The Tufts Daily - Monday, February 25, 2019

Tufts provides opportunities in data science, applied computational science see FEATURES / PAGE 4

OPINION

The challenges of migration, integration

Arts editors share favorite movies, fun facts see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 6

SEE OPINION / PAGE 9

THE

VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 21

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Monday, February 25, 2019

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Women’s basketball wins NESCAC Championship over undefeated Bowdoin

by Alex Viveros

Assistant Sports Editor

For the first time since the 2014–2015 season, the No. 6 ranked Jumbos (25–2) are once again NESCAC champions.

En route to the title, Tufts saw off the only two teams that they had lost to in the regular season. On Saturday, the Jumbos beat the No. 4 ranked Amherst College Mammoths (23–3) by one point, finding a miraculous last-second victory with a final score of 47–46. The Jumbos then followed up the stunning performance by upsetting the previously undefeated Bowdoin College Polar Bears (26–1) in their own gym, defeating the No. 1 team in the country by a final score of 75–69 to claim the crown of the top team in the NESCAC. In what is certain to become two instant classics, the weekend was chock-full of clutch plays and nail-biting moments, as both games were held to extremely close scores as a result of the stingy defensive play that the NESCAC is notorious for.

Following a stunning win on Saturday against Amherst, Tufts returned to Morrell Gymnasium the following day, where they narrowly but securely defeated the Polar Bears — who had beaten the Jumbos by a

COURTESY TUFTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

see WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, page 11

The women’s basketball team poses for a photo after defeating Bowdoin 75–69 in the NESCAC Championship game on Feb. 24.

Women’s Center Symposium discusses feminism, labor through art, literature

TCU Senate passes resolution calling for due process in Professor Abowd’s contract renewal

by Jillian Rolnick

by Robert Kaplan

Assistant News Editor

The annual Women’s Center Symposium on Gender and Culture was held on Friday, Feb. 22, in the Crane Room. The fourhour event, themed “Divisions/Revisions of Labor,” tackled the meaning of modern labor, beyond the traditional definition, and dealt with topics including gendered and emotional labor.

Jessica Mitzner, a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center who organized the event, said she came up with the theme when questioning how labor interacts with identity.

“There’s a lot of discussions right now relating to gender and emotional labor so we were just kind of interested in asking questions about what kind of labor do we expect from different sorts of people?”

Mitzner, a Ph.D. candidate in the English

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department, said. “How do our identities inform the work? … What do we expect from different people because of their identity?”

The event featured two panels, an art performance, a display of visual artwork and a keynote address entitled “Catwalking in Bombay: Cruising, Pride, and Fashion as Queer Work” by Brian Horton, a Ph.D candidate in anthropology at Brown University.

Mitzner said that event included people from a myriad of disciplines and universities and people with a variety of interpretations of what labor is. Although predominantly featuring students from Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), the event also hosted presenters from other colleges such as Simmons University and Brandeis University. see SYMPOSIUM, page 2 For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

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Assistant News Editor

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate convened in a packed Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room on Sunday night, passing a resolution calling for “an open and just renewal process” for American Studies Professor Thomas Abowd’s contract as well as academic freedom and an intimidation-free workplace.

The TCU Senate also discussed the social networking app Raftr with founder Sue Decker and heard several supplementary funding requests.

Abowd’s contract has been a subject of controversy since his fall 2018 course “Colonizing Palestine” (CST-0094) drew criticism for alleged anti-Israel bias, according to the text of the resolution. The resolution further states that “Professor Abowd is at risk of his contract not being renewed beyond the current school year.”

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The resolution, titled “S. 19-4 A Resolution Calling for an Intimidation-Free Workplace, Academic Freedom, and Support for Due Process in Professor Thomas Abowd’s Contract Renewal,” passed with 22 senators in favor, two opposed and six abstaining.

TCU Senate Historian Rebeca Becdach, a sophomore, read the text of the resolution to the full meeting room, after which Amira Al-Subaey began a prepared statement in support of the resolution. The resolution was authored by seniors Al-Subaey, Katelyn Mullikin, Parker Breza and Elise Sommers; juniors Molly Tunis and Emily Burke; sophomore Nina Chukwura; and first-years Ava Dimond, Rabiya Ismail and Melia Harlan.

“We wrote this resolution because we are concerned with Professor Abowd’s contact status, specifically in light of the mali-

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................4 ARTS & LIVING.......................6

see SENATE, page 3

FUN & GAMES.........................8 OPINION.....................................9 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, February 25, 2019

THE TUFTS DAILY Elie Levine Editor-in-Chief

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Symposium showcases intersection of female identities and physical and emotional labor SYMPOSIUM

continued from page 1 “We’re not focusing on trying to send a message as much as start a conversation,” she said. “The central goal is to bring all these different perspectives into a conversation … about what kind of expectations there are for different kinds of people to perform.”

The first panel, titled “Affective and Gendered Labor,” featured three presenters. The first presentation, called “Witch’s Work, Or Putting Brooms to Better Use in Howl’s Moving Castle” by Paige Sammartino of Simmons University, discussed power dynamics and gendered work throughout the children’s fantasy novel “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

The book follows a girl named Sophie, who is transformed into an old woman by a witch and works as a cleaning lady for a wizard named Howl, according to Sammartino. She cleans up Howl’s castle and eventually helps fix his self-absorbed demeanor with her practicality.

“Consider that [Sophie] is the eldest daughter that always looked out for her younger, freer siblings,” Sammartino said in her presentation. “Consider that she’s in the body of an old woman. Consider that she’s the victim of a curse. Consider that she’s a witch … They’re tropes — gendered tropes, female tropes that inform a worldwide cross-cultural unconscious equation between gender and position in society role in the household and expected work.”

The second presenter, Meghna Usharani Ravishankar of Brandeis University, detailed the discomfort of being asked questions about race and the responsibility to answer these questions, specifically as a woman of color.

In her presentation, titled “The Power Dichotomy: Negotiating Responsibility, Opportunity, and Identity,” Ravishankar, who is originally from India, said that she had not experienced different treatment based on race until moving to the United States for college. It was a shocking experience for her.

Ravishankar recalled a conversation with a friend about race.

“I felt like she was demanding too much of me in explaining things relating to microaggression and trauma and things like that,” Ravishankar said in a question-and-answer session after the panel.

“But I felt a sense of responsibility to explain because she is my friend I think

a lot of people of color have this sort of responsibility.”

She also said that there are many other spaces, other than asking friends who are people of color, to learn about these kind of issues.

“I wish my white friends would think more when they ask questions, but then the question is: How do I learn about something if I don’t ask you?” Ravishankar said in an interview with the Daily. “There are so many people of color who [are] taking the time to express themselves — putting that experience into words is difficult, and a lot of people have done that work.”

The final presentation of the panel came from two Tufts seniors, Madeline Lee and Ana Sofia Amieva-Wang, about their final project in an anthropology seminar last semester. The project, titled “A Plant Meal: Intimacy and Unfamiliarity,” was a collaborative activity that culminated in the creation of a plant-based meal for six guests that did not know each other and a book that detailed the process, according to Lee. “I think some of the main, central concepts that we were taking away from the project is paying attention to the history behind the ways that we interact with plants and really unlearning the treatment of invisibility of plant life and our everyday lives,” Lee said.

Then Thalia Berard, a graduate student in the MFA program at the SMFA, presented a performance piece titled “Two Semesters in Labor.”

“I began carrying a weighted pregnancy belly in the middle of November to talk about the visibility of artist labor at institutions and in general in society,” she said in her presentation.

Berard read excerpts from a journal she has kept throughout the project detailing different types of labor, from the physical pain of carrying around a weight on her stomach to the emotional labor of motherhood and love.

Berard said the project originated in response to a policy prohibiting SMFA graduate students from joining the graduate student union on the Medford campus.

“That decision that was made felt very devaluing of the work we do as artists on the SMFA campus so the performance began in kind of a painful place,” she said.

Berard plans for the project to end upon her graduation in May.

In the keynote address, Horton said that he spent over two years in Mumbai, previously Bombay, conducting over 100 interviews with queer people as part of his dissertation, called “Shimmers of the Fabulous: the Reinventions of Queer Life and Politics in Mumbai.”

“This chapter [of the dissertation] is loosely on what I call catwalking in the city, which … [are] the ways in which queer subjects are tasked with the project of reclaiming space in a mode of different ways,” he said. “So not just physically but through gesture, through fashion and using those ways to think about critique.”

The symposium concluded with a panel by two presenters on “The Work of War and Nation.”

The first panelist, Tufts senior Celeste Teng, gave a presentation titled “Military Service and the Production of the State of Singapore” about the effects of compulsory military service for only men in her home country of Singapore.

“Growing up, I remember asking or being asked why women don’t have to do national service,” Teng said as part of her argument in her presentation.

“Women can do national service by having children.”

She said that while the men spend a minimum of two years serving in the military, women fall into a role of maintaining the household, something that continues even after the men return.

The last presenter, SMFA graduate student Paulina MacNeil gave a presentation called “Mother Ireland and Irish Mothers in ‘The Butcher Boy.’” Using the novel “The Butcher Boy,” MacNeil discussed the literal and symbolic burden that women bear during reproduction; this includes the physical pain of the act and also the responsibilities that come with shaping the next generation. Through the context of the novel, she likened the country of Ireland to a mother, imposing its own responsibilities, duties and values onto its citizens.

The symposium also displayed the artwork of SMFA first-year Kiara Reagan, titled “Baby Prints.”

The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora; the Department of Sociology; and the Tufts Graduate Student Council, according to Mitzner.

Tufts student Shubha Debnath passes away unexpectedly

by Anton Shenk Staff Writer

Shubha Debnath, a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, according to an email sent to the community Saturday night by University President Anthony Monaco and other members of the Tufts administration.

Debnath, who came to Tufts as a first-generation student, was an active member of the Tufts community. A community volunteer and member of the Bengali Association at Tufts, Debnath was described by his suitemates as “a brilliant and loyal friend, possessing a lightning-quick mind and an extraordinary wealth of information to engage nearly any topic,” according to the email.

“We know that Shubha’s sudden passing will be felt deeply by the many students, faculty, and staff he met during his time at Tufts,” the authors of the

email wrote. “Thank you for joining us as we extend our deep compassion to Shubha’s friends, and our sincerest, most heartfelt condolences to his family.”

The authors of the email invited Tufts students to join in a gathering of support and reflection at the Interfaith Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24.

The authors of the email encouraged community members to reach out to mental health resources at the university, including Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS), the CounselorOn-Call and the Chaplain-On-Call, which are available after hours over the weekend. They also presented other resources available to students, faculty and staff.

Resources available on campus include: Students can reach both the Counselor-On-Call and the Chaplain-On-Call by calling Public Safety at 617-627-3030.

The University Chaplaincy provides pastoral care and support with grief and planning memorial services. All are welcome to reach out directly to any member of the University Chaplaincy or call 617-627-3427 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

CMHS is also open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Students can make an appointment by visiting their office or calling 617-627-3360.

Tufts has partnered with two outside resources that provide students with access to licensed therapists from any location via text, live chat, phone and video: BetterHelp and iHope.

Students may also seek support through the Dean of Student Affairs Office Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. by walking in or calling 617-627-3158.

Faculty and staff may seek support from the University Chaplaincy, as well as Tufts’ Employee Assistance Program, at any time.

News

Monday, February 25, 2019 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

3

Events on the Hill — Week of Feb. 25

by Jessica Blough

Executive News Editor

MONDAY “Girl Talk Theatre” Details: The Boston-based female empowerment group will put on a performance, including an opportunity for “Talk Back,” and a toiletries drive for homeless women.

Where and when: Balch Arena Theater; 12–1 p.m.

TUESDAY “TFG Speaker Series — Sue Decker”

Details: The Tufts Financial Group (TFG) will host Sue Decker (A ’84, E ‘84) as the primary speaker of their annual TFG Speaker Series. Decker is the CEO of Raftr, a social networking platform, and previous President of Yahoo! Inc. Where and when: ASEAN Auditorium; 8–9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY “Geoff Edgers Talk” Details: Tufts alumnus and Arts Reporter for the Washington Post Geoff Edgers (A ’92) will discuss his new book, “Walk This

Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith and the Song that Changed American Music Forever” (2019), as well as his experience combining his passion for writing, music and journalism into a career.

Where and when: Varis Lecture Hall; 12–1:30 p.m.

THURSDAY “Film Screening: ‘Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’” Details: At an event hosted by the Department of Film and Media Studies, filmmaker David Sutherland (A ’67) will

screen his latest film, “Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (2019). The film follows two protagonists and examines immigration in the United States and the impact of deportation.

Where and when: Tisch 304; 6 p.m.

FRIDAY “Tufts SHR presents: Sexy Crafting!”

Details: As part of Sex Health Week, Tufts Sex Health Reps will host an afternoon of sexy crafting, revolving around the question “What does sexuality mean to you?”

Where and when: Crafts Center; 3–5 p.m.

Passed resolution calls for academic freedom, due process for ‘Colonizing Palestine’ professor SENATE

continued from page 1 cious and hateful attacks he has received,” Al-Subaey said.

Al-Subaey added that the diverse authorship of the resolution testified to its weight.

“We brought in Tufts Labor Coalition because of their experience working for a fair and harassment free workplace,” Al-Subaey said. “And we brought in Students for Justice in Palestine because they have received similar attacks because of their advocacy work.”

TCU Senator Grant Gebetsberger, a sophomore, explained why he believed that no TCU Senator should vote in favor of the resolution.

“I think that everybody on this body should abstain with me tonight,” Gebetsberger said. “I think that without access to rightfully confidential material … We cannot make a fully informed or fair decision on the contract renewal of one specific faculty member.”

TCU Senator Charlie Brogdon-Tent noted the ramifications of passing the resolution.

“This makes a definitive statement about how negotiations should end,” BrogdonTent, a junior, said. “And we simply don’t have enough information as a body to make that type of call.”

TCU Senate then entered an open question-and-answer period, in which several community members added to the questions of the senators.

In response to a question on the inclusion of Abowd in the resolution given the focus on academic freedom, Al-Subaey said Abowd’s situation constitutes a unique circumstance.

“We focus this resolution on Abowd because he is the professor receiving threats on his academic freedom right now,” Al-Subaey said. “This is a very real member of our Tufts community that is now at risk of losing his job for doing his job as a professor.”

Two amendments — one that sought to remove Abowd’s name from the title of the resolution and another that sought to strike his name from the entire resolution — failed to gain a simple majority of votes to be adopted.

In response to a question on the availability of the course syllabus of “Colonizing Palestine” in order to determine alleged bias from several audience members, Ismail explained the distinct emphasis of the resolution.

“This resolution is not about ‘Colonizing Palestine’ in general, it’s really about academic freedom and allowing someone to teach that course on this campus,” Ismail said.

Non-voting TCU Parliamentarian Sharif Hamidi explained this resolution would not be subject to a roll-call vote.

“In consideration of the fact that this resolution specifically deals with a Tufts faculty member by name, and to safeguard against conflict and retaliation against vot-

ing members … There will not be a roll call vote on this resolution,” Hamidi, a sophomore, said.

After the TCU Senate passed the resolution, the authors of the resolution and audience dispersed as the TCU Senate finished the remainder of the evening’s business.

Former Yahoo! Inc President, Tufts alumna and Raftr co-founder Sue Decker (A ‘84, E ’84) then presented her plans for the social networking app to the TCU Senate, responding to questions and feedback on her app.

Decker explained one feature that developers look to add to Raftr in coming months.

“The most useful services [will include] a ResLife program, so that when first-years find out that they got into Tilton Hall, they can join their first floor message group, in addition to [FYAs and CDAs] having administrative access,” Decker said.

The TCU Senate also heard a funding appeal from the Persian Students Association (PSA). According to a report from the Allocations Board (ALBO), the newly formed student organization was initially recommended $588, $310 less than the initial request for $898.

The TCU Senate then approved the amount of $875 that the PSA requested in its appeal, with 31 senators in favor and none opposed.

According to an ALBO report, Women Entrepreneurs at Tufts sought the allocation of $736 for its new member budget.

The TCU Senate voted to approve the ALBO-recommended amount of $648 with 30 senators in favor and none opposed.

Baseball Analysis at Tufts requested supplementary funding for three roundtrip flight tickets to Phoenix, Ariz. for a national conference at a total of $1,680 but was recommended $792 by ALBO, according to its report.

The TCU Senate allocated the ALBOrecommended total of $792 by acclamation.

According to an ALBO report, Sino-US Relations & Group Engagement requested $1,186 to cover travel costs for speakers to its symposium but was only recommended $736.

The TCU Senate then approved the ALBO-recommended total of $736 by acclamation.

The Association of Latin American Students sought $1,050 to cover costs for three performance groups to its cultural show, according to an ALBO report.

The TCU Senate then approved the ALBO-recommended of $1,050 by acclamation.

According to an ALBO report, the National Society of Black Engineers sought to cover travel costs to national convention in Detroit, Mich. for a total of $9,324 but was only recommended for $7,348.

The TCU Senate then approved the ALBO-recommended total of $7,348 with 30 in favor and none opposed.

The TCU Senate adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

4 Monday, February 25, 2019

Features

tuftsdaily.com

Tufts expands data science opportunities, applied Sound in Silence computational science minor

Megan Szostak Lisztomania

I

’ve always found it somewhat ironic that Ludwig van Beethoven, objectively one of the greatest composers of all-time, went deaf in adulthood. To think that he could not hear his own music physically pains me, but it also makes me think: Was it Beethoven’s deafness that allowed him to become so great? Many historians and orchestral music lovers criticize Beethoven for not being able to write melodies, but in my opinion, the real reason that Beethoven should be celebrated as a composer is for his revolutionary musical ideas, not the melodies he did or did not write.

Beethoven was born in 1770 in Germany during the early years of the Classical era of composition. He was crucial in the transition between the Classical and Romantic periods of music and, for the purpose of this analysis, I will divide his music into three distinct periods. His earliest compositions, grouped up until 1803, were strongly influenced by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn and other Classical era composers. The next period, from 1803 until 1814, was when Beethoven began going deaf and includes several large heroic works such as his famous Symphony No. 5. His final period lasted until his death in 1827, and consists of works full of expression and depth but also works that Beethoven never heard.

Before his deafness, Beethoven’s compositions were extremely Classical in nature, with dissonance — sections of harmony in which the notes create extreme tension and seem to clash — used very sparingly. This music was all very pleasing to the ear, and because of its similarity to the music of other composers of the time, really did not set Beethoven apart from his contemporaries. As his hearing began to decline in the first few years of the 19th century, Beethoven used his music as a coping mechanism. Being someone whose entire life revolved around music, this gentle deterioration of his hearing must have been maddening. It is likely that Beethoven was aware that his hearing would, at some point, disappear entirely and prevent him from hearing any of his work. This knowledge most likely motivated Beethoven to make extreme leaps in the field of composition, including the usage of musical motifs — short musical “ideas” or melodic fragments that are recurring in a larger work — , complex instrumentation and more dissonant passages leading to heroically beautiful resolutions of harmony, all of which may never have been pioneered had he kept his hearing. The entire Romantic movement of music stemmed from Beethoven, so had he not gone deaf, it is very probable that the direction of music could have taken a very different turn.

Suggested listening — works of Beethoven: Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F Major (1798) Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” (1804) Piano Concerto No. 4 (1806) Symphony No. 7 (1812) Symphony No. 9 “Choral” (1817) Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major (1821) Megan Szostak is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Megan can be reached at megan.szostak@tufts.edu.

by Ananya Pavuluri Contributing Writer

In fall 2018, Tufts School of Engineering began to offer a bachelor’s program in data science. Additionally, the School of Engineering has recently added a 4+1 B.S./M.S. dual degree in data science to their programs and will begin accepting applications for a Master’s in Data Science starting in fall 2019. These programs were spearheaded by Associate Professors Shuchin Aeron of the Electrical and computer engineering department and Alva Couch of the computer science department. The new degrees reflect the university’s many efforts to meet the growing demand for skills in data analysis, as well as the enthusiasm of students and faculty to expand data science at Tufts.

According to Couch, there are currently around 15 undergraduate students who have declared a major in data science and around 18 graduate students enrolled in the program. He expects an influx of undergraduate students come April, when engineers declare their majors.

The data science major includes a disciplinary breadth requirement, which consists of three or more courses in a related application. According to Couch, the disciplinary breadth portion of the major is student-driven; students can propose disciplinary breadths related to their interests. Couch then contacts faculty members in relevant departments to determine appropriate courses for what he describes as a “data-intensive disciplinary breadth requirement that would lead to an appropriate senior capstone experience in data science.” Some departments have also expressed interest in working with data science students. The classics department, for instance, worked with Couch to create a disciplinary breadth requirement in semantic markup.

“There is no such thing as data science without application,” Couch said. “There are currently students actively pursuing disciplinary breadths in global health, economics … one person even wants to do a disciplinary breadth in sports analytics …

I’m happy with that, we will find a way.”

The major also includes a senior capstone experience. “The whole point of the disciplinary breadth and its immediate successor, the capstone experience, is to actually apply some of this to real data,” Couch said.

Alyssa Rose, a sophomore majoring in data science, said she chose the major due to the high demand for data processing skills in the emerging workforce, as well as the more specialized nature of the major in comparison to computer science. However, she believes there is a need for more knowledgeable professors and resources meant specifically for the data science major.

“Currently the data science major … operates as a mere extension of computer science and its department,” she said.

To strengthen the data science undergraduate and graduate programs, Couch said the School of Engineering is in the process of hiring faculty with expertise in fields relevant to data science such as security, natural language processing, robotics and systems. According to Couch, there are currently two available positions.

Couch also said that Tufts has introduced several new courses which “fit the [data science] major really well.” These courses cover topics including human-ro-

COURTESY ALVA COUCH

Alva L. Couch, professor of the computer science department and one of the authors of the data science major proposal for the engineering school, is pictured here. bot interaction (HRI) and ethics of HRI, deep learning and reinforcement learning.

Due to what Couch describes as a “budget crisis” that hinders funding flexibility between the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, the bachelor’s program is only available to engineers.

“I cannot afford to expand that number,” Couch said, although he is open to meeting with Computer Science majors in the School of Arts and Sciences to structure their programs around the data science track.

The School of Arts and Sciences, however, has approved a new minor in applied computational science (ACS), an initiative driven by Professor Peter Love of the physics department. The minor is similar to the data science program in the School of Engineering.

Love said the student demand for computational courses “comes in a lot of different flavors.” He has noticed that some students are interested in studying pure computer science, while others are more interested in the application of computation to a different discipline. Students who are interested in the interface of computation and the humanities can follow a digital humanities track. According to Love, the ACS minor is meant for students who wish to combine their computational skills with a scientific or mathematical field.

“This is an interdisciplinary minor, so it’s targeted at a broad spectrum of students that have quite diverse interests,” Love said.

Due to the program’s interdisciplinary nature, Love felt that launching it as a major would be academically restrictive for students and take away from the diversity of the program’s student population.

According to Love, the minor requires two preparation courses — which are meant to solidify students’ foundational skills in computer science as well as their field(s) of interest — one course in probability/statistics, two elective courses and a capstone component.

Unlike the data science program in the School of Engineering, Love said that the ACS minor will not be tracked. According to Love, students minoring in ACS do not have to commit to one discipline; there is no rule saying a student who takes computational physics, for instance, has to take other courses related to physics to satisfy the requirements for the minor.

“Applied computational science is about having a set of tools that can be broadly applied across many different disciplines,” Love said. “If a student wants to concentrate in more than one discipline, it’s up to them.”

Love stated that students can declare a minor in ACS starting spring 2019.

The effort to advance data science opportunities includes the new Data Intensive Studies Center (DISC).

According to its website, DISC, which

see DATA SCIENCE, page 5

F e at u r e s

THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Monday, February 25, 2019

5

Data science aims for interdisciplinary study DATA SCIENCE

continued from page 4 was launched in fall 2018, is a “university-wide, interdisciplinary center dedicated to data-intensive research and pedagogy” and it is meant to be a collaborative space where faculty across departments can connect to data science experts to increase research potential.

H

e

Some areas of interest to DISC include “personalized medicine, open digital health platforms, cyber security, climate change, economic forecasting, and the digital humanities.”

Simin Meydani, vice provost for Research, wrote in an email to the Daily that the primary location for DISC will be at the new Cummings Building under

construction on College Avenue, which is expected to be completed in 2021.

Meydani also said that there will be space dedicated to DISC on the Boston and Grafton campuses and that the administration is currently in the process of hiring a funding director.

Furthermore, according to Meydani, DISC plans to expand data-intensive edu-

cation for undergraduate and graduate students with new course offerings in fields such as bioinformatics and health informatics.

“Education and providing opportunities for data science for students is one of the main missions of DISC. The other two pillars of DISC are research and service,” she said.

6 Monday, February 25, 2019

ARTS&LIVING

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Daily Week: Meet the arts editors Libby Langsner — Class Year: 2019, Position: Executive Arts Editor, Major: Art history, Mainly covers: Museum and gallery exhibitions Why Arts?: Are there other sections? Just kidding … but in all seriousness, I get to write about my favorite things and work with my favorite people, what more can a girl ask for?

Favorite Movie: “Goodfellas” (1990).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: I’ve been pestering all my friends to watch Netflix’s “Russian Doll” (2019). The team includes Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne, and the show is a perfect blend of existential, sentimental and hilarious. Also, Lyonne is curly hair goals.

Fun Arts Fact: I’m absolutely obsessed with makeup and watch way too many tutorials on YouTube, and I did people’s makeup for The Lewkk’s fashion show last semester!

Ruijingya (Rebecca) Tang — Class Year: 2021, Position: Arts Editor, Major: Biology, Mainly covers: Film and gallery exhibitions Why Arts?: My very unbiased opinion: It is the most free Daily section! Also, writing about films, festivals and exhibitions helps me make the most out of seeing or attending them.

Favorite Movie: “Brokeback Mountain” (2005).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “Shoplifters” (2018); it integrates multiple themes (poverty, familial ties, the origin of love … ) so well in one poignant narrative.

Fun Arts Fact: I painted a portrait of my grandparents over winter break.

Yas Salon — Class Year: 2022, Position: Assistant Arts Editor, Major: Film and media studies, Mainly covers: Film and television Why Arts?: The opportunity to attend tons of interesting arts events and having an excuse to constantly be watching movies.

Favorite Movie: “The Babadook” (2014).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “Hereditary” (2018)! I finally got around to watching it and I adore the style, narrative, cast and pretty much everything else about it. I love horror, so this movie was perfect for me.

Fun Arts Fact: I love to embroider and upcycle vintage clothing.

John Fedak — Class Year: 2019, Position: Arts Editor, Major: English, Mainly covers: Wide-release films, TV shows, Netflix originals Why Arts?: I’ve never met such a group of functionally chaotic, yet truly wonderful people before; the big personalities drew me in and convinced me to stay!

Favorite Movie: “The Return of the King” (2003) … but really all the LoTR films.

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” (2019) is not only engaging and delightfully weird, but also it features some of the best cinematography and music I’ve seen in a long time.

Fun Arts Fact: I have yet to watch “Black Panther” (2018) or “Infinity War” (2018).

Christopher Panella — Class Year: 2021, Position: Arts Editor, Major: Film and media studies/English, Mainly covers: Music, concerts, film, television, badly written think-pieces Why Arts?: I’ve always dreamed of being Anton Ego from “Ratatouille” (2007), and now I get to do that. I really like music, especially writing about Ariana Grande and all her “yuhs,” and I so enjoy adding my opinion to things where no one really wants to hear them. Arts is where I get to do that!

Favorite Movie: “The Parent Trap” (1998) (the one with Lindsay Lohan).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “The Favourite”! (2018); it was hilarious, extremely well-written, and the production design was literally amazing. Give Olivia Coleman the Oscar, you cowards!

Fun Arts Fact: I’ve seen every Star Wars film over 15 times.

Steph Hoechst — Class Year: 2021, Position: Arts Editor, Major: Film and media studies/English, Mainly covers: On-campus arts events Why Arts?: I love getting to talk to so many interesting people and hear about the artistic work they’re doing on campus!

Favorite Movie: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018) blew my mind. It reinvented animation and was unlike anything I’d seen before.

Fun Arts Fact: I love Halloween and I make my own costume every year. This past Halloween I went as Ferris Bueller.

Danny Klain — Class Year: 2020, Position: Assistant Arts Editor, Major: Film and media studies, Mainly Covers: Television and streaming content Why Arts?: Critiquing art makes you have a better understanding and appreciation of all media.

Favorite Movie: “There Will Be Blood” (2007).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “The Informant” (2009)!; Soderbergh is able to dive into so many different genres and it’s funny and perceptive.

Fun Arts Fact: My hometown is Chevy Chase, but is in no way connected to the actor.

Tommy Gillespie — Class Year: 2020, Position: Arts Editor, Major: English, Mainly covers: Film, television, stand-up comedy, drama Why Arts?: It’s the section that covers what’s going on in the world of creation and innovation, and it’s got the best group of people I could have asked for.

Favorite Movie: “20th Century Women” (2016).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: “Roma” (2018). The cinematography and acting are beautifully naturalistic and melancholy, and the score and story are empathetic, real, and heartbreaking in the best way.

Fun Arts Fact: I’ve seen every James Bond movie.

Setenay Mufti — Class Year: 2019, Position: Arts Editor, Major: Greek and Latin, Mainly covers: Film, museum and gallery exhibits Why Arts?: I like being able to choose what I want to write about, be it an old movie think-piece or a small on-campus event.

Favorite Movie: “A Serious Man” (2009).

Best Thing I’ve Seen Recently: The short film “Detainment” (2018). If you don’t know anything yet about the background of this movie, don’t research it — it’s worth it to walk in blind. Prepare to be truly and deeply rattled.

Fun Arts Fact: When my father showed me “Jaws” (1975) for the first time at age six, he said, “Don’t worry, the kid doesn’t die.” I’ve been traumatized ever since.

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TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Monday, February 25, 2019 A r t s THE & L iving

SMFA REVIEW

‘Right Now This Moment’ makes time, memory palpable

by Ruijingya Tang Arts Editor

Near the heart of the lively city of Boston is a dimly lit space of meditative stillness. Currently, the School of Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts is hosting “Suara Welitoff: Right Now This Moment,” an exhibition of selected works by filmmaker Suara Welitoff.

Suara Welitoff (1951–) is an artist based in Cambridge, Mass. Welitoff has a rich exhibition history, including various personal exhibitions and museum exhibitions at prestigious venues such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. Welitoff’s signature style utilizes endlessly repeating short films, some of which are so simple that they seem to be displays of still images.

“Right Now This Moment” includes films that are either visually or conceptually abstract. Welitoff cherishes the present moment as an admirable end to itself.

Some films simply feature phrases such as “FIVE YEARS LATER,” or a burst of simple color. Other films, though seemingly more concrete as they showcase scenarios with people, are just as obscure conceptually as their counterparts are visually. These scenarios are composed of short snapshots taken out of context from some larger narratives, each constituting an individual, closed system of movement, color, shape and time of its own, instead of as part of a larger entity. The curatorial choice to omit wall plaques for all the films frees them from the confines of external relationships: the films exist in isolation, not as a theoretical compilation of factual knowledge.

Welitoff’s self-repeating films are like living beings without a past and future.

At any given point in time, the films do not change their appearance. Existing in a “vacuum” of the present, the films challenge people’s conventional cognitive approach to recognizing or understanding just about anything. People’s understandings are relative — they are used to defining other people and items by

VIA SUARAWELITOFF.COM

A still from ‘Five Years Later’ (2013) is shown. their histories and possible future states of being or courses of action. For example, upon meeting a new person, one is naturally drawn to wondering about their background; before buying a new electronic product, most people research its functions, which are, in a sense, its future possibilities. One rarely defines anyone or anything merely based on their palpable presence. By demystifying the past and the future as the ever-reaching bilateral extensions of the present, Welitoff’s films command the audience to meditate on the nature of ‘now,’ paying homage to Andy Warhol’s similar ‘nonsense’ films: “Sleep” (1964) and “Empire” (1965).

However, Welitoff does not disregard the past. Instead, with her films containing text, Welitoff invites her audience to revisit the sentimental parts of their past. One of the ‘word’ films displays the sentence “I want to tell you something” against a black background. The unidentified fictional utterer of the sentence moves the audience as both a relatable and a

truthful character. Given no further information, the audience is free to imagine the faceless speaker as anyone. The rather still film is made even more poignant by the fact that it carries a sense of unresolved suspense. Though the unidentified speaker expresses the will to reveal something, they do not realistically do as they say: The audience still does not and will never know what this “something” that the speaker “[wants] to tell [them]” is.

Therefore, the film sinks its audience in a sea of possible emotions of the speaker: shame, excitement, mischief, etc. The emotional subtlety and dynamism within this word film of Welitoff’s is similar to the signature neon-light words of contemporary British artist Tracey Emin, which also radiate nostalgic sentimentality against smoky, dark backgrounds. Both Welitoff and Emin open the door of self-assessment and self-reinterpretation via reflection of the past for their audience.

The exhibition stays open in the Grossman Gallery at the SMFA until April 7.

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Audrey Carver Shuttle Talk

Antonio Inniss

“

It’s all about sharing the love, man,” Antonio Inniss, the SMFA shuttle driver known as Tony, told me with a laugh on a bleary Monday morning Slackbot, completely on par with his usual friendliness and completely changing my morning grumpiness. No matter who gets on his shuttle, what ridiculously large piece of art they are carrying or how antisocial they are feeling, Tony always greets his Beacon Street passengers with a smile and a story. He remembers me consistently as “California girl,” and always has something sweet and funny to say, which is sometimes the best part of my day.

Throughout a semester and a half of these small interactions, I have gotten to know a little about Tony. He is from the Jamaica Plain but lived in (and loved) LA, adores his wife, hates the snow and does some hip-hop on the side as a form of self-expression. He spoke on his creative outlets: “If I kept everything inside my head, I would go crazy. You can’t explain everything about yourself with words, you know, your imagination, your feelings. So you gotta do something to get it out. Whether by paintbrush or music or whatever, everyone has gotta have something other than a 9 to 5,” Innis said.

However, what I didn’t know until that bleary Monday morning, was that Tony not only creates art but collects it.

He has curated an expansive collection of an unusual art form — bags, tapestries and other artifacts woven by U.S. prison inmates from cigarette cartons.

He has collected over 100 objects made by inmates over the years. His interest in collecting started young when he watched his father’s friend Terrance Williams spend years in and out of prison, and became aware of the flawed justice system. Tony’s father gave him the first piece in the collection, a small bag woven from cartons in his cousin’s prison sent to him by Terrance, when he was only six years old. Tony has been scouring the country for them ever since.

As we stop at the intersection, he pulls out his phone to show me the latest addition: a 3×5 foot tapestry from the 1950s, intricately woven out of metallic blue cigarette labels. It is incredible, and his eyes light up as he explains how hard it was to procure. When I ask him why he collects, he says that he wants to spread awareness for the incarcerated, and showcase their under-appreciated creativity. He gives voice to the voiceless and facilitates appreciation of their expression. Besides being one of the unsung heroes of the SMFA, Tony is also one of the unsung heroes of the curatorial world. Tony is doing important things, so when you get the chance, look at his art, research the context or at the very least thank him the next time you get on the shuttle.

Antonio Inniss’ collection can be seen at The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and at cellsolace.com

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Audrey Carver is a first-year at the SMFA studying fine art. Audrey can be reached at audrey.carver@tufts.edu.

8

Monday, February 25, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Opinion OP-ED

Migration in a turbulent world: Integration and its challenges

by Shaobo Zhou, Guillaume Pailhoux and Lomax Turner

With their unique talents, skills and experiences, the 258 million migrants worldwide bring tremendous benefit to both receiving and sending societies. However, movement has its difficulties, one of which is the process of integrating into a new country’s society.

According to OneAmerica, “Immigrant integration is a dynamic, two-way process in which immigrants and the receiving society work together to build secure, vibrant, and cohesive communities.” Tension and conflict abound in this relationship, with difficulties like language barriers, segregation, inadequate health care access and inadequate education opportunities, and xenophobia posing large challenges.

The two main facets of integration to consider are de jure and de facto integration. The former includes the formal recognition of resident status of some form by legal authorities, while the latter is exemplified by communal inclusion via the local economy or education system, or by speaking the new community’s language and joining local organizations.

Integration can look drastically different depending on migrant countries of origin and destination. To illustrate, some 80,000 refugees live in the tents of the Zaatari camp, which itself constitutes Jordan’s fourth largest ‘city,’ with limited contact to outside communities, creating an insular community. Despite any legal residency these refugees may possess, social integration has hardly taken place, demonstrating a difference in the levels of de jure and de facto integration.

For other migrants, though, there is far more integration into local communities, where migrants may start a family that spans generations, ingrained in the culture and community of the new country and locality. Economic migrants, too, experience hardships, as integrating into new working environments and communities can pose additional challenges, beyond those of daily life. For many of these

migrants, stronger de facto integration has taken place, regardless of legal status.

In some countries, certain migrant groups may be ‘accepted’ into their destination community more readily than other groups. Social stigmatization of immigrants, racism and xenophobia are often at play here. Indeed, humans tend to irrationally fear “the other.” One of the central messages of the Brexit campaign, for example, is to “take back control of the border.” Meanwhile, those in the United States, a traditional country of immigration, have increasing concern over immigration, according to the Pew Research Center. Antiimmigration rhetoric and political posturing help fuel xenophobia, as seen in the rapid rise of far-right political parties around the world. This inflammatory rhetoric can have devastating consequences, negatively impacting a society’s integrative process.

This political shift necessitates new strategies and approaches to integration.

Policymakers and citizens must come up with appropriate strategies to improve migrant integration, and these strategies must benefit both the migrant and the preexisting populations in the destination country. However, because integration remains somewhat subjective and is often heavily influenced by concepts of national history and identity — whether true or fabricated — it is difficult to determine what policies are the most effective.

An interesting example is the French republican model of integration, which seeks to integrate migrants into France by encouraging them to embrace a certain set of civic values in the public sphere. Certain aspects of one’s identity, like religion, should be kept for every French citizen within their private sphere.

One example of how France can enforce this system is in the rejection of any references to national, racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities in public policy. However, critics to this approach argue that it ignores some of the unique realities and challenges that migrants face when trying to integrate.

While using the French model throughout most of its history, Canada has decided to change its approach to migration completely.

The mosaic approach, interpreted as a strategy to achieve the coexistence of different cultural, ethnic and religious groups, is widely used around Canada today. The government also established a Multicultural Advisory Council to report on the integration of cultures among the country’s 250 ethnic groups.

It is no wonder why the mosaic model is highly praised around Canada; ethnic tensions are generally perceived to be relatively low and Native American populations tend to be more included in public discourse than in countries like the United States. However, the Canadian system surely has its shortcomings, and inclusion of minority and Native groups is still lacking in the eyes of many. Some critics question the impact of the mosaic model, arguing that the outcomes of Canada’s approach and the United States’ “melting pot” approach are not particularly divergent.

Integration is a unique and challenging process, taking differentiated forms around the world. No matter a country’s approach, there will surely be supporters and critics, especially given the divides that the topic of international migration can bring in public discourse. The challenges facing migrants and the communities they inhabit remain large, and the need for new approaches is continually growing.

What do you think is the best approach to integration? If you are interested in learning more about this pressing issue, join the Institute for Global Leadership and students from around the world at this year’s EPIIC Symposium: “Migration in a Turbulent World,” from March 7 to 9.

The symposium will be three days of far-reaching discussions on issues critical to understanding the pressing challenges on migration.

Shaobo Zhou, Guillaume Pailhoux and Lomax Turner are sophomores in a class on migration participating in this year’s EPIIC symposium.

CARTOON

Throwback to signing up for that easy A class

BY RUIJINGYA TANG The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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9

Monday, February 25, 2019

Tys Sweeney Repeal and Replace

D

Opacity

ear fellow students, The political and financial challenges we face at Tufts are consequences of years of administrative insensitivity to community needs and a lack of transparency at the highest levels. The housing crisis we face today is the direct result of poor administrative decision making. Yearly tuition hikes and enrollment increases prioritize longterm development goals over current community well-being. Price gouging and poor treatment of workers by Tufts Dining are results of bottom-line focused bureaucracy. While we often address each issue with a different student organization or petition, the root cause is the same: opaque leadership by our administrators and trustees.

In 2008, Tufts lost $20 million to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Despite “widespread allegations from the financial sector that the former Nasdaq chief’s numbers were simply too good to be true,” as the Daily noted in 2008, Tufts invested in the fund, and claimed to have acted in an appropriate manner. It’s unlikely that Tufts’ research was too extensive. Researchers had raised numerous red flags, including evidence that invested assets were insufficient to generate reported income.

Madoff ran his firm with such secrecy that he asked everyone, including his investors, to stay silent. It’s easy to see why. Tufts suffered enormously from opaque and risky decision-making. The financial crisis pinched our university harder than it did other institutions in part because of the Madoff scandal, and the effects echo today.

Long-term institutional growth and stability are not at odds with community well-being now, but when our administrators and trustees face these challenges alone, without transparency and student input, results become decidedly skewed.

To state the obvious, the trustees have the best interests of Tufts at heart. When I spoke to Tufts Community Union Trustee Representative Noah Weinflash by email, he made a point of it, stating that trustees are “cognizant of the strain of tuition hikes, tiered housing, etc.” However, Weinflash noted that by “looking at the numbers in the budget and seeing the necessity for new revenue, [more than] actually talking with students and being aware of the mood on campus,” trustees prioritize what they see as pragmatic.

“Part of this can be solved with more transparency. I don’t think the … trustees are opposed at all to student voice — they value it highly. But as a result of a lack of transparency, many things students push for are seen as pragmatically inviable by trustees,” Weinflash said.

Opacity in leadership fosters insensitive decision-making, and as we face the housing crisis, tuition hikes, and issues of fairness and equity on campus, it’s important to recognize that these are all symptoms of an even larger problem. Our trustees care about Tufts, but we do, too. They are invested with the power to direct our lives, but we are invested in our lives, and we should demand trust and cooperation in return. I agree with Weinflash that transparency can put us on a path to resolving many of our challenges, including issues with housing, dining and human rights which I will address in the next several columns.

We should repeal opacity, and replace it with cooperative transparency and trust. I propose this to the Board.

Sincerely, Tys Tys Sweeney is a sophomore studying political science. Tys can be reached at tys. sweeney@tufts.edu.

10

THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Monday, February 25, 2019

tuftsdaily.com

OP-ED

Students support Professor Abowd’s class, contract We, students in Professor Thomas Abowd’s “Colonizing Palestine” class, have come together to write a series of testimonials in support of Professor Abowd and his class. We felt compelled to write this letter in response to the multiple threats, including direct racist and Islamophobic attacks Professor Abowd has received as a result of teaching this course, and the current lack of transparency regarding the renewal of Professor Abowd’s contract at Tufts University.

A statement released by the Consortium of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora (RCD) on Aug. 21, 2018 recognized the malicious attacks on Professor Abowd and his course, stating, “We know that teaching about colonialism and racism often produces backlash. We see, unfortunately, more and more that valid criticism of Israel is being portrayed as antisemitic as an attempt to shut down debate. We know there is an obvious difference between criticism of a state and racism against a group of people.”

Amid these attacks, Tufts’ Executive Director of Public Relations Patrick Collins issued the following statement: “Tufts is committed to the free exchange of ideas.

The university’s courses represent a broad spectrum of ideas and topics that enable students to become familiar with a variety of perspectives on important and complex issues facing our global society.”

A group of over 200 scholars in the organization California Scholars for Academic Freedom said the following in a statement: “California Scholars for Academic Freedom, a group of over 200 scholars who defend academic freedom, the right of shared governance and the First Amendment rights of faculty and students in the academy and beyond, wish to express our serious concern at the threat to the full renewal of Professor Thomas Abowd’s contract at Tufts University.”

As students of Professor Abowd, we are concerned that Professor Abowd’s contract is under threat. Despite his promotion to senior lecturer in June 2018, which normally is associated with a five-year contract renewal, Professor Abowd’s contract renewal beyond the current school year is at risk.

We believe academic freedom is the bedrock of Tufts. Academic freedom is critical in sharing and retaining erased and underrepresented narratives and histories.

We support Professor Abowd, his contract renewal and the upcoming resolution in Tufts Community Union Senate fighting for a fair, safe and harassment-free campus for all. Below are our reasons and experiences for this stance.

Emily: Professor Abowd’s “Colonizing Palestine” class is the best course I have taken at Tufts. In my three years here, I have never had a professor who made as much of an effort to incorporate sources from such a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds as Professor Abowd did. Over the course of the semester, we watched films and documentaries by both Israeli and Palestinian directors, and read novels, poetry and historical texts by Israeli and Palestinian writers and scholars. Not only did Professor Abowd thoroughly explain the subject matter through lectures, but he constantly encouraged us as a class to freely discuss our thoughts and opinions about each topic. Professor Abowd also went out of his way to provide extra office hours so that students always had the opportunity to thoroughly discuss an assignment or a topic covered in class. Taking “Colonizing Palestine” gave me the opportunity to learn about a critically important history in the most open and fair learning environment I have been a part of at Tufts. It is extremely important to me that Tufts upholds the principles of academic freedom by supporting Professor Abowd and his contributions to the university.

Ava: Growing up the topic which most mystified and intrigued me was always the subject of Israel and Palestine. Everyone from my family to my teachers became on edge upon my questions, assuring me it was simply too complicated to explain. But “Colonizing Palestine” answered all my questions and, even more usefully, created new ones for me to consider. The class and the final project I created for it helped me understand my family history in ways I doubt any other class or professor could. Besides learning some basic facts and dates, reading excellent analyses by academics of diverse backgrounds, watching gorgeous films and reading heart-wrenching poetry, I also learned the true value of oral storytelling. Practicing what he preached, Abowd encouraged me to investigate the ways this particular conflict shaped my identity and family relationships. As both an Arab and a Jew, I doubted that I would see my experiences or feelings reflected in the syllabus. Yet I’ve never felt as seen and understood in all the ambiguities of my identity. I was so pleasantly surprised when we spent time discussing other ways to occupy the in-between: from the non-Zionist feminist Israeli scholar Tikva Hoenig-Parnass to Mizrahi intellectual Ella Shohat to exile-turned-acclaimedwriter Edward Said, I learned about many perspectives which wonderfully complicated my worldview. I’ve also never had a professor make my thoughts feel as valuable as he did, or create such a welcoming environment for questions.

Amira: “Colonizing Palestine” was the first class I have taken at Tufts, as a senior,

which allowed me to read and understand erased and unrecognized narratives through the array of memoirs, films and other forms of Palestinian literature included in the syllabus. We also read historical accounts from Zionists forces who themselves admit to the ‘colonization’ project of Palestine, which is regularly used in early Zionist writings, without controversy as all historians of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are aware of, including Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel. The content of the course was so vast, including many different perspectives, including the pairing of reading Tom Segev’s “1949: The First Israelis” contrasted with Edward Said’s “After the Last Sky.” This course allowed me to explore a range of perspectives and dig deep into a complicated history in a nuanced way that always left a lot of room for discussion and debate during class periods. Professor Abowd clearly invested much academic integrity and passion into the curriculum of this course, and it is incredibly disturbing to see how the university is threatening his position. Academic freedom is incredibly important to the basic foundation of a university, and it concerns me deeply the attacks Professor Abowd has received for doing his job as a professor.

Krithi Ram-Junarkar: Professor Abowd was one of the best parts of my first semester at Tufts. He always made clear that he was supporting me, and helped me to grow more confident in the way I think and express myself. Professor Abowd encouraged me to challenge myself with readings and essays I may not have read and written before his class. Beyond the way his teaching personally benefitted me, he made our classroom a space in which we could feel safe, but also a space in which we could step out of our comfort zones. The learning environment he created in his classroom was nurturing and collaborative, engaging and informative. He welcomed different opinions and interpretations of our readings and other course materials, and helped me develop my critical thinking and argumentative skills. I strongly believe that Professor Abowd is a valuable member of the Tufts faculty, and the Colonialism and Diaspora studies department would not be the same without him.

Leo: I can safely say that Professor Abowd is one of the best professors I’ve had the privilege of taking a class with at Tufts. In my three years here, he has been one of the few outstanding professors to deeply care about the education of his students. In class, Professor Abowd is engaging, challenging and [thought]-provoking. He approaches each topic with a fresh and nuanced perspective, [incorporating] texts and media from a variety of sources to give students a broad under-

standing of the topic. Outside of class, Professor Abowd is kind and understanding. He has shown time and time again that his objective is providing his students with a rewarding experience. As such, he fosters an environment where all his students are able to succeed. For example, when I was struggling with coursework due to extraneous reasons, some professors suggested I drop their class. However, Professor Abowd was the only one who offered me support and worked with me to ensure that my academic life was not affected by my personal circumstances.

Regardless of anyone’s political beliefs, Professor Abowd goes above and beyond for his students, and that is a quality not every professor at Tufts possesses.

Nina Chukwura: “Colonizing Palestine” with Professor Abowd is one of the best courses I have taken at Tufts, and I feel very privileged to have been in this class. Professor Abowd very obviously cares deeply about the topic of Palestine and has a vested academic interest in it.

“Colonizing Palestine” was a very emotionally moving class for me, it was one that elevated the voices of Palestinians, whose stories are all too often forgotten and overlooked today. For this reason, it is a class of great importance. Every class, through stimulating discussions and debates, Professor Abowd challenged me to think critically about the material he was presenting — material which included media and texts from various sources. Furthermore, I have not encountered another professor at Tufts that was as dedicated to my academic success or as considerate as Professor Abowd was.

He constantly made sure that I knew he was available, and during our one-onone meetings, it was abundantly clear that he cared about what I wrote and what I thought. Professor Abowd very intentionally created a classroom atmosphere where each and every student could freely speak their opinion without consequence; I felt valuable, supported and heard in Professor Abowd’s classroom, and as a student of color at a predominantly white institution this is something that I seldom feel. I know that I grew immensely — both academically and socially — from being a student in “Colonizing Palestine,” and having the privilege to learn from Professor Abowd. I think that Professor Abowd is an remarkable professor and one that Tufts is incredibly lucky to have and I wholeheartedly support him.

The testimonies in the op-ed were written by students from Professor Abowd's fall 2018 class titled "Colonizing Palestine."

Some students decided to use only their first names to protect their privacy.

ION OF STA IAT TE OC

TERS RES FO

NATIONAL A SS

by Students from "Colonizing Palestine"

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Sports

Monday, February 25, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Women's basketball crowned NESCAC champion WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

continued from page 1 score of 82–63 during the regular season — by a final score of 75–69 to take home the NESCAC championship title.

Going into Sunday’s championship game, the Jumbos’ fate remained uncertain. After all, going into the first quarter, the Polar Bears were undefeated, outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 31 points. Right off the bat, though, the Jumbos showed their mettle. Although Bowdoin opened the game with a jump shot by senior guard and co-captain Abby Kelly, sophomore guard/forward Emily Briggs immediately responded with a successful drive to the basket to complete a layup that tied the game at 2–2. Less than four minutes later, she scored another layup off of a steal by junior guard/forward and co-captain Erica DeCandido, giving Tufts its first lead of the game with a score of 10–9.

The game continued to stay extremely close, as the score stayed within a fivepoint margin throughout the entirety of the first quarter. As a result of incredible ball movement and a variety of field goals from the paint, the Jumbos closed off the first quarter with Wadolowski making a layup to give the Jumbos a 23–19 lead.

Guard Janette Wadolowski, the hero in the previous night’s game against Amherst, was just one of three first-year Jumbo players who made a significant impact on the court this championship weekend, along with first-year guards Molly Ryan and Sofia Rosa. In the second quarter, it was Ryan — who has started in all 27 games of the season thus far — who kept the Jumbos scoring on pace to match the Polar Bears.

Throughout the second quarter, the Polar Bears displayed the refined shooting skills that have led to their success this season, going 6-for-10 on field goals.

Junior guard Samantha Roy and Kelly led the charge for the Polar Bears, as the duo combined for 12 out of Bowdoin’s 14 total points on the quarter. The remaining two points of the quarter came from junior forward Maddie Hasson, who made a layup to give Bowdoin the lead with a score of 26–25. Ultimately, this lead would be the Polar Bears’ last. In response to the high scoring, Ryan heated up from behind the arc by completing three 3-pointers in quick succession, keeping the Jumbos’ hopes for the title alive by closing out the half with a score of 37–33 in the Jumbos’ favor.

With just a four-point lead coming out of halftime, the Jumbos were determined to contain the Polar Bears’ deficit by fighting for dominance on the glass and matching Bowdoin’s scoring opportunities. The third quarter showed promise for the Polar Bears, as they were able to outscore the Jumbos 18–15, and went into the fourth quarter trailing the Jumbos 52–51.

Despite the tight score, the Jumbos remained unwilling to give up the lead they had set in the second quarter. What resulted was an offensive performance worthy of

the highest praise from the Jumbos, who were led by their co-captains. DeCandido contributed 13 points by the start of the fourth quarter, handing the mantle over to senior guard and co-captain Jac Knapp who carried the team to victory. Knapp ensured the Jumbos were always in the lead, scoring an incredible 15 out of the Jumbo’s 23 total points in the fourth quarter.

In the battle against Bowdoin, Knapp also passed an outstanding milestone in the process of mercilessly fighting for the NESCAC championship title that had escaped her grasp during her tenure at Tufts. With just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Knapp made a huge 3-pointer off of an assist by DeCandido, putting the Jumbos up 60–51.

However, unbeknownst to Knapp, the shot was not only her sole completed 3-pointer of the game but also her 1,000th point of her career. With the shot, Knapp solidified herself in the record books as one of only 15 women in program history to accomplish the feat.

“I wasn’t really sure how far I was away,” Knapp wrote in an email to the Daily. “I had no idea it had happened until Cailin [Harrington] told me during a free throw. It’s a cool accomplishment, but I’m way more excited about the NESCAC championship.”

The game went down to the wire as Bowdoin continuously pressed on the Jumbo defense. With just 29 seconds remaining in the game, DeCandido completed two free throws to put the Jumbos in a two-possession lead. However, almost instantly following the second made free throw, Bowdoin senior guard and co-captain Taylor Choate gained possession of the ball and sprinted coast to coast, immediately making a jumping layup to set the score to 71–69, a one-possession game in favor of Tufts.

For a moment, it seemed as though Bowdoin might get the chance to regain the lead they had lost in the second quarter. However, during the course of Choate’s reflexive play, her teammate Kelly fouled out in an attempt to preserve some clock for her team. Under the heckling of a home crowd, Knapp completed both of her attempted free throws, setting the score to 73–69 and all but sealing the Polar Bears’ fate. Knapp closed out the scoring of the championship game with two more completed free throws, finalizing the score at 75–69 in favor of the Jumbos.

In the end, the completed free throws during the fourth quarter helped propel the Jumbos to NESCAC glory. In the fourth quarter, the Jumbos completed 12 out of their 13 attempted free throws for a staggering 92.3 percent. Knapp closed out her spectacular game with a team-high 25 points, followed by DeCandido, who scored 17.

The first step to the Jumbos’ NESCAC victory came as a result of their spectacular performance on Saturday. The Jumbos’ narrow victory over the Mammoths was characterized not only by incredible performances from each one of the players on

the Jumbos but also by key clutch moments that propelled the team to victory.

The Amherst game was defined by a closely contested score that went back and forth throughout the entirety of the game. With only 24 seconds remaining in the final quarter, the Jumbos trailed the Mammoths 46–45 and Tufts coach Carla Berube took a timeout to plan the ensuing play. What followed may go down as one of the most legendary moments in program history: In a moment of perfect execution, Wadolowski scored the Jumbos’ final points of the game on a jump shot with only 1.8 seconds remaining on the clock. Wadolowski’s astonishing bucket sealed the Jumbo’s victory over Amherst by a score of 47–46 , sending Tufts to their sixth consecutive NESCAC championship appearance in a row.

Berube recounted the marvelous play execution in the last seconds of the game against Amherst, praising Wadolowki’s exceptional offensive talent.

“We wanted to get the ball into Janette’s [ Wadolowski] hands,” Berube said.

“Janette is very talented. Offensively, she can really create for herself, and that’s what she did. She found an opening and had the sense that the shot clock was running down. She had to get that shot off, and she did it, and we went crazy.”

This instantly unforgettable NESCAC semifinal victory against Amherst not only marked the smallest margin of victory for the Jumbos this season, but also marked the first time the Jumbos have beaten the Mammoths since Feb. 6, 2016.

Additionally, the victory was supplemented by the fact that the Mammoths had defeated the Jumbos in the previous three NESCAC championship games.

Berube spoke about the elements that the team executed in their huge championship win, expressing her pride towards the hard work her players put in.

“I’m really, really proud of the way we played, we defended, we executed and how we stayed poised through the ups and downs of the game,” Berube said. “Both teams have some really good offensive players, and I thought, for the most part, we did a good job of neutralizing them and we came out with really big team victories.”

Berube also spoke about the team’s morale as they head into the upcoming Div. III NCAA championship tournament.

“Morale is pretty good. Yes, they’re the number one team, but we weren’t really talking about that. We just wanted to take the next step and get to the NESCAC championship and win the title.

Bowdoin was the next team in that way.”

Berube said. “To get that win, we feel great, and we should feel great going into the NCAA tournament.”

Later today, the Jumbos find out who they will face in the NCAA championship tournament. Regardless of who the Jumbos find in the playoffs, one thing is clear: This Jumbo team will stop at nothing to reach their ultimate goal — glory in the NCAA tournament.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

11

Nate Hartnick Stat Talk

The Kyrie Irving Dilemma

C

oming into the 2018–19 season, few teams had higher expectations than the Boston Celtics. With LeBron James finally departing for LA and releasing his stranglehold on the Eastern Conference, the team seemed poised to step up as the conference’s new top dog.

The Celtics boast a strong core of young talent, much of which General Manager Danny Ainge acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most lopsided deals in recent NBA history. Young forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both have the potential to grow into dynamic two-way stars, while veteran big man Al Horford provides a steadying presence in the paint and many of the intangibles that drive winning teams. All in all, the Celtics possess an embarrassment of riches — they suit up perhaps the deepest roster in the league. However, ball-handling wizard Kyrie Irving stands alone as their only established star. There’s just one problem: The team seems to play better without him.

The Celtics have, by any measure, proven inconsistent this year. Despite ESPN experts projecting them to win 58 games, they currently stand at 37–23 — on pace for only 50 wins. While this is by no means a terrible record, the Celtics, who were expected to lead the East, have been surpassed by four other teams. However, they have amassed a record of 9–2 in games which Irving has missed, including a notable win over rival Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 12. At the same time, the Celtics boast an impressive net rating of plus 8.9 with Irving on the floor, and only plus 1.7 with him off it. That statistic alone seems to shut down the argument for Irving’s negative influence on the team.

However, there is another caveat too important to ignore: the Celtics’ remarkable playoff run last year, accomplished while Irving was sidelined with a left knee injury. The young guns showed out, with Tatum, Brown and Terry Rozier — Irving’s replacement at point guard — putting forth a number of memorable performances. This plucky squad, which of course also lacked prize free agent signing Gordon Hayward, came within one win of the NBA finals. Despite appearing the superior team to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they eventually fell in seven games to the greatness of LeBron James.

Tatum, Brown and Rozier all saw sizable increases in scoring, without losing any efficiency. While the team may have performed as well, or perhaps even beaten the Cavaliers with Irving on the floor, it’s hard to see those players having the freedom to make the same kind of impact.

The issue may lie less with Irving and more in the Celtics’ overabundance of players who need the ball in their hands to be effective. The depth of talent that many viewed as the team’s greatest strength may simultaneously be their weakness, as the offensive hierarchy has appeared muddled and inconsistent.

Irving is one of the best scorers and closers in the league, but his ball dominance has stunted Tatum’s and Brown’s development, as well as Hayward’s return to form from injury. The Celtics still need Irving to reach their peak level, but it’s possible that ideal lies more in the hypothetical realm than in reality.

Nate Hartnick is a junior studying English and political science. Nate can be reached at nathaniel.hartnick@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Monday, February 25, 2019

Hockey season comes to a close with shutout loss at the hands of No. 1 Trinity

ALINA STRILECKIS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sophomore forward Brendan Ryan gears up for an offensive attack against Conn. College at the Malden Forum on Feb. 1.

by Noah Stancroff

Assistant Sports Editor

The Jumbos’ season came to a close on Feb. 23 after a 3–0 shutout by the first-seeded Trinity Bantams (17–3–5) in the NESCAC tournament opener. Tufts finished the 2018– 19 season with a 6–16–3 record, giving them a .300 winning percentage, an improvement from their .280 percentage last season.

Given their track record in their past seven matchups against the Hartford, Conn. squad (0–6–1), Tufts knew they were facing tough competition going into the game. The Saturday matchup between the Jumbos and Bantams was the third time the two teams had faced each other this season. Saturday’s outcome was identical to their first meeting when Trinity shut Tufts out with three goals to the Jumbos’ zero. This was the sixth game of the season where the Jumbos failed to find the back of the net and also the sixth game of the season when the Bantams did not allow their opponent to score.

The extremely talented Bantams dominated their opponents for the majority of the season and were coming off six straight victories, including two wins over then topranked Wesleyan.

Regardless of who the Jumbos faced in goal, they knew that it was going to be difficult to score as Bantam’s goaltenders, junior Tedy Loughborough and first-year Jonah Capriotti, entered the game with the first and third fewest goals against average

Loughborough got the nod to start in net and the decision paid off for coach Matt Greason as Loughborough went the full 60 minutes without allowing a goal for the fourth time this season. In addition to the dominant goaltending, the Jumbos knew they would have their hands full in their own zone as the Bantams offense averaged 3.42 goals per game coming into the matchup, the highest average in the NESCAC and 23rd best in all of Div. III hockey.

“They are a really good team,” first-year forward Nick Schultze said when asked about facing the Bantams. “They’re big, they’re fast, they attacked us from all angles … they were shooting everything, and I think that’s something that made them successful, probably throughout the year.”

Early in the first period, it seemed as though the entirety of the game would be a defensive battle as both teams failed to find scoring opportunities. The Bantams finally broke the scoring drought with just under three minutes remaining in the first period as first-year forward Lucas Michaud netted his 10th goal of the season. Michaud’s opening goal did not bode well for the Jumbos as they came into the game 0–12–1 this season when their opponents scored first.

“I thought we played well defensively,” Schultze added, regarding his team’s performance. “I thought we had a hard-fought game, but [we] just couldn’t score … and that’s kind of been the problem all year.”

After getting outshot 12–7 in the first

success early in the second period as the Bantams struck again when junior forward Adam Anderson rocked one into the back of the net for the fifth time this season to give the Bantams a 2–0 lead. If Tufts had any opportunity to get back in the game, it was in the last five minutes of the second period when their forecheck came on extremely strong, providing them with numerous scoring opportunities. But the Jumbos were unable to score in the period with only seven shots compared to the Bantams’ 10. To make matters worse, with 11 seconds remaining in the second period, first-year defenseman Trevor Spence took a tripping penalty in front of the net, giving Trinity a two-minute power play, the remaining 1:49 of which they took into the third period.

Trinity, with its NESCAC-leading power play ability, took advantage of the opportunity and increased the scoring margin to three with just over a minute into the third period when senior forward Ryan Pfeffer’s shot got past sophomore goaltender Drew Hotte. The score would not budge from that point on as the Tufts’ attack fell flat and recorded only four shots throughout the period compared to Trinity’s 15. With the victory, the Bantams’ season continues and they host the remainder of the NESCAC tournament.

“We did not get the puck in behind their defenseman with the consistency we needed to,” coach Patrick Norton said

a good team defensively and so it’s tough, you have to make them work and we didn’t do that with enough consistency.”

Tufts’ lack of offensive production throughout the season was their Achilles’ heel as they scored a total of only 47 goals in their 25 games, the fewest in the NESCAC and 38 fewer than Trinity, the NESCAC scoring leaders. The Jumbos’ special teams were equally unsuccessful this season; their eight power play goals on 80 opportunities with a man advantage left them with the worst success rate in the NESCAC, and the 80th best rate in Div. III hockey.

“I thought that we showed some signs at times of what we are capable of offensively, which last year I don’t think we showed at all,” Norton said when asked about the team’s progress. “There were times where we showed what we can do offensively, I just think we have to put ourselves in that position more frequently.”

Despite a tough season, the future looks bright for the Jumbos as they will return all of their players next year aside from senior captain Clay Berger, who played the last of his 91 games in a Tufts jersey on Saturday, finishing his career with 25 points.

“To lose him obviously is tough,” Schultze said when asked about Berger’s impact. “But losing only one [senior] is definitely going to be an advantage for us to come in with basically the same group