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THE TUFTS DAILY
TUFTSDAILY.COM
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
VOLUME LXVII, NUMBER 3
Where You Read It First Est. 1980
Class of 2018 expected to be most competitive to date by Daniel Bottino
Daily Editorial Board
Jenna Liang / Tufts Daily Archives
Fletcher alumnus Aizaz Chaudhry was recently named Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.
Fletcher alumnus appointed Foreign Secretary of Pakistan by Denali Dietjen
Daily Editorial Board
Aizaz Chaudhry (F’90) recently assumed his position as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan after being cleared for appointment by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in December.
Chaudhry’s appointment is particularly timely due to the complex political situation in Pakistan, according to Andrew Hess, a professor of diplomacy and director of the Southwest-Central Asia see CHAUDHRY, page 2
Tufts Community Research Center provides funding to local groups by Josh Weiner
Daily Editorial Board
The Tufts Community Research Center (TCRC) recently provided seed grant funding to the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center. TCRC has regularly provided this funding since 2006 as a means of strengthening ties between researchers from Tufts and the surrounding community, according to TCRC Director and professor of public health and community medicine Doug Brugge. “The philosophy is to support community collaborative research,” said Peter Levine, the Lincoln Filene professor of Citizenship & Public Affairs. “[The funding] actually produces better research...because it allows the community to contribute values and ideas.” Levine added that the members of the TCRC board reflect this pro-collaboration attitude. “TCRC is unique and excellent in that it is managed by a board that is half Tufts faculty and half community partners,” he said.
The board considered nine applications for funding, according to Brugge. He explained that he and his colleagues were most intrigued by research proposals that demonstrated a strong collaboration between Tufts and its community partners. “We have two main criteria,” he said. “First, is it a strong proposal, well thought-out and likely to be successful? And [second], does it incorporate a good partnership between the university and the community?” Brugge said that thanks to greater funding from Tisch College this year TCRC was able to sponsor an additional research project. The funding will support an environmental project that MyRWA is organizing with Kate Munson, a first-year graduate student in the School of Engineering, according to Patrick Herron, MyRWA’s water quality monitoring director. Munson is assessing the Mystic River’s level of phosphorus, which often flows into rivers through storm water, Herron said. By studying samples taken from the river system, Munson see RESEARCH, page 2
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions received a record-breaking number of applications this year, indicating the Class of 2018 will be Tufts’ most selective to date. According to Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin, the admissions office had received 19,051 applications as of last Thursday — a 3.5 percent increase over last year’s total. Coffin said he expects the tally will increase slightly as a few latearriving paper applications come in. “It’s exciting for Tufts to see another increase on top of last year’s record pool [and] to cross 19,000 [applications] for the first time,” he said. A sixteen percent increase in School of Engineering applications, from 3,177 to 3,701, largely drove the rise in undergraduate applications, according to Coffin, who noted there was not an increase in School of Arts and Sciences applications. According to Coffin, the number of early decision applications also jumped 10 percent from last year, with a new high of 1,744 applications. “We are set up for a really historic admissions cycle for the second year in a row,” he said. The increase in admissions comes despite hiccups in the application process technologies. After technical difficulties with the Common Application (Common App) early in the admissions process, Coffin explained Tufts began also accepting the Universal College Application (UCA). While many of these issues were quickly resolved, Coffin said the high vol-
ume of applications submitted on the Jan. 1 deadline caused the Common App website to temporarily crash. The admissions office’s revamped communications strategy — including an admissions magazine and regular use of new technologies — influenced the increase in applications, Coffin said. “The quality of Tufts is generating these [record] pools,” he said. “I think the way we’re communicating that quality to students has shifted.” Associate Director of Admissions Dan Grayson further explained how the admissions website has contributed to the school’s increasing number of applications. “You have to be able to migrate [prospective applicants] from the pieces of information they want to know regarding getting in to the things that demonstrate stuff about the Tufts culture,” Grayson said. “The website that we have now gives us a tremendous number of tools to be able to do that in both explicit and implicit ways.” Coffin noted that the website has recorded an increasing number of page visits. “It’s a much more interactive web capacity, and when we look at the Google analytics on [the new site], it’s off the charts,” Coffin said. “We’re seeing these giant spikes in web traffic.” International applications increased by five percent this year, representing the largest application region for the second year in a row, a title historically held by applicants from Massachusetts. Coffin cited the improved website and admission staff members’ international travel see ADMISSIONS, page 2
Senate discusses semester goals in first 2014 meeting The Tufts Committee Union (TCU) Senate’s first meeting of the semester was held last night in Eaton 206. TCU President Joe Thibodeau, a senior, welcomed members back after a month away and outlined some of the senate’s main goals for the coming semester. The treasurer’s report then followed, during which the senate heard from a number of student organizations requesting funds. Tufts University Bhangra Team requested $9,622 to attend an April 13 dance competition in Santa Barbara, Calif. which the group qualified for over winter break. The senate approved the funding request by a vote of 24-4-0. The senate also voted unanimously to grant the school’s Garba Team $1,995 in order to travel to Purdue University for a Garba dance competition and granted $800 to the Tufts Vietnamese Students Club in order to rent two vans for a weekend retreat at the Loj. Lastly, the senate voted 27-0-1 to grant $2,450 to Tufts Action for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP), which is bringing American feminist writer Jaclyn Friedman to campus as a guest lecturer on Feb. 27. Senior Andrew Hunter of
Inside this issue
TCU Services Committee then addressed his project of establishing an on-campus student bar, which he said would serve as a meaningful social gathering spot, particularly for seniors, and promote the safe use of alcohol among Tufts students. He cited last semester’s student survey which showed favorable responses to the proposal and mentioned that he hoped to draft and pass a written resolution in order to convince the administration to further pursue the project. Diversity Council Affairs Officer Darien Headen, a junior, announced that he will be chairing a new ad hoc committee, consisting of senators, community and trustee representatives, which will select three representatives who will sit on a committee led by Nancy Wilson, a special advisor to the provost, to select a future Chief Diversity Officer. “In my role, I’m just going to be the administrative person on senate dealing with applications...and choosing three names to give to Nancy Wilson,” Headen said. Senior Jon Jacques outlined the TCU Judiciary’s goals for the semester. Although student organizations can only be officially recognized by the senate in the fall,
Jacques said that the Judiciary will be guiding new and inactive groups through a “re-recognition process” this semester which will enable them to achieve official recognition later in the year. During the closing announcements session, the senate revealed upcoming events including general interest meetings for 180 Degrees Consulting and the Institute for Political Citizenship, the Vagina Monologues’ spring semester performance and a commemorative event for Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. Thursday evening. After the meeting, Thibodeau spoke to the Daily about his aspirations for the Senate and the success of the first meeting of the spring semester. “I just hope that people will get all the projects they want accomplished, that people will continue trying to partner with the Tufts community and we will continue to make senate an agent of change on this campus that is accessible to all,” he said. “Building off of last semester, I think that is a reasonable hope.” —by Josh Weiner
Today’s sections
‘Her’ portrays a futuristic but eerily familiar relationship between a man and his operating system.
Women’s Swimming and Diving opens season against MIT and Wesleyan.
see ARTS, page 5
see SPORTS, page 14
News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters
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Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports
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Tufts looks to expand partnerships between university and community RESEARCH continued from page 1
Emw via Wikimedia Commons
The Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center was one of two groups to receive seed grant funding from Tufts Community Research Center.
said she hopes to produce data that will be useful for future scientists working to lower levels of pollutants within Mystic River. “We are extremely grateful for the relationship we have with Tufts, and the award of the TCRC funds,” Herron said. “With these funds in hand, MyRWA is able to approach other funders to expand this work to other parts of the watershed and complete a full assessment of nutrient pollutants to the Mystic River.” Meanwhile, the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center (SJPHC) will use the funding from Tufts to support a pilot program developed by Linda Sprague Martinez, an assistant professor of Public Health and Community Medicine. The project will consist of a 10-week series of group discussions, each featuring 10 African-American participants
from Boston-area universities, according to the grant proposal. Discussions will focus on issues relating to race, identity and self-care. Martinez explained that half the $6,000 grant will be used as a stipend for group participants, while the other half will be paid to the licensed social worker who will be facilitating the group. “I think one of the big goals of the grant is to test whether the goal of [the project] is effective... and to make additional connections with researchers researching racism here at Tufts,” she said. Levine said he believes that Tufts and its partners will benefit from these grants. “Tufts aspires to be a global leader in civic engagement,” Levine said. “One of the ways that we contribute is through research. The latest grants from TCRC exemplify excellent partnerships and high-quality research.”
School of Engineering sees 16 percent increase in applications ADMISSIONS
continued from page 1
as factors contributing to the increase in overseas applications. “As we go to places like the Middle East...the schools start to know us [and] the students get to talk to an admissions officer,” he said. “Not as many American colleges are going to some of these countries, so when you go you get on the radar pretty quickly.” Coffin explained that while Tufts is expanding its outreach to other Asian countries, the largest number of overseas applications continue to come from China. “All the Asian countries are very well represented...China, Singapore, India are usually in the top five [and] we are seeing Vietnam start to develop,” Coffin said. “What we are trying to do through the admissions process, to the extent possible, is create a global community. Overall, this year’s applications pool consists of applicants from all 50 U.S. States and 115 countries — a record, according to Coffin. Massachusetts and California had the first and second largest number of applications; New York ranked third and registered a nine percent increase in applications this year, Coffin said. With the majority of applications now submitted, Coffin said the lengthy evaluation process will begin soon. He explained that the increase in applications will likely lead to another record low acceptance rate. “You’re saying ‘yes’ to great people, and you’re saying ‘no’ to really good people because you just don’t have space,” Coffin said. “If the acceptance rate winds up at 17 percent, a lot of really wonderful people were at the 18, 25, and 28 [percentages]. Each of the ticks downward [in the acceptance rate] represents a group of people that are really quite talented.”
The TUFTS Daily File Photo
Applications increased 3.5 percent this year, with a large spike in applicants to the School of Engineering.
Chaudhry described as career diplomat CHAUDHRY
continued from page 1
and Islamic Civilization Program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. “Given the complex set of issues facing the region, we are thrilled and honored that a Fletcher alumnus holds this key position and look forward to seeing what he is able to accomplish,” Admiral James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School, told the Daily in an email. Major issues that Chaudhry inherits include growing violence in Pakistani cities and around Southwest Asia, and United States and Pakistani relations, Hess explained. “This is an important appointment to say the least, considering the political developments in Southwest Asia,” Hess said. “[Chaudhry] will have to deal with that because these developments will really shape the outcome of Pakistani politics.”
Within Pakistan, violence in major cities — specifically Karachi, the country’s largest city that contributes 40 percent of Pakistani gross domestic product (GDP) alone — is an issue Chaudhry will be expected to address, Hess explained. “It really undermines the power of the government if they can’t control their major cities,” Hess said. Internationally, managing relations between the United States and Pakistan will be one of Chaudhry’s largest responsibilities, according to Hess. “One major issue [in U.S.-Pakistani relations] is whether Pakistan is cooperating with [the] U.S. military presence,” Hess said. Hess referenced the differing interests of the United States and Pakistan in regard to Afghanistan as another point of dispute between the two countries. “Pakistan’s position in Afghanistan directly supports Pakistani interests, while
the United States is more interested in creating an autonomous government outside of our national interest,” Hess said. Chaudhry joins other Fletcher graduates in government positions in Southwest Asia. Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan Joseph Dunford (F’92) is also a Fletcher graduate, according to Hess. Hess expressed confidence that this connection could improve communication between the countries. “I think the fact that [Chaudhry] was educated in the U.S. and that they’re both Fletcher grads creates some sort of an important contact between him and Dunford,” Hess said. Chaudhry has held other high-profile diplomatic positions in Pakistan, including Foreign Office spokesman and Additional Foreign Secretary, and was Director General for South Asia during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, according to IndianEnglish newspaper The Indian Express.
While Indian newspapers identify Chaudhry as a moderate, Hess explained that Chaudry steers clear of direct party identification since he deals with the international relations of Pakistan, rather than domestic politics. “He’d probably describe himself as a professional diplomat,” Hess said. “That’s common of diplomats because they don’t want to be to be tied to a party. They don’t want to walk into a negotiation with the expectation that they are representing just one party, but rather the interests of Pakistan in general.” Stavridis explained that The Fletcher School’s approach to teaching encourages students to actively participate in international diplomacy. “The Fletcher School’s multidisciplinary approach to international affairs prepares graduates to solve complex problems that transcend borders and disciplines,” Stavridis said.
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Meet the members of the class of 2018 Nath Samaratunga: Midwesterner ready to bring smiles to the Hill by Sabrina McMillin
Daily Editorial Board
While many high school seniors just recently submitted their applications to universities like Tufts, a lucky few have already received their acceptance letters. With one of the largest applicant pools to date — nearly 19,000 — the class of 2018 boasts an impressive bunch of early decision applicants. Nath Samaratunga joins the class of 2018 having applied early decision. Hailing from Minnesota, he has been boasting Jumbo pride for most of his life, as his favorite animal is the elephant. “I chose Tufts mainly because of the people there. I have some friends that go there now, and they are all some of the nicest people I’ve met,” Samaratunga said. “All of them are awesome, and they were super helpful in helping me make my decision,” he continued. Samaratunga said he is excited to broaden his horizons at matriculation next fall by meeting people with different backgrounds and perspectives. Samaratunga was born and raised in St. Louis Park, Minnesota and currently attends the Breck School. For one of the newest members of the class of 2018, extracurricular activities are about being active and putting smiles on the faces of others around him. “In my free time, I like going for runs around the lake, baking, reading, making covers of songs and biking,” he said. “I also have a passion for ‘daymaking,’ where I basically write anonymous notes or leave baked goods for people to spread some smiles.” Samaratunga explained that the phrase “day-making” comes from Susan “Stargirl” Caraway, the protagonist of the popular young adult novel “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli, who enjoys
completing tasks like “day-making” to promote kindness. The book is known in the young adult reading community for its themes of diversity and acceptance. Part of Tufts’ appeal to Samaratunga is that, similar to “Stargirl,” Tufts students are unusual, often marching to the beats of their own drums. “I love how everyone is both fun and quirky and also really, really nice,” he said. In the academic realm, Samaratunga would like to study medicine and is interested in the various sciences taught at Tufts, particularly biology and chemistry. “I’m not sure what type of medicine, but I have time to figure that out,” he said. While many incoming freshmen at universities may find themselves intimidated by the prospect of interacting with professors, the 17-year-old Midwesterner said he met some Tufts professors on his campus tour and looks forward to spending time learning from and getting to know them. Samaratunga said he hopes to try out a variety of the university’s clubs and discover what may fit him best. “When I come to Tufts I definitely want to join an a capella group and hopefully one of the theater groups, too. I really want to try out ultimate frisbee and maybe even the gospel choir,” he said. With many exciting prospects next year, Samaratunga discussed how easy it was for him to apply early to Tufts. “The teachers and tour guides I met when I visited were great ... Besides that, it [had] all the programs I like, such as a great theater program and an awesome science program,” he said. “I could just see myself going there right away. It felt right.”
Courtesy Nath Samaratunga
Samaratunga hopes to pursue both his love of science and theater at Tufts.
Lauren Phan: Once-and-future tour guide by Sabrina McMillin
Daily Editorial Board
Courtesy Lauren Phan
Meet Lauren, one of the most recent students accepted into the class of 2018.
While many incoming Tufts freshmen have already grown familiar with the campus, few have been mistaken for a tour guide while visiting as a prospective student. Lauren Phan, however, an 18-yearold from Broomfield, Colo., is one of the few lucky enough to have had this experience. “While visiting Tufts, my group thought I was the student tour guide,” she said. “I was elated, but [they were] disappointed when I replied with a ‘no.’ From that moment on, I was sold — Tufts University is where I belong.” Phan was accepted into the class of 2018 in the first round of early decision applicants. She grew up in Snohomish, Wash. before moving to Broomfield, Colo. during her sophomore year of high school. She attributes her vintage style, taste in indie music and love for local homemade jams to the culture of her Washington hometown. After spending two years in Colorado, she said she has grown fond of snowboarding and hiking. Like many current Tufts students, her high school schedule is packed with extracurricular activities which she would like to continue on the hill. “Right now, I’m on my school’s varsity swim team, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and Senior Class Leadership,” she said. Phan said she is looking forward to continuing her involvement with similar groups at Tufts next year and that
she hopes to also get involved with Tufts Mountain Club and Engineers Without Borders. “The Mountain Club sounded like everything I will miss about being [from Colorado]: hiking, snowboarding and kayaking galore,” she said. “Also, Engineers Without Borders will allow me to continue volunteer work ... while further immersing myself in my field of study.” Accepted to the School of Engineering, Phan plans to major in chemical engineering, with a minor in Spanish. “I’ve taken Spanish all four years of high school and wish to continue it in college,” she said. “I hope to study abroad in a South American country, so having a strong Spanish background will be super helpful.” With her love of community involvement, it is no surprise that Tufts was Phan’s first choice. “The most appealing aspect of Tufts is the sense of camaraderie on campus and [the] tight knit relationships between the students and faculty,” she said. “Tufts will also provide me with a liberal arts environment, while equipping me with a stellar engineering education — a combination that is surprisingly rare,” she said. Although she still has several months before arriving to the Medford campus, Phan expressed excitement for the day that she can showcase the university to interested students of the future. “I am beyond excited to someday turn to a group of prospective Jumbos and announce, ‘I’m your tour guide today,’” she said.
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Arts & Living
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Movie Review
Album Review
Springsteen returns with ‘High Hopes’ by Dan O’Leary
Daily Editorial Board
When veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen announced that his 18th studio album would consist
High Hopes Bruce Springsteen Columbia Records Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) takes Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) on dates around Los Angeles
Artificial intelligence creates authentic love in ‘Her’ by Anthony Martinez
Daily Editorial Board
Spike Jonze’s “Her” is one of the many Oscar bait films widely released at the beginning of 2014.
Her Directed by Spike Jonze Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson That is not to say it is the kind of movie that exists simply to win awards. In “Her,” Spike Jonze, who wrote, produced and directed the film, has created a truly fine love story whose
topic — man falls in love with his computer — feels mildly controversial yet oddly familiar. Artificial intelligence arrives to perhaps implausibly little fanfare. The introverted Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is informed about a new operating system amid a crowd watching holographic advertisements. From there Theodore meets and falls in love with his operating system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlet Johansson). Theodore is a writer for a card company paradoxically called Beautiful Handwritten Letters — yet none of these cards are handwritten. In Jonze’s near-yet-unspecifiedfuture, people dictate letters aloud to their computers. Keyboards have disappeared. People wear pastel-
Album Review
colored clothes and high-waist pants. It’s as if J. Crew’s spring line collided with the Bauhaus. It would be strange if somebody didn’t fall in love during this movie. As a romantic film, “Her” is very well done. The idea that a man could fall in love with his computer never feels ludicrous or unnatural, and the ensuing obstacles Samantha and Theodore’s relationship faces, while unconventional, all occur in an achingly human way. The film’s chemistry owes a lot to its co-stars. Phoenix plays the perfect nice guy of the future: timid but sincere, awkward yet affable. And Johansson’s voice acting, dynamic and breathy, provides all the emotional depth and see HER, page 6
mainly of outtakes, covers and rerecorded songs, many assumed that the artist was finally scraping the bottom of the barrel. But with the release of “High Hopes,” Springsteen proves that he still has some surprises left even at this point in his long career. The result is a mostly successful experiment that showcases Springsteen’s various stylistic approaches, developed over the past decade and beyond, as well as his newfound musical relationship with guitarist Tom Morello. The album’s songs may not fit together quite as elegantly as they do on many of Springsteen’s previous albums, but the strength of his songwriting and willingness to explore new territory make “High Hopes” a compelling listen. “High Hopes” kicks off with the title track — the almost-syncopated percussion and the distortionfilled blasts from Morello’s guitar manage to sound unlike any E Street record of previous years. Springsteen sings “High Hopes” — a cover of a 1987 song by Tim Scott McConnell — with a sense
of urgency that helps to make the track his own, the protest lyrics complementing many of the themes he has explored for years. Amid horn riffs and chorus cries of “Give me help, give me strength,” Morello launches into his first of numerous solos on the album, unleashing angry squalls and bringing a welcome jolt of energy to the proceedings. Another highlight is also a cover, this time of Australian rock band The Saints’ 1986 single “Just Like Fire Would.” In Springsteen’s hands, the straightforward rock song displays the hallmark E Street sound, making listeners feel like it has been in the band’s repertoire for years. With a triumphant mix of horns, keyboards and backing vocals by right-hand man Steven Van Zandt, the song demonstrates Springsteen’s skill as an adept arranger of others’ works, an ability evident in the various live covers that he performs with the E Street Band on stage. This classic E Street sound is seen again to great effect in a new Bruce Springsteen original “Frankie Fell in Love,” a lighthearted track in the same vein of many on Springsteen’s classic album “The River” (1980). The rest of the songs on “High Hopes” are mostly outtakes drawn fromSpringsteen’spreviousrecording sessions. While it is here that the album stumbles at times, the varying nature of the tracks documents Springsteen’s various artistic directions over recent years. Many of these numbers find Springsteen see SPRINGSTEEN, page 6
TV Review
‘The Mindy Project’ sticks to old formula by Nimarta Narang
Daily Staff Writer
“The Mindy Project” (2012-present) doesn’t like to waste time. The winter premiere
The Mindy Project Treefort Photo Dept via Flickr Creative Commons
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings bring energy and craft but not necessarily innovation.
Sharon Jones sticks to what she knows by Chris Garcia
Daily Staff Writer
For more than a decade, one band has been trying to revive the sounds of record companies
Give the People What They Want Motown and Stax in the most in
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings Daptone Records the most authentic way possible. Not content with just using samples or experimenting with already established formulas, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have been producing the real deal. Eschewing modern conventions by recording with non-digital equipment, they
make vintage music the same way it was made in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Sharon Jones & the DapKings have also ensured that their music stays true to the original soul and funk music style found in their five studio albums, the latest of which, “Give the People What They Want,” mostly follows the same old formula. And it is this very formula that has become both a blessing and a curse for the band. After its release was delayed due to lead singer Sharon Jones’ diagnosis and subsequent recovery from bile-duct cancer, “Give the People What They Want” seems to deliver exactly what its title advertises: more of the same classic sounds fans have come to expect from the group. see JONES, page 6
Starring Mindy Kaling, Chris Messina, Ed Weeks
Airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on Fox fast forwarded through Dr. Mindy Lahiri’s (Mindy Kaling) new relationship with handsome lawyer Cliff (Glenn Howerton) by documenting their many firsts: first kiss, first time having sex, first late-night conversation — you get the picture. This progression, however, comes to a halt once Cliff asks Mindy to go on a ski trip — what would be their first vacation. One might expect this to be an exciting prospect, but Mindy is more worried than thrilled. This trip will be the first time Cliff sees her in a bikini — and our resident OB/GYN does not relish this idea. As fans of the show will know, Mindy has established herself as a curvaceous, confident and fashionable woman. Season one covered much of her love life, including boyfriends, dates and one-night stands, so it’s easy to understand that the show — in its second season — is now
Kristin Dos Santos via WikiMedia Commons
‘Mindy’ rushes through character development, remaining predictable for declining audiences. focusing on Mindy finding “the one.” What is not too subtle, however, is that “the one” may in fact be the guy in the next office, Dr. Danny Castellano (Chris Messina). Instead of developing
Mindy’s new relationship with Cliff, this episode focuses on how Mindy’s relationship with Danny has evolved. see MINDY, page 6
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Arts & Living
Springsteen teams up with Tom Morello on most recent album ‘High Hopes’
Kokalola via Flickr Creative Commons
‘High Hopes’ finds Bruce Springsteen bringing new light to outtakes and covers.
SPRINGSTEEN
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exploring different sonic landscapes and contribute to the eclectic tone that marks “High Hopes.” Some of the songs here are standouts, like the eerie “Down in the Hole” and gospel-tinged stomper “Heaven’s Wall.” Springsteen touches on interesting territory with other tracks, including the synth-heavy “Harry’s Place” and “This is Your Sword” — which features strong Celtic influences — but ultimately these tracks miss the mark when compared with some of the album’s stronger pieces. While there may not be a cohesive vision throughout “High Hopes,” what ties the contrasting sounds of the album together is Morello’s guitar work, which is featured on eight of the 12 tracks. The guitarist’s unique, aggressive and often industrial-like tone was made famous through his work
with Rage Against the Machine. Here, Springsteen expertly harnesses Morello’s style, using this unlikely partnership to imbue the E Street Band with a sound that is removed from their usual repertoire. Morello is also incorporated in subtler ways, like when his work is paired with Jake Clemons’ mournful sax solo in the somber “American Skin (41 Shots),” an album highlight that is a re-recorded version of a live Springsteen favorite first released in 2001. The other re-recorded song on “High Hopes” is “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” originally featured on the titular 1995 album as a haunting acoustic song. Reworked on stage in 2008 as a powerful full band arrangement featuring Morello, its studio debut brings new meaning to this social activist song. Combined with Springsteen’s vocal
delivery that lends a world-weariness to the number, Morello takes the original version and injects it with a new fury, delivering a fiery and technically impressive solo that channels all the pent-up anger and frustration of the lyrics. It is a knockout moment on the album, along with an embodiment of the inspiration Morello has brought to Springsteen’s work. Once the dust clears from “Joad,” Springsteen delivers a final emotional impact with “The Wall,” a heartwrenching track about the Vietnam Memorial. It’s one of Springsteen’s most poignant songs in years, and is an example of his storytelling prowess at its finest. “The Wall” also demonstrates that, despite its occasional flaws and eclectic feel, “High Hopes” is a rewarding album and the latest success in Springsteen’s storied career.
‘Her’ provides new take on humantechnology relationships
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Amy (Amy Adams) and Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) are long-time friends in Spike Jonze’s ‘Her.’
HER
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emotive nuance needed for a character that is not physically present. In addition to the acting, “Her” has beautiful detail. From clothes to set design to lighting, the film is pleasantly comprehensive. The aesthetic of “Her” envelops its viewer, engaging the audience with its quirky sense of humor. Though most of the movie is dramatic, Jonze finds sections to fit in comedic scenes that start so awkwardly they’re almost difficult to watch. Prime among them is a moment in which phone sex in an anonymous chat room takes an unexpectedly morbid turn. Part of what makes these scenes funny is their contemporary feel. In an age of rampant voyeurism and seedy Internet haunts, it is almost embarrassing how recognizable these situations seem. But “Her” definitely has its flaws. Theodore and his long-time friend, Amy (Amy Adams), have some stilted, fortune-cookie lines like,
“[Love] is kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity,” that are far too pithy to sound genuine. The film is also extremely pedestrian, which is not unheard of for a romantic film — or necessarily wrong in terms of pacing or tone. It is just that, after a while, Theodore’s emotional arrestment is not exciting. Gentle and visually lush, “Her” is a mostly successful, hopeful film. Beneath a scrim of romantic melancholy, it posits something optimistic, that artificially intelligent computers could find love a compelling experience. “Her” does not make this futuristic idea relentlessly sappy. It might be that in the onslaught of postapocalyptic movies and TV series, where technological progress is always a gateway to destruction, “Her” is a film that refreshingly espouses love rather than desolation as the apogee of human progress. For a film concerned with how human beings connect in a world of increasing isolation, this is a very comforting sentiment.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
‘Mindy’ needs better plotlines to earn higher ratings MINDY
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Mindy hires Danny as her new personal trainer to help her look sexy in a bikini for her upcoming trip. In order to motivate his coworker-turned-trainee, Danny appeals to her interests by creating scenarios in which her exercising will save celebrities. “Anne Hathaway’s trapped under a car and you gotta push her out,” he humorously barks at Mindy during one episode. In season one and early season two, Danny would have chosen a tougher and more macho way to motivate Mindy, but now we see that he has grown to like and even care for her. There is even a moment where he apologizes for his harshness — something that he would never have done in the show’s early days. This episode, however, is strangely structured: the audience barely gets to see Cliff as a boyfriend. Mindy’s past boyfriends were well-developed: viewers could easily decide whether they liked them or not. In the current storyline, however, it seems that Cliff is just a placeholder boyfriend — a status that is unlikely to change until fans get their wish of seeing Danny and Mindy together. The way things are shaping up, this plotline seems straight out of “When Harry Met Sally” (1989). What about the other characters in the show? They’re still around, but it would appear that with each episode, characters other than Mindy and Danny are getting fewer and fewer lines and less time on screen. The storyline in which Peter (Adam Pally) takes over Jeremy’s (Ed Weeks) job of managing the office feels con-
trived and forced. It seems to be there only to fill airtime while Mindy and Danny to hang out at the gym. The interactions between Peter and Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) aren’t very effective as both characters serve the same purpose — being the goofy member of the cast. It is a little tiring to see these two characters banter, and in the end, they are both fairly underdeveloped. The writers have not allowed Morgan and Peter to become distinct characters with their own personalities. The other women in the show are not particularly well-rounded, fleshed-out roles either. Viewers have already seen the departure of Mindy’s best friend Gwen (Anna Camp), and it will be a shame if the show continues to lack strong female characters other than the very feisty Mindy Lahiri herself. “The Mindy Project” will be going on hiatus between Jan. 28 and April 1 due to low ratings. Despite being in its second season, viewership has steadily declined and the flurry of guest stars hasn’t resulted in a much-desired ratings boost. Improved character development and perhaps fewer guests may help with the show’s growth. It’s possible that fewer people are tuning in because they feel that each episode has the same formula: Mindy meets a man, Danny gets more jealous with each new boyfriend, Mindy and Danny get even closer, Mindy breaks up with man and Danny comforts her until a new boyfriend is found. Hopefully when April 1 gets here, “The Mindy Project” will be back on track with new, fresh storylines.
Sharon Jones’ newest effort does little to innovate JONES
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Depending on how much a listener enjoys the classic Motown sound, this might be an exciting prospect. Many modern artists who emulate this specific type of music often do so with their own style. Androidobsessed singer Janelle Monáe࣠is a prime example of this — she utilizes her soulful voice to incorporate modern electronic pop and dance elements into songs that have deep roots in R&B and soul. But the 57-year-old Jones, a former correctional officer at New York City jail Riker’s Island, and her band offer no such alternate takes despite their punchy melodies which produces a mixed bag of results. Oftentimes, it seems that Sharon Jones & the Dap-King’s albums, with the exception of the big hits, sound much too similar to each other. Nevertheless, “Give the People What They Want” resolves some of the issues inherent in a band insistent on playing in a static style by increasing the variety and pacing of songs. The previous album, “I Learned the Hard Way” (2010), suffered from a lack of diverse styles and sounds, but such problems are rectified in this latest release. Classic soul tracks are complemented by either slower-paced, more R&B-inspired numbers or lively, funkier beats, such as the opening song, “Retreat!” — one of the stronger tracks on the album. Each song on this latest record is polished and has an impressive level of detail. Despite this, very few songs truly distinguish themselves, unlike some singles found in earlier albums. This makes “Give the People What They Want” eventually blend into one seemingly endless 33-minute product. And yet, at the same time, it almost feels as if any of these tracks they would fit right in with any of the
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Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings create vintage music for today’s listeners. group’s previous albums. In a way, the ten separate songs in “Give the People What They Want” become movements within a larger symphony of the band’s discography. For this reason, it can be said that while Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have introduced some variety to their work, they have not evolved or advanced their musical craft much further. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are still a band worth listening to, and “Give the People What They Want” provides a good introduction to the band’s craft. But in the long run, this album is simply more of the same from the soul revivalists.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
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THE TUFTS DAILY Caroline A. Welch Editor-in-Chief
Editorial J.L. Hoagland Stephanie Haven Managing Editors Justin Rheingold Executive News Editor Daniel Bottino News Editors Jenna Buckle Abigail Feldman Daniel Gottfried Alexa Horwitz Victoria Leistman Annabelle Roberts Mahpari Sotoudeh Denali Tietjen Josh Weiner Sarah Zheng Meredith Braunstein Assistant News Editors Dana Guth Kathleen Schmidt Jei-Jei Tan Charlotte Gilliland Executive Features Editor Emma Arnesty-Good Features Editors Emily Bartlett Hannah Fingerhut Caitlin McClure Sabrina MacMillin Jessica Mow Shannon Vavra Maya Blackstone Assistant Features Editors Sophie Laing Jake Taber Kendall Todd Lancy Downs Executive Arts Editor Brendan Donohue Arts Editors Veronica Little Dan O’Leary Drew Robertson Dana Guth Assistant Arts Editors Nika Korchok Wakulich Anthony Martinez Jake Indursky Executive Sports Editor Alex Baudoin Sports Editors Alex Connors Ross Dember Zachey Kliger Kate Klots Aaron Leibowitz Tyler Maher David McIntyre Jason Schneiderman Alex Schroeder Sam Gold Alison Kuah Assistant Sports Editors Jorge Monroy-Palacio Maclyn Senear Chris Warren Nicholas Golden Executive Op-Ed Editor Tom Chalmers Op-Ed Editors Matthew Crane Scott Geldzahler Susan Kaufman Benjamin Boventer Cartoonists Keran Chen Jehan Madhani Jonathan Moore Editorialists Bailey Werner Caroline Geiling Executive Photo Editor Sofia Adams Photo Editors Ethan Chan Matt Schreiber Christie Wu Maya Blackstone Assistant Photo Editors Annie Levine Nick Pfosi Staff Photographers Kyra Sturgill
Editorial | Letters
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
eDITORIAL
TCRC funding benefits Tufts, community The Tufts Community Research Center ( TCRC) is working in conjunction with the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center and the Mystic River Watershed Association on research projects in both the public health and environmental spectrums. Through seed grant funding and collaboration between Tufts faculty and community partners, the university is taking a hands-on approach to promoting research in the greater Boston area that is beneficial to all parties involved and worth the university’s investment. One example of TCRC’s important role is the funding of Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez’s project at the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center. Aimed at developing programs to combat the effects of racism among individuals and within larger society, Martinez intends to have real-time group discussions
with African-American participants from the Boston community. Tufts should be commended for not only working in collaboration with the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center to promote positive change and learning within Boston, but also for choosing to sponsor projects that push researchers to work in collaboration with their subjects. This type of community-based participatory research, especially in the field of public health, is more beneficial to the targeted group than traditional methods. In studies like these, researchers are redefining the role of subjects by asking them to be active participants in a project that, if successful, will directly benefit them. Forging connections across the wall between the researcher and the researched is a step in the right direction towards creating change that is both relevant and important to the lives of the subjects.
Furthermore, Tufts is providing graduate researchers with the financial means to pursue projects that not only contribute to the expansion of scientific knowledge, but that also serve as a starting point for positive societal and environmental change. Tufts is not merely providing a monetary gift from a distance, but has been continuously involved by making regular contributions in the form of an institutionalized effort to back research in communities that will benefit from it. Through ongoing collaboration with directors at Mystic River Watershed Association and doctors at the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, the university lives up to its mantra of active citizenship and leads by example for students who struggle to reach beyond the outer boundaries of the infamous “Tufts bubble” and into the surrounding community.
to use the tools of government to block the campaign of challenger Bidzina Ivanishvili. Ivanishvili is a businessman who entered politics in an effort to end the repeated violations of civil rights, government violence against citizens and economic decay that characterized Saakashvili’s rule. I was on hand during the final dramatic weeks of the 2012 election and can attest personally to the ruthless oppression of freedom and violence against campaign workers that I observed. The fact that over 60 percent of the Georgian population was able to vote against Saakashvili is not only a testimony to Ivanishvili’s courage, but also to the support of Western governments who made clear to Saakashvili that he would not be allowed once again to steal an election. Fletcher’s new dean appears to be part of a group of senior military American officials who supported Saakashvili, whatever his crimes, because of his
pro-NATO credentials. I am sure the dean will defend his decision, whatever facts may emerge. But Fletcher students and faculty can help achieve a positive result for this sad event, by ensuring that Saakashvili’s appearances result in a full and honest discussion of his legacy. Read about recent Georgian history; learn about Saakashvili’s treatment of prisoners, his ruthless suppression of demonstrators in May 2011 and the corruption and personal enrichment that infected his entire regime. Above all, force him to tell the truth. By so doing, you can help ensure that this bizarre appointment will at least have served as an example of how freedom can, in fact, win out over post-Soviet dictators such as Saakashvili in the strategic regions bordering on Russia.
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Letter to the Editor To the Editor: I was distressed to read in your newspaper that former Georgian President Saakashvili had been appointed as a so-called “Senior Statesman” at the Fletcher School. This appointment is not only an example of bad judgment by Fletcher’s new dean, but it is even more a disservice to Fletcher students and to the entire university community. Saakashvili can in no way serve as an example for future diplomats and business executives. I am a former American Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of State who served as a foreign policy advisor to Saakashvili’s opponent in the October 2012 election for Prime Minister, which was conveniently not mentioned in Fletcher’s announcement. The reason for this omission is probably the fact that the 2012 election resulted in a resounding vote to transfer power to the Georgian Dream Party, even though the President and his party spared no effort
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014
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Off the Hill | University of Houston
Keeping ‘fat shaming’ off the air will keep it out of society by Juanita Deaver
The Daily Cougar
“You wouldn’t talk this way to anyone else, so why do it to yourself?” These are the words from the new Special K commercial fighting against “fat talk.” A few months earlier, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence sat down in a one-on-one chat with Barbara Walters to discuss her views on the growing trend of fat shaming in America. Fat shaming, also known as “weightism,” is discrimination or stereotyping based on a person’s weight — especially toward those who are extremely thin or obese. In recent years, a new trend of fat shaming has taken shape. Actors use it to attack each other in public. Sites like Twitter and Facebook have pages where users go to post indecent and insensitive comments about those on the extreme end of weight. There are even websites, such as the infamous Return of Kings — a misogynist site that bans homosexuals and women — that encourage the discrimination, shaming and, in some cases, imprisonment of women who are overweight. Lawrence, however, had some strong opinions about the trend, saying, “I think when it comes to the media, the media needs to take responsibility for the effect it has on our younger generation, on these girls who are watching these television shows and picking up how to talk and how to be cool.” She later stated that, “all of a sudden, being funny is making fun of the girl that’s wearing an ugly dress and the word fat. I just think it should be illegal to call somebody fat on TV.” Lawrence may have a point. Between 1999 and 2006, a study conducted by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality found that hospitalizations involving eating disorders of children younger than 12 increased by 119 percent. While there are no recent statistics, it is safe to say that the problem has not gotten better and is an
Op-Ed
issue needing serious attention. At one point in time, a fleshy woman was a healthy and beautiful woman. That is not to say that this is not still the truth, but it is understandable how, after watching a Victoria’s Secret modeling show, cosmetics ads or even men’s cologne ads, one might feel the discrimination against those of us who have never seen ourselves wearing a size zero anything. After all, you never see the guy wearing Axe getting the beautiful size 10 girl. When asked whether she agreed with Lawrence, UH-D nursing freshman Chelsea Chance said, “I personally believe the media has the responsibility to monitor and regulate their actions and think carefully about what consequences might spur from them. Children are more technologically advanced and impressionable than ever and are affected and influenced by the media every time they turn on the TV, check the Internet or go outside and see a billboard. I don’t think it’s fair to place complete and total blame on the media for how a person might feel about their body, but I certainly think that the media greatly influences self-esteem and knows it has that power.” Likewise, Alora Delacruz, a nursing freshman at UH, said she also believes that the media plays a major role in how people behave and react to certain situations. She also believes that “as time progresses, people, particularly models, are pressured to lose weight and even look totally opposite of how a healthy person should look like. There is and will always be fat shaming in the media, regardless of the time period.” Regulations in America exist today that dictate what commercials, words, content and overall material can be shown on what channels and at what hour of the day. PBS, the Channel 8 station that UH owns and sponsors, is one of many channels that work against these modern stigmas. On its website, the station claims, “PBS
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and (its) member stations are America’s largest stage for the arts and a trusted window to the world. In addition, PBS educational media helps prepare children for success in school and opens up the world to them in an age-appropriate way.” While UH is not directly involved with fighting fat shaming or negative media and has no statements agreeing or disagreeing with whether it is good, by owning the network PBS, UH is indirectly fighting negative media and is encouraging the importance of educating the youth as well as providing a safe environment for them to learn about things that will be relevant to their success in school and with other children their age. It is age-appropriate content. It is also enlightening all ages through public media and community involvement in the programs that are broadcast. So what is there to do? There are people on both sides of this argument: some who agree that media is responsible and others
who say it is an individual’s responsibility. In an era that is moving toward political correctness, one can only hope that a shift will fall in balance of changing the beauty trend that is affecting the youth and changing the way many men and women view their bodies. “I think TV shows and movies and the news can never really be regulated without dealing with the issue of censorship,” Chance said. “I hope that the media will come to realize how much fat shaming affects people’s lives and increases bullying. Cigarettes and drugs used to be portrayed as cool on TV, but now we have Above the Influence commercials. I hope fat shaming will someday stop and have similar commercials that remind people everywhere that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.” Will TV ever truly be regulated? Who knows? One can only hope that things will change.
Reflecting on gridlock by Mark DeVoto
Last summer’s extended stymied action in the United States House of Representatives (113th Congress) was ludicrous as an example of representative democracy, and embarrassing to America’s worldwide reputation; but it wasn’t a unique instance in America’s 226-year history. For a historical parallel, we need only refer to the 51st Congress of January 1890, when the newly elected Speaker of the House was Thomas Brackett Reed, Republican from the first district of Maine. Back then, the obstruct-
ing faction was the Democrats, mostly from the South, who opposed federal legislation designed to safeguard the right of Negroes to vote. The Republicans commanded a bare majority of 168 to 160, and the quorum — the number required to be present to do business under the rules of the House — was agreed to be 165.During a vote on a controversial measure, every Democrat without exception refused to answer the roll call, and thereby claimed the lack of a quorum. Speaker Reed ruled that a quorum was present, notwithstanding the Democrats’ refusal to reply when their names were called. The par-
liamentary battle that followed was of the utmost stridency and lasted three days, until all absent Republicans could be summoned back to the House for the deciding vote, which came in at 166-0. In the days that followed, Speaker Reed, ex officio chairman of the Committee on Rules, made sure that the parliamentary rules of the House were amended, specifying that all members were required to vote, that all who were physically present should be counted as present and that, “no dilatory motion shall be entertained, and the definition of what is dilatory to be left to the judgment of
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the Speaker.” As Reed and many others (including Colonel Robert of Robert’s Rules of Order) later asserted, the object of parliamentary procedure is action, not stoppage of action, and that all legislators equally, the minority no less than the majority, possess the right to debate and to vote; but the majority must rule. The House of Representatives has followed this principle ever since. Today, the party shoe is on the other foot. Speaker Reed would be mortified to see what happened to the House of Representatives that he served so loyally and so effectively. Unable to agree on a continuing resolution on the federal budget, the Republican majority preferred to precipitate a government shutdown. When the shutdown finally ended, Speaker Boehner admitted that he had lost that particular congressional battle without ever recognizing that that battle was morally not his to fight. In using his position to prevent action on the pending budget, Speaker Boehner abdicated his responsibility to lead the entire House impartially as his oath of office required. He was driven to this by some thirty hardline Tea Party congressmen who he feared might try to depose him as Speaker should he yield on the budget issue. He was thus revealed as one of the weakest congressmen ever to hold his leadership position. Those who believe — Republicans as well as Democrats — that Congress has a duty to serve the interests of the nation, and not those of a faction of a political party, might well claim that Congressman Boehner, having failed in his sworn obligation as Speaker, ought to resign his position. Mark Devoto is a professor of music, emeritus. He can be reached at Mark.Devoto@ tufts.edu.
Op-ed Policy 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. Op-Ed cartoons are also welcomed for the Campus Canvas feature. All material is subject to editorial discretion and is not guaranteed to appear in the Daily. All material should be submitted to oped@tuftsdaily.com no later than noon on the day prior to the desired day of publication; authors must submit their telephone numbers and day-of availability for editing questions. Submissions may not be published elsewhere prior to their appearance in the Daily, including but not limited to other on- and off-campus newspapers, magazines, blogs and online news websites, as well as Facebook. Republishing of the same piece in a different source is permissible as long as the Daily is credited with originally running the article.
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Sports
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Women’s Swimming and Diving
Jumbos open second half of season with back-to-back losses by Maclyn Senear
Daily Editorial Board
The women’s swimming and diving team opened the second half of their season with a pair of losses this weekend against MIT and Wesleyan, leaving them still in the hunt for their first win of the season. The Jumbos were outmatched Saturday against a strong MIT team, losing 213-80 in Cambridge, and came up just short Sunday, falling 156.5-139.5 at Wesleyan. Despite the disappointing results, Tufts saw several strong performances at both meets. There were first-place finishes from sophomores Sarah Mahoney and Laura Cui on Saturday and from sophomore Kelsey McEvoy and junior Sam Sliwinski on Sunday. Sunday’s meet against the Cardinals was the Jumbos’ best chance thus far at securing the first win of the season. McEvoy and Sliwinski both turned in great times for the Jumbos, as McEvoy took first place in the 50 and 100-yard backstroke, while Sliwinski won the 50 and 100-yard freestyle, in addition to helping win the 200-yard-freestyle relay. Nevertheless, Wesleyan still managed to edge Tufts by 17 points and send the Jumbos home empty-handed. On Saturday, Tufts faced a tougher foe in MIT. Mahoney kicked off the action against the Engineers, winning the 1000yard freestyle with a time of 10:54.97, supported by a second-place finish from junior teammate Amanda Wachenfeld. Cui followed up Mahoney’s win with one of her own in the 100-yard breaststroke, where she was followed by freshman Sarah Elghor and senior Ellen Gage, who took second and third place, respectively. “Coming off of our winter training you never really know how you’ll swim, and the fact that my 1000 was a season best was really exciting,” Mahoney said of her first-place finish. “As a team I thought we had some great races and a lot of people surprised themselves. Unfortunately, MIT is an extremely strong team overall and we just didn’t have the speed to beat them.” Though the losses were disappointing, several factors were at work against Tufts this weekend. During winter break, Hamilton pool — the training and competition facility for both men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams — was
closed for repairs. The pool has been shut indefinitely, leaving the team without a home pool for practices or meets until at least mid-March. The swimming program has been fortunate enough to secure pools at MIT and the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden as alternate training facilities in the meantime. Using these pools, however, requires 6 a.m. practices at the Malden pool or 9 p.m. practices at MIT. This drastic change in routine may have prevented the Jumbos from performing to the best of their abilities Saturday and Sunday. “The closure of Hamilton pool hasn’t been the most convenient thing to happen to us, but we have all been very positive given the circumstances,” Cui said. “I think our team will come out to be stronger than ever if we can get through this obstacle.” Tufts was also without some of its leading swimmers and divers this weekend. Senior swimmer Jenny Hu and senior diver Sami Bloom, who have been prolific point-scorers for the Jumbos this season, were both out due to injuries, and unable to contribute in their usual fashion. Hu was able to compete in a limited fashion both Saturday and Sunday, though not in her main events, while Bloom could not compete at all. Without Bloom, Tufts failed to win a single diving event for the first two times this season on Saturday and Sunday, losing crucial points that could have won the meet against Wesleyan. This weekend’s events leave the team still winless as they enter the season’s final weeks before the NESCAC Championships at Williams College from February 14-16. But the Jumbos believe that they will be able to turn their season around and find success as they head into next Saturday’s match-up against Wheaton College. “At times, it can be incredibly frustrating that we have not won a meet,” Mahoney said. “However, we understand that our team is a championship meetperforming team. Last year we had a similar record going into championships and came out third behind Amherst and Williams, and ahead of Middlebury and [Connecticut College], two powerhouse schools. Whether or not we go into NESCACS without a win, we’ll be a team to contend with.”
Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily
Junior Sam Sliwinski had a standout performance against Wesleyan on Sunday, winning the 50 and 100-yard backstroke, and was part of the team’s 200-yard-freestyle relay win.
Tufts takes positives out of difficult road trip WOMEN’S SQUASH continued from BACK
match in three games, and that one match came at the number eight position. In that spot, junior Charlotte Griffiths lost in four games by a score of 9-11, 13-11, 8-11, 3-11. Despite the successful first weekend of the spring season, the Jumbos feel that there is still room for improvement. “Our focus on the court could be better,” Bellinger said. “We need to use the warm up period to get ourselves more ready mentally for tough matches.” In addition to becoming more focused, Dahlman believes the team should be more confident in its abilities. “I think we should be more aggressive on the court,” Dahlman said. “Overall, the psyche has to be better. We should have the confidence that we can pull out wins over higher ranked teams.” This weekend features big matches that will set the tone for the rest of the season. The Jumbos will play 25th ranked William Smith College, 24th ranked Colby College and 26th ranked Connecticut College. “This is an exciting weekend because we get to see some of the teams ranked right above us,” Bellinger said. “I think we stand a really good chance against all three teams.”
Courtesy Sally Pratt
The women’s squash team had an up-and-down weekend, losing to both Yale and Drexel while securing a win over Haverford.
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At No. 2 singles, Schweitzer also won in straight sets, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5. Lee and Kardon played at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions. This time they took down both of their opponents, losing only a combined 14 points between the two of them in the whole match. The closest match against Haverford was between Tufts senior Jeremy Aronson and Haverford’s senior John Cummings. Aronson won the first set 11-4, but lost the next three to lose the match 4-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7. Tufts was also successful in their first match back from break, handing Denison
University a 6-3 loss on Saturday. Again, the top players for the Jumbos led the way, with Tufts securing the first five matches. However, the wins did not come easily, with Schweitzer, Kardon and sophomore Brandon Weiss all having their matches go past three games. “Denison was a really big win. We rose to the challenge in that match and pulled off a big upset,” Meggitt said. Tufts could not channel the momentum from their victory over Denison into their game against the 15th-ranked Drexel later that day. However, though Tufts lost 9-0, there were still several close matches. Advani played No. 1 singles again.
After a tight first game that almost saw him take the lead, Advani lost two close final games and fell to Drexel freshman Michael Thompson 11-9, 11-6, 11-4. Schweitzer played No. 2 singles and, while he was able to pick up a few points in every game, he lost 11-3, 11-3, 11-2. Kardon had the closest match of the day, going toe-to-toe in the first game with his opponent, but losing by two points. Kardon picked up his play and took the second game quickly. In the third game, Kardon once again lost by a small margin before losing the last game and the match 11-13, 11-2, 11-9, 11-6. Lee played third singles and while he was able to score a few points throughout
Swimmers successful in several close races MEN’S SWIMMING continued from back
Wood applauded Berman on for winning a couple of close races, victories that “definitely amped the team up” in Wood’s opinion. Freshman William Metcalfe and sophomore Will Parker won events as well. Metcalfe scored Tufts’ first win of the day by racing a 4:13.83 time in the 400 individual relay, with sophomore Michael Winget finishing less than a second behind him for second place. Parker won the 100 freestyle in 49.41 seconds, just ahead of Winget’s 49.60, and also finished
runner-up to DeBenedetto in the 50-yard backstroke. The Jumbos’ final win of the day came in the 200 freestyle relay, in which the foursome of Winget, Parker, Wood, and sophomore Harry Wood placed first. They were followed closely by the secondplace quartet of Greg Spiropoulos, Jack Thomas, Craig Olynyk and Cameron Simko. Wood felt that Tufts was able to win because they were in good spirits despite losing the day before. “A lot of us swam our secondary events, so there was a little less pressure on us and I think people
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Jumbos get boost from returning players MEN’S SQUASH
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Sports
generally enjoyed the meet more,” Wood said. “I think that the energy level was a little bit higher against Wesleyan and that we had some more fun with the meet.” Tufts’ win over the Cardinals came on the heels of a tough loss to MIT the day before, in what was the Jumbos’ first meet of the spring semester. Despite losing 190-110 to the Engineers, Tufts still produced several highlights in the losing effort by winning five events and placing second in four others. Schmidt and Simko were standout performers by contributing all
the match, he eventually also lost 11-5, 11-4, 11-1. Ultimately, Drexel proved to be too tough of an opponent for the Jumbos. “We all tried our best, but in the end, the quality of their team was too great,” Fischer said. Next up for the Jumbos is a match against 53rd-ranked Vassar. The Jumbos will head to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Friday. “With our co-captain and strong number six player returning, our team is stronger than [in] the fall,” Fischer said. “We are playing with confidence now, and we need to use that confidence to beat Vassar.”
but one of the team’s first place finishes. Simko notched Tufts’ first victory of the meet by winning a closely contested 200 freestyle with his 1:44.44 time, then won the 500 freestyle later in the meet with a 4:43.54 time. “It was really nice to get back into the pool and see how the training trip treated all of us,” the sophomore said. “We definitely saw some kids really step up during the trip to Florida, and their hard work paid off at the meets this weekend.” Schmidt won both diving events by comfortable margins. The
senior tri-captain scored 324.70 to win the one-meter and 377.20 in the three-meter competition. Freshman Matt Rohrer was the runner-up in the one-meter with 292.55 points. The other Jumbo to win an event was freshman Gus Simms, who won the 200 butterfly in 1:54.53. Sophomore Anthony DeBenedetto was right behind him, finishing second at 1:55.34. After a day off to recuperate on Monday, the Jumbos will look to stay on the winning track Tuesday night against Division 1 Boston College.
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tuftsdaily.com
Men’s squash
Men’s squash wins two matches in opening weekend by Jorge Monroy-Palacio
Daily Editorial Board
After a month and a half off the courts the Tufts men’s squash team returned to competition this weekend. Over the break the Jumbos continued exercising and practicing on their own in order to stay fit and prepare for their return. “While we all had restful breaks, Coach [Joe McManus] urged us to play every day and do fitness a few times during the week,” freshman Danny Fischer said. “We also had [an] early return and resumed practice three days before school started. It consisted of shot practice, game play and fitness.” A few key players returned to the team after studying abroad in the fall. Among them were junior captains Zachary Schweitzer and Elliot Kardon, along with classmate Hugo Meggitt, who usually play three, four and six singles, respectively. “It was great having players return. [It] helped us win some big matches this weekend,” Meggitt said. During the fall the Jumbos struggled against tough competition without their full lineup. “The juniors came back to the team and strengthened the lineup,” Fischer said. “One of the juniors, Zach ... definitely raised team morale. Now that we have our full team, [we’re] feeling much more confident.” The Jumbos were able to sandwich a 9-0 loss against 15th-ranked Drexel between two convincing 6-3 wins against Denison and Haverford over the holiday weekend. On Sunday, the team had its best match of the weekend against Haverford, win-
Alexandra Dennett / Tufts Daily Archives
The men’s squash team had a successful start to 2014, winning two of its first three games over the holiday weekend. ning seven of the 10 matches — the first six in a row — to secure the victory. The Jumbos’ top players were dominant, with freshman Josh Lee, sophomore Aditya Advani, Schweitzer and Kardon all win-
ning in straight sets. Advani played No. 1 singles, and his performance proved why he is the Jumbos on-court leader. After one quick set, Advani held back a mid-match resur-
Men’s Swimming and Diving
by Tyler Maher
The Tufts men’s swimming and diving team improved their record to 3-2 with a 188-106 victory over Wesleyan on Sunday afternoon. The Jumbos won eight events overall, with Drew Berman, Anthony DeBenedetto and Johann Schmidt all winning two apiece. Senior tri-captain Austin Wood described the win as a huge mental victory for the Jumbos, who trained
in Florida over winter break. “It felt great,” Wood said. “We swam well against a stacked MIT team (the day before) and it was fulfilling to swim a technically sound meet against a conference rival. Having just completed a grueling training trip, a lot of us were really broken down, so it was great to get the W.” DeBenedetto, a sophomore, won the 50 and 100-yard backstroke. He also helped Tufts finish second in the meet’s first event: the 200 med-
see MEN’S SQUASH, page 15
Women’s Squash
Tufts splits two weekend meets Daily Editorial Board
gence from Haverford freshman Aaron Horwtiz and closed out the match with an 11-3, 11-7, 11-0 win for the Jumbos.
ley relay. Schmidt continued his stellar season by winning both diving events, scoring 307.5 points in the three-meter event and 306.97 in the one-meter. Berman doubled by winning the 50-yard breaststroke and the 100 individual medley. On top of that, the senior finished runner-up in the 100 breaststroke and was part of the Jumbos’ third-place 200 medley relay. see MEN’S SWIMMING, page 15
Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily
Men’s swimming and diving stayed positive after losing to MIT on Saturday, beating Wesleyan on Sunday.
Jumbos go 1-2 over holiday weekend by Steven Hefter
Contributing Writer
After a difficult fall season in which the women’s squash team went 3-5, the 28th ranked Jumbos defeated Haverford College 9-0 on Sunday, sweeping six of the nine matches in three games. “We remembered when Haverford ended our season last year at Nationals,” junior co-captain Ann Bellinger said. “We came out motivated and took it to them. Everyone played really well.” Although the women’s squash team left Haverford, Penn., victorious, Drexel University and Yale University soundly defeated the Jumbos in Philadelphia and New Haven, Conn., later in the weekend. While junior co-captain Paige Dahlman led Tufts’ sole victory over Drexel, the host team beat the Jumbos 8-1. Dahlman finished at the No. 3 position with scores of 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9. Dahlman had missed the fall semester of play because of her time spent abroad. “I am really happy for Paige,” Bellinger said. “Her win was a really big deal, because an 8-1 loss is a lot less heartbreaking than a 9-0 loss. Drexel is a very deep team with great players at every position, and I think we played really well.” In the last match of the weekend, fifth-ranked Yale University humbled the Jumbos, beating the Tufts women’s squash team 9-0. Not
a single Tufts player won a game, as the Bulldogs proved to be too talented to handle. Despite the losses, the Jumbos saw the east coast trip as an important opportunity for the squash players. “The trip was a great bonding experience for our team,” Bellinger said. “We had a great dinner at a team member’s house on the way there, everyone got a great night’s sleep, and we were ready to play in the morning.” Even though the match seemed lopsided on paper, the Jumbos competed well and were happy with their performances. “Drexel recently hired a new coach and have recruited some of the top players in both the country and the world,” Dahlman said. “We may not have had as many wins as we may have liked, but we played very competitively.” In the number one position, sophomore Paget Stanco lost her match in three games, 9-11, 2-11, 8-11. Stanco won her match in four games, and the Jumbos placed two through six, all in three games. The highlight of the match came in the number four position, as freshman Anna Bezahler won in three games with 11-2, 11-6, 11-2. In the number two position, Bellinger also dropped all three games, losing by a score of 1-11, 6-11, 5-11. The Jumbos lost all but one see WOMEN’S SQUASH, page 14