Thursday, September 8, 2016

FIELD HOCKEY

Meet new Vice Provost of Research Simin Meydani see FEATURES / PAGE 3

Jumbos preparing to take a whack at the NCAA finals

Pokémonster: tracking the game that went viral see ARTS & LIVING / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 3

tuftsdaily.com

Thursday, September 8, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Medford proposes housing ordinance change requiring student addresses

by Gil Jacobson News Editor

The Medford City Council is considering amending its current housing ordinance to further enforce its current policy prohibiting more than three unrelated adults from living in one apartment unit. This addition comes in the form of an article entitled University and College Accountability, which would require the university to provide the city with the addresses, student statuses and graduation dates of all students living off-campus in Medford.

The addition was proposed to the City Council in a memo sent by Mayor Stephanie M. Burke on June 23, according to the Council’s June 28 meeting agenda.

Medford City Councilor Michael Marks said that the question of limiting the number of persons in an apartment arose as a safety issue when in 2003 a Tufts student was killed in a lot above a garage with only one means of exiting. Medford City Council Vice President Breanna Lungo-Koehn also cited complaints about parties as reasons to change the ordinance.

If the University and College

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVE

City Councilor Michael J. Marks speaks during a Medford Town Hall Meeting in Medford City Hall on April 7, 2015.

Accountability amendment is passed, the list of students’ addresses would be provided to the city clerk in the City of Medford Building Department twice a year– once in the fall when school starts and once again in

January, according to Lungo-Koehn.

Marks said that the addition to the ordinance would be a way of protecting Tufts students and ensuring that they are living legally in off-campus apartments. He stressed that the

University and College Accountability addition was not an attempt to violate students’ personal affairs or play a “Big Brother” role.

“We want to make sure [students are] living in apartments that have been inspected,” Marks said. “And we want to make sure that students also blend into the neighborhoods and become good neighbors.”

He added that Medford does not receive a list of names of Tufts students living off-campus in the city, but rather a list of those students’ addresses.

Marks went on to highlight that after Burke presented the ordinance change to the City Council, he suggested the Council not go further with the changes until its Sub Committee on Licensing holds a meeting to discuss concerns about the ordinance, which include the need to differentiate Medford’s ordinance from those in Somerville and Boston, which both limit an apartment to four unrelated people.

“Medford is a smaller city,” Marks said.

“We don’t have, to be quite frank, the manpower that you may find in Boston in code enforcement [and] that you may even find in see HOUSING ORDINANCE , page 2

Pre-orientation programs receive Student promotes cultural record number of students competency training program for faculty, staff

by Melissa Kain News Editor

Tufts pre-orientation programs hosted a record 912 students this past summer, according to Director of Campus Life Joe Golia. A new pre-orientation program, Students’ Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora (SQUAD), joined the five existing pre-orientation programs this summer along with the Mentor Collective, a mentorship program for students not participating in pre-orientation programs.

Golia, who oversees the six programs and the general pre-orientation effort, explained that the goal of these programs is to introduce incoming students to various aspects of the university and to allow them to try something new or to take part in something that interests them.

“It’s really an opportunity to get here early and start to meet people, and start to learn… the systems of the university and to start to feel comfortable,” Golia said.

Pre-orientation is a Tufts tradition that dates back more than 20 years, according to Golia. It includes six programs: the newly introduced SQUAD; Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO); Global Orientation (GO); Fitness and Individual Development at

Please recycle this newspaper

Partly Cloudy 80 / 70

/thetuftsdaily

Tufts (FIT); Conversation, Action, Faith and Education (CAFE); and Freshman Orientation CommUnity Service (FOCUS). The number of students that participate in these programs has been consistently rising.

TWO, FOCUS and CAFE took place from Aug. 25 to Aug. 30, while SQUAD, GO and FIT took place from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30.

Every pre-orientation program costs $400, but students who receive financial aid during the school year can receive financial support to participate in pre-orientation, according to Golia.

“We look at financial aid that students get and then a percentage is created, and we’re able to give discounts on their pre-orientation fees… It’s all based on a percentage of the aid they get from the university, so it’s not [drawn from] their aid money,” he said.

However, this does not apply to SQUAD, Golia added, which is funded separately through the Africana Center.

Another recent effort to help new students adjust to life at Tufts is the Mentor Collective at Tufts. According to College Transition Advisor Danielle Vizena, the Mentor Collective was piloted out of the International Center during the summer of see PRE-ORIENTATION, page 2

For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

by Liam Knox News Editor

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate is currently supporting a new initiative to implement a mandatory cultural competency training program for Tufts faculty and staff, according to Walae Hayek, who serves as the TCU Women’s Center Community Representative and is spearheading the initiative.

Hayek, a junior, said that a cultural competency training for professors could help improve the campus climate and make it easier for students and faculty to engage in positive interactions.

“Basically, [cultural competency training] is the idea that we have faculty who are educated in how to run a classroom with diverse students,” she said. “A lot of times professors may or may not realize that they’re somehow oppressing students in their classrooms, either through not allowing them to speak or tokenizing their opinions or just refusing to acknowledge their experiences as valid… you can’t educate someone who doesn’t feel comfortable in your classroom.”

If implemented, the program would

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

be administered through sessions run by students and administrators throughout the course of the academic year, according to the project’s official description, which Hayek shared with the Daily.

She added that administrative support in terms of allocation of resources and enforcement of compliance would be essential for the implementation of this program.

According to Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas, a request for administrative support has been made to Dean of Arts and Sciences James Glaser and Dean of Engineering Jianmin Qu, who are still conferring about their support for the program.

While it has similar goals, Hayek noted that this initiative differs from the Search and Hire committee’s cultural competency training program, which is currently being developed by Brimhall-Vargas to assess potential employees’ cultural awareness as part of the criteria for their hiring.

In 2013, Tufts noted potential shortcomings of the university in the area of “Climate and Cultural Competence” in the Council on Diversity’s Report. see CULTURAL COMPETENCY , page 2

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................5

COMICS....................................... 7 OPINION.....................................8 SPORTS............................ BACK

2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, September 8, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

TCU-backed project aims to require cultural competency training for faculty CULTURAL COMPETENCY

continued from page 1 “The Council’s specific recommendations with respect to faculty and staff reflect the importance of increasing their awareness and understanding of issues of diversity and inclusion,” the report reads. “We have work to do if we are to ensure that all our students feel themselves full members of our educational community.”

According to Hayek, however, Tufts has yet to do anything to solve this problem.

She said the first step would be allocating resources to collect the relevant data to assess the problem in the first place.

“Other schools have climate surveys, which collect information that you would otherwise not have about how students feel in the classroom or around other students, especially in terms of social justice issues.

And we don’t have any survey that resembles that,” she said. “I think that’s a problem because it means we don’t have any tangible information to see how many students don’t feel comfortable.”

Hayek said that the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation has recently become involved in helping create a survey to gather data on the cultural climate at Tufts, but that the onus fell mainly on her to gather data in order to make a strong case to TCU Senate of the necessity of this program.

She hopes to garner enough support among TCU members to publish a resolution recommending the implementation of a mandatory cultural competency training program.

“TCU resolutions can work as a kind of lobbying tool for convincing administration,” she said. “They recognize that the student body approves of something, so it just kind of emphasizes the importance of it.”

Hayek said that in designing the training curriculum, she is looking at schools like Columbia, Harvard and Pomona that

have existing programs, but that her vision for Tufts’ program differs significantly.

One of Hayek’s unique ideas is to include students in the training sessions, in order to facilitate discussions with faculty that would simulate real classroom experiences.

“I want to step away from the traditional ‘do’s and don’ts’ kind of presentation, because they don’t do much besides bore the person listening,” she said. “I also want students in the training facilitating some of these conversations, because I feel like student-faculty interaction is way more powerful.”

Hayek said she anticipates backlash to the proposal, but she is hopeful that it will be implemented regardless.

“I don’t think it’s something that will be easily received and I don’t think it’s going to be effective during my time at Tufts,” she said. “I think just getting the conversation started and setting the groundwork for this will allow someone to come after me and be like, ‘hey, let’s pick this up.’”

Problems with cultural competency at Tufts have been recognized from within the faculty as well.

Department of Education Lecturer Erin Seaton believes that developing a greater cultural sensitivity is a crucial skill for educators, and is currently working on a Tisch Fellowship to “explore the best practices used to train educators to develop greater cultural awareness.”

“At Tufts, and on college campuses across the country, students of color experience overt discrimination and daily micro-aggressions and silencings [sic],” Seaton told the Daily in an email. “I want to change this by providing faculty with tools to begin to openly address and challenge power, privilege and oppression in the classroom.”

Seaton said that she believes her Tufts faculty peers would be receptive to cultural awareness training.

“I feel like faculty in the the Education Department at Tufts are ready to engage

in challenging conversations about racism, injustice, power and privilege in their classrooms and in our conversations with each other,” she wrote.

Seaton explained that she’d been confronted with her own unintended cultural insensitivity in the past, and that she understands why it’s important for educators to EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY learn how to respond Junior Walae Hayek is working to implement a cultural competency training for Tufts staff. Here, Hayek poses for a portrait on the in those situations.

“It’s a very hum- Memorial Steps on Sept. 6. bling and embarrassing experience, especially when you injure voluntary. another person, but if you can recognize “I think it’s far more important to highlight this as a moment when you have something the benefits of such training as a critical tool for important to learn, then you can move for- faculty in the classroom rather than to frame ward,” she explained. this in terms of repercussions,” she explained.

Seaton said she spoke with Hayek over According to Hayek, though, repercusthe summer, and that she strongly supports sions are a necessary element of battling the initiative. cultural ignorance, especially among tenured Hayek’s plan also includes repercussions faculty in the future. for faculty who repeatedly receive complaints “Sometimes it’s only about the research for a lack of cultural competency. you do that they offer you tenure — it could “One of the goals of this is to tackle cul- be completely detached from how you are in tural competency for both new and existing the classroom with students,” she said. “And faculty, and to create repercussions for ten- I think that’s a problem because… basically ured faculty,” Hayek said. “Either repercus- you’re giving someone a lifetime job opporsions or including this in your tenure profile, tunity that involved everyday communicaas something you should be required to do tion with students.” before you’re considered for tenure, because Hayek emphasized that her intention in a lot of times tenured professors who receive promoting this initiative is not to antagonize complaints from students don’t really care.” faculty members.

According to Seaton, however, repercus“We’re not saying professors are being sions may be counterproductive to the over- deliberately oppressive or ignorant, just that all goal of the training, citing a recent study it’s happening in the classroom and here’s in the Harvard Business Review showing why we should address that,” she said. “So its that mandatory cultural competency train- not attacking faculty; it’s more like let’s work ing tends to be less effective than when it is together to make things better.”

Two new programs implemented to ease first-year transition to Tufts PRE-ORIENTATION

continued from page 1 2015 with the incoming first-year students participating in GO, but was expanded this summer to include students who did not participate in pre-orientation programs.

This summer, 230 undergraduates were matched with 103 peer mentors who provided them with information about Tufts culture and adjusting to college via Skype conversations, Vizena said.

“A lot of [mentees] mentioned that they were nervous that they hadn’t done pre-orientation and they were worried that they would get here and not have anybody on campus. [Those students] found that it was really helpful to have that peer connection and be able to ask those questions that you wouldn’t necessarily want

to ask an administrator or staff,” she said.

“I think it helped to improve their sense of belonging on campus before they even got here.”

Some undergraduates, according to Vizena, stayed in contact with their mentors beyond the requirements of the program, exchanging phone numbers or calling each other over Skype more often than required. Vizena said that the Mentor Collective at Tufts hoped to gather more mentors for next summer’s session.

Reverend Greg McGonigle, who serves as university chaplain and oversees the CAFE pre-orientation program, said CAFE had a successful second year. McGonigle explained that the program allows students to make friendships while getting to know Boston and the available resources at Tufts.

“These students are just starting at Tufts and they are making diverse, probably lifelong friendships visiting a mosque, a Hindu temple, a Humanist center and a Sikh gurdwara on their first week of college to think about peacemaking today,” McGonigle said.

“They are also learning important social justice concepts that will help them understand our world better and be able to be active leaders on campus and in the community from day one. This program is deeply rooted in Tufts’ historic values and is a strong example of our relevance to the pressing issues of today.”

Ethan Whitman, a sophomore who served as a host advisor for GO, said the program combined material about living in the United States as an international student with trips around Tufts and to locations such as

Harvard Square, Boston and Rockport. About half of the participants in GO, which until the summer of 2015 was called International Orientation, were international students, according to Whitman.

Whitman did not participate in a pre-orientation program as a freshman but said that he saw many positive aspects in GO. “I think GO is really good, especially for international students, because I think it’s obviously tough for everybody to come to college, but it’s definitely a lot more tough to move to a new country and go to a new college at the same time,” Whitman said. “GO is really useful because it gives a ton of international students a network that they can go to [with] people who are going through the same thing they are.”

Medford looks to join Somerville, Boston in collecting student housing information HOUSING ORDINANCE

continued from page 1 Somerville in code enforcement.”

He explained that if there are more than three unrelated adults listed under the same address, code enforcers ought to go to the site as soon as possible and perform an inspection of the property, but he noted that the manpower to do so may be currently lacking.

“Our code enforcement… consists of, I believe it’s two people now,” Marks said. “I don’t think we have the whereabouts or the ability to do proper enforcement.”

Lungo-Koehn also shared concerns regarding enforcement, which the City Council does not control. Rather, LungoKoehn said, the mayor is responsible for assigning a city employee to enforce the ordi-

nance, and if that does not occur the changes could merely waste Tufts’ time.

During a recent Sub Committee on Licensing meeting, Marks suggested adding language to the ordinance that would require code enforcement to take action against a residency violation within a certain window of time.

“It might be 30 days, 60 days, 90 days… this is still a work in progress,” Marks said.

Overall, Marks said he is optimistic about the changes. He mentioned that at a recent Sub Committee on Licensing meeting, Barbara Rubel, Tufts’ co-director of community relations, voiced that the Somerville and Boston housing ordinances work well and have not had any major issues.

In response to concerns that the change

to the housing ordinance would push students further into the City of Medford, co-director of Community Relations Rocco DiRico explained that the ordinance limiting the number of unrelated persons per off-campus Medford address is already in existence and the University and College Accountability amendment would simply ensure that Medford receives information from Tufts regarding where students are living.

“As part of existing ordinances in other host communities, the university already provides this information to Somerville and Boston,” he told the Daily in an email.

DiRico said he believes the ordinance will help Medford accomplish its main goal of protecting Tufts students.

“We expect to work cooperatively with

Medford as we have with Somerville and Boston to help ensure the health and safety of our students,” he explained.

DiRico emphasized the importance of landlords also acting responsibly in maintaining safe property conditions.

“The Office of Community Relations looks forward to continuing to work cooperatively with city officials on this matter,” he added.

Marks stressed that the University and College Accountability amendment applies to everyone living in Medford — not just Tufts students.

“Anyone that’s in violation of the occupancy ordinance — no more than three unrelated — would be subject to the same scrutiny as Tufts University or students that are going to Tufts University,” he said.

T HE T UFTS D AILY Arin Kerstein Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Sophie Lehrenbaum Jake Taber

Features

3

Dr. Simin Meydani discusses new role as Vice Provost for Research

by Siddharth Divakaruni Assistant Features Editor

Managing Editors Evan Sayles Associate Editor Kathleen Schmidt Executive News Editor Melissa Kain News Editors Robert Katz Liam Knox Gil Jacobson Catherine Perloff Jei-Jei Tan Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Kyle Blacklock Assistant News Editors Juliana Furgala Jesse Najarro Danny Nelson Miranda Willson Executive Features Editor Constantinos Angelakis Features Editors Nina Joung Becca Leibowitz Justine Chung Assistant Features Editors Siddharth Divakaruni

Justin Krakoff Executive Arts Editor John Gallagher Arts Editors Merilla Michael Eran Sabaner Isaac Brown Assistant Arts Editors Jocelyn Contreras Alison Epstein Elliot Storey Emma Henderson Executive Op-Ed Editor Shannon Geary Cartoonists Stephen Dennison Allie Merola Miranda Chavez Editorialists Aneurin Canham-Clyne Frances DeFreitas Anita Ramaswamy Noah Weinflash Phillip Goldberg Executive Sports Editor Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editors Alison Kuah Maddie Payne Eddie Samuels Maclyn Senear Chris Warren Soven Berry Assistant Sports Editors Noah Smith Max Lalanne Mia Lambert Caroline Ambros Ray Bernoff Maria Eduarda Ferraz Henry Hintermeister Leila Li Julia Press Evan Sayles Angelie Xiong

Executive Photo Editor Photo Administrator Picture Tufts Editor Staff Photographers

PRODUCTION David Westby

Production Director Allie Merola Executive Layout Editor Sebastian Torrente Jewel Castle Layout Editors Leila Li Brianna Mignano Mandip Pokharel Emily Sharp Astrid Weng Petrina Chan Creative Director Allie Merola Executive Graphics Editor Petrina Chan Graphics Editors Annie Chen Juliana Furgata Dana Pek Ashton Stephens Rena Tang Belinda Xian Zach Hertz Executive Copy Editors Jei-Jei Tan Meagan Adler Copy Editors Alison Beach Arthur Beckel Caroline Bollinger Ben Bornstein Claire Boals Alison Epstein Audrey Falk Maria Eduarda Ferraz Gil Jacobson Melissa Kain Sharon Kelmar Liam Knox Kathleen Martensen Netai Schwartz Nihaal Shah Arielle Sigel Liora Silkes Dan Strauss Maxwell Bernstein Executive Tech Manager Nitesh Gupta Online Editor Mia Lambert Social Media Editor

BUSINESS Josh Morris Executive Business Director Qinyue Yu Receivables Manager Evan Sayles Online Advertising Jay Hayes Ad Managers Eva Sachar

Dr. Simin Meydani, Ph.D., is Tufts University’s new Vice Provost for Research (VPR). Through this position, Meydani will work with faculty and university leadership to promote and oversee research at Tufts across all its campuses.

A scientist by training with a background in veterinary medicine, Meydani has published over 300 works and continues to conduct research in the fields of nutrition, immunology and aging.

She’s been associated with Tufts for more than 30 years and has taught at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the Tufts Sackler Graduate Program in Immunology. In addition to her new role, she will stay on as director of the Nutritional Immunology Lab of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts (HNRCA).

In an email interview with the Daily, she discussed her research and her new position.

Q: You were born and educated in Tehran. What were your early years like?

A: I had a wonderful childhood. I have four siblings, three sisters and one brother, and we had the best time playing together in make-believe games and with homemade toys and reading a lot of classics. I went to an all-girls school all the way through high school. I did not like it at the time, but in retrospect, I very much appreciate it as it provided me with limitless opportunities.

In addition to Iranian music, we listened to music from Europe and the U.S. — The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the like — watched a lot of foreign movies, and kept up with international news and fashion.

Q: Before going into the field of nutrition, you received a degree in veterinary medicine from Tehran University. What made you gravitate towards nutrition? Are you still involved in veterinary medicine in any way?

A: At the veterinary school in Tehran, which was [a six-year program], after the fourth year, we had the option of selecting a sub-specialty, and I selected nutrition. At the time, it was focused on animal nutrition. When I came to this country for post-graduate education, I became more interested in human nutrition, and that is what my Ph.D. is in.

I am not involved in veterinary medicine directly, but my education in veterinary medicine has always been part of my research. Also, the work that my group and I have done [at the HNRCA] is of interest to veterinarians. I am periodically invited to present at their professional meetings, which I am always glad to accept.

Q: When and how did you find out about Tufts?

A: After I finished my Ph.D., I was offered a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and my husband was offered a position at the newly formed HNRCA at Tufts. So I learned about aging research through him and saw the connection between my work, which was focused

KELVIN MA / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVE

Dr. Simin Meydani, director of HNRCA, was photographed for the HNRCA Strategic Plan on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. on the impact of nutrition on immune function and aging. Subsequently, I submitted a proposal based on the ideas and hypothesis I had formed and was fortunate to obtain a five-year early career award from the National Institute on Aging that enabled me to secure a position as a scientist at the [HNRCA].

Q: While at Tufts, in addition to nutrition, you have been researching aging and how nutrition intersects with aging and immunology. In what direction do you see your nutrition research going in the future?

A: With the growing population of older adults, the increase in obesity and chronic diseases and the prevalence of food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies, globally we will see greater integration of nutrition in biomedical fields and in prevention of diseases, as well as in efforts to provide sustainable and nutritionally enriched foods around the world, particularly in resource-poor areas.

We are also going to see (at least, I hope) a lot more research on understanding cultural barriers to adopting healthy nutritional recommendations, as well as utilizing economic and behavioral science methodologies and reward systems to help people adopt healthy nutritional and other lifestyle choices. Our ability to document changes in the brain’s reward system objectively through imaging techniques is going to advance this area of nutritional sciences tremendously.

I am also hoping to see a lot more collaboration among the food industry, academia and governments in order to address some of our most challenging nutrition-related health problems, such as obesity.

Q: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?

A: In terms of research, I am very happy about discoveries we have made in terms of understanding the molecular basis of age-associated dysregulation of immune and inflammatory responses, which we have then used to develop effective strategies to reverse these changes (e.g. reduce age-associated inflammation, improve the function of the immune cells, enhance vaccine efficacy and resistance to certain pathogens).

In terms of administration, one of the first things I did when I became the HNRCA director was to complete a very inclusive strategic plan, which we

have successfully implemented, despite going through a very difficult research funding period nationally. As a result, we have enhanced collaboration and interdisciplinary research at the Center and diversified our funding sources.

We also initiated a very successful pilot funding program, which has brought in new grant funding several times.

Q: Throughout your extensive career, has it ever been difficult to juggle it all?

A: Of course, particularly when my children were growing up. What helped me, though, was having a very understanding and supportive husband (an accomplished scientist and colleague as well) and a lot of love and support from my family, especially my parents.

Q: How do you hope your new position will affect and aid undergraduate students?

A: By advancing research at Tufts and enhancing the communication of research accomplishments and research opportunities (via improvements to our website and our social media outlets), I am hoping that we will increase awareness of these opportunities among undergraduate students and generate more excitement in participating in research.

Early next year, I would like to work with faculty, students, schools and university leadership on a strategic plan for research across Tufts. I would like to engage undergraduate students in this effort so that the university’s strategic plan for research will reflect their needs and aspirations. As I learn and familiarize myself with all the great research being conducted across the university, I would also like to work with the school deans and student leadership to find the most efficient way for me to learn from the undergraduate students about their needs. My door is also open, so students should feel free to contact me.

I would love to hear from them.

Q: What is some advice you can give undergraduate students who are eager to participate in and conduct research?

A: Just give it a try and be patient. Be prepared to start with modest tasks and have an open mind about the results you get. What looks like negative and disappointing findings from an experiment, evaluated from another angle, might actually be a very exciting discovery.

4

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Thursday, September 8, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

CONNECTED Student Value Checking Receive a $ 25* bonus

when you open and use a Student Value Checking account.

NO MONTHLY FEE** • NO MINIMUM BALANCE • NO FEE FOR INCOMING WIRES

Start here to make it happen:

SANTANDERBANK.COM/STUDENT

Student Value Checking is available to students 16 through 25 years of age (legal guardian co-owner required for those between 16-18 years). Once you reach 26, we may convert your Student Value Checking to another checking product. Proof of enrollment may be required. *Get $25 when you open a new Student Value Checking account with a $10 minimum opening deposit between June 15, 2016 and September 30, 2016 and complete 8 debit card transactions that post to your account within 60 days of account opening. Your new account needs to remain open for 90 days in an eligible product type and payment of the bonus will occur within 30 days thereafter. One bonus per customer. Students who currently have a personal checking account or who have had a personal checking account with Santander Bank in the last year are not eligible for this offer. Cannot combine with other personal checking account cash offers. Offer only available to U.S. residents. Santander team members are not eligible. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on Form 1099-INT. **Other fees may apply, including a Paper Statement fee if you elect to receive paper statements. Refer to your fee schedule for details.

Santander Bank N.A. is a Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A. © 2016 Santander Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Santander, Santander Bank and the Flame Logo are trademarks of Banco Santander, S.A. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ARTS&LIVING

Thursday, September 8, 2016

5 tuftsdaily.com

To wear that Poké Ball and Chain

by Isaac Brown

Assistant Arts Editor

Pokémon Go (2016) went from zero to viral faster than anything we’ve ever seen. At its peak, the hit augmented-reality mobile exploration game had more daily active users than Twitter and more engagement than Snapchat and Facebook. Niantic, the title’s developer, was inundated on social media by users from around the world requesting access to the game weeks before it was released in their countries.

Something about this game has struck a chord with smartphone users of all demographics, from young children who never experienced the heyday of the Pokémon franchise to seniors who typically prefer crossword puzzles, such as Bejeweled (2001) and Solitaire (1990).

Even if Pokémon Go’s user base evaporates overnight, it’s shown the world how a simple game and motivated player base can have immediate, far-reaching consequences in the real world.

To say that the hype surrounding Pokémon Go is unprecedented would be an understatement. Popular mobile games of past and present such as Flappy Bird (2013), 2048 (2014), Clash of Clans (2012) and Hearthstone (2015)

never came close to generating this level of hype. In East Asia, the craze swept across entire countries within days. I personally ran into countless avid players in Taiwan when word got

Pokémon trainers have unwittingly wandered into high-crime areas, neglected their children and walked off cliffs in pursuit of pocket monsters.

around that a rare Pokémon called Snorlax was appearing in a park in a residential area north of Taipei. Thousands hopped on the Taipei Metro to reach this normally-deserted park, filling the sidewalks and spilling onto the streets, bringing traffic to a standstill.

The urge to catch ‘em all has brought with it a number of problems, many of them due to how engrossing throwing Poké Balls can be. Despite in-game warn-

ings reminding players to stay vigilant of their surroundings and the dangers of playing while driving, Pokémon Go has led to traffic offenses and accidents as drivers attempt to simultaneously change lanes and line up the perfect curveball. In late August, a driver in Japan hit two pedestrians while playing the game, killing one and seriously injuring the other. Pokémon trainers have unwittingly wandered into high-crime areas, neglected their children and walked off cliffs in pursuit of pocket monsters.

Governments have already begun to respond to players’ unbridled enthusiasm with regulation. While some governments are using warnings and fines to discourage people from playing Pokémon Go when they shouldn’t, others have flatly condemned the game.

This is especially the case in the Middle East, where memories of the Arab Spring are still fresh and many governments are on edge about any digital tools that could help destabilize a tenuous mandate. In early August, Iran became the first country to ban Pokémon Go, citing security concerns.

Where gover nments see risk, many businesses — especially food and beverage outlets — see opportunity. McDonald’s enthusiasti-

cally jumped aboard the Pokémon Go bandwagon in July, partnering with Niantic to host 3000 outlets in Japan as Pokémon Go “gyms.” Smaller businesses have also profited from turning their businesses into PokéStops and placing “lures” to attract more Pokémon and by extension, potential customers to the area. Others have expressed skepticism about the long-term viability of a Pokémon-centric marketing strategy and are instead waiting for player numbers to level off before making any serious plans.

For many of us regular players, Pokémon Go is a fun, nostalgia-inducing time sink and a sign of more and better Pokémon-related smartphone games on the way. Though Pokémon Go’s core mechanic of catching and collecting Pokemon is terrific fun, the real-time battles involve tedious button-mashing and require minimal thought to using the right type of Pokémon to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses. Small issues like this add up and limit replayability. Nintendo saw how a game as content-light as Pokémon Go turned into a cultural phenomenon overnight. It would be a shame if they squandered the opportunity to produce something even better.

FALL FILM PREVIEW

Autumn's rising stars: this season's hottest movies

by Elliot Storey

Assistant Arts Editor

With the end of summer comes the end of the superhero and mega-blockbuster season. And with the beginning of fall comes the arrival of prestige pictures and potential Oscar winners. A slew of socially and culturally relevant films, as well as a few big-budget stragglers, are coming this September and October.

Here are a few worth checking out:

Katwe” depicts the true story of Phiona Mutesi, Uganda’s first woman Candidate Master, a title awarded by the World Chess Federation. The film stars David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, who won an Oscar for her role in “12 Years a Slave” (2013), as well as Madina Nalwanga as Mutesi.

“Magnificent Seven,” Sept. 23 A remake of the John Sturges Western classic of the same name, which itself is a remake of Kurosawa’s masterpiece “Seven Samurai” (1954), this update was penned by Nic Pizzolato of “True Detective” (2014-present) fame with

action film scribe Richard Wenk and directed by Anton Fuqua, who was also at the helm of “Training Day” (2001). It is Fuqua’s third film with star Denzel Washington, as they likely hope to repeat see FILM, page 6

“Snowden,” Sept. 16 Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” follows the true story of government contractor Edward Snowden’s leaking of classified documents that exposed domestic spying by the National Security Agency (NSA). The screenplay, by Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald, is based on Luke Harding’s second-hand account “The Snowden Files” (2014) as well as “Time of the Octopus” (2014), a fictional novel

by Snowden’s Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. Stone also directed the film, so expect “Snowden” to follow in the footsteps of his previous works, such as “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) and “Platoon (1986),” in being strongly anti-war and critical of U.S. foreign policy. Stone is never afraid to embellish the facts in favor of developing the narrative, so don’t count on this to be the definitive account of the story (look to 2014’s Oscar-winning documentary “Citizenfour” for that). Nevertheless, “Snowden” will almost certainly be a well-crafted film from the Oscarwinning writer-director that effectively conveys the ideas, if not the details.

“Queen of Katwe,” Sept. 23 From Oscar-nominated director Mira Nair and Walt Disney Pictures, “Queen of

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Oliver Stone and Joseph Gordon-Levitt speaking for “Snowden” at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Thursday, September 8, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

‘Pretty Little Liars’ has overstayed its welcome

COURTESY OF DOMINICK D VIA FLICKR

Cast members of Pretty Little Liars sit on a panel at The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014. From left: Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Sasha Pieterse.

“Pretty Little Liars” (2010 – present), a staple of the Freeform network, formerly called ABC Family, has earned a top spot on many TV-goers’ guilty-pleasure watchlists. Loosely based on the book series of the same name by Sara Shepard, “Pretty Little Liars” (“PLL”) has taken its fans on a wild goose chase, with each of the six season finales offering viewers nonsensical explanations and burning questions in lieu of any reasonable answers. The seventh season of “PLL,” which premiered earlier this summer, continues a story arc that debuted in the sixth season and jumps five years after the five main characters, known as The Liars, completed high school.

Since their best friend Allison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) went missing at the start of high school, Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell), Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario) and Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) have been tormented and tortured by a series of unknown stalkers, each of whom go by the name of A, and who seem to know devastating secrets about their lives. The sixth and seventh seasons have introduced a new and improved A,

who is meant to be even more dangerous than The Liars’ previous tormentors.

While earlier versions of A maxed out at blackmailing The Liars with their secrets, such as Aria’s relationship with her high school teacher, later versions of A have really stepped it up. At this point, A has ruined Spencer’s chance of getting into college, as well as abducted, tortured and killed multiple people. A has kind of hit a plateau; what more can A do?

Though each season of “PLL” seems to have improved with respect to the quality of writing and acting from the main cast, the one thing that has remained constant is the unbelievable naïvety of the five best friends. The lack of common sense, which initially might have been considered charming when it was introduced in the first episode of the series, becomes increasingly blatant, despite all of The Liars being 23 years old at this point. One would think that after years of murders, abductions, threats and lies, The Liars would think twice before blindly entering an abandoned cabin to meet their tormentor for a trade-off. Yet, this is exactly what led to the climax of events during the mid-season finale.

The Liars organized a trade-off with their most recent tormentor, A.D. If they gave A.D. a thumb drive that contained evidence of A.D.’s accomplice’s guilt, A.D. would give them the videotape that contained evidence of Hanna’s guilt. The “trade-off gone wrong” trope is used at least twice a season, but this time, it was significantly more gory than usual. Since there are never any happy endings on this show, of course, The Liars are trapped in this cabin fighting for their lives against A.D. and however many accomplices he has scattered around the cabin. In typical “PLL” fashion, the final scenes of the mid-season finale reveal that someone died (Or did they? Tune in to the next episode to find out because no one really stays dead on this show); that someone else is injured and could possibly be dead; and that The Liars find an answer they have been futilely searching for the entire season.

“PLL” is confirmed to end after the second half of the seventh season, which will premiere April 2016. To this reviewer, this is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the show has so many loose ends that it is improbable that the writers

will actually be able to produce a satisfying conclusion to the saga. On the other hand, it will be nice to finally be done with “PLL.” It is hard to argue that the show is great television, yet it has a solid fan base which, despite regrets about continuing to watch the show, has been irreversibly sucked into all the twists and turns that the show offers. One must give credit where credit is due and applaud “PLL” for gripping its viewers so tightly.

It seems that the more preposterous the story gets, the more viewers want to know who the masked tormentors are. “PLL” is a perfect example of how intoxicating the unknown can be. At this point, this reviewer couldn’t care less about the final developments of each of The Liars’ personal lives outside of the hunt to find out who their current tormentor is. Six and a half seasons worth of commitment have been put into “PLL,” and, if viewers can just hold out for another half a season, the conclusion of the wild saga will hopefully provide some relief.

RATING:

Upcoming fall films promise to deliver variety, drama FILM

continued from page 5 the success of “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” (2014), with fellow stars Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke.

“Deepwater Horizon,” Sept. 30 This telling of the 2010 explosion aboard British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig is based on David Barstow’s New York Times article and stars Mark Wahlberg as real-life rig worker Mike Williams, with Kurt Russell and John Malkovich playing other members of the crew. Producer Jeff Skoll’s company Participant Media gravitates toward socially conscious stories, while Wahlberg and director Peter Berg are both drawn to working-class characters and stories. “Deepwater Horizon” will likely center on rig workers’ objections to corporate negligence and their heroics in the face of the disaster, which should be rendered with pyrotechnic brilliance by Berg in the vein of his recent films “Lone Survivor” (2014) and “Battleship” (2012).

“American Honey,” Sept. 30 This Cannes Jury Prize winner (the third for British director Andrea Arnold) has been hailed as a modern version of Harmony Korine’s “Kids” (1995), which generated massive controversy due to its graphic depictions of adolescent sex and drug use. Expect this film to explore similar topics as it depicts a young magazine sales crew as they travel across the country. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough and newcomer Sasha Lane. Limited release.

“The Girl on the Train,” Oct. 7 Adapted from the Paula Hawkins mega-bestseller novel by Erin Cressida Wilson, writer of the BDSM dramedy “Secretary” (2002), “The Girl on the Train” stars Emily Blunt as a divorced alcoholic who believes she has witnessed a murder from her vantage point on a New York City commuter train. The film co-stars Rebecca Ferguson, who made waves for her breakout performance in “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” (2015).

“The Birth of a Nation,” Oct. 7 Written by, directed by and starring Nate Parker, “The Birth of a Nation” takes its name from D.W. Griffith’s infamous Ku Klux Klan epic “Birth of a Nation” (1915) and tells the story of Nat Turner’s Rebellion, an 1831 slave uprising that sparked a brutal backlash across the American South. The film got huge buzz at Sundance and set a festival record for the sale of its distribution rights at $17.5 million. However, the revelation of a 1999 rape charge against Parker and co-writer Jean McGianni Celestin, as well as Parker’s statements that he would not play a gay character because it would be “emasculating,” have cast a cloud over the film’s release. Even so, the film’s stark portrayals of the brutality of slavery and its confrontation of the audience with the continuing issues of race and violence make it a potentially landmark film.

“The 13th,” Oct. 7 “Selma” (2014) director Ava Duvernay directs this documentary — whose title refers to the 13th Amendment — that

explores the American prison system and the effects of race on incarceration. The film was recently selected to open the New York Film Festival and will be available on Netflix and in specialty theaters.

“Moonlight,” Oct. 21 The feature-film debut of writer-director Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight” stars Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert as Chiron, a gay black man grappling with his faith and sexuality. The film follows Chiron at three points in his life, each portrayed by one of the actors. The film holds a perfect score from reviewers at press time. Limited release.

“Inferno,” Oct. 21 The third adaptation of the Robert Langdon series of novels by Dan Brown, this latest entry also stars Tom Hanks with Ron Howard directing. Felicity Jones co-stars in the thriller, which sees Hanks’ Langdon on the run as he recovers from amnesia and tries to solve an ancient riddle with roots in Dante’s epic poem “Inferno.”

7

Thursday, September 8, 2016 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Jake: “Someone tie me to the back of a car like those ‘just married’ cans.”

Comics

SUDOKU DOONESBURY

BY G.B. TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR

BY WILEY MILLER

Difficulty Level: Getting a good price on all of your textbooks.

Tuesday’s Solutions

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 CROSSWORD

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Bucks in the woods 6 Ratted out the bad guys 10 Dept. store stock 14 Condor’s condo?

15 Prefix with logical 16 Dry as a desert 17 Cold weather groundswell that can cause pavement damage 19 Go for the worm 20 Wind down or wind up 21 Name in Cold War news 22 Wright who wondered, “What’s another word for ‘thesaurus’?”

24 Ball catcher 25 Needing wheels 26 Ancient siege weapon 30 “Knock it off!”

31 Architectural curve 32 L.A. NFLer 35 Tax-free govt. bond 36 Good feller?

37 “One day only!” event 38 Boomer that no longer booms, briefly 39 __ Valley: Reagan Library locale 41 Warring factions 43 Manufacturer’s coming-out event 46 Woofer’s partner 48 Landed 49 Film boxer Rocky 50 Black, to a bard 51 Syst. for the deaf 54 Islamic branch 55 Reversions ... or what 17-, 26- and 43-Across all have?

58 Bard 59 Capital of Belgium 60 Good-sized wedding band 61 Kind of spot or loser 62 Cong. meeting 63 Lawn spoilers

By Pam Amick Klawitter

DOWN 1 Heist target 2 Beach bird 3 Five-time A.L. home run champ, familiarly 4 APO mail addressees 5 Gem mount 6 Midday snooze 7 Some govt. lawyers 8 Calif. neighbor 9 Loses one’s cool 10 Pre-1985 communications nickname 11 Car’s engine-towheels connector 12 Surfers visit them 13 Paradises 18 Sub access 23 __-blue 24 View from Molokai’s south shore 25 Lab rat’s home 26 Radiation units 27 Taxing task 28 New England capital 29 Needing a skulland-crossbones label

Tuesday’s Solution Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

33 Actor Baldwin 34 Screen door material 36 Russia-China border river 37 X-rated stuff 39 Explorer Hernando de __ 40 Conceptualizes 41 Permit 42 Post-shower display 44 Mail-in incentive

9/7/16

9/7/16

45 They’re off-limits 46 Recipe amts.

47 “Yippee!”

50 Gets an “I’m sorry” from Alex Trebek, say 51 Entr’__ 52 Short agenda?

53 Iwo Jima troop carriers: Abbr.

56 Tint 57 Blackjack component

8 tuftsdaily.com

Opinion

Thursday, September 8, 2016

EDITORIAL

Time zone change could make Boston more appealing to college grads Boston is a distinctive city, known by many for its seafood, sports and students.

As high rent costs and the tech boom force students to rethink the locations of their future home cities, the Boston area must consider how to retain the young talent for which it has long been recognized. Although Boston prides itself on being a vibrant metropolis with an array of academic resources to support a thriving young population, one downside often stands in the way — the dark and dreary weather.

While any city on the East Coast can expect relentless snow and rain, Boston is the furthest north and the furthest east of America’s major urban areas. Due to its unique location, the city is prone to extremely early sunsets, sometimes as early as 4 or 5 p.m. in the winter.

It’s no surprise that these dark afternoon hours coupled with poor weath-

er can be major hindrances for young working people who are considering making Boston their career-launching home. Boston-based companies looking to recruit recent graduates frequently have to face the harsh reality that it is incredibly difficult to prevent young people from leaving Boston behind to jet off to other places like the sunny Silicon Valley.

It appears, however, that the state may be making an effort to fix this problem.

Governor Charlie Baker recently signed a bill that orders a study into the possibility of moving the state of Massachusetts into a time zone that would increase daylight hours during the months that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun.

The proposition was originally put forward by Tom Emswiler, a Quincy resident who worries that Boston is losing valuable college grads to cities with preferable climates. Emswiler has suggest-

ed that Massachusetts adopt Atlantic Standard Time (AST) and become a part of the Atlantic Time Zone, which currently includes Eastern Canada, the Caribbean and parts of South America.

In addition to the zone change, he also proposes that the state do away with daylight saving time to eliminate the negative impacts that sudden time shifts can have on both our physical and mental health.

With these changes in place, the sun would set an hour later than it currently does from November through March, making Massachusetts’ dreadful winter days slightly more bearable than they currently are. The shift would make working hours more comparable to those in cities with milder winters and could increase overall productivity during the winter months. Students and young adults, who tend to stay up later than the rest of the population, will likely welcome

the change and find it more compatible with both their work schedules and lifestyles. Ridding the state of daylight saving time would also free Massachusetts residents from the adjustment of one’s circadian rhythm and sleep patterns to the time change.

A change like this could be a factor in favor of building a career in Massachusetts, especially for young people considering where they want to settle after college. With a bill already signed commissioning further study of the issue, a clear sign of progress has been made. There may be many different reasons New England has the lowest retention rate of college graduates compared to any other part of the country, but if Massachusetts changes its time zone to stay permanently in AST, young working people may begin to see Boston as a much more desirable city in which to start their careers.

BY SHANNON GEARY

LETTER FROM THE MANAGING BOARD An undeniable truth of creating effective, holistic news coverage is that to represent the community as accurately as possible, a paper needs to have writers who bring myriad perspectives and experiences to the table and to their writing.

Unfortunately, in our paper and in media outlets across the country, the voices and identities that create the fabric of our communities often do not line up with who has opportunities to report on those communities.

We also recognize that being a part of a college newspaper team can be an important springboard into a robust journalism career after a student leaves Tufts, but not everyone is afforded the luxury to

work on the Daily during their time here.

In the hopes of promoting the tradition of journalism, preserving the integrity of the paper and giving our community the coverage it deserves, we hope to do everything in our power to ensure that anyone who wants the opportunity to work at the Daily is given the opportunity to do so. To help mitigate some of the financial burden that may prevent students from feeling that they cannot be a part of the Daily, we’ve created a scholarship fund in the hopes that students with a passion for journalism will not be kept from working for the Daily because of financial need.

This semester, we have two scholarships available for first-years who demon-

strate need and a sincere interest in journalism. While we recognize that this scholarship fund will not fully address the need at hand, we think that this is an important first step in creating a more representative news environment.

We look forward to the rest of the semester and this new chapter in the Daily’s mission to be a more inclusive and intentional space. We welcome any questions about this Daily initiative.

Sincerely, Arin Kerstein Sophie Lehrenbaum Jake Taber

Applications for the Tufts Daily Semester Scholarship can be found at tinyurl.com/ dailyscholarship. Submissions are due at noon on Sept. 21.

Arin Kerstein is the Editor-in-Chief for the Tufts Daily. She is a junior majoring in international relations and economics.

She can be reached at arin.kerstein@ tufts.edu.

Sophie Lehrenbaum is a Managing Editor for the Tufts Daily. She is a junior majoring in international relations and environmental studies. She can be reached at sophie.lehrenbaum@tufts.edu.

Jake Taber is a Managing Editor for the Tufts Daily. He is a senior majoring in International Relations. He can be reached at john.taber@tufts.edu.

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

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

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

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to oped@tuftsdaily. com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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

Thursday, September 8, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion

9

OP-ED

What’s free college got to do with completion?

by Erin Knepler The idea of free college has been gaining a lot of attention this presidential election cycle, with both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns integrating the concept into their platforms. Just over a year ago, in 2015, President Obama proposed making two years of community college free through the “America’s College Promise” program. Some states have already implemented free community college, including Tennessee, Oregon and Minnesota.

These programs are a remarkable step toward making college more affordable and accessible. But affordability and accessibility do not equal completion.

If our goal is providing the opportunity for all individuals, regardless of age, race or class, to receive a world-class education and training for life and career, we need better pathways to help students complete their degrees. Otherwise, free college is somewhat moot.

According to data from the federal government’s National Center for Education Statistics, 28 percent of students seeking an associate’s degree from a community college graduate within three years. Even at four-year schools, completion rates are lackluster. Students seeking a bachelor’s degree have a graduation rate of 58 percent at public institutions, 65 percent at private nonprof-

it institutions and 27 percent at private for-profit institutions. This data is alarming. What good is free college if up to nearly three-quarters of students never finish?

In research from Public Agenda, students have spoken of several factors that inhibit their success, including fulltime employment, dependent children, weak academic preparation and college affordability. Other research indicates that many college practices inhibit a student’s chance for success. Students’ academic pathways may be confusing, they may receive inadequate guidance or have difficulty transferring from a community college to a four-year school.

Diminishing these barriers can dramatically increase completion.

For example, schools can work to create environments that are more engaging for students. Research from the Association of American Colleges and Universities indicates that students who are academically and socially engaged during college are more likely to graduate. A student is academically engaged when he or she interacts with faculty and finds learning meaningful. Social engagement refers to participation in campus activities and multiple connections with other students.

Many students have challenging schedules and responsibilities outside of school that make enhanced engage-

ment more difficult, so it’s important for schools to choose deliberate approaches to meet students where they are.

The way schools design and structure courses can also create barriers for students, especially when courses lack clear outcomes or student support.

In particular, redesigning “gateway” courses — those foundational courses nearly all students take in their first year — can reduce dropouts, failures and withdrawal rates. Research from the Pell Institute indicates that students who return for their second year of college have a higher chance of graduating. If a student is successful the first time taking a course instead of needing to repeat a course, they will be able to move toward their certificate or degree faster and at a lower cost.

Transferring from a community college to a four-year school also trips up many students. While it’s true that a four-year degree isn’t and should not be the only pathway to a better life and career, in recent research from the Community College Research Center, the Aspen Institute and the National Student Clearinghouse, 80 percent of students enrolling in a community college say they plan to get a bachelor’s degree or higher. Yet many students find it frustrating or impossible to transfer between two-year and fouryear institutions, often losing credits,

time and money in the process. States and institutions need to create better transfer procedures and identify a general education core that is accepted by all institutions.

Finally, it’s important to note that all of the free community college programs currently enacted are limited to recent high school graduates, even as more and more individuals are returning to school later in life to earn a college certificate or degree. This trend will likely increase, given that estimates suggest that nearly 70 percent of all jobs will require some kind of post-secondary training, certificate or degree by 2020.

Free college is a giant step toward improving access, and it’s an easy rallying cry. But free college will not inherently lead to more college graduates with well-paying and stable jobs.

Higher education leaders and experts need to think beyond “free college” and help colleges and universities create a stronger completion culture. While the solutions above are not as amenable to sound bites, these are the real solutions that will help more students complete a meaningful degree.

Erin Knepler is associate director of Higher Education & Workforce Programs at Public Agenda. Erin can be reached at eknepler@ publicagenda.org. This article was originally written for InsideSources.com.

10

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Thursday, September 8, 2016

Study Abroad Fair

Mark your calendars now!

Wednesday, Sept. 14th

11:30 am-2:00 pm Dowling Hall Room 745 Representatives from over twenty-five programs will be in attendance.

All majors and class years welcome!

tuftsdaily.com

All Students Invited!

2016 Student Organizations Fair Over 300 Organizations Waiting for You!

Wednesday September 14, 2016 5pm – 7pm Residential Quad (Rain Date, Sept. 15)

Sponsored by the Office of Programs Abroad Find out more at: http://go.tufts.edu/studyabroad Check out the Office for Campus Life Website for More Information…ocl.tufts.edu

ATTENTION STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Welcome Back, Please Review the following mandatory meetings and upcoming events!

REGISTER YOUR ORG. NOW! All orgs. need to register for the year at ocl.tufts.edu.

Student Organizations Fair! Wednesday September 14!

Once you register your org. for the year you are confirmed to attend the Fair. (5 pm – 7 pm Res Quad) Monday September 19: Tuesday September 20: Wednesday September 21: Thursday September 22: Friday September 23: Monday September 26: Tuesday September 27: Wednesday September 28: Thursday September 29: Friday September 30:

10 am – 5 pm 12 pm – 8 pm 9 am – 5 pm 12 pm – 8 pm 9 am – 4 pm 10 am – 5 pm 12 pm – 8 pm 9 am – 5 pm 12 pm – 8 pm 9 am – 4 pm

All Sessions in the Mayer Campus Center Room 112

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW AT www.ouryear.com (Enter Tufts Code 267)

Executive Summit! September 14 or 15, 7:30 pm.

At least one member of each group MUST attend one of the two Executive Summits. (Barnum 008) TCU Treasury Meetings! September 14 or 15, 8:30 pm.

Both group signatories MUST attend one of the two TCU Treasury Meetings. (Barnum 008)

Financial Stewardship Training!

Wednesday September 28th, 12 noon – 1 pm, Campus Center 012 or Monday October 3rd, 12 noon – 1 pm, Campus Center 112

At least one member of each group, preferably a treasurer or financial representative MUST attend one of these two meetings.

Further information on each of these events can be found at ocl.tufts.edu.

HAVE A GREAT YEAR!

Thursday, September 8, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

S p o rts

11

Editors’ Challenge | Week 1 Hey Sports Fans! Welcome back to the Editor’s Challenge. We took a brief hiatus, but thanks to our Hawaiian vacation we are now ready to pick match-ups better than ever.

Our nine wonderful editors will stay on and each week one lucky Daily staff member or Tufts faculty member will seize the opportunity to be our “guest picker.” It’s an esteemed position, check LinkedIn. In week one, we feature Chris “run, Forrest” Warren, whose fast feet carry him on the track. This running rebel was the only person to select Tampa Bay, a true gamble that may trip him up. I can’t be too harsh, though, as we were the only two to pick my

CAR at DEN MIN at TEN CLE at PHI CHI at HOU BUF at BAL SD at KC OAK at NO TB at ATL CIN at NYJ GB at JAX MIA at SEA NYG at DAL DET at IND NE at ARI PIT at WSH LA at SF

Achilles’ heel, the Detroit Lions. There’s something about the way Stafford sidearms the ball that gets me. The Seahawks and Packers swept us off our feet here at the Daily, but we fought tooth and nail over the Giants and Cowboys. Somebody call TEMS. Maclyn “Big Mac” Senear has no idea why his nickname is a reference to a fast food meal and would also like to shame those New England natives who picked the Cardinals. Now, a prayer to the football gods to enter the Editor’s Challenge season.

May our oblong balls bounce favorably, may we pick the winningest teams and may Eddie lose.

Phil

YJ

Ali

Eddie

Maclyn

Zach

Sophie

David

Evan

DEN MIN PHI CHI BAL KC OAK ATL NYJ GB SEA NYG DET ARI PIT LA

CAR TEN PHI HOU BAL KC OAK ATL CIN GB SEA DAL IND ARI PIT LA

CAR TEN CLE HOU BAL KC NO ATL CIN GB SEA NYG IND NE PIT SF

CAR MIN PHI CHI BAL KC NO ATL CIN GB SEA DAL IND ARI WSH LA

DEN MIN PHI CHI BAL KC OAK ATL CIN GB SEA NYG IND NE PIT LA

DEN MIN PHI HOU BAL KC NO ATL NYJ GB SEA DAL IND NE PIT SF

DEN MIN PHI CHI BAL KC NO ATL NYJ GB SEA NYG IND NE WSH SF

CAR MIN CLE HOU BUF KC OAK ATL CIN GB SEA DAL IND ARI PIT LA

CAR MIN PHI CHI BAL KC OAK ATL CIN GB SEA NYG IND ARI PIT LA

GUEST Chris CAR MIN PHI CHI BUF KC OAK TB CIN GB SEA DAL DET NE PIT LA

Golf to build on past individual performances with larger team GOLF

continued from back the right way, you won’t play well. Each of us worked really hard on our games this summer, and hopefully that hard work will pay off this year. We had a really successful preseason where the team bonded and practiced together, and I am really looking forward to getting the season started.”

The Jumbos’ opening round is at the Detrick Invitational on Friday, Sept. 10. With their numbers increased, the team is quietly confident that they can perform better.

“Given the depth that we have this year, I’m certainly hoping for a top 10 but I think it’s a realistic goal to finish in the top five – and in a bigger picture way, we’re trying for a real goal that’s not been done which is to finish in the top four of NESCAC, which I think we’ve a realistic chance at this year,” Pendergast said.

Entering his last year on the team, Elliot wants to build on the encouraging performances that the team has demonstrated of late, moving past simply decent performances to actually competing for hardware.

“The team wants to win NESCACs, plain and simple,” Elliot said. “Although we grew up in the age of participation trophies, we are tired of finishing fifth. We have the talent to do it this year, and I would love to make it to nationals in my last year.”

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior tri-captain Aaron Corn drives the ball from the third tee at the Newbury Invitational on Sept. 23, 2015.

Jumbos return talented scorers for new field debut FIELD HOCKEY

continued from back Both captains stressed that her return is a major factor in their excitement for this season.

Sophomore Hanaa Malik, who had an impressive rookie season last year and tied for third on the team in scoring, and classmate Gigi Tutoni, who tallied three goals last season, will help add pressure to opposing defenses.

The midfield similarly looks to be solid again this season as it returns several dependable and experienced players, including juniors Ellexa Thomas, Erin Sanders and Celia Lewis. There are also a number of former rookies whose contributions are expected to grow now that they are more seasoned. “[Sophomore] Claire Trilling will definitely be a factor this season,” Zarrella said. “She’s solid in the midfield but also a threat on offense.”

This year’s talented first-year class will also be counted on to contribute to key roles in the midfield and to support the Jumbo attack. “[First-years] Rachel Hamilton and Shannon Yogerst will bring a lot to our forward line,” Zarrella said. “They’re both skilled and have been doing a good job of finding the back of the net at practice.

And Marguerite Salamone and Brigid Gliwa will be awesome additions to our midfield—they’re both fast but also have an offensive mindset, which is always nice to have.”

Arata will help anchor the Jumbo defense and utilize her significant experience to help a back line that will likely see several new starters. Sophomore Issy del Priore figures to play a key role on defense and is looking calm and dependable, according to Zarrella. Sophomore Emily Polinski, who stepped in early last season to take over the starting goalkeep-

er position and produced a strong rookie campaign, returns to the net.

The team will likely face its toughest competition of the season in conference play again this year. Match-ups against perennial field hockey powerhouses Bowdoin and Middlebury are especially daunting.

Middlebury ruined Bowdoin’s perfect season last year by edging them 1-0 in the NCAA Championships to earn the title, but with four national championships from 2007-2013, Bowdoin has undoubtedly been the top team in the nation in the last decade.

Those two dominant NESCAC forces are the Jumbos’ biggest obstacles to winning the program’s second conference title. Both Bowdoin and Middlebury, however, lost key contributors from last season, and, according to Arata, Bowdoin looked vulnerable and beatable in last Saturday’s tri-team scrimmage between Bates, Bowdoin and Tufts.

Tufts won’t face Middlebury or Bowdoin

until October, so the team looks to get off to a strong start at Colby on Saturday before taking on Bates and Wesleyan later this month.

Last year, Tufts struggled at times to maintain its high level of play against weaker competition, even losing to underdog Wesleyan early last season. The challenge in these first few weeks will be to not play to the level of weaker teams and keep the pressure on.

“Right now we are focusing on keeping our pace at practice high so that when we get to game day, we can focus on the game itself and doing our job instead of worrying about the other team’s pace,” Zarrella said.

Overall, the Jumbos have a complete and experienced roster with depth at every position, and already appear to be in regular season form. They’ll be looking to prove their skill and start their 2016 season strong on Saturday when they take on the Mules in Maine.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Thursday, September 8, 2016

FIELD HOCKEY

Field hockey seeks return to NCAA tournament in 2016

by Maclyn Senear Sports Editor

The last members of Tufts’ 2012 NCAA championship field hockey team graduated in May, but the team has not lowered its expectations. The 2016 Jumbos are looking to break their four-year streak of losing in the NESCAC tournament semifinals and finally get back to the NCAA tournament. They have not received a bid since 2013.

“This season we’re stressing the importance of holding each other to a higher standard,” senior co-captain Nicole Arata said. “We want to be supportive of our teammates while pushing them to be the best they can be.”

Last year’s squad was relatively successful, finishing 11-6 overall and 7-3 in the NESCAC before ending its season with a 4-1 loss to Middlebury in the conference semifinals. Compared with the

program’s high standards from recent years, though, the 2015 season was a disappointment, since Tufts was unable to improve on its 2014 performance and return to the NCAA tournament.

Despite having just three seniors on the roster, this year’s team is visibly more excited and optimistic than usual and believes that it is ready to get back to 2012 form.

Tufts upgraded the program’s facilities over the summer when it renovated Bello Field. The Jumbos will now play their home games on AstroTurf and will look to capitalize on the advantages of a faster playing surface, including improvements to their ball movement.

Arata believes the new field will be a boon to the Jumbos and give them an edge against the highly ranked teams that come to Bello every season.

“We are going back to our old formation this year,” Arata said. “It’s a system that we trust: we have layers of defense to depend on and lots of passing options going forward and we’ve always been a really strong passing team. We’re so excited to get onto our new field in the next couple of weeks because our style of play works so well on AstroTurf.”

Senior forward Dominique Zarrella, the team’s leading goal scorer for each of the last two seasons and a Longstreth/ NFHCA Div. III All-Region second team pick her sophomore year, returns to captain the squad again this year along with Arata. Zarrella will look to capitalize on that faster ball movement to complement her scoring ability and power the Jumbos’ offense.

The six seniors that the Jumbos lost last season will inevitably be missed, but head coach

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts forward Dominique Zarrella, a senior, evades two Trinity players in the postseason victory against Trinity on Oct. 31, 2015.

Tina McDavitt-Mattera’s program reloaded with another six first-years. Including the 17 returners, coach McDavittMattera has formed an allaround solid roster.

Though the team lost several of its leading goal scorers from last season, Zarrella paces a

group of talented forwards with proven scoring talent. Senior forward Annie Artz, who was the team’s second-highest goal scorer in 2014 but missed the entire 2015 season with a knee injury, returns to the front line. see FIELD HOCKEY, page 11

GOLF

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

After strong recruitment, Women’s Cross Country adds large contingent of first-years and new runners golf chasing trip to Nationals

by Onat Tarimcilar Contributing Writer

The Tufts women’s cross country team enters every season with high expectations. It aims to not only race against the best competition in the country, but to win out against those opponents.

These are consistent, yearly goals, but after last year’s second-place NESCAC finish and seventh-place run at Nationals, the team is poised for a record-breaking season.

The team knows that to achieve a season with the same results as 2015, it must consistently run its best at every meet.

“We graduated a few key runners from last year but so far it is looking like everyone really trained well over the summer [and] are ready to fill those gaps,” senior captain Sarah Corning said.

Those graduated runners led the team to a second-place finish in the NESCAC championships and ultimately a seventh-place finish at Nationals in Wisconsin last November. This was Tufts’ best national finish in the past nine years.

Even though last year was so successful, the team is not satisfied because it feels that it can still finish stronger.

“We know if we all come prepared every day, follow the right training plan, recover right and race smart, we can have an even better year than last season,” sophomore Kelsey Tierney said. “We’re coming in with the expectation to improve on our performances, especially in the big meets.”

Last season is proof that this team is a national contender, but the road to Nationals is never easy in the Northeast region, especially the NESCAC. The Northeast is one of the most competitive areas in the country, which is a blessing and a curse. All races are against top competition, which helps to prepare the Jumbos for big meets, but the competitiveness in the region can make favorable results rare.

The team emphasizes the necessity of building healthy habits as a key to its success. The high standards that the captains set reflect how seriously the Jumbos take surpassing the achievements of last season.

“In a more physical sense, we practice really hard every week and we just need to stay focused every day to achieve the results we want at the end of the season.” Corning said. “That means doing the little things like stretching, icing, sleeping and eating well.”

Physically, the preseason has the Jumbos feeling confident entering their first meets. With every season comes a crop of first-year runners and the team boasts 11 first-years this season. Including three other new members, 14 of the team’s 37 runners are new. Despite the loss of many important seniors, these new runners are key in replacing the middle distance gaps that create a balanced team.

Not only do the first-years bring new sets of legs, but they also bring a whole new dynamic to a very tightly-knit team. Strong team chemistry is key, especially with many new faces, but the returning members of the team have been

impressed with the way the firstyears integrated themselves.

“Because cross country is such a mental sport, it is really important for the team to be supportive of each other,” Corning said. “We have tried to drive it home early in the year that everyone should feel comforted and supported by their teammates.”

“They already seem to love our corner in Dewick,” Tierney added.

With preseason workouts behind them and team chemistry high, the Jumbos are looking forward to the season as a whole, and hope to exceed the successes of last season.

Tufts starts its season on Sept.

17 at the Bates Invitational. Tufts was able to take home first place in the meet last year, handily beating the competition in what serves as more of a tune-up for Tufts. Last year, the Jumbos finished first or second in six of their next seven meets leading up to Nationals. They went on to finish second in the NESCAC behind the Williams Ephs, who ultimately won Nationals.

Audrey Gould (LA ’16) was the team’s top runner last season, but she was supported by five returning runners in the next six slots.

One of these runners is senior Alice Wasserman, a captain for the second straight season, who shares the captain duties this season with her classmates Corning and Samantha Cox. Playoff meets start for the Jumbos in the last weekend of October, when they hope to qualify for the regional championships and then Nationals, which will take place in Louisville, KY this year.

by Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editor

The 2015-16 golf season was not entirely successful for the Jumbos. Tufts narrowly missed out on qualifying for the NESCAC tournament, finishing sixth in the qualifier at Williams. That left Tufts 19 strokes behind fourthplace Amherst for the final qualifying spot.

The season nevertheless had its bright spots, the best of which was the team’s success at the Newbury College Nighthawk Invitational, where they shot an overall 7-over par. Senior tri-captain Owen Elliot and junior tri-captain Aaron Corn both shot even-par 70s for the best rounds of the tournament, and junior Mike Lefkowitz tied for third at 1-over 71. The remaining two Jumbos, Jay Wong (LA ’16) and junior Glenn Van Winkle, also finished in the top-20 to complete the best moment of 2015. At the Williams qualifier, the Jumbos shot 647 over the course of two days, while Elliot led the way with a 152 overall. His 12-over par score ranked 9th individually after two days.

The less successful season was due in part to a thin roster; there were too few players on the team and that lack of depth proved to be a disadvantage. However, after strong off-season recruitment, coach George Pendergast said that this issue should be resolved for the 2016-17 season.

“We had a couple of upperclassmen who were not playing because they were either overseas

or doing internships… The premed players had [other commitments on the weekends] so they couldn’t play,” Pendergast said.

“We had a difficult time getting five really good golfers into tournaments and so we didn’t do very well. But the contrast to that is recruiting has been awesome – we have 10 or 11 kids – including five to six [first-years] and sophomores. We’re going from being very thin to all of a sudden we have really good depth of really good quality.”

Golf graduated just two seniors last year, their co-captains, Wong and Brendan Koh (LA ’16), and the team is excited at the prospect of a large recruiting class.

“We just wrapped up an informal preseason in the Berkshires last week where a few of the [first-years] came,” Elliot said.

“We played a bunch of golf, hung about, swam and played pool.

During those rounds, I think all of the returning players were very impressed with the level of play we saw from the incoming [first-years]. We have also heard good things about the other [firstyears] coming to tryouts, so we are very hopeful for this upcoming season.”

As the team looks forward to the new year, Corn said that the team has worked hard to prepare for a better season.

“Golf is a sport where preparation is what wins us tournaments,” Corn wrote to the Daily in an email. “Yes, you have to play well to win, but if you don’t prepare see GOLF, page 11