The Tufts Daily - Thursday, December 7, 2023

T he T ufts D aily THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

NEWSPAPER

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0 Medford/Somerville Mass.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

VOLUME LXXXVI, ISSUE 11

UNIVERSITY

Daniel Dennett calls for ethics in AI development

Rebecca Barrie

Contributing Writer

Originally published Dec. 5.

“It’s emerging, it’s everywhere. It’s going to be even more everywhere … and it’s scary and inspiring at the same time,” Jad Oubala, president and founder of the Tufts Artificial Intelligence Society, said when describing AI. For this reason, TAIS brought together computer science researchers and renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett to discuss the ethical concerns of developing AI technology at a panel discussion titled “Ghost in the Neural Net: Traversing the Ethics of AI” on Nov. 15. Matthias Scheutz and Tina Eliassi-Rad, both computer science professors at Tufts and Northeastern University respectively, joined Dennett on stage in Distler Performance Hall. Oubala, a first-year student, moderated the discussion.

Dennett, director of the Tufts Center for Cognitive Studies and professor emeritus of philosophy, is best known for his groundbreaking

COURTESY TUFTS AI SOCIETY

Tufts AI Society panel discussion is pictured on Nov. 15, 2023. work on consciousness. When asked by Oubala to define this term, Dennett made a point to exclude the topic from further discussion. “[AI] is not conscious now … so just leave aside the question of whether they’re ever going to be conscious or sentient,” Dennett said. “We have bigger problems

to worry about that are on our doorstep now.”

Dennett then further expanded on an idea he explored in an article published earlier this year, “The Problem With Counterfeit People,” drawing a comparison between lifelike AI and counterfeit money.

LOCAL

Somerville removes gender requirement from marriage certificates

Anna Fattaey

Assistant News Editor

Estelle Anderson

Deputy News Editor

Originally published Dec. 4.

Originally published Nov. 29.

ALEXANDER THOMPSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

A Somerville Police Department patrol car is pictured on Jan. 31, 2020.

The mayor’s office did not respond when contacted for comment by the Daily.

Ballantyne’s decision has garnered mixed reactions from those involved in the search.

“We did the work. We came together as a community with the understanding of what the

City of Somerville needs. …

We were all in agreement on at least two of those candidates,” Clingan told the Daily. “I’m not happy about it.”

Clingan has asked to be taken off of the committee as they move see POLICE, page 3

Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and City Clerk Kimberly Wells officially removed the gender identification requirement from Somerville marriage certificates on Oct. 19. Rather than having to select either “male” or “female” on their marriage certificates, Somerville couples can now choose to leave this field blank.

“At its core, the purpose of the marriage license is to legally bind two individuals in love, regardless of their gender identity or expression,” Ballantyne wrote in an email to the Daily. “Somerville believes in celebrating love in all its forms, and this change reflects our unwavering dedication to creating a city where every resident is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Features

Arts & Pop Culture

Editorial

Sports

Biking by the Day

‘The Exorcist’ Endures

Housing Help

Swimming Success

page 4

THE DAILY IS ON YOUTUBE

Scan to watch the latest video!

page 6

see AI, page 3

LOCAL

Mayor Ballantyne rejects police chief candidate, search enters fourth year Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Somerville’s Police Chief Search Committee announced on Nov. 9 that their search for the next chief of the Somerville Police Department will continue. Somerville has been in the process of selecting the new chief since December 2020, when former Chief David Fallon retired.

According to Jesse Clingan, Somerville city councilman and member of the Police Chief Search Committee, the nationwide search for a police chief produced three finalists, all from the general area. Those finalists were announced in October and following live interviews, the committee selected one candidate for Mayor Ballantyne to approve, whom she then rejected.

“Maybe [Large Language Models] can do wonderful things that we can’t come close to doing,” Dennett said. “I just want us to be able to tell the difference, and that’s because LLMs are not people: They’re counterfeit people. … I want to suggest that counterfeit people are more dangerous, more potentially destruc-

tive, of human civilization than counterfeit money ever was.”

Referring to the speed at which AI technology is being developed without ethical consideration, Dennett offered a pessimistic outlook on the future of the industry and its implications for humanity.

“Unless we take very strong steps immediately … we will soon enter a very dark age,” he said. “It may be too late to stop this from happening.”

Eliassi-Rad, Northeastern University’s inaugural Joseph E. Aoun professor, further emphasized racialized problems that can arise when ethical considerations are not taken during AI development.

“The facial recognition systems will do better on professor Dennett than on me,” EliassiRad said. “They usually don’t do as well on women, and they don’t do well on darker-skinned women. … We have known for decades that those oximeters, which measure the amount of oxygen in your blood, do not work very well for darker-skinned

page 9

page 12

Since marriage certificates are state documents, Somerville does not have the power to change the content of the forms themselves, which currently only list “male” or “female” as gender identifiers. However, the city can allow residents to not fill out certain portions of their certificates.

“For folks who are non-binary … for folks who may be genderqueer or may have transitioned throughout their marriage or engagement … not forcing them to make one of these choices between what on a document is male or female is really important and allows everyone to show up as their fullest and most authentic selves,” Somerville City-Councilor-at-Large Willie Burnley Jr. said in an interview with the Daily. see MARRIAGE, page 3

News Features Arts & Pop Culture Fun & Games Editorial & Opinion Sports

1 4 6 8 9 12

TUFTSDAILY

TUFTSDAILY

THETUFTSDAILY

TUFTSDAILY.COM

THE TUFTS DAILY

THE TUFTS DAILY

2

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

NEWS

T he T ufts D aily Aaron Gruen Editor in Chief

LOCAL

Medford breaks ground on new community path Grayton Goldsmith Contributing Writer

Editorial Henry Chandonnet Kaitlyn Wells Managing Editors

Julia Carpi Caroline Vandis Associate Editors Daniel Vos Elizabeth Zacks Carl Svahn Julieta Grané Arielle Weinstein Tvisha Goel Chloe Courtney Bohl

Executive News Editor Executive Features Editor Executive Arts Editor Executive Opinion Editor Executive Sports Editor Executive Science Editor Executive Investigative Editor Julia Shannon-Grillo Executive Editorial Editor

Multimedia Nina Zimmerman Chloe Nacson-Schechter Clint Chen Yena Ryoo Avril Lynch Bex Povill

Executive Audio Producer Executive Video Editor Executive Photo Editors Executive Graphics Editors

Committees Guillem Colom Intentionality & Inclusivity Chair Elizabeth Foster Education Chair Merry Jiao Marlee Stout Social Chairs Sam Berman Ty Blitstein Alumni Liaisons

Production Olivia White Production Director Max Antonini Meghna Singha Executive Layout Editors Megan Amero Siya Bhanshali Executive Copy Editors Ella Dovey Mike Kourkoulakos Executive Social Media Managers Rachel Liu Executive Newsletter Editor

Business Ryan Sorbi Business Director Isabel Francis Assistant Business Director

Founded in 1980 The Tufts Daily is the entirely student-run newspaper of record at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. An editorially and financially independent organization, the Daily’s staff of more than 100 covers news, features, arts and sports on Tufts’ four campuses and in its host communities.

Land Acknowledgement The Tufts Daily office is located on the colonized land of the Massachusett people and within the territories of the Nipmuc and Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) tribes.

Story tips? Questions?

Concerns?

Let us know!

Visit tuftsdaily.com/tips

tuftsdaily.com P.O. Box 53018, Medford MA, 02155

Originally published Nov. 28.

On Nov. 2, the City of Medford broke ground on the half-mile Clippership Connector which will connect over 10 miles of preexisting greenways and bike paths which reach from Boston to as far north as Lynn. The path, expected to be completed by 2025, will be the culmination of over 10 years of work by the city and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as multiple civil society organizations.

“The Clippership Connector is a critical missing link in the broad Mystic River Greenways (Mystic River Reservation) that will improve active transportation routes along the Mystic River and successfully connect with an extended network of paths,” David Queeley, deputy director of projects for the Mystic River Watershed Association, wrote in an email to the Daily.

The roughly half-mile path will run through Medford Square, Riverbend Park and McGlynn Elementary School.

“The Mystic River Watershed Association is leading this vision and creating a roadmap to transforming these waterfront parklands with full participation from area residents,” Queeley wrote.

“A high-quality network of greenways for active transportation and recreation will enhance climate resiliency, provide sustainable mobility, and improve physical and mental health outcomes for the more than 600,000 residents of the watershed.”

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Mystic River is pictured.

Alicia Hunt, Medford’s director of the Office of Planning, Development and Sustainability, is the liaison between MyRWA, WalkMedford and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, all of which played an important role in the path’s development.

The path was funded via a partnership grant in which a portion of the upfront cost is put forward by an organization or community in order to incentivize the state to take action. According to Hunt, the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation — an organization dedicated to promoting the value of public green spaces — took interest and brought on a landscape designer to begin the idea process. “[There is] an amazing amount of land and space in Massachusetts,” Hunt said. “So for [the state] to pay attention to this half-mile rather than any other half-mile in the state, somebody needed to get their attention.”

Hunt noted that while most of the path’s planned footprint is state-owned land, easements were granted by the Medford Housing Authority, the City of Medford and one private owner in order for it to be constructed.

“The state owns it, the state is building it and the state will maintain it,” Hunt said.

In addition to the Solomon Foundation, the project is supported by organizations WalkMedford and the Cummings Foundation, founded by a Tufts graduate.

State Representative Christine Barber, who helped to secure funding for the project, stressed the importance of sustainable development. In her eyes, MyRWA’s larger Mystic Greenways initiative — including the Clippership Connector — is an important alternative to public transportation development.

“We live in a dense urban environment. We can’t all be in our cars, and with addressing climate change, we need to find other ways to get where we’re going,” Barber

said. “We have the Green Line extension … which is great, but doesn’t go everywhere. … Having paths that take you along the river is appealing, but is also safer when you’re not battling cars.”

Hunt has long grappled with ensuring that sustainable development is inclusive to those of different socioeconomic status.

“When you make things nicer and better and more accessible, that makes them more valuable, and now they’re more expensive,” Hunt said. “It raises the price of housing and of living around it. It’s a really difficult conundrum that people in my field have been dealing with for a long time.”

Still, Hunt does not believe the solution is to back away from projects like the Clippership Connector.

“In my mind, what you have to do is just bring the accessibility everywhere, so there aren’t ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ but everybody gets better access, more bike lanes, access to bike paths, stuff like that,” Hunt said.

Barber hopes to combine legislation like her state bill providing cheaper MBTA bus rides and the recently passed MBTA Communities Law, which mandates multifamily housing in areas surrounding transit stops, to achieve her vision of inclusive sustainable development.

“Anything we can do to address climate change, quality of life and transportation is really critical,” Barber said. “So this project and others like it are the things we need to keep doing to keep moving in that direction. It was an incredible partnership, and really, a lot of groups came together to make this happen.”

UNIVERSITY

TCU senators reflect on first months back in session

Lang Law

Contributing Writer

Originally published Nov. 20.

Members of the Tufts Community Union Senate, which has officially been in session for over two months, report feeling both spirited and productive. With seven new senators from the Class of 2027 in its ranks, various projects have begun to take shape, many of them led by firstyear senators.

Meal swipe reform, a central point on many of the new senators’ campaigns, is in the midst of turning from campaign promise to legislation. The TCU Senate is currently working on passing resolution S23-8, which proposes that students be able to use multiple meal swipes at retail dining locations on campus per meal period. Senator Anand Patil, who represents the Class of 2026, said, “We had our first meeting with administrators … It was a very positive response all around. They were happy that we met with them.

They’re looking forward to having us continue conversation.”

However, Patil noted that progress on this issue will not be swift.

VERONIKA COYLE / THE TUFTS DAILY

A TCU Senate meeting is pictured on Nov. 12.

“We are having our next meeting next month,” he said. “I think that’s going to be a continuing conversation throughout this year and maybe even more years to come.

But we’re hoping to see some progress made in some areas somewhere by the end of this semester or the end of this year.”

Senator Jackie Brand, who represents the Class of 2027, is currently working on adding more trash cans to the upper campus.

“On the upper campus, there’s like one trash can, and I feel like there’s always trash all over Res

Quad,” she said in an interview with the Daily. “I’m trying to figure out a way to put out trash cans … [and] stop people from littering.”

Senator Brendan French, also a first-year senator, is working on extending the hours of Tufts Health Service to weekends. He is looking to meet with Sonya Satinsky, executive director of health and wellness, after Thanksgiving to discuss his ideas.

“One of the freshmen that lives in Houston with me … asked if I could see if [Health Service] could start being open on the

weekends,” he said. “I’m hoping to pitch some ideas for how … we can solve that, because students don’t stop getting hurt on the weekends. We still get sick.”

First-year senator Aaron Dickson’s project to improve Tufts Wi-Fi has also garnered attention. As French explained, “Dickson … is currently working with tech services. They’re sending out a survey asking students where they notice they’re having Wi-Fi problems. I know see TCU, page 3

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

NEWS

Tufts AI Society hosts panelists including computer science ethics researchers, renowned philosopher AI

continued from page 1 people. All that data is going into the systems that are developing these AI tools in healthcare.”

She said, however, that the healthcare system isn’t the only place where AI fails those it is designed to help. Eliassi-Rad cited a 2017 Wisconsin legal case in which a judge used an automated risk assessment score to deal an increased prison sentence.

“To me, it’s just unbelievable that the judge is treating this software, this machine learning

3

AI software, as an expert witness without cross examining it,” Eliassi-Rad said. “These tools are being used in life-altering situations. They’re being used in policing. They’re being used in our criminal justice system.

They’re being used in healthcare and school assignments and so on and so forth.”

Eliassi-Rad said that when she asks others in her field if they’d want AI systems to be used on themselves, “nobody raises their hands.” According to Eliassi-Rad, developers distance themselves from the social ram-

ifications of their work using a “veil of ignorance.”

“Think about that. The people who know the math, who are building the tools, don’t want it to be used on them,” she said.

“That’s one of the biggest dangers we have.”

Scheutz described a “troubling” trend he’s seen among attendees of AI conferences over the last six years, tending towards a lack of critical thinking in making ethical decisions. “[They] don’t know logic anymore. They don’t know the foundations of AI,” Scheutz

said. “I think it’s really important to understand the technology, to really understand the math, understand the tradeoffs, understand what the potential is, right? You hear ‘AI’ everywhere. People talk about it and most of them don’t know what it is and how it works.”

He encouraged students to “learn the math in great detail, understand exactly what that system can and cannot do,” so that more care can be taken and that ethical dilemmas may be mitigated earlier in the development process.

“Then you take that knowledge, and you apply it,” Scheutz said. “You may not use certain algorithms because you know there is a potential that these algorithms will make funky associations. You may not use that particular inference mechanism because you know it will lead to incorrect inferences. … It’s really important to, from the beginning, reflect on the technology as well as the algorithms, especially mitigating difficult questions in light of ethical theories.”

Denise Molina Capers, Somerville’s racial and social justice director and chair of the Police Chief Search Co m m i t t e e, supported Ballantyne’s decision.

“We have an ordinance and the ordinance is a very key part of the way the system is designed. We have to follow the ordinance in this process,” Molina Capers said. “Everyone is engaged and there is no one person that is making a decision. It was designed to have a team of individuals who help make the best decision for Somerville.”

Clingan expressed concern that Somerville has been left without an official police chief for years. On his constituents’

reactions, Clingan shared that “people are frustrated, it’s somewhat embarrassing.”

According to Yolanda Smith, Tufts’ executive director of public safety, TUPD expects to continue the community policing model which she says has worked best for both police departments.

“We have a very good relationship with the Somerville Police Department, who always support us in our time of need. I cannot say that there has been any adverse effect during the hiring process of the new Police Chief. Chief Femino and his team have remained committed to assisting TUPD,” Smith wrote in an email to the Daily.

Councilman Clingan said he hopes that a new police chief can “bring people together in a balanced way that understands the role of police is that of more of a customer service role in the way they deal with the public.”

Somerville currently has multiple task forces working to reform the city’s police force, including the Public Safety for All Task Force, the Anti-Violence Working Group and the Civilian Oversight Task Force. Molina Capers noted that each group includes community members.

“All this very hard work that’s being done [creates] information that the new police chief would have available to them in order to make decisions that best fit the

very diverse needs of Somerville constituents,” Molina Capers said.

Alexander Gard-Murray, a member of the Civilian Oversight Task Force, explained why having a civilian oversight body could be helpful in similar situations in the future.

“The goal with an oversight board is to give the community additional confidence that they have a voice in how policing is run in Somerville,” Gard-Murray said. “So if we have people who aren’t committed to reform in the future or if we have problems with filling posts in the future, hopefully a good civilian oversight board will make it easier to navigate those periods because civilians will have this extra body looking out for them.”

Community has mixed reactions to Somerville Mayor’s decision POLICE

continued from page 1 forward in finding new candidates. Charlie Femino, who served as Somerville’s acting police chief from 2013 to 2014, will continue as interim acting police chief again until a replacement is found.

Myles Herbert, a Somerville resident and member of Somerville’s Civilian Oversight Task Force had negative opinions about Ballantyne’s decision.

“It’s just kind of another example of a city or a mayor slow-walking reform,” Herbert said. “Ballantyne is someone who, when confronted with a tough issue, will go with a study every time. It’s called decision paralysis … it’s ‘perfect’ being the enemy of ‘good.’”

Somerville couples can now leave gender identification blank on marriage certificates

MARRIAGE

continued from page 1 Burnley expressed his hope that the state of Massachusetts will modify its marriage certificates to include more inclusive gender id entification options.

“I think as this becomes more recognized as an expansion of inclusion, I’m hopeful that the state will take the step to say that no one has to fill that [box] out, or provide other options that people could choose on the form, such as nonbinary, genderqueer or something of that nature,” Burnley said.

Somerville is following in the footsteps of Boston, which made this modification

back in August. The change to Somerville’s marriage certification process will affect already married couples as well as newly married ones, as any couple who wishes to remove their gender from their marriage certificate is now allowed one free, changed copy from the city clerk’s office.

“We’re offering it for free because it’s the right thing to do,” Burnley said.

Hope Freeman, senior director of Tufts’ LGBT Center, stressed that the LGBTQ+ community continues to confront a host of issues beyond marriage equality.

“I can also understand the feeling of this initiative

being ‘low hanging fruit’ as marriage equality is priority for some, but not all within the LGBTQIA+ community,” Freeman wrote in an email to the Daily.

Among other priorities for the LGBTQ+ community, Freeman noted high rates of homelessness, inequitable access to medical insurance, national anti-trans legislation and “Don’t Say Gay” laws in states like Florida.

However, Freeman stated that the implementation of gender-neutral marriage certificates is a step in the right direction for Somerville.

“There are small wins and big wins, but it’s most important that we move forward with

the belief that change is happening,” she wrote.

As well as offering gender-neutral marriage certificates, Burnley noted that the city has also changed the role of LGBTQ+ Community Liaison from a part-time to a full-time position. The liaison works closely with Somerville’s LGBTQ+ community, helping to plan community events and corresponding with the mayor’s office. Going forward, Burnley shared his hope that the city will focus on strengthening rights for its transgender residents, especially by better supporting those who are thinking of name changes due to transitioning.

“That’s something that can be a barrier for folks, when they have to change documentation, when they have to navigate the system in a way that they never [have] had to before,” he said.

While Burnley does not know of any pending legislation regarding LGBTQ+ rights in Somerville, he emphasized that residents play an important role in bringing issues to the government table.

“I personally am always interested in figuring out how we can do things better and how we can become the most welcoming place we possibly can,” Bunley said. “So if folks have any ideas about how we can do that in terms of laws, I would love to hear them.”

Senators aim to change meal swipe policy, improve Tufts Wi-Fi TCU

continued from page 2 Wi-Fi is a big problem here sometimes.”

Kunal Botla, a first-year combined-degree student and the SMFA Senator, has been working on bridging the gap between the SMFA and Medford campuses. One of his primary issues has been with increasing funding for SMFA clubs. As Patil explained, “[TCU gives] the SMFA student government a lump sum of

money at the start of the year, and we found that we are falling short for most clubs. … For the first time in I think a long time, we have passed supplementary funding to increase their budgets.”

Botla is also working on resolving dining issues at the SMFA. “Without [Botla], we would’ve had no clue about this disparity between the SMFA Café and how it affects combined and dual degree stu-

dents,” Patil said. “The SMFA Café is a retail dining location, so [students] can only swipe once, not twice, per meal period. … On top of that, the hours aren’t good. … There are classes that go later than the [hours for the] only dining center on [the SMFA] campus.”

The first-year senators are learning that their projects require time and concessions.

In terms of meal swipe reform, French said, “Going into it we thought we would be able to

get what we were asking for. …

After going through the process, I realized that there’s a lot more to it.”

According to French, the administration reverted the meal swipe policy because it wasn’t financially viable for the school. Now, senators are hoping to convince the administration to change the policy back.

“Right now, what we’re doing is asking the school to run some more numbers [and] seeing if

they can make some leeway, to please the students and make our meal plan more convenient for the whole student body, and especially for the freshmen,” French said.

Despite this, spirits remain high in the TCU Senate.

“I think so far [the first-year senators] have been doing a great job. Its very early on, and even quick projects take a long time to happen,” Patil said. “I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how they do.”

4

Features

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

F eatures Take it for a spin: The Camberville E-bike Lending Library gives access to electric bicycles in the Greater Boston area Sarah Firth

Features Editor

Originally published Nov. 30.

Inae Hwang was torn: Should she buy a new electric bike?

“I’ve been looking at e-bikes for six months straight, really looking to purchase one,” Hwang, a Belmont resident, said.

Then, a friend referred her to the Camberville E-bike Lending Library, which Somerville resident Christopher Schmidt runs out of his Porter Square home.

Hwang decided to take one of the e-bikes for a spin. “I was like, ‘Oh, I should totally borrow one because then I will know what it feels like, and how well it does or doesn’t work for me,’” she said.

Hwang was hooked; she tested out multiple different e-bike models through the library.

“I borrowed one for the last week. … Oh my god, that was awesome,” she said. “And now, I just tried a different bike out because it wasn’t in last week.”

The E-bike Lending Library has a collection of electric bicycles available for loan to community members for up to a week, completely free of charge. The library works to expand access to e-bikes in Somerville and Cambridge (“Camberville”), and the surrounding areas.

Electric bicycles have become an increasingly common sight on the streets of Somerville in the past few years. With a battery that gives a boost of power behind the pedals up to 20 mph, electric bicycles can be an efficient way to get around the Boston area.

However, between the vast number of brands and styles to choose from and the fact that many e-bikes are sold online, it can be difficult to take one for a spin before purchasing.

Schmidt, a Somerville resident, is trying to change that.

He first purchased an e-bike in March 2021, which sparked his passion for e-bikes and led to him creating the lending library.

“I immediately fell in love,” Schmidt said. “I have been riding bikes off and on since I was a kid, like many of us, but using a bike as transportation ... was really hard for me, and the e-bike just changed everything.”

For Schmidt, an electric bike offered many advantages compared to a standard bicycle.

“It let me feel more comfortable in traffic, it let me feel more comfortable on the road,” he said. “I could go farther, I could run errands and I immediately wanted to share my joy with everyone else.”

Schmidt frequently would bring his e-bike to his friends and let them try it out.

“Half the people I took it to would just immediately be like, ‘Yes, I’m doing it and buying a bike,’” Schmidt said. “The other

SARAH FIRTH / THE TUFTS DAILY

Christopher Schmidt sits outside the Camberville E-Bike Lending Library with a few of the bikes available for loan. half liked it … but they would be worried about ‘Can I do the grocery run? Can I take the kids to school? Can I make it to work?’ … They just really couldn’t tell you in a five minute ride.”

Electric bicycles are much more expensive than a regular bike — price tags usually begin at $1,000, and a quality e-bike can cost upwards of $3,000 — and it can be difficult to make the jump with only a short test ride around the block.

Schmidt wanted to be able to lend friends his e-bike to try for a longer period of time so they could decide whether it fit into their lifestyle.

Then, in October 2022, the e-bike manufacturer RadPower had a large sale on one of their e-bikes for $500. Schmidt took advantage of the opportunity to purchase a second bicycle and to spread the word about the sale.

“I told all my friends, ‘Go buy this bike. You will not be disappointed. Trust me, just go buy this bike,’” Schmidt said. “And, it turns out, I have a lot of friends.”

In total, 183 people followed Schmidt’s referral link to purchase a bike, and Schmidt earned a store credit for each friend he referred.

“At that point, I had $4,500 in gift card credit to an e-bike store,” he said. “So, what do you do with a $4,500 in gift card credit to an e-bike store? The obvious answer is buy more e-bikes.”

With the funds from the referral link, Schmidt was able to start up the Lending Library.

Of the 103 individuals who requested them in October, the library was able to lend 51 e-bikes. Many of the families who borrowed bikes were looking to replace or avoid purchasing a second car.

“The goal of the library is just to help people primarily figure out, ‘Does an e-bike work for me? Can I use it in my daily life?’” Schmidt explained.

Although the library’s primary purpose is to give people the chance to test out an e-bike before purchase, individuals can also borrow a bicycle simply for leisure.

“I had someone who came in from Hawaii who was just here for a week and she had heard about the library from somebody,” Schmidt said. “They put 120 miles on the bike in a week, which is awesome.”

The e-bike library recently partnered with Electric Bikes of New England, a New Hampshire-based dealer. The store has donated e-bikes to the library, including cargo bikes, which are bicycles designed to carry multiple children or other large items.

“They’ve really been just a huge boon,” Schmidt said. “The library was able to go from zero cargo bikes to three cargo bikes in the course of a week because of our partnership with them.”

Parents now have the opportunity to try out more budget-friendly cargo bike options than most of those offered at stores in Cambridge and

Somerville; the models available for loan at the Camberville E-bike Lending Library typically sell for $2,000 to $4,500 online, several thousand dollars cheaper than alternatives commonly found at stores in the Tufts area, which can run from $5,000 to $9,000.

Schmidt operates the library out of his home. Due to limited storage, the library depends on a cycle of continuous loans.

“The key thing is to store them in other people’s garages,” Schmidt said. “My goal really is to keep these bikes in rotation.”

Anyone who is 18 years or older and has a place to store the e-bike securely can borrow one by filling out a request form on the library’s website.

Once the bike becomes available, Schmidt arranges a time for the person to come by the library. Between three days and a week later, the bike returns to Schmidt’s home to be loaned out to the next rider.

Hwang’s experience with the library was very positive.

“It was easy. It was convenient. And the bikes are fun,” she said.

Watertown resident Peter Williams, commutes to his job at Harvard using public transportation every day. Williams used the library to test out the feasibility of using an e-bike for his commute.

“It’s a specific group of people for whom [e-bikes] are practical and work well, and it’s certainly not everybody,” he said.

“But for my commute, I certainly came out convinced that for where I happen to be, the e-bike would not just be a good option, but I think it would really be the best option.”

For Williams, the e-bike helped bridge gaps in public transportation and avoid congestion.

“Compared to my public transit commute, where I’m not super close to bus stops and work … the e-bike version, the best route I can come up with, is half that time, so 22 or 25 minutes,” Williams said.

“The nice thing is that because you’re on the bike lane, it can be rush hour and your commute still takes around the same amount of time.”

Williams also highlighted the community spirit of the library.

“It just feels like a very nice community thing to me, and certainly, it takes a lot of trust on Chris’ part to lend out these expensive [e-bikes] to people and it takes a lot of work to manage it all,” he said. “Participating in it feels like a very ‘getting involved in the community’ kind of experience that can be kind of hard to come by these days.”

Williams believes the library will encourage cycling in the neighborhoods and towns around Tufts.

“Once there’s enough bikes out there, it kind of hits a tipping point where [bicycling] is just sort of a thing that people do, as opposed to this lifestyle choice,” Williams said.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Features

5

Road trips allow Tufts students to explore new places, experiences off campus Katie Hankinson

Contributing Writer

Originally published Dec. 4.

As New England transitions from fall to another long, cold winter, the number of outdoor activities on the Tufts campus has started to dwindle.

For students looking to combat the Northeast’s notorious winter rut, a day trip or a weekend road trip off campus can be an opportunity to experience new places.

Tanay Nistala, a junior who grew up in India and later moved to New Jersey, took a trip to Acadia National Park on a rainy weekend in mid-October with friends to fulfill his “bucket list” item of visiting one of the U.S. national parks.

“I’ve heard from so many of my friends who have gone to one national park or the other,” he said. “Acadia is the closest we have [to Tufts].”

As the only national park in New England, the drive to Acadia is 4 ½ hours, which Nistala split over two days.

“We stayed the first night near Portland. Driving all the way in one shot, in the dark especially, would have been not great,” Nistala said.

Upon reaching Acadia on Saturday afternoon, Nistala and his friends made the most of their weekend, despite the poor weather.

“We picked a brilliant weekend for the foliage, but we picked a terrible week in terms of weather, it was raining the whole time,” Nistala said. “Still, hiking in the rain, it was pretty fun.”

Although there are buses that reach the park, Nistala noted that transportation from Boston to the park via train is impossible.

“The furthest you can get is Brunswick, [Maine] on the train,” he said. “It just worked out that I was able to get my dad’s car.” It still takes 2 ½ hours to drive from Brunswick to Acadia.

Indeed, having a car to get around the park in mid-October has its benefits. Acadia has an intra-park bus service known as the Island Explorer. However, according to the park’s website, the Island Explorer only runs from June 23 to Oct. 9.

Luckily, Nistala noted that traveling around New England is possible without a car.

“Even if you don’t have a car, there’s a lot of places you can go,

GRAPHIC BY BEX POVILL just because we have tons of trains and things here,” Nistala said.

This was true for first-year Alexandra Rachmat, who took the train for her day trip to Providence, R.I. For students who do not have access to a car, Providence is an easy trip to make through public transportation.

“It’s really convenient to go there,” Rachmat said. “It’s maybe 30 to 50 minutes there and back on the Amtrak.”

Rachmat explained that she visited Providence to see friends and check out the food scene.

“We had seen a bunch of places in Providence on TikTok, and … I also have friends who go to Brown University, which is located in Providence, so it made the most sense because I wanted to see my friends as well,” Rachmat said. “We went to eat lunch. We just ate pretty much all day, and then we went to go see cafés around the city.”

For both Nistala and Rachmat, their trips off campus provided a new experience away from Tufts, as well as a temporary escape from academics.

“It’s just a fun way to fill out a weekend, and not just be on campus doing homework,” Nistala said.

Rachmat expressed a similar sentiment regarding the benefits of taking weekend road trips.

“I think it’s definitely a way to get your mind off schoolwork,” she said. “For me as an international student, this is one of my first times being [in] the Northeast in general, so I’ve never really seen any of these places,” Rachmat, who is from Indonesia, said.

Beyond personal trips into the areas surrounding Boston, some Tufts clubs also offer opportunities to explore.

Rebecca Fowler, a first-year member of the Tufts Mountain Club, served as a coordinator for the club’s “POC-kend” — a weekend trip to TMC’s lodge from Nov. 3–5 intended for students of color at Tufts. Fowler said that her experience was a fun way to meet new people and explore.

Fowler also participated in Tufts Wilderness Orientation, which was her first time camping and backpacking.

Fowler highlighted the social benefits of the “POC-kend” trip.

“It was a really fun way to meet new people, especially people of color, where an activity like hiking can be so predominantly white,” Fowler said.

The TMC Loj is situated in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, about a two-hour drive from Tufts. “[The] Loj is really nice,” Fowler said. “It’s open to all Tufts people. Essentially, there are just a bunch of rooms with a bunch

of bunk beds. You can sign up to go, and as long as you have transportation up [there and] pay a fee that covers the food that’s provided up in the Loj.” TMC makes transportation up to the Loj easier with the club’s van, which members can borrow for their trip after being certified to operate the van.

“That’s a really nice resource because I feel like one of the main blockers of weekend trips is the transportation,” Fowler said.

Though weekend trips are a fun way to escape the potentially stressful and bustling environment on campus, Fowler emphasized that they are not possible without careful planning.

“I would say really commit to it and start planning earlier rather than later. Book out a weekend a few weeks in advance, and do your research,” she said.

Rachmat gave similar advice after taking her trip to Providence.

“Plan it out,” she said. “In most cases if you wait [until] really last minute to buy a [train] ticket, they’ll get really expensive.”

Nistala, though, provided a different point of view based on his Acadia adventure.

“I mean, you don’t have to plan too much,” he said. “I tried over-planning for the whole thing … just go with the flow and make sure you can get back in time.”

However, all three students agreed that for those who can, Tufts students should try to travel off campus and take advantage of what the New England region has to offer.

“Definitely try to take advantage of this if you can, the proximity to so many cool places, and the ability to explore them,” Rachmat said.

Fowler emphasized how TMC’s resources can help students get off campus, especially the club’s themed weekend trips.

“I would encourage people to get involved with TMC, a great way to start is to sign up for the big weekends, there’s a few every semester. From there, it’s a good way to see the Loj and get involved,” she said.

Nistala noted that New England’s geography makes it an ideal area for many different types of trips for a day or for a weekend. From its quaint towns to its rural mountains, New England has plenty to offer for Tufts students looking to explore somewhere new and get away from the stress of schoolwork.

“I think weekend trips are really an escape from everything that happens, the stresses and all the activity,” Fowler said. “It really allows you to reflect on your day-to-day life normally, and it allows you to take a break from all that.”

6

Arts & Pop Culture

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

A R T S & P O P C U LT U R E

COURTESY JEREMY THOMPSON / FLICKR

A scene from “The Exorcist” (1973) is pictured.

Pop culture, pea soup projectiles, political commentary: 50 years of ‘The Exorcist’ Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali Assistant Arts Editor

Imagine a typical wintery day in 1974 — the new year has set in, the holidays are almost over and you want a last hurrah before returning to the rat race. At the cinema, a poster of a mysterious man shrouded in the glow of a lamppost catches your eye, and warnings from quaking cinemagoers only deepen your resolve.

Perhaps you are in need of a thrilling watch or are seeking to ruin your sleep schedule (and sense of inner peace, temporarily).

Whatever the case, in you march, popcorn in hand. Not long after, once the film has commenced, it becomes difficult to differentiate between the screams of characters and audience members, and health emergencies have commenced around the theater. Once you leave, the spine-chilling score reverberating in your ears, you’re probably going to feverishly warn your friends not to watch the film, which only heightens the aura surrounding the movie. That was, and still is, the power of William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist.”

Released on Dec. 26, 1973, now 50 years ago, “The Exorcist” is a supernatural horror film based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest horror movies ever made and a landmark in the genre as a whole.

Set in Georgetown, Washington D.C., the movie follows Hollywood star Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) and her pre-teen daughter

Regan (the eternally frightening Linda Blair) as they confront a demon who will stop at nothing to wreak havoc on their domestic bliss. Aided by Catholic priest Damien Karras (Jason Miller), who must face his own crisis of faith, and the more experienced Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow), the family takes its captivated (or captive) audience on a gripping two-hour journey, complete with arresting cinematography, religious iconography and horrifying gymnastics.

Several scenes from the movie went on to become iconic pop culture references. Ask someone who the protagonist of “The Exorcist” is and they may not have a clue, but show them a GIF of the chilling spider walk or a meme of a possessed Regan MacNeil, and reactions will range from a chuckle to a wince. My first memory of the movie was seeing the Regan doll at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City, which was accompanied by a small screen near the exhibit playing some choice scenes on a loop. Those who viewed it cycled through cringes of revulsion and giggles at the sight of projectiles of pea soup hurtling at an unsuspecting adult, all before returning to a state of irrational fearfulness at the prospect of encountering the possessed preteen in the middle of the night.

Much of the initial buzz around “The Exorcist” arose not only from the movie, but from the moviegoing experience as a whole. A 1974 New York Times article by Judy

Klemesrud described the scene, noting that masses of attendees waited like “sheep in the rain, cold and sleet for up to four hours.” She also relayed the observations of a guard at a movie theater. “A number of moviegoers vomited. … Others fainted, or left the theater, nauseous and trembling,” she wrote. “Several people had heart attacks, a guard told me. One woman even had a miscarriage, he said.” Klemesrud delved into the far-reaching appeal of the movie, noting the morbid curiosity of many moviegoers. “It seemed that the largest group, after the ‘I-read-the-book’ people,” she wrote, “were the ‘I-must-be-crazyto-be-here’ people.”

For many, “The Exorcist” also seemed to address certain aspects of ongoing political discourse at the time of its release. In her paper “Somewhere between science and superstition,” scholar Amy C. Chambers wrote that the movie “connects the worlds of science and religion through their individual responses to the seen and unseen.” The limitations of science are heavily depicted in the movie, such as when MacNeil approaches Karras after medical procedures fail to produce a solution. One of the most stomach-turning scenes in the film is the cerebral angiography, which rivals the initial stages of the titular exorcism in its intensity. In a similar vein, Karras’ crisis of faith calls to mind the re-evaluation of values that was taking place in the American socio-political sphere at the time, amidst the Vietnam War and the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. Writer and

academic Troy Rondinone thus situates “The Exorcist” alongside successive movies like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Halloween” (1978) as ones that dared to tackle themes of institutional decline.

Commenting on the legacy of the film, Paul Driskill, a Ph.D. candidate studying the intersection of fiction and science writing in an evolutionary context, as well as a Tufts ExCollege instructor currently teaching a class called “The Monsters that Make Us,” noted how some of the film’s themes still endure in the horror franchises of today. “One of the things the film did really well was representing the limits of medical science to address either a psychological malady, or in the case of the film, a fairly explicit spiritual inhabitation,” he said in an interview.

Aside from its iconic status in pop culture, it can be confidently said that “The Exorcist” helped legitimize horror as a genre. It was the first horror movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, paving the way for movies such as “Jaws” (1975) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), the latter of which ended up taking home not just Best Picture but the “Big 5” Oscars award categories.

“I wouldn’t [have been] surprised if there was an eruption of spooky, haunting, movies that followed this,” Driskill said. “I think any well-done horror movie legitimizes horror. … What it shows is that you can have those gruesome horror elements, but if they’re superimposed correctly on what

is otherwise a really effective narrative … that demonstrates that a horror [movie] doesn’t need to just be about the horror, that maybe really effective horror movies are about much more than just the monster or the possession.”

Driskill also lauded “The Exorcist” for its more subtle elements that add to the ominous nature of the film. “You have this over-the-top gory stuff, but then you have really subtle things — those are probably the scariest,” he explained, noting the Ouija board scene as an example. “You see that the planchette moves without either of them touching it, but then Chris thinks that it’s Reagan who moved it, and Reagan is like, ‘No, it’s Mr. Howdy.’ Mr. Howdy, to me, is a much more terrifying character than the actual demon,” he joked.

So, what better way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this classic than with a watch party? After all, nothing puts one in the festive spirit like family drama, Christian imagery and a child shouting expletives. Indeed, many can certainly empathize with having to deal with an unwanted presence around the holiday season, though it is almost certain that the demon’s mischief pales in comparison to the destruction wrought by a drunk uncle. If you’re in search of a bigger fright though, look at reviews of successive movies in the franchise — check out ratings for “Exorcist: The Beginning” (2004) on Rotten Tomatoes if you’re feeling particularly brave.

Happy watching!

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Arts & Pop Culture

‘The Heart Sellers’ is an honest portrayal of friendship at the Huntington Nate Hall

Deputy Arts Editor

“The Heart Sellers” (2023), a new play by Lloyd Suh, takes place in 1973, but its story feels just as relevant today. Following a world premiere at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in February, it’s playing now through Dec. 23 at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston.

Under the direction of May Adrales, the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of “The Heart Sellers” tackles immigration, marriage and the joy of friendship in a refreshingly honest way.

Out on a shopping trip on Thanksgiving, young housewife Luna ( Jenna Agbayani) sees another woman wearing a matching jacket and decides to invite the woman over to her apartment. While their conversation is slow and stilted at first, Luna and Jane ( Judy Song) soon discover that they have a lot more in common than their jackets. They’re both recent immigrants to America — Luna from the Philippines, Jane from Korea — and they’re feeling a little lonely with their busy husbands at work during the day. Through an evening of deep conversation and emotional bonding, the two strangers quickly become friends.

Agbayani’s charisma is immediately infectious, while Song’s Jane takes a little while to warm up. Luna bombards Jane with questions about her family, her social life and her first impressions of America, but Jane, who struggles to understand Luna’s English, stays quiet.

When Luna reveals that she needs to cook a turkey in time for dinner, Jane finally speaks up — she’s been watching lots of Julia Child on TV, and she knows exactly what to do. Or at least she would, if the turkey wasn’t frozen solid.

Throughout the evening, Luna’s enthusiasm rubs off on Jane, and the two form a bond as they discuss their shared feelings of isolation, their memories of their home countries and their hopes for the future. Laughter turns to sadness, and then laughter again, in an emotionally charged conversation that explores the challenges of fitting in. Agbayani’s bubbly energy and impressive physicality bolsters the play’s momentum through its slower initial scenes, and her seemingly endless supply of wine keeps the conversation flowing. Song, meanwhile, displays incredible range in her performance, transforming from a timid housewife into an outspoken young woman excited to seize any opportunity that comes her way. The pair’s chemistry and comedic timing is admirable, and when one of them bursts into laughter, you can’t help but laugh along with them.

Suh’s dialogue feels truly authentic and his story is wonderfully intimate, almost inviting the audience into the room with Luna and Jane. The oneact play never leaves the confines of Luna’s apartment and takes place entirely in real time, allowing the characters to grow organically over the course of the play. Suh has a knack for writing powerful monologues that express the complexity of the women’s situations as they struggle to adjust to their new homes — caught between two worlds, they don’t quite feel at home in either of them.

The title of the play is derived from the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, a landmark immigration law that allowed more Asian families to come to America.

Less than a decade after its passage, Luna and Jane reflect on how the law has changed their lives, for better or

Odessa Gaines The Power of the Pen

What did we learn?

W

COURTESY T CHARLES ERICKSON

Judy Song and Jenna Agbayani are pictured in “The Heart Sellers” (2023). worse. The play’s designs effectively communicate the 1970s setting, with music that reflects the time period and snippets of radio coverage that describe the ongoing Watergate scandal. Scenic and costume designer Junghyun Georgia Lee’s attention to detail adds to the ’70s environment, filling Luna’s apartment with yellows and browns that evoke the play’s retro aesthetic. The entire set is enclosed in a box and elevated several feet off the ground, which helps to physically capture Luna and Jane’s feelings of isolation. May Adrales’ intimate direction

elevates Agbayani and Song’s performances, making each onstage interaction feel truly authentic.

Luna and Jane have big dreams — they want to go to the movies together, visit a nightclub and maybe even travel to Disneyland. The Thanksgiving holiday keeps them inside for the day, but that doesn’t stop them from making plans for the future. In a powerful final monologue, Jane describes the adventures that a day in their future lives might contain, and by the end of the play, it’s clear that the women have formed a powerful bond that is meant to last.

7

e have finally come to the end of not only the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes of 2023, but also this column. Throughout the past few months, I aimed to give even the slightest bit of insight into what was going on in the Hollywood industry machine and the power a strike can hold.

When I first started out with this column, I had a full list of topics, ranging from how the strike affected writers across the country, to how production crews were impacted, to the history of other significant guild strikes. I wanted to touch on the big issues but also the significance and history behind it all.

With only 500 words a week, there was only so much I could say, but I believe we were able to provide just a piece of the puzzle for others to understand what happened over the last few months.

As the writers and actors banded together this year, big studios faced major delays in productions and releases, like Zendaya’s “Challengers” (2024), which was moved from its initial September release date to next April.

Additionally, in solidarity with other actors and in following what guild rules outline, actors involved in productions not approved by the guild walked out on promotions for said productions, as seen with “Barbie” (2023) at the very start of the actors strike on July 14.

The end of both strikes saw significant improvements in contracts for actors and writers alike. The improvements emphasized individual rights toward identity and creative work via artificial intelligence limitations, in addition to increasing pay via streaming residual and wage increases. The strikes pushed the studios until they no longer held the upper hand, ensuring actors’ and screenwriters’ rights were protected.

While it may seem that big names like Fran Drescher of “The Nanny” (1993–99) were at the forefront and leaders of the strike, the outcomes of these movements will better the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands of people and artists. The final contract deals have changed history in the film and TV industries.

In history, we have seen over and over again that strikes work — despite the efforts of figures like former President Ronald Reagan.

From TV writers striking against Hollywood’s elite to teachers in K–12 schools, striking holds power because it disrupts the industry and calls for action. When workers and individuals unionize, change is made for the better, even if it takes 118 days.

So, what exactly did we learn from the strike? The voices of many and the power of the pen could change everything.

Odessa Gaines is a junior studying psychology. Odessa can be reached at kgaine01@tufts.edu.

THE HEARD Listen to the latest episode!

8

F&G

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Fun & Games

Late Night At The Daily Caroline, on being hit by a car: “It was just a huge waste of time.”

Fun & Games Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.76)

CROSSWORD

1

SUDOKU

3 4

2

4 5

7

6

5

9 3

5

2

1

7

1

1

5

2

6

7

8

5

5

4

2 8

4

6

9

Difficulty Level: Reaching out to your marriage pact.

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Dec 7 00:08:03 2023 GMT. Enjoy!

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63) ACROSS 1 Pencil competitor 4 Orange competitor that makes tech 9 Univ. military programs 14 "Xanadu" rock gp.

15 The "B" of RBG 16 Different 17 Cause of many traveling delays 20 "Bad, Bad ___ Brown" 21 TV host O'Brien 22 Nobelist Wiesel 23 Took a bite of 26 Fellows 29 Bad-mouth 30 Superhero garments 31 Losing proposition?

32 "Paradise Lost" figure 33 Groups of three 35 What the singer in 52- across wears in the famous music video 38 Electrician's alloy 39 Thick hairstyles 40 Greek god of war 41 Fitbit units 42 Wager 45 A few: Abbr.

46 Workers' collectives 48 Introductory drawing class 49 Ireland's De Valera

51 ___ of faith 52 With 1, 4- across and a pineapple, the hit meme song in 2016 57 See 52- across, continuation of that clue 58 Swiss diarist Henri Frederic 59 Wallace of "E.T." 60 "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" author 61 Kanye's mom 62 Georgia, once: Abbr.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS: Interested in submitting a puzzle? Reach out to production@tuftsdaily.com

Fifth-Year

The Fifth-Year Master’s Degree program allows Tufts undergraduates to continue on to a master’s degree with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering after completing their bachelor’s degree.

Students complete all requirements for both degrees. Some graduate coursework will be integrated during the bachelor’s degree, thereby shortening time and financial commitment to the graduate degree.

The deadline to apply is December 15 for seniors (GSAS and SOE) and March 15 for juniors (GSAS only). gradadmissions@tufts.edu | 617-627-3395

Benefits of a Fifth-Year Master’s Degree • Earn your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree • GRE scores not required • Application fee and enrollment deposit are waived • Only two letters of recommendation are required • Generous scholarships are available*

P

14

2

3

L O

A

I

17 20

4

E N

E

5

18

R P O R T

L

E R O Y L

I

D

I

S

35

36

29

L

38

E 32

30

23

52

P

57

L

60

E 53

25

C A P

E

S A T A N

V

49

S 50

8

9

E

46

47

U N

P

I

10

19

E C U R

37

E D 33

34

T R

S

T

I

O N S

I

54

E

55

P

56

S 51

L

A M I

L

E N

O R M A N 19 Miler Sebastian 23 Golden Horde member 24 On ___ with 25 Targets, as with spam 27 Wide shoe sizes 28 Some Windows systems 30 Part of Batman's ensemble 31 Rackets 32 Lays down the lawn 33 Snares 34 Fixes 35 Folk wisdom 36 Local news hour, often 37 Fen-___: banned diet aid 38 Airline to Stockholm

61

Y

26

27

28

D

I

E

T

I

N E

S

31

E

M E N

N T 42

S 43

44

A R T

I

48

A L

N E A P P 58

I

C O N A N S

13

T

21

T

12

O T H E R

S H A G S

41

11

R O T C S

16

39

E A M O N

E N P E

24

S

T A S

S O L D E R

A R E S

L

E O P A R D P R

40 45

7

B A D E R

E

22

6

A P P

15

B E

T

E A P

E A P P

D O N D A

59

D E

62

S

E

S R

41 Singer O'Connor 42 Rye and whole wheat 43 Military camps 44 Rewarder of good service 46 Twin Cities sch.

47 Oui's opposite 48 Ginger ___ 50 ___ in the Pod (maternity clothing store) 51 Penne ___ vodka 52 Mideast grp.

53 Poetic contraction 54 Latin 101 word 55 Wrestler's goal 56 Walker, on signs

CROSSWORD

7

4

1

2

3

6

5

9

8

3

9

2

5

7

8

6

4

1

8

3

5 4 1

6 2 9

8

2 6 5 7 1

6 5 7

9 3 6

9

8

3

4

4 8

1 7

4 1 9 5 8 6 2

1

3

7

9

4

2

2 9

5 3

1 7 8 4

2 8

Learn More: go.tufts.edu/fifthyear

* The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will provide a graduate tuition scholarship proportional to the undergraduate tuition award at the time of application. Learn more about School of Engineering tuition savings opportunities at go.tufts.edu/SOEfifthyear

7 6

5

4

3

2

7 1 6

3 9 5

SUDOKU

The Fifth-Year Master’s Degrees are offered through the following programs: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Master’s Degree

together, usually within five years

DOWN 1 Rang 2 Hebrew song whose title means "My God! My God!" 3 TVA sponsor George 4 "___ Named Sue" 5 Golfer's goal 6 L.A. summer setting 7 "___ Misérables" 8 Builds 9 Circular 10 ___ vez (again, in Spanish) 11 Snack that, despite its name, doesn't help with weight loss 12 This: Fr. 13 "My b," in a text 18 "The Raven" poet

1

Art Education, BFA/MAT Biology, BS/MS Chemistry, BS/MS Child Study and Human Development, BA/MA Classics, BA/MA Data Analytics, BA/MS or BS/MS Economics, BS/MS Education: Middle and High School, BA/MAT or BS/MAT Environmental Policy and Planning, BA/MS or BS/MS Mathematics, BS/MS Museum Education, BA/MA Music, BA/MA Philosophy, BA/MA by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku o Urban and Environmental Policy Generated and Planning, BS/MA or BA/MA

School of Engineering

Bioengineering, MS Biomedical Engineering, BS/MS Biophotonics, MS Chemical Engineering, BS/MS Civil and Environmental Engineering, BS/MS Computer Engineering, BS/MS Computer Science, BA/MS or BS/MS Cybersecurity and Public Policy, MS Data Science, BS/MS Dual Degree Program: Innovation & Management + Engineering degree, MS Electrical Engineering, BS/MS Engineering Management, MS Human Factors Engineering, BS/MS Human-Robot Interaction, MS Innovation and Management, MS Materials Science and Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering, BS/MS Offshore Wind Energy Engineering, MS Software Systems Development, MS Technology Management and Leadership, MS

THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion

Thursday, December 7, 2023

9

O pinion EDITORIAL

A realistic guide to finding off-campus housing The Editorial Board There’s a lot we would ask for this holiday season, and at the top of the list is something big: guaranteed housing for everyone at Tufts.

Of course, we know this wish is just that — a wish. Realistically, the vast majority of upperclassmen will have to find and rent off-campus apartments, and while we applaud Tufts’ efforts to build a new dorm and invest in Community Housing units, off-campus living will remain a part of students’ lives for a long time.

Living off campus isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, having your own house with friends offers unparalleled independence and the freedom to form your own community. However, as anyone past their first year knows, the housing search is a time-consuming and emotionally grueling task — and that’s not even accounting for the not-so-uncommon predatory realtors and notoriously difficult landlords.

Members of the Daily’s editorial board are no strangers to the housing struggle. We’ve had groupmates flake out, leaving housing arrangements in limbo, and we’ve gone on dozens of house tours to find our current rentals.

The unfortunate reality most undergraduates face is that we will have to go through an arduous and expensive search for housing that includes dealing with (often) dishonorable real-estate professionals.

Our goal as an editorial board — and as a group of upperclassmen who were in your shoes — is twofold: to publicly acknowledge your challenging experience and to offer a non-exhaustive list of advice to make your housing search a little less painful.

The search The greatest time-sink in the housing process is searching for available rentals. In the time we could have devoted to school, we’ve become full-time house hunters, left scouring the internet for leases and sublets, clicking through hundreds of listings on several different websites and forums, only to find the perfect listing … $1,000 over budget.

In our experience, it can take daily, active searching to find an affordable place near campus. That’s why we agree with Angy Sosa, associate director of residential operations, who told us in an email that it’s “never too early to start thinking and learning about housing for your junior and senior years.”

However, thinking about housing and signing a lease are two very disparate steps. Although some students choose to sign leases up to a year in advance, Sosa called this “far too early” and suggested students take more time and keep their options open before committing to an expensive (and legally binding) rental agreement. After all, friend groups change, and it may be worth it for your group to find out if you receive an on-campus lottery number.

There are a variety of different websites which show available rentals, and we suggest checking all of them religiously. Tufts has its own off-campus housing platform in partnership with Apartments.com.

Other housing websites include Zillow, various Facebook groups and a slew of platforms run by realty companies like Boardwalk Properties and Compass.

Keep in mind that each website is likely to have their own exclusive listings, and houses that go on the market tend not to stay on the market for long — so as soon as you see a listing that looks viable, be sure to send an email to the listing agent. You should also know that convenience comes at a price; apartments closer to campus can

GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA WHITE cost well over $1,000 per tenant each month.

The house tour Before you schedule a tour with a realtor, be aware that they have a vested interest in renting you a house since they earn a hefty brokerage fee. Although brokers are helpful for finding apartments, our experiences with brokers have included insistence that we add hundreds of dollars to our leases in order to win potential bidding wars and pressure to rent subpar houses, lest we never

find an alternative. Don’t let brokers scare you, because trust us, there’s always an alternative.

When you’re touring houses, you should be prepared with questions.

Be sure to ask whether utilities are included (they usually aren’t), if the property needs repairs and if there are (working) appliances, such as a dishwasher, washer and dryer. Sosa also suggests asking about parking availability and subletting policies. see HOUSING, page 10

Letter from the Managing Board: With love to the Dailmunity

To our readers, As our tenure as managing board comes to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the semester.

At every stage — from pitch to draft to print — journalism is a community practice. Over the past three months, more than 160 student writers, editors, videographers, podcasters, photographers and graphic designers have spent countless hours working to tell stories for and about you: the Tufts community.

The Daily would not exist if not for our devoted readership. Thank you for trusting us during the calm times and the calamitous ones; for asking us difficult questions and setting high standards; for sending op-eds and letters to the editor and for telling us when we need to do better.

Every day, you remind us why we write, rewrite, fact-check, edit and publish. Your active engagement with our multimedia reporting helps us grow into more thoughtful, fair and fearless student journalists.

Inspired by our mission, we’ve strived to sustain the Daily

CHLOE NACSON-SCHECHTER / THE TUFTS DAILY

The 88th Managing Board of The Tufts Daily is pictured. as a hub of journalism education. We know that to learn is to do; that’s why we encourage staff to dive in from day one.

Working from the same newsroom where we received our first

edits, we’ve fostered a hands-on environment for the next generation of student journalists to learn the fundamentals of field reporting and develop specific passions as writers and artists.

Even though we’re the “managing” board, throughout this process we’ve been guided by you, our staff. You’ve broadened our perspectives, reminding us that quality work comes

from tough conversations and that the status quo should never limit us. Even within a 43-year-old publication like the Daily, there’s always room for change.

Ultimately, the Daily is a student organization just as much as it is a newspaper. We are so grateful to our staff — from our newest members to our wonderful executive board — for coming on this journey with us. We saw you bud at DailyCon, bloom at the Hunt and flourish as confident storytellers. We were overjoyed to experience the bustle and buzz of the office each weeknight as we produced this newspaper together.

In times of consequential reporting, it’s easy to get caught up in the professional and lose sight of the personal.

Managing the Daily is no simple feat, but it’s the Dailmunity that makes it a joyous one. Our greatest hope is not only that you feel proud of your work, but that you know you’re an integral part of this passionate collective.

Sincerely, The 88th Managing Board

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free of charge 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 Editorial Board. Individual editorialists are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Editorial Board. Editorials are submitted for review to The Tufts Daily Executive Board before publication.

VIEWPOINTS AND COLUMNS: Viewpoints and columns represent the opinions of individual Opinion editors, staff writers, contributing writers and columnists for the Daily’s Opinion section.

Positions published in Viewpoints and columns are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion.

OP-EDS: Op-Eds provide an open forum for campus editorial commentary and are 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.

ADVERTISEMENTS: All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the editor in chief, executive board and business director.

10 Opinion

THE TUFTS DAILY

Thursday, December 7, 2023

VIEWPOINT

Tufts needs to kick carbon to the curb before swiping right on sustainability Kaashvi Ahuja Staff Writer

Tufts Climate Action has been urging Tufts to completely divest from fossil fuels, including all indirect investments. Their plea has been criticized within this publication; some believe a complete divestment is impractical and will burden Tufts’ endowment. On the contrary, it is in the interest of both our planet and our university if Tufts wholly divests from this detrimental industry.

Tufts is an institute with worldwide influence. It boasts one of the best international relations programs in the country.

It maintains ties to Oxford, Talloires and the London School of Economics, among many other global intellectual hotspots.

It also has international partner institutions through The Fletcher School and many other global affiliations. Should Tufts choose to withdraw investment from all entities that also indirectly contribute to global warming, it will make its mark for everyone to see. If Tufts were to divest, it would absolutely have an impact on the fossil fuel industry. Some want TCA to “mind [their] own business,” but investigating Tufts’ investments is all of our business as students of this university. The welfare of the climate must be our business: Do we not all live on the same planet?

The basis of TCA’s argument has always been one of accountability. They have been asking for Tufts to take accountability towards its students and their future and to work to preserve the world that it is educating and preparing future generations for.

Instead, Tufts is contributing to its decay.

In 2021, the Board of Trustees approved a broad set of actions for the endowment

Ben Choucroun Antisemitism Unpacked

The myth of the Jewish hive mind

T

he saying “two Jews, three opinions” can be frequently heard in Jewish circles, and it’s true. As a Jewish person, the stereotype that Jews argue and disagree with each other a lot is pretty true. My grandfather even likes to joke that Sephardic Jews were kicked out of Spain for arguing too much. However, a defining feature of antisemitic conspiracy theory is that Jews are a monolithic entity and bear collective responsibility for the actions of some Jews. To make matters worse, Zionist groups have portrayed Jews monolithically and have continued to devalue the word “antisemitism.”

Zionists, including those at Tufts, have caused harm by attempting to speak for all Jews. In recent weeks, flyers have been posted on campus asserting that the “Tufts Jewish Student Body” stands with Israel.

Tufts Friends of Israel has also written arti-

COURTESY GERRY MACHEN / FLICKR

related to the climate crisis, including a divestment from direct holdings of the largest coal and tar sands reserves companies. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough.

Tufts is actively discrediting its mission that pledges dedication towards “effective stewardship of our resources.” As mentioned in one of TCA’s op-eds published in the Daily, “even though the Board of Trustees announced in 2021 its intent to ban direct holdings in coal and tar sands companies, $26 million, or 1.1% of Tufts’ endowment, is still devoted to them via indirect holdings.” This is evidence of careless and irresponsible management.

We must urge Tufts to make long-term investments in the fields of environmental protection, climate restoration and renewable energy, whilst ensuring a complete divestment in an industry that is

contributing to our untimely extinction.

If they make ethical investments but still do not divest fully from fossil fuels, they are not doing everything in their capacity to repair the damage they have inevitably caused to the planet from previous harmful investments. I would perceive this as an attempt by Tufts to emphasize their commitment to sustainable investments and use this to overshadow their investments in companies that partake in environmentally damaging practices. In other words, it’s an attempt at greenwashing by misleading the community about the nature of their investments.

An article in this publication criticized TCA’s legal complaint against Tufts, a complaint which detailed a violation of Tufts’ duties to the public as a nonprofit institution. The criticism stated that TCA’s legal complaint was unwarranted because the

cles for the Daily denouncing antisemitism supposedly coming from pro-Palestine groups and asserting that this rhetoric makes Jewish students feel unsafe.

Characterizing all Tufts Jews, including myself, as monolithically pro-Israel and threatened by anti-genocide protests is deeply hurtful. To see my identity and Jewish collective trauma wielded to defend an apartheid state committing the very same crimes that have been inflicted on my ancestors is sickening. And while, unlike Tufts FOI, I don’t presume to speak for all Tufts Jews, I know many feel similarly.

Of course, Israel and Zionists are not responsible for antisemitism. The state of Israel is not responsible for the rise of the Nazi-like far-right political parties in Germany, state-sponsored Holocaust denial in Iran or antisemitic riots in Russia.

Antisemitism is the sole fault of antisemites, not Israel. To insist that antisemitism is an inevitable response to Israeli war crimes implies that Palestinian liberation and Jewish liberation are juxtaposed — an assertion I refuse to accept.

Unfortunately, the idea that Israel is responsible for antisemitism has even been spread by left-wing groups. After the sickening Israeli invasion of Lebanon,

in which the Israeli Occupation Forces murdered tens of thousands of civilians, the socialist feminist magazine Big Flame argued that Zionism is “the monster that is doing most to fuel antisemitism in the modern world.” The issue is that there is no logical reasoning behind antisemitism, merely bigotry stemming from deep-rooted societal and cultural sources. When I have experienced leftwing antisemitism, it has come from white leftists unfamiliar with Jewish issues, not Palestinian activists. The aforementioned antisemitic rhetoric is not characteristic of the larger anti-Zionist movement, and it can be prevented by listening to and taking cues from Palestinian organizers, as I discussed in my last column. Jewish and Palestinian liberation are intertwined, and allowing antisemitic rhetoric to creep into progressive movements threatens global liberation.

Zionists have also downplayed the seriousness of antisemitism by labeling anti-racist pro-Palestinian activism as antisemitism. Terms such as “from the river to sea” and “glory to our martyrs” have been described as antisemitic, and recently the House of Representatives

passed a resolution labeling anti-Zionism as antisemitism. Of course, Palestinians are primarily victimized by these disgusting conflations by labeling their legal and moral right to return to their homes across all of Occupied Palestine, and their mourning of the over 15,000 people martyred during Israel’s genocide, as a form of racism. The fear that the Palestinians, if in power, would do to Israelis what Israel did to Palestinians in 1948 — and is doing now — is rooted in deep-seated settler anxieties similar to those felt by European-American settlers about Native American attacks.

But the labeling of “from the river to the sea” and similar phrases as antisemitic also attempts to deprive Jews of the ability to describe our very real oppression by disparaging the very word “antisemitism.”

And to this day, many a progressive Jew will be interrogated about their position on Zionism by well-intentioned white activists while marching about another unrelated issue — an indication of the anti-racist work yet to be done.

Your resources Throughout this process, we suggest visiting Tufts’ own housing resources page to review your rights as a renter, as well as reaching out to Sosa along with the Residential Operations & Housing Services team. The office is available to answer questions before and after you sign leases, and its staff can even help you mediate disputes with your housemates or your landlord. Sosa suggests that students email offcampusinfo@tufts.edu with any housing-related questions.

Though we’re always in favor of Tufts purchasing more CoHo units for students, we also believe there are cheaper options Tufts can pursue now to make life easier for students seeking housing. For one, not all students follow the Off-Campus Housing Canvas page, but we think everyone should be automatically enrolled. The page includes updates from housing services and a forum for students to connect with subletters.

It’s also deeply frustrating and time-consuming having to scour several websites for potential rentals; though this problem isn’t Tufts’ fault, we believe the university should

create a platform that aggregates rental listings from different websites. Tufts could also send students a weekly newsletter with verified rental listings and sublease solicitations, saving us some of the time and hassle of searching online.

Lastly, we think Tufts should invest in a more persistent and visible advertising campaign to realistically educate students of our obligations and to highlight the resources available to us. The better informed we are, the easier our searches will be, so our house-hunting hours can instead be spent agonizing over exams in the basement of Tisch.

A realistic guide to finding off-campus housing HOUSING

continued from page 9 If the current tenants happen to be at home during the tour, ask them about their experiences living in the house and dealing with the landlord: Is the landlord responsive to maintenance requests? Does the landlord respect the terms of the lease agreement?

Odds are, the current tenants will be more honest and straightforward than the broker.

Lastly, when you’re preparing to sign a lease, read the document closely and ask as many parents or trusted adults as possible to go over it as well.

writer believed Tufts was in compliance with the law. I believe the important discussion to be had here is not whether Tufts complies with the law — ExxonMobil, identified as existing among the highest-emitting investor-owned companies since 1988, is technically complying with the law. But it also released 110 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022. Just because ExxonMobil is loyal to the law, that does not mean they should be allowed to continue business as usual and endanger our natural world so that they can line the pockets of their shareholders. Similarly, even if Tufts is not doing anything illegal, we should not stand by idly as it invests in companies that have no regard for the welfare of the planet. If Tufts has an obligation to national laws and policies, it should also have a duty towards the natural law — the intrinsic values that govern our reasoning and behavior — in this case, towards the way humans treat the environment that nurtures and feeds us. Tufts is an educational institution devoted to creating the next generation of leaders — us — yet we are the ones who will suffer the effects of the climate crisis, and Tufts fails to acknowledge the role it plays in all of this.

I understand ESG-based investments don’t come without risks, but no investment is ever risk-free. At the end of the day, if Tufts’ vision is committed to helping students “distinguish themselves as active citizens of the world,” they should have been expecting the pushback from TCA criticizing them for being unfaithful to their mission. Tufts is a good university, but it needs to start practicing what it preaches, and that will only happen if it starts living up to the promises it makes to its students.

Ben Choucroun is a first-year studying Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora Studies.

Ben can be reached at Benjamin.Choucroun@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

SPORTS 11

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Men’s hockey sweeps the weekend slate for its first two wins of the season Max Druckman Staff Writer

Originally published Dec. 6.

In college sports, a team’s conference schedule is the most important, and usually the most difficult, part of its season. The Tufts men’s hockey team, though, has found its groove during the first few NESCAC matchups of the young season. The Jumbos defeated the Williams Ephs 7–4 on Friday and the Middlebury Panthers 4–1 on Saturday to claim their first two victories of the year.

“It’s always nice to get the six points on the weekend, but also for our team morale and everything. It’s what we needed,” sophomore forward Max Resnick remarked.

Tufts entered the weekend at 0–4–1, most recently falling 3–2 to Salve Regina University during the Skidmore Thanksgiving Tournament and in dire need of positive results. Williams, similarly, had suffered a rough start to their campaign, sitting at 1–3. Thus, at puck drop in the Lansing Chapman Rink, both sides were eager to overturn their fortunes.

Just over two minutes into the first period, Ephs senior defenseman Faisal Al-Saif slotted home his first goal of the season on the power play after Resnick was given two minutes in the box for boarding.

Tufts soon came roaring back as senior defenseman Sam Miller scored his first goal of the season, assisted by first-year forward Trace Norwell.

With about six minutes remaining in the period, it was the Jumbos who went on the power play, as senior forward Henry Muller was given a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Jumbos capitalized on the opportunity, as sophomore defenseman Chris Throndson scored his first goal of the season off a deflection from an Ephs defender after winding through the Ephs zone. At the closing of the first period, the Jumbos maintained a strong 2–1 advantage.

Just over seven minutes into the second third, the Jumbos were again on the scoresheet. Senior defenseman Jacob Iida received the puck from junior forward Harrison Bazianos,

Reece Christian The Hard Count

2023 NFL award predictions

T

he 2023 NFL season has been one of the most unpredictable and volatile in years, for individual players and for entire organizations. This puts many of the NFL’s major awards up in the air, so I’d like to offer my own predictions for these awards to close out the regular season columns.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: CJ Stroud, Houston Texans.

This one is a no-brainer.

I’ve already written at length

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

Tufts men’s hockey is pictured playing against Trinity College on Nov. 17. who had corralled it behind the Ephs’ net after Resnick won it back, and slid it into the back of the net, extending the lead to 3–1. The Ephs would find a way back into the contest just under 10 minutes later when senior defenseman Ben Lawrick hammered home from the faceoff circle. The affair remained tense at 3–2 all the way through the second period conclusion, with both teams eager for more.

In the third period, to put things mildly, all hell broke loose. The sides combined for a massive six goals, four from the Jumbos and two from the Ephs. For Tufts, first-year Marcus Sang netted his first collegiate goal, followed by Bazianos, sophomore Liam O’Hare and senior Aidan Lovett, who scored on an empty net. The Ephs never wavered in their fight, though, with Muller and senior forward Jonah Gold — shorthandedly — both netting to take the final score to 7–4.

At the time, the Jumbos ranked second in the NESCAC in both goals for and goals against, and Resnick discussed the need to find a balance between scoring and conceding.

“I think it’s early. … Defensively, it’s a process [and] you [have] to

figure out your systems and your [defensive] zone,” Resnick said.

“We need to just control the puck more and … have the puck on our sticks and keep it away from them so we can score more goals than they can.”

Williams finished with 37 shots compared to 31 by Tufts, and Durand managed 33 saves, with junior goalkeeper Cal Sandquist making 24. Despite the chaos, the Jumbos emerged from Williamstown with a first, valuable first win. Their seven goals were the most they scored in a game since an 8–5 victory over Amherst in 2022.

While the win was certainly important, the Jumbos had minimal time to enjoy it, as they traveled to Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena the next day to take on the Middlebury Panthers.

Middlebury, like Tufts, entered the matchup having just picked up their first win, 3–2 over Connecticut College the previous night.

Just over three minutes in, the Jumbos jumped out to a 1–0 advantage. On a power play, Bazianos knocked home his third goal of the season, following some nifty interplay between sophomore forward

Cole Dubicki and junior forward Tyler Sedlak. About five minutes later, the Panthers equalized after first-year forward Dante Palombo drove at the Jumbo defense and hammered it home.

The second period was less eventful, with Jumbo sophomore forward John Mulvihill scoring its only goal. Dubicki won a faceoff in the Panther zone and shuffled the puck to O’Hare, who then moved it to sophomore defenseman Philippe Lamarre. Lamarre took a shot, which Mulvihill redirected past senior goalkeeper Jake Horoho, giving the Jumbos a 2–1 lead at the outset of the third period.

With just over five minutes remaining in the third, Resnick sent the puck to Sedlak along the boards.

Sedlak took a shot, which was saved, but Resnick swooped in and scored the rebound with a back-handed effort for his fourth goal and sixth point of the season.

Dubicki sealed the deal with one minute remaining on an empty net, as the Jumbos took a 4–1 lead and finished off their second consecutive victory.

The Jumbos took 33 shots compared to 24 by the Panthers, with

Durand saving 23 and Horoho corralling 29. Bazianos, who put up two goals and an assist on the weekend, was named NESCAC Player of the Week. He is the first Jumbo to take home the award since Durand in February of last season.

The Jumbos return home to the Malden Valley Forum to take on Bowdoin on Friday. The Jumbos and Polar Bears finished level on points in the NESCAC standings last season. However, Bowdoin went on an incredible run to win the NESCAC championship, despite entering the championship tournament as the seventh seed. Thus, although the weekend’s results represent a step in the right direction for Jumbos, they know they still have more to prove.

“I know [Bowdoin’s] going to be coming at us hard because we swept them last year and there’s a bunch of points on the line again before a long Christmas break, which everyone is excited about. But, I think we know what we’re capable of. So, we’re gonna come at them hard with everything we have and just try to play the right way and hopefully, it ends up working in our favor,” Resnick said.

about Stroud’s historic rookie accomplishments this season, and he’s only continued to strengthen his case after the Texans took down the surging Denver Broncos last week.

Enough said.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles rookie has quietly had a stellar year at defensive tackle, ranking as the top rookie in the NFL by Pro Football Focus’ rating (ahead of even Stroud). Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is also a dark horse to win this one, but I’d be surprised if it ultimately went to anyone but Carter.

Offensive Player of the Year: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins.

This one is essentially a twoman race between Hill and 49ers running back Christian

McCaffrey, but I’m betting on Hill to ultimately win it. He is on pace to not just break, but potentially shatter, the single season receiving yards record with 2,098 yards (beating current record 1,964 yards

by Calvin Johnson in 2012) while helping the Dolphins to become Super Bowl contenders. McCaffrey may make a late season surge, but Tyreek and the Dolphins offense has been too good all season.

Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys.

Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett had been a shoo-in for this award, and many still think he is, but a shoulder injury and a near career-worst performance in Week 13 signals he may be fading. Combine this with Parsons’ pass rush

stats that rivaled Garrett’s even before his injury, and I think he is well poised to seize his second major award after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

Coach of the Year: DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans.

The Texans’ success is as much due to Ryans as it is due to CJ Stroud. The Lions’ Dan Campbell is currently the favorite for this one, but Ryans’ success as a first-year head coach with a rookie quarterback will be hard to ignore if the Texans ultimately make the playoffs, which they seem well positioned to do after defeating fellow wild-card contenders Broncos.

Most Valuable Player: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins.

This is my boldest take by far, but I think Tyreek Hill will

become the first wide receiver ever to take home the MVP award. A good MVP has strong narratives along with good stats, and Hill has both.

Namely, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had his two best career years with Hill on the roster in 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to fill the hole in their offense that Hill left in his departure. Basically, Hill makes his quarterback and offense better, which is the definition of the most valuable player. With few consistently dominant quarterbacks to challenge him for the award, he could make history.

Reece Christian is a first-year who has yet to declare a major. Reece can be reached at reece.christian@tufts.edu.

12 SPORTS

Thursday, December 7, 2023

THE TUFTS DAILY

SPORTS Swimming shows early promise at MIT Invitational Tara Wirtschoreck Staff Writer

The Tufts men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams had strong starts to their season at the MIT Winter Invitational over the weekend. The men’s team came in first place out of five teams, and the women’s team came in second place out of seven teams. The men’s team ended with 1,875 points, beating runner-up MIT’s 1,567.5 points. The women’s team ended with 1,348.5 points, losing to MIT by 591 points but beating thirdplace team Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by 512.5 points.

Many of the swimmers were excited about their success and are hopeful about the rest of the season because of it. First-year Elena Harrison explained that the team’s success at MIT reflected positively on the work they’d put in during the early part of this season.

“Especially because it’s only been a month and a half since the season actually started, I think it was very encouraging to a lot of us,” Harrison said. “It was a good display of the team spirit as a whole, since it was our first big meet all together.”

On Friday, both the men’s and women’s teams had impressive showings in the 1,650-yard freestyle. From the men’s team, first-year swimmer Rafae Shafi won and broke the school record of 15:38.87 with his time of 15:29.61. Sophomore swimmer Madeleine Dunn won the women’s race with a time of 17:02.40.

Junior Soeren Euvrard explained that he was excited about many of the times his teammates swam, especially first-years such as Shafi, and hopes to use his experiences from the MIT Invitational to continue to become a better swimmer and teammate. “[It] was really cool to see freshmen swim really quickly and some past teammates, how they’re changing [and] how we can help them,” Euvrard said.

Saturday continued the Jumbos’ success. Junior swimmer Lara Wujciak won the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:02.10. She explained that she was happy with her performance at MIT.

Owen Short Moments ‘til Madness

Is there a No. 1 team in college basketball?

F

ive weeks into the season, we’ve had three different teams at the top of the AP poll. The University of Kansas held its own for three weeks but lost handily to Marquette University in the Maui Invitational. Purdue University held the No. 1 spot for one week, losing to an unranked Northwestern University team on Friday. Now, the University of Arizona sits atop the rankings. While it has only been about a month and teams are still working out their kinks, there have been no signs of a single dominant squad in the sport.

In years past, we’ve seen teams hold the No. 1 spot for almost the whole season following preseason rankings.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

A Tufts swimmer is pictured at the MIT Invitational on Dec. 2.

“This meet was a great start to my season,” Wujciak wrote in an email to the Daily. “I hit some lifetime bests and had a really fun time representing the Bo’s.”

On the men’s side, there were three first-place finishes on Saturday, including junior Eric Lundgren, who placed first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 48.71. Junior Ethan Schreier swam a 1:48.26 in the 200 butterfly, winning the event. The 400 medley relay, consisting of Lundgren, junior Emmett Adams, Schreier and graduate student Peter LaBarge, resulted in another event win for the Jumbos.

Sophomore Quinci Wheeler explained that relays are a very exciting part of the meet because they contain more teamwork than other events.

“I think our relays showed a lot of potential this weekend, and I’m excit-

ed to work on these more throughout the season,” Wheeler wrote in an email to the Daily. “The relays are always a highlight of the meet and carry so much energy, so it will be exciting to see them come together more as we move throughout the season.”

Three event victories on the final day solidified victory for the men’s team.

Lundgren’s time of 1:46.55 won the 200 backstroke, and Euvrard won the 100 butterfly with his time of 48.27. Firstyear diver Jay Wilkinson also placed first in the three-meter event, scoring 500.70.

The MIT event lasted three days, with most athletes competing in multiple events per day, making it a test in endurance. Harrison explained that this presented a mental challenge that the swimmers needed to overcome.

“Because it’s such a long meet, with so many events in such a short amount

of time, what’s really important was … swimming as best as you can, doing your best, focusing on details and making sure to swim for your team rather than focusing on a specific time,” Harrison said.

In terms of mindset, junior Charlie Duffy, who broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke on Saturday, explained that it’s also important to have perseverance after a tough race.

“It’s important for the team to understand that one swim doesn’t mean the rest of your swims during the meet are going to be bad, and one meet that’s not too fast doesn’t mean that the rest of your meets through the season are going to be bad,” Duffy said.

Tufts will continue its season against Williams, Worcester Polytechnic and host Wesleyan in a quad meet on Saturday.

Last year, it was Purdue, who would eventually fall in the first round of the tournament to Fairleigh Dickinson. In 2021, two teams, Baylor and Gonzaga, fought for the top rank all season and eventually met in the title game.

Before COVID-19, in 2018, Villanova University held the No. 1 title for the majority of the season and would go on to win every game in the tournament by double digits.

Some still believe that Kansas could be the best team. Just last week, Kansas beat a quality University of Connecticut team in a Big East–Big 12 Battle game. Kansas has beaten the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee. Its one loss to Marquette wasn’t a bad one, but Marquette did later lose to the University of Wisconsin, who were unranked at the time.

Purdue also has some great wins that could back up an argument for it being the best squad in college hoops. Hoisting the trophy in the Maui Invitational, Purdue put together three straight victories against teams ranked in the top 12.

Purdue’s disastrous performance against Northwestern could just be a fluke, as it was its first Big Ten game of the season. However, I’m still hesitant to trust this team because of its terrible loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in last year’s first round of the tournament.

With all that being said, No. 1 Arizona is still undefeated. Maybe it could be the dominant team in the sport. But I have some doubts. Arizona’s only signature wins to this date are very questionable. One was against Duke University, who was ranked No. 2 at the time but has since dropped games to two unranked teams, one of them being Georgia Tech. Arizona’s other ranked win was against Michigan State, a team that quickly dropped out of the AP poll after four losses in its first eight games. Luckily, the Wildcats will be heavily tested in their next four games, facing off against No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 4 Purdue, the University of Alabama and No. 11 Florida Atlantic University.

After this stretch, it should be quite clear if Arizona is the top team in college basketball.

It’s also important to note that No. 6 Baylor University also remains undefeated. Baylor has been one of the better teams of the decade so far, with a great coach in Scott Drew. With that, though, the Bears’ schedule has been relatively weak compared to other schools in the top 10. Having not faced off against any ranked teams yet, we haven’t seen if the Bears really have what it takes to dominate college basketball. Baylor does have a game coming up against Duke, but will have to show if it has what it takes in conference play.

As of now, it’s hard to think that there will be a team that graces the No. 1 spot for longer than a few weeks. You could blame the transfer portal for this, with talent being more spread out across the nation. It could also just be that all of these teams are high quality and will continue to lose close battles against each other. Either way, it should make for a great season of college hoops.

Owen Short is a sophomore who has yet to declare a major. Owen can be reached at owen.short@tufts.edu.