The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, January 17, 2024

T he T ufts D aily THE

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Wednesday, January 17, 2024

VOLUME LXXXVII, ISSUE 1

GRAPHIC BY BEX POVILL

UNIVERSITY

Dean Glaser to depart in summer 2024 Matthew Sage

at Tufts’ largest school of undergraduate and graduate programs.

“Today is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate Jim for his tireless dedication to enhancing the student experience, furthering inclusive excellence, and the pursuit of creative solutions to the complex challenges of higher education,” Kumar and Genco wrote in the email.

First coming to the university in 1991 as an assistant professor, Glaser became a full professor of political science in 2005, later serving as the school’s dean of undergraduate education and dean of academic affairs before stepping into his current role in 2014.

Executive News Editor

Originally published Dec. 21, 2023.

Closing a chapter of 33 years, Tufts’ Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences James M. Glaser will depart the university to begin tenure at Santa Clara University in California as its executive vice president and provost come July.

Glaser’s departure was first announced in an email sent Wednesday by University President Sunil Kumar and Provost and Senior Vice President Caroline Attardo Genco, who praised his extended commitment to improving student life.

For the last 10 years, Glaser has overseen academics and research

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS / TUFTS UNIVERSITY

see GLASER, page 2

Dean Glaser, pictured, is to be the next executive vice president and provost of Santa Clara University.

LOCAL

LOCAL

Mayor Wu gives second State of the City Residents speak up for address outdoor development Sarah Firth Staff Writer

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu delivered her second annual State of the City address at the MGM Music Hall on Jan. 9, introducing new plans for housing developments and access to public education.

Within moments of the mayor walking on stage, two protesters chanting and holding a Palestinian flag appeared at the venue’s front. Other attendees simultaneously dropped pamphlets and echoed chants of “ceasefire now,” while a large banner was unfurled from the third balcony with the words “Boston Complicit With Genocide” written across it.

The statement is in protest of Israel’s war with Hamas, which has killed thousands in the Gaza Strip since the latter’s initial attack in October.

“This is our democracy at work,” Wu said, while officers

ushered the protesters away. “We are a city for all voices.”

According to several local news outlets, 20 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct by the Boston Police Department outside of the event. When contacted by the Daily, BPD did not immediately provide an arrest report.

“The point of having this event is to celebrate our democracy and the things that we can accomplish when people come together and express all different points of view,” Wu said when addressing the detainments later in the night. “Every voice in our democracy is valued. And I’m really grateful to the staff here for making sure that we could see that, respect that, and also continue to have an event. … It’s a time in the world where there’s a lot of emotions, a lot of advocacy that’s needed right now on many different issues.”

A central topic Wu addressed in her speech was her admin-

istration’s focus on developing and increasing the availability of affordable housing.

“Home is the place where everything starts,” Wu said. “Last year, we permitted the highest ratio of affordable housing in over a decade, and approved nearly 7,400 housing units for future development.”

Wu emphasized efforts to help family homeowners create smaller, independent living units within their property by reducing the barriers to construct additional units. Upon approval of design, residents can apply for a 0% loan to assist in construction of additional dwelling units.

“Planning for a more affordable, equitable and resilient future will help us weather the challenges that cities everywhere are facing — emptier downtowns, unpredictable commutes and housing prices that are squeezing families out,” Wu said. see WU, page 3

Shannon Murphy Local News Editor

Representatives from the City of Somerville gathered feedback from community members at two public meetings earlier this month in order to update the city’s conservation and recreational development goals for the next seven years.

Alison Maurer, ecological restoration planner for Somerville’s Public Space and Urban Forestry Division, hosted presentations at both meetings. Maurer said that while the main guiding force of Somerville’s outdoor development — the Open Space and Recreation Plan — “is a state mandated document but it’s also a really good opportunity for us to recalibrate what the city needs [and] wants every seven years.”

“Today’s goals are really to try to hear from the community about where there are gaps in our recreational programs,” Maurer said to introduce the conversa-

4 FEATURES

6 ARTS & POP CULTURE

9 OPINION

12 SPORTS

“Lewiston Strong” builds community from tragedy

Hollywood highlights of 2023

Avoiding country’s scandals? Try Americana

Men’s basketball suffers conference losses

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tion. “[This] can help us to prioritize our projects and we want to know what the most pressing issues are for you today.”

Luisa Oliveira, director of Public Space and Urban Forestry, noted at the same meeting several key demographic trends in Somerville that are expected to influence updates to the OSRP. According to Oliveira, Somerville has a relatively younger population with a median age of 31 years old, with 15% of the population under 19 years old and 7% under 9 years old.

“With such a young population, there’s a big demand for playgrounds and active uses,” Oliveira said.

Additionally, she noted that 8.3% of Somerville residents have a disability, and, while all parks are designed in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 guidelines, older parks may no longer see DEVELOPMENT, page 3 News Features Arts & Pop Culture Fun & Games Opinion Sports

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T he T ufts D aily Rachel Liu Editor in Chief

Editorial Julieta Grané Merry Jiao Managing Editors

Marlee Stout Arielle Weinstein Associate Editors Matthew Sage Carmen Smoak Nate Hall Toby Winick Spencer Rosenbaum Adi Raman Estelle Anderson

Executive News Editor Executive Features Editor Executive Arts Editor Executive Opinion Editor Executive Sports Editor Executive Science Editor Executive Investigative Editor Maxwell Shoustal Executive Editorial Editor

Multimedia Nina Zimmerman Chloe Nacson-Schechter Veronika Coyle Michelle Shu Bex Povill Rachel Wong

Executive Audio Producer Executive Video Editor Executive Photo Editors Executive Graphics Editors

Committees Sarah Feinberg Josue Perez Carl Svahn Megan Amero Sam Berman Siya Bhanshali

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

NEWS

Intentionality & Inclusivity Chairs Education Chair Social Chairs

Production Olivia White Production Director Mike Kourkoulakos Assistant Production Charlene Tsai Directors Devna Aggarwal Claire Wood Executive Layout Editors Natalie Bricker Kathryn Hood Executive Copy Editors Max Antonini Executive Social Media Meghna Singha Managers Tom Jamieson Executive Newsletter Editor

Business Isabel Francis Business Director Ty Blitstein Caroline Vandis Alumni Liaisons

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Founded in 1980, The Tufts Daily is the entirely student-run newspaper of record at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. An editorially and financially independent organization, the Daily’s staff of more than 100 covers news, features, arts and sports on Tufts’ four campuses and in its host communities.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF

The semester in preview Dear readers, Welcome back to the Hill! My name is Rachel Liu, and I am the new editor in chief of The Tufts Daily. As the Daily resumes operations, I owe a major thank you to the numerous writers, editors and designers who invested time over their winter breaks to craft the first issue of 2024. This semester, we will publish online every weekday and in print on Thursdays, though for the first two weeks we will be operating on a reduced schedule. Sign up for our newsletter to never miss an issue.

This spring, we’ll publish four special issues. February marks not only a leap day, but also the Daily’s 44th anniversary. In the first special issue, Daily Week, we flip the usual script and interview our reporters. This issue features staff and alumni profiles, examining our history and future as a newspaper. Next, the annual April Fools’ issue, our longstanding silly tradition, is not to be missed.

We welcome admitted students in April with the Jumbo Month special issue, which highlights the communities they’ll find at Tufts. Finally, we reach the capstone issue of the year: Commencement. This comprehensive edition, roughly four times as long as our typical print papers, celebrates the accomplishments of the Class of 2024.

Over the past semester, we’ve reported on resident assistants' first union contract, student rallies for Palestine, Somerville’s search for a police chief and city council elections, among other moments in local and university news.

Our opinion desk received an outpouring of letters to the editor and op-eds. In bylined Viewpoint pieces, the Daily’s opinion writers articulated stances on global, national, city and campus issues.

The features team produced long-form reporting on every-

RACHEL LIU / THE TUFTS DAILY

West Hall is pictured on Jan. 16. thing from the Tufts American Sign Language program to a local park redesign. Arts writers discussed the “Marie Antoinette” production and the Boston arts scene.

Our sports reporters followed the Jumbos’ fall NCAA Tournament runs before diving into winter sports coverage.

Science journalists caught up with former university president turned genetic researcher, Anthony Monaco.

As Tufts’ independent daily newspaper, we strive to fulfill our mission of fair, insightful reporting that holds timely relevance for the community. Each article goes through multiple rounds of fact-checking before it is published. We seek to faithfully represent a multitude of perspectives. We take requests for correction seriously and take responsibility for any factual errors we identify in our articles, which we promptly correct with an

editor’s note. Please send general feedback and corrections to daily@tuftsdaily.com.

I further recognize that these pages fall short of including every voice on campus. If there is a story we’re missing, or ways we can improve, I am receptive to your comments and closely monitor the anonymous tip line at tuftsdaily.com/tips and our email inbox.

We also welcome your letters and op-eds, which you may direct to opinion@tuftsdaily.com.

I’d like to briefly introduce the rest of the Managing Board.

The Daily’s managing editors are Julieta Grané and Merry Jiao, and our associate editors are Marlee Stout and Arielle Weinstein.

Olivia White is returning as production director and Isabel Francis is the business director.

The various sections of the newspaper are additionally led by dedicated editors who comprise the spring 2024 executive board.

You can view the full masthead at tuftsdaily.com/about. We look

forward to sharing our work with you this semester.

If you’re a current student, I would love to meet you here at the Daily. Anyone with an interest in written or visual storytelling, in designing the front page, in catching typos or in taking any role in this vibrant community of journalists is welcome here. Attend our general interest meeting on Jan. 30 or drop by our Open House on Feb. 1. It’s never too late to join; visit tuftsdaily.com/join-us to get in touch.

I am excited to embark on this semester’s journey. It may be winter now, but by the last issue, my routine 5:50 p.m. walk to the Daily office will take place in broad daylight. As seasons change, I hope the Daily can be there with you each step of the way!

Pax et Lux, Rachel Liu Editor in Chief, Spring 2024

Glaser to join Santa Clara University GLASER continued from page 1 At the beginning of Glaser’s deanship, he led the development and implementation of the school’s 2015 strategic plan before playing “an instrumental role” in Tufts’ acquisition of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 2016, Kumar and Genco wrote. He helped organize the Brighter World fundraising campaign, which supported efforts to increase diversity among the student body and faculty, and guided the university through the pandemic. In recent years, Glaser worked to bring climate change to the forefront of the university’s goals with curriculum changes and hirings. Glaser has also worked closely with other deans and university administration to “revamp and reorganize” shared student services, such as Tisch Library and the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion.

His counterpart in the School of Engineering, Dean Kyongbum

Lee, said that as “the senior dean of all the deans, … he’s certainly had an impact beyond Arts and Sciences, and I think that cannot be overstated.”

“I think a really important legacy that he leaves behind is how important and essential the student experience is,” Lee said. “He’s lifted that up to be a priority.”

While Glaser expressed excitement about his move to California — where he’ll be closer to family — he said that the decision to leave Tufts did not come easily.

“I’m very conflicted,” Glaser said in an interview with the Daily.

“I’m really excited about it, and I’m fully embracing it, but leaving here will be challenging for me. We have so many friends here. I have so much invested in the success of the place and I’m so proud of what it is and what it aspires to be.”

Outside of administrative work, Glaser has published academic articles and co-authored the 2013 book “Changing Minds, if Not Hearts: Political Remedies

to Racial Issues,” which explores political approaches to building support for minority groups. He is also the father of two Tufts alums.

He has continued to teach classes for the Department of Political Science, “a source of great pleasure for him,” according to Kumar and Genco.

Sophomore political science student Daniel Meyerson just finished a seminar with Glaser in fall 2023 and said that “taking one of his classes was really important” to him. He said that Glaser did not let his duties as dean take away from his ability to teach and connect with those he advised.

“He truly cares about his students,” Meyerson said.

“Whenever I met with him, he remembered everything that I talked to him about in the meeting before even though he has so many responsibilities. He just did a really good job of making you feel important.”

Lee likened Glaser’s departure to losing a member of his

extended family. When he first learned of it, his first reaction was to try to talk Glaser out of his decision.

“That’s the selfish reaction, but once I got over it — he doesn’t take this decision lightly, he really does love Tufts — I was very happy for him,” Lee joked, calling Glaser “an incredible gift” to the School of Arts and Sciences for “his ability to really manage all the breadth that spans so many different disciplines, all the way from art to physics.”

According to the announcement email, a plan for the search for Glaser’s replacement will be shared with the community next semester.

“Jim set the bar pretty high. …

Jim has been one of those leaders who set a tone that caring about people matters a lot,” Lee said.

“That’s a personal quality that he cares about people he works with. He’s genuinely kind, [and] that has been a major strength for him in his role as dean.”

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

NEWS

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Somerville solicits public comment on open spaces DEVELOPMENT continued from page 1 be compliant as they age and need updates. She also mentioned that the city is “exploring” the possibility of creating a playground universally accessible to those with disabilities.

“We expect the city will continue to change quite dramatically in the next seven years,” Maurer said while presenting.

“We also do a lot of work all the time, so there’s a lot we can get done in seven years. And this is a nice moment for us to calibrate what those priorities are.”

Maurer then opened the floor up to concerns from Somerville community members, asking specifically about play and recreation, parks and urban agriculture, climate resiliency and natural and restorative spaces.

Play and recreation concerns voiced by attendees focused on the accessibility of bathrooms and trash receptacles, as well as general comfort at playgrounds. One young attendee — a student at the East Somerville Community School — spoke up about the heat of his school’s playground structures due to the lack of trees for shade.

Another attendee brought attention to the openness of play structures to older children and teenagers, suggesting that they might feel “unwelcome” and that “a design for middle schoolers” would help offset these sentiments.

“I honestly just like an open field,” the attendee said, suggesting that volleyball courts might be another popular addition for teenagers and middle

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Nathan Tufts Park in Somerville is pictured schoolers. Others suggested a graffiti wall for creative expression and open areas intended

for youth to create online content for social media platforms like TikTok.

The attendee also considered adults and seniors, who “in part, are more sedentary,

Mayor Wu highlights housing, Boston Public Schools policy

WU continued from page 1 Wu also touted the city’s office-to-residential conversion program that has spurred eight proposals to turn buildings in downtown Boston into housing.

Speaking to the Daily during press Q&A, Wu also emphasized efforts to ensure university students don’t displace neighborhood residents in Boston.

“The goal is that every campus should have student housing there so that students aren’t just pushed out into the neighborhoods, and we want to work with the campuses to support that,” Wu said.

Building on her original campaign promise of improved public transportation, Wu proudly stated that, in collaboration with state partners, Boston gained a representative seat on the MBTA Board in August.

She also addressed efforts to bolster Boston’s greenery, from the city’s first-ever networked geothermal system, which will provide fossil fuel free energy to “hundreds of families” in the Franklin Field area.

“This year, we will introduce zero net carbon zoning to make Boston the greenest city in the country,” Wu said.

Turning to education, Wu pledged to make the Boston

VIA CITY OF BOSTON MAYOR’S OFFICE / FLICKR

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gives her second State of the City address on Jan. 9.

Public Schools “the best education on earth.” Wu did, however, acknowledge the remaining inequities present in the

Boston Public Schools system, despite this year marking five decades since a federal order for desegregation.

“After decades of underfunding, we’re building and renovating schools to reflect our students’ aspirations:

so thinking about features that might encourage more activity” would cater toward a larger community base.

Discussions about urban agriculture involved ideas on how to make community gardens more accessible, such as keeping them safe from pollution and incentivizing community members to get involved. The impact of climate change was discussed as well, with flooding and stormwater management being important concerns for several Somerville residents in attendance.

Attendees felt like the urban landscape of Somerville also makes access to nature difficult. Members of the community shared their favorite outdoor spaces in the area where they felt most connected with nature, which included Symphony Park, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Community Path.

One resident also shared concerns about a lack of protection for Somerville’s vegetation.

“I think part of why we have so little biodiversity in our city is because we’re not taking good enough care of our native plantings, and we have so many invasive species that are taking over so much,” the resident said. “And I feel like that’s also going to stifle the ability of the native plantings to successfully grow with climate change.”

The Somerville government is also holding a virtual session on Jan. 25 to share the draft of the 2023–30 OSRP with the public in hopes of ensuring the action plan is aligned with the focus of the general community.

state-of-the-art science labs, performing arts spaces, locker rooms befitting the City of Champions,” Wu said. “Today, 10 major BPS capital projects are underway — as many as were built in the last 40 years combined.”

Wu showed pride in her administration’s handling of essential city functions. In the last year, the city has filled more than 7,000 potholes, opened newly renovated pools, added e-bikes to the Bluebikes system and opened eight new playgrounds and parks. The city has also extended hours for 21 branch libraries and installed more than 300 new speed bumps on city streets.

Wu closed her speech with a story of her Taiwanese immigrant mother bringing her to an art museum on a day with free admission. She followed by announcing that, beginning in February, all BPS students and their families will receive free admission at several local museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts.

“It is thanks to the people of Boston that tonight I can say: The state of our city is strong,” Wu said. “Not because the challenges that remain are simple or small. But because they’re big, and they matter and we are rising to meet them.”

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Features

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Features In the wake of tragedy: Lewiston, Maine community comes together after Oct. 25 mass shooting Katie Hankinson

Contributing Writer

Content warning: This article mentions suicide.

On Oct. 25, 2023, the city of Lewiston, Maine was devastated by the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history, thus adding it to the list of the 656 communities in the United States that were affected by a mass shooting in 2023. The shooting, committed by 40-yearold Robert Card, killed 18 people.

Deb Anthoine, executive director of philanthropy at the St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, said, “[The shooting] was shocking and almost unbelievable.”

A shelter-in-place mandate was immediately ordered for Lewiston residents and surrounding towns as the two-day search for Card ensued.

Bates College, located in Lewiston, also went into full lockdown.

Annie Robinson, a sophomore at Bates, was studying in the library at the time of the shooting.

“As soon as the first person said anything about [the shooting], it just wouldn’t stop escalating,” Robinson said. “I ended up spending 12 hours in the library [and] leaving at seven in the morning.”

Mainers were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief on Oct. 27 when Card was found dead by investigators due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, this did little to ease the pain caused by the shooting.

“Once the shock wore off, it was just a deep, deep sadness and deep compassion for the people that were affected,” Anthoine said. “We’ve never seen a mass shooting like this.”

She expanded on the widespread effects of a tragedy like this.

“There was going to be a lot of people affected in a variety of ways,” she said.

The mass shooting affected all parts of the community, including Bates College.

“Short-term on campus, it was very eerie and depressing and confusing,” Robinson said. “There was nobody on the streets.”

Despite the destruction and devastation, community members from Lewiston and across the state jumped into action to support the city, and the families of those killed and wounded in the shooting. Among those supporting the cause was Mark Rodrigue, owner of Rogue Life Maine, an apparel business based in Lewiston.

“It really hit home on Thursday morning,” Rodrigue said. “There’s going to be families that are going to need help. … So we just kind of sprung into action thinking we’re just a small piece of this, but whatever we can do to help will be great.”

Rodrigue and his team quickly developed a line of “Lewiston Strong” apparel and stickers to raise money for the victims’ families. “I was hoping, well, maybe we could do $5,000 as the donation. … That would be a great number for us,” Rodrigue said.

The fundraiser far surpassed Rodrigue’s expectations. The Saturday morning following the shooting, the Lewiston Strong shirts sold out.

“The online orders on Sunday were just crazy, … and then it was Monday morning. [We had] a stack of orders 15 inches high,” he said.

The success of the fundraiser wouldn’t have been possible without enormous community support. “[The fundraiser] took a lot of other volunteers. We had people that literally came in to buy a shirt and said, ‘Do you need help?’ and we said, ‘Yeah.’ They went back in the showroom or in the warehouse and started folding shirts for us,” Rodrigue said.

Rogue Life Maine went on to sell shirts to people all over the world, raising over $200,000 for the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund.

Beyond fundraising, the community of Lewiston came together after the shooting with diverse displays of volunteerism and care.

As a longtime resident of Lewiston and an employee at St. Mary’s, Anthoine observed both the community support and healthcare response to the shooting.

“The response from neighbors to each other was what was expected. … People really pulled together, and more than just financially,” she said. “People were setting up memorials all over the place, … and people were giving donations.”

Similarly, the healthcare system in Lewiston took immediate action.

“What’s incredible is the number of staff, even retired physicians in the area, who flocked to the hospital to be ready to help nurses and other staff,” Anthoine said.

“We proved that we were able to respond to an emergency, and that we were able to respond to the needs of our employees as well.”

The quick action of businesses, healthcare providers and community members alike proved Lewiston’s resilience.

“I know Lewiston, they are such a strong community,” Robinson said.

She expanded on the experience of seeing the community response in Lewiston.

“It didn’t surprise me, the amount of support coming together, but it still was really interesting to see it all happen,” Robinson said. “The response was really beautiful.”

Even now, three months after the shooting, the victims are far from being forgotten. White bows tied around trees in Lewiston have become a symbol for and tribute to the victims of the shooting.

“It was just overwhelming masses of support, and that’s something we’re now still seeing,” Robinson said. “Seeing the ‘Lewiston Strong’ and then seeing the white bows are just [a] daily reminder this happened.”

The shooting also highlighted the need for accessible mental health services for Mainers.

“Before this mass shooting, there was a big gap in mental health services,” Anthoine said.

“We saw a much bigger increase in … people affected by trauma and violence [who] needed services. … We are aggressively pursuing

what we can do on an emergency basis and also how we can provide a continuum of care beyond our inpatient mental health integration efforts.”

St. Mary’s had already been working to increase mental health support before the shooting, but Anthoine hopes that striving to improve these services will prevent another similar event in the future.

“Providing more access to mental health services could prevent somebody from harming themselves or someone else. We can address those [concerns] and make [help] available [and] accessible. That’s our mission,” she said.

“Going forward, certainly we never hope that this happens in any city.

Certainly [we] hope it never happens again in Lewiston-Auburn.

But we can be prepared.”

Beyond expanding mental health services, the shooting also opened opportunities for collaboration between hospitals, such as between St. Mary’s and Central Maine Medical Center.

“There’s more opportunities for collaboration between organizations that serve the population, [including] health care organizations. In Lewiston, the two hospitals, who often seem to be competitive, actually complement each other in a lot of ways,” Anthoine said. “[The] services that we offer are not all the same.”

Robinson noted how the Bates College Harward Center, where she is a volunteer, will continue to play a role in supporting the city of Lewiston.

“A large purpose of the Harward Center is to support the needs of the Lewiston community,” she said. “If there are holes, we want to be there, to be able to fill [them].”

Likewise, Rodrigue and his team at Rogue Life Maine will continue to fundraise for the victims’ families. “[Other people] someplace else in the country [who] bought a shirt, they’re going to forget about it a little bit. They might remember it like any other tragedy that happens, but I think that the community [of] Lewiston-Auburn has come together,” he said. “[I’m] really hoping that everyone still stays as keen. … We’re going to try and do some other fundraisers to keep it in front of them,” Rodrigue said. “No matter what the number is, these people are going to need help. And it’s going to be an ongoing thing.”

Anthoine echoed the sentiment of long lasting effects of the tragedy.

“Certainly it’s going to be a story for a long time. Again, the breadth of effect, the breadth of impact is really, really far,” Anthoine said.

This breadth extends to Bates College and the Harward Center.

“I think that [Harward] Center will do a lot, but also I just think everyone, in their own way, [will help] … They’re here. They’re part of this community. They’ve seen the impacts of it,” Robinson said.

The mass shooting took 18 lives, wounded 13 others and has made an immeasurable impact on countless community members. Even in the wake of such utter devastation, the city of Lewiston and the entire state of Maine came together to assist with the damage and trauma caused by the shooting.

Three months later, the support is still ongoing. The city proved itself: Lewiston is strong.

“We’re not just moving on and forgetting,” Robinson said. “We have a place in our hearts.”

KATIE HANKINSON / THE TUFTS DAILY

A sign was displayed in Lewiston’s Veterans Memorial Park as symbol of strength and love after the Oct. 25 mass shooting.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Features

5

Mayer Campus Center exemplifies Tufts’ rich architectural roots

The Mayer Campus Center, left, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, right, are pictured.

Gus Gladstein

Contributing Writer

In 1903, world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright broke ground on a mansion in Buffalo, N.Y. for local business leader Darwin D. Martin. A decade later and roughly 450 miles away, Frank G. Wren, former dean of liberal arts at Tufts, sounded the call for a building where students could gather at the heart of campus.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Wright’s Martin House, the Mayer Campus Center was constructed after an anonymous donation of $1.25 million in 1980.

The process of erecting a new university building varies across campuses. Some use a patchwork of designers, whereas others have a university architect who heads all projects.

At Tufts, Capital Projects determines renovations and new buildings. After mapping the functional needs of the university, the office brings in a number of architectural firms.

Alice Belaya, a senior double-majoring in architectural studies and international literary and visual studies, observed the variation of architecture across Tufts’ campus.

“Barnum, Braker and West Hall channel the red brick Harvard aesthetic of an elite Boston school, but then we also have more modern buildings like the [ Joyce] Cummings Center. Or you have a fusion of the two in the [Science and Engineering Complex],” Belaya said. “Tufts’ architecture works really well because [it has] so much range in terms of the spatial experiences on a tiny campus.”

Belaya explained that utilizing different designs for build-

ings on campus can create a welcoming environment.

“Ivy League universities have this distinctive [architecture which] … can be exclusive or intimidating,” Belaya said.

“Non-neo-Gothic buildings and departures from the traditional [architectural] language of universities [are] more welcoming because [they’re] more unconventional.”

After receiving funds for the Campus Center, Tufts interviewed numerous architecture firms.

Robert Y.C. Hsiung, at the time an architect for Jung Brannen Associates, came to Tufts to pitch his vision of the building.

“The Campus Center is situated in a place on the slope side between the upper campus and lower campus,” Hsiung said. “Under lower campus, [there are] a lot of residential buildings [and] professors’ houses, and I see this building … as a gateway from one part to the other part.”

After Hsiung’s interview, he was named chief designer of the project. In this role, he worked to ensure that the design of the Campus Center fit the needs of the Tufts community, even in the materials it was constructed with.

“While the [exterior] material could be natural — brick, granite — the inside material, I know how destructive the students are, so we used the material that’s almost indestructible, the concrete block and wood,” Hsiung said.

Beyond the materials, the Campus Center was designed to be conducive to the many aspects of university life. Hsiung’s design has served a variety of purposes over the years from a space for student protests to an on-campus bar with a liquor license at Hotung Café in the past.

ALEXIS SERINO / THE TUFTS DAILY, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

While the current Campus Center is versatile and integral to Tufts, it does not match the original design. Tufts’ original plan consisted of a campus center, a bookstore and a faculty center down the hill. However, only the former two portions of the plan were constructed.

“I have a vision of [the] faculty center … which was never built,” Hsiung said. “If they should ever add the faculty wing, it should look the same, it should look complete. But if you don’t build it, it is still complete. It’s like a tree, it can just keep growing.”

In 1985, Wren’s vision was fulfilled with the grand opening of the Campus Center, named after Elizabeth Van Huysen Mayer, wife of Tufts’ tenth president Jean Mayer.

The Campus Center has earned notable acclaim, receiving a Merit Award for Institutional Design from the American Society of Landscape Architects New England Chapter, the Walter Taylor Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects as well as an Award of Excellence from the American Association of School Administrators.

After its grand opening, Robert Campbell, architecture critic for the Boston Globe, wrote an article profiling the Campus Center’s similarities with Wright’s architecture.

Hsiung explained Wright’s architectural philosophy.

“Wright talked about organic architecture, that a form is very much tied with the site as a result of conversation of use, of function. A site is not a monument that stands [by] itself,” Hsiung explained.

Diana Martinez, assistant professor of the Department of the History of Art and

Architecture and director of the Architectural Studies program, explained how the Campus Center interacts with the land it’s built upon in a similar way to Wright’s designs.

“In [ Wright’s] Fallingwater, [the building] cascades down several levels,” Martinez explained. “You can see that in the Campus Center, [how] you enter on multiple levels. … [It’s] a two story space that allows you to understand the fact that it is a building that is itself moving uphill and there’s also the exterior-interior stairs that allow you to negotiate that hill in the same way.”

Martinez further explained the various architectural styles that Wright took inspiration from, and the connections between the Campus Center and Wright’s domestic architecture. One example is the Martin House, which is a National Historic Landmark and a premier heritage destination within New York. “[Wright] was specifically interested in [the architecture of] Japan, and one can see those influences built through the Martin House and thus in the Campus Center, especially in its stacked levels. There is a pagoda-like arrangement from certain angles, the asymmetry is something that makes it feel less institutional,” Martinez observed.

The unique design of the Campus Center is a product of its purpose and placement.

“Because [the Campus Center] is intended to welcome students and also because it’s not on [the] main lawn, there’s an opportunity to be more loose, to not have to abide by certain conventions of campus architecture,” Martinez noted.

Hsiung, who has designed over a hundred buildings, from large commercial projects to

other university buildings, explained the inclusiveness of the Tufts campus architecture.

“The campus’ rich history is a continuous environment … for higher learning, for inspiration, so [there is] definitely more inclusiveness of ideas in a university building. The commercial building is about making money,” Hsiung said.

Martinez explained the difference between architecture which draws on commercial or professional styles and that which focuses on thematic elements of domestic spaces. “[In the Campus Center], there is an unmistakable reference to the house,” Martinez said.

Belaya explained the approachable and domestic feeling inside the building. “[The Campus Center is] not imposing. All the spaces are manageable and human scale.

You don’t have vast halls or grandiose libraries,” Belaya said.

“It’s really manageable from a human perspective and that’s really special.”

The role of domesticity on college campuses varies.

Thomas Jefferson designed the University of Virginia campus in keeping with his ideals of patriarchal household hierarchies and agrarian self-sufficiency. “[University of Virginia] professors had to live on campus and they taught in the same houses that they lived in, and … they had their own enslaved persons working there. It was as if they had this miniature estate within the university,” Martinez said. “Tufts’ plan was less ideologically driven than the University of Virginia, it was more pragmatically driven. But there are similarities in this game nonetheless.”

Tufts’ historical yearnings to establish itself as a premier institute are embodied in the campus’ domestic atmosphere today.

“Tufts was land-rich and cash-poor and they had this special arrangement with professors … where they couldn’t offer professors a 100% competitive salary, but what they could offer them was a piece of land on which they could build their house, and they actually sold the land itself to those professors. When the professors retired, they sold the house and the land back to Tufts,” Martinez explained. “That’s why it’s called Professors Row.” References to the home have spread beyond Professors Row to other buildings across campus.

“There’s a range of domesticity,” Belaya noted. “[The Campus Center, Delta Tau Delta house and the Experimental College] are all different flavors of it.”

The Campus Center, with its rich architectural history, is a hub for student life, and is home to study groups, late night food, lunch dates, pool tables and club meetings. It was designed to feel welcoming and usable.

“I told [Tufts] that I see this building as a home away from home,” Hsiung stated.

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Arts & Pop Culture

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

ARTS & POP CULTURE Best films of 2023 Nate Hall

Executive Arts Editor

2023 was a big year for movies. As Hollywood continued to recover from the pandemic, the industry was shaken by unprecedented strikes as the actors’ and writers’ unions fought for fair pay and protections against artificial intelligence. Amid the chaos, audiences returned to the theaters, making 2023 the highest grossing year for movies since 2019. But it wasn’t the big-budget blockbusters that brought in the most money this year, as audiences showed in their excitement for new, original projects. With awards season in full swing, let’s take a look back at what Hollywood had to offer last year. In no particular order, here are the Daily’s picks for the best films of 2023: “Barbie” & “Oppenheimer” No discussion of last year’s movies would be complete without everyone’s favorite cinematic duo that captured theatergoers’ attention last summer. Released on the same day in July, the combined box office success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” gave Hollywood its fourth-largest opening weekend in history.

What could have been a rivalry turned into an unlikely double feature as fans and cast members encouraged audiences to embrace the differences between the two films. Cillian Murphy and Margot Robbie’s joint interview for Variety last month demonstrates just how much admiration the films’ actors have for one another.

But the films didn’t just bring audiences back to movie theaters — each one is groundbreaking in its own right. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is a singular feat of filmmaking that was embraced by audiences worldwide. Its script, written by Gerwig with her husband Noah Baumbach, is endlessly clever and filled with meta-jokes that comment on gender roles, consumerism and Mattel, the very company that produced the film. Its sleek costume and set designs welcome viewers into Barbie’s world, and its eclectic soundtrack, produced

by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, helps to tie the story’s themes together. With a perfectly cast ensemble led by a charming Margot Robbie, a formidable America Ferrera and a sublime Ryan Gosling, Barbie is more than just a cultural phenomenon — it’s a sign of a changing industry that’s ready to embrace new kinds of stories.

In “Oppenheimer,” director Christopher Nolan reunites with his frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy, finally giving him the leading role that he

Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph star in “The Holdovers.” deserves. Murphy’s nuanced performance as the “father of the atomic bomb” is the heart of Nolan’s three-hour historical epic, which dives deep into Oppenheimer’s development of the bomb and the political aftershocks that followed.

With incredible performances from supporting cast members Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr., a brilliant score by Ludwig Göransson and impeccably crafted visuals created with practical effects, Nolan turns real-life events into cinematic gold.

“The Holdovers” Director Alexander Payne transports viewers back to the 1970s with the story of Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a curmudgeonly boarding school teacher who’s forced to stay on campus to take care of the students who have nowhere to go over Christmas break. Giamatti’s dynamic performance as an unpopular history professor is the perfect counterpart to Angus Tully, who is played by talented newcomer Dominic Sessa.

Tully is a student left on campus during break who forms an unlikely friendship with his teacher. But it’s Da’Vine Joy Randolph who steals the show as the school’s head cook, Mary Lamb, an outsider at the elite boarding school who is grieving the loss of her son.

The characters feel authentic, and the heartwarming script doesn’t need any big moments to make you feel deeply invested in the story. Filmed in snowy Massachusetts (with one scene in the Somerville

Theatre!), Payne’s direction and Eigil Bryld’s cinematography perfectly capture the 1970s aesthetic, evoking powerful feelings of nostalgia as the characters search for meaning in their lives.

“Poor Things” One of the year’s most bizarre films (and one of its best), Yorgos Lanthimos’ tale of self-discovery is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

After a mad scientist ( Willem Dafoe) in 1800s London resurrects a deceased young woman (Emma Stone) using the brain of her unborn child, she embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery through a steampunk Victorian world. Based on a 1992 novel inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” Lanthimos’ creativity is at its peak in “Poor Things.” Emma Stone’s astonishing performance as Bella Baxter is the highlight of the film, as she transforms from a crudely reincarnated corpse to an intelligent young woman.

The film’s cinematography and set design is some of the best of the year, and a hilarious Mark Ruffalo leads a talented supporting cast.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” Martin Scorsese’s widely anticipated epic drama tells the harrowing true story of the oil-rich Osage Nation and a series of murders that destroyed their community in 1920s Oklahoma, orchestrated by local political boss William King Hale (Robert De Niro). While the 3½ hour film devotes plenty of time to the killings and their impact

on the tribe, the story at its heart is about the relationship between Hale’s nephew Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife Mollie (Lily Gladstone), an Osage woman whose wealth Hale and Burkhart seek to profit off of. The haunting story represents an often overlooked moment in American history, and Scorsese’s efforts to center indigenous voices in “Killers” come across in his storytelling.

Gladstone’s powerful performance is the emotional core of the story, and the late Robbie Robertson’s beautiful score pairs perfectly with the film’s sharp editing and Scorsese’s meticulous direction.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” The latest installment in Sony’s animated Spider-Man series is the rare sequel that outshines its predecessor with new settings, incredible visual styles and a multiverse of characters that continues to grow.

As Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) continue their interdimensional journey, the film’s astonishing comic-style animation and its fully realized storytelling keep audiences on the edge of their seats, up to the jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the very end of the film.

“Past Lives” You wouldn’t guess that “Past Lives” is writer-director Celine Song’s first film, because her masterful storytelling is on display from the movie’s opening moments to its final heartbreaking scene.

Greta Lee is captivating as

COURTESY SEACIA PAVAO / EPK.TV

Nora Moon, a South Korean immigrant now living in New York who contemplates how her life has changed when she reconnects with Hae Sung, an old friend from her childhood ( Teo Yoo). The film’s intimate, beautifully simplistic narrative is propelled forward by the humanity of its characters and the chemistry between its lead actors.

A Few More “Theater Camp” — The small-budget film starring real-life childhood best friends Ben Platt and Molly Gordon could have easily been a clichéd sendup of theater kids, but the relationships at the heart of its story and its hilarious script make it worth the watch.

“Asteroid City” — Wes Anderson’s latest film is perhaps his most ‘Wes Anderson’ film yet, and his commitment to meta-storytelling, production design and an incredible ensemble of actors are sure to entertain fans of the director’s work.

“Nyad” — The story of long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad is remarkable for its depiction of her athletic feats, but it’s the endearing relationship between Nyad (Annette Bening) and her coach Bonnie Stoll ( Jodie Foster) that gives the film a spot on this list.

“Rustin” — Many people haven’t heard of Bayard Rustin, the openly gay civil rights activist who organized the March on Washington, D.C., but they’ll never forget him after seeing Colman Domingo’s tour de force lead performance.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

What to expect from the Tufts theater scene this spring Odessa Gaines Arts Editor

With the start of a new semester at Tufts comes a new wave of theater performances on campus. From the theater department to Torn Ticket II and Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps), we can expect a semester full of art and passion.

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Every semester, TDPS puts together a musical or play starring Tufts students — a major collaboration between the faculty and students. This semester’s show is “Twelfth Night.”

Adapted from the Shakespearean classic and conceived by Shaina Taub and Kwame Kwei-Armah, “Twelfth Night” follows Viola (Bella Juhaeri), a shipwrecked young woman who finds herself in Illyria. In order to survive this new country, Viola dresses herself as a man named Cesario and begins to work for the duke, Orsino (June Beiser).

With this typical case of mistaken identity and disguises, Viola falls for Orsino while Olivia (Leah Cohen), the grieving countess, falls for Cesario. As she navigates this new life and grieves for her twin brother, Sebastian (Ledao Gavaldà), she discovers more to herself and her own identity. With an exemplary music score and stacked cast, this production of “Twelfth Night” will be a must-watch this spring.

“Twelfth Night,” directed by Amelia Rose Estrada and Holly Bourdon, and with music directed by Matt Torres, will run Feb. 29 to March 10 in the Balch Arena Theater.

Torn Ticket II Torn Ticket II is one of three Tufts student theater organizations, and puts on two to three musicals every semester. This semester, TTII will be putting on “Heathers: The Musical” as its mainstage and “Pippin” as its workshop production.

Based on the iconic movie “Heathers” (1988), this musical adaptation follows

Veronica Sawyer in her senior year at Westerberg High. Written by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, this cult classic explores Sawyer’s relationship with her classmates as she gets into the ‘it’ group of Heathers, leaves her former best friend Martha behind and falls for JD, the mysterious and rebellious new kid. After accidentally killing Queen Bee Heather Chandler, the two become intent on ridding the school of the remaining popular kids. As everything comes to a head, Sawyer must decide who and what she wants to be in the thunderdome of hatred, despair and, well, murder — AKA high school. Directed by Will Flamm with music directed by Alex Mansour, “Heathers: The Musical” shows Sawyer’s journey of finding her place in relationships and at school.

Performances of this timeless and classic story will run March 28–30 in Cohen Auditorium.

“Pippin” follows the young prince of the same name as he searches for purpose and happiness in a world fueled by power and glory. Pippin starts by searching for happiness in war, out of loyalty to his father and state. He soon finds that what he is looking for comes not from otherworldly endeavors and glorious adventures, but from simple pleasures and pastimes with other humans.

Written by Stephen Schwartz, this story carries the weight of what true happiness is.

Performed in a small, speakeasy style, this production of “Pippin” brings its audience right into its world, complete with groovy choreography, great musical numbers and comedic storytelling.

The play will be co-directed by Maya Puffer and Wylie Doak, choreographed by Puffer. Its music will be directed by Wylie Doak alongside Milo Shields, who directs vocals. “Pippin” will be performed on April 19 and 20 at 51 Winthrop St. Pen, Paint, and Pretzels Pen, Paint, and Pretzels is Tufts’ oldest student organization, and conventionally puts on two plays each semester — one a

The Aidekman Arts Center, home of Tufts TDPS, is pictured in August 2020.

mainstage production and the second, a workshop. This semester, 3Ps will be putting on “Eight Women” as its mainstage and “Walking Backwards” as its workshop production.

Originally written in French by Robert Thomas and set during a harsh 1950s winter, “Eight Women” delves deep into the secrets that spill out after a family’s patriarch, Marcel, has been found murdered. The eponymous eight women, all suspects with their own motives, must find who is guilty. As the minutes crawl past, we come closer and closer to finding the murderer: Was it the wife, the sister-in-law, the mother-in-law, the eldest daughter, the youngest daughter, the maid, the nanny or, perhaps, Marcel’s very own sister? As the play progresses, more and more of the dirty underbelly of the family becomes exposed. Secrecy, adultery, murder, and, of course, a dash of comedy come together for this mustwatch play.

Directed and translated by Juliet Baker and Claudia Henry, “Eight Women” will run April 11–13.

“Walking Backwards,” is an original play written and directed by Rowan Cunningham. It follows Rose, a transgender woman in college and explores her relationship with her asexual father Scott. Told in reverse chronological order, this play dives deep into what it means to form a family, to experience a loss and to find a place of belonging. Complete with queer representation from asexual, transgender and gay identities, this story aims to be a reflection of the beauty and twists and turns that come in life, college and love of all kinds.

Performances of “Walking Backwards” will be Feb. 15–16 in Barnum Hall, room 008, in the form of a staged reading of the text.

Interested in auditioning or being a part of the theater scene on campus? Reach out to Torn Ticket II, 3Ps or Envision: Black Student Theater for more information!

NICOLE GARAY / THE TUFTS DAILY

Arts & Pop Culture

7

Elizabeth Foster Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic

A foray into veganism

A

s I return to campus, my refrigerator is conveniently devoid of its meat and dairy products. And so I must ask myself: What would going vegan look like this semester?

I’d argue that I’ve had a plant-conscious diet for most of my time in college, at times describing my diet as “fiscally vegan, socially whatever,” as I only purchased plant-based items from the grocery store but would attend a weekly charcuterie night with friends. I’ve only confidently cooked meat upon my purchase of a meat thermometer last June. So while last semester’s column explored the recipes I had the newfound confidence to cook, this semester’s column will hold me accountable through a new process and share the best of my finds.

My intent is not to e-vegan-ize (e-vegan-gelize?) my readers, but rather to explain how I plan to go vegan.

Whether you are Veganuary-ing, interested in incorporating more plantbased options into your diet or just looking for recipe ideas this winter, this column is for you.

Pantry Pasta with Vegan Cream Sauce This particular recipe was a pandemic find of mine, and it has grown into a comfort staple. Historically, I’ve opted to use chickpea pasta to increase satiability. While it is found on the Bon Appétit website, one can access about three free recipes before the paywall kicks in. However, I believe that visiting the Bon Appétit website from a lab computer will yield access to an additional five recipes. Bonus note: printing directly from the lab computers in the Joyce Cummings Center is free.

Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale Receiving rave reviews from my roommates (“It’s phenomenal”) and my roommate’s girlfriend (“That was the best soup I had all winter”), this soup is by Rainbow Plant Life, one of the best vegan creators on YouTube. While I’m not rolling on a bouquet garni budget, several modifications can be made to reduce the list of ingredients. For the bundle of herbs, I’d recommend just selecting several sprigs of rosemary because it’s a hearty herb that you can incorporate into recipes over the following two weeks. My gremolata consists of one lemon’s worth of juice and zest and two garlic cloves. These modifications still earned rave reviews.

Turmeric-Black Pepper ( Tofu) with (Green Beans) Originally a chicken and asparagus recipe, my friend Peri and I co-opted this recipe in the fall. I constructed mine with chicken, while she used tofu. Our feedback: While the original recipe calls for flour to coat the chicken, abide by more traditional tofu recommendations when making it with tofu by coating in cornstarch. The result is a crispier bite. While honey is objectively not vegan, my goal is not perfection. I’m not someone who thrives off of quitting cold turkey (no pun intended) and this is one example where I’m giving myself grace.

Elizabeth Foster is a fifth-year master’s student studying computer science.

Elizabeth can be reached at Elizabeth.

Foster635086@tufts.edu.

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Rachel: “ITIs, it’s like UTIs.”

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41 Eva of Argentina 42 Common annual goal 44 Frugal folks 45 Sworn statement 46 Bern's river 47 ___-taggle (motley) 50 "___ corny as Kansas ..."

THE TUFTS DAILY

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51 Confidentiality doc 54 Zeno's home 55 Mechanic's métier 58 Oodles 59 Postal delivery 60 Scots toss it 61 Capitol topper 62 Zaire's Mobutu ___ Seko 63 Leaves in DOWN 1 Taj Mahal city 2 Hot 3 Glasgow gal 4 Tokyo, once 5 Kim of "NYPD Blue" 6 Fall bloomer 7 Lane in Metropolis 8 That, in Tijuana 9 Some Bach creations 10 Traditional night for partying 11 St. crossers 12 Take five 13 Newspaper section 18 Pizzeria chain, familiarly 23 Alphabet trio 24 Pump 25 Joint tenants?

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Opinion

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

9

Opinion VIEWPOINT

Americana music deserves its dues

Justin Solis

Opinion Editor

Morgan Wallen was caught on video saying a racial slur.

Oliver Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond” (2023) became a conservative anthem for right-wing politicians. Jason Aldean’s music video for “Try That in a Small Town” (2023) drew clear references to lynchings. For a genre called “country music,” it certainly does not live up to its name. Rather than being representative of our country, country music seems to be a stronghold of racists, misogynists and right-wing ideals. These ideals scare off prospective listeners — especially for students at our Mass. liberal arts school. For those listeners who want a gritty, authentic and uniquely American sound, I offer an alternative that doesn’t maintain ties to these scandals. Fittingly, it’s called Americana music.

Americana music originally emerged as a reactionary movement within country music. In the 1990s, when country music experienced a boom in popularity, a desire for more traditional country music increased. In country music, traditional tales of heartbreak, love and loss were being replaced with songs about beer, trucks and women. The Americana genre was created in response.

A quick glance at the Wikipedia listing of Americana artists reveals artists such as Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey, The Lumineers, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead and Tom

VIA WALT DISNEY TELEVISION / FLICKR

Americana artist Luke Combs is pictured at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 9, 2017.

Petty — artists that many liberal college students already listen to. Yet one needs to look at a larger collective recognition of Americana music, as these artists barely scratch the surface of what the genre offers.

To me, music is more than just the simple composition of chords and rhythms. It requires storytelling. It’s not enough to simply assemble the most popular progressions, slickly produce it and release it to radio. As an admitted fan of country music, I believe that the genre has the unique ability to create trust and authenticity with the listener. Something about an unapol-

ogetic acoustic guitar, soulful vocals and a simple production style, that thrives in moderation, makes me that much more likely to believe whatever story the artist is telling. In recent years, it’s clear that the genre has moved away from its original gritty, authentic style, but I can still find some remnants in Americana music.

If anything, the core of the Americana genre is about music that tells a story with authenticity. Artists like Bryan, whose rise to fame was kickstarted by a viral cellphone video of him playing guitar and singing a song he wrote, embody

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this authenticity. Despite his meteoric rise to success, Bryan has not allowed his increased industry credibility to undermine the core of his music — his new album was entirely self-produced.

Colter Wall is another example of the gritty ‘country-esque’ authenticity present in Americana music. One of his most popular videos is him simultaneously playing acoustic guitar, singing and working a kick drum, creating a beautiful solo performance. Wall sings with the voice of a grizzled cowboy and lives the lifestyle too. Instead of massive stadi-

um tours, Wall, who grew up in rural Canada, can be found ranching across the West.

Americana artists are also diverse in their political beliefs.

Bryan spoke out in support of transgender rights and continued to support Bud Light after the Dylan Mulvaney controversy — a sponsorship deal with a transgender influencer that tanked Bud Light sales. Luke Combs covered “Fast Car,” which was originally sung in 1988 by Tracy Chapman, a Black singer-songwriter and Tufts alumna. Tyler Childers featured two gay leads in a music video for his love song “In Your Love” (2023). The Americana genre provides the country aesthetic in a manner that is palatable to college liberals disillusioned with country music’s lack of diversity.

If you’re interested in getting a head start into your Americana journey, I would recommend listening to mainstream contemporary artists, such as Lana Del Rey, The Lumineers or Bryan for a smooth transition into the genre. If you’re willing to take a more adventurous plunge, you can’t go wrong with rising star The Red Clay Strays or Americana legend Jason Isbell.

Americana is so much more than ‘country without the scandals.’ Just like America today, the Americana genre is diverse and draws influence from a multitude of genres, including rock, folk, country and blues. It’s time we give Americana the respect it deserves as a legitimate and influential musical genre.

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

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10 Opinion

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

VIEWPOINT

Rampant antisemitism at Tufts reveals a dearth of leadership Kevin Golub

Opinion Editor

If the past several months have shown anything, it is the shocking extent to which antisemitism has revealed itself on college campuses throughout the country. Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been the most visible, opting to accommodate — and thus tacitly endorse — antisemitic behaviors. Despite receiving less attention regarding antisemitism, Tufts is sadly no better. In the immediate wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine released a statement to its e-list praising Hamas’ “creativity” and signed off their Instagram post with “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” These actions transcended political demonstrations and were indefensible endorsements of evil. During this period that necessitated strong leadership, Tufts’ Office of the President offered the student body an ineffectual, milquetoast statement that failed to appropriately condemn Hamas’ barbaric acts and merely reiterated the “resources

and support” of the University.

A second statement, which acknowledged Hamas as a “terrorist organization,” attempted to more enthusiastically condemn the actions of Hamas. However, I’d argue the damage was already done. It could easily be seen as Tufts trying to recover its image after an indecisive first message, something that can seem disingenuous. Despite these two statements, too many Tufts students did not digest the message: Students called President Kumar a “genocide enabler” at his event with the Tufts Community Union and staged a sit-in and walkout in and around the Mayer Campus Center while some called for “intifada revolution.”

Silence is a statement. Kumar’s failure to address the conflict has had deleterious effects on Jewish students, alumni, professors and community members. Just yesterday, the Office of the President sent out an eight-minute video recapping the fall semester.

During the video message, Kumar concluded a tricolon with, “it is possible to be supportive of the self-determination rights of both Israelis and Palestinians without coming across as somehow being blindly supportive of violence.”

I agree with this, yet calls for violence have still taken place.

Protesting for self-determination cannot be intertwined with calls for violence and genocide.

As I mentioned above, calls for “intifada” and “from the river to the sea” have been heard across campus, yet Kumar has made no mention of accountability and appropriate punishment for involved students. This absence of leadership desperately needs to be addressed, and I implore Professor Emeritus Sol Gittleman to fill the void. It’s an unfair ask, as Gittleman’s duties at Tufts are increasingly limited (and deservedly so).

Gittleman, the Alice and Nathan Gantcher university professor emeritus, taught Yiddish literature and Yiddishkeit (Jewish customs and practices) in the Department of International Literary and Cultural Studies from 1964–2015. His class rarely had an open seat. Many alumni consider Gittleman to be their best Tufts professor. In addition to teaching, Gittleman was Tufts’ longest-serving provost, assuming the role in 1981 and holding it for 21 years. To honor Gittleman’s decades-long career, Tufts created the Sol

Gittleman Professorship in 2011, “an interdisciplinary position in the Department of Film and Media Studies.”

In addition to writing books, Gittleman recently published an article in WBUR, Boston’s local NPR news station. In the piece, Gittleman criticized the Ivy League presidents’ congressional testimonies and the antisemtic rhetoric on their campuses. He aptly pointed out their failure to appropriately denounce calls for intifada and genocide, acts that ought to violate any school’s code of conduct. Later in the article, Gittleman recalled his teaching days and how he edified students on Zionism: “My approach was to just teach the facts. I’d explain that Theodor Herzl was a secular Jewish European, who, after the Dreyfus Affair Trial, wanted a secular Jewish state, with German as its language, and no religious test.”

Tufts would materially benefit from a facts-based approach founded on this conviction.

I believe whether you are an antisemite is not debatable. This message needs to be more clearly circulated across the Tufts campus. Gittleman’s knowledge of Judaism, his willingness to speak

out and his influence at Tufts are conducive to proper leadership on this issue.

Gittleman’s view on the Ivy League presidents’ congressional testimonies and the antisemtic discourse on their campuses is thoughtful, compelling and grounded in historical facts. I encourage him to share his voice more openly and regularly with the Tufts community. The Tufts administration has failed to adequately chastise students who endorse the genocide of Jews, much like the administrations at Harvard, Penn and MIT, and this needs to change. Gittleman has a prominent platform at Tufts –– he left a lasting impression on numerous alumni and members of the faculty. Gittleman can steer Tufts back on course with his wisdom and knowledge about the conflict. Tufts would benefit from Gittleman voicing his opinion on the actions of proHamas Tufts students. He would fill a gap created by Kumar’s silence. Through a long and storied career, Gittleman has proven to be a source of moral clarity. It would be a privilege to hear from him. Perhaps, he could impart his sagacity onto those with suspect and delusional reasoning.

VIEWPOINT

The College Board has become indistinguishable from a hedge fund Dylan Tanouye

Assistant Opinion Editor

Every spring, millions of high school students hunker down in classrooms as they prepare to take Advanced Placement exams. With the ability to award college credit at many universities with a score of three or above, AP exams — which are the culmination of an entire year of college-level coursework — have high stakes and often serve as a major source of stress for students who are preparing to apply for college.

Though standardized tests are supposed to give all students equal opportunity, failure rates are significantly higher among low-income and minority students. If the College Board truly wants to promote equity in education — as their mission statement claims — they should use their exorbitant profits to create new programs that will actually help students succeed in college.

AP exams are not new to the high school curriculum. The College Board was founded in 1900 with the intent of providing high school students with standardized, college-level courses. They achieved this goal in 1955 with the establishment of the AP program, and they’ve had a monopoly on this program ever since. As a nonprofit organization that has 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, they are exempt from income taxes as long as they are providing a public benefit.

Today, over 22,000 high schools offer at least one AP course, contributing to the

Students take an AP Psychology exam. $500 million in revenue that the College Board generated from AP exams alone in 2022.

This profit comes from the exorbitant $98 fee they directly charge most students just to take the exams, and there are further costs imposed if students sign up after the Nov. 16 deadline. While the College Board does offer a $36 discount for students with financial need, those who need further assistance are forced

to turn to state governments, who paid the College Board $37 million last year to cover fees for low-income students.

With the additional revenue they make from SAT fees and selling students’ data, College Board’s 2022 total revenue amounted to over a billion dollars. However, they only spend 10% of this revenue on fee discounts, which raises an important question: Where is the rest of this money going?

VIA ERIC CASTRO / FLICKR

A look at the College Board’s financials reveal that a significant portion of their revenue is being used to build up their assets and lavishly pay executives. With $162 million invested in Caribbean tax havens, net asset growth over 163% since 2011 and CEO David Coleman’s $1.8 million annual salary, the College Board is thriving financially. Legally, nonprofits are only allowed to provide “reasonable” compensation for their employ-

ees, yet they spend over $8 million on executive compensation.

The College Board should be using their profits to fulfill their mission of helping more students attend and succeed in college. However, very little progress has been made on this front. Even though the number of AP exams administered has increased almost twofold since 2008, there haven’t been any increases in undergraduate enrollment in this time. Recent research has also proven that taking AP exams does not correlate with higher college GPAs. Aside from their academic association, AP exams can lower students’ confidence in their ability to succeed, as they disproportionately target low-income students who fail the exams 60% of the time, largely due to a lack of necessary preparation resources.

The College Board is failing to serve the public as a nonprofit. Instead of using their profits to fund financial aid and resources to help low-income students succeed in college, they are releasing reports with heavily scrutinized data in an attempt to defend their AP program and pocket the revenue it brings in. If the College Board truly wants to achieve the goals they laid out, they should redirect the funds that go into out-of-date programs and the pockets of executives.

Programs such as scholarships and full fee waivers could go a long way to help break the income barrier that currently exists in our education system, and the College Board should be leading the charge.

THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports 11

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

Aiden Lovett is pictured in the game against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Jan. 6.

Men’s hockey keeps undefeated streak alive, beating Amherst and tying Hamilton Max Druckman Staff Writer

Typically, fire and ice don’t mix. After all, in the presence of fire, solid ice becomes dripping, liquid water. This contradiction has not stopped the Tufts men’s ice hockey team from setting the NESCAC on fire in recent weeks. After starting the season 0–4–1, the Jumbos rattled off seven consecutive wins, starting with a 7–4 win over Williams College on Dec. 1. So, a Friday night trip to take on the Amherst Mammoths presented another opportunity for the Jumbos to make their mark at the top of the NESCAC standings.

Just five minutes in, the Mammoths jumped out to a 1–0 advantage. Defenseman Max Thiessen charged across the red line before dumping the puck off to forward Ben Kuzma.

Kuzma centered the puck to forward Tyler Bourque, who lashed a shot at Jumbos’ senior goaltender Peyton Durand.

Durand deflected Bourque’s effort, but the rebound settled nicely for Kuzma, who rifled the puck into the net.

The rest of the first period was evenly contested. The Mammoths ended the first with a slight 24–23 edge in shots, while neither side accrued any penalty minutes.

However, four minutes into the second period, a hooking

penalty on Mammoth forward Connor Guest set up a Jumbos power play and put them on the offensive.

Junior forward Harrison Bazianos won the puck off a face-off. Junior forward Tyler Sedlak shuffled the puck back to Bazianos, who sent it to sophomore forward Cole Dubicki. Sedlak had continued his charge, receiving the puck from Dubicki before slotting it home for his fourth goal of the season.

The next five minutes featured six shots from each side.

The Jumbos killed one penalty, while the Mammoths killed two. Halfway through the second period, though, the Jumbos broke the deadlock.

Sophomore forward Brendan Fennell corralled the puck and skated past the Mammoth defense. He sent the puck to sophomore forward John Mulvihill, who fired it past goalkeeper Connor Leslie’s left post, giving the Jumbos a 2–1 lead they would not relinquish.

It was Mulvihill’s team-leading seventh goal of the campaign.

“We haven’t been down in a while, so it’s a little bit of adversity. But, we know with Peyton in the pipes and how well he’s been playing, that he probably won’t give up another,” sophomore forward Max Resnick said.

“So it’s on us to front, to take control and just keep doing the right things.”

In total, the Mammoths had eight penalty minutes compared to the Jumbos’ six.

Durand saved 30 efforts, while Leslie saved 25. The Jumbos catapulted to second place in the NESCAC standings and picked up their eighth consecutive win. The streak represented their longest winning streak since 1994–95, when they won 11 straight contests.

The Jumbos’ next opportunity to extend their streak came the following day, as they traveled to Clinton, N.Y. to face off against the Hamilton Continentals.

The first period was tense and level. The Continentals slightly outshot the Jumbos 21–18. The only penalty of the period was committed

by Hamilton forward Matt Gellerman, who served two minutes for hooking.

The second period saw the Jumbos take control. Four minutes in, Bazianos passed out of the corner to senior defenseman Cam Newton at the blue line. Newton let loose a shot on goal, which Sedlak redirected into the back of the net past goalkeeper Josh Nadler.

After killing two penalties, the Jumbos struck again with five minutes remaining in the period. Sophomore forward Liam O’Hare gathered the puck behind the net before skating into the offensive zone and passing to Dubicki. He took a

shot, which was saved, then garnered the rebound. He then found first-year defenseman Sylas Oberting, who sent a one-timer into the net to extend the Jumbo lead to 2–0.

The rest of the second period was scoreless. However, one minute into the third, the Jumbos expanded their lead. Sophomore defenseman Philippe Lamarre hammered home a wrist shot after junior forward Brennan Horn won a face-off to make it a 3–0 contest. The Jumbos appeared to be sailing to their ninth consecutive victory.

However, like their namesake, the Continentals did not throw away their shot. Newton was sent to the box for holding, putting the Continentals on the power play. Forward Grisha Gotovets took advantage of the opportunity, putting the Continentals on the board with an assist from forward Luke Tchor.

Just six minutes later, Tchor got in on the action himself thanks to assists from sophomore forward Jackson Krock and junior defenseman William Neault, bringing the Continentals within one.

With under two minutes remaining in the game, the Continentals finished off their comeback. After pulling Nadler to gain a man advantage, forward Max Bulawka equalized with assists from forward Devon de Vries and defenseman James

Philpott. With the score knotted at three after 60 minutes, the game was sent to overtime to decide whether the Jumbos would continue their winning streak.

The five-minute addendum was uneventful, however. Though the Continentals outshot the Jumbos 6–1, both defenses held strong and the game finished in a 3–3 tie.

“We got a little comfortable and [a] little stagnant towards the end. And they kept their foot on the gas, and [we] kind of gave up a little bit, and it goes to show that any little mistake will come back to bite you,” Resnick said.

Although their winning streak came to an end, the Jumbos remained undefeated in 2024 — their last loss was on Nov. 26.

Their next matchup will come against the Trinity Bantams on Friday, who hold a five-point lead over the No. 2 Jumbos at the top of the NESCAC standings. The Bantams have proven to be a difficult opponent for the Jumbos, who hold a 1–8–1 record in the pair’s last 10 matchups.

Nonetheless, the Jumbos are confident that they can keep their fire burning and continue to set the NESCAC ablaze.

“I think we know how they’re usually a pretty good team. But I think once we get on the ice we’re just as good as them if not better. So having confidence in ourselves and knowing that we can beat them, … I like our odds,” Resnick said.

12 Sports

THE TUFTS DAILY

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Sports Tufts men’s basketball falls to Amherst, Hamilton in NESCAC play Nick Dohr

Staff Writer

The Tufts men’s basketball team was in a winning mood after its win at home against Clark University, knowing its next six games were away. The first three against UMass Dartmouth, University of Saint Joseph and No. 5-ranked Keene State were all wins. The squad then headed to the Kingsmen Classic just after Christmas to Thousand Oaks, Calif., where they were scheduled to take on California Lutheran University and UT Dallas. Tufts took its first loss of the season, losing to Cal Lutheran 70–66, before bouncing back to beat UT Dallas 84–72.

Coming back to the East Coast, Tufts handed a loss to Colby Sawyer College before taking a loss at the hands of Connecticut College, making its NESCAC record 0–1. Tufts came back just two days later to beat Emmanuel College, ending its non-conference schedule.

On Friday, the Tufts Jumbos took on the Amherst College Mammoths away from home, and the game was extremely close. The lead throughout the game swayed between the two teams, never stretching to larger than 6 points. With 2:24 left in the game, Amherst took the lead and charged forward, taking a 9-point run started by two free throws from forward Charlie Randall. He quickly added a 3-pointer to his total, extending Amherst’s lead. An additional four free throws by guard Marc Garraud gave the Mammoths the 9-point lead they ended the game with. Randall had 16 points and played for 21 minutes. Defensively, guard Chris Hammond had 9 points and three steals for the Mammoths. On the Jumbos’ side of the ball, junior guard

Khai Champion led the offense, scoring 15 points and playing for 29 minutes, while sophomore forward Scott Gyimesi, senior guard Jay Dieterle, senior guard Casey McLaren and first-year guard Jon Medley all had two steals, helping with the defensive efforts.

“We were a little stagnant. We were rushing a little bit. We weren’t moving the ball side-to-side like we historically have this past year and that hurt us in the first half and it really hurt in the second half. I want to say we only scored about 54 points against Amherst,” Gyimesi said.

On Saturday, Tufts challenged Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. and fell by five points. Tufts led throughout the entirety of the first half. Its biggest lead occurred with only around four minutes left on the clock, where the Jumbos were up by 9 points. Hamilton put up a 7-point run to answer, keeping the game close. At halftime, the score was 37–34, with the momentum seemingly being in the hands of the Jumbos. Hamilton refused to give up the momentum, and Garret Keyhani put up a jumper in the paint to tie the score at 40 in the beginning of the second half.

The second half was a struggle for the Jumbos. “We started off slow again.

They kinda just punched us. They went on like an 8–0 run, a 10–0 run, and there was no fight back,” sophomore guard James Morakis said. He continued that he thought the Jumbos needed to do better defensively, as well.

“Defensively, it’s been a little rough.

I mean, we gave up like 80 points to Hamilton on Saturday.”

For the next eight minutes, the game stayed relatively close, but a 9–2 run from the Continentals with 12 minutes

Scott Gyimesi is pictured in the Jan. 5 game against Connecticut College.

left in the game led by guard Teja Singh and Keyhani gave them a 9-point lead.

Another layup by Singh two minutes later extended their lead to 12 points. A series of 3-pointers by Dieterle, sophomore guard Sidney Wooten and Medley — along with two from Champion — allowed the Jumbos to slowly claw the lead back. With just two seconds to go in the game, it was a one-possession lead for the Continentals, thanks to Wooten’s 3-pointer. Two good free throws by junior guard Hank Morgan — who had been put on the line by Tufts — extended the Hamilton lead to five, where the game would end. Stats-wise, Morakis led the scoring for the Jumbos, scoring 16 points, including going 7 for 10 from the free throw line. Champion had 14 points, and Scott Gyimesi achieved his fifth straight double-double, with 10 points and 11 rebounds. This game also had a season-high 11 3-pointers from the Jumbos.

On the Hamilton side, both Keyhani and Morgan had 26 points against Tufts. Keyhani shot 10 for 19 from the field, and went 2 for 4 from behind the arc, tying his career high. For Keyhani, this tied his career high. Hamilton shot 7 for 21 on 3-pointers from behind the arc, and 32 for 70, or 45.7%, from the field. In contrast, Tufts shot 27 for 63 from the field, or 42.8%. Singh, a critical player for the Continentals, also had 21 points on the day with 6 attributed to 3-pointers.

Tufts is well and truly in NESCAC play now and has a series of three home games starting on Saturday, when it will take on Bates. Six days later, it will take on Williams, and then finally, a day later, it will take on Middlebury.

Afterward, Tufts heads away from home to take on Colby and Bowdoin.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS

Henry Blickenstaff Extra Innings

I

Baseball is broken

am so unbelievably sick of watching the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers sign or trade for every big name in baseball. It’s just not fair, and it needs to stop.

The Yankees traded for Juan Soto on Dec. 6, 2023, giving up five players in return.

It wasn’t a surprise to anyone following the rumor mill, but the sheer audacity of a trade like this is almost sickening. In spite of their desperate need for pitching, four of the five players the Yankees gave up were pitchers. In return, they get a one-year rental of Soto at a hefty price tag of $31 million, as they were unable to extend him.

As for the Dodgers, well, they got Shohei Ohtani. Because of course they did. His contract is the largest in professional sports history: 10 years, $700 million. That $70 million average annual value is more than the contracts of Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — the top three National League MVP vote-recipients last year — earned COMBINED. But LA didn’t stop there. They signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract. That is the biggest MLB contract EVER for a pitcher.

I don’t care how good Yamamoto was in Japan, a contract of that magnitude for a guy who has never thrown a big-league pitch is just absurd. The insanity of these moves makes me angry. Really angry. But as much as I despise the Yankees and Dodgers, they’re just taking advantage of a broken system that greatly benefits them. I’m mostly upset with MLB itself. It’s time for the league to adopt a salary cap and floor.

MLB’s Competitive Balance Tax on payroll over a certain threshold isn’t cutting it.

Of the approximately $658 million in CBT payments since the new system’s inception in 2003, around $529 million, or over 80%, has been paid by the Yankees and Dodgers alone. The tax hasn’t hurt them in any way — they’ve only had two losing seasons combined in that time.

With so much winning being done at the top, that naturally means there’s a lot of losing at the bottom. There are still three teams — the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins — that haven’t won a division title since the current divisions were established in 1995. With no salary floor, owners of routinely uncompetitive small-market teams simply cut costs to turn a profit. It’s simple economics.

MLB’s revenue structure gives it a vested interest in a more competitive league.

Because such a large share of its revenue comes from local TV money and stadium sales, the league should want as many teams to be competitive and therefore as popular as possible. The big-market teams will make money with or without a cap, but giving small-market teams a better chance to compete will generate more revenue from local TV and stadium sales in those markets. There’s also the obvious benefit to small-market fans, who will enjoy more frequently competitive teams.

Instituting a cap and floor makes too much sense. And if it upsets the fat cats in New York and LA or the penny-pinching small-market owners, that’s just another bonus in my book.

Henry Blickenstaff is a junior studying history. He can be reached at henry.blickenstaff@tufts.edu.