The Tufts Daily - September 21, 2017

New club provides community for aspiring game developers see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Young Jumbos show strength in collegiate debuts

Tufts Golf drives to fifth place finish in Vermont see SPORTS / BACK PAGE

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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Thursday, September 21, 2017

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

OEO to monitor DeVos’ public notice process on sexual misconduct policy

by Arin Kerstein News Editor

Content warning: This article discusses policy surrounding sexual misconduct.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced an overhaul of the federal approach toward addressing sexual misconduct accusations on college campuses earlier this month. While the policy implications have yet to be determined, any changes in the federal outline for adjudication will have direct consequences for processes at Tufts.

DeVos’ Sept. 7 statement at George Mason University signaled a major policy shift from Obama-era interpretations of Title IX, a piece of federal legislation intended to address gender discrimination in schools. Under President Barack Obama’s administration, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) interpreted Title IX to require schools to take appropriate measures to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.

In her statement, DeVos labeled Obama’s system as “failed,” and she insisted on a “better way forward” in handling these cases.

On her path to inform new policy, DeVos said she has consulted with survivors, rightfully and wrongfully accused perpetrators, educators and parents within higher education and K-12. She also announced a “notice-andcomment process,” which will continuously gather information to shape policy changes.

Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) Investigator Ryan Milligan explained that Tufts’ OEO team is following this process in order to prepare for any upcoming changes.

“Tufts is closely monitoring the OCR ‘Notice and Comment Process’ and will continue to update the Tufts community regarding any potential changes to our policy and process, if any, that may be necessary based on revised federal guidance,” he told the Daily in an email.

According to Jill Zellmer, executive director of OEO and Title IX coordinator, it is unclear at the moment what the direct implications of DeVos’ statements will be.

“So far, she has not made any changes to any of the guidance that Tufts and other schools have been following since 2011,” she told the Daily in an email.

Many policy changes during the Obamaera were outlined through official statements

ANNIE LEVINE / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Senior Vice President David Harris delivers an announcement after the noncompliance protest at the Stand with Survivors at Tufts: Rally for Title IX Compliance outside Ballou Hall on May 1, 2014. such as the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter, which encouraged educational institutions to be more proactive in investigating allegations of sexual violence. The letter lowered the burden

of proof in such cases to a level below traditional requirements in criminal cases. DeVos has suggested increasing the burden of proof, see DEVOS, page 2

Mayoral candidates Curtatone and Corbett set to face off after Somerville preliminary election

by Robert Katz News Editor

Current Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and challenger Payton Corbett will head into the city’s mayoral election after a preliminary election held on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Meanwhile, the third candidate, Kenneth Van Buskirk III, will end his candidacy after taking the smallest share of votes.

Curtatone, who has served as mayor for 13 years, won 58.16 percent of the vote in the unofficial results posted on the City of Somerville’s website. The results did not include absentee, provisional, overseas or military ballots.

Corbett, a pro-union Teamster according to a Somerville Times article, took 35.06 percent, and Van Buskirk, who has acted as campaign co-chair for the Progressive Democrats of Somerville, earned 6.78 percent.

Joe Lynch, co-host of the Somerville Community Access Television news program Greater Somerville, said labor unions have rallied behind Corbett as a pro-union candidate.

“It was clear to me that the labor coalitions do not like the way that Mayor Curtatone deals with their contracts,” Lynch, who also moderated the Somerville Labor Coalition Candidate Forum in July, said. “Payton Corbett is a union shop steward; he has organized within a Teamsters labor union. His support naturally

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would be for union organizations who think that they are being treated unfairly, so I think that’s where the impetus came from for Corbett to challenge the mayor, who [the Somerville Labor Coalition] consider a union buster.”

Corbett’s campaign did not respond in time to a request for comment.

Van Buskirk, despite meager support in the preliminary election, has remained “closely associated” with the Progressive Democrats of Somerville, Lynch said. However, Lynch believed the candidate’s campaign infrastructure was mostly skeletal.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say Mr. Van Buskirk’s campaign ever got any wind underneath its wings,” Lynch said.“He was almost a single-handed campaign manager, candidate, finance director and sign-holder all rolled into one.”

Alderman-At-Large Dennis Sullivan, who is also running for re-election in November, believed Curtatone’s credentials and accomplishments as the incumbent candidate significantly bolstered his likability.

“Basically, Joe Curtatone has been in office for [13] years and Payton Corbett is a new face, a fresh face,” Sullivan said. “[Curtatone’s] done a good job, the city’s come a long way in public transportation, crime is down. I don’t know much about Payton. I’ve met him several times, so I really don’t know much about him.”

However, Sullivan noted that the race, with seven weeks left until Nov. 7, is still developing.

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Curtatone has staved off defeat throughout his tenure since replacing incumbent mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay in 2003, according to Lynch. Curtatone was challenged in 2005 and in 2007, and since then ran unopposed in every election over the past ten years.

Lynch felt that Curtatone has earned the public’s loyalty by leading the city out of economic uncertainty, especially after the recession.

Greg Maynard, Curtatone’s campaign manager, posited the election as a significant one in Somerville’s history.

“Somerville has a big opportunity to move forward and be a leader in affordability and grappling with issues around that. That’s what a lot of this election is about,” Maynard said. “If people like the way the past [13] years have gone and like Somerville, then they should definitely turn out and vote, because Mayor Curtatone has played a really important role in that.”

Curtatone may face a significant electoral challenge in the coming election, Lynch explained.

“You will always have somewhere between 28 to 30 percent anti-incumbent vote, no matter who runs,” Lynch said. “There’s always someone who doesn’t like the incumbent.

[However,] Payton had more union voters than just anti-Joe Curtatone voters.

“Fourty two percent of the voters said, ‘I don’t like Joe and I don’t want him in there,’” Lynch added, referring to the per-

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centage of voters who did not vote for Curtatone.

According to unofficial results provided to the Tufts Daily, slightly over 4900 ballots were cast in the preliminary elections. Sullivan described this as a “historically low number,” arguing this turnout relates to an undervaluation of the significance of local politics in daily life.

“It’s kind of funny, in a gubernatorial race or a presidential race, that’s when you see the masses come out,” Sullivan said, “but local government, be it your alderman, your mayor, we’re where the rubber meets the road. I would submit that we have a bigger impact on everybody’s life than at the national level.”

“Day-to-day business — the streets are clean, the roads are plowed during the winters, public education, public safety — we deal with all those issues,” he added.

Maynard hopes that Tufts students will join other Somerville residents in participating in municipal issues.

“Somerville needs the engagement of everybody in its community,” Maynard said.

“That’s how we move the city forward.”

The only other contest requiring a preliminary election was for the School Committee of Ward 1, in which Emily Ackman and Kenneth Salvato beat out Guillermo Samuel Hamlin.

All other challenges will not be put to a vote until the general municipal election on Nov. 7.

NEWS............................................1 ARTS & LIVING.......................3 COMICS.......................................5

OPINION.....................................6 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Thursday, September 21, 2017

THE TUFTS DAILY Gil Jacobson Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Eddie Samuels Joe Walsh Managing Editors Zachary Hertz Catherine Perloff Ariel Barbieri-Aghib Emily Burke Aneurin Canham-Clyne Daniel Caron Melissa Kain Anar Kansara Robert Katz Arin Kerstein Liam Knox Sophie Lehrenbaum Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Jesse Najarro Daniel Nelson Seohyun Shim Emma Steiner Hannah Uebele Juliana Furgala Simran Lala Minna Trinh Nina Joung Costa Angelakis Emma Damokosh Elie Levine Jessie Newman Sean Ong Emma Rosenthal Grace Yuh Michael Shames Fina Short Hermes Suen Cassidy Olsen John Gallagher Alison Epstein Justin Krakoff Libby Langsner Setenay Mufti Eran Sabaner Antonio Bertolino Tommy Gillespie Jack Ronan Arman Smigielski Maria Fong Shannon Geary Lydia Ra Rebecca Tang Miranda Chavez Hannah Kahn Sarah Nechamkin Anita Ramaswamy Madeleine Schwartz Maddie Payne Yuan Jun Chee Liam Finnegan Phillip Goldberg Savannah Mastrangelo Brad Schussel Sam Weidner Sam Weitzman Caleb Symons Liam Knox Angelie Xiong Ray Bernoff Lilia Kang Ben Kim Rachael Meyer Vintus Okwonko Zachary Sebek Alexis Serino Seohyun Shim Sitong Zhang Ana Sophia Acosta Olivia Ireland Rifat Ralfi Salhon Ezgi Yazici

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BUSINESS

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tuftsdaily.com

Tufts community prepares for effect of DeVos' announcement of sexual misconduct policies DEVOS

continued from page 1 noting that the current process makes it more likely for respondents to be wrongfully accused.

Zellmer said the 2011 letter initiated several changes at Tufts, including in crafting its current adjudication process, in the composition of the OEO staff and through university-wide dialogue on sexual assault.

“Since that time, the university has expanded the expertise, breadth and depth of the Office of Equal Opportunity’s handling of Title IX violations and investigations, doubled the OEO staff and increased the subject matter expertise to include staff who have excellent experience working with both complainants and respondents in a respectful and empathic way,” she said.

After Tufts was deemed noncompliant with Title IX in 2014, the university revisited its sexual assault policy and aimed to rectify areas where it violated federal regulation. University President Anthony Monaco formed the Sexual Misconduct Prevention Task Force, which incorporated the perspectives of staff and students from all Tufts campuses. The framework continues to influence university policy in a new form as the Sexual Misconduct Prevention Steering Committee.

Zellmer explained that, based on feedback from the Task Force and beyond, the university has created new procedures and formed new staff positions dedicated to providing resources for students and ensuring compliance with Title IX. She does not anticipate that DeVos’ statements will impact the resources created through these processes.

“These were improvements directed by and for the Tufts community and there are

no indications that this will change simply because of a change in the political climate,” she told the Daily in an email.

Bailey Siber, an Action for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) executive board member, expressed concern over future changes in the adjudication process following DeVos’ suggestion to increase the necessary burden of proof in sexual misconduct cases.

“In reality, if you think about situations where sexual violence sometimes occurs, it’s two people with not a lot of witnesses. Sometimes substances are involved,” Siber, a senior, said. “It’s hard to have a full case of evidence that 100 percent proves that someone is in the wrong.”

As a result, Siber said that increasing the burden of proof will have a negative impact.

“Upping those standards of what is brought to the table during the adjudication process is going to hurt survivors that are coming forward to try to seek justice,” she said.

Siber added that, while the direct implications of DeVos’ statement are not yet known, many survivors already feel an “intensified stigmatization” and find it difficult to feel supported.

“I think that DeVos’ statement doesn’t explicitly say, ‘we don’t care about survivors,’ but all of the messages in-between the lines clearly implicate survivors and their well-being, and the likelihood of them having success if they go through an adjudication process,” she said.

While Siber feels that OEO is working to remain prepared for any significant changes, she finds it difficult to know what she can expect out of the university without official

communication. She stressed that the university should show more support for survivors.

“There hasn’t been a presidential message, there hasn’t been an email from OEO out to the Tufts community on their support for survivors and assurance that nothing is changing, or that when things do change, they will be informing the community,” she said.

Siber hopes that ASAP can also play a role in providing support for students and ensuring dialogue on these issues when they arise on a national scale.

“We’re trying to ensure that there’s a more permanent, consistent, reliable network for survivors, whether that’s finding a safe space on campus that’s only for survivors every week, or having discussions with them or planning events, and also offering opportunities for allies to get involved,” she said.

Sexual Misconduct Resource Specialist Nandi Bynoe said that OEO’s Center for Awareness, Resources and Education (CARE) will continue its commitment to students, regardless of the results of DeVos’ statement.

“CARE remains committed to supporting all students affected by sexual misconduct through our office,” she told the Daily in an email.

According to Milligan, OEO programming will also continue to be an important component of student life at Tufts.

“OEO’s trainings will continue to raise students’ awareness concerning their rights and responsibilities when it comes to issues related to all types of discrimination and harassment, including sexual misconduct, as members of the Tufts community,” he said.

Tufts community engages in hurricane relief efforts

by Simran Lala

Assistant News Editor

In the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Tufts students have launched a series of hurricane education and fundraising campaigns to help support victims in impacted areas.

Jumbo Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort is one such initiative. Houston natives Joseph Caplan and John Peavy launched the effort after seeing the catastrophic damage wrought

by Hurricane Harvey.

“John and I grew up together in Houston, and we saw firsthand the damage of the hurricane which was crazy,” Caplan, a senior, said.

According to Caplan, he and Peavy, also a senior, assisted in the physical relief efforts soon after the storm. But he said that they did not want to stop helping once they got back to Tufts.

“We wanted to have an outlet through which we could help back at home,” he said.

Caplan also said he started the initiative to educate people outside of Texas. He said news media portrayals do not fully capture what it’s like to be physically present in a hurricane.

“We wanted to get stories about people who experienced and were affected by the storm or who knew victims from the storm so that people in Boston can be aware of what is going on,” he said.

Caplan explained that they are spreading awareness through videos of the flood damage in Houston and of personal interviews with people who were affected by the hurricane, posted on the Jumbo Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort Facebook page. They are also planning a fundraising effort with other established campus groups.

“We are working with the Institute Comedy Group to put up a show first week October which will be sponsored by us, so we are hoping people will send in donations,” Caplan said.

He added that Peavy will give a short speech about ongoing relief efforts at the start of the show.

Jumbo Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort has raised about $3,500 so far through 60

COURTESY JONATHAN LALLY

Supplies for residents in areas affected by Hurricane Irma are pictured. Jumbo Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort has been fundraising online for disaster release with other groups on campus. separate Facebook donations, according to Caplan. He said that the contributions were made after donors viewed the posted photos and videos.

“One particular story we posted about my middle school history teacher who volunteered as a firefighter during the hurricane reached over 18,000 views through social media shares,” Caplan said.

Caplan explained that, moving forward, the goal is to share the stories of more Jumbos affected by the hurricane and partner with campus organizations to fundraise.

The relief effort is not limited to Tufts’ undergraduate population: Jonathan Keenan, a graduate student at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, is donating ticket proceeds from the play “Real Life,” which he says depicts a day in the life of a Fletcher student, to relief efforts.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to put on a play in order to raise funds to help the people affected by both hurricanes, Harvey and Irma,” Keenan said.

Keenan did not sell tickets to “Real Life,” but instead asked patrons to make $5 donations.

The play was performed in the ASEAN Auditorium of the Fletcher School on Monday, Sept. 11, according to the event’s Facebook page. Attendees could also get Polaroid photos taken of themselves in exchange for a $2 donation toward the relief effort, the page states.

“We ultimately raised $1281 in total, out of which $600 was raised through Tufts alumni, $200 through a professor and the rest from the student body at Fletcher,” Keenan said.

Keenan said that the proceeds were donated to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, which is working to support all affected by the hurricanes.

“We wanted to make sure the funds went to all hurricane [victims], not one or the other because hurricane [victims] occurred outside of the United States, such as the Caribbean islands, were affected even further,” he said.

Keenan, who is currently focusing on human security and environmental resource policy, stressed that relief efforts are ongoing since recovering from a hurricane is not a quick fix, as seen from past hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

He emphasized that people should continue to do their part and donate toward the cause.

ARTS&LIVING

Thursday, September 21, 2017

CAMPUS NEWS

Tufts University Gamedev Guild aims to provide community for student developers

3 tuftsdaily.com

Benjamin Corey Eat Your Heart Out

Chocolate cream cheese cupcakes

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COURTESY FURY SHERON

The Gamedev Guild was founded this semester by senior computer science and Japanese major Fury Sheron, whose work as a game developer has been covered by the Daily in the past.

by John J. Gallagher Arts Editor

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the Tufts University Gamedev Guild held its first general interest meeting in Eaton 206. At the meeting, attendees discussed their favorite games and game development, while some demoed their projects for the group.

The Gamedev Guild was founded this semester by senior computer science and Japanese major Fury Sheron, whose work as a game developer has been covered by the Daily in the past.

Sheron, who spoke with the Daily via electronic message, stated that the group hopes to “serve as a community and resource to help students make games themselves, regardless of skill level or role.”

Sheron founded the group because she felt that there wasn’t a space on campus that supports game development or enables collaboration between student developers.

“I noticed that there wasn’t really anywhere on campus to recreationally make games,” Sheron said. “There were students who made games, sure, but they did so in their rooms without telling anyone. There were the Tabletop Gaming and Gaming Hub groups, but their purposes were solely the playing of games.”

Sheron continued, “You could try to turn to academics, but game development and ludomusicology aren’t being taught anymore, and all that’s left is the new game design class. So I figured I’d try a hand at building the community I wanted to see.”

As the group is so new, it is not rigidly organized, and nor does it need to be, Sheron explained.

“I run meetings and moderate the Slack and whatnot, so I haven’t really needed to fill any support positions yet,” Sheron said.

Although these executive positions are not necessary at the moment, Sheron does envision a future for the group where they are necessary.

“There are many members I’d trust with a position of leadership,” Sheron said. “Surely, when we’re recognized and get a budget, I’d love to have a treasurer to help me allocate funds for speakers to come in and tell us about industry experience! Or perhaps use it to have a Tufts Unity account and purchase assets and tools! Who knows?”

Unity is a popular game engine, which operates an online store where game developers can purchase artwork and tools.

The group is also not yet recognized by the Office for Campus Life or by Tufts Community Union (TCU) Judiciary.

“The process to be officially recognized consists of a lot of hoops and bureaucracy,” Sheron explained.

“I’ve initiated the process, but I’m not allowed to take the next step until mid-October. If we waited to be recognized before starting Guild activity, we’d have lost a lot of time. As such, we’re diving right in.”

For the Gamedev Guild’s first semester, Sheron hopes that the group will facilitate collaboration between members.

“My personal goal is to see students collaborating with each other,” she said. “I want them to teach one another and accomplish their goals, whether that means making a demo or a prototype or a completed game. Some members have already teamed up for game jams scheduled in September, and I’m ineffably ecstatic to see what they come up with.”

Those interested in joining can attend weekly meetings of the Gamedev Guild every Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Eaton 206. The group also runs a Facebook page and can be reached via email.

AWARD SHOW RECAP

Praise be the Emmys for their big little prize Trump, look what you made Sean Spicer do. After an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week, former White House Press Secretary Spicer made the second stop on his ‘reputation redemption’ tour at the 69th Emmy awards Sunday night. His controversial appearance was early in the show, just at the end of host Stephen Colbert’s monologue, where he declared the Emmys audience to be the largest ever (period), attempting to spoof his statements about the crowd size at Trump’s inauguration. Sorry Spicey, but you’ll always be on the wrong side of history. Period.

Aside from this poor choice, the rest of the night ran pretty smoothly as far

as the Emmys go, though Trump was a common thread throughout. Colbert delivered a solid, if not outstanding, opening song and monologue, including highlights such as callout of Bill Maher out for using the N-word earlier this year and his shot at Ted Cruz about streaming video, in reference to a tweet containing porn that had been liked on Cruz’s account. He also had a few good bits throughout the rest of the show, including one where he parodied “Westworld” (2016–).

The big winners of the night in terms of awards were “The Handmaid’s Tale” (2017–) and “Big Little Lies” (2017).

The former took home five awards,

including Best Drama Series, while the latter also received five, including Best Limited Series. “Veep” (2012–) also did well — it won Best Comedy Series, and Julia Louis Dreyfus nabbed her sixth consecutive Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy, breaking the record for which she had previously been tied with Candice Bergen.

“Saturday Night Live” (1975–) unsurprisingly also did well, considering the election year that just passed. It won for Best Variety Sketch Series, and Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon received Emmys for Best Supporting Actors in see EMMYS, page 4

remember coming home from elementary school and every so often finding baked goods waiting for me in the refrigerator. This phenomenon always took place on Fridays, when my folks were able to leave work early. It made for a great start to the weekend, especially in the days before homework and job apps.

One of the staples of this family ritual was chocolate cupcakes filled with a sweet cream cheese frosting. I have found that, by recreating these treats in my dorm, I am able to briefly leave the grind that seems to encapsulate life at Tufts and enter into a kind of leisure that seems to be reserved for the days of childhood. I hope that by following this recipe, or a recipe that originates from your family, you too may be able to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a simple pleasure that we all truly deserve from time to time.

For these cupcakes, you’ll want to mix together 1 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 cup of unsweetened baking cocoa. My family’s recipe calls for a sifter to be used in the mixing process, but I have found that a lot of older recipes assume that the baker has cooking tools that simply aren’t viable to own when space is so limited in a dorm. You’ll be fine just using a fork or whisk.

Next, you will want to add the wet ingredients: 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Order doesn’t matter here. Just add everything into your bowl of dry ingredients and mix them together with the same utensil you used previously. Voila! You have just made the batter for the cupcakes!

For the cream cheese filling, all you need to do is mix together an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/3 cup of sugar. I find that mixing a block of cheese to a smooth consistency can be difficult without an egg beater.

All I can recommend is that you allow the cheese to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, which will allow it to soften up a bit. Once the filling is relatively smooth, add in about half a bag of chocolate chips (or honestly as many as you want). Mix them in, and your filling will be complete!

To bake these cupcakes, you’re going to want to fill your cupcake tin halfway full with batter. (Don’t forget to line the tin with cupcake papers!) Then, spoon a healthy glob of filling into each cake.

There should be a few millimeters of tin left to make sure the cakes don’t overflow. Now just bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes and you’ll be good to go! Happy baking!

Benjamin Corey is a senior majoring in international relations. Benjamin can be reached at benjamin.corey@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Thursday, September 21, 2017

Haruka Noishiki Majors and Minors

T

tuftsdaily.com

2017 Emmys honor breakout stars, politically charged shows

Thai music

hrough Majors and Minors, I hope to bring music from various cultures to light. By interviewing international students and others with multicultural backgrounds, I want to learn and share both traditional and contemporary music from around the world — especially music that Tufts students listen to back home: in cafés doing work, at parties with friends and at home with family.

This is Titapa Chaiyakiturajai (known as Punpun), a first-year from Bangkok, Thailand.

She’s thinking of becoming a quantitative economics major, she used to play the piano and her favorite food is hummus.

Haruka (H): What’s pop music in Thailand like?

Punpun (P): I would say 95 percent of pop music in Thailand is about heartbreak or romance. The songs are sad in a way, and tend to dwell on the past. I don’t think there is any cultural context for that. Of recent performers, Atom Chanagun is a pop musician who is always in the top charts.

H: What’s traditional Thai music like?

P: “Traditional” music is typically played with traditional Thai performing arts. Most traditional music was composed to accompany the performances. Uniquely Thai instruments are used to play Thai music, and they can accompany traditional dances, too.

H: Is there a tune that everyone knows in Thailand?

P: A super traditional collection of songs people generally know would be the soundtrack for this performance called Ramakien, a national epic turned stage performance. Thai schools teach this, like schools do Shakespeare [here in the United States], but this soundtrack is not something that people are talking about daily.

H: Does modern music incorporate more traditional styles?

P: No, I don’t think so. It’s completely independent.

H: Is music in Bangkok distinct from that of the rest of the country?

P: Very. People in Eastern Thailand, for instance, speak in a different dialect of Thai [than in Bangkok] so the songs and rhythms are integrated into the culture. Music in Bangkok is more modernized, and it’s where people speak in the more common Thai dialect. Northern/Southern Thailand has their own style too. Beats are dependent on the way people speak in the different regions. The tone of the song depends on artists, not where the music is from.

H: How, if in any way, do you find Thai music different from other music you’ve encountered?

P: Lyrics are sad, romance-centered … heartbreak songs. I don’t know if that’s common in the region, or a distinctly Thai thing.

While Punpun herself doesn’t tend to listen to Thai music, she was kind enough to share about her home culture. Here’s more about her personal musical taste: v H: What’s your favorite genre of music?

P: I don’t have one, but I love listening to indie!

H: Have you grown up knowing American music?

P: Yep. H: When did you start getting into American music?

P: I started getting into American music early in middle school when I began attending summer sessions in the U.S. I started with High School Musical songs — they’re my childhood.

H: What’s been your favorite song at Tufts?

P: Tuftonia’s Day, of course!

Haruka Noishiki is a first-year who hasn’t declded a major yet. Haruka can be reached at haruka.noishishiki@tufts.edu

HARMONY GERBER / FLICKR

The Duffer Brothers, creators of “Stranger Things,” (2016–) on the Emmys red carpet on Sept.11.

EMMYS

continued from page 3 a Comedy after portraying Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, respectively. Best Guest Actors also went to SNL guests Dave Chappelle and Melissa McCarthy.

Other winners of the night in terms of entertainment were Rachel Bloom of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015–) for her rousing song and dance introducing the accountants as the “best part of the show” and Dave Chapelle for his improvised bit as a presenter.

This also was a night of firsts. Hulu made history as the first streaming service to win the Emmy for Best Drama with “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Sorry, Netflix. Donald Glover — clad in an awesome purple tux — became the first black person to win Best Directing in a Comedy with “Atlanta” (2016–). He also went on to win Best Actor in a Comedy. Lena Waithe of “Master of None” became the first black woman to win for Writing in a Comedy Series. In her acceptance speech, she also thanked the LGBTQIA community, saying, “The world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.”

There were a few other noteworthy speeches during the night. Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie) quipped that in the time since shve started acting at 11 years old, she had only acted with “maybe 12 women” and therefore thanked the Academy for honoring the women-filled “Big Little Lies.”

Nicole Kidman – also from “Big Little Lies” – addressed domestic abuse issues, which had played a large role in her character’s plot line on the show, during her acceptance for Best Actress in a Limited Series.

Some of the winners referenced Trump during their acceptance speeches. Glover thanked Trump for “making black people number one on the most oppressed list,” saying, “He’s the reason why I’m probably up here,” and Baldwin took a shot at Trump for never winning an Emmy for “The Apprentice” (2004–), saying, “At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.” Trump surprisingly made it all the way until Tuesday night before tweeting, in which he insulted the Emmys’ low ratings.

There is one last pressing issue to discuss before this Emmys recap comes to a close. On Alexander Skarsgard’s way up to the stage after winning for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, he stopped to embrace Nicole Kidman, and then kissed her on the lips right in front of her husband Keith Urban. Newsflash, “Big Little Lies” wrapped (although hopefully there’s a second season on the horizon), so you two no longer have to act like husband and wife. Especially in front of poor Keith.

The real crime, however, might have been Skarsgard’s mustache. Did he learn nothing from Joe Jonas at this year’s VMAs? This year’s Emmys once again proved that television blows the movie industry out of the water when it comes to diversity, although as Shonda Rhimes commented, it still has a ways to go.

Also, between “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Veep” and “Atlanta,” the night revealed that in this cultural context, television no longer suffices as a distraction to our societal struggles, but rather functions as a reaction to it. Here’s to hoping that after watching all these shows, we turn off the television for a minute and engage as well.

Thursday, September 21, 2017 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

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LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Gil: “This person sounds like the Donald Trump of TCU Senate.”

Comics

SUDOKU

GARFIELD

BY JIM DAVIS

NON SEQUITUR

BY WILEY MILLER

Difficulty Level: Bill Murray stealing Martin Shkreli’s unreleased Wu-Tang album.

Wednesday’s Solution

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CROSSWORD

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Wednesday’s Solution

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6 tuftsdaily.com

Opinion

Luke Murphy Murphy's Law

Thursday, September 21, 2017

CARTOON

The death of the liberal

I

came to Tufts a proud Democrat and confident progressive. As a result of liberal identity politics, I will leave in May without a clear political identity. This is why the Democratic Party cannot win elections and someone like Stephen Miller can end up a senior White House official.

Progressive icons like Roosevelt, Johnson and Obama were not litigious or ill-tempered. They were tactful and compassionate. Liberalism pursues the greatest good and helping those that need it most. The mid-20th century was a progressive halcyon, built on union workers and farmers, the same voters that increasingly provide the foundation for Republican elections today.

Identity politics pigeonholes beliefs based on personal identities and creates divisive absolutism. The new liberals fight themselves to see who goes the farthest left, regardless of where the solution lies along the way. When coming to the political table viewing policies only from the perspective of your interests and not from what best benefits society, the compromise that built our nation becomes a betrayal of identity. Telling someone that they can never understand one’s issues because they do not share that person’s identity only alienates fellow citizens.

If we want greater equality, reformed taxes, better healthcare and stronger education, we need to engage the entire country, not divide with vitriol. Stressing what divides us is killing the progressive agenda. We are obligated to eliminate societal barriers and inequality, but we need to do so while not automatically sidelining anyone who disagrees. We should contextualize societal problems based on common ground. Playing the identity game just pushes people further into their own corners and farther away from progress. That is not how we improve life in America for those that need it most.

By emphasizing identity in crafting political arguments, liberals undermine the progress for which they work. Do not shout down political opponents. Approach political discussion as an American concerned about fellow Americans. If we cannot engage people because they do not share our problems, surely we can engage them based on what we do share. We need not abandon what makes us who we are, but we must not hold it so blindly that we block out different ideas. Slightly compromising one’s values is not weak; it is how one’s values end up in real legislation. By emphasizing commonality and tapping into empathy, we can have meaningful political engagement, not just a race to label opponents as crazy or evil. And yes, we will all have to compromise, even with conservatives.

Why do liberals lose? Because their new idea of political progress is, “as an X, I am offended that you do B.” This only pushes opponents further right. Though sometimes for the wrong reasons, Republicans are uniting normal people behind straightforward messaging. Democrats will continue to lose until they return to playing the common good instead of identity. A good argument will convince people regardless of the arguer’s identity.

After all, one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar.

For more ideas on identity politics and some of the inspiration for this column, read Mark Lilla’s “The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics.”

Luke Murphy is a senior majoring in Italian studies. Luke can be reached at luke.murphy@tufts.edu.

BY SHANNON GEARY EDITORIAL

Student Life Review Committee releases thorough findings but lacks solutions Last week, the Student Life Review Committee released its finalized report on the status of Greek life after seven months of investigation and discussion. This long-awaited report is an extensive and thorough examination of student life and social spaces. At 25 pages in length, the report outlines in detail its observations and recommendations for both Greek life and social life on campus. The findings truly demonstrate the effort the committee put into creating this report; they are not only comprehensive, but also uniquely accurate in describing social issues the Tufts student body faces.

While this effort is laudable, the report fails on several occasions to make actionable and tangible recommendations. The members of the Committee defend this by stating that the report is “only the first component of a significant, strategic investment in the undergraduate experience.” Although this may be the case, it is still disappointing to see that, after a year of debate and inaction, multiple challenges pointed out in the report are left essentially untouched. In many cases, the report lists vague recommendations instead of concrete actions.

There were, on the other hand, a handful of proposals that felt tangible, including recommendations to increase the effectiveness of pre-orientation programs. The report proposes “invest[ing] in Pre-Orientation to increase equitable access and safe, healthy experiences for incoming students” and creating a policy that would “require students

to participate [in pre-orientation].” The suggestion is straightforward and implementable, and it would directly restructure first-year social life in a positive way. This kind of specificity is lacking in the rest of the recommendations.

At the same time, these proposals inadequately address the crucial issue of social life at Tufts: space. Space is the concluding topic tackled in the report, but it reoccurs throughout, particularly in the section on Greek life. First-years especially lack social space to congregate outside of Greek life. The report acknowledges the immense social capital fraternities possess due to “the central location of multiple large Greek houses on Professors Row.” The report deems this a challenge because “these prominent physical spaces contribute to and reflect the dominance of Greek life, especially in the form of fraternity parties, in the student social experience.” We concur.

And yet, after accurately defining the issues with such spaces, the Committee does not raise concrete proposals to transform the use of space as a way to shift social power away from Greek life. No matter where you stand on the Greek life debate, it’s hard to deny the virtues of having a more diversified social scene, where one group does not have a near-monopoly over campus nightlife. In coming reports and policies, we hope to see more fleshed-out recommendations and actions on how to use space to redistribute social capital.

Part of the issue of space is that Greek organizations have been able to maintain

their houses — and thus their centralized location on campus — seemingly regardless of the behavior they have demonstrated. It would be extremely valuable, as the report recommends, to see a clearly defined set of standards for keeping a house on Professors Row. If these standards are not met, organizations (Greek or otherwise) should have to relinquish their house to a separate organization. It does not sit well with us that organizations guilty of sexual misconduct and hazing get to not only keep their housing, but also open their doors to the whole Tufts community.

Redistributing social spaces is not a new concept, and therefore should not be difficult to implement. In 2015, following the suspension of Sigma Nu fraternity, the chapter relinquished their house, and it was eventually converted into the Chinese House. This special interest house was given a larger, more central and more desirable spot on campus compared to its previous location in a Latin Way suite.

Even a space that is not a house could greatly influence social life at Tufts. An on-campus ‘pub,’ for example, which previously existed at Tufts, could function as a fun nightlife alternative to frat basements.

While this report did an excellent job defining abstract problems that hinder Tufts’ social life, there is still much to be done, let alone planned, to bring these ideas to fruition. We hope that this report is simply, as stated, a first step, and that in three years the Tufts student body does not have to read another report just like this one.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community.

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

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Thursday, September 21, 2017 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Aaron Corn drives the ball from the third tee at the Newbury Invitational on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. large potential for development. Karr seemed to be continuing his form from the Detrick Invitational, where he also led the team in scoring. The rest of the team has high hopes for him.

“Our team is a meritocracy based on any given week’s qualifier,” Nordan said. “Golf is weird. One day you could go out shoot 65 and the next 79. I think he will continue to mature and definitely be an important contributor.”

Not far behind Nordan and Karr was first-year Alex Honigford, who shot a respectable 74 and ended the round tied for 26th in his first competitive

match for the Jumbos. Rounding out the scores for the team were senior co-captain Aaron Corn (80) and first-year Harry Theodore (81), who made his second competitive appearance for Tufts.

Tufts ended Saturday in fifth place with a total team score of 296, just nine strokes behind tournament leader (and NESCAC rival) Williams.

On Sunday, although several Jumbos showed improvement, the team did not improve upon its overall score from the day before. Karr led the team yet again by shooting a 72, the team’s lowest score and just one over par.

“It’s a great feeling when I’m able to contribute and help out this team in any way,” Karr said. “This team welcomed me last year and has become such an integral part of my college life so it’s really nice to be able to succeed alongside everyone. This summer I was still disappointed from our 5th place finish at the NESCAC qualifier last fall.

Along with daily practice, I focused on training in the weight room a few days a week to develop more strength and control and boost my confidence out on the course.”

Theodore (76) and Corn (79) bet-

7

tered their showings from the day before, while Honigford (75) and Nordan (76) both reported respectable stroke counts. Their combined efforts earned them a team score of 299 for the day, bringing their tournament total to 595, which was not enough to boost them to the top of the rankings but sufficient to retain the Jumbos’ hold over fifth place.

Babson claimed first place with a team score of 572, a 23-stroke lead over Tufts.

The Beavers also took home individual honors, with Bohman earning a tournament-low score of 140.

With 21 other teams competing in the tournament, the Jumbos were not displeased with their fifth-place finish.

“We played well. [We] left some strokes out there but it happens,” Nordan said.

“We’re always looking to improve. We’re going to keep working hard for the next two weeks and play our best.”

However, two NESCAC teams — Trinity (577) and Williams (582) — finished ahead of the Jumbos, and another — Middlebury (601) — finished not far behind. As such, last weekend’s competition gives the Tufts squad an idea of the level of competition it will come up against in the NESCAC tournament at the end of the month, as all three of these teams outscored Tufts at last season’s NESCAC Championship Qualifier, and will be a tough challenge again this year.

“The team is in as good of shape as ever,” Karr said. “We have an exceptional amount of depth, from veteran juniors and seniors to very talented [first-years]. Everyone is focused on our goals and eager to compete for the conference.”

Tufts’ next tournament is the Williams Invitational at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass. on Sept.

23 and 24.

Sports

8 tuftsdaily.com

David Meyer Postgame Press

Suspended and saintly NFL stars

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Women’s tennis serves up strong debut at MIT Invitational

W

elcome to Postgame Press, the column about current, hot-button sports events … that take place off the field.

The week’s best plays may have been fun to watch, but there is plenty more happening after the final buzzer. Without further ado, here is a look into a serious issue in the NFL, and a brighter spot for the league.

A Serious Note: Ezekiel Elliott’s Suspension Pro Football Weekly’s 2016 Rookie of the Year, star Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, is in an ongoing battle against a six-game suspension given by the NFL. The suspension came after the NFL investigated Elliott for domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson. The league investigators, as reported by NFL.com, found “substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that [Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016.”

This case is particularly interesting because it is one of several recent domestic assault issues in the NFL. Ravens running back Ray Rice (say that 10 times fast) was suspended for two games in 2014 for a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. Then, video evidence of the assault surfaced and the NFL decided to suspend him indefinitely, despite no new information being revealed by the video. This sudden change was, instead, likely a response to the uproar that the absurdly minuscule two-game suspension elicited from the public. There was an altogether sense of confusion in how to deal with the situation. After, the NFL created a domestic violence policy to avoid future issues. The policy stated: “a first offense will subject the offender to a baseline suspension without pay of six games … A second offense will result in permanent banishment from the NFL.” Rice was later reinstated.

In 2016, Giants kicker Josh Brown was involved in a domestic dispute. For the NFL, it seemed simple: abide by the conduct policy, right? Wrong. His suspension was only one game. It also became clear that it was not his first offense. CNN reported, “Brown had admitted to team officials that he had abused his wife in the past.” The league once again, pun intended, dropped the ball. There are many questions left regarding how seriously the NFL takes domestic violence. Tom Brady’s suspension was four games for supposedly deflating footballs, yet men who abused their partners missed a game or two. Reform was, and still is, a must.

Elliott’s suspension seems like the first time the NFL has gotten the highly sensitive issue right. Now, it is up to Texas courts, as well as even higher up circuit-courts, to allow the suspension to be carried out. Hopefully, suspension served or not, this case sets a precedent that the NFL is cracking down on domestic violence and finally taking it seriously.

A Lighter Note NFL star and Texans’ defensive end J.J. Watt recently created a YouCaring.com donation campaign for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Three weeks ago, the goal was $100,000. The total amount donated finished at $37 million.

Talk about an overachiever. With plenty of young “Ezekiel Elliotts” in the NFL who need guidance, it is nice to know they can learn from role models like Watt.

David Meyer is a sophomore, and can be reached at david.meyer@tufts.edu.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

First-year Kiara Rose hits the ball at the MIT Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16.

by Haley Rich Staff Writer

The Tufts women’s tennis team traveled just a few stops down the T this weekend to take their shot at the MIT Invitational, their first match of the season. Because this was an invitational, Tufts played as individuals in a tournament-style draw, facing off against Amherst, Wesleyan and MIT on Sept. 15 through 17. Although the overall singles winner was unseeded first-year Libby Rickeman of MIT, the Jumbos flexed their prowess throughout the three days and showed substantial potential for the coming weeks.

The three-day tournament marked the collegiate debuts of three first-year additions to the team. Margot Shea and Kiara Rose both played in the main singles tournament, but both were eliminated in the first round. Rose put up a fight, winning the first set 6-1, before dropping the second and third 6-2, 10-6.

Meanwhile in the doubles tournament, Patricia Obeid paired with sophomore Katherine Wiley for a first-round match that went to a 9-8(4) tiebreaker that they eventually lost.

Senior tri-captain Lauren Louks lost in the opening round despite her No. 3 seed coming into the tournament. She took part in the consolation singles tournament instead, progressing all the way to the finals where she was defeated 6-0, 6-2 by sophomore Anya Ivenitsky of Amherst.

Junior Mina Karamercan, who began the day as the No. 4 seed, topped her first three opponents to make the semifinals

of the tournament. She came out swinging with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Wesleyan senior Nicole McCann, continued by topping Amherst senior Avery Wagman, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7, and proceeded to the semifinal by default after senior Elysa Kohrs of MIT withdrew from the tournament. Karamercan fell to Rickeman, the eventual winner, 6-2, 6-4.

“I’m very excited about their performance this weekend,” coach Kate Bayard said. “I think we have a ton of potential.”

With the team’s top-four singles players from last year all returning along with their top-two doubles teams and three strong first-years, the Jumbos are ready to challenge the rest of the NESCAC. Although the team played with strong, consistent groundstrokes and serves, the most memorable aspect of this performance was character.

“There were 12 courts outside, four courts inside, and just based on everyone’s mannerisms and body language, it looked like we were winning every single match,” Bayard said. “Everyone was positive, competitive, put in maximum effort and had a ‘fight-til-the-end’ attitude, regardless of the score.”

Bayard’s job at this time of the season is essentially to play the role of matchmaker.

“She took a lot of time to observe our playing styles, our strengths and weaknesses, and used that to pair doubles teams together,” Shea said.

The pairs certainly had the right chemistry, as one duo of junior Otilia Popa and Louks climbed their way to the semifinals, outplaying a pair from

MIT 8-2 and Wesleyan 8-4 before being defeated by third-seeded Vickie Ip and Jen Chen from Amherst, 8-4.

Due to the individual tournament style of this particular invitational, one of the matches this weekend was a bit of an oddity: two Tufts teammates, Shea and senior tri-captain Zoe Miller, faced off in the back draw.

“I guess it was a little weird,” Shea said. “I played against my own two sisters in tournaments growing up, though, so I wasn’t new to the feeling. It’s just an unusual situation because normally, you want your opponent to miss so that you’ll win the point, but you also always want your teammates to play their best.

But, in the end, I think it’s actually beneficial to be in that situation, because it forces you to focus on yourself and your own game, instead of just hoping your opponent falters.”

Miller prevailed in a very tight match, 1-6, 7-5, 11-9.

The team plans to focus on improving doubles formations and strategy, serve and return techniques, and recognizing offensive opportunities even when they’re more subtle. The team sat down for a meeting to discuss its goals for this year on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Based on the level of play this past weekend, some of those might be lofty.

Tufts will return to the competition courts in a few weeks to display more “fight-to-the-end attitudes” at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) New England Championships, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Williams College.

at Middlebury College’s Ralph Myhre Golf Course.

The Jumbos started out strong on Saturday. Senior co-captain Taylor Nordan and sophomore Brandon Karr tied for fourth on the day, each parring the course with scores of 71. The pair trailed the leaders, Babson first-year

Lane Bohman and St. Lawrence firstyear Tom Egbers, by just one stroke going into Sunday. Despite only being seeded fourth on the team heading into the tournament, Karr shot the squad’s joint-best round, showing his

Golf takes fifth at Duke Nelson Invitational

by Liam Finnegan Sports Editor

On Saturday and Sunday, the Tufts golf team competed in the Duke Nelson Invitational in Middlebury, Vt. The Jumbos played well enough to earn fifth place out of the 22 teams teeing off

see GOLF, page 7