The Tufts Daily - Monday, October 4, 2021

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Monday, October 4, 2021

Confusion surrounds COVID-19 isolation, contact tracing policies as delta variant spreads

by Peri Barest and Chloe Courtney Bohl Deputy News Editors

As the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread through Tufts University’s campuses in the form of breakthrough infections, the university has clarified its quarantine, isolation and contact-tracing protocols. Notably, close contacts of COVID-19-positive individuals no longer need to quarantine and the university has reduced capacity to house students in isolation.

Amidst these changes, students have reported confusion surrounding the university’s current policies and concern over a lack of infrastructure to support COVID-19-positive individuals and their close contacts.

Despite requiring vaccination for all on-campus students, faculty and staff, Tufts has experienced a swelling of COVID-19 infections since the start of the fall semester. The university opted to increase surveillance testing frequency to two times per week for

undergraduate students on Sept. 16.

On Sept. 19, 93 Tufts community members were isolated — a measure that, according to Tufts’ COVID-19 webpage, “is used to separate people who are sick from people who are healthy.” That number is comparable to on-campus isolation figures from late January and early February 2021, when most of the Tufts community was not yet eligible for vaccination.

The number of daily new cases on the Medford, Somerville and Fenway campuses decreased by 19% over the week of Sept. 24–Oct. 1. As of Oct. 1, the number of people in isolation has decreased to 27.

Quarantine and isolation requirements Like last semester, students who test positive for COVID19 this semester must isolate themselves in the Mods or in their off-campus housing. Junior Amanda Westlake explained that Tufts instructed her to isolate in her off-campus housing after

she began experiencing symptoms and then tested positive for COVID-19.

“I wasn’t feeling well … so I went and got tested first thing in the morning, and then the doctor called me and he was like, ‘Oh yeah, you have COVID,’ and then I immediately had to start isolating,” Westlake said. “I went right back to my room and I’ve been here ever since.”

The main adjustment to Tufts’ quarantine and isolation requirements from last semester is that students who are contact-traced as close contacts of an individual with COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine, provided they receive three negative PCR tests.

University Infection Control Health Director Michael Jordan, elaborated on the university’s current testing policies for close contacts.

“Vaccinated [close contacts] do not need to quarantine but are tested as close as possible to the exposure, then again at days 4 and 7 after exposure,” Jordan wrote in an email to the Daily.

Westlake explained that her on-campus close contacts were

IAN LAU / THE TUFTS DAILY

Students enter the COVID-19 testing center on the Medford/Somerville campus on Oct. 3. instructed by the university to take rapid COVID-19 tests as soon as possible, but were not instructed to self-quarantine before they received the results of those tests.

“For the first day [my close contacts] didn’t go to classes until they got their negative tests,” Westlake said. “That was their own decision, not Tufts’ decision. I believe Tufts just said they could do whatever they want.”

Westlake also reported her parents as close contacts and was told they would be contacted about getting tested.

However, the university never followed up with Westlake’s parents, who ended up taking tests without guidance from the university.

Sophomore Dan Zilberman, whose suitemate tested positive shortly after arrival on campus, see CORONAVIRUS, page 2

Advice from former students guides Introduction to Psychology pedagogy this fall

by Emily Thompson Assistant News Editor

Professors Lisa Shin and Sam Sommers are once again co-teaching Introduction to Psychology this semester. This year, they have added a twist to their standard lecture on the

psychology of student life, integrating advice from former PSY 1 students to apply psychology concepts to the everyday experiences faced by new Tufts students.

According to Sommers, at the beginning of each semester the class talks about the psy-

chology of studying: exploring the research on whether highlighting when reading is better than outlining or note taking.

Sommers said that this year, with many students returning to in-person learning for the first time in 18 months, it felt even more important to apply

MICHELLE LI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Professors Lisa Shin and Sam Sommers, who co-teach Introduction to Psychology, are pictured.

psychology to help acclimate incoming students to the school. “[Psychology] is the science of, in many respects, our everyday experiences and everyday navigation of that world around us,” Sommers said. “We are in the midst of not just … a transition to college for many students, or a return to campus, but many different, unfortunately, overlapping crises that are going on in our society.”

With this in mind, Shin and Sommers decided to send a Canvas message to their former students from fall 2019, asking them to submit any advice they have for students taking PSY 1 in fall 2021 via an anonymous Qualtrics survey.

Around 40 former students responded to the survey and gave advice on topics ranging from time management and romantic relationships to specific PSY 1 class advice.

Shin said some of her favorite responses debunked the common myth that other students have their lives together and have everything figured out.

“That [message] sort of resonated with us as well, just in

OPINION / page 7

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

Shared border, shared liberal/conservative battle

Tour guides now paid by university, add land acknowledgement to tours

The highs and the lows of Gov Ball 2021

our experiences, as professors, but also advisors, also as people who went to college and went through it, and as parents of kids who either have gone through that or are going through that,” Shin said.

Shin and Sommers are in a unique position to influence students; the class has a total enrollment of about 516 students, many of whom are first-years.

“It is a terrific course to teach, because you’re getting people, many of whom are in their first semester of college, but all of whom are being exposed to the field for the first time, and you get to be one of the tour guides that leads them through it,” Sommers said.

Shin added that psychology, as a subject, is perfectly suited for addressing these topics.

“Psychology is in a unique position to do this because psychology is the study of behavior,” she said. “We have this ability to talk about these things in a way that maybe other disciplines don’t or just don’t think of.”

First-year Henry Nitzberg, a student in PSY 1 this semester, see PSYCHOLOGY, page 2 NEWS

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, October 4, 2021

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Uncertainty about university's COVID-19 policies persists CORONAVIRUS

continued from page 1 said that the university provided very little guidance for him as a close contact. Ultimately, Health Service instructed Zilberman and his suitemates to wear masks at all times on campus and to get three additional COVID-19 tests, each three days apart.

“We were with our suitemate and she got a call and she was told she tested positive, and that she was going to go to the Mods and she started packing, and we didn’t know what the procedure was for us,” Zilberman said. “[Someone from Health Service] asked us to wear masks when we were on campus, even if we were outdoors, for the next 10 days after that. Otherwise she said to keep living life the same way.”

Current quarantine and isolation policies have also been confusing for faculty and staff. Zilberman said he explained the contact tracing procedures to a staff member at the testing center who was unaware of them previously.

“The person running the testing center came up to me and asked me, ‘Please tell me about your process. Please tell me what they told you because Tufts is telling me nothing and I have no idea what the testing protocol is and the only way I can find out is if I ask these students who have been contact-traced,’” Zilberman said.

The delta variant at Tufts Despite the recent rise in COVID-19 cases on campus and increase in testing frequency to twice a week, the university has not changed its protocols on in-person dining and classes.

“The majority of virus circulating in Massachusetts is the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2,” Jordan said. “The Delta variant is highly contagious, so the number of cases we have seen at Tufts to date is not unexpected. Transmission is occurring in social gatherings. There is no evidence of transmission in classrooms, labs, or studios.”

Jordan added that there is currently sufficient isolation housing for students who have tested positive and that the university maintained its capacity to add more if necessary.

“Although some of the mods were removed this summer, connections for utilities were maintained on the site to allow us to set up new modular units if and when conditions warrant their addition,” Jordan said. “We are closely watching the number of COVID cases on campus and assessing whether additional units will be added as a precaution.”

University evaluating new booster shot recommendations from FDA, CDC The United States Food and Drug Administration recently authorized a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for populations that are particularly vulnerable to the virus, including those “whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure” to the virus puts them at increased risk, such as health care workers and teachers. Many members of the Tufts community, including faculty and medical center staff, could potentially fall into this category.

Dining workers and resident assistants are also in frequent close contact with a high volume of students, potentially putting them at a significant level of occupational risk, although there is no official guidance from the CDC or FDA on their eligibility for booster shots.

Jordan explained that Tufts is reviewing guidance from the CDC regarding booster shots.

“Students who qualify for a booster shot according to CDC guidance may seek vaccination at local pharmacies or their health care provider,” Jordan said. “Tufts also will be conducting clinics for those who are eligible. Those dates will be communicated to the community soon.”

Removal of infrastructure, lack of guidance for students in isolation and their contacts Westlake said that it was hard to manage her classes during isolation with what she described as limited support from the university.

“It was extraordinarily difficult … I was in contact with my academic dean, but I do think there could be far more resources for students in isolation,” Westlake said.

“And I also think that maybe people who haven’t gone through the experience don’t actually recognize the extreme mental and emotional toll and also physical toll.”

Westlake also explained that some of the mental health resources that had been created for students in isolation last year have now been removed, including an isolation support group that Counseling and Mental Health Services used to offer to build community among students in quarantine and isolation.

CMHS Director Julie Ross said that CMHS ended certain group programs due to lack of student interest. CMHS has instead expanded programs that drew more students.

“There was almost no response to these group offerings although some students did choose to join some of our other groups, such as Journaling for Self Care,” Ross wrote in an email to the Daily. “We decided for the Spring semester to offer the group only once per week and reallocate the staff time to address other student needs …

We added groups that garnered more interest from students, such as a second series of the Journaling group.”

Westlake noted that getting food is a challenge for off-campus students in isolation, since they cannot grocery shop and the university does not deliver food off campus as they do to students isolating in The Mods.

“I’m lucky enough to have my parents live nearby and [be able to] drop off some groceries but for instance, a student who lives alone, how would they get groceries?” Westlake said. “How would they be able to eat and survive? … That’s something that I’m definitely really concerned about.”

Zilberman added that he wished the university provided more guidance to students who are contact-traced, especially since the protocols have changed significantly since last year.

“I think they should make a point of reaching out to that person [who was contact-traced] and telling them what to do instead of having to try to figure it out on their own,” he said. “We felt really lost.”

Shin and Sommers incorporate student feedback into PSY 1 this semester PSYCHOLOGY

continued from page 1 said he thought this lesson was very relevant, especially the part about first impressions.

“Although cliche, it was very comforting to hear that other students were going through the same social ‘making friends’ process I was,” Nitzberg wrote in an email to the Daily. “Now, I definitely think twice about trying to create someone’s entire image after only meeting them for a few minutes, or even seeing them walk past on their way to dinner.”

Jada Copeland, who is one of the TAs for the class, said she believes large, introductory classes should include advice for students due to the intimidating and anxious feelings that are common early in an undergraduate career.

“As a first-year graduate student in the department, when reflecting on my experiences in undergrad, advice such as this was not given in any of my intro courses,” Copeland, a psychology Ph.D. student, said in an email to the Daily. “As a first-generation college student and just from

knowing other students’ experiences, I think many students from all backgrounds would benefit from this approach.”

While making the disclaimer that her observations are unscientific, Shin said she has noticed an increase in students randomly coming to office hours to talk about issues beyond the scope of course content.

“I think one thing that the lecture did was make it okay to talk about [college life],” Shin said.

“It opened the door and made it okay to talk about that, and I’ve already had a couple of students

who’ve actually asked me questions on that level.”

Although the idea was born from the specific situation of entering college during the pandemic, Sommers sees purpose in this lecture beyond the current crisis.

“Will we someday ask the students who are in our class this semester, a couple years after the fact, for feedback and their advice, so we can share it with the Class of [2027]?” Sommers asked. “That seems like a great idea. I’m sure we will think about doing that.”

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Features

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Tufts resumes first in-person tours since March 2020

by Delaney Clarke

Assistant Features Editor

Over the summer, Tufts University reinstated its in-person touring program, which had been conducted virtually since summer 2020. The program is now offering in-person, virtual and self-guided tour options throughout the fall semester.

In-person tours started in July through an internship offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. There was a cohort of 17 guides this summer.

The return of in-person tours follows two changes that have been made to the program over the past year. One of these changes is that the tour guide position is now paid, an initiative from fall 2020.

“We decided to start compensating our tour guides as a means to expand access to the position; students no longer have to choose between spending those hours at a job versus volunteering as a guide,” Lauren Wilkes, associate director of undergraduate admissions, wrote in an email to the Daily. “We are hoping this will allow our tour guide cohort to better reflect the Tufts student community as a whole.”

The other change is that the tours now include an Indigenous land acknowledgement, an initiative that also began in fall 2020.

Guides must now acknowledge during the tour that the Tufts campus resides on the ancestral homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett tribes.

“All tour guides are expected to provide a land acknowledgment at some point during their tour, typically in the introduction when we are framing where our campus is locat-

Emika Brown and Nick Januario Blind Luck

Date No. 1

W

elcome to Blind Luck, your new favorite dose of drama and source of vicarious living. Your scheming hosts, Nick and Em, have turned their attention to all the potential loves and connections on the Tufts campus. Every week, we will set up two people on a blind date from sources of our own notes, our little birdies and YOU. If you have a pairing in mind or just a friend who’s down, send them along to nicholasjanuario@ gmail.com.

Alright, let’s get started with our first bold, brave and beautiful blind date. Thank you folks for entertaining this. Love you a lot.

Person 1: “I got to the house and was handed the bag with a picnic

ed and Tufts’ history,” Wilkes said. “Our team thought it was important to not only acknowledge when and where Tufts was founded, but also that the land was inhabited and cultivated by Indigenous groups far before this campus came into existence.”

Wilkes explained that tour guides are guided on what to say, though they may frame the statement in their own words.

“Tour guides are able to provide this land acknowledgment in their own wording, and during our training we provided a few examples of how one might do so,” Wilkes said. “The training highlighted Indigenous voices of the area through different media, and revolved around discussion and reflection of why this was important.”

Junior Dameli Utembayeva, who was a tour guide this summer, explained that over the summer, tour guides watched a 15-minute presentation about the Indigenous communities whose land comprises not only the Tufts campus but the surrounding territory.

In addition to those two changes, the in-person tour program will look different this year due to alterations made to restrict the spread of COVID-19.

During an in-person tour, campus visitors must complete the COVID-19 screening survey and show proof of vaccination at check-in.

Over the summer, each tour session was broken up into groups of up to 15 people.

Current tour guide, junior Emma Sonnenblick, noted that in order to maintain these numbers, Tufts has ceased to allow visitors to choose which tour guide to go

with at the start of a touring session because they wouldn’t distribute evenly.

“We used to do it [so] that you [could] pick your own tour guide,” Sonnenblick said. “[The admissions office] really liked the fact that prospective students could connect with a specific person.”

She added that to further ensure that each touring group is capped at a certain number, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions gave each touring visitor a wristband that denoted their designated tour group.

Utembayeva explained that a lot of the families of prospective students were frustrated with the small tour group sizes.

“A lot of people would call us and be like, ‘Hey I couldn’t book the info session or the tour, can I hop on now?’ and since we want to follow all the COVID restrictions, we obviously couldn’t [allow that], but there was always an option to do a self-guided tour,” Utembayeva said.

The self-guided tours involve scanning different QR codes around campus and listening to a recording of a student who explains each stop.

Although in-person and self-guided tours are intended to occur throughout the semester, there is a plan to transition back to a virtual format if cases rise too much. If this occurs, the format of Tufts tours would look similar to how they were conducted over the past year, which involved guided tours over Zoom.

Junior Kenny Lin, a current tour guide, gave tours virtually last year.

Lin said that student tour guides conducted the virtual tours in pairs.

He noted that giving tours through this format had its challenges.

blanket and the wine and the two glasses … We said ‘Hello,’ did quick little introductions and then started walking over to Dave’s right away after opening the envelope.”

The envelope had a suggested itinerary provided by us. Person 1 described their conversation with Person 2 as they walked to Dave’s Fresh Pasta.

“We talked about the basics, nothing too formal. We got food, kept walking around and then went over to the basketball court by the roundabout. We set up the blanket, had some beverages, ate our sandwiches and kept talking for a while.”

We asked what they thought of the date and the other person.

“I actually liked [them], [they’re] cool. It was good to hear about how [they’re] from Medford, so I got to learn about … what that was like,” Person 1 said. “[They] are a good conversationalist, so it was never awkward or quiet.

I would hang out with [them] again.”

“Did you think you had chemistry?” we asked.

“I think we had no attraction chemistry,” they responded. “But definitely personality compatibility.”

Person 2: “So my first impression … I was like, [they’re] very attractive, y’all. Like [they’re] so cute. I was like, all right. Even a little too cute. You know?” they continued.

“Like the way a TikTok boy needs a TikTok girl.”

We nodded in enthusiastic understanding as Person 2 finished their first impressions. “[They] were rocking the Birks and socks, which, you know, is a little key to my heart. And then … it was kind of like your regular awkward first date banter.”

Then, they dove into the juicy date details, disclosing their experiences at Dave’s Fresh Pasta. “[They] were really polite to everyone [at the restaurant], which is always a really big turn on … I’m like, alright, cool, baseline check, you know, good person.”

MIA SILVESTRI / THE TUFTS DAILY

A student gives an in-person tour to prospective Tufts students and families on Oct. 2.

“The tour itself was just a slideshow of Tufts pretty much,” Lin said. “We would be … pretending we were walking through campus. Honestly, it’s hard to find the energy when you’re just sitting in your dorm room by yourself, talking to a Zoom meeting where no one else can talk to you.”

Despite the challenges of a virtual format, first-year Rory McGrath said she found her virtual tour last year helpful in making the decision to go to Tufts.

“I actually felt like it was pretty helpful because it did make the campus look really nice … I remember little tidbits from the [tour guides],” McGrath said. “I remember one of them saying something about a strawberry festival or something … there were just little things like that that I thought added character to the tour.”

One challenge caused by COVID-19 that impacts both virtual and in-person tours is the fact that the last two years provided such an unusual college experience for students,

with virtual classes, social distancing requirements and takeout dining halls.

Sonnenblick mentioned that many of the experiences she shares on tours were from her first year.

“Most of my stories about classes are from freshman year because last year most of them were virtual,” Sonnenblick said. “But I think that the examples are still valid and I think that sometimes the visitors are more interested in what freshman year looks like anyways.”

Nonetheless, the return of in-person tours allows prospective students to experience what, for many, was a pivotal piece of their college application process.

Lin recalls that when he was a prospective student, his tour helped affirm that Tufts was a good fit.

“I still remember the guide … he was actually a senior last year, I think,” Lin said. “I remember coming here and just walking around the campus, hearing the guide, just kind of seeing a few people walking around, I felt like I could be a student here.”

After ordering food and petting a dog, the date continued at the park. “[Their] main interests were skiing and growing peppers, which is really cool,” Person 2 said. “But [they] reminded me of like, TWO bro, like a ski bro.

Kinda like the crunchy version of basic. And I was like, all right, like … I know who you are. I’ve met you before.”

Person 2 continued their impressions.

“Once we got a little drunk, [they] were being a little goofier, and then we started to have fun … [They] did this cute thing with the wine where [they] were swirling it.”

We asked if there was any one moment that made the date extra fun. “[They] kept throwing the tennis balls, because we were sitting right next to the tennis courts, so the tennis balls would fly out. And [they] kept on whipping them back over the fence, which I thought was really fun.”

Person 2 then summarized to us their final thoughts on Person 1.

“Then we hugged awkwardly at the end, neither of us really asked for each other’s number.

I really couldn’t sus out how [they] were feeling throughout the date. I didn’t really know how much I liked them either, cause I was like, ‘You are a gorgeous human being, and you are so beautiful to look at and cute and funny … honestly, I would go on a second date.’ But I was like, ‘You’re a little out of my league.’”

We disagreed strongly before Person 2 continued.

“But it was fun. I feel like towards the end it got a little flirtier, but I could never tell if [they] were attracted to me or not.”

Emika Brown is a junior studying environmental engineering. Emika can be reached at emika.brown@tufts.edu. Nick Januario is a junior studying biochemistry. Nick can be reached at nicholas.januario@tufts.edu.

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Monday, October 4, 2021

60 artists, 3 days: An honest review of Governors Ball

COURTESY EDA DEVLETSAH

Billie Eilish is pictured performing at Governors Ball on Sept. 24.

by Maeve Hagerty Arts Editor

Three days in harsh sunlight, surrounded at any given time by hundreds — if not thousands — of people: glitter, neon polyester and discarded hard seltzer cans everywhere. The Governors Ball Music Festival 2021 was, simply put, a lot.

The line-up from Sept. 24–26 featured 60 acts, ranging from Nigerian Afrobeats singer Burna Boy to Canadian country artist Orville Peck. The headliners included Billie Eilish, ASAP Rocky, J Balvin and Post Malone.

So, here’s a rundown of the best, and worst, parts of Gov Ball 2021.

The Friday line-up was by far the best. Indie group Laundry Day opened the festival’s main stage with a vibrant performance of some of its best songs, including “Lavender” (2018), “Harvard” (2019) and “Friends” (2019).

This show was one of the most notable of the entire festival, a personal and energetic set that showcased the band’s versatility and unique style.

However, it was Leon Bridges, Bartees Strange and Orville Peck who really set Friday apart. Leon Bridges performed an emotional, groovy and entirely unique set that featured each of his

bandmates and backup singers while Bartees Strange delivered classic rock bangers that shook the light fixtures. Odie and Earthgang also had great shows, but the surprise success of the day was Orville Peck.

A country musician described as a “masked gay crooner” by Billboard, Peck delivered a live show that was nothing short of amazing. With a deep warbling voice that is the contemporary successor of classic country legends, his demeanor and performance were over-exaggerated and yet strangely endearing. As Peck moved through the track list of his debut album “Pony” (2019), he also performed an electric cover of the Lady Gaga song “Born This Way” (2011), an iconic anthem of the LGBTQ community, toward the end of his set. The performance was fresh and inspired, enough to make this author rethink her prejudices against country music.

The mainstage concluded with a remarkable performance

by Kehlani and the headlining Billie Eilish show. As soon as the Kehlani set ended, the wait began. While about half of the festival-goers moved to watch 24kGoldn or Portugal. The Man see GOV BALL, page 5

COURTESY EDA DEVLETSAH

Governors Ball was hosted the weekend of Sept. 24 for the first time since 2019.

A r t s & P o p Cu l t u r e

Monday, October 4, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Gov Ball 2021 drew huge crowds despite mixed performances GOV BALL

continued from page 4 at two of the other three stages, the other half crammed in as close to the main stage as possible to wait over an hour for Billie Eilish.

Eilish’s set was amazing.

Visually and audibly stunning, it was probably the best headlining act of all three days. Eilish cried onstage as she reminisced to her fans about the first time she performed at Gov Ball in 2018.

Segueing into the Saturday line-up, Bleachers, Megan Thee Stallion, Phoebe Bridgers and King Princess stole the show. Bleachers was perfectly eccentric and entirely amazing while Phoebe Bridgers brought a significant portion of the crowd to tears during “I Know The End” (2020) and “Savior Complex” (2020). One of the most memorable parts of her set was when she performed a cover of the song “That Funny Feeling” from Bo Burnham’s Netflix special “Inside” (2021).

Stripped down to a bare guitar and just her voice, Bridgers had the crowd silently entranced, in what was one of the most moving moments of the entire festival.

Odessa Gaines K-Weekly

Why ‘Loser=Lover’ needs to be in your playlist

I

f you’re not familiar with the ever-growing world of K-pop, or international music in general, you may be looking at this section and wondering, what even is “Loser=Lover?” But never fear, dear reader, as I am here to shed some light on who TXT is and

Unfortunately, headliner ASAP Rocky underperformed.

Though he’s known for his unique style and ability to rile a crowd, his set fell flat. Instead of rapping his lyrics, he mostly yelled incoherently over the backing tracks. Despite how talented ASAP Rocky is, his performance was dull.

The Sunday shows proved the most disappointing though Burna Boy and Umi were bright spots. 21 Savage went on stage almost an hour late and was therefore only able to perform for a mere 20 minutes (though he did make an appearance later during Post Malone’s set).

Post Malone was popular as expected, and his show was easy to be enthusiastic about.

However, there wasn’t anything particularly special about his performance other than the crowd’s energy.

The largest issue with Gov Ball, however, arose from a seeming inability to address some safety concerns. During the Billie Eilish set, and in the stifling hours spent standing beforehand, there were numerous medical emergencies, which had to be addressed by medical why you need to stream the group’s music.

So let’s get to the basics!

Tomorrow X Together, otherwise known as TXT is a South Korean boy band consisting of members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai,who debuted on March 4, 2019 under Big Hit Entertainment –– now known as Hybe Labels.

The group’s music speaks to Generation Z as a whole, from the anxious mindset of the youth to the rebellious nature of their lives.

TXT dropped its repackaged album, entitled “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape” on Aug. 17, with the title track “Loser=Lover,” the subject of today’s piece. The song is 3 min-

COURTESY EDA DEVLETSAH

Fifty thousand festival-goers attended Governors Ball 2021 each day of the three-day event. staff. It was nearly impossible to summon the staff during the performances, in part because of the natural chaos of live shows.

So, there would be sections of the crowd screaming for medics who never arrived. This is

true of many other large shows, but the lack of aid from security and staff was shocking enough to be referenced by Eilish and Bridgers during their respective sets. It’s clear more needs to be done to protect festival-goers.

That being said, there were some moments in Gov Ball that were absolutely incredible. If you have the opportunity, go to a music festival: It’ll cost a pretty penny, but will also be an intense, unforgettable experience.

utes and 18 seconds of emo-pop punk telling Gen Z the realities of our world and how easily it can be changed by just one person. Now, personally, I have been listening to the group since its debut and have always viewed it as one of the better “rookie” groups to come out the past several years. Even so, to say that this album and track blew me away would be downplaying the entire experience.

But why? Well, anyone who has ever gone through an “emo” or “punk” phase — or is still in it — can testify to the almost overwhelming feeling of being seen that comes from listening to a song with an intense guitar riff, low bass vocals singing about heartbreak and the occa-

sional but powerful curse word relayed throughout the chorus.

“Loser=Lover” has that and so much more.

The song itself relays the message of the gratitude someone feels knowing that their partner will always stick by their side, regardless of how much of a “loser” or a “lover” they are. It’s about diving headfirst into the relationship and leaving everything behind and being confident in their ability to fly even with “broken wings” because of the people they are with. It’s a reassurance to the youth that there is someone who will be by your side, powering alongside the good and bad, beautiful and ugly, the tears and laughter.

With the chorus of “I say run,”

TXT is screaming at today’s youth that no matter who you are, you can go forward. And message aside, the passion-fueled vocals and catchy chorus are reasons enough to keep this song on repeat.

“Loser=Lover” is a song full of the moments of longing and hopefulness with which our generation is completely intertwined. The addictive melody and raw vocals are simply another reason as to why it belongs in all your playlists, so give it a try!

You can listen to and watch the music video here.

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Odessa Gaines is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Odessa can be reached at kayla.gaines@tufts.edu.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Pop Culture | Monday, October 4, 2021

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tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

Alex J: “I care about transparency … that’s why I use Trello.”

FUN & GAMES

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CHILDHOOD IN 2021

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By Taggart Eymer

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CROSSWORD

tuftsdaily.com

Opinion VIEWPOINT

The exacerbation of political polarization in Canadian elections

BY MICHAEL WU

by Faye Shen Li Thijssen Opinion Editor

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an early election barely two years into his term on Aug. 15.

Trudeau triggered this snap election in the hopes of winning a majority in the House of Commons, thus regaining the party majority which was denied him in the 2019 election. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Director Chrystia Freeland cited the increasingly discordant views of the Prime Minister and the House of Commons as a key difficulty in reaching consensus on COVID19 policies.

Although election polls initially favored Trudeau’s Liberal Party, public support for Trudeau began to falter by the second day of the election. The public expressed frustration at Trudeau’s decision to call the snap election during the waning months of the summer at a time when the country was still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau’s polling numbers continued to fluctuate — in comparison to those of conservative opponent Erin O’Toole — throughout the weeks leading up to election day on Sept. 20.

On Sept. 21, it was announced that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was reelected although he failed to acquire the majority he sought in the House of Commons. Despite Trudeau’s victory, both the rhetoric on the campaign trail as well as the demographic results of the election have sparked concern for many who see a trend of increased polarization within Canada’s political sphere.

Throughout the months of August and September, discourse among voters and

candidates carried a tone reminiscent of recent controversial and polarizing conversations within U.S. politics.

In one speech, conservative candidate O’Toole criticized Trudeau and his decision to call the snap election, describing it as a “$600-million power grab” and accusing Trudeau of being “privileged, entitled, and always looking out for number one.” When speaking at a liberal policy convention, Trudeau claimed that O’Toole and his party are disconnected from the people, incapable of grasping “the real challenges people face.” The weeks along the campaign trail were marked by a continued exchange of attacks directed at each party.

This year’s election results also showed a deepened divide between rural and urban communities. The final counts released after the Sept. 20 election indicated strong preferences for Liberal Party candidates in urban areas and Conservative Party candidates in rural areas. Allan Thompson, head of the journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, voiced concerns that political parties were making little effort to win the support of areas and demographics that they deem “unwinnable,” propelling this division into “a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

This heightened tension between parties could lead to dangerous political tactics by Canadian politicians.

Notisha Massaquoi, assistant professor of health and society at the University of Toronto, who is also a Black community activist, expressed her fear that future Canadian governments may use contentious issues like race and COVID-19 to mobilize voter bases in divisive ways.

Although polarization in Canada may

not have reached the levels seen in the U.S., many fear that Canada may be on a similar trajectory.

Toronto native Vivian Tran, a dual-degree Tufts student in the Class of 2025, expressed her concerns about the future of the country’s political polarization.

“I don’t think Canadian politics [are] as polarized as the US, with multiple parties in the election,” Tran wrote in an email to the Daily. “I think there is a growing trend towards polarization though, since it’s always coming down to Liberals and Conservatives.”

Tran elaborated about the ways in which polarization had drawn attention away from other important issues, including climate change, reconciliation for Indigenous populations and First People communities and the housing crisis.

“If the conversation is always surrounding two parties, then we close our eyes to the possibility of change,” Tran said, echoing the concerns of many other Canadians as they witness the political events of the past few years unfold.

As countries begin to see rises in political tension and division, the future of legislation and coherence of both national and international politics may be under threat. Individuals at every level of political involvement must consider the factors of life that lead to such ardently opposed viewpoints: increasing class divides, tension stemming from racial injustices or miscommunication and misinformation.

Without understanding the foundation of divisive political landscapes, there exists little groundwork upon which to successfully navigate the turmoil that is yet to come.

7 Monday, October 4, 2021

Elizabeth Buehl The Journey

Imposter syndrome

T

oday was my first day back in in-person classes. After grabbing a mid-morning iced coffee at The Sink, I sat down in a big, comfortable blue armchair in the Mayer Campus Center. As I bent back the pages of Edith Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence” (1920), I was transported to 19th-century New York City. Despite my fascination with her commentary on the complex inner workings of the city’s upper echelon, I couldn’t help but notice a tour group out of the corner of my eye. The spirited guide took a big step up onto a bench, and I had a moment of realization: I really am a Tufts student.

Two years ago, my dad and I traveled across the East Coast to look at colleges.

Tufts was the last stop on our trip. I silently jotted down every detail the tour guide gave as we walked downhill from the admissions building, across President’s Lawn and around to the Aidekman Arts Center. After finishing the tour on Tisch Roof, staring out at Boston’s inviting skyline, my dad and I walked back wordlessly to our rental car. We pulled out of the parking garage, my dad took a business call and I sat staring out the window as my eyes filled with tears. The tire rotations left Tufts behind us as we accelerated toward Davis Square.

Everyone I’d spoken to had told me I’d know when I found my college, and my intuition told me this was the place. I’d been working on my Common Application essay for weeks, and I just couldn’t seem to perfect my supplemental writing pieces. “I found the perfect place but I’ll never get in,” I thought to myself.

Now, two years later, I really am a Tufts student. I found the ideal place, the stars aligned and here I am, speed walking across the Academic Quad with a tote bag full of books slung over my shoulder.

In these moments, when I find myself debating the meaning of liberalism in France with my roommate, taking the T to political rallies in Chinatown and chiseling a Byzantine plate in the craft room, I often wonder if this is truly who I am. Am I the intellectually playful Tufts student my tour guide told me about?

The truth is, none of us are. We are each our own beings struggling to balance uniqueness and conformity, scholarliness and spontaneity. Our respective approaches are what make us Tufts students. We each put a different spin on our days in Medford.

When Wharton published “The Age of Innocence” a century ago, I doubt she would have imagined my finding solace between the lines of her novel. Yet, her shrouded message rings true: we are each grappling to fit within the confines of society.

It’s time we start to question: who holds the key to this societal cage? Perhaps by slowly starting to peel back the layers of judgement and vanity that constrain us, we’ll each be able to take steps out of society’s suffocating box and embrace the way we show up in this very moment.

Elizabeth Buehl is a sophomore studying psychology. Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth.buehl@tufts.edu.

8 Monday, October 4, 2021

SPORTS

tuftsdaily.com

Football falls short 24–21 at Amherst in Week 3

by Eric Spencer Sports Editor

Tufts football fell to Amherst 24–21 in a close match on Saturday at Amherst’s Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium. This loss brought the Jumbos’ record to 0–3 with six games remaining in the season.

Despite the loss, the Jumbos dominated the Mammoths in the final stat line. Tufts finished the game with 454 total yards and 55% third-down efficiency, winning the battle for time of possession.

After an impressive opening, Tufts’ drive stalled with an incomplete pass on a fourthand-one from the Amherst 25-yard line, Amherst sophomore quarterback Brad Breckenridge opened with a 69-yard run on the Mammoths’ first play from scrimmage.

Two plays later, Breckenridge punched it into the end zone himself with a four-yard run, capping a three play, 75-yard drive that took just over a minute to complete. After a successful extra-point kick, Amherst led Tufts 7–0 with just over 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

The Jumbos responded with an impressive drive to close the first half. With a 28-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Matt Crowley and a personal foul committed by the Mammoths, the Jumbos advanced the ball to the one yard line, where junior running back Tyler Johnson tied the game at 7–7 with a touchdown.

In the second half, Tufts senior John Andre started the Jumbos off with a 23-yard punt return.

David Cooperman Beyond Sports

Stop cyberbullying high schoolers

O

n Sunday, Aug. 29, high school football powerhouse IMG Academy defeated Bishop Sycamore High School 58–0. This was not an ordinary game. After their defeat, investigations into Bishop Sycamore began to bring its predatory practices to light.

Bishop Sycamore does not truly exist as a school, with no physical facilities or academic workload. The adults associated with the “school” essentially created a football team without enough helmets or athletic trainers and called it an athletic institution. Bishop Sycamore’s head coach, Roy

Tufts used this return to break the deadlock with a six-play, 42-yard drive led by first-year quarterback Michael Berluti, who replaced the injured Crowley. The drive was capped by another Johnson touchdown. Junior kicker Patrick Walsh extended the Jumbos lead to 14–7 after a successful extra point kick.

Johnson leads the team in rushing yards with 200 and has contributed 18 points in three games. Senior cornerback and co-captain Brandyn Jones discussed the impact Johnson has had on the team so far this season.

“From the moment [Johnson] stepped on campus, we all knew what kind of player he was going to be,” Jones said. “With Mike [Pedrini] going down in Week 1, he’s been thrusted into that RB1 role and he’s handled every bit of it. With the injuries on offense, our offense leans on him and the run game and he’s doing very well. I think he’s just scratching the surface of his potential and I’m excited to see him the rest of this season and into next year.”

After the Jumbos came out of the half with a 14–7 lead, the Mammoths took control of the game. A seven-play, 53-yard drive set up a 39-yard field goal to draw the game within four points with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter. Three minutes later, Amherst struck again and took the lead on a 15-yard touchdown by Breckenridge.

The ensuing Tufts drive got off to a strong start with a 33-yard strike from Berluti to sophomore wide receiver Jaden Richardson. However, a 24-yard field goal attempt Johnson, who was fired after news of his conduct broke, led players to believe his program would land them elite college offers, improve their GPAs and other lies. Meanwhile, he failed to provide proper housing, food and other necessities promised to athletes. It has even been reported that Johnson faces an arrest warrant and other civil lawsuits, all while he led his team out to play the No.1 ranked team in the country.

Now, through all of this, the majority of the headlines were about the conduct of Johnson and other administrative figures linked to the Bishop Sycamore facade. But despite the administration’s misdeeds, an overlooked consequence of the scandal was online abuse levied at Bishop Sycamore’s athletes. These were high school kids that put their trust in coaching figures, with some even possessing legitimate connections to major colle-

ANGELIE XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Former quarterback Ryan McDonald is pictured playing against Amherst on Oct. 28, 2017. by the Jumbos was blocked and returned 71 yards by the Mammoths to the Tufts 19-yard line. After a fourth down conversion, Amherst was able to capitalize on this strong field position with Breckenridge’s third touchdown run of the day, extending their lead to 24–14.

Following turnovers from both teams and a missed Amherst field goal, Berluti led Tufts on an impressive 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a fouryard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Billy Dunn.

“Before the play, I saw Coach Civetti signal to Berluti to throw it to me,” Dunn said. “I was a little nervous because the corner was lined up perfectly to stop it, but I gave him a little fake inside and Berluti threw a perfect

ball that allowed me to go get it, which is something he’s done in practice countless times.”

With the score at 24–21 after the touchdown, Tufts attempted an onside kick with three minutes and 12 seconds remaining in the game, but the Jumbos were unable to recover. The final score stayed at 24–21 Amherst, with the Tufts comeback falling just short.

“I think despite the loss, there were a lot of positives,” Dunn said. “We had a lot of young guys step up. [Crowley] played really well, [Berluti] stepped in for him and played great, [defensive lineman Ed Iuteri] had a huge game, and [Richardson] also came in and had some great catches. I’m very proud of those guys and how they responded. I think

something we can improve on is scoring in the red zone. We’re going to work on finishing in the fourth quarter.”

Next week, Tufts faces Bates in a 1 p.m. matchup at home. The team hopes to get its first win of the season.

“Bates is another tough team that’s going to come in here and test us,” Jones said. “Right now we’re just looking to finish games. We’re hanging in there and fighting but just not doing enough down the stretch to seal the deal. We aren’t panicking and it’s not time to hit a total reset but we understand what we’ve done the first three weeks hasn’t been good enough so there’s an emphasis in our locker room on finishing and making the big play to change the game.”

giate programs. In return, the players received no education, a subpar football program and ridicule via social media.

One common particular sentiment regarded the ages of the Sycamore players. In particular, a California quarterback who was supposed to graduate last year was competing for the Sycamore team as a reported member of the Class of 2021. Their number of so-called “re-class” players has led to memes mocking the players as 30-year-olds, professional athletes being “linked” to Bishop Sycamore and other more obscene, genuinely foul comments toward the players, who we cannot forget are still in their teens.

Additionally, the practice of reclassifying has been adopted around the country, with countless players using it to graduate either earlier or later. IMG Academy itself has kept athletes back a year to

strengthen their recruiting profile, while their players posted TikToks suggesting that they had defeated a team made up of grown men.

It is hypocritical to mock high schoolers for making such a common choice especially when they made that decision while under the influence of a known con man.

It is unclear on how much of the deceit truly came from Johnson, but he may have even fabricated college interest and led his players to believe they had fake scholarship offers.A wide receiver for Johnson’s program has been hit hard by online trolls after claiming offers from Ohio State and Clemson: offers that were never extended. Beyond online abuse being unacceptable regardless of circumstance, critics fail to recognize the influence that high school coaches possess over their players.

It has already been established that Johnson was, at best,

a coach who put his players’ recruiting over everything. He has also proven to be dishonest, both to those around the country and within his programs.

Isn’t it reasonable to conclude that he is the source of these falsified collegiate reports, not the athletes? He very well could have convinced the wide receiver that Ohio State had in fact extended him an offer, especially given the promises that were made to the players.

The athletes of Bishop Sycamore were hoodwinked and taken advantage of by a manipulative, dishonest figure, of the kind that is all too common in youth and amateur sports. Do not make the athletes the villains in this story simply for pursuing their dreams.

David Cooperman is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. David can be reached at david.cooperman@tufts.edu.