The Tufts Daily - Friday, November 30, 2018

Torn Ticket II production of ‘Blood Brothers’ brings a West End classic to Tufts see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jumbos start 2–2 after back-to-back wins

Swimming and diving teams set pool records, trounce Panthers in first meets of season see SPORTS / BACK PAGE

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXVI, ISSUE 54

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Friday, November 30, 2018

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Students, community members protest campus housing policies

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students and community members march from Latin Way Apartments to Ballou Hall to protest the university’s tiered housing system as part of a ‘day of action’ organized by the Tufts Student Action and Tufts Housing League, among others student organizations, on Nov. 29.

by Abbie Gruskin

Assistant News Editor

Roughly 200 students, faculty and area residents attended a walk out and campus march Thursday to protest the university’s tiered housing system and to call for a construction of new high-capacity dorm on campus.

Nathan Krinsky, a co-founder of Tufts Housing League (THL), said that THL and Tufts Student Action (TSA), who co-hosted the event, presented a united front against the university’s current housing policies.

“It’s very important for us to represent these diverse perspectives and show the administration that all these different groups stand united in our demands for housing justice,” Krinsky, a senior, said.

Participants gathered outside Latin Way Apartments at 11 a.m. and marched up through lower campus, following a route led by organizers wearing reflective jackets and chanting about the need

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to end tiered housing and instead build a new high-capacity dorm on campus.

Katjana Ballantyne, president of the Somerville Board of Aldermen, was one of the 12 speakers who addressed the crowd outside Ballou Hall, where the march ended. She told the crowd that she supports THL and TSA’s efforts against the tiered-housing system and the expansion of off-campus housing into surrounding neighborhoods.

“I want you to know that I am with you from the beginning and to the end,” Ballantyne said. “I would like to see Tufts University … develop [its] center without more expansion into our neighborhoods.”

Representatives from Tufts Dining Action Coalition and Our Revolution Somerville were also among the speakers at the rally.

The event continued throughout the rest of the day with workshops, teachins, performances and a community dinner on the academic quad, according to Krinsky.

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THL and TSA also pitched tents surrounding the cannon. Mauri Trimmer, a THL member, said that six students plan to sleep in the tents Thursday night. Trimmer added that the set-up, named “Tier Town”, was a visual representation of housing deficiencies on campus.

“It’s nicknamed ‘the lowest tiered housing on campus’ as a nod to this tiered-housing policy [Tufts is] trying to implement,” Trimmer, a junior, said.

“This is a really visible way to call out the housing crises that are happening on and off campus. We’re hoping this high visibility event will really get [administrators’] attention that Tufts students and community members are willing to work for change.”

Executive Director of Public Relations Patrick Collins told the Daily in an email that the university respects students’ rights to voice their concern about the tiered housing system, which is scheduled to be introduced for the 2019–20 academic year.

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“Throughout this fall, administrators have engaged with many student groups to further their understanding of ways our system proactively addresses concerns they have raised, and we are committed to continued engagement with the student community to work towards transparency and clarity,” Collins said.

Collins added that Tufts’ implementation of tiered housing will align the university with others in the Boston area.

Krinsky said that event preparation started one month in advance. The walk out was THL’s first major demonstration on campus, according to Shane Woolley, a THL co-founder.

Woolley said that THL and TSA scheduled the event to occur before housing applications open Friday.

“I’ve heard so many students around campus talking about tiered housing and how they’re stressed out about planning around it when they decide where to live

NEWS............................................1 ARTS & LIVING.......................4

see HOUSING RALLY, page 2

FUN & GAMES.........................6 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, November 30, 2018

THE TUFTS DAILY Seohyun Shim

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Demonstrators call for an end to the tiered housing plan

Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

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'Tier Town,' a group of tents set up by Tufts students who planned to protest the university's tiered housing system by sleeping outside Ballou Hall, is pictured on Nov. 29.

HOUSING RALLY

continued from page 1 [and] who to live with for next semester,” Woolley, a senior, said. “We’re bringing this to attention now because it’s affecting students now. People are stressed about this, people are angry about this, now people are doing something about this.”

Parker Breza, one of the organizers, said that the event allowed students and community members to join THL and TSA’s movement against the tiered-housing system.

“This action will be another way for students and community members to come together to show their support for democratic decision-making, a new dorm and for an end to Tiered Housing,” Breza, a senior, told the Daily in an email. “Since the announcement of the Tiered Housing Policy this summer, students have been very vocal about the harm that Tiered Housing will cause, particularly for low-income and financial aid students.”

Collins reiterated that financial aid awards will be adjusted to support full

demonstrated need, regardless of a student’s housing selection.

THL and TSA also have joined to call for a construction of a new-high capacity dorm on campus, according to Woolley. Tufts has not added a high-capacity dorm to campus since the construction of Sophia Gordon Hall in 2006.

“Currently, Tufts is planning to add 400 students over the next four years, which is an insane amount of students to add to our already overburdened housing without building any new dorms at all,” Woolley said. “We’re asking them to take that seriously and build more on campus housing, bring more students back on campus [and] stop gentrifying neighborhoods around here.”

The university intends to increase class sizes by 100 students over a four-year period, starting with the Class of 2021, according to minutes and slides from an Oct. 24 School of Arts and Sciences faculty meeting.

The university administration believes that renovating current housing on cam-

pus is currently more feasible than building a new dorm, according to Collins.

“The strategy of renovating and optimizing space in existing dorms and converting wood frame houses into junior-senior apartments is both more cost-effective and more timely,” Collins said. “We have a goal of adding 600 beds in a five-year span. By the fall of 2019, we’ll have added more than 400 beds towards that goal. At the same time, we will satisfy a demand among juniors and seniors for apartment-style living.”

Collins added that a new dorm could be built on campus in the future with more funding.

Amira Al-Subaey, one of the organizers, said that both THL and TSA are optimistic that their efforts will bring housing change on campus.

“We know what fair housing looks like, and we know that Tufts has the capacity to solve this issue if they want to,” Al-Subaey, a senior, said.

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ARTS&LIVING

Friday, November 30, 2018

Torn Ticket II’s ‘Blood Brothers’ explores class, privilege

COURTESY RACHEL HARTMAN

Master’s candidate Angelle Antoun, who plays Linda in ‘Blood Brothers,’ and junior Zoe Maya Miller, who plays Mrs. Johnstone, participate in a dress rehearsal on Nov. 28.

by Stephanie Hoechst Assistant Arts Editor

You might not have ever heard of Torn Ticket II’s upcoming musical, “Blood Brothers.” Director Jessica Pearson-Bleyer is excited to bring the West End classic to life at Tufts.

“Blood Brothers” follows twins Eddie and Mickey’s lives after they’re separated at birth. Their mother, unable to care for both, gives one of the twins to an upperclass woman; therefore, Eddie grows up in privilege, while Mickey grows up in poverty. The show explores the difference in upbringing between the two brothers and how it affects each of them.

Pearson-Bleyer, a third-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, said that the show might not necessarily align with what we think of when we think of musicals.

“It’s really not a Broadway musical in the sense that there’s not a huge chorus, there’s not a lot of kick lines and spangles,” she said. “And I think for that reason, particularly in the ’80s, it didn’t do well on

Broadway, and I think a lot of American audiences just don’t know the show. But it’s continued to be done in England a lot of the time.”

Pearson-Bleyer added that beyond the obvious element of class and status, “Blood Brothers” addresses some very poignant issues.

“It talks about class, poverty and privilege. It also addresses some character struggle with mental health issues and navigating the mental health system, and having resources and not having resources. It also deals with something I don’t think you see a lot. The way that people who are close to you react to when you’re going on a mental health journey,” Pearson-Bleyer said. “It also talks a lot about gun violence and the way that so many children are raised with this glamorized ideal of guns, and how guns are fun, and guns are cool and how that results in some really deadly consequences in adulthood.”

While the musical is set in England, Pearson-Bleyer chose not to use British accents in order to make these themes more universally applicable.

“There’s this distancing that happens when you see a bunch of people who are speaking differently,” she said. “I wanted it to be really clear to the audience that this is a story that could be set anywhere [and] that just because it’s England, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have these exact same issues with poverty, with class, with gun violence, with mental health. All of those things are so American.”

Pearson-Bleyer has wanted to direct this show for years. She first heard about “Blood Brothers” from her high school drama teacher. Ever since then, the show has been in the back of her mind.

“Then I realized it’s kind of the perfect musical for the way Torn Ticket does stuff because it does have this focus on social issues, which I think are really relevant.

It’s a space for a smaller cast but requires some really heavy acting and some really great voices, which, after being the assistant director for ‘Assassins’ last year, I saw that they really had the pool of talent here to handle the show,” she said. “And it’s been like a check off the bucket list to get to direct this show. It’s one of my favorites.”

Pearson-Bleyer has been working with a small cast of nine actors since September for the production. She said that the actors have attacked the multitude of different tones and themes in the show with consistent energy.

“One of my favorite things about the show is that it starts really fun, and then it kind of transitions into dealing with some of the heavier issues,” PearsonBleyer said. “It’s been so great to work with a cast that is equally present and willing and excited to do the really fun big numbers but also has the capacity to take it down and really address the more difficult issues and have those conversations that you need to have in a rehearsal room. And it’s been just a really wonderful experience getting to work together with this group of artists.”

“Blood Brothers” will be showing in Balch Arena Theater on Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and can be purchased either at the Aidekman Box Office or online on the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ website.

ALBUM REVIEW

With ‘Showboat,’ Brian Newman showcases versatile range

by Christopher Panella Assistant Arts Editor

Trumpet player and jazz singer Brian Newman has had a longstanding New York City career. For over 10 years, Newman’s role in the city’s nightlife has ranged from different venues, performances with pop superstars and a residency at the Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel. He is the bread and butter of jazz in the city. But it was not until

this year that Newman released his second album, “Showboat,” a release showcasing his talent, skill and ability to cater to a wide audience.

Newman’s first album, “Eyes on the City” (2016), features 11 tracks full of strong performances. The title track, “Eyes on the City,” is heavily focused on Newman’s crooning voice, but on the beautiful slow listen of “It’s Alright,” his voice is soft and melodic. When it was released, “Eyes on the City” pre-

sented Newman as a versatile jazz star, able to flow from fast and fiery hits to slower solos. Now, “Showboat” not only reminds listeners of that versatility, but also builds upon it.

“Showboat” opens with “San Pedro,” an original song that sets the tone well.

Flowing and chaotic, “San Pedro” is a fun listen, with Newman’s trumpet taking center stage in furies of runs and blows. It is easily a highlight of “Showboat,” a testament to Newman’s time in the New York City jazz

circuit. Newman’s voice hops aboard on the fresh, outlandish cover of Beck’s 1998 hit, “Tropicalia.” Newman’s sharp, almost spoken singing is clean and crisp as he sings about “an air-conditioned sun” and tropical locations. For a moment, it is a song that transports listeners from the dark and the cold to beautiful summer warmth; warmth being something Newman just cannot help but add to every song on “Showboat.” see BRIAN NEWMAN, page 5

A rts & L iving

Friday, November 30, 2018 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

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‘Showboat’ is smooth listening for jazz fans, newcomers alike

VIA VERVE

The cover art for Brian Newman’s album ‘Showboat’ is pictured.

BRIAN NEWMAN

continued from page 4 There are moments throughout “Showboat” that make the album an incredibly easy listen. “Dancing

in the Moonlight” and the groovy “Spooky” are soft and relaxing, with “Spooky” giving “Showboat” a psychedelic vibe. Newman covers jazz staples “Pennies from Heaven” and

“Sunday in New York” well, the latter sounding as if it was made for Newman’s ecstatic and timeless voice.

Here, he moves through the lyrics effortlessly, giving “Sunday in New York” a bustling hum unlike any song on “Showboat.” But the album’s highlight is held by Lady Gaga, whose featured vocals on jazz standard “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” fleshes out “Showboat” brilliantly.

For one thing, “Showboat” would feel somewhat incomplete without “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” It is a popular song to cover for many musicians, with Lana Del Rey covering it on “Honeymoon” (2015). Del Rey’s cover was transformed to fit into her cinematic, smoky musical world, while Gaga’s cover on “Showboat” is more emotionally faithful to Nina Simone’s original. It is a reminder that Gaga, a well-established chameleon in sound and performance, shines bright in the realm of jazz — her Grammy Award-winning duet album with Tony Bennett, “Cheek to Cheek” (2014), is just one example of this.

Newman and Gaga’s friendship goes way back, beginning even before the two began performing together on Gaga’s Thanksgiving special, “The Today Show” (1952–) and “Cheek to Cheek.” Newman also played the trum-

pet for “Just Another Day” on Gaga’s “Joanne” (2016). It is needless to say that Newman was smart to include Gaga on “Showboat,” his trumpet and her voice fit well together.

But Newman still holds his own without Gaga, a reminder of how flexible he is. Sure, he is fun and bright on “Jockey Full of Bourbon,” the album’s closing track, but he is also deep and hollowed on “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” another strong moment on “Showboat.” The ballad lets Newman show his range of vocal talent, emotion pouring through every lyric. He and his band breathe life into these old classics, making them feel modern and exciting.

“Showboat” is an easy listen — there is no doubting how easily it flows from track to track, highlighting Newman’s vocals and him and his band’s performances. But it is also a strong release from a New York City jazz veteran.

The tracks are vibrant, interesting and showcase a wide range of talent and performance. While “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” featuring Gaga’s vocals, is the album’s greatest moment, it is not the only thing Newman relies on. It seems Newman has something to offer every jazz listener on his sophomore effort, from the most casual to the most religious.

Humanitarian conductor discusses Beethoven, empathy at music department event

VIA MUSIC FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL

A promotional poster for the Jan. 28, 2019 concert organized by Music for Life International, ‘Beethoven for The Rohingya,’ is pictured.

by Setenay Mufti Arts Editor

Music is an art form that exists across cultures. Be it religious hymns or national anthems, music always has the ability to bring people together.

This is the key philosophy behind Music for Life International, a nonprofit that organizes classical music concerts to raise money and promote dialogue about humanitarian crises around the world. One of their upcoming concerts is “Beethoven for The Rohingya: A Concert of Solidarity For the Rohingya Refugees,” which will be a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. on Jan. 28 at Carnegie Hall in New York. In an event Wednesday hosted by the Tufts Department of Music, the organization’s founder and artistic director, George Mathew, spoke at Distler Performance Hall in the Granoff Music Center about this upcoming concert and the particular resonance of the Ninth Symphony.

Mathew opened his discussion not with a long-winded history or overview of Beethoven and the upcoming concert, but by playing a section of the symphony for the audience. The string

section, bolstered a few bars later by trumpets and horns, sets up a dramatic building of tension, ultimately resolved by a low male voice taking over. That particular music motif is repeated elsewhere in the symphony, which Mathew and Tufts music professor John McDonald — who also introduced Mathew at the event — demonstrated together on one piano. Even without an in-depth knowledge of music, it is clear to listeners that Beethoven utilized the entire span of the piano in complicated arrangements. Mathew explained that, although hardly noticeable today, Beethoven’s complex style would have been seen by contemporaries as a totally “chaotic, disharmonious, conflicted representation of sound.” This style was revolutionary, but Beethoven was not simply an artist who created bold and unusual works for the sake of it; as anyone familiar with the Ninth Symphony knows, the ultimate goal of the piece is resolution.

The symphony concludes with the famous “Ode to Joy” which, according to Mathew, was intended to evoke a popular drinking song of the time.

Although this presumably would have been recognizable to Beethoven’s audi-

ence, they may not have recognized some of the instruments he used in that section, like the snare drum, cymbals or triangle. This is because although these instruments seem like traditional, established parts of a Western orchestra today, they are actually of Turkish origin. Thus Beethoven “embraces the music of the other,” Mathew said, in a familiar and comfortable context to Germans. It is an appropriation that is meant to arouse a visceral, cultural empathy, not imitation. Later on, Mathew returns to the piano to demonstrate how Beethoven combined two coherent harmonies — each sounding complete and beautiful on their own — in a way that creates the impression of discord. “Identity is often what we listen for,” Mathew said, and “if you don’t know what to listen to, you are easily manipulated.” This is where the parallels with humanitarian work come in.

The concerts of Music for Life International have been organized on behalf of a range of public interest issues, like natural disasters (“Beethoven for the Indus Valley” in 2011), public health crises (“Mahler for Vision” in 2017) and political conflicts (“Shostakovich for the Children of

Syria” in 2013). Although these concerts do raise money as well as awareness, Mathew said that the central goal of the organization is to provoke dialogue and unity. It isn’t about awareness, he pointed out, because with the prevalence of information in the internet age, people do know what’s going on. The problem is a disconnect between people, whether because of political or social biases, or the struggle to see others as we all see ourselves, Mathew said.

To the untrained ear in a live concert, the subtleties of Beethoven’s musical theory may be easy to miss, which is why Music for Life International attempts to draw these connections between musical elements and real-life political situations through program notes, occasional speakers at concerts and even multimedia pieces. Mathew explained how, in “Shostakovich for the Children of Syria,” Shostakovich evokes a military march multiple times in his Seventh Symphony before ending it with a refrain of a lone trumpet, which is low and tragic compared to the splendorous sound it had before, possibly representing the devastating effects of warfare. The trumpet is accompanied by a snare drum, which Mathew said sounded similar to the sound of coins hitting each other; at this moment, the music was spliced with a speech given

by President Dwight D. Eisenhower warning of the growing military-industrial complex in the United States.

Although that piece ends on a painful note, Beethoven’s Ninth ends in joy — a call for the brotherhood and sisterhood of mankind. Music is culturally and personally significant on a number of levels, but according to Mathew, “the world needs us to act … and if we can do it through music, we can probably do it through other disciplines.”

Tickets for “Beethoven for The Rohingya” are now on sale online. All proceeds will go to Médecins Sans Frontières.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | FUN & GAMES | Friday, November 30, 2018

F& G

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Daniel: “I’d be intimate with John Kerry.”

FUN & GAMES

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Sports

Friday, November 30, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

7

Squash teams optimistic after early success hard in practice. We are happy to see him get some wins this weekend.”

The Jumbos added five first-years this season but did not graduate any seniors, which has given the team great depth, according to Raskopf.

“This is a really big year for us because we have a lot of seniors who know that this is the best team that we’re going to be a part of at Tufts because of the addition of the [first-years],” Raskopf. “We get along really well as a team, practice intensity is high and everyone knows what individual parts of their game they want to work on.”

ALLISON CULBERT / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Senior co-captain Claire Davidson hits a backhand shot in Tufts’ 7–2 win over Wesleyan at the College Squash Association Team Nationals on Feb. 18.

SQUASH

continued from back able to beat their top player, so that was really good.”

Raskopf praised the team’s firstyears for the crucial roles they played in the Jumbos’ first two wins.

“Marco Rodriguez and Konrad LaDow are playing really high in the ladder,” he said. “It can be tough for them because a lot of people are watching them and they are playing the best players. Marco is super mentally strong and does not seem to be fazed by the moment and works

Women’s squash Like the men’s team, the women’s team defeated Wesleyan and Colby on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, respectively.

The Jumbos captured an 8–1 victory over the Mules thanks to outstanding performances from junior co-captain Davidson (11–4, 11–1, 11–3) and sophomore Julie Yeung (12–10, 11–5, 11–4) in the top two spots. Senior Sahana Karthik, played in the eighth position, allowing Colby sophomore D’Arcy Carlson to take only four games in the match, winning 11–3, 11–0, 11–1. First-year Megan Chen (11–4, 11–0, 11–3) and first-year Diya Sanghi (11–1, 11–2, 11–4) also turned in strong performances to send the Jumbos to victory.

“Beating Colby was also a huge NESCAC win for us,” Davidson said. “We

had two [first-years], Diya Sanghi and Meghan Chen, playing in the top nine, and they both won their matches — that’s huge. They both played really well.”

The previous day, Tufts swept No. 20 Wesleyan in a match hosted by Harvard.

Davidson notched a five-set victory in the No. 1 spot (11–5, 11–7, 9–11, 8–11, 12–10). Senior Hannah Burns won her fifth-position match 11–3, 11–4, 11–3, while Sanghi (11–6, 11–2, 11–6) and Chen (11–1, 11–2, 11–1) were victorious in their college debuts.

“It was a huge win for us and a big confidence booster for our very first match this season, especially because we had really close matches with [Wesleyan] last season,” Davidson said. “The fact we beat them 9–0 was huge.”

According to Davidson, the firstyear Jumbos have made a seamless transition into both the team and the competition.

“We are a really close team,” Davidson said. “I think the [first-years] are integrating really well into our team.”

The women’s side will visit Middlebury on Saturday and Williams on Sunday. The Jumbos have not beaten the Panthers since an 8–1 victory in the 2007–08 season and have never defeated the Ephs, according to Davidson.

“They are very good NESCAC teams, but I’d say our best chance to ever beat them is with this team. We are really optimistic,” Davidson said.

Swimming and diving teams break records, defeat Middlebury in opening meets

by Savannah Mastrangelo Sports Editor

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams kicked off their seasons in the best possible way at Hamilton Pool on Nov. 18, winning their first meets of the season 168–89 and 167–116, respectively.

The Jumbos cited a strong work ethic and team chemistry that the two squads share as the keys to their victories.

“I would definitely attribute this success to how close we are as teammates,” sophomore Abby Claus said. “We — men’s and women’s — train together. We are always pushing each other to be the best that we can be during practice, during a set and even outside of the pool.”

On the women’s side, multiple swimmers broke pool records and the Jumbos had the top times in all 16 events. Claus placed first in the 100 backstroke, posting a time of 1:00.45 — nearly a second faster than junior Grace Goetcheus, who finished second. Claus also competed in the 200 individual medley, which she swam in 2:11.24 to set a pool record.

Senior co-captain Ailish Dougherty attributed the Jumbos’ success to their more ambitious objectives this year.

“The collective enthusiasm and excitement for our team goals this season … played a large part in our domination of [Middlebury],” Dougherty told the Daily in an email. “Our goals are different and more performance-oriented, rather than process-oriented as they’ve been in past years, and it’s largely due to our recognition and celebration of the untapped potential we hold as a women’s team.”

First-year Mary Hufziger had a stellar collegiate debut as she, too, broke the pool record in the 200 freestyle with a 1:56.90. Hufziger followed up that victory with a top time in the 500 freestyle, with a 5:14.14. She also competed in both the 400 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay, emerging as a member of the foursome that recorded the fastest time in both events.

A number of the team’s first-years performed well, including Jeanette Knowing, who recorded a first-place time of 28.03 seconds in the 50 backstroke, and Anne Younger who won the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.15 seconds. Returners also impressed, with sophomore Lily Kurtz placing first for the Jumbos in both the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, posting a 31.80 and a 1:08.40, respectively.

Claus reflected on how the team’s training led to a successful performance in the Middlebury meet.

“Training was really tough,” Claus said.

“There was no resting for Middlebury — coach [Adam Hoyt] really wanted us to go in excited to race, excited to start the season not really worried about times.”

Dougherty said that the team’s record-breaking showing will serve as inspiration to achieve even greater success.

“Some of our goals include breaking as many records as we can as a women’s team — especially with that new record board up to show us where we need to be to do so — scoring higher than we have in past seasons at championships, sending more women to the NCAA Championships and showing up in full force to support our swimmers and divers whenever possible,” Dougherty said.

The men’s team saw similar success against Middlebury, placing first in 15 events.

“During preseason, I know everyone was working really hard and no one really slacked off, and the results showed,” junior Roger Gu said.

Like the women’s team, multiple first-years had impressive debuts with three first-years posting first-place times. First-year Nate Tingen won the 50 backstroke in 24.88 seconds, while first-year Tar Tar Jarusinchai dominated the 200 medley with a time of 1:55.99.

The Jumbos also impressed in the distance events, with first-year Joseph Kim posting a 4:46.48 in the 500 freestyle.

“I think it was big for the [first-years] because it was their first college meet and the coaches gave some motivational talks, but besides that, we just swam normal practices,” Gu said.

COURTESY DAVE DECORTIN

Senior co-captain Ailish Dougherty competes in the 1,650 freestyle at Wheaton on Jan. 21, 2017.

The upperclassmen also shined. Gu claimed first place and a pool record in the 50 freestyle, posting a 20.60 seconds — just short of his sub-20 seconds performance at the NESCAC Championship last year. Gu also won both the 100 and 200 free events in 47.41 seconds and 1:43.90, respectively to earn his second NESCAC Performer of the Week award in his collegiate career. Senior co-captain Kingsley Bowen also earned points for the Jumbos. He claimed first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.28 seconds and the 50 butterfly in 23.35 seconds.

Tufts also demonstrated in its ability in the relay events. In the 200 medley relay, Gu, Bowen and juniors Matthew Manfre and Costantino Camerano claimed first place with a 1:34.07 mark. Manfre also swam the 50 breaststroke, in which he placed first in 27.75 seconds.

Both Tufts teams will compete in the MIT Invitational this weekend, starting Friday.

“Specifically for MIT, the team is working on preparing to get up and race fast

while still pushing ourselves in the pool during the weeks leading up to this meet,” Dougherty said. “It will be a challenging weekend of trials/finals that simulates how our end-of-season meets will go, so we are focusing on viewing the weekend as an opportunity to strengthen our mindsets and push our bodies to perform well even when we’re tired, which will ultimately help us at the end of the season.”

The teams believe that their performance at the MIT Invitational will help them prepare for meets later in the season.

“This will be the first meet where we’re in our fast skins [swimsuits] really looking to race our best events that we will also be potentially be swimming in at our conference championships, as well as the BU Invitational later in the season,” Claus said. “Both the men’s and the women’s teams have amazing [first-years], and we’re really looking to build upon the momentum that we had last week and carry it through the weekend.”

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Sports

Friday, November 30, 2018

Tufts falls to WPI at home in 2–2 start to season

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Sophomore center Luke Rogers swats down a shot in Tufts’ 76–71 win against Trinity on Feb. 11.

by Yuan Jun Chee and Bradley Schussel Executive Sports Editor and Sports Editor

Tufts recorded a mixed start to the season, winning both games at the RWU / Courtyard by Marriott Tournament, before losing its next two games, including its home opener against WPI. The WPI Engineers traveled to Cousens Gymnasium Tuesday for an out-of-conference game against the Jumbos. This was the home opener for Tufts, as well as the first game back for junior guard and co-captain Eric Savage.

The Jumbos ended up on the losing end of this game in a blowout, 89–66.

Savage came off the bench for his first game back, finishing with five points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of action.

The first half of the game was very tight, as both teams traded buckets. The Jumbos attacked the Engineers’ zone defense by moving the ball and scoring inside. Their first-half offense was built around the

6-foot-8 sophomore center Luke Rogers who was able to out-reach his matchup.

Rogers, who was named NESCAC Player of the Week in the season’s first week, would end up with 23 points and six rebounds on an efficient 10-of-13 from the floor.

Rogers praised his teammates’ performance, which he believes allowed him to find success with scoring inside. “[My teammates] opened things up for me,” Rogers said. “I’m surrounded by a great core of shooters. They really space the floor for me down low. Them moving off the ball and getting open was the key to helping me find success inside the paint.”

Meanwhile, the Engineers ran their offense in the first few minutes through sophomore forward Reid Walker. While he took a back seat in favor of a more balanced offensive approach later in the game, Walker still had a strong game, tallying 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.

For the first seven minutes of the first half, no team held a lead of more than

three points. Tufts took its largest lead of the game, 22–14, on a jumpshot by Rogers with less than 11 minutes left in the first half. The Engineers then went on a 9–0 run, taking the lead 23–22 on a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Jake Needleman.

The teams traded blows the rest of the half, with neither team gathering enough momentum to pull away with a big lead.

With 31 seconds left in the half, first-year guard Carson Cohen hit a three-pointer to give the Jumbos a two-point lead going into halftime, 42–40.

Though the Jumbos took the momentum into halftime, the second half seemed like a completely different game. Tufts shot 16-of-28 in the first half, but regressed to a 6-of-30 clip in the second. The Jumbos were 1-for-13 on 3-pointers in the second half, shooting from deep very early in the shot clock on several possessions.

Tufts coach Bob Sheldon noted some of the reasons for his team’s regression in the second half.

“Once things started to go south, we panicked,” Sheldon said. “We didn’t pass the ball as much. We took some shots we shouldn’t have taken. There was a lot of stuff that’s correctable.”

The first eight minutes of the second half saw a 24–5 run by the Engineers.

The Jumbos could not seem to hit their shots, especially from outside. WPI’s zone defense found success, and its defensive stops created fast break opportunities.

The final blow of the 19-point swing came on a 3-pointer from Reid.

While the Jumbos tried to fight back, they could not find the inside scoring success that propelled them in the first half. The offensive onslaught ended with the Engineers taking the game by 23 points. Sophomore forward Dakota Wheeler was an important part of WPI’s success in the second half, hitting several key 3-pointers. Wheeler ended the day with 14 points while hitting four of his six 3-point attempts for a strong game off of the bench.

Sheldon believes that his team has a lot of room to grow after the loss.

“We’re a very young team,” Sheldon said. “We started two [first-years] and three sophomores and we only have two juniors on the team. There’s going to be nights where we’re inconsistent. There’s going to be nights like that, so one of the things we have to work on as a team is being consistent.”

Tufts fell 98–92 to neighboring MIT on Nov. 20, before Thanksgiving break. Once again, Tufts held a narrow lead after the

first half. Its largest lead in the half was 12 after sophomore guard Brennan Morris sunk a 3-point shot with 3:27 to play in the first half. This lead narrowed to four as first-year guard Dan Pilsbury grabbed the defensive rebound and made a 3-pointer.

MIT’s improved field goal shooting in the second half — from 13-of-28 (46.4 percent) to 19-of-33 (57.6 percent) — allowed it to force overtime. MIT senior forward Tim Roberts put up five of MIT’s 12 points in the overtime period to seal victory for the home team.

On the weekend of Nov. 16–17, Tufts started its season out strongly with two wins at the RWU / Courtyard by Marriott Tournament. In contrast to its recent two games, Tufts trailed in the first half in both games at the tournament. On Nov. 17, Tufts recorded a 88–84 victory over hosts RWU. While Tufts trailed by three at the half, the team was able to put up 50 points in the second half to steal a victory. A Rogers’ jumpshot with 10:34 on the clock gave the visitors the lead, which it never relinquished. He led the way with 32 points and 17 rebounds, and also helped the Jumbos dominate the backboard with 46 rebounds compared to RWU’s 31. Tufts’ success from the free-throw line also gave the team an advantage, as the team was 20-of-28 (71.4 percent) compared to RWU’s 14-of-22 (63.6 percent).

A day earlier, Tufts made a winning start to its season, defeating Saint Joseph’s (Maine) 88–83. Tufts put up 51 points in the second half, improving its 3-point shooting, from 3-of-12 (25 percent) in the first half to 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) in the second period. Cohen impressed in his first collegiate game with team-highs of 22 points and four assists. Fellow first-year guard Tyler Aronson also put up 15 points of his own.

While the team is young, Rogers commended his first-year teammates for stepping into the starting lineup and producing. “[The first-years] have been unbelievable,” Rogers said. “They’ve really stepped up, and they’re coming into some pretty difficult roles. Our team has a lot of big shoes to fill, and they’ve come in and kept their heads on.”

The Jumbos graduated six standout seniors last year, so production from firstyears and sophomores will be important for the team’s success. Tufts will travel to Babson for the New England Big 4 Challenge Saturday. Babson, Brandeis and Salem State will also take part in the fourteam tournament.

Squash teams sweep first two NESCAC matches, men fall to Harvard 8–1

by Jason Schwartz Staff Writer

Tufts’ men’s and women’s squash teams played their first slate of matches in the 2018–19 season before the recent Thanksgiving break. Both teams turned in impressive performances, crushing NESCAC rivals Wesleyan and Colby. After returning to campus, however, the men’s side was walloped by Harvard.

Men’s squash On Wednesday, No. 23 Tufts fell 8–1 to No. 2 Harvard. The Jumbos’ sole win came from sophomore Salik Awan, who defeated his opponent, senior Varoun Galati, 3–2 in a thrilling match in the

ninth position. Down 2–1 after three sets, Awan fought back to win the last two sets, 11–8, 11–8. The loss dropped Tufts to 2–1 on the season, while Harvard improved to 2–0.

On Nov. 18, the then-No. 27 Jumbos defeated the then-No. 23 Colby Mules 5–4 for their second win in as many days, overcoming losses from their top two players, junior Raghav Kumar and first-year Konrad LaDow. Senior Alan Litman put on an impressive show against junior Jason Brodo in the fifth position, winning the first game 11–6.

After Brodo responded with 11–9 and 11–7 victories in the second and third sets, Litman responded well with backto-back 11–6 wins to close out the match.

Playing in the third position, first-year Marco Rodriguez fought for a well-earned win. Despite losing the first set 11–9, the Bryn Mawr, Pa. native took three straight (11–1, 11–4, 11–9) to wrap up the win over first-year Alex Kurtin. Senior co-captain Brett Raskopf and Awan swept their matches in the eighth and ninth spots, respectively, to clinch the Jumbos’ victory.

“Colby historically had beaten us pretty easily, and they are ranked four or five spots above us, so it was good for us to beat them 5–4,” Raskopf said. “It was an interesting match because we were up 5–1 and then they took the last three matches, so it ended up being a lot closer than it felt.”

The team took down another conference opponent, No. 31 Wesleyan, the day

before in its first match of the season. Kumar defeated sophomore Sean Choi in a close four-setter (12–10, 11–5, 8–11, 13–11) in the top position, and Litman eviscerated senior Peter DeLalio in straight sets to key the Jumbos’ 8–1 win. Meanwhile, Rodriguez made a shining collegiate debut, beating senior co-captain Josh Lane 11–9, 11–5, 11–4, and Raskopf took an 11–5, 11–1, 11–6 victory in the eighth spot. Raskopf gave credit to Kumar for his impressive win, which was crucial to the Jumbos’ success.

“Shout out to Raghav Kumar, who played the No. 1 match,” Raskopf said. “It was a really, really tight match. He came out from the exhibition court and was see SQUASH, page 7