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FIELD HOCKEY

A drive for innovation: Uber picks up self-driving cars see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 3

Field hockey owns competition, wins 8-0

Football team to debut at Saturday Night Lights see SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 11

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Friday, September 23, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

‘Senior Pub Night’ cancelled, Senior Night restructured ENVS program introduces new environmental humanities track by Joe Walsh News Editor

The Office for Campus Life (OCL) has discontinued the practice of transporting students to a nightclub in Boston for Senior Night, colloquially known as “Senior Pub Night,” in response to disruptive behavior at past events. According to the Senior Class Council, also known as Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) Seniors, the claims that Senior Night itself has been cancelled are inaccurate. Senior Nights will still take place this year and are currently being planned by the Senior Class Council. However, “Senior Pub Night” will no longer be offered. “There will no longer be a sponsored university event that had happened in the past of seniors taking buses to a bar in Boston,” Director for Campus Life Joe Golia said. Golia cited numerous reasons for the OCL’s decision, including an incident

at a Senior Night last year in which a few students confronted and acted aggressively toward an OCL staff member. Golia explained that his staff was present at the events because clubs typically require a paid employee to be present. He added that OCL staff, including himself, had been confronted by students on numerous occasions at past Senior Nights, but that the incident last year was the last straw. “I will never send a staff member to an event like that again,” Golia said. “I can’t … feel comfortable having a staff member, a university paid employee, be put through that.” In addition to that particular incident, Golia noted that some, but not all, students have caused problems every year at Senior Night. Last year, Golia said, students began arranging their own transportation in the form of party buses, causing some students to arrive at the venue already intoxicated and cause trouble while waiting to enter.

According to a Sept. 2015 Daily article, the first Senior Night of last year was shut down early because students damaged equipment, attempted to steal alcohol and acted rudely to staff. In reaction, the Senior Class Council sent an email to the Class of 2016 warning them that negative behavior could cause Senior Night to be cancelled in the future. “If behavior at senior events does not improve, future Senior Nights and events during Senior Week will be in jeopardy,” the email said. Golia argued that there is no compelling reason to host events at clubs, especially considering the risks. He said that many students do not enjoy the events, that the environment is not always welcoming and that most other schools have discontinued them. “It’s not about class unity … it’s not about Tufts tradition or building some kind of

News Editor

Chief Diversity Officer Mark BrimhallVargas and LGBT Center Director Nino Testa are creating a new campus committee to discuss all-gender bathrooms, according to Jill Zellmer, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity. Zellmer told the Daily in an email that she will also serve on the committee, which will largely focus on the Medford/Somervile campus. “The restrooms and facilities that we have on campus now are not really equitable in terms of who has access to them across campus,” Testa said. Testa said that the LGBT Center has worked to expand access to more suitable restroom options on campus for all Tufts community members, such as by

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

All-gender bathrooms in Richardson Hall following its summer renovation, pictured during move-in day for the incoming Class of 2019 on Wednesday, Sep. 2, 2015.

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changing historically gendered signs on single-occupancy restrooms into all-gender restrooms. According to Testa, not every Tufts building has an all-gender restroom. He stressed the importance of ensuring that students know which buildings do have all-gender restrooms and added that a map with this information is available on the LGBT Center’s website. To accommodate more all-gender bathrooms on campus, existing bathrooms could be converted and additional bathrooms could be built based on the feasibility of each option, Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon told the Daily in an email. Efforts to create more all-gender and single-occupancy bathrooms on campus continue, Testa said. He noted that in Dowling Hall, one of two single-occupancy staff bathrooms was recently changed to an all-gender bathroom for any member of the Tufts community or guests to use. “So many visitors use that building,” Testa said. “That’s a high-need building.” According to Testa, the next high-need building is the Mayer Campus Center, which does not currently have any all-gender bathrooms. Testa said that facilities and university administrators are mindful of including all-gender bathrooms when constructing new buildings.

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News Editor

According to Zellmer, having all-gender bathrooms was a consideration when building 574 Boston Avenue. “It has standard bathrooms with multiple stalls available to all genders and has clear signage that makes that apparent to the building’s occupants and visitors,” Zellmer wrote. Additional all-gender bathrooms would likely be single-occupancy, due to the discomfort that students have with the level of privacy in multiple-occupancy bathrooms, Testa said. “I would love to see more multiple-occupancy all-gender restroom options on campus,” he said. “But if we were to do that … those bathrooms would need to be constructed differently.” Testa envisions multiple-occupancy bathrooms with stalls that are completely enclosed from floor to ceiling and a possible communal sink space outside of the private bathrooms. Zellmer expressed pride over the all-gender bathroom on the third floor of Ballou Hall because of the significance in creating change at the upmost level of an organization. “Many buildings on the Medford campus are older, making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible to convert some bathrooms, although we strive to do so

Starting this semester, the Environmental Studies (ENVS) program at Tufts is offering a new track to students called environmental humanities. The track focuses on how ideologies have influenced humans’ interactions with the environment, according to the program’s website. Harriet H. Fay Professor of Literature Elizabeth Ammons, who was part of a core group of faculty members working to create this track, explained that the environmental humanities track was created due to a need for it in the ENVS program. “[Environmental humanities] is really filling a gap in our environmental studies offering of tracks,” she said. “Thinking about the environment from a science point of view is important [and] thinking about it from a policy view is important, but it’s equally important asking what the humanities and what the products of the human imagination yields for us if we think about the environment.” The track was also created in part due to appeals from the faculty working in the ENVS program as well as interest from students, ENVS Professor Ninian Stein said. “There’s a lot of demand on the faculty perspective, and I understand from folks who’ve been here longer than me … that there is demand from the student perspective,” Stein said. “There’s definitely faculty demand; there’s a number of faculty members who are very seriously committed to and excited about this program.” The new track is now one of six options offered to students in the ENVS major, according to Ammons. “Environmental science gives us a lot of data and information, but environmental humanities is interested in the values and belief systems, [and] the ideologies that shape and actually determine human beings’ attitudes toward the earth,” Ammons said. Stein, who teaches the introductory course for environmental humanities, explained that this new track prepares students, particularly those looking to go to graduate school and work in universi-

see BATHROOMS, page 2

see ENVIRONMENT, page 2

see PUB, page 2

Advocacy efforts increase for more all-gender bathrooms on campus by Gil Jacobson

by Hannah Uebele

NEWS............................................1 ARTS & LIVING.......................3

COMICS.......................................5 SPORTS............................ BACK

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Options for all-gender bathrooms expand with conversions, construction BATHROOMS

continued from page 1 when possible, such as in Ballou [Hall],” Zellmer wrote. Brimhall-Vargas emphasized the importance of inclusivity at all levels of the university. “In general, we want to do whatever we can to make sure that trans-identified faculty, staff, and students have full and equitable access to our university,” Brimhall-Vargas wrote. The university’s addition of all-gender bathrooms on campus is keeping pace with similar changes being made in the public sphere. According to the Mass. Attorney General’s Office, as of Oct. 1, Mass. Public Accommodations law prohibits spaces that

accommodate the public from providing different or inferior service to individuals based on their gender identity. Additionally, wherever facilities are sex-segregated, like bathrooms, the law protects an individual’s right to use the facility most consistent with their gender identity. Two recent Tufts alumni, Renee’ Vallejo (LA ’16) and Andrew Núñez (LA ’15), expressed their support for the creation of more all-gender restrooms on Tufts’ campus. “These efforts are entirely necessary and would in turn show changes in many other aspects of student life,” Vallejo told the Daily in an email. “It is no myth that students who feel safer and are represented perform better socially and academically.” During their time at Tufts, Vallejo

worked on projects with the LGBTQ community on campus, including creating more inclusive bathrooms. “As an alum, I remain in touch with students and administrators and only hope for more progress,” Vallejo wrote. Núñez believes that the creation of more all-gender bathrooms at Tufts is important because the discussions at Tufts ought to reflect those happening across the United States. “This is about students, faculty, staff [and] visitors feeling not only accepted … in their work environment [and] in their living environment,” Núñez said. “It’s really about being equitable and for Tufts to really put its resources into the plan that is already drafted.”

Students plan independent event to replace ‘Senior Pub Night’ PUB

continued from page 1 sense of senior ownership,” Golia said. “No one has ever been able to come to us and give us a reason for these types of events.” The Senior Class Council agreed, adding that events in the past have been unwelcoming for some students and have included dangerous behavior. “We, as the Senior Class Council, did not feel comfortable both hosting and financing an event where our peers felt unwelcomed, unsafe or offended,” TUSC Seniors wrote in an email to the Daily. Instead, the Senior Class Council will use its funding from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) to plan a number of Senior Nights with different formats, including the potential for a 21+ event on campus. However, many students have expressed disappointment that a “Senior Pub Night” will not be held this year. Zach Merchant and TCU Judiciary Vice Chair Michael Kalmans, both seniors, said that students’ frustration stems from the fact that the event is recognized as a part of the senior experience at Tufts. To replace the event, senior Shana Gallagher is organizing an independent “Senior Bar Evening” on Oct. 13. Over 700

people have expressed interest in the event on Facebook. Gallagher said that the goal is to provide seniors with an unifying experience. “I think that it is a shame that a tradition that brings together the entire grade, which is pretty rare, was cancelled,” she said. Gallagher said that, without university affiliation, students will have to provide their own transportation to the event. Even though she will be personally responsible for the event, she said that she is not concerned about behavioral issues. Gallagher added that she is looking forward to the Senior Class Council’s alternative event, and that her intention is not to protest OCL’s decision or compete with TUSC. Kalmans, Gallagher and Merchant said that they heard from various unofficial sources that TUSC would not organize a bar event, and that there has been no official notice about the decision. According to Kalmans and Merchant, a particular source of student frustration is the lack of communication from OCL and TUSC. Kalmans said that he understands the OCL’s rationale for the decision, but that a lack of transparency has made the decision unclear for many of his fellow students. Likewise, Merchant said that he would have preferred to have heard about the

decision through some means other than word of mouth. “The biggest thing for me is the opacity,” Merchant said. “I wish they would have been upfront with us … and let us know what’s going on.” Golia noted that OCL has not prevented the Senior Class Council from making an announcement about the event’s change, and he said that he understands students’ frustration about the lack of an announcement. He added, however, that students probably have not heard an explanation because Senior Nights historically have not begun until the end of October and because the TUSC Seniors are still organizing alternate events. The Senior Class Council, which is made up of four seniors, said that it plans to begin communicating with the Class of 2017 in October about this year’s Senior Nights. According to the Senior Class Council, it did not make an announcement because it wanted to provide as much clarity as possible to seniors. “We didn’t want to respond with a premature and vague answer about Senior Nights before receiving confirmation from the university concerning our future plans for them,” the Senior Class Council wrote.

New ENVS track links humanities, environment ENVIRONMENT

continued from page 1 ties, for many different careers. “I would say [to] someone who’s thinking about going on in academia, this is actually a really hot field and has very good prospects,” Stein said. “I also think that going on in other areas, having an understanding in history, archaeology, literature, justice issues and sort of all of these lenses can be invaluable in a range of fields.” Environmental communication is another track offered by the ENVS program pertaining more to the humanities; however, the environmental humanities track aims to be broader by incorporating many different departments and fields of study, according to Stein. “The task of environmental communications is to impart, to disseminate, to distribute the research and information that other people come up with [and] the most effective ways of communicating that,” Ammons said. Ammons added that environmental humanities is unique in that it allows people to create their own knowledge in exploring environmental information

from a humanities perspective, rather than just looking at information. “[Environmental humanities] is a lot broader and very appropriate for folks who really want to have a solid grounding in critical thinking skills and writing skills,” Stein added. A unique way that environmental humanities stands out among other tracks is the way it can incorporate arts into its program, according to Stein. “In my view, the environmental humanities welcomes arts as well and … I’m certainly someone who leans on the side of fields of the arts as part of environmental humanities,” Stein said. “Sometimes, an image is a really great way to get an idea across … it can speak in different ways. I really see this as a way of giving recognition to what I’ve always thought is an important career pathway in environmental studies,” Stein said. Response to the program has seemed good so far, according to both faculty members and students themselves. Sophomore Eco-Representative Louisa Kimmell explained how she sees the environmental humanities track as a necessary addition to the ENVS program. She

explained how this track enables people who are passionate about the environment to still be involved in this field of study, even if they do not want to take the science or policy path. “A lot of people are more interested in the human aspect,” Kimmell said. While this is the first time the track is available, Kimmell said that she has heard of student interest in the area of study. “Among the Eco-Reps, our coordinator brought it up in one of our meetings…and I’ve heard people talk about it, and I think people generally know about it or have heard about it and it sounds like people are into it,” she said. Interim Director of the ENVS program Professor Ujjayant Chakravorty explained that students have expressed interest in the environmental humanities, but that the program plans to advertise it more in hope of garnering more interest. “There’s clearly an intersection between humanities and the environment … so there’s clearly students in the humanities who I think might be interested in the environmental humanities track,” Chakravorty said.

Friday, September 23, 2016

ARTS&LIVING TV REVIEW

‘Kevin Can Wait’ struggles with passé premise by Eran Sabaner Arts Editor

With mid-budget studio films slowly disappearing from the silver screen, the entertainment industry is witnessing what critics like to call “peak TV.” Today, with the rise of Internet platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, the number of scripted shows on air has doubled over the past six years. The growth is not just quantitative; the quality of the shows produced is equally remarkable. Major-league directors and stars who want a certain kind of autonomy without having to struggle through funding sign with networks that are open to edgier and more ambitious productions. Unfortunately, CBS isn’t one of these networks. Its rookie sitcom “Kevin Can Wait,” which

premiered on Sept. 19, is anything but edgy and ambitious. Moderately sexist, intentionally conventional and overtly banal, “Kevin Can Wait” is a throwback show no one asked for. “Kevin Can Wait” centers on a newly-retired police officer “struggling” to keep up with his family. In reality, Kevin — like any sitcom dad — is a lazy, self-involved slob who acts like a toddler but somehow thinks he is the household’s authority figure. After retirement, he decides to spend the family’s savings on building go-karts and buying fast pass tickets to theme parks. In the pilot episode, Kevin’s oldest daughter Kendra introduces her boyfriend to Kevin for the first time. They have been dating for a year now, but Kendra hides this from her dad because a college-aged girl dating

a guy is obscene and unimaginable. To Kevin’s dismay, Kendra is not only dating a guy, but she is also dating an omega-male nerd. It is later revealed that Kendra is actually engaged to him and considering dropping out of school to support him. In what seems like an attempt to be feminist, the show mocks and condemns Kendra for deciding to leave school. It fails to recognize that respecting Kendra’s choices would be even more feminist. In the end, Kevin convinces Kendra to remain in school, because Kendra is unable to make any decisions without the help of the men in her life. Sitcoms from the 90s used to have materialistic, demanding and nagging wives to balance the immaturity see SITCOM, page 4

TECH PREVIEW

Uber ushers in the age of the self-driving car with Pittsburgh trial run by Isaac Brown

Assistant Arts Editor

Since their expansion across the United States began in 2010, Uber and other ride-sharing apps have been a boon to college students, offering users a means of getting around cities such as Boston relatively safely without breaking the bank. According to eMarketer.com, the number of Americans

using ride-sharing or ride-hailing services will grow from 15 million this year to 20 million by 2020, prompting the industry to expand its services. One such development includes Uber’s decision to unveil a service utilizing self-driving cars for select customers last week. The San Francisco-based start-up began rolling out self-driving Ford Fusions in downtown Pittsburgh last

Wednesday morning, allowing only frequent Uber riders to summon the specially-equipped vehicles through their smartphones. Out of an abundance of caution, Uber has made sure that a qualified “safety driver” is at the helm of each of their self-driving vehicles. These drivers assume manual control of the car on occasions when the see UBER, page 4

PHOTO BY STEVE JURVETSON

A Lexus RX450h retrofitted by Google for its driverless car fleet sits in a parking lot on Nov. 15, 2015.

3 tuftsdaily.com

Kevin Lawson The Tufts Daily Show

Trump’s lie ends, political career goes on *Deep voice* Sept. 23, 2016. From Comedy Central’s College Avenue’s World News Headquarters in New York shambles, this is the Tufts Daily Show with Kevin Lawson. *Noncopyright-infringing knock-off intro music plays as the camera pans to me, capturing a split second of me picking my nose.* Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second first edition of the Tufts Daily Show! For those dedicated readers that recognize the title from last fall — that’s right, we’re back, baby! I thank both of you for your continued patronage. When this column left off, it was busy making fun of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for his never-ending sequence of horrible words and deeds. Thankfully, now that the whole Donald Trump fiasco is over, and we as a country are unified and better off for the experience — *puts finger to earpiece* — Okay, wait, I’m getting word that Donald Trump is actually more relevant now than ever before and that he’s deemed by the New York Times to have a 27 percent chance of being our next president. Sweet! Go America! Picking up where we left off sounds good too! Five years ago, Trump began publicly arguing that Obama was not a U.S. citizen. It was a perfectly fitting entrance to a fact-averse, hate-fueled and allaround s–t-smeared political career. Last Friday, however, he changed his mind, saying, “Obama was born in the United States. Period.” I, for one, am happy that a credible source has finally brought closure to that issue, and I’m looking forward to Trump settling other controversial debates as we head deeper into this campaign. For example, is Santa Claus real? Or is my father to blame for that one Christmas when all I got was a lump of coal and a note that said, “Santa sees you when you’re sleeping and knows you’ve been smoking pot”? And is evolution actually a thing? My gut tells me no, but it does seem a bit like Donald Trump is the missing link between primates and humans, so I can’t be sure. Trump has caught a lot of flak for how long he ignored the facts (if you support him, read: stuck to his guns) with regard to the birther issue, but is anyone surprised that it took him five years to stop spewing such hateful lies (read: telling it like it is)? Trump is the type of businessman who would use children to make his products if it were a cheaper and legal option. And I don’t mean child labor – he definitely uses that. I mean he would literally make products out of children. It’s not shocking in the slightest that he has no notion of something being made in America. We’ll be right back after these messages! Kevin Lawson is a junior majoring in political science. He can be reached at kevin. lawson@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Friday, September 23, 2016

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Self-driving cars are coming faster than you think UBER

continued from page 3 vehicle’s sensors struggle to determine its location or nearby human drivers behave erratically. Uber has good reason to want to take human drivers out of the equation. Humans cost money to employ and tend to be unpredictable drivers, making calculations far more difficult for other self-driving cars. With human drivers no longer a factor, Uber believes that the ride-sharing service can help make roads safer, ease congestion and bring down costs to allow more users access to a convenient mode of transportation. With the help of seven traffic-light-detecting cameras and a score of lasers scanning the vehicle’s surroundings to create a 360-degree 3D map of the environment, self-driving cars have less trouble avoiding collisions than they do finding the appropriate response to situations such as

duck crossings or stretches of road devoid of markings. Pittsburgh was chosen as the location of the trial partly because of the city’s abysmal driving conditions due to harsh weather, topography and aged infrastructure, according to Raffi Krikorian, engineering director of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center. “We actually think of Pittsburgh as the double black diamond of driving,” Krikorian said. Poor road conditions may also have played a role in Uber’s recent announcement of plans to set up a research center in Detroit later this year. While Uber may be the first to make its technology available to the public, the self-driving car industry is rapidly crowding with major corporations. Google and Ford Motor Company aim to go even further than Uber with their plan to build cars that are fully autonomous — with no steering wheels or pedals at all. Given

current attitudes toward self-driving cars, it is unlikely that these vehicles will become available to consumers any time soon. In the meantime, we’ll have to settle for cars with self-driving features such as forward collision warning systems that can automatically initiate braking in case the driver fails to react in time. Self-driving cars suffer from one significant drawback: Much of their proposed safety benefits rely on being able to communicate with and predict the actions of the vehicles around them. Until almost every car is self-driven, traffic accidents will continue to be a common occurrence. Even if every vehicle rolling off the assembly lines today came with free self-driving software and equipment, Americans’ concerns about road safety and potential software glitches in the cars’ software will not disappear overnight. Poll data of registered American voters in 2016 showed that 43 percent of them believe autonomous cars are not

safe, and 63 percent said they are unlikely to buy or lease a car with self-driving features within the next 10 years. Younger voters aged 18-29 were generally more comfortable with the idea of self-driving cars than those of their parents’ or grandparents’ generation, so car manufacturers may have to play the waiting game until attitudes change. For the moment, a living, breathing person at the wheel provides a sense of security where an empty driver’s seat does not. Aside from the safety factor, having a human driver present adds a social element to the ride. Although the conversations between driver and passenger may be brief, replacing humans with machines would mean fewer friendly greetings in an age where they are becoming increasingly scarce. As Uber continues to expand this trial service in other cities across the country only time will tell whether this sentiment could be changing.

Kevin James’ new CBS comedy disappoints SITCOM

continued from page 3 and incompetency of the husbands. Viewers would feel sorry for the husband while completely ignoring his flaws. The matriarch in “Kevin Can Wait” is, fortunately, different: Donna seems to be the only sensible and likeable character on the show. She even tolerates Kevin’s shenanigans and is supportive of everyone throughout the

episode. Donna’s decision to marry Kevin is the biggest mystery and the most intriguing aspect of the show. To be fair, the show is not entirely unwatchable. Lead actor Kevin James admittedly has decent comedic timing skills (he is an Emmy-nominated actor, after all), which makes Kevin a slightly less intolerable character. Erinn Hayes is certainly charming as Donna, who actually has the potential to be mildly

fascinating. That said, cliché plots and lackluster writing overshadow all of the positive aspects. Indeed, the writing is as dreadful as the pun in the title. “Kevin Can Wait” is Kevin James’ first TV project since “King of Queens” (1998-2007). While “King of Queens” was awfully similar to “Kevin Can Wait” in terms of gender stereotypes and sitcom formulas, the show fitted its time and therefore still remains a classic.

The main problem with “Kevin Can Wait” is that it does not align with the smart, bold comedies one sees on TV today. Watching “Kevin Can Wait” is like running into a rerun of a 90s sitcom on TV, minus the nostalgia. With innovative shows like “Veep” (2012-present), “Master of None” (2015-present) and “Transparent” (2014-present) winning big at award ceremonies, “Kevin Can Wait” should be a wake-up call for CBS.

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Jumbo defense keeps opponents scoreless on Ounjian Field FIELD HOCKEY

continued from back the Jumbos’ 29 shots (including 15 shots on goal), when junior Erin Sanders fired a ball toward the cage that Artz got her stick on and tipped in. Artz’s goal was the game-winner, as the Jumbos held on to their lead until the final whistle. Despite the shooting clinic the Jumbos put on for most of the rest of the game, the hosts had trouble finishing and could not come up with an insurance goal to put the Blue away. Wellesley goalkeeper sophomore Maggie Connelly settled down in front of the net and played a strong game, coming up with 14 saves and thwarting several of Tufts’ best opportunities. Tufts’ defense, which has been solid through five games, shut down Wellesley’s offense until the last few minutes and allowed just six total shots, with two on goal. Down by just one goal, the Blue threatened in the final three minutes by earning a series of three penalty corners and firing off four shots. The closest attempt came with just a minute and a half to play when Wellesley sophomore Cecie Negron’s potential equalizer clanged off the left post. The Jumbos’ calm presence on defense and the strong goalie play of sophomore Emily Polinski prevailed in the win. Coach Tina McDavitt Mattera cited the team’s ongoing adjustment to playing on the new Astroturf surface of Ounjian Field as a major factor that inhibited scoring in the game, especially considering that the team only started practicing on it last Friday. She also cited a few missed touches at critical moments and strong goalie play from Connelly as possible reasons for the Jumbos’ scoring troubles.

Junior midfielder Celia Lewis noted that many players are already comfortable playing on the Astroturf, and she believes that the rest of the team will quickly grow accustomed to the new surface. “A lot of us stayed here over the summer and played at [Boston University], which has Astro, so we kind of got used to it through that,” Lewis said. “And also ... we say we’re an Astro team. It means short, quick passes and quick movement in the midfield, so I think it’s pretty easy to transition over. And the surface is just built for field hockey, so it’s so much easier to play on. We’re really lucky to have it.” Tufts picked up its first win on the new Ounjian Field last Saturday after just one day of practice on it. Playing against a Bates team that traditionally has been in the bottom half of the NESCAC but looked much stronger last weekend, Tufts picked up its first shutout of the season and got scores from firstyear forward Shannon Yogerst and from Artz in the 2-0 win. The Jumbos earned a penalty corner 23 minutes into the game and fired off a pair of shots that Bobcats goalie sophomore Adelae Durand saved, but Yogerst was in perfect position for the rebound off of classmate Brigid Gliwa’s shot and sent the ball back in for her first collegiate goal. In the second half, the Jumbo defense kept up a solid performance and held the visitors to just three shots throughout the game, with only one on goal. Meanwhile, Artz padded Tufts’ lead with just under 10 minutes to go when she took a cross from junior Ellexa Thomas in the middle and slotted it in. The win allowed Tufts to move to 2-0 in NESCAC play. As in the Wellesley contest, Tufts was able to get off an

SITARA RAO / THE TUFTS DAILY

First-year forward Shannon Yogerst evades a Wellesley player to maintain possession in the game against Wellesley on Sept. 20. impressive number of shots — this time holding a 20-3 advantage in shots, with 13 shots on goal — but they had trouble finding the back of the net. The defense, however, has been consistent and reliable during these early games and have turned in three straight shutouts. Tufts benefits from having multiple returning starters on defense, including Arata anchoring the back line along with experienced juniors Lewis and Thomas, while sophomore Issy Del Priore provides a calm, capable presence as well. Polinski, now in her second season starting in goal, has also settled down and looks much more comfortable. “We have really good chemistry back there,” Lewis said. “Everyone is really willing to listen to everyone else, and if someone behind you tells you to step or there’s a girl on your left, girl to

your right, we’ve been really listening and we do it quickly. And I think the more we play together, the more comfortable we’ll get marking people and when we switch into diamond defense — which is our main structure back there when we get past the hash lines. But I think our defense is doing great. The most important thing is just that we keep communicating and keep talking to each other, and hopefully we’ll continue to have shutouts.” The team’s most significant negative of the week came when senior co-captain forward Dominique Zarrella, the team’s leading scorer for the past two seasons, left Tuesday’s game midway through as back pain that has been nagging her recently flared up. It is unclear how many games she will miss, but Tufts will miss her experienced presence on the attack and her on-field leadership.

McDavitt Mattera, though, believes the team’s depth cushions the loss and noted the silver lining of being able to give some of her younger, talented forwards more playing time. Tufts now prepares to host No. 18 Mary Washington on Ounjian tomorrow at 1 pm in what should be a competitive contest. The Jumbos appear to be hitting their stride early in the season and will look to continue that this weekend before they dive into more NESCAC action next week. “The [team] attitude is so good this year, and everybody is pushing each other really hard and it’s been awesome,” McDavitt Mattera said. “The freshmen are fitting in great, the seniors are being great leaders, and the juniors have another level of confidence to them that they didn’t have as sophomores and they’re kind of like, ‘let’s get this done.’”

Apply by September 30th at: tinyurl.com/dailyscholarship What is The Tufts Daily Semester Scholarship? This scholarship schola aims to provide funds to ﬁrst-year students with demonstrated ﬁnancial need so they may be able to pursue their interest in journalism and media through the Daily.

Who qualiﬁes? F irst-year students at Tufts who qualify for federal work study or have demonstrated ﬁnancial need. Students with serious interest in journalism or media. No prior journalism experience is necessary, but it is preferred.

What is expected of me? Complete a set number of projects every month. Meet weekly with your section executive editor to assess your work and discuss opportunities for growth.

H ow am I paid? The scholarship is worth $500. You will receive two installments of $250, one midway through the semester and the second upon completion of the scholarship at the end of the term.

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Friday, September 23, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

Football kicks off new season in prime time FOOTBALL

continued from back whole continues to get better and better. Like Chance [Brady], I expect Zach [Thomas] to garner a lot of attention in terms of slide protections, which should open up opportunities for other guys.” If the offense puts up a lead, Adickes and Thomas will be the two ensuring they keep it. Opponents playing from behind are forced to pass more aggressively, allowing Civetti to unleash his pair of powerful pass rushers on opposing quarterbacks. One area the Jumbo pass rushers are looking to improve upon is forcing turnovers. Thomas registered no forced fumbles in 2015, while Adickes forced one to go along with an interception. In the secondary, expectations are high for former rookie sensation and sophomore defensive back Tim Preston. Preston was a force to be reckoned with, snagging a NESCAC high six picks last season to go along with another four batted balls. “I came in not knowing what my role was going to be and I didn’t expect to have the impact that I did last year,” Preston said. “Last year was last year. I’ve just got to keep improving.” The Jumbo secondary benefits from the pressure the line places on opposing passers. The front seven forces a lot of off-balance or weak throws that

make defending easier for the defensive backs. “I love having what I believe to be one of the best defensive lines in the NESCAC,” Preston said. “It helps us out a lot in the secondary.” While the Jumbo defense had its strengths last year, it also had its fair share of struggles. Tufts allowed the second most yards per game and the third most points overall in the conference. “We were pretty young on defense last year,” defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Kevin Farr said. “We made some mistakes that we can probably point to youth and inexperience. With another year under our belt, hopefully we can improve on some of those areas and improve on the success that we had.” While often the most overlooked part of a football team, special teams, according to Civetti, are an area of strength for the Jumbos. “I think our special teams with [senior kicker] Willie Holmquist are a big strength,” Civetti said. “I really think we have a weapon there.” Holmquist was fourth in scoring overall in the league last year with 53 points, led all NESCAC kickers in points and holds the Tufts record for most field-goals in a season, 11. Senior wide receiver Mike Rando is Tufts’ unique threat on return duties. Rando fin-

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior running back Chance Brady rushes with the ball during the football team’s 31-28 victory against Middlebury at a home game on Ellis Oval/Zimman Field on Nov. 14. ished third in all-purpose yards last year behind a duo of explosive running backs, Brady and Trinity’s Jabari Hurdle Price. Rando, while simultaneously playing a full-time role in the offense, was second in the NESCAC in both kick and punt return yardage, with 446 and 165 respectively.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior quarterback Alex Snyder looks for an open player to catch his pass in the homecoming game against Bowdoin on Oct. 10, 2015.

This Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against Wesleyan at the Ellis Oval marks the first time in Tufts history that the team will play a home night game. This is just the second instance of football under the lights in NESCAC history. The first was in 2013 with the same teams at Wesleyan. “I played night games in high school, and I was here for the first game against Wesleyan [in 2013],” Brady said. “There’s obviously a change in atmosphere. There will be more people there and more hype around it, but we’re trying to push that it’s still a football game; it’s still 60 minutes and we have to get out there and prove that we’re the best team.” With their first game of the year against a formidable Cardinals lineup, Civetti knows that the team will not be given time to get used to playing under the lights. “[ Wesleyan] is excellent,” Civetti said. “If they aren’t the best team in the league, they’ll be as close to the top as anybody. They have a ton of talent and are very physical. They’re going to get off that bus extremely confident.” Wesleyan finished the season 5-3 last year, tied with Middlebury for fourth, one spot behind Tufts. The 2015 season was the fourth straight winning season for the Cardinals, who were runners-up to the

NESCAC title in 2014, and split the trophy three ways in 2013. No doubt the Cardinals will be going into this season with their eyes on winning their first ever individual title. Wesleyan was a well-balanced team in 2015, ranking third in both total offensive yards and defensive yards allowed. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Stone and senior defensive back Justin Sanchez headline the Cardinals’ defense. Both were first-team all-NESCAC selections last season. “We focus on being prepared to handle adversity,” Civetti said. “We can’t worry about the things we can’t control. We really can’t control the events that we’re going to face. The only thing we truly have control of is our response to those events.” With a number of the key players on both sides of the ball in their final seasons, the Jumbos hope to send them out on top with a NESCAC championship. After last year’s 6-2 record, the best since 2001, the team has come a long way from the 31-game losing streak of 2010-2013, and continued growth and success is the goal for the Jumbos. “[This season] means everything to me,” Brady said. “I didn’t win a state championship in high school, so this is my last attempt to win it all.”

Tennis rookies set sights on singles spots for spring MEN'S TENNIS

continued from back come back and win the second,” Shaff said. “The old me, high school Zach, could have easily folded and just given up in that second set … [but now] I’m fighting.” The team was excited about its play last weekend and is looking forward to the rest

of the fall season. Moving forward, teamwork, improvement and consistency have been emphasized as tools for progress. Accordingly, Schultz has encouraged raising the average shot speed of the team rather than rewarding individual winners of team competitions, which often change. The first-year class clearly

passed its first test this weekend. Each first-year is looking to challenge for one of the three open singles spots that are available this spring, but if the group can raise the level of play during practices, its contributions will be all the more invaluable. Outside of the firstyear players, the weekend

belonged to sophomore Ethan Chen. Schultz describes Chen as “140 pounds soaking wet” but his play was extraordinarily energetic. Chen dominantly marched through the tournament straight to the semifinals. He did not play a third set until he lost in a tiebreaker to the eventual flight B champion, top-seeded Timo

van der Geest of Middlebury. Chen’s tenacity and grit on the court last weekend resonated with his teammates, who took pride in the way he played and are eager to see how his game continues to grow. The team’s next tournament is the ITA Regional Championship on Sept. 30 at Williams College.

Sports

8 tuftsdaily.com

Friday, September 23, 2016

FOOTBALL

Football seniors ready for last shot at NESCAC title by Eddie Samuels Sports Editor

For the first time in nearly 10 years, Tufts football celebrated a winning season last year. This year, the team expects to once again compete for a NESCAC Championship “Everyone here is focused, both in terms of what we want and what we expect,” coach Jay Civetti said. “We should be able to compete with anybody in this league. We don’t talk about the championship; we talk about having a championship culture.” Though last year’s senior class will certainly be missed, the majority of Tufts’ key contributors, both on offense and on defense, will be returning. Most notably on the offensive side of the ball, senior running back Chance Brady will return to build on his dominant 2015 campaign. Brady will undoubtedly be the Jumbos’ primary offensive weapon, but he will also be a clear target for opposing defenses to key in on. Brady, the defending NESCAC offensive player of the year, rushed for 121.9 yards per game in 2015, a full 30 yards more than any other back in the league. Brady’s 975 rushing yards were by and far the most in the conference, and with only two fumbles on the season, there are no concerns about his ball security. “There will be a lot of attention on [our running game],” Civetti said. “Chance Brady will garner a great deal of focus from defenses — not that he didn’t last year, but he’ll garner that much more.”

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior running back Chance Brady and senior defensive lineman Jack Price celebrate Brady’s touchdown in the game against Trinity on Oct. 17. Not to be overlooked in the running game are the blockers who ensure that Brady has room to run. The offensive line will work hard to ensure Brady always has a gap to hit, even as opposing defenses look to stop the run.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in my O-line,” Brady said. “Even if they bring down extra defenders, I know they’ll pick up their blocks, and it falls on me to make the extra guys miss. I’ve been at this for a long time so

MEN'S TENNIS

when they bring guys in, I have to make the magic happen.” Though Brady is undoubtedly the star of the offense, senior quarterback Alex Snyder is another offensive player to watch. A three-year starter,

Snyder’s arm was a reliable option in 2015, as he passed for 1435 yards and 10 touchdowns with only six interceptions on the season. “We’ve been working to increase our versatility,” Brady said. “It should make us more of a dual-threat offense. It will make it harder for defenses to stop us; it won’t be as easy as just stopping the run or just stopping the pass.” Snyder benefited from defenders overcommitting to stop Brady in 2015, and with the Jumbos likely to face even more loaded boxes in 2016, Snyder will need to provide a greater vertical threat in the passing game. Snyder’s downfield throwing stats from 2015 were respectable but not spectacular. He averaged 6.7 yards per attempt with a completion percentage of just 53.5 percent. “Having Alex Snyder as a three-year starter as well as some really talented receivers, people will have to make a decision if they want to put eight guys in the box to stop Chance [Brady], and that will dictate our game plan,” Civetti said. On the defensive side of the ball, the Jumbos’ junior dynamic duo of lineman Micah Adickes and linebacker Zach Thomas will once again be a nightmare for NESCAC quarterbacks. Thomas led the NESCAC last season with nine sacks, to go with Adickes’ five. “They were young puppies, just kind of figuring it out,” Civetti said. “That group as a see FOOTBALL, page 7

FIELD HOCKEY

First-years make their mark at Middlebury

Field hockey undefeated through five games

by Noah Schwartz

by Maclyn Senear

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team saw a successful opening to its season with a win in its first tournament of the season held last weekend at Middlebury. The weekend offered a first taste of collegiate tennis for the team’s first-years, who made their first road trip, earned their first collegiate win and got a chance to see which other members of the team would step up. The coaching staff devotes a large portion of the preseason to helping firstyears acclimate to the new environment, which is competitive in a different way than in high school. “The level here is totally different,” first-year Zach Shaff said. “Here, everyone that I train with I can really train with. They beat me, I beat them, anybody can beat anybody. It’s helping me a ton”. Each class of first-years is challenged by the coaching staff to reach certain

physical goals before showing up to Tufts, and coaches have been happy with the results they have seen so far. “It’s more of a camaraderie [in college], these guys are all traveling and playing tournaments [in high school] and that’s all individual stuff,” assistant coach Christo Schultz said. “College tennis is a much bigger game, but it’s also team-focused. [The first-years] are absolutely on the right track, and I’m excited to see where they’ll go”. That preparation seems to have paid off. Shaff reached the semifinals, losing in a tiebreaker third set to the eventual flight champion from Middlebury, while firstyear Jason Scanlon made the finals of his flight, losing to Brandeis first-year David Aizenberg in two tightly contested sets. The adjustment to college tennis is not just physical but mental as well. “In both the quarters and the semis, I lost the first set and managed to see MEN'S TENNIS, page 7

Sports Editor

Field hockey is still undefeated so far this season and has quickly climbed to No. 7 in the national rankings after notching three more big wins in the past week to move to 5-0. Tufts inaugurated its brand new Ounjian Field in style on Saturday with a decisive 2-0 win over the Bates Bobcats and then held off the Wellesley Blue 1-0 at home again on Tuesday. Tufts then thoroughly demolished an overmatched UMass Dartmouth team last night. Last night’s matchup against the Corsairs was hardly competitive as the Jumbos got on the board early and often. Twenty different Jumbos played and six different players scored in what ended up being more of a training opportunity than a competition. Tufts outshot the hosts 37-1. Sophomore Gigi Tutoni started the scoring just four minutes in and then picked up her fourth goal of the season

in the second half. Senior forward Annie Artz picked up a pair of goals and an assist to lead the team with five goals and 11 points on the season. First-year Rachel Hamilton and junior Sarah Schaeffler picked up their first collegiate goals while junior Mary Kate Patton added one as well. Junior Mary Travers scored twice and had an assist. Senior co-captain Nicole Arata assisted two of the goals. In a more meaningful game on Tuesday night, Tufts got revenge against No. 14 Wellesley, a team that beat Tufts 1-0 last season. A much stronger Jumbo squad flipped the score this year, and though the one-goal margin may suggest otherwise, the Jumbos were in command for most of the game. Artz, who returned to the team after missing all of last season due to an injury, struck early with what would be the game-winner just before the seven-minute mark. The score came on the first of see FIELD HOCKEY, page 6