The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

TUFTS TRACK AND FIELD

Students build confidence and muscle with TSR Fitness see FEATURES / PAGE 3

Jumbos set personal records before New England Championships

Nellie’s Wildflowers delivers bouquets, customer service see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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VOLUME LXXV, ISSUE 14

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T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Tufts introduces Center, pre-orientation program for firstgeneration students

by Stephanie Hoechst Contributing Writer

Next fall, Tufts will be implementing two new resources for low-income, undocumented and first-generation students: a first-generation center, called the F1rst Center, located at 20 Professors Row, and a new pre-orientation program called BEAST (Building Engagement and Access for Students at Tufts). The Office for Student Success and Advising (OSSA) has been working with student communities to implement these changes, according to Robert Mack, associate dean for Student Success and Advising, and Shannon Lee, diversity and community affairs 0fficer for the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate.

The center is meant to serve as a meeting place for anyone who identifies as a first-generation, low-income or undocumented student, according to Mack. This includes members of the First-Generation College Student Council and the organizations it oversees, such as Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts (BLAST), Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts (BEST) and QuestBridge Scholars,

according to Bizaye Banjaw, a first-year and co-president of the First Generation College Student Council.

“Right now, what is lacking from the first-generation college students’ community is a place to gather and a place to call home on campus,” Lee said.

Mack, the principal force behind these changes, explains that the center is meant to be an open, welcoming space for anyone to use.

“It wouldn’t be a space exclusively for [BLAST or BEST]. It’s a space for the community, and members of these programs would be welcome to use the space,” he explained.

Student Success Advisor Jared Smith agrees.

“If you identify, you’re more than welcome to take part in the resources,” he said.

According to First Generation College Student Council Co-Presidents Shahjada (“Prince”) Islam and Banjaw, the FirstGeneration College Student Council has been holding “hangouts” open to students who identify as first-generation once every two weeks with food and music.

Islam and Banjaw expressed excitement for finally having a place to hold meet-

Sorority recruitment declared informal, sophomore-only this semester

ANIKA AGARWAL / THE TUFTS DAILY

Prince Islam and Bizaye Banjaw, co-presidents of the First-Generation Student Council, pose for a photo together in the Women’s Center during one of their bi-weekly First-Gen Hangouts. ings. According to Islam, a sophomore, the number of students attending has been increasing in part, he believes, because of the announcement of a new center. Banjaw expressed excitement at finally having a purposeful space where first-generation students can gather.

The OSSA is also in the process of developing BEAST, a new pre-orientation pro-

SMFA shuttle system adds new vans to SMFA, Beacon Street

by Minna Trinh

Assistant News Editor

by Shantel Bartolome Contributing Writer

Tufts Panhellenic Council (Panhel) and the Tufts administration have announced plans for informal sorority recruitment to take place in the spring and for formal sorority recruitment to take place next fall. Current sophomores, juniors and seniors, but not first-years, are eligible for sorority recruitment, according to Erika Batiz and Celia Johnston, co-directors of recruitment for the Panhel.

Su McGlone, Director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, explained that closing recruitment to firstyears would encourage them to become more acquainted with Tufts before joining a sorority.

“By moving to sophomore eligibility, we are shifting the primary recruitment to the Fall,” she told the Daily in an email. “First year students are still welcome to get to know all of the sororities on campus. One of the really positive things about the shift in the recruitment cycle is that it will give students more time to get to know Tufts and to figure out what they are looking for before deciding to join a specific organization.”

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Chi Omega on Saturday, Sep. 26, 2015.

Abbie Gantner, a senior and the president of the Panhel, explained that in the previous formal recruitment system, a potential new member would visit each of the chapters and get to know them all over the course of a few consecutive evenings.

“All chapters would be participating [in formal recruitment],” she explained. “With the current informal system, it’s only the chapters that are choosing to participate.”

Johnston, a senior, explained that, though sororities still must abide by national regulations, informal recruitment grants chapters more individual freedom. see SORORITY RECRUITMENT, page 2

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gram meant to help students navigate the transition to college. According to Mack, BEAST will be a four-day program that lines up with many of the other pre-orientation programs.

Mack explained that the program will help prepare students to manage their financial responsibilities in college. see FIRST-GENERATION, page 2

The Department of Public and Environmental Safety’s Administrative Services office has expanded the transportation system between the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts and the Medford/Somerville campus this semester, according to Dean of the SMFA Nancy Bauer. Three new vans now travel between the Medford/Somerville campus and the SMFA’s campus in Fenway. Bauer explained that the vans take a different route than the shuttle buses, resulting in a shorter trip.

“The smaller vans can go on Storrow Drive, and that cuts the amount of time that it takes to go back and forth because that is by far the most direct route,” she added. “The vans are almost always faster than the buses … so that’s a game-changer.”

Bauer explained that the shuttle buses used in the past took longer because they were required to take a traffic-congested route. “[The buses] cannot go on Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive, which are the two roads that are lined up along the Charles River [because] they do not allow vehicles over a cer-

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tain size to go under the bridge,” Bauer said. “[The shuttles] would take a route that went through Somerville, East Cambridge, and then Massachusetts Avenue … to the SMFA, which slows it down [due to] the Boston traffic.”

Bauer said she had determined that the shuttle system in place at the end of last semester had not met students’ needs and stressed that increasing accessibility between the campuses is a a priority.

“We understand the importance of students’ being able to reliably get to and back and forth between the Medford/Somerville and SMFA campuses,” Bauer said.

She also shared that students’ opinions are important in terms of increasing transportation accessibility.

“We have worked with Tufts’ [Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation] to develop a survey for our students so that we can understand their needs and adjust the bus system accordingly,” Bauer said. “We want to make sure that we are using the buses in the best possible way.”

Eleanor Sultana, an SMFA-Tufts combined-degree student, said that although she still has trouble traveling between camsee SHUTTLE, page 2

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

COMICS.......................................8 OPINION.....................................9 SPORTS............................ BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, February 14, 2018

THE TUFTS DAILY Catherine Perloff Editor-in-Chief

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Office of Student Success and Advising develops support programs for first-generation students FIRST-GENERATION

continued from page 1 “It’ll give us a chance to help those students navigate what’s ahead for them in terms of the financial cost … for them to transition to Tufts and feel like they can navigate that space,” he stated. “[It will also help] build communities, connect them through services and other people on campus, and hopefully just … have a lot of fun.”

While the program is meant to be an option for incoming first-generation students, it will be open to anyone who feels as though they would benefit from the program’s prioritization of engagement and access, Mack explained.

Mack said that he and the OSSA want to make sure that students are involved in the development of these resources as well.

In January, Mack held a meeting with Lee, Islam, Banjaw and other members of the

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first-generation community to gather student input on the new resources.

“The reason we pulled together a group of students is to help inform the center and the [pre-orientation] as we move forward,” Mack said. “We really want this to be from the students and a space for them, and really have their input and their contributions.”

Lee said student input helped the OSSA determine how BEAST should build students’ financial skills, but also how the program can serve as a fun introduction to life at Tufts.

“In that meeting … we talked about how it needs to be fun, like exploring Boston, exploring Tufts,” she said.

“We made the analogy to GO [Global Orientation] or SQUAD [Students’ Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora], where we’re doing fun activities. It’s not all just, ‘How do you fill out these really complicated forms?’ but also, ‘How can we have fun in a community like this?’”

Lee also stressed that these are not TCU Senate initiatives. She emphasized that the OSSA, and especially Mack, have been making it the university’s priority to provide first-generation students with these resources.

“Dean Mack told me in one of our meetings that the reason he’s making it a priority is because it’s often on the backs and burden of students of color and students with marginalized identities to make these policy changes happen, and he wanted to change that,” Lee said.

Mack confirmed this sentiment, explaining that he wanted to show students that the university supports them.

“Historically, a lot of the things that have caused change here at the university has come from activism and student demands and students really putting in a lot of time,” he said. “I really wanted to see our office work with our student administration to make that happen so … they could have the space, but not have to work to get it.”

Sorority leaders share their plans for sophomore-only recruitment this semester SORORITY RECRUITMENT

continued from page 1 “Informal recruitment … [is] completely governed by each individual chapter who’s conducting it, so it’s up to their recruitment chairs … [and] recruitment teams what they want to do,” she said.

Batiz, a senior, added that similar rules apply to both styles of recruitment and that Tufts’ administration has imposed restrictions on both.

“You still have to play by the same set of rules in the informal recruitment cycle that you do in the formal recruitment cycle, like a budget or the timeline that the [Tufts’] administration has implemented,” she explained.

Whether sororities decide to host sorority spring recruitment is determined by chapter size, Gantner explained.

“This year, sororities are able to do informal recruitment if their chapter is a significantly smaller size than the largest chapter on campus,” she said.

Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta) will not be hosting informal sorority spring recruitment this year because it is the largest chapter on campus, according to Dana Popky, chief recruiting officer for Theta.

Popky, a sophomore, said that the shift to sophomore eligibility has both positive and negative aspects.

“It’ll be sad that [first-years] won’t have that opportunity, but at the same time, they’ll know a lot more about Tufts and

know a lot more about themselves [before joining],” she said.

Chi Omega will be holding informal sorority spring recruitment this year, according to the sorority’s president, Camille Jackson. Jackson, a sophomore, explained that this year’s recruitment events would follow a similar structure to those in past years.

“We will still closely follow the same format as our past fall recruitments in order to increase opportunity, transparency, and fairness! We will be having three themed events at the house!” she told the Daily in an email.

According to Jackson, Chi Omega’s first recruitment event, “Brunch with Chi O,” was held on Saturday morning; the second event,“Chi-O-Lympics,” will be tomorrow evening; and the final event will be next Monday with the theme “ChiOchella.”

According to Alpha Phi president Rachel Perry, Alpha Phi will also be participating in informal recruitment this semester.

“We are still crafting exactly what the process will look like, but we will be starting with an open house for any interested students to come and learn more,” Perry told the Daily in an email.

The sorority’s Facebook page has posted an open house event scheduled for Feb. 20.

By implementing sophomore eligibility and moving the formal recruitment process to the fall, Tufts administration and Panhel hope to focus more on policy reforms and community outreach.

Sacha Thompson, chief executive officer of Theta, explained that sororities will focus more on new member education this semester.

“We’ve introduced new member education, which talks about leadership, hazing, alcohol … sexual harassment and how to deal with all those issues,” Thompson, a sophomore, said.

Popky said that education is vital for new members who might enter Greek life without a background on these problems.

“I think having that education is really vital [for new members] because one of the biggest critiques of Greek life on campus is that these members go into the sororities or frats and don’t know enough about these problems … so I think having this new member education workshops is beneficial to them, so if ever a problem does arise, they know how to deal with it,” Popky added.

Panhel also hopes to practice more inclusivity and accessibility, according to Gantner.

“We are … spending a lot of time this semester, planning and organizing a lot of events – educational and community-service based – that will benefit and are open to the entire Tufts community,” Gantner said. “[We are] looking to use [the Panhellenic Council] as a platform for female empowerment and building a strong Greek and Tufts community that work together.

Administrative Services implements changes to shuttle system SHUTTLE

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continued from page 1 puses, she acknowledges that the vans have been helpful.

“There was one time when I got out of class early around four (class ends at five and a shuttle comes at 5:15) and I looked out the window around 4:10 and there was a van there, so I took it then,” Sultana, a first-year, told the Daily in an electronic message.

First-year Priya Skelly, another combined degree student, explained that she has not relied on the vans as often as she would have liked. Instead, she would take the MBTA subway or wait for the next shuttle.

“I would love to be able to say that the vans have made it easier to travel between campuses, but in reality, they have not,” Skelly told the Daily in an electronic message. “If there was a schedule … for the vans, I would definitely use them.”

According to an email Student Life sent out to the Tufts community on Jan. 18 on

behalf of Transportation Services and Student Affairs, GPS trackers would be added to the vans the following week. The email stated that students should use the GPS tracker on the Tufts Mobile app, since stops will not be timed. Vans would take approximately 35 minutes to travel between campuses, the email stated. Bauer explained that there is now no schedule for buses, which run on a continuous loop.

The email also stated that there have been no changes to the main shuttle and the Saturday class shuttle.

Transportation and fleet manager Andrea Breault also explained that an extra van was added to travel between the SMFA and the SMFA dormitory at 1047 Beacon Street.

“An extra van was added [to Beacon Street] because that is where a population of SMFA undergraduates live. It is housing that Tufts temporarily leased,” she told the Daily in an email.

Breault also explained that these alterations to the shuttle system

ALEXIS SERINO / THE TUFTS DAILY

An SMFA shuttle pictured outside of Granoff Music Center on April 11, 2017. could encourage students who live on the Medford/Somerville campus to take classes at the SMFA. “It can … encourage students to take a variety of classes that they may have not otherwise, due to transportation restrictions,” she said.

Seohyun Shim contributed reporting to this article.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Features

TSR Fitness offers space for inclusive, studentled group workouts

3 tuftsdaily.com

Derek Castle R.E.A.L Talk

The path to Tufts can be a long one

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EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts Student Resources holds a dance event in Hill Hall on Feb. 13.

by Kevin Doherty Contributing Writer

Every new year brings in a wave of resolutions to go to the gym and get into shape. However, the gym can be an intimidating place and SoulCycle classes can get expensive. For students on the Tufts campus, there is a more convenient alternative: TSR Fitness.

An entirely student-run program, TSR Fitness offers students a variety of group workout classes, ranging from Zumba to kickboxing. It functions under the umbrella of Tufts Student Resources (TSR), a non-profit, student-run business organization perhaps best known for providing microfridge rentals, according to TSR’s website.

This spring, TSR Fitness classes are conducted Monday through Thursday in the Hill Hall aerobics room. Students can drop in on a single class for five dollars each, or they can purchase a 5 Class Pass for $20, unlimited sessions of a single class for $40 or the unlimited package for $125, according to the website.

Earlier, TSR Fitness held its biannual Free Week from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, giving students a chance to try out classes before making a financial commitment, according to its Facebook event.

“One of my friends recommended it and it was free so I decided to try it out,” Ella Brady, a sophomore, said.

Sophomore Sarah Wagner liked the idea of working out in a group setting and decided to attend a kickboxing class during Free Week, after learning about it from a post in the Class of 2020 Facebook group. Now, she attends the class every week.

“I’m way more motivated to work out when someone’s telling me what to do, so I thought I’d give it a shot,” Wagner said. “I did the kickboxing class and it was really fun.”

For current student instructors and seniors Flora Sugarman and Jonah

Tanguay-Colucci, attending a Free Week class in their first semester at Tufts gave them a good first taste of what it is like to participate in and lead a group workout.

Tanguay-Colucci tells the Daily that in order to become eligible to teach TSR Fitness classes, prospective student instructors go through an application process where they answer a few basic questions about relevant experience and certifications, then conduct a 10- to 15-minute sample class.

“You can get hundreds of different certifications from hundreds of different places online, so the sample class really shows whether or not you can actually teach. Personality and experience matter,” he said.

Tanguay-Colucci, who is teaching Pilates this semester, studied ballet pre-professionally in high school, which led to long hours spent working out and staying fit. Along the way, he started teaching some classes and loved it.

Sugarman, who is leading kickboxing classes this semester, shared that she competed as a synchronized ice-skater from age seven all through high school, even becoming a part of Team USA for her last two years of high school. She described that she needed full-body strength in order to succeed as an ice skater, which led to her taking fitness classes all throughout her life.

Sugarman noted the ease with which teaching TSR Fitness classes fit into her schedule, in contrast to her previous schedule as a competitive ice skater.

“It’s just two hours a week and I would be working out anyway,” Sugarman said.

Both Brady and Wagner found the student-led aspect of the classes to be attractive. However, Brady mentioned that taking classes in a group can go one of two ways: The group can empower oneself and one’s feelings about their own body, or it can be intimidating.

Sugarman said that as an instructor, she strives to create a space where students can feel comfortable working out in a group.

“I actually got the best compliment I’ve ever gotten last week, when someone came up to me after my class and said that they’re usually really embarrassed to work out in a group, but she was completely comfortable and happy in my class,” Sugarman said.

Wagner appreciated the mix of people who attend these fitness classes as well.

“There are people who are super fit and others who are just trying to get in shape,” Wagner said. “Everyone’s there just to have fun and feel confident which is a cool vibe.

Sugarman shared that she avoids emphasizing how people look and instead focuses on how people feel in her classes.

“I try not to do any of that … ‘Let’s try to work to get that summer bod!’ kind of thing. I try to keep it more about feeling strong,” Sugarman said. “That’s what I like most about fitness, I just like feeling strong and confident.”

Brady shared that this welcoming environment makes TSR Fitness classes something that she wants to continue attending.

“I plan on coming back at some point this semester. It was a lot of fun and I liked the challenge,” Brady said.

Though Free Week is in the past, TSR Fitness plans on holding more free events throughout the semester.

According to Sugarman, one such event in the works is a Women’s Night at the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, which aims to make the gym available and accessible to everyone.

Sugarman added that students can look forward to another Free Week during finals week, which she hopes will give students an opportunity to get moving during that stressful period.

“If I didn’t work out, I’d just be this ball of tension all the time.” Sugarman said.

am a R.E.A.L. student. I’ve been confused with professors, graduate students and TAs more often than I can count. I am well over the minimum age of twenty-four and currently one of the oldest R.E.A.L. students. My story is not the same as others in the program, but it is similar. My path back to school was long and hard. My time at Tufts has been a struggle, but it is one I do not regret.

I graduated from Medford High School before many traditional-age students here at Tufts were born. In my senior year, I applied to Tufts but was rejected. I was not a good student in high school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and some days even now, I still don’t. I enrolled in UMass Amherst because I was “supposed” to go to school. That was not the path I was meant to take.

My first semester was awful. I was put on academic probation even before my second semester. In an attempt to figure out what I wanted to do, I planned on taking a year off to work full-time in retail before returning to school. That did not happen either.

I hated working in retail but I liked the independence of having a job and paying my own way. I left retail and took a chance on a job that would allow me to travel — I became a flight attendant.

I was flying on Sept. 11. I saw the definition of terrorism change. I was about as close as you could get without physically being there. I continued flying for ten more years. I was scared knowing that a terrorist attack could happen on any flight, including my own, but I was seeing the world. I would never have another chance like that again.

Years later, I left the airline and took on an office job, because I wanted something more stable. I interviewed at many places and was turned down time after time. Finally, someone told me that it was because I didn’t have a degree. I needed a degree to get to where I wanted to be.

I went back to school. I attended Bunker Hill Community College full time while also working full time. For two and a half years, I wrote papers at midnight and company policies at noon. After I graduated with my associate’s degree, I applied to Tufts on a whim. I never expected to get in. Even if I did, how was I going to afford it? But I was accepted and received financial aid, so I quit my job.

Coming to Tufts was one of the best things that I have ever done. It was also one of the hardest things I have ever done. I went from straight As in community college to hoping I would not fail at Tufts. Somehow, I managed to succeed and I am now completing my final semester here.

It was a long road and a complicated path, but one that was necessary for me to be where I am today. I would never suggest that someone else follow my path, but I will say that it’s never too late for a dream to come true.

Derek Castle is a staff writer at the Daily.

He is a senior majoring in English. Derek can be reached at Derek.Castle@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Wednesday, February 14, 2018

tuftsdaily.com

ARTS&LIVING

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Iconic moments, much more to come in season 3 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars’

DVSROSS / FLICKR

by Jack Ronan Arts Editor

It’s the best time of year: All Stars Season! We’re three episodes in, and with Thorgy and Milk (mercifully) gone — oh, and Morgan too — it’s time to look back at this season’s most iconic moments so far.

Best moments Shangela’s corn outfit: Well, Halleloo!

Ever since Shangela emerged from a bright blue Tiffany box for the season’s workroom entrance, she’s been sailing gracefully through the competition with positive critiques from the judges. After her over-the-top diva impersonation of Mariah for the second episode’s challenge, the Daenerys Targaryen of drag struggled to shine in comparison to DeLa and Kennedy in the third episode’s Bachelor

spoof, the B*tchelor. But Shangela redefined the vegetable kingdom Thursday night with her stunning, leafy, corn-inspired gown. The category was “Wings on Wigs on Wigs” (see: Roxxxy Andrews’ season five lip sync to “Whip my Hair”), so, obviously, Shangela ripped off her Miss Chiquita-esque headpiece to reveal a bright green wig studded with popcorn.

I recommend that everyone take a look at Kim Chi’s Twitter page to see the popcorn wig transplanted onto all of her season eight runway looks.

BenDeLaCreme’s well… everything: We’re three episodes in, and the Seattle native is a three-time winner. DeLa has been a fan favorite since her successful, although pretty tame, run on season six, but who imagined she would slay the competition as effortlessly as she has? DeLa has had everyone in this reviewer’s living room scream-

ing all season, whether it was her campy Julie Andrews rendition for Diva week or her hysterical “cougar” character for the B*tchelor. It was cackle-worthy when she stumbled out of the limo with a short, blonde “Can I Speak to the Manager” wig, a gargantuan breast plate and a tiny, tight pink dress that matched the martini sloshing in her hand. Bebe Zahara Benet’s virgin impersonation tanked in comparison to DeLa’s raunchy and way-too-vivid flirting with B*tchelor guest star Jeffrey BowyerChapman. Her lip sync of “Anaconda” against Aja in the first episode was so good that her lackluster performance of “Green Light” is completely forgivable. It’s almost like she’s gotten bored of winning?

Trixie tweeted it best: Everyone’s favorite TV show right now is “BenDeLaCreme’s Drag Race.” see DRAG RACE, page 7

Davis shop Nellie’s Wildflowers flourishes amidst economic climate change

by Cassidy Olsen Arts Editor

If one were to ask the average Somerville resident under 40 to describe Davis Square, words like “trendy,” “busy” and “expensive” would be used before anything else. Although there’s no contesting the neighborhood’s current status as certifiably hip, 59-yearold Joyce McKenzie of Nellie’s Wildflowers remembers a not-so-distant time when the local business landscape was dramatically different. When seeking a storefront for her flower shop, which opened its doors in April 1990, the Somerville native chose the inconspicuous spot at 72 Holland St. simply because rent was cheap.

“When we opened here, it was a very depressed area,” McKenzie said. “Davis Square was not even close to what it is now.

Most of the small businesses were actually closing and moving out.”

Loretta Hight, another Somerville native and six-year employee of Nellie’s, chimed in, “All there was in the square was the movie theater!”

Located just past the Davis Square entrance to the Red Line, opposite the street from Dave’s Fresh Pasta, the Nellie’s Wildflowers of today offers loose-cut bouquets starting at $5 up to large arrangements for weddings and funerals that approach $400. McKenzie hand-picks her flowers from markets in Boston and Chelsea, and in summers has them sourced directly

from Halstead Farm in Fitchburg, Mass. The store even offers delivery for arrangements over $50 and is an altogether affordable option for most looking to buy flowers in the area.

But offering fresh bouquets at a reasonable price isn’t enough to keep the doors open, not in 2018.

“Flower shops are closing more often than they’re opening,” McKenzie said. “The whole landscape has changed because of the internet.”

As the demographics of those who live and work around the flower shop have gotten wealthier, younger and busier in its 28 years, the internet and the rise of e-commerce have see NELLIE'S WILDFLOWERS, page 7

tuftsdaily.com

Christopher Panella A Column From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

A

Peppermint, a contestant during Season 9 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ is pictured at RuPaul’s Dragcon 2017.

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Episode 2

s I mentioned last week, I spent the past month defending the latest “Star Wars” installment, “The Last Jedi” (2017), from trolls both online and in real life.

Like most fans, I saw “The Last Jedi” in December. On my first viewing, I was far from angry or upset at the film or its director, Rian Johnson. In fact, I loved it. I appreciated the twist it brought to the 40-year-old franchise. I praised the character development, the storytelling and the reality it brought to the sequel trilogy.

Of course, not everyone agrees with me. So, I have decided to jump to hyperspace and defend my opinions on the film. If you haven’t seen “The Last Jedi,” first of all, how dare you? Second, spoiler alert!

As of now, I’ve seen “The Last Jedi” seven times. I plan on seeing it a few more times, whether that be illegally online (sorry, FBI) or when it comes out on DVD. I saw “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015) 10 times during its theatrical run. It got better every time I saw it. My admiration for the story and characters (especially Rey) grew each time.

The same thing has happened for me with “The Last Jedi.” In my opinion, like a fine wine, a fine film ages with each viewing.

Much of the controversy surrounding “The Last Jedi” has been surrounding Luke Skywalker’s death. Personally, I love Luke. I understand the anger over how his role in the film was handled. Despite this, there’s no denying that a change to the sequel trilogy was necessary. “The Force Awakens,” despite its merits, was far too similar to “A New Hope” (1977). The plot needed a major upending to give the trilogy some original storylines. Johnson shook up the story, a far more commendable action than simply playing it safe.

Rey’s parents being nobodies doesn’t make her character any less compelling.

If anything, it makes her more likely to forge her own path in Episode IX. The Resistance being hunted to the point where the entire movement can fit aboard the Millennium Falcon is heart-wrenching but important. The Canto Bight scene may have been uncomfortably reminiscent of the prequels in its overuse of CGI and comic relief for some reviewers, but it showcased vital everyday glimpses of people living their lives (both nobly and ignobly) in a galaxy ravaged by war.

Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) sacrificing herself was one of the film’s most powerful scenes, but it also reminded us of the countless heroes beyond the stars of the series who give their lives for the greater good. “The Last Jedi” tells the stories of characters who are in the midst of war and don’t make it out alive. That’s haunting, but it’s reality. It brings a new urgency and relevance to the sequel films. They aren’t necessarily about lore or Jedi mind tricks; they’re about real war and people sacrificing themselves for something bigger: hope.

Christopher Panella is a first-year majoring in film and media studies. Christopher can be reached at christopher.panella@ tufts.edu.

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A rts & L iving

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

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There is still much to look forward to in season 3 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars' DRAG RACE

continued from page 5 Aja’s death drop: Starting with her Olympic-tier death leap during the first episode’s variety show main stage challenge, Aja has been a standout queen this season. “Is she gonna jump from there?” has become the meme of the season, and her leap might be the most iconic death drop since Laganja’s season six workroom entrance. She ended up in the bottom three because of her dull impersonation of “the needy girl” on the B*tchelor, but her stunning anime-inspired runway look during the third episode kept her in the competition. After her astounding lip sync of “Anaconda” (2014) against DeLa, joining the jump split Hall of Fame alongside Kennedy and Katya’s lip sync of “Roar” (2013) and many others, there are high expectations for Aja going forward.

Kennedy’s moment of revenge: Most “Drag Race” viewers were definitely glad to see Milk go. Her whiny fit in epi-

sode two in response to being ruled safe, instead of being in the top three, reeked of entitlement, especially given that her Celine Dion look, well, didn’t really look like the French Canadian chanteuse.

Then, she completely dismissed Kennedy Davenport’s drag after Thorgy’s elimination, telling her that her drag wasn’t at the “all star level.” But Kennedy’s bird-to-egg couture was real artistry, and her towering headpiece during the first episode’s workroom entrance was certainly memorable.

The Dancing Diva of Dallas has proven over and over that she’s more than just a pageant girl, which is why it felt so good when Kennedy won her lip sync against DeLa and eliminated Milk from the competition. Backstage smack talk is the best, but you have to have the talent to back it up, and clearly Milk miscalculated the strength of her drag.

What to look forward to: Snatch game: Snatch game is coming back this week, and we’re all looking forward to what this cast of queens can

bring to what is arguably Drag Race’s most important mainstage challenge. Kennedy is set to be a strong contender on the celebrity impersonation game, since her season seven appearance as Little Richard was one of the best in the show’s herstory.

And then there’s DeLa, whose season six take on Maggie Smith was the Downton Abbey (2010–2015) impersonation we never knew we needed. Maybe one of the queens would like to take on one of the wacky characters we have in the executive branch right now?

excited to see how Trixie is going to step it up going forward. And then there’s Chi Chi DeVayne, the self-proclaimed bayou princess, but much like with her run on season eight, this season needs more from the Louisiana queen. She definitely didn’t shine as Shangela’s polyamorous counterpart in the B*tchelor, but she was a disco-inspired goddess on the runway right afterwards. There’s a good chance that Chi Chi will really own the snatch game, since her impersonation of Eartha Kitt on season eight was so hysterical.

More from Chi Chi and Trixie: Trixie is easily this season’s fan favorite, but the Queen of Wisconsin’s performances during these three episodes haven’t lived up to the hype. Her Lady Bunny-inspired runway look for Wigs on Wigs on Wigs was phenomenal, and her Ja’mie-inspired “fake b****” character on the B*tchelor was spot on, but Trixie has played it too safe so far this season. As she said, in the “four fake brick walls” of the workroom, “you’re garbage until proven otherwise,” and we’re all

Nancy Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi, coming off last week’s eight-hour filibuster to extend a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, is set to be a guest judge sometime this season. This might just be a stale Democratic politician trying to hit it off with a young, queer audience, but it’s hard not being excited about such a high-profile figure seated next to Ru and Michelle at the judge’s table.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on VH1.

'Nellie's Wildflowers' flourishes through its customer service, positive relationships NELLIE'S WILDFLOWERS

continued from page 5 also made it more challenging to attract customers. When sites like FTD, 1-800 Flowers and Bouqs can promise next-day delivery on last-minute bouquets for anniversaries and holidays, how can a three-employee shop like Nellie’s compete?

It comes down to good-old-fashioned customer service.

Named in honor of McKenzie’s late maternal grandmother, a Scottish immigrant with a green thumb and an eye for design, Nellie’s promises this sense of family and history from the moment a customer walks through their door. McKenzie takes pains to learn every regular customer’s name, even though the shop receives a tremendous amount of foot traffic from commuters and sees new visitors almost daily. She prides herself on building relationships with her customers, and she’ll

stop what she’s doing to arrange a $5 bouquet for someone who doesn’t know a peony from a daffodil.

The Nellie’s Wildflowers Facebook page, with its perfect five-star average rating, is a microcosm of this warm, familial ecosystem. There, customers new and old gush about their love for McKenzie, her staff and their work.

“If you are looking for something unique and beautiful, Joyce is the person you want to contact,” one reviewer exclaimed.

Another, Salem State University graduate student Yasi Abdolmohammadi, explained that she used to live in Davis Square and would regularly bring her own Mason jar in for a small bouquet. She still travels back on occasion, just to visit McKenzie and pick up some flowers.

“The staff is so pleasant, and the environment is so welcoming,” Abdolmohammadi

told the Daily in an email. “My visits to Nellie’s are what I miss the most about living in Davis.”

McKenzie feels that this face-to-face quality is what gives Nellie’s an edge over huge e-commerce flower sites.

“We can’t compete with online purveyors, we just can’t,” she said. “We need to be all about the service.”

According to Hight, the positive relationships they’ve built at Nellie’s go beyond those with individuals, and extend to other local businesses like George L. Doherty’s Funeral Service. In order to accommodate the large number of walk-in visitors and “interruptions” to a day of arranging, Nellie’s has scaled back their arrangements for events and private functions, but Doherty’s continues to act like a partner, recommending Nellie’s to those mourning loved ones.

With fewer flower shops in Davis now than in the early days of Nellie’s business, local competition is not a major concern to McKenzie. Rather, other flower and gift shops in the area have also built reciprocal relationships with Nellie’s, with each recommending business to the other depending on a customer’s needs.

“We know the girls in the square that have gift shops and great cards,” Hight explained.

“It’s a great community, so we try to send business to each other. There are a lot of small, women-owned businesses that have supported us, and we want to do the same.”

McKenzie, a nursing college dropout, doesn’t regret any part of the journey that brought her to Nellie’s.

“You’re not going to make a million dollars, but it’s a love,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and I still love what I do. That makes me happy.”

VIA GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE CAPTURE

Flower arrangements in Nellie’s Wildflowers pictured in September 2010.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Comics

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Hannah: “Her professor’s daughter was waxing her vagina.”

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Feb 12 01:40:57 2018 GMT. Enjoy!

Tuesday’s Solution

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NON SEQUITUR

BY WILEY MILLER

CROSSWORD

Tuesday’s Solution

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Opinion OP-ED

TUPD brings ‘Deadly Exchange’ to Tufts

by Tufts SJP The predictable silence of a quiet street at two o’clock in the morning was broken when an armored SWAT vehicle arrived on the block. Without a search warrant, the SWAT team broke into a house, threw flash grenades into a child’s playpen, and changed a family’s life forever. This story from Cornelia, Georgia repeats itself thousands of miles away: NFight raids like these are also commonplace in Palestinian villages.

One specific night raid, and subsequent military detention and denial of bail, has garnered massive international scrutiny. As this is written, Ahed Tamimi is held in Israeli prison where she has been for months. A few weeks ago, she celebrated her 17th birthday behind bars. Ahed has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance, fighting for justice in her homeland since she was a young child. Her detention and military court trial exemplify the institutional discrimination of Palestinian activists and Israel’s violations of international human rights for children.

These frequent night raids are examples of what Israel considers “counter-terrorism” measures. And despite attempts to justify their violent methods, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have a well-documented history of human rights violations. Extrajudicial killings, torture (including of children), suppression of freedom of expression/association (including through government surveillance), and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters are a few of the many examples.

We have seen this before in the U.S.: Under the guise of security and counterterrorism, state violence and racially-targeted surveillance persist as law enforcement continues to increase its militarization. In the U.S., the Patriot Act allows the government to arbitrarily surveil and target citizens as suspects, often conducting home searches without notifying homeowners. Just last week, news broke that the Boston Police Department has been using social media surveillance to target African-Americans and Muslims by monitoring hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and “Arabic terms colloquially used by Muslims,” according to an ACLU of Massachusetts report.

The militarization of police is a reality on college campuses, too. Just last year, the Tufts Observer reported that the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) has used unmarked vehicles. This fits in line with TUPD’s history of surveillance, racial profiling, and increased security at events hosted by black student groups, as reported in the same article. Additionally, TUPD officers are increasingly armed and trained with semi-automatic weapons, continually showing that militarized policing and the surveillance of students are commonplace on this campus and acceptable to the administration.

In a disappointing, yet predictable, move, Tufts has recently demonstrated its stance on issues of militarized policing by sending Kevin Maguire, who oversees the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD), to a seminar in Israel, along with a delegation of other Massachusetts officers. Details about the trip were largely suppressed; the only

specifics were that attendees would participate in a “counter-terrorism seminar” – a weighted label carrying implicit statements of its own. In the past, it has been reported that trips of this kind allow participants to exchange knowledge of and resources for surveillance technology, technology for military checkpoints, weapons, methods of racial profiling, and suppression of social justice movements. By participating in this seminar, named by organization Jewish Voice for Peace and known widely as the “Deadly Exchange,” TUPD engages the racialized categorization of black and brown people as “terrorists” and enemies of the state. In this way, TUPD condones the same logic used by Israeli Defense Forces to justify night raids and the many other violent tactics of “counter-terrorism” against Palestinians.

Tufts’ decision was predictable in light of its history of consistently siding with pro-Israel voices in the past, despite claiming an apolitical stance. After the successful passing of a resolution urging Tufts to divest from companies complicit in the violent maintenance of the occupation, the Tufts Board of Trustees dispersed a university-wide email noting that “Tufts University should not take institutional positions on matters of politics and public affairs unless they relate directly to our core academic mission.” Tufts President Tony Monaco also noted that “Tufts University does not adopt institutional positions with respect to specific geo-political issues.” However, our resolution was itself a reminder that investments are political

choices. Tufts continues to directly contradict its message, most recently through this exchange trip, which has the intended purpose for U.S. law enforcement “to learn lessons from Israel in terms of tactics and strategies and the evolution of terrorism, but also examples of leadership.” David C. Friedman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, even observed that law enforcement “come back and they are Zionists.”

Tufts’ involvement in this exchange trip is inherently political and inexcusable. It embodies an inarguably political position that normalizes the violence of the Israeli occupation and allows the state of Israel to profit from its oppression of Palestinians, all while adopting techniques and strategies which directly threaten black and brown bodies on campus.

When asked about the content of the trip, Maguire told Tufts Students for Justice in a written statement that participants attended in order to “learn about the latest methods of preventing and responding to terrorism; policing in complex environments; and securing critical infrastructure.” Given the political implications of this trip, in addition to Maguire’s attendance without any public notice, we are left with many questions: who poses a threat to campus safety, and who, really, is TUPD trying to protect?

This article was written by an anonymous member of the Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group. They can be reached at sjptufts@gmail.com.

CARTOON

BY REBECCA TANG

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.

ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

9 tuftsdaily.com

Aneurin Canham-Clyne Red Star

Elect your boss

A

measure of the health of a society is not the opulence of its rulers but the fairness of its social relations. America is terminally ill.

I worked at a restaurant where one of the managers threatened us with a box cutter and used abuse and humiliation to force people to work longer hours at tasks they weren’t trained for. This relationship is normal. Managers have one task: keep profitability up. Owners permit any sort of cruelty to achieve this goal.

How many bosses go beyond the standard bullying of the workplace? How many thousands of predators are hidden by this unequal relationship? America is a million tiny dictatorships.

Bosses hold dictatorial power, controlling every aspect of a worker’s schedule, from when they wake up to when they go to the bathroom. This strengthens political authoritarianism by degrading solidarity and preparing workers for life without rights.

Authoritarianism springs from daily life.

When the central goal of economic life is profit, as it is under capitalism, the economy produces regardless of the costs for society.

In liberal theory, electoral democracy is supposed to balance this power and mediate between the interests of tens of thousands of owners and hundreds of millions of workers.

But liberal capitalism preserves the dictatorial relationship between owner, manager and worker and the property relations that sustain it. It is incapable of a long-term solution to inequality and ensures workers can never claim a full measure of dignity. Private ownership of capital and the profit motive necessitate dictatorship.

The solution is democracy in the workplace. The way to ensure fair treatment is to make managers and executives elected officials, responsible to the workers. This shift in power must be accompanied by a shift in ownership. The workers’ interest lies not with infinite accumulation, but with fair distribution, at least when production is managed through collective democracy. Instead of a drive to reduce safety regulations, eliminate environmental protections and render workers more precarious, workplace democracy has at its core a program of sustainability, workplace safety and dignity of life.

Transferring ownership of companies from the new aristocracy to the workers will cause a revolution in social and economic relations.

Instead of having to work 11-hour shifts for dismal pay so an Ivy League legacy case can live in absolute opulence, the workers under democracy will have a fairly determined schedule, a manager who is held accountable for problems and an actual stake in the success of the workplace.

There’s a common misconception among silver spoon sons that the only way to ensure people work is through dominance and disempowerment. Hard work is driven by passion, innovation by inquisitiveness, by teamwork and basic (state funded) R&D. Democracy would unleash the human desires for productivity, dignity and pride. Workplace dictatorship mandates forms of resistance like sabotage, slowdowns, loitering and walkouts.

Inequality is not caused by values or norms, but by the relationship between owners and workers. Equality can only come through equality of power, through workplace democracy.

Aneurin Canham-Clyne is a junior majoring in history. He can be reached at aneurin.canham_clyne@tufts.edu.

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Sports

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Impressive displays from Kollias and Marturano pace Jumbos FENCING

continued from back ing six points from the épée portion due to their missing fencers.

The challenging turn of events forced the other squads to step up, as the team still managed a hard-fought win over UNH later that day, after losses to Smith and Sacred Heart.

In the UNH match, Ayala — still fighting solo — managed to win all three of her bouts, 4–1, 5–3, 5–0.

Coupled with 8–1 and 7–2 showings from the foil and sabre squads, respectively, the Jumbos handily won the match, 18–9. Both Kollias and junior Zoe Howard rolled to perfect 3–0

records against their Wildcat opponents in the foil competition, while Marturano and senior Nayab Ajaz did the same in the sabre portion.

Though Tufts suffered losses to Smith (17–10), Sacred Heart (17–10) and Wellesley (18–9), a large part of the score discrepancies can be attributed to the lack of two-thirds of its épée squad. All told, the foil squad was the star of the day for the Jumbos, as the group only lost one match, the final one of the day, to the Wellesley Blue. The foilists assembled a combined record of 37–17, winning over 68 percent of their bouts.

“Last time in the Northeastern Fencing Conference, our young team

members had little match experience … but after that multi-meet event, many of them gained valuable experience,” coach David Sach said. “We saw firstyear Georgia Kollias had several threewins and two-wins rounds, and I’m really happy to see these talented members of the team start to become better and better.”

Sach also explained that Marturano and Howard have secured spots at the NCAA Regional Championships, which take place March 10 at Brandeis. The Jumbos are next in action, however, at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference (NEIFC) Championships on Feb. 24 at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass.

I’VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY MY HUMAN WON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT HER LEASH. I THINK SHE’S AFRAlD OF GETTING LOST. BUT IT’S OK, I KIND OF LIKE SHOWING HER AROUND. — HARPER adopted 08-18-09

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David Meyer Postgame Press

Parenting’s place in professional sports

P

arents are a breed unto their own. Some kids love them, others not so much. Sports have had a long and complicated relationship with parents. Michael Jordan won his first title since his father’s murder on Father’s Day, resulting in an emotional display during the celebration. As of last year, Kirk Cousins lived with his parents or his in-laws for the majority of the year. In any case, everyone has a different relationship with their parents. The same can be said for professional athletes.

The father that has everyone’s attention right now is LaVar Ball, who has been a media star since last year. When his son Lonzo was declaring for the NBA draft from UCLA, LaVar made outrageous claims about Lonzo’s talent (as well as his own). It seemed as though LaVar was saying anything he could to get attention, true or not. It certainly worked. (I’m thinking of comparisons to the current political sphere, but I digress.)

This week, LaVar spoke out about Lonzo’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers and threatened that at the end of Lonzo’s contract, his re-signing will depend on whether Lonzo’s two younger brothers are also signed to play alongside him.

I defended LaVar Ball for most of his comments while Lonzo was playing in college. I could account for his comments about Lonzo’s unbelievable talent and his trash talk about other players by saying that he is a parent. Parents like to brag about their kids, especially when it is clear that their children are really talented. I also thought of his absurd claims as ways to get his son more attention, allowing him to realize a high draft selection and more media love (which, he admitted, was his ploy). He was a parent then, and still is a great husband and father in the public eye. But now is the time to draw the line at his interference in business.

LaVar is allowed to have a say through Lonzo. He can advise Lonzo and he can speak openly about what is going on in his head, but making threats to get his less-talented sons jobs? That is simply absurd. If the Lakers get held hostage into offering contracts to non-NBA-caliber players, it sets a precedent. Who is to say that the next top prospect will refuse to play for a team unless his brother gets a $500,000 check despite his being a mediocre pickup basketball player? Obviously, that’s an extreme case, but threatening teams is distasteful and strenuous on the player-team relationship. The worst part is that if a team cares that much about keeping the player, it may lead to the team making concessions to the demands. Again, Lonzo could make such a statement, as it is truly his decision to stay or leave, but this was LaVar. He is overstepping his bounds as a parent and should rein it in before he changes his son’s career, or the NBA, for the worse.

David Meyer is a sophomore majoring in film and media studies. David and can be reached at david.meyer@tufts.edu.

12 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Jumbos set school record, win three events at MIT, BU

by Ethan Zaharoni Contributing Writer

The No. 16 Tufts men’s track and field team split up this weekend to attend two separate meets: the David Hemery Valentine Invitational held at Boston University on Friday and Saturday, and the Gordon Kelly Invitational at MIT on Saturday. The team performed well at both meets, with strong field showings at MIT and multiple personal bests set on the track at BU. Neither meet was scored, as these were the last two competitions before the championship season begins.

The team recorded three first-place finishes and many more personal bests at the Gordon Kelly Invitational.

Sophomore Kevin Quisumbing was one of the Jumbos to come away with a victory, winning the shot put with a throw of 14.41 meters. He also took third place in the weight throw, with a distance of 15.04 meters — over half a meter longer than his previous best of 14.34 meters, which he achieved at last year’s Bowdoin Invitational.

Sophomore Christian Trebisacci and first-year Dylan Daisey also competed in both events. Trebisacci took eighth in shot put with a dis-

tance of 12.82 meters (a new personal record) and ninth in weight throw with a 13.30 meter heave. Daisey finished 13th in shot put (11.88 meters) and 19th in weight throw (10.38 meters).

Senior Stefan Duvivier also came away with a victory for the Jumbos.

Duvivier won the high jump by clearing a height of 2.03 meters, his personal best this season, which launched him into a tie for 20th in the national Div. III rankings. Duvivier has been improving as the season goes on and is excited to enter championships this week.

“I expect big things from the team this weekend at the [New England] Div. IIIs this weekend,” he said. “Everyone, including myself, is competing, not necessarily for personal bests, but to beat the guy in front of them and do whatever it takes to put up more points on the board and secure the championship.”

The third Tufts victory at the Gordon Kelly Invitational came in the 3,000 meters, as first-year Dalton Tanner ran a time of 9:01.68. First-year Matthew Manteiga likewise demonstrated the Jumbos’ strong class of newcomers by taking second in the long jump with a distance of 6.40 meters. Another second place finish came courtesy of senior Chris Gregory, who ran the 600 meters in 1:26.94.

Elsewhere over the weekend, other members of the team attended the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Competing against athletes from across multiple collegiate divisions, the Jumbos did not come away with any victories at the meet, but they did set a few personal and season bests while improving their national rankings.

Junior Hiroto Watanabe set a personal best in the 1,000 meters, finishing 28th with a time of 2:29.60. Besides Watanabe, eight other Jumbos finished with personal bests in individual events: sophomore Roman Lovell in the 1,000 meters; senior Patrick Milne, junior Brandon Levenstein, sophomore Robert Jones and first-year OJ Armstrong in the 200 meters; senior co-captain Drew DiMaiti in the 400 meters; sophomore Jackson Mihm in the 500 meters; and sophomore Matt D’Anieri in the 800 meters and the mile.

D’Anieri’s 1:54.32 finish in the 800 was good enough for 41st place in a field of 230 runners and currently ranks 32nd on the Div. III leaderboard. His 4:23.03 mile time shaved off nearly 15 seconds from his previous personal best.

DiMaiti’s 400 meter time of 48.80 seconds slotted him 33rd out of 182 competitors in the event and tied for 14th

in Div. III. DiMaiti’s previous personal best in the 400 — as well as his best time last season — both came at meets hosted by BU (this year’s John Thomas Terrier Classic and last year’s David Hemery Valentine Invitational, respectively). He explained that the atmosphere and the track at BU provide a unique opportunity for the team to perform well.

“We are always pumped to run at BU,” DiMaiti said. “It is one of the fastest indoor tracks in the country, and we are fortunate to have it so close by. The energy at the BU meets is always very high, and the competition is very good, which helps push a lot of our athletes to new personal bests there.”

The Jumbos also ran their first distance medley relay race of the year, and in doing so, broke the previous school record of 9:56.97 (set in 2010, also at BU).

DiMaiti, Watanabe and juniors Christian Swenson and Colin Raposo laid down a time of 9:54.92, placing third in the event and second in Div. III (first-place American International College competes in Div. II).

The Jumbos look to be in top form as they enter the indoor championship season. This weekend, the team will travel to Middlebury for the New England Div. III Championships, a meet that it won by a large margin last year.

FENCING

Tufts overcomes injury woes to win three matches at Smith

by Patrick Wang Staff Writer

On Saturday, the Tufts women’s fencing team attended the second Northeast Fencing Conference Multi-Meet of the season, which took place at Smith College. After managing only one victory at the first meet, hosted by Boston College on Jan. 28, Tufts rebounded for a 3–3 record Saturday, picking up wins over Boston University, UMass and the University of New Hampshire.

The team started strong, picking up a pair of wins over BU and UMass to begin its day. The Jumbos first assembled a win over the Terriers, 17–8. Tufts’ foilists keyed the dominant scoreline, out-dueling their Terrier counterparts 7–2, as first-year Georgia Kollias swept her three matches, 5–0, 5–1, 5–3.

Tufts also defeated its BU opponents in the épée and sabre competitions, albeit by smaller margins (4–3 and 6–3, respectively).

The foilists continued their success against UMass, not dropping a single bout to their opponents and never allowing an opposing foilist to score more than three touches. The épéeists struggled, however, falling 8–1 to the Minutewomen squad, but suffered an even bigger blow in losing sophomore Brie Gates, who rolled her ankle while lunging in the match. Nonetheless, the Tufts sabre fencers pulled out a clutch performance, winning 7–2 to secure a 17–10 victory over UMass.

Senior sabre fencer Bridget Marturano explained that the injury

EDDIE SAMUELS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior sabre fencer Nayab Ajaz parries a strike at the Northeast Fencing Conference Multi-Meet hosted by Boston College on Jan. 28. put an already-weakened épée squad at a further disadvantage.

“We had an absent member, and then in our second round, one of the other épée fencers got injured and couldn’t fence for the remaining four rounds,” Marturano said. “[ Junior] Annie Ayala did a spectacular job of staying positive and fenced beautifully

despite being the only épée fencer for four of the six rounds.”

Marturano also explained the additional challenges that arose after the injury.

“It can be really hard when you don’t have your other squad mates fencing, but we all made sure to watch and cheer for her between our own bouts when we could,” Marturano

said. “[Senior co-captain] Grace Tellado was an incredibly supportive force as a strip coach for the épéeists throughout the day.”

The Jumbos were forced to fence the rest of the day at a substantial disadvantage, automatically forfeitsee FENCING, page 11