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As Trump tweets his way through transition, late-night swings into action. see ARTS & LIVING / PAGE 7

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

First-year double-breaks school record

Track and Field preview: big shoes to fill as new leaders, first years to step up. see SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 58

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

RA position replaced, on-campus apartments to have house ‘community development advisors’ by Kyle Anderson Contributing Writer

The resident assistant (RA) position will be replaced with two new roles, first year advisor (FYA) and community development advisor (CDA), next fall. This is one aspect of a larger change in the housing program, as Latin Way Apartments, Sophia Gordon Hall, Hillsides Apartments and Richardson House will all have in-house CDAs beginning next fall, according to Area Three Residence Director Julie Kennedy. According to Kennedy, the Medford/ Somerville campus is not the only Tufts campus that will see ResLife changes, as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts’ two residence houses near the Fenway campus will also be included in the FYA/CDA change. According to ResLife Director Yolanda King, the new FYAs will maintain the tra-

COURTESY SEBASTIAN TORRENTE

see RESLIFE, page 2

Sophia Gordon Hall will have in-house community development advisors, who would live collectively in a single suite, starting next fall.

by Daniel Nelson

Assistant News Editor

Fletcher delegates represent Tufts at 22nd session of Conference Of Parties in Morocco by Simran Lala

Contributing Writer

Delegates from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy represented Tufts at the 22nd session of the Conference of Parties (COP 22) in Marrakech, Morocco from November 7 to 18. The conference included delegates and organizations from all over the world coming together to undertake efforts to check climate change and preserve the environment for future generations. Fatima Quraishi, Fletcher student and COP 22 delegate, said some of the topics discussed at the event included climate financing, renewable energy sources and a smooth shift in industrialization policy for transitioning and developing economies. Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP) at Fletcher, was one of the professors involved in sending delegates to the conference. According to Gallagher, the observer status granted to Tufts in United Nations climate change negotiations allowed the delegates, all of whom were involved in the Tufts Institute of the Environment (TIE), to be directly in touch with international environmental policy trends.

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Medical marijuana dispensary seeks to open Davis Square location

“Participation of [TIE] in events such as COP 22 fosters the creation of new partnerships and collaborations with academic, governmental and non-governmental parties, thus bringing opportunities back to Tufts’ faculty and students on campus,” Gallagher told the Daily in an email. Vasundhara Jolly, another Fletcher student and delegate at the conference, said all resolutions at a session of the COP require unanimous support in order to pass. Quraishi explained that COP 21, which took place last year, brought nations together to take steps to combat climate change by signing the Paris Agreement, the world’s first comprehensive agreement aimed at combating climate change. “The COP 22 was like an implementation COP, in which the countries came together in order to decide how to go about the terms of the Paris Agreement,” she said. Quraishi explained that the conference was divided into two zones for different participants – the blue zone and green zone. “The blue zone is for official negotiations, while the green zone is open to all participants, such as NGOs, attending the conference,” she said.

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Quraishi said that, as someone interested in international environmental policy and climate change, the conference provided a positive learning experience for students in the Tufts delegation. The standpoint of the United States on climate policy was one that drew attention, Jolly said. “It was interesting to see the stance of the United States at the conference, given the recent elections and change in approach regarding climate change,” she said. Jolly added that Tufts’ booth at the conference facilitated interaction and exchange of ideas and information with delegates from other nations as well as experts and leaders in the field of climate policy. Aside from learning about policy, Fletcher students also took the chance to network, according to Gallagher. “Building such connections paves the way for professional as well as academic opportunities, such as internships and jobs with top environmental agencies,” she said. Quraishi said that while COP 22 saw nations come together to cooperate and combine efforts to battle climate change, negotiations did not end with the conference. Rather, the battle against climate change will be a continued effort over the coming years, she said.

The City of Somerville sent out letters of non-opposition to four medical marijuana companies interested in opening locations in Somerville, according to an Oct. 6 press release from Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. These letters clear the way for the companies to begin the permit process to open locations in Somerville. The non-opposition letters were sent after Curtatone received a letter from Somerville’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee (MMAC) on Sept. 21 which recommended four companies be approved to move forward in the permit process. MMAC specifically recommended that Garden Remedies Inc. receive a letter of non-opposition for a planned location at 245 Elm St. in Davis Square, which is currently occupied by a Family Dollar store, according to Garden Remedies Communications Coordinator Tom Haley. In the letter, MMAC praised Garden Remedies for its medical-based approach to marijuana. “[Garden Remedies has] impressive partnerships and a dedication to marijuana as an effective medicine,” MMAC wrote. “The team is led by a doctor, managed by a pharmacist, has a strong medical background and a model based on medical uses/treatment purposes.” The MMAC letter noted that the 245 Elm St. location was hotly contested among applicants, with four separate dispensaries, including Garden Remedies, issuing proposals for the space. Garden Remedies was founded by Karen Munkacy, a medical doctor, resident of Newton and breast cancer survivor, according to Haley. Haley said that Munkacy underwent a lengthy and painful cancer treatment without the help of medical marijuana. “She was not going to let another individual feel that pain,” Haley said. Haley said that Garden Remedies opened the company’s first dispensary in Newton in November. If approved, the 245

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OPINION.....................................8 SPORTS............................ BACK

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T HE T UFTS D AILY Arin Kerstein

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City of Somerville approves several dispensaries to seek zoning permits

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MARIJUANA

continued from page 1 Elm St. location will become its second. According to Haley, although the possibility that Garden Remedies will seek to expand into the recreational marijuana business has not been “completely ruled out,” the company’s immediate goal is to open more medical dispensaries. The recent passing of Question 4, a ballot initiative that legalized the sale and use of recreational marijuana across Massachusetts, will require the state to come up with a new set of regulations. Question 4 won the approval of approximately 75 percent of Somerville voters. Part of the challenge in opening recreational dispensaries will be navigating the regulations eventually issued by the State of Massachusetts, according to Haley. As these regulations have yet to be developed or announced, Haley said that the company is more concerned with expansion of its medical marijuana dispensaries at this time. Haley says that Garden Remedies has fostered close working relationships with state and local health officials and is interested in working to provide access to marijuana as well as trying to strip it of its taboo as a drug, as it remains banned on the federal level. “We want to not only provide safe access to medical marijuana to those qualifying patients but to educate the community at large that this is a real medicine,” Haley said. Curtatone’s press release highlighted education and community outreach as part of the new medical marijuana dispensaries. “Dispensaries in Massachusetts have

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Garden Remedies, a medical marijuana dispensary, has begun the permit process to open a location in Davis Square. typically provided benefits to the local community to support a number of efforts including substance abuse treatment and public safety,” the press release stated. “It is expected that the City will enter into a public benefits agreement with each selected applicant prior to zoning approval.” Tufts students supported the idea of a local medical marijuana dispensary. Jake Cosgrove, a junior studying biology and biotechnology, said he saw promise in the growth of the new field. “In a city that’s big on biotech, it’s great to

see a business come here that will be able to help patients suffering from debilitating pain and expand opportunities in the biotech sector in Boston,” he said Woodrow Nimoityn, a sophomore, said he had seen firsthand the positive effects that medical marijuana could have. “I had a family member who was sick with cancer,” Nimoityn said. “Although he had a terminal illness, the marijuana that he had access to provided him a sense of relief from his pain. It definitely made it easier at times.”

ResLife hopes to reform RA system, cluster first-years, upperclassmen RESLIFE

continued from page 1 ditional RA responsibilities of residential hall community organization, helping resolve conflicts between residents and upholding Tufts’ official campus policies. However, their position will be entirely focused on the needs of first-year students. Therefore, according to Area Four Residence Director Donisha Thaxton, FYAs will have increased interaction with orientation leaders (OL) so that firstyears will know their FYAs and OLs equally well by the time the semester begins. FYAs will focus on integrating first-years with each other and showing them opportunities in the Tufts community. According to Kennedy, FYAs will have a role focused on first-year students because “students need more from their RAs during their first years.” Thaxton noted that CDAs will serve as ResLife staff for upperclassmen and will have the same traditional responsibilities of RAs in that they will shape the community within the halls. CDAs will also act as a resource to help residents build upon their communities both on and off campus.

Therefore, according to Kennedy, CDAs should be aware of the specific needs of upperclassmen, both in terms of resolving conflicts and being able to refer students to on- and off-campus opportunities. CDAs will be posted to halls based upon the needs of the hall and will then be able to choose their room and their suitemates, according to Thaxton. CDAs will also provide opportunities for suites and floors to interact with each other, Thaxton added. For instance, CDAs will help to increase peer accountability, so if students have noise issues with neighbors or hallmates, CDAs will be there to enforce Tufts policies. Prospective FYAs and CDAs will select the role for which they feel best suited. Thus, one does not have to be an FYA before becoming a CDA, according to Kennedy. More specifically, the changes are intended to improve the student residential experience, according to Associate Director of ResLife Jerome Holland. For instance, having a student CDA live in one of the traditionally independent halls such as the Hillsides or Latin Way Apartments decreases the invasiveness of checks or conflict mediation when the CDA actu-

ally lives with and knows the students involved, Holland said. Currently, ResLife staff members do not live in these independent halls and area residence directors instead perform occasional health and safety checks, according to Holland. He added that residents can also reach out to staff in case of conflict, but because most students do not know the staff, this has the potential to make delicate issues more difficult to resolve. According to King, there will be about twice as many FYAs as CDAs, with a rough estimate of 77 total FYAs and CDAs combined. Thaxton said that inside individual residential halls, it is possible that first-years in halls with upperclassmen may have their own floor or their own section of the hall, which could increase the effectiveness of the FYA and CDA system because the two could operate in their respective spheres. The described changes come in light of feedback from current and former RAs as well as student survey responses, Thaxton added. “[ResLife] is just really excited about these changes,” she said.

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Hall Closing Reminders

Important Dates

Winter Recess Closing Checklist

Classes End: Monday, 12/12 Reading Days: 12/13 & 12/14 Finals Begin: Thursday, 12/15 Finals End: Thursday, 12/22

 CLOSE

and LOCK all windows, pull shades down  All electronics are turned off and unplugged  Defrost/unplug any fridges  Take out all trash  Turn heat to #1 setting Shhh!  If you have fish, take them Continuous Quiet Hours home  Take any items home you may Quiet Hours begin on Monday, 12/12 need over the break. The halls at 11pm and continue through are locked and alarmed Thursday, 12/22. Please be respectful during this period of your fellow residents during this  If you live in an apartment, crucial time of year! please clean the kitchen and wash any dishes. You don’t want to come back to bugs! If you are leaving at the end of the semester and not returning:  LOCK YOUR DOOR You will need to make arrangements with residential staff to properly check out of your room. You will also need to return your keys to one of the following areas: Residential Facilities (520 Boston Ave) 9a-5p Monday - Friday Campus Police Key Drop Box (419 Boston Ave) open 24 hours

Residence Halls CLOSE: Friday, 12/23 promptly at 12pm

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You will be charged for any keys NOT returned at the end of the semester!

Looking ahead… Halls re-open at 9:00am on Mon. January 16, 2017 Residence Hall Spring Closings Non-graduating students Saturday, May 13, 2017 Graduating Seniors Monday, May 22, 2017

The Office of Residential Life & Learning would like to wish all of you the best of luck on your final exams and a safe & happy holiday season! Questions? Please call us at 7-3248 or email reslife@tufts.edu

See you in 2017!

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

GAME REVIEW

New ‘Hearthstone’ expansion ‘Mean Streets of Gadgetzan’ could be just what free-to-play players needed by Isaac Brown Arts Editor

Activision-Blizzard’s famed digital collectible card game “Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft” (2014) is back again with its latest expansion, “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan,” and its arrival could not come soon enough. Anyone who’s been trying to climb the ladder in “Hearthstone” or get a decent result in the Arena as anything that’s not a Mage has been in for a hard time since the previous adventure “One Night in Karazhan” was released in August, pushing Shamans and Mages into dominance. “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan,” which

released on Dec. 1, is Blizzard’s way of shifting the balance of power back over to classes like Priest and Warrior, which have typically preferred slow decks, while pushing for more control-oriented Shaman decks as opposed to the oppressive Midrange Shaman that has proven to be the class to beat for the past several weeks. New to the game are tri-class cards based on three underworld factions: the Grimy Goons, the Jade Lotus and the Kabal. Each faction represents three different hero classes: the Goons represent Paladins, Hunters and Warriors; the Jade Lotus represents Rogues, Druids and Shamans; and the Kabal represents Warlocks, Mages and Priests. The Grimy

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT

The collectible card game “Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft” has released its latest expansion pack, called “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan.”

Goons are themed around buffing minions while they are in the player’s hand, the Jade Lotus makes use of special minions called Jade Golems and the stealth effect and the Kabal cook up some potent potions. Tri-class cards are particularly helpful for players on a budget, as these cards can be used for a far greater variety of decks than regular class cards, which makes life a lot easier when the player needs to complete a quest like “Win 5 games with Priest or Rogue.” The post-expansion metagame is highly volatile, which makes these few weeks a great time to get back in the game and experiment with decklists and try to counter the most popular decks out there. Reno Priest and Warlock seem quite formidable at the moment, along with various types of Druids like Jade Golem Druid and Malygos Druid. Blizzard really wants Aggro Paladin and Taunt Warrior to be popular, but based on early playtime, this doesn’t seem this to be terribly likely, even with the buffs. As hilarious as they might be to play, those archetypes have proven inconsistent in the past. Instead, players have Pirate Warrior, a delightful deck that involves the Warrior repeatedly emoting “Happy Feast of Winterveil!” while relentlessly smashing the player’s face in with large axes. The good news is that one can make plenty of cheap decks in “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan” and still compete with the see GADGETZAN, page 6

TV RECAP

Gallows Humor Galore: late night reacts to Trump’s win by John J. Gallagher Arts Editor

Donald Trump’s upset victory in the 2016 presidential election was the very definition of a surprise, and in the weeks since the election, late-night comedians have been producing a steady drumbeat of political material in response to Trump’s win. Humor was a staple of this election season (see the list compiled a few days before Election Day); now, here are some picks of the best political humor to come out of late-night TV since the election. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (2015-present), Don’t Move To Canada Just Yet Stephen Colbert had the dubious honor of hosting a live election night show, which took an unexpected turn as more and more states ended up in Trump’s column. But despite staying up on election night, Colbert was back on the air the evening of November 9 and opened his show with a 16-minute election monologue. Though doubtlessly produced by a reeling staff under tight time constraints, Colbert’s wide-ranging monologue managed to tackle everything from anti-Trump protests to God’s response to Trump’s

win. Jon Batiste, normally a lackluster sidekick, even managed to inject an admirable quip into Colbert’s joke about his sleeping for “jazz hours.” Though it mostly worked, Colbert’s monologue was not without its dark spots; one nonsense gag saw Colbert don sparkly cat ears, do a cat impression and then point out “seconds ago I was sad, but now … I’m a sexy kitty!” A cringe-worthy departure from the resigned wit of the rest of the monologue. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (2014-present), PresidentElect Trump John Oliver has emerged as one of Trump’s most vocal critics since famously declaring in late 2015 that he “couldn’t give less of a shit” about Donald Trump. Oliver dedicated an episode of “Last Week Tonight” to Trump in February, which culminated in the phrase “make Donald Drumpf again.” After Trump’s win, Oliver once again dedicated an episode of his show to Trump, this time trying to divine why Trump won and where America goes from here. For the duration of the episode, a clearly perturbed Oliver gave a summary of the election while managing

to make a joke or two. One delightfully bizarre joke grew out of a wider comment about the role of fake news in this election. After playing a clip from “The O’Reilly Factor” (1996-present), in which Donald Trump defended tweeting false statistics because they “came out of radio shows.” Oliver remarked, “‘I got it from radio’ is maybe the weirdest nonsense explanation I’ve ever heard. It’s like if someone said ‘this sandwich tastes weird’ and you said ‘but I found it in a hole!’ If there’s nothing wrong with it, what was it doing in a hole?” As with most every episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver’s argument concluded with a strong call to action for viewers to donate to organizations that champion, among other issues, independent journalism and LGBTQ youth. The episode itself ended with a montage of a diverse group of figures, including celebrities and a dog, requesting that 2016 should go f— itself. “Saturday Night Live” (1975-present), Classroom Cold Open Saturday Night Live’s comedic digs at Trump have drawn criticism from see LATE SHOW, page 6

Ana Antolin and Emily Friedlander Runway Roundup

Down to the (chicken) wire

unning around a warehouse dotted with fires in garbage cans for extra pizzaz, the designers were tasked with collecting unconventional industrial materials like metal scraps, wire and tiles in order to make avant-garde outfits for the runway this week. Avant-garde looks should introduce ideas to fashion that are new or unusual, as opposed to commercial garments that are wearable and on-trend. The line between avant-garde and costume is incredibly subjective and, some would argue, nonexistent. This confusion led designers like Mah-Jing Wong to exclaim, “Costume-y? Isn’t that the point when [a look is] avant-garde?” Our biggest surprise of the episode happened off-screen when former guest judge Jacob returned to watch more “Project Runway” with us. He described the show as “lit” and was in awe of the works these talented individuals make from scratch in so little time. This week’s official guest judge is senior Sarah Lubiner, who has lived with Emily for most of college and really doesn’t want to talk to us about her thesis. Sarah has watched every single episode of “Project Runway” and “Project Runway All-Stars” (2012-present), quipping that despite all of its iterations, this show never disappoints, unlike other childhood favorites — we’re looking at you, “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” (2016). In typical fashion, designer Erin Robertson makes her own textile and explains the concept of her “paper doll” dress to host Tim Gunn using weird mouth sounds. And, as much as we hate to admit it, she comes through again in the last minutes of the challenge with a vibrant, youthful look. We would love to rock it, despite the fact that the wire would definitely leave some awkward-looking bruises on our chests. Designer Roberi Parra is the new Nathalia JMag — his look isn’t bad, but it’s not super memorable either. He spends most of his time acting like a wayward philosophy major declaring how he wants his look to “obliterate the human face” and “disrupt the body.” MahJing promises us a galaxy-inspired fairy princess but instead serves up something boring. At this point, it is clear to us that Cornelius Ortiz has difficulty understanding how most women like to present themselves, and we are frustrated that his lack of creativity has translated into awkward silhouettes that are not intentionally unflattering. Originally, he plans to make a dress that unintentionally outlines a baby-bump shape over the model’s torso, but then he decides to wrap a few tubes around the body that protrude from the model’s crotch and backside — eeek. Deep in our hearts, we were worried as the episode progressed because we knew MahJing was going to be sent home. For whatever reason, this show has decided that they really like Cornelius, and in pushing for this designer to stay on, they got rid of the real underdog and one of our favorite personalities, MahJing. We will miss his zipper necklace, incessant tears and the straight-up unapologetic heart he puts into all of his work. At least we can find solace in knowing that the judges seem to be as sad as we are to see him go. Ana Antolin is a junior majoring in international relations. Ana can be reached at ana.antolin@tufts.edu. Emily Friedlander is a senior majoring in international relations. Emily can be reached at emily.friedlander@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Kevin Lawson Tufts Daily Show

Trump’s proactive transition period

appy December, everyone! As 2016 winds down, so does Barack Obama’s presidency. And now that the sitting president has been a “lame duck” for about a month, Presidentelect Donald Trump is phasing himself into the presidency, while his sons are still wondering what lame ducks are and whether you can hunt them. In the process of taking the reins from Obama, Trump has already begun ruining things. This shows proactivity on his part, since many people were under the impression that he was going to wait until he was actually in office to ruin things. Way to get ahead, Donald! One thing he’s begun to ruin is U.S.-China relations. He did this by taking a phone call from Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday. You might be thinking, “Why is this a big deal? I answer calls from numbers I don’t recognize all the time, and in my experience it has rarely led to war with China.” Well, the difference here is that Trump is the president-elect, and the United States has a formal agreement with China to never make eye contact with Taiwan when they pass each other in the hallway. By seeming to acknowledge Taiwan’s sovereignty, Trump insulted China. This led China to lodge a formal complaint, to which Trump responded with an angry tweetstorm. So, if you were wondering how the world’s two strongest nations were going to become enemies, the answer is: in 140 characters or fewer. Another thing Trump has been up to is assembling his Cabinet. He hasn’t been doing an entirely bang-up job with this, which should not surprise anyone who has ever bought anything from IKEA. In fact, I’d venture to say that assembling a Cabinet of secretaries is a lot like assembling a kitchen cabinet from IKEA. I mean, you simply put those two pieces together, you put that thing in this thing, and damnit, you messed up and now there’s a white nationalist in there. Go back and look through the pictures and see where you went wrong. Of the many questionable appointments Trump has made, the most recent is that of Ben Carson. Apparently, the fact that Carson grew up in a house in an urban environment qualifies him to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Now that I know this, I’d like to publicly inform Trump that I am the proud owner of a 2006 Toyota Prius, and I’d therefore like to be considered for Secretary of Transportation. If you’re sad to see Obama’s term end, just think about this: At least this means 2016 is almost over! And I, for one, am confident that 2017, the year in which Donald J. Trump actually becomes president of the United States of America, will be just peaches. Kevin Lawson is a senior majoring in political science. Kevin can be reached at kevin.lawson@tufts.edu.

tuftsdaily.com

Blizzard moves ‘Hearthstone’ in right direction with newest expansion GADGETZAN

continued from page 5 meta decks like Pirate Warrior, which is also relatively cheap. Aggressive decks like Discard Zoo Warlock and Tempo Mage are still quite strong, while midrange decks like C’Thun get the job done as well, particularly for Warrior and Rogue who can make great use of a powerful new one-drop called “Small-Time Buccaneer.” By default, it’s a one-attack, two-health minion, but it can buff itself to three attack with an easily-satisfied requirement that the player’s hero has a weapon equipped, allowing it to provide a huge tempo swing in the early game. These decks can steamroll a lot of the new control decks quickly while also shutting down face decks

like Pirate Warrior with taunts to protect oneself and plenty of removal to clear all those pesky pirates away. Even those on a budget can afford to build a reasonably strong deck like this, and that’s a positive indication that “Hearthstone” hasn’t abandoned the large part of its player base that is free-to-play. Overall, the game mechanics introduced in “Mean Streets of Gadgetzan” show that Blizzard is trying to slow down the pace of the game while focusing mostly on minion-based combat, which Blizzard believes is the most fun aspect of the game — fun for the moment, at least. All three factions place an emphasis on sacrificing tempo to generate value, creating games where

there is some element of strategy and decision-making rather than just tossing out cards on a whim. Blizzard certainly deserves praise for listening to its players and attempting a solution, even if this expansion has its weak points, like the Rogue class in general due to lack of board clears. Hopefully, this expansion will, much like “League of Explorers,” shake things up in a substantial way and alleviate some of the frustrations players have had with the way certain decks that were extremely powerful did not require much skill to play well. Though it may be too early to say, all signs seem to suggest that the game is getting back on track after some missteps earlier this year.

Trump takes power, comedians respond with bitter humor LATE SHOW

continued from page 5 the president-elect in the past, and the cold open from the show’s Dec. 3 episode was no exception. The sketch depicts Trump retweeting “random (real)” people during a security briefing. Though the sketch’s premise is not especially cerebral, Alec Baldwin’s Trump impression, impossible lip motions and all, is in full effect. At the sketch’s conclusion, Steve Bannon, in the guise of the Grim Reaper, makes an ominous entrance, after which Baldwin’s Trump and the Grim Bannon announce “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” Following the show’s airing, the sketch led to Trump himself commenting on the impersonation. In typical late night fashion, Baldwin tweeted back, “Release your tax returns and I’ll stop. Ha.” If this sketch is any indication, be sure to tune in next for the response.

ERIC LIEBOWITZ/HBO

John Oliver has dedicated several episodes of his HBO show, “Last Week Tonight,” to savaging President-elect Donald Trump this season.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Evan: “Can we just go to school to party and make news.”

Comics

SUDOKU

DOONESBURY BY GARRY TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR

Difficulty Level: Not going to the dining hall at all during the semester.

BY WILEY MILLER

Tuesday’s Solution

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 7, 2016

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

Studying abroad spring 2017? Required pre-departure meetings: Non-Tufts Study Abroad Tufts Programs Abroad all meetings in Dowling 745

all meetings in Dowling 745

Non-Tufts Africa/Asia/ Tufts in London*/Madrid*/ Caribbean/Latin Paris*/Tübingen America/Middle East Tues., Dec. 13 @ 1:30 pm Tues., Dec. 13 @ 10:30 am Tufts in Hong Kong/Japan Non-Tufts Mainland Europe Wed., Dec. 14 @ 10:30 am Wed., Dec. 14 @ 1:30 pm Non-Tufts UK/Ireland/ Australia/New Zealand Wed., Dec. 14 @ 3:30 pm

*for those who did not participate in the group meeting with the Resident Director

PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot make your scheduled nonTufts meeting, please attend another non-Tufts meeting. If you cannot make your scheduled Tufts meeting, please attend another Tufts meeting.

Meetings are required.

ACROSS 1 Kind of basin 6 State secrets? 9 Intense dislike 14 Act poorly? 15 Run a tab, say 16 Words between two “thanks” 17 Chef protector 18 See 8-Down 19 Floorboard support 20 Many a Sundance film 22 Rent payer 23 Registered names: Abbr. 25 Action at the front 28 H.S. hurdle 29 Adorn 32 Comical punctuation marks from the drummer 34 Marshy lowland 35 Chihuahua, por ejemplo 36 “__ Eyes”: Eagles hit 37 ’60s campus gp. 38 Hieroglyphics reptiles 41 “Do __, not ... ” 43 Work on, as a stubborn squeak 45 Tablets’ kin 48 Swingline insert 49 2,170-mi. trail terminus 50 Walk with style 52 Luau music provider 53 Wanting too much 55 Pry 58 Cookie named for its flavor 59 Aromatic necklace 61 Stage performances 64 Words after miss or skip 65 Resting place 66 Down source 67 Singer Bruni married to Nicolas Sarkozy 68 Morning cuppa 69 Amounts to DOWN 1 Leaves in a bag

CROSSWORD

By Matt Skoczen

2 Prankster 3 “Pillow Talk” actress 4 Lots 5 Provide with for a time 6 Montague lad 7 Blow away 8 With 18-Across, Southwestern cuisine 9 Museum pieces 10 Lucy and Ethel and Thelma and Louise 11 “Indeed!” 12 Oust, in a way 13 Church choral works 21 “Eww!” 22 Tibetan title 23 “Angie Tribeca” channel 24 Weak cry 26 Brand of blended seasonings 27 Itsy-__ 30 Inventor Howe 31 Population information 33 Book after Daniel 35 Ulysses threesome?

12/7/16

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved Tuesday’s Solution

39 Web irritants ... and what appears in each set of puzzle circles? 40 __-screen printing 42 Faulkner’s “As __ Dying” 44 Actor Marvin of “Cat Ballou” 45 Courvoisier, e.g. 46 Speedy Gonzales cry 47 Kitchen gadget

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48 OED entry 51 Words for the audience 54 Hebrew for “skyward” 56 Oil bloc 57 Hodgepodge 59 Pres. sworn in on Air Force One 60 Job listing ltrs. 62 “Is it soup __?” 63 Fourth-yr. students

8 tuftsdaily.com

Daniel Lewis The Echo Chamber

On artificial intelligence

“F

orget everything you think you know,” said every bad sci-fi movie trailer ever. From Skynet to Sonny to Scarlett Johansson, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken on many forms in pop culture, but almost every one of them has been wrong. Today, AI exists in almost every aspect of our lives, from Facebook and its advertising algorithms to robotic arms in car factories — it is everywhere. So forget everything you think you know about AI, and let’s take a step outside The Echo Chamber. AI has the potential to make our lives infinitely better. Automated driving would arguably decrease the number of accidents immensely, automated robots could 3D print organs and food supplies on demand and, as some claim, could free us from menial labor altogether. But, if not policed carefully, AI has the potential to be very, very scary. In the short term, it’s not a Skynet future we should be worried about but a jobless one. A 2013 study conducted at the University of Oxford found that 47 percent of jobs are at high risk of becoming automated in perhaps a decade or two. Transportation and warehousing alone comprise roughly three percent of the entire American labor market. With self-driving cars and automated warehouses just over the horizon, it is only a matter of time before unions and policymakers give way to economic efficiency and technological progress. To companies, the economics of the matter are simple — no human plus no salary equals more profit. No government or economy is ready for such a massive exodus of employment, and because policy tends to be reactive rather than proactive, when we finally come to terms with the reality of such a shift, it may already be too late. Still, some argue that old labor sectors that have been wiped out by “creative destruction” will be replaced by new ones. They point to the Industrial Revolution, during which machinery enabled one person to do the work of 20, and yet, we were still able to maintain full employment. They see high-tech and on-demand services as the jobs of the future. But can these two sectors alone support a population over 10 times larger than it was at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution? If not, our entire understanding of how society works may have to change. In the long term, the potential ramifications of AI are magnitudes greater. Many experts see the rise of AI as either the key to immortality or the tripwire to our destruction. It sounds crazy, but remember that technological change follows a path of exponential progress — need I remind you that only 10 years ago, the iPhone didn’t even exist? It is quite possible for a computer that is better than us at everything in every way to exist within our lifetime. And such a computer could theoretically calculate the solution to aging or become humanity’s single biggest existential threat, as Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has warned. Technological change has the potential to creep steadily until one day, it begins to invade every aspect of our existence. Will AI improve our society or destroy its very foundations? That’s for you to decide. I just hope that you’ve enjoyed one last ride outside The Echo Chamber. Daniel Lewis is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Daniel can be reached at daniel.lewis@tufts.edu.

Opinion

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

OP-ED

Community Preservation Act: Holding institutions accountable for expansion by Kyle Lui Among this year’s series of ballot questions for Boston was Question 5, the Community Preservation Act. This act applies a one percent surcharge on a tax on revised property values, which would contribute entirely to a fund that would finance affordable housing, historic preservation, outdoor recreation and open space. The Community Preservation Act is paramount because of its creation of affordable housing and community control. As someone who spent much of their childhood in New York City’s Chinatown, which is undergoing gentrification and displacement, I recognize how vital affordable housing is for the survival of low-income communities and residents. By interning through the Tisch Scholars Program at the Chinese Progressive Association to fight this issue in Boston’s Chinatown, I have also realized Tufts’ ongoing role in the gentrification of Chinatown through its Boston campus and medical center. Since I am interning through the university, I am constantly questioning Tufts’ placement of students in organizations that help empower communities that Tufts negatively affects, because it’s as if Tufts is fighting against itself. Not only do Tufts’ contradictory actions apply to Boston’s Chinatown, but they also apply to the surrounding Somerville and Medford communities, which suffer from rising property values and displacement due to increased demand from upperclassmen for off-campus housing. However, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life has partnerships with anti-displacement organizations in these communities. This cognizance is not a criticism of the Tisch Scholars Program but more of a way to bring light to our role as students in holding the university accountable for its actions and hypocrisy. As students of this institution, we need to recognize that the issue of gentrification and the role of Tufts in Chinatown need to be urgently acknowledged and addressed. We can help fix the problem by recognizing the harm we, along with other real estate developers, have inflicted and continue to inflict. The Community Preservation Act is clearly a viable solution to this issue and was fortunately passed in this year’s election. It is also a reminder that we, as Tufts students, must see

ourselves as stakeholders who have a voice in what happens to the communities in which Tufts leaves harmful footprints. This will make us better equipped to help solve this urgent issue. The Community Preservation Act is not only beneficial in that it allocates money to affordable housing, but it is also important because it allows committees of local residents to recommend projects, granting the public control over where funding is spent. Of the six people I interviewed (including Tufts students who grew up in Boston and employees at the Chinese Progressive Association), many voiced the need for public community control over money and where it is directed. They believed that community development corporations and other community non-profits should either take control or have a large stake in where funds are directed. The Community Preservation Act meets Boston’s needs because it allows for this community control, so that funds are going towards the places and people that truly need it. Using this mode of thinking, Tufts students should also see themselves as stakeholders in Tufts’ impact on other communities. We need to help amplify the voices of communities we affect in order to alleviate the damage we and other real estate developers inflict on Chinatown and other communities. Furthermore, housing is not a right that merely exists in a vacuum. It is linked to and affects almost every aspect of our lives, including education, safety and transportation. In addition to preventing displacement, the Community Preservation Act allows for access to education and other resources that are highly dependent on the neighborhood one lives in. After speaking to Natasha Karunaratne, a Tufts sophomore who attended the Boston Latin School for high school, I was given insight into the necessity of affordable housing, not only for communities to sustain their social and economic fabric but also to gain access to educational resources. Many of the students who attended the Boston Latin School with Natasha came from low-income communities of color such as Chinatown. In order for them to attend the school, they had to live in the city of Boston. However, many of these students’ families were struggling to pay rent — so much so that they had no choice but to move to

communities outside of Boston, such as Malden and Quincy. As a result, these students were forced to attend the district public schools in their new communities, many of which do not have the same standard of resources, teaching and curriculum. With this in mind, displacement is not only the stripping of homes and communities; it is also the stripping of resources that are a means of economic and social mobility. If displacement continues, Boston’s best public schools and communities will be full of the rich — and the City of Boston should not be serving only the rich. As students who are privileged enough to attend such an esteemed institution, we need to recognize the role displacement has not only on other people’s homes but also on educational equity for everyone — not just the white socioeconomic elite. The fight against gentrification in Chinatown is not only a fight for one singular community but also contributes to the larger goal of providing quality education to members of all class and racial backgrounds. There is no current alternative for the affordable housing crisis other than creating more affordable housing. Due to its low burden on average homeowners, the passing of the Community Preservation Act is a huge benefit to the Boston community. There is a dire need for affordable housing in Boston and throughout this country, and the passing of the act demonstrates its urgency. Even if maintaining affordable housing is costly, it is worth it. To address the issue, we need to make use of every force and resource available. As members of an institution that is contributing to a community’s harm, we also need to see ourselves as part of that remedying force. In order to do so, we must see ourselves as a powerful force that can keep Tufts in check and make sure it is truly abiding by its acclaimed values of fairness and equality for all. Editor’s note: If you would like to send your response or make an op-ed contribution to the Opinion section, please email us at tuftsdailyoped@ gmail.com. The Opinion section looks forward to hearing from you.

Kyle Lui is a sophomore majoring in American studies. Kyle can be reached at Kyle.Lui@tufts.edu.

CORRECTION A Dec. 2 article titled “Private company proposes new public late-night transit program” incorrectly stated that MBTA Director of Communications Joe Pesaturo said there were no estimates on how many people would use Bridj and how many buses would be approved, as Bridj Special Projects Lead Mary Rose Fissinger actually said this. The Daily regrets this error.

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.

Opinion

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

CLUB TISCH

NOAH KULAK

The Tufts Daily wants to hear from you!

Have a problem with our coverage? Upset about something happening at Tufts or in the community? The Daily welcomes all thoughts, opinions and complaints from all readers. Have your voice heard! Send op-ed submissions, 800-1200 words, to tuftsdailyoped@gmail.com.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

S p o rts

Jumbos to open season at Tufts Invitational

Bradley Schussel The Coin Toss

NFL playoffs?

elcome to The Coin Toss, where I make some bold, unlikely predictions about your favorite professional sports. First, let’s recap last week’s NFL games. It had to happen at some point. Last week, I noted that I had always gotten at least one prediction correct. It seems that I jinxed myself, as all three of my calls came up short. The Giants lost to the Steelers, the 49ers lost to the Bears (thanks for nothing, Kaepernick) and the Cowboys totalled far fewer than 500 yards. Oh well, on to the next week! This will be my last column of the semester, so I’m going to make some NFL playoff picks that we can all check up on later. Exciting, isn’t it? Let’s find out who’s getting into the postseason and who’s out… SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Then-junior Michael Caughron, then-sophomore John Greenberg and then-first-year Kyle Anderson compete in the 5000-meter at the Tufts Sunshine Classic at the Dussault Outdoor Track on April 23.

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

continued from page back ready to replace the class of 2016. Last year, then-junior distance runner Luke O’Connor finished fourth in the 3,000meter steeplechase in the Div. III Outdoor Track and Field Championships and received the first All-American honor of his career. Then-junior distance runner Tim Nichols picked up two All-American honors with a plethora of strong performances, notably his sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter at the Div. III Outdoor Championships.

Usoff thinks that the loss of the seniors will have little effect on the current team’s ability to perform. “Our [first-year] class is incredibly strong and ready to compete at a high level right away,” Usoff said. “Also, returning guys on the team are looking better than they ever have before. I’m very confident that this more than makes up for graduating some of the best seniors we have ever had in our program, which speaks a lot to the talent we have now. I think a lot of other schools in the NESCAC will be caught off guard when they realize just how deep our team is, even without the class of 2016.”

Wang also has high hopes for the firstyears. “All of our [first-years] have shown incredible promise so far,” Wang said. “I’m especially excited about two of our [first-years] who are also on the football team: Robert Jones and Kevin Quisumbing. Both have had impressive high school track careers and bring a lot to the table this year. [Jones] and [Quisumbing] have a great shot at knocking down some [first-year] records and scoring serious points at championship meets.” The Jumbos’ first meet of the year is the Tufts Invitational on Jan. 14.

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Jumbos take third at MIT Invitational by Bradley Schussel Staff Writer

Tufts travelled to MIT this weekend to participate in the MIT Invitational, a threeday meet. The team placed third out of five teams while competing against MIT, New York University (NYU), Keene State and Wheaton College. The MIT Engineers took first and the NYU Bobcats came in second. Tufts finished with 1044 total points, 328 points behind NYU and 557 points ahead of fourth-place Keene State. Coach Adam Hoyt said that he expected the result and was pleased with the team’s performance at the invitational. “I thought we’d be right around third,” Hoyt said. “We just wanted to perform the best we possibly could and, overall, the men’s team performed really well in both swimming and diving.” Hoyt also noted that even though the swimmers each had to swim a large number of races over the meet, they still swam strong. “The meet has a pretty grueling schedule,” Hoyt said. “It’s one of the meets with the most races we ask our athletes to compete in over the course of the weekend.” The MIT meet provides early-season preparation for the NESCAC Championship in February, which also features a three-day format. Despite the lack of rest, the Jumbos put up some impressive individual times throughout the three days of competition. Sophomore Kingsley Bowen, who represented Tufts at NCAAs as a first-year last season, continued his strong start to his sophomore campaign. He finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke finals, about three tenths of a second behind the firstplace swimmer from MIT, in a tight race.

Bowen also finished fourth in the 200-yard backstroke and was part of several Tufts “A” teams for both freestyle and medley relay events. “I was substantially faster at this meet than I was at this point last year,” Bowen said. “The backstroke is feeling really good, and this weekend really bolstered my confidence.” Bowen credited his success partially to his teammates, explaining that the Jumbos feed off each other’s success in their respective events for momentum and motivation. “We fed off of each other’s successes,” Bowen said. “To see your teammates succeed really gets you excited for each race. When races come down to hundredths of a second, the winner is determined by who wants it more, so being prepared and excited is important.” Senior tri-captain Luca Guadagno shared Bowen’s sentiments, noting the significant effect of teammate support. “Between the men’s and women’s teams, there are more than 80 of us,” Guadagno said. “When we all get out to a meet, it’s unreal to have so many people there to support you. On the last heat of the last relay of the meet, everyone who had already swam was behind the blocks cheering the swimmers on. I feel lucky to be on a team where you know everyone will be cheering you on.” Junior Zachary Wallace shone in particular at MIT, where he broke Tufts records in the 200 individual medley (1:51.45), the 400 individual medley (3:58.28) and the 200 freestyle (1:41.01) during his leg in the 800 group relay. Wallace finished in first, third and fourth in those events, respectively. “The whole team did great this weekend,” Wallace said. “Personally, I would

say this is the best meet I’ve ever had. I was very pleased with my performance. I give a ton of credit for my recent success to my teammates, my family and my coaches. They give me so much support and motivation, and they don’t stop believing in me.” For his efforts, Wallace received NESCAC Performer of the Week honors. His teammates are not surprised after seeing him train hard this off-season. “[Wallace] trained this whole summer and really hard through the beginning of the fall,” Guadagno said. “He was able to taper down this past week with the intention of really going for it [at MIT]. He’s such a hard worker with everything he does. To see him swim so fast this meet really hyped everyone up. After seeing how hard he’s worked, [Wallace] deserves all of those times.” In diving, senior tri-captain Matt Rohrer posted second place finishes in the 1-meter and 3-meter events. The team will travel to Wesleyan for its last meet of 2016 on Dec. 10, where they will also take on WPI and Williams in the quad-meet. Williams will be a particularly tough challenge as the reigning NESCAC champion for the past 14 years. Wesleyan will be the site of this year’s NESCAC Championship, so this weekend’s meet will give the team a good first look at the pool. “It’s going to be great for us to feel out that pool,” Guadagno said. “We’re going to try to finish out this semester really strong.” The Jumbos will be looking to build off of the strong MIT performance and continue to put up more fast times to end the semester with some momentum to carry into January.

Denver Broncos (8-4): OUT The defending Super Bowl champions are having a solid season so far. Sadly, according to this prediction, it won’t be enough. Despite their record, the Broncos are third in the AFC West, behind the Chiefs (9-3) and the Raiders (10-2). Denver will have to face both of those teams as well as the Titans (6-6) and the Patriots (10-2) in its final four games. Their remaining schedule is very difficult, as all four teams are .500 or above, and three of them are 9-3 or better. I can see the Broncos winning one, maybe two, of those four games. Either way, they don’t have an easy path to the playoffs. The Steelers (7-5) and the Dolphins (7-5) are both primed to grab Denver’s wild card spot. Hence, I have the Broncos missing the playoffs just a season after winning the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5): IN Speaking of the Steelers, I have them making the playoffs. They’re tied for first in the AFC North with the Ravens, but they lose to Baltimore in tiebreakers. Pittsburgh sits a game behind Denver for the second wild card slot. If the Steelers don’t win their division outright, they’ll have to own a better record than the Broncos to make the playoffs. Like I said before, Denver has an extremely tough schedule to finish the season. Pittsburgh will face the Bills, Bengals, Ravens and Browns. The current combined record of those four teams is 17-30-1. Of those teams, only the Ravens are over .500, so the Steelers should have a much easier road to (at least) a wild card spot than the Broncos. Washington Redskins (6-5-1): IN The Redskins shocked the football world last year when they won the NFC East. Their division is infinitely tougher now, but they’ve already played Dallas twice. Looking forward, the Redskins will face the Eagles and Bears on the road and the Panthers and Giants at home. Each of those games is very winnable; their toughest test might be the Giants in Week 17, but they might not even have to win that game to clinch a wild card spot. The Redskins are an underdog for sure, as no one expected them to make the playoffs last year and not too many expect them to do it again. However, I’m picking them to make the cut this season. As Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins might ask, “YOU LIKE THAT?!” Bradley Schussel is a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering. Bradley can be reached at bradley. schussel@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Goetcheus sets Tufts record twice at MIT Invitational by Ryan Schneiderman Staff Writer

Tufts continued its positive start to the season last weekend with a third place finish at the MIT Invitational. The Jumbos recorded 762 points and built a comfortable 162-point lead over fourth-place Wheaton College. New York University (NYU) garnered first place at the meet with 1664 points while the hosts, MIT, finished as runner-ups with 1572 points. First-year Grace Goetcheus set a school record during the preliminaries of the 200yard backstroke with a time of 2:08.43 and then broke her own record by four tenths of a second in the event’s final. Goetcheus’ time of 2:08.03 in the final earned her third place in the event and 20 points for her team. In her other events, Goetcheus placed fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:10.59) and eighth in the 100-yard backstroke (59.09). In total, she gained an impressive 53 points for her team in her individual events. Goetcheus attributed her good results to the support she received from her teammates and coaches. “I think my successes in the pool really came down to all the support I received from the whole team,” Goetcheus told the Daily in an email. “I normally get super nervous before my races, especially at big invite meets like MIT, but everyone was constantly wishing me good luck and helping to pump me up.” Goetcheus also emphasized the important role practices have played not only in her performances in the pool but also in transitioning into her first year at Tufts. “My old teams never had very energetic practices, but at Tufts everyone is cheering and pushing each other on at every practice. It’s motivated me to work harder than I ever have before and to always give everything I have for the team,” Goetcheus said. “The swim team immediately welcomed me and has been such a big source of support this semester.” The rest of the team was consistently strong, as eight Jumbos claimed top nine

JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Then-first-year Colleen Doolan swims butterfly in a dual matchup against Wheaton College on Jan. 23. finishes throughout the event. Senior tri-captain Amanda Gottschalk continued her impressive campaign with a fifth place finish in the 200-yard backstroke (2:25.97). Gottschalk also finished eighth overall in the 400-yard individual medley, while sophomore Sydney Nasson placed sixth in the same event (4:40.61, 17 points). Senior tri-captain Sophia Lin, junior Meghan Casey and sophomore Ailish Dougherty each collected ninth place finishes in their respective swims, and senior Kylie Reiman also placed ninth in each of her diving events.

On the third day of the event, the relay team of Goetcheus, Gottschalk, sophomore Alexandra Good and Lin earned a fifth place finish in the finals of the 200-yard medley relay (1:50.35) for 36 team points, while Good, first-year Hannah Truslow and sophomore Coolleen Doolan teamed together for the 400-yard freestyle relay and finished seventh as a group. After the meet, coach Adam Hoyt praised his team’s commitment in preparing for the season and emphasized that details and technique will make the biggest difference moving forward.

“We’ll continue to work on the details,” Hoyt said. “Over the next two months, we’ll be focusing a lot on being disciplined in training and staying focused on the technical aspects of our racing. I believe the performance this past weekend reinforced how well our women were prepared coming into our season. They trained well in the off-season, and typically that shows in early-season meets and then even more in the championship season.” The Jumbos will proceed to their last meet of 2016 as they travel to Wesleyan University on Saturday, Dec. 10 for a quadmeet with Wesleyan, Williams and RPI.

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Tufts counting on returner improvement, new first-years to replace talented graduated class

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Then-junior Tim Nichols races in the New England Div. III Indoor Championships on Feb. 20. by Liam Finnegan Staff Writer

Last year, Tufts men’s track and field had a great season with some of the best athletes the program has ever seen. The team sent seven of its members to the

2016 NCAA Indoor Men’s Track and Field Championships and five of its members to the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Men’s Track and Field Championships, both the largest contingents of Jumbos at the tournaments since 2013. The team is looking to have an even better season this year.

Last season, the Jumbos finished 35th in the Indoor New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) Championships and 6th in the Outdoor NEICAAA Championships, even though the tournaments included Division I and II runners. The team finished 2nd in the NESCAC Championship, losing only to Williams. Tufts also did well in the National Championships, placing 21st out of 66 teams in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and tying for 15th out of 78 teams in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. According to senior co-captain hurdler/jumper Tom Wang, the team is ready to hit the ground running and perform at a high level from the start of the season. “We’re coming off one of our best preseasons ever,” Wang said. “In my four years here, I’ve never seen a group this committed to training in the off-season before, and I think it is really going to pay off. We just had an inter-squad scrimmage this weekend, and the results speak for themselves. Guys were competing out of their minds and running at a level we haven’t seen before

this early in the track season. We have scary potential and should put together a very exciting campaign.” The team graduated some key seniors last year, notably tri-captain mid-distance runner Mitchell Black (LA ‘16). Black won the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA 800-meter Championships two years in a row, was named the College Sports Information Directors of America Men’s Track and Field/Cross-Country Academic All-American of the year for 2016 and received the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, a scholarship worth $24,000, thus finishing his career as arguably one of the most accomplished athletes Tufts has ever fielded. Tufts also graduated runners Veer Bhalla (A ‘16), Alex Apostolides (A ‘16), tri-captain Alex Kasemir (A’ 16) and throwers Michael Paloian (A ‘16) and tri-captain Atticus Swett (A ‘16), all of whom played vital roles for the squad and represented the team well at numerous other tournaments. This year’s senior class is strong and experienced, and it should be able to perform well. Along with Wang and senior co-captain Nick Usoff, the team has a squad full of other strong senior runners see MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD, page 11