The Tufts Daily - Friday, April 16, 2021

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VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 44

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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Friday, April 16, 2021

Somerville to implement body cameras for police after years of negotiations

ALEXANDER THOMPSON / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

A Somerville Police Department patrol car is pictured outside SPD headquarters on Jan. 31.

by Peri Barest

Assistant News Editor

The City of Somerville reached a collective bargaining agreement with the Somerville Police Employees Association on March 17 after several years of negotiations. The agreement

included the implementation of body-worn cameras for Somerville police.

Meghann Ackerman, deputy director of communications for the City of Somerville, said that the body cameras will help increase transparency and trust between the Somerville

Police Department and the community.

“Body cameras are a critical tool for increasing transparency and accountability in policing,” Ackerman wrote in an email to the Daily. “While no one reform alone will achieve our goals to re-envision policing in our com-

munity, body cameras are an important step forward as we continue to build on our police force’s deep commitment to transparent, procedurally just, and compassionate community policing.”

Ward 5 City Councilor Mark Niedergang said that body cameras will make both civilians and police officers more accountable for their actions.

“They make it clear to police officers that whatever they do will be visible afterwards,” Niedergang said. “It provides a record, so that if there is a complaint, there can be more evidence in the investigation to determine whether the complaint is justified or not.”

Somerville’s Interim Police Chief Charles Femino shared his thoughts in a press release.

“The police administration’s hope is that this technology will enhance mutual respect and trust between our officers and the community while providing greater transparency into police operations,” Femino said. “There is good evidence that body cameras can reduce the potential for

police misconduct or excessive use of force while also reducing false accusations of police abuse, all of which supports public safety and procedural justice.”

According to Niedergang, the agreement came after more than five years of negotiations between the city and the Somerville Police Employees Association, one of two police unions in the city.

While the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association stated publicly that they would be willing to accept body cameras, it was important to reach the agreement with the Somerville Police Employees Association because it represents patrol officers who make up a larger percentage of the police force and spend more time on the streets, Niedergang said.

The Joint Labor-Management Committee assumed jurisdiction over the contract negotiations at the end of 2019, Ackerman said. After several mediation sessions through the Joint LaborManagement Committee process, city and Somerville Police see POLICING, page 2

ORLL changes housing arrangements for 2021–22 academic year, rising sophomores scramble

by Zoe Kava

Assistant News Editor

The Office of Residential Life and Learning recently introduced changes to underclassmen housing assignments for the 2021–22 academic year.

West Hall, which has previously served as sophomore housing, will now be used to house incoming first-years, and Carpenter House, which housed first-years, will now house sophomores.

Angy Sosa, associate director for residential operations, said that West Hall was chosen to be converted to first-year housing because of its proximity to other first-year dorms.

“West Hall is a great set up for first year students given the housing designations and its proximity to other first year communities uphill,” Sosa wrote in an email to the Daily.

Josh Hartman, director of residential life and learning, said that using West Hall as a first-year dorm will ensure there is enough housing for the incoming class.

“Throughout the pandemic, Residential Life has adapted to

changing demand, numbers and restrictions, and we continue to adjust as we deal with fall planning,” Hartman wrote in an email to the Daily. “Using West Hall in this way will enable us to accommodate our incoming [first-years].”

Hartman said that Carpenter House, which served as firstyear housing this year, will be sophomore housing during the 2021–22 academic year.

“Carpenter House will be returning to its previously designated space as sophomore housing, which offers more double options for our students,” Hartman said in an email to the Daily. “The few groups who were not approved for doubles this year have since been approved.”

Hartman explained that the Office of Residential Life and Learning has had to adapt to changing demand for housing, despite not knowing the size of the incoming first-year class.

“It’s too soon to know the exact size of the incoming class … those numbers will become apparent over the next few months as we learn about the plans of admitted students and

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

West Hall will serve as a first-year residence during the 2021–22 academic those who deferred enrollment minute that it was no longer last year,” Hartman said. available for rising sophomores.

As a result of these changes, Kami Lou Harris, a first-year, many rising sophomores faced explained her experience with difficulties during the housing the housing selection process. selection process. Rising sopho- She had planned to apply for mores who had planned to apply a quad in West Hall with three for a quad in West Hall were others but was notified the day forced to shift their plans when of group formation that West the Office of Residential Life and Hall would no longer be availLearning announced at the last able to rising sophomores.

year.

The Office of Residential Life and Learning’s decision to make this change was publicized to students in an email, which was sent just hours before group formation was supposed to occur, at 8 p.m. Harris detailed stress and drama in terms of having to rearrange numbers and reform

ARTS / page 4

FEATURES / page 3

SPORTS / back

How Amanda Gorman touched the nation with her words

Students organize, present at inaugural Undergraduate Spanish Conference

Jumbos dominate, show potential in opening men’s tennis match

see HOUSING, 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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SPORTS

BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, April 16, 2021

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Changes in Somerville Police Department meant to increase transparency, accountability POLICING

continued from page 1 Department resources needed to be diverted to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the parties took a hiatus from mediation sessions from March 2020 until October 2020; mediation sessions resumed last fall.

“It’s not uncommon for public safety unions and cities or towns to be in negotiations for many years,” Niedergang said. “State agencies can also be involved in this, and it can take a long time to get before these state agencies because there’s … 350 cities and towns in the Commonwealth.”

Although the City did not share information about why the Somerville Police Employees Association agreed to body cameras in this round of negotiations, Niedergang said he believes that the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests last year catalyzed the negotiations process.

“I definitely think that what happened with the killing of George Floyd, the protests here, the public mobilization around ‘Defund the Somerville Police Department’ and re-imagining

policing had an effect on this,” he said.

On June 3, 2020, Somerville declared systemic racism a public safety and health emergency. Mayor Joseph Curtatone also announced a civilian oversight of the Somerville Police Department Committee as well as changes to the process for handling police misconduct cases in accordance with a 10-point plan released by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and other Massachusetts officials of color.

Eight days later, City Council President and Ward 1 Councilor Matt McLaughlin; Councilors At Large Wilfred Mbah, Mary Jo Rossetti, Kristen Strezo and William White Jr.; Niedergang and Curtatone co-introduced a joint resolution in support of body cameras for sworn officers.

Nierdergang said he noticed a major shift in the union’s behavior following the Black Lives Matter protests, particularly in comparison to a Somerville Police Employees Association demonstration against Curtatone putting up a Black Lives Matter banner in front of City Hall a few years ago.

“About a month after the killing of George Floyd, the city council received a letter from the then-president of the SPEA … basically saying that their union understood that police officers sometimes do bad things, that they want to be a good partner with the City and that they look forward to working together with the Mayor and the City Council,” Niedergang said. “This was unlike any communication that I’ve seen from this union before, so it was clear that they realized, first, something terrible happened and maybe these terrible things happen more often than we realize, and second, they realize that a lot of people are really mad and upset about this, and jobs in the police department and police funding could be at risk.”

The final step in approving the agreement is for the City Council to vote to fund the settlement.

Ackerman said that the City is preparing to submit the appropriate request to the City Council as soon as possible. The City plans to use a procurement process to assess the hardware, software and training costs of body cameras

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and the funding request will be in addition to the City’s budget for the 2021 fiscal year.

According to Ackerman, only a handful of other municipalities in Massachusetts have fully implemented body cameras in their police departments.

“Since the City’s announcement on this point, there has been great interest by other municipalities in the Somerville agreement with [Somerville Police Employees Association],” Ackerman said. “We hope that this settlement provides other communities with helpful information as they embark on their own efforts to implement this important technology in police departments throughout the region.”

Niedergang said that he is excited by this first step toward police reform in the City, but there is still much more work to do to increase accountability and community engagement between the police department and the community.

“This is an important step, but I would characterize it as a tiny first step,” Niedergang said. “This is really just the beginning.”

Sophomores feel they are going into general selection ‘blind’

HOUSING

continued from page 1 groups and emphasized her frustration at the situation.

“They shouldn’t have to turn sophomore housing into [first-year] housing,” Harris said. “The only thing that irritated me was that they did this so last minute … they should have told us this sooner.”

Without West, students who had planned to live in the building’s quads had to select other options. This created a domino effect, causing other rising sophomores to be rejected for triples or doubles.

This was the case for firstyear Julie Katz.

“I ended up applying for a triple with my lottery number, 3224, being the best [of my group],” Katz wrote in an email to the Daily. “Around 10:00 we finally received an email saying we did not get the triple and all of us [were] in general selection.”

Rising sophomores were assigned lottery numbers from 2500 to 5000.

Katz said that West Hall being converted to first-year housing limited the housing options for rising sophomores.

“I feel like my housing situation and many others got messed up because of the last

minute pull of West,” she said.

“I feel like many people who were going for the four person suites then changed to 6 person, triples or doubles making the competition for those rooms a lot harder.”

Sosa added that, because Carpenter House will now be used for sophomore housing, students who were initially rejected for doubles will now qualify.

“Adding in Carpenter house will allow for those double groups to qualify,” Sosa said.

However, students who were put into general selection are still struggling.

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“I basically am going into general selection blind,” Katz said.

“I have no clue what is available and won’t know until ‘late in the evening of April 8, 2021.’ I don’t know when my timeslot is, how long it is, or what is available to me. I could be buildings away from my friends or we could try to hopefully fill a room together in general or just try to get in the same building. The odds are slim because our lottery numbers are not close to each other. I could basically be living anywhere with anyone at the moment. I can’t plan anything because I have no clue what I’m in store for.”

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Features

3 Friday, April 16, 2021

First-ever Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference offers space for students to present original research

by Delaney Clarke Contributing Writer

The inaugural Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference was held on April 10 over Zoom. The conference featured student presenters from Spanish 22 and above.

Typically, there are limited chances for undergraduate students studying a foreign language to present original research in a conference-style format, and with COVID-19 preventing large groups from meeting in person, such opportunities have been more scarce than ever. Last Saturday’s conference presented a unique opportunity for students and professors to come together to reflect on and rejoice in the topics that students have been learning in their Spanish classes throughout the year.

The conference was organized by senior Alex Martin, fall 2020 graduate Emilia Charno and junior Hannah San Sebastian, with the help of Spanish department Lecturer Patricia Smith and Senior Lecturer Kathleen Pollakowski.

During the fall of 2018, Martin, Charno and San Sebastian were encouraged

by Smith to participate in the Worcester World Languages Undergraduate Conference at Worcester State University. At the conference, the three students presented projects that they developed during their Spanish 22 course on the Spanish Civil War. By the train ride home from the conference, the three students were already thinking of ways to bring a conference of this kind to Tufts.

“It was really great to have the opportunity in a humanities subject … to have the same premium put on presenting original research or original investigations to your peers,” Charno said.

From the spring of 2019 onwards, Martin, Charno and San Sebastian began to consider what a foreign language conference might look like at Tufts.

By late spring of 2020, the three students began meeting regularly with professors Smith and Pollakowski over Zoom, which is when they started to truly formulate their vision for the conference. The group solidified the final details and recruited guest speakers and presenters for what would become the Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference.

The format of the Tufts conference was inspired by the Worcester World Languages Undergraduate Conference in that undergraduate students presented original research in front of a live audience.

However, differing from the Worcester State conference,

SOPHIE DOLAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students presented at the inaugural Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference that showcase foreign language study and intellectual curiosity among the Tufts student body.

Saturday’s conference was completely virtual due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Martin acknowledged that adapting a large, in-person conference to a virtual format was a challenge, but it also had its benefits.

“I do think there are things that have been made slightly easier by the virtual format,” Martin said. “We don’t worry as much about finding a physical location that can accommodate everyone, we don’t need to worry about how our guest speakers are going to get to the conference for the day.”

Both Charno and Martin also explained that presenters, who were all Tufts students, were comfortable with presenting in a virtual format given their experience using the platform in virtual academic courses.

The conference featured one main Zoom room and presenters took turns sharing their screens in order to present their projects.

There were 26 students who presented at the conference. The presenters spoke in Spanish about work that they developed in one of Tufts’ upper-level Spanish courses or research that they conducted with a professor. Each presentation was related to one of the conference’s five panels, covering topics such as medieval and Golden Age literature, modern literature, historical memory, health and creative videos.

In addition to organizing the event, Martin, Charno and San Sebastian also presented their own work at the conference.

Martin and San Sebastian’s presentations were a part of the panel on modern literature. San Sebastian’s presentation was titled, “La expansión de la literatura canónica puertorriqueña,” or “The expansion of Puerto Rican canonical literature.”

Martin delivered a presentation titled, “Revelar la propaganda franquista: Surcos y

La Colmena,” during which he spoke about an essay he wrote that discussed the film “Surcos” (1951) and the novel “La Colmena” (1943), exploring how these works sought to deconstruct the propaganda present during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in post-Civil War Spain.

Charno presented independent research she conducted with her major advisor on the health burden of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities within Peru. Her presentation, titled “El impacto de la COVID-19 en comunidades indígenas en Perú,” discussed the history of healthcare for Peruvian Indigenous communities, as well as what factors contributed to disproportionate burden during the COVID19 pandemic.

Following each student presentation was a discussion of the student’s work, during which the panel’s designated moderator helped to guide conversation by asking leading questions. Smith moderated the panel on historical memory, and Pollakowski moderated the panel on modern literature.

Smith outlined some of the talking points that moderators used to spur discussion. For example, a moderator may ask students about why they chose their topic or their research process.

In addition to student presentations, the conference featured two guest speakers. The first guest speaker was Celeste Kostopulos-Cooperman, Ph.D., professor emerita of Spanish and Latin American Studies at Suffolk University, who gave a presentation titled, “La traducción: un intercambio cultural,” which covered the impact of translation and cultural exchange.

The second guest speaker was Pedro Palou, Ph.D., who is the chair of the Department of Romance Studies at Tufts

University. Palou delivered a presentation titled, “Las fotografías de Juan Rulfo,” which explored the photographs of Juan Rulfo, a Mexican writer, screenwriter and photographer.

Charno discussed what impact she hoped that presenting original work and listening to the other presenter’s research projects had on students.

“I hope that people feel more comfortable presenting their research in Spanish,” Charno said. “I know that the level of instruction at Tufts is really high, but this feels like a very unique opportunity for students to be able to gain … confidence in public speaking [and], particularly, confidence in presenting their own work and doing it in a language that might not be their first … On more of a pandemic note, these days I find all the more comfort and happiness in things that bring people together.”

Martin agreed with Charno, adding, “I hope that [the conference] sparks a real passion for [students] and that it shows them some of the possibilities of what you can do with another language.”

He also explained how attending the Worcester Foreign Languages Conference as a sophomore had a major impact on his academic journey at Tufts.

“The conference at Worcester was actually what pushed me to choose a double major in Spanish,” Martin said. “It was that experience and being able to share my own research and feeling like there’s an academic community in which I can engage in this passion of mine.”

Professor Smith explained that she believes conferences of this kind give students skills that are not only important for the study of the Spanish language, but any field of study. “[The students] felt [the conference in Worcester]

gave them more confidence,” Smith said. “Hopefully [the Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference] will do the same thing for the students who are participating [and give them] the assurance that ‘yes, I can go on and do this,’ not just in Spanish, but in whatever field they pursue.”

In addition to being a valuable experience for students, Pollakowski added that conferences of this kind are equally rewarding for professors, as she herself always feels very proud to see students’ hard work pay off.

Looking forward, Charno and Martin expressed that the Tufts Undergraduate Spanish Language Conference is an event they hope will continue in future years.

“We are leaving a framework and tools so that future people and future generations of students will be able to carry on this tradition,” Charno said.

Part of this framework is that the conference has its own website. Charno hopes the site will act as an “information hub,” and will include recorded sessions of the presentations, as well as opportunities for future engagement with the conference.

Martin explained that the group hopes the conference will include other languages and students from other universities in the coming years.

“One thing that I loved about the Worcester conference, that we debated doing for our own conference, although ultimately with COVID we just decided it was easier to limit it [to Tufts students], was to have some exposure to students from other universities who are also Spanish majors and also students who were taking Portuguese or French or German or Russian,” Martin said. “I think that in the future, especially if it’s in person, that is something that we would like to do.”

Charno agreed with Martin and is optimistic about the future of the conference.

“We fully expect and hope for [the conference] to evolve to involve different schools and different languages,” she said. “It’s really cool what can happen when people come together, or rally [around] things that they’re excited about, and I just know that there’s such enthusiasm for language studies at Tufts, and rightfully so, because the professors are really wonderful and so are the curricula. We are quite happy with how [the conference] is coming together and really look forward to where it will go in the future.”

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Friday, April 16, 2021

Amanda Gorman shines light on America’s future with ‘The Hill We Climb’

by Sadie Leite

Assistant Arts Editor

Amanda Gorman’s recitation of her poem “The Hill We Climb” (2021) at the U.S. presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 marked her as a powerful figure. She became the youngest poet ever, at age 22, to read at a presidential inauguration. In addition to her literary work, Gorman is also an activist.

Gorman’s poem is now published in a book with a forward written by Oprah Winfrey. It was released on Mar. 30. The book is blanketed in a yellow cover, harkening back to Gorman’s emphatic, yellow coat worn at the inauguration. Between the covers, her poem reads with enormous power. The poem identifies the historical problems of America and hopes for a better future.

According to Gorman, the commemorative version of her poem in this new book form provides a different way for people to appreciate her words and their meaning. In addition to this book, Gorman is working on other publications. “Change Sings,” a picture book featuring Gorman’s poems and bestselling illustrator Loren Long’s images, will be released on Sep. 21. “The

Jessica Blough and Alex Viveros Soundtrack to the End of the World

The best storytellers in hip-hop

T

his week on “Soundtrack,” Alex Viveros takes us along for a late-night solo stroll, headphones in, world blocked out, his mind on narratives set to hip-hop.

When Jess asked me to write for this column this week, I realized something that I hadn’t before; a large number of my friends, even those I’ve been tight with for a

Hill We Climb and Other Poems” will also be published on Sep. 21 with additional Gorman poems.

In “The Hill We Climb,” Winfrey’s forward frames Gorman’s poem with awe. She begins by highlighting Gorman’s rarity, saying that, “these moments of incandescence, where the welter of pain and suffering gives way to hope,” do not come very often.

In addition to her coming books, Gorman’s compelling Super Bowl LV poem, “Chorus of the Captains” (2021), and her forthcoming appearance on the cover of Vogue’s May edition demonstrate Gorman’s clear impact. “The Hill We Climb” launched Gorman’s fame and revealed her tremendous insights into the world.

“The Hill We Climb” starts with simple images. “Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?/ The loss we carry, a sea we must wade,” it reads.

She continues to use symbols to paint meaningful metaphors. As a result, she encourages a hopeful American future despite the struggles described throughout the poem.

Her line “We seek harm to none” is powerful given America’s current political climate, and it was especially impactful on

Inauguration Day because of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

This violation of America’s tenets — democracy, peace and freedom from oppression — were skewed by the blatant violence.

Gorman’s words, though, promise peace.

In the lines, “The hill we climb/ if only we dare/ It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into/ and how we repair it,” the poem’s title is revealed. Gorman continues, referencing Lin Manuel

Miranda’s extolled “Hamilton” (2015) with her line, “History has its eyes on us.” Both these lines in her poem recognize that America’s past must be remembered and reconciled with in order to create a better future for all.

Gorman also addresses the new generation of Americans with the lines, “We did not feel prepared to be the heirs/ of such a terrifying hour/ but within it we’ve found the power/ to author a new chapter.” Her faith in the younger genera-

tions is reassuring. Although there are many conflicts to tackle, Gorman believes a peaceful future is possible. This peace is shrouded in a yellow glow, lifted by literary genius. The end of the poem emphasizes this promise: “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it/ If only we’re brave enough to be it,” it reads.

“The Hill We Climb” is available for purchase at any local bookstore or online platform for the courageous and driven.

lot of my college life, don’t know what my music taste is.

The truth is, I usually keep my favorite songs private because I think they’re best appreciated in moments alone. I like to reserve my music for late-night walks back home from the Daily office, or long nighttime drives in California.

The best part of hip-hop is its ability to tell a story. My favorite songs are the ones that you can play over and over and still find new meanings, so I encourage you to give these ones a shot.

“Devil in a New Dress” (2010) and “Runaway” (2010)

by Kanye West The 2010 album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is, objectively, one of the best albums to be released in the 21st century. Kanye’s influence in hip-hop is unmatched; love

him or hate him, it’s undeniable that he’s shaped the vision of many industry leaders today.

“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is Kanye at his best, mainly because the whole album feels larger than life. While it’s hard to pin down the best songs on the album, I think that these two hit the hardest. They’re honest and vulnerable in a way that you can’t help but appreciate coming from Yeezy, a self-proclaimed “douchebag.”

In “Devil in a New Dress,” Kanye makes use of an epic sample to tell the story of a dying relationship. The vocal backtrack — a tuned-up version of Smokey Robinson’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” (1973) — is unforgettable, and Rick Ross’ verse is some of his best work.

“Runaway” is, to this day, Kanye’s masterpiece. The soft

piano opening is quiet, simple and unexpectedly iconic in a song dedicated to the “assholes” of the world. The real kicker, however, comes at the end when Ye transforms a human voice into its own guitar solo in an instrumental that helped him win “Best Rap Album” at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

“Duckworth.” (2017) by Kendrick Lamar This song made me cry. In his closer to the critically-acclaimed “Damn.” (2017), Kendrick tells the story of Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, who signed Kendrick at 16 years old to a record label.

“Duckworth.” is a song about choices, and the ripple effects that they can have on the lives of others. It’s a master class in storytelling, and hits home when you realize that

the world may have been very close to losing one of its best rappers in Kendrick Lamar.

As Kendrick puts it: “Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?/ Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin’ life/ While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight.”

Honorable mentions “Oldie” (2012) by Odd Future “The Night Me and Your Mama Met” (2016) by Childish Gambino “Super Rich Kids” (2012) by Frank Ocean

Jessica Blough is a senior studying international relations. Jessica can be reached at jessica.blough@ tufts.edu. Alex Viveros is a junior studying biology and community health. Alex can be reached at alejandro.viveros@tufts.edu.

COURTESY NAVY PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS CARLOS M. VAZQUEZ II / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Amanda Gorman recited her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20.

A&P

Friday, April 16, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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In ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version),’ Swift redefines her true ‘Love Story’

by Jessica Blough Investigative Editor

“Fearless” (2008) is best described by Swift herself: “an album full of magic and curiosity, the bliss and devastation of youth.” Released just as Swift’s career was about to take off, the album possesses all the hope and anxiety of knowing something huge is about to happen, whether that be a first love, first breakup or first massive success. Swift’s sophomore album and first to win her the Grammy for album of the year, “Fearless” (2008) brought us some of Swift’s staples such as “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” and became a roadmap for a generation of teenage girls exploring these firsts.

So “Fearless ( Taylor’s Version)” (2021) is an appropriate starting point for Swift’s journey to re-record her first six albums. She’s jumping “head first, fearless” into a creative project that she’s been hinting at for years, since she failed to secure ownership of her master recordings in 2018. There’s an unmistakable parallel between the breakups Swift mourned in 2008 and her breakup with her first record label, Big Machine Records. Swift, who signed her first record deal when she was 15 years old, lost her shot at ownership of her first six albums in 2018 when she rejected unfavorable conditions to re-sign with Big Machine and signed a new contract with Universal Music Group. So the re-records are not just a creative project but also an opportunity for Swift to regain full ownership of the first twothirds of her discography.

The lyrics and musical arrangements of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and the original “Fearless” are essentially identical — Swift brought back many of the musicians who played on the 2008 album. Like 13 years ago, Swift teeters the line between country and pop, except now instead of experimenting, she’s recreating her own journey between the genres.

VIA TAYLOR SWIFT

The cover of Taylor Swift’s album “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is pictured.

It can be unsettling to hear a thirty-something year old singing a song designed for teenagers. Swift sometimes struggles to recreate the strong emotions in her original recordings — she was still pretty pissed at Joe Jonas when she called him a “scared little boy” in “Forever & Always,” but she’s thirteen years separated in “Forever & Always (Taylor’s Version).” Her range has changed, as has her country accent.

But in the songs where Swift sounded old for her age in 2008 — confronting the end of a relationship on “White Horse (Taylor’s Version)” and standing up for herself on “You’re Not Sorry (Taylor’s Version)” — she has a new confidence, one that lends itself to such ballads. In songs that dare to dream of mov-

ing on and healing, she is convincing and self-assured.

The re-recorded songs that succeed the most are the ones where you can almost hear Swift comforting and honoring her younger self. “Fifteen (Taylor’s Version)” has aged remarkably well considering it was written about high school by a high schooler. “But in your life you’ll do things greater than/ dating the boy on the football team,” Swift, who now has three Grammys for album of the year, sings to her naïve, Grammyless self. “The Best Day (Taylor’s Version)” is a timeless tribute to the relationship between a girl and her mom as she grows up. I went to a concert with my mom around Mother’s Day after my first year of college, and Swift played “The Best Day.” We both cried. “Change (Taylor’s Version),” which borders

on pop rock, is so optimistic that it could only be written by a teenager with no understanding of the American political system. But re-recorded in 2021, it’s an anthem about loyalty, perseverance and Swift’s eventual success in claiming ownership of her work.

The inclusion of songs “From The Vault” is its own reclaiming of the album; Swift stated that many of her vault songs were kept off the original album by Big Machine in 2008 for being too downbeat or focusing too much on breakups. Adding them in is undoubtedly a move to increase the value of the re-recordings over the originals, but it’s also a subtle statement on controlling her own voice and storytelling.

The highlight of the vault songs is the petty, scathing “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version)

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(From The Vault).” In under five minutes, Swift hurls sarcastic insults at an ex-boyfriend whose crime is getting over her too easily.

“And I never got past what you put me through,” Swift sings over a jingle crafted for the Radio Disney days, “But it’s wonderful to see that it never fazed you.” The sweet “You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” and Jack Antonoffproduced “Don’t You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” round out the album, adding a sad kind of vulnerability. The other three vault tracks, while youthful and reminiscent of “the old Taylor,” are forgettable and were wisely left off the 2008 album.

“Fearless,” in its 2008 version and its 2021 version, is an album about the inevitable heartbreak of growing up, about all the phases of realizing that love really does suck sometimes. Every time Swift dreams of perfect dates and Romeos dropping to one knee, she throws in a biting verse about bad attitude and broken promises. The most whimsical part of this teenage album is that, amid all the fairytale shattering, Swift still comes out optimistic and forward-looking. The greatest moment of triumph on the album doesn’t come from a newly released track, or even the anthemic “Change (Taylor’s Version).” Instead, it’s a re-record of the first truly devastating song that Swift ever released, “White Horse (Taylor’s Version).” In a rare, tiny lyric change, Swift sings, “I’m not your princess, this ain’t our fairytale/ I’m gonna find someone someday/ Who might actually treat me well,” replacing “a fairytale” in the original recording with “our fairytale.”

She built her whole discography expertly on this search for someone. She built an entire career on writing, rewriting and revisiting her “love story.”

As a final middle finger to Big Machine Records after a year of record success, Swift croons, “It’s too late for you and your white horse to catch me now.”

6

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Thursday’s Solutions

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Opinion

7 Friday, April 16, 2021

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American lives should come before our Second Amendment rights

by Reya Kumar Staff Writer

Content warning: This article discusses suicide, gun violence and domestic violence.

Gun homicides take the lives of too many Americans each year. On April 8, President Joe Biden called gun violence in America an “epidemic and an international embarrassment.” This statement was released following several mass shootings, with eight dead in Atlanta, Ga., 10 dead in Boulder, Colo. and four dead in Orange, Calif., among others. Mass shootings and school shootings have been capturing the nation’s attention and horror for years, yet little has changed. These public incidents are only the tip of the iceberg. Approximately 36% of gun deaths are homicides, 61% are suicides, 1.3% are accidents and 1.4% are police shootings.

Mass shootings, while horrific and tragic, are the visible symptoms of a much larger problem, representing about 0.2% of gun deaths.

America’s gun homicide rate is 25 times those of other high-income countries; about 58% of American adults have been touched by gun violence, either directly or through someone they love. Gun access also heightens the threat to women who face domestic violence.

Approximately 4.5 million American women alive today have been threatened with a gun by a partner, and women in the U.S. are approximately 21 times more likely to be killed with a gun than women in other high income countries.

Additionally, gun violence disproportionately affects low income and Black communities.

The leading cause of death for Black teenagers and children in America is gun violence. An unarmed Black man is also five

BY SAM FARBMAN

times more likely to be shot and killed by police than an unarmed white man, underscoring how gun violence intersects with systemic racism.

However, the majority of gun deaths do not stem from someone turning a gun on someone else. As noted, 61% of gun deaths are suicides, and 51% of suicides involve a gun.

Research shows that, contrary to common media narratives, suicides are very rarely carefully planned, and are most often attempted on impulse.

Because of this, many people who survive a suicide attempt and receive help afterwards will not end up dying by suicide.

However, a gunshot is much harder to survive than many other types of attempts. The risk of death by suicide becomes three times more likely when an individual has access to a

gun, which explains, in part, why the United States also has the highest suicide rate among high-income countries.

Gun violence is endemic in America, warranting Biden’s description of it as a “national embarrassment.” Research has shown that the high rates of mass shootings and homicide in America are not reflective of a more violent society. We don’t have higher rates of crime, violence or mental health struggles; guns make these incidents more deadly. Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, instituted strict gun control laws after experiencing mass shootings, and currently have far lower homicide rates than we do. Despite common claims that ownership of firearms protects us, these numerous precedents show that countries are, in fact,

safer when people have lower levels of access to firearms. We have experienced innumerable mass shootings, including many at schools. We have watched children die. And yet, we have made few changes. Our societal belief in our right to own guns to maintain our safety has blinded us to the cost.

Biden has announced several measures his administration is taking to address this problem.

These actions include investing in evidence-based community violence interventions, curbing the spread of “ghost guns,” or easily assembled kits with gun components that do not have serial numbers and cannot be traced, and promoting the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. The Justice Department will also be publishing model “red flag” legislation for states, which would allow law enforcement or fami-

ly members to petition for court orders temporarily preventing people who represent a danger to themselves or others from accessing firearms. Realistically, however, the Biden administration cannot change much without Congress and state legislatures. Though the National Rifle Association’s influence has weakened due to its recent legal and financial issues, gun legislation would still require a 60-vote majority in the Senate, which seems unattainable in the evenly split chamber. Guns are a partisan issue, but they shouldn’t be; they affect Americans of all political affiliations and identities.

We must make it clear to our representatives in Congress and our state legislatures that this issue is important, and that we must enact change now.

Many legislators repeatedly send prayers and share poignant rhetoric, but do nothing to address the issue. Even as some lawmakers and lobbyists attempt to deflect blame and frame gun violence as a series of isolated, individual tragedies, we must remember that the problem is an institutional one. The Giffords Law Center rates the following ten states as having the worst gun death rates: South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and Alaska. However, gun violence pervades our entire country; many higher-ranked states still witness startling gun death rates and require significant legislative reforms. We must urge our representatives to support gun control legislation and protect the lives of their constituents. America’s obsession with guns has taken and continues to take far too many lives. Let’s put the lives of Americans first.

Reya Kumar is a first-year studying psychology and history. Reya can be reached at Reya.Kumar@tufts.edu.

8

THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Friday, April 16, 2021

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Tufts made the right decision in shutting down its Confucius Institute

by Faye Thijssen Opinion Editor

Tufts announced on March 17 that it would join the group of 75 universities that have decided to close their Confucius Institutes.

After years of criticism and controversy surrounding the institutes, this long-awaited announcement came about in light of a series of protests from students and members of the community.

The Confucius Institute at Tufts University (CITU) program was originally established in 2015 “to provide support for supplemental, not-for-credit Chinese language and culture instruction and programming, and to facilitate educational and cultural exchange and cooperation between Tufts and Beijing Normal University (BNU),” according to the announcement from the Tufts Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President. In 2019, Tufts made the controversial decision to renew the agreement for two more years. This decision disregarded the many complaints from students and community members alike who argued that

the ostensible motivation for the establishment and maintenance of the CITU misrepresented the true implications of the institute.

For the past 13 weeks, students, organizers from the Tibetan Association of Boston and Students for a Free Tibet, and other members of the Uighur and Hong Kong communities have held protests against the continuation of the CITU program, according to a Tufts Daily article.

The Confucius Institute, which is funded, organized and supported by the Chinese Communist Party, has become a topic of controversy in light of various documented human rights abuses in China. The partnership of academic institutions with the Chinese Communist Party’s Confucius Institutes not only allows a space and platform for the party’s propaganda, but also implies support or, at best, naivete towards the climate of human rights abuses in China.

Yangchen T. Nangpa, a public defender and community organizer in Boston, who has contributed to the efforts to shut down the CITU program as well as the Confucius Institute at University of Massachusetts Boston,

explained the implications of the Confucius Institute for communities affected by the actions of the Chinese Communist Party.

“For many Tibetan Americans like myself whose parents or grandparents have fled Tibet due to Chinese occupation, it is extremely distressing and traumatizing to see American schools partnering with a regime that has ruthlessly committed genocide on our people and our culture,” Nangpa said.

Like Nangpa, many critics of the Confucius Institutes cite the association with the Chinese Communist Party as an implication of support or ambivalence towards the violent actions of the Chinese government. This implicit message invalidates the atrocities which many communities have faced at the hands of the party. Additionally, it is especially important for academic institutions to create spaces in which students can not only learn about Chinese language and culture, but can do so in a manner that still allows for critical evaluation of governmental entities.

Prior to the decision to renew the CITU program in

2019, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton stated, “The Chinese government has been clear in its goal and purpose for creating and expanding Confucius Institutes throughout the country, namely to distort academic discourse on China, threaten and silence defenders of human rights, and create a climate intolerant of dissent or open discussion.”

Moulton’s argument brings up the important point that it is the duty of academic institutions like Tufts to facilitate critical thinking and encourage the formation of nuanced perspectives with regards to organizations we are involved in.

In light of recent increases in anti-Asian violence and incidents of racism throughout the country, some people fear that criticism of the Confucius Institutes will further exacerbate the issue.

However, it is important to recognize that this movement specifically criticizes the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement while maintaining the importance of education about Chinese language and culture. Nangpa argues that “these colleges and universities [can] teach Chinese

language and culture without being answerable to the Chinese government … They must know that Chinese language and culture can be taught without partnering with a regime that continues to kill, torture, and arrest people for simply speaking up.”

In the decision to close the institute, the university stated that it “remain[s] committed to international engagement with our partners and are enthused by increased student interest in Chinese language and culture.”

This modified agreement fulfills the goal of teaching Chinese language and culture to Tufts students while simultaneously respecting the concerns voiced by those opposed to the CITU. Tufts’ decision to close the Confucius Institute while maintaining programs with Beijing Normal University represents another hopeful example for other universities to encourage complete and unbiased education of Chinese language and culture.

Faye Thijssen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Faye can be reached at faye.thijssen@tufts.edu.

S

Friday, April 16, 2021 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

9

Updates from the Champions League UEFA

continued from page 10 The replay of last season’s final, this game was nothing short of extraordinary. Although PSG emerged 3–2 victors, it was Bayern who dominated the game, controlling 64% of ball possession and recording an astounding 31 attempts on goal with 12 on target. The absence of star striker Robert Lewandowski proved to be fatal as the current champions of Europe failed to convert several big chances.

The spotlight, however, was once again on Kylian Mbappe, who is making such performances on the big stage a habit. The 22-year-old Frenchman bagged a brace, continuing where he left off against FC Barcelona in the previous round. Neymar was also back at his best, providing two vital assists and often dictating the pace of the game.

Second Leg Scoreline: PSG* 0–1 Bayern

Aiden Herrod The Fast Break

Injuries to consider for the playoffs

L

ike it or not, injuries play a major role in the power balance of the NBA. The super teams of the league know this well. The Lakers and Nets have kept their superstars off the court more often than on it, nursing their injuries to ensure full health by the playoffs. In this COVID-compressed season, injuries have been even more impactful than usual as players take on more games with less rest, a combo that can often lead to devastating outcomes. With that in mind, I’ve highlighted a few of the most impactful recent injury situ-

The second leg was equally as exciting as the first. Although the game had just one goal in it, it was as full of action from end-to-end as it could be. PSG hit the woodwork twice inside three minutes, after which Bayern scored at the other end. For the rest of the game, Bayern piled on the pressure, exploding men forward in search of the goal that would win them the tie. In doing so, they were susceptible to the counterattack, given the lightning pace of Mbappe. The Bavarians controlled 56% of the ball possession and recorded 14 shots on goal and five on target but were simply not at their clinical best. Neymar and company held on and will progress to the semifinals for the second year running.

Final Result: PSG go through 3–3 on aggregate by the away goals rule.

Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund First Leg Scoreline: Man City 2–1

Dortmund Many expected this to be a stroll in the park for the runaway Premier League leaders, but Borussia Dortmund had other plans. The German side put up a hard fight, scoring an 84th-minute equalizer to give the Citizens a late scare.

City’s young star Phil Foden, however, came to the rescue, scoring a last-minute winner to help his team achieve a 2–1 victory. The game did have its talking points and, had it not been for a poor decision by the referee that denied Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham a goal, we could have been looking at a different scoreline at the end.

Second Leg Scoreline: Dortmund 1–2 Man City Bellingham did score in this game, a fantastic finish in the 15th minute. The Citizens were reeling, but a debatable penalty awarded to them in the 55th minute brought them right back into the tie. Riyad Mahrez converted it with his 11th

goal of the season. In the 75th minute, Foden smashed the ball in from outside the box to seal the game 2–1 and ended Dortmund’s hopes of a comeback. City now progresses to the semifinals, where they will face PSG in what is certain to be one of the fixtures of the season.

Final Result: Man City go through 4–2 on aggregate.

FC Porto vs. Chelsea F.C. First Leg Scoreline: Porto 0–2 Chelsea Chelsea continued their impressive form under the new management of Thomas Tuchel, defeating Porto 2–0 in Seville. This result was no surprise given the far superior squad of players with Chelsea and their immaculate record in the Champions League this season. Mason Mount was on the scoresheet again, scoring his eighth goal of the campaign.

Chelsea fans will also be delighted that Ben Chilwell, who has underperformed since he arrived from Leicester City in the summer,

scored the second goal to give the Blues a good cushion heading into the second leg. Unless we witness a massive upset in the return leg, the side from London looks set to make its first semifinal appearance since the 2013–14 season.

Second Leg Scoreline: Chelsea* 0–1 Porto This game was marked by one of the best goals of the season, a spectacular overhead kick in the 93rd minute by Porto’s machine, Mehdi Taremi. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, as the Blues held on to progress to the next stage of the competition.

The game will be a cause for concern for Tuchel, as his side was uninspiring in the final third.

The Blues will have to elevate their game if they are to stand a chance against Real Madrid, who they will face in the semifinals of the competition.

Final Result: Chelsea go through 2–1 on aggregate.

ations to watch as we gear up for the NBA playoffs.

Jamal Murray’s devastating season-ender Just as Denver was finding its stride, the unthinkable happened.

Jamal Murray, their star guard and brilliant sidekick to MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, went down with an ACL tear. This injury implies that he will not only miss the rest of this season, but a chunk of next season as well. The young star is crucial to Denver. His scoring and creation ability gives Denver the ceiling they need to compete at a championship level. He was a big reason for the team finding its groove, and he was looking more and more like the superstar Murray we saw in the NBA bubble when the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals. Without Murray, this team is suddenly incredibly shallow, having given up ample depth for the recent acquisition of Aaron

Gordon. Look for Denver to slide a bit and play more like a .500 team headed into the playoffs.

Jokic is brilliant enough to carry this team through a playoff series, but I doubt the Nuggets’ longevity in the postseason. There is now an undisputed top-four bunch at the top of the Western Conference in both Los Angeles teams, Utah and Phoenix.

Rookie James Wiseman’s meniscus tear Golden State was scratching and clawing to maintain a .500 record going into last week when disaster struck. Rookie center and 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman suffered a season-ending injury. For the future, this is a concerning development for a Warriors team hoping to vault itself back into finals contender status with Klay Thompson’s return next season. Wiseman is incredibly young and in need of close attention to properly devel-

op into the star he was drafted to be. This injury is a bump in the road for him, and may cause the Warriors to face some long-needed reckoning. Are they building for the future or optimizing their chances now? The lack of Wiseman in recent games has led the Warriors to play more comfortably in their old schemes from their championship days, and it could wind up being addition by subtraction in the short term. The Warriors are a likely play-in team, and without Wiseman to develop, they may find a more concrete identity to stick to going into the playoffs, at the potential cost of greater success a couple of years down the road.

Brooklyn sitting stars seemingly every game Getting to see Brooklyn’s big three intact is like seeing a unicorn.

It never happens, but it’s the stuff of legends. We all know Brooklyn’s upside with James Harden, Kevin

Durant and Kyrie Irving all on the floor. It promises to be the most potent offense the league has ever seen. But with 1–2 of the superstars sitting seemingly every game, I struggle to envision how much chemistry they can develop before the playoffs begin. These are all incredibly talented players who will surely make things work on a system and schematics level, but it could make their playoffs rockier than some may project. I expect these sporadic injuries to impact their ability to clean up the first and second rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs as easily as they should. If we see them play six games instead of four in the first round, the ensuing lack of rest against teams like Miami or Philadelphia could come back to bite them.

Aiden Herrod is a junior studying film and media studies and entrepreneurship. Aiden can be reached at aiden.herrod@tufts.edu

10 Friday, April 16, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s tennis conquers Colby in season debut

by Tim Chiang Sports Editor

The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos opened their long-awaited return to competition with a 6–3 win over the No. 37 Colby Mules. Colby suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 2–1 (1–1 NESCAC).

Senior co-captain Boris Sorkin and sophomore Josh Belandres, the No. 7 doubles team in the country, tallied the first win for the Jumbos by defeating Jan Wenger and Joey Barrett at No. 1 doubles, 8–5. Then, Tufts’ duo of junior Paris Pentousis and junior Niko Hereford downed Colby’s Sumukh Pathi and Ben Powis 8–4 to widen the lead at No. 2 doubles. In the final match of doubles play, senior Owen Bartok and firstyear Mauricio Gutierrez fell to Colby’s Max Schuermann and Sam Henry, 8–6.

With the 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hereford was eager to get back on the court.

“It felt good,” Hereford said.

“Paris and I played a couple of matches together. I think our games complement each other well, trying to play short

points. The biggest takeaway was it was the first match we played in two years so there was obviously some nerves, but I think if we both stick to our game styles we can beat a lot of good teams.”

With a 2–1 lead to open singles play, Sorkin, the No. 2 player in the country, rallied for his second win of the day at No. 1 singles after dropping the second set over Colby’s Jan Wenger, 6–0, 4–6, 10–5.

Pentousis registered a relatively straightforward 6–3, 6–4 victory over Colby’s Schuermann.

Bartok clinched the win for the Jumbos after coming back from a set down over Colby’s Garrett Reiter, 4–6, 6–2, 10–2.

Bartok later noted the keys to staying mentally focused in order to clinch the match.

“From the mental side of things, making sure you’re not getting too high or low, staying steady and not hitting the panic button,” he said. “From the tennis side of things, I try to keep them as simple as possible and in terms of strategy not make things too complicated for myself.”

Still, Colby fought hard to win two of the three remaining singles matches. First-year

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

Flowers are pictured by the Voute Tennis Courts.

Corey Marley was defeated by Colby’s Ben Powis, 6–2, 6–3, and first-year Rishabh Sharda fell in a remarkably close three set marathon to Colby’s Pathi, 6–4, 4–6, 14–12. In the final match of the day, junior Isaac Gorelik broke past Colby’s Barrett in two tight sets, 7–5, 7–5.

The Tufts tennis team has had to deal with a lot of changes this year. The Vouté Courts, which previously served as the

Jumbo’s home venue, are covered with temporary quarantine housing units for students who test positive for COVID19. As a result, the team now plays on the courts behind Harleston Hall.

Still, the Jumbos are looking forward to challenging the top teams in the country.

“We definitely feel like this is the most talent we’ve had in a while,” Bartok said. “We have

really high expectations for ourselves for the NESCACs and nationally as well. But, this past weekend was a reminder that there’s a lot of good teams out there. Week in and week out we need to keep practicing hard and make sure we aren’t overlooking anyone because of those high expectations.”

The Jumbos will face off against Connecticut College on April 18.

Second Leg Scoreline: Liverpool 0–0 Real Madrid* In the second leg, Liverpool had to come out all guns blazing if they stood any chance of overcoming the deficit from the first leg. The night, however, didn’t quite pan out the way Liverpool fans would have wanted it to. The game ended 0–0,with the Spanish side giving the Reds few opportunities to penetrate. The experience of the likes of Toni Kroos,

Casemiro and Karim Benzema was invaluable as Los Blancos managed to hold on to their lead from the first leg. They now progress to the semifinals of the competition.

Final Result: Real Madrid go through 3–1 on aggregate.

FC Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint Germain F.C. First Leg Scoreline: Bayern 2–3 PSG

Highlights from the UEFA quarterfinals

by Aman Chokshi Contributing Writer

The last two weeks witnessed the quarterfinals of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League, the biggest competition in club soccer. Eight teams remained in this elite tournament, with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City gunning for the prize.

Real Madrid C.F. vs. Liverpool F.C. First Leg Scoreline: Real Madrid 3–1 Liverpool In the first leg, 13-time European champions Real Madrid convincingly beat the current Premier League champions Liverpool, 3–1. The Reds continued their poor form, registering their 14th defeat of the season, compared to just eight defeats across the

entirety of the previous campaign. The Spanish giants, on the other hand, were utterly dominant, registering 16 shots on goal and seven on target, while Liverpool registered only seven shots on goal and one shot on target. Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian sensation Madrid picked up for a hefty € 5 0 million in 2018, finally came good with a tidy brace, only his fifth and sixth goals of the campaign.

see UEFA, page 9

VIA UEFA

A promotional poster made by UEFA shows Bayern, Chelsea, Dortmund, Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris, Porto and Real Madrid as this season's UEFA Champions League quarter finalists.