Monday, January 23, 2017

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FOCUS stifled by ongoing probation see FEATURES / PAGE 4

Jumbos’ win streak up to 18 games

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Tufts students march in Boston Women’s March for America

by Robert Katz News Editor

Tens of thousands of people marched through Downtown Boston for the Boston Women’s March for America on Saturday, in protest of President Donald Trump’s inauguration the day prior.

The march, according to its website, was inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, with the mission of “[uniting] in Boston to march in solidarity with communities most affected by the hate, intolerance and acts of violence being perpetrated throughout the nation.”

According to the Boston Globe, the Boston marchers, estimated to number 175,000, walked from Boston Common to Clarendon Street and back.

A group of Tufts marchers was organized by seniors Mackenzie Merriam and Nandita Baloo, with assistance from the Women’s Center.

“For a lot of people, it was really hard to get to D.C. because of [lack of] transportation and the cost of transportation and housing and all that kind of stuff, so we tried to get people to focus their energies on coming to the Boston one,” Merriam said.

The Friday before, Merriam and Baloo hosted an open house for four hours at the Women’s Center so marchers could bond and make signs, they said.

“It was a community space for people to get together … if they didn’t know people who were going. They could meet with people and just kind of talk,” Merriam said.

“Also, the inauguration was going on at the same time so if people didn’t [want to] watch it alone, we could watch together and talk about it and vent a little to each other.”

During the march, groups sometimes shouted slogans such as “si se puede, yes we can,” “tell me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like” and “one planet, one people.”

Some of the marchers held signs adorned with slogans, images and statements that were either in favor of various causes or critical of Trump.

Shaalini Ramanadhan held a sign showing the Republican Party symbol — a red, white and blue elephant — inside a womb next to the words, “The Elephant in the Womb.”

“I am an OB-GYN resident, so I feel like access to contraception and access to abortion is very important,” Ramanadhan said.

ZACH SEBEK / THE TUFTS DAILY

Protesters participate in the Boston Women’s March on Jan. 21.

“I feel like all that is under threat with the change in the political environment that we have now, so I feel like it’s very important to just remind people that it’s not something that we can take for granted, and we have to continue to fight for it.”

Victoria Chapman, whose poster read, “Who you gonna call? Your representatives!,” hoped the day could serve as an educational experience for her daughter, whom see BOSTON MARCH, page 2

Donald Trump inaugurated as 45th president

by Daniel Nelson News Editor

Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States last Friday at noon, on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. His inauguration was the first time a total

political outsider, who has never served in public office or the military, assumed the nation’s highest office.

The number of people who attended the inauguration is contested. Trump claims that many more people were present than several media outlets say is possible by looking at photos of the event.

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Trump supporters wait early Friday morning for the inauguration ceremony to start on Jan. 20 in Washington D.C.

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However, many dedicated Trump supporters showed up to hear the oath of office, excited to watch their outsider champion ascend to the presidency and denounce what they view as Washington’s longstanding ruling political order.

“He’s not a politician, [that] was a big thing for us,” Tom Wernz, who traveled from Brandenburg, Ky. to watch the inauguration with his family, said. “It would have been the same old thing whether it would have been Republican Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio — they’re all in here for themselves.”

Apart from Trump’s prepared speech, the inauguration had all the hallmarks of a typical Trump campaign rally. Out of a sea of red “Make American Great Again” hats sprung a constant chant of “Trump, Trump, Trump.” Every time the Jumbotron showed Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton, who was in attendance with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, cries of “Lock her up” erupted on the National Mall.

Trump supporters Renee and Mark Eberbach flew up from Florida to watch their first inauguration.

“So far, it’s been really peaceful,” Renee Eberbach said early on Friday. Mark Eberbach, her husband, added, “It speaks

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to the enthusiasm for a change [in political power].”

Democrat Senator and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke before Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were sworn in.

On the Capitol grounds, Schumer’s speech was drowned out almost completely by calls of “Drain the swamp!”

Former President Barack Obama’s introduction was met with a muted mix of jeers and applause, although the response was more cordial than Clinton’s scathing welcome. Mark Eberbach said that, although he was glad to see the two-term Democrat go, he thought that Obama still deserved respect.

After Trump took the oath of office, he began to speak, and the crowd roared back to life after a long wait. His speech touched on much of his campaign platform: a promise to “fight against radical Islamic terrorism,” a pledge to remember “the forgotten men and women of our country” and a commitment to put “America first.”

As Trump neared the end of his remarks, an electric anticipation spread through the crowd as they waited for his signature campaign slogan.

“Together,” the new president said as the crowd responded in unison, “We will make America great again!”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, January 23, 2017

T HE T UFTS D AILY Kathleen Schmidt Editor-in-Chief

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Medford environmental groups form new Green Coalition

by Daniel Caron

Assistant News Editor

The City of Medford is forming the Go Green Medford Coalition to coordinate activities among active environmental groups in the city. Mayor Stephanie Burke announced the coalition on Jan. 3 in a press release, and several public meetings have been held to lay groundwork for the collaboration.

The coalition will be led by the Medford Energy and Environment Committee, which is a group of Medford residents who work on a volunteer basis, according to Committee Chair Curtis Tuden. Tuden further explained that they will coordinate meetings and communication between other environmental groups that previously had no official connection with the City of Medford.

City groups that may participate in the coalition include the Energy and Environment Committee, the Bicycle Advisory Commission, the Community Garden Commission and the Medford Tree Warden, as well as other independent organizations such as Friends of the Mystic River, according to Alicia Hunt, Medford’s director of energy and environment.

Tuden believes that the coalition will help these environmental groups to work more effectively in Medford.

“Before the coalition, each of those environmental groups … would have to do what they could on their own to organize community members to show up

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for certain events or city council meetings … That’s a lot of work, and it’s not very effective,” Tuden said. “Now that they’re part of the coalition, they’ll basically carry more weight with the city, and they’ll be officially recognized.”

The main goal of the coalition right now is to increase communication between groups focused on sustainability and the environment, according to Hunt.

“I have a vision of … it being a good hub for people to find out what else is going on,” Hunt said.

Tuden similarly stressed the importance of strong communication in order to effectively reach different groups represented by the coalition.

In particular, Hunt explained that the coalition will allow the city’s environmental groups to work together on various projects for common goals. “[When] Friends of the Mystic River is having an annual cleanup … people who are on Walk Medford might be interested in helping to clean up the paths near the river,” Hunt said.

Last November, Burke, along with mayors of 13 other municipalities in Massachusetts, signed the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)’s Climate Mitigation Commitment, with the ultimate goal of reaching carbon neutrality in the Greater Boston region by 2050, according to the MAPC website.

A more immediate objective of the regional commitment is for cities to develop and update local climate miti-

gation plans and to implement at least three climate mitigation actions before 2020, according to the commitment. The commitment lists 22 potential mitigation actions that cities can take, which included zoning changes, energy efficiency and increased renewable energy.

According to Hunt, the Go Green Medford Coalition will play a large part in helping Medford meet its commitments.

“We can’t force the city to be net zero, we have to persuade them,” Hunt said.

“We’re hoping that having a group of people … that all cares about sustainability will make it easier to start moving public opinion towards that being the right thing to do.”

The Tufts Office of Sustainability has worked with Medford on environmental initiatives in the past, and it plans to continue that partnership in the future, according to Office of Sustainability director Tina Woolston.

“Tufts regularly works with Alicia Hunt … and we look forward to finding ways to collaborate with Go Green Medford,” Woolston told the Daily in an email.

Both Tuden and Hunt expressed excitement at the idea of Tufts students getting involved in this coalition. According to Hunt, the coalition is looking for volunteer support for various tasks, including marketing and technology.

“I would love to have a Tufts organization formally be part of the coalition,” Hunt said. “[Also,] if individual Tufts students … just wanted to show up, that would be fine.”

Tufts participants in Women’s March raise concerns about inclusivity BOSTON MARCH

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continued from page 1 she brought along to the march.

“I just wanted to get her to experience what a rally like this is like and [learn] how it’s important to speak up for your rights,” Chapman said.

April Bedunah wore a shirt with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s names on it. She disputed that her support for Trump reflected any particular stance on civil rights.

“I think it’s time to stop talking about sides, and we need to talk about one people as Americans,” Bedunah said. “I have many friends that are transgender. I have many friends that are gay. I was actually married to a Muslim, believe it or not. But I support Trump.”

Tufts student Sarah Nechamkin won-

dered whether the march’s breadth of represented causes obscured the event’s potential to affect change.

“You’re marching for a variety of progressive platforms,” Nechamkin, a junior, said. “In a way, it could be seen as this watered down thing that doesn’t result in a lot of change.

However, I was watching some speeches in Washington, [D.C.] There were some concrete things that they were telling people to do, like support the [American Civil Liberties Union], donate to Planned Parenthood.”

Some students raised concerns about potentially problematic elements of the march. Adam Zoll, who otherwise found “solidarity and encouragement” during the march, observed a trend of transphobia in some of the posters used. “[My housemates and I] realized some

signs were somewhat transphobic, most likely unintentionally, in that they confused genitalia with gender,” Zoll, a junior, said.

Additionally, Baloo believed that the rally in Boston was predominantly white.

Meg Kenneally, a junior, agreed with concerns about inclusivity but remained optimistic that future movements could become more aware.

“There were some issues with the march and transphobic rhetoric as well as it being a pretty white space, but I have hope that moving forward, there can be education and improvement on some of the things that were well-intentioned but not executed sensitively,” Kenneally said.

“The fact that we were all there and protesting with our presence means something at the very least.”

Monday, January 23, 2017 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

News

3

Women’s March caps days of D.C. protests against Donald Trump

by Daniel Nelson News Editor

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the nation’s capital last Saturday to demonstrate against the administration of President Donald Trump, as part of the Women’s March on Washington.

More than 500,000 people are believed to have attended the march in Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press. More than 600 sister marches were held in other cities across the United States and around the world, the event organizers’ website notes.

Most of the marchers were women and young girls, but men were among the demonstrators as well. The protesters filled city streets surrounding the National Mall from morning through the late afternoon. They brandished signs, wore buttons that read “nasty woman” and chanted slogans challenging the new president’s legitimacy.

Many marchers said they were concerned about women’s rights and human rights in general, which marchers warned could be under threat.

“If [Trump] does even one-tenth of all of the things he’s said … our country will go back decades in terms of fundamental human rights,” D.C. resident Nick Phillipson said.

But the day after the inauguration, many of the protesters’ immediate anger was directed toward Trump himself. Chants of “Not my president” echoed across the National Mall, and knitted pink “pussy hats” were spread throughout the crowds.

Feminist activist Gloria Steinem was one of many headline speakers who rallied the crowds before the march down the National Mall. She spoke about the need for women to use the march to stand apart from historical patriarchy.

“No more asking daddy. We are linked, we are not ranked and this is a day that will change us forever because we are together,” Steinem said.

Filmmaker Michael Moore also had a prominent pre-march speaking role. He devoted his speech to rallying the crowds to action with a “to-do list.” He then led the crowd in a memorization chant of the U.S. Congress’ switchboard operator phone number.

“I want you to call Congress every single day,” Moore said.

The common theme of the Women’s March was its central goal to support women’s issues under threat by the new administration. Nonetheless, women’s rights were not the only factors that pushed hundreds of thousands to flock to the streets, according to many protesters.

The environment was also on many minds during the march. One day earlier, the Trump administration had removed all climate change webpages from the official White House website, according to a New York Times article.

Karien Laurent, who was marching past the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday afternoon with a group of friends, said the environment was as much a concern for her over the next four years as were women’s rights.

“I already thought that some of our environmental regulations weren’t stringent enough,” she said. “And now deregulation is on the horizon.”

Sofia Adams (LA ’16), a Utah native, was on hand for many of the protests on Friday and Saturday.

“I went with the goal of using my body in whatever way was the most useful to those who had organized protests,” she said. “As one individual, our choices do not have a

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Metropolitan Police Department officers in riot gear deploy tear gas and pepper spray in clashes with violent protestors in the hours following Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. great impact, but together, our decisions and actions can be revolutionary.

However, Harper Hopkins, a Tufts student who was present at the march, expressed concern that some of the signs in the march were potentially exclusionary of transgender women.

“I saw a sign that said ‘no uterus, no opinion,’ the idea being that if you don’t have a uterus, subtext being you’re a man, then you shouldn’t have any say in the rights of people who do, subtext being women,” Hopkins, a sophomore, said. “The issue with those is that they make an assumption about the breadth of womanhood.”

One day prior to the Women’s March, some of the protests had not been as peaceful. During the day of the inauguration, dozens of protesters dressed in all black with face masks ran through downtown Washington, D.C. breaking windows.

Over 200 were arrested, according to the New York Times.

The violence continued on Friday afternoon, as groups of protesters on K street and 12th faced off with riot police. The protesters, some of whom wore gas masks and goggles, lobbed bricks and rocks at the police line. Whenever the protesters got close to the police’s line of shields, officers threw stun grenades and tear gas to keep the crowd back.

Justin Schoville, who was registering voters for the Green Party, said that Friday’s protest was far more chaotic than most.

“I’ve been to a lot of protests in D.C. They’re usually really peaceful,” Schoville said. “D.C. police are really calm, professional – they’re very patient with protesters.”

Robert Katz contributed reporting to this article.

4 tuftsdaily.com

Features

Monday, January 23, 2017

FOCUS faces probation for alcohol-related incidents last fall

by Fina Short

Contributing Writer

Every August, about 200 first-years flock to Medford five days before orientation begins to participate in Tufts’ popular Freshman Orientation CommUnity Service (FOCUS) pre-orientation program, according to Director of Campus Life Joe Golia.

For some of these first-year participants as well as upperclassmen who participate in the program as support staff, leaders and coordinators, FOCUS is a significant part of their campus lives, beyond the program’s annual five-day duration.

“FOCUS is really important to me,” said Barton Liang, a fifth-year student and a FOCUS leader for three years. “I’ve been part of it every year that I’ve been at Tufts.”

The program was placed on probation shortly after multiple alcohol-related incidents took place at Fall Gala in September 2016, according to Golia. While the FOCUS student coordinators declined to comment on the incident or aftermath, Liang said he believes it involved multiple first-year FOCUS participants being summoned by the Tufts Emergency Medical Service (TEMS) at Fall Gala.

“To my understanding, there were some FOCUS-ers who were TEMS’d for alcohol, and that’s all I really want to say,” Liang said.

“I guess there were enough that maybe the program was being looked at.”

Liang said that while pre-orientation programs may have traditions of organizing gatherings before social events, these practices are not sanctioned by the program and in no way require alcohol consumption.

“We don’t have any sort of coordinated drinking social events as FOCUS,” he said. “If the [first-years] choose to pregame [before] a party together, that’s up to them.

If they invite the leaders, our role there is to make sure that they’re safe.”

Golia said the probation was meant to push FOCUS program leaders to think about whether the future direction of the organization was still positive.

“We as administrators felt that FOCUS… as a group…needed to be put on a level of disciplinary sanction to improve for the future and keep the organization around,” he said.

Golia said that there were no uniform criteria for what could cause a pre-orientation program to be put on probation.

“It was determined that FOCUS — the idea of FOCUS [and] the messaging of FOCUS — led to putting students in uncomfortable, negative, unhealthy situations,” he said.

Golia explained that the status of “probation” for a student organization is similar to that of individual students placed on academic probation at Tufts on account of failing to achieve a certain GPA. “It’s a level of disciplinary sanction based on something that happened for a group,”

NICHOLAS PFOSI

Incoming first-years sign in for FOCUS, a community service based pre-orientation program, on the residential quad on Aug. 21, 2014. he said. “It’s more [or less] the same thing– violating policies that come up.”

However, Golia said the consequences for a larger group were not as clear-cut as those for students placed on probation, because organizations are not put on probation as frequently as individual students are.

“With students, sometimes it could be [that if] you violate this status, you could be expelled [or] suspended,” he said. “With a group, it doesn’t happen that often.”

According to Golia, many FOCUS leaders themselves participated in the program as first-years, contributing to what he characterized as difficulties defining FOCUS leadership roles, as well as the leadership roles of some other pre-orientation program leaders.

“What is it to be a leader? That’s the other question, and I think a lot of students struggle with that,” he said. “[Students] want to just be a part of FOCUS. They want to continue to be in FOCUS, or TWO, or SQUAD.” He argued that the minor age difference between leaders and first-years can also make it difficult to draw boundaries within the group.

“We put the leadership label on them, but they also put it on themselves, so what does that mean, and what are our expectations of them, as [upperclassmen] coming back early and having this impact on firstyear students?” he said.

Dean of Student Affairs Mary Pat McMahon also brought up the difficulty of defining the expected relationship between leaders and students once pre-orientation ends.

She mentioned a “code of conduct” established for pre-orientation leaders as

an area in which FOCUS potentially violated campus guidelines.

“Everybody who leads a pre-orientation group signs a contract around their responsibilities as leaders, and one of the major things they’re responsible for is supporting a safe experience for first-year students and not promoting things that might compromise health and safety,” McMahon said.

McMahon said that because first-years usually arrive at Tufts knowing few other students, program leaders can easily become the most authoritative figures to them at the school.

“I can talk until I’m blue in the face, but…a student’s going to be interested in hearing from [other students] in understanding how this place works,” McMahon said.

Liang said FOCUS staff members have always emphasized creating a space for participants to ask questions they might have about first-year student life.

“Because our philosophy is that we’re there to support them throughout their entire time at Tufts, we want to get them off on the right foot and really equip them with useful knowledge to help them figure out their place on campus,” he said.

McMahon noted that the code of conduct was established to create certain guidelines on how mentors should interact with their group members.

“The code of conduct has all kinds of things: ‘Don’t break the law, think about ways that you as leaders have influence over first-years,”’ she said.

To be taken off probation, McMahon explained that FOCUS would

have to prove it could abide by the code for an unspecified amount of time in the future.

“There’s a period of time, if you’re on probation, [when] you [don’t want to] have a further incident that violates the code of conduct that your group is responsible for,” she said.

She also offered some more specific advice for the group.

“Keep yourselves in good shape, make sure that as a group you are moving forward in a way that is complying with the code of conduct,” McMahon said.

Golia added that it is important that FOCUS works to clarify the role its group leaders play in the lives of first-years, as both mentors and fellow Tufts students, before the probation is lifted.

“We hope to work with them on training, clarifying boundaries and rules of leaders… we’ll continue to work with them and the new coordinators when they get hired in the coming year,” he said.

Liang expressed disappointment that FOCUS had come under fire for something he believed was not the fault of the program itself.

“I just feel like it’s really unfortunate that here we are trying to create a safe environment and we’re being called out for it,” he said.

But McMahon stressed confidence in the ability of FOCUS’s pre-orientation leaders to employ safer practices going forward.

“The FOCUS program is full of incredibly thoughtful leaders,” she said. “They have done a terrific job creating welcoming, energetic, positive experiences for first-year students. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what the leaders do.”

Monday, January 23, 2017

ARTS&LIVING

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TV REVIEW

Brit Marling’s ‘The OA’ is more than its mysteries

by Cassidy Olsen Arts Editor

2016 was another immensely successful year for Netflix original series. The streaming service launched over two dozen new programs throughout the year, ranging from the smash hit “Stranger Things” to the buzzed-about biopic “The Crown.” On Dec. 16, 2016 while critics and bloggers were putting together their end-of-year lists, another program unlike the rest quietly premiered: “The OA,” a science fiction drama series from filmmakers Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij.

Marling, who previously collaborated with Batmanglij on Sundance films “Sound of My Voice” (2011) and “The East” (2013), stars as Prairie Johnson (later called the OA), a young blind woman who goes missing from her hometown and reappears seven years later with her vision restored.

From its intro sequence that features a frantic Prairie jumping off a bridge and being reunited with her family in the hospital, “The OA” gets off to a dramatic

start. Prairie, the victim of some horrible crime and years of presumed isolation, is wild-eyed and skittish and has trouble adjusting back to home life. Fans of the 2015 Oscar-winner “Room” will notice the similarities in the narrative about a former captive’s struggles for freedom.

But just as the audience settles in for a family drama, “The OA” begins to subvert expectations and introduces a web of secrets, mysteries and seemingly unrelated characters. Why does Prairie want to be called “the OA” and speak in such vague, spiritual terms about her experience while hiding all details? Why is she determined to connect with a man named Homer? What do local high school boys have to do with our heroine’s story?

And how, after a lifetime of blindness, is she able to see again?

On paper, “The OA” sounds like the new show on network prime time that your mom loves and keeps trying to get you to watch, but is axed after the first season due to poor ratings. And perhaps on network TV, that’s exactly what

COURTESY GAGE SKIDMORE

Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, creators of ‘The OA,’ speak at the 2012 WonderCon in Anaheim, Calif. it would be. But as a Netflix original in the age of binge-watching and original content, “The OA” is allowed to stop, start, befuddle and mystify as it pleases, without the restrictions of conventional television. The show plays out much

more like a miniseries or multi-part film, with episodes ranging in length from 31 to 71 minutes, sidestepping the false suspense and often crammed storytelling see THE OA, page 6

FILM REVIEW

Horror flick ‘The Bye Bye Man’ is unintentionally funny

by John Fedak

Assistant Arts Editor

Horror is generally very polarizing as a genre. On one hand, a horror movie done well sends shivers down your spine and leaves you jumping at every bump in the night, terrified of what could be lurking in the corner of your eye. On the other hand, a bad horror flick leaves you yawning and bored, inwardly laughing at failed scare attempts while frequently checking the time. “The Bye Bye Man” (2017), directed by Academy Award nominee Stacy Title, unabashedly falls into the second category.

The movie follows three college students — Elliot (Douglas Smith), his girlfriend Sasha (Cressida Bonas) and his best friend John (Lucien Laviscount) — as they move into an off-campus house, ready for a fun semester with a house all to themselves.

However, strange things start to happen, and before long the friends turn against each other as a sinister figure begins to torment their daily lives.

Do not mistake this for a good horror movie or even a good movie in general. In fact, one might even find themselves laughing instead of screaming at many of the supposedly climactic scenes of terror.

The actors deliver decent performances, but they are ultimately for-

gettable, even with names like CarrieAnne Moss of “The Martrix” (1999) fame attached. Additionally, the special effects are lackluster and unconvincing, undermining an already average performance. There are many scenes that almost elicit screams, but the laughable effects remove any semblance of fear from most of the movie.

However, this train wreck of a movie does not stop at the special effects; the plot itself falls apart soon after it begins.

While founded on the interesting premise of a boogeyman that grows more powerful when someone says or thinks his name, the idea behind an infectious, supernatural entity is the only good thing about this movie. The plot is confusing, with many details so poorly explained that you will be left scratching your head in confusion as you wonder whether the film is purposefully disorienting.

The film is not arranged in a confusing way to try and play off the hallucinations that start to become a key part of its plot; it is confusing because it is poorly written and fails to properly explain anything to the audience. Additionally, like most horror movies, the villain is only scary before he reveals himself, after which he becomes yet another cliché the movie attempts to use.

Furthermore, the movie does nothing unique to advance the genre of horror as a whole. While not every work of cinematographic horror need be an “Alien” (1979), “The Bye Bye Man” makes one think the directors sat down and threw ideas against the wall to see what stuck. The result is the aforementioned confusion and a film that seems packed full of horrible attempts to try and scare the audience over and over. In fact, one would not be faulted for laughing out loud at the movie’s weaker moments. However, on the bright side, its saving grace is that “The Bye Bye

Man” could potentially serve as a cure for those with an aversion to the horror genre.

Objectively, horror movies need to do very little to achieve success; their goal is simply to scare the audience in a way that feels unique. What is astounding is how often and spectacularly certain movies seem to fail at these relatively easy goals.

“The Bye-Bye Man” feels like it was thrown together at the last minute by a group of children, resulting in a finished product that you should not waste your time or money on, unless you have a certain appreciation for over-the-top, truly terrible horror flicks.

COURTESY STX MOVIES

Doug Jones plays the titular character of ‘The Bye Bye Man.’

TV REVIEW

‘Portlandia’ maintains creativity in its seventh season

by Paige Spangenthal Assistant Arts Editor

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein could read the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions out loud and it would be hilarious.

The comedic duo returned with the seventh season of IFC’s “Portlandia” on Jan. 5. The first episode of the sketch-inspired show, titled “The Storytellers,” featured Saturday Night Live cast member Vanessa Bayer.

Sketch comedy can be very hit or miss. In each episode of “Portlandia,” a few sketches usually fall flat. This is the case for the first sketch of “The Storytellers,” in which

Armisen and Brownstein play publicists pitching convoluted album promotion strategies to the hip-hop group Run the Jewels.

The most humorous aspect of this sketch is Armisen’s fake British accent.

In the second sketch, Carrie and Fred attend a dinner party where a couple tells a story about meeting Tom Hanks in Barcelona.

After hearing this, Carrie and Fred become self-conscious about their own storytelling abilities. This plotline is strung throughout the episode. In later scenes, the duo takes storytelling lessons with a former identity thief.

The episode culminates with Carrie and Fred telling a theatrical story at a party, using spotlights, background music and costumes.

Vanessa Bayer appears in two sketches,

playing a hotel guest who deals with overbearing staff members. To Bayer’s increasing irritation, Armisen explains every aspect of her hotel room in excruciating detail, showing her the robes in the closet and explaining how to use the thermostat. The chemistry between the two, who both rose to fame as SNL cast members, is outstanding.

Longtime fans of “Portlandia” will be delighted to see that Brownstein and Armisen have maintained their imaginative playfulness into the seventh season of the show, as evidenced by a sketch that features vampire roommates who go shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond together.The duo’s bizarre creativity makes “Portlandia” one of the most refreshing comedy projects on television right now. A

fake advertisement for a stuffed animal called “Germy” made entirely out of beard-hair may have viewers asking themselves, “How in the world did they come up with that?”

The second episode of the season, entitled “Carrie Dates a Hunk,” aired on Jan. 12. This episode is stronger than the first.

The central plot is more intriguing, and the sketches are funnier. In this episode, Fred is infuriated that Carrie is dating an attractive “hunk.” Fred argues that smart women like Carrie should only date nerdy men like Fred.

He joins forces with other nerdy men and organizes a rebellion to take over the hunks.

At the end of the episode, Fred discovers see PORTLANDIA, page 6

6

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Monday, January 23, 2017

tuftsdaily.com

‘The OA’ features original characters, controversial ending THE OA

continued from page 5 of the 41-minute drama on weekly prime time, familiar to fans of shows like “Lost” (2004–2010).

The pilot ends with a stunning visual sequence, breaking into a whole world of science fiction, spirituality and mystery that raises as many questions as it answers. As it develops, this world undoubtedly draws in some viewers while driving away others frustrated by the abundance of loose ends. “The OA” is constantly surprising, but that can at times feel deliberately confusing rather than fresh and insightful. When the OA claims to be an inter-dimensional angel, some viewers might find themselves wondering if she is being truthful,

if the spiritual world she speaks of actually exists or if she has a serious mental illness. For those who can keep an open mind, however, the drama is immensely compelling. It blends sci-fi with drama, romance and a storyline led by outcasts and believers.

The series unfolds in roughly two timelines: The OA’s past, which includes a childhood in Russia and years in captivity, and the present, where a group of local teen boys and their schoolteacher meet nightly to hear the OA tell her story. Brit Marling does a fine job as the wild-eyed OA, often recalling a more subdued Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) in “Homeland,” adding a dreaminess to Carrie’s intensity and inner turmoil. Although Marling takes

up the most screen time, the real stars of the show are the four boys struggling with their own issues who find a home in their time with the OA. Patrick Gibson is particularly compelling as Steve Winchell, a lost and angry delinquent who is attracted to the group’s commitment to something bigger than themselves. Newcomer Ian Alexander is featured as Buck, a transgender teen rejected by his father. Each of the boys brings their sadness and frustration into the group, channeling these emotions into the strength necessary to help the OA and themselves. Jason Isaacs of the Harry Potter series (2001–2011) and “The Patriot” (2000) stars as Hap, a contemporary take on the mad scientist and the show’s one true villain.

The season’s controversial ending appears to be an attempt to ground “The OA” in the real world, granting tangible significance to the OA’s story and the group’s time spent practicing “movements” and speaking of other dimensions. Depending on your approach to the rest of the season, this ending can either induce gasps and tears or eye-rolls. Regardless of your reaction, there’s no denying the show’s commitment to sincerity and originality, a refreshing change from a television and film culture soaked in irony, reboots and throwbacks. “The OA” takes a chance on compelling young actors, an entirely new belief system and the story of one young woman, inviting us to do the same.

“The OA” season one is available for streaming on Netflix.

‘Portlandia’ alludes to controversy over feminist bookstore sketch PORTLANDIA

continued from page 5 that he has been a hunk the whole time and changes his name to “Scoot.”

The episode also features a sketch about a woman putting passive-aggressive signs on her front lawn and a sketch about a couple who discuss buying a rug as if they are planning to have their first child. In the most brilliant sketch of the episode, two people who meet on a dating app go to couple’s therapy for their first date.

In the opening sketch of the episode, two men’s rights activists ride their bikes past the feminist bookstore, Women and Women First, a recurring location in the “Portlandia.” Women and Women First sketches were filmed at In Other Words, a real bookstore in Portland. In September of 2016, a blog post on the bookstore’s website condemned Portlandia

and announced the end of its relationship with the show. According to the blog post, Portlandia’s production crew made a mess in the store during one filming and mistreated In Other Words staff. The post describes the feminist bookstore sketches, in which Armisen wears a wig and a dress, as “trans-antagonistic and trans-misogynist.”

The authors of the blog post also pointed out the homogeneity of the show’s cast, writing, “There are a tiny number of people of color on ‘Portlandia.’ Portland is white but it’s not that damn white.” It is unclear whether or not the reference to Women and Women First in the second episode is a subtle dig at In Other Words. Hopefully, Armisen and Brownstein will scrap the feminist bookstore sketch and other offensive material in favor of the clever satire viewers eat up.

“Portlandia” airs on Thursdays at 7 p.m. on IFC.

AUGUSTA QUIRK / IFC

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen star in ‘Portlandia.’

Introduce new Jumbos to the Tufts Experience Applications Due 1/27/17

Innovative and Energetic Leaders Needed to Coordinate Orientation 2017!

Positions in Major Events/Co-Curricular Programs,

Training/Leadership and Communication/Social Media (3 Full-Time Paid Summer Positions…June, July, August)

more information &application at: http://students.tufts.edu/orientation

7

Monday, January 23, 2017 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Kathleen: “Presumably mold then beer, not at the same time.”

Comics

SUDOKU

DOONESBURY

BY GARRY TRUDEAU

NON SEQUITUR

BY WILEY MILLER

Difficulty Level: Finishing unpacking from winter break.

Thursday’s Solution

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 23, 2017

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

APPLY TO BE A LEADER FOR

2017

To learn more, attend a Pre-Orientation 2017 Leader Information Session in the Sophia Gordon Multi-Purpose Room: • Tuesday, December 13, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. OR • Wednesday, January 25, 2017, at 12 noon All programs will be represented!

TWOGOFOCUSFITCAFESQUAD

ACROSS 1 Contractor’s detail, briefly 5 NYSE listings 8 Shade-loving plant 13 Pull’s opposite 14 Sitting on 16 “That’s __!”: “Piece of cake!”

17 Hebrew or Latin, e.g.

20 Cpl., for one 21 Sundial number opposite I 22 Kitty coat 23 Meetings of selfimprovement seekers 29 Child of a boomer 30 With 31-Across, flying exhibition 31 See 30-Across 32 More than fair, less than great 34 Petting __ 36 Composer Bartók 39 Form 1040 and schedules 44 Right triangle ratio 45 “Impractical Jokers” network __TV 46 Most fit to be drafted 47 Captures 50 Plus 52 “CSI” evidence 53 Doctor with a pager 58 Itinerary word 59 Dubai’s fed.

60 Glamorous Gardner 61 Most of the Atlantic, to Columbus 68 Allow to board 69 “Frozen” queen 70 Game with rooms and weapons 71 Natives for whom a Great Lake is named 72 Like a clever devil 73 Outdoor faucet attachment DOWN 1 Massage facility 2 Joke with a homophone, say

By Joel Mackerry

3 Top-left PC key 4 Trouser material 5 Elevate to sainthood 6 Giants great Mel 7 Work a crossword puzzle 8 “Macbeth” cauldron stirrer 9 Buckeye State sch.

10 Acronym for a big mess 11 Prepare to advance after a fly ball 12 Mimics 15 Bridge partnerships 18 S.A. country at zero degrees latitude 19 About to happen 23 Army vet 24 Vegas signs 25 Early spring blooms 26 Easy run 27 Hanger near the shower 28 Be a debtor of 33 Summer of disco 35 Cereal grain 37 Monday, in Metz

1/23/17

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved Thursday’s Solution

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

38 “Ben-Hur” setting 40 Dinner, e.g.

41 Like Superman’s special vision 42 Flees 43 Indian flatbread 48 “It all happened so fast” memory 49 Sudden burst 51 Operatic icon 53 Developing egg 54 Forty-__ 55 Desert plants

1/23/17

56 Shoes that make you look taller 57 Hidden downside 62 Soil-moving tool 63 Ques. response 64 Broadband letters 65 Rock gp. with winds and strings 66 Moscow’s land: Abbr.

67 Lay eyes on

Opinion

8 tuftsdaily.com

Monday, January 23, 2017

EDITORIAL

Free tuition initiative not good enough Many have lauded the new initiative of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to eliminate tuition payments for over 940,000 students and families in the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) public university system. He unveiled the scholarship earlier this month alongside Senator Bernie Sanders, drawing praise from Sanders’ progressive following as well as many young people who rightly believe that the current financial burden of public education is too high for many to bear. Cuomo’s Excelsior Scholarships are designed for students

whose families make $125,000 or less, qualifying these students to attend public college tuition-free.

Unfortunately, despite the positive attention, this initiative falls short of the lofty goals harbored by many progressives. It will ultimately assist middle-class families while neglecting low-income families. As the Washington Post notes, “Students from low-income families already get aid packages from the federal and state governments that cover tuition costs, so the benefit would not go to them — even though they still need help.” A report by the Office

of the New York Comptroller on student loan debt in New York state further explains that tuition itself comprises a mere third of the costs students must shoulder. This means that the initiative is directing dollars to covering tuition for middle-class families when it could be assisting the lowest-income students with costs such as housing, textbooks and living expenses. The initiative itself is also regressive, meaning the students who are paying the most tuition will receive the largest scholarships. This model does little to aid those at the very bottom of the income spectrum.

Initiatives like Cuomo’s are indubitably critical in reframing the national discourse about rising tuition costs.

And Cuomo’s plan will certainly help many families alleviate the burden of higher education. When it comes to real, systemic change, however, this scholarship is just not good enough, especially for those who struggle the most to meet the costs associated with higher education. Progressives and students alike should stay strong and demand a higher standard when it comes to tuition reform, rather than giving in at the first sign of hope.

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Monday, January 23, 2017 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion

9

OP-ED

Is anything apolitical?

by Paris Sanders “I don’t want to get all political” is a phrase I heard countless times while being home last month. It’s a phrase I myself said a few times at family holiday parties and other events where I knew I couldn’t contain myself otherwise. I am also a bit ashamed of that, because I am convinced it is a phrase that helped determine our current president.

Many of us were born in the mid ’90s, an era where the notion of “color blindness” was preached in textbooks, children’s television shows, you name it. In my elementary school — granted, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, where “love is love” and “we’re all equal” were just as often gushed as “sharing is caring” and “The Three Rs:” reduce, reuse, recycle. These messages were comforting, hopeful even, but nonetheless extremely detached from the reality of our culture.

More troublingly, these concepts dismissed the deeply entrenched and omnipresent effects of institutional problems — racism, sexism and classism, etc. — that remained in spite of catchphrases.

Perhaps this is just an effect of my political science and philosophy majors, but I genuinely have a difficult time interpreting anything as apolitical. So long as we operate within greater social structures and interact using behaviors influenced by their respective acceptance or success within these structures, can we truly isolate what we believe, what we say or how we behave from the confines of these structures? More bluntly, so long as America is founded upon racist, sexist principles and retains racist, sexist legal institutions, is anyone produced in this country not racist or sexist by default?

Is our “tabula rasa” much less kind and accepting than our millennial upbringing would have led us to believe?

When analyzing the ubiquitous effects of political culture, art is an interesting, albeit cryptic place to start. Is it possible to separate the art from its context? Is it

not even more difficult to do so in a time rife with inequity, a time where our leaders are so vocally dogmatic and exclusionary? Art is art, and literature is fiction, and characters should be as imperfect as individuals in order to make compositions meaningful, but that does not dismiss culture from the same standards we hold our peers to. It is largely accepted that we are the product of our environment and our experiences. However, it is also important to acknowledge that of these experiences, some are lived and others absorbed from the narration of media and culture. What is merely contrived to some can become reality if these concepts and works are not analyzed.

Perhaps the arts are held to a separate standard because of cultural perceptions of who produces art. Perhaps artists are seen as troubled in large part because society cannot grasp the idea of how anyone would opt to produce content of little material worth over the comfort and protection that capitalist labor appears to provide? Only someone twisted could choose to be so contemplative or opt to struggle without the inherent consistency that labor provides in our economy, right? Maybe there’s an element of truth in this line of logic: to produce good art, one has to have a mind capable of dismantling concepts, of fabricating entirely new ones, of drawing the connections between each. Yet, that madness is not sadism, nor is it racism, nationalism, sexism, homophobia or any form of bigotry that can become politically relevant. Art is art, but that does not mean we can look to art, or anything for that matter, as a way to escape the more ugly realities of life.

I have often thought about watching films that depict actions I find repulsive and inexcusable: rape, torture and hideous manifestations of racism. I’ve decided that it’s not only all right, but also necessary, because these things happen constantly. Further, so long as the way these actions are portrayed in film are through a critical lens, such interpreta-

tions could do more good than harm. Yet, I also think about supporting the art of individuals I find morally inexcusable, and there I am lost. Does it matter if the artist, director or musician is dead? Does it matter in the same way that boycotting the products of a morally reprehensible corporation matters? Do I just not get it? One of my resolutions this year is to stop excusing that which is not openly political for its bad behavior; another is to stop actively sponsoring artists and media groups which perpetuate detrimental stereotypes, many of which are politically salient. Boycotting companies who engage in poor business practices has become widely accepted within activist communities. For the most part, even those who are not typically engaged in civil disobedience understand the reasoning behind these boycotts. In 2017, I can only hope that all aspects of public life could be held to the same standard.

With this in mind, are our own actions, even those within activist communities and social movements, not just as political as what these movements aim to respond to? Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the role privilege plays in activist spaces, particularly in large events where the most marginalized identities are vilified, while many “allies” are praised for even the most minimal engagement. And while I think that it is crucial that as the events of this past weekend unfolded, those whose voices have been most silenced and whose identities have been most persecuted in the course of this election are at the forefront of public demonstrations, I also fully believe that now, more than ever, privileged people must engage with their communities and begin a dialogue of awareness. I honestly believe that activism begins at home, and this is especially the case within privileged communities. White privilege, able-bodied privilege and class privilege is the privilege to be “apolitical” at home or on holidays. It is the ability to have a mind free of fear, or one where other,

more urgent thoughts dominate day-today function. It is the ability to not be constantly reminded of your identity, to be “neutral,” to refuse to choose sides and to not have them thrust upon you.

In order to be effective, we need to begin to move the language and principles of activist spaces beyond the confines of those who already believe in these principles. This begins, perhaps uncomfortably, with actively engaging our peers, our friends, our families and others close to us who may or may not agree with progressive principles. These conversations may be effective, but may also be uncomfortable, disheartening, difficult and alienating. These emotions and responses are necessary, if only because silence has allowed the voice of hateful individuals to drown all others out. So long as white communities, able-bodied communities, non-Muslim communities, cis-male communities and wealthy communities — like Tufts, where over 60 percent of the student body is white and with families whose income is within the top one percent — are afforded the privilege to feel safe, to feel comfortable, to feel disaffected by this election and its outcomes, being “apolitical” is not an option.

Moreover, refusing to actively and compassionately listen to the voices of marginalized groups, either out of disbelief or convenience, is not an option. We have unprecedented access to the experiences and sentiments of all groups, in large part because of the arts, because of the public nature of our culture. Remaining ignorant is a choice.

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.

Paris Sanders is a junior majoring in philosophy and political science. Paris can be reached at paris.sanders@tufts.edu

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10

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Monday, January 23, 2017

tuftsdaily.com

“Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?”

Tufts University Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium

Monday, January 23, 2017, 3 to 7:30 pm Breed Memorial Hall 51 Winthrop Street Medford, MA 02155

1/8

Dinner and refreshments will be provided between sessions.

Please feel free to attend parts, or stay for the entire program.

Schedule 3 to 3:15 pm – Opening Remarks 3:15 to 4:30 pm

4:45 to 6 pm

Panel 1 – How Did We Get Here? Boston-based Historians on Our Current Political Moment

Panel 2 – Where Do We Go From Here? Boston-based Organizers and Activists on the Movement Ahead

- Dr. Vivek Bald, Associate Professor of Writing and Digital Media, MIT

- Kalila Barnett, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment

-D Dr. Greg Childs, Assistant Professor of History, Brandeis University

- Chris Cato, Green Initiative Project Manager, YouthBuild Membe Eagle Eye Institute USA, and Board Member,

- Dr. Ashley Farmer, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies, Boston University

- Tito Jackson, District 7 Boston City Councilor (Roxbury and parts of the South End, Dorchester and Fenway neighborhoods)

- Dr. Elizabeth Foster, Associate Professor of History, Tufts University

1/2

- Dr. Kerri Greenidge, Lecturer on African-American Histor History, Tufts University

- Dr. Kendra Field, Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies, Tufts University, Moderator - Dr. Kris Manjapra, Associate Professor of History, Tufts University, Moderator

- Tanisha Sullivan, Incoming President, Boston National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

- Shirley Mark, Director of Community Partnerships, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Moderator

6 to 6:30 pm – Dinner Break

6:30 to 7:30 pm Keynote – “Building Beloved Community in the Trump Era” The Reverend Jennifer Bailey, A09, Founding Executive Director of the Faith Matters Network

For program details, please visit http://go.tufts.edu/mlk2017.

Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Student Affairs Pluralism Fund, the Africana Center, the Center for the Humanities at Tufts, the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, the Consortium of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, the Department of History, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, and the University Chaplaincy.

Monday, January 23, 2017 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

S p o rts

11

Pair of Blowout Wins Extend Streak WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

continued from page back was weird to see at the end how much I scored,” DeCandido said. “It was more about the win and getting away from the weekend with two Ws.” Likewise, North was more focused on the team’s strong rebounding during the game than her individual performance.

“I haven’t gotten a double-double in a while, but I think I was focused more on chasing after the rebounds …and boxing out is definitely a big key for us,” North said. “Our coach stresses boxing out and pushing back a lot. Conn. [has] a bunch of big girls. Wesleyan had a few, too. We had to make sure we kept them off the board so they didn’t get any offensive

rebounds, and that was definitely a big key going into the game.”

One day earlier, the Jumbos’ offensive side put in their strongest performance of the season yet as they scored more points than they had in nearly two years, defeating the Wesleyan Cardinals (6-10), 80-45. Sophomore forward Katie Martensen put up a career-high 11 points, while junior forward Melissa Baptista finished with a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds.

“It felt awesome to get my career high and it was good to be able to contribute to the team win,” Martensen told the Daily in an email. “But in our last two games, everyone got an opportunity to step up and make big plays. It’s

really nice seeing everything starting to click during such an important part of the NESCAC season.”

Once established, the team’s lead never went below 19 points, a sign of the strength of their offensive and defensive performance as a whole. The team was particularly dominant in the second quarter, going on a 15-point run to close the half and entered the intermission with a 46-20 lead. From there, the team never looked back. The Jumbos out-rebounded the Cardinals 43-36, and Tufts’ shooting percentage of 50.0 percent was nearly double Wesleyan’s 26.2 percent clip. The Jumbos’ success also stemmed from the performance of their bench, which

contributed 37 points in total.

North believes that the team’s depth is one of the key reasons it has continued to perform so well.

“We definitely have a very deep bench this year like in years past, and I think it definitely helps getting everyone in and getting some playing time,” North said. “It’s definitely fun to watch them…score and play some great defense. It also helps the starters get some rest and be able to play 10 to 11 people each game. It just gets the whole team into it. The bench is always bringing so much energy.”

The team concludes its seven-game road trip at Emmanuel College (12-5) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

No. 13 Tufts takes down Wheaton to begin spring semester

by Bradley Schussel Staff Writer

This semester started off with a win for the Men’s Swimming and Diving team. On Jan. 21, the Jumbos traveled to Norton, Mass. to take on Wheaton College. Tufts defeated Wheaton 172122, the team’s swimmers raced well throughout the meet and the divers put on solid performances.

In that meet, Tufts swimmers took first place in races like the 200 backstroke, the 200 breast, the three-meter dive and many more. Juniors James McElduff, Zachary Wallace and senior tri-captain Matt Rohrer won those events, respectively. Additionally, junior Aaron Idelson posted NCAA qualifying scores in the one-meter dive.

Wallace expressed that the importance of this meet goes beyond the win.

“I was amazed by all the fast swimming, because I know we’re all tired from all the training we’ve been doing,” Wallace told the Daily in an email. “The real takeaway from this meet was not the win, but the fact that we all continued to race extremely well [despite] how tired we were, and most importantly, that we had fun doing it.”

According to senior tri-captain Russell Weeks, the Jumbos saw this meet as a means of preparing for the road ahead.

“We had just gotten back from a twoweek training trip,” Weeks said. “We definitely saw a lot of good races, and it was nice to get the win. Going into the last

two meets of the season, I think a lot of the guys really wanted to fine-tune their technique and their racing.”

After a fourteen-day training trip in Puerto Rico, the Jumbos took on Boston College at home on Jan. 17. The Jumbos faced some impressive Div. I talent from the Eagles and ended up losing the meet, 218-139. This came after another loss at home to MIT two days prior. The Jumbos lost that meet to the Engineers, 194-106.

“It was tough to lose to MIT and BC,” Weeks said. “But it was nice racing those kinds of teams. MIT ranked fourth nationally last year and BC is a competitive [Div. I] team. I’m proud of the way we raced against those two schools.”

The meet against MIT was also Senior Day for Tufts. The Jumbos have six seniors, including their three captains, and they were all honored in the festivities before the meet.

First-year Roger Gu noted that Senior Day was a particularly special day for the team.

“You could really feel the emotions going. Everyone was there to support the seniors. It was really special,” Gu said.

“The seniors – and the captains especially – are always the first ones to step up and let us know what we’re supposed to be doing. They always lead by example.”

Wallace, a junior, echoed Gu’s statements.

“That was a very special day for all of us, not just seniors,” Wallace said. “This year’s senior class has been phenomenal.

They are all great leaders and great people.

It was sad having to say goodbye to them,

JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Then-junior Russell Weeks swims breaststroke in a dual meet against Wheaton College on Jan. 23. but they will all leave their own unique legacy … and go off and do great things.”

Looking forward, Tufts will take part in the Middlebury Invitational, which will be its last meet of the regular season. That meet precedes the NESCAC Championships, which will begin on Feb. 17.

Gu said there is a lot of anticipation and excitement surrounding the team as it goes into the last meet of the regular season.

“Half the team will be tapering for the Middlebury Invite. The other half will be practicing for NESCACs,” Gu said. “For some people, that’s the last meet of their

season, so I think we’re all really excited to see how everyone does.”

Weeks added that the meet will serve as a tone-setter for the NESCAC Championships.

“The guys that are tapering will be going for their best times, and that really sets the tone for NESCACs, which will be two weeks out,” Weeks said. “We want to have a lot of fast swims there that get people excited.”

The Jumbos will travel to the Middlebury Invitational on Jan. 27 as they look to close out the regular season with a win.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Monday, January 23, 2017

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Jumbos pick up wins in Connecticut to remain unbeaten

by Yuan Jun Chee Sports Editor

Tufts racked up two more victories on the road against conference opponents in the state of Connecticut this weekend to remain unbeaten. The team’s record improves to 18-0 overall and 6-0 against NESCAC opponents. This run also matches the longest win streak that the team had last year on its way to the National Championship final.

Discussing the team’s performance the entire weekend, senior tri-captain Michela North spoke positively of the result and the work of her teammates.

“I think it was a really good weekend for us,” North said. “We definitely showed we can score, which is something that we kind of struggled to do. We’ve been averaging mid-60s … but we finally got 80 and 72, which is definitely big for us. Being able to put the ball into the basket, making good plays and making that extra pass to get the easier shot [is all] really good.”

On Saturday, the Jumbos defeated the Conn. College Camels (11-6), 72-48, as the team led from start to finish. The team made an explosive start in the first quarter, dominating the hosts 21-7, and they entered halftime with a 38-16 lead. While there was a slight defensive blip in the third quarter, which saw Tufts give up 26 points, the Jumbos responded by limit-

ing the Camels to just six points in the fourth quarter.

In doing so, they held opponents to single digits for the 27th quarter this season. At one point, Tufts’ lead grew to as large as 25 late in the fourth quarter as the team avenged last year’s 61-55 defeat in New London, Conn.

The team stormed to victory courtesy of North’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while senior tri-captain guard Josie Lee led the game with six assists. Among EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY the other starters, Senior forward/center Michela North reaches to block a shot by a Thomas More player in the NCAA Div. III women’s sophomore guard basketball championship on April 4, 2016.

Jacqueline Knapp picked up eight points and four steals, while from the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, the team, Tufts also picked up 45 rebounds, junior tri-captain guard Lauren Dillon con- demonstrating Tufts’ strength in depth. their fourth-highest tally this season. tributed nine points, four rebounds and four DeCandido also grabbed six boards and “I wasn’t really thinking that much steals to a dominant Tufts performance. nailed all five of her free throws. As a about the numbers while playing, so it First-year swingwoman Erica whole, the Jumbos shot 43.5 percent in 62 see WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, page 11 DeCandido posted a career-high 18 points attempts. In a complete performance for

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Jumbos remain undefeated, extend win streak to 9

by Maddie Payne Sports Editor

Over the weekend, Tufts extended its domination of the NESCAC, tallying two wins over Wesleyan and Conn. College to remain the only undefeated team in the league and extending its win streak to nine. On Friday, the Jumbos overcame the Wesleyan Cardinals 77-73 in front of a huge crowd at Cousens Gym in what was a hard fought competition.

On Saturday, the Jumbos gave a more dominant performance over the Conn. College Camels with a resounding 100-83 victory.

Tufts lost to Wesleyan by one point last season in overtime, so there was no question that this would be one of its big tests of the season. The scoring opened with senior tri-captain center Tom Palleschi making a free throw, which he followed with a jump shot seconds later. Although the Jumbos ultimately came away with the win, their

Sshooting on Friday was not as strong as usual and prevented them from opening up a definitive lead on the Cardinals.

Senior tri-captain guard Tarik Smith cut through the defense several times to make two layups, but the Cardinals stayed neck and neck with the Jumbos until sophomore guard Ethan Feldman entered the game. Feldman buried two three-pointers within two minutes of each other, while junior guard KJ Garrett netted one of his own to create a significant lead. But the Cardinals answered with a scoring run of their own to pull within one, 22-21.

With just under four minutes remaining in the first half, Palleschi, arguably the most significant player on the Jumbo roster and the cornerstone of the defense, sustained a serious knee injury and is still sidelined pending MRI results. Despite this blow, the Jumbos remained disciplined. Both teams earned four more free-throw points before the half, and despite four points from Garrett and two

ANEGLIE XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior tri-captain guard Tarik Smith drives toward the basket during Tufts’s game against Conn. College. on Jan.. 21.

apiece from Feldman and first-year guard Eric Savage, the score was tied 38-38 at halftime.

What brought the Jumbos down in the first half was that they were shooting 33.3 percent versus the Cardinals’ 42.4 percent. Despite having significantly more offensive possessions, the Jumbos failed to take the lead.

“We didn’t shoot that well [against Wesleyan],” Smith said. “Wesleyan is notoriously one of the better defensive teams in the NESCAC, especially this year they’re holding teams pretty low. They get into the paint well and box out well. [Palleschi] went out early, so our biggest force that would have been in the middle was out.”

However, the second half was a different story, with Tufts shooting 41.4 percent and Wesleyan falling to 35.5 percent. Garrett kept the Jumbos afloat with his rebounding, having recorded six in the first half and added nine points.

First-year center Patrick Racy and Garrett shone in the second half, scoring nine and seven points respectively. Racy stepped up in the last 10 minutes of the game, scoring nine out of his total 10 points in the game in these final minutes. Ultimately, Wesleyan’s fouling lost them the game, with the score only 71-70 until they gave away six free throw points to Tufts. The game ended 77-73 as Wesleyan moved to 2-3 in the NESCAC and Tufts moved to 5-0.

Saturday’s game was set apart from Friday because of the Jumbos’ shooting.

Against the Camels, the Jumbos shot an astounding 58.5 percent, compared to 36.8 percent the day before. This made all the difference for junior guard Vincent Pace who was quiet on Friday night. He tallied 20 points and five rebounds, with 13 of his points coming within the first 12 minutes. Junior guard Everett Dayton, senior tri-captain center Drew Madsen and junior guard Ben Engvall scored eight,

five and six points respectively in what was a dominant first half.

The Camels challenged the Jumbos with their steals, forcing the Jumbos to keep careful possession of the ball while attacking.

But the Jumbos put on a show for the audience with a dunk from Madsen and, minutes later, an alley-oop from Garrett, both assisted

by Dayton firing up the crowd. Dayton acted as the playmaker in the first half, assisting seven times, while Garrett anchored the defense, grabbing four defensive rebounds.

Dayton took control of the second half, scoring 17 points, shooting 8-10.

Dayton opened up a 56-49 lead that the Jumbos steadily increased over the remainder of the game.

“I think [Dayton’s performance] spoke for itself,” Savage said. “He brought it, and [Pace] stepped up today. [Dayton] helped us maintain the lead when we were up. He made a lot of good plays that don’t necessarily go in the stat book like pass-to-assist that he always does [and] was able to score 25 and do those plays and that was awesome.”

After the Jumbos thwarted three consecutive Camels offensive possessions, the Camels called a timeout. However, the Camels could not make up any of the ground they had lost. Again, forcing fouls was an asset to the Jumbos, who scored seven free throw points in the last 10 minutes of the game. Seven points from Racy in a four minute span gave the Jumbos a 12 point lead with three minutes remaining.

Three points from Dayton with 12 seconds remaining was a fitting end to the most successful game in his career, with career highs of 25 points and eight assists.

The Jumbos, now ranked No. 4 in the nation have a brief interlude from conference matchups with a game against Newbury College on Thursday, before facing Bates who are 3-3 in the NESCAC on Saturday.