The Tufts Daily - Wednesday April 11, 2018

Students with Type 1 diabetes find support through PUMPD. see FEATURES / PAGE 6

INVESTIGATIVE

Students with disabilities struggle on campus

It was a great show: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ cast brings live performance to Medford. see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 8

SEE INVESTIGATIVE / BACK PAGE

THE

VOLUME LXXV, ISSUE 47

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY tuftsdaily.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

‘It Happens Here’ projects voices of sexual assault survivors

by Jessica Blough

Assistant News Editor

Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence.

Twenty-four students read 24 narratives of sexual assault, abuse and harassment in Cohen Auditorium last night at the fifth annual It Happens Here event.

Some of the narratives were read by the students who wrote them and others were read by volunteers — which were which was not specified.

The event was coordinated by a 10-person steering committee that was formed at the beginning of the semester. The committee included senior Bailey Siber, sophomore Evelyn Roozee and senior Ariel Weinstein.

According to Siber, the steering committee worked to make this year’s event more accessible than those in the past.

These efforts included publishing the majority of the narratives online for the audience to follow along with during the presentation. The steering committee also made an effort to highlight the experiences of survivors of various identities.

“Survivors are not all just white cis females, and we want to represent the diverse experiences of people on this campus,” Siber explained.

The conversation began with a simple address. “Tonight, we will bear witness to each other’s experiences.”

Four students, who did not introduce themselves but were on the steering committee, explained the history of It Happens Here as a national organization, then gave an overview of what the audience could expect from the evening.

“Our hope is that this conversation expands and [evolves],” one student said.

“We will remember why and for [whom] we are here.”

The steering committee stationed three people in the Aidekman Arts Center and encouraged audience members to use them as resources if needed.

“This is not a performance,” another student explained, then advised the audience not to clap after the narratives.

Following the introduction, selected students went onstage one by one to read their narratives or the narratives of an unidentified survivor to the audience. It was purposely unclear whether the narratives belonged to the reader or not. Some of the narratives were only a sentence long, while others lasted several pages.

One student read a Rupi Kaur poem.

“What’s really important about this event is magnifying voices that are already there. This event isn’t creating narratives or creating voices or experiences, this is about us helping people access a platform from which they can share their stories and share what they want to share,” Weinstein said. “We want to make sure that we’re not saying that we’re giving them a voice, but rather we’re giving them a place to project their voice louder than it could be.”

The goal of the event, according to the steering committee, is to foster empathy for survivors and equip audience members with the skills to be intentional listeners.

“I really hope that people come away from this event with a greater and deeper understanding of how vulnerable people may have to be in order to share their stories,” Weinstein explained. “And that people walk away from this…with more knowledge and skills about how to graciously talk to people after they disclose sensitive information.”

Siber and Roozee emphasized the importance of creating a space for survivors where they could feel heard and safe while changing the narrative that sexual assault does not happen at a school like Tufts.

JULIA MCDOWELL / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Tuft’s Action for Sexual Assault Prevention’s Steering Committee of the annual “It Happens Here” event pose for a portrait in Cohen Auditorium on Apr. 10, 2018.

“I think that sometimes Tufts is kinda seen as a liberal campus that doesn’t experience these things, which is definitely not true, and I think it’s important that we shed light on how sexual assault has a role on our campus,” Roozee said.

“The people that should be defining what safety means are the people that don’t feel safe. I want the folks that attend this event to think about the fact there are people on this campus, for a huge variety of reasons, that don’t feel safe here,” Siber added.

Weinstein also acknowledged that survivors may have been in the audience, and this event was not intended to place pressure on them to share their narratives.

Rather, it should provide resources for survivors and demonstrate the sensitivity

and willingness of their community to engage in these conversations.

“I really hope that if there are survivors who came to this event and didn’t want to share their own narrative, that there’s an understanding and acknowledgement for themselves and from their friends and communities, that that is okay … and that not everyone should feel that they need to submit their narrative to an event like this,” Weinstein said.

After the final narrative was shared, four different members of the steering committee returned to the stage and thanked the audience for listening. They urged students seeking support to decompress at the Interfaith Center after the event.

“It happens here at Tufts, and you are not alone. Thank you,” the students concluded.

Tufts admits Class of 2022 from record-high applicant pool

by Austin Clementi Staff Writer

On March 30, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions offered spots in the Class of 2022 to 3,140 applicants, according to a TuftsNow article.

The admissions office received 21,502 applications, marking a record-high number of applicants and a two percent increase from last year.

The acceptance rate dropped from 14.8 percent last year to 14.6 percent, keeping in range of Tufts’ lowest acceptance rate — 14.3 percent for the Class of 2020.

Please recycle this newspaper

Mostly Cloudy 45 / 35

/thetuftsdaily

Karen Richardson, the dean of undergraduate admissions and enrollment management, attributes the increased competitiveness in Tufts’ acceptance process to the continued increase in the number of applications.

“Admissions has become more competitive in the past few years here at Tufts and at every other highly selective institution. One of the main reasons is that application numbers continue to increase,” Richardson wrote in an email to the Daily.

According to the TuftsNow article, the admissions office received 17,443 appli-

For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

cants to the School of Arts and Sciences, while the School of Engineering received 4,059 applications.

In addition, the School at the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts combined-degree program and the BFA program, now in their second year, accepted 109 and 139 students, respectively.

The article also states that the class represents all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries.

Additionally, nearly 50 percent of the incoming class applied for need-based aid, compared to 48 percent last year.

Ten percent of these students are receiving Pell Grants, a federal grant reserved

Contact Us P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 daily@tuftsdaily.com

for students with financial need, according to the Federal Student Aid website.

Eleven percent of the class are first-generation college students, according to the article.

According to Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of public relations, 54 percent of the class identify as female, 43 percent as male and one percent as genderqueer or non-binary. He also clarified that these percentages do not add to 100 because questions regarding gender are not required on the Common Application. see ADMISSIONS, page 2

NEWS........................................... 1 INVESTIGATIVE....................3 FEATURES.................................6 ARTS & LIVING.......................8

COMICS......................................11 OPINION...................................12 SPORTS............................ BACK

2

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

THE TUFTS DAILY Catherine Perloff Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL

Mary Carroll Zachary Hertz Managing Editors

Arman Smigielski Elie Levine Daniel Caron Juliana Furgala Melissa Kain Anar Kansara Robert Katz Arin Kerstein Simran Lala Sophie Lehrenbaum Natasha Mayor Seohyun Shim Emma Steiner Joe Walsh Jess Blough Jenna Fleischer Liza Harris Daniel Weinstein Sean Ong Emma Damokosh Jessie Newman Emma Rosenthal Michael Shames Fina Short Grace Yuh Jenna Fleischer Kenia French Ilana Goldberg Michelle Kwon Ameenah Rashid Alison Epstein John Fedak John Gallagher Tommy Gillespie Justin Krakoff Setenay Mufti Cassidy Olsen Jack Ronan Ryan Eggers Issay Matsumoto

Associate Editor Executive News Editor News Editors

Assistant News Editors

Executive Features Editor Features Editors

Assistant Features Editors

Executive Arts Editor Arts Editors

Assistant Arts Editors

Hannah Kahn Executive Opinion Editor

Jesse Clem Maria Fong Shannon Geary Lydia Ra Rebecca Tang Deeksha Bathini Miranda Chavez Carrie Haynes Joseph Lim Sarah Nechamkin Madeleine Schwart Caleb Symons Yuan Jun Chee Liam Finnegan Phil Goldberg Savannah Mastrangelo Eddie Samuels Bradley Schussell Sam Weidner Sam Weitzman Emily Burstein Ryan Eggers Arlo Moore-Bloom Haley Rich Delaney Tantillo

Cartoonists

Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

Liam Knox Investigative Editor

Alexis Serino Rachel Hartman Mike Feng Ray Bernoff Erik Britt Sophie Dolan Shaivi Herur Ben Kim Rachael Meyer Vintus Okonkwo Evan Sayles Seohyun Shim Annette Key Ana Sophia Acosta Olivia Ireland Asha Iyer

Executive Photo Editor Photo Administrator

PRODUCTION Ellah Nzikoba

Production Director

Isabella Montoya Seohyun Shim Amanda Covaleski Connor Dale Anna Deck Julie Doten Ryan Eggers Olivia Ireland Jordan Isaacs Maygen Kerner Omeir Khan Allison Kumarasena Aidan Menchaca Daniel Montoya Khaliun Naragerel Evan Sayles Sebastian Torrente Joe Walsh Alice Yoon Sitong Zhang Maria Fong Peter Lam Joseph Lim Khaliun Narangerel Belinda Xian Astrid Weng Anna Hirshman Nihaal Shah Norrie Beach Anna Dursztman Madhulika Gupta Tess Jacobson Melissa Kain Adam Kercheval Lauren Kim Maria Kim David Levitsky Katie Martensen Jack Ronan Arielle Sigel Madeleine Schwartz Hannah Wells Jiayu Xu Vanessa Zighelboim Deepanshu Utkarsh Juliana Furgala Asli Akova Mitch Navetta Ercan Sen Lexi Serino Elisabeth Blossom Rachel Hartman Shaivi Herur Olivia Ireland Asha Iyer Lillian Miller Amy Tong

Admissions office anticipates Jumbo Days ADMISSIONS

continued from page 1 Richardson added that these admissions decisions come at the end of a difficult process.

“The pool for the class of 2022 was the largest in university history,” Richardson told the Daily in an email. “As in years past, [the pool] was incredibly strong both academically and in terms of … how applicants engage with their schools and communities. The admissions team was impressed by what applicants could bring to the Tufts campus and, as a result, had to make some very difficult decisions.”

Richardson moved on to say that when determining which applicants to accept, the university considers how they might contribute to the culture of Tufts as a whole.

“The university wants to be able to maintain high levels of academic and social services that are critical to a good experience for students during their time here,” Richardson said.

The admitted students will have a chance to see Tufts during Jumbo Days, which Richardson said will be April 13, 19 and 20. The days are designed to allow students to “get a glimpse into academic and social life [at Tufts],” according to Richardson.

Alizée Weber, an intern at the admissions office and the head tour guide, said in a phone interview with the Daily that these days will include talks by the deans and administrative staff as well as the chance for prospective students to attend mock classes that focus on professors’ research.

Following this programming, there will be a club fair where admitted stu-

Executive Layout Editors Layout Editors

Executive Graphics Editor Graphics Editors

Executive Copy Editors Copy Editors

Executive Online Editor Senior Online Editor Executive Social Media Editors Social Media Editors

Assistant Social Media Editors

BUSINESS

Rayane Haddar Executive Business Director

Romain Dard Receivables Manager

SEOHYUN SHIM / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Bendetson Hall is pictured on April 11, 2017. dents will have the chance to see clubs and organizations on campus and talk to current students about their experience, Weber said. She added that, at this time, food trucks will be available, as well as the possibility of a petting zoo.

As part of Jumbo Days, admitted students are invited to stay in dorms with current students and participate in dinners and entertainment with current students, according to Weber. During the evenings, Jumbo Days attendees have the chance to see performance groups, she said, adding that this entertainment included a performance by Sarabande as well as a trivia night.

“For [overnights] students will arrive the day before the actual Jumbo Day and

… they have dinner, they meet their host and then in the evening we have a lot of entertainment,” Weber said.

Weber also stated that admitted students are allowed to participate in Jumbo Days on a first-come, first-serve basis, adding that some students with financial need may receive travel support from the university.

She emphasized that Jumbo Days can profoundly affect a student’s desire to enroll, crediting her experience at the event as “the entire reason I came to Tufts.”

“When other people come to Jumbo Days, they’ll always say that … it sort of pushed them off from thinking ‘maybe Tufts’ to ‘I love Tufts,’” she said.

Students rally at Massachusetts State House in support of two sexual assault prevention bills

by Juliana Furgala

Executive Video Editor Staff Videographer

tuftsdaily.com

News Editor

Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence.

Students from Tufts joined students from 25 other colleges at the Massachusetts State House yesterday to show support for two sexual assault prevention bills, H.4159 and S.2203, and for stopping the “silent epidemic,” according to Bailey Siber, an executive board member of Tufts Action for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP). Siber is also part of Every Voice Coalition, the Massachusetts-based group of students, advocates and colleges that organized the rally.

“We [at the Every Voice Coalition] were the ones that organized this rally day, by getting into contact with other … schools in Massachusetts, a combination of community colleges, public universities and colleges and private ones as well, and encouraging folks from all of those different higher education places to come to the statehouse and … rally together to listen to representatives speak about the bill, listen to survivors share about their experiences and then to actually meet in small groups with various representatives to advocate for the bill being passed,” Siber, a senior, said.

Siber explained that the students who founded Every Voice Coalition wrote H.4159, the Campus Climate Survey bill. “[Work on the bills has] been going on for a few years but definitely with the #MeToo movement and … more conversation on and off campuses there’s more awareness and more knowledge and more interest in engaging with this issue,” Siber said.

The H.4159 bill is especially important because it could make rates of sex-

ual violence easier to compare across Massachusetts colleges, Erin Viola, a sophomore on the executive board of Tufts ASAP, explained.

“There’s huge, huge discrepancies between [Tufts’] … climate survey and the one at MIT,” she said. “There’s no way to compare data from Tufts to data from MIT, so that’s why we care about this bill,” Viola said.

Viola added that Tufts ASAP is attempting to involve University President Anthony Monaco in the conversation around sexual violence at Tufts.

“We’ve reached out to President Monaco to publicly endorse the bill and we haven’t really gotten a response yet,” she said.

Viola also said that fewer than 10 percent of Massachusetts colleges have climate surveys. According to Siber, only 26 out of 114 schools issue recurring surveys and publish data on sexual violence.

“A lot of those surveys are not really meeting the gold standard that they should, in the way that they’re not trauma sensitive, they’re not culturally competent, they’re not getting at the various unique experiences that a survivor or an individual might face on a college or a university campus depending on if they’re queer or in the LGBTQ community, if they’re of color, if they’re undocumented, if English isn’t their first language,” Siber said.

Siber explained that S.2203, the second bill under review at the State House, goes hand-in-hand with H.4159.

“The hope is that the H.4159 bill would increase schools’ access to information, and then S.2203 would … enforce guidelines and policies at every school that makes their response and prevention processes better,” Siber said.

Viola explained that the group received funding from the Center for Awareness, Resources and Education (CARE) office for Tufts students to attend the event.

“I definitely think that any money that Tufts can give us … makes it way more accessible for people to get all the way downtown,” Viola said.

Leann Beard, a senior who attended the rally, voiced her support for the rally and said it was a learning experience.

“As great as what we’re doing at Tufts … there is so much work to be done on every college campus, and in some ways we can organize around that [because] unfortunately, the problem with sexual violence is not at all contained to Tufts, so going to that [rally] really brought my attention to how widespread this was,” Beard said.

Beard felt that the rally was so powerful because it highlighted a personal issue for Tufts students.

“It was really amazing to be connected to people who were talking about something that’s affecting pretty much everyone, because everyone in some way is touched by sexual violence, whether it occurred in their life or to somebody they loved or care about or know … It was really, really powerful to be there,” she said.

Megan Warshawsky, a senior, said the rally was powerful, adding that people from many backgrounds attended. “[Attendees] definitely spanned working professionals to students to non-profit workers. I think it strengthened the whole event in general, because some people shared their personal stories.

Others shared statistics, and I thought that the conglomeration of all of that see RALLY, page 7

INVESTIGATIVE

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

3 tuftsdaily.com

by Ray Bernoff Staff Writer

This is the first part in a twopart series produced by the Daily’s Investigative Team.

When senior computer science major Sam Slate hurt his leg playing basketball the summer of his sophomore year, he thought he’d be back to normal in no time. But what seemed like a simple injury turned into chronic pain that makes it hard for him to walk or stand.

As his injury developed into a disability, he’s had to relearn how to get around campus safely, and asking for help from Tufts administration was harder than he’d hoped. From a handicap parking pass to access to academic buildings, Slate has struggled to get what he needs to succeed here.

“I came back to campus and had this new injury to take care of alongside everything else, and have been fighting against this university ever since,” he said.

Like Slate, senior Leah Holden is majoring in computer science. She was majoring in English too, until a broken foot at the beginning of the spring of her junior year forced her to drastically cut her workload. When Holden went to Health Service after tripping on uneven ground, they wrapped her foot, gave her crutches and advised her to drop out or take a leave of absence.

“They [Health Service] literally recommended that I drop out of school,” she said. “I shouldn’t have to drop out of college just because I broke my foot.”

Holden spent three months hopping up and down the stairs of Anderson Hall with her crutches. Later, Tufts’ orthopedist told her that she had put too much weight on her foot as it was healing.

It will be crooked for the rest of her life unless she chooses to rebreak and realign it.

Senior Sidney Beecy had to use crutches to get around campus too.

Last May she tore her ACL in an accident at a Sky Zone Trampoline Park.

Staff at the hospital told her she needed surgery, but she put it off because she had planned a trip to Iceland she didn’t want to miss, and there was a paid internship she couldn’t afford to miss.

Getting around campus with a torn ACL was harder than she had anticipated, especially because she had trouble getting Tufts to let her park on campus.

“I planned to get the surgery right before school, so that way I wouldn’t have to miss class. And then I would go back to school, and it would be fine. It was not fine,” she said. “I hiked around

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

A sign in the Science and Engineering Center elevator directing users to an accessible route to Anderson and Robinson’s third floor is pictured on March 12.

Iceland for two weeks on crutches, and that was less difficult than navigating Tufts. I honestly had an easier time.”

Beecy’s ACL has healed now, but she said the injury made her realize the inaccessibility of the Tufts campus.

“I think about it every time I have to go up the Memorial Steps, because it’s like, ‘I remember when I couldn’t do this,’” she said.

Resumed Education for Adult Learning (REAL) student Jessica Graham didn’t know she had any disabilities when she got to Tufts. When Graham went to Health Service, she found out that the pain, fatigue and joint instability she’d been living with for her whole life were symptoms of illness rather than something everyone experienced. Now, Graham has names for her health problems: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), reduced blood volume on standing, which makes her so lightheaded she sometimes faints and passes out; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a degenerative connective tissue disorder that weakens her joints and makes it hard for her to walk or use her wheelchair to get around campus; fibromyalgia, which causes muscle pain and tenderness; and chronic fatigue syndrome, which makes her so tired she

sometimes struggles to get out of bed.

Her combination of disabilities means she’s constantly balancing decisions about her health, like whether carrying pillows to class is worth the strain it puts on her shoulders.

“Do I want to have an uncomfortable chair or do I want my shoulder to hurt for the rest of the day? You’re like, ‘Which is going to be worse?’” she said.

Graham is about to finish her geology degree, but school has been an uphill battle others don’t always realize she’s fighting.

“Just walking to [Hodgdon] to get a burrito and coming back is extremely exhausting, and I end up having to take a nap afterwards,” she said. “I think that’s something people don’t think about.”

Illness and accidents have impaired Slate, Holden, Beecy and Graham’s mobility. Attending Tufts while injured or disabled has presented challenges they never imagined.

Outdated buildings and inaccessible spaces There’s no getting around it: If you want to pass your classes, you’ve got to go to them. Even able-bodied students can’t always get to class on time, but they can still get to their classrooms without risking pain and further inju-

ry. Walnut Hill, on which Tufts is built, poses an obstacle for everyone, but from stairs and doors, to grass and gravel, the campus is full of other obstacles that many students don’t notice.

Most of Graham’s classes are in Lane Hall, which, according to the Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History, was built in 1959 for an occupational therapy and physical education school before Tufts bought it to house the geology department. There’s no physical therapy in Lane today, though Graham might appreciate it if there were, especially because Lane doesn’t have an elevator.

“I have classes usually on the bottom floor, meaning I have to go up and down stairs everyday, which is tough for me,” she said. “Stairs are my worst thing. Any sort of incline is really bad for me.”

Stairs are bad for Slate’s leg, too. As a teaching assistant in the Department of Computer Science one semester, he had an office in the Halligan Hall extension. Areas of the extension’s floor are depressed, with three-stair rises and drops leading up and down, which made it painful for him to get to his job.

According to Interim Director of Capital Programs Gretchen von see ACCESSIBILITY , page 4

4

THE TUFTS DAILY | Invesitgative | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

tuftsdaily.com

Accessibility still a problem despite new construction ACCESSIBILITY

continued from page 3 Grossmann, there are no plans to remove these stairs.

“The addition to Halligan will remain in place for the foreseeable future,” she told the Daily in an email.

Slate does homework in Eaton Hall’s computer lab and took a class in an Eaton classroom, both of which he says were hard to access. All the students interviewed for this piece also cited Eaton as a particularly inaccessible building. Again, stairs are the main offender; all Eaton’s entrances but one are at the top of a flight of stairs. And Eaton’s lone accessible entrance has its own problem.

“It’s very nice, it’s paved, it’s got handrails, it’s got a little button you can press and it’s got a sign on the door that says ‘For Employees Only,’” Slate said. “It’s the only one that’s made to be accessible, and it’s locked.”

Whenever Slate went to Eaton, he had to knock on the locked door of the accessible entrance. Lab employees told him he wasn’t allowed to come in the door unless he was a staff member.

“One time I actually had to hold up a sign that said ‘I am disabled, please open this door for me,’” Slate said.

Slate convinced Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to authorize his student ID to unlock the door.

Lydia X. Z. Brown, a disability justice advocate, organizer and writer who taught the class “Re-thinking Disability” through the Tufts Experimental College last semester, told the Daily in an electronic message that even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires Tufts to provide equal access for everyone, Tufts is likely within its rights to keep the accessible door to Eaton locked.

“My understanding is that it is probably legal for those doors to generally be employee-only (and generally closed to the public), so long as a person with a disability is also permitted to enter through them; however, in practice, this is still a serious access barrier that could be easily remedied through making these entrances available to the public,” Brown wrote.

More access barriers remain inside the building. Slate’s ID now opens the door, but if the computer lab is closed, he can’t get into the rest of the building even when Eaton is open. And there’s no way for him to get off the ground floor without taking the stairs. The basement and second and third floors have the same type of depressions in the floor as the Halligan extension. To use the bathroom during class, Slate had to walk up and down additional steps even though he wasn’t leaving the second floor.

Slate said he thinks the building’s condition — which he described as “literally falling apart” — and poor accessibility are connected. The ADA Standards for Accessible Design mandate that when a building is renovated it must be designed in such a manner that it is disability-accessible. Removing accessibility barriers could include adding chairlifts or ramps, putting Braille on signs or changing hinges to make doors close more slowly, according to the ADA. According to The Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History, Tufts built Eaton in 1908 and expanded it in 1950. The ADA standards say if buildings built before 1991 don’t meet ADA requirements and updating the building is not readily achievable, i.e. difficult or expensive, then the owner

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

A sign in the Science and Engineering Center directing users to an accessible route to Anderson and Robinson’s third floor is pictured on March 12. of the building does not have to modify it to meet ADA requirements until the building requires renovation for another reason.

In 2001, while renovating Eaton’s computer lab, Tufts added the ramp to the employees-only door, removing an accessibility barrier. Slate thinks the lack of major renovations, despite pieces of decorative plaster molding falling through suspended ceilings into classrooms, is not a coincidence.

“Eaton Hall is not actually getting the fixes it needs because then [Tufts] would have to actually make it open for us,” Slate said.

When asked in an email whether Tufts Operations, the administrative division encompassing construction and renovation at Tufts, has chosen not to renovate certain buildings due to the cost of removing accessibility barriers, von Grossmann replied that all construction decisions take significant planning.

“The development of the Capital Plan each year balances all of the many needs and priorities on campus and strategizes for a given year and up to four future years how to allocate limited resources,” she wrote, referring to Tufts’ plan for renovations and construction.

“Projects of any scope, including those requiring significant resources, can be undertaken with careful and thoughtful planning.”

Slate says by not remodeling Eaton, Tufts is sidelining the needs of students with disabilities in an effort to save money.

“I see Tufts as just trying to save money. There’s so few of us [students with disabilities] that they could care less. They just want to … not pay to upgrade the buildings so [to be] accessible to everyone,” Slate said.

Other renovations, including dorms and plans for a new swimming pool facility that will cost more than $30 million, have taken precedence. So has the construction of the Science and Engineering Complex and the renovation to Robinson Hall, which cost slightly under $110 million dollars, according to von Grossmann.

Von Grossmann said that sometimes, new construction is more efficient than renovation.

“In general, new construction costs more, but in some cases is a better investment than renovating old spaces with higher ongoing maintenance and energy costs,” von Grossmann wrote.

Brown said that not only does Tufts’ location on the hill present obstacles to accessibility, but management and funding priorities contribute substantially to this as well.

“Tufts is almost entirely physically inaccessible through both its design

History, and for decades they were inaccessible to disabled or injured students who wanted to get past the first floor.

Two of the three classes Holden took during the semester she broke her foot were in Anderson.

“This was pre-elevator in the SEC, so I basically dropped everything that wasn’t in Anderson Hall and lived in Anderson for a semester,” she said. “I packed lunch. I took the bus. I had a class on the third floor. I would show up

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Stairs in Eaton Hall are pictured on March 12. and its facilities management,” they said. “Tufts needs to commit to doing this work to support its campus community and surrounding neighborhood — yes hills can be a constraint, but Tufts has the money to make accessibility happen if only it wished to do so.”

More buildings, more problems At the start of the fall semester, Tufts opened the SEC, a new building connecting Robinson Hall and Anderson Hall. The building is modern and energy efficient, with a huge plate glass facade and a new cafe. The main entrance is wheelchair-accessible and two elevators serve every floor. The building, since it was built after 1991, meets ADA standards. But Robinson was built in 1900 and Anderson in 1961, according to the Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts

45 minutes early, do my classic crutch tuck and scale the stairs. It took like 30 minutes to get up all those stairs.”

Because the SEC elevators connect to Anderson, disabled and injured students no longer have to take the stairs to class. But it’s not that simple. Slate had a class on the third floor of Anderson last semester. He hoped to take the SEC elevator to the 3rd floor, then walk from the SEC to Anderson, but he couldn’t.

“So, Tufts spends three years on the SEC, millions of dollars on the SEC, and the third floor of Anderson is not wheelchair accessible,” he said. “You have to walk through an office from the elevator. You have to walk through an office past everyone to get to it. And you see ACCESSIBILITY , page 5

I nvesitgative

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Invesitgative | THE TUFTS DAILY

5

Housing poses unique challenges for students with disabilities

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

An exterior entrance to Eaton Hall is pictured on March 12.

ACCESSIBILITY

continued from page 4 need, again, card access, which it took a while to get. The first time I had a class up there, I was late to class.”

Just like Eaton’s accessible door, the only accessible route to the third floor of Anderson is restricted and requires either a key card or a call to TUPD to enter. Slate was disappointed.

“All this money for this nice new building… Terrible,” he said.

Von Grossmann told the Daily that while the university thought about constructing a bridge connecting the SEC to the third floor of Anderson, it abandoned the plan because it was too expensive. She did not mention whether the university had considered other

options for making all three floors of Anderson accessible via the SEC. Housing changes increase accessibility, displace residents According to von Grossmann, the university is designing plans for an accessible ground-floor bathroom and entrance for Paige Hall, and will begin remodeling Miller Hall and Houston Hall this year with accessibility in mind.

Tufts will add elevators and accessible entryways to both buildings and increase the number of accessible rooms and beds. The Miller and Houston renovations are part of the Office of Residential Life and Learning’s (ResLife) efforts to maximize on-campus housing. Tufts will house students in all of Houston and half of Miller in fall 2018, move half of

the students in Houston to Miller in spring 2019, and then completely fill both dorms in fall 2019.

First-years in Miller and Houston are not the only students who will be disrupted by Tufts’ housing changes.

Graham was displaced from her dorm, Fairmont House, during final exams last semester so Tufts could remodel the building for the new undergraduate student housing project. Graham said that even though she’s an undergraduate, Tufts required her to live in graduate housing because she was older than 24.

The entrances to Fairmont all had stairs, so Graham said she could only leave the house on days she felt well enough to use a cane rather than a wheelchair. Still, Graham said she had chosen to live in Fairmont anyway because it was close to her geology classes and no better housing options were available.

“There’s no accessible grad student housing. None. They all have stairs, every single one,” she said. “I’ve heard there are some undergrad accessible dorms, but none as far as grad students.

That really makes me upset.”

The Daily asked SAS director Kirsten Behling whether SAS had ever tried to get a student over 24 placed in accessible undergraduate housing. Behling wrote that SAS can’t talk about specific cases or examples for privacy reasons, but that SAS will work with ResLife for students who have special housing requests.

“We have a wonderful collaborative relationship with the Residential Life office and find them very supportive of students with disabilities,” Behling

Before anything else, we are all human.

It’s time to embrace diversity.

Let’s put aside labels in the name of love.

Rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com

wrote in an email to the Daily.

Graham, who is registered with SAS, provided the first email that told Fairmount House residents they would have to move. The email was sent on Nov. 27 and required students to complete the move before winter break.

“I had a panic attack and I sent a really angry email, and everyone in my house was the same,” she said.

“There was a girl in tears. Like, even if you aren’t disabled, moving … especially for someone with chronic fatigue syndrome, packing and unpacking is exhausting.”

The university planned to move displaced Fairmount House residents to 122-124 Powderhouse Blvd., but as this is very far from the majority of Graham’s geology classes, she requested a closer location. Graham now lives in McCollester House, a graduate student house which is still farther from Lane than Fairmount House and only accessible by stairs.

Slate said that many of Tufts’ accessibility problems are related to the age of its buildings and structures, but she hopes to see them updated before the ADA requires it.

“If I could force the hand of the university to do one thing, it would be to make the buildings ADA compliant.

That’s all you really need to do … and the fact that all of these buildings are grandfathered in and Tufts doesn’t want to do it, that just makes it impossible,” he said. “I get the sense that since it’s only [for] a handful of students, it’s not worth it [to Tufts].”

6 tuftsdaily.com

Features

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

PUMPD creates community for students with Type 1 diabetes

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Senior Russell Parker and first-year Nikki Ziebelman , members of PUMPD, pose for a portrait in Mayer Campus Center on Apr. 8, 2018.

by Sarah Crawford Contributing Writer

While many Tufts students have a general idea of how many calories are in their favorite foods, most are unaware of the number of carbohydrates they consume throughout the day. For students living with Type 1 diabetes, however, it is a constant concern.

On March 27, Peer and Undergraduate Mentoring for People with Diabetes (PUMPD) — the Tufts chapter of the College Diabetes Network — held its first ever on-campus event in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center. At the event, PUMPD had a series of activities for students, one of which involved correctly guessing the number of carbohydrates in a variety of foods. Many students either overestimated or underestimated the number of carbohydrates in common foods such as apples, according to members of PUMPD. Yet carbohydrate counts are something students with Type 1 diabetes must always think about before eating a meal.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition characterized by insufficient production of insulin in the pancreas. Insulin is an important hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood, so people with Type 1 diabetes must get their insulin from outside sources such as injections or insulin pumps.

People with Type 1 diabetes must know how much insulin they need throughout the day, and especially at meal times, based on the amount of carbohydrates they consume, which

is then broken down into glucose.

Although counting carbohydrates quickly becomes second nature to many, it’s one of many challenges that comes with living with Type 1 diabetes.

According to junior Arpita Jajoo, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age seven, there’s not a single aspect of the disease that’s extremely difficult to manage, but the culmination of small challenges which diabetics must handle on a daily basis makes Type 1 diabetes a difficult condition to live with.

“It’s not a big challenge, it’s just a continuous challenge, and I think that’s what makes it so frustrating,” Jajoo said. “Sometimes you just want to be spontaneous, and it’s not very easy.”

Because many of the challenges of Type 1 diabetes are associated with food, diabetics must face these challenges multiple times a day, which forces the disease to become a prominent part of their lives.

“There aren’t any days off. You can’t take a break,” senior Russell Parker said.

Jajoo added that successfully managing Type 1 diabetes involves extreme preparedness and careful planning, which can become tedious.

“I don’t leave anywhere without a bag of food and my insulin pump and my glucose monitor, and water in case I have low blood sugar and get dehydrated,” she said.

For senior Taylor Meek, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age eight, the biggest challenge of Type 1 diabetes is the pre-bolus — the pro-

cess of taking insulin prior to a meal to cover the carbohydrates consumed during the meal. However, for the pre-bolus to be successful, diabetics need to know what time they’re going to eat and how many carbs they’re going to consume.

“I need to know when I’m going to eat at least 15 minutes ahead, and then I need to figure out the carbs, and figure out what my blood sugar is then so I can correct it,” she said.

Meek shared that the stresses of the pre-bolus can make experiences such as dinners at a friend’s house or meals at restaurants less enjoyable.

“We would have team dinners at people’s houses, and it was frustrating not knowing what would be served,” she said.

Meek explained that not knowing how much insulin she should take for the pre-bolus could result in either a high or low blood sugar — taking too much insulin in preparation for a meal can cause the blood sugar to go too low, while taking too little insulin can cause the blood sugar to spike. Both high and low blood sugar levels may lead to uncomfortable symptoms that can last for hours.

Since there is no way to avoid the challenges of Type 1 diabetes, many of the students in PUMPD have embraced the disease as a part of their identity and found a strong sense of community within the group.

“Most of my friends can’t relate at all to what I’m going through, so having this group where we can meet every other week is nice,” Parker, who was

diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a junior in college, said.

Jajoo elaborated on the mission of PUMPD. “We’re aimed at providing support for people with diabetes both on campus and off campus. It’s a community for diabetics on campus, sometimes to just get together and rant honestly…

For people who are struggling with it on campus and to make diabetes a part of their life that’s not just a burden or hassle to deal with,” Jajoo said.

“We’re also aimed at raising awareness through these educational events.”

At group meetings, members of PUMPD discuss the practical aspects of living with Type 1 diabetes, such as different types of glucose monitors and insulin pumps.

“It’s so helpful to bounce questions off each other too. For example, I just started a continuous glucose monitor, and four people in the group have the monitor I switched to, so I was able to ask everyone what their experience was and get the ins and outs of it before dealing with it on my own,” Jajoo said.

Part of PUMPD’s mission is also to raise awareness and understanding of Type 1 diabetes. The group hopes to continue connecting with other CDN chapters in the Boston area and across the United States.

Meek added that in the future, PUMPD will continue to act as a support group for students with Type 1 diabetes, but the group is also hoping to expand its reach with more events similar to the one in March.

F e at u r e s

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

Students rally against sexual violence

Derek Castle R.E.A.L Talk

RALLY

continued from page 2 together gave a greater view on all of the different impacts on what this bill could do, whether that be socially, politically, physically on a campus. I do think it was really powerful to have all of them there,” Warshawsky said.

She explained that she heard about the event on Facebook and wanted to attend, as it was a very important and personal issue for her and many other students.

“It’s a topic that I personally am passionate about, and I have many friends who have been affected by sexual violence,” Warshawsky said.

Beard attributed the event and its success to Tufts ASAP and its dedication to working to improve conditions on campus and beyond. “[It’s] super powerful and amazing work done by the Tufts ASAP organization.

[The rally] highlights how much amazing work ASAP at Tufts is doing to connect us to a larger conversation and the countless hours they put into it. [It’s] also the broader campuses and organizations of the Boston Area, and I was really moved and humbled to be there,” Beard said.

She described how the rally helped put the issue of sexual violence in perspective.

“When we’re talking about the things that occur at Tufts, it’s sometimes hard to hold a big picture perspective and be like, ‘Wow … the things I’m talking about with my Tufts peers are things that people are talking about everywhere’… We do have a lot of power if we recognize how these shared experiences connect us and how we can rally around them and organize,” Beard said.

Beard emphasized the importance of including diverse voices in the call for stopping sexual violence. “[Everyone is] organizing around that [common cause of sexual violence] and taking advantage of the power we have right now and remembering to include voices that don’t get to be in charge of the organizing, who might not be able to lead rallies because of disability or opportunities that are only afforded to cis, heterosexual, white women. ‘Who gets to be the face of sexual violence?’ [and] taking advantage of the power we have now and lending it to others were two things that were really on my mind leaving this rally,” she said.

Siber and Warshawsky both stated that the bills are important because they will promote greater openness and conver-

Ancient history

I

COURTESY BAILEY SIBER

The protest against sexual violence to promote Title IX legislation, attended by Tufts’ ASAP, is pictured outside of the Massachusetts State House on April 10, 2018. sation, as well as generate a larger body of data to demonstrate how widespread sexual violence is.

“I think it’s important to keep talking about sexual violence and how it does happen here and so many of us are affected by it, whether it be personally [significant] or … [you] have loved ones and friends who are affected by it,” Warshawsky said.

Siber stated that a great benefit of the bills are that they would promote a higher quality of surveys for sexual violence and improve anonymous reporting. She said that through the bill, Every Voice Coalition is calling for a nationwide task force, made up of various federal and local administrative bodies and activists, to create a model survey by summer 2018. Siber said they hope the survey is implemented in the next academic year.

“It would enforce all community, public and private colleges and universities to meet a certain standard for a survey, issue it periodically — we’re shooting for every 3 years — and have their data published,” Siber said.

Siber said the survey created by this task force would serve as a standard that schools could use, adapt or mimic, as

long as the task force approved new surveys as equivalent.

“There’s always going to be under-reporting [of incidences of sexual violence], but hopefully these anonymous surveys will increase reporting rates so that there is increased transparency and increased knowledge about what is often termed ‘the silent epidemic,'” Siber said.

The goal of the event, Siber said, was to give voice to those who do not feel protected by current legislation.

“The people who should be defining safety are the ones who don’t feel safe, whether that’s survivors, whether that’s students of color, whether that’s students in the LGBTQ community, undocumented, first-gen, low-income, of varying levels of ability,” Siber said, referencing the words of Massachusetts Representative Byron Rushing. “Those are the people who should be empowered to define what safety means to them and the leaders and the representatives should be working and striving to make that happen. Not only is this an intersectional issue, but an issue that should always and consistently be listening to the voices of those who don’t feel safe.”

SHELTER PET & FASHION ICON Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours.

TOAST 325K+ Instagram Followers

7

have been reminded a few times recently that history is relative. The more distance there is between you and the event, the more objectively you can analyze the situation. Most Tufts students have taken at least one class where they have to analyze a historical situation and explain the causes or the consequences of the event.

Some of the events that have been discussed in my classes include 9/11, the Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the commercialization of the internet. These are all events that are now written about in textbooks and discussed as case studies in various classes. These are all events that I watched happen. This does not make me better at analyzing what happened or how they affected the world. However, it does give me a better idea of how these events affected my life and the lives of the people around me. For me, it is personal.

I may not be able to tell you what military tactics were used during Operation Desert Storm, but I can tell you what people were talking about. I remember watching the news and not understanding what was going on, and learning later why the war started — or at least what was being written down.

I say this because resources can be the people around you.

I did a project years ago where I had to interview a veteran. I knew the facts from my textbook. I know when the war started and ended. I knew all the major battles and the major political figures. Five minutes into that interview, I realized that I knew nothing.

The veteran told me about his life and his family. He told me about his friends, both living and dead. He told me about a young man who was scared to go to war but knew he had to. He told me about the war from his point of view. It was nothing like what I had read.

He was a World War II veteran. His experience made me look at the war in a very different light. Now, it was personal.

As I get older, I think about all the personal moments that I have and the events I have witnessed. I don’t think I’m nearly as interesting as a World War II veteran, but I hope that I become a resource for someone in the future.

History is only one of many things that the people around you can be a resource for. There are places that you have never been and food you have never eaten. There are always things you have not done and things you have yet to do. For someone else, you could be a resource, too.

People at Tufts have always told me to use my resources, to get the most that I can out of what I’m given. I’m passing on that same advice to you.

The next time you’re looking for a paper topic, think about this: History is not just a fact in a book. For someone, it is personal.

Derek Castle is a staff writer at the Tufts Daily. He is a senior majoring in English.

Derek can be reached at Derek.Castle@ tufts.edu.

8 tuftsdaily.com

ARTS&LIVING

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Live’ brings the show’s humor, talent to Medford

VIA THE CW

A promotional image for the Crazy Ex Girlfriend live show is pictured.

by Alex Mendelsohn Contributing Writer

Content warning: This article mentions depression and suicide.

On the fifth stop of their national tour, Rachel Bloom and her co-stars on The CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015–) brought the show’s witty songs and high energy to Medford Square. At the Chevalier Theatre, which Bloom playfully noted resembled “a really nice synagogue,” cast members performed over 20 of the show’s 100+ original songs for its spirited crowd. The performance’s clever banter, self-deprecating humor, impressive vocal performances and empowering commentary on sex and mental health proved that Bloom could bring the fans’ favorite aspects of the show off-screen and to a live audience.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is a musical comedy-drama featuring Rebecca Bunch, played by Bloom, a high-achieving New York City lawyer suffering from depression and anxiety who imagines her life as a series of musical performances. In the show’s pilot, she uproots her life and moves across the country to West Covina, Calif., the home of her childhood ex-boyfriend, Josh Chan, played by Vincent Rodriguez III. On April 5, Bloom, Rodriguez and most of the other core cast members returned to the East Coast to share Rebecca’s and Josh’s crazy antics with the show’s dedicated fans — fans so dedicated that tickets were sold out at the Wilbur in just a few minutes, causing the show to be relocated to the larger theater in Medford.

One of the most celebrated aspects of the show is the tracklist, which parodies everything from punk rock to country to prominent Broadway show tunes, and covers topics from mental illness to giving your first handjob. The tour’s setlist didn’t disappoint, supplying the same variety in the live show. Early in the night, Rodriguez lent his vocals and dance moves to the old-school “I’ve Got My Head in the Clouds” (2017), a song that he explained was written for him as a way to honor his idol, Gene Kelly. Pete Gardner (Darryl) brought some humor to the cringe-worthy daddy-daughter motif of country music with “I Love My Daughter (But Not in a Creepy Way)” (2015) and Donna Lynne Champlin (Paula) got cheers and laughter from

the crowd during the ABBA-inspired “First Penis I Saw” (2017).

Despite the playful, satirical humor of the lyrics, the night wasn’t without its impressive musical performances.

In the final song before the encore, Champlin showed off her Broadwayalum vocals with “Face Your Fears” (2015), a song that her character powerfully belts at Rebecca in the third episode of the series. Songwriters Jack Dolgen and Adam Schlesinger also lent their talents to perform songs with Greg, since actor Santino Fontana was absent from the tour. Schlesinger showed off his typically behindthe-scenes voice and piano skills in “What’ll It Be?” (2015), a singer-songwriter tribute to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” (1973). The performance was a highlight of the night for Greg fans, who have been aching for the sarcastic bartender since his character left the show in season two.

Bloom, Rodriguez, Gardner and Champlin were joined by Gabrielle Ruiz ( Valencia) and Scott Michael Foster (Nathaniel). David Hull, who plays “White Josh” or “WhiJo,” was not at the performance in Medford but was present for other shows on the tour.

He and Vella Lovell (Heather), who is currently featured in Joshua Harmon’s “Significant Other” (2015) at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, were both sadly missed, along with a few fan-favorite songs like “Oh My God, I Think I Like You” (2016) and “We’ll Never Have Problems Again” (2017) that didn’t make the setlist.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” in addition to being celebrated for its music and humor, has also been praised for the way it addresses serious topics like objectification, sex positivity and mental illness. From playful banter about bra sizes to sobering discussions of depression and suicide, Bloom has been able to depict Rebecca’s character on screen in a way that doesn’t exploit her struggles for television drama. Instead, it meaningfully explores the relationship that young adults, women and people who struggle with mental health have with themselves and with the people around them. During the live performance, Bloom talked about the importance of being able to communicate effectively with her audience through Rebecca’s struggles. The show’s encore featured a chilling rendition of “You Stupid Bitch” (2016), a soulful ballad of self-loathing central to the show’s theme that clearly resonated with the audience, who shouted the lyrics back toward the stage.

As Bloom jokingly pointed out at the end of the night, one doesn’t see “Westworld” (2016–) or “Modern Family” (2009–) doing a live musical tour. Joking aside, the cast’s regard for and engagement with its fans was evident and meaningful to the audience who appeared just as grateful as the cast members that the show was renewed for a fourth season. Despite the show’s consistently low ratings, Bloom built a loyal fan base that was excited to see that even though Rebecca’s self-destruction is sometimes hard to watch on screen, Bloom’s live performance was anything but.

A rts & L iving

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

Christopher Panella A Column From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ is dumb fun

T

VIA IMDB

A promotional poster for Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) is pictured.

by Matthew Soderberg Contributing Writer

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018), the directorial debut of Stephen S. DeKnight, is not an objectively great film. It’s a movie that features robots repeatedly bashing themselves against large monsters sent by an alien species from within the earth. It’s a sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 movie that features Idris Elba giving perhaps the most cliched movie speech ever produced. There are no magnificent performances (though John Boyega brings his charisma over from Star Wars in the lead role of Jake Pentecost) and no essential human themes (except, maybe, that robots are really cool). Even the CGI won’t win any awards, as after a while the robot-on-monster collisions seem to blend together. It is also, however, really fun to watch.

Once the viewer stumbles past the first mentions of “drift-compatible” and “rareearth metals” with light embarrassment and little fanfare, it’s hard not to cheer along as the human’s robot bops a tall monster on the head with such force that the theater’s speakers seem ready to blow out. Even the lines that might normally make you giggle like, “This is our time,”

and, “We are the only chance for humanity,” instead induce a solid nod of solidarity among any viewer who is pro-human and anti-giant monster.

Sure, Scott Eastwood acts as if his dad is standing behind him whispering his lines in his ears, and yeah, revelatory exclamations about laser swords might induce a cringe or two, but the movie is true to what it is and claims to be nothing more. That can be such a relief in 2018 cinema, when it seems like every movie (“Three Billboards,” anyone?) wants to make comprehensive statements about everything.

It’s found the perfect equilibrium for a big, dumb movie, something that relatively few blockbusters have. Gone are the self-serious attitudes and semi-problematic dialogue of the “Transformers” series, replaced with a giddy, boyish charm — as if the filmmakers are saying, “Look at this! We got Hollywood to fund a $250 million movie about robots and monsters! Can you believe that? We’re not sure we can.”

A major twist in this iteration is that for a brief period, one of the robots fights a ‘different’ robot, a gigantic deviation from the trusty robot vs. monster formula. The plot is one of contrived convenience, but the filmmakers know the audience won’t

9

mind if it all comes together at the end.

Each dialogue-filled scene knows that the exposition it wants to provide would probably sound dumb anyway and just skips it, instead serving as interludes between the fights. These battles take place across the world, from Sydney, Australia to Siberia, to a final showdown near Mt. Fuji in Japan.

Sure, it’s a shameless move to try to pull in the international box office it so desperately needs to not lose copious amounts of money, but if one’s made it this far into the movie, a survey of different countries for the robots to destroy can be nice.

There’s a refreshing charm in a movie not trying so hard. This is a movie that features Charlie Day from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005–) launching an apocalypse because he falls for a bulbous alien! Why not? It’s also, more importantly, an effortlessly diverse entry in the whitewashed realm of action blockbusters. There’s really nothing to hate about this movie, except for the fact that it is the kind of movie that is supposed to be hated. So to all the folks out there who like to use the term ‘cinema’ and spend their days trying to talk like an Aaron Sorkin character, you should let your guard down and watch “Pacific Rim: Uprising.” You actually might not be disappointed.

Episode IX

he Canto Bight sequence in “The Last Jedi” (2017) definitely polarized the fan base (as did the entire film). Following Rose and Finn as they made their way through the casino planet, it generated intense reactions. Some fans hated the sequence and found it too similar to the prequels, others praised it and some questioned its narrative placement. When I sat down in January and interviewed Tufts Assistant Professor Frank Lehman, an expert in the Star Wars scores, we talked about Canto Bight. The sequence has been in my thoughts since.

I’m a defender of “The Last Jedi” in every way, as I’ve yelled about in previous columns. However, I’m particularly defensive of the Canto Bight sequence.

When the film came out, I saw fans and viewers hate on the politics of Canto Bight. But the scenes where Finn and Rose explore the casino planet bring forward questions and criticisms of animal abuse and captivity, child work and slavery, capitalism and war profiteering. It is arguably the most commentary we’ve ever gotten in a Star Wars film about our real world.

Some fans see it as the weakest, most disposable plot in the film, and while it may not be entirely necessary, it is important, in my opinion, because of the representation it brings to the film. It’s the only part in the film where two people of color — Finn, played by John Boyega, and Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran — get to take on the screen alone. It has a hopeful and enjoyable plot, and it provides an amazing gray area of the galaxy that “The Last Jedi” thrives on.

Star Wars has some fans that reside in the alt-right, sadly, and those fans trolled the film for months online, claiming responsibility for the film’s low audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

They stated that their reactions had to do with women and people of color in the series, specifically the Canto Bight sequence. It got so noticeable that “The Force Awakens” (2015) and “Episode IX” (2019) director J.J. Abrams addressed the alt-right fan reaction in an interview with IndieWire.

“Their problem isn’t Star Wars, their problem is being threatened,” Abrams said. I agree with Abrams, especially as he discussed the possibility that people felt the same way when they saw Princess Leia in “A New Hope” (1977).

Thankfully, Abrams said the reactions won’t influence “Episode IX” and is thankful for positive fan reaction to the addition of other female characters in “The Last Jedi,” like Rose and Laura Dern’s Amilyn Holdo.

I’m glad the Canto Bight sequence and “The Last Jedi” are being defended, and I hope Abrams, Ryan Johnson and other directors of future Star Wars films continue to include scenes like it. I think this trilogy will set a precedent for better representation in Star Wars, which the saga needs, especially after the controversy that came when “The Force Awakens” originally only had two women in the cast of 13 (before Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie).

As always, email me any thoughts! May the Force be with you!

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

10

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

1/4

tuftsdaily.com

1/8

1/2

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Comics | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

Comics

11

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Ray: “My butt is quiet.”

Comics

SUDOKU

ASK THE DAILY: HOW DO YOU MAKE FRIENDS AT TUFTS?

Q A

ANSWER BY HANNAH KAHN

: How do you make friends at Tufts? I have been here for a while now and have yet to make friends despite joining several clubs and trying my best to put myself out there. What am I doing wrong?

: If you’re putting yourself out there, you’re not doing anything wrong!

First, I think it’s important to note that college can be a lonely place for everyone sometimes — even if it doesn’t always feel that way. People who talk or post about having a lot of friends may not be portraying their social lives in an honest manner. What I mean is that you’re not alone in feeling alone.

But back to your question, I always find that real connections are harder to form in a large group setting. You’ll forge a stronger bond by getting a meal or walking to class with someone, just the two of you. Try asking a friendly peer to lunch, to come to an on-campus event with you, to grab coffee after class, to go to the gym together, to walk into Davis — it can definitely be scary to approach someone one on one, but it’s always worth the risk. Worst case scenario is that you don’t end up connecting with them, but chances are people will appreciate you reaching out. And remember, Tufts is a fairly small school, but you definitely haven’t met everyone yet!

Difficulty Level: Going on a first-year Dewick date.

Tuesday’s Solution

CROSSWORD

Tuesday’s Solution

Opinion

12 tuftsdaily.com

Aneurin Canham-Clyne Red Star

Cities for the people

A

merica is ugly. Every ruling class built the world anew in its own image. The American ruling class produces art that reflects a sterile, technocratic, inhuman class.

Buildings and public spaces should be humane and beautiful. You shouldn’t have to buy something to have access to a bathroom.

The neoliberal city is anything but humane and beautiful. Take Boston; it’s not terrible, but its downtown neighborhoods are dominated by huge glass skyscrapers.

The Millenium Tower in Boston is a portal into a dystopia where everything is just a bit darker and more scattered than the present.

In the winter, downtown is starved of sunlight by these glass tombstones.

Compare this with Roxbury or Beacon Hill. These neighborhoods have walkable sections, are built of brick and wood, have a neighborhood sense and are being devoured like a plate of spaghetti. Addresses alone are what separate one central business district from another.

The market is the problem. Rental units are aimed at rich buyers or landlords who let them sit vacant. Architects design corporate tombstones of concrete, glass and steel that are neither visually pleasing nor locally situated.

While the Zwinger in Dresden would look out of place just about anywhere else, modern buildings like condos or the dread Tour Montparnasse could fit in any major urban area. The international market, the relegation of the architect to a mere engineer for corporate needs or Chamber of Commerce fever dreams and the proliferation of undemocratic planning means that we are subjected to urban environments that are disorienting, ugly and cruel.

Democracy is the solution. We live under the thumb of architecture and design.

Though we are never consulted about the aesthetics of architecture or design, we are those who toil in the shadows of prize-winning monstrosities.

It wasn’t until power passed into the hands of an inhuman market that this beast was delivered unto us. The people should have a say in our cities, as we once had a say in our drama, poetry and novels. The abstracted world we live in seems incapable of supporting what we want.

People want light and air and color. We thirst for green, for open vistas, for stone and brick and wood, for bright paint.

From the Ziggurat to Socialist Classicism, public buildings have reflected ease of access and the desire of rulers to show their prestige and closeness to god. Gargoyles, carvings, treelined streets, arches, domes, minarets, train stations, colonnades and cathedrals all reflected these imperatives. Now glass tumors suffice.

It is an aesthetic crime, the same crime which turned villages to slums, replaced the town square with Disney Main Street and replaced the workers’ pubs with Natty Light and The Apprentice. A developed artistic and aesthetic sense makes you a more complete person. But living in ugliness robs us of that.

Only our organizing will determine whether seas or socialism replace the cities of the present. One day, the glass blobs will be trifling monuments to a moment of unbridled corruption and inhumanity, if they don’t conquer our souls and swallow the world first.

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

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

OP-ED

‘Next Year in Jerusalem:’ Reflecting on Israeli Apartheid Week

by Jacob Fried

tries. Israel, our biblical and historical homeland, remains the only safe Some of you may have seen stu- haven for Jews in such an event. dents munching on funky-looking Nevertheless, I also am quick to crackers last week in the dining halls. admit that Israel has its flaws. The What you saw was students eating Israeli government, like all governmatzah, the “bread of affliction,” in ments, makes mistakes and commits celebration of the Jewish festival of questionable acts. Many of these Passover. actions do include unnecessary vioFor those wondering the reason- lence and discrimination toward ing behind such a tradition, Passover Palestinians in the attempt to protect commemorates the exodus of the Israeli citizens and borders.

Israelites from Egypt following a time Yet, regardless of whether Israel’s of suffering and slavery in this ancient actions are justified or not, Israeli land. The story tells us that in escap- Apartheid Week is severely misguided. ing the perils of slavery, the Israelites This week of on-campus events and hurried out of Egypt before their bread lectures exists solely to depict could rise. Thus, in remembrance Palestinians as the victims of a vilof the hardships and perseverance lainous, destructive Israel, and as the of our people, every year many Jews victims of the Jewish people’s own abstain from eating any leavened or right to self-determination. Rather fermented grain products for a whole than being exclusively “pro-Palesweek, and we tell this Passover story tinian,” the movement often frames to ensure it gets passed on from one itself instead as anti-Israel. Rather generation to the next. than promoting spaces for dialogue After a week of reflecting on the to occur among students of all backhistory of my people, my Jewish iden- grounds, faiths and opinions to learn tity and what it truly means to be free and advocate for beneficial change, this past week, it was disappoint- the movement exists to preach the ing to see news of Israeli Apartheid perspective of one side while drownWeek filling my Facebook newsfeed. ing out the cries of another.

Yes, the Passover celebration is a As a Jew who supports Israel but time for Jews to recount ancient sto- struggles with the controversy surries of oppression and to rejoice in rounding its government’s decisions, commemorating our eventual free- I would probably gain tremendousdom from bondage. But it is also a ly from hearing stories of Palestinian reminder to all Jews, not only that we experiences and expressions of their still face hate and discrimination, but concerns. Yet, by merely attacking a more importantly that it is our duty land that lies at the heart of my idento combat the oppression of people tity and the identity of so many that I all over the world. know and love, Israeli Apartheid Week We may end our Seder (a Passover instead opposes who I am and drives dinner and ritual performed on the me away from the conversation. It first two nights) with the phrase, “Next misses out on a great opportunity to year in Jerusalem!” as a hope that we engage all students in civil discussions may one day return to this homeland, in a welcoming environment to learn just as our ancestors did when they from those with differing opinions and escaped from Egypt. Yet the Seder also experiences. And ironically, it fails to reminds us of current suffering and understand that as Jews, as people who our obligation as Jews to work toward live every day feeling the suffering of eradicating all hate and oppres- our people in Egypt and beyond, we sion that still remains. “Next year in too seek to end pain and oppression Jerusalem” is not only a wish for the for all people all across the world.

Jews; it is a statement symbolic of the Critics may say that civilized disdrive to create a world more perfect cussions about the conflict are naive than the one our ancestors lived in and unproductive. While it may be and the one that we currently inhab- true that a group of college students it today. And this exclamation at the intelligently discussing these issues end of our Seder also includes a more is not going to solve our world’s probperfect world for the Palestinians who lems overnight, there is no denying seek the right to self-determination. that these discussions would be a As a Jew, I feel it is my responsibil- much better way to engage those with ity and honor to defend Israel’s right whom we disagree. After all, if the aim to exist as a nation. A threat may not of Israeli Apartheid Week is to advoseem imminent now. However, a his- cate for the plight of the Palestinian tory of discrimination, murder and people in order to convince more peoexpulsion tells us that it isn’t unlikely ple to join the cause, then it would that events could occur in the near make sense to carry out events that future around the world that would seek to involve and educate those who drive Jews from their home coun- disagree.

Instead, perhaps the goal of this movement is simply to make Jews or Israel supporters feel unwanted and unwelcome on campus. Perhaps the aim is to make us feel ashamed of who we are and the voices that we represent. All of this serves to discount the identity of a historically marginalized group of people in order to paint a complex, gray issue as black-andwhite, misguidedly influencing those who are uneducated and uninterested in the conflict to solely view Israel as oppressive and illegitimate.

While Israeli Apartheid Week supposedly works to promote tolerance and freedom, it hypocritically serves to further drive a wedge between groups on campus and within the world at large. Thus, I propose a challenge to the organizers and the supporters of this movement. Don’t just attack Israel and what it represents: Use this platform and your voices to establish a space on campus where students can productively, peacefully and passionately discuss these issues and work toward understanding one another and each other’s perspectives.

Listen to our Passover story, not to feel bad for the Jews and the suffering we’ve endured, but to understand that we too want to inspire meaningful change in our communities and that including us in this conversation will undoubtedly be more productive than driving us away.

I am not a very religious or spiritual person. I don’t keep Kosher, observe Shabbat or abide by all the commandments of the Torah. But the painful history of my people and the cherished traditions that have emerged amidst their perseverance make me very aware of how we are separate from others, motivating my strong Jewish identity and inspiring me to pursue justice in all domains. The story of Passover plays a large role in sparking this drive for freedom and equality.

Perhaps if we can all remember the Passover story, we can strive to listen to one another and work together toward justice. If so, maybe one day I’ll be ending my Passover Seder with my own children, not with a dream of “Next year in Jerusalem,” but by eating and living together in peace and harmony in the Holy Land with Palestinians and people of all races, religions and creeds.

Jacob Fried is a contributing writer at the Tufts Daily. He is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Jacob can be reached at jacob.fried@tufts.edu.

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.

Opinion

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

GOD GETS GHOSTED...

Take the pledge at ItsOnUs.org

13

14

THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

tuftsdaily.com

SURE, AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK

BY THE WHOLE PEEING STANDING UP THING. BUT I TAUGHT HIM TO THROW A STICK AND NOW HANGING OUT WITH HIM IS THE BEST PART OF MY DAY. — EINSTEIN adopted 12-09-10

1/4

1/8

1/2

S p o rts

Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

15

MEN'S TENNIS

Jumbos sweep doubleheader, impress in loss to Panthers

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

First-year Boris Sorkin lines up a forehand shot in Tufts’ 6–3 loss to Middlebury at the Gantcher Center on April 8.

by Tim Chiang Staff Writer

The No. 15 Tufts men’s tennis team bounced back from its 7–2 loss to then-No. 3 Claremont-MuddScripps on March 24, defeating Vassar, 9–0, at home on Saturday morning and Babson, 7–2, in the afternoon.

After winning both ends of the doubleheader, the Jumbos lost a close contest to the Middlebury Panthers at the Gantcher Center on Sunday.

Despite the loss, senior Zain Ali thought the team displayed a valiant effort.

“I was really proud of the guys,” Ali said. “I thought our performance and attitude was great.”

No. 3 Middlebury (11–3) registered the opening point of the match, with junior Noah Farrell and senior co-captain William de Quant defeating Tufts first-year Carl-Herman Grant and sophomore Nathan Niemiec 8–1 in No. 2 doubles. The Panthers doubled down on their advantage with a victory in first doubles, as senior co-captain Kyle Schlanger and junior Ludomir Cuba felled Ali and senior Rohan Gupte, 8–6. However, the Jumbos responded with a close win of their own at No. 3 doubles, as sophomore Ethan Bershtein and first-year Boris Sorkin bested senior co-captain Timo van der Geest and junior Peter Martin, 8–6.

Schlanger, ranked No. 15 in Div. III entering the spring season, wrested the momentum back for Middlebury with a 6–1, 6–2 win in fourth singles. Still, the match was more competitive than the score suggested. Grant attempted to attack Schlanger’s one-handed backhand

and finish points off quickly at the net. Schlanger was too solid from the baseline, though, hitting heavy groundstrokes and mixing up the rallies with his slice backhand.

In a clash of talented players at No. 1 singles, Middlebury tallied another victory, as Cuba — the defending NCAA singles champion — squeezed past Gupte 6–4, 7–5. Gupte covered the court from corner to corner, but Cuba was able to break through his opponent’s dogged defense.

Despite their 4–1 deficit, the Jumbos roared back with impressive wins in second and third singles. In the former, Ali struck his groundstrokes off both wings fearlessly, beating Farrell 6–3, 6–4. Farrell claimed a national title in singles as a first-year in October 2015, but the Wilton, Conn. native took last spring off before returning to the court this year. While Ali had previously lost to Farrell twice in his collegiate career, he was up for the challenge.

“When I heard I was playing Noah at No. 2, I got really excited,” Ali said.

“I didn’t want to go out losing to him another time. I knew his game … [and] I knew if I could get my foot on the gas pedal and get the quick break that I could win.”

Sorkin pulled off a similar upset, defeating de Quant (who ranked 13th in Div. III last fall) 6–4, 6–3 in the third spot. Sorkin sprinted to a 5–1 lead in the first set, putting pressure on de Quant with his unyielding consistency and clever drop shots. De Quant later broke Sorkin’s serve to close to 5–4, yet Sorkin silenced his opponent’s momentum by holding serve to capture the first set. As the underdog, Sorkin felt little pressure and was able to play his best tennis.

“I came [into] the match knowing he was better than me,” Sorkin said.

“I wasn’t nervous. Even when I started losing the first set, I was relaxed.

My teammates cheering definitely helped, too.”

Tufts tightened the score to 4–3 with victories from Ali and Sorkin, and the match came down to fifth and sixth singles.

At No. 5 singles, Niemiec fell just short in a thrilling matchup with firstyear Nate Eazor (6–3, 5–7, 6–4) after storming back to seize the second set.

Niemiec and Eazor pummeled groundstrokes from the baseline in long, physical rallies throughout the match.

Despite Niemiec’s attempts to break down Eazor’s backhand and stretch him out wide, Eazor prevailed with the match-clinching victory.

After taking the first set, sophomore Ben Biswas eventually lost to first-year Andre Xiao 3–6, 6–1, 6–2 in sixth singles. Biswas was initially able to force errors out of his Middlebury foe with topspin-loaded groundstrokes, but Xiao began ripping his flat groundstrokes to take the match.

The Jumbos were disappointed to lose after pushing their NESCAC rivals to the limit with three-setters at fifth and sixth singles. However, Ali stressed many positives from the match.

“Middlebury looked nervous,” he said. “We definitely made a statement that we are not only one of the best teams in the NESCAC but also in the country.”

In the second match of their Saturday doubleheader, the Jumbos bested the Babson Beavers, 7–2, in Wellesley, Mass. Tufts swept all three of the doubles matches, with sopho-

more Jason Scanlon and first-year Niko Hereford downing Babson senior Dylan Levy and sophomore Dan Levitan, 9–7, in the third spot.

Scanlon noted how the tricky weather conditions influenced play.

“It was a big adjustment going from indoors to outdoors [in the same day],” he said. “It was windy and on the colder side, which made things more challenging, but we really stepped it up.”

The Jumbos took four of the six singles matches to win the match handily. Bershtein provided the highlight of the day at No. 5 singles with a threeset win over Levy that included two tiebreakers: 7–5, 6–7 (3–7), 11–9.

Just hours earlier, Tufts swept Vassar in a home match at the Gantcher Center. The Jumbos were dominant, losing only three games across all three doubles matches. Sophomore Zach Schaff and junior Ross Kamin dished out a bagel by beating Vassar firstyear Nicolas Demaria and junior Robin Drummond 8–0 in the third spot.

The Jumbos were particularly ruthless in fourth through sixth singles. First-year Owen Bartok blitzed through sophomore Dom Demeterfi 6–0, 6–2, while senior co-captain Justin Brogan broke down sophomore Zamir Birnbach, 6–1, 6–1. Kamin rounded out the Jumbos’ dominance with a 6–1, 6–2 win over junior Nick Zuczek.

The Jumbos will return to the court this weekend with matches against three NESCAC opponents. Tufts will take on No. 11 Wesleyan (2–5) on Saturday in Middletown, Conn. The team will play another doubleheader the following day, with a morning matchup against Hamilton (2–8) followed by a crucial tilt against No. 5 Williams (9–2) in the afternoon.

16 tuftsdaily.com

David Meyer Postgame Press

Villainy on the green

Sports

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Tufts falls to top-ranked Emory, defeats two opponents in challenging weekend

T

he antagonist. Every great story has one. Sometimes (most of the time) we hate them (despise them). Sometimes, we cheer for them. This is true in movies, books and sports. The recent Masters tournament saw a former hero try to regain his status, as well as the birth of a new villain.

Tiger Woods came out and did not play well. There is little sugar-coating to be done after he raised people’s expectations with recent tournament play. He simply failed to live up to expectations. The hero-turned-villain hoped to return to his former stature of an absolute icon, and he did not do so.

His story was not the most interesting or villainized of the Masters, though.

Patrick Reed won his first Masters, and thus his first green jacket at Augusta, with a score of 15-under on the course last weekend. While Reed’s win came down to the wire (he beat Rickie Fowler with a putt that, if missed, could have sent the tournament to a playoff ), the climax and finale did not go the way many people hoped. Reed, despite playing well for most of the event, ended up being the underdog in most people’s eyes, simply because the villain usually does not win. And boy, he was a villain.

Reed was kicked off of his college golf team, is estranged from his family due to an absolute shunning of his family after they told him he was too young to marry and he has a cocky demeanor. People dislike him for his untraditional golf build and his wife’s confronting his estranged family members. A lot of people cheered against Reed for myriad reasons. I am not going to argue whether he should have been villainized. I just want to know, does his villain position make his win all the more fun? I think it does.

The villain role added another layer to an already amazing event. Sure, the Masters would have been fun just to watch Tiger and see if he could get back to the elite level he was once at. Once it was clear he could not, there might have been no other storyline to love (or love to hate) as much. The leaderboard was familiar, with no real dark horses over-performing. There were, as always, great shots, but nothing absurdly spectacular except for a late, silly hole-inone. The most interesting storyline was rooting against the villain, Patrick Reed.

It would have been fun to see him fall, but I enjoyed his win.

I thought it was great to see a different face on top at Augusta, and I thought the media response was much more fun and fascinating because Reed won. He was not the hero people wanted, but he was the villain we got. I cannot begin to describe how much fun people will have watching him get dethroned next year.

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

ALINA STRILECKIS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Junior Mina Karamercan eyes the ball during a match against Middlebury at the Gantcher Center on March 10.

by Delaney Tantillo

Assistant Sports Editor

When the No. 6 Tufts women’s tennis team wrapped up its away match against Colby late on Sunday evening, it marked the end of a busy weekend and the beginning of the team’s final regular season push. With its decisive 9–0 win over Colby, Tufts finished the weekend 2–1 after losing 6–3 to Emory and defeating MIT, 5–4. The Jumbos are currently 8–3 overall and 3–1 against NESCAC opponents with just five matches remaining.

The Jumbos claimed all three doubles matches against the Mules (7–4) to take an early 3–0 lead on Sunday.

Playing at the No. 3 spot, senior co-captain Zoe Miller and sophomore Kat Wiley were especially dominant in their matchup against the Colby duo of junior Jamie Pine and senior Maddie Lupone. Miller and Wiley gave up just one game in a quick 8–1 victory for the Jumbos.

Thanks to its domination in doubles, Tufts needed just two wins from the six singles matches to seal a victory over its NESCAC opponent. The contest was ultimately decided after a quick 6–0, 6–0 win by senior co-captain Lauren Louks and Miller’s 6–0, 6–1 win in second and third singles, respectively. The Jumbos didn’t let up, however, winning all four remaining singles matches to sweep the Mules.

Junior co-captain Julia Keller and first-year Kiara Rose also turned in dominant performances in their respective two-set victories. At the No. 5 spot, Keller did not drop a single game to Lupone, winning 6–0, 6–0.

Playing in the sixth spot, Rose recorded a 6–0, 6–1 win over first-year Isha Banerjee.

The decisive win over a NESCAC opponent was a confidence boost following Tufts’ tough 6–3 loss to Emory on Sunday. Wiley believes that frustration from the Emory result fueled Tufts’ dominant play against Colby.

“A ton of matches came off the court really quickly, everyone played super decisively and finished their matches and stayed focused the whole time,”

Wiley said. “The Emory loss motivated us even more to end the day well. It was really great to have that win and regain some of our confidence.”

Heading into their match against the nation’s top-ranked team on Sunday morning, the Jumbos knew the Emory Eagles (10–4) would be tough competition. Wiley spoke of the importance of not letting rankings or records affect the team’s mindset going into the match.

“We’ve played a bunch of really good teams,” Wiley said. “I think it was just knowing that … they might be ahead of us a bit [in the rankings], but in terms of the level we were right there with them.”

Emory began the day with a strong showing in doubles, claiming an early 2–1 lead. Critically, the Jumbos avoided entering singles play in a 3–0 hole thanks to Miller and Wiley’s victory in third doubles. The match against Emory first-year Katie Chang and junior Daniela Lopez was ultimately decided by a tiebreaker, which Miller and Wiley won to secure an 8–7 (1) win.

“It was a fun match, and even though it was super close, we never felt nervous or under a ton of pressure,” Wiley said. “Both of the other doubles matches — even though we lost them — could have gone either way, so we really wanted to win ours, because obviously there is a huge difference between going down 2–1 and going down 3–0.”

Miller believes that maintaining focus and composure throughout the match keyed the victory.

“When it got down to the close points of our match, I think what we did really well was resetting after the up-and-down parts of our match,” Miller said. “There [were] a lot of switches in momentum, so we just tried to maintain a strategy of resetting after each point and after each game.”

In singles, Tufts struggled against an Emory roster that featured three of the nation’s top 30 individually ranked players heading into the season. The Jumbos dropped four of six singles matches to their talented opponents for a 6–3 loss. Playing at the No. 3 and

4 spots, respectively, Louks and junior Tomo Iwasaki each registered victories over their Emory foes.

In a back-and-forth match, Louks recorded a three-set victory over Lopez (6–1, 4–6, 6–2). After conceding the first set 6–1 to Emory senior Anna Fuhr, Iwasaki responded to win the second and third sets (6–1, 6–4) for Tufts’ third victory.

Sunday’s matches in Waterville, Maine were the second and third of the weekend for Tufts, who also visited MIT (8–1) on Friday. The Jumbos recorded an impressive 5–4 victory over the No. 13 Engineers.

Tufts claimed two of the three doubles matches to lead the hosts by one point heading into singles play. The Jumbos were led by juniors Mina Karamercan and Otilia Popa, who took down senior co-captain Elysa Kohrs and first-year Libby Rickeman, 8–4, in first doubles. Louks and first-year Patricia Obeid provided another victory in in the second spot, with an 8–2 defeat of MIT junior Kelly Zhu and sophomore Lara Rakocevic.

The Jumbos’ advantage in doubles proved decisive, as the teams split the singles matches, 3–3. Playing in the second spot on the singles ladder, Karamercan bounced back from a first-set loss to defeat Rickeman in three sets: 3–6, 6–1, 6–1. Miller’s match in fifth singles against Rakocevic ultimately secured Tufts’ victory, as the Agoura Hills, Calif. native won in straight sets (6–2, 7–5).

“Toward the end of the second set, when it started to get really close with my opponent, I think she and I both realized that it was a really crucial match,” Miller said. “I just had to maintain the strategy of not letting any of my external thoughts affect my game.”

The narrow win over a top-tier opponent will likely be crucial for the Jumbos’ confidence heading into the final stretch of their regular season. The team’s five remaining matches are all against NESCAC schools.

Tufts will face No. 4 Wesleyan (5–1) in a high-profile matchup on Saturday in Middletown, Conn. before facing Hamilton (3–6) the following day.