The Tufts Daily - Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Monaco issues statement condemning ‘unacceptable’ interruption of Zoom meeting

by Maddie Aitken

Executive News Editor

University President Anthony Monaco announced in an email to the Tufts community on Tuesday evening that a Monday evening Zoom meeting was interrupted in a manner he described as “abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Monaco did not include details of the situation, citing a desire to protect the safety of those who were in the meeting and to avoid giving the culprits the attention they are seeking.

“We will work with law enforcement to ensure the perpetrators are appropriately charged, and if they are members of our community, they will also be held to account

through our disciplinary processes,” Monaco wrote in the email.

This email comes days after Monaco announced a racist incident that occurred while Karl Reid, executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers, was giving a presentation for the School of Engineering’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Colloquium Series.

Venerable Priya Sraman, Buddhist chaplain, leaves Tufts for Emory

Monaco also included steps provided by Tufts Technology Services to increase the security of Zoom meetings, including enabling the waiting room feature, updating Zoom often and checking security settings.

He affirmed that the Zoom incident was not the fault of those involved but said that moving forward, we should

use the information from Tufts Technology Services to increase Zoom meeting security.

“While Zoom has been a useful tool during the pandemic, its very nature of allowing open and free discourse regardless of where we may be on the planet has directly led to these horrible incidents,” Monaco said.

The Women’s Network to launch chapter at Tufts

by Bella Preneta

Contributing Writer

The Women’s Network, a national organization created as a woman-led networking community that connects college students to professionals, will officially launch at Tufts by mid-February.

The organization announced in the fall that it was forming a chapter at Tufts in an effort to expand its presence to members of the Medford/Somerville campus.

The organization was started by President Jamie Vinick in 2017 when she was a student at Syracuse University. Vinick created the network to address inequities that women often face in the workplace, particularly in achieving leadership positions.

She was inspired after attending an event at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, during which a female executive banker spoke about her career.

According to Vinick, issues of gender in the workplace were not addressed during the event.

“I couldn’t believe that not a single question was asked related to gender,” Vinick said.

“What I wanted to know were things like ‘What was it like as a woman to successfully ascend in [the] male-dominated field of finance?’”

Since then, Vinick has built The Women’s Network into an organization that has 42 chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and 20 more in the midst of launching, including one at Tufts.

In addition to connecting women with professionals in their desired industries through a networking community, the organization hopes to encourage women to value ambition, according to Vinick.

“Our primary mission is to both connect collegiate and recently graduated women to each other and to leaders across many industries and celebrate ambition,” Vinick said. “It is an incredible thing, an amazing see NETWORK, page 2

COURTESY PRIYA SRAMAN

The Buddhist chaplain, Venerable Priya Sraman, is pictured.

by Chloe Courtney-Bohl Assistant News Editor

Venerable Priya Sraman, Buddhist chaplain, left Tufts in January and assumed the role of Buddhist chaplain at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the coming weeks, Tufts will appoint an interim Buddhist chaplain, who will fill the role during the search for Venerable Sraman’s permanent replace-

ment, according to the Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger.

Nelson Winger, who serves as university chaplain at Tufts, said that Venerable Sraman originally came to Tufts as Buddhist in residence in 2016, while he was earning his master of divinity from Harvard University. In 2018, he was appointed to the role of Buddhist chaplain.

“He is certainly the one person who has created the Buddhist

Chaplaincy as it is today,” Nelson Winger said.

In an email to the Daily, Nelson Winger outlined some of Venerable Sraman’s accomplishments during his time as Buddhist chaplain. She said he led meditations and discussions, invited nuns, monks and other religious leaders to campus and hosted annual mindfulness medCOURTESY THE WOMEN’S NETWORK

see CHAPLAINCY, page 2

The logo for The Women’s Network’s Tufts chapter is pictured.

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

SPORTS / back

A cappella harmonizes with Zoom auditions

‘Bridgerton’ is a mixed bag

Super Bowl commercials acknowledge trauma of 2020

NEWS

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FEATURES

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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SPORTS

BACK

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Wednesday, February 10, 2021

THE TUFTS DAILY Megan Szostak Editor in Chief

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Hiring process for Buddhist chaplain to begin in summer CHAPLAINCY

continued from page 1 itation summer programs for faculty and staff.

In addition, Venerable Sraman mentored students in the Tufts Buddhist Mindfulness Sangha, an organization dedicated to upholding Buddhist practices, according to Ryan Dreher, co-president and treasurer of the Mindfulness Sangha.

Both Dreher and Kayleigh Ford, the organization’s other co-president, shared memories of Venerable Sraman that they felt reflected his thoughtful and down-to-earth approach to his role as Buddhist chaplain.

Dreher, a senior, said that Venerable Sraman made himself accessible to students who had questions about topics ranging from Buddhist practices and spirituality to problems in their daily lives.

“The words that he used and the lessons that he taught were so incredibly powerful

and extremely eye-opening and energizing in a way … It’s like, if you’ve ever asked a question, and had someone answer it so well that you couldn’t help but laugh, or just kind of smile, that’s literally what he would be like,” Dreher said. “Anything that you would ask him, he would just take his time with [it] and answer it in the most beautiful way.”

Ford, who is also a senior, said that Venerable Sraman was approachable.

“A lot of the time when I would respectfully bow to him or call him ‘Bhante,’ which is a respectful word for a teacher, he would laugh at me,” Ford said.

“So that just goes to show how not full of himself he is — he has no ego at all.”

In an email to the Daily, Zachary Cole, chief of staff of Emory’s Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, said that Venerable Sraman will be Emory’s first Buddhist chaplain.

“As Emory has become more spiritually diverse, the need for a staff chaplain for the Buddhist and mindfulness communities has grown,” Cole said.

Cole also described how Venerable Sraman’s appointment as Emory’s Buddhist chaplain reflects progress toward its Office of Spiritual and Religious Life’s mission of encouraging interfaith engagement on campus.

Nelson Winger explained that Tufts’ chaplaincy is in the process of selecting an interim Buddhist chaplain, who will assume the role sometime in the coming weeks and will remain until a permanent replacement is found.

The search process for Venerable Priya’s permanent replacement will occur over the summer, according to Nelson Winger.

“We are looking for a chaplain with Buddhist ministry and chaplaincy training who has

experience working with college and university students; who is a trusted spiritual leader and teacher; who has experience in providing pastoral care and in mentoring student leaders; and who has a demonstrated background in service and social justice leadership,” Nelson Winger said.

According to Nelson Winger, the hiring process will involve a search committee made up of University Chaplaincy team members, students and campus partners, who will meet with candidates and make recommendations.

Nelson Winger expects that the new Buddhist chaplain will begin their role in August 2021.

“We are excited to welcome a new Chaplain who will work across the Tufts campuses and who cultivates with us a community that is supportive of religious pluralism and interfaith engagement,” Nelson Winger said.

Founder Jamie Vinick started The Women's Network in 2017

NETWORK

continued from page 1 thing, to be ambitious, to have drive, to possess career aspirations and goals in life and to be surrounded by fellow community members who can share that vision.”

During meetings, members are given the opportunity to share and discuss strategies and advice for building confidence in the workplace, as well as in other institutions.

“All of our meetings are centered around empowering women and every single event somehow connects back to our mission: connecting collegiate women and celebrating ambition,” sophomore Katrina Ho wrote in an electronic message to the Daily.

Ilona Lahdesmaki, a firstyear, joined the network after they requested to follow her on Instagram.

“I joined the organization, but then I realized that I actually wanted to do a little bit more than that,” Lahdesmaki said. “So I applied to be a campus ambassador to recruit more members.”

Lahdesmaki spoke about resources and events that the chapter is planning to make

COVID-19 AT TUFTS

accessible to organization members.

“We might have speaker events, we might have a leadership workshop or something to do with resume LinkedIn building,” Lahdesmaki said.

“The mission of The Women’s Network is to essentially create a community of women that celebrates the desire to achieve.”

Lahdesmaki, who intends to pursue a major in a STEMrelated field, said that the organization is also looking to recruit women with backgrounds in STEM. “At first sight, it looks like a club that’s for politics or finance or business majors … but it’s for anyone,” Lahdesmaki said. “[ Women in STEM] are very underrepresented … so this is a really good networking opportunity and learning opportunity.”

The organization intends to support its members both in college as well as in their professional careers. “[The Women’s Network] is not just any ordinary club that people join on campus and then forget about … this is something that will help [our members] throughout their careers,” Vinick said.

COURTESY JAMIE VINICK

Jamie Vinick, the founder and president of The Women’s Network, is pictured.

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Features

3 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

A cappella groups reflect on virtual auditions, bonding with new members

by Abby Stern Staff Writer

Late nights, long hours and strained voices characterize the audition period for college a cappella. Group members eagerly await performances from potential new members, while a cappella hopefuls try to swallow their nerves and make a good impression. The only difference this year is that it is all happening via Zoom.

Though most of Tufts’ a cappella groups chose not to hold auditions during the fall semester due to the university’s COVID-19 no singing policy, multiple groups allowed students to audition from home over winter break for the spring semester.

One such group is the Jackson Jills, Tufts’ oldest all-femme identifying a cappella group. According to Miley Xiao, president of the Jackson Jills, the Jills took four new members this semester out of the 27 who auditioned. The Tufts Amalgamates, the oldest all-gender a cappella group at Tufts, led by president Ryan Albanesi, also took new members this semester, accepting three out of nearly 50 auditionees.

Because the Jills and the Amalgamates were mainly targeting underclassmen who live on campus, they knew the best strategy for recruiting new members was to have them audition over winter break. Though the process was challenging, both presidents felt it was necessary to gain newcomers this semester.

“We need new talent, we need new people, we need new voices, we need new energy,” Albanesi said.

The a cappella hopefuls for both groups began the process by sending in a video of themselves singing a solo of their choice.

The Jills also asked for videos of auditionees singing along with a recording of scales being played on the piano.

After this initial round of auditions, the ‘Mates called back students for a second round of auditions. These students met virtually with ‘Mates members for a “consultation” leading up to their callback. The singers gave feedback and advice regarding the auditionees’ solos, such as advising the prospective group member to choose a song that contrasted with their first audition song to showcase a wide range of skills.

The ‘Mates had to get innovative with their audition process due to the difficulty of having more than one person sing at a time on Zoom.

“We ended up making breakout rooms,” Albanesi said. “And then a current ‘Mate went into a breakout room with an auditionee and just went back and forth and tried to teach them a song, and that ended up working pretty well.”

ANGELIE XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

All-femme a cappella group Jackson Jills perform in Goddard Chapel.

Similar to the ‘Mates, the Jills also held callbacks in which they advised their auditionees to sing a song demonstrating different skills from those shown in their original audition.

“They have to send in a solo again of a song that’s completely different from the first solo,” Xiao said, echoing the sentiments of the ‘Mates. “We want to see how versatile their voices are.”

The Jills’ callbacks were then held live via Zoom. The auditionees sang their second solo again, but this time in response to feedback from the Jills in order to see how well they could adjust their voices and accept the feedback.

Along with this, “callbackers” were given sheet music to learn a part of one of the Jills’ songs. With the sheet music, auditionees sang along with a recording of all the Jills singing each of their individual parts.

“That was definitely the hardest part of the callbacks,” Xiao said.

“It’s something that we would have done during normal auditions as well … giving them sheet music and seeing how fast they learn and how well they blend with other voices.” In order to keep this aspect of the auditions intact, however, the Jills had to splice together multiple audio files as well as coach the callbacker via Zoom.

This is just one of the many difficulties the Jills faced running their auditions virtually. The Jills also struggled because Zoom often recognizes high pitch as background noise and correspondingly lowers the volume of the singer.

Advertising the audition was also more difficult virtually because the groups had to rely solely on social media to get the word out.

Normally, during orientation week there is an a cappella show where first-years can see which groups they like best, and groups often hang posters around campus.

“It was really difficult to make it all digital this year and just hope people are active on social media,” Xiao said.

Digital auditions also took away some of the tradition and excitement that come with holding auditions live, something that was particularly difficult for Albanesi to come to terms with.

“The challenge for me personally was just not being distracted by how unfortunate the circumstances were and not being sad and angry and just embracing it and moving forward with what we were given,” Albanesi said.

However, despite all the negatives of hosting auditions virtually, there were a few upsides.

“I honestly thought that the sending in videos thing is really time efficient because usually the Jills would have probably five to six hours every night for auditions, and that’s from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.,” Xiao said.

Though these grueling hours can be a big part of the audition experience, according to Xiao, it was nice to end the night without feeling completely exhausted. Albanesi agreed, saying that video auditions allowed the group to “cycle through them very quickly.”

Annie Rubinson, a first-year and newly inducted member of the Amalgamates, also felt that there were some benefits to virtual auditions. “There’s so much stress and anxiety that goes into singing for people live,” Rubinson said. “When you’re recording a video of yourself, it’s not nearly as nerve-wracking as when people are making eye contact with you and people are watching you.”

Though these auditions were difficult, without them, the future of these a cappella groups would be uncertain.

“It’s just for the well-being of the group going into next year.

There would be about seven people if we didn’t take anyone,” Xiao said. “So that’s barely an a cappella group in my opinion.”

Albanesi agrees that a cappella groups would be in a stagnant situation if they were unable to accept new members.

“Auditions every year are the way that you create a legacy and cement your impact on the group,” Albanesi said. “It was really important to us as the seniors to make sure that we got new blood and new energy into the group before we graduated.”

Xiao and Albanesi also feel that being a part of the a cappella community is useful for firstyears because it allows them to meet new people and create relationships with people outside of their dorms.

“It’s hard for [first-years] to make friends during this time, especially friends who are not in your hallways and friends who are not freshmen,” Xiao said.

Rubinson agrees with this sentiment. “It’s already been so nice to have this new group of close friends who, even if I’ve only known them for a couple of weeks, when they welcome you into the group, they make you feel as though you’ve been there the whole time.”

Now that new members have been accepted, the challenge is figuring out how to make them continue to feel like a part of the group at a time when rehearsals and performances are not happening. The Jills have come up with several creative solutions; for example, they are using recordings taken from auditions in order to create a complete song.

They are also planning a Jills trivia night and a virtual solo night, when members of the Jills will each have a turn to sing the song with which they originally auditioned for the group.

“We bond a lot with that because it’s an emotional thing,” Xiao said.

The Jills are also planning a buddy system with their new members in order to help them feel welcome and allow them to get to know fellow group members while FaceTiming or grabbing coffee.

Rubinson concurs that forming relationships with upperclassmen is another helpful aspect of joining a cappella as a first-year.

“I think it was important that freshmen were given the opportunity to join these groups, even though we can’t sing, because it’s really nice to have a network of connections to people, especially upperclassmen who have been through the college experience before and who can kind of guide us,” Rubinson said. “It’s really important to have someone who actually gives you advice and imparts wisdom on you.”

Though rehearsals are impossible under the present restrictions, it is possible that a cappella groups will be able to hold outdoor rehearsals as the weather gets warmer. However, nothing can be certain right now.

The Office for Campus Life has been defining rules for a cappella groups and enforcing Tufts’ no signing policy, making it difficult for these groups to function.

Further, the JumboLife platform, introduced by OCL to support student organizations, is not widely used, according to Albanesi.

No matter what, it is clear that old and new members of a cappella groups are still relieved to have some semblance of normalcy in the form of taking on new talent.

“Once you’re in, it’s a family.

It’s like this instant connection,” Rubinson said. “It’s nice to have just another network of people who I know I can count on to be there for me but also who share a lot of the same interests as me.”

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Arts & POP ARTS Pop CULTURE Culture

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

‘Bridgerton’ defies genre norms but lacks depth

by Riya Matta

Contributing Writer

At one point during winter break, you could not make it three videos down your TikTok “For You” page without seeing “#BRIDGERTON” or yet another try-on video of that one green Amazon corset.

The latest endeavor to come out of Shondaland, Shonda Rhimes’ production company, “Bridgerton” (2020–) is a fatuous, yet exceedingly decadent Regency-era series that chronicles the upper crust Bridgerton family as they navigate society and their rivalry with the neighboring (and far less prestigious) Featherington family, set against the backdrop of the impending social season. The show is based on Julia Quinn’s book series by the same name (2000–2013) and is partially narrated by the mysterious and omniscient Lady Whistledown who is voiced by none other than Julie Andrews.

“Bridgerton” is Jane Austen meets “Gossip Girl.” The line, “Dear reader,” replaces “XOXO, Gossip Girl,” and passionate, unexpectedly explicit sex scenes replace the Victorian chastity of Austen’s stories, which left the sordid details of pleasure behind closed doors. Nearly every other Austen trope, however, is represented here, from debonair, blue-blooded bachelors to porcelain-faced, rosy-cheeked belles to opulent balls to — arguably most traditionally Austenian — a mid-story family blow-up where secrets that can only be described as less-than-becoming inevitably emerge.

The first 8-episode season of “Bridgerton” centers primarily on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest Bridgerton daughter who is most eager to marry, due in part to her sense of obligation to elevate her family’s status following the death of her father.

After earning the endorsement of the queen (Golda Rosheuvel), who anointed her “the diamond of season,” Daphne finds herself the center of attention and the apple of the eye of every eligible bachelor in the “Ton.” The series really picks up when the dashing Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), sweeps dramatically into town carrying a chip on his

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A promotional poster for Netflix’s TV series ‘Bridgerton’ is pictured. shoulder unwieldy enough to rival Lady Featherington’s hair.

Brooding, tortured and charming, the duke fits neatly into one of the genre’s most common archetypes. Even more, Page brings a vulnerability and a charismatic intensity to the role that sets it apart from the other characters. His romance with Daphne is another case of a common romance trope with a bit of a twist. Their story is one of forbidden love. Forbidden not by society nor family but rather

by the duke’s own vow to never marry nor sire an heir.

In fact, in true Rhimes form, it seems that the concept of taking stereotypes and pushing their boundaries just a little comprises the entire premise of “Bridgerton.” This particular genre often weaves together romance with conflict and virtuousness with debauchery and lust — all of which are almost exclusively straight and white, evoking an incorrectly homogenous image of the era that pre-

vails in its consumers’ consciousness. “Bridgerton,” on the other hand, embodies the genre’s hallmarks of romance, lust, beauty and luxury, while rejecting the notion that these components must be straight and white.

With the exception of the all-white Bridgerton family, the Ton gentry is full of Black actors — including the duke, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), the Featheringtons’ cousin Marina (Ruby Barker) and the queen (Golda Rosheuvel) — who,

in another work of the period, may have been relegated to background roles. Still, while “Bridgerton” certainly outdoes its genre counterparts as far as visibility is concerned, its substance never breaks the surface.

The show’s attempts at diversity feel half-baked at times.

Beautiful, powerful Black characters are sprinkled into the series without acknowledging the fact that they are Black. Thus, the implication is the story takes place in a magical, post-racial colorblind orbit.

Marina’s storyline is the most unfortunate of “Bridgerton’s” racial failures. She takes an almost Cinderella-like role in the Featherington household.

Marina is a clever and resilient woman of color with a captivating inner fire that affords her the potential for a brilliant character development arc.

Instead, the writers reduced her to a mere pawn in the Bridgerton vs. Featherington rivalry. Her friendship arc with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) devolves to ultimately paint Marina as an interloper, seeking to entrap an innocent Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and keep Penelope from the love of her life.

Rather than depicting her story as one of endurance or a determined working-class girl who triumphed over a discriminatory society, she is spun, much like the duke is, as cunning and manipulative, deceiving her white lover to serve her own interests. Equally unjust, she is given a perfunctory conclusion. She is clumsily dismissed from the show with little recognition of her impact on any of the other characters’ lives or the plot as a whole.

“Bridgerton’s” failures regarding race and class issues are particularly disappointing because it has all the other ingredients for a beautiful, romantic confection. The sets, costumes, music and casting are all masterfully done, with every satin-y dress, pristine garden and ornate staircase curated to inspire romantic dreams in the audience’s minds.

One can only hope the following seasons bring much-needed depth and nuance that can do justice to an otherwise gorgeous piece of work.

A&P

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 | Arts & Pop Culture | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Sundance switches it up for COVID-19

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A collage of the promotional posters for the winning films featured in the 2021 Sundance Festival is pictured.

by Miranda Feinberg Contributing Writer

Every year, the Sundance Institute holds the Sundance Film Festival in Utah — every year, that is, until 2021. Amidst the host of annual in-person events that had to adapt to COVID-19 circumstances, Sundance screened almost completely virtually this year.

While regular fest-goers and journalists were disappointed at the loss of the iconic destination and its atmosphere of shared excitement and cinematic joy, this switch to a virtual platform opened the festival up to a wider audience for the 2021 films. Movie lovers and those in the film and journalism industries alike were able to view the screenings this year.

Although the festival was online and shorter than in other years — lasting seven days as opposed to the usual 11 — the Sundance Institute reported that attendance was the highest of any of their festivals in years past. The access that going virtual provided the festival saw an audience size that was 2.7 times larger than usual.

I had an incredibly fun time navigating the considerable

and magnetic schedule of films.

I entered the festival first with one of the Indie Series picks, “These Days,” which depicted a day in the life of a lonely online dater during the early days of quarantine. I spent the rest of the day watching the short films program. Standouts for me were “Bruiser,” which depicts a young boy and his understanding of manhood following a fight involving his dad; “Yoruga,” a simple dystopian short about an old man visiting one of the last animals on Earth; “Bambirak,” which follows a young girl who hides away in her father’s truck and follows him to work; and “Flex,” a dizzying look into the mind of a bodybuilder. Opening night saw the premiere of “CODA,” which follows a teen girl who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. The film was an immediate crowd pleaser, winning both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and U.S. Drama Audience Award. It ended up being sold to Apple TV+ for $25 million, the biggest sale in Sundance history.

Day 2 opened for me with “Human Factors,” a slow-burn family thriller. “Cryptozoo” was a standout follow-up, featuring imaginative hand-drawn

animation and follows a cryptozoologist’s crusade to help the cryptid hybrids that hide throughout the world. Next was “John and the Hole,” an anxious film about a young boy who finds a hole in the woods behind his house and decides to hold his family hostage. Day 2 ended with my favorite of the festival, “On The Count of Three.” The film, directed by and starring Jerrod Carmichael, is a funny, morbid and depressed film that follows two best friends on what they believe is their last day being alive.

On Day 3 I watched “Censor,” a beautiful, if somewhat lacking, horror film about a film censor dealing with the childhood disappearance of her sister; “Wild Indian,” which follows the lives of two men hiding a traumatic secret; “El Planeta,”, a stylish film about a mother and daughter grifting duo; and “Eight for Silver,” easily my least favorite of the festival. The “horror” film, which uses werewolf lore and Romani spiritualism to tell the tale of a haunted village, came off as very shallow and hollow, and fulfilled the overused and problematic trope of using a people’s spirituality as a scapegoat for evil.

On Day 4 I saw “Strawberry Mansion,” a lovely film set in the near future that follows a “dream auditor” amidst vivid colors and funky imagery; “Marvelous and the Black Hole,” a cute movie about the friendship of a teenage outcast and a middle-aged magician; “Mayday,” a dream-like escape to an alternative world where four girls are caught in an endless war; “The Blazing Word,” a beautifully imaginative but largely empty and ineffective film that follows a young woman still struggling to cope with the childhood death of her twin sister; and “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” an unsettling glimpse into online creepypasta and an eerie story about a young girl as she enters an online role-playing game.

Day 5 was short, and I only saw “Prime Time,” a solid thriller that follows a 20-year-old as he takes a TV studio hostage on New Year’s Eve 1999.

On Day 6 I watched “Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,” a nostalgic and artful documentary about the creators of Sesame Street; “The Spark Brothers,” which, directed by Edgar Wright, examined

the career of the influential, yet underrated band Sparks; “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” a balls-to-the-wall absurd film that features Nicholas Cage; and “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which follows the twisted intertwined stories of Fred Hampton, deputy chairman of the national Black Panther party, and Bill O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the party. The film is an amazingly told story, self-revelatory and heartbreaking. It is set to be released on HBO Max on Feb. 12.

On Day 7, the last day of the festival, I watched “Life in a Day 2020,” a follow-up to the crowdsourced documentary shot in 2010 and released in 2011.

Sundance Film Festival is often treated as an insider event, exclusive and self-important. However, with the restrictions caused by the ongoing pandemic, the festival was able to open up while remaining safe and keeping hold of the celebratory focus on the art of cinema. The festival was extremely fun and incredibly comprehensive, and remained just as exciting online as ever.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Fun & Games | Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Hannah: “It’s the universe telling me to wash up in peace.”

Fun & Games

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Follow a personal vision. Advance a cause that pulls your hearstrings. Contributing to others satisfies at a deeper level. Pursue a passionate possibility.

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Difficulty Level: Walking up Packard on a windy day.

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7 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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Tufts administration, faculty must continue to support students during the spring semester

by Emily Nadler and Grace Prendergast Contributing Writers

As the spring semester begins, students across the country settle back into the new normal of life during a pandemic. Even as we commence our third semester online, students and professors alike continue to adapt to virtual learning environments; the pervasive difficulty and unpredictability of these times has not diminished. In response to these enduring challenges, Tufts faculty must continue to support their students, using feedback from the fall semester to adjust learning experiences and tailor syllabi.

In recognition of the difficult circumstances that many students have faced over the last year, Tufts extended its exceptional pass/fail policy to the spring semester. Ongoing pandemic stressors make this policy a necessary alternative grading option for all students. A recent Daily article highlighted the EP/F policy’s strengths in alleviating the pressures stemming from challenges that can affect a student’s performance in a course. However, many of these challenges existed for students before the pandemic, which has further exposed and exacerbated the inequities that some communities and populations experience.

The university does not plan to provide students with an EP/F option after the spring. But the end of the pandemic does not mark an end to unequal learning conditions. Tufts should consider longer-term approaches that address these disparities and actively advance more equitable grading practices, whether this involves a potential extension of EP/F or the implementation of other measures.

While the continuation of EP/F into the spring is an important step forward, it is also vital that professors respond to feedback

from the fall semester and adjust their schedules and syllabi for this semester. The pandemic’s isolating, unpredictable and bleak conditions necessitate reduced course loads, flexible deadlines and regular check-ins with students.

Some professors have already implemented these measures. For example, Professor Heather Urry, who teaches experimental psychology at Tufts, has instituted a deadline policy that offers a high degree of flexibility. While students are encouraged to do their best to follow deadlines, they have the option to request extensions as needed and will not face late penalties. This policy and others like it acknowledge and respect differences in students’ circumstances and learning experiences, factoring in the pandemic’s profound effects on everyone.

While it is unrealistic to request a school-wide deadline policy as flexible as Professor Urry’s, instructors should attempt to adopt empathetic and flexible approaches where they can. It is unreasonable to leave syllabi unchanged and assume that classes can be at the same rigorous level that they were pre-pandemic, especially as students encounter unprecedented strain in their personal lives. To achieve greater academic balance, professors could adjust the volume of readings or assignments. To address the pandemic’s isolating nature and the resulting lost sense of community, professors should increase collaborative and discussion-based learning by facilitating the creation of study groups, using breakout rooms and initiating synchronous, in-class discussions.

Additionally, professors should regularly check in with their students via anonymous Zoom polls or Google Forms.

Check-ins can grant instructors insight into how their students are feeling, help gauge the efficacy of online learning components and facilitate adjustments

AVA IANNUCCILLO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Mariana Gonzalez is pictured studying for her chemistry midterm. to syllabi in order to accommodate students’ needs.

There is no doubt that the Tufts community eagerly desires a return to pre-pandemic life.

In-person classes, face-to-face interaction and closer proximity to friends and peers await as the prospect of community-wide vaccination nears — a light at the end of the tunnel. Until then, it is up to Tufts’ administration and faculty to maintain flexibility and open communication with students in order to best support our community during this difficult time.

As the spring semester begins, students across the country settle back into the new “normal” of life during a pandemic. Even as we commence our third semester online, students and professors alike continue to adapt to virtual learning environments; the pervasive difficulty and unpredictability of these times has not diminished.

In response to these enduring challenges, this spring, Tufts faculty must continue to support their students, using feedback from the fall semester to adjust learning experiences and tailor syllabi.

In recognition of the difficult circumstances that many students have faced over the last year, Tufts extended its Exceptional Pass/Fail (EP/F) policy to the spring semester. Ongoing pandemic stressors make this policy a necessary alternative grading option for all students. A recent Daily article highlighted the EP/F policy’s strengths in alleviating the pressures stemming from challenges

that can affect a student’s performance in a course. However, many of these challenges existed for students before the pandemic, which has further exposed and exacerbated the inequities that some communities and populations experience.

The university does not plan to provide students with an EP/F option after the spring. But the “end” of the pandemic does not mark an end to unequal learning conditions. Tufts should consider longer-term approaches that address these disparities and actively advance more equitable grading practices, whether this involves a potential extension of EP/F or the implementation of other measures.

While the continuation of EP/F into the spring is an important step forward, it is also vital that professors respond to feedback from the fall semester and adjust their schedules and syllabi for the spring. The pandemic’s isolating, unpredictable and bleak conditions necessitate reduced course loads, flexible deadlines and regular check-ins with students.

Some professors have already implemented these measures. For example, Professor Heather Urry, who teaches experimental psychology at Tufts, has instituted a deadline policy that offers a high degree of flexibility. While students are encouraged to do their best to follow deadlines, they have the option to request extensions as needed and will not face late penalties. This policy and others like it acknowledge

and respect differences in students’ circumstances and learning experiences, factoring in the pandemic’s profound effects on everyone.

While it is unrealistic to request a school-wide deadline policy as flexible as that of Professor Urry’s, instructors should attempt to adopt empathetic and flexible approaches where they can. It is unreasonable to leave syllabi unchanged and assume that classes can be at the same rigorous level they were pre-pandemic, especially as students encounter unprecedented strain in their personal lives. To achieve greater academic balance, professors could adjust the volume of readings or assignments. To address the pandemic’s isolating nature and the resulting lost sense of community, professors should increase collaborative and discussion-based learning by facilitating study group creation, using break-out rooms and initiating synchronous, in-class discussions.

Additionally, professors should regularly check in with their students via anonymous Zoom polls or Google Forms. Check-ins can grant instructors insights as to how their students are feeling, help gauge the efficacy of online learning components and facilitate adjustments to syllabi in order to accommodate students’ needs.

There is no doubt that the Tufts community eagerly desires a return to pre-pandemic life. In-person classes, face-to-face interaction and closer proximity to friends and peers await as the prospect of community-wide vaccination nears – a light at the end of the tunnel. Until then, it is up to Tufts’ administration and faculty to maintain flexibility and open communication with students in order to best support our community during this difficult time.

Emily Nadler is a sophomore studying cognitive and brain science.

Emily can be reached at emily.nadler@tufts.edu. Grace Prendergast is a sophmore studying political science. Grace can be reached at grace.prendergast@tufts.edu

OP-ED

Making the right choices for the common good CAMILLE LIZZARÍBAR Has it really been almost a year since the first time we had to quarantine, and everything changed? It seems like so much longer, doesn’t it?

By now, you are intimately familiar with the core elements of the Tufts University COVID19 prevention and mitigation plan. Tufts’ plan has worked so far. Those who wished to be in person for the fall semester were able to do so right through finals. Now, despite recent favorable numbers in Massachusetts, we still are at a much higher level of test positivity than when we started classes in September.

As we begin the spring semester, will our plan enable us to keep

our community safe and sustain the in-person experience? The answer depends, in large part, on you.

You have an individual responsibility and a collective one. Choosing to follow the COVID-19 protocols will help keep you safe. Choosing to follow the COVID-19 protocols will also help keep others safe and increase the odds that everyone can complete the spring semester in person.

I know you are getting weary of the mask-wearing, physical distancing and restrictions on social life. We all are. But poor individual choices have a very negative impact on your classmates and communities. In the residence halls, some res-

idential assistants are uncomfortable having to monitor behavior that puts everyone at risk. That is really not their job but some students are leaving them no options. On campus and off, some classmates are uncomfortable reporting the code violations of others. Your short-term decision to party with 15 friends without masks, only to don one or hide behind a couch when an RA appears, puts you, other people and your standing in the Tufts community at risk. What may seem like a small risk in the moment could upend the hard work that allows for an in-person semester, with repercussions for our community that go well beyond your personal stakes.

Many students who faced code of conduct investigations this year have told us that they did not think that we were enforcing the protocols. To their dismay, they discovered otherwise. Although handled quietly, professionally and with respect for students’ privacy, we have always actively pursued violations of our honor system.

You just may not see it and that is by design. Our emphasis has not been — and will never be — on punishment. However, actions have consequences.

To date, we have contacted 866 students for alleged violations of the COVID-19 protocols. Actions for those found in violation have ranged from reprimands to disciplinary sus-

pensions. Our actions focus on student safety, on helping students make wise choices and on empowering them to learn from their mistakes.

We know how much this pandemic has upended and reshaped your collegiate experience. We know that there is still a long road ahead. But together, we can make the best of this situation. Let’s support one another and make the right choices for the common good.

Camille Lizarríbar, JD, PhD, is the Dean of Student Affairs and Chief Student Affairs Officer for AS&E. Dean Lizarríbar can be reached at camille. lizarribar@tufts.edu.

8 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Sports

tuftsdaily.com

Super Bowl LV ads touch on COVID-19, feature celebrity cameos

by Catherine Cahn Contributing Writer

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault.

During every other game of the year, commercial breaks are times reserved to go to the bathroom, grab another drink or refill your plate. But not during the Super Bowl. When 30 seconds of air time costs $5.5 million and there are regularly over 100 million consumers watch-

Pandemic references landed in a variety of ways throughout this year’s Super Bowl commercials, sometimes offering a sense of humor and other times appealing to pathos. Bud Light advertised its new seltzer lemonade by referring to 2020 as a “lemon of a year” while showing scenes of lemons bombarding events that were, in reality, canceled because of the pandemic.

COURTESY PIXY, SEEKPNG, WIKIPEDIA & WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A collage of logos from companies that typically run ads during the Super Bowl is pictured.

Henry Gorelik Off the Gridiron

It’s time for change in the NFL

W

hile Tom Brady deserved the Super Bowl MVP on Sunday night, a lot of people on Twitter wanted the honor to go to Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, an integral member of one of the NFL’s most diverse coaching staffs this season. In addition to Bowles, Tampa Bay has three other Black coordinators: assistant head coach Harold Goodwin, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. The Buccaneers also have two women on the coach-

ing, advertisers know they must bring their best. Over the past decades, advertisers have landed some of the biggest names in sports and Hollywood to promote their products, ranging from Michael Jordan’s 1993 McDonalds commercial to Bill Murray’s 2020 Jeep commercial.

However, the most memorable commercials are punctuated with more serious overtones, delving beyond the surface of instant entertainment

Ford forwent mention of its cars entirely during its commercial, instead offering an encouraging message of pushing on together and a reminder that we are getting closer to the world returning to what it once was. At the end of the commercial, it cites fordfund.org, a website that offers information about the nonprofits Ford is working with to help those in need.

Mentions of COVID-19 were not the only reflections of current social and political issues.

M&M took a humorous stab at current pop culture throughout its commercial, with different people offering apologies for “mansplaining” (a term that seemed to gain traction in 2020), for a baby gender reveal gone wrong (which was reminiscent of the gender reveal that started the El Dorado wildfire) and for calling someone Karen (a name that has acquired a negative connotation and is rooted in a widespread meme). ing staff, with Lori Locust serving as the assistant defensive line coach and Maral Javadifar as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. By winning the Super Bowl with this staff, the Tampa Buccaneers proved to the entire NFL world that minority coaches have a place in this league.

Unfortunately, diversity within the Buccaneers coaching staff is a rarity in the NFL. As of 2019, there were only three Black head coaches and only 10% of all coaches were Black, despite about 60% of the players being Black, according to a report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. This season’s coaching carousel did not do much to change the lack of diversity among head coaches, as only two minority coaches were hired for the seven openings: David Culley for the Texans and Robert Saleh for the Jets. More troubling was the fact that three deserving Black candidates, Eric Bienemy, Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich,

to display themes that mirror the current political and social climate. During the 2002 Super Bowl, Budweiser aired a commercial paying tribute to New York City and everyone affected by the 9/11 attacks, showing the famed Clydesdales walking through the city and into Battery Park where, with the New York City skyline as a backdrop, they all take a knee. In 2017, 84 Lumber’s commercial seemed to respond to Trump’s

anti-immigration policies by showing a mother and young daughter, having just completed a strenuous journey to the border, arriving at Trump’s wall.

In 2019, though, many of the commercials turned away from reflecting current events. After a politically charged NFL season, with protests and controversy over kneeling for the national anthem, advertisers chose to distract from the turmoil by focusing their commercials on

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s paired together for a commercial telling people to turn to the outdoors when they are feeling cooped up inside, conveying the message that during trying times nature can offer solace. While they didn’t directly advertise their gear, their objective was for consumers to turn to them when they take up the suggestion to venture outside.

Jeep took a more serious approach with its commercial, citing the polarization between

Democrats and Republicans after a particularly contentious election year and asking viewers to meet in the middle, to become the “ReUnited States of America.”

And of course it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl if at least one company didn’t face backlash for a perhaps-too-controversial commercial message. Many viewers took to Twitter to express their distaste for the Cure Auto Insurance ad that made several not-so-obscure references to workplace sexual assault.

Although the 2021 Super Bowl commercials covered a lot of ground, there were some notable absences, all tied to the current pandemic. Budweiser, a producer of always-memorable Super Bowl commercials, opted out this year and donated money to a COVID19 vaccine awareness organization instead. Coke had a rough

year, after cutting thousands of jobs and losing sales after restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other establishments that usually contribute to its profits were shut down. The company chose to conserve its money this year, instead of spending the millions it usually does on a Super Bowl commercial.

Overall, the 2021 Super Bowl commercials largely chose to acknowledge the trauma of 2020, instead of tip toe around it. Here’s to hoping that 2021’s social and political climate is so full of lightheartedness, success and joy that next year’s Super Bowl commercials are a breeze to watch. did not generate legitimate interest for the head coaching openings.

Brandon Staley, who has been an NFL coordinator for only one year, got a head coaching job instead of Bienemy, Bowles or Leftwich. Staley represents a larger trend of white coaches with minimal experience getting head coaching jobs while coaches of color are not offered the same kinds of opportunities.

Why were Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy more appealing than Eric Bienemy? Why were guys like Kliff Kingsbury and Zac Taylor better candidates than Byron Leftwich?

Why did Mike McCarthy and Adam Gase get second chances while Todd Bowles has not? The answer is disturbingly obvious to me.

Even though Bienemy, Bowles and Leftwich were passed over for white candidates, there were still some bright spots during this hiring cycle. In addition to the hiring of Culley and Saleh, the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions hired Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes

as their general managers, respectively. A number of minority coordinators were also hired, including Raheem Morris, Anthony Lynn, Lovie Smith, Sean Desai and Marcus Brady. The Washington Football Team has diversity at every level of the franchise, including team president Jason Wright, general manager Martin Mayhew, head coach Ron Rivera and assistant coach Jennifer King, as they join the Buccaneers in setting the standard for front office diversity within NFL franchises.

While these small wins should be celebrated, it is important that they don’t mask the unacceptable lack of diversity among head coaches and within NFL front offices. The Rooney Rule, created in 2003, originally required teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching positions.

In 2020, the rule was reformed to require head coaching interviews for two ethnic-minority candidates and at least one minority interview

humor and light entertainment instead of political and social references.

After the most devastating and heartbreaking year in recent history, this year’s Super Bowl begged the question: Would advertisers acknowledge and make emotional appeals to the trauma of 2020, as Budweiser did after 9/11, or would they turn away and distract from the current climate, as nearly everyone did in 2019?

While many of the ads were clearly unique to the past year, other commercials employed the same tried-and-true humor and celebrity appearances that could’ve easily appeared during any other Super Bowl. Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher starred in a Cheetos commercial, with Kutcher continually finding Kunis secretly eating his Cheetos.

The commercial was devoid of current events, focusing on simply the product and a catchy song to go with it. Doritos also took a lighter approach to its advertisement, with a flat Matthew McConaughey complaining of feeling unfulfilled, until he finds the 3D Doritos and suddenly all life is restored to him. for general manager and coordinator jobs. Despite the expansion of the Rooney Rule and other initiatives aimed at improving minority representation, NFL owners have not done enough to increase the diversity of its head coaches and general managers. By essentially maintaining the status quo in terms of hiring, the majority of ownership and management groups demonstrated their disregard of the Black Lives Matter movement and all of the calls for racial equality this summer. By failing to hire minority head coaches and general managers, the NFL is missing out on some extremely talented and deserving candidates. Investing in diversity will simultaneously improve the NFL’s optics and its bottom line, which is all it cares most about anyway.

Henry Gorelik is a sophomore studying international relations. Henry can be reached at henry.gorelik@tufts.edu