The Tufts Daily - Monday, September 30, 2019

YA author Rowell discusses ‘Wayward Son’ at Brookline bookstore see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4

STUDENT PROFILES

Exchange students reflect on cultural differences

Football falls to Amherst, drops to 1–2 see SPORTS / BACK PAGE

SEE FEATURES / PAGE 3

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

OF

TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXVIII, ISSUE 17

Monday, September 30, 2019

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

tuftsdaily.com

Thompson, Golia go before Senate, give introductions, hear concerns

by Matthew McGovern Assistant News Editor

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate heard presentations by Nancy Thompson, interim dean of student affairs and chief student affairs officer ad interim, and Joe Golia, director of the office for campus life, about their work on campus last night in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room. Senators then shared projects they are interested in and areas of concern at the university.

Thompson and Golia explained their roles at Tufts and how senators can use them as resources on campus to create change. Thompson expressed eagerness to help stimulate student life on campus.

“This place is fabulous, and now having met some students, I’m so excited to be here,” Thompson said.

After their introductory remarks, Class of 2022 Senator Tim Leong kicked the questioning off by asking the pair how the senate and administration could work together better. Thompson said she was open to meeting with senators and hearing their concerns; however, Golia had issues of his own to raise with senators.

Golia reminded the Senate that the new student organization process will begin soon, which is especially relevant to the work of the Allocations Board (ALBO).

“Do your research, really take the time to, before it becomes a big presentation here, before it gets into the Daily, to really do your research on what you’re asking for by talking to the right people,” Golia told the Senate.

Golia went on to express his frustration that in certain cases adequate research was not carried out before resolutions were written condemning university policy. He took special issue with last year’s resolutions concerning Tufts Dining workers; he said that Patti Klos, director of dining services, had not been consulted by Senate prior to those resolutions.

JULIA MCDOWELL / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

The TCU senate convenes in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room on Sept. 30, 2018.

The senators shared some of the projects they are working on and areas in which they want to see improvement.

Highlights included access to mental health resources at the SMFA and university support for students seeking off-campus housing.

In the latter half of the meeting, the Senate elected Sarah Tata and Jalen Little to fill two open spots on ALBO that are designated for first-year senators.

There were five Class of 2023 senators who ran for these spots, and each candidate gave a speech to the Senate explaining why they were running and what qualified them for the position.

After their initial speeches, candidates

answered a series of five questions posed

by TCU senators about their qualifications and interest in the positions.

The questions posed by senators revolved around how candidates will deal with having to reject certain requests, create a non intimidating environment for clubs to request money and handle requests from groups whose ideals might conflict with their own. Leong, an ALBO member, started off the questioning of candidates.

“Occasionally there will be an Allocations Board request that is pretty controversial, which is a difficult situation to navigate for anyone,” Leong said. “How will you deal with your own

personal bias and personal beliefs while maintaining equity?”

The Board distributes approximately $2.1 million, which comes from the activities fee included in Tufts tuition, to clubs at Tufts, and it is comprised of the three TCU Treasurers, the TCU President and six senators from the TCU body.

After the election, the Senate reviewed five requests for additional funding from clubs on campus and voted to uphold the ALBO recommendation in every case. The meeting closed with minor corrections to the Senate bylaws and updates from each of the committee chairs about their ongoing projects.

Nandi Bynoe fills new role as associate dean of diversity and inclusion

by Daniel Weinstein News Editor

Former Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Nandi Bynoe (LA’09, AG’16) was named the new associate dean of diversity and inclusion at the beginning of this school year. The Diversity and Inclusion division, of which Bynoe is a part, encompasses the

Please recycle this newspaper

Mostly Sunny 63 / 51

/thetuftsdaily

Group of Six, which includes the Africana Center, the Asian American Center, the FIRST Resource Center, the Latino Center, the LGBT Center and the Women’s Center.

The new associate deanship follows the creation of the chief diversity officer (CDO) positions, to which Robert Mack and Joyce Sackey were appointed, according to previous reporting by the Daily.

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

tuftsdaily

tuftsdaily

According to Mack, associate provost and CDO for the Medford and SMFA campuses, and Sackey, associate provost and CDO for health science schools, the creation of the dean of diversity and inclusion positions for all schools at Tufts in April 2018 were in response to what they view as an increased need for more support surrounding diversity and inclusion.

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

However, after noting the necessity of increasing diversity resources on campus — in part through the results of a university-wide diversity and inclusion audit — Mack and Sackey concluded that in addition to having CDOs there was also a need for an associate role for increased support.

NEWS............................................1 FEATURES.................................3 ARTS & LIVING.......................4

see BYNOE, page 2

FUN & GAMES.........................6 OPINION..................................... 7 SPORTS............................ BACK

THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Monday, September 30, 2019

THE TUFTS DAILY Jessica Blough Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL Ryan Eggers Justin Yu

Managing Editors Mykhaylo Chumak Austin Clementi Alejandra Carrillo Connor Dale Abbie Gruskin Liza Harris Robert Kaplan Elie Levine Natasha Mayor Alexander Thompson Daniel Weinstein Nico Avalle Andres Borjas Bella Maharaj Matthew McGovern Sara Renkert Jilly Rolnick Anton Shenk

Fina Short Sidharth Anand Amelia Becker Emma Damokosh Kenia French Jessie Newman Sean Ong Michael Shames Kevin Doherty Akash Mishra Dorothy Neher Steph Hoechst Tommy Gillespie Rebecca Tang Danny Klain Yas Salon Tuna Margalit Megan Szostak Elizabeth Sander Colette Smith Geoffrey Tobia Sami Heyman Tys Sweeney Olivia Brandon Sonal Gupta Mikaela Lessnau Kaitlyn Meslin Amulya Mutnuri Michael Norton Elizabeth Shelbred Simrit Uppal Julia Baroni Christina Toldalagi Yoon Sung Caleb Symons

Associate Editor Executive News Editor News Editors

Assistant News Editors

Executive Features Editor Features Editors

Assistant Features Editors

Executive Arts Editor Arts Editors

Assistant Arts Editors

Executive Opinion Editor Editorialists

BYNOE

continued from page 1 Bynoe was appointed to this role to fulfill this need.

“The deans of each school are creating at least one assistant/associate dean for diversity and inclusion (ADDI) position, with the goal of taking leadership for diversity and inclusion matters in their respective schools and reporting directly to the school dean,” Mack and Sackey said in an email to the Daily.

As associate dean of diversity and inclusion, Bynoe plans to serve as a bridge between the student body and the university-wide Provost Cabinet. She will serve as a contact for students, faculty, staff and departments who have concerns about diversity and inclusion, according to Bynoe. Bynoe will also provide support and leadership for diversity and inclusion priorities, such as the Group of Six, among other responsibilities.

A Tufts alumna, Bynoe was previously the sexual misconduct resource specialist with the Center for Awareness, Resources, and Education and served as assistant dean of student affairs.

“My feelings for my new role as associate dean of diversity and inclusion are all

Cartoonist Investigations Editor Executive Sports Editor Sports Editor

Seohyun Shim Mengqi Irina Wang Anika Agarwal Mike Feng Meredith Long Julia McDowell Evan Slack Kirt Thorne

Executive Photo Editor Photo Administrator Staff Photographers

Caleb Martin-Rosenthal Ann Marie Burke

Executive Video Editor Video Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

positive,” Bynoe said. “I went to Tufts for undergrad, also for graduate school, and I have been working here for 10years, so I am really committed to creating a really good student experience.”

Both Sackey and Mack are confident that Bynoe will flourish in her new role, and both attribute this confidence to her character and vast amount of experience.

“As a former Tufts undergraduate and a long-standing, well-rounded staff member at Tufts who has worked for many years in Student Services, Student Affairs, and the Center for Awareness, Resources and Education, Dean Bynoe brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and hands-on experiences to her new position,” Sackey and Mack said.

Mack and Sackey lauded Bynoe’s experience working with students.

“We expect her experience broadly supporting students and coordinating resources, as well as her work promoting sexual misconduct prevention, will be an invaluable asset as she strives to promote diversity, inclusion, dialogue, and respect in all its forms across the University,” they said.

Bynoe will also work closely with the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council, a group focusing on diversity and

inclusion chaired by University President Anthony Monaco, by relaying student voices, opinions and concerns to the larger council body.

“The other part of my role is working with the university council, and it is one where I can bring the perspectives of students and address them at the larger council,” Bynoe said Regarding challenges surrounding the new role, Bynoe said she has no expectations and is prepared to listen to campus groups and colleagues before addressing challenges.

“Right now I am in learning mode — even though I’ve been involved in this work for many years, I do not presume to know what people think of as their challenges, so now I am trying to listen across the group and bring everyone together to strategize about different ideas and issues,” Bynoe said.

Overall, Bynoe is confident in her ability to best provide support in her new role.

“There is always work to be done; if there wasn’t I wouldn’t need to be in a role like this, but I also see Tufts students as wanting to learn, engage and understand other people’s perspectives,” she said.

Events on the Hill — Week of Sept. 29 Executive News Editor

Alex Viveros Arlo Moore-Bloom David Meyer Liam Finnegan Jeremy Goldstein Savannah Mastrangelo Haley Rich Sam Weidner Julia Atkins Tim Chiang Jake Freudberg Noah Stancroff Aiden Herrod Helen Thomas-McLean Jacob Dreyer

Hannah Khan Arlo Moore-Bloom Madison Reid

New dean Bynoe continues diversity, inclusion work

by Austin Clementi

Editorial Cartoonists

tuftsdaily.com

MONDAY “Civic Life Lunch — True Identity: Intersex Activism and the Politics of Gender” Details: Tatenda Ngwaru, an intersex activist from Zimbabwe, will come to Tufts for a talk on gender politics. Ngwaru is the founder of True Identity, an intersex organization based in Zimbabwe.

Where and When: Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene Center; 12–1 p.m.

TUESDAY “TUSC Coffeehouse ft Copilot” Details: Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC), along with Tufts Mountain Club, will be celebrating the start of fall with

its Coffeehouse Acoustic Night. The band Copilot will be playing, and the artist for the Homecoming Concert will be revealed.

Where and When: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room; 7–9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY “TUSC Fall Harvest” Details: TUSC will be serving drinks, food and DIY trail mix while attendees participate in lawn games to celebrate fall.

Where and When: Upper Campus Center patio; 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

THURSDAY “Tufts University Prison Initiative Symposium—Engaging Justice: Inside/ Outside Prison” Details: Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College will host a two-day sympo-

sium centered around mass incarceration and the justice system.

Where and When: The first day will be in the Alumnae Lounge, and on the second day, Oct. 4, the event will move to the Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room. The event will take place all day.

FRIDAY “2019 Founders Workshop: Innovate and Impact with Social Entrepreneurship” Details: The Tufts Entrepreneurship Center and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life will welcome Clinton Foundation CEO Kevin Thurm and President of Life as Good Lisa Tanzer for a talk about social entrepreneurship.

Where and When: Fourth Floor of 574 Boston Ave.; 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Executive Audio Producer Audio Producers

PRODUCTION Aidan Menchaca

Production Director Kristina Marchand Daniel Montoya Alice Yoon Isabella Montoya Jesse Rogers Nathan Kyn Ryan Shaffer Anna Hirshman David Levitsky Hannah Wells Abigail Zielinski Rebecca Barker Emily Liu Allie Morgenstern Abbie Treff Aadhya Shivakumar Russell Yip Roy Kim Sean Ong Christopher Panella

Layout Editor Executive Graphics Editor Executive Copy Editors Copy Editors

Assistant Copy Editors

Executive Online Editor Executive Social Media Editors

Outreach Coordinators

Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires.

SMOKEYBEAR.COM

BUSINESS Jonah Zwillinger Executive Business Director

ION OF STA IAT TE OC

TERS RES FO

Luke Allocco Alexis Serino

Executive Layout Editors

NATIONAL A SS

2

FO

U N D E D 192

0

Monday, September 30, 2019

Features

Exchange students reflect on life abroad in Medford

ALEXIS SERINO / THE TUFTS DAILY

Lucas Barravecchia Prudente, Beatriz Fariñas Martín-Peña and Thomas Crépin pose for a portrait on the steps of the Chandler House on Sept. 29.

by Dorothy Neher Contributing Writer

Upon arriving at Tufts, Beatriz Fariñas Martín-Peña, Thomas Crépin and Lucas Barravecchia Prudente were told, “You are special students here.” These three students, part of this year’s small pool of 15 total exchange students, comprise the entirety of Tufts’ one-year exchange program.

It may come as a surprise to some that Tufts has a long history of hosting exchange students. Through its partnership with universities overseas, Tufts sends students abroad to study in semester- or year-long programs. As part of the agreement, some of those same schools select and send their own students to Tufts.

Unlike the numerous Tufts students who are chosen to participate in the programs abroad, universities overseas only offer a select few spots at Tufts — Crépin, for one, was the only person chosen from his entire university. In order to be selected, each student completes a competitive application and interview process, similar to the process that Tufts students complete to go abroad, according to Julie Dugan, the programs manager for Tufts Global Education Program.

While some students have support from their home universities, others’ paths to Tufts are not as well trodden. Prudente said that his university, La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, had never sent a student to Tufts before.

“There are two Chilean [exchange students], Ignacio Moreira and I. Also, I’m the first person to come from La Católica so… it’s the first time there’s two,” he said.

Getting to Tufts as the first student from his university proved to be a substantial obstacle for Prudente, along with securing a student visa. However, he said that the relationships he had previously formed with Tufts students in Chile motivated him to continue to pursue his goal of studying at Tufts.

According to Dugan, such relationships are common motivating factors for foreign students coming to study at Tufts.

“A lot of times they have had some experience with Tufts students and that is why they are excited about coming to Tufts,” she said.

As a student at the Autónoma Universidad de Madrid, Martín-Peña said that she was attracted to Tufts’ well-known international relations program. Aside from academic considerations, others cited the overall atmosphere of Tufts as a major draw.

“I found that Tufts was really open-minded in all their programs,” Crépin said.

Like many prospective students, Prudente, Crépin and Martín-Peña developed expectations for what life at Tufts would be like before coming. Prudente, who was familiar with Tufts and had even visited the campus before, said he was unprepared for the rigor of academic life.

“I’d heard about school not being that hard in the U.S. … but the actual living in college would be hard because Tufts students put too much on their plates,” Prudente said.

He said he quickly realized that was not the case and found himself overwhelmed by a hefty workload.

“It is very focused on readings. I am reading about 300 pages a week,” Prudente said.

“We have a lot of homework here, and I was not expecting that,” Crépin said, echoing Prudente’s sentiment. “Back in France I only have … 20 pages to read for one week to another.”

Despite their prior experience with and exposure to the language, being immersed in English also has presented challenges to the students.

“Being around and listening and speaking in English all the time, it’s really tiring,” Crépin said.

While the structure of classes is different, Martín-Peña remarked on the effectiveness of the U.S. system.

“I feel like I learn a lot doing all the essays,” she said.

However, the responsibilities of exchange students do not end with academics. On top of the normal workload, many of these students also serve as teaching assistants in language classes.

“Depending on the [university] agreement and the country they are coming from, they will lead recitation groups, and some are house managers,” Dugan said.

Although such work adds to their already busy schedules, the students agreed that it is a worthwhile experience. If selected to be a house manager, an exchange student will live in a foreign language house and organize themed events for the larger Tufts community. Such events help Tufts students improve their language skills while connecting with people from different backgrounds.

Despite the struggles of adjusting to life at Tufts, the exchange students emphasized the value of the experience. Martín-Peña, in particular, said that taking classes with people from a diverse range of majors and class years has been a positive experience.

“People are very respectful here, and I feel free to express my opinions,” MartínPeña said.

Crépin emphasized that the environment created by Tufts professors is a major change from school in France.

“Here the professors are really behind us.

They are really encouraging us to do the best that we can,” Crépin said.

Crépin mentioned that in France, most of the work is done independently of the professors. According to Prudente, getting to work closely with notable professors, including Peter Winn and Mike Mandel, is also a benefit of studying at Tufts.

“I have been sitting in classes close to big people. I’ve been sitting in their classes; that’s just amazing. I don’t think we have such big figures in Católica, or at least they’re not as accessible,” Prudente said.

Prudente, Crépin and Martín-Peña said the most dramatic change, though, is the social scene. At their universities in France, Spain and Chile, students do not live on campus.

“It is super cool to live surrounded by students. With the events and the parties, you have everything you need here,” MartínPeña said. For her, the services available to students as well as the location of the school are positive aspects of Tufts.

Martín-Peña also mentioned that it took a while for her to adjust to the daily schedule of life in the U.S. In Europe, she and Crépin both said they were used to eating dinner and socializing with friends much later in the night.

Prudente has also noticed changes in social atmosphere. His university, La Pontificia Universidad Católica, is a traditionally conservative and affluent school in a conservative country.

“I have left wing ideas and Católica is a right-wing university, so that might make it a hostile environment for me but that is not that case for Tufts,” he said.

In terms of the wider community, Prudente expressed surprise regarding the hospitality of local Somerville residents.

“I did not expect people to be this nice.

People everywhere, whether you are buying groceries at CVS or just walking down the street or asking for directions or talking with your professors, everyone is super nice and super helpful,” Prudente said.

Despite the relatively small size of the program, Tufts is working to expand programming and support systems available to these students.

“It is my goal to expand my activities for them and to create a more extensive buddy program,” Dugan said.

According to Dugan, such a program would involve students who have recently returned from study abroad serving as ambassadors or social mentors for exchange students.

“Students who have returned from abroad who still want that tie to the country they were in, have this wonderful exchange student to forge a friendship with, while also giving them support as they acclimate,” she said.

For now though, Dugan certainly has her eye out for these students and expressed the potential benefit for Tufts students in extending a welcoming hand to them.

“I am hoping whoever reads this article — that they try to connect with these students.

They have different perspectives and lived experiences,” Dugan said.

The exchange students share common desires with other Tufts students; they are as eager and excited as four-year students to meet new people and experience what this school has to offer.

“It’s like if you can re-write a new life,” Crépin said.

3 tuftsdaily.com

Ryan Gell JumboCash

Bond Market Basics

W

hen people think about different types of investments, stocks are often first in their mind, given their high upside and high risk. Although they lack the glamour of stocks, bonds can help investors achieve steady income and reduce the overall risk of their portfolio. This week, we will discuss how bonds work, why bonds are an important part of the economy and the key risks related to bonds.

Bonds, commonly referred to as fixed-income or debt, are essentially IOUs. A lender gives a borrower money in the present in exchange for a stream of payments in the future. Typically, the borrower will repay the loan with semiannual coupon payments (in finance, coupon is a fancy word for interest). On what is referred to as the maturity date, the borrower will repay the lender the face value of the loan — in other words, how much money they initially received from the lender. Therefore, in the long-run, the lender earns a return, since they are repaid the principal plus interest payments, whereas the borrower benefits from a large chunk of cash in the short-term.

Major borrowers include government entities, such as municipalities, states and sovereign governments, but companies also constitute a large part of the bond market. Debt can have a bad connotation, but debt is the lifeblood of the economy, allowing governments to build infrastructure, businesses to open new stores and individuals to pay for college. Once borrowers pay off their loans, the lender has more money to lend, fueling further economic growth.

So, what factors drive the riskiness of bonds? As you can guess, not all borrowers are able to repay their debt. Before issuing bonds, credit rating agencies evaluate the ability of the borrower to repay. The nomenclature of ratings agencies varies, but the ratings generally range on a scale from AAA to D, with AAA being the safest and D the riskiest.

If a credit rating agency deems that a company will have difficulty repaying its loans, investors will be compensated for such riskiness with higher interest payments. Hence, they will earn a higher return for a risky bond. On the other hand, bonds from a creditworthy entity like the U.S. government will have a low return, as there is a very low chance that the government will be unable to repay its debt.

In addition to the creditworthiness of the borrower, the time horizon of the bond is also an important risk. It’s pretty intuitive: Wouldn’t you want to be compensated more for lending your money for 30 years, as opposed to only 10 years?

Now, what makes bonds safer investments than stocks? In theory, there is no limit on how much money a company can make, so the value of the company (as well as the value of your stocks) can increase substantially. With bonds, the coupon payments and face value are fixed when the loan is agreed upon. Hence, there is more certainty around the potential return on the security.

Stocks might seem sexier due to their high potential returns, but bonds are an equally strong component of a balanced portfolio.

Ryan Gell is a senior studying economics and history. Ryan can be reached at ryan. gell@tufts.edu.

4 Monday, September 30, 2019

ARTS&LIVING

tuftsdaily.com

BOOK TALK

Sammy Park Bangers and Bops

Author Rainbow Rowell gives insight into writing Too old for TikTok, process following release of latest novel too young to die

T

he song “Ribs” (2013) by Lorde should be banned by the FDA for being a paralytic. From its pulsing instrumentals to Lorde’s constant declaration that “It drives you crazy, getting old,” the song evokes such a primal fear that my youth is slipping away by the minute. Now, I’ve never been one to define myself by a singular characteristic, always considering my identity to be an amalgamation of Los Angeles suburbanite, Korean American and person without a driver’s license. But as my teenage years are nearly ending, I am left with the realization that I have no idea what will come after this.

I am turning 20 in May, which means two things. The first is that my Sun is in Gemini and I am a Leo rising.

And the second, more consequential, aspect to my 20th birthday will be that my official status as a teenager will be over. Did I waste my teenage years by abstaining from trespassing and hallucinogens? Was I robbed of wild young adulthood hazy memories because of the passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act? I don’t really think so, but hearing the high school memories of 50-something adults makes me truly believe that laws and homework did not exist before the year 2000. So, when Lorde declares,”And I’ve never felt more alone / It feels so scary, getting old,” it reminds me of the terrible concept that time can pass with or without my permission.

Aging is scary. It is a process that can only be stopped by death or a really good surgeon. And I am certainly not ready for the “real world.” While some of my friends that I’ve talked to about this subject are eager to receive their diploma and head out to their WeWork startup of choice, I am less sure of what the non-Tufts world will have in store for me. There will be problems that can’t be solved by Carm iced coffee, and instead of going to different classes every day, I’ll probably be in some cubicle from 9 to 5.

Part of my personality has just always been that I’m a handful and a half. I don’t know basic math nor do I know how to follow a map. I always cry when rewatching childhood classics like “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and “Matilda” (1996) and will never elect to eat salad. But my impending birthday makes me wonder at which age I will have to become an actual adult. I hate the word “adulting,” but the concept that there are some things, like taxes and bills, that adults have to do by virtue of being older than 18 is, at its core, an undeniable truth.

I’m reaching a point in my life that I’ve romanticized since middle school.

I have “escaped” the idyllic suburbs, which received the brunt of my pre-teen angst, and now I’m in charge of making sure I eat food at normal human mealtimes, but what lies ahead is uncomfortably uncertain. So, my thoughts on adulthood are as chaotic as I am, and I’m okay with that.

Sammy Park is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Sammy can be reached at samantha.park@tufts.edu.

by Elizabeth Sander and Samantha Kelleher Assistant Arts Editor and Staff Writer

Rainbow Rowell’s latest novel “Wayward Son” (2019), the sequel to “Carry On” (2015), released Sept. 24, follows characters Simon Snow and Tyrannus “Baz” Basilton Grimm-Pitch as they road trip across the U.S. to save their friend Agatha from a pack of power-hungry vampires. Both of these novels take place in a magical world created by Rowell herself for her previous novel “Fangirl” (2013). As an author, she is most famous for the latter as well as another novel titled “Eleanor & Park” (2012). All of her novels center on the themes of attraction, young love and adventure that doesn’t always turn out as planned.

This Wednesday, Rowell came to Brookline, Mass., to discuss her novel “Wayward Son.” She spoke about her writing process and the way most readers feel about her characters; Baz is often the most liked instead of Simon, the protagonist, which is not the usual case, but as Rowell said, she “likes to flip things around” when it comes to the likability of her characters.

Baz receives most of the attention from fans because of his suave style as well as his commitment to his family and friends, including his deep love for Simon. His abilities as both a wizard and a vampire add another layer of intrigue, but his heart is what draws most fans to him. Simon, in contrast, is much less calm and confident, and he often seems less in control of his own life. After the loss of his mentor and his magic in “Carry On,” Simon deals with depression, an experience to which Rowell was able to connect.

At the talk Wednesday, Rowell revealed how she had been struggling with depression linked to an illness she had been fighting for a long time. The way she got through this illness? Writing “Wayward Son.” She explained how the novel had actually been written in secret. After “Carry On” was published, Rowell said that she “wasn’t sure if she could even write novels anymore.” But the characters came to her, so she wrote a continuation of their story until a new novel was born. She disclosed that “Carry On” was always meant to have a sequel, and based on the ending of “Wayward Son,” no spoilers, there will hopefully be a third in the series.

Rowell also hinted that she found a point of similarity between herself and her character Baz because of her illness. This made it freeing to write the scenes where Baz, a vampire, was uncomfortable in the sun because she had felt that way for many years due to this illness. The excerpt she read at the talk surrounded Baz’s hatred of the sun. It felt very real to her, and the entire audience was able to see that as well.

One of the more informative parts of the discussion was when Rowell spoke to the many facets of her writing process. It was certainly inspirational for many aspiring authors in the audience, as one member specifically noted in the Q&A portion of the event. Rowell uses something she likes to call “emotional bookmarks” in the form of music. As an author who writes 4–6 hours a day, 4–6 days at a time, it can often be difficult to wade in and out of the story and to separate it from her personal life. To do so, she uses songs as scene markers so that the moment she hears a song on her playlist,

VIA RAINBOWROWELL.COM

Rainbow Rowell’s new book ‘Wayward Son’ (2019) is pictured. she is brought back to the emotional feeling of the scene. When she was writing a particularly difficult scene in “Eleanor & Park,” Rowell explained how she used a song by the band Wild Beasts to return to the character Eleanor’s place of sadness and fear, and to this day, the song still gives her chills.

Another way she keeps her mind in the story is through her fantasy world’s encyclopedia: a book logging all of the terms, characters and phenomena that appear in her novels. She said how it showed her weakness as a writer in listing all of the repetitive ways she described her characters, but one can imagine how vital that encyclopedia must have been in writing within a never-before-seen fantasy world.

This encyclopedia probably contained information such as common spells, all of which find their source in pop culture. For example, “These are not the droids you’re looking for” can turn something invisible, and “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it wings” can give someone the ability to fly.

With such a unique magical universe, this encyclopedia must have been very helpful in keeping track of it all.

Rowell got her start in writing early on, as she said she “often got attention for it as a child,” being very skilled in both reading and writing. When she got to college, she explained, she couldn’t imagine getting

paid for anything else, hence her post-graduate career in journalism. She was a columnist for the Omaha World-Herald for around 10 years before she became a novelist, which she admitted was something she didn’t think people actually did. But writing a column three times a week for 10 years certainly aided in honing her craft, although the talent and love of stories was there from the outset.

During the Q&A portion of the book talk, an audience member stood up and asked how Rowell powered through and kept writing during her illness and struggle with depression. To that Rowell replied that we all have hard turns in life, and although she did keep writing, one doesn’t always have to. “In my experience,” she explained, “hardship leads to exhaustion, not great art.” The best way, in her opinion, to produce great work is to work on getting oneself better first in whatever way is helpful. Simon learns this lesson toward the end of the novel, as he goes from not necessarily caring about his mental illness to likely taking steps toward recovery, although readers probably won’t see that until the potential follow-up of “Wayward Son.” It has yet to be announced if there will be a third addition to the series, but from the positive reception of the first two, it can only be assumed that a third, and final novel would be cherished among fans.

tuftsdaily.com

Monday, September 30, 2019 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

5

Injury Reserve holds nothing back at Brighton Music Hall

by Geoff Tobia Jr.

Assistant Arts Editor

It should come as a surprise to nobody that the punchy beats and powerful vocals that are staples of alternative hip-hop trio Injury Reserve attract large crowds. On that note, it also shouldn’t be surprising that Injury Reserve sold out its show at the Brighton Music Hall Friday, Sept. 27.

Native to Tempe, Ariz., Injury Reserve consists of rappers Ritchie With a T and Stepa J. Groggs, and producer Parker Corey. The three are going on their first headlining world tour for the remainder of this year to promote their most recent album, “Injury Reserve” (2019). To start off their Boston show, two opening acts came on to give the crowd some extra energy before their set.

Kicking off the night, drummer Matthew Anderegg took a seat at his electric drum set and played an eccentric, underground-beat-esque drum solo. The rumbling bass drum and unique percussion choices created a significant number of dancing fans. Vocalist Christopher Taylor then joined him onstage by sampling his own voice then playing the keyboard to play and modify the chopped sample. The two collectively work as Body Meat, and it’s hard to pinpoint a genre that their latest album, “Truck Music” (2019), follows. After their introductory piece, Taylor took the microphone and a water bottle, then hushed the crowd. The crowd watched in confusion and anticipation as Taylor sipped his water bottle and continued to make sure everyone was quiet. “I’m just playing, y’all!” Taylor told the crowd. After performing a couple songs off of “Truck Music,” Taylor stopped again to say, “I think I’m cursed … I think I’m cursed.” A curious fan asked, “Why?” Before he could get an answer, Body Meat began to play another song. The crowd expressed its approval of the unusual stage presence through applause as Body Meat left the stage.

Soon to follow was Jasper Marsalis, member of post-genre duo Standing on the Corner, performing under the moniker Slauson Malone. Marsalis’ music can be classified as a mix of hip-hop and sound collage, and his artistic vision was expressed through his 2019 release “A Quiet Farwell, 2016–2018.” His first request upon taking the stage was for

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ritchie with a T of Injury Reserve sings on the stage in The Velvet Underground on May 30, 2017 in Toronto. the lights to be turned off. Marsalis’ set was unlike any other, to say the least.

Mimicking the way he approached mixing on “A Quiet Farwell,” his rapped vocals were drowned in his experimental low-tempo instrumentals to the point where you could barely tell that he was rapping. Occasionally, Marsalis would borderline screech some of the words in his song, which startled the entire venue each time. Marsalis also gave a terrifying spoken word poem during his set.

During one of his songs, Marsalis sang his vocals into a megaphone while playing a heavily distorted guitar. Toward the end of his set, the crowd was split between frustration and fascination by the absurdity of his non-conventional set. Very few fans found a proper beat or rhythm to dance along to through his entire set. Plenty of discussion among the concert-goers followed his set, and many curious fans googled Slauson Malone to see if he really was a musician, as opposed to a maniac.

After a half-hour-long wait, a fusion between Injury Reserve’s “Rap Song Tutorial” (2019) and “Koruna and Lime” (2019) began. A magnificent uproar marked the point where the energy of the venue took a complete 180. Once the bass kicked in, you were either squeezed like a lemon to push to the front or swirled around in a mosh pit about half the size of the entire general admission. Needless to say, it was very easy to lose the friends you were with at the start of the show.

A plethora of jumping and accidental face-punching ensued as a result of bass-heavy songs like “Oh Shit!!!” (2016) and “Eeny Meeny Miney Moe” (2016).

Even low-key songs like “Best Spot in the House” (2019) and “Colors” (2017) had just enough energy to keep the crowd dancing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the rowdiest moments during the set was “Jailbreak the Tesla” (2019). After Parker Corey teased the crowd by mixing the intro, the eventual bass drop satisfied

every fan, and nearly everyone screamed the lyrics along. A combination of flashing lights, Ritchie With a T’s chanting and every body emitting heat and sweat served as a sensory explosion.

When Injury Reserve closed its set out, the crowd began to chant “Three Man Weave! Three Man Weave!” — the title to the outro song of “Injury Reserve.” The guys came back on, Corey carrying a bottle of champagne. As the saxophone-assisted intro played, the crowd cheered as Groggs proceeded to take the bottle and chug it on stage.

Before the song ended, Ritchie With a T decided to quench his thirst with a cup of hot tea, which also gained approval from the crowd. The trio was relentless the entire night, and the applause that closed out the show was well-deserved.

Some fans were lucky enough to catch the guys after the show for autographs and pictures to conclude an unforgettable experience with Injury Reserve.

6

tuftsdaily.com

Monday, September 30, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

F &G FUN & GAMES

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Aidan: “Did Greta Thunberg sail across the ocean by herself?”

Ryan E: “No, that was Amelia Earhart, dude.”

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Lucrative opportunities abound. Follow up on a brilliant suggestion. Compute expenses and get creative to work out a budget that supports the project.

SHELTER PET & FASHION ICON Difficulty Level: Having a midterm exam in September.

Friday’s Solutions

Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours.

TOAST 325K+ Instagram Followers

CROSSWORD

Opinion

tuftsdaily.com

EDITORIAL

It’s time for Tufts to subsidize laundry costs College is expensive. Tuition costs are rising, textbook prices are through the roof, and living costs are not cheap. On top of these expenses, Tufts students are also expected to pay for their laundry while living on campus. While covering the already staggering costs of college, students should not have to worry about additional à la carte payments for their laundry each week.

To wash laundry weekly, students on campus pay at least $3 per week — or upwards of $90 per year. That’s equivalent to at least seven hours working at minimum wage in Massachusetts. And these costs don’t account for the additional money sucked out of students’ pockets by paying for broken laundry machines through both JumboCash and coins.

To address this problem, Tufts could look at its own history with helping students out with everyday costs. In the spring of 2016, Tufts Community Union Senate passed a resolution that addressed the financial burden caused by printing fees. This resolution led to

the provision of a $10 printing stipend given to each student every semester, starting in the fall of 2017. While this stipend is arguably still too small, as many students print more than 100 sheets of paper in a semester, it was certainly a step in the right direction. The stipend gives students financial coverage in printing necessary articles and assignments for class while still encouraging students to watch their environmental impact. Tufts should subsidize laundry costs in a similar way by allocating a laundry stipend to students’ JumboCash allowance every semester.

Financially insecure students are particularly in need of a stipend. With more than 35% of the undergraduate student body on financial aid, Tufts must be more cognizant of the additional costs that can slip through the cracks of financial aid coverage like laundry and printing.

Another potential solution is to incorporate the costs of laundry in the housing package, an idea recently proposed

by Brown University’s Undergraduate

Council of Students. The estimated cost of living on campus for the average Tufts student is $8,220 a year. Incorporating the price of laundry into the Tufts housing package would allow for financial aid to cover these costs, and at least give students time before the semester to budget their living expenses.

Making laundry completely free raises the potential specter of overusing the laundry machines, wasting water and electricity. However, allocating a limited amount of laundry swipes to students’ allowances addresses this problem, as it would alleviate the financial burden of doing laundry while still encouraging students to watch how much laundry they wash during the semester.

It is time for Tufts to realize that for many students, laundry costs pile onto the already enormous financial burden that is associated with being a college student. Laundry is not a luxury; it is a basic need, and one that must be addressed by Tufts’ Financial Aid Office or the Office of Residential Life and Learning.

THIS IS AN AD THAT SAYS YOU SHOULDN’T DRIVE HIGH

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

The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

EDITORIALS Editorials represent the position of The Tufts Daily. Individual editors are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Tufts Daily.

OP-EDS The Op-Ed section of The Tufts Daily, an open forum for campus editorial commentary, is printed Monday through Thursday. The Daily welcomes submissions from all members of the Tufts community; the opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. Opinion articles on campus, national and international issues should be 600 to 1,200 words in length and submitted to opinion@tuftsdaily.com. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. Authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions.

ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Managing Board and Executive Business Director.

7

Monday, September 30, 2019

John Little Gray Areas Matter

I

Diversity

t doesn’t take long for someone to bring up diversity, especially at Tufts.

But what might seem like a universally understood and accepted idea, at least along party lines, is actually more complicated than one might expect. Is Tufts diverse enough? Are we seeking out the right type of diversity? Let’s take a look at what it means to be diverse, check in on how Tufts’ demographics stack up and talk about why racial diversity isn’t the only component to a diverse space.

The exact definition of diversity is difficult to pin down. For the purposes of this article, we’ll operate with the understanding that a perfectly ‘diverse’ group of people is one that mimics its surroundings proportionally. Logically then, the context with which you frame a group can have a significant impact on how diverse it appears — but remember that appearances can be deceiving. The type of diversity that often comes to mind first is racial diversity.

For example, we’ll look at Tufts’ undergraduate student body in the context of the U.S.. I’ve chosen the country as a whole because Tufts draws primarily from a nationally-representative pool, and thus it would be inaccurate to compare its proportions to immediate surroundings like Medford or Boston. In this context, Tufts’ demographics approach, but still do not mirror, that of the country.

But should we be concerned with other types of diversity in both academia and employment? Many business leaders and academics say yes. As Denise Brodey of Forbes writes, only 18% of working-age adults with disabilities like autism, ADHD, dyslexia or other learning impairments are employed as of 2016. She argues that this statistic reveals a huge workforce sitting idle with its talents on the sideline. In fact, some companies such as Microsoft have started hiring programs specifically for autistic workers.

In academia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Molly Worthen believes that there is some cause for concern on college campuses regarding intellectual diversity in the realm of differing social and political ideologies.

She cites a recent Gallup/Knight survey that found that 92% of college students believe liberal students are able to share their opinions freely, while only 69% believe the same is true for conservative students.

Diversity is much more than the color of our skin or the genealogy of our ancestors.

To truly encapsulate a broad and extensive pool of human experience, ability and intellect, society must develop a multifaceted definition of diversity. Appreciating discord, managing differing beliefs, and understanding various backgrounds, cognitive abilities and values is not an optional skill in today’s world. It’s a professional skill. To truly hone that skill, we should seek out political perspectives that we don’t agree with, inquire about the life stories of the people around us and better our understanding of beliefs that we do not share. Like most things, humanity exists on various spectrums. Culturally speaking, expanding our range of understanding within these spectrums can only help us learn, work and collaborate — even if we don’t like what we hear.

John Little is a sophomore studying computer science. John be reached at john. little@tufts.edu.

Sports

8

tuftsdaily.com

Matt Goguen Keeping up with the 617

Debunking the ’19–0 Patriots’ Myth

Monday, September 30, 2019

Tufts falls to Amherst 26–16 despite late-game rally

E

ach season, New England Patriots fans are spoiled by a continuation of dominance by Tom Brady and company. It’s widely assumed among the fanbase that the Patriots will march to the playoffs for the nth-consecutive year, and not obtaining the number one seed is considered a ‘down year.’

After four weeks of dominance on both sides of the ball, NFL experts and analysts predicted a 16–0 perfect season for the Patriots. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Yes, this Patriots team is dominant and looks to be firing on all cylinders. However, in today’s modern NFL, it is extremely difficult to reach 16–0 due to the depth of talent in each division. The Patriots also have an extremely difficult schedule and have multiple injuries on its offensive line that continue to mount each week.

Last season, New England’s offensive line — led by offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia — was rated one of the best in the league, allowing only 21 sacks in the regular season and protecting Brady throughout the playoffs.

However, this year’s offensive line looks far different. Former Patriots left tackle Trent Brown signed the largest free-agent deal for an offensive tackle in NFL history with the Oakland Raiders, while center and co-captain David Andrews, left tackle Isaiah Wynn and right tackle Marcus Cannon are all currently dealing with injuries.

The loss of all three current linemen is detrimental. The running game is drastically worse as Sony Michel can’t find any holes, and once the Patriots start facing stacked defensive lines, Brady will be pressured and will have less time to accurately throw darts, which ultimately leads to more turnovers.

For the first half of the NFL season, the Patriots are essentially waltzing to an 8–0 start. After starting 4–0, the Pats’ next four opponents include none with a winning record — including the 0–4 Washington Redskins, who are coached by theincompetent lunatic Jay Gruden, and the 0–3 New York Jets, who are operating on their third QB in as many weeks.

It’s a cupcake start; however, during the following five weeks of the season, the Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and finally finishing the gauntlet with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The tail end of the weeks 9–14 schedule presents an incredible challenge, as the Cowboys, Texans and Chiefs all possess potent offenses and coaching staff that are known to give Belichick headaches. It’s nearly impossible for the Patriots to win out during this stretch given their current roster. No matter how well-prepared Bill Belichick is for the gauntlet, the wear and tear of these consecutive brutal games will show toward the end of the stretch. If the Patriots can go 3–2 through this stretch, I’d call it a victory.

To clarify, I still believe the Patriots will inevitably clinch a playoff spot for the 11th straight season and have a viable chance at making the Super Bowl. Nonetheless, the road won’t be easy, but Brady and Belichick have endured harsher challenges.

Matt Goguen is a first-year who has not yet declared a major. Matt can be reached at matthew.goguen@tufts.edu.

RACHEL HARTMAN / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Tufts players line up before a snap in the homecoming game against Bates on Zimman Field on Sept. 29, 2018.

by Jake Freudberg Sports Editor

The Amherst Mammoths defeated the Jumbos 26­ – 16 Saturday after an especially exciting fourth quarter that saw 22 total points scored. Tufts now sits at 1–2 and is tied for sixth place in the 10-team NESCAC, while Amherst improved to 3–0 and shares first place with Wesleyan and Middlebury.

“There was better play from the previous week,” coach Jay Civetti said about the game. “Less mistakes, but not enough execution, and not enough correcting when we had the penalty or when there was a big play.”

The game started out slowly for both teams on offense, with solid defenses from each side. In the first quarter, Tufts accumulated 77 total yards of offense, while Amherst only edged out 24 yards.

Amherst was the first to get on the board in the second quarter, as its offense systematically moved down the field with a six-minute, 88-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from sophomore running back Brandon Huff. The Jumbos got the ball back and quickly punted. It only took the Mammoths two plays to score this time — a 46-yard run by senior quarterback Ollie Eberth and a 34-yard pass from Eberth to senior wide receiver James O’Regan were all the Mammoths needed to find the end zone.

Now trailing 14–0 with just under five minutes remaining in the half, the Jumbos slowly worked their way down the field. From the Amherst 20-yard line, senior quarterback Jacob Carroll took a shot at the end zone on first

and 10 but was intercepted by Amherst senior defensive back Avery Saffold.

The Mammoths held onto their 14-point lead through the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, until the Jumbos finally got on the board with a 40-yard field goal from junior kicker Matt Alswanger. The Jumbos stood their ground on defense on the following drive, forcing a Mammoths three-andout. But, an awkward bounce on the punt that deflected off the Jumbos led to a Mammoths recovery. They quickly converted with a 23-yard field goal at the end of the quarter, bringing their lead to 17–3.

The fourth quarter was filled with excitement — the teams combined for three consecutive 60-plus yard touchdown passes in just two minutes and 22 seconds. In the first drive of the quarter, Carroll connected with graduate wide receiver Frank Roche, who raced down the field into the end zone for a 64-yard score, cutting the deficit to just eight with a score of 17–9 after a missed extra point.

The Mammoths quickly answered with a huge play of their own on the subsequent drive. A holding penalty on third and 9 by the Jumbos gave the Mammoths a first down, which they capitalized on with a 70-yard touchdown from Eberth to sophomore wide receiver Daniel Dolan.

But the Jumbos weren’t done. On the first play upon getting the ball back, a long pass from Carroll to junior wide receiver Brendan Dolan was good for a 75-yard touchdown.

“Two really good football teams out on that field; two teams being aggressive offensively and defensively,” Civetti

said. “And two really good quarterbacks.

There was a lot that happened very quickly … We were one big play away.”

Despite the wild opening minutes of the quarter, the scoring settled down.

Amherst scored two more points with a safety on a failed Tufts punt attempt when the snap went over the head of first-year punter Patrick Walsh. The Mammoths protected their 26–16 lead the rest of the way. Interceptions by Saffold and senior defensive back John Ballard ended Tufts’ chances at another rally on two of its final possessions.

Overall, the minor details hurt the Jumbos: six penalties gave the Mammoths 55 yards, and the Jumbos struggled to convert on third down, going five for 14.

“I think we could’ve kept the defense off the field and capitalized on third down in a few instances,” Carroll said.

“But our defense did a good job. As a leader of the offense, I’m trying to keep the defense off the field as much as possible.”

However, there were some positives: Carroll continued to impress at quarterback with 305 passing yards, and the defense managed to recover, to some extent, after giving up 44 points the week before to Williams.

The Tufts squad will look to get back on track this weekend, as they travel to Lewiston, Maine, to take on Bates (0–3).

Saturday’s kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

“I’ve got confidence in the seniors, and I’ve got confidence in the staff,” Civetti said. “We need to continue to get better and grow as a team. We’ve got a lot of football left.”