The Tufts Daily - Thursday, October 29, 2020

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VOLUME LXXX, ISSUE 32

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Thursday, October 29, 2020

Preeta Banerjee fills new role as Hindu Advisor

Organizer LaTosha Brown discusses politics, voter suppression

by Sarah Sandlow News Editor

COURTESY PREETA BANERJEE

Preeta Banerjee, Hindu advisor of the Tufts University Chaplaincy is pictured.

by Michael Weiskopf Contributing Writer

Preeta Banerjee was named Tufts’ first-ever Hindu advisor within the University Chaplaincy at the beginning of the school year, following a hiring process that started in the spring. She joined the eight other chaplains and religious advisors in the Chaplaincy, who aim to provide students with a wide range of spiritual resources.

University Chaplaincy Program Manager Nora Bond was involved in the process to hire a Hindu advisor. She explained that the Chaplaincy decided to create the new position to better accommodate Hindu students on campus.

“Tufts has a history of creating innovative chaplaincies — including our Humanist Chaplaincy — and we recognized the growing presence of Hindu students on our campus and in colleges and universities across the country,” Bond wrote in an email to the Daily.

The Chaplaincy worked closely with the Hindu Students Council at Tufts to make the decision to hire Banerjee, who was chosen for her ability to plan innovative events and engage with students, according to Bond.

“The University Chaplaincy worked with student leaders in the Hindu Student Council in the interview process,” Bond said. “We recognized that [Banerjee] had many skills for connecting with students, offer-

ing meaningful programming, and being an active member of our multifaith team.”

Banerjee explained some of the responsibilities her new role entails, including catering to students’ spiritual needs as well as educating others about the Hindu community.

“As a Hindu Advisor, I work in partnership with the Hindu Students Council (HSC) to provide opportunities for nourishing the mind, body, spirit and soul,” Banerjee wrote in an email to the Daily. “I am committed to educating the campus at large about Hinduism and connecting the Hindu community to the rest of the campus through dialogue, social activities, and community service.”

According to the University Chaplaincy website, Banerjee obtained a Ph.D. in strategic management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has over 20 years of experience in the areas of academia and consulting.

Banerjee noted that some aspects of her work in the field of business are similar to her new role.

“Within business, my focus has been innovation, creativity and sustainability – all spiritual aspects of the practice of business,” she said. “I decided two years ago to commit more fully to accompanying others.”

HSC Co-president Akshita Rao and Vice President Athokshay Ashok explained that the HSC had been encouraging the university to appoint a Hindu chaplain for several years in order to have their

interests better represented within the Chaplaincy.

“We’ve been trying to get [a Hindu chaplain] since my freshman year … it was still kind of difficult for [the Chaplaincy] to basically bridge that gap between our group and the University Chaplaincy group,” Rao, a senior, said. “We were trying to really push for someone who [is] more of an adult, who bridges that gap for us.”

Banerjee was favored by the students because of her open-mindedness regarding the diverse sects of Hinduism as well as her lived experience as an Indian American, according to Ashok, a senior.

“We didn’t want someone with a strict focus on any one sect of Hinduism,” Ashok said.

“We wanted someone [with] an open, free mind, who can help us learn a little more about our culture and our history and our mythology.”

Rao believes Banerjee has been successful in fostering a nurturing community for Hindu students on campus, despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that Banerjee initiated a program that mailed Hindu comic books to students and invited them to meet virtually on Zoom for discussion.

“I think [the comic book discussion is] a really cool way to get people who are even not on campus engaged in what we do,” Rao said. “I think she’s done a really good job at facilitating a safe space and a community even though we’re all online.”

LaTosha Brown, organizer and co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, addressed the Tufts community in a webinar on Oct. 28 as part of the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series for fall 2020. Alan Solomont (A’70), dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, shared opening remarks, and Professor Kerri Greenidge moderated the conversation.

Solomont explained that the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. presidential election and protests for racial justice have collectively presented activists with a new set of challenges.

“These three together have made this a uniquely trying moment that has required a singular energy and ingenuity of those working at the intersection of these major crises in American life,” Solomont said.

Greenidge, director of the American studies program, then began the conversation by noting that Brown was calling in from a campaign bus in Flint, Mich., where she has worked to organize the vote in this election cycle.

Brown mentioned that while there is a lot of concern and cynicism surrounding the U.S. political process, women have shown immense leadership and strength.

“There is a certain kind of way that women are showing up right now, I think because we sit uniquely at this intersection of sexism and racism and we’ve had to navigate those waters, I think it has fired us up and has prepared us for a moment like this,” she said.

Greenidge asked Brown about the future of women’s politics if former Vice President Joe Biden were to win the presidential election on Nov. 3.

“We’re going to see the organizing power, the strength and the commitment to democracy that women have,” Brown said.

“Regardless of what the outcome is on the seventh day, I think women will all know ‘We’ve got work to do.'”

She expressed enthusiasm for Sen. Kamala Harris and said that without women’s voices, energy and leadership, America is severely handicapped.

“I do think that we are at this transitional moment in this country, I believe the Pandora’s box has been opened,” she said. “Women will go to their rightful place. Where is that? That is to lead.”

WEEKENDER / page 5

FEATURES / page 3

SPORTS / back

“Who you gonna call?”

Religious communities adjust programming, activities in response to COVID-19

World Football faces additional complexities in context of pandemic

Brown underlined that she is inspired by the resilience women have shown throughout history.

“I pull my strength from those women, from the history of the line of women that, in spite of abuse, in spite of the racism, in spite of the misogyny, they still roll,” she said.

When asked about what encouraged her to become an activist, Brown explained that, as a child, she was always curious to learn about those who held positions of power.

“I was obsessed with really understanding power,” she said. “[Activism] became another vehicle for me … to try to influence those who I think are in charge or making sure that those who are in charge are not bullies. I think that was the foundation [for my activism].”

Brown indicated that she founded the Black Voters Matter Fund because she wanted to directly invest resources into Black groups.

She also emphasized the importance of shifting the national discourse to highlight the importance of the Black vote.

“What we wanted to do was, one, build a capacity of grassroots groups and build out the ecosystem, two, that we would actually serve as and bring in our expertise … as if Black people had a political party,” she said.

“We were very intentional about where we’re going to shift this narrative that Black voters were not powerful, that Black voters were just secondary.”

Greenidge asked Brown about how to recognize active voter suppression as opposed to discarding it for believing it is a part of the political system.

Brown replied that voter suppression has always existed and has only recently intensified.

“If it has all the characteristics of voter suppression, it’s voter suppression … it is a strategy that has been used by folks that have been in power that know that they do not have the numbers or the people on their side,” Brown said.

The conversation later opened to questions from students.

Brown believes this point in U.S. history shows that a real democracy has yet to be created. “[Trump] is a symptom of a larger problem in this country.

His racist rhetoric works because racism exists,” she said. “As long as we’ve got these systems in place, [democracy] will continue to be aspirational. But I want to achieve the democracy that the Constitution lays out, and we’re not there yet.”

NEWS

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FEATURES

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WEEKENDER

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Features

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3 Thursday, October 29, 2020

Religious communities persevere, innovate in wake of pandemic restriction

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

Goddard Chapel is pictured on April 25.

by Ryan Shaffer and Kevin Du

Executive Features Editor and Contributing Writer

‘No matter the obstacles, we all crave meaningful connection’: Chaplaincy finds new ways to connect amid COVID-19 restrictions If you’ve met with Nora Bond this semester, you’ve likely also met Samson, a large dog that yodels frequently while Bond is on Zoom, causing her to mute her mic until he quiets.

Bond, the Tufts University Chaplaincy program manager, works to aid different religious communities within the Chaplaincy in their transitions to online programming and services. She said the transition was necessary for the health and accessibility of students and staff, as well as for remote students. The change has come with some trade-offs.

“Mostly, I think everyone misses the lingering time, the space after a gathering, when we could hang out and chat,” Bond wrote in an email to the Daily. “That happens less in virtual spaces, and we miss it with our students.”

Another trade-off is that the Chaplaincy cannot host as many events involving food, which Bond said is a “big part” how the Chaplaincy builds community. Bond, however, noted that virtual programming offers some benefits, like incorporat-

ing alumni and recent graduates into services more often regardless of location.

Bond, who works closely with undergraduates, enjoys connecting with students on a regular basis. Bond said this has not changed with the transition, as she continues to talk with students about identity formation and existential questions and through moments of joy and grief.

“All of those needs still exist,” Bond wrote. “We all feel very glad that we can be people students turn to in any semester.”

Earlier this year, Bond hosted a student meeting, in which she left with an optimistic outlook on the semester ahead.

“No matter the obstacles, we all crave meaningful connection,” Bond said. “I’ve been inspired this semester by how many creative ways people have found to still share themselves and get to know others.”

‘People from all over can have some semblance of spiritual closeness’: The Sangha Community brings international guests to online services The Sangha Community, a Tufts student group that learns Buddhist teachings and practices meditations, has smoothly transitioned to Zoom, while facing inevitable pandemic challenges.

The community organizes two weekly online meetings:

reflections on Monday and meditations on Friday.

Admittedly, there are some challenges. In-person activities are cancelled. The community is still considering the possibility of its annual spring retreat to Wonderwell Mountain Refuge.

Alternative online meditation lacks the physical closeness that people seek.

Moreover, the cushion, the altar, the buddha image and the complementary props for meditation have been replaced with a desk and a laptop.

“It is definitely not ideal,” Ford said. “It is more like an enhanced solo meditation.”

The executive board has faced difficulties with the travel restrictions and time difference; however, without the need to prepare for in-person events, the executive board has successfully managed the simpler online activities.

“It is really a little less complicated because there are not many events we can plan virtually,” Ford said.

The difficulties have not suppressed students’ engagement with the Sangha Community, Ford said. The community has received over 50 email signups from the Class of 2024 Facebook group alone.

“Tufts attracts so many cool people,” Ford said. “So many people want to try meditation out.”

With the flexible Zoom meetings and the work of Venerable Priya Rakkhit Sraman, Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts, the community members meet alumni and monks from around the globe.

Venerable Ten, a Mahayana Buddhist from Vietnam and Venerable Upali, a Theravada Buddhist from Bangladesh, both joined the group’s Friday meeting in early October and shared words of wisdom about “maintaining a spiritual practice during difficult times.”

“That’s the perk of having Zoom; people from all over the entire world can have some semblance of spiritual closeness,” Ford said.

Even though it is a challenge, the Sangha Community is coping with the new normal smoothly.

“The whole thing is a challenge,” Ford said. “This is why we have mindfulness practice and why we have spiritual practice.” ‘ The end result is still pretty satisfying’: Dawkins continues tradition of music, hymns to Protestant, Catholic services Music is an indispensable part of Tufts religious community. Events such as the Protestant Evening Worship and the Halloween Midnight Organ Recital all used to take place at Goddard Chapel.

Because of the pandemic, wind instruments and singing

are banned on campus, unless performers are alone in the Mods. How is the University Chaplaincy able to keep the sound of music alive?

Thomas Dawkins, the music director at the University Chaplaincy, like half of the Chaplaincy team, is working remote.

From his living room, Dawkins plays on his piano and sings the hymns for Protestant Evening Worship.

To make the experience feel more like a chapel, Dawkins sewed a large cloth background, which he changes with the seasons.

Regarding the coming Halloween Midnight Organ Recital, the performance will go live on the University Chaplaincy YouTube channel on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. The music will include pieces of movie and video game music, a selection by Grieg, and the traditional Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

The online music performance certainly poses some difficulties. Because of the pandemic, Dawkins is not able to collaborate with student musicians.

“In the past, I’ve worked with about thirty-five performing students,” Dawkins wrote in an email to the Daily.

Moreover, a lot of the instruments on campus are not available or need to be see CHAPLAINCY, page 4

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Thursday, October 29, 2020

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'I am sitting here, in my bedroom, at my desk': Online format loses intimacy of in-person services CHAPLAINCY

continued from page 3 tuned and maintained, so Dawkins has to use his limited resources at home to provide professional music. Dawkins fortunately has a piano, but he needs to use technology to make sound of the organs.

With an iPad equipped with a special organ sampler app, an electric keyboard and Garageband, Dawkins is able to accomplish the task.

“It takes more work than just sitting down and practicing and playing like normal, but the end result is still pretty satisfying,” Dawkins said.

Even though university guidelines have put serious restrictions on the Chaplaincy Music Program, Dawkins said students’ safety is a priority, and all the staff members at the University Chaplaincy are doing their best to make the religious traditions more usual. For example, Protestant Chaplain Dan Bell has made an altar at his apartment to provide traditional artistic elements in the rituals.

“It seems like a little thing, but I think it makes a difference and shows that we all really care for our students,” Dawkins said.

‘I often feel most connected with God through singing’: Singing ban limits closeness for some “I’ve been disappointed that we haven’t seen more firstyears at our services and meetings,” Alice Dempsey, president of the Protestant Student Association (PSA), said.

As one of the many religious groups on campus, the PSA is facing significant challenges due to the pandemic.

There is a notable decrease of online attendance from last spring to this fall. The firstyears’ response to the meeting has been tepid, and the start of midterm exams has hardened the obstacle more.

Dempsey said the decrease may be because students struggle over Zoom and that people may prefer to stay connected online with their home church community. One student told Dempsey they had tried to only attend in-person activities.

The Zoom format brings difficulties as well. Due to Tufts’ ban on singing outside of the Mods, the community is not able to sing along with Thomas Dawkins, the Chaplaincy music director who offers hymns at Sunday services. Dempsey said a vital component to services for her is lost due to the singing ban.

“I often feel most connected with God through singing,” Dempsey said. “It’s very hard to not be able to join [Dawkins] in song.”

Moreover, people attending on Zoom tend to log off right away after the service, so there is limited opportunity for community bonding.

Before the pandemic, members used to hang out in the foyer of Goddard Chapel, eat clementines and cookies and engage in conversations.

“It was the best way to get to know new members and catch up with my friends,” Dempsey said.

The Reverend Dan Bell, the Protestant Chaplain, mentioned the same difficulties, addressing them as “real losses.”

PSA is actively coping with the hard new reality. To make new students feel included, the executive board is putting together gift bags for firstyears. They include snacks like hot cocoa and popcorn, and religious items like prayer beads and a Bible. They also have organized safe in-person outings to grab bubble tea in Davis Square.

Reverend Bell, using Zoom as a flexible platform, also employs his resources to invite preachers from various denominations to share their sermons.

“Hearing a good sermon or message is something that Zoom is actually great at,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey said listening to guest speakers is one of her favorite parts of services now.

For Dempsey, the pandemic has really brought the importance of services into focus.

After the service, Dempsey feels more prepared to face the upcoming week.

“The familiar flow of the service, singing the hymns, being ‘together’ and feeling God’s peace were all meaningful ways that I could calm myself down and be a little more okay,” Dempsey said.

Despite the serious setbacks that the pandemic brings, the Protestant community remains strong and hopeful.

“I trust that, by God’s grace, we will make it through these challenging times and come out stronger as a result,” Reverend Bell wrote in an email to the Daily.

Dempsey and her fellow executive board members are ready to hand out their welcome gift bags for the new members, and they are hoping to plan more in-person activities before the weather worsens.

“I think we still are vibrant!”

Dempsey said.

‘I knew in that moment that we were doing something right’: Catholic services find solutions to virtual services, Zoom fatigue “We were just like ‘wave at each other!’” Amelia Hern, an executive board member of Catholic Community at Tufts

(CCT ) said, when asked about how the members show the sign of peace at the Sunday online liturgy.

CCT, while facing challenges that the pandemic brings, is optimistically innovating ways to stay connected.

Because of the cancellation of in-person services, CCT switched the format of its Sunday masses at 5 p.m. to Zoom. For two Sundays a month, the Chaplaincy invites Friar Pat Nolan, priest at the Boston College High School Chapel, to celebrate with the group.

There is a sharp decrease in attendance, from roughly 50 people to a steady number of 15 people.

“I know that Zoom fatigue is real and that for many of the faithful, online mass during the lockdown proved quite underwhelming,” Catholic Chaplain Lynn Cooper said.

Also, the Zoom meetings lack the central element of religious gatherings: personal connections. In-person activities are also not on CCT’s schedule for safety concerns and inclusion purposes. It is just not as immersive as it used to be, according to Hern.

“At the end of the day, I am sitting here, in my bedroom, at my desk, looking at my computer, rather than being at Goddard Chapel, which is a really beautiful space,” Hern said.

However, the difficulties do not intimidate the Catholic community as Chaplain Cooper and the members find creative ways to bond and celebrate.

Chaplain Cooper has made herself as approachable as she can by setting up regular Zoom calls and Sunday oneto-one walks; she also communicates with the executive board of CCT through multiple emails per week.

“She is really an amazing resource and supporting system for everyone in CCT.” Hern said.

CCT members also actively adapted to the new reality.

As many mass traditions such as receiving communion bread are not possible over the Zoom, members find other ways to stay engaged. For example, participants use the Zoom chat function to express their personal intentions for the prayer.

CCT has also found opportunities through socially distant gatherings. For example, CCT has been actively reaching out to alumni to participate online because of the more flexible platform.

“It is my hope that the virtual format of this semester’s programming will enable alumni to remain engaged and to participate from wherever they may be,” Sean Moushegian, the president of CCT, wrote in an email to the Daily.

Moreover, CCT has built a program during the pandemic that allows community members to show each other’s home parish, sharing their spirituality more comprehensively. Hern was the first one to share her home parish.

According to Chaplain Cooper, Hern’s sharing how her music journey as a flutist at mass inspired her deeply.

The music during the liturgy was so beautiful that a few students were moved to tears.

“I knew in that moment that we were doing something right, something that held the promise of transformation,” Chaplain Cooper said.

To Hern, her community’s “visit” to her home parish is the most memorable thing since the pandemic.

“Getting to share [my home parish] with everyone was really cool, and I wouldn’t ever have gotten to do that in any other situation,” Hern said.

‘I really hope that we can foster the same welcoming community for the first-years’: Hindu Student Council recreates warmth of in-person services in online format, new programs Akshita Rao, co-president of Hindu Student Council (HSC), found a little bit of home at Tufts while she was a first-year. She remembers feeling homesick, and actively looking for groups at the club fair that would help ease the transition to life away from home. She found comfort and reassurance in HSC, an organization dedicated to the preservation and understanding of Hindu culture and ideology at Tufts.

During past years, weekly meetings ended with a communal aarti, a Hindu ritual of worship where a lamp is lit to deities and songs are sung in praise of various gods and goddesses. The ceremony lasts approximately 10 minutes, during which participants pass around sweets, like sugar cubes and raisins. Rao said she misses the closure and community the ceremony provided when in person.

“Aarti was always such a calm and auspicious way to end my stressful work day,” Rao, a senior, wrote in an email to the Daily. “The entire group singing together reminded me of home and of the strong Hindu community we have on campus.”

Rao even finds herself missing the mundane activities, like casual conversation, that surrounded the beginning and end of weekly meetings. Though the transition to online services has mostly been seamless, the format has hindered the personal and intimate connections that are

often fostered through these conversations.

“We also used to have many small side conversations before and after the meetings so students could catch up and check-in with each other,” Rao said. “It’s been difficult trying to incorporate those social and emotional connections into our online meetings.”

This semester, HSC continues to host its Tuesday meetings, though with a number of changes. The council has included more guest speakers, ranging from members of JumboVote to Hindu scholars, in its weekly get-togethers.

The goal, Rao said, is to take advantage of the virtual format to incorporate a variety of voices in its space.

Rao has noted an increase in participation this semester, which she attributes to the ease of attending events through a virtual format. In previous semesters, Rao said it could be difficult to incorporate meetings into a busy schedule. Some students, she said, found it hard to attend HSC’s 9 p.m. meetings after a late-night lab or lecture.

“I want to emphasize how grateful I am that our club can still have engaging events and discussions on a virtual platform,” Rao said. “I know there are so many groups on campus that can’t conduct meetings or practice or rehearsal online, and I’m really thankful that HSC can still create a safe space and a welcoming community for students virtually.”

HSC has a series of events and programs planned for the rest of the semester. The council, in coordination with the new Hindu Chaplain Preeta Banerjee, has launched the Amar Chitra Katha program.

The program distributes graphic novels and comics written

by Amar Chitra Katha that are based on religious Hindu legends and epics. Chaplain Banerjee hosts monthly discussions on the stories. Rao said the program takes advantage of the virtual format to deepen connections within HSC. Rao reflected on how HSC has impacted her experience at Tufts, and how she hopes to positively impact first-years’ experiences as a leader at HSC. “I have learned so much about my faith, had such intellectually stimulating conversations, and made incredible friends that I know I’ll keep in touch with even after I graduate,” Rao said.

She hopes to carry that forward to first-years.

“I really hope that we can foster the same welcoming community for the [firstyears] this year, just like how the HSC alumni did for me,” she said.

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WEEKENDER

5 Thursday, October 29, 2020

Weekender: ‘Ghostbusters’ still scares up big fun 36 years later

by Drew Weisberg Assistant Arts Editor

“Ghostbusters” (1984) is a marvel: an oddball masterpiece that is as endlessly quotable as it is endlessly rewatchable. There, that should be sufficient, go watch it.

My editors have informed me that one sentence does-not-a-thinkpiece-make, so I’ll play the ball from there. “Ghostbusters” remains as out of the box, kooky and marvelous as the day it came out — it’s the perfect movie for this spookiest of seasons.

Being equal parts comedy, supernatural thriller, sci-fi epic and eldritch horror, the titular team of gray-collar exterminators wearing unlicensed nuclear reactor packs takes on everything from the smallest specter to a Sumerian god.

The cast is irreplaceable, with Saturday Night Live alums, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, teaming up with Ernie Hudson and the late Harold Ramis, rounding out the Ghostbusters. The busters play off each other with exceptional comedic timing, dispensing one-liners like a well-oiled mile-a-minute humor machine gun. Murray plays Peter Venkman, a cocky psychologist who serves as the film’s protagonist as well as the instigator of sorts.

Murray plays Venkman as a charming, if also moderately sleazy, character who you can’t help but love.

Aykroyd plays paranormal enthusiast Raymond Stantz and Ramis plays Egon Spengler, the socially awkward but beyond brilliant scientist of the group. Stantz and Spengler are both delightfully inept in their own ways, but only just brushing against unbelievability which provides us with such wonderful exchanges, such as Egon’s lamenting the fact that Peter stopped him from drilling a hole in his head. Hudson, the only non-comedian amongst his fellow ghostbusters, plays Winston Zeddemore and more than holds his own, bringing both a down-to-earth and more cynical humor as well as moments of genuine heart. Hudson is often overshadowed, and personally, I find it tragic he isn’t given more to say and do as he’s a tremendous presence and owns every line he’s given, particularly his triumphant cry of “I love this town!” at the film’s conclusion.

Alongside the intrepid ghostbusting crew is Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett, Peter’s love interest and eventually minion of the film’s villains, Gozer. Rick Moranis plays Louis Tully, Dana’s dorky neighbor and eventual fellow minion of Gozer.

Weaver and Moranis both play their double roles exceptionally well, embracing their more comedic sides for some hysterically over the top moments, like Moranis’ talking to a horse in Central Park while shouting, “You will perish in flame.”

Moranis’ performance is representative of the film’s primary strength: It isn’t afraid to take turns in unexpected directions.

The gang’s paranormal shenanigans begin with a singular ghost sighting, but after an hour of the film, there seem to be ghouls popping up all over the place. Business seems to be booming until Hudson

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for “Ghostbusters” (1984) is pictured. delivers one of the film’s most chilling lines asking, “Do you remember something in the Bible about the last days when the dead would rise from the grave?” It’s an unnerving sentiment that recolors our entire understanding of the adventure up to this point: This isn’t just a fun romp where ghost activity increases so our characters have something to do, it’s heralding the end of days. It’s a heavy theme for a comedy and one that the film expects us to take in stride.

So too does the flick expect the audience to buy into the numerous aspects of its mythology, like the film’s “big bad,” Gozer, a Sumerian god that has come to end the world after being brought about by a group of apocalypse cultists. And you thought this was just a silly Bill Murray movie; you’re not technically wrong, but it’s still another instance of believing your audience is smart enough to handle heavy themes and a deep world, and it’s something that a firsttime viewer can easily overlook. On

subsequent rewatches, it almost acts like a ticking clock as the team slowly uncovers more and more about the cosmic threat. It also leads to one of the film’s best gags, where the ghostbusters are forced to choose Gozer’s final form, the destructor, so that Gozer may lay waste to the world.

If you’ve seen the movie, you know how great the joke is; if you haven’t, then you’re in for a sweet surprise.

“Ghostbusters” is one of the funniest movies ever made, but it’s also one of the most creative,

fun, atmospheric and spectacularly weird films ever made. It is unique in its perfected balancing act between genres, and it features a slew of top performances from some of the most hilarious comedians and talented actors ever. You can’t go wrong picking it as your film of choice come Halloween night. I was tempted to succumb to the cliche of asking you, “who you gonna call?” but I decided instead to leave you with Ray Stantz’s own words: “Nobody ever made them like this.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Boston Book Festival Rorschach #1 lays dark, intriguing pattern showcases feminist books

by Carl Svahn

Contributing Writer

by Sadie Leite

Contributing Writer

In a Boston Book Festival event aptly named “Fiction: Witches and Other Bad Heroines,” on Oct. 25, moderator Bridget Marshall interviewed four authors about the spooky contents of their novels and, more importantly, their radical female protagonists.

Author Layne Fargo kicked off the event with a reading from her second novel, “They Never Learn” (2020), featuring the thoughts of her professor-by-day, serial-killerby-night protagonist Scarlett Clark.

Marshall continued the conversation by asking about the origins of Fargo’s story, highlighting the famous inspiration behind Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (1818). Shelley’s ideas materialized in a dream brought on by an eerie party with friends, where ghost stories were the main spectacle of the event. Fargo admits that “They Never Learn” was inspired by a tweet calling for a feminist revenge thriller coupled with the intense animosity boiling inside of her as a result of the Kavanaugh hearings.

Next, author Quan Barry answered questions about her novel “We Ride Upon Sticks” (2020), appropriately featuring a girl’s field hockey team. The girls used witchcraft to aid their game in Danvers, Mass. — a town notorious for its original name: Salem Village. Barry related the girls’ experience with her own coming of age, as she, too, grew up playing field hockey in Danvers and gained an understanding of her home’s historical significance.

With the book set in the 1980s, Barry wished to explore the period’s problems such as misogyny, homophobia and the AIDS epidemic while balancing it with the humor of pop culture phenomena like wild ‘80s hair. She described this combination as a “green smoothie”; the spinach and kale are the harder-to-swallow massive social problems, while the apple is the comic relief that, when combined with the vegetables, creates a digestible delicacy.

The third author, Alix Harrow of “The Once and Future Witches” (2020), explained how her female protagonists use the power of witchcraft to aid their work as suffragettes.

At first, defining the access to magical powers across social and cultural

positions proved difficult. Harrow recognized the somewhat sorrowfully lethargic aspects of the women’s rights movement: It did not all happen in a feasibly normal novel timeline. Still, Harrow persevered through these issues, producing a novel that explores their consequences as well.

Harrow said her favorite character in the book is Agnes, who has a newborn. Harrow gave birth during her writing process; thus, she wanted to create a character who pushes back against the idea of motherhood as a weakness, or in Harrow’s words, the “softening of a person.”

Emily Danforth, author of “Plain Bad Heroines” (2020), explored two timelines to tell the story of a cursed school used by modern actresses as the set of a movie. At the center of the mystery is the book “The Story of Mary MacLane” (1902).

Danforth was partly intrigued by cursed movie sets, and how mystery often plays a role in how great works come to be. The actresses film their movie on the grounds of the cursed school, indulging in Danforth’s many fantasies related to the curses of renowned movies such as “Poltergeist” (1982), “The Omen” (1976) and “The Exorcist” (1973).

Danforth also wanted to give voices to characters who identify as lesbian, which she achieved through her characters’ relationships and the accentuated ideas in “The Story of Mary MacLane.” She lamented that there were not a lot of stories about lesbians in their 30s; so, she wished to produce a novel with explicit queerness, not a work where a reader must search strenuously to find representation.

To end, the authors were asked questions such as, “what makes a character bad?” This simple fictional question evolved into important and wise social commentary. Fargo said she believes women will always be disliked from someone’s perspective.

Harrow furthered this point, saying that the bar for a bad woman is relatively lower than one for a white male. Barry championed the idea of pushing beyond the common rule of being “lady-like.” Realistically, women will continue to be thought of as “bad” in some obscure corner of society, but there are ways this label can be channeled as a potent power that many might even mark as magic.

There is no more novelty in “Watchmen” sequels. Since the seminal series finished its run in 1987, there has been a movie adaptation, a video game, a prequel miniseries, a sequel set in the DC Comics Universe and a TV sequel all trying to be the ‘true’ successor to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ work. Despite Moore’s outspoken hatred for any continuation of his comic, the staunch devotion the book’s fans have for it and the equally vicious scorn they have for any kind of follow-up, “Watchmen” sequels are now a fad and have generally flopped hard. Tom King’s Rorschach #1 comic (so far) has not.

The strange thing about this “Watchmen” sequel is that it’s not really a sequel to “Watchmen.” Sure, it makes passing mention of events from the original story and show, but someone with only a passing or even no familiarity with this story could just as easily read this comic. In fact, the Rorschach most are familiar with is not even in this story (for now, and for good reason).

Instead, the comic focuses on an unnamed detective investigating the failed assassination attempt of a right-wing presidential candidate by a man dressed as Rorschach and his cowgirl companion. This story will probably connect at some point to both the show and the comic, but right now the main strength of this story is the distance it has from those works.

The entire issue’s writing is drenched in a ‘70’s noir aesthetic and tone, to the point where it almost feels like “All the President’s Men” (1976) but with vigilantes. Without getting into spoilers, the book is less a homage to “Watchmen” and more so to comics as a whole.

The history behind the creation of “Watchmen” and the inspiration for certain characters’ personalities (for those who know it) is pulled out, dusted off and used in a new and intriguing way here. When the “Watchmen” canon or comic

VIA DC COMICS

The cover of “Rorschach” (2020) is pictured. industry history is referenced, it is not to produce emotionally stagnant nostalgia — I’m looking at you, “Doomsday Clock” (2017–19) — but to help tell the story being told. King has proven before in his work on Batman and Mister Miracle that he is not constrained by the conventional, and I am happy that this is the direction being taken so far.

That goes for the art, coloring and layout as well. Instead of trying to replicate the impeccable style of Dave Gibbons, artist Jorge Fornés focuses on replicating the noir-soaked tone the writing provides. The people look like they are in a comic book but still contain elements of discernible detail: scars, sweat, blood, visible exhaustion and wounds from past conflicts.

It is incredibly pretty to look at, and colorist Dave Stewart adds to that beauty with dark shadows and disgustingly red

blood. Clayton Cowles also does a wonderful job as letterer, balancing an Adam West-style “Blamm!” with Rorschach’s distorted voice. It all works together in a satisfying, if somewhat indistinct, way.

My main concern now is, like with all mysteries, the answers won’t be worth the buildup. Despite King’s generally great track record on this front, I still wonder if the road he has planned for this story will be worth going down. Regardless, Rorschach #1 is a great first impression for a series that needed to prove why it mattered in the recent slew of “Watchmen” media. If you are a fan of the “Watchmen” comic, have just seen the show or have only heard of “that depressing smiley-face button comic,” I’d say give this series a shot. Well done, Mr. King and co. — now please, do not screw this up.

TRASHING ONE EGG WASTES 55 GALLONS OF WATER

Thursday, October 29, 2020 | Fun & Games | THE TUFTS DAILY

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F& G

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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Rebecca: “I didn’t get [Alex’s email asking me for money] which I honestly find rude.”

Fun & Games

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Slow for sharp corners. Watch for physical obstacles. Prioritize health and wellness. Monitor conditions closely. Resist impulse actions. Strengthen basics

before elaborating.

Difficulty Level: What Trump thinks mail in voting is (go vote!)

Wednesday’s Solution

Wednesday’s Solution

CROSSWORD

8 Thursday, October 29, 2020

Jack Clohisy The Weekly Rewind

The problem with No. 1 debuts in the streaming era

Since the first Billboard Hot 100 chart was published in August 1958, 44 songs have debuted at the top spot; since April of this year, nine singles, just over a fifth of all songs to accomplish this debut, have done so. The increased rate of

Opinion

No. 1 debuts can be attributed to the decline of the physical sales era that came with the prevalence of streaming services. As a result, debuting at No. 1 no longer holds the same merit as it did back in the 1990s when the first few top debuts occurred.

Mariah Carey became the first woman to debut at the peak of the chart in 1995 with “Fantasy.” She would go on to debut two more songs — “One Sweet Day” (1995) and “Honey” (1997) — at the top before 2000, setting the record at the time as the artist with the most debut hits. As time went on, this occurrence became increasingly common. When song sales began to drop in the 2000s and

streaming popularity grew in the 2010s, sales metrics were readjusted to determine which songs were the best-selling of each week.

Carey’s “One Sweet Day” with Boyz II Men held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks, becoming the longest running No. 1 at the time. Their record was eventually tied by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber for “Despacito” (2017) and broken by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus in 2019 when their hit “Old Town Road” claimed the top spot for 19 weeks. In the streaming era, it is much easier to sit in comfort at home streaming a

song on Spotify than to have to drive to the record store to purchase the track.

As a result, the merit of a No. 1 debut is rapidly diminishing.

While a highly publicized song can vault itself to the top in its first week, its success is not sustainable. “TROLLZ” by 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj, for example, debuted at the top in June and fell to No. 34 in its second week.

The song would stay on the Hot 100 chart for a mere four weeks while Carey’s “One Sweet Day” held the top spot for four times that length.

Plenty of Carey’s records have been broken, like her No. 1 debut record by Ariana Grande in 2020.

But the hard work it took for ear-

tuftsdaily.com lier artists to achieve these feats must be recognized. Are today’s No. 1 debuts songs that audiences would go out and buy consistently for months like previous hits, or are they simply popular due to the convenience of streaming?

In this case, it is definitely the latter. Promotion draws audiences to check out a song in its first week, but once they realize it lacks the true quality of a hit, the song inevitably plummets from the top spot. As this trend continues, the once coveted No. 1 debut loses its value.

Jack Clohisy is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

Jack can be reached at Jack.

Clohisy@tufts.edu.

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Sports

tuftsdaily.com

9 Thursday, October 29, 2020

World Football: Juventus are the Big Fish who Can’t be Fried

by Jeremy Goldstein Sports Editor

Let’s set the stage: Prior to their match scheduled in Turin against ninetime reigning champions Juventus on Oct. 4, two Napoli players (Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zieliń s ki) tested positive for COVID-19.

Prior to this match, multiple games in Serie A (the Italian football league) had been conducted with squads having at least one player testing positive for the virus. In fact, Genoa had 14 players test positive, yet continued to play.

However, Napoli’s local health officials (the ASL) deemed the club could not travel to face its Northern opponents — in fact, Napoli were sitting in the airport on Saturday night, ready to fly, when they heard the final verdict. Ultimately, they were left stranded.

Juventus, however, were unbothered. Despite being well aware of the fact that Napoli were not traveling, the reigning champions went ahead and released a lineup, traveled to the stadium, turned on the floodlights

SOCCER.RU / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

De Ligt of Juventus is pictured in a game on Oct. 22, 2019 and gave off every possible semblance that their opponent just genuinely didn’t feel like showing up, as if Napoli were cowering in fear instead of showing up to face the defending champions.

As such, Serie A customarily ruled the match forfeited

3–0 in Juventus’ favor, and the league blocked Napoli’s “force majeure” and referenced the league’s health protocol: “The federation’s protocol states that, if players test positive, the rest of the squad can still train, travel and play again providing they are test-

ed again and return negative results.” To add insult to injury, the league slapped a onepoint deduction onto Napoli for their troubles.

Funnily enough, following the subsequent international break, Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Weston McKennie

both tested positive for the virus while away from the club. They would face no match forfeitures or point deductions, and life for the Turin-side carried on as normal (sans the appearance of their marque man).

VanVleet to turn down. The 26-year-old guard will be in for an interesting winter as he decides whether or not to find a new home.

Christian Wood, Detroit Pistons, unrestricted: Casual fans may be shocked to see the contract Christian Wood receives this offseason. The 25-year-old Wood is coming off a breakout year for the Pistons after bouncing around the league, and teams are reportedly eyeing the versatile big man as someone who could improve even more in the coming years. Wood offers hidden potential as a 6-foot-10 athlete who shot 38.6% from deep last season. A team like the Charlotte Hornets could take a stab at finding a gem by throwing a large deal his way.

Bogdan B o g d a n ov i ć , Sacramento Kings, restricted: Bogdanović, along with Ingram, is one of two restricted free agents who will be in high demand. The 28-year-old is a prototypical NBA wing who may price the Kings out of the race for his services, but he is also a key piece to Sacramento’s future. Look for him to receive a multi-year deal somewhere in the $14 million to $16 million per year range, with the only question being whether or not the Kings decide to match.

The vets Danilo Gallinari, Oklahoma City Thunder, unrestricted: Gallinari might be the most

useful player available in this class, depending on your confidence in VanVleet. The 6-foot10 forward has been vocal about his desire to play for a contender, and no team will turn down a sharpshooting, low-maintenance player like Gallinari for the right price.

The Miami Heat, who made a push for him at the trade deadline last year, should be among his chief suitors if Gallinari agrees to a short-term deal.

Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers, unrestricted: Harrell’s price point will be up for intense debate this offseason because it remains unclear whether or not a non-shooting, non-rim-protecting 6-foot-8 man deserves a large deal. However, what won’t be in question is Harrell’s productivity. The Sixth Man of the Year winner is a high-energy player who was a driving force in the Clippers’ regular season success. Depending on what happens with VanVleet, the Raptors might be in the market for Harrell in an offseason in which both Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, their main forwards, are free agents.

Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets, unrestricted: Shooting kills in this NBA, and there are few better at finding his shot than Harris. Since joining Brooklyn, Harris has become one of the

see WORLD FOOTBALL, BACK

NBA Free Agency: Wait, who are you?

KEITH ALLISON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bradley Beal and Fred VanVleet are pictured in 2018.

by David Cooperman Contributing Writer

LeBron James to the Lakers.

Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers.

Fred VanVleet to the Knicks.

One of these choices lacks the flair that the other two possess, a level of mediocrity and boredom that is representative of the upcoming free-agent class.

While we have recently been captivated by high-profile player movement, this offseason is shaping up to be one with considerably less excitement. Anthony Davis is the lone superstar who will hit free

agency, and it is widely expected that he will immediately re-sign with the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Restricted free agent Brandon Ingram is probably the next closest thing, and chances are slim that the New Orleans Pelicans allow him to leave.

Even players like DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs and Gordon Hayward of the Boston Celtics aren’t expected to decline their player options, leaving a class devoid of max-contract level players. NBA general managers will instead have two distinct groups of players to choose

from: veteran role players or intriguing young pieces.

The youth Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors, unrestricted: VanVleet is this year’s crown jewel and possibly the only player who will earn a max contract and switch teams in the process.

Whether or not VanVleet returns to Toronto will likely signal Raptors president Masai Ujiri’s confidence in his roster’s ability to contend for a title. Knowing that Ujiri faces a tough offseason, teams like the New York Knicks or the Phoenix Suns could offer a bloated contract that is impossible for

see NBA, BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | SPORTS | Thursday, October 29, 2020

NBA free agencyadd him to their roster. The NBA

continued from page 9 game’s premier shooting specialists, and there will certainly be many teams looking to

29-year-old could fit on all 32 teams, but the driving factor will be whether he prioritizes winning. If so, look for Harris to return to Brooklyn to be part

of an already scary offense that will feature Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The verdict This isn’t the free agency class of 2018 or 2021. There

tuftsdaily.com

won’t be the big, splashy moves that we are accustomed to seeing from the offseason unless they come in the form of a trade, but that doesn’t mean that this group

will be a total bust. Watch for a group of veterans to be on the move across the league, pieces that could be crucial to the making of next year’s NBA champion.

Pandemic sidelines world football players If different regions of Italy are enforcing different protocols, should one club be more harshly punished? If the club reports are true, Napoli were in what could be deemed a “soft quarantine,” no different from the ones fellow Serie A clubs AC Milan, Atalanta and Genoa have faced this season.

Juventus did not even bother respecting Napoli’s request to reschedule the match, supposedly filed in advance of the match. What did the Juventus board have to say?

Aiden Herrod The Turf Monster

How baseball became fun again My relationship with baseball as a whole has been far from idyllic in recent months.

Unlike football and basketball, whose reach and entertainment values as leagues allow me to follow them more holistically, baseball has always been more contingent on specific elements to yield a close following— the success of my favorite team and the ability to attend games in my favorite stadium.

The San Francisco Giants, one of the first sports teams I ever saw live and in person, have not given me a lot of reasons to be a dialed in fan. They’ve ranged from bottom-feeder to mediocre in the past few years.

“Napoli president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis sent me a message and I replied that [we], as always, abide by the rules,” Andrea Agnelli, the president of Juventus, said.

That’s rather rich coming from a side who 15 years ago was embroiled in the biggest corruption scandal in the recent history of the sport. The Calciopoli scandal was a clientelistic ploy orchestrated by the Juventus hierarchy that sought to gain influence on the appointments of new referees. Once caught, the club was stripped of the 2004–05 league title and relegated to Serie B (the lower division).

Of course, there is the pandemic. The same pandemic that made the Serie A the first major European league to shut down back in March. The same pandemic that has made football a scheduling nightmare in 2020. The same pandemic that Cristiano Ronaldo, of all people, is battling.

So are we selectively choosing to punish some teams and not others? Sure, there is a protocol for docking teams that do not show up to matches, but why the additional point punishment? Would Juventus complain about a future infraction?

Perhaps this is all just me waffling because of my previously-held contempt for Juventus. It’s not like they pay Cristiano Ronaldo a higher wage than the amount other teams in the league pay their entire rosters (they do, including only nine million euros fewer than last season’s third place finisher and Champions League quarter finalists, Atalanta). It’s not like, despite the financial disparities, they’ve still waltzed themselves into economic hell. Summer signings Weston McKennie and Federico Chiesa had to come in on convoluted and overly com-

plex loan deals, and midfielder Miralem Pjanic was swapped to Barcelona mostly to please the Financial Fair Play gods. The team takes in expensive “free” transfers (costly wage and agent fees) perennially, and while the average age for most Serie A squads is 25, Juventus’ is 28. Yeesh.

Will Juventus out-finance and out-COVID-19 guideline the rest of the league to another title this year? Will minnows Atalanta or born-again AC and Inter Milan mount a substantial challenge?

I’m certainly rooting for the latter, but I’m consigned to the fact that it all may be moot.

But this is just an excuse. After all, baseball’s beauty comes in part because any day, any team, anywhere, can win. The lower-ranked Giants can still steal a game from the top-ranked Dodgers on any given afternoon.

However, baseball has slipped from my sports consciousness this year because of something more obvious: COVID-19. The hit on baseball from the pandemic was twofold for me. The first was the shortened, heavily modified season which barred fans from watching their beloved game in person. Baseball, more so than any other sport I have attended, is a game about the atmosphere.

The game on the field merely sets the table for the treasure trove of food, fans and fun that occupies every corner of gorgeous stadiums like Oracle Park or Fenway. Memories of past experiences at Giants games are less about the final score and more about the rabid cheering, or the transcendent crab sandwich I ate between innings or the gorgeous view of the bay in the summer heat.

If my interest for a sport, or anything for that matter, waned the instant COVID-19 took away the ability to experience that thing in person, I would live a very sad life today. But basketball and even football managed to muscle past that and deliver wildly entertaining seasons. With baseball, there was a constant sour taste in my mouth as I watched it. I couldn’t turn on a game without thinking about the bitter negotiations between the players union and ownership, or the constant COVID-19 outbreaks that seemed to crop up on a weekly basis and force teams into endless doubleheaders to make up for it. Baseball in 2020 was tainted.

That is, until the World Series.

Like in many years past, even without the presence of the Giants, I had something to root for: A World Series loss for the Dodgers. But what really took me over the top was how fun this World Series was. It was the purest form of sports, when the entertainment and storylines decouple

it from any hang-ups that may have been held before.

This series was back and forth, pitting the big-market Dodgers against the small-market Rays. Both teams brought wildly different styles to the table. The Dodgers had high-end talent propelled by a massive payroll that could beat teams in countless ways, casting them as the perfect villain. The Rays had a minuscule payroll, but were carried by savvy moves, lights-out pitching, hot-handed batters and analytics. They were the underdog heroes.

Final results aside, this series was some of the most fun I’ve had watching baseball in years. I think back to game four, when the Dodgers held a 2–1 lead in the series.

They win, and the outcome is as good as buried. They lose, and it’s anyone’s series. The game was back and forth all night, with each inning seeing more and more runs as the bullpens of both sides hemorrhaged points.

That was, until the near-unknown Brett Phillips stepped up

to the plate, runners on first and second already. His miraculous hit put the ball in play, which was then bobbled by the center-fielder. One run scores. The centerfielder whips the ball to home plate. Randy Arozarena, arguably the hottest hitter on the planet, running towards home, trips and falls. The inning is destined to end in a tie. The catcher misses the catch, and Arozarena gleefully scrambles and dives towards home, capping off the comeback win. Pure joy across the Rays dugout ensues as the team takes off across the field to celebrate.

I cannot do this moment justice — please, go watch it online. You will not regret it.

It made me forget the final outcome of the Dodgers taking the title 4–2. It reminded me that baseball is about the chaos, improbability and greatness that can come out of a single hit into right-center field.

Aiden is a junior studying film and media studies and entrepreneurial leadership. Aiden can be reached at aiden.herrod@tufts.edu

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