after his time in office. The lyrics offer a message of hope for the future: “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow . . . It’ll be, better than before.” For his 2000 campaign, President George W. Bush featured the song “I Won’t Back Down” (1989) until artist Tom Petty filed a cease-and-desist-order against the Bush campaign. The song features strong lyrics like “I’m gonna stand my ground / Won’t be turned around” that are rather emblematic of most Republican campaign music (as are the complaints about the music’s usage from the artists themselves). In more recent years, some of my favorite campaign music has been featured to great effect. The 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign featured some upbeat pop songs by female artists like “Brave” (2013) by Sara Bareilles and Katy Perry’s “Roar” (2013). Here we see the Clinton campaign capitalizing on Hillary’s narrative as the would-be first female president, as the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign attempted with the Heart song “Barracuda” (1977), to which the band protested. In the same infamous 2016 election year, President Donald Trump featured Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” (1984), an unsurprising choice, and another that made me do a double take. The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (1968) was used by Trump at multiple rallies to my chagrin, and I have to imagine to the chagrin of many others. Though the British rock band protested Trump’s use of it and later threatened to sue, the idea of a song whose main lyrics are “You can’t always get what you want / But if you try sometime you find / You get what you need” at a presidential rally is to me truly astounding: as if Trump was trying to suggest no one wanted him in office, but his presidency was instead a necessity. Overall, my favorite campaign choices so far have come from Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign songs “Starman”(1972) by David Bowie, and my all-time favorite from the 2020 campaign: “Seven Nation Army” (2003) by The White Stripes. But let’s end with a look at the music that has characterized the 2020 campaign. Trump’s persistent use of Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” (1978) has baffled me, at least, while Joe Biden actually commissioned a JoJo song called “The Change” (2020) with a focus on empowerment and activism. Campaign songs say a lot about the candidates they represent. So, hopefully this election means none of us will have to hear “Y.M.C.A.” in a political setting ever again. Until next week, happy listening!
Contributing Writer
Alien spacecrafts descend on a scene of 20th century trench warfare in the opening moments of HBO’s newest mind-bending show, “Lovecraft Country” (2020–). The scene immediately focuses on a Black soldier running through trenches amid the chaos of warfare that at first shows no hints of the supernatural. The opening words, a voice-over sampled from the 1950 film “The Jackie Robinson Story,” declare, “This is about a boy and his dream. But more than that this is the story of an American boy and a dream that is truly American.” Here enter the spaceships, flying squids and laser beams as the focal Black soldier runs into the fray, bewilderment written across his face. A crimson woman descends from a spaceship to embrace him, and as they turn a great monster with wings and tentacles rises from the ground. Who is going to save them? Jackie Robinson, sporting his #42 Los Angeles Dodgers jersey and grasping a baseball bat, splits the alien creature right in half with his bat in a rather large explosion of green goo. “I got ya, kid,” he tells the still unnamed Black soldier, and as the undead alien creature reforms behind him, Robinson turns to kill it once more. The dream sequence ends and the show’s hero — Atticus Freeman ( Jonathan Majors) — wakes from his bizarre imaginings to the section at the back of a public bus; the tone is officially set for the entirety of the horror, dark fantasy and historical fiction that is “Lovecraft Country.” The 10-episode series debuted Aug. 16 and has since been produced in weekly installments until Oct. 18. As the brainchild of such notable executive producers Misha Green of “Underground” (2016–17), Jordan Peele of “Get Out” (2017) and “Us” (2019) and J.J. Abrams of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), among others, the show is a true fusion of genres. The show takes place in the mid1950s and follows the story of Black Korean War veteran Atticus Freeman, a fan of science fiction books and H.P. Lovecraft, who is returning to his hometown Chicago upon hearing that his father has gone missing. Leaving behind only a cryptic note amid a series of mysterious events, Atticus’ father Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams) becomes the focus of the first few episodes as Atticus, his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and his childhood friend Leti Lewis ( Jurnee Smollett) journey to find Montrose, only to uncover a much larger mystery. Atticus and his family are some of the last, though illegitimate, descendants of a white family’s oligarchical sorcery dynasty. With the world of monsters, spells, hauntings and magic now open to
VIA IMDB
A promotional poster for “Lovecraft Country” (2020-) is pictured. Atticus and his companions, they must find a way to protect themselves from the supernatural as well as the equally horrifying incidents of racism throughout the series. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, the series tackles the racism of the Jim Crow era in a chillingly familiar narrative of police brutality, white supremacy and systemic oppression that is all too true of modern American society as well. The novel and the show both carry similar themes and plots to some of the most famous H.P. Lovecraft stories, and it is for these that the name is derived. In and of itself, the use of Lovecraft’s writings as a centerpiece is significant because he was a vindictive white supremacist and a self-avowed “admirer” of Adolf Hitler, but the show twists his stories to fit a different narrative: White supremacists create monsters and demons to harm the Black community. While the show is not for the light of heart (the horror elements, sex, gore and suspense can be striking), its message is
truly universal. The show focuses on the 1950s and yet the images of racist police brutality sent chills through my body and brought thoughts of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown, among countless others, to my mind. The show’s soundtrack also contributes to this. With music from the likes of modern Black artists like Cardi B, Leon Bridges, Tierra Whack and Leikeli47 as well as artists from decades past like Nina Simone, Earl Grant, Etta James and Gil Scott-Heron, the soundtrack is truly a transgenerational mix of Black empowerment intended to show the continuity of the Black community’s struggle for equality and respect in America, and also the continuity of its success and strength in defiance of racism. “Lovecraft Country” is a monumental show: It delivers weirdness, suspense, tears and a poignant reality check about the state of racism in our society today, and it does so with a unique flair we won’t soon forget. It is the perfect TV series for this moment in history.
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Maeve Hagerty is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Maeve can be reached at maeve.hagerty@tufts.edu.
by Maeve Hagerty
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Monday, November 9, 2020 | Fun & Games | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Matt Rice The Countdown
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So, now what?
t’s now clear that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. After days of staring at Steve Kornacki and John King explaining incoming vote totals, Americans from New York to Atlanta, from Boston to Los Angeles danced in the streets as the curtain closed on Donald Trump’s four years in office. Now what? Biden impressively rebuilt the “blue wall” across the industrial Midwest and is currently leading in the Sunbelt states of Arizona and Georgia. But in Congress, Nancy Pelosi’s House majority was slimmed, and the fate of the Senate depends on two January runoffs in Georgia. Given Georgia’s propensity for electing Republicans, it is likely that President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will have to negotiate with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. During the primary campaign, Biden was mocked by progressives for his belief that he could successfully work with right-wing leaders. Some may think that Biden is coming from a place of arrogance, but his belief is a sincere one simply because of who he is. Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate just over 48 years ago. He spent decades cordially debating, negotiating and having lunch with hardened segregationist senators like Strom Thurmond and James O. Eastland. Before the advent of cable news and talk radio in the late 1900s, U.S. senators could cut deals without drawing volcanic scorn from their own parties. It is no wonder Biden thinks he can work earnestly and in good faith with McConnell, because they spent years doing just that when they were both in the Senate. But based on what we have seen in the last few decades, it’s clear that Biden’s beloved Senate is not the place it once was. There is a new, young, hungry right wing taking over the Senate Republican caucus, embodied by Sens. Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley. When President Obama nominated longtime Senator John Kerry to lead the U.S. Department of State in 2012, only three senators voted against his confirmation. One of them was the recently elected Ted Cruz, who also went on to filibuster funding for the Affordable Care Act in a ridiculous stunt. If the Senate does stay in Republican hands, expect these three to be leading the charge against Biden from the Senate floor and their committee meetings. Biden often said he would have a cabinet that would “look like America,” meaning he would nominate an historic number of women and people of color to cabinet posts. According to Politico, Biden may nominate Susan Rice as the first Black woman to lead the State Department, while also nominating women for the top jobs at the Department of the Treasury and Department of Defense. Biden has also promised to put the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. But then we come back to the Senate. I have no idea what a Biden-McConnell relationship would look like. But if it looks anything like the Obama-McConnell dynamic, we are all going to suffer through more years of endless cable news bickering and shouting matches in Senate committees. Matt Rice is a senior studying political science. Matt can be reached at matthew. rice@tufts.edu. The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board. EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor in Chief, Executive Board and Business Director.
Sp o r t s Alex Sharp Sharp from the Sofa
Football coach finds a second career in politics
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n a week when sports have largely taken a backseat to politics, with much of the country intently following the results of the Nov. 3 elections, there was one case in which the two worlds collided. Former college football coach Tommy Tuberville, a Republican, defeated Doug Jones, a Democrat, in Alabama for a seat in the United States Senate. On Thursday, Coach Tuberville took to Twitter to endorse some of President Trump’s conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud. Tuberville communicated his message the only way he knows how: with some football lingo. Tuberville tweeted: “The election results are out of control.
Monday, November 9, 2020 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY It’s like the whistle has blown, the game is over, and the players have gone home, but the referees are suddenly adding touchdowns to the other team’s side of the scoreboard.” If that alone wasn’t enough to warrant a spot on ESPN’s weekly “C’mon Man” segment, a subsequent tweet read: “I’d challenge that as a coach, and @realDonaldTrump is right to challenge that as a candidate.” The senator-elect fumbled the comparison. A better analogy is that the red team met up with the referees before the game started and agreed not to put any of the blue team’s points up on the scoreboard until the second half began. That way the team in red’s coach, who struggles with emotional maturity, can tell his fans that he and his team are winning. Then inevitably, with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the blue team up 42–7 in victory formation, the coach of the red team starts throwing a temper tantrum on the sideline and cries out that the blue team cheated. You get the point. Not a pretty sight. Coach Tuberville campaigned as a prototypical pro-
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Trump MAGA candidate. Stand for the anthem, build the wall, protect guns, drain the swamp, etc., etc., etc. Tuberville has a history of nativist and racist rhetoric, dating back to 2011 when he hopped aboard one of President Donald Trump’s favorite conspiracies by expressing doubt about the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. More recently, he’s said American cities are being taken over by terrorism and Sharia law and that immigrants from the Middle East and Africa are uneducated and bring disease to the United States. Outside of absolute allegiance to President Trump, Tuberville hasn’t presented much in the form of a legislative agenda. During his campaign, he refused to participate in any debates and failed to answer policy-related questions in depth. Coincidentally, Tuberville has the exact same amount of political and public policy experience as Trump did before his presidential run in 2016. Since his political record is nonexistent (and this is the sports page), we have no choice but to look into his coaching career.
Tuberville coached 21 years with Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. His most successful tenure was at Auburn where he coached for nine seasons and led the Tigers to eight bowl games. Auburn football fans have fond memories of the coach Tuberville years, which is probably why he chose to move from Florida to Alabama in 2018 to pursue a senate seat. Tuberville’s exits at Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Cincinnati likely make him a much less appealing candidate to voters in those states. Tuberville’s democratic opponent Doug Jones took note of his history of unceremonious exits and aired an ad about it during halftime of a nationally televised Alabama-Texas A&M game earlier this fall. Tuberville told his team at Ole Miss the only way he would leave Oxford was if he was carried out in a “pine box,” and then left to take the job at Auburn days later. Then at Texas Tech, Tuberville walked out of a dinner with recruits to take the job at Cincinnati. Toward the end of his dismal final season at Cincinnati, Tuberville was booed and heckled by students after a bad loss to Brigham Young University. He
responded by eloquently shouting into the stands: “Go to hell! Get a job!” It was right then that people should have realized this guy has all the tools to be a Republican senator. Tuberville’s peers in the Senate might find their new colleague a bit difficult to work with. During his coaching career he mowed through different coordinators, often scapegoating them for his team’s poor performances. During one particular Texas Tech game, Tuberville got so upset with an assistant coach that he slapped him in the face, knocking his headset to the ground. Just imagine what could happen on the Senate floor if things get heated. Watch out Bernie. Tuberville won’t be the only former college coach representing the Republican party in Congress when he’s sworn in this January. He will join Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a former Ohio State assistant wrestling coach and steadfast supporter of President Trump.
plishment, consistently turning losing teams into contenders? James knows how to win and reach the finals, an achievement he has accomplished in nine of the last 11 seasons. LeBron and Jordan In basketball’s modern era, LeBron James and Michael Jordan are the only players with the resumes to contend for the status of “the greatest.” But while acknowledging Jordan’s stature, is there really any contest? Sure, Jordan catapulted the NBA into international fame and went 6–0 in the finals, but his competition was mediocre. According to the NBA, the teams that James faced until 2018 all ranked in the top 36 NBA finals teams of all time. On average, they have a clear advantage over the teams Jordan faced. In fact, the worst team James ever faced in the finals, the 2007 Spurs, still ranks higher than four of the six teams Jordan faced in the finals. While James’ finals record may have been worse, Jordan played inferior opponents and came into the finals with an ELO rating, which is “a measure of team strength based on head-to-head results, margin of victory and quality of
opponent, ” 64 points greater than his opponent. Meanwhile, James entered with a 63-point deficit in the same category. Another knock on James is his ability to close out games; the rap against him is that he falters in the final minutes. However, this is hardly true. In fact, James holds the record for postseason buzzer beaters, and, when facing a chance to eliminate his opponent, boasts a record of 14–10, or a winning percentage of 58.3. Meanwhile Jordan only went 5–7, or 41.6%. Moreover, throughout James’ career so far, he has already accrued more points, rebounds, assists and blocks than Jordan. Indeed, James has scored the most postseason points in NBA history and is second in assists and sixth in rebounding. He is also third in all-time points and may overtake Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before his career ends. Yes, James is 4–6 in the finals and Jordan is 6–0, but how did Jordan’s team perform without him? When Jordan took a year off in 1993, teammate Scottie Pippen took the Bulls to the Eastern Conference finals where they were one game away
from reaching the championship. On the other hand, when James doesn’t play, his teams are 23–49 (until 2018) without him. Clearly, Jordan had a better overall team to play against easier opponents, while James had to face modern analytical schemes and some of the greatest competition of all time. Legacy: On and off the court Arguing over who is the greatest of all time may ultimately be a futile exercise. James played in a different era than those who might challenge his “greatest of all time” qualifications. The modern NBA puts a microscope on every play, both on and off the court. But the clincher securing James’ legacy may lie in the unique combination of both. In addition to his notable charitable activities (James has sponsored schools and funded education in poorer communities), he has become a major political force, a champion for social justice and a real player in the world of political campaigns. If “greatest ever” speaks to broader social impact as well as monumental athletic accomplishment, like Muhammed Ali, James’ special place in history seems assured.
Alex Sharp is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Alex can be reached at alex. sharp@tufts.edu.
Is LeBron James the GOAT? JAMES
continued from page 10 Becoming King James After two consecutive championship years with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 and two finals MVPs, the conversation regarding James’ place in the greatest basketball player pantheon truly began. After four straight finals runs with the Heat, James surprised the sports world by deciding to return home to Cleveland, now enhanced by the presence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. He returned to his home state of Ohio to bring the people their first major sports title since 1964. Yet the ultimate prize still remained elusive; the Warriors lost the 2015 finals after Irving and Love both suffered injuries that kept them sidelined for most of the series. James led all players in scoring in five of the six games and dominating rebounding in three of the six games. Then, in 2016, the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors — a team that broke the NBA’s single-season win record previously held by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls (72–10). James secured another finals MVP and
the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 deficit to win the finals. To fortify themselves after this loss, in 2017 the Warriors recruited Kevin Durant, a 2014 league MVP, four-time scoring champ and consensus topfive player in the NBA at that time. With this powerhouse, the Warriors were able to defeat James’ Cavs in the next two NBA finals. Even so, James put up remarkable numbers. After four additional seasons with the Cavaliers, James then joined one of the fabled franchises in NBA history: the Los Angeles Lakers. Fallen from their glory, the Lakers had failed for the last five seasons to make the playoffs, consistently recording among the worst records in the league. Yet after just two years under James’ wing, the Lakers won a championship in 2020. The pattern is clear: LeBron has brought championships to three different franchises. Two years after his arrival, the Heat (2012), the Cavs (2016) and the Lakers (2020) have all won championships. Is there a player in any professional sport who can match that accom-
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10 Monday, November 9, 2020
Sports
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LeBron won his fourth ring: What does that mean for his basketball legacy? by Isaac Karp
Contributing Writer
One on one: LeBron James and Donald Trump At a recent Trump campaign rally, the now-outgoing U.S. president bashed the NBA and its superstars for protesting racial injustices and kneeling during the national anthem. LeBron James, the superstar face of the NBA and a harsh critic of the Trump administration, became the target of the crowd’s frustrations as they chanted “LeBron James sucks!” Their anger was a response to James’ criticisms of the president, including in 2017, when he called Trump a “bum” and remarked that “going to the White House was a great honor until [Trump] showed up!” Now that James has helped to defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election by working to stop voter suppression, closely following his fourth championship win in the same year, it’s time to reevaluate his basketball legacy. Remember 2016? With 10.6 seconds left in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, James drained a free throw to put the Cleveland Cavaliers up by four and seal the game in the clutch against league MVP Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors. After making the shot, James speedily walked over to his bench to encourage each teammate. The Cavs were on the brink of making history, coming back from a 3–1 game deficit to possibly win the series. On the final possession, Golden State threw up desperate threes as James and his teammates excitedly celebrated on the court; the comeback was complete. Why talk about the 2016 championship four years later? Because in the 2020 season, after the NBA finished the playoffs in a coronavirus bubble, James won his fourth championship and NBA Finals MVP. After his 16th season in the NBA, James has accomplished the feats and compiled the stats that prompt pundits to ask: Is he the greatest basketball player of all time? In fact, the conversation should have been over after the 2016 finals. His accomplishments since then have only widened the distance between James and anyone else who might lay or claim to the title. Expectation for greatness When James was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft, the expectations surrounding him were already staggeringly high. In his junior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, Sports Illustrated featured him on its cover with the proclamation the “Chosen One.” Yet, James stood steadfast in the face of pressure, winning
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LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is pictured in a game against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on Nov. 21, 2014. three division championships for his school and twice earning the title of Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year. After the draft, the hype was sky high. Many questioned how an 18-year-old could handle such fame and the burden to carry a franchise that had not made it past the first round in the NBA playoffs for 10 straight seasons.
No matter, after just four seasons James took the Cavs to the finals, where they lost to a far superior San Antonio Spurs team. James continued to excel for the Cavaliers, winning league MVP in 2009 and 2010. However, the Cleveland roster had major deficiencies, with no second star to help James get past the elite multi-star teams in the East
like the Big Three Celtics. In a controversial move, James took his talents to the Miami Heat in 2010, where his new team lost in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Many see this loss as James’ greatest failure. The Heat dropped a two-game lead against the Mavericks to lose 4–2 overall in the series. Yes, James could have done more to win that year,
but that shouldn’t disqualify him from the “greatest of all time” debate. If anything it adds a note of complexity to his evolution as a basketball great. A pattern began to emerge as James used his failures to redouble his determination to win. see JAMES, page 9