The Tufts Daily - Monday, November 18, 2019

FMS Winternships provide insightful, low-commitment look into media industry see FEATURES / PAGE 3

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jumbos kick off season with double-digit blowout win

Editorial: Boycotting the Harvard Crimson is an affront to student journalism, free press see OPINION / PAGE 7

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 49

Monday, November 18, 2019

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Women Entrepreneurs @ Tufts holds first conference

by Rhys Empey Staff Writer

The Women Entrepreneurs @ Tufts (WE@T) held its first conference in the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Complex (CLIC) on Saturday, Nov. 16. This conference was open to all female-identifying students across both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering as a forum for multiple speakers and workshops to give women an area for study as well as presenting an opportunity to claim space, according to the WE@T website.

Co-presidents Emma Cerda and Camille Shimshak revived the WE@T club this semester with weekly meetings where students lead lessons on different topics within entrepreneurial, tangible skills and industry-specific lessons.

“We also plan events where we find Tufts alums or other cool women to speak to the club, and those are really or mentorship because we think a really important part of mentorship is seeing people who

are similar to you in places you want to be,” Cerda, a junior, said.

The fourth floor of CLIC buzzed with the activity of the conference. Tables were set up all through the hall for registration, and local women-owned businesses tabled to sell their products and merchandise from the conference.

“Members make a product or merchandise where we can test and sell it, and that’s a cool thing because we get to do market research and actually see what it is we’re talking about in real time,” Shimshak, a sophomore, told the Daily.

As the event progressed, the attendees filed into the conference room after the breakfast and networking event. Inside, a panel of CEOs and recent Tufts graduates reflected on their own personal journeys with entrepreneurship.

“Men are genuinely apologizing to me for not realizing I was a partner. You receive all these stereotypes of being human resources and recruiters all the time, compared to men where their experience is a little more standardized,” pan-

elist Millie Liu, founding and managing partner at First Star Ventures, said.

The panel dealt mainly with the difficulties women face breaking into the investing and entrepreneurship industries.

The panelists agreed one of the most difficult aspects of their experience breaking into a new market is that it is something women must do together.

“Bounce ideas off people who really want you to succeed, you really can’t do it alone,” panelist Quinn Fitzgerald, co-founder of Flare Jewelry, a company which designs jewelry that helps prevent sexual assault, said in her parting words.

Later in the conference, the panelists broke out into smaller workshop groups where attendees could meet one on one or in smaller groups to discuss topics from building a brand to choosing the right partner with whom to found a company.

“Planning this conference was another way we tested our entrepreneurial skills by being proactive and reaching out to people and seeing what potential attendees

would wanna see, going through the process of planning a larger event” Cerda said.

After a quick lunch and networking session, the conference wrapped up with a fireside talk with keynote speaker and CEO of Wanderu Polina Raygorodskaya. “[The conference] was kind of just something that we wanted to happen, and when we got [Raygorodskaya] to come and speak, we couldn’t believe it,” Shimshak said.

With a broad range of experience from the workshop leaders and speakers, attendees had opportunities to network and gain knowledge about entering the field.

“I appreciated hearing from a number of female entrepreneurs about what their career trajectories have looked like and what advice they’d give their younger selves,” attendee Sonia Groeneveld, a junior, told the Daily.

With the conference over, Shimshak and Cerda are already looking ahead at expanding their presence throughout campus. “[We@T] is a great way to learn to work with other people and learn to support each other,” Cerda said.

TCU Senate hears 7 funding requests, funds Tufts Republicans trip to CPAC

by Robert Kaplan News Editor

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate approved six supplementary funding requests and one budget request from seven student organizations on Sunday night in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room.

One of the longest-debated requests was from Tufts Republicans, who originally requested $2,520 to cover registration, travel and lodging costs to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Feb. 26, 2020. While the Allocations Board (ALBO) recommended $2,268, the request was tabled last week after concerns were raised over the content of the conference and the conference’s speakers.

After more than 30 minutes of debate, the Senate approved the ALBO recommended total of $2,268 with 18 senators in favor, six opposed and two abstaining.

The approval of the request marks the third time in recent years that Tufts Republicans has been funded to attend see SENATE, page 2

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The TCU Senate convenes in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room on Sept. 30, 2018.

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NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................4

FUN & GAMES.........................6 OPINION..................................... 7 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, November 18, 2019

THE TUFTS DAILY Jessica Blough Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL Ryan Eggers Justin Yu

Managing Editors Mykhaylo Chumak Austin Clementi Alejandra Carrillo Connor Dale Abbie Gruskin Liza Harris Robert Kaplan Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Alexander Thompson Daniel Weinstein Andres Borjas Bella Maharaj Matthew McGovern Sara Renkert Noah Richter Jilly Rolnick Anton Shenk

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TCU grants all supplementary funding requests SENATE

continued from page 1 the conservative conference, according to TCU Treasurer Sharif Hamidi.

CPAC, which in recent years has been headlined by prominent Republican officials and conservative activists but has also featured networking opportunities, workshops and panels on particular policy issues, was criticized at last week’s TCU Senate meeting for providing a platform for those professing hateful views.

Senator Iyra Chandra said concerns over whether a student organization attending CPAC would violate the student code of conduct were unfounded.

“We have word from the administration at Tufts that going to this event will not break the code of conduct,” Chandra, a sophomore, said. “For me, that’s enough to be like, this is totally fair.”

Alex Muresianu, vice president of Tufts Republicans, described the effect on campus of members of Tufts Republicans attending CPAC. “An important thing to take away is what the impact is on the Tufts community, and as far as I can tell, the impact has been positive,” Alex Muresianu, a junior, said. “Whether it’s been bringing back carbon dividends or interesting conversations in Tufts Republicans or getting to know people through [CPAC].”

Jose Martinez, the TCU first generation college student community senator, explained why his impression of CPAC and its history of controversial speakers made him feel obligated to vote no on the supplementary funding request.

“From what I’ve seen on social media, online … I just don’t think that my community, the first-gen community, would really be comfortable with students going to this,” Martinez, a sophomore, explained.

The other funding request debated came from the Russian and Slavic Students Association (RSSA), who appealed the ALBO decision on its fiscal year 2020 budget. They originally requested $1,725, but ALBO only recommended $237, according to its report.

According to the proposed RSSA budget, the largest reduction was attributed to ALBO bookmarking the organization’s request of $1,245.77 for its annual RSSA Music Festival. But ALBO also recommended $0 for its proposed cooking demonstrations and movie night events.

The Senate voted to allocate $466 for RSSA’s fiscal year 2020 budget with no senators opposed, keeping the RSSA Music Festival bookmarked until next semester.

According to Hamidi, the RSSA has not had a completed a budget through the standard process since at least fiscal year 2016, so it is subject to a $2,000 limit on its yearly budget.

Pedro Lazo-Rivera, a member of the RSSA, explained that the unique budgeting situation compared to other student organizations could be attributed in part to a desire to make RSSA programming thematically follow the academic department’s programming.

“We want the Russian academic programming to line up with [RSSA’s] cultural programming, so we can fulfill

a wide reaching community, academic and cultural initiative,” Lazo-Rivera, a senior, said.

Public Harmony, a social outreach and music performance group, requested $1,368 for professional audio and video equipment for its 2019 Fall Showcase at 8 p.m. on Nov. 22 in Curtis Hall, which ALBO approved in full, according to its report.

The Senate approved the requested total of $1,368 in full, with 23 senators in favor, one opposed and two abstaining.

The Psychology Society requested $400 for its Dec. 4 trivia event, which ALBO approved in full, according to its report.

The Senate approved the requested total of $400; no senators opposed the request.

Mock Trial requested $1,400 to cover travel costs to a competition in January, but ALBO only recommended $1,260, according to its report.

The Senate approved the ALBO recommended total of $1,260, which was passed by acclamation.

The Minority Association of Pre-Health Students requested $225 to cover registration costs for a Student National Health Association conference on Nov. 23 in Connecticut, but ALBO only recommended $203, according to its report.

The Senate approved the ALBO recommended total of $203, with 24 senators in favor, one opposed and one abstaining.

Students for Justice in Palestine requested $800 as an honorarium for speaker Eran Efrati at its event on Dec. 4, which ALBO approved in full, according to its report. Twenty-five senators voted in favor, none opposed and one abstained.

Events on the Hill — Week of Nov. 17 MONDAY “Bullied, Assaulted and Near Death: Surviving Trauma and Addiction” Details: The Office of the Provost will host Brandon Lee, an Emmy-award winning journalist who gained fame through his coverage of the opioid crisis, to speak on his own experiences with trauma, addiction and recovery.

Where and when: Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center; 6–7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY “US Withdrawal: Implications for the Syrian Kurds & ME Politics” Details: Tufts’ Middle East Research Group will discuss the United States’ withdrawal of its forces from Syria, featuring keynote speaker Michael Gunter, a pro-

fessor at Tennessee Technology University, who specializes in the Kurdish struggle.

Where and when: Cabot 205 at the Fletcher School; 6–7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY “Confronting the Opioid Crisis: Harm Reduction and Research” Details: Tufts Hillel and Project SHARE will host a conversation with Margie Skeer, a professor in Tufts’ School of Public Health, regarding the opioid crisis, as well as harm reduction and research.

Where and when: Granoff Family Hillel Center; 4–6 p.m.

THURSDAY “Distinguished Speaker Series: Eric Holder”

Details: As part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life will bring Eric Holder, the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and the first black person to hold the position, to campus for a talk about his time in office.

Where and when: Breed Memorial Hall, 51 Winthrop Street; 6:30–7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY “NARCAN Training Event” Details: Project SHARE, in conjunction with Tufts Emergency Medical Service, will provide information and training for the use of NARCAN, a drug used to save lives from opioid overdose.

Where and when: Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Center; 1–2 p.m.

PRODUCTION Aidan Menchaca

Production Director Kristina Marchand Daniel Montoya Alice Yoon Isabella Montoya Jesse Rogers Nathan Kyn Ryan Shaffer Anna Hirshman David Levitsky Hannah Wells Abigail Zielinski Rebecca Barker Emily Liu Allie Morgenstern Abbie Treff Cole Wolk Russell Yip Roy Kim Sean Ong Christopher Panella Luke Allocco Alexis Serino

Executive Layout Editors Layout Editor Executive Graphics Editor Executive Copy Editors Copy Editors

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BUSINESS Jonah Zwillinger Executive Business Director

Up to 40% of businesses never recover after experiencing a major disaster. Do you have a plan to keep your business running if disaster strikes? For a free online tool that helps you develop an emergency plan, visit Ready.gov/business.

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Features

Students explore media industry through weeklong Winternship Program

Monday, November 18, 2019

Ryan Gell JumboCash

Let’s talk taxes

B

by Caroline Ding

Contributing Writer

Many Jumbos have found the Tufts Film and Media Studies (FMS) Winternship Program to be a productive way to spend their winter break. Open to all majors from first-years to seniors, students applying to the program can spend a week in January interning at companies such as The Boston Globe, United Talent Agency, BBK Worldwide and many more. The weeklong media industry boot camp offers opportunities to gain hands-on experience in a variety of fields including journalism, film production, advertising and talent management.

The program was created in the late 1990s when the FMS major was still called Communication and Media Studies (CMS). Julie Dobrow, director of CMS at the time, said she started the program with former Associate Director Susan Eisanhauer to expand students’ internship opportunities through Tufts’ alumni network.

Leslie Goldberg, the director of the Winternship Program, said it is an excellent way for students who are interested in the industry to see if it is the right fit for them.

“It’s a great opportunity for students who aren’t sure [about their interests] to get a taste, or maybe [for] a student who’s never done a media internship and [thinks] that this might be something they want to do,” Goldberg said.

Emily Lazorchak, a junior majoring in Biology, did exactly that by working at W2O, a healthcare-focused marketing communications firm, over her winter break.

“I had not considered a career in media before doing the winternship, but I realized that I do have a creative side and I really enjoy the analytic and more hard science side of things.

Looking into W2O made me realize that it does combine both of those things,” Lazorchak said.

Goldberg said that one potential advantage of the winternship is its immersive nature.

“During the school year, you go to [your] internship and you go to class, and the next day you’re in class, and the next day you go to your internship.

You’ve got a lot of things pulling at you,” she said.

The short length of the program is also advantageous to those who aren’t sure about their career goals or can only commit a limited amount of time.

“What I always say to the students is that you can do anything for a week; if you decide you don’t like it, so what?”

Goldberg said.

Lazorchak said that she saw one week as just the right amount of time.

“Having just one week to do that let me go into the week with open eyes and an open mind, knowing that no matter what happened it was going to be a really valuable experience,” she said.

Students do not need to major in FMS to gain the necessary skills for the internship, Goldberg said.

“One of the cool things about media, just in general, is that it pulls from so many of the different skills that you learn at a liberal arts school like Tufts; … it’s a very flexible industry,” she said.

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SCREENSHOT VIA FMS INTERNSHIP DIGEST 10/3/19

The weeklong media industry boot camp offers opportunities to gain hands-on experience in a variety of media-related industries.

Reflecting on her experience, Lazorchak said she applied classroom skills in her work.

“In my molecular biology class, we had just learned about a new scientific technique called CRISPR, and I was working on a project that was referencing that technique, so having that background was really key,” she said.

Similarly, Nicole Cohen, (LA’19) a Tufts alumna and current executive assistant to the CEO at SpectreVision, said that her experiences in English and film classes helped her write script coverage during her winternship at Bona Fide Productions.

In fact, script coverage comprises almost half of her job now.

On top of that, she said that a connection she made at her winternship helped her get her current job in Los Angeles.

“It’s actually crazy to think that I was there for one week, and it’s what has really given me the safety net I needed to come out here [and get] a solid job at a good company,” she said.

Cohen encouraged any student who’s interested in companies based in Los Angeles to reach out to her. She said that living in LA and getting inside knowledge about the film production industry was one of the most valuable experiences from her winternship.

“It was really valuable, just to see the city, get a little bit of an insider’s perspective. I was only there for a week, and it was amazing what I was able to glean,” she said.

The companies affiliated with the program strive to personalize the stu-

dent’s activities and give them real work experience, according to Lazorchak.

“Before I even came to the office, I was welcomed by a team of people that [was] put together to work with me throughout the week,” Lazorchak said, “W2O did a fantastic job of giving me responsibility. I got to work on client-facing projects; they let me take initiative as much as I wanted to, and they were really dedicated to helping me make the most out of my week.”

Cohen said it felt as though the staff were excited to work around her for a week.

“They fit the week long program for me, it wasn’t … the other way around. It wasn’t like I was trying to work around them,” Cohen said.

The Winternship Program does not provide housing or transportation, but students have been creative in the past to pay the bills. Financial aid is available to cover some living expenses.

“Basically [the students] provide us with a budget; then we try to meet some of that expense,” Goldberg said.

While the program is competitive — typically between 60 to 100 applicants apply and 25 to 30 are selected — it is still a good way for students to strengthen their resumes and apply to more competitive internships in the real world.

Cohen relayed the encouragement she got from her professors in regard to applying for internships.

“Listen, you don’t know, just put your name in the hat. It’s not about knowing that you want to go to LA; maybe they’re going to pick you because you don’t know, and you want to try it out, and you just need that opportunity.”

enjamin Franklin famously wrote, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” In investing, taxes are particularly important because they have a dramatic impact on how much of a return you actually put in your pocket. In this article, I will explain the capital gains tax, as well as a common strategy to reduce the burden of taxes.

In most accounts, you can trade stocks as frequently as you want without penalty, but you do have to pay capital gains taxes on any profits you incur. Anytime you sell a security that is worth more than when you bought it, you must pay a tax on that appreciation. In accounting terminology, the original price at which you purchase an asset is called the cost basis.

Capital gains taxes depend on three key variables: when you sell the security, your total income and your filing status.

The most consequential variable is when you sell the security. If you hold a security for under one year and decide to sell it after there has been a gain, you will pay the short-term capital gains rate (the same tax as your income tax rate). If you hold the security for over a year and then sell, you will pay the long-term capital gains rate, which is less severe than the income tax rate.

The tax rate is determined by your income, ranging from 0% for low-income tax filers up to 20%. So, lower earners can pocket more of their capital gains after taxes, while those who already have a high income are taxed more heavily.

It is important to note that you only pay taxes on gains after the asset is sold.

The terminology used to describe this distinction is “paper gains” (how much a stock has appreciated since you bought it) and “realized gains” (a gain that you incur by actually selling your stock). Hence, you only pay taxes on “realized gains,” not “paper gains.”

I’ve been talking a lot about gains, but the reality is not all of your investments will make money. Don’t panic, though: Investment losses can actually reduce your tax burden. When you sell an investment at a loss, you don’t pay the capital gains tax. (There is no gain for the government to tax!) In fact, the amount you lost on your investment can be used to offset capital gains taxes you incur in the future.

For example, say you incur a loss of $1,000 on a long-term investment (you sell the stock at $1,000 below the cost basis — the price at which you bought it).

By selling at a loss, you now have $1,000 of tax loss carryforward. That means that if you sell a stock and incur a capital gains tax of $2,000, you can reduce that tax by $1,000 — the loss you originally incurred.

This strategy is known as “tax-loss harvesting.” It is not to be confused with tax evasion — it is a common strategy well within tax law.

Tax efficiency is a crucial element of investing, and tax implications should be taken seriously any time you want to buy or sell an asset. Fortunately, realizing losses in the present can offset future gains, reducing your overall tax burden.

Ryan Gell is a senior studying economics and history. Ryan can be reached at ryan. gell@tufts.edu.

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ARTS&LIVING

tuftsdaily.com

FILM REVIEW

‘The Irishman’: A new, mature crime classic

by Tuna Margalit

a Steadicam follows Ray Liotta’s character, Henry Hill, through the exuberant Copacabana nightclub. Scorsese deploys the same technique in “The Irishman’s” opening shot, taking us through a nursing home. Aided by the doo-wop classic “In The Still of the Night” (1956), the camera makes its way to Frank Sheeran, the now-decrepit protagonist. This opening sequence gives off two impressions about the direction the movie is heading in. One is that, like in “Goodfellas,” we are about to be taken through a sprawling, lavish time in a mobster’s life, and two is that the camerawork and soundtrack will play a significant role in playing up the extravagant aspects of mob life.

Au contraire, the rest of the film does not give the impression that our protagonist is the boisterous spendthrift that “Goodfellas’” Henry Hill is. Rather, DeNiro’s Frank Sheeran is quiet and tepid, though just as cold-blooded as Hill. Sheeran’s ease in the role of a killer is likely a result of him having fought in World War II. The film does not employ all that much more notable camera technique, nor does it contain any other soundtrack-driven scenes.

The film is actually quite matter-of-fact in its depiction of the East Coast crime and labor union intersection. When a mobster or union member with mob ties is introduced, Scorsese freezes the picture to tell us just the person’s name and the way they were murdered in real life. What “The Irishman” lacks in style, however, it more than makes up for in substance. There are three time periods shown — all varying in timespan covered. The 80-somethingyear-old Frank Sheeran recounts a couple days in the summer of 1975 that lead up to Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance and the day of, while the sight of a certain gas

Assistant Arts Editor

With “The Irishman” (2019), director Martin Scorsese has found a story to truly drive home an essential point about living a life of crime. Regardless of your desire for engaging in crimes such as murder, blowing up buildings and gunrunning, you may unfortunately come to find that the Mafioso-lifestyle is merely a temporary high — not a sustainable, enriching or rewarding life path. This point is made in the final shots of two Scorsese crime classics — “Goodfellas” (1990) and “Casino” (1995). In “The Irishman,” this point constitutes the final 30 minutes of the nearly three-and-a-half hour film. It does so thoughtfully and assuredly, in a way that reflects the maturation that aging has bestowed upon the top-billed actors like Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino and, of course, Scorsese himself.

Before delving into the refined details of this epic, it is important to note that the autobiographical story told by the real-life Frank Sheeran and portrayed in this film is not a universally agreed upon truth regarding the disappearance of legendary union leader Jimmy Hoffa. For some information on the near 45-year debate surrounding his death, first read through a recent Slate Magazine piece that denies parts of Sheeran’s story, and then read the response to said article by the publisher of the book that the film is based on.

The film is a masterpiece, and it is more than worthy of being heralded among the mob movie greats — “The Godfather Part II” (1974), “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984), “Goodfellas” and “The Departed” (2006), to name a few.

Scorsese dabbles in a bit of artful deception to start off the film, with a nod to his oft-discussed “Goodfellas” shot in which

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for ‘The Irishman’ (2019) is pictured.

see THE IRISHMAN, page 5

GALLERY REVIEW

Yayoi Kusama: Answering love’s call

by Sam Heyman

Assistant Arts Editor

Entering the Infinity Mirror Room feels like diving into obsidian water and being swallowed by a submarine cavern.

Freckled, bioluminescent tentacles protrude like cilia from the mirrored walls of the endless chamber. The phosphorescent arms tessellate infinitely into the black water, disappearing into a swirling forest of neon light.

The Infinity Mirror Room is an invention of legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, whose oeuvre includes (among many other things) over 20 such rooms, each containing a different universe of her own design. The one described above, titled “LOVE IS CALLING” (2013), was recently added to the permanent collection of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston and is currently on display until February 2021. Admission to “LOVE IS CALLING” requires its own ticket, which also covers regular admission to the ICA. Tickets cover a 30-minute time slot and are good for two minutes inside the Infinity Mirror Room (which, in fairness, feels like an eternity; maybe the space warps time, too). At the time of writing, tickets were booked

through November. A modest collection of works by the artist and her contemporaries surround the piece, giving it context while highlighting Kusama’s vast contributions to contemporary art.

Kusama’s name looms large in contemporary art history. Born in Japan on the eve of the Great Depression, Kusama immigrated to the United States in the 1950s in pursuit of her fascination with Abstract Expressionism. She joined the ranks of artists like Kenneth Callahan and Georgia O’Keefe, dancing between minimalism, pop and performance art, defining these genres but always transcending them. Like many of her contemporaries, she was fascinated by sex and the human form. Kusama’s orgiastic “happenings” remain some of the defining works of the 1960s. The flash public gatherings of naked hippies, their bodies speckled with Kusama’s signature polka dots, penetrated fortresses of power no less exalted than the New York Stock Exchange, the Museum of Modern Art and the United Nations. The “happenings” demonstrate the premium she places on audience participation in her art, a longtime interest of which the Infinity Mirror Rooms are but the most recent manifestation.

And through it all, there are polka dots. Commentators well-intentioned and otherwise have labelled Kusama the “princess” or, only a little less dismissively, “high priestess” of polka dots.

They blanket nearly every piece of her art she has ever made, forming chains, waves, rainstorms and beauty marks.

The idea behind the dots — the aesthetic anchor of her internationally-acclaimed six-decade career — is a concept she calls “obliteration,” the visual fusion of background and foreground which represents the destruction of the self and her complete integration into the surrounding world. Unsurprisingly, Kusama’s works also deal in themes of life and death. In addition to its visual wonders, “LOVE IS CALLING” features an audio recording of the artist reciting one of her poems in Japanese, titled “Residing in a Castle of Shed Tears,” which deals heavily with both.

At 90 years old, wheelchair-bound with an enamel-red bob, Kusama maintains a full-time career as an artist. Her newest Infinity Mirror Room, “DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE” (2019), is currently on display at the David Zwirner gallery in New York City.

The enduring integrity of her vision distin-

guishes her from many other artists of her pedigree, including the great social critic Hans Haacke, whose works have devolved into base expressions of personal frustrations with the Trump era. Kusama hasn’t done that; she’s remained constant in the face of the political tempest that has swept up many of her contemporaries. At the same time, the works of younger artists surrounding hers at the ICA draw attention to how much her work has changed over the years. Her own political voice is more hushed now, speaking not to the current moment but to deeper rivers running through the collective human experience.

Like many artists of similar renown, she’s also cozied up to the corporate world in her later years, tarnishing her bona fides as a critic of consumer capitalism. Her collaboration with luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton, unveiled in 2012, comes to mind. This from the artist who, at the 33rd Venice Biennial — as the first woman ever to represent Japan at the most prestigious event in the international art world — landed in hot water for trying to sell, at the bargain price of $2 each, the mirrored metal spheres that comprised her work “Narcissus Garden” see ICA, page 5

Arts & Living

Monday, November 18, 2019 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ immortalizes Sheeran’s crime world THE IRISHMAN

continued from page 4 station causes the 1975, 50-somethingyear-old Frank Sheeran to reflect back on his multi-decade climb through the crime world. The timelines seamlessly weave in and out of each other and serve unique purposes and payoffs.

Within these timelines are compelling plotlines of family, dual loyalties, power struggles, deceit and everything else one would expect in a crime epic. These plotlines are never mutually exclusive — Frank’s dual loyalty to Pesci’s crime family boss Russell Bufalino and Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa has a direct effect on Frank’s daughter Peggy. Frank’s role makes him the middleman in a late scene when Hoffa tries to regain power in the labor unions

from Bufalino and other connected crime bosses, and Frank’s loyalty is thrown into question when he finds out that the crime bosses have tricked Hoffa by “agreeing” to an amicable meeting.

The layering of the plots in each timeline makes the film a world-class slice of cake, each bite equally rich but never overfilling. Regardless of which emotion a specific moment in the plot is trying to make the audience feel, seeing Scorsese’s directorial techniques and the brilliance that screenwriter Steven Zaillian has concocted makes the entire film an absolute joy to watch.

That being said, the final half hour is absolutely gut-wrenching. Frank Sheeran finds himself all alone, his life having amounted to essentially nothing and his

living family not wanting to interact with him. He deserves it, after all — his violent job alienated him from his daughters’ past possible reconciliation, he killed one of the two people he was closest to and he spent much of his old age in prison. Our hearts break when we consider all that’s been shown from the perspective of his daughter — Peggy. Peggy has suffered for years, having seen her father break a grocer’s hand and finding out that he killed her favorite family friend. This perspective shows that Scorsese has found a new angle to explore, and it is why “The Irishman” doesn’t just feel like a retread of his old stuff.

“The Irishman” is a true cinematic spectacle. Try to catch it in theaters, not just on Netflix.

ICA displays work of abstract expressionist Kusama ICA

continued from page 4 (1966–). Such a daring and naturalistic recreation of a consumerist tragedy of the commons would ring hollow were she to attempt it today.

The historical gravitas of our contemporary American moment has been compared to and contrasted with the ’60s

and ’70s when Kusama first made a name for herself. Third-wave feminism sizes up favorably to the myopic second wave of the 1970s, and Black Lives Matter organizers have drawn lines between their tireless work and the efforts of CivilRights-Era activists. One might be tempted to confine Kusama to the annals of history, to label her a historical artifact

from which artists can learn but not develop. But the fact is that Kusama lives in no age; her artistic language has evolved and been evolved by a changing world, always speaking to it but never of it, about it or over it. This exhibition serves to remind us: if anyone can transcend the boundaries of time and space, it’s Yayoi Kusama.

5

Sammy Park Bangers and Bops

I

The allure of austerity

tweet about crying a lot. I insert anecdotes about how I don’t have many real-life skills in every single first-person piece that I write. I’ve been thinking a lot about my predilection for sharing my feelings with anyone who might be slightly interested.

Jacobin Magazine writer and co-host of the podcast “Chapo Trap House” Amber A’Lee Frost crystallized the biggest problem with my self-portrayal when she wrote, “Why do women always have to flay themselves open and let everyone gawk at their guts just so someone will listen?”

This sentiment that women are, in some ways, forced to constantly share sent me into a tailspin. Do I talk about my feelings too much? Am I the patriarchy? When I joke about not knowing what Python is, am I to blame for the lack of women in tech? No, but I think my penchant for this type of expression is a product of this environment that privileges emotional content made by women.

Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky” (2016) is a masterclass in beautiful harmonies and minimalist instrumentals.

Throughout the track, it features her coping mechanisms and coming to grips with her divorce: “I tried to drink it away / I tried to put one in the air / I tried to dance it away / I tried to change it with my hair.” The song is excellent; there’s nothing wrong with it, and artistic expressions have certainly always featured confessional expressions of tragedy. But I think that we demand too much from our marginalized artists.

And this certainly extends to the more general population of racialized people who don’t work in any sort of entertainment industry. In academic environments, there is an expectation that students of color will share their “powerful” deeply personal experiences with racism. This is not to say that personal experience in the classroom is unnecessary or inherently oppressive, but environments where people of color seem to exist solely to provide learning experiences to white students are both.

However, it’s hard to refuse to commodify my trauma because the system that we live under makes it materially beneficial for marginalized people to “flay themselves open and let everyone gawk at their guts.” I often joke that the only people who know my deepest secrets are friends that I’ve vetted for at least six years and also anyone who works on a college admissions board for any elite university.

To be honest, I don’t know where to go from here. My knee-jerk reaction to the realization that I’ve inadvertently been shaped by this demand for personal experience was to never share anything again. I wish I was the type of person that, in rapper DaBaby’s words, could be unknown until they “pop out with a million.” But I know that if I ever found a dollar coin on the ground, I’d probably immediately text all of my friends. All I can say is that my vulnerability, and the expressions of it, is a product of my own agency.

Sammy Park is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Sammy can be reached at samantha.park@tufts.edu.

Monday, November 18, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

F &G FUN & GAMES

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Jess: “My feet aren’t going anywhere I don’t want them to go.”

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

You’re energized and spurred to take action with Mars in your sign. For about six weeks, focus on personal development.

Use your power for good.

CORRECTION A previous version of the Nov. 12 article “TCU Senate discusses funding for political groups” mischaracterized a statement by Rabiya Ismail, a Class of 2022 senator. The lines referring to Ismail’s statement have been removed from the article. The Daily regrets this error.

__________________________________ Difficulty Level: Realizing that finals are three weeks away

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6

CROSSWORD

Opinion

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tuftsdaily.com

EDITORIAL

The Daily stands with the Crimson in defending factual, ethical journalism Over the past several months, controversy over the Harvard Crimson’s journalistic practices has erupted on the Harvard University campus and in the national conversation. The source of the controversy is an article published by the Crimson on Sept. 22, covering a rally to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) held by activist group Act on a Dream. The Crimson reached out to an ICE spokesperson for comment following the event and included the statement “ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment” in its coverage.

Following publication, critics condemned the Crimson for requesting comment from ICE, suggesting that in doing so the newspaper was “tipping [ICE] off,” which the Crimson denied. Act on a Dream circulated a petition calling for a boycott of the Crimson and for campus organizations to refuse to comment until the paper alters its reporting standards and procedures.

The Crimson’s reporting standards mirror those of other esteemed student newspapers, and like the Crimson, at the Daily we strive for factual, fair and ethical journalism, which includes seeking comment from persons and organizations who are the subject of reporting. This editorial is not meant in any way to support ICE; given ICE’s practices and the fear and distress it causes in immigrant communities, it’s understandable that activists would have a strong reaction to the Crimson’s reaching out to ICE. Acknowledging this, we stand with the Crimson in defense of fact-based reporting, fair coverage and ethical journalistic practices.

If the grievances against the Crimson had been isolated to a petition circulated among several student organizations at Harvard, perhaps this editorial would be unnecessary. There will always be people who fundamentally misunderstand the purpose of the press, believing that reporting is meant to advance an agenda rather than the facts. That, however, was not the end of it; on Nov. 11, Harvard’s student government, the Undergraduate Council, passed a statement 15–13–4 in favor of Act on a Dream’s condemnation of the Crimson. That student government, activist organizations and campus political organizations would antagonize the press in a time when factual reporting and the truth are under attack across the nation is deeply troubling. Condemnation of basic journalistic practices will have a chilling effect on the press in multifarious ways.

Student newspapers serve the dual purpose of training the next generation of journalists and holding university and local power structures to account.

Condemned by popular activist organizations, sanctioned by student government and boycotted by student organizations including the Harvard College Democrats, aspiring journalists will feel less comfortable pursuing the truth, reporting accurately and chasing a controversial story.

Both the student and national press will be weaker for it.

Act on a Dream, the Harvard Democrats and other signatories of the boycott petition misunderstand their relationship with the press. The journalist is not the enemy of the activist. In fact, reporters are often

essential in sharing activists’ messages, shedding light on advocacy and partnering to expose the truth. By refusing to comment and offer perspective on articles published about their organizations and issues they care deeply about, petitioners only undermine their own agendas and prohibit the dissemination of their messages.

Further, in condemning the Crimson, Harvard’s Undergraduate Council sets an unfortunate example for student government and undermines public trust in the institutions of the press. Harvard is the most well-known university in America.

What happens at Harvard is covered in The New York Times and numerous other prominent news organizations. While Act on Dream and the Undergraduate Council pursue the honorable and correct mission of protecting undocumented immigrants, they must realize that their actions have significant ramifications. By undermining the free press and basic journalistic principles, they chip at the base of the pillar of the equitable democratic society they strive for.

The Crimson pursues a mission dedicated to the truth and to the facts, and boycotting the press does nothing but weaken these values. We’re glad that the Crimson has stood by its principles.

Honesty and fact-based reporting in the face of violent government power is no easy task. At the Daily, we understand the fear of the government felt by the Crimson’s critics, but we hope that they will understand that it is through honest coverage that journalists strive to promote a fair, free and informed society.

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OLIVIA MUNN WITH CHANCE AND FRANKIE: ADOPTED 2014 AND 2016.

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7

Monday, November 18, 2019

John Little Gray Areas Matter

Socioeconomic diversity at Tufts

I

t’s no secret that Tufts has a particularly wealthy student body. According to data from The New York Times, the median family income at Tufts is an astounding $224,800, placing the average student comfortably in the top 15% of the nation’s demographic, and the student body itself in 10th place for highest median family income out of 2,395 colleges.

Let’s talk about the impacts of such a wealthy student body, and why this university needs to be doing more to recruit low-income students.

Students of low socioeconomic status (SES) actually face challenges that other minority students don’t face. Of course there are the shared struggles revolving around self-identity within a homogeneous space, but the problems that low SES students deal with regularly are fairly unique, as are their solutions. For example, according to Yale University, low SES students may have a “limited repertoire of learning strategies available to them” and are prone to perform poorly on “standardized testing due to stereotype threat.” Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows that low-income students are at a severe disadvantage in college before they even begin applying to schools. When college admissions officers embark on their national tours to recruit applicants, they generally avoid rural areas in favor of urban schools.

In doing so, whole swaths of rural high school students are left with very little education about the college process, especially about what kind of financial aid is available.

High school counselors in those regions are generally lower paid and often overworked as well. The result is that students in rural areas often end up enrolling in cheap state and community colleges despite the fact that more rigorous universities would be better able to meet their needs. Thus the most prestigious universities enroll richer kids, and the less prestigious ones enroll poorer kids.

Tufts is particularly guilty of poor socioeconomic diversity, even relative to other highly selective peers. Of the schools that U.S. News & World Report ranks and considers national universities, Tufts’ student body has the fourth lowest percentage of Pell Grant recipients, at only 10%. That’s lower than every single elite research university in the U.S. Even more stunning is that nearly one in five students at Tufts are from the economic top 1%.

The lack of socioeconomic diversity doesn’t necessarily harm middle and upper class students, but it certainly hurts the few students at Tufts who aren’t. College graduation rates are consistently lower for low-income students than others, and research shows that low SES students in high-income student bodies are more likely to consider dropping out. Increasing the number of low-income students at Tufts can only do good things. The financial burden that the university would pick up is very real and certainly too complex for me to have any grounds of explaining away.

Regardless, I think that the university owes it to the kids who haven’t been provided the same opportunities as their wealthy peers for their entire lives to make an effort to recruit them to this university.

John Little is a sophomore studying computer science. John can be reached at john. little@tufts.edu.

SPORTS

8 Monday, November 18, 2019

Jeremy Goldstein Schmuck of the Week

A Myles Garrett take you might not expect

W

ho knew a trip to the barbershop could be so disheartening.

Well, I must qualify this by saying that it is not a reflection of the barbershop itself but a cliché staple of barbershops that reminds me just how different the Tufts University realm can be from city life.

Settling into the chair with my now-shaggy mane starting to awkwardly protrude out from behind my ears, I gaze up and see an old favorite: WABC Eyewitness News, New York City’s ABC affiliate, always on in the hour before Jeopardy starts. As the strands fall from my accidental mullet, I’m transfixed on a segment discussing the apt punishment for Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett for his skirmish in the Thursday night game the evening before. This is what’s on the evening news?

Let me inspect.

If you haven’t seen it by now, well, do yourself a favor and watch it (violence warning).

Here’s the short: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph gives Garrett an earful after the 271-pound lineman knocked him down in the waning moments of the Brown’s Thursday night victory. Rudolph, not enjoying the way he was hit, appears to try and dislodge Garrett’s helmet, a cardinal sin by NFL standards and a 15-yard penalty.

Now playing the world-famous “who can take off the other player’s helmet” game, Garrett wins by yanking Rudolph up by his face guard, ripping the helmet off and absolutely cracking the helmet down square on the top of the head of the Pittsburgh quarterback. Garrett has been suspended indefinitely, with a minimum penalty of through the end of the season.

So as I now sit getting the back of my neck shaved, I experience two sensations that feel oddly warm. The first is whatever sort of cream or ointment he’s using as a substitute for shaving cream (I return home to find my neck thoroughly red), and the second is from the reaction of WABC Eyewitness News.

To my surprise, four newscasters are discussing what they believe to be an appropriate suspension for Garrett, and from what my half-bleeding ears could tell, I vaguely hear the phrase “lifetime ban.” Lifetime ban? For an on-field incident? Garrett is already serving the longest suspension for an on-field incident in NFL history.

In my dismay, I’m offered a token of recompense. WABC is running a poll, asking the viewers at home to tweet in if they think Garrett should ever be allowed to play in the NFL again.

Thank goodness, the good people of New York will surely grant the emotional Garrett a second chance.

The dim ticker on the bottom of the screen reads a cool 74–26 … in favor OF NEVER PLAYING AGAIN. This piece isn’t supposed to be a defense of Garrett, a schmuck in his own right for letting his emotions get the better of him. No. This is a critique of people who watch local news and will believe whatever their four local newscasters tell them to think. Maybe it’s not their fault, maybe I’m being too harsh; for some, these newscasters are the only news they know. But WABC, you are the schmucks of the week for ruining my haircut.

Jeremy Goldstein is a junior studying political science and film and media studies.

Jeremy can be reached at jeremy.goldstein@ tufts.edu.

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s basketball starts season with 103–82 win against Emerson

by Jake Freudberg Sports Editor

In the first game of the 2019–20 season, the men’s basketball team defeated Emerson College 103–82, as senior guard and co-captain Eric Savage led the day tying a personal record of 27 points. The non-conference matchup was also Emerson’s first loss of the season, now 2–1.

The Jumbos got off to a quick start in what was mostly a close game.

Sophomore guard Carson Cohen drained a 3 on the first possession, and layups from junior center Luke Rogers and Cohen quickly brought the Jumbos’ lead to seven.

Through the next 12 minutes, the Jumbos controlled the lead against the Lions. With five minutes remaining in the first half, Lions guard Chad DiCenzo made a layup, and a foul on the play from Jumbos junior guard Justin Kouyoumdjian gave DiCenzo a chance for a 3-point play. DiCenzo made the free throw, which tied the score 30–30.

However, the Jumbos regained their lead as Savage scored 10 points in the remaining five minutes of the half. At halftime, the score stood at 49–42 in favor of the visiting Jumbos.

The second half continued similarly.

The Jumbos led by about 10 for most of the half, though the Lions pulled close, down only 73–67 with just under eight minutes remaining on the clock.

However, the Jumbos quickly responded. Cohen sunk a jump shot, then the Lions turned the ball over and junior guard Brennan Morris made a 3 to bring the lead back to 11. The Jumbos maintained their double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.

With 2:55 remaining, Morris sunk a 3, giving the Jumbos their largest lead of the game, 97–73.

At the final whistle, the Jumbos won by a 21-point margin, 103–82.

Junior center and co-captain Max Oppenheim spoke about how he believed the team performed in Saturday’s contest.

“I think we played really well yesterday. We rebounded really well on the defensive glass, which is something that we emphasized coming in,” Oppenheim said. “Obviously, the first game of the season there’s always ways to improve. Defensively, we need to do a better job on our rotations — we got lost a couple of times. Overall, for our first game, definitely a positive outlook.”

Savage’s 27 points tied a career high, which he set in an 83–68 win against Webster University on Nov. 17, 2017; Savage also had 12 rebounds and five assists.

“Being able to contribute any way that I can help the team win is what’s most important to me,” Savage said.

“On Saturday, I was able to get to the rim and make a lot of shots for us, but on Tuesday, it might be another guy stepping up” The Jumbos had two players with double-doubles: Rogers with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Morris with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Morris also led the team in 3-point shooting, going four for seven.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Junior center Luke Rogers swats down a shot in a game against Trinity on Feb. 11, 2018.

Oppenheim explained how four Tufts players were able to break into the double-digits for points.

“Obviously, we had four guys in double figures, a lot of guys get shots, our shooting percentage was pretty high because we were just swinging the ball and getting open shots,” Oppenheim said.

“Unselfishness on offense and rebounding on defense really helped us out.”

While the Lions had double-digit scorers with guards Jack O’Connor, Nate Martin and Zach Waterhouse, the Jumbos had the better day offensively.

The Jumbos shot 59% from the field and 44.4% from behind the arc, while the Lions shot 43.7% from the field and 25% from behind the arc.

Looking forward, the Jumbos hope to build upon the momentum from the end of last year’s campaign. While their record was not great — 4–6 in the NESCAC, 11–13 overall — the team managed to defeat the No. 1 seed, Middlebury, in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. The win was the first time in NESCAC history that a No. 8 seed defeated a No. 1 seed.

The Jumbos have youth and depth to build on, too: Savage is the only senior

on the team. Coach Bob Sheldon Jr. will look to maximize his depth, which was evident in the Emerson game, as four players came off the bench to play 10 or more minutes. Savage also explained that although the roster skews to the younger side, that does not translate to a lack of experience.

“It’s definitely an asset and a liability in some regards,” Savage said. “I think, despite having a young team, we do have a lot of experience. A lot of the guys who are sophomores now and were first-years last year — they contributed big minutes last year.

So even though they are only sophomores, they’re more experienced than the average sophomore in the league. And the same thing goes for our juniors … I think being young is an asset because it keeps us excited and motivated without the problem of lack of experience.”

This week, the Jumbos have three games on the schedule, all at home in Cousens Gym. The team hosts the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Tuesday at 7 p.m., Lasell College on Thursday at 7 p.m. and the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday at 2 p.m.