11.19.15

# T HE T HREE P ER C E N T

T HE T UFTS DAILY Thursday, November 19, 2015 Volume LXX, Number 48

Sofie Hecht / The Tufts Daily

DEMANDS OF

#THETHREEPERCENT I. We demand that Black-identifying students make up 13 percent of Tufts undergraduate population.

II. We demand that Tufts be better prepared to address the mental health needs of Black students.

III. We demand an end to increased surveillance of predominantly black events by Tufts University Police Department.

IV. We demand that Tufts be better prepared to facilitate the transition to Tufts for undocumented, international and first-generation students.

V. We demand a 25 percent increase in both the budget of the Africana Center and an increase in Black student agency in determining the operation of the Africana Center.

VI. We demand that Black professors make up 13 percent of Tufts’ total full-time and part-time faculty.

VII. We demand that Tufts redefine their commitment to active citizenship to hold Tufts accountable for the discriminatory practices against student activism.

VIII. We demand that Tufts be transparent about the demographics of its students, academic departments and professors.

IX. We demand that if any of these demands are unable to be met we demand that the university make a public response explaining explicitly rationale for the non-compliance.

Written as transcribed by Lancy Downs and Joe Palandrani

Light Rain 55 / 50

Tufts students join nationwide protests against campus racism

by Sarah Zheng and Joe Palandrani

Executive News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Approximately 200 Tufts students, many of whom walked out of classes, marched to Porter Square yesterday afternoon to demonstrate in solidarity with student protesters across the country who have been demanding that colleges do more to combat racism on their campuses and in their policies. The organizers of the event, identifying themselves as #thethreepercent in a statement released Tuesday night, planned the demonstration jointly with students at Harvard University as part of a “National Day of Action.” During the event, organizers outlined a list of demands concerning the treatment of Black students and faculty members at Tufts.

“We will not stand by as White supremacy attacks our bodies through racist policing and threats of violence, our minds through minimalist and altogether misguided educations that fail to address our history, and our communities through a deprioritization of Black students on college campuses,” the statement read.

Tufts students, many of whom wore black, gathered outside Barnum Hall yesterday around 3:30 p.m. Students then marched from Barnum Hall to the Mayer Campus Center chanting “Out of the dorm, into the streets,” singing along

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to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” (2015) and holding signs with such phrases as “Hear my Black voice” and “We are the three.”

At the Campus Center organizers read aloud the statement released Tuesday night.

“Recently, we, the Black students at Tufts University, have been overwhelmed with anger, sadness and pain at the violation of the humanity and dignity of Black students throughout college campuses across America,” the organizers read. “To those students, faulty, administrators and others who refuse to act: your silence is as political as our action — it is compliance with oppression.”

The statement expressed solidarity with protests on campuses such as the University of Missouri (Mizzou), Yale University and Claremont McKenna College. “To the thousands of students protesting across the country, keep fighting,” the organizers said. “We at Tufts see you. We feel you. We respect and love you and your continued commitment to resistance. We intend to stand in solidarity with you, not only in sentiment, but through action.”

The organizers then read a list of demands of the university administration, which included increasing the percentage of Black-identifying undergraduate students and the percentage of Black fulltime and part-time faculty to 13 percent.

According to an April 25 Boston

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

Globe article, only three percent of students at Tufts, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Northeastern University are Black.

That’s why I’m here. Because racism isn’t just a college thing to fight for.

It’s a real problem everywhere — it still is. I’m here for my friends at Mizzou ’cause it’s just not right.”

In a 2013 report released by the Council on Diversity, the university revealed that, in 2012, three percent of full-time male faculty members and three percent of fulltime female faculty members at Tufts were Black/African-American. Black/AfricanAmerican faculty made up two percent of both male part-time faculty and female part-time faculty. In 2003, seven percent of the undergraduate population identified as Black; however, by 2012 that number had fallen to four percent. see #THETHREEPERCENT, page 3

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, November 19, 2015

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Tufts Africana Center to hold Friday symposium with panels, workshops

by Vibhav Prakasam Contributing Writer

Tufts Africana Center is holding a symposium titled “Social Movements and the Black Intellectual Tradition” tomorrow afternoon at Breed Memorial Hall at 51 Winthrop St. The Africana symposium, which will run from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., is the second-annual such workshop. It is a collaborative effort between the Africana Studies program, the Africana Center and the Consortium of Studies in Race, Colonialism and Diaspora (CSRCD), according to Kendra Field, assistant professor of history in the Africana Studies department and interim director of CSRCD. The Consortium is made up of five departments — Africana Studies, Colonialism Studies, American Studies, Latino Studies and Asian American Studies — and is led by a different one of these departments each year. This year, CSRCD is led by the Africana Studies

department, which will be the steering committee for tomorrow’s symposium. Last year’s inaugural Consortium workshop was led by the Colonialism Studies department.

The topic of this year’s symposium is the historical relationship between scholarship and social movements, and the role intellectual work has played in that relationship, Field said.

“It seemed that this was a topic that needed hashing out, which is always in the background or in the periphery of discussions about race and racism in the university context and very much tied to the concerns that students are feeling and expressing,” Field told the Daily in an email.

“This is also a conversation about what the university is meant for, what it has been and might be used for. We’re putting on the table a set of questions that are too often in the background.”

According to Field, approximately 30 students, alumni and faculty will be participating in a “memorial walk” from the Africana

Center to Breed Memorial Hall, which will include seven historical sites on campus that are meaningful to the African American alumni, but of which “many of our students and community members may be unaware.”

The walk is inspired by the work of late Tufts history professor Gerald Gill, who had envisioned a Tufts Black Freedom Trail that “would have blended local Medford and Somerville civil rights landmarks with on-campus spots where important events had occurred along the university’s path to racial equality,” according to a 2007 Tufts Daily article.

The trail that will be followed tomorrow was constructed by the symposium’s steering committee and Professor of Political Science Pearl Robinson. The walk’s featured site will be a tree that was planted in honor of African American alumni who graduated as early as 1909.

Field added that Gill was one of the inspirations for the symposium, since Gill had kept records of the institutional memory of

black student life at Tufts from the 1980s up until his death in 2007. Gill had been doing extensive research to prepare an article and exhibit or timeline of the sites on campus that are important to black history, according to Field.

“After [Gill’s] passing, as in most such losses, it seems there wasn’t nearly enough space for a lot of that kind of information to land,” Field said. “Pearl Robinson and Jeanne Penvenne [professor of history] have shared with me beautiful bits and pieces of this story from Gill’s time because they overlapped significantly and carried it forward.”

Many of the alumni on the racial justice, scholarship and activism panel had Gill as a professor, and the stories they tell about students before them come from Gill, Field said.

“We see this gathering of Africandescended students, alums and faculty as an opportunity to come together as a commusee SYMPOSIUM, page 3

Tufts’ Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter disaffiliates from national organization

by Reena Karasin News Editor

The Tufts Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) chapter has voted to disaffiliate from its national organization due to a misalignment of goals and values with the national fraternity.

According to SigEp President Shawn Patterson and SigEp brother Ben Kaplan, the decision to disaffiliate was supported by 95 percent of the brothers in a Nov. 15 vote and comes after several months of structured discussions.

“We’ve been discussing how our fraternity fits into this campus [and] how our fraternity fits into our national organization, and…we came to the conclusion that in order to best serve the needs of the Tufts community, it would be best for us to become a local, independent organization,” Kaplan, a junior, said.

Kaplan explained that the decision to disaffiliate grew out of divergent values acknowledged by both the chapter and the national organization.

“We didn’t think that the needs, goals and values that SigEp was about fit what we were about anymore,” he said. “I just think there was a divergence, and I think both parties understood that — we understood that, SigEp understood that.”

Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Su McGlone expressed the university’s support for the brothers.

“The university fully supports their decision and looks forward to working with them in their efforts as a local organization,” she told the Daily in an email.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) discussed the brothers’ decision to disaffliate at yesterday’s meeting, according to SigEp brother Sam Berzok, a senior. Berzok, who is the IFC recruitment chair, read a statement explaining why the chapter wished to leave its national organization.

SigEp is the second Tufts fraternity to disaffiliate from its national organization this calendar year, following the decision by former brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) – now Pi Delta – to break ties with the AEPi national organization in January.

While Kaplan and Patterson did not provide specific reasoning as to what needs, goals and values differed between the chapter and the national organization,

Patterson did say that Tufts’ progressiveness may have contributed to SigEp and AEPi’s disaffiliations.

“Because no single fraternity on any campus is precisely ‘the average’ fraternity, any chapter across the country has to balance their relationship between their national organization and their campus,” Patterson, a junior, told the Daily in an email. “Tufts is a unique, progressive community and needs a unique, progressive approach to Greek life, which is perhaps why we have seen two disaffiliations in one year.”

Kaplan added that the disaffiliations can be attributed to the disconnect between national organizations and university chapters.

“I think every national fraternity has to kind of build themselves — so build their values, build their goals, build their programming, build what they do — around the ‘average’ American fraternity, and I don’t really know what that means — I don’t think really anybody knows what that means,” Kaplan said.

Tufts SigEp’s disaffiliation follows incidents of racism by SigEp chapters around the nation, including a UCLA chapter that co-hosted a “Kanye Western”-themed party in October, with costumes that embodied racial stereotypes and included blackface and a University of Mississippi chapter that was suspended in 2014 for hanging a noose and Georgia flag on the statue of the school’s first African-American student.

Kaplan said he believes that a new start for SigEp will further the brother’s efforts to address the problematic historical actions of fraternities on college campuses, citing a Nov. 16 article in Tufts’ PostScript Magazine which documented the racist acts of Tufts’ Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity in 1975.

“In general, our national organization has been good at working against that,” he said.

“In general, we think we have at least tried to recognize and work against that history, and we hope that this clean break toward something new, something Tufts-based, will make greater strides toward that end.”

Patterson explained that the brothers do not anticipate any backlash from the national organization. The national fraternity was aware that the chapter had been having structured discussions about disaffiliating, Kaplan added.

Evan Sayles / The Tufts Daily

On Nov. 15, brothers of SigEp voted to disaffiliate from their national organization.

“We harbor no ill will towards our national organization, and they understand that we have put a great deal of thought into this decision,” Patterson said. “We expect that the process of disaffiliation will be civil, courteous and professional.”

Since the brothers have now gained approval from the IFC to become a local fraternity, the next steps for the brothers are to file for corporate status in Massachusetts and to obtain an appropriate insurance policy, according to Kaplan. Once those tasks have been accomplished, the fraternity will go through what he called the “rebuilding phase.”

“We kind of redefine ourselves from the ground up,” he said. “We find new letters, we articulate what we think we are as a brotherhood, we really try to redefine our place in the Tufts community.”

One potential feature of this rebuilding may be an all-gender membership policy, but this decision will not be an immediate one for the new organization, according to Kaplan.

“We’ve never really taken the all-gender option off the table — and I think it’s an important distinction between co-ed and all-gender,” he said. “Right now, we’re really just focusing on getting the support of the Greek community … filing for corporate status and trying to define our place on this campus.”

Patterson explained that the redefining process is already underway.

“We have established a number of committees to develop a new name, set new bylaws and determine our new place on this campus,” he said.

Kaplan expressed excitement for the currently undefined future of the brotherhood.

“The most immediate step for our brotherhood is really working out, now that we don’t have a national organization, ‘Who are we? Where do we fit in on this campus?'” he said. “And just restructuring ourselves to better reflect what we think we are. And I think the most exciting part of that question is that I really don’t know what the answer is.”

Thursday, November 19, 2015 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Africana Center symposium to highlight black institutional history at Tufts

SYMPOSIUM

continued from page 2 nity, to support one another across generations, and to provide perspective on the past, present and future of ‘Social Movements and the Black Intellectual Tradition,'” Field said.

“In light of the current moment and movement in which our students find themselves … Pearl Robinson, Katrina Moore [director of the Africana Center] and I, along with the entire Africana Studies steering committee, have been thinking a lot about the tremendous importance of alums, institutional memory and inter-generational community at such times.”

According to Field, the symposium will have three panels: one on racial justice, scholarship and activism after Tufts, one on the impact of social media on social movements and one on black intellectual traditions.

The panel on racial justice, scholarship and activism will consist of six AfricanAmerican alumni of graduating classes from between 1970s to 2003, Field said. “[The alumni will] be talking about their time at Tufts from the 1970s onward, for instance, what it was like to be one of only several black students on campus,” Field said. “They will also speak about their life paths since Tufts; all of these alums have engaged in either scholarship, activism or [have been] scholar-activists on issues of race and racial justice.”

The final event will be the keynote address

by Robin D.G. Kelley, the Gary B. Nash professor of American History at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), who

will be discussing “rhetoric and punditry in relation to actual work which people do,” according to Field.

“Given the social movements our students [are] navigating and building, it seemed to many of us that recent Tufts alums could provide meaningful institutional memory and an important sense of inter-generational community and perspective,” she said.

Field explained that organization for the symposium began last spring, when she first had the idea of creating an event involving alumni that would center on theme of intellectual tradition. Another reason for the event was the lack of “institutional memory of African American student life,” she said.

Two program associates at the CSRCD, Andrew Wofford and Philip Ellison, were also involved in the organization of the event. Wofford said his main role involved researching the history of black students and black institutions at Tufts, inspired by a summer course that he and Ellison took with Field about black people in New England.

“We had the idea for part of the symposium to lay out an exhibit that showed a smattering of the many, many contributions that black students and black faculty have made to Tufts,” Wofford, a junior, said.

Components of this exhibit include images of student activism such as the 1969 labor protest, as well as contemporary issues such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement, according to Wofford.

One story that Wofford worked on in preparation for the symposium was

about a 1975 hate crime committed by a group of white fraternity brothers against black students.

Ellison, a senior, added that the symposium’s prepared collection goes as far back as 1909.

“The impetus for what we’re working on in terms of the symposium is that as a black student here, you wonder about the experiences of former black students — who and what they were like, their names and more,” he said.

According to Ellison, there are resources available to investigate this, such as the newspaper clippings in the back of the Africana Center about many of the earlier students.

“We wanted to bring that to light, about the influence that black students had on union practices and labor practices at Tufts after events such as the assassination of Martin Luther King and onward,” he said.

“There is a tradition and a history here that black students have had, and we wanted to understand its relevance in terms of outside history and how Tufts is a microcosm.”

Another component of the symposium is an archival project, which includes the work, writings and photographs of the late Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a former middleweight boxer who was falsely accused of murder, according to John Artis, who spent 15 years in prison as a co-defendant in the case. Artis said that Carter spent 20 years in prison before he was found innocent and released, eventually donating a 50-year trail of his life to Tufts.

“It notated [Carter’s] thoughts, his interpretations and his views about life in general, and life specifically dealing with all kinds of subject matter, from race to education to beliefs,” Artis said.

Artis decided to visit Tufts for two weeks in order to attend the symposium, and also gave the keynote address for the Nov. 16 Amnesty International discussion of solitary confinement.

“I’m here so that people here can become aware of the uniqueness of [Carter],” he said.

Field explained that Carter’s gift came with a mission to make the donated works a sort of “living archive” for the Tufts community. This resulted in the establishment of the Rubin Carter/John Artis Innocence International Project at Tufts, a collaborative effort between Tufts Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) and the Center for Race and Democracy, she said.

“This project is just getting off the ground, so it’s converging with the symposium to gain momentum,” Field said.

Robinson will be speaking at the beginning of the symposium about the history of African-American students and student life at Tufts, Field said. She added that the symposium was important to showcase this institutional memory and history, one that often isn’t visible.

“It’s about offering students, faculty, staff and the broader community ways of seeing the public history that is right here, that we know far too little about, and calling attention to its significance within our current moment,” Field said.

#thethreepercent outline list of demands for Tufts administration #THETHREEPERCENT

continued from page 1 Other student demands included improved mental health care for Black students; an end to increased police surveillance of predominately Black events; better infrastructure for helping undocumented, international and first-generation students transition to life at Tufts; a 25 percent increase in the Africana Center budget, as well as enhanced student agency in the operations of the center; clarified commitment to holding the university accountable for discriminatory practices against student activism; and improved transparency about the demographics of students, academic departments and professors. In addition, the organizers demanded that university administrators, in the case that they are unable to comply with any of the mentioned demands, issue a public statement explaining their reasons for non-compliance.

Protesters then marched from the university campus through Davis Square and toward Porter Square, chanting phrases such as “Tufts doesn’t give a fuck. Now we’ve got to fuck it up,” “If we don’t get it, shut it down!” and “One, two, three.

Support the three!” At least 10 Somerville Police Department officers followed the protesters on their march, but the officers declined to comment about the reason for their presence. Also following the march were legal observers, apparently trained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who were there to document police activity in the event that a conflict between protesters and police arose.

Around 4:45 p.m., Tufts protesters arrived at the Porter Square T station, where they joined about 200 demonstrators from Harvard University and the surrounding community.

Several rally leaders stood on a ramp

outside the station and spoke with megaphones to address the crowd. One Tufts student spoke on behalf of Black students at Tufts about the demands outlined by the #thethreeperecent protesters for the administration.

“We, the Black students of Tufts University, united under the name #thethreeperecent, have come together to demand that Tufts address our treatment as second class citizens by the university,” the student said. “The three percent refers not only to our underrepresentation here as undergraduate students but also to the same numerical underrepresentaiton that we have with Tufts faculty.”

The student added that the demands are not comprehensive, but reflect the voices of past students of color at Tufts.

“We have been silenced, forgotten, heard and ignored,” the student said.

“Imprinted into this page is the ink of the student activists that came before us to this campus, whose work was never translated into grade point averages on a transcript … These are our words, these are our truths, these are our demands.”

Another speaker, Tufts junior Jonathan Moore, performed one of his poems to the crowd. “[The revolution] comes to us sounding like an echo, and we know that universities are not intended to produce Black people that love themselves, but today, we produce for nobody but our bodies,” Moore said. “And you can cite that shit!”

Another Tufts student spoke about the history of Black students at Tufts since 1909, when the first Black student graduated from the university. According to the student, there are 68 Black first-year students, making up five percent of the Class of 2019, which has 1,360 students.

“There are 68 Black bodies in the freshman class,” the student said. “Sixty-eight!

Ponder that number. In a class that is the

Nicholas Pfosi / The Tufts Daily

Protesters march away from the Campus Center during the #thethreepercent rally on Tufts campus on Nov. 18. Students organized to protest anti-Black racism on Tufts’ campus and other college campuses across the United States. largest and richest in its history.”

Student speakers from Harvard expressed solidarity with Tufts protesters in their call for administrative changes.

One student led the crowd in singing choruses of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” a freedom song from the civil rights movement.

Following the Porter Square demonstration, many of the protesters marched back to Harvard to engage in a visioning session at the Harvard College Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH), a safe space for people of color, according to the Facebook event page.

One Tufts student, Jahlyn Hayes, explained that he had attended the demonstration in solidarity with people he knows at Mizzou.

“I’m here because I have friends who go to Mizzou,” Hayes, a first-year, said. “They had to stay off campus for days because they felt so threatened, they feared for

their lives. That’s why I’m here. Because racism isn’t just a college thing to fight for.

It’s a real problem everywhere — it still is.

I’m here for my friends at Mizzou ’cause it’s just not right.”

Tufts student Rachel Cognata, who also attended yesterday’s action, said it was great to be a part of the demonstration.

“As one person, I can’t do much,” Cognata, a senior, said. “I’m here because we need to act as a collective if we want to change anything — not just Black people either. It’s important for solving issues of race, as it’s important for coming together over other issues … It’s what’s necessary to bring about change.”

Executive Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler and Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas were unable to provide the Daily with comment as of press time.

Liam Knox, Abigail Feldman and Lancy Downs contributed reporting to this article.

4 tuftsdaily.com

Features

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Miranda Willson Ecofeminism For All

Our bodies, for ourselves

W

hat makes YOU feel sexy?”

“What do YOU love most about your body?”

I am tired of these questions.

Part of me wants to say that nothing makes me feel sexy, and that I don’t really mind. Or that I don’t love my body, and maybe never will, because loving my body seems like it would require too much goddamn work, pushing back against too many forces and, let’s face it, working out more. Plus, I have better things to worry about.

I am sick of certain feminist agendas that tell us we should love our vaginas, our bodies, our orgasms, whatever. My vagina is a body part.

My body is a body, a vessel for my full self. My orgasms are none of your goddamn business.

These feminist “positivity” movements, while empowering for some women, only provide added pressure for others, including myself. Being told to “love our bodies” and to “feel sexy” doesn’t seem that different to me from being told to think, do or feel anything else — which is to say, it feels uncomfortable, or at the very least, forced.

Moreover, positivity movements seem to imply that the only alternative is negativity.

These movements are seen as ways for individual women to push back against negative ideas about women, their bodies and their sexualities, but at the same time, they don’t do much to counteract societal or structural issues. The focus is entirely on the individual: ‘Hey you! Figure out how you can feel sexy!

And if you don’t, pretend you do!’

But even if women do feel good about their bodies, this does nothing to counteract the unfortunate, age-old idea that physical beauty is a woman’s most important asset. Plus, these positivity movements are incredibly gendered, and often geared toward straight, feminine women, with little focus on how to dispel white-centric beauty standards.

There’s a recent trend in advertising in which Dove soap or tampon companies attempt to show women that they can feel beautiful (if they buy the product in question), which is certainly a nice way to counter advertisements that emphasize everything that’s supposedly wrong with women and their bodies. But it’s starting to feel like these body-positive and sex-positive ads and campaigns are only furthering negative ideas about women. Men’s advertisements don’t attempt to make men feel good about themselves and their bodies, implying that men already do feel good about themselves, or that they simply have more important things to worry about. When women’s advertisements like the ones promoted by Dove suggest that women are beautiful, whether they know it or not, these ads still perpetuate the idea that women’s looks are extremely important.

Why do we need to “reclaim” the idea that we are beautiful, or that our bodies are sacred?

Why can’t we just work to nix this idea altogether? It’s become a trend for women to post ridiculously perfect photos on social media and for other women to shower them with loving compliments about their looks, sometimes even in the name of “positivity.” If this is what helps some women feel good about themselves, then more power to them. But I worry that, by and large, our society’s obsession with body and sex positivity in women is really just another form of a general obsession with women’s appearances and sexualities.

Miranda Willson is a junior majoring in environmental studies and urban policy & development and can be reached at miranda.willson@tufts.edu.

SOURCE: THE FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION, HTTPS://WWW.THEFIRE.ORG/CONGRESS-INTRODUCES-DUE-PROCESS-LEGISLATION-THE-SAFE-CAMPUS-ACT/

ALLISON MEROLA / THE TUFTS DAILY

Federal, state legislation aims to address sexual assault on college campuses

by Becca Leibowitz Features Editor

In an attempt to influence policies surrounding the issue of sexual assault on college campuses, various bills have been introduced throughout the past year in both national and state legislatures.

One such bill is H.R. 3403, also known as the Safe Campus Act of 2015, which was introduced in the House of Representatives

by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ) on July 29. As stated in the bill, this piece of legislation seeks “[t]o amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to protect victims of sexual violence [and] to improve the adjudication of allegations related to sexual violence.”

One provision of the Safe Campus Act that would change the way that many campuses currently conduct sexual assault investigations would require students to report to law enforcement officials as a prerequisite for a campus investigation.

In a statement to the Daily, Tufts’ Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) expressed concern regarding this aspect of the Safe Campus Act. “Our goal is to encourage reporting so that students get the resources and support they need, and we have some concern that the current proposal may discourage reporting,” the statement said. “In our experience, most complainants do not want to formally file a report so as a practical matter the issue of due process during a formal investigation doesn’t come up. However, when a complaint is filed, we provide a fair, equitable process for all parties.”

The Safe Campus Act would also ensure due process for both individuals and campus organizations in campus proceedings.

Both parties would be guaranteed the right to an attorney at their own expense.

While some are concerned that this provision unduly protects fraternities, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, state representative for the third Berkshire district of Pittsfield, Mass., expressed the need for due process in campus proceedings. “[Campus organizations such as fraternities] need to be held accountable, but you can’t say that you’re going to hold somebody accountable without being fair about it,” she said.

According to OEO, Tufts already has due process provisions in place for students involved in sexual assault cases.

“We have strong due process protections for the complainant and the respondent at every juncture, and attorneys are allowed in the process,” the OEO stated. “We also notify the complainants that they can file with law enforcement if they wish.”

According to Farley-Bouvier, the Safe Campus Act has goals similar to that of Massachusetts House Bill H.1041, which is titled “An Act concerning sexual violence on higher education campuses.” Sponsored

by Farley-Bouvier and State Representative Daniel Donahue of Worcester, H.1041 shares several provisions with the national Safe Campus Act, while also including some of its own unique additions.

Farley-Bouvier explained that there is a need for state legislation in addition to federal legislation.

“So little gets done in Congress that we didn’t want to wait to see what they were going to do [regarding campus sexual assault] and if they were going to be able to get it done,” Farley-Bouvier said. “And so that’s why we went ahead and filed [H.1041] in the Commonwealth.”

According to Christine Barber, a co-sponsor of H.1041 and the representative for the 34th Middlesex district — which includes parts of Medford and Somerville — passing H.1041 would create a new position of Public Safety Officer at the state board of higher education to review campus safety policies across the Commonwealth. It would also require all colleges and universities to post information on their websites and make resources available about services for survivors of sexual assault. Additionally, schools would have to provide information and training around sexual violence for both students and employees on campus.

Barber explained that H.1041 is a complement to Title IX, the federal civil rights law which outlaws discrimination on the basis of sex in all federally-funded educational programs and activities. State legislation helps provide guidelines for all universities in Massachusetts to follow, Barber said. “[T]here [have] been some recent guidelines that pushed Title IX to require schools to take immediate steps to respond to sexual violence on campus, and…campuses are trying to update their policies to be in compliance,” she said. “So this legislation [H.1041] is trying to help them come up with procedures…to make sure

that all of our universities [and] colleges… have strong protocols…to deal with sexual violence on campus.”

While state legislation often only applies to public institutions, Farley-Bouvier expressed the need for this particular legislation to apply to all colleges and universities, public or private.

“I want to be sure that wherever somebody goes to college in Massachusetts,… they’re held to the same standard,” FarleyBouvier said. “I…have a particular concern…with the private colleges, because generally laws that we pass are around public colleges, but…we want to make sure that [these laws]…apply to private colleges, because I’m concerned that [private] colleges are more worried about protecting their brand than protecting their students.”

H.1041 was heard before the Joint Committee on Higher Education in June.

After coming out of committee, the bill will be heard in both the Massachusetts House and the Senate, according to FarleyBouvier.

The U.S. Senate has also seen the introduction of bills surrounding campus sexual assault. In February, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who strongly opposes the Safe Campus Act, introduced S.590, also known as the Campus Accountability and Safety Act. If enacted, this bill would require institutions of higher education that participate in Title IV and student assistance programs to include data on sexual assault in their annual campus security reports.

The need to acquire datav surrounding sexual assault on college campuses is also reflected in Massachusetts State Bill S.650, which is titled “An Act creating a sexual assault climate survey for Massachusetts colleges and universities.” Sponsored by State Senator William Brownsberger of Belmont and State Representative Lori Ehrlich of Essex in April, this bill, if enacted, would create a task force that would design a sexual assault climate survey to be administered by all Massachusetts colleges and universities, and would mandate that each college and university produce a report on its findings.

Having a survey that is streamlined across the board would allow for more accurate comparisons between schools, FarleyBouvier said.

“If a consumer, in other words a family

see SAFE CAMPUS ACT, page 5

Thursday, November 19, 2015 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

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F e at u r e s F e at u r e s

New state policies pose potential changes to sexual misconduct cases SAFE CAMPUS ACT

continued from page 4 looking at a college, can be able to see what the [survey] results are from one college to the next…we’re able to compare,” she said. “[W]e compare colleges in all different ways, right? … We should be able to compare them on…how safe they are [too].”

Barber explained that a streamlined sexual assault survey is an issue not only of campus safety but of community safety.

“Obviously Tufts students are part of our communities in Somerville and Medford and we want to ensure that our communities are safe, so having information about sexual violence and making sure that we know what’s happening helps to keep the whole community safe, for Tufts students and for all residents,” Barber said. “And of course Tufts is part of our community, it’s very ingrained in…Somerville and Medford, so it’s especially critical for that kind of campus.”

Having a survey may also help to more accurately gauge the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses, something that often goes unreported, Barber added.

“We know across the country that sexual violence is often not reported and survivors may feel stigma or not get the help that they need, so this is another way of starting to address those issues and ensure that women feel safe on their campuses,” she said.

Farley-Bouvier also mentioned that such a survey would jumpstart the conversation about sexual assault among different colleges and allow them to learn

from one another in terms of how to better address it.

Barber explained that state legislators have been part of conversations at the Massachusetts State House about the issue of sexual assault on college campuses through briefings from faculty at Massachusetts colleges, as well as through a screening of a documentary about campus sexual assault called “The Hunting Ground.” She hopes that this awareness can translate into policy change.

“I think there’s been a lot more awareness brought to this issue in the past year, which is great,” Barber said. “[T]his is gonna be an uphill climb to pass all of these pieces, but I’m hopeful that we can at least take some things in [H.1041] to start to have more procedures at the campus level and help colleges and universities come up with ways to address [sexual assault].”

Farley-Bouvier acknowledged that there is still more to do in terms of raising awareness around issues of sexual assault on college campuses.

“We’re responding to what’s happening out there, something that’s been happening I think for a long time, but I’m hoping too that [the introduction of these bills] raises the level of conversation,” she said. “So we are now more aware of [campus sexual assault] because [of]…good reporting and victims…coming together and being terrific advocates, but now we as legislators need to [increase the] level of awareness in our communities also and…bring the discussion to a policy level.”

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weekender 11.19.15

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3Ps fall major play

‘Defying Gravity’

focuses on the wonders of space, life itself

By Ascher Kulich

Assistant Arts Editor

W

hen the curtain parts, men and women dressed in clothing from the late-eighties walk around quietly, staring at Claude Monet’s paintings while a piano plays slowly in the background.

Monet, played by senior Ed Rosini, begins a monologue as the viewers gather around a single painting. He talks about life and the final moments before death, and the viewers take their last glimpses of the painting before filing out. Monet finishes his speech and leaves. The stage goes black.

“Defying Gravity,” a play written in 1998

by Jane Anderson, is student theater group Pen, Paint and Pretzels’ (3Ps) major fall production. 3Ps puts on two major productions a year, as well as four minor productions, an orientation show and other independent projects. It also serves as an umbrella organization for the other performing groups on campus.

“Defying Gravity” loosely portrays the story of the 1986 Challenger disaster, though the play is centered more on the stories and evolution of its seven characters, rather than the event itself. On Jan. 28, 1986, the Challenger, a NASA space shuttle orbiter, exploded seconds after take off at Cape Canaveral, Fla. All seven crew members lost their lives.

Emma Wold, a junior who is directing the play, said that she wanted to engage with members of the Tufts community from beyond the theater world with “Defying Gravity.”

“It’s no fun if we’re doing theater for theater people,” she said. “One of the reasons that I like this play is that, in its subject matter, it appeals to so many different kinds of people. If you’re [studying] physics and astronomy, there’s something in it for you. If you’re [interested in] history, there’s something in it for you [too].”

The seven characters in the play are often grouped in pairs, with the exception of Claude Monet: Elizabeth (senior Michele Herzog) and her mother, a teacher (senior Amanda Rose); Ed (senior Andrew Prensky), an older gentleman and his wife, Betty (first-year Abby Schmidt); C.B. (sophomore Kevin Lombard), a mechanic and his friend Donna (senior Julie Takla), a bartender.

“I think it focuses more on communicating the spirit of that history and the cultural experience that surrounds it than it does on the literal history itself,” Wold said of the play. “People our age probably won’t notice, but there are quite a few deviations from the factual history. Even the teacher, who is a real person [Christa McAuliffe], is never referred to by name, and her daughter is given a different name. The other four characters are fictional, and Claude Monet has no business being in a play about the Challenger.”

Wold explained why she believes the famous impressionist painter was included in the show.

There’s so much in this show that is marvelworthy: launching spaceships, seeing earth from space, having sex in space.”

POSTER BY MICHELE HERZOG

“He’s kind of this founding figure of the Impressionist movement,” she said. “The play takes advantage of that philosophy quite a bit in that we are painting an ‘impression’ of this event and swapping perspectives as Monet did with, say, his series work, [which is] referenced in the play.”

The last several scenes of “Defying Gravity” are set in a fantasy world, where the motives for each of the three pairs, as well as Monet, become fully realized.

“In the last several scenes of the play, Monet sets up this world in which that is possible,” Wold said. “For Ed and Betty, that is a rediscovery of their marriage and their vibrance. For Elizabeth, it’s closure. For the teacher, it’s getting into space. For C.B. and Donna, it’s finding a common language for the two of them to explore their philosophical meanderings. And for Monet, it’s painting the earth from space.”

Rosini said that Wold emphasized to the “Defying Gravity” cast that the idea of marveling is central to the play.

“One of the things [‘Defying Gravity’ is] about is marveling, and marveling about the wonder that is space — or marveling at the wonder that is nature in front of you or the earth,” he said. “[It’s about] just taking moments to marvel at things that deserve to be marveled at. There’s so much in this show that is marvel-worthy: launching spaceships, seeing earth from space, having sex in space. It’s all of these moments that require this painstaking attention to detail, but also require really taking in [the script] and getting excited about it.

In a show that’s driven by so many monologues, it’s important to keep them interesting, and I think the fact that every character is often marveling at something in the monologues...really makes it come to life.”

3Ps is performing “Defying Gravity” this weekend, Thursday through Saturday, at 8:00 pm in Balch Arena Theatre. Tickets are available from the box office in Aidekman. Tickets for Thursday’s performance are $5, while tickets for Friday and Saturday’s performances are $8.

One of the reasons that I like this play is that, in its subject matter, it appeals to so many different kinds of people. If you’re [studying] physics and astronomy, there’s something in it for you. If you’re [interested in] history, there’s something in it for you [too].

Thursday, November 19, 2015 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

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ARTS&LIVING

ALBUM REVIEW

Alessia Cara’s debut album impresses with smooth, mature sound

by Merilla Michael Assistant Arts Editor

Alessia Cara, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Canada, started her music career at 13 by posting acoustic covers on YouTube. By 18, she signed with EP Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings.

Her first EP, “Four Pink Walls,” released on Aug. 26, presented a fresh mix of soulful R&B tracks and pop hits. She released her first full-length album, “Know-It-All,” on Nov. 13.

While the deluxe version of the album includes some of the best pieces from her prior EP, “Know-It-All” presents a lot of new and impressive material from the young star. The 10-track standard version of the album, coming in at a short 35 minutes, aims for quality over quantity. The album opens with “Seventeen,” an upbeat track accompanied by a clapping beat in the background. Cara’s smooth vocals shine on this track, especially when she showcases her higher register during the choruses. “Seventeen” is catchy and sets high expectations for the rest of the album.

For the most part, Cara meets these expectations. As with most young artists, there is a sense that, as the artist grows older, she will develop a more mature sound. Though this surely will be the case with Cara, her unique music is already fairly sophisticated. “Here,” the second track on “Know-It-All” first premiered as a single in April and appeared on “Four Pink Walls” as well. The song is a standout, likely why it was included again on this album.

It currently sits at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and rightly so. The song, which Cara revealed is based off of her own experience at a party, details the discomfort she felt being surrounded by “…the girl / who’s always gossipin’ about her friends / …the boy who’s throwin’ up.” “Here” impresses on both the lyrical and emotional fronts, accurately depict-

WHAT’S UP THIS WEEKEND Looking to have fun this weekend? Check out these campus happenings.

TUFTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FALL CONCERT

The Tufts Symphony Orchestra will be performing under John Page, director of orchestral activities. There will be a livestream of the performance for those who cannot make it to the concert.

Thursday at 8 p.m. in Distler Auditorium.

Admission is free. No tickets required.

TDC PRESENTS — WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S

TDC’s semesterly show is this weekend.

The infamous dance collective will bring down Cohen Auditorium with its hysterical amateur dancing. Sarabande will make a guest appearance.

Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets are free with a Tufts I.D.

UMUSIC VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

19-year-old Alessia Cara brings her own original brand of pop music to debut album “Know-It-All.” ing an uncomfortable experience through precise lyrics. The song is a shoutout to anyone who has felt like an outsider in any type of situation, recognizing and justifying their discomfort.

“Wild Things” is another standout on the album and was released as a single on Oct. 27. The song alternates between a minimalist sound with just piano, vocals and drums and a powerful chorus that has funky, layered vocals. With lyrics like “I lose my balance on these eggshells,” it’s easy to forget how young Cara is. The song is full of a subtle yet infectious energy.

Cara displays a different side of her voice on simpler tracks like “Stone” and

“Stars.” These two tracks aren’t grand or particularly energetic, but they showcase Cara’s soft, sweet tone. “Stone” almost exclusively utilizes guitar and vocals, putting more focus on Cara’s voice. “Stars” is a moving piano ballad for a long-lost lover.

“Lay in my arms, why don’t you? / It’s been way too long / …I need to / Let down my guard and give you my scars,” Cara sings.

These two tracks are a much appreciated change of pace and emphasize Cara’s musical flexibility.

The most interesting track on the album has to be “Overdose,” in which Cara experiments with syncopated rhythms and clever rhyming, both of which work

SWIPE RIGHT FOR SHIR APPEAL

Tufts’ Jewish a cappella group Shir Appeal is performing at Hillel this weekend. Tinder accounts are not required for attendance.

Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Tufts Hillel Admission is free with a Tufts I.D. in her favor on this album highlight.

Cara’s voice can be described as a fuller, more forceful version of singer-songwriter Norah Jones’. In her debut album, she shows off her vocal range and stylistic versatility. She’s able to sing sweetly and soulfully in ballads, but also channel energy and passion into pop hits. Cara’s style is unconventional — she doesn’t fit into the typical pop mold. Hopefully, as her career progresses, she’ll remain a unique, original voice in the pop music landscape.

TOP 10

Top 10 Thanksgiving Foods

by Merilla Michael Assistant Arts Editor

As we slowly but surely approach the relief that is Thanksgiving break, it’s time for those of us who plan on feasting, to pick and choose the dishes in which to indulge. It’s impossible to eat everything — though you may want to — so you might have to be selective. To help with this difficult decision, consult the following ranking of the top 10 Thanksgiving foods.

1. Mashed potatoes should be at the top of everyone’s list. Potatoes are one of the best things to grace this Earth, and the variety of potato dishes that you can make are endless. Plus, mashed potatoes are so simple that even us college kids can help out in the kitchen with that one, or else just be the designated taster.

You pick.

2. Rolls and biscuits are the highlights of a Thanksgiving dinner for many, especially for those who are sly enough to sneak a couple before their guests eat them all. When made right, they’re so light and fluffy that you’ll have to really resist the urge to eat them all.

3. Stuffing that isn’t weirdly stuffed in a Turkey is severely underrated. It’s just a bowl of carbs into which you can add literally anything. It’s a light enough dish that you can go back for seconds and not feel completely bogged down.

4. Why is turkey not first on the list?

It’s just so easy to cook a dry turkey, and those are never fun. It takes a lot of effort to cook, does not taste better than mashed potatoes, takes up a ton of room on the table and is difficult to cut.

Turkey’s a little too much trouble for what it’s worth, but there’s something to be said for traditions.

5. Cranberry sauce, when made fresh (!), is worthy of a spot in the top five. It can be a great addition to turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing — anything, really. Also, cranberry sauce on sandwiches made with leftovers in the week after Thanksgiving is a nice, economical treat.

6. Dessert, dessert, dessert! Pumpkin pie is usually a Thanksgiving staple, but apple and berry pies tend to appeal to a wider audience. Either way, get a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on your pie, and you’re good to go.

7. Many have a love-hate relationship with corn, but it’s the only vegetable to make it on the good part of this list, so it has some things going for it. The fact that kernels always get stuck in your teeth is an annoying but worthwhile price to pay for the delicious taste.

PETER HALEY / TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE / TNS

8. Gravy on its own isn’t exactly going to satisfy your taste buds, but it’s a great addition to anything that lacks a bit of flavor. It’s also easy to make, so you can feel like you actually tense if you step in and say, “Oh, don’t worry, Uncle Pete. I’ll take care of the gravy.”

Dishonorable mentions: 9. Sweet potato anything. Sweet potatoes, unless they are in the form of fries, are really just gross. Sure, they’re “healthy,”

but Thanksgiving dinner isn’t about health.

The most popular sweet potato dish is likely mashed sweet potatoes. When you already have delicious regular mashed potatoes, why would you want anything that looks like pureed children’s food (and doesn’t taste much better)?

10. Vegetables that smell weird when cooked, like brussel sprouts and broccoli, are a no-no. You’ll have plenty of times in your life to eat vegetables, but Thanksgiving day is not that day. Put away the greens.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Thursday, November 19, 2015

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ARTS&LIVING

ARTSY NUGGET

Boston En Masse to showcase local music scene

by Anjali Nair Arts Editor

For three days this week, Boston/ Cambridge-based booking collective Illegally Blind will showcase some of the finest bands that the area has to offer.

Called Boston En Masse, the mini music festival aims to bring the music community together to enjoy a variety of genres and acquaint concertgoers with up and coming bands along with well-known local groups.

Last night, the first night of Boston En Masse, featured the likes of Rick (from Pile), Dent and Milk at the Middle East in Cambridge. The only all-ages night of the festival, Wednesday night highlighted the

versatility of the Boston music scene and allowed younger music fans to be a part of the event. Often, age restrictions prevent those who are underage from enjoying the music they love, so the inclusion of an all-ages date was tremendously important.

Partly, this step forward occurred thanks to Jason Trefts, founder of Illegally Blind, who also works as the booking agent for the Middle East. Trefts asserts that his goal with Illegally Blind is to “[create] a more united local music scene.” In an Allston Pudding article, Trefts said his approach with lineups is to place bands that would not normally play together on the same bill, so that fans will be exposed to different kinds of music.

The next two nights of Boston En Masse, though 18-plus, are great indicators of this philosophy. Tonight’s showcase will take place at the Great Scott in Allston, and will feature funky electronic noise punk band Guerilla Toss, the soulful Mal Devisa and garage punk duo Ursula. The headlining act for the festival’s final day, Nov. 20, IAN is a Boston-based fuzz pop band, which will be joined by groups like Latin Americana trio Só Sol and Tufts’ own lo-fi surf rock boys, Castle Danger. With such a multifarious lineup, Boston En Masse is sure to entertain music fans from all backgrounds.

Tickets for the remaining nights are available for $12. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and at 6 p.m. on Friday.

SPOTLIGHT

Novelist Sommer Nectarhoff prepares for release of latest publication

by John Gallagher

Assistant Arts Editor

Senior English major Sommer Nectarhoff has published 14 novels, of roughly 200 pages each, since May 2014.

This impressive body of work speaks to an unwavering dedication to his craft (Nectarhoff often writes for 12 hours a day when not in school), but unlike many aspiring writers, Nectarhoff discovered his passion for the written word relatively late.

“I went into college never wanting to take another English class, because I hated them in high school,” Nectarhoff said.

After entering Tufts as a math major, Nectarhoff, in his sophomore year, found himself unhappy with his academic direction.

“I don’t want to do this anymore…I [needed] to find something that I would really like to do with my life,” he said.

Nectarhoff’s realization led him to take a three-and-a-half-year long hiatus from Tufts, during which he studied a variety of subjects, ranging from computer science to ancient Greek, at the University of Chicago and DePaul University.

During his break from Tufts, Nectarhoff also studied creative writing and discovered his father’s collection of poetry books.

“My dad had a bunch of poetry books and I started reading them,” he said. “Then I thought that I should probably write a little too, and then it turned into short stories, and then it turned into more than that.”

After disc ov e r i n g his passion COURTESY SAVANNAH GRAMANN for writing, Senior Sommer Nectarhoff will publish his next novel, a 1300-page tome Nectarhoff called “The Death of Ydian,” on Dec. 18. produced work in a variety of genres before deciding to try series has received many glowing reviews his hand at writing fantasy. on Amazon.

“I hadn’t come across many high Necterhoff’s latest work is a 1,300 page fantasy series that were focused on…a novel entitled “The Death of Ydian.” It is Greek style pantheon of gods…so I set in the same universe as “The Book wanted to put that into the high fantasy of Lok,” but fuses Arthurian Romance genre,” Nectarhoff said. with Greek mythology and is written in Nectarhoff’s efforts led to the 10-novel Middle English. It will be released on series “The Book of Lok,” which tells Dec. 18. the story of a thief “who gets embroiled Nectarhoff’s work is available via in a war with the Gods.” To date, the Amazon.

Lara LoBrutto Sinoscope

A campus in Beijing

T

he first thing that struck me about my college campus in Beijing was the mix of concrete and lush gardens, which somehow looked out-of-place in the urban atmosphere.

The flatness, too, was unfamiliar — no hikes up the hill to class. Students on motorbikes zoomed through the winding streets. Some wore masks — but only when the air was particularly bad. Every morning, I passed the same elderly woman power-walking, swinging her arms in front of her as if fighting some invisible wind.

There was a fitness center in the middle of campus where a group of girls would practice a dance, using the building’s mirrored façade to see their reflections. Inside, students played badminton, worked out on the machines or took classes ranging from kickboxing to yoga (in which the teacher forcefully pressed my heels to the ground as I tried to rest peacefully in downward dog. Gone was the soothing rhetoric about doing everything only to the best of your ability.)

At lunchtime, the streets were flooded with voices and backpacks as everyone gravitated toward the dining center. Inside, they jostled one another in front of the food stations. The ladies at the fast food stands called out as I passed by, advertising the oily chicken and slimy vegetables that have been sitting out all day. Most students, myself not included, handled the numbing spices of their stir-fry without choking or grimacing.

At night, cicadas replaced the voices of students, who were studying in their dorm rooms or the campus cafes, or out at KTV — a popular karaoke joint in China — singing their hearts out. Some were still on campus, playing basketball or dancing on the basketball court. There were local bars as well where students could get shots of vodka for under $3 and listen to every song that has played on the American radio for the past 10 years.

According to some recent graduates that I spoke to, university life in China is relatively relaxed in comparison to the frenzy leading up to the college entrance exam. It’s all relative, of course. That said, the students I met did not seem to have lives packed with extra-curriculars and internships, although I’m sure that their coursework was time-consuming enough on its own. The one campus event that I saw advertised during my twomonth stay was a “qipao” (traditional women’s dress) contest and fashion show.

Also absent was the atmosphere of liberal arts. Students choose humanities or sciences at the beginning of high school and then choose a more specific major when they enter university. When I spoke to a friend studying finance, she expressed disappointment in her choice of sciences over humanities. She’d felt pressure from her parents and teachers to choose the sciences, especially as a woman, but she believed that she was better suited to a career in the humanities.

Now it is too late.

What struck me most was the de-centered feeling of the campus, with a sense of broader silence beyond the interactions of friends.

I longed for Tufts’ active student body. While the constant discourse certainly has its flaws, I now appreciate the fact that students take their heads out of their books long enough to engage with their peers, not only as friends but as fellow future leaders.

Lara LoBrutto is a junior majoring in international relations and minoring in Chinese. She may be reached at lara.lobrutto@tufts.edu.

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Thursday, November 19, 2015 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Comics

Late Night at the Daily Alison: “I’m not allowed to sit in the front seat because I have too much anxiety.”

FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Comics

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis Crossword

ACROSS 1 __ Men, pop band whose name derives from its members’ homeland 5 Bit of a speech 9 Prolonged look 14 Instruments for Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 15 Case for notions 16 Attach 17 Bar for some dancers 19 “The Grand Budapest Hotel” actor 20 Kiss a frog, so it’s said 22 Org. that holds your interest?

23 LBJ agency 24 Reuters competitor 27 All out 32 Complain 36 Attic forager 37 Family nickname 38 Went too far with 40 Street vendor’s snack 42 Cosmetic surgeon’s procedures, briefly 43 Nursery supply 44 Salts 45 Evasive language 49 NBC sketch comedy 50 Portuguese king 51 Not connected 56 Snoring, e.g., and a literal hint to what’s hidden in 20-, 27- and 45Across 61 Case study?

63 Like one who really gets IT? 64 Sea divers 65 Switch ending 66 Carpe __ 67 Cuban music genre 68 Daly of “Judging Amy” 69 Everyone, in Essen DOWN 1 Light sources 2 “Ran” director Kurosawa

Wednesday’s Solution Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

3 Ones with fab abs 4 Similarly sinful 5 Broke down 6 “Then again,” in tweets 7 Dismiss 8 Fuel type 9 “Soldier of Love” Grammy winner 10 Nonstick cookware brand 11 Anti-consumerist portmanteau popularized in a 2001 best-seller 12 2011 animated film set in Brazil 13 PC file extension 18 Stillwater’s state: Abbr.

21 Capitol insider 25 Novelist De Vries 26 Pastoral poems 28 Athlete lead-in 29 It’s not hot for long 30 Submission encl.

31 Last stroke, usually 32 Common maladies 33 French postcard word 34 Utter disgust 35 “No __!”

39 ISP alternative

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

40 Author of macabre tales 41 Old cereal box stat 43 Weblike 46 Before, of yore 47 Largish jazz ensemble 48 Maxwell Smart’s nemesis 52 “The Devil Wears __” 53 Motrin competitor

11/19/15

54 Party hearty 55 “Go ahead, make my day!”

57 Lana of Superman lore 58 Film feline 59 Silhouette of a bird, for Twitter 60 You might pick up a pebble in one 61 Attention from Dr. Mom 62 Milne marsupial

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

JUMBLE

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

RAGDU ©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

OSMEO RULSYE

NERLKE

For more info on our Guest Jumblers go to facebook.com/jumble

SUDOKU

11/19/15

By Ed Sessa

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

Ans:

Difficulty Level: Understanding Dijkstra’s algorithm.

Yesterday’s

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: YOUTH DICEY SPIRAL SEESAW Answer: Napping came so naturally for him, he could do it with — HIS EYES CLOSED

Wednesday’s Solution EMPLOYMENT Hoping to earn extra $? Local tufts alum seeking part-time personal/administrative assistant. Computer fluency and high ethical standards a must.

Hours flexible. Please call Faith at (781) 258-9027 for details.

Classifieds EMPLOYMENT

Personal Assistant needed to organize and help. Basic computer skills needed good with organization. Willing to pay $250 per week interested person Should contact: loffber887@gmail.com.

classifieds policy All Tufts students must submit classifieds in person, prepaid with check, money order or exact cash only. All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $20 per week or $4 per day with Tufts ID or $30 per week or $8 per day without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

Opinion

10 tuftsdaily.com

Thursday, November 19, 2015

OP-ED

The importance of mindful media in times of tragedy

by Anna Robling

When faced with news of horrific tragedy, like that of this weekend’s events in Paris, the outpouring of numbers and names of victims can leave you numb. The extensive media attention regarding the Parisian tragedy has sparked a widespread expression of public anguish. Behind the raw numbers there are poignant stories, many of which will be heard and quickly forgotten. You will continue your life as it was before because, the truth is, it’s unlikely this news has a direct impact on your daily routine. I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty or insensitive; I’m acknowledging it as a common reaction to catastrophes rendered intangible by distance. Other violent ISIS attacks, as many have pointed out amidst this crisis, have even been completely neglected by the shadow of Western media, and thus they have failed to receive any consideration at all.

In an effort to redeem your survivor’s guilt, you may reaffirm your solidarity via social media with a status, tweet or picture.

The power of social media to unite people from hundreds of countries around a single cause is inarguably awe inspiring.

Many question if this phenomenon has any significant impact other than easing a guilty conscience though. I believe that a contagious social media trend is important because it reveals what issues the public is concerned with and what they can rally behind. If an idea, event or cause animates

people, it is not to be dismissed. It shows that people care and there is the potential for action.

However, the question of the actual impact of social media solidarity is not the one I want to address. I think it is important to note that the origin of this question rests in doubt concerning the virtue and authenticity of the people who copy-paste or add a temporary profile picture. This is not to say that everyone who partakes is making an empty claim, but many are under-informed. Nonetheless, the tendency of people to follow the masses is magnified because social media makes it effortless. For some, Facebook and Instagram are their only news sources; thus, they are only informed of what the people they follow are concerned about, skewing what they themselves deem important or newsworthy. This can lead users to share things instantly just because everybody else is doing it. Many people are aware of this careless copypaste syndrome; it’s what taints statements of support and solidarity with a trivial hue.

My goal is not to tell you that you shouldn’t change your profile picture or affirm your solidarity with the grief-stricken citizens of France. I believe this expression of support is one of the most extraordinary gifts that the connections through social media allows us to make. This cascade of consolation would be dramatically more compelling if we stopped mindlessly pressing ctrl+C. All I ask is that before you hop on the solidarity bandwagon, you take 20 min-

utes to inform yourself about what you are endorsing. Odds are, you will still choose to declare your support and prayers by whatever means you feel appropriate.

When grave tragedies happen far away, it is easy to disassociate ourselves and continue on. Proceeding with your daily life as follows isn’t wrong and nobody should make you feel that way. However, if you are going to speak about how an event like this has affected you, please be able to explain why. Find out exactly what has disturbed you. Another amazing thing about the internet, besides it’s unifying power, is the way it has enhanced the accessibility of knowledge. There are so many nuances behind and within crises such as these. I found myself asking so many questions and instead of ignoring them, I’ve attempted to find the answers.

Personally, I won’t change my profile picture or make posts with the #PrayforParis, but that’s not because I am unaffected by what has happened. I think the outpouring of support, prayer and thought is incredible, but I choose to express myself differently. My social media presence will rarely reflect my political or ethical opinions, but that is a wholly personal choice. There are many people in my newsfeed whose thoughtful, educated presence I admire and can learn from.

To the students of Tufts University and educational institutions everywhere, to all people throughout the world attempting to understand this horrific event and prevent

future tragedy, I want to remind you that your voice is powerful. The things you say and post will have an impact on somebody somewhere that you may never be aware of. Please consider your potential influence on others. Education is revered as the source of progress and societal improvement for a reason. In the harrowing wake of such heartbreaking tragedy, I urge you to seek understanding to better yourself and those around you. Seek news sources other than your news feed; strive to read multiple opinions on this politically, socially and ethically loaded subject. Be thoughtful, be considerate and never hesitate to share your honest opinion.

Finally, I choose to express my support for the victims of undeserved carnage and chaos in not only Paris but also Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria by asking questions and trying to find the answers. I will not stop trying to improve my understanding by exploring multiple perspectives. I will do my best to be an informed and considerate citizen of the world. I express my deepest condolences to the victims of these merciless crimes and their grieving families, friends, cities and countries. I pray that we will never cease trying to enable peace wherever possible.

Anna Robling is a first-year majoring in international relations and economics. She can be reached at anna.robling@tufts.edu.

LETTER TO THE TUFTS COMMUNITY FROM THE FORMER MEMBERS OF TUFTS SIGMA PHI EPSILON EDITORIAL CARTOON

BY ALLISON MEROLA

Dear Tufts community, Fraternities at Tufts who affiliate themselves with national organizations have a complex dual responsibility. They must answer to both the Tufts community and their national headquarters. They must be reflective both of the values of this campus and those of a distant organization. They must exist at once as a part of Tufts and as an entity foreign to it.

For some time, we, the brothers of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter on this campus, have endeavored to navigate our dual responsibility to both campus and fraternity.

Several months ago, upon the foundation provided by our high standard of brotherhood, and on the basis of our unwavering commitment to inclusivity regardless of race, class, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, background or beliefs, we began to look critically at ourselves and have come to some important decisions about our status on this campus.

As a result of thoughtful consideration and much discussion, we have decided to disaffiliate ourselves from the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Over the next few months, we will be transitioning to a Tufts-based fraternity. We look forward to engaging with the Tufts community from our renewed position and hope to remain a positive part of campus life in the future.

Sincerely, The former members of Tufts Sigma Phi Epsilon

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board. EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

Thursday, November 19, 2015 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Sports

11

Sports

Seniors end Tufts athletic career with 6-2 season FOOTBALL

continued from back them to OT, [but] I’m looking at it saying we should be [different] in those situations.”

The second loss came at the hands of NESCAC champion Amherst, who got out to an early lead and shut down the Tufts run game to beat the Jumbos 32-7.

For much of the season, the Jumbos’ focus was solely on the individual accomplishments of the team; they had no shortage of individuals who put up memorable performances this season. Leading the pack was NESCAC leading rusher Brady, whose 975 yards were 200 ahead of the next-best tailback. Brady’s astounding 121.9 yards per game were a credit to his individual ability, as well as that of his offensive line, who aided him as he rushed for 11 touchdowns.

“Chance Brady is the best running back I’ve ever blocked for,” FarmerMichos said. “It’s all about cohesion, unity and understanding what your job is every snap, and I think the standards were set early in preseason about how we wanted to play offensively.”

Sophomore linebacker Zach Thomas led the NESCAC in sacks, as he managed to put the quarterback on his back nine times this season. He, alongside sophomore defensive end Micah Adickes, ensured the Jumbos were the league leader in sacks this season.

Kickers are not often the focus of attention from the public, but junior kicker and punter Willie Holmquist’s foot was vital to the success of the Jumbos all season long. His year culminated in his breaking of the Tufts record for most field goals made, with 11 this season.

“We really believed in our ability to win,” Holmquist said. “I feel like that was a big change from my freshman year, two years ago, when we were 0-8.

This year we really set the bar, we had ambitious goals, and going forward, this is just a benchmark for things to come.”

Among the most impressive individual performances of the season was that of first-year corner Tim Preston, whose six interceptions put him first in the NESCAC. Preston credits a great deal of his success in his impressive first season to the lessons he learned

T

Evan Sayles / Tufts Daily Archive

Tufts junior RB Chance Brady and junior WB Mike Rando celebrate Brady’s touchdown in the game against Trinity on Saturday, Oct. 17. from those on the team who had been through some of the darkest years of Tufts football.

“As a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect coming into a college program,” Preston said. “Having the seniors and team leaders treat me like I’d been part of the team for a long time made the adjustment very easy for me.”

These accomplishments certainly mean a lot to the individuals who worked hard to earn them, as well as the team as a whole. Civetti explained that these accomplishments demonstrate that the program is headed in the right direction.

“It means that you’re recruiting the right players,” Civetti said. “And that you’re putting your players in positions to be successful. You’ve created an environment where the team is what wins the game, but you also have to have individuals step up and make plays.”

It would be easy to forget the 2012 and 2013 seasons where the Jumbos

went a combined 0-16. The seniors have not forgotten the first two seasons they played here. To many, this season marks a new era for Tufts football.

Not long ago, Tufts football was not on the minds of any students. The team went three consecutive seasons without winning a single game; many lost hope in Tufts ever assembling a winning season again. Civetti, however, knew his team was better than the records indicated, and trusted in the players to break that streak. The Jumbos are a combined 10-6 over the last two seasons — a far cry from the 0-16 the seniors saw in their first two seasons.

“We’ve knocked on the door,” Civetti said “People are aware now; you’ve gone from the hunter to the hunted.

People are looking at you a little differently than they did in the past. We’re still on the hunt to win a championship. We’re going to have to have some guys step up, but the next game cannot get here fast enough.”

Jumbos build on experience and team chemistry MEN'S BASKETBALL

continued from back too much at times last year.”

Palleschi was named to the All-NESCAC second team last year, and averaged 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks per game, while also possessing a deft passing touch and a solid outshot shot.

A concern with a faster offense is an increase in turnovers, a category that Tufts excelled in last year, averaging just 9.5 per game, the best in the conference.

“Last year, we had such good players inside that we wanted to work the ball in to them,” Sheldon said. “So five or six passes in and out of the post will probably lead to more turnovers … If we get the ball up the court fast and have one or two passes leading to a drive and kick, [then] that’s [fewer] passes, which will mean fewer turnovers. The main difference is we’re going to make our threes this year.”

Three-point shooting was an area

Eddie Samuels Horribly, Terribly Wrong

that the team struggled with last year, averaging just seven three-pointers per game. With more shooters on the floor, the Jumbos are expected to climb up the rankings in that statistical category.

We’ve all been playing together for at least one season now — our chemistry is only going to get stronger from here.”

The team also boasts strong leadership, represented best by the team’s first-ever three-year captain Palleschi, who was

elected by his teammates while he was still in the hospital after heart surgery in 2013, as well as by Spadaford and by senior guard Stephen Haladyna.

“We’ve had the best preseason that I’ve seen in my three years,” Spadaford said.

“Guys really got after it more than they had before. We’ve all worked hard on and off the court and have really come together as a team because of it. We’ve all been playing together for at least one season now — our chemistry is only going to get stronger from here.”

The preseason will culminate in a game at Emerson on Friday at 7 p.m.

The team’s first regular season game, which is against the Wentworth Institute of Technology, will be held in Cousens Gymnasium on the following day, Nov. 21 at 2 pm. The projected starters are Dayton at point guard, Haladyna at shooting guard, Spadaford at small forward, Pace as the nominal power forward and Palleschi at center.

Week 11

his week marked a new era of incompetence in quarterback play in the National Football League. While many teams … some teams … really just the Patriots, have seen exceptional quarterbacking all season long, the majority have been mired in mediocrity. Here are some names you might not expect.

Peyton Manning: There’s no question that at his age, Manning’s health, more than his skill, has become a hinderance to his play. He still has the noodle-arm and amazing football intellect that helped him secure the career passing yards record on Sunday. His 71,840 yards are now an all time record, but that would was not the story of the game. Manning threw for only 35 yards before being removed from the game in favor of Brock Osweiler. It now appears Peyton will miss time with a partially torn plantar fascia in his foot. There should be no doubt, however, that while Sunday was his worst, Manning is still one of the all-time bests.

The Browns: There is always room to mock the Browns play, talent or decision making. But honestly, Sunday may be a new low for the Browns. Ben Roethlisberger has been injured for the Steelers for a good portion of the season, as Landry Jones, backup extraordinaire, started in his place. Sunday, Jones was knocked out of the game, so who did the Steelers turn to? None other than Big Ben himself. Roethlisberger stepped in with no game plan, no preparation and ran the no-huddle offense like he’d never left, leaving Browns fans to wonder what more could go wrong.

The Dolphins: You may recall that I called the Colts failed fake punt one of, if not the worst, special teams plays of all time. This week however, the Dolphins’ kick returner Damien Williams was tackled by his own teammate attempting to tell him to take a knee in the end zone, falling down at the 1-yard line where the Dolphins were forced to start an offensive drive. Following a blitz, the Dolphins gave up a safety for the third consecutive game.

The referees: I’ve written before about the dangers of allowing the officiating crews to play an active role in deciding the outcome of NFL games.

This season, the referees have been far too vital to the outcome of a number of contests. While there is never a shortage of disgruntled fans who would like to blame their team’s loss on anything but poor play, the NFL needs to reevaluate the way it trains referees. There should be a constant standard imposed on those responsible for doling out penalties in this league. It shouldn’t be that when you Google “referees,” the first thing that comes up are articles from beat reporters describing the myriad ways your team was screwed by the referees’ failure to follow the rules.

While the NFL season remains young, the quarterbacks do not. I would not be shocked to see a number of veteran passers retire this offseason, and I honestly look forward to an era in which new game managers and playmakers are given the chance to shine or slip, given their own chance for glory or anonymity.

Eddie Samuels is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at edward.samuels@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Thursday, November 19, 2015

FOOTBALL

Tufts celebrates best season since 2001

by Eddie Samuels Staff Writer

In 2012, the Jumbos failed to win a single game. In 2013, they again ended up 0-8. Last year, the Jumbos began the season with a pair of streak-breaking wins, to finish 4-4 on the year. It looked like attaining a winning season was an unattainable goal for Tufts. The team had not managed such a record since 2007, which made a 6-2 season a formidable aim.

Coach Jay Civetti, who became head coach in 2011, saw firsthand the devastating effects of a combined 0-24 record through his first three seasons as a head coach.

“Twenty-four straight losses,” Civetti said. “It was hard in the moment. It was difficult at different points, knowing that there was a lot of work going in, that there was a lot of improvement being made, but it was never enough.

It was hard for me to know how much work my staff was doing and to still lose; it was even harder to know how much the players were putting in.”

This year, however, the Jumbos achieved what had once seemed impossible. The team finished 6-2 for the first time since 2001 and demonstrated that Tufts could once again be a football team to be reckoned with. For the seniors, who saw their Tufts careers start 0-16, this season was exactly how they had hoped to end their college careers.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking about [the 0-8 seasons],” senior offensive lineman Akene Farmer-Michos said.

“It was paramount, as a group, that we didn’t let our standards drop. We had to keep working. The leadership had a huge impact on us; they kept us driven. We expected to be at this level this year. Together we executed and brought the team together.”

Ray Bernoff / Tufts Daily Archive

Middlebury players tackle junior wide receiver Mike Rando during the Jumbos’ 31-28 victory over the Panthers at home on Nov. 14.

The season started out well for the Jumbos. The team jumped out to an early lead in their Sept. 26 game against Hamilton, but its failure to score in the second half almost cost Tufts its victory, as Hamilton managed to tie the game up and had a shot at a 47-yard field goal with less than a minute left in the game. The Jumbos forced overtime, however, during which junior kicker Willie Holmquist kicked the winning field goal.

At their homecoming game against Bowdoin, Tufts offense finally clicked.

Junior running back Chance Brady ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns in

the Jumbos’ 43-24 victory in front of over 5,500 fans, setting a benchmark for his fantastic season. “[The feeling was] that we should be 3-0,” Civetti said. “We were playing good football; we can compete with anybody. We talked all season about building this beast — a metaphor for our team, our persona — so an overtime win, a come from behind win, a dominating win at home, those were the first three.”

It would be easy to be content with a 3-0 record to start the season, but the team knew it still had a lot of work to do to guarantee a winning record, or

to even have a shot at their goal of the NESCAC championship.

Although the team had its share of struggles throughout the season, the Jumbos managed to make the most of their strong start. The team dropped two home games — the first against an impressive Trinity squad in which it ultimately lost in overtime. “[The Trinity game] still gnaws at me a little bit,” Civetti said. “Every coach has a game. I wish I could have that one back. Everybody else looks at that game and is amazed that we took see FOOTBALL, page 11

MEN'S BASKETBALL

New-look offense has Jumbos ready to push for NESCAC title

by Noah Smith Staff Writer

Last year, an average possession for Tufts (13-12, 6-4 NESCAC) was a slow walk up the floor, five or six passes, an attempt to give the ball to a post player and a shot. This year, the offense has been completely restructured; the team’s roster shows no position other than “guard” or “center.” The team, which finished fourth in the NESCAC last year, is now looking to surround junior tri-captain Tom Palleschi with four athletes that can drive and shoot. The Jumbos hope to score a lot of points in a hurry and play a pressing man defense.

The team is also aided by a large crop of returning players — a squad composed of only three new team members, two firstyears and one transfer student— which means that the team can expound on its chemistry from last year. There were big contributions last year from now-sophomore guards Stefan Devuvier, Everett Dayton and Vincent Pace, all of whom gained valuable experience for this season, especially with a new guard-based offense. The success of the team will largely depend on the growth of

these players — the team has already found reliable contributions from post play, and will be able to take it to the next level by upping their perimeter game.

The team’s main goal is to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament, whether

that be by winning the NESCAC title for the first time in team history or receiving an at-large bid. To do that, Tufts will have to go through perennial rivals Amherst, Trinity and Williams as well as reigning NESCAC champion Wesleyan. It

Evan Sayles / Tufts Daily Archive

Tufts sophomore forward Vincent Pace goes for a layup during a Dec. 3, 2014 game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last season.

is worth noting that, until Tufts went to Amherst and beat them handily at home last year, Amherst had not lost a home NESCAC game since 2011.

“We had some big wins last year, especially [going] to these other schools and beating them at home,” senior tri-captain guard Ryan Spadaford said. “We beat Amherst and Middlebury…when they were nationally ranked. If we can continue that trend this year, and step up in big games, we will definitely have a successful season.”

Another major story from the off-season is that of junior center Hunter Sabety, last year’s leading scorer, who transfered to Hofstra University this past summer. While both Sabety and Palleschi are talented post scorers, the combination of the two of them often clogged the inside, frequently leading to slow pace and contested shots.

“To be honest, I’m more comfortable coaching a fast-paced team than a slowpaced one,” coach Bob Sheldon said.

“Only having one post player is going to free up space for our bigger guards to drive. It got congested and slowed down see MEN'S BASKETBALL, page 11