Issuu

TUFTS SOCCER

‘Arrival’ a smart alien film that gets first contact right see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

Jumbos shut out first two NCAA challengers

Editorial: Respect and inclusion are invaluable, but are they ‘unwavering’ at Tufts? see OPINION / PAGE 8

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 46

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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Changes in federal requirements, student needs TCU Senate holds weekly meeting drive administrative reorganization by Mark Usatinsky Contributing Writer

According to an Oct. 21 email from Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James Glaser and Dean of the School of Engineering Jianmin Qu to Tufts undergraduates, recent changes in administrative responsibility within Dowling Hall and other departments concerning student life will expand or change the roles of several deans, most notably Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students John Barker and Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon. “In an increasingly complex higher education landscape, the new structure is designed to improve coordination and support for individual Tufts students and better meet the complex demands of an ever-changing student body,” the email read. According to Glaser, while the previous system had been functioning well, the time had come for changes.

“We hadn’t substantially reorganized in about 11 or 12 years, and over the past year I think we’ve come to recognize that it would be a good time to do this,” he said. The reorganization was prompted by many changes both within the university and society in general, Glaser said. “Societal trends happen, and now there are new challenges we have to face and you should reorganize periodically to address those new challenges,” he said. “For instance, there are a lot of new federal requirements that we do things in certain ways … or there are new developments in the world that effect us — social media, better treatments for mental illness that allow students to be more successful than in the past — and it brings us a different set of challenges that many of our students are facing.” Glaser added that reorganization may be beneficial for the deans themselves as well.

“Reorganization gives you opportunity to provide growth and development of people who live within the organization,” he said. “You want to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses, and reorganization gives you the opportunity to do that.” Barker said that he will assume a new role as dean of international studies and extended programming. According to Barker, in his role prior to the reorganization, he had broad responsibility for much of the student experience, including student affairs, study abroad and health and wellness. During his time as Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students, Barker established the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts (BLAST) program, according to Glaser. BLAST is a sixweek summer program for incoming students who may be first generation college students or who attended an see ADMINISTRATION, page 3

Tufts, U.S. Army launch cognitive and brain sciences research center by David Nickerson Contributing Writer

Tufts and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) officially opened a co-funded Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences (CABCS) in mid-October on the Medford/Somerville campus after more than a year of planning and research on the project. Caroline Mahoney, NSRDEC Cognitive

Science team leader and co-director of CABCS, said that the center’s launch was the culmination of years of collaboration between Tufts and NSRDEC. “This center really came about from relationships [between Tufts and NSRDEC] that were built over the last decade and a half working together in the cognitive science area,” she said. According to the center’s website, the CABCS exists to bring together scientists and engineers from different fields of study to advance research and tech-

nology in cognitive and brain sciences. According to Mahoney, that mission statement is put into practice in a variety of different topic areas ranging from nutrition to robotics. “The work that we do on our team spans from anything looking at how the context in which a human operates influences performance — so by that I mean nutrition, physical fatigue, anxiety, uncertainty, any of those things — see RESEARCH CENTER, page 2

by Vibhav Prakasam Staff Writer

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate met Sunday night in the Sophia Gordon Hall Multipurpose Room to discuss a resolution and supplementary funding requests. TCU President Gauri Seth, a senior, started the meeting by briefly discussing the Turkey Shuttle, which will run from the Mayer Campus Center to Logan Airport and South Station to provide transportation for students traveling for Thanksgiving break. TCU Senate Vice President Shai Slotky, a senior, then asked for committee updates. The Student Outreach Committee talked about the Senate Student Leadership dinner, which will be held this Thursday at the Breed Memorial Hall, and the Services Committee talked about the Cause Dinner on Tuesday night. According to the Services Committee, the Cause Dinner is an event in which students can choose to donate a portion of the cost of their meal swipe or JumboCash when they swipe into Dewick-MacPhie or Carmichael Dining Centers. Proceeds will go to the North American Indian Center of Boston. This money will then go toward aiding indigenous communities in Massachusetts as well as fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. Representatives from the TCU Judiciary then announced that they have updated their bylaws for clarification. Rather than sending a representative to weekly Senate meetings, they would show up as a group once a month. The Committee on Student Life (CSL) has to approve the change before it is made. TCU Senate Parliamentarian Adam Rapfogel, a sophomore, then took the floor to introduce a resolution for Tufts to support protestors fighting the DAPL and to divest from financial institutions funding the construction of the DAPL. The resolution was written by Diversity and Community Affairs Officer Benya Kraus, a junior, along with LGBTQ+ Community Senator Parker Breza, a sophomore, and junior Gabriela Bonfiglio. There was a motion to pass the resolution, but one senator objected so the body moved into a debate over it. One of the main issues was divestment from financial institutions and how

COURTESY CABCS

Pictured is the entrance to the suite which houses the Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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

EDITORIAL

Sophie Lehrenbaum Jake Taber Managing Editors Evan Sayles Associate Editor Kathleen Schmidt Executive News Editor Gil Jacobson News Editors Melissa Kain Robert Katz Liam Knox Catherine Perloff Jei-Jei Tan Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Juliana Furgala Assistant News Editors Jesse Najarro Danny Nelson

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Senate passes resolution on DAPL, discusses funding requests SENATE

continued from page 1 this could affect the endowment, the nature of the investments and the use of the word “divest.” Another question was how realistic divestment would be. There was an amendment to redefine the term “divest,” but it failed. Ultimately, the debate period ended with a request to vote on the resolution. Once this passed, the resolution itself was moved, and the final result was a passage in a vote of 19 in favor, six opposed and two abstentions. Next, TCU Senate Treasurer Chris Leaverton took the floor to discuss the supplementary funding requests for the night. The first was a special set of supplementary funding, termed “discretionary funding,” offered when a senator sponsors any member or group of members of the Tufts community, including groups not recognized by the

Judiciary to get funding. Seth brought the Men’s Club Soccer team for a discretionary funding request for money to attend their Nationals game in Alabama. Club sports receive a lump sum of money at the beginning of the year, but Senate is not responsible for allocating the money. The Club Soccer team was not allocated any money for the game, so each player had to raise roughly $700 on their own, in addition to group fundraising efforts. After an initial objection to the Allocations Board (ALBO) recommendation and a subsequent debate, a modified recommendation of $4,250 for the trip was passed. Leaverton, a sophomore, then asked to move money from the surplus fund, which had over $600,000, to the buffer fund, which is used for supplementary funding and had less than $10,000. Seth proposed that $100,000 be moved. This

was approved after a vote. Any money left over in the buffer fund at year end can be moved back to the surplus. ALBO recommendations were passed for the next four funding requests, which came from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, La Salsa, the Minority Association of PreHealth Student and the Russian and Slavic Students Association. While ALBO’s recommendation for the latter was initially objected to when it came time to vote, it was passed after debate. A representative from the CSL then provided updates, including that the Wendell Phillips Award nominees were announced on Monday and that they can submit an application for the award by late January. They also added that the committee is working with Greek institutions on current issues within Greek life. The meeting adjourned without a closed session.

New research center strives for interdisciplinary collaboration RESEARCH CENTER

continued from page 1 to how people interact with technology and how we can design technology better,” she said. Heather Urry, Tufts psychology professor and one of the scientific managers of CABCS, said that she believes the interdisciplinary focus of CABCS will help the center address these varying topics more comprehensively. “Because the CABCS facilitates collaborations between investigators from different disciplines, that means that people from different disciplines are coming together to the same research table to answer questions that otherwise couldn’t be addressed, or couldn’t be addressed as effectively, within one discipline alone,” she told the Daily in an email. CABCS Co-director and Tufts Professor of Psychology Holly Taylor also expressed the center’s interest in studying what she called “high risk situations.” “One of the things that the center is trying to do is trying to understand behavior in what we call complex, high risk environments. So that might be emergency first responders, medics or medical personnel,” Taylor said. “They’re going to be stressed. They have to think quickly. They’re going to have emotional reactions to things that they’re going to see. And in trying to understand those complex sets of behaviors, we can a bring in the VR caves.” Taylor explained that these

“VR caves,” also known as cave automatic virtual environments, are three networked virtual reality stations which monitor data based on an individual or a group’s eye movement, physical movement, physiological processes, and cognitive behavior as they navigate through a preset virtual landscape. According to Mahoney, cave automatic virtual environments help the center’s researchers by allowing them to test their scientific research in an entirely new and more realistic environment. “[It helps by] moving from foundational science, basic science and translating that into more real world operational environments,” she said. “So do those things translate over to when somebody is in a more realistic environment having to do real tasks underneath time pressure, uncertainty or anxiety based on the situation.” Urry explained how she believes these cave automatic virtual environments may also help supplement current research surrounding combat and war zone simulations. “The [combat] experience certainly could be programmed to occur using a traditional laboratory set-up which would have participants seated at a desk in front of a monitor and keyboard,” she said. “However, the fact that they’re standing, that the virtual environment is life-sized and that they’ll be holding a real-but-decommissioned rifle are all aspects of the VR environment that we think will

increase the ecological validity of this work.” According to Mahoney, the center will be offering internships during the summer of 2017 on any of the center’s primary topics, including in the studies involving virtual reality. “We think it is a really great way to get undergraduates exposed to research and exposed to laboratory science within the cognitive science domain,” Mahoney said. ALLIES Co-Director Manal Cheema, a cognitive and brain sciences (CBS) minor, said she is excited about the development of this center, noting that she has always wanted an opportunity to apply her background in CBS to her experiences working with military personnel through ALLIES. “I think Tufts’ new center … will not only enhance our understanding of cognitive capabilities but is an innovative development in the collaborative relationship between the civilian and military sectors,” Cheema, a senior, told the Daily in an electronic message. Taylor said that the partnership between Tufts and NSRDEC brought interdisciplinary opportunities to undergraduates, graduates and faculty across the university. “Having the different ideas from different approaches that people take expands the way I have to think about things, which I find very interesting,” Taylor said. “I can’t just stay in my little psych world.”

Police Briefs Collision Course Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) responded to a motor vehicle accident on Winthrop Street at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9. One vehicle was a Tufts-affiliated vehicle while the other was a non-Tufts vehicle. The cars collided, resulting in no injuries but minor damage to the cars. A report was filed withTUPD about the incident and TUPD officers advised those involved on how to file an insurance claim. Shattered After receiving an anonymous report at 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 10 about a broken window at Curtis Hall, TUPD officers

and facilities responded to the scene. The window was at the lower side near the basement area of the building. It is not known how the window was broken. Nothing inside the lab bordering the window was stolen. Facilities workers covered the window with a small piece of wood. The window is scheduled to be repaired soon. Watch Your Step A student injured their ankle at 10:15 p.m. at Nov. 11 at the Pearson Chemical Laboratory, prompting a TUPD and Tufts Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) response. The student was injured while stepping off a stool.

TEMS splinted the ankle with an ice pack, and the student was taken to the hospital for further examination. Spitfire TUPD responded to an alert of a “trouble alarm” at Sophia Gordon Hall at midnight on Nov. 11. The cause of the alarm was someone frying with olive oil. As it was not a fire alarm, there was no response from local fire departments. The panel was reset and the noise stopped.

—by Juliana Furgala

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

Changes to several Deans’ portfolios follow Dowling Hall reorganization ADMINISTRATION

continued from page 1 under-resourced high school. It also serves as a support network for these students throughout their first year. In his new position, Barker will focus on study abroad programs, the I-Center and the Confucius Institute at Tufts University according to the Oct. 21 email. “We partnered with China to develop a Confucius Institute here,” Barker said. “We’re going to look at how to integrate the Confucius Institute into more of what we’re doing in the future.” Barker said he would like to explore the potential for new types of international opportunities, such as shortterm programs over breaks and faculty-led programs during the summer. According to Barker, about 50 percent of students enrolled in the School of Arts and Sciences study abroad, but relatively few athletes and engineers do so because of training and course requirements. Barker said that one of his goals in the new position is to make study abroad more accessible to those students. Barker said he will also support international students as they navigate through the university, adding that they often experience complications that differ from those of the rest of the student body. “[I will] make sure that the I-Center is supporting them for everything, from the visa work they may have, understanding the complications of being an international student here which is that most of them can’t work and earn money, which they might need, so how do we support them in different way[s] … Looking for alternative housing for

international students so that they don’t have to fly home or find a place to live because it’s extremely expensive, the flight back and forth,” Barker said. Glaser said that one of Barker’s responsibilities in his new position would be to consider ways of bringing additional revenue to the university. “The big commitments that we’re making with the new science buildings, with the SMFA, with the faculty unions that have formed in the past couple of years and with the major infrastructure changes that we need to make in the school to improve the dormitories, the classrooms [and] the laboratories, the burdens on our budget are substantial and we need a creative mind to help us think about expanding some of the revenues coming into the university,” Glaser said. According to the email, McMahon will continue as the dean of student affairs but will now have an “enhanced portfolio bringing together student affairs, career services, accessibility services, and health and counseling services.” McMahon said her job title is the same but her responsibilities have changed significantly, as the number of offices under her oversight have increased. Glaser said that McMahon’s role has been maximized as a result of the reorganization, adding that he has confidence in her. In the past, McMahon has overseen the Office for Campus Life, Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL), Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and five of the Group of Six houses, she explained. “Now the Division of Student Affairs will include [health service], Health

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVE

The elephant head statue that adorns the entrance to Dowling Hall, home of Tufts’ administrative services, is pictured on Aug. 20, 2014. Promotion, Counseling and Mental Health Services. All told that’s probably another 60 people [to oversee],” she said. According to McMahon, the Career Center, the College Transition Advisors and Student Accessibility Services, which supports students with academic and residential life, will also be included in the Division of Student Affairs. McMahon said that the expansion of her portfolio was driven in part by changes in Barker’s portfolio, as some of these departments were previously overseen by him. McMahon added that these were positive changes that would make for a more common sense approach to administrating. She pointed out, for example, that it makes sense for the Career Center to connect with ORLL in order to create programming that is

more in touch with the student experience outside of the classroom. “[These changes] align the departments that work on the experience outside of class in a more holistic way,” McMahon said. “The different departments in all of this have been working together for a long time. I think it will benefit those of us who do the work to have good information about what each other is doing.” Glaser noted that organizational issues may not seem profoundly important to students, but they affect how the university operates. “[The system] functioned very well for a long period of time, but we see opportunities for there to be change and improvements and meeting new challenges, and we’re confident about the people we have in place,” Glaser said.

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ARTS&LIVING MOVIE REVIEW

The ‘Arrival’ of successful human-alien contact sci-fi by John Fedak

Contributing Writer

Most modern science fiction works don’t portray human-alien interaction well. An example of this is 2012’s “Prometheus,” which had a nightmare of a plot that was simply an accessory to over-the-top visual effects. These kinds of movies hit you over the head with the fact that, surprise, there are aliens, and then they fall apart after trying to bring aliens and humanity together. Thankfully, “Arrival,” released nationwide on Nov. 11, does not fall into this category. The movie follows Amy Adams as linguist Louise Banks, who is recruited to try and communicate with mysterious aliens who arrive on Earth in vehicles called Shells. Twelve Shells touch down across the world, setting off global pandemonium, and as Louise races to bridge the two species, she begins to uncover something bigger than she ever imagined. Although “Arrival” is led by solid performances from Adams and Jeremy

Renner as theoretical astrophysicist Ian Donnelly, its real beauty lies in its ability to weave together an incredibly complex narrative using music, dialogue and visuals all at the same time. Not only does it successfully feature alien-human interaction without sacrificing plot, but the film becomes something much more than a simple story about extraterrestrial visitors. Every detail presented in the movie has a purpose — from the opening scene, in which Louise remembers her daughter’s birth and death, to the very last scene there is not a single moment without meaning. Remarkably, there is little dialogue until about 30 minutes into the movie, yet this works not as a hindrance but as a strength. The plot is wellthought-out to the point that unnecessary detail is purged, but instead of revealing a bare-bones film, the result is a rich and immersive experience. The music fades into the background but then crescendoes into spine-tingling moments for amazing effect. The CGI and effects are realistic but not over

the top, and they bring the story to life. Adams and Renner work well together, connecting in a way that feels very real. Furthermore, the human condition is featured in a beautiful and meaningful way. Everything from the initial global response after the aliens land to the characters’ reactions upon seeing unfathomably alien visitors bolster audience empathy with the characters and enhance the overall experience. One will find themselves on the edge of their seat for no reason other than a desperate need to figure out the movie and watch the characters fight to survive as tensions boil to a fever pitch. The aliens themselves are also remarkably original, feeling like true extraterrestrials instead of little green men. However, the film’s high point does not come until the ending credits — only as one looks back does one realize how every piece of the film fits together, and the result is a paradigm shift mirroring Louise’s ultimate understanding of the see ARRIVAL , page 6

JAN THIJS / PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Amy Adams stars as Louise Banks in Paramount Pictures’ “Arrival.”

MOVIE REVIEW

‘True Memoirs of an International Assassin’ squanders interesting premise by John J. Gallagher Arts Editor

Truth is stranger than fiction, or so the saying goes, and this cliché proverb is the foundation of Netflix’s latest original feature film, “True Memories of an International Assassin,” which was released on Nov. 11. “Beasts of No Nation” (2015) proved that Netflix’s films can compete for critical acclaim, and “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” proves that Netflix is capable of producing thoroughly mediocre pictures. The film follows affable, socially-awkward accountant Sam Larson (Kevin James), who spends his free time researching and writing an elaborate espionage novel, “Memoirs of

an International Assassin.” Sam’s conversations with a former Mossad agent, writing and time spent practicing hand-to-hand combat are an escape from his humdrum, corporate existence. Fortunately, the audience doesn’t have to work too hard to divine Sam’s motivations as, in the interest of subtlety, he announces during the first act that he writes as an “escape.” Despite beating the audience over the head with character motivations, the film opens strong with a series of scenes depicting Sam finishing his book. Each scene begins with Sam tapping at his laptop before the camera cuts to a harbor front, where Sam’s international assassin alter ego battles many Kalashnikov-wielding mer-

cenaries. The well-choreographed fight sequences are worthy of “The Expendables” (2010), but they grind to a halt when Sam can’t figure out where the action should go next. Fights stop mid-punch as the fictional combatants stand around waiting for instructions from the author in an amusing take on Sam’s stop-start writing process. The quick cuts between the action and Sam behind his keyboard allow James – not exactly a renowned thespian – to display a surprising amount of range as Sam struggles mightily to find a “signature line” for his book’s character. The only real rough patch in these scenes is a truly atrocious computer-generated see INTERNATIONAL ASSASSIN, page 6

5 tuftsdaily.com

Tommy Gillespie The Reel World

Midterm blues

f I had to give a rough estimate as to the total amount of time I was outside of my blanket cocoon in my room this past weekend, I would guess it adds up to about seven minutes. The reason? No, I have not decided to become a troll, though I would be lying if I said I haven’t considered it. The real reason is that I discovered that 24 James Bond movies are on Hulu, and they will expire on Dec. 1. I, being the Bond nerd that I am, naturally had to watch as many as possible in the allotted time. James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema, yet the suave, über-sophisticated superspy is, well, actually a terrible spy. In Bond’s most recent outing, “Spectre” (2015), his exploits land him on the front pages of The Guardian and The Times and live on CNN — i.e. exactly the opposite of what spies are supposed to do. And that’s just in the first 15 minutes of the film! Yet, Bond is still celebrated as the greatest spy ever — ask anyone to name any spy, and nine times out of ten, they’ll say, “James Bond.” As I was watching Bond film after Bond film over the weekend, I was frankly indignant at the unfairness of it all. After all, I suck at being a college student just as much as Bond sucks at being a spy, but all I’m rewarded with is Helen’s, revisions and also maybe mononucleosis. However, I take comfort in knowing that movies about people sucking at their jobs are among the richest traditions in the history of cinema. For example, when I got a midterm back on Thursday, I immediately went back to my room and watched “Office Space” (1999). Starring Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston, “Office Space” has become a cult classic in recent years thanks to its hilarious skewering of American white-collar office culture, along with its indulgence of our age-old desire to stick it to the man. In the film’s best scene, Peter (Livingston) and his fellow disgruntled co-workers steal their office’s never-working printer, take it out into a field and smash it to pieces. The scene, which is filmed in slow motion with the sound altered to emphasize the workers’ pent-up frustration, is set to “Still” (1996) by the Geto Boys. That scene is, in my opinion, one of the best single moments from any movie in the 90s. The frustration, loss of freedom and anger of the workers portrayed in the film all perfectly come to a head in a moment of hilarious, triumphant violence. All of us have had crappy jobs, and all of us have felt like we suck at our jobs; in that scene, I wanted to stand up and cheer. I pity the next Tisch printer that decides not to see the documents I send it.

Tommy Gillespie is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Tommy can be reached at thomas.gillespie@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Natasha Khwaja and Faryal Jafri Karachi vs. Kansas

The reality of identity politics

aryal (F): When we wrote our last column, we were relatively optimistic about the results of the presidential election. All the polls were saying it was going to be a Clinton win, but all of those polls were wrong. To say I was shocked when I saw the results is an understatement. I genuinely thought I was having a bad dream, and I still wish it was just that. Hearing the results has been especially strange while being abroad. People obviously tuned in to the election, but the stakes weren’t quite as high for them. I remember listening to a pair of women discussing the election in a cafe the next day, saying, “Oh, those poor Americans!” Natasha (N): What irked me most as I scrolled through my Facebook feed post-election in search of some sort of comfort in solidarity were the articles being shared by Trump supporters that said, “I voted for Trump, but I’m not racist.” I just want to give these people a good shake and yell, “It doesn’t matter if you personally are not racist, what matters is that you demonstrated through your vote that you are okay with racism.” For me, that’s the big issue. It’s walking down the street with people who care more about a hollow promise of “greatness” than the reality that Muslim or Hispanic immigrant families may be forced apart and that sexual assaulters will not be held accountable. It’s knowing you went to high school with people who would rather you get told to “go back to where you came from” while minding your own business on a bus than permit women autonomy over their own bodies. That’s what unsettles me the most. F: Facebook has really been my primary window into public opinion post-election. I’ve been reading people’s long posts telling me that they are in solidarity with me, but I don’t really know what that means. Okay, so you’re not a racist who voted for Trump, but what does your online post do for my future? In reality, this Facebook activism isn’t going to help my Muslim grandmother from the “problem-area” of Pakistan get the green card that she’s been working on getting for years. Your post isn’t going to prevent the skepticism I will face as a Muslim with Pakistani heritage when I’m applying for a job in national security. I’m trying to stay positive and strong, but it’s hard when the country you’ve called home for your entire life doesn’t really want you there. I’ve surrounded myself in a liberal bubble, but this election has been a reality check. N: Initially, I was conflicted when people attributed Trump’s win to the triumph of “practical concerns” over “identity politics.” But when it comes to the American presidency, I have always thought that the president’s primary role is a symbolic one to serve as the face of national identity. So then how can you keep identity politics out of it? The president is the image you see every time you enter a federal building, no matter where you are in the world, and it saddens me to know that that face will soon be someone who grimaces at who I am.

Natasha Khwaja is a junior majoring in international relations and anthropology. She can be reached at natasha.khwaja@ tufts.edu. Faryal Jafri is a junior majoring in international relations. She can be reached at faryal.jafri@tufts.edu.

tuftsdaily.com

Adams, Renner turn in strong performances in ‘Arrival’ ARRIVAL

continued from page 5 alien visitors. This movie is immersive without thrusting the viewer into the character’s shoes, and the impact of the film continues hours after the final credits roll. If there is a negative aspect of “Arrival,” it is that the movie reaches

a bit too far. For the most part, this is not a problem, but for its core ideas to work, a suspension of disbelief is required. Unfortunately, “Arrival” also falters at its most emotional moments. The film falls back on cringeworthy clichés, signaling a failure of the movie’s writers at some of the most critical and intimate points.

In the end, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives. “Arrival” is a breath of fresh air that contributes every fiber of its being to a deeper understanding of an ultimate message. It is close to a masterpiece, and audiences will surely welcome a science fiction movie that has them questioning everything.

Netflix’s latest original film is worth skipping INTERNATIONAL ASSASSIN

continued from page 5 shot of a helicopter crashing into water that is for some reason shown twice. The helicopter crash may as well be a metaphor for the film’s direction after its opening. After a clumsy attempt to establish that Sam should live his own life rather than “writing other people’s stories,” an amoral publisher publishes Sam’s novel as non-fiction under the title “True Memoirs of an International Assassin.” The overnight success of Sam’s book leads him to an interview with Katie Couric, which he bungles spectacularly after he gets nervous and flees the building. Immediately after the interview, shadowy figures abduct Sam and insert him directly into the midst of a Venezuelan coup. His task is, of course, to assassinate the president. Once the setting shifts to Venezuela, the film goes completely off the rails. The plot rockets from meetings between conspirators to overly-long fight sequences with only James’ bemused expression to tie the disparate elements together. The uniformly

wooden acting doesn’t help either, but Andy García plays cigar-smoking revolutionary El Toro with a wry self-awareness that makes his caricature of a character a highlight. The tonal shifts are equally erratic. The film attempts to comment on American foreign policy by depicting intelligence officers as callous, underpaid and casual racists before, in the same breath, making a fat joke at James’ expense. “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” is clearly trying its best to spoof testosterone-soaked action movies in the same way “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2015) masterfully lampooned the James Bond franchise. But unlike “Kingsman,” “True Memoirs” isn’t sure how seriously it should take itself and so hedges its bets. The result is a film that combines fat jokes with empty-headed political commentary to produce a picture as tonally confused as its characters are about whether Sam really is an international assassin. (He isn’t.) Given the rich library of content on Netflix, this original is one to skip.

COURTESY NETFLIX

Netflix’s original film “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” stars Kevin James.

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.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Joe: “Dick Cheney... I don’t want anyone to assassinate him, but if they’d just unplug him...”

Comics

SUDOKU

DOONESBURY BY GARY TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR BY WILEY MILLER

Difficulty Level: Getting used to the sun setting before 6 p.m.

Monday’s Solution

FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 15, 2016

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

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? —

Because the GPS told her to. Find your way over to our new restaurant in Medford Square ...use a GPS as needed. cnrguys.com 617-903-8538

64 Salem St, Medford

ACROSS 1 Wobbly dessert 6 Pal 9 Vintner’s tub 12 Birdlike 13 Drachma replacer 14 B&Bs 16 Source of posttoilet training anxiety 18 Use too much of, briefly 19 Many SAT takers 20 Dashboard feature 21 Reach through the air 22 Surfer’s destination 25 Treat, as table salt 28 Major blood vessel 29 Male in the hive 30 Sharp-tasting 32 Trailer park parkers 35 Actor Cariou of “Blue Bloods” 36 Great Depression recovery program 39 Question of method 40 Letters on a law office door 41 Purges (of) 42 “The Hot Zone” virus 44 Quick-as-lightning Bolt 47 Apt to malfunction, as wiring 48 Youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II 52 Illumination units 53 Have __: know someone 54 “The Night Of” channel 57 Slender woodwind 58 Desert plant suggested by this puzzle’s circles 61 Dingbat 62 Flat-package furniture chain 63 River through western Germany 64 Florida island 65 Video game initials 66 Separates for the wash

By Alex Eaton-Salners

DOWN 1 Quick punches 2 “Did you __?!” 3 The eyes have them 4 Murphy’s __ 5 Standard eggs purchase 6 Play with Lincoln Logs, say 7 Coffee hour vessel 8 Peat source 9 Purple shade 10 Artist nicknamed the “Pope of Pop” 11 Govt. bill 13 And others, in bibliographies 15 Stuck-up sort 17 Goodyear product 21 Pres. who developed the 36-Across 22 Finish in front 23 Stuff to sell 24 Itty bit 25 Not employed 26 Rock groups? 27 Man of La Mancha 30 Packing rope 31 Say further 33 Chevy’s plug-in hybrid 34 Rock to music

Monday’s Solution11/15/16

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

37 Great Lake bordering four states 38 Knowledge seekers 43 Flower source 45 Companion of Bashful 46 Bldg. coolers 47 Get no credit for, in school 48 Walk heavily 49 Big name in puzzle cubes

11/15/16

50 British noblewomen 51 Where to see the Sun, the Sky and the Stars: Abbr. 54 Will beneficiary 55 Like an arm in a sling 56 Lyrical lines 58 Altoids container 59 Island strings 60 Question of identity

Opinion

8 tuftsdaily.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

EDITORIAL

Reassessing Tufts’ ‘unwavering values’ University President Anthony Monaco sent out a letter yesterday to members of the Tufts community, urging individuals to reaffirm their commitment to Tufts’ founding values at a time of “significant uncertainty” in our country. Citing acts of post-election hate and intimidation that have occurred on campuses — including Tufts — nationwide, Monaco made clear that hostile, hate-filled language and behavior has no place at our university. We must first acknowledge that our administration’s commitment to encouraging kindness, safety and inclusivity in the wake of what has been an emotional, confusing, even frightening week for many is incredibly admirable. The university has made efforts to make our campus a safe space for individuals of varying opinions and responses, holding discussions for reflection, sending out tips for mental health maintenance and promoting a fair and open dialogue both inside and outside of the classroom.

However, we must also acknowledge the irony of being asked to “reaffirm our commitment” to Tufts’ founding values when, in light of recent on-campus events, many individuals feel uncertain about some of our university’s traditional institutions and their principles. Following the Nov. 7 Observer opinion piece calling for the abolition of fraternities, there has been a notable movement arising in our university community as individuals have come to outwardly question the moral standing of our Greek system and the values it promotes. Tufts’ first fraternity was established in 1855, just three years after the university was founded, making Greek life an integral part of the university’s social fabric and traditions. For many individuals, this traditional system — one that is seen by many as promoting ideals of elitism, exclusivity, misogyny and homogeneity — is not one that we should be reaffirming. While Monaco’s letter by no means encouraged a commitment to these principles, we cannot ignore the

fact that they have in fact become an integral part of our community. By sanctioning Greek institutions for years on end, our university has — unconsciously or not — promoted Greek values and claimed them as part of our university. And while Monaco lauds Tufts for being more inclusive than other universities when it was founded in the 19th century, the use of language that disregards the lack of progressive inclusivity on campus today has the potential to fuel exclusionary institutions on campus. Certainly, our Greek organizations and our administration have taken steps in recent years to respond to growing concerns about a lack of diversity and the fact that this community was built for and by privileged groups. But in spite of these changes, levels of diversity and inclusivity at our university are nowhere close to perfect, and numerous students still report explicitly racist, homophobic and sexist comments made both at Greek-organized events and on campus at large.

BIG PHARMA

BY SHANNON GEARY

It is because of this that many individuals may not currently see Tufts as the safe, inclusive space that the administration wants it to be. While the university is right to encourage positive, productive and nonviolent responses to recent events, we cannot pretend that Tufts is a flawless domain grounded in inclusivity and noble founding ideals. We cannot pretend that the ongoing issues with Greek life on our campus do not have a significant and important connection with events happening on a broader scale in this country. Monaco’s letter reinforced the exemplary ideals for which Tufts strives, but the administration and community are still falling severely short when it comes to making Tufts the safe, inclusive place we want it to be. Rather than sugarcoating our founding ideals, our university should elucidate the concrete action that will be taken in the upcoming weeks and months to uphold our unwavering values.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

O OP-ED

A letter from AOII: An official response to our recent chapter division by Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) was founded in 1897 with the core values of integrity, tolerance, generosity, personal dignity and love. Since its establishment in 1908, AOII Delta has a history of staying true to these values, even when faced with opposition from the larger community. From 1969 to 1987, the sisters in Delta stopped recruiting to protest Tufts Panhellenic policies that barred minorities from joining Greek life. This history, along with our efforts to adhere to the values established by our founders, is what drew many current and former sisters to AOII at Tufts. These values continue to drive our chapter’s goals and decisions. It is from this legacy that Delta chapter of AOII exists at Tufts today. Recently, the Tufts Daily and Tufts Observer made the larger Tufts community aware of a significant change in Delta’s membership in the past several weeks and the events that preceded it. We are grateful to these publications for giving a platform to the important discussions our chapter has been having this semester. The purpose of this response is to be transparent with the Tufts community about what happened in our chapter and to clear up any confusion that may be lingering after the release of these articles. On the final night of fall recruitment, Sept. 16, Delta unanimously voted to extend a bid to Samantha*, a transgender woman who had participated in recruitment. The Assistant Director of College Experience (ADCE), a member of AOII International, was present at Delta during the voting period, and she wasn’t immediately sure if the bid could be extended to Samantha due to purely legal concerns. Because there was no official policy in place addressing the membership of transgender women, the ADCE and AOII International were uncertain whether extending a bid to Samantha would violate the Title IX exemption it had from National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), the umbrella organization of sororities. Title IX states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” AOII and all other panhellenic sororities are legally exempt from Title IX and are permitted to exist as all-female-identifying organizations. This exemption is granted by NPC rather than AOII International itself. AOII International was concerned that its membership in NPC would be in jeopardy and that it could face legal consequences if one of its chapters was in violation of the conditions of the Title IX exemption by admitting a transgender woman. Katherine Tapper, the current chapter advisor, explained that AOII International didn’t want to stop the woman in question from getting a bid — it wanted Delta chapter to wait to extend the bid until it had updated information from NPC. In the hours that followed, members of the sorority received incorrect information that the international organization threatened to revoke Delta’s charter if they extended a bid to Samantha. The quote that was misinterpreted as a threat to revoke Delta’s charter was, “We want to see AOII continue here [at Tufts].” Within two days, the representative clarified that the quote was in response to hearing members of Delta

talk about disaffiliation. She meant that AOII International supports Tufts and wants Delta to remain on campus because it values Delta as a chapter. Ultimately, NPC and AOII International got back to Delta after consulting lawyers that Samantha could become an initiated sister of AOII without risk of violating Title IX, and they apologized for their hesitation. The Assistant Executive Director of AOII International, Kaya Miller, visited Delta after hearing that the chapter was discussing disaffiliation — these conversations had been occurring even before the incident with Samantha. Kaya told Delta sisters that if they chose to self-suspend (leave AOII) within two days, AOII International would expedite the self-suspension process. Typically, the process of self-suspension requires many meetings with AOII officers and is exhausting, long and stressful. Kaya’s offer for sisters to self-suspend in the following two days also relieved those who left of paying dues in the next billing cycle, even though the deadline for leaving without having to pay the next semester’s dues had already passed. Ultimately, a core group of women decided to remain sisters of AOII, and another group decided to leave for various reasons that did not solely have to do with the recruitment of transgender members. The current chapter president Amanda Wisti said, “This was a personal decision made individually, where each woman took time to think over her decision before finalizing it. There was no right or wrong answer — it was what was right for each person, how they felt they could make a difference.” As Samantha said in the excellent Nov. 4 Tufts Observer feature: “The current and former women of Delta chapter were never anything but kind and loving to me … [Those who stayed] are people who are using their positionality to change things for the better.” Samantha is correct that the decision of some sisters to remain in AOII Delta chapter is not a public denial or invalidation of the harm that has come to some sisters as a result of their interactions with AOII International. Nor is it a concession that this is “just the way Greek life is.” We are acutely aware that all Greek organizations struggle with whiteness, privilege, classism, heteronormativity and transphobia, among other issues. Delta recognizes that gender identity and gender are one and the same. We also recognize that a person’s sex is inseparable from their gender and is the same as their gender identity due to the fact that, if sex is defined as the type of body one occupies, a trans woman’s body is female. Members who have remained in AOII Delta would like to emphasize that we unanimously express disappointment in both AOII International’s hesitation to immediately welcome a transgender member and in its present policies that do not yet reflect modern gender theory. Not one member of Delta chapter at Tufts would have remained a part of AOII had AOII International not ultimately agreed to extend Samantha a bid. Our commitment to improving AOII at both a local and international level is not just empty words. We are working on a presentation on microaggressions for the international organization to give to all Educational Leadership Consultants before they visit local chapters. We would like to clarify that we have not decided to abolish the Social Action Committee (SAC), which we established in 2015, as some sources have reported. We

are very proud of this committee, and we believe it shows the type of initiative and action that we value in our chapter. We are currently operating under a smaller leadership structure, so the SAC’s responsibilities have been temporarily delegated to the Vice President of Standards. We hope to re-elect someone to this position in the next month. Delta is excited to be submitting amendments this week to the Constitution Interpretation and Revision Committee (CIRC), International’s judicial board, which decides which overall AOII bylaw changes will be voted on this summer. Two of the amendments Delta is sending would guarantee acceptance of transgender students and their protection during the recruitment process as well as change the word “colony” to “starter” in formal AOII documents about new chapters. We continue to see the immense possibility for good in AOII despite its current issues. Every year, Delta raises hundreds of dollars for the Arthritis Foundation through its philanthropy efforts. We are proud of the amazing support system AOII has been for its sisters in the past through academic, mental and physical challenges at Tufts. Sophomore Kathryn Jason said, “AOII is a space that is valuable to me. It is a space where I finally learned to love myself and finally found women who loved me without reserve. I want it to be a space where other women feel the same way.” Samantha is close friends with both current and former sisters and she still spends a lot of time at the AOII house, where she is always welcome. We are proud to be the first Tufts Greek organization to knowingly extend a bid to a transgender individual. AOII is proud to be an important support system for sisters near and far, and throughout their lifespans. Each semester, AOII sends individual care packages to sisters abroad with notes from everyone in the chapter and small tokens to remind them they are loved and missed. When one sister almost had to quit school due to extreme jaw pain that kept her from sleeping, AOII sisters organized a care basket to deliver to her and took turns checking up on her. Following the self-suspension of half our chapter, we have been constantly supported by our alumni, who have been coming regularly to our chapter and offering to assist us in our efforts to improve AOII International. This is only a tiny glimpse at the support and love AOII Delta sisters share with one another every day. The group of women that existed in the beginning of the semester may no longer call each other sisters, but we remember that we once did. Our Greek affiliation may not be the same, but the affection, memories and respect that we hold for one another has remained. We are striving, as we always have, to “exceed the expectation” — as an AOII chapter and as members of the Tufts community. *name changed 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.

Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) is one of four Panhellenic sororities on campus. AOII can be reached at aoiidelta.prez@gmail.com.

Jake Lawicki Jumbo Steps

From ‘good mourning’ to ‘good morning’

ot even Carm’s endless supply of tater tots could’ve convinced me to untangle myself from my cocoon of sheets. I knew it was a bad idea to forgo breakfast for sleep last Wednesday morning. But I also knew that sleeping would better nourish my mind and body. I woke up with 10 minutes to spare before beginning my three-hour portrait painting class. Whoops. I was absolutely irate — not just because I skipped breakfast and barely had any time to dress, brush my teeth, pack my art supplies and walk to class. My phone’s alarm blaring at me didn’t only wake me physically, it mentally jolted me. Waking up meant thinking, and thinking hurt. I didn’t want to begin my day thinking about the future of Trump’s America or about my upcoming genetics and physiology midterms or about my sore throat or especially about my grandfather’s passing the night before. I was relieved that my teacher didn’t scold me for arriving late. I quickly set up my easel and paints but then packed them up just as quickly — our model didn’t show up. We soon began discussing the results of the election (literally the one topic I wished we hadn’t broached, lest I started thinking more again). We spent the rest of class practicing a brushstroke technique we were supposed to use on our model. The political discourse ceased as soon as we began painting. But I detested the quietness, too. “Lizi, I have a weird request,” I said to my professor, breaking the silence in the room I had just yearned for. “Can we all go around and say something we’re happy about? Or something that makes us happy?” Our teacher loved the idea. Some people said one thing, others shared more. The collective shift in mood was palpable. I loved it. We were celebrating, not commiserating. Smiling, not sulking. I left class, one hand (easily) clutching my art box and one brain (arduously) clutching onto only positive, thankful thoughts. I beelined to Wren to drop off my art supplies before meeting up for lunch with a friend, in front of whom I unabashedly inhaled slice after slice of cheese pizza. (Pizza for breakfast? Don’t tell my mom.) The food was good, but the company was better. My lunch buddy was among the first few people I’d told about my grandfather’s passing. I think she could tell I wasn’t in the mood to revisit that thought, so we talked politics for a bit. I didn’t mind hearing about the election this time, because I didn’t really care what she was talking about. All I cared about was not having to eat lunch alone. All I cared about was being with someone — someone who could distract me from thinking about very recent emotionally-taxing events. We were almost done eating when another friend (who, unlike my lunch buddy, wasn’t privy to my more personal issues) stopped at our table. “How are you guys holding up today? Like, how are you feeling post-election?” I responded with a simple, “I’ve decided to be happy and thankful today.” Little did he know, I was referring to more than just my feelings toward the election. Jake is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Jake can be reached at jake.lawicki@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Tuesday, November 15, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Jumbos to host NCAA Championship third round, quarterfinals MEN'S SOCCER

continued from back great all year, and it showed in our first round match up.” In the first 45 minutes, each team took four shots but neither successfully converted its opportunities. Again, this was uncharacteristically low, as the Pride average 21.6 shots per game and 3.29 goals per game. The second half was a different story for the Jumbos. After 10 minutes, junior defender Stephen McMillian had a free kick opportunity, which Becherano headed in the box for the first score of the game. Just over 10 minutes later, Tasker smashed a cross from junior midfielder Dexter Eichhorst past Pride senior goalkeeper Zach Richard to give the Jumbos their two-goal lead. Down two goals, Springfield could not fight back. The Pride earned no more shots on goal for the remaining 20 minutes, while the Jumbos took two more. Both games were big wins for Tufts (9-5-2 before the weekend) as Springfield was 18-1-1 going into the weekend and Rowan had a 17-2-1 record heading into the Sunday match up. The shutouts demonstrated once again that Tufts has the ability to topple highly-ranked opponents, something they did earlier in the season against No. 2 Amherst and Middlebury. This start to the NCAA tournament bodes well for the Jumbos, who are looking to go further than they did last year and claim the title again, as they did in 2014. The six seniors on the team who were all part of the 2014

VOLLEYBALL

Nicky Shapiro Under the Lights

California dreaming

T EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

First-year midfielder Zach Lane runs with the ball in the game against the Bowdoin Polar Bears on Oct. 29. NCAA Champions Team are chomping at the bit to repeat that level of success in their final season. “It’s do or die. Any game could be my last time playing soccer competitively,” Sullivan said. “We don’t want it to end because we love it so much and love everyone on the team. Feeling like every game could be your last game is something that has been motivating us to go as far as we can in the tournament.” This Saturday, Tufts will play No. 15 UMass. Boston (18-1-2) at home on Bello Field at 11 a.m. Tufts (11-5-2) will once again be the underdog, but that may lend to its success as it did in the

2014 season. Tufts will also host the NCAA quarterfinals on Sunday regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game. “It will be really nice being able to sleep in our own beds and follow the normal home game routine,” Greenwood said. “We’re excited to be able to have the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage in front of our home fans, and that support will be the biggest difference. In the past we’ve been used to going into a hostile away environment, and to be able to be on the other side of that should be great. However, at the end of the day, we plan to prepare and execute no differently than any other tournament game.”

Tufts advances to NCAA quarterfinals for second time continued from back the third set, leading 21-9 after an ace from Zheng and pushing through to finish that set 25-11. The Jumbos led just 24-22 late in a much closer fourth set before Ahrens came through with a match-clinching kill to send the Jumbos to their first NCAA regional final since 2009. Yu ran the offense efficiently, posting 34 assists for the match, with 12 of those going to

Humann, who led the team in kills. The NESCAC released its volleyball All-Conference Teams last week and two Jumbo players were selected along with their coach. Ahrens was named to the First Team as a middle hitter and Klimo received Second Team honors as a libero. Ahrens made the NESCAC Second Team last season. Thompson collected her fifth NESCAC Coach of the Year award this year. The Jumbos are now preparing for

their quarterfinal matchup against 33-4 Southwestern at the Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh, Wis. on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Every team Tufts could potentially play this weekend offers a unique challenge, as they are teams Tufts has never seen before. “I think we’re just going to go in with confidence, knowing that we’re a very capable team [with] a mentality of sticking together no matter what the other team brings.” Bright said.

Passionate about sports? Have a unique perspective on student athletics? Interested in covering the intersection of sports and the larger Tufts community? Write for us! Contact dailysports@gmail.com!

he team that provides the most pleasurable rooting experience in sports today is not a contender for any kind of championship this season. It does not feature anything close to a real superstar, a player who can transcend the entire experience of watching a team with their remarkable acts of athleticism on the field or court. The team whose fans are feeling the best right now isn’t even expected to make the playoffs this year or even to really come anywhere close. This team is the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, those Los Angeles Lakers. The same team that has won 27, 21 and 17 games respectively in each of the last three seasons as one of the worst squads in not just all of basketball, but in all of sports, is now the most fun team to root for in the NBA. After three straight years with no real direction, an aging and increasingly awful superstar (Kobe Bryant) and a coach who wouldn’t give anyone but the washed-up veterans who had “earned their stripes” a chance to succeed (Byron Scott), the Lakers revamped this offseason. The franchise brought in fresh face Luke Walton to be head coach and drafted promising 18-year-old Brandon Ingram. The results have been staggering. The Lakers have gone from a team whose “offense” consisted of standing around the perimeter and watching a washed-up Bryant fire up contested midrange jumpers to a fast-paced, free-flowing group whose play actually resembles what modern NBA basketball looks like. Potential future stars D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson have all seen their efficiency and stat boost from last year, each showing glimpses of being more than just players with potential. The Lakers are at a shockingly good 6-5, but the best part about rooting for them is that wins and losses are essentially irrelevant. After dipping to such lows in the last three years, showing some signs of competence is enough. And these Lakers have blasted through those modest expectations, shooting a disproportionate dose of joy straight into the veins of a fan who hasn’t watched anything like this since I was in middle school. And I get that being a fan of a great team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is just rolling through teams right now on its way to victories, would be awesome right now. But for the Cavs, it’s championship or bust. As sweet as the feeling of holding a championship trophy is, anything short of a Finals triumph in June will lead to a great sense of disappointment for Cleveland fans. Lakers fans simply aren’t beholden to that feeling of being let down right now. A win feels great, but a loss is fine too, simply because the bar has been set so low and what lies ahead is so bright. Instead of worrying about the present, us Lakers fans can dream about the future. And that’s about as good as it gets.

Nicky Shapiro is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Nicky can be reached at nicholas.shapiro@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

MEN'S SOCCER

Jumbos begin NCAA run with two shutouts by Maddie Payne Sports Editor

The Jumbos have, so far, made the most of the at-large bid to the NCAA Div. III tournament they received last Monday, their third in as many years. Only two NESCAC teams, the other being Amherst, were given bids to the tournament this year, and Tufts was lucky to receive one after falling out of the national top-25 after two consecutive losses to Bowdoin. Over the weekend, however, Tufts defeated two top-25 teams and advanced to the third round of the tournament. On Sunday, Tufts beat No. 9 Rowan 1-0, and on Saturday it defeated No. 24 Springfield 2-0. “It’s super exciting for all the seniors to be able to graduate with a bid for the third straight year, and [it] helps us leave the program in a better place than when we found it,” senior co-captain midfielder Zach Halliday said before the two games last weekend. “I think the way that the team will honor that is by making the most of the bid this weekend and [trying] to advance out of the weekend and as far as possible. Hopefully, we can make some of our memories as the senior class during the tournament.” The Jumbos were coming off the back of their first-round win on Sunday, so it was up to the depth of the bench to ensure that they came up with the win when everybody was already tired. The Rowan Profs came out aggressively

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior forward Gaston Becherano jumps for a header in the game against the Bowdoin Polar Bears on Oct. 29. in the first half, taking the first shot and winning the first corner kick. However, Tufts began to ramp up the pressure in the 13th minute, with shots from junior defender Conor Coleman, senior forward Gaston Becherano and junior midfielder Kevin Halliday. In the 23rd minute, Rowan sophomore forward Shane Doherty, who led his team in shots with four throughout the contest, fired off a shot that senior goalie Scott Greenwood was able to deflect. In the 27th minute, senior co-captain forward Nate Majumder subbed in for Becherano and less than

a minute later converted first-year midfielder Zach Lane’s corner into a goal from 10 yards out. In the following minutes, the Profs had two more attempts on goal, one of which warranted a save by Greenwood, but the game saw an uncharacteristically low number of shots, especially from the Jumbos. Tufts averages 18.5 shots per game, but against Rowan they only took seven, five of which were on target. In contrast, the Profs took 13 shots, eight of which were on target. In the second half, the Jumbos were outshot 8-2 and Greenwood was forced

to make back-to-back saves against shots from Doherty in order to preserve the one-goal lead. Both of Tufts’ shots on goal were from Kevin Halliday, who has stepped up in recent weeks and now leads the team in assists. Greenwood emerged as the star of Sunday’s game, saving all eight shots on goal against the Jumbos, which was a large part of why the Jumbos came out on top. The victory marked Greenwood’s ninth shutout of the season and a program record 36 shutouts during his career. On Saturday, Tufts fended off Springfield in another shutout, as Becherano scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season and first-year midfielder/forward Gavin Tasker scored his third. Tufts took nine shots in the contest and Springfield fired off six. Accuracy was an issue for both teams; only three of Tufts’ nine shots were on target, while only one of Springfield’s six needed to be saved by Greenwood. “Springfield was a fantastic side. They pressured us many times throughout the game,” Greenwood said. “Our defense played incredibly for the full 90 minutes. [Springfield is] a team that loves to put the ball into the opposing team’s box, and our defenders, specifically [senior defender Daniel] Sullivan and [junior] Conor Coleman, played outstandingly to throw Springfield off of their game plan. They have been see MEN'S SOCCER, page 11

VOLLEYBALL

Jumbos win NCAA Regional Championship, eye national title by Sam Weidner Staff Writer

Following a dominant weekend in which Tufts dropped only two sets across three matches, Tufts is headed to the NCAA Div. III Quarterfinal for the second time ever after its first trip in 2009. The Jumbos are just three wins away from a national championship. In the final match of the weekend, the Jumbos matched up against the Springfield Pride in the regional championship. The Jumbos first battled the Pride in Cousens Gym on Senior Night in October, ultimately falling to the visitors in straight sets.

The second game on Sunday in Cousens Gym was a revenge match between two teams playing their best ball on the highest regional stage, and the Jumbos coasted to a 3-1 win. In the first two sets, Tufts managed to build large early leads, including a 7-3 start in the first set and an 8-0 run from 12-13 to 20-13 midway through the second set. The Jumbos nursed their leads to 25-16 and 25-17 victories in each set respectively. Springfield responded in the third set by building a 13-6 lead, of which six points were earned when senior co-captain setter Marnae Mawdsley served.

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior middle hitter McKenzie Humann spikes the ball in the NCAA Regional Semifinal against UMass Boston in Cousens Gym on Nov. 12.

Despite the Jumbos pushing back to trim the lead to one at 24-23, the Pride were able to take the set after a winning kill from junior co-captain right side Kayleigh Helgesen. The fourth set looked like it would be tight as well, but with the score knotted at 13 apiece, the Jumbos rattled off a 7-1 run while sophomore setter Katie Zheng served and took a commanding lead. They rode this lead to the set and match victory in front of a home crowd of approximately 200. “There were a lot of highs and lows throughout that game. We battled through and stayed consistent,” coach Cora Thompson said in the press conference after the match. “It was a great day to be a Jumbo.” Senior co-captain middle hitter Elizabeth Ahrens and senior middle hitter McKenzie Humann both posted 11 kills on the day, while sophomore setter Angela Yu orchestrated the offense perfectly with 47 assists. After the match, sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Bright was named the Most Valuable Player of the regional tournament after posting a game high 18 kills on the day, with 34 total kills over the entire weekend. Bright was critical for the Jumbos in each match this weekend, as she was often the go-to hitter when the team needed a kill. “[Bright] is a phenomenal player,” Thompson said in the press conference. “She plays the best when she doesn’t think, and you saw that this weekend. Ahrens and Humann were also

named to the All-Tournament Team for Tufts, while Helgesen and senior middle hitter Lauren Holt were named to the All-Tournament Team for Springfield. In its first match of the weekend, Tufts defeated Maine Maritime Academy in three straight sets on Friday, winning 25-14, 25-8 and 25-17. This match was an important confidence builder for many Tufts players, as nine different players posted at least one kill in this match. Humann led the offense against Maine Maritime, posting six kills, followed by Bright and first-year right side hitter Maddie Stewart with five each. First-year outside hitter Brigid Bell and first-year libero Kelly Klimo anchored the defense with 10 and nine digs respectively. In the match on Saturday against UMass Boston, Tufts also won in four sets. This was also a revenge match for Tufts after UMass Boston handed the team its first loss of the season on Sept. 20. It looked like the match might have been headed in the same direction after the Jumbos dropped the first set of the match 25-20. However, a pair of Tufts runs in the second set earned a 25-16 win. They started out leading 6-2 and ended the set with a 10-2 run, including three kills and a block from Humann. Bright finished the set off with two straight kills, both assisted by Yu. Tufts again built a large lead in see VOLLEYBALL, page 11