The Tufts Daily - Tuesday, April 20, 2021

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THE

INDEPENDENT

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXXI, ISSUE 45

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

tuftsdaily.com

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

TCU election results, presidential candidates announced

by Jack Adgate Staff Writer

Elections for the Tufts Community Union Senate and Judiciary seats and Committee on Student Life seats took place over Qualtrics on April 13 and 14. The results were announced by the Tufts Elections Commission. On April 15, two TCU senators from the Class of 2022 announced their candidacy for president, with elections for the position scheduled for April 22 and 23. The voting will be conducted through Qualtrics. ECOM chair Mark Lannigan explained how running the election through Qualtrics greatly expedited the voting process compared to last spring’s election, which was marred by technical glitches. “Since transitioning to Qualtrics, [we] have had very,

very few problems [conducting elections],” Lannigan, a sophomore, said. “The whole learning process went without a hitch, which is good.” According to Lannigan, 1,685 total votes were cast, and the total voter turnout was 28.6%, up from 20.62% last year. In the Class of 2024, incumbents Claire Bolash, Ritesh Vidhun, Mariana Janer Angrelot and Arielle Galinsky held their Senate seats. Newcomers Wanci Nana, Liani Astacio and Helina Mesfin won the remaining three seats. Nana explained how the experience of campaigning for TCU was fulfilling. “Running for TCU Senate … was an experience that I greatly enjoyed,” Nana wrote in an email to the Daily. “Although I was running against them, seeing the passion and desire of

the other candidates to aid the Tufts community really motivated and reassured me that this is what I want to do, and these are the people that I want to be around.” Nana mapped out his plans for his time in the Senate. “I plan to bring a lot of energy, innovation, and dedication to TCU Senate and the Tufts community,” Nana said. “Prior to coming to Tufts, I set the intention to have a massive impact on the culture, and community, as I have now been elected as a TCU Senator, I am going to do exactly that.” Incumbents Ibrahim AlMuasher, Jalen Little, Max Morningstar, Sara Tata and Valerie Infante held their seats in the Senate for the Class of 2023. Jaden Pena and Helena Buschermohle won the remaining two seats as newcomers.

Six candidates ran uncontested in the Class of 2022, leaving one seat vacant. Iyra Chandra was the only incumbent to hold her seat, and Elizabeth Hom, Andrew Hong, Amma Agyei, Tim Leong and Daniel Weber will fill five other seats. Hadiya Giwa, a first-year, won the only contested Community Senator seat. Giwa, who held a Class of 2024 seat this year, will serve as Africana Community senator. Candidates for other Community Senate seats ran uncontested. First-year Kristin Ng was elected to serve as the Asian American community senator, while first-year Benjamin Tang was elected to the first generation college student seat. Junior Aadhya Shivakumar was elected to the international community senator seat and firstyear Blake Anderson was elected

to the LGBTQ+ seat. First-year Ryan Steuerman will represent the SMFA in the Senate and sophomore Isha Bhatnagar will hold the women’s seat. Shivakumar and Bhatnagar will be holding Community positions that were left vacant this year. Max Price and Zachary Ferretti were reelected to their seats on the Judiciary. Maya Namasivayam, Annabel Xu and Patrick Gavazzi won as newcomers, and two seats were left vacant. Four candidates ran uncontested for five positions on the Committee on Student Life, with Jojo Kuo and Sofia Friedman holding their seats as incumbents. Rachel Coll and Roshni Bhat will join the committee as newcomers. see SENATE, page 2

FEATURES Tufts authorizes resumption of singing, Sarabande dance group wind, brass instruments on campus fosters creativity and community, adapts to pandemic

by Coco Arcand

Assistant News Editor

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Music Richard Jankowsky announced to music students that the university has authorized the limited resumption of singing and playing of brass and wind instruments on campus on April 1. Jankowsky explained what this means for the music department. “The Department of Music is very happy to have singing, brass, and winds performance resume on campus,”

Jankowsky wrote in an email to the Daily. “With the guidance of the university’s medical health team, we have developed a set of policies and protocols for the safe resumption of those activities.” The email outlined specific guidelines for how and where students can safely practice their instruments or sing on campus. Students who are pursuing a major, minor or graduate degree in the Department of Music are able to reserve rooms in the Granoff Music Center for individual practice. Between prac-

tices, the rooms will be aired out and professionally sanitized, according to Jankowsky. The email also explained additional opportunities for outdoor practice, both for individuals and small groups. Faculty-led, credit-bearing ensembles are able to practice outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer, and all Tufts students are allowed to practice individually outdoors from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Outdoor private lessons can also be coordinated for

see MUSIC, page 2

ANN MARIE BURKE / THE TUFTS DAILY

With proper PPE and distancing, music majors, minors and graduate students are now able to sing and play wind and brass instruments in select locations on campus.

by Raga Chilakamarri Staff Writer

Sarabande Dance Ensemble is a student-run dance collective founded in 1982 that primarily focuses on contemporary, jazz and ballet. The group distinguishes itself from the nearly 20 other dance groups on campus with its diverse and modern stylistic range, and its commitment to original choreography. Its performances and rehearsals are directed and staged by student choreographers who have the freedom to incorporate their individual styles into their pieces. “We choreograph … and we have about ten hours of rehearsal every week,” Helen Chwe, a senior in Sarabande, said of a pre-pandemic semester. “But within those ten hours, there are ten dances, and you can choose how many dances you want to do … so you can choose your commitment.” Sarabande offers many students their first opportunity to choreograph, either through leading open classes or putting together a full piece. Dancers can realize their own artistic visions, which was not always possible for students who train in a dance studio, according to Chwe.

FEATURES / page 3

ARTS / page 4

SPORTS / back

Students express creativity through choreography in Sarabande

Somerville bookstore stacks shelves with female, queer and nonbinary authors

Super League formation sparks upset, intrigue among soccer fans

“Being able to do something that’s student-run and super independent, [where] people are doing exactly what they want to do, made me relax about it,” Chwe said of performing with Sarabande. “It was still a show, but it was way more fun, because … your friend is choreographing something.” Sophomore Hana Tzou said she has appreciated learning from fellow Sarabande members in a collaborative exchange of movement and technique. Before enrolling at Tufts, Tzou danced at the same studio since she was three years old and developed a strong foundation in ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary dance. She described her training as having been fairly conservative. Through Sarabande, Tzou said she’s been exposed to more experimental dance backgrounds. “It’s really fun to just try out a new style on the body and learn different shapes that you can make,” Tzou said. “And it’s really expanded my dance practice. I think I feel a lot more comfortable dancing in a new style, or even just dancing in my own body because I’m in Sarabande see SARABANDE , page 3 NEWS

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

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FUN & GAMES

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OPINION

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