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Wednesday, November 18, 2020
TCU Judiciary rescinds suspension, apologizes to Senate Executive Board, ECOM by Alejandra Carrillo and Alex Viveros Executive News Editor and Editor in Chief
Less than 24 hours after suspending the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate Executive Board and Elections Commission (ECOM), the TCU Judiciary formally rescinded its suspension of both parties on Nov. 12. In a statement, the Judiciary formally apologized and said that its reasoning behind issuing the suspension was based on a misunderstanding between its branch, members of the Senate Executive Board and ECOM. The suspension, which took effect on the night of Nov. 11, was placed by the Judiciary after it believed that members of the Senate Executive Board were attempting to directly choose students to fill the vacant Senate seats without an election. Such an action would be in violation of the TCU Constitution. However, members of both the Senate Executive Board and ECOM clarified that there was never any attempt by a body of student government to undemocratically place students into the vacant Senate seats. “I think [the Judiciary feared] that we were going to take on an elections process that was unconstitutional, which was never going to happen,” TCU Vice
ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY
President’s Lawn is pictured on Oct. 18. President Grant Gebetsberger, a member of the Senate Executive Board, said. The misunderstanding began when the Judiciary reviewed a set of emails that included the use of the term “appointment”
by members of student government, according to the Judiciary’s statement. Members of the Senate Executive Board told the Daily that the term “appointment” has been used in correspondences by
members of the Senate to refer to the process of inaugurating a candidate who is running in an uncontested, democratic election. “We would be lucky to get even one person running for some of these vacancies, which is
why the word ‘appointments’ was used when discussing the process of getting these people onto student government bodies,” TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi, see TCU, page 2
What is the TCU? Student government FAQ by Alexander Janoff News Editor
What is the TCU? According to its website, the Tufts Community Union, commonly referred to as TCU, is the “overarching term for all members of the Tufts undergraduate community.” In other words, the TCU is the entire student body of Tufts. What is the TCU Student Government? The TCU Student Government is composed of three bodies, the TCU Senate, the TCU Judiciary and the Committee on Student Life. Similar to how the United States federal government is divided into independent branches, the TCU Student Government is divided into independent bodies to delegate responsibility and maintain
a balance of power. Each body works independently to serve the greater student body. What does each branch do? TCU Senate The TCU Senate is a large part of the TCU Student Government. It is a voting body made up of seven senators representing each class and eight community senators. There are also four Trustee Representatives who are appointed by Senate and are non-voting members. The Trustee Representatives represent the student body in Board of Trustees meetings. The communities represented by community senators are the Africana community, Asian American community, first generation college students community, international community, Latinx community, LGBTQ+ community, School of the
Museum of Fine Arts community and the women’s community. The main responsibilities of the Senate are to write and pass resolutions, allocate and approve budgets and supplementary funding requests and initiate projects to improve student life. Senate is divided into five committees: the Administration & Policy Committee, the Community & Diversity Committee, the Education Committee, the Outreach Committee and the Services Committee. Each committee pursues projects in its respective field. The Allocations Board is made up of ten internally elected TCU senators and is responsible for allocating the money from the TCU Treasury to each of the student organizations.
Traditionally, Senate holds public meetings every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these meetings have transitioned to an online format, and are still open to the public. TCU Judiciary The TCU Judiciary is responsible for recognizing student organizations or clubs, ensuring that student organizations follow their constitutions and organizing the creation of new student organizations. Clubs must be recognized by the Judiciary in order to receive TCU funding and reserve spaces to hold meetings. Clubs undergo a re-recognition process every year, alternating yearly between an informational re-recognition and a somewhat more intensive re-recognition.
FEATURES / page 4
ARTS / page 6
SPORTS / back
From colonial shipbuilder to Bloomberg, the history of the Medford Public Library
BENEE’s debut sets her as an artist to watch
Big upsets in the AFC, football becomes competitive again
CSL The Committee for Student Life, or the CSL, is made up of seven or more faculty members, up to five undergraduate students and one graduate student. According to the TCU website, the CSL is tasked with collaborating with the administration to “imbue in student life the principles, ideals, and values characteristic of the University.” The CSL is the main body responsible for amending changes to the constitution of the TCU Student Government and for providing oversight to all student groups, including Greek organizations. Undergraduate representatives are elected annually, and faculty members are appointed to a five-year term. The sinsee FAQ, page 3 NEWS
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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, November 18, 2020
THE TUFTS DAILY Alex Viveros Editor in Chief
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Different uses of term ‘appointment’ leads to confusion among TCU bodies TCU
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continued from page 1 who was exempt from suspension, said. “There was never any, any intention or any plan to prevent other people from running.” Earlier in the semester, members of ECOM, an impartial body of student government responsible for conducting elections, used the term “appointment” to describe a different process of filling government seats. According to ECOM Historian Mark Lannigan, ECOM strictly uses the term “appointment” to refer to the selection of students to temporarily fill Senate seats without an election. “ECOM has a very defined version of ‘appointment,’ where it is just a complete circumvention of the election process,”Lannigan, a sophomore, said. Lannigan believes the confusion surrounding the way in which vacant seats would be filled may have arisen from different uses of the term “appointment” by the various bodies of the TCU government. ECOM proposed its version of an “appointment” plan in an October appeal to the other bodies of student government. In the appeal, ECOM cited extenuating circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to temporarily select students to fill the vacant Senate seats until a legitimate election could be held. This plan, however, was never put into action. Among these vacancies were two Class of 2022 Senate seats, two Community Senate seats and two Judiciary seats. Initially, ECOM attempted to fill the vacancies in the fall election on Oct. 1, which overlapped with the traditional election of first-year senators. While turnout for the fall election was high, and all first-
year senator seats were filled, the seats that were opened during the summer remained vacant. “Turnout itself at the fall election was pretty high,” Lannigan said. “The issue that was presented with the fall election was a lack of interest in running.” According to ECOM’s bylaws, if vacancies remain after an election, another special election must take place within 15 days to fill them. At the time, however, ECOM did not believe that it would be able to hold a successful special election by Oct. 16. For this reason, ECOM submitted an appeal on Oct. 6 to members of the Senate and Judiciary to suspend a portion of its bylaws in order to give itself more time to consider how to fill the open seats, according to previous reporting by the Daily. In the appeal, ECOM also proposed a plan to temporarily fill the Senate seats with unelected student representatives until a legitimate election could be held. Lannigan explained ECOM’s reasoning behind this plan in an October interview, clarifying that the intent was to increase representation in student government, instead of leaving the seats vacant for a period of time. This was considered to be particularly important in the case that senators or the Judiciary cast votes for issues involving the COVID-19 pandemic. ECOM promised in October that should its “appointment” plan go through, it would replace the seats with democratically elected senators at the end of the semester. However, the bylaw suspension did not pass. ECOM formally abandoned its “appointment” plan and began planning for the
special election that will occur on Nov. 24. “The [bylaw] suspension we presented did not go through … so we didn’t move forward with appointments,” Lannigan said. “We went forward with the elections planned, which is entirely within our bylaws … we didn’t anticipate anything else becoming of this.” It came as a surprise to members of both the Senate Executive Board and ECOM when they were notified of the Judiciary’s suspension. “I woke up and immediately called Taylor Lewis, the parliamentarian, after seeing an email from the [Judiciary] and from ECOM representatives that also sent their suspension to me to alert me,” Sara Wiener, TCU president, said. According to Wiener, a suspension on a student organization has not occurred in the TCU’s recent known history. “In the past 12 years, and likely before, we don’t know of any instance where a suspension to a student organization like this has ever been used, particularly [toward] Senate and ECOM,” Wiener said. In its Nov. 11 suspension, the Judiciary gave grounds that alluded to the “appointment” process that ECOM had presented to it in October. The Judiciary believed that the Senate and ECOM were attempting to circumvent the election process by selecting students to fill the seats, without an election. Lannigan believes that the misunderstanding may have resulted from a difference in communication between the three independent bodies of student government. “The issue … became a breakdown of communication between the three bodies,” Lannigan said.
“The problems that arose were because I think the Judiciary still thought we were on board with ‘appointments.’” There was confusion among members of the Senate Executive Board, members of ECOM and the Tufts community at large following the announcement of the suspension. In an effort to clarify the situation, members of the Senate Executive Board and the Judiciary convened a meeting on Thursday afternoon. After deliberation, the Judiciary officially rescinded its suspension of the Senate Executive Board and ECOM at approximately 5 p.m. on Nov. 12. In a statement, the Judiciary cited the misunderstanding around the term ‘appointment’ and committed to improving communication with the other bodies in the future. “Much of this confusion stemmed from the division of powers between the branches of student government and an unfortunate lack of communications,” the Judiciary wrote in its statement. “During this meeting, all parties pledged to make an effort towards increased transparency, collaboration, and respect for the responsibilities expressed by the governing documents of the TCU in order to make sure this never happens again.” In its statement, the Judiciary also formally apologized to Wiener, Gebetsberger, Parliamentarian Taylor Lewis and Diversity Officer Matthew Peña, who had been temporarily suspended from their roles. The Judiciary also apologized to Hamidi and Historian Sarah Tata, who were exempt from suspension, and to affected members of the student body.
News
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY
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TCU Treasury has over $2 million this year to fund clubs, organizations
BY TYS SWEENEY
FAQ
continued from page 1 gle graduate representative is appointed annually by the Graduate Student Council. The dean of student affairs, the director of community standards, the director of the office of campus life and the university chaplain are all non-voting members of the CSL. Who is my Senator? A list of the TCU senators is available on the TCU website. What is ECOM? The Elections Commission, or ECOM, is an independent body that oversees all student-wide and TCU elections. While it is part of the TCU Student Government, it is independent of all of the other bodies. ECOM members are appointed by the Judiciary. When do elections take place? ECOM generally holds elections in both the fall and the
spring, though special elections may be held to fill vacant seats in any body of the TCU Student Government. Generally, firstyears are elected in fall elections and candidates of sophomore, junior or senior standing are elected in spring elections. Could you talk a bit more about ALBO? TCU’s Allocation Board, also known as ALBO, is made up of ten internally elected senators and is chaired by the TCU Treasurer. ALBO allocates TCU’s $2 million Treasury fund to each of TCU’s clubs and organizations. It also hears and preliminarily votes on supplementary funding requests and club budgets before the wider Senate body hears and votes to either pass or reject them. Where does all of this money come from and where does it go? Every Tufts undergraduate student pays a Student Activities
Fee on their bill, which was $396 this academic year. Combining every student’s Student Activity Fee results in the TCU Treasury, which totals over $2 million. Eighty-five percent of that money goes to the annual budgets of student organizations, which are finalized by April of the previous academic year. The remaining 15% is reserved for supplementary funding. What is supplementary funding? When organizations formulate their annual budgets in coordination with ALBO and the TCU Treasurer, sometimes the club has not completely recognized all of its potential expenses. This is where supplementary funding is important. If a student organization ever finds itself in need of additional funding on top of what its annual budget has allocated, they submit a sup-
plementary funding request to ALBO, which conducts a review and preliminary vote on it. If the request passes ALBO, it is then forwarded to the greater Senate body, which can vote to either approve the request or reject it. What happened this weekend? The Judiciary suspended and then promptly unsuspended members of the Senate Executive Board and ECOM due to a misunderstanding about how ECOM and the Senate Executive Board were planning to fill two vacant Class of 2022 senate seats, a vacant international community senator seat and a vacant women’s community senator seat. The misunderstanding arose due to a discrepancy between branches in the use of the word “appointment.” For more information, please refer to the Daily’s additional coverage.
What does the term “appointment” mean? It varies, and that is what has led to confusion. Formally, ECOM uses the term “appointment” to refer to the selection of students to temporarily fill Senate seats without an election. Among members of the Senate, the term “appointment” has been used to refer to the wholly democratic election of an unopposed candidate. How does a suspension work? According to the Judiciary bylaws, a suspension from the Senate or ECOM “temporarily restricts the member’s rights as a member, to a degree and duration determined by the TCUJ.” It is more serious than a formal warning but less serious than expulsion. More information about the TCU Student Government can be found on its website.
4 Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Features
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Historical: Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library pays tribute to town’s rich history
HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Thatcher Magoun House in Medford, Mass. is pictured. by Ari Navetta
Contributing Writer
The story of the Medford Public Library — first housed in the mansion of a prominent shipbuilder and soon in a building made possible by a wealthy entrepreneur and former mayor of New York City — is just as fascinating as the local history stored in its archives. Construction for the new and improved Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library is set to end in May at its historic location on 111 High St., which has housed every iteration of the library since 1875. Library 0.0: The historical archives The Medford Public Library is home to an impressive collection of paper-based historical archives. These have been difficult for the public to access but will be on full display in the new building, according to Barbara Kerr, director of the library. Kerr has been with the library for over 36 years and knows its inner workings exceptionally well. The archives boast a vast collection of city reports dating back
to 1850, providing a detailed account of Medford history. They are home to their fair share of historical mysteries as well. “There was a photo album that we had that had no identifying [information] except the names of the horses [pictured], but nothing to say what house it was or where it was,” Kerr said. As a local history buff herself, Kerr theorized it may have been the home of George Luther Stearns, a prominent abolitionist born in Medford who lived on what is now part of the Tufts campus. Kerr’s hypothesis was eventually confirmed by a Stearns biographer who happened to be lecturing in the area. Kerr did not start out at the library as a knowledgeable source on local history. “I didn’t even know where [Medford] was, actually, when I had my job interview. It was a long time before I realized quite how much stuff had happened here,” she said. Since then, Kerr has become heavily involved in the Medford Historical Society, sitting on its board for 10 years. She has also
written two local histories of the town: “Medford in the Victorian Era” (2004) and “Glimpses of Medford: Selection from the Historical Register” (2007). The library collaborates often with the Medford Historical Society, as the combined archives of the two tell a compelling and vivid story of Medford history. The society’s collection of historical objects complements the library’s document-based archives. “We [the Medford Library] have the history of the city, and they [the Medford Historical Society] have the history of the people,” Kerr said. Some of the Historical Society’s most bizarre artifacts include a lock of hair from abolitionist John Brown. Brown led the infamous failed raid on Harpers Ferry, Va. in 1859 to procure arms for a slave liberation movement. While imprisoned, Brown occasionally sent locks of his hair to admirers and fellow abolitionists. One such recipient may have been the wife of George Luther Stearns, Kerr said. The Medford Historical Society archives also contain
the chamber pot of Medford’s first mayor, Samuel C. Lawrence, according to Kerr. Lawrence served as a colonel in the Civil War and was at one point the highest-ranking freemason in Massachusetts. It is unclear how exactly, or why, his chamber pot ended up in the possession of the Historical Society. Tufts’ Digital Collections and Archives (DCA) is another frequent collaborator of the Medford Historical Society, according to Daniel Santamaria, university archivist and director of DCA. Tufts currently houses a collection of the Historical Society’s Civil War photographs, many of which were taken by Samuel C. Lawrence himself. In addition, DCA provides digital preservation services for a collection of letters from the Historical Society documenting the slave trade in Medford. “We’ve also talked to [the Medford Historical Society] about other projects and future collaborations because we’re interested in supporting their work, and doing what we can to support community archiving efforts,” Santamaria said.
Library 1.0: The Thatcher Magoun House Medford first resolved to provide a free public library in 1855, Kerr wrote in an email to the Daily, replacing the old subscription-based system. For the first 20 years, this library occupied various spaces in the Medford town square. In 1875, the son of prominent Medford resident Thatcher Magoun opted to give the town Magoun’s land, including his mansion, mandating that the space be used for a library or it would revert to Magoun’s heirs. Magoun was born in 1775 and grew up in a young United States, and carried on Medford’s shipbuilding legacy. According to the Mystic Seaport Museum, his ships were “noted for their speed and dependability,” and mainly traversed the triangular slave trading route ubiquitous to that time, from Boston to New Orleans to the Caribbean, then off to sell their wares in Europe. The Magoun House was a landmark of Medford, “unique in design, substantial in consee LIBRARY, page 5
F e at u r e s
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY
Medford Public Library to complete construction in late spring 2021, to use sustainable energy LIBRARY
continued from page 4 struction, on an eligible and commanding location … in some respects superior to any in town,” as described by the Medford Historical Society Papers. The walls were 16 inches of solid wood (six or seven is usually enough), forming a circular shape rarely seen in houses but often in ships. A colonnade of six pillars created a dignified entrance, reaching up to a roof of imported Welsh slate. Library 2.0: The 1959 renovation & the Tufts Parallel The Medford Public Library lived in the Magoun mansion until 1959, with a major renovation in 1927. By this point, the building had fallen into disrepair, and Medford deserved a new one fit for the modern, post-World War II city. The mansion was torn down and replaced with a modern design, complete with technicolor pink shelving, a spacious smoking lounge and a second floor wholly inaccessible to the general public. This building served the library’s purposes well for a number of years, but eventually things had to change. “By the 2000s, we’d run out of space; it was not ADA accessible, except one entrance. It had about five electrical outlets,” Kerr said, referring to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. “The roof was bad, so it rained inside … [from] 2014 on there were just buckets all the time.” These problems eventually prompted the library renovation currently in process that will result in the brand new Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library. The library for the Tufts’ School of Arts and Sciences, now housed in the Tisch Library, experienced a very similar trajectory. First housed in Ballou Hall, the library originally consisted of President Ballou’s personal collection as well as universalist book donations from the community, according to Pamela Hopkins, public services and outreach archivist at DCA. The library then moved to Packard Hall until 1908, at which point indus-
trialist Andrew Carnegie provided the funds to construct Eaton Hall, similar to the Thatcher Magoun family’s gift to Medford. Eaton, however, was very much constructed as a library first, rather than a house transitioned into a library. “[In Eaton] there was this great grand old reading room, which is mostly the computer lab now, with high ceilings and chandeliers and things like that. There was the circulation desk with the staircase behind it,” Santamaria said. “It was definitely designed for that purpose, as one of those temples of learning [along] with a lot of the libraries of the period.” Just as the Medford Public Library grew out of the Magoun mansion, however, Tufts’ library needs eventually surpassed the space limitations of Eaton Hall. In 1965, the modern Wessell Library was constructed on the current location by President’s Lawn, named after then-President Nils Y. Wessell. Finally, in 1996, the Tisch family provided the funds to renovate Wessell, and the building was renamed Tisch in their honor. Library 3.0: The Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library Kerr says the announcement of a new library was a pleasant surprise to undertake, to say the least. “It was very sudden … we had not actually considered building a new one because we had just come out of a very bad economic period,” Kerr said, referring to the 2008 recession. By 2016, though, when Kerr took over as director, the town government was prepared to give the library its much needed facelift. The library had only seven months to complete a grant proposal that would normally have taken two years in order to meet the deadline. The grant was completed and approved, and Medford residents showed an incredible amount of support in getting the library the remaining funding needed. “[Medford residents] sent letters and they emailed and they called the councilors. And they said they had never had that much of an outpouring about anything until this happened,” Kerr said.
The City Council unanimously voted to provide funding in addition to the state grant, leaving the remaining cost to be fundraised. Through concerted efforts, Medford residents raised $1.5 million of the library’s $5 million goal. This goal was then made significantly more achievable when Michael Bloomberg, entrepreneur and 2020 presidential candidate, contributed $3 million to the cause. Bloomberg is a Medford native, and his parents lived in the town for 65 years. The new building will officially be titled the Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library in their honor. At the start of the renovation process, Kerr emailed Bloomberg Philanthropies to make them aware of the project and ask if they would like to aid in it. Bloomberg’s mother was a frequent patron of the Medford library, so the project was the perfect way to give back to the community that meant so much to the Bloomberg family. Construction for the new library is projected to finish in May of 2021, and is slated to include a host of features and amenities the previous building did not have. “One of the best changes will be the youth services spaces – in the old building all ages shared one floor. In the new one half of the second floor will belong to the kids, with separate children’s and teen spaces,” Kerr wrote. The building will also be a net-zero library in Massachusetts, offsetting energy used with energy created by a number of solar panels on site. “Being able to start from the beginning was really good, because we could take advantage of a lot of things,” adding facilities Medford Library patrons have wanted for years, Kerr said. The building also has space for continual improvements based on the future needs of the town. One hundred sixty-five years after the Medford Public Library was first established, the newest version at 111 High St. is sure to be the most impressive, sustainable and user friendly yet, proudly displaying its remarkable history.
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Owen Bonk Since You Last Saw Me
The new normal
L
ast week, I shared some general thoughts about the election and the four years that preceded it. In my very first column, I spoke about the importance of representation of marginalized groups in the media. Today, going deeper into the field of politics, I want to discuss representation at its core. What is it, actually? What forms can representation take? Most importantly, what are the material consequences of representation (or a lack thereof )? The last few weeks have ushered in some historic firsts. Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres became the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress, Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender state senator in Delaware and Cori Bush is Missouri’s first Black congresswoman. Perhaps most striking was Kamala Harris’ election as the first Black and South Asian vice president. What does this representation really mean? Here is one way to put it: The leadership of our country is starting to look like, act like and come from the same places as its people. Our government is starting to tell a truer story about its citizens. Here is another: Our government’s policies will soon be informed by the interests of an even more diverse session of lawmakers. In this sense, representation comprises both a person and the actions of that person on behalf of their identity group. It is a noun and a verb. Political figures have a unique affinity with celebrities. In a world that is still shockingly stratified by race, they are typically the most visible part of “the other.” For a white person who generally lives among white people, the Black people they know most about might be Beyoncé or the Obamas. A similar phenomenon exists between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people. A cisgender person who lives among cisgender people might be most intimately acquainted with popular representatives of the trans community: think Caitlyn Jenner or Laverne Cox. When we discuss their identities, it is usually in terms of how well or accurately these prominent people represent their race, gender, sexual orientation and so on. This phenomenon is especially potent when that identity distinguishes them from the people who usually hold that office or top the charts. As firsts, the aforementioned members of the 117th Congress and our new vice president are novel manifestations of Black, South Asian and queer cultures (and their intersections) in the context of national politics. As triumphant as they must feel, that novelty must also be daunting. In her first speech as vice president-elect of the United States, Harris said, “while I may be the first woman to hold this office, I will not be the last.” This is a reminder that the work of representation is not done: A first cannot be a last because there are so many more female and Black and South Asian and queer stories to tell. These political firsts must become the new normal because they reflect what is already normal, and has been for a long time. Owen Bonk is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Owen can be reached at owen.bonk@tufts.edu.
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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture
tuftsdaily.com
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
‘Hey u x’ serves as a remarkable debut for BENEE by Geoff Tobia Jr. Arts Editor
You know you have a pop superstar on your hands when their first few releases prove to be incredibly catchy, well put together and thematically consistent. This is the case for artists like Shawn Mendes, Khalid, Post Malone and especially Billie Eilish. Add Auckland, New Zealand icon BENEE to this list of talent, if you haven’t already. Apart from her debut single “Tough Guy” (2017), her discography is not even two years old yet. Regardless, at the time of writing, she has over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify and has a platinum record in multiple countries. As if she somehow had more to prove, BENEE’s debut album “Hey u x” (2020) is an incredible, filler-free collection of songs. It’s a wild ride of fun storytelling, emotional depth and total bangers, all showing different facets of BENEE’s talents. “Happen to Me” is a very mellow opener, where BENEE discusses thoughts she has late at night about life. During a virtual show she performed in October, she stated, “This is a little song I wrote about my fears of everything!” Lyrically, she’s opening herself up to the world about the fears she has as a result of her anxiety. To follow is “Same Effect” — an awesome track that balances a relaxed atmosphere with a catchy beat. BENEE’s vocal melody is terrific throughout the song, verses and chorus alike. It is hard not to fall in love with her style; it’s infectious. Unsurprisingly, the most against-the-grain track on the record is “Sheesh (feat. Grimes).” It’s kinda neat, actually, seeing how BENEE makes her way around an instrumental that’s way more drum ‘n’ bass than altpop. Due to the artificial nature of the song, it is no surprise that Grimes herself fits on this track with ease. In an Apple Music interview, BENEE explained why this song even came up in the first place: “I’d joked around about making a drum-and-bassy EDM song. Then I was in a session with my producer Josh [Fountain], and I was like, ‘It’s time. I want to make a really upbeat, crazy one. I want Auto-Tune everywhere, I want to sound like a robot.’” Of course, a lot of BENEE’s international appeal is thanks to the popularity of “Supalonely.” It didn’t really need to be on the album, as the song already appeared on her 2019 EP “STELLA & STEVE” and gained a second wave of popularity spreading on TikTok, but it seems to fit “Hey u
VIA GENIUS
The cover of BENEE’s album “Hey u x” (2020) is pictured. x” pretty well. The track, featuring Gus Dapperton, has still not lost its appeal, probably thanks to its irresistible bass/guitar combo and BENEE’s unforgettable vocal performance. The song “Snail” is another lead single that remains as being one of BENEE’s most unique songs. It has the lyrical intrigue of “Monsta” (2019), and the bouncy and whimsical instrumentals of “Soaked” (2019), each amplified to new degrees. If you want to talk about another incredible vocal moment from BENEE, the successor song “Plain” would be the place to look. Not only is this song further displaying BENEE’s incredible ability of weaving a perfect chorus with her instrumental, but it’s also got some lovable lyrics. In an NME interview, BENEE described what it’s all about and how she chose her accompanying vocalists, saying “I wanted to
make it a song someone could listen to when they find out their ex is with someone new … The feeling sucks, so I wanted ‘Plain’ to make ya feel like you have the upper hand. Lily [Allen] and Flo Milli both have such cool sass, and both their verses really elevated the track!” To follow “Plain” is arguably BENEE’s most hard-hitting bop to date, “Kool.” The listener is immediately hit with a set of deep F-sharp 5 chords and the slamming of drums before transitioning into another guitar/bass/drum combo that has always proven to be good ground for BENEE to work her magic on. The bass line on this song is divine, and the guitar tone is extremely funky. You can’t help but dance to this song, and BENEE does nothing less than make the song more enjoyable.
While a rough transition from “Kool,” the song “Winter (feat. Mallrat)” is still another cut not to ignore. It serves as a segue into the second half of the album, which is almost like a darker half. The minimal “A Little While” is a more somber ballad lyrically and instrumentally. Her collaboration with producer Kenny Beats and vocalist Bakar, “Night Garden,” has an incredibly dark tone with a groovy bass line, fitting perfectly in this thematic context. “All The Time (feat. Muroki)” may be the instrumental low point on the album but is easily the most relaxing, as BENEE and Muroki’s incredible vocals are the main focus point. “If I Get To Meet You” is a charming, higher-tempo song to include on the last end of the record. The instrumental and vocals are really tight, and noth-
ing has to be added or removed to make it sound better. On a lyrical front, BENEE addresses the song to someone she’s crushing on, fitting this lighter hearted nature of the song. “C U,” on the other hand, is the saddest song on the album instrumentally. Perhaps this doesn’t end off the album on an exciting note, but it’s still a cool moment, almost as if she is saying goodbye to the listener. From cover to cover, “Hey u x” is definitely a worthwhile experience. While the album could have had a more consistent flow, there’s something special about its variety that adds another layer of quality. There are songs to dance to, songs to cuddle to, songs to cry to and songs to cheer you up. BENEE’s vocals are relentlessly lovable, and her wide variety of approaches is something to admire.
A&P
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY
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Elizabeth Wilcox discusses ‘The Long Tail of Trauma’ by Sadie Leite Contributing Writer
Content warning: This article discusses PTSD, abuse, trauma and antisemitism. Brookline Booksmith hosted a conversation on Nov. 12 with author Elizabeth Wilcox and Dr. Bethany Casarjian that skillfully combined the commentary of Wilcox on her book “The Long Tail of Trauma” (2020), released Nov. 11, and the expertise of clinical psychologist Casarjian. The two women revealed the importance of talking about multi-generational trauma, specifically that experienced by women. As a result, victims can heal through developing relationships in the face of trauma produced by the lack of or acidity of past ones. Wilcox initiated the event by explaining the complexity of her story. The book is part historical narrative, detailing the ordeals Wilcox’s maternal ancestors endured. The book begins with the birth of her illegitimate grandmother Violet, who was separated from her family and placed under the care of aunts. At the age of 6, Violet’s mother Anna reclaimed her, and both lived in poverty in London. Violet’s comfortable life with her aunts starkly contrasted with her menial life with her biological mother. This combined with other obstacles faced in a grueling adventure to avoid the consequences of anti-Semitism and the second World War exemplify Violet’s trauma-full life. Wilcox’s mother Barbara was separated from her mother Violet at age 3 as a part of Operation Pied Piper, the evacuation of English children from war-stricken London. Consequently, Barbara lived in abusive foster homes, lacking any wholesome parental guidance. Wilcox defined the trauma of her maternal ancestors as adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Casarjian talked about this issue in relation to her work as the clinical director at the Lionheart Foundation, which partly aims to provide emotion-
Julian Levy Keep the Cameras Rolling
What to stream during lockdown
W
ith the number of cases on campus rising and more stringent restrictions being put on students, it’s becoming more difficult than ever to spend time with friends that live in different residence halls. But, with a Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or Disney+ subscription, and a little bit of ingenuity, you can watch movies with your fellow
al literacy programs for traumatized youths. She shared a chart from the CDC demonstrating that ACE is influenced by the consistent historical trauma that burdened Wilcox’s ancestors. Most notably, Casarjian identified the level “Adoption of Health Risk Behavior” located towards the top of the pyramid. The most drastic effect of ACE is a shorter life span; yet, she emphasized that this correlation is the effect of damaging relationships with substance abuse and high risk behaviors. Still, Casarjian juxtaposed this chart with a hopeful quote from Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung: “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” She explained that in the face of adversity, perseverance and success is still possible. Wilcox supported Casarjian’s previous fact with more details about her characters. Most specifically, Wilcox delved deeper into the second part of her book, which is a conversation between her and her mother as they discover she is suffering from PTSD as a result of ACE. Despite the trauma she endured as a child, Wilcox’s mother raised seven children. This feat highlighted her incredibly heroic strength, as her own parents were absent to model ideal parenting. Casarjian also identified alloparenting as a key rehabilitative response to abuse. Alloparenting occurs when other individuals step into a neglected child’s life and provide parental care. Neglect is as toxic as physical abuse, and the absence of connectedness harms the brain. Referencing her work with the Lionheart Foundation, she explained how social-emotional training for staff enables them to coregulate better with the youths they work with. When a young person senses safety with the people aiding them, their brain is open to learning and healing. Although Wilcox did not identify a parental figure who helped her mother, she students from the comfort of your own dorm room; each of these services offers either native or third-party support for remote group-watching. Here are some recommendations of what to stream during quarantine. Netflix “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020) Aaron Sorkin’s newest dramatic thriller has launched not in theaters, but straight to Netflix in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film follows the titular group as it fights for its freedom, its beliefs and its legacy in this famed 1969 court case. An all-star cast carries the film, along with the whip-sharp dialogue that Sorkin is known for. Further, at its foundation is a timely story about the role of protest and justice in a highly polarized climate.
VIA GOODREADS
The cover of Elizabeth Wilcox’s memoir “The Long Tail of Trauma” (2020) is pictured. described her father as beneficial for her mother’s emotional competence. Additionally, Wilcox’s relationship with her mother helped them both develop past the trauma layered in their systems. She recalled a scene where she fought with her mother in a
car ride. Wilcox’s husband convinced her to return and fix the relationship. Wilcox summarized her book as a story about mothers and daughters and the trauma they carry together. Her conversation with Casarjian revealed that maternal rela-
tionships can be neurologically painful, but also that these connections as well as others are most influential on the path to healing. The courageous role of a mother with an iron will to provide for her daughters is a potent love capable of reversing layered abuse.
Amazon Prime Video “B o ra t Su b s e q u e n t Moviefilm” (2020) Sacha Baron Cohen makes another appearance as Borat Sagdiyev, an ignorantly provocative Kazakhstani journalist who visits America with his daughter. It was no coincidence the film was released only a week and a half before Election Day, as its coverage of topics like racism, antisemitism, sexism, politics and COVID-19 was more than relevant to the upcoming Election. While not quite as funny as the original, this sequel 14 years in the making has a surprising amount of heart at its core. This maturity from an unlikely source is a sign of just how dire things have become in 2020. If even a “Borat” movie has accepted the need for personal responsibility, so too does the rest of America.
Hulu “Parasite” (2019) With Oscar season approaching, many of this year’s Best Picture contenders will release over the next couple of months. In preparation for that, it’s the perfect time to revisit the 2020 winner, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” While important as the first foreign language feature to win the title of Best Picture, it’s an incredibly entertaining movie independent of that. This exploration of class relations in South Korea is more than applicable to audiences around the world, with layered social commentary being but one of its assets. It’s tense, cynical, grotesque and darkly comedic. To know any more about the film would be a disservice to it’s twisting and turning plot. It really does earn the hype.
Disney+ “Hamilton” (2020) Bringing the sought after Broadway experience to the masses is the kind of democratization that Alexander Hamilton would be proud of, provided that you’re willing to pay the Disney+ subscription fee, of course. This “obnoxious, arrogant, loudmouth bother” took the world by storm when “Hamilton: An American Musical” premiered at The Public Theater back in 2015, and with good reason. As someone who had neither seen the show live nor listened to the soundtrack, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The combination of rap, pop, as well as songs with more classical Broadway sensibilities is surprisingly seamless. Julian Levy is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Julian can be reached at Julian.Levy@tufts.edu.
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THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Wednesday, November 18, 2020
F& G
tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Alex: “I haven’t had a week off in a while.”
Fun & Games
SUDOKU
LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY
Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 22) You’re especially brilliant. You can see hidden answers and solutions. Take notes. Choose words carefully... tempers may be short. Opportunities arise in conversations.
SEARCHING FOR HEADLINES...
Difficulty Level: Counting down to Thanksgiving break.
Tuesday’s Solutions
CROSSWORD
tuftsdaily.com
Opinion
9 Wednesday, November 18, 2020
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The real constitutional crisis was the friends we made along the way Who’d have thought the constitutional crisis of 2020 would involve none other than that smaller Light on a Hill: our very own Tufts? Beyond the levity of your memes, though, and the academic interest of someone who studies the law of democracy, I harbor a small sadness — that of a bygone member of a community, watching his once-home struggle to cohere. After a “lengthy meeting,” the crisis involving the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate was resolved by “general consensus” that the Senate Executive
Board had actually never intended to undemocratically appoint people (maybe they’d just assumed no one cared that much) and that of course they would hold an election. But has anything actually changed? How many of you voted on Nov. 3? Now, how many voted in last spring’s TCU election? I’m not claiming the current student body has reached some new low of democratic participation. You’re just dealing with a pandemic. We didn’t do much better during my time on the Hill, and I regret that I did not do more about democratic malaise
at Tufts when I saw it. But stress shows the cracks. Democracy is not federal, not state, not municipal. It is interpersonal, definitionally centered on people. Democracy is no more than our choice to live together — and the cost of losing it nothing less than living, and acting, alone. Our country is nothing without our choices to live together, at every level. So vote! Vote for the treasurer of your student group (hell, run for treasurer!) because you like the events you put on and want to see them funded. Vote
for TCU senators, so they will fund the things you think are important. Create a student group. Write a constitution. Propose a referendum. Because you can! And maybe the Senate Executive Board and Elections Commission should have. Article VIII of the TCU Constitution gives you the right to propose, petition and pass any referendum measure — say, to compel the Senate to appoint community senators without an election. But of course, that requires at least one-sixth (just onesixth!) of the student body to
Caroline DePalma Philosophy in Focus
myself surprised every single day at the number of people willing to blindly praise him. I will never understand what goes through those individuals’ minds, but I have tried. To them, it seems as though Trump stands on a pedestal so high that he’s barely human anymore — just a breathing, walking, yelling embodiment of some idealized version of America. His base’s unwavering devotion more closely resembles the admiration of the British monarchy than any kind of thoughtful support for a democratic leader. I draw this connection because the government powers of the British monarchy are solely symbolic; though the queen has no real political power or responsibilities, peo-
ple gather by the thousands to watch members of her family get married or show off their newborn babies. In the United States today, the thousands participating in pro-Trump rallies to reject the results of the election are also rejecting one of the most basic features of our democracy. I would argue that the presidency, to those people, is as symbolic as the queen’s role on the other side of the Atlantic. It represents a form of leadership that resides at the heart of the nation; to his supporters, attacking Trump’s leadership is akin to attacking a symbol of American pride, making the results of the recent election personal, not political. Unfortunately, I don’t think this view of American gov-
ernment is unique to the Trump base. In “Capitalism and Freedom” (1962), Milton Friedman comments on John F. Kennedy’s famous line from his inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Fr i e d m a n denounces Kennedy’s sentiment as putting too much distance between the individual citizen and their government. Regardless of who is serving the other, Friedman says, it is detrimental to think that “the country” is a separate entity from the people who live in it. Instead, he suggests that we ask what we, as citizens, can accomplish together through our governmental institutions.
The president is not a king
T
his week, thousands have gathered in Washington D.C. to show their support for President Donald Trump and his refusal to concede the presidential race to former Vice President Joe Biden. The danger that the Trump administration’s recent actions pose to American democracy cannot be overstated. And while Trump’s behavior is not altogether astonishing, I still find
vote. And at its base, this crisis was one of participation. The clearest constitutional solution to this problem of political will was forestalled by … a lack of political will? You worry for our country. So do I. But I worry more for our communities. It starts here. Orlando Economos (A’17) is a J.D. candidate at Georgetown University Law Center focusing on election law and voting rights. You can tell him he’s an old man that knows nothing about contemporary Tuftonian politics at oce6@georgetown.edu. He’d love to learn he’s wrong.
I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is that we shift our views of government to be more in line with Friedman’s. In a democracy, leaders should work for voters; they, too, are citizens that must operate at the same level as their constituents. If that is the system we want to preserve for future generations in this country, we need to stay as far away from glorifying the leaders we choose. They are as imperfectly human as we are; to pretend otherwise, as Trump’s base does, is not only to set ourselves up for disappointment, but to put the whole system in danger. Caroline DePalma is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Caroline can be reached at caroline.depalma@tufts.edu.
The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board. EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily. OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor in Chief, Executive Board and Business Director.
10 Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Jenny Lu In the Paint
Honoring Mr. Celtic
L
ast Monday, the NBA and the Boston Celtics came together to mourn the loss of Tommy Heinsohn, who died at 86. Tommy dedicated his entire professional career to the league, specifically the city of Boston, as a player, coach and broadcaster — earning himself the title of Mr. Celtic. As we celebrate his accomplishments and contributions to the Celtics, we must go back more than 60 years to 1956, when he was drafted by Boston out of the College of the Holy Cross. In that season, Tommy won his first championship with the Celtics — the first of many in his career as a player. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year and was given his first NBA First Team and All-Star nods. Playing alongside Bill Russell, Tom accumulated eight championship rings in a span of nine seasons and was named an All-Star six times. He played the power forward position, averaging 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game throughout his career, on 40.5 percent and 79 percent success on field goals and free-throws respectively. Tom Heinsohn ended his career as a player in 1965 at age 30 with his number 15 jersey retired, but that was just the beginning to his partnership with the Boston Celtics. In his time as a coach, Tom won another two NBA championships, in 1974 and 1976, and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1973, despite not winning a ring. In that year, he led the Celtics to a league-best record of 68–14 before being upset by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. Heinsohn ended his coaching career in 1978 with a 690–427 record and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame again in 2015 for his success as a coach. Tommy’s personality and insights into the game of basketball will also be missed in broadcasting, where he devoted much of his time in between his years as a player and coach, and after retiring as a coach. He was known for awarding “Tommy Points” to good teammates and hustle plays as well as the “Tommy Award” for outstanding performances. Through and through, Tommy Heinsohn was passionate about all aspects of basketball and was a true Celtic. In a statement addressing his death, the team said, “It’s hard to imagine the Boston Celtics without Tommy Heinsohn. There isn’t a generation of Celtics fans for whom Tommy’s presence hasn’t been felt. He is the only person to be an active participant in each of the Celtics’ 17 world championships, an extraordinary and singular legacy.” Players, coaches and fans also joined in to commemorate Tommy on social media. Bill Russell wrote a touching tribute, tweeting, “We were rookies together and friends for life. In life there are a limited number of true friends, today I lost one. RIP Heiny.” Tommy’s love of the sport shone through in his time on the court as a player, on the sidelines as a coach and in the booth as a broadcaster. Although we will miss Mr. Celtic, the league and fans will always remember Tom Heinsohn for his dedication, insight and humor. Jenny Lu is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Jenny can be reached at jen.lu@tufts.edu.
Sports
tuftsdaily.com
AFC Week 10 Recap: Colts, Patriots upset conference heavyweights in crucial playoff race matchups
ERIK DROST / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Cleveland Browns players are pictured in 2019 during a preseason game. by Ethan Grubelich Contributing Writer
In the first week after a quiet 2020 trade deadline, the AFC playoff favorites ― namely, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills ― each maintained their position in the standings as none of them lost their Week 9 matchup. The only team out of the five to win again in Week 10, however, was the undefeated Steelers, who improved to 9–0, while the Chiefs were on bye, and the Ravens, Titans and Bills fell victim to stunning upsets. Let’s look at some of the matchups from Week 10 that appear to make the AFC playoff race more interesting. Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans Philip Rivers and the Colts traveled to Nashville on Thursday night needing a win against the Titans to overtake them in the AFC South standings based on a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Titans led 17–13 at halftime courtesy of the 5-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back D’Onta Foreman and an overpowering 1-yard touchdown run by big tight end Jonnu Smith. Errors on special teams in the second half, however, would be the Titans’ demise. Titans punter Trevor Daniel, a former FedEx driver, capped off the first Titans drive of the second half with a shanked punt that traveled only 17 yards, giving the Colts excellent field position for running back Nyheim Hines’ second touchdown of the game. The next Titans possession ended
even worse with a punt that was blocked and returned for another Colts touchdown. Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski then missed a 44-yard field goal, which maintained the Colts’ two-score lead as they ran away with 24 unanswered points to win the game in blowout fashion, 34–17, and overtake the AFC South division lead. Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns Less than ideal weather certainly played a role in Sunday’s AFC matchups, starting with a delay of the early window game in Cleveland due to high winds and hail. A run-heavy game due to the harsh conditions began with a 41-yard field goal by Browns kicker Cody Parkey for the only score by either team until the fourth quarter, when running back Nick Chubb extended Cleveland’s lead to 10–0 with a 9-yard touchdown run. Houston responded with a touchdown drive of its own to make the score 10–7 with just under five minutes remaining. On Cleveland’s final drive, Nick Chubb broke free with a 59-yard run that could have easily ended in a touchdown except that he deliberately ran out of bounds at the 1-yard line so that the Browns offense could run out the clock to win the game, 10–7. Houston likely wouldn’t have been able to overcome a 10-point deficit with a minute remaining, but Chubb’s sacrifice of individual stats was undoubtedly the smartest, most generous decision for his team. Cleveland’s dynamic backfield duo of Chubb and Kareem Hunt each rushed for over 100 yards as the Browns improved to 6–3 in a tight play-
off race, and the Texans dropped to 2–7 in a lost season. Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots By Sunday evening, the stormy weather, which had impacted the game in Cleveland, arrived in Foxborough, Mass. for the matchup between the Ravens and Patriots. In November of last season, the two teams squared off on Sunday Night Football in Baltimore, where the Ravens handed the Patriots their first loss of the season by a score of 37–20. This time, the Patriots, at a record of 3–5 and sitting third in the AFC East, were the undisputed underdogs in desperate need of an upset victory. Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson linked with wide receiver Willie Snead IV for the first score of the game in the second quarter, but the Patriots responded quickly, as Cam Newton linked with running back Rex Burkhead for a touchdown to knot the game at seven points apiece. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who played quarterback in high school, launched a 24-yard touchdown pass to Burkhead for his second touchdown of the game and the lead for New England. The Ravens offense threatened to take the lead multiple times in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots defense and increasingly severe rainfall were too much for them, and the Patriots clung on to a 23–17 lead. The Patriots won quite possibly the most difficult game remaining in their schedule and improved to 4–5 as they attempt to stay in playoff contention while the Ravens dropped to 6–3, on level with a number of other teams in the AFC.