The Tufts Daily - Friday, November 12, 2021

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 32

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, November 12, 2021

Updated Tufts shuttle system includes new buses and routes

by Elizabeth Zacks Contributing Writer

Tufts overhauled its shuttle system this semester to accommodate the increasing size of the student body and offer more frequent and efficient service for riders. The updated shuttle system has multiple routes for students to choose from depending on their destination: SMFA, Davis Direct, Davis All Stops, Hyatt Direct and Beacon Street Direct.

John Savino, assistant director of transportation and contact services at Tufts, explained that the old shuttle system used smaller buses and offered fewer direct routes.

“The campus has grown, and campus needs were no longer being met with the smaller buses,” Savino wrote in an email. “This became clearer during COVID when physical distancing measures were put in place. This is the point at which Tufts moved the SMFA shuttle over to the bigger buses.”

According to Savino, the new shuttles can accommodate up to 55 passengers each and have hydraulic ramps at

IAN LAU / THE TUFTS DAILY

A Tufts shuttle bus is pictured on Nov. 3. the front, making them ADA accessible.

Savino explained how the new system transports students to and from Davis Square.

“Davis Square buses use the Davis Direct Route during

peak commuting time, picking up and dropping off at the Campus Center and Davis Square only,” Savino said.

“After 7 pm and on weekends, this route becomes the Davis All Stops Route serving Davis

Square, Carmichael, Olin and the Campus Center.”

Savino added that the updated shuttle system allows for more direct access to the SMFA, with shuttles taking Route 93 for a faster trip to the Fenway campus.

In addition to the Davis and SMFA shuttles, Tufts now has a shuttle that transports students to and from the Hyatt Place Medford, where approximately see SHUTTLES, page 2

Somerville City Council votes to add new precincts in response to 7% population growth

by Olivia Field

Contributing Writer

The Somerville City Council voted on Nov. 9 to adopt a new ward and precinct map for the city at the recommendation of an internal city council working group. The map, developed by the working group in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, shifts the boundaries of the city’s seven wards only minimally, while increasing the number of precincts within each ward from three to four in order to accommodate the city’s growth. Somerville’s population grew from 75,754 to 81,045 in the past decade, a 7% increase.

Somerville’s redistricting process was part of a statewide requirement to update precinct and ward maps in accordance with demographic changes following the 2020 Census.

Federal regulations state that each ward within a city must have roughly the same population. As a result of its population growth, Somerville’s previous ward boundaries did not divide up the city’s popula-

ASHA IYER / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

A street and houses in Somerville are pictured on March 27, 2018. tion equally and needed to be adjusted.

SomerStat is the Somerville Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Analytics, which uses data to help make policy decisions for the city.

Cortni Desir, SomerStat acting director and leader of the working group, discussed the purpose and goals of the redistricting process.

“You don’t want a precinct to have long protruding fingers. It should be an intuitive geography that aligns with the census block boundaries,” Desir said.

Ensuring that minority voting blocs remain intact was also a factor when dividing precincts.

“You need to consider that changing precinct lines won’t

dilute a minority group vote, either by packing or by diluting votes,” Desir said.

Desir and the working group also considered Somerville’s predicted future growth when drawing new precinct and ward boundaries.

“We wouldn’t want a scenario where we drew the boundaries

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

OPINION / page 7

Here’s the scoop: It’s J.P. Licks’ 40th anniversary

‘Spencer’ shines with career-defining performance by Stewart

In diversity, faculty lag behind the student body. This needs to change.

for a precinct and then one or two years from now, a big development comes in and causes the population in that precinct to then exceed the 5% or exceed the maximum,” Desir explained.

“So, in the working group, we take into account those things and take into account projected housing growth.”

Though the adjustments to Somerville’s ward and precinct boundaries are not predicted to impact most voters, a small number will be shifted into a neighboring ward to meet state guidelines. These residents will be represented by a new ward councilor and school committee member.

The working group proposed the addition of new precincts within preexisting ward boundaries in order to minimize the effects on voters. According to Associate Professor of Mathematics Moon Duchin, founder of the MGGG Redistricting lab, voters who are shifted into a new precinct within the same ward will be minimally impacted; they will retain the same local government repsee REDISTRICTING, page 2 NEWS

1

FEATURES

3

ARTS & POP CULTURE

4

FUN & GAMES

6

OPINION

7

SPORTS

BACK

2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, November 12, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Madeleine Aitken Editor in Chief

— EDITORIAL — MARIEL PRIVEN KATE SEKLIR Managing Editors

PRIYA PADHYE ETHAN STEINBERG Associate Editors Alexander Janoff Executive News Editor Jillian Collins Executive Features Editor Phoebe Wong Executive Arts Editor Paloma Delgado Executive Opinion Editor Colton Wolk Editorial Editor Makenna Law Brendan Hartnett Editorialists Ananda Kao Executive Sports Editor Alex Viveros Investigative Editor Hannah Harris Executive Audio Producer Sophie Dolan Michelle Li Executive Photo Editors Ty Blitstein Executive Video Editor Asli Kocak Executive Graphics Editor

— PRODUCTION — CAMPBELL DEVLIN Production Director Mac Callahan Maddy Noah Lucy Kaskel Executive Layout Editors Julian Perry Sarah Sandlow Executive Copy Editors Kendall Roberts Elise Fong Executive Social Media Editors

— BUSINESS — EVELYN MCCLURE Business Director Rebecca Barker Jilly Rolnick Outreach Coordinators Jackson Parsells Web Manager Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com thetuftsdaily tuftsdaily tuftsdaily

Please rec ycle this newspaper!

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

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

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

VIEWPOINTS Viewpoints represent the opinions of individual Opinion Editors, Staff Writers and Contributing Writers for the Daily’s Opinion section. Positions published in Viewpoints are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself.

Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of-availability for editing questions.

ADVERTISEMENTS All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor in Chief, Executive Board and Business Director.

tuftsdaily.com

New shuttle system still unreliable at times SHUTTLES

continued from page 1 100 first-years are being housed this year. According to Savino, the new Hyatt shuttle uses the same low-floor buses and runs between the Hyatt, the Cousens Gym and the Mayer Campus Center.

Although the new system makes the transportation process more streamlined, reliability is still an issue according to E.K. Wahome, a first-year who lives at the Hyatt.

“After the first week, they developed a pretty good schedule of running [the shuttle] every 20 minutes,” Wahome said.

“When it sticks to that schedule, it’s great. But obviously there’s things like weather or sometimes traffic … that obviously are going to impede the shuttle schedule.”

Leyla Mandel, a first-year in the SMFA combined-degree program, said transit times can vary considerably for the SMFA shuttle.

“If I go midday, [the commute will] be 30 minutes. But then I have later classes because most of my classes are five hours. If my class ends at five or six, the commute will be like an hour and a half,” Mandel said. “Going to the SMFA has been pretty reliable … but then getting back from the SMFA to Tufts is pretty unreliable most times.”

Savino said that the university decided to add and remove stops from certain shuttle routes based on student feedback.

“Early in the semester there were growing pains with the new shuttle systems specific to the Hyatt and SMFA routes,”

Savino explained. “Student feedback was solicited and the Hyatt route was streamlined by removing Davis Sq. as a stop.

Similarly, after student feedback on the SMFA, a permanent New England Conservatory bus stop was added and an additional bus was added on Monday mornings to mitigate wait times with heavy rush hour traffic on that day.”

Shuttle-tracking apps such as Tufts Mobile and the TransLoc Rider app have helped make the transportation process more efficient by reporting the anticipated arrival and departure times of each shuttle.

Wahome, who uses the Tufts Mobile app to track the shuttle, said it can be very helpful.

Mandel, however, said the tracker is unreliable.

“I’ll be waiting there for 20 to 25 minutes after class until the shuttle comes,” she said. “It’s supposed to come at the top of every hour.”

Despite this, Mandel is grateful for the shuttle drivers who transport her to and from the SMFA. Tufts is planning to further improve the shuttle system by reducing its environmental footprint with hybrid and electric vehicles over the next five to ten years.

“Tufts Transportation will be looking to more sustainable bus options as they become available,” Savino said. “This current fleet runs on biodiesel fuel. We would eventually like to see a combination of biodiesel hybrid and electric buses serving the campus.”

Following 2020 Census, Somerville proposes new precinct map to accommodate population growth REDISTRICTING

continued from page 1 resentatives but move to a new polling location.

“They want to keep the lines nearly the exact same as they are now, with only very small changes to district lines, so instead of rebuilding the districts they are rebuilding the puzzle pieces inside of them,” Duchin said.

Duchin explained the difference between redistricting, which is the process of redrawing the boundaries of a ward, and reprecincting.

“Precincts are just geographical units that correspond to how election administration is conducted,” Duchin said.

Tufts senior Julia Kupferman works for Massachusetts Voter

Table, an organization that focuses on building a more fair and representative democracy in Massachusetts by promoting civic participation. Kupferman articulated how redistricting in conformity with population changes helps ensure voter equality.

“Redistricting is really based on the principle that every vote is equal: one person, one vote,” Kupferman said. “And so the way that we do that is that we need to make sure that all of the districts [have] a relatively close to [an] equal number of people in each district, so that every person’s voice is weighted the same.”

Massachusetts Voter Table works to ensure that redistricting

and reprecincting are done fairly.

“It just means making sure that people of color are not disenfranchised and really have an equal opportunity to have their voices heard in government,” Kuperman said of the requirements of an equitable redistricting process.

The Somerville reprecincting process has not been seamless.

The proposed map went through several changes before the final version was formally proposed at the Nov. 9 city council meeting.

At least one official, Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang, raised concerns during the redistricting process about how the new map would change some citizens’ representation in city government. Niedergang

was concerned that the new map would shift Ward 5 School Committee Member Laura Pitone’s house into Ward 6 and would deny Ward 5 its elected representative. Desir assured him that the presented map was only a draft that would be revised. Niedergang ultimately voted in favor of the final map at the meeting.

According to Desir, the city does not expect any significant social or political changes to emerge as a result of the proposed map. The majority of Somerville residents will retain the same ward councilors and school committee members.

The working group’s proposal did not affect voting precincts for the Nov. 2021 city elections.

tuftsdaily.com

Features

A peek into J.P. Licks on its 40th anniversary

by Kaitlyn Wells

Friday, November 12, 2021

Sonia Richter Spoonfuls

Tasty Mo:Mo

Contributing Writer

The bell chimes as you walk in, and you’re immediately struck by the jovial atmosphere. Upbeat music and the inviting glow of the freezers draw you to the counter. Perhaps you go for a perfected classic, like cookies and cream, or a seasonal offering, like pumpkin cheesecake. You might even skip on the sweets and get some house-roasted coffee. The friendly atmosphere shines through the laid-back blackboard-style menu and funky hanging lights.

You are at J.P. Licks, a Boston-based chain that is known for its homemade ice cream and other treats. The location closest to Tufts sits right in Davis Square.

No matter the time of year, you can always see a line of students. This year, J.P. Licks is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

In honor of its anniversary, the chain released two new flavors: Midnight Munchies and Red Bull Strawberry Lime Sorbet. J.P. Licks Production Manager Beth Otis explained the concepts behind the “crazy” new flavors.

Midnight Munchies has a peanut butter ice cream base loaded with KitKats, chocolate covered pretzels and Cool Ranch potato chips.

“I was thinking about the Midnight Munchies because we all have those cravings at night, and that’s when it gets a little wacky, right?” Otis said. “That’s when you’re dipping chips into peanut butter and Cheez Whiz and queso sauce and who knows, whatever you can find in the cabinet.”

The genesis of a J.P. Licks flavor varies — sometimes it emerges from a late-night snack or just a popular drink. The second flavor, Red Bull Strawberry Lime Sorbet, is based off employees’ favorite drink, Red Bull, according to Otis.

Creating new flavors is no simple task; there is a selection process.

“Once we come up with the idea, we’ll make a flavor. Sometimes we’ll remake it three, four, five times, and if we all try it and it doesn’t excite us, then it’s just tossed aside,” Otis said.

In light of its anniversary, J.P. Licks is also featuring a flavor from the past for every month of 2021, in addition to its regular range of both traditional and wild flavors.

It is not just the flavors that keep people coming back to the ice cream shop year after year;it is also the environment.

Otis explained her gratitude for student workers at J.P. Licks.

“We take on a lot of the personalities of the students, and I think that’s one reason why our stores have been successful — because [our staff includes] such a wide range of personalities. People from all over the world have worked with us, and those personalities come through,” Otis said.

AT Trejo, a junior at Tufts and supervisor at the J.P. Licks in Davis Square, fondly remembers the great vibes of the store that led them to apply for a job there only a month into their first semester at Tufts.

“I knew I wanted to work, but I didn’t want to be stuck or be too comfortable in the bubble that is Tufts, because I feel like it’s very easy to get swept up in that,” Trejo said. “[The job lets] me interact with the outside world but also get to know Somerville a little more [and] meet some of the locals.”

Trejo explained that their community at J.P. Licks gives them more of a sense of purpose.

3

T

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

J.P. Licks, an ice cream cafe located in Davis Square, celebrates its 40th anniversary.

“During COVID, it was so nice to have somewhere to go … see people and light up people’s faces every day, and I think that’s how I see ice cream now. It’s the literal cherry on top of someone’s day,” Trejo said. “[Over the summer], I’d often be like, ‘How’s your day going?’ and someone would say, ‘Not good, but this ice cream is making it a lot better.'”

As the winter months approach, some may be less interested in a cold treat. Otis disclosed that J.P. Licks’ business decreases by half to three-quarters in the winter months. But even if it may not be the best time for ice cream sales, it is still a valuable time to engage with customers.

“Even though we are slower, we have our regular customers who come in and grab an ice cream or grab a cup of coffee, so we like to stay open during the winter. It may not necessarily always be the best decision business-wise, but we feel like we’re part of the community, so we don’t want to just be a seasonal store,” Otis said.

Changes in weather also entail a rotating seasonal ice cream selection at J.P. Licks. Trejo explained the shop’s monthly flavors.

“There’s an earl grey that tastes like lavender, delicious … and raspberry-lime rickeys, but with less syrup. [Those flavors] are always go-tos,” Trejo said.

While ice cream may be the star of the show at J.P. Licks, the establishment also has all the adornments of a cafe.

“I think our coffee is actually underrated. It’s definitely a hard market to break into, especially because our ice cream had really gotten our footing,” Otis said.

J.P. Licks has maintained its presence as a staple in the Boston community. As a local business, it values the ties it has to its neighborhoods, engaging in projects with the likes of Boston Rescue Mission and Italian Home for Children.

To many Tufts students, the Davis Square location has become the iconic ice cream spot, and the student workers have helped contribute to this reputation.

Junior Michael Perik said that student workers help shape the ambiance at the J.P. Licks in Davis Square.

asty Mo:Mo is one of those restaurants I pass continuously and always say I’ll try out, but never get around to. It’s an unassuming Nepalese institution, housed on a corner of Magoun square only a short walk away from the Powderhouse roundabout.

The vinyl sign above the door boasts one claim: Delicious Dumplings written in Papyrus font. If you haven’t seen the SNL skit about this font, pause to do so now.

I always prefer to scope out the tables at a restaurant. I feel it gives me a better sense of the business: its customer base, popularity, general atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the busy week left me without time for a lavish in-house meal, so I admittedly ordered delivery. Along the budget theme of Spoonfuls, this is certainly not an ideal choice. Delivery fees are insane. They make cheap food a 40 dollar luxury dropped on your doorstep. I appreciate the convenience of the process, but in the future, I’ll choose a little fall walk and enjoy the sun while it lasts.

That being said, there’s nothing like a dinnertime lay-about: my friend and I set up in front of a new Simpsons episode with our steaming foil containers and a blanket each. We decided on the Kothey, or pan-fried Momo with chicken, an order of veggie chow mein, and Ras Malai for dessert. It is safe to say, they really weren’t joking about the dumplings. It was a privilege to be able to split 10 of these very ideal little packages. The filling was tender and juicy, and the crisped bottom provided a nice crunchy contrast. It feels almost patronizing to mention how pretty the wrapping job was, but after careful examination, that perfect circle on top still maintains its mysterious origins.

The dumplings came with two sauces: a thin and creamy, tikka masala-like sauce, and a spicy alternative. The spicy one had an initial kick with a flavorful finish, but the kick put me off a bit, so I stuck to the former. We were initially skeptical about the curry-dumpling combo, but they really complimented each other nicely, with the creaminess of the sauce balancing the salty filling and adding a touch of spice. I had only tried Nepalese food once before, and the cross-cultural flavors are really something else.

More of the masala sauce went on to the chow mein we ordered. This was pretty standard, but still tasty, with a nice variety of veggies and occasional crispy noodles and onions. The flavor was definitely there, but the sauce on top helped add some much needed moisture. We happily cycled back to the noodles after dessert, because the savory-sweet divide is a farce.

The Indian restaurant I previously worked at introduced me to Ras Malai. On the menu, it’s described as “Soft cheese patties in a delicately sweetened and flavored creamy milk sauce.” The cheese tastes like a combination of ricotta and, weirdly enough, soft tofu. I’m describing it poorly, but it really is delicious, and the milk sauce is a worthy drink when no one’s looking.

Overall, I’d definitely return to Tasty Mo:Mo. I hereby verify their claims with my weighty Spoonfuls guarantee.

Sonia Richter is a senior studying English. Sonia can be reached at sophia.richter@tufts.edu.

4

Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

tuftsdaily.com

Friday, November 12, 2021

Kristen Stewart exceeds high expectations in Diana biopic ‘Spencer’

by Emmy Wenstrup Assistant Arts Editor

Kristen Stewart and her latest subject, Princess Diana, are so much more than mere cultural icons.

That seems to be the thesis of Pablo Larraín’s latest biopic, “Spencer” (2021). It takes place over three days: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and — one of my new favorite absurdly British terms — Boxing Day at the royal Sandringham Estate in 1991.

Over this family retreat that the young princess hates, Diana must learn to cope with the intense pressures of being both a royal in-law and widely beloved celebrity.

Biopics seem to automatically be Oscar bait. See the awards successes of “Judy” (2019), “Rocketman” (2019), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) and Larraín’s Natalie Portman-led “Jackie” (2016). They have become almost lazy cop-outs for studios, directors and actors to gain prestige while they depict their legendary, borderline mythical main characters with supposedly new vulnerability. A Princess Diana biopic, then, is arguably even more of a cop-out: she’s had quite a resurgence of late, with the recent success of “The Crown” (2016–) adding to Netflix documentaries, CNN specials and even a musical. A Diana biopic is, to put it bluntly, the easy, trendy choice.

Unfortunately for those of us that despise such films, “Spencer” is outstanding. Larraín is careful not to show the angelic, deified Diana that has become so commonplace in modern retellings of the famed story. This Diana, as much a creation of Stewart as Larraín, is just as flawed as she is emotionally troubled. Instead of the typical unrelenting pity modern depictions tend to emphasize, “Spencer” has moments that make us cringe at her behavior. It seems to genuinely show a new side of its trendy protagonist.

The film is also not limited by genre; in fact, it flirts with the psychological thriller. Jonny Greenwood’s exhilarating score emphasizes the haunting chaos of Diana’s troubled mind. The production consistently frames Sandringham as both a castle and a prison, surrounded by a foggy moor-like lawn and barbed wire. Cinematographer Claire Mathon, of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (2019), takes great care in her framing of Diana; she is both small in comparison to the towering walls of the estate but also literally trapped by the shot in more intense moments. For a film that so frequently follows a Diana in motion, there is frequently nowhere for her to go.

Indeed, all the individual elements of production are absolutely stellar. The costumes are

VIA WIKIPEDIA

“Spencer” was released in theaters on Nov. 5. also worth mentioning, though that seems a necessary requisite of anything Diana related. However, all seem secondary compared to the absolute beast of a performance given

by Kristen Stewart. This is no mere impersonation of a historical figure, but rather a compelling emotional portrayal of a tragic character. Stewart’s emotional range is impeccable, and over the course of the film she gracefully shifts from anxiety to happiness to rage to fear.

Her movements are perhaps

even more impressive than her words: Diana’s emotions are better expressed through the lightness with which she touches her sons or the heaviness in her feet as she stomps to some dreadful event. There’s one sequence of her dancing in various corridors that, and this is an embarrassing admission, gave me chills. Her performance transcends the Oscar buzz it’s generating; it is, as (verified) Twitter account “Awards Daily” put it, “Her Diana is one for the ages.”

The decision to cast American iconoclast Stewart, of “Twilight” (2008–2012) infamy, as the graceful and famously caring late princess was one that turned a few heads. The comparisons between the two victims of our collective obsession with celebrity are fairly obvious — both figures’ personal lives were made excruciatingly public by the houndish press and paparazzi. The obviousness of such comparisons has become a bit of an annoyance for Stewart, who seems to have been asked about them excessively. In one

interview, when asked the question, she replied, simply, “Google that s—. I’m done.” Fair enough.

All in all, “Spencer” is a visually stunning, aurally stimulating, and emotionally intense biopic that could arguably be considered a psychological thriller. The direction is calculated, the cinematography is rich, the soundtrack is eerie, the production design is gorgeous and, above all, the acting is superb.

Yes, this film is awards bait that finally completes Kristen Stewart’s redemption arc. It’s also a movie made to near perfection.

A r t s & P o p C u lt u r e

Friday, November 12, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

Mac Miller’s ‘Faces’ rerelease is a time capsule for listeners

by Ellie Lester

Assistant Arts Editor

Content warning: This article describes struggles with mental health, addiction and death at a young age.

Mac Miller’s “Faces” (2014) became available for widespread streaming on major platforms on Oct. 15. On behalf of the late rapper, the McCormick estate released the mixtape to major media platforms as a bona fide album. Previously, the 2014 creation had been accessible only through lesser-known platforms such as SoundCloud.

In September of 2018, the rapper died, resulting in a disturbing echo of a verse in his 2015 song “Brand Name,” in which he speaks “to everyone [who sells] me drugs,” saying that he wants no part in “the 27 club,” a group of late artists who passed at that age. With investigations linking his death to the consumption of laced drugs, the verse becomes evermore a sobering premonition and a look into the sad realities of young stardom.

Miller originally released “Faces” in 2014, eschewing the support of any major label companies. With this 2021 rerelease, the album serves as a cherished time capsule of Miller’s artistic genius despite his tragic death at such a young age. Accompanying the music is a minidocumentary titled “Making Faces.” Director Sam Balaban depicts the production process of this heralded mixtape, evoking fan nostalgia with previously unseen footage of the rapper and his team. In addition to the film, each song on the album is paired with a psychedelic visual. The McCormick family, Miller’s close relatives, hand-selected artists to create these background graphics.

In terms of style, where Miller’s “Swimming” (2018) and his posthumously released “Circles” (2020) carry a somber tone throughout, “Faces” sits at the intersection of the rapper’s playful air and his heavy, introspective musings. After its original release, Miller said “Faces” was “one of those projects that depending on where you started, that’s what kind of proj-

5

by Paul Osmond For the Culture

Dyed hair shows art of selfexpression

S

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Mac Miller’s “Faces” (2014) became forms. ect it is. It goes through different emotional states.” Indeed, Miller distinguished himself for weaving his mental strife into calming melodies that reflect our own feelings of lostness back at us.

“Faces” makes frequent references to Miller’s battle with drug addiction and depression. The opening track, “Inside Outside,” introduces an album-wide pattern of references to dying young.

As Miller raps that he “shoulda died already,” he establishes a lamentable irony.

Despite its subdued tone, Miller’s album still delivers some zest. Songs such as “Therapy” and “Diablo” pair well-paced lyrics with catchy background repetitions. They bring a jazzy element to the album and provide a fitting soundtrack for putting away laundry or making everyday monotony less monotonous.

available last month for widespread streaming on major streaming platSince its 2014 release, fans have regarded “Faces” as among Miller’s best. His work draws strength from the feelings it elicits in its listeners. “Yeah” tells of self-loss; Miller seems to reject the idea of a higher purpose, yet wonders what his own might be.

He welcomes listeners to grapple with their own confusion by offering his own.

Miller creates an artful combination of stand-alone bangers like “The Spins” (2010) and serene melodies that layer and blend into one another. His songs provide thin, evocative slices of his world; he takes listeners through a jading blur of drugs, party scenes, young fame and artistic strife.

In “Angel Dust,” listeners join Miller at rock bottom, with “angel dust” being a euphemism for the PCP he does during the intro.

The song centers us in his own mental battle, as finding himself

“annihilated on the pavement” delivers him to a breaking point.

In yet another eerie prophecy, the song concludes with an overdose, leading into the following track, “Malibu.”

Miller’s music gives the sensation of loitering — looking into a room or window but not quite entering. His soft raps and layers of enticing background melodies show us his thoughts while leaving enough room for our own. In a genre often dominated by aggressive lyrics and forceful delivery, Miller’s songs provide space for empathy and introspection.

Though “Faces” is far from anything new, it does provide a powerful reminder that though Miller is gone, his art still lives and breathes. Against the harsh and often unfathomable reality of his abrupt death, fans can peruse Miller’s “Faces” like it was released just yesterday.

o, I just dyed my hair for the fourth time, and in the process, I began to think about how many musicians have dyed hair. Now, as a Black man with locs, I immediately think of rapper Lil Uzi Vert, who is known for his colorful hair. But there are other musicians with all types of hair textures who dye their hair just as frequently — Billie Eilish is known for her green roots and black ends, Bad Bunny has particularly fascinating hairstyles with an often-bleached widows-peak and I think I remember seeing Katy Perry with blue hair a few years ago. So colored hair is nothing new in music, but it also extends far beyond the industry.

Since I fancy both art and music, I decided to see just how frequently visual artists dye their hair, too. And I do not necessarily mean adding blonde highlights to light brunette hair, I mean really dyeing it — changing the color, going from dark brown to platinum blonde or going from black to bright green. I recall two famous artists with wild hair: Andy Warhol, whose platinum blonde bob-thing was incessantly discussed (and eventually discovered to be a wig), and his close friend Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose freeform locs I certainly adore but also represented Black freedom and naturalism.

Having documented these examples, we move onto why so many artists and musicians dye their locks. Despite claims that dyeing one’s hair is unprofessional, several celebrities dye their hair at the purportedly most professional events — say Hailey Bieber at the 2018 Met Gala — questioning how “unprofessional” it really is. For musicians and artists, dyeing hair is not only a form of selfexpression, it also represents something deeper.

When a musician or artist dyes their hair, it is a form of art that reaches into their physical image. After all, fashion is a physical embodiment of art that one literally carries on their body. Naturally, with the connection between fashion, art and music, when a musician dyes their hair they are really creating a new piece of art, and one that is extremely personal. Their figure ties with their clothing, their hair ties with their face, to create an assemblage of colors and shapes. Yes, they may dye their hair because it “looks cool”, but I believe “looking cool” is merely a colloquialism for “something artful” — in truth, a piece of art.

Paul Osmond is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Paul can be reached at paul. osmond@tufts.edu.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | FUN & GAMES | Friday, November 12, 2021

F& G

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY

Campbell: “I paid $50 [to watch Justin Bieber’s wedding] on YouTube”

FUN & GAMES

SUDOKU

Difficulty Level: Not eating the entire bag of Skittles.

Wednesday’s Solutions

ALIEN DISCOVERS RAZOR SCOOTER

By Maddie Pero

SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...

CROSSWORD

tuftsdaily.com

Opinion

7 Friday, November 12, 2021

VIEWPOINT

The racial disparity among Tufts faculty and students must be addressed

by Faye Shen Li Thijssen Opinion Editor

Tufts University has long taken pride in the racial and ethnic diversity of its student populations. Diversity among incoming classes has increased steadily over the past several years. Nearly half of students in the Class of 2025, for example, identify as students of color. The value of a diverse student body is indisputable, but a topic often lost within these conversations of diversity is the discussion of faculty diversity.

While Tufts has made commendable efforts in selecting a more diverse body of new students, statistics show that the diversity of the faculty lags far behind. Despite nearly half of the total student population identifying as people of color, recent reports show that around 70% of faculty identify as white.

Reports show that this trend of disparity between faculty and student diversity remains present in colleges and universities throughout the nation. This trend begs the question of how not only students are affected in

their educational environments but also how academia is affected as a whole.

The inclusion of a more diverse student body is often aimed at enriching learning experiences and providing educational and professional advancement opportunities for students of various backgrounds.

While there are clear cultural, educational and professional advantages to having student bodies which comprise a broad range of racial demographics, the quality of educational experiences for students of color may be impeded when the demographics of professors and other faculty fail to provide the same level of representation.

Layla Noor, a sophomore at Tufts, commented on her experiences as a Black student on campus.

“While my social experiences have been enriched by diversity on campus, my educational experiences have not been the same,” Noor wrote in an email to the Daily. “Out of over a dozen courses I’ve taken that have been taught by faculty at Tufts, I have only had one professor of color.

And, as a Black student, none of the same race as me.”

One of the greater issues with maintaining a majority-white faculty even as student populations become more diverse is the potential inability of professors to fully grasp the experiences and contexts of their students’ perspectives. While there are endless differences and intersectionalities in the way people experience the world, there is a part of the experience of being a person of color which a white person can never fully understand.

Noor expressed her feelings of discomfort as one of just a few students of color in a class taught by a white professor.

“There have been numerous times when I have felt uncomfortable with a professor’s language as they’ve talked about Black people,” Noor said. “I have had discussions about race in my class recitations, as one of two students of color being taught by a white professor, and had our personal experiences only met from an academic perspective.”

While many professors may do their best to understand the issue in an academic, empathetic

or objective context, the lived experiences of people of color are something which no amount of intentionality, awareness and education can bring to a white professor. Many students of color may feel discomfort or frustration knowing their voices and experiences are not necessarily understood throughout all levels of the university.

Additionally, the lack of representation for students of color among professors at their own university sends a message of implicit exclusion which may discourage students of color from pursuing careers in academia. It’s imperative that individuals from a variety of backgrounds are included within academia, not only for the sake of support and representation, but also for the enrichment of each respective field with the wealth of broader perspectives.

While university administration and professors are responsible for recognizing these factors within the institutions they lead, this article is not meant to place blame on any one individual. Rather, it aims to call into question the systems which have

allowed these racial disparities to persist in academia and pushes for more intentional interrogation of the effects this has on the community. Building on this understanding, change must be enacted from within university administration.

The administration must better reflect its support for students of color within faculty demographics. As Noor puts it, this means “creating not only safe places for students of color, but classrooms where they feel seen and understood in a way they wouldn’t if only ever exposed to white faculty.” Notably, the university has developed a compositional diversity workstream with the goal of improving hiring practices. These recent efforts for increased diversity are commendable, but it is important that they result in tangible improvements for students of color on campus. Administration members bear the responsibility of pushing for even greater diversity of Tufts faculty throughout the hiring process to build a more representative and productive academic environment for students and professors alike.

8 Friday, November 12, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Field hockey advances to second round of NCAA tournament

by Sophia Antezana

Assistant Sports Editor

Despite falling short in NESCAC playoffs this past weekend, Tufts field hockey received an at-large bid and now has its sights set on the National Championship. The Jumbos earned their spot in the second round after a 1–0 win over Rhode Island’s Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday night.

Tufts now stands at 14–4 for the season.

On Wednesday, the lone goal was scored by senior forward Gillian Roeca with three minutes left in play in the game. This was Roeca’s 12th goal of the season, and she received All-NESCAC second team honors this week.

The No. 2 Jumbos faced the No. 3 Bowdoin Polar Bears at Middlebury in the NESCAC Semifinals on Saturday. The Jumbos and Polar Bears fought back and forth. Bowdoin led 2–0 in the first half until junior midfielder Reegan McCluskey got one on the board for Tufts off of a pass from graduate co-captain and midfielder Beth Krikorian.

Despite a dominant third quarter for the Jumbos, the Polar Bears held them scoreless. Bowdoin then scored in the fourth quarter to secure the 3–1 victory. Tufts had a shot advantage of 18–5 and a penalty corners advantage of 14–3, but the team could not find the back of the net again.

In the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Sunday, Oct. 30, Tufts faced Hamilton and won 2–1 in overtime. The Jumbos were down 1–0 most of the game, and trailed in shots and corners for the first half. However, Tufts came back, and with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, sopho-

Timothy Valk Roster Rundown

Fantasy football preview, Week 10

A

s we close out the first half of the NFL season, my thoughts: First: Is Arizona the team to beat? The crafty Cardinals humiliated the 49ers on Sunday, cooking up a win without their top chef, Kyler Murray. Kliff Kingsbury’s group looks like a legitimate 8–1 force to be reckoned with.

Second: The AFC is supposed to be the superior conference, but

MICHELLE LI / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tufts field hockey team is pictured in its 6-0 win against Colby on Oct. 19. more forward Rachel Scrivanich scored one off of a corner for the Jumbos. Scrivanich’s goal tied the game up 1–1, which sent the game into overtime.

“There [were] around five minutes left in the game, and we were all pretty nervous that this could potentially be our last game,” Scrivanich said. “My coach called me to go in and after about a minute we got a corner.

The ball was inserted and passed

a couple times around the circle, and finally, [McCluskey] passed it to me where I tipped it into the goal. It was really crazy and honestly a great feeling and so grateful it gave us a shot at winning the game.”

The game went into overtime and Roeca scored the game winner for the Jumbos after just three minutes of additional play.

The goal was off a back handed shot from Krikorian, which

Roeca tipped into the goal. The Jumbos finished the game with an advantage in shots and corners, 22–13 and 11–6 respectively. Two goalkeepers, junior Sam Gibby and senior co-captain Andie Stallman, saw action and both made crucial saves.

Sophomore forward/midfielder Ashley Zolin said, “I’m so excited to spend more time with this team. We have so much talent and strength. It is super

exciting to be able to compete at the highest level in our division.”

This week, senior midfielder/defender Sophie Schoeni received NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-NESCAC first team honors while Krikorian received AllNESCAC second team honors.

Tufts will face SUNY New Paltz at Middlebury this Saturday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

the usual contenders are tripping over themselves in the early going.

Third: With Miami’s, Indianapolis’, and its own firstround selection, Philadelphia has a chance to make three of the first 15 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Fourth: The New England Patriots and their stingy defense are an underrated, wild-card threatening team.

Fifth: The Washington Football Team’s defense is anything but stingy, and it was severely overhyped to start the season.

Sixth: The Detroit Lions did not lose a football game last week, a phenomenon that happened to coincide with their bye week. In all seriousness though, Dan Campbell’s squad is fighting hard and biting off kneecaps in the process.

Let’s see who’s hot and cold!

Hot QB: Carson Wentz, IND In a down week for quarter-

backs overall, Wentz stood out in his steamrolling performance against the Jets on Thursday night. The former Eagle looks to be back in 2017 form, throwing for at least two touchdowns in six straight weeks.

RB: Alvin Kamara, NO Kamara still resides in the fantasy cream of the crop, despite playing with five different quarterbacks over the span of two seasons. He’s posted over 100 total yards in five of his last six outings and should see a large workload in the weeks ahead.

WR: Robert Woods, LAR The panic that Woods’ managers underwent to start the year has been soothed by five consecutive games of over 10 PPR points. Fellow receiver Cooper Kupp is clearly the apple of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s eye, but Woods’ explosiveness garners a weekly lineup spot.

TE: Pat Freiermuth, PIT Muuuuth. Steeler Nation is infatuated with their young tight end, who’s recorded 20 targets and three touchdowns in his last three games. The Penn State product still has more to prove, but could become a lock-start by the end of the year.

Cold QB: Patrick Mahomes II, KC Mahomes is the first player with back-to-back appearances on the Cold list after a lousy, 160yard outing against a mediocre Green Bay secondary. This miserable stint is surely just a hiccup in his prolific career, but the former MVP better find his game fast.

RB: Mike Davis, ATL Davis flourished under his role as Christian McCaffrey’s understudy in Carolina, but his move to Georgia has brought anything but peachiness. Without a sharp uptick in touches, the 5-foot-9

bruiser is soon to be a fantasy football castaway.

WR: Cortland Sutton, DEN Denver pulled off a statement win over Dallas this past week, but Sutton failed to play a major role in the affair. The return to health of Jerry Jeudy combined with the reemergence of Tim Patrick means it’s hard to trust any Broncos wideout in fantasy.

TE: Mark Andrews, BAL With 41 points per reception in one week and just seven in another, Andrews is a tantalizing player to roster. His past couple of games have yielded disappointing stat lines, and the volatility lands him just under the elite tight end tier.

Enjoy Week 10!

Timothy Valk is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

Timothy can be reached at timothy.valk@tufts.edu.