The Tufts Daily - Thursday, November 18, 2021

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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 34

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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Thursday, November 18, 2021

Local vaccination rates plateau, racial disparities remain

by Peri Barest

Deputy News Editor

COVID-19 vaccination rates in Tufts University’s surrounding Medford and Somerville communities have plateaued recently, despite remaining high compared to others in the state.

As of Nov. 11, 79% of Medford residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, compared with 77% as of Oct. 28.

In Somerville, 85% of residents have received at least one dose, compared with 82% in October.

Only Somerville remains above the state’s single-dose vaccination rate of 83%.

Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical School, said that vaccination rates, which increased substantially last spring, have started to level off. She did note an increase around the time when many institutions began mandating vaccines.

“Probably the word is ‘plateaued,’” Andujar Vazquez said.

“The biggest peak point was around spring back in April and May, where we had daily high vaccination rates and that sort

Cumulative proportion of fully immunized residents, by racial/ethnic group and city, from March to October. of plateaued. Then, in the summer with a lot of efforts to try to get communities where there was more hesitancy — Hispanic, Black communities, communities with people of color — it did increase … Now it’s sort of stayed in the sort of steady but not increasing numbers.”

Somerville vaccination rates Doug Kress, director of health and human services for the City of Somerville, said that

Somerville continues to see an uptick in its vaccination rates.

“There are a variety of things that Somerville has done [to encourage vaccination],” Kress said. “I also want to point out that we also have a great partner with Cambridge Health Alliance because we have a vaccination center that’s located here in Somerville, we’re lucky enough to be able to identify that so it makes it a little bit easier

for some people to get to that whether that is their first, second or both doses of the vaccine.”

Kress stressed that current data on vaccination rates is out of the total population of the city, not just those who are eligible for vaccination.

Therefore, he is expecting to see Somerville’s vaccination rate rise as the vaccine becomes available for the 5–11-year-old age group.

“We do anticipate seeing this rise whenever the CDC does provide us with additional information about when we’re able to vaccinate that [5–11-year-old range] as well,” Kress said on Oct. 26. “We do anticipate to see another bump up with our vaccination rates as well.”

The Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine was authorized for see VACCINATIONS, page 2

Economics, CS faculty moving into $90 million Cummings Center this month

by Ethan Steinberg Associate Editor

Faculty from the Departments of Economics and Computer Science this month are moving into the university’s newest academic facility at the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue. Construction of the $90 million building is set to wrap up in the coming weeks after weathering an on-site worker injury and a pandemic-induced delay since crews first broke ground more than two years ago.

Named for Medford native Bill Cummings (LA’58) and his wife Joyce, the 148,000-squarefoot building is the latest in a series of university investments in infrastructure supportive of multidisciplinary learning. The six-story building will house economics, computer science and mathematics, as well as two programs in The Fletcher School and multiple studios focused on research and entrepreneurship. In addition to classrooms and office space for faculty, the facility features collaborative spaces for student study.

ETHAN STEINBERGI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Classes in the new Joyce Cummings Center are set to begin in January 2022.

The building will also house a cafe, which will not be operated by Tufts Dining nor accept JumboCash, Director of Dining and Business Services Patti Klos said in an email to the Daily.

Jason McClellan, senior director of auxiliary services, said the

university is negotiating with a cafe provider, and that the cafe will not be operational as faculty move in this month.

The building’s unveiling marks the culmination of more than six years of planning and construction. Initial plans called

for an above-ground footbridge across Boston Avenue, but the design was scrapped once the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority changed its plans for the extension of the Green Line, citing cost overruns. The new Medford/

SPORTS / back

ARTS / page 4

FEATURES / page 3

Volleyball ends Johns Hopkins’ 66-game win streak

Big Mouth is back, bigger and mouthier than ever

Emergency contraceptive vending machine to be on campus by this summer

Tufts station of the Green Line is set to open adjacent to the Cummings Center in May 2022.

The building is funded largely by a multimillion-dollar donation from the Cummings see CUMMINGS, page 2 NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, November 18, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Madeleine Aitken Editor in Chief

— EDITORIAL — MARIEL PRIVEN KATE SEKLIR Managing Editors

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Primary series vaccination remain the priority VACCINATIONS

continued from page 1 emergency use in children between 5 and 11 years of age on Oct. 29.

Lower vaccination rates among Black, Hispanic residents Jamila Xible, director of health education and access at Cambridge Health Alliance, said that Cambridge and Somerville, both middle-class communities with lots of college students and access to information, are in a good place in terms of vaccination rates. Racial disparities in vaccination rates, however, still exist in these communities.

“There are still disparities,” Xible said. “So for Somerville, for example, the Hispanic community has the lowest rate of vaccination.”

In both Medford and Somerville, multiracial and white people have the highest vaccination rates, while Black and Hispanic communities have lower vaccination rates.

CHA has been working to reduce the barriers to vaccination for communities who still lack access.

“They are at the pharmacies, but there’s one big barrier,” Xible said. “You need to figure out how to fill out those forms [with] various language barriers. You need to have your health insurance handy.”

Xible described how CHA is helping to make the vaccines more accessible.

“For us at CHA we are trying to work and knock down those barriers by, one, bringing vaccines where people are in times that are convenient to them and help[ing] them with the whole process,” Xible said. “You don’t need to prepare, just come to

us and we will speak your language.”

Xible said that, following a successful summer campaign of vaccination clinics via church partnerships, CHA is changing its strategy to steady clinics, including its large vaccination center in Somerville. CHA also has mobile clinics in many city halls, at its clinic in Malden and at Revere High School.

Kress said that providing information about vaccines and vaccination clinics in multiple languages — English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole — has been a priority for Somerville.

“We also work with SOIA, which is our Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs,” he said.

“They’ve been a partner in this and we actually put a really strong effort into making sure that we’re getting information out both about the vaccine but also about COVID-19 in the prevention areas that we have available out there for our residents.”

Other steps that the City of Somerville has taken to increase equity in vaccination include community clinics at senior housing facilities, churches and other faith-based organizations.

Kress said that when compared to other towns in the area, Somerville has had high turnout at recent vaccination clinics.

“I often meet with other health directors on a variety of things, and when I tell them, ‘We’ve had 60 people show up for our clinic,’ they’re like, ‘What? We’re lucky if we get 10,” Kress said. “I’m getting the 60 people because we continue to push and we continue to get out the information.”

Andujar Vazquez, who has spoken to hundreds of individuals about their concerns regard-

ing vaccination, said that, at this point, misinformation is the major hurdle to vaccination for many people. While many steps have been taken to make the vaccine itself accessible, Andujar Vazquez said that correct information about vaccination is less accessible.

“There’s still a lot of information out there that is erroneous and confusing to patients,” she said. “The vaccine is accessible to people, but they may not have the opportunity to actually talk to a clinician about it … If you don’t see a primary care doctor or you don’t have anyone to talk about that [with] in the medical field, they won’t necessarily know who to ask.”

Even with a high vaccination rate in the City of Somerville, Kress emphasized the importance of considering surrounding communities’ infection and vaccination rates.

“I think we’re on the pathway; I don’t think we’re there yet,” Kress said. “You cannot just say Somerville alone because I know where the borders are. I still travel beyond those borders.

Maybe that’s to go to the grocery store, maybe that’s to visit family [or] to do a variety of other things.”

Primary series shots remain important going forward Despite the recent availability of booster shots and the FDA’s decision to allow the mix-andmatch of vaccines, Andujar Vazquez said that ensuring everyone receives their first two COVID-19 vaccines must still be the priority.

“We need to increase that number because then everything that we offer other age groups and vulnerable populations will

be made,” she said. “We have to immunize more people primarily with the primary series. That’s number one.”

Xible agreed, adding that despite the attention being given to the 5–11 age group, primary series vaccinations and booster shots for frontline workers should be the focus of current vaccine efforts.

“We definitely need to pay attention to the boosters because there are so many frontline workers that are at a higher risk of contracting COVID, and we want to make sure that they are protected, many of them, lower income, many of them immigrants, and we do want to make sure that they know that they have that additional resource there,” she said. “I know that we are being pushed to pay more attention to the 5 to 11, but I think we need to continue offering to everyone.”

Kress said that, for the time being, flu clinics are being prioritized in Somerville. Once flu season has progressed and the city receives more guidance from the state, COVID-19 booster shots and 5–11-year-olds will be the focus.

Xible said that it is important to maintain hope and keep up current levels of outreach to increase vaccination rates and reduce vaccine disparities.

“It’s sad to see that these disparities are so difficult to address,” she said. “It’s sad to see that a lot of the most vulnerable in our communities, you know, they still don’t trust that the vaccines will help them …

We need to continue this outreach and engagement that we’ve been doing.”

Departments begin move to new Cummings Center

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CUMMINGS

continued from page 1 Foundation, which donates regularly to nonprofits in New England. The foundation is led

by Bill Cummings, a real estate mogul who is also the namesake of the university’s school of veterinary medicine in Grafton. A spokesperson for the university was unable to disclose the size of the donation, citing concerns over confidentiality.

According to Ruth Bennett, director of strategic capital programs, the economics department and the majority of the computer science department will move in this month, while the remainder will join them in January along with the entirety of the math department. The university crafted the schedule for move-in after consulting with faculty and department chairs, who were mostly able to choose when to move their departments.

Marcelo Bianconi, chair of the Department of Economics, said his department chose to move sooner rather than later to allow faculty time to adjust to the new space before classes in the facility begin in January.

The department will relocate from its current home on the

Academic Quad to the fifth and sixth floors of the Cummings Center on Nov. 29.

The decision to move mid-semester did not win unanimous approval from the economics faculty. Senior Lecturer in Economics Anna Hardman, while excited about the new space and sympathetic to her colleagues who preferred a November move, said she would have liked to have winter break to pack up her office.

“The problem is that we all have full-time jobs teaching, doing research, advising,” Hardman said. “Packing up an entire office takes time.

Throwing things away takes even more time, and the new offices will have less storage space.”

One issue of particular concern for Hardman is the commute from the Cummings Center, which will house her office after Thanksgiving, to Braker Hall, where she will continue teaching classes through the end of the semester.

“There’s going to be an additional time cost for economics faculty who teach in Braker and the rest of campus — and for students when classes move to Cummings as well,” she said.

Hardman also raised doubts over the safety for students and faculty of the four-way intersection connecting the new facility to the Academic Quad, which she described as “lethal.”

Kim Ruane, chair of the Department of Mathematics, reported that her colleagues are concerned about parking near the Cummings Center, especially with the anticipated influx of traffic once the new MBTA station begins to operate.

Ruane added that faculty are particularly concerned about climate control in the new building, which will not allow its occupants to self-regulate the temperature by opening windows. Faculty strongly pushed back against this feature, which was designed for energy efficiency.

“No fresh air in the building — that’s really bad, in my opinion,” Ruane said. “It was bad before COVID-19, and it’s even worse after COVID-19. On the building tour, the building was already too hot for me. I could already tell I was going to be miserable.”

Ruane said that the mathematics department will move into the new building in January, citing fear that a mid-semester

move would “wreak havoc” on office hours and teaching.

Despite concerns, Ruane said she and the department faculty are mostly excited to move into the new building.

The move means mathematics will be leaving its longtime home in Bromfield-Pearson, which will likely be closed in the spring to undergo upgrades to the heating system, Vice President for Operations Barbara Stein said in an email.

Braker Hall will undergo renovation in the coming years, though in the meantime, it will house classes that would have otherwise been held in Eaton Hall. According to Stein, Eaton is scheduled to undergo renovation beginning fall 2022, which will displace a number of classes into Braker and Lincoln-Filene Hall.

In addition to economics and computer science, most other occupants of the Cummings Center will be moving in this month, including the Derby Entrepreneurship Center, the Data Intensive Study Center, the Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Science and The Fletcher School’s program for executive education and its center for International Environment and Resource Policy.

tuftsdaily.com

Features

3 Thursday, November 18, 2021

NARAL and Health Service to install emergency contraceptive vending machine

by Delaney Clarke

Assistant Features Editor

Since the spring 2021 semester, Tufts Students for National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), a student organization that fights for reproductive health and freedom, has been advocating for Tufts University to provide students with a vending machine that would offer emergency contraceptives at a reduced cost. As of now, the vending machine is said to be installed before summer 2022.

Emergency contraceptives have always been accessible to students through Health Service. In order to retrieve emergency contraceptive pills, students may go to one of the Health Service walk-in clinics, where both Plan B and Ella are offered.

However, Health Service currently is not open during the weekend, and NARAL felt that the lack of weekend hours limited students’ access to emergency contraceptives during a time period when the demand for it is greatest.

Additionally, Health Service offers emergency contraceptives for around $15, which is significantly lower than its typical cost. Without access to Health Service’s emergency contraceptives over the weekend, students may have to go to off-campus drugstores, where the going rate for emergency contraceptives is around $50.

Aneri Parikh, co-president of NARAL, explained that this issue is what spurred the organization to urge Tufts to install an emergency contraceptive vending machine.

“We just think it’s really unfair that students would have to rush over to CVS or another store last minute to buy emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B, at really high prices when Health Service does offer them for about $15,” Parikh, a senior, said.

Parikh added that on top of the increased cost of emergency contraceptives at off-campus locations, the walk or drive over to an off-campus drugstore also costs time and money. The vending machine would allow students to have consistent access to a low-cost emergency contraceptive at a central location on campus.

Parikh also acknowledged that some students may not be able to afford the $15 for the emergency contraceptives offered by the

Emika Brown and Nick Januario Blind Luck

T

Date No. 3

hird time’s the charm! This time, there are juicy hookups and sex.

Just kidding. This is Tufts, and everyone is nice and diplomatic and boring. But seriously, if you’re into wholesome connections and momos, read on. As always, please send us your friends, enemies, Marriage Pact misses or just anyone you want to set up to nicholasjanuario@gmail.com. My inbox is barren, guys, and we can’t carry the entire responsibility of making love happen at this school anymore. Alright, hugs and kisses. Please read our column.

Person 1: The date began as usual. We have the formula down. Wine plus blanket plus Davis Square plus vague directions equals the perfect date. We have learned wine before the meal works best.

machine. To address that concern, NARAL plans to create a voucher system for students.

“We’re aware that some people might not be able to pay the $15 price for Plan B and so we want to fundraise for that and offer vouchers to students who can’t afford it and create a type of pay-it-forward system,” Parikh said.

Although the vending machine would increase the accessibility of emergency contraceptives, NARAL member Sabrina Rangwani noted that it is also essential to ensure that the machine still maintains student safety. When a person purchases emergency contraceptives at a drugstore or from Health Service, they are typically given information about potential side effects, as well as the overall effect that emergency contraceptives have on one’s body. Rangwani explained that the vending machine would mimic this in-person interaction by including a QR code. When scanned, the QR code provides a list of the potential side effects of the emergency contraceptives, and then prompts students to take a quiz, which they must successfully complete in order to use the machine.

“You just fill [the quiz] out so that you understand the caveats of Plan B, like that you can only take it a certain number of times within a month because what it does is delay your ovulation cycle, and you can’t do that infinitely,” Rangwani, a sophomore, said. “And [there are] possible interactions that [Plan B] can have with other drugs that you’re taking.”

NARAL developed the idea for an emergency contraceptive vending machine after seeing it successfully implemented on other college campuses.

“We’ve heard of other colleges such as … Stanford, Brandeis, UC Davis, who all have these emergency contraception vending machines, and we think that it is essentially the right step for us,” Parikh said.

The organization began to plan to implement an emergency contraceptive vending machine last semester, reaching out to a member of Health Service for support. From the start, Health Service strongly supported the idea.

Ariel Watriss, a nurse practitioner and sexual health specialist at Tufts Health Service outlined Health Service’s response

to the emergency contraceptive vending machine initiative.

“We were very open to the idea. The timing was actually incredible,” Watriss wrote in an email to the Daily. “Independently, our Director of Administration and Operations for Health and Wellness, Jennifer Berrios, was looking into this option as well. We’ve been aware of needing to maintain access to care for students beyond our clinical hours, which had to change due to the pandemic.”

Watriss added that Health Service will cover costs for this project and that Tufts’ C.A.R.E team will be providing the products. The products included in the machine will not be limited to emergency contraceptives, but will also include items like condoms and lube.

Parikh mentioned that providing other types of products within the vending machine could increase students’ privacy when using the machine.

“There might be … somewhat of a stigma around emergency contraception,” Parikh said. “This way, people could really get access to anything and no one would really know what you’re purchasing.”

NARAL member Nyssa Singhal explained that another way that NARAL and Health Service are working to increase students’ privacy when using the vending machine is by finding a quiet location to house it, while also keeping it mind that the machine couldn’t be placed too far away from students.

“I think we wanted it to be central, so it wasn’t really far [from students],” Singhal, a junior, said. “And we wanted it to be a little more private, so it wasn’t like the Campus Center … I think the Campus Center would be a little overwhelming.”

Although the location for the vending machine has not been selected yet, Rangwani mentioned the Olin Center as a possible location that both NARAL and Health Service are considering.

Rangwani described some of the factors that make Olin a strong contender for the machine’s location.

“It’s more private, and it’s open really late,” Rangwani said. “I think it’s the building that is open the latest on campus. And so it’ll be available, I think, until 3 a.m.”

Person 1 explained that the date started with them walking to Powderhouse Park and sitting down for some wine. However, just a few minutes into drinks, it started raining.

To escape the rain, they went to dinner, where they split momos and a curry at Martsa On Elm. “[I] suggested we get two dishes and then split them, and [Person 2] was like, ‘Oh, that’s what my family does, but none of my friends do that!’” she said.

Their conversation covered a lot of the classic intro topics of a first date but eventually turned to discussions of the AsianAmerican experience as second-generation immigrants and being Asian and queer, according to Person 1.

After dinner, they went to J.P. Licks, where Person 1 was happy to find out that “one of [Person 2’s] friends was working there, so we got ice cream for free.”

The date ended after ice cream, but not without a walk home. “[She] walked me back to Wren, which was nice,” Person 1 said.

When asked about Person 2, she exclaimed that “she had really cool make-

up … I was like, ‘Wow, she’s such a cool person,’ she seems really smart, definitely well dressed.”

When asked about a second date, Person 1 shared, “I would, yeah … she’s really nice. I want to get to know her better.” Luckily, the pair exchanged numbers, texted after and both agreed that they had fun.

Looks like true love is on the horizon.

Person 2: Person 2 showed up to this date with a fit and a half.

“I was wearing a green-pink flower mesh top, with a lavender sweater vest on top, white corduroy pants, Docs and a denim jacket,” she said.

But she was not the only one. “[Person 1] had cute origami earrings. It was adorable,” Person 2 remarked.

Even though this was a blind date, Person 2 had already taken note of Person 1 on campus before, saying, “She’s so cute. I think I’ve seen her on campus.”

We asked about the weather incident, and it didn’t seem to dampen — pun intended — the spirit of the date.

IAN LAU / THE TUFTS DAILY

The two presidents of Tufts Students for NARAL, Aneri Parikh and Paige Shayne, are pictured in a group photo with members of the club on Nov. 3.

Watriss expressed that NARAL and Health Service hope to have the vending machine set up sometime before summer 2022, though Parikh noted that this may have to be delayed due to having to coordinate with multiple different actors.

In the meantime, Tufts Students for NARAL is continuing to advocate for reproductive health and freedom through other means, such as campaigning against abortion laws across the country, namely the recent abortion law in Texas.

Singhal noted that the organization acknowledges that it is a privilege to be able to offer the emergency contraceptive vending machines, as well as low-cost emergency contraceptives, at a time when abortion laws seek to restrict reproductive autonomy across the country.

“With the new laws in Texas, and even broadening globally, I think it’s important to always keep reproductive access in mind,” Singhal said. “We are lucky [to pay] $15 for Plan B [when] there are a lot of people who can’t imagine that. It’s a reminder to pay that forward, and remember that it’s not like that for everybody.” “[The rain] was kind of cute. I thought it would be worse … [But it] was really a vibe. It was romantic,” Person 2 explained.

The date went well for Person 2; she said, “I had a really, really good time. I was so nervous.”

When asked how it compared to other dates, Person 2 said it was not as daunting because, “In general when I go on dates with women, although I do get nervous, it’s less scary.”

Person 2 agreed that dinner and conversation went well. When talking about if a second date was in the cards, Person 2 said, “I would wait a little bit and then ask … I really like her as a person. I would hang out again.”

Hope was in the air. Person 2 smiled and said, “She did ask for my number though…”

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

emika.brown@tufts.edu.

ARTS & POP CULTURE

4

tuftsdaily.com

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Netflix’s raunchiest series returns: ‘Big Mouth’ drops Season 5

by Maeve Hagerty Arts Editor

In a unique marriage of honesty and the outrageous, “Big Mouth” (2017–) has returned. The hit adult cartoon dropped its fifth season to Netflix on Nov. 5, and it is quite possibly one of its best. A show that has followed the story of the horny, pubescent students of Bridgeton Middle School seems to have recovered its footing this season after a rocky fourth season. The coming-of-age style of the series became popular for its raunchy humor and ability to tackle many of the issues faced by preteens as they go through puberty, mental health struggles and social and familial conflicts. This particular season is as uncomfortable and weird as the rest, sometimes taking jokes and shock value moments too far, but it also demonstrates what is so special about the show.

As self-aware as ever, the season begins on the episode “No Nut November,” which recaps Andrew’s addiction to masturbation, Jay’s broken heart over Lola and Nick’s fragile mental state after the anxiety he started to experience in the previous season. This first episode also has a rather bizarre but oddly entertaining cameo from Kumail Nanjiani, and it really reimmerses the audience into the weird, sometimes upsetting, fictional world of “Big Mouth.”

This season covers everything from body insecurity in the second episode, “The Shane Lizard Rises,” to a Christmas special hosted by live-action puppets of Connie and Maury. But this season seems to have finally gotten a grip on the balance between its mostly sexual, sometimes drawn out, jokes and the actual seriousness of some of the issues it discusses. There are still moments when the show goes further than it needs to, like the scenes from “The Green-Eyed Monster” where Jessi and Samira turn into large

Sadie Leite Dreaming of Sandman

Dream tests our power

A

nd the dead heads sing. Why? Because power, kings and gods have complications.

“Thermidor” (1991) is the first part in the four-issue anthology “The Sandman: Distant Mirrors” (1991– 93). Each explores rulers’ intentions.

Thermidor, the 11th month of the French Republican Calendar, no longer exists, chopped from modern vernacular like French heads.

In this story, Johanna Constantine helps Dream, saving the severed head of Dream’s son, Orpheus, from French superiors. Imprisoned during her adventure, Johanna hides Orpheus in a pile of heads (because he fits in). She is led

Hulk-like monsters because of their jealousy over the other’s connection with Ali, but once you become attached enough to the show, these moments feel almost commonplace and endearing.

This season, Jay’s character receives a lot more attention. The show delves deeper into his romantic interests and mental state while his narrative moves past the more rudimentary focus of the past seasons on the dysfunction of his family and on his resulting issues with fitting into society. At the same time, Jay is arguably one of the funniest characters in the show.

The scene where he drives with Matthew in his car full of jeans would be stupid on any other series, but because of his character and the general atmosphere created by the “Big Mouth” producers, it works.

Additionally, this season sees the addition of new creatures from Human Resources, including love bugs and hate worms. Though the idea of the hate worms was a little cheesy and overdone, the result was rather effective, and it created a focus for this season that was noticeably distinct from the previous.

As always, the Hormone Monsters, Lola and Coach Steve were some of the best parts of this season, and, as always, the musical scenes were some of the worst.

Though they’re not poorly written, the musical scenes seem to be made to be skipped through — their jokes just don’t land and they often feel like distractions from the content of the show which viewers enjoy most.

All that being said, it does seem like the show has finally realized how to manage its unreal, outrageous moments with the reality of adolescence. This season is one of the few that fully embraced the fart jokes in conjunction with the social struggles of middle schoolers, and the show as a whole benefits from it. For fans of the show, “Big Mouth” Season

by her captors to the pile to identify Orpheus for them, and Orpheus shocks them by singing, controlling the French aggressors, even if they do have shoulders and knees. The other dead heads join, naturally, and our heroes escape in distraction.

Neil Gaiman is playing with our heads.

The passage of power during the French Revolution was so tumultuous — innocent dreamers were punished simply for breathing; still, as Gaiman emphasizes with Robespierre’s decapitation at the comic’s end, those who don’t use their heads while wielding absurd influence often lose them.

In “August” (1991) Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus pretends to be a beggar for the day­­ . This is the price of a bargain with Dream, enabling Augustus to hide his thoughts concerning the empire’s future from Roman Gods after he read the prophecies for Rome and chose one to become true.

Augustus says, “Humanity. They follow leaders … blindly, as people lost in the

VIA IMDB

The fifth season of “Big Mouth” (2017–) was released on Netflix on Nov. 5.

5 is worth the watch. It’s funny, clever and self-aware in the way only this show seems to be capable of. It also reaffirms that there is certainly more content for the Netflix series to cover — comforting news for fans in light of the promise of a sixth season to come out in 2022. From a

rather long scene showing Santa’s penis to Missy’s character arch overcoming her hateful state of mind, “Big Mouth” has something for everyone. If you’re not already a fan, watch the show; even if you don’t enjoy it, it’ll certainly be an unforgettable experience.

catacombs would follow a child carrying a flaming torch.”

He says leaders follow their dreams.

These definitions are interesting, as Augustus withholds information from his people, ensuring their blindness. He cannot recognize this — even as one of them — because power also strings a safety net that, ironically, blinds rulers.

Thus, the Romans have no choice in Augustus’ decision to let Rome fall. Dream does, though. Dreams cause the fall of the Roman Empire.

Next: a sibling squabble in “Three Septembers and a January” (1991). The Endless each try to claim Joshua Abraham Norton, the infamous man who declared himself emperor of the United States.

Dream wins because leaders follow their dreams? Because dreaming of power is the only way to attain it, but it also relieves us from Despair, helps us resist Desire, balances Delirium?

Even the Endless –– ideas that rule all –– organize into hierarchy: Despair says Dream wins Norton, but Joshua ultimate-

ly goes with Death at the end of his life.

She seems to be the clear winner to this author: the fear of her, the impossibility of knowing what comes after equalizes despite varying power.

We end with “Ramadan” (1993). Haroun Al Raschid, king of Baghdad, rules the greatest city as the greatest emperor, so he only fears its end. The nature of rulers is to always want, as power invites the thrill of endless chase (or blatant greed).

He wants Baghdad to last in the dreams of his people, and Dream says: Yes, just tell them. Stories of empires, castles, kings and queens last when we recount them.

Power is heavy. Dream carries it without his shoulders dropping, his head disconnecting and rolling to the ground.

So does Gaiman. It’s why we read his stories with the same vigor that could sway dead heads to sing again.

Sadie Leite is a sophomore studying English. Sadie can be reached at sadie.leite@tufts.edu.

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Opinion

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Boston’s new mayor Michelle Wu: A historic win for Boston and progressive politics

by Reya Kumar Opinion Editor

On Nov. 2, Michelle Wu was elected mayor of Boston. This result was predicted — Wu was leading the polls for weeks — but represents a historic achievement for the city of Boston.

The outcome of this election would have been historic regardless of the winner, as both Wu and her opponent, Annissa Essaibi George, are women of color in a city that has only ever elected white men. In fact, all of the top four candidates in the primary election were women of color, illustrating the growing voice of minority populations that make up over 50% of Boston’s populace.

Wu’s election represents the turning over of a new leaf for the city of Boston.

For many, Essaibi George — with her Boston accent, more moderate policies and endorsement from unions and working class individuals — appeared to be an ideal candidate in the form of Marty Walsh and other popular former mayors. The recent election of President Joe Biden made her victory seem more likely. The president’s party nearly always loses seats in the next elections amidst dissatisfaction, with voters reacting to perceived failures and instead supporting more moderate candidates or even the other party — as was seen in the election of Glenn Youngkin as Virginia governor.

But Wu, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s protegé and even further left than Biden, created a constituency of higher-educated liberal and minority voters which overcame the historically moderate labor base and won the election by a landslide. She convinced Boston to believe in the possibility of transformative change.

Wu and Essaibi George agreed on many issues and policies such as the

importance of confronting the epidemics of addiction and homelessness in the city and improving Boston’s public school system. However, on some policies, Wu has taken a more progressive stance that will make drastic changes in Boston as well on the Tufts University campus in Medford/ Somerville.

One policy Wu intends to pursue, which Essaibi George opposed, is rent control. This would cap the annual rise of rents, which could greatly benefit Tufts students attending school at the Fenway or Grafton campuses and those living in Boston. This precedent could also urge the new mayor of Somerville, Katjana Ballantyne, who supports lifting the ban on the rent control, as well as Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn of Medford, to enact rent control policies that prevent housing costs from continuing to skyrocket for Tufts students in the area.

Another one of Wu’s more progressive and transformative policies is her “Green New Deal” for Boston. This plan includes many far-reaching policies, including accelerating decarbonization, expanding clean energy financing, divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in a “climate-just future,” developing a green workforce and promoting food justice policies. A version of Representative Alexandria OcasioCortez and Senator Ed Markey’s national Green New Deal, this plan aims to get to zero emissions by 2040, 10 years before Biden and former Boston mayor Marty Walsh’s goal of 2050. For an issue as global and existential as climate change, this approach will not only improve environmental conditions in and around Boston, but it will also set a precedent for other liberal cities and towns across the country to enact aggressive policies combating climate change at the local level.

Another one of Wu’s promises regarding transportation would directly affect the lives of many Tufts students — her plan to make MBTA transit fare-free. As a member of the city council, Wu has already successfully made bus Route 28 fare-free. As mayor, she intends to extend this program, first to other bus routes and then to the entire Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority system — including the T. With the new T station at Tufts set to be completed in May 2022, Tufts will have even easier access to the Boston area’s public transportation. If Wu succeeds in creating a fare-free system for the MBTA, Tufts students will

be able to take the T into the city at no personal cost.

Michelle Wu has beaten the odds in her election as mayor of Boston.

Her message of greater equitability and progressive change seems to have resonated with many Bostonians as she became the first woman and person of color to be elected to the role. If she enacts the policies on which she campaigned, it will mean sweeping progressive change for Boston and its surrounding communities, including the Tufts campus, and could set precedents for other Democrat-led cities across the country.

As the show went on, mayhem continued to unfold. One fan climbed on stage, begging security to stop the show as the force of the crowd trampled attendees and caused others to collapse and faint.

Another fan described the traumatic experience as “drowning in a pool of people.”

Despite pleas for help and his acknowledgement of an ambulance making its way through the crowd, Travis Scott continued to perform.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, several videos came to light that depicted how other artists have taken responsibility and stopped their shows to make sure audience members were safe, unlike Travis Scott. ASAP Rocky, Lil Pump and Billie Eilish checked in with their fans when it looked like people were in danger, asking if passed-out fans were okay.

Travis Scott should have done the same to ensure safety among the crowd. Some of Scott’s fans have tried to justify his actions, arguing that he didn’t notice the chaos. Ultimately, it’s difficult to believe that Scott had no idea what was occurring, especially given that he could see an ambulance in the midst of the crowd yet still told the crowd to “make the ground shake.”

Madeline Eskins, an ICU nurse who went to all three of the Astroworld festivals, described her experience as madness.

After recovering from fainting, Eskins tried to help others receiving medical support.

Eskins noted how security seemed confused about how to approach the situation, and that there were not enough medical staff and resources available.

Darius Williams, an Astroworld security guard who quit the morning of the concert, reported to his superiors that he saw people planning online to storm the gate and was concerned that he did not receive sufficient training. Many sources also cited how Houston officials were concerned about crowd control even months before the festival started and shared their concerns with Travis Scott in his trailer. These issues should have been addressed before the concert. If they had, Houston officials and festival staff members could have stopped the event or reduced the number of people allowed in.

Destruction and chaos on this scale was undoubtedly instigated by the environment Scott fostered at his shows.

Prior to Astroworld 2021, there have been multiple instances of Scott insinu-

ating violence by encouraging his fans to engage in risky behavior. In 2015, Scott was arrested for encouraging fans to push past security barriers to get closer to the stage. In 2017, an audience member was paralyzed after being pushed off a third-story balcony. One month later, Scott was arrested on account of inciting a riot after encouraging fans to rush onto stage. Astroworld 2021 was not an isolated incident. Scott’s behavior shows a pattern of repeatedly putting his fans’ lives at risk.

Astroworld 2021, like all music festivals, was supposed to be a night for fans to enjoy live music. Instead, a tragedy ensued, and 10 people lost their lives due to negligence and incitement of violence. Travis Scott should not be allowed to perform again. He has illustrated that his priorities lie in promoting chaotic behavior, and not in protecting the well-being of his fans.

Festival organizers must also be held accountable for their lack of preparedness in case of an emergency. Nobody should have to worry about getting severely injured, dying or experiencing immense traumatization after attending a music festival.

BY AVRIL LYNCH

The deadly 2021 Astroworld Festival: Travis Scott should not be allowed to perform again

by Emily Nadler and Idil Kolabas Opinion Editor and Staff Writer

Content warning: This article discusses violence, death and the disturbing details of the 2021 Astroworld Festival.

On Nov. 5, the Astroworld Festival, an annual music festival held by rapper Travis Scott in his hometown of Houston, Texas, quickly turned into an incident of mass fatality. Ten individuals were killed and hundreds were injured as a large crowd pushed toward the stage. While the design of the festival, the lack of staff training and extreme overcrowding were all factors that contributed to this tragedy, the main instigator was Travis Scott himself, who did not stop the show and instead actively encouraged people to continue “raging.”

Videos circulating on social media show different angles of the music festival throughout the day. Even though Travis Scott is known for his hectic concerts, many described this one as being more intense than others. Even hours before Scott came on stage, issues of overcrowding ,along with the uncomfortable ambiance, resulted in fans trying to escape.

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Sports

7 Thursday, November 18, 2021

Volleyball raises regional title, next stop St. Louis

by Steven Landry Staff Writer

In the Gateway City of St. Louis, Mo., preparing for its NCAA “Elite Eight” match, Tufts volleyball (21–5) is putting together a historic season with hopes of extending it even longer. Today, they will face the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (32–3), two wins away from a National Championship appearance. For those who haven’t been following the Jumbos’ riveting run of form, here’s a quick recap: Posting an 8–2 record in NESCAC regular season play, Tufts held the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. After beating Williams in three sets, Tufts dropped the semifinal match to Wesleyan, the team who gave Tufts its first loss of the season earlier this year. With a record of 18–5, the Jumbos received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they played matches against the Eastern University Eagles, SUNY Cortland Red Dragons, and the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays over a span of three days.

In the first round, Tufts took on Eastern, who entered the match at 24–5. A young and energetic team, the Eagles sent out a starting lineup consisting of five first-year players and one sophomore. Despite the lack of tournament experience, Eastern emerged successful out of the gates, stretching the lead to eight points early in the first set. Facing a large deficit early on didn’t unnerve the Jumbos, who have experienced their share of adversity this season.

“We honestly were all so composed on the court, which can be hard to do when you get down by a lot,” junior outside/ opposite hitter Jennelle Yarwood said.

Down 11–3 at one point, the Jumbos narrowed the gap to 12–8. After a few

small service runs and a pinpoint kill off of the tape, junior outside/opposite hitter Maya Lightfoot made it 23–20 in favor of Tufts on her fifth kill of the set. Tufts went on to take this set, as well as the second, where they forced Eastern into nine errors. After prevailing in a back-and-forth third set, Tufts advanced to play Cortland on Saturday.

Deadlocked at three points apiece, the Jumbos unloaded a 21–5 run that was finished off by an ace from sophomore setter Maddie Yu, who after the weekend, leads the team in aces at 36. Although there were more sets to be played, the Jumbos were brimming with a confidence which carried them through the next two sets. Facing Cortland, who went undefeated in conference play, head coach Cora Thompson emphasized having a handle on the speed of the game.

“Our game plan was to go out there and control the tempo, the pace and the energy and I think that’s exactly what we did,” Thompson said after the game.

The Jumbos controlled all three sets and came out on top with help from Yarwood, who led all players with 13 kills.

On Sunday, Tufts matched up against the No. 1 ranked team in the country, Johns Hopkins. Prior to the game, Johns Hopkins had held a 66-game winning streak, breaking the previous NCAA Div. III volleyball record for consecutive wins at 60. Even more impressive, the Blue Jays had not lost a game on their home court since Oct. 27, 2016.

Having beaten Trinity ( Texas) earlier this year, who was ranked third at the time, this Jumbos team would not be overwhelmed.

“We’ve played a lot of good teams this season, they [were] just another good team,” said Yarwood.

COURTESY JHU ATHLETICS

Tufts Volleyball defeated Johns Hopkins 3–1 on Nov. 14 in the NCAA Regional Championship, advancing to the Elite Eight for the third time in program history.

This was not just another game for Yarwood — she led the Jumbos with 12 kills, with senior outside/opposite hitter and co-captain Cate Desler close behind, chipping in 11. Yarwood also had a career-high seven aces against Johns Hopkins, bringing her total to 10 on the weekend. The Jumbos have had success holding serve throughout their run, which can be attributed to their depth at the service line.

“That’s one of the things we take great pride in, not having one good server, but having six, seven, eight great

servers,” Thompson said after defeating Hopkins in four sets. Tufts now has seven players with at least 13 aces on the year.

Thompson will line up with her team against its next opponent, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, this afternoon as the Jumbos will hope to prolong what has already been a season to remember.

“I’m just so proud of this crew,” Thompson said following the regional championship win. “I’m so proud of how hard we’ve worked to stick to our game plan.”

Lauta’s shootout heroics, Daly’s hat trick lead men’s soccer to NCAA Championship Sweet 16

by Ethan Grubelich

Assistant Sports Editor

On Sunday, Tufts men’s soccer hosted the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks in the second round of the NCAA Div. III Men’s Soccer Championship. The Ducks advanced to the second round of the tournament with a 1–0 victory over Swarthmore College at Bello Field the day before.

The Jumbos and Ducks traded blows for both halves — ultimately heading into overtime after a scoreless regulation. The Ducks dominated possession in the first overtime period, while the Jumbos did not register a single shot attempt. In the second overtime period, sophomore defender Max Clivio blocked a powerfully struck volley attempt from the Ducks. In the 107th minute, senior forward Max Jacobs burst into the Ducks’ box with the ball and fired off a left-footed shot, which was saved.

The Jumbos and Ducks headed to a penalty kick shootout after the scoreless tie could not be broken — the Jumbos shot first. The first fold in the drama arrived on the Ducks’ first penalty kick, which was saved by first-year goalkeeper Erik Lauta, who dove to his left to make the save.

The Jumbos and Ducks each made their next three penalty kicks and ulti-

KIANA VALLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts men’s soccer faced New England College in the first round of the NCAA Championship on Nov. 13. mately tied after five penalty kicks each, sending them to sudden death. Tied at nine goals apiece, the penalty kick order turned over to the beginning. Lauta dove

to his left, making a save to keep the Jumbos’ season alive.

“I think it’s just a little more belief for everyone,” Lauta said. “Not just me,

[but also] the takers. The next thing that happened, they’re like, ‘Alright, see MEN'S SOCCER, back

8

THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Thursday, November 18, 2021

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Jumbos beat Stevens 11-10 in penalty kicks to advance MEN'S SOCCER

continued from page 7 this is ours. This is ours now. They had their chance. Now it’s ours.’”

The shootout finally came to an end when Lauta dove to his left to deflect the shot from the Ducks onto the post and away from the goal, sending the Jumbos to the Sweet 16 on an 11–10 penalty shootout victory following the scoreless draw.

“You can’t let your nerves get to you, you have to trust your instincts every time, and even when it’s do-or-die — and you have to make the save — you just have to trust yourself, trust your instincts and just commit to they way you believe it’s going to happen,” Lauta said.

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

A playoff team

A

s New England Patriots fans, we truly do not recognize the magnitude of greatness that this franchise has sustained over the past two decades. Since 2000, the team has been to nine Super Bowls and has six Lombardi Trophies; the Patriots have missed the playoffs only four times in that span and have produced some of the greatest seasons in NFL history. Even with Tom Brady’s upsetting departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots strategically retained most of their core and treated the 2020 season as a retooling year to develop a few young prospects. After drafting quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall in the 2021

The day before, the Jumbos hosted the New England College Pilgrims in the first round of the tournament. The Pilgrims entered the NCAA Championship as New England Collegiate Conference champions after a dominant conference tournament run.

The Jumbos opened the scoring in the 37th minute, when a low cross from senior forward Zach Seigelstein snuck through the Pilgrims’ defense and found senior midfielder Ian Daly at the back post for a tap-in goal. In the first minute of the second half, a long shot from the Pilgrims hit the crossbar and the rebound was put in the back of the net for 1–1.

“We knew we were going to concede goals in this tournament, and it’s better to take them on earlier rather than later,” Daly said. “There’s a lot of senior leadership from Biagio [Paoletta], Calvin [Aroh], and Derek [Enge] down the middle. They brought everyone in, calmed them down, [and] said, ‘We’re good enough to win this game. [Let’s] just find our heads, find our game.’”

In the 52nd minute, a headed ball from Paoletta snuck through the Pilgrims’ defense across the face of goal for Daly’s second tap-in goal of the afternoon. In the 62nd minute, a pass across the face of goal was flicked on by Jacobs to Daly, who fired the ball

to complete his hat trick and push the Jumbos’ lead to 3–1.

“I’m just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time three times,” Daly said. “Something we work on a lot in practice and our finishing drills is [to] be aggressive, be hungry in the box, and there’s a lot of guys on this team … [who] pride [themselves] on being in the right place, being hungry in the box, and it worked out for me today.”

The Jumbos’ 5–1 first round victory over the Pilgrims was sealed off by goals from Jacobs and Seigelstein.

Tufts’ Sweet 16 game will be against Washington College at Bello Field on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m.

NFL Draft, Bill Belichick slowly developed a talented and experienced depth chart. Free agent additions Matt Judon and Hunter Henry excelled in the offseason and only offered more promise for this revamped Patriots team. Now, with seven games remaining in the season, the Patriots sit at 6–4 and one game behind the AFC Eastleading Buffalo Bills.

This recent surge in the standings did not seem evident for this Patriots squad; through the first six weeks the Patriots were 2–4 with wins over the New York Jets and Houston Texans — two teams fighting over the No. 1 overall pick in 2022.

Although it kept pace in its four losses, poor game management and head-scratching mistakes doomed this team in September.

To add more salt onto the wound, the mistakes that the Patriots committed were uncharacteristic and reminded this fanbase of the dreadful 2020 season. The only bright spot from that six-game stretch was

the development of rookie Mac Jones, who seemed to be the perfect fit for this Patriots system.

With various absences to the offensive line and secondary, many Patriots fans lost hope and blamed the coaching staff for the team’s woes. While Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick deserve some of the blame for the slow start, the roster was simply underperforming.

Most players were still adjusting to the playbook, and many veterans were committing horrific mistakes on both sides of the ball.

However, after a “get-right” game against the New York Jets in Week 7, the teachings that the Patriots brass instilled into the roster during the offseason began to appear. The uncharacteristic miscues diminished to a minimum. Mac Jones began to develop solid relationships with the Patriots receivers, and the secondary started to suffocate opposing quarter-

backs. After arguably their best game of the season against the Cleveland Browns, the Patriots have an 82.8% chance to make the playoffs.

Unlike the 2020 Patriots, this roster does not need to be perfect to squeak out victories. Mac Jones has had his fair share of his “Welcome to the NFL” moments, but he does the little things to keep this team afloat. With an upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons, the 2021 Patriots have solidified themselves as a playoff contender. It’s foolish to consider the possibility that this team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy come February, but the thought isn’t out of the question. This team is rolling on all sides of the football right now. If the Patriots can continue their hot streak for the next two months, never say never.

Matt Goguen is a junior studying biopsychology. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.