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T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com
Thursday, October 1, 2020
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.
Professors, students react Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, city to adjusted lab courses, officials join Tisch College to discuss COVID-19 impact on COVID-19, racial inequities STEM by Matthew McGovern News Editor
For laboratory courses in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering this fall, professors have had to adhere to new density requirements and safety protocols, and create feasible alternatives for in-person labs. In Biology 13, one of the largest classes at the university with approximately 480 students, the lab component is in a hybrid format in an effort to give all students the option of completing the course remotely. Dr. Ekaterina “Kate” Mirkin, laboratory coordinator for Biology 13 and lecturer in the department of biology, explained that flexibility was her primary focus when structuring the labs for the course. Students will have the opportunity to complete hands-on experiments for the course in October and November. “In September, while some students are still moving in and getting tested, we are online, so everyone can participate and learn … in October and November, we will have in-person labs for those who can attend,” Mirkin wrote in an email to the Daily. She noted that the course will be online by the end of the semester to accommodate those students who are reluctant to return to campus after Thanksgiving. Mirkin also shared her early predictions for the semester. “I knew it wouldn’t be an ideal semester; my goal was to make the best of what can be done under the circumstances,” she said. Chris Swan, dean of undergraduate education at the School of Engineering, explained that density restrictions and new safety measures have forced professors to change the way they conduct labs. He shared that many professors in the School of Engineering have generated creative solutions to teaching labs, in light of all COVID-19 guidelines. In an email to the Daily, Swan cited a specific example: “An instructor for a first-year engineering course providing synchronous demonstrations of laboratory tests to their class, then providing the students the data
so that they can reduce and analyze laboratory results, as if they performed the test themselves.” He added that some professors have also been increasing the number of lab offerings. In addition to providing greater access to labs, Swan touted experiment kits that professors are using to mimic in-person experiments. “Faculty have adopted a number of methods to continue their hands-on pedagogical approaches, even for students who are remote. The most common method is the use of ‘kits’ that students may pickup, or if remote get mailed to them, to conduct the hands-on activity,” he said. Chorng Hwa Chang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who is conducting his courses in both a hybrid and in-person format, indicated that virtual courses have forced students to communicate in new ways. “They have to share their ideas, they have to communicate their results,” Chang said. “Each [student] has their own computer, their equipment, and their results might be different.” Sophomore Jojo Zhang, who is taking lab courses in chemistry, computer science and statistics, explained in an email to the Daily that certain labs have been more conducive to virtual learning than others. Zhang, who is studying cognitive and brain science, expressed appreciation for being able to perform in-person lab experiments in his organic chemistry course. “For [organic chemistry] especially, I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity to come back to campus this semester,” Zhang said. “There’s a lot to learn from diagrams and lectures, but especially for those planning on doing research in the future, the inability to practice some of these skills is quite the shame.” Kaitlyn Szalay, a sophomore studying biochemistry, explained that while virtual labs can afford more time to watch and study the lab, in-person experimentation is a high priority for her. “I don’t like the labs being online and hybrid because I feel I am not learning the skills or see REACT, page 2
VIA TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES
A screen capture from the Tisch College Civic Life Lunch ‘COVID-19 in Boston: Running a City During a Pandemic’ event on Sept. 30 is pictured. by Alejandra Carrillo Executive News Editor
The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life hosted a discussion with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and city leaders Dr. Karilyn Crockett, chief of equity, and Marty Martinez, chief of health and human services. The event was held Wednesday as part of Tisch College’s Civic Life Lunch series and was moderated by Dean of Tisch College Alan Solomont. Solomont first asked Walsh about his response to the COVID19 pandemic. Walsh explained that when Boston saw its first case of coronavirus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, officials were faced with immediate decisions. “February 2 was the first case of coronavirus in Boston … March 6 was the sixth case,” Walsh said. “We were faced with decisions like closing schools, school buildings, canceling the St. Patrick’s Day Parade … [and] postponing the [Boston] marathon.” He emphasized city officials’ adherence to science-based protocols to prevent the spread of the virus and their determination to take immediate action. “It was important that we listened to the science and it was important that we took action because lives were at stake,” Walsh said. Solomont then asked Walsh about the role of the national government and state governments during a global health crisis. “You have the national government that helps and works
down to the states which works down to the cities and town … whether it’s creating systems for giving ventilators out or equipment or giving us information alone,” he said. Walsh criticized the national government’s response to the pandemic. “In this particular case with COVID-19, that did not happen … there was a major fundamental breakdown in the national government,” he said. Solomont later directed questions at Martinez and asked him about how the city is protecting communities of color, which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Martinez cited a task force Walsh created in an effort to address health inequities exacerbated by the crisis. “[Task force members] represent and reflect the diversity of Boston … they are working with us in partnership to understand: What does the data tell us? Where [are] the disparities?” he said. Martinez indicated that city officials have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases among Latinos in the past few months. “I’m in those communities and what we’ve really tried to do is be very transparent about data … about what we see and be clear we need to roll up our sleeves and solve this together,” Martinez said. Solomont returned to questions for Walsh and asked him about city leaders’ efforts to reduce racial inequities. Walsh recalled a study that underlined gaps in earned wealth between different racial groups.
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“We have to do better to create opportunities for people to be able to move into the middle class,” he said. Crockett, who leads the city’s racial equity fund, echoed Walsh’s sentiments and advocated for structural change. “We are in the midst of a structural crisis as much as we are in the midst of a public health crisis … what it takes to address a structural crisis is structural change,” she said. Crockett also emphasized the importance of having the support of academic institutions, like Tufts, to implement positive change. “We have some work to set a table and let people know what’s important, but we can’t do it alone, which is why it’s so important to have partners like Tufts and folks in the education world,” she said. Solomont asked Crockett about her plan to address racism and racial inequalities as the city’s chief of equity. She responded by outlining current societal structures. “The real question here is climbing up anti-black racism and this larger structure of white supremacy that we’re situated in,” she said. “[The structure] will convince us that racial hierarchies are a normal and natural way to organize society, which we know is not the case.” Crockett mentioned that such racial issues can be expansively found in history. “The fact that you could assign someone’s worth, and their see DISCUSS, page 2 NEWS
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