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Wednesday, march 12, 2014

VOLUME LXVII, NUMBER 34

Where You Read It First Est. 1980

Senate creates fund for Sultana discusses intersection extracurricular fees of water, gender, citizenship by

Kathleen Schmidt

Daily Editorial Board

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate passed a resolution on Sunday to create a $5,000 fund to assist students, who are on financial aid and in TCU-recognized organizations, with the cost of off-campus excursions.

When student organizations attend conferences or competitions currently, TCU subsidizes part of the cost, but requires all participating members pay between $50 and $100, according to TCU Treasurer Adam Kochman, a sophomore. The Senate regularly evaluates groups, and their events, to determine how much monetary support they receive, according to TCU President Joe Thibodeau.

“The costs are food, lodging, transportation and registration for a conference,” Thibodeau, a senior, said. “In light of all those factors, our allocations board will hear a group’s request and from there will tabulate a personal contributions number, looking at [the] big picture of the conference, who’s going [and] what the costs are.”

The personal contributions have been necessary to encourage groups to invest in their event,

and in order for the Senate to cover the large number of groups and events that request funding, according to Thibodeau.

But some students have difficulty affording this contribution, Thibodeau said.

“The reality is that there are students at Tufts who can totally pay that personal contribution and there are students who can’t,” he said. “Though it’s been with the best intentions and it’s been following procedure, it can be an economic barrier that stands in the way of people fully participating in their student activities which are such an integral part of the student experience at Tufts.”

Kochman explained that the Senate created this fund to help alleviate some students’ financial burden.

Only students who are Tufts grant recipients, as part of their financial aid package will be eligible for this fund. According to the resolution, The Office of Student Affairs allocates these grants. Around 40 percent of the student body will meet eligibility requirements, according to Thibodeau.

“When we created this fund ... we recognized that there are students who are in need, but who aren’t on financial aid,” he see FUNDING, page 2

Engineering professor launches app contest by

Daniel Bottino

Daily Editorial Board

Tufts University, in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), launched a software application contest, encouraging students to develop products that deal with world problems, like hunger and clean energy.

The program was created by Karen Panetta, an IEEE fellow and associate dean of graduate education at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. According to Panetta, the contest is part of an IEEE program called AppE-Feat. The program’s website, explains that App-E-Feat attempts to place engineers with non-profit organizations seeking to create apps that benefit humanity.

Panetta explained that she was inspired to create the contest after listening to President Bill Clinton speak about his work aiding Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. She said she was intrigued by the Haitian’s use of cellphones during that period.

“After the devastation in Haiti, people were using mobile apps to find out where the most damage was, [to] find out if loved

ones were okay [and] where the nearest doctor was,” she said.

The success of mobile apps in Haiti demonstrated to Panetta the potential usefulness of developing specialized mobile phone applications. She explained that these apps could allow organizations to address real-world problems in a simple and effective way.

“Why not get these organizations to put in their needs and go ahead and match engineers and anybody who wants to write an app for an organization that doesn’t have any technology savvy people onboard but knows they need help,” she said.

Chris McManes, the marketing communications and public relations coordinator of IEEE-USA explained that the use of technology to benefit humanity is a major goal of his, and of the Institute.

He said that the applications produced through the contest would be beneficial because of the widespread use of cell phones throughout the world.

“We think the contest is a way for people to use modern technology to help less fortunate people,” he said. see SOFTWARE, page 2

by Justin

Rheingold

Farhana Sultana, Associate Professor of Geography at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs spoke yesterday about the importance of gender and class issues when developing water infrastructure.

Department of Political Science Lecturer Nancy Gleason introduced Sultana and explained the significance of the multidisciplinary event.

The event fell between last week’s International Women’s Day and next week’s World Water Day, which Sultana said was perfect timing. As a geologist, geographer and academic, Sultana has approached issues from an interdisciplinary perspective herself.

“Complex issues require complex analysis,” she said. “These kinds of multidisciplinary situations and understandings are really important given the crises we’re seeing globally — whether it’s financial, environmental or political — and we can’t really make sense of a lot of the issues that are going on if we’re still using old tools.”

This approach is especially important when considering issues of water access, particularly in the developing world, Sultana explained.

“Water complicates social processes,” she said. “I think it Daily Editorial Board

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

Syracuse University Professor Farhana Sultana discusses the links between water, gender and citizenship during a guest lecture in Alumnae Lounge yesterday. kind of seeps through everything, the social, the economic, the political, the ecological, technological, cultural and spiritual [aspects of life].

Water is the lens through which

I understand social processes and the complex treatment of the environmental actions.”

Despite water’s critical see WATER, page 2

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

Tufts students cheer for the women’s basketball team during their March 8 game against the University of New England. The Jumbos advanced to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Div. III Tournament. Their next game is at home against Castleton State College on March 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Inside this issue

Today’s sections

Tufts Labor Coalition pushes to make unionization better understood on campus.

‘300: Rise of an Empire’ fails to live up to any expectations.

see FEATURES, page 3

see ARTS, page 5

News Features Arts & Living Editorial | Letters

1 3 5 8

Op-Ed Comics Classifieds Sports

9 10 11 Back

The Tufts Daily

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News

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Police Briefs Hot Fashion

Sad Vandalism

Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) on March 5 at 10 a.m. arrived at Sophia Gordon in response to a fire alarm in one of the apartments. The students in the apartment had been burning a candle, which had gotten too close to a scarf hanging on the wall.

The scarf was singed and the smoke set off the fire alarm. The student was sent to the Dean’s office because candles are prohibited in dorms.

Officers on March 7 at 3:55 a.m. received a call about vandalism at 66 Colby Street. Police arrived and saw two males running from the scene. One threw a backpack into the bushes. Officers stopped the males and identified them as students. Another two TUPD officers went to the other side of the building and stopped two other males who were fleeing the scene. In the backpack, officers found green, red and black cans of spray paint. On the building, officers discovered the words “tech,” “save” and

“sad” in green spray paint. One of the students admitted to the vandalism and explained that he painted the word tech, “because one of his friends always used it.” He painted the word save, “because it was his own saying.” He painted the word sad, “because it represents him and his crew.”

Dude, Where’s My Bong?

Police on March 8 at 1:17 a.m. responded to a call from Haskell Hall about a bong that had been left in a common area.

Police confiscated the item, but did not discover the owner.

Fire, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme TUPD on March 8 at 1:50 p.m. arrived at Bartol House, also known as Arts House, on 37 Sawyer Ave. after the fire alarm went off. Officers discovered that burning sage in the entry hall of the house had triggered the alarm.

Sultana: Water access a major problem in inner-city slums WATER

continued from page 1

importance in sustaining human life, one billion people lack continuous access to safe water sources, Sultana said. Recent UN actions, including a 2010 resolution, have identified improving water access as a critical step in the development process.

“The reason why [the UN resolution] was so important was because it was seen as a win for social justice movements,” she said. “We need to figure out why we have so many people without water. It is absolutely unforgiveable, when you can wage wars and you can have multimillionaires and send people to the moon, that people are dying — a child dies every four seconds from lack of water.”

Discussions about water access can also bring up questions about government, structure and citizenship, Sultana said.

“These discourses around the right to water, they really open up and foster other sets of conversations,” she said.

“It pries open broader discussions about democracy. Why is there no water? Who is making these decisions? And it opens up conversations about citizenship. What kinds of citizens are we talking about?

Who is a citizen and who isn’t?”

Water is also about health and wellbeing, which intersects with gender and class issues, Sultana said.

“It’s very much a gender issue,” she said.

“Unless you have a tap that you can turn on, someone will have to go fetch water for you and it will usually be your mom or your grandmother or your aunt or your sister. These are the kinds of gender divisions of labor that are almost global.”

This gender gap is especially apparent in lower classes, Sultana explained.

“What we’re seeing is that increasingly girl children are being held back from going to school because they have to fetch water,” she said. “A lot of these women are also the cheap labor force of the international clothing industry.

They do have to go to work, but they can’t because they have to fulfill their

duties of being a good mother or a good wife ... Mothers have to make impossible choices: Do I not get water and leave the kids to drink the dirty water?”

This gender gap is particularly evident in the Korail slum, which is in Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka, where Sultana did research. The illegal slum was built on a lake in one of the richest neighborhoods, but it lacks access to clean water.

Some of these illegal means include tapping into existing water pipes and paying exorbitant rates to the water businessmen, or a water “mafia,” that are over 100 times the rate middle class citizens pay.

This water stealing and contamination of legitimate water sources upsets the middle class, but Sultana explained that the classes do not work together.

“The middle class and wealthy women feel entitled to protest because they’re bill paying consumers but their brethren don’t have any water at all,” she said. “There’s this weird lack of crossclass analysis. Aren’t you the one that is complaining that your part-time maid

Created apps are meant to target global problems SOFTWARE

Panetta outlined the potential uses for the apps, which include tracking weather data for people suffering from a drought, tracking wells to insure their upkeep and providing education to girls in areas that lack access to formal educational institutions.

A major goal of the project was to involve both student engineers and other young people in the process of writing useful apps, Panetta

continued from page 1

explained. She explained that while many high school students do not have the software programming expertise to write apps, they have still generated useful ideas. There are two age divisions of the contest, she said. Students aged 13 through 17, who only need to come up with the idea, while college-aged students need to propose an idea and write the app.

Panetta explained that this differentiation of tasks for the two age groups means that

Courtesy Karen Panetta

Tufts University, in coordination with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, has launched a contest to create software applications that target global problems.

the contest will award separate prizes for the different age groups.

“There will be different age categories; you are not going to judge a thirteen year old the way you are going to judge a fifteen or sixteen year old, so there will be tons of categories and lots of prizes,” she said.

All of the applications will eventually be used by the nonprofit organizations for which they were written, Panetta said. In addition, the top three finishers from each category will be assigned mentors to help improve the apps.

According to Dusty Fisher, Co-Chair of the IEEEUSA K-12 STEM Literacy Committee, the contest has already attracted a large number of potential applicants.

“We have had several hundred engineers signed up,” she said.

Fisher also explained that the contest would likely attract even more submissions after April’s USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., during which the contest will be heavily advertised.

Panetta noted that she expects the total number of submissions to be in the thousands.

“Students want to do this, especially at Tufts they will do this for free,” she said.

“Nobody believes you when you tell them it’s for free, and it is totally free, and it will be the first time this matching has ever been done, with technology matching to missions doing social good.”

Despite the expected success of the new contest this year, McManes said it will likely be only a one-year initiative.

—compiled by Kathleen Schmidt

is wearing dirty clothing because she doesn’t have any water?”

While crime currently plays a major role in water access problems, government actions could be a solution, according to Sultana.

“It might be a good idea to formalize those connections in the slums for one, the revenue connection and two to contain outbreaks within the system,” she said. “[With water infrastructure] they have better quality control.”

The event finished with questions and answers, during which Sultana explained the importance of religion in water governance and emphasized the connection between water and citizenship.

“The very poor are saying the same thing as the people at the UN,” she said.

“Mobilizing this rights talk also enables a sense of inclusive democracy where the poor can even dream of having a voice in water governance and therefore realize the potential of being seen as citizens ... Claims to water are actually claims to citizenship by the urban poor.”

Fund will launch as threeyear pilot program FUNDING

continued from page 1

said. “We hope that this fund will be successful so that its scope and parameters can be expanded in the future and this can be something that a lot of different students can apply for and have access to.”

The Senate will launch the fund as a three-year pilot program to evaluate its use. If money goes unused, it will be returned to Senate’s accounts, according to Kochman.

“We do hope and we do think that demand will be high because we’ve seen that personal contributions have been issues for individual members of groups in the past,” he said.

“If it’s not used, future senates can stop it. It’s really a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Senate and Tufts community as a whole.”

The success of the fund will

depend on how people access it and how many people use it, Thibodeau said.

“I think that this is a positive step and a recognition that your financial need extends beyond paying for your tuition that’s covered by financial aid,” Thibodeau said. “This is something to really promote access and inclusion and equity on campus so that all students can really fully participate and take advantage of their student experience here at Tufts.”

According to Kochman, the Senate has not yet determined the number of times people may apply for assistance and the maximum amount that they can receive.

The money will most likely come from the Senate’s budget, which is paid for by the Student Activities Fee, Kochman said.

This $298 fee is included in the tuition of all students.

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

The new fund will help students on financial aid pay for fees associated with extracarricular activities.

Features

3

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Adjunct union, Tufts Labor Coalition remain active despite postponed negotiations

Daily Editorial Board

The part-time faculty at Tufts made headlines last semester after voting to unionize under the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)’s Adjunct Action campaign. Thus far, there has been one bargaining session with the administration to discuss the goals of part-time faculty, as the past two attempted sessions were canceled due to scheduling difficulties.

Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) has continually supported the adjunct faculty throughout their bargaining efforts, trying to raise awareness among students of part-time lecturers’ working conditions. This semester, TLC has campaigned to increase the visibility of the issue on campus, and has collected signatures from students, alumni and full-time faculty to include in an open letter of support.

Though only a recent endeavor at Tufts, the need for a union originated from a larger downward spiral of working conditions for part-time faculty across the nation, according to Andrew Klatt, a part-time lecturer in the Department of Romance Languages.

In general, hiring workers temporarily has become a growing trend, he said.

The initial catalyst for unionization was a salary freeze, dating back to 2008, which meant that wages would not increase with inflation.

Klatt discussed the huge impact that this has had on wages for part-time faculty at Tufts.

“There was an intention to reduce our compensation over the longer term ... so that even if annual increases are reestablished, and whether they are tied to inflation or to the cost of tuition ... we will never get back presumably the 11 — going on 12 or 13 — percent pay cut that we’ve [experienced] when measured in ... real buying power,” Klatt said. “Tufts used to pay [part-time faculty] quite a bit better than other [schools] in the area. That advantage ... is quickly being eroded by this pay freeze.”

While one of the union’s major goals is reversing this pay freeze, the union also hopes to gain more respect for part-time faculty, increase the clarity of their responsibilities and achieve

by Sophie

Laing

more job security. TLC is primarily focused on offering support toward these goals, in part by ensuring the student body and administration is engaged with the issue.

“Basically, we are just trying to support the adjunct professors and follow their lead, because they’re the ones that are unionizing [and] they are the ones who are deciding what issues are most important to them,” freshman Lior Appel-Kraut, who is the leader of TLC’s Adjunct Committee, said. “But it’s really important to us that the administration can see that the students care what happens to the adjunct professors, and that we’re paying attention.”

The members of TLC believe that their organization and the student body as a whole has a responsibility to support those working on Tufts’ campuses. The group has seen an increase in membership this past year, but sees room for improvement in building understanding among students of the issues facing part-time faculty.

“A lot of people don’t know which of their professors are adjunct and which aren’t, and I think in some ways that speaks to the amazing work that adjunct professors are doing,” senior Rose Mendelsohn said. “Everyone’s like, ‘These are my professors, these are my great professors, some of which are tenured track and some of which aren’t.’ So just learning about and sharing information about how that process works, making that more transparent for students, I think is really useful.”

According to Klatt, that students do not immediately see the distinction between part-time and full-time professors supports the union’s goal of creating a more unified vision of the faculty at Tufts.

“We began to, in conversation among ourselves, think of an alternate way to conceive the faculty. You could say it has to do with the idea of ‘one faculty,’ ... in the sense that people who teach at Tufts University are faculty members and needed to be treated respectfully, whatever their job category is,” Klatt said. “So that, in addition to the pay freeze, has to do with compensation for canceled courses. It has to do with putting into place some kind of job security, whatever it may look like, but something that goes beyond one-year

employment with no legal expectation ... that you can continue to teach at the university.”

Klatt also identified the impact that second jobs many part-time faculty have to take on as a way to supplement income can have on students.

“There are people who would like to work exclusively at Tufts, and are forced by economic need to work at other universities,” Klatt said. “We see that this is a negative for students because a person who’s running between universities, who doesn’t have time to spend in the office, who doesn’t have time to meet with students, who has less time to prepare, is not going to do as well as someone whose home base and place of employment simply is Tufts.”

Members of TLC spoke to the ways in which job security and pay structure reform could solve this issue and improve the Tufts environment for both students and faculty.

“There’s less time [that adjunct faculty are] able to spend in office hours creating relationships with students, and that’s really a shame because throughout the adjunct campaign, hearing [about a lot of students’] experiences, adjunct professors are some of [students’] best professors here,” Appel-Kraut said. “So it’s really unfortunate that their working conditions, their pay and the amount of time they can spend here as they’re trying to make a living wage are preventing them from giving students everything they [are capable of ].”

Despite the cancelation of the last two bargaining sessions, Klatt recognized great potential for the union to achieve its goals at Tufts. Klatt said some of the union’s long term goals are to decrease pay discrepancies among professors across departments, as well as between part-time and full-time faculty. “[There’s an opportunity] for Tufts to take a leadership role in what I see as the crisis in academic labor. I think it’s a great opportunity for Tufts to stand out if it chooses to,” Klatt said. “I’d like to see the problem solved across the country to some extent, and I think we have an opportunity, and the university has an opportunity, to collaborate and take leadership roles.”

Sofia Adams / The Tufts Daily Archives

Tufts Labor Coalition has worked to support various employees at Tufts, including the janitorial staff.

Anastasia Korolov | Back to the Present

Comedy

L

ike most people, I appreciate a good joke. Sometimes I appreciate bad jokes too. And I hold a strange sort of respect for puns.

But comedy can so quickly cross into the realm of the offensive, which raises a series of questions. A sexist joke should make you uncomfortable, but if it’s really good, is it okay to find it funny?

Is it okay if it’s a woman telling the joke?

Is it okay to appreciate the comedic skill necessary to turn a depressing topic into something that can make you laugh? Is it okay to go around sharing the joke, again and again?

Well, no surprises here, I find the answer complicated. Although some would just say no to all, I will admit, I do sometimes find humor in jokes that stereotype or demean men. I know they’re not fair, but I also know no one is taking them seriously. Sexist jokes about women, on the other hand, can be a little more dangerous.

We can’t help our reflexes. Sometimes we laugh at inappropriate things. And sometimes someone did a really good job crafting a joke, even if it is inappropriate. But we have to remember what these jokes represent. They represent outdated social ideals, which some people still subscribe to and take seriously — way more people than anyone should be okay with, in fact. Even harmless jokes told by people who don’t actually believe them make it seem like spouting sexist platitudes is okay.

The gender of the person telling the joke doesn’t matter. A woman telling a sexist joke about women is almost worse than a man telling the joke, because women who are sexist against women are degrading themselves, as well. A woman who doesn’t believe in gender equality is a woman who doesn’t believe in herself. Telling a sexist joke doesn’t necessarily mean that the teller is sexist, but it does suggest that they don’t take the plight of sexism seriously, which means sexist jokes told on a regular basis should always be a cause for concern, if not a red flag.

Sometimes the jokes are really elegantly crafted. Although the degradation of women is hardly a funny topic — despite what some people unfortunately think — you can appreciate the skill put into something even if you don’t agree with the message. Sort of the same way you can appreciate a well-written article from an opposing political viewpoint. It is important to note, however, that sexism is not a political ideology to be respected. In no way is sexism a valid belief.

Therefore it’s probably best to avoid sharing sexist jokes, even if they’re somehow funny. No matter how carefully you explain that this joke is completely awful and degrading to women, you’re still passing on sexist propaganda.

There are a lot of terrible topics that have become popular for jokes, and I find myself unsure about where to draw the line. Some things are obviously not okay, but sometimes comedy ends up in that grey area, between almost okay and not at all acceptable.

In the end, it’s up to you where you draw the line. But even if something doesn’t make you uncomfortable, if it’s kind of racy then take a moment to think about whether it would make anyone else uncomfortable. Because the ultimate goal here is equality, and demeaning women, no matter what the forum, is not the way to get there.

Anastasia Korolov is a freshman who has not declared a major. She can be reached at Anastasia.Trombly@tufts.edu.

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Movie Review

‘300: Rise of an Empire’ disappoints in every way by

Dan O’Leary

Daily Editorial Board

Between its record-breaking success at the box office and spawning years’ worth of “This is Sparta!” parodies, “300” managed

300: Rise of an Empire Directed by Noam Murro Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Heady, Hans Matheson to capture the pop culture zeitgeist in 2007 in a way that few films could. While director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s 1998 comic series was a visually arresting and hyper-stylized reimagining of the Battle of Thermopylae, the film was largely an exercise in style over substance. The original film’s ending made it clear that the fall of Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his 300 Spartans would be the catalyst inspiring Greece to unite, with the obvious conclusion being that the Persian invaders are eventually repelled. Yet, like a moth to a flame, Hollywood couldn’t resist another attempt at trying to strike gold, so, arriving seven years later is “300: Rise of an Empire,” a sequel that manages to squander any goodwill remaining from the original film.

“Rise of an Empire” functions as partprequel and part-sequel to the original, yet most of the action occurs at the same time as the events of the first film. While Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is leading his army against Leonidas and the Spartans, much

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

‘300: Rise of an Empire’ is mainly a carbon copy of the original film. of “Rise of an Empire” occurs concurrently with Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) of Athens leading a fleet in the Aegean Sea to stave off the invading Persian fleet under the command of Artemisia (Eva Green). Most of the plot details take a backseat to the visuals, but the film also attempts to weave in elements of Athenian democracy and political aspects of uniting Greece. “Attempt” is the appropriate word here; the film’s script tosses out buzzwords like “democracy” and “freedom” frequently, perhaps in an effort to add some political underpinnings to the action, yet handles them with the same level of sophistication as a middle school report on Greek democracy.

Despite the film’s vague attempts at try-

Album Review

ing to differentiate itself, one can’t help but feel that “Rise of an Empire” is essentially following the exploits of the B-list characters in the “300” universe. The movie contributes to this effect by sneaking in a few clips of the first film. While the scenes are added for building context, they remind the audience that its watching auxiliary characters while the interesting action is happening offscreen (and also that Michael Fassbender has moved on to bigger and better things since the original). While a few characters from “300” return — like Lena Headey’s Queen Gorgo — most of this new set of Greek heroes are bland and devoid of anysee 300, page 6

Gallery Review

MFA exhibit highlights modernist photos by

Nika Korchok

Daily Editorial Board

it’s that he is far from predictable. On his latest release, “Morning Phase,” he trades his usual funky, postmodern beats for unexpectedly mellow, slowburning vocals and ethereal acoustics.

The result is a record that is both inventive and beautifully melodic, proving that the artist was able to transcend the creative roadblock that usually builds itself up after so many years of critical acclaim. “Morning Phase,” his most mellow work to date, further solidifies Beck’s status as one of the most imaginative singer-songwriters in the industry.

This is not the first time Beck has let the tongue-and-cheek rhythms he is known for on hits like “Loser” (1994) and “Where It’s At” (1996) melt away to reveal a softer side. In fact, “Morning Phase” is a sort of companion piece for

“An Enduring Vision: Photographs from the Lane Collection” is an incredible look at variations on a theme as seen through the lenses of some of the past century’s greatest and most influential photographers.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) exhibit showcases pieces from the modernist photography collection of a prominent couple in the Boston arts community — William Lane and Saundra Lane (formerly Saundra Baker) — who spent three decades of their lives amassing these photographs. Saundra, who recently donated pieces from her collection to the MFA, expanded her art holdings after her husband’s death, and says, in a statement posted on a wall of the exhibit by the museum curators, “the Museum [feels] like an extension of my own home.” The room does indeed seem like a home, and the collection itself feels very personal, while still including and engaging viewers.

There is no set order for all of the photographs, nor are all of them tied together by the same theme.

Rather, what makes the exhibit’s unorthodox and clever layout work is the shear and consistent quality of the work. The exhibition clearly reflects the couple’s love for modernist photography.

The collection is split, roughly, into four sections, each one decorating a different section of wall in the small square room. Additionally, one small section occupies a glass case in the middle of the room. Each portion focuses on a different motif displayed by the works, and the pairings of

see BECK, page 6

see COLLECTION, page 6

rawkblog4 via Flickr Creative Commons

Beck continues to impress with inventive, lush acoustics.

Beck returns with mellow gem ‘Morning Phase’ by

Dana Guth

Daily Editorial Board

Everything about Beck Hansen’s current position usually signals disaster, or at least disappointment, for a

Morning Phase Beck Capitol Records musician. He is just emerging from a six-year absence, after having settled down with all the comforts of happy family life and immense commercial success. Needless to say, the odds were stacked against any kind of creative innovation in the eclectic performer’s 12th studio album.

But if Beck has proven anything,

Dani Bennett | Scenes From Spain

T is for tourism

W

hat is it about the word “tourism” that makes so many of us cringe? Why do some visitors shy away from doing the more traditional activities because they are afraid of being a fanny packwearing tourist?

Yesterday, I went to a flamenco show and, at first, felt odd. Maybe it was because I attended a participatory show, in which I learned to dance flamenco.

Or maybe it was the fact that the show was located at the top floor of a hole-inthe-wall building, with winding, creaky stairs and strange lighting. But the real reason I felt off was probably because it was so traditional, and I feared that I might be living a Spanish cliché.

But I went. And honestly, I loved it. I loved it because it reminded me of why so many people are still proud to sport their Spanish flags, despite the negative Francisco Franco connotation that it so often has. The fuego (fire) in the eyes of the dancers — and the concentration with which the ponytailed guitarist played — were expressions of pride for their country and their heritage. With a much-practiced synchronicity, the five performers in the flamenco show grinned with every resounding “olé.” It was a reminder of the rich Spanish tradition that seeps in every crevice of this country. This tradition is inescapable, much like the Spain sun that seems to shine every single day. The best thing to do is just to bask in it.

“Aunque soy española, me encanta ver el flamenco,” said another flamenco performance attendee — an older Spanish woman, who has lived in a pueblo just outside of Madrid almost her entire life. Many visitors sometimes reject flamenco, for fear of seeming too obviously touristy. Although I have fallen into this mindset sometimes, it is important to recognize that it is touristy for a reason: it is what makes up the traditional culture.

It is also true that some locals outwardly reject this tourism. Jamaica Kincaid, in her short, but not so sweet work, “A Small Place” (1988), writes directly to the ignorant tourist: “[You have] the ability to turn your own banality and boredom into a source of pleasure for yourself.” She is talking about the visitors to Antigua, where she grew up. To this, I will qualify my statements about being a tourist and just mention the importance of being an informed visitor. If you visit a place with a long history of colonial ties, learn about that. If you go somewhere that is in an economic crisis, become versed in it. We are all at Tufts, so most of us already do this, but it’s just a reminder to do your research and partake in the traditional activities while also having a basic understanding of what problems or issues the country or city must face. Do it for yourself and do it for Kincaid.

So for those of you who consistently try to skip the traditional areas of the places that you visit — because they’re “too crowded,” because they’re too touristy and filled with lines, or whatever the reason may be — I urge you to reconsider. These activities, like flamenco in Spain, the London Eye, the spice markets of Morocco and the ramen shops in Japan, are popular because they show you the essence of a country’s soul, and they often reveal what makes a particular place tick (like the Tufts application question). While you should try to eat like a local and maybe even act like a local, do not completely write off some of the more “touristy” things because, in the end, they almost always pay off. Sometimes, you’re not too cool for a little tradition.

Dani Bennett is a junior who is majoring in English and spending this semester abroad in Spain. She can be reached at Danielle.Bennett@tufts.edu.

The Tufts Daily

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Arts & Living

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Sunny California roots shine through on ‘Morning Phase’ BECK

continued from page 5

his 2002 release “Sea Change,” a stormier record that capitalized on the gloom and removed hopelessness of his infamous breakup with designer Leigh Limon. Indeed, the tone of that record is strikingly similar to that of “Morning Phase.” The two albums could almost be two separate but related parts of Beck’s escapist period.

Still, “Morning Phase” stands alone in its lighter, lusher atmosphere. There’s sunlight shining through the clouds of its predecessor, revealing a kind of hopeful rebirth for the artist and more relaxing listening experience for his fans. While “Sea Change” focused more on brooding endings, “Morning Phase” is a further stripped down, spread out exploration of fresh beginnings.

These tones are felt most deeply on standout tracks “Morning” and “Blackbird Chain,” both of which exempli-

fy a refreshingly delicate style while still hinting at Beck’s penchant for catchy hooks. They are more understated here than ever before. Released in gradual breaths instead of his usual frantic, switched-up riffs, he has not gotten rid of the jazzy undertones that gave life to all his previous hits. Instead, they are simply infused here into calmer layered vocals (“Heart is a Drum”) and arranged under moody lyrics (“these are the words we use to say goodbye”).

While the middle of the record does sink into darker and slower territory, with the Radioheadstyle melancholy becoming slightly monotonous at times, Beck wisely breaks up the slowdown with islands of bright instrumental overtures during “Cycle” and “Phase.” These transitions help give the album its overarching feeling of detached relaxation and emphasize Beck’s stronger-than-ever vocals when they come drifting back for the next song.

john or juan via Flickr Creative Commons

‘Morning Phase’ shows maturity and grace with layered instrumentals.

It is clear that “Morning Phase” has gleaned this type of California-inspired hazy folk rock from a variety of influences, including the Simon and Garfunkel-like simple strums and minimalistic lyrics heard in “Turn Away” and the gently thumping homage to nature featured “Heart is a Drum” recalls Pearl Jam’s style. But these orchestral landscapes, soaked in layers of reverb and edgy backup guitar, are undeniably Beck’s own brand.

Perhaps that is why he can get away with something so simple and understated. With two decades of critical success under his belt, Beck has earned the luxury of experimentation. If a new artist released an album with such muted, laid-back tracks, the watercolor soundscape would likely fade and bleed in with every other mellow rock band out there and go unnoticed.

There is plenty of nebulous, neutral territory on “Morning Phase” that comes off more as a casual shrug than a definitive point to stand its ground in the genre.

Beck is able to pull this off, though, with the comfort and ease only a musical veteran of his stature could manage.

Taking a step back from his usual wild eclecticism has allowed the songwriter to create something both accessible and uniquely low-key.

This aptly reflects the title of the album: this is the quiet morning after to the frenzied nights of his previous work — a slow, reflexive exhalation at daybreak. With sun pouring in at every crevice, “Morning Phase” sheds light on the seemingly infinite incarnations of Beck’s talent.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Eva Green is the only memorable cast member in ‘300: Rise of an Empire.’

‘Rise of an Empire’ offers little variation from ‘300’ 300

continued from page 5

thing resembling characterization, with much of the dialogue consisting of shouts or pre-battle inspirational speeches. The film’s generic feel is only furthered by cast members approaching the material like a Shakespearean drama, adding little fun to the proceedings. By far, the only interesting character is Green as the antagonist, and mainly because she realizes the only way to deliver phrases like “eyes that had the stink of destiny” is to fully embrace the ridiculousness and go for broke.

Even though “Rise of an Empire” tries to pretend it’s different from “300,” the sequel is essentially a carbon copy of the original. Highly styl-

ized computer-generated imagery and visuals that resemble a comic book? Check. Gratuitous violence and dismemberment in a variety of ways (along with digital blood that resembles jelly)? Check. Slowmotion shots in excessive action scenes? Double check. The sequel’s main change is that much of the action takes place on the sea with naval warfare, yet this boils down mainly to ships crashing into each other (in slow motion, of course), and the novelty of this aquatic version of bumper cars quickly wears off. What helped make “300” a success was the fresh and inventive nature of its visuals, and copying them seven years later without any real change is hardly a recipe for success.

Of course, it’s in the nature of a sequel to not deviate too far from what made the original a hit, and the main fault of “Rise of an Empire” is not its utter devotion to the visual palette of the first film. Instead, it is the fact that the film — just hoping to coast to success on the original’s popularity — offers nothing new or even remotely interesting. It is simply content to ride the coattails of “300.” While this could be said about many sequels, it is rarely as readily apparent as it is here.

And if the film’s box office success this recent weekend proves anything, it’s that studios will continue to offer hollow sequels like “300: Rise of an Empire” and not deviate from this franchise pattern any time soon.

Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts of Boston

Edward Weston’s piece ‘Juniper, Lake Tenaya’ is one of many stunning photographs depicting nature in high contrast.

Lane Collection exhibits range of stunning photography COLLECTION

continued from page 5

certain motifs is alternately striking and brilliant. Within each area, photographs are displayed from masters: Ansel Adams, Paul Strand and William A. Garnett are just some of the giants whose work is featured throughout the collection. The best part of the exhibit, however, is not the plain inclusion of great photographers, but the work of great photographers juxtaposed with the work of other photographers from different eras.

In a section centered around photographs of the human body, three photographs with titles that are variations of the word “nude” are displayed, one

by William A. Garnett, another

by Edward Weston and a third

by Imogen Cunningham. While each clearly focuses on the human body, it is evident in the subject matter, the lighting, the focus and the composition that each artist’s view of the human form is drastically different. Individually the pieces are beautiful, but together they present a larger conversation on the depiction and representation of the human form in media. The result is powerful.

This technique, juxtaposing works by different artists, is utilized throughout the exhibit and is the reason it is so successful. Without the small groupings of photographs, the pieces would feel disorganized and haphazardly placed.

Rather than being an egotistical who’s who of photography, the layout of the collection reinforces an overarching theme of the importance of multiple perspectives in order to view various subjects.

This is especially pertinent on the wall featuring photographs of inanimate objects and still life. Three photographs of plants are placed in a triangular formation on the wall, yet their renderings are so drastically different that the result is transformative. The only photograph in color in the entire exhibit (besides Mike Smith’s 1996 print “Bristol, Virginia” in a section on landscapes and nature) is arguably the most simple and the most gorgeous photograph in

the exhibit. Irving Penn’s 1990 “Gingko Leaves,” is a dye transfer print of two gingko leaves of brilliant gold and green placed in opposite directions. The leaves look unnaturally bright and shiny, and their composition on the page is clearly artificial.

Placed beside Edward Steichen’s “The Sunflower” (1920-22) and Heinrich Kuhn’s “Rubber Tree Plant” (1929), both of which are in black and white and are pictures of the plants in natural settings, the trio of plants is brought to life and made accessible to viewers.

The rest of the exhibit functions this way as well. A series of photos centered around trees are displayed on one wall, alternately showing Anne W. Brigham’s altered gelatin silver print “Heart of the Storm” (1902), Edward Weston’s high contrast “Juniper, Lake Tenaya” (1937) and Judy Dater’s portrait piece “Imogen and Twinka” (1974). The motif of trees is turned on its head as viewers are invited and, admittedly, forced to reevaluate how each artist views trees and our relationship with them individually and as a culture.

The exhibit is beautifully done and is a thought-provoking experience for viewers. Catch this exhibit before it ends on March 30 is a must for anyone interested in modernist photography while enjoying a wonderfully composed show.

Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts of Boston

Saundra B. Lane donated the works in the exhibit from her large collection of modernist photography.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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The Tufts Daily

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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 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 McMillin 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 Indurksky Executive Sports Editor Alex Baudoin Sports Editors Alex Connors Ross Dember Sam Gold Zachey Kliger Kate Klots Aaron Leibowitz Tyler Maher David McIntyre Jason Schneiderman Alex Schroeder 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 Amy Bu Keran Chen Jehan Madhani Kyle Allen Editorialists Jorge Monroy-Palacio Jonathan Moore Bailey Werner Caroline Geiling Executive Photo Editor Sofia Adams Photo Editors Ethan Chan Matt Schreiber Christie Wu Caroline Ambros Assistant Photo Editors Maya Blackstone Annie Levine Alexander Knapp Staff Photographers Nick Pfosi Kyra Sturgill Mitchell Katz Executive Multimedia Editors Rachel Sheldon Alexander Kaufman Senior Multimedia Editor Jake Hellman Multimedia Editors Aastha Chadha Assistant New Media Editor Ethan Chan Jade Chan Kristie Le Tanay Modi Blair Nodelman Joshua Podolsky Grace Segers

Editorial | Letters

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Editorial

Individual Student Fund is a step toward full student-body inclusion One of the integral components of being a Jumbo is joining one of the hundreds of clubs and activities offered at the university. From the Tap Ensemble to Shir Appeal, participating in a school organization allows students to involve themselves into the Tufts community in a productive way. However, many of these clubs can be expensive to participate in. Competitive sports club teams often require more than just signing up for a club or activity. Participation in a club like Mock Trial is often contingent on a $50 to $100 participation fee that Tufts Community Union (TCU) imposes on members of clubs and activities that request funding in order to supplement costs of the groups’ activities.

It is clear that the money that TCU charges is fair, and is used to benefit both the participant and the club by paying for things ranging from food and transportation to lodging and registration. However, the $50 to $100 charge can be a significant burden on some students already

struggling with the substantial costs of college. Whether because of financial troubles or extenuating circumstances, some students may find themselves trying to choose between participating in extracurriculars and everything else Tufts has to offer.

The TCU Senate passed a resolution on Sunday to create an “Individual Support Fund.” This fund aims to alleviate the burden of club fees on those students who may not be able to afford them. Students who receive financial aid from Tufts would qualify for assistance from the fund. The $5000 fund will come directly from the student activity fee that is included in every student’s tuition. This is an important step towards school-wide inclusion.

An estimated 40 percent of students would qualify for the Individual Support Fund, and would therefore be able to request funding for the clubs and activities that they participate in. This means that the financial burden of club fees would no longer be a worry for those that

count on school aid in the first place.

Clubs and organizations on campus aren’t all just for fun and to build strong community values. Clubs like Mock Trial charge students $100 to participate, but the club offers more than a setting where students interested in law can convene.

Students learn valuable skills like public speaking and how to form cohesive, strong arguments. Supporting students in clubs and organizations like Mock Trial will build global citizens as well as well-rounded scholars.

Being a global citizen begins by being a community citizen. Honing valuable interpersonal skills are a key asset to clubs. Most of the student body participates in the over 200 clubs and organizations. The Individual Support Fund will allow students, regardless of their financial background, to participate actively in the Tufts community and will create a more cohesive student body. This initiative is a step in the right direction towards full student body inclusion.

flict. J Street’s official stance on Secretary Hagel in fact hailed him as “one of the most thoughtful voices in Washington for two decades on questions relating to American policy in the Middle East,” and defended him amidst “an outrageous smear campaign based on a distorted view of his record.” For more on J Street’s stance on Secretary Hagel, see the 2012 press release titled, “J Street Supports Sen. Hagel, Rebuts Charges Against Him.” Israelis and Palestinians have been mired in conflict and distrust since 1948.

J Street’s explicit support of Secretary Hagel, as well as other US politicians willing to constructively challenge the traditional rhetoric surrounding Israel,

stems from the belief that American involvement is vital for bringing about a just, bilateral peace agreement. A secure, democratic state of Israel and a free, autonomous state of Palestine are contingent upon active American support.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a delicate political and humanitarian issue.

Distortion of facts regarding any facet of American involvement in the conflict and the ongoing peace process, be it a politician’s political record or an advocacy group’s true stance, serves only to keep peace at bay.

jennifer betts

PRODUCTION Jen Betts

Production Director Montana Miller Executive Layout Editor Adrian Lo Layout Editors Daniel MacDonald Elliot Phillips Falcon Reese Emily Rourke Andrew Stephens Chelsea Stevens Betsy Allman Assistant Layout Editor Hannah Fingerhut Kathy Lu Hannah Steinberg David Westby Hadley Gibson Executive Copy Editors Charlotte Rea Julia Russell Copy Editors Rachel Salzberg Vidya Srinivasan Arthur Beckel Aastha Chadha Assistant Copy Editors Kelsey Davenport Jose Garcia Kristiana Jordan Reena Karasin Sophie Krakoff Vanessa Miller Patrick O’Shea Jei-Jei Tan Tai Williams Yan Zhao Nitesh Gupta Executive Online Editor

BUSINESS Daphne Wu Executive Business Director Li Liang Receivables Manager Jade Chan Ad Managers Chris Chininis Kristie Le Tanay Modi Yiran Xu P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155 617 627 3090 FAX 617 627 3910 daily@tuftsdaily.com

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, The March 3 op-ed, “Palestine is about America” stated, “Lobbies like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the only superficially more progressive J-Street continue to strong-arm congressmen and presidents alike to swear their allegiance to Israel and hound those who dare voice even tepid dissent, such as Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.”

J Street, the political home for ProIsrael, pro-peace Americans, welcomes open dialogue and even “tepid dissent” concerning Israel, as part of an effort to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and further a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian con-

Sincerely, Hannah Furgang J Street U Tufts Executive Board Member

Corrections In the March 11 issue, two photos were misattributed. The photo which accompanied the features article, “ExCollege celebrates 50 years of student inclusion, curriculum expansion,” was taken by Scott Tingley, not Caroline Geiling. The photo which accompanied the sports article, “Tufts to send six athletes to Nationals,” was taken by Matthew Schreiber, not Annie Levine.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year, and distributed free to the Tufts community. EDITORIAL POLICY 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. The content of letters, advertisements, signed columns, cartoons and graphics does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Tufts Daily editorial board.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted by 2 p.m. and should be handed into the Daily office or sent to letters@tuftsdaily.com.

All letters must be word processed and include the writer’s name and telephone number. There is a 450-word limit and letters must be verified.

The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, space and length.

ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editorin-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director. A publication schedule and rate card are available upon request.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Tufts Daily

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Op-Ed

Op-Ed

Carolina Reyes | Senior Thoughts

An oasis of diversity in the Middle East by

Ariella Charny

My pharmacist is an Arab. My taxi driver is Uzbeki. I live with a Russian woman.

The girl in the coffee shop is chatting away in French. That M-16-clad soldier in the olive uniform over there is a Bedouin.

My friend’s mom is Moroccan, and her father is Japanese. Her friend’s grandfather is from Austria. The winner of the national 2013 beauty pageant I watch on my laptop is Ethiopian. Now, take a guess. What country am I in? That’s right, it’s Israel. All these people are Israelis.

But wait, isn’t Israel ruled by white supremacist racists from Europe? That’s what I learned last week in The Tufts Daily. The trio of Tufts Israel lovers, Sabrina Ghaus, Ramzi Babouder-Matta and Lucas Koerner, published an illuminating op-ed entitled “Hand in Hand: Israel and White Supremacy” on March 4, which taught me all about the big, bad, white Zionists.

Except I can’t seem to find them. I also can’t seem to find evidence for many of the so-called facts that the trio mentioned in their op-ed.

I guess Israel went to great lengths to bring 688,000 North African Jewish refugees to safety and freedom in the 1950s, only to intentionally poison their children with radiation on the pretext of treating ringworm?

I surmise Israel went to great lengths over the past three decades to airlift more than 92,000 Ethiopian Jews to safety and freedom in Israel, only so that it could forcefully inject the women with contraceptives and stop them from having children?

I figure Israel continues to go to great lengths to treat over 700 Syrians horribly wounded from the ongoing conflict in neighboring Syria, because Israeli leaders are just so racist against non-Europeans?

I suppose Israel continues to go to great lengths to ensure its 1,658,000 Arab citizens can enjoy the best education and healthcare, lucrative jobs and democratic freedom in the Middle East, so that it can finally implement its Apartheid plan?

It is sad that some extremists at Tufts are so filled with hatred towards the Jewish state that they have become impervious to facts.

T

matanya via wikimedia commons

The North African Jewish children the trio refer to were treated for ringworm using x-ray machines the exact same way that children in Europe, the United States and in the Middle East were treated at the time. The claim that Ethiopian women were coerced into taking birth control

by Israel has long been discredited as an abhorrent falsehood. The majority of Ethiopian women have reported a preference for Depo-Provera injections (which last three months) as a discrete form of birth control. The Yemenite children the authors of the op-ed claim were taken away from their parents in the 1950s in Israeli hospitals had, unfortunately, passed away because they were sick. In an investigation, 92 percent of the medical records for the children had been accounted for.

Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, never, as Ghaus, BabouderMatta, and Koerner write, sought a Jewish establishment in Uganda before he “turned his gaze towards the Middle East.” Herzl had proposed the British Uganda Program as a temporary refuge for Jews in Russia who were in immediate danger due to pogroms (violent riots).

Zionism has always been the Jewish peoples’ aspiration to live in a country they can truly call home in their ancestral land, Israel.

The quote the authors attribute to Israeli politician Eli Yishai is highly dishonest as well. Yishai never said, on the subject of the current influx of African migrants into Israel that the country “belongs to the white man.” What he

did say, as translated from his speech in Hebrew, is that “Most of the people coming here are Moslems who think the land doesn’t belong to us at all, to the ‘white man.’ A number of them have said that openly on television.”

Clearly, Yishai is quoting others. And the fact that Yishai’s parents immigrated to Israel from Tunisia also appears to be irrelevant for the authors of the Op-Ed. And to be clear, a Mizrachi Jew is not an Arab Jew as the authors state. Mizrachi Jews include Jews from Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other regions, in addition to Arab countries.

Indeed, the op-ed by Ghaus, BabouderMatta and Koerner serves one purpose, and one purpose only: To instill contempt for Israel and Jewish students on campus. I am shocked, as an alumna of Tufts University, that the Tufts Daily has so clearly breached its own code of ethics and published such a libelous op-ed.

Yityish Titi Aynaw, the EthiopianIsraeli winner of the Miss Israel 2013 title, remarked that at the Miss Universe 2013 competition, “you could tell which countries the other women were from. But you can never guess which one is from Israel.” That’s because Israel is beautifully diverse, and her citizens will continue to enjoy freedom and equality under the law. After all, Israel and democracy go hand in hand.

Ariella Charny graduated from the School of Arts and Sciences in 2012. She can be reached at gariellka@gmail.com.

Off the Hill | Kansas State University

Eliminating ‘no-fault’ divorce puts additional stresses on couples, families

by Vanessa Vlasic

The Collegian

The state of Kansas has recently introduced a bill that would eliminate “nofault” divorces. This bill would remove incompatibility as a valid reason for getting a divorce, making it a longer, more difficult process. But is this really a good idea?

Currently, Kansas is a “no-fault” divorce state, and Republican Rep. Keith Esau, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said he wants to change that.

If a divorce is filed because the couple is simply incompatible, there currently does not need to be proof that any one person is at fault. One side of the party can file a “no-fault” divorce, even if the person’s spouse does not agree on ending the marriage. This type of divorce only takes one spouse to carry it through.

Esau said he wishes to eliminate “no fault,” saying it, “...gives people an easy out instead of working on the marriage.”

The purpose of this new bill will be to make it harder for a divorce to be finalized by making the process take longer and requiring more evidence that the marriage will not work out. It is designed to require specific, legitimate reasons for a divorce — instead of incompatibility.

The bill is supposed to encourage strong families, and dissuade many couples from ending their marriage.

Let’s talk tuition

But will this bill do more harm than good?

Controversy and negative reactions have surrounded this bill. Other legislators, including Judiciary Committee member Democratic Rep. Jim Ward, have expressed that they do not think that this bill should be passed.

“We really should let people decide when to end relationships,” Ward said in a Feb. 7 Wichita Eagle article. “He feels pointing fingers and forcing a couple to prove who is at fault will just cause more conflict.

Would this bill actually prevent couples from filing for a divorce, or will it just make the process more grueling: ending with the same results, while costing much more time and money.

In my opinion, passing this bill would be detrimental for the state of Kansas and lead to many other serious problems outside of just the couple’s incompatibility.

Making a divorce more complicated does not only affect the couple involved, but also everyone around them. The bill is supposed to “make families stronger,” but I think that it will do just the opposite. A divorce creates so much stress and harm on families already, so why make it even harder? Laying blame doesn’t solve problems; it only exacerbates them.

Continuing “no-fault” divorce will help maintain the family’s relationship and create a healthier environment, especially

if there are children involved. The motive of the bill is to make more time for the couple to work things out before making this big decision. Creating more barriers for a couple going through a divorce will most likely result in more resentment and frustration, instead of a happy ending.

Many divorces are long, complicated and messy. Passing this bill will only make them worse. Assets need to be divided and custody of children needs to be resolved.

Families shouldn’t have to lay blame and take sides. They should be as painless as possible, hoping to eliminate the tension and strain.

Making it more difficult to get a divorce will also create more expenses for those involved. More lawyers will have to be hired and more court appearances will have to be made for the divorce to be finalized. This will cause more financial burdens between the couples, not resolution.

Nearly 50 percent of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. This number shows how many couples are unhappy with their marriages. If a divorce is a very stressful thing, why create unnecessary hardship on nearly half of the county’s married population?

Sadly, I do believe that the divorce rate in our country is too high. However, I do not believe it is something that can be fixed with this new proposed bill to eliminate “no-fault” divorces.

he Daily yesterday reported Tufts’ announcement to raise tuition and fees by nearly four percent to $61,000 for next semester, meaning that Tufts will be the second most expensive college in Massachusetts.

The 2013-2023 Tufts Strategic plan states “Tufts, like almost every other elite college and university in the country, has published costs of attendance for its undergraduate and graduate programs that exceed the annual income of most U.S. households.”

The median annual income of U.S. households is $52,000. It is absurd that if the average American household tried to put one child through a single year at Tufts it would have no money left to pay for anything else such as a mortgage or food, and would probably have to take out a loan. The Strategic Plan doesn’t address the glaring issue of steady tuition increase over the past 14 years, which has become a more formidable barrier to middle and lower income students. The Strategic Plan only provides a lofty discussion of Tufts’ commitment to socioeconomic diversity.

Further, the Strategic Plan also troublingly defines “less affluent students” as those whose parents cannot afford to pay $60,000 a year of tuition and fees. This figure alone is nearly three times the income of a family of four living on the poverty line, according to the Federal Government and as previously discussed is more than the median household income in the United States.

Despite the fact that the tuition increase may not affect application rates, as Dean Coffin forecasts, is this what really matters?

Shouldn’t the administration be more concerned that Tufts is becoming increasingly unaffordable for middle and lower income, or as Tufts defines, “less affluent” students?

The Strategic Plan and the university’s statements justifying the increase in tuition are alarmingly void of any specific efforts Tufts is making to lower costs. The statements only mention Tufts’ attempts to streamline administrative costs and create a “master energy plan to better support its services in the least expensive way.” In fact, Tufts has consistently increased tuition and fees over the past years.

According to an article published in 2008 by The Primary Source, the cost of attending Tufts for the 2005-2006 school year was just under $40,000. In 2008, The Daily reported that over the previous five years Tufts raised annual undergraduate charges by over five percent each year. In 2008 alone Tufts increased the cost of attending by 5.33 percent, raising tuition by $2,498 to $49,358. Thus, since 2004 Tufts has increased tuition by nearly $20,000.

Although Tufts has amazing professors, resources and opportunities and has provided me with a good education, my nearly four years here have been fraught with unnecessary anxiety and arguments with Dowling and the financial aid office. Many of my friends have indebted themselves with thousands of dollars of student loans.

Tufts, despite its positive aspects, has been an enormous financial burden on my family and friends, and I can’t help but question if the university is truly trying to lower the cost of tuition and fees, when it has blatantly increased tuition again without seemingly providing better services or any concrete form of transparency to explain the increase.

Perhaps if Tufts provided better resources the tuition raise would feel justified. But as a graduating senior who has been forced to take many classes with student teacher ratios in the triple digits, and waited three weeks to meet with one of ten career service counselors, I cannot help but wonder: Where is the money going? Where is Tufts’ proof of commitment to students and socio-economic diversity?

It is time we have the foresight to show the administration we will not stand idly by while Tufts becomes increasingly inaccessible to current and future Jumbos.

Carolina Reyes is a senior majoring in international relations. She can be reached at Carolina.Reyes@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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Comics

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Doonesbury

Crossword

by

Garry Trudeau

Non Sequitur

Tuesday’s Solution

Married to the Sea

www.marriedtothesea.com

SUDOKU Level: Going to Montreal for spring break.

Late Night at the Daily

Tuesday’s Solution

Steph: “Why? Because I’m Jewish?”

Want more late-night laughs?

Follow us on Twitter at @LateNiteAtDaily

Please recycle this Daily.

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Wiley

The Tufts Daily

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Sports

Wanted $$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program.

Convenient Cambridge location.

Apply online: SPERMBANK.com classifieds policy All Tufts students must submit classifieds in person, prepaid with check, money order or exact cash only.

All classifieds submitted by mail must be accompanied by a check. Classifieds are $15 per week or $4 per day with Tufts ID or $30 per week or $8 per day without. The Tufts Daily is not liable for any damages due to typographical errors or misprintings except the cost of the insertion, which is fully refundable. We reserve the right to refuse to print any classifieds which contain obscenity, are of an overly sexual nature or are used expressly to denigrate a person or group. Questions? Email business@tuftsdaily.com.

Jumbos plan on rigorous offseason training MEN’S SQUASH

continued from back

Sofia Adams / The Tufts Daily

Sophomore Paget Stanco provided stability for her team atop the ladder, as she competed in both the Div. III Individual Championships and CSA Individual Championships.

Tufts gains experience over impressive season WOMEN’S SQUASH continued from back

On the Feb. 21 weekend, Tufts competed in the CSA Team Championships in Princeton, N.J., in the D division of the tournament. Tufts won two of its three matches. Winning its last match of the tournament in the consolation round against William Smith College on Feb. 23 gave Tufts the third spot in its division and the No. 27 seed nationally.

The lone loss for Tufts at the championships came at the hands of University of Virginia. The Cavaliers were a team that the Jumbos had never seen before and were unfamiliar with, which led to an adjustment period the team was unable to overcome.

“So much emphasis had been put on winning the whole weekend and when we lost on Saturday everyone was really upset,” Bellinger said. “We

all stood by each other as a team and realized that we win as a team and we lose as a team.”

The last competition for Tufts was the CSA Individual Championships, in which only its top player, Stanco, participated. Against top competition, however, Stanco lost her first two matches and was eliminated from the tournament.

Despite the highs and lows of the year, the team saw the season as a success.

“I think the biggest improvement that I saw was in people’s attitudes,” Bellinger said. “By the end of the season, everybody was playing for each other and they wanted to be there. There is a big difference between coming out to practice and matches and playing squash and coming out and having that support network. That is what takes a team from one level to the next level.”

“Josh is a great kid and a great player,” Schweitzer said. “His two shining qualities are his dedication on court, and his steadfast religiosity off court.”

After a strong showing at the Individual Championships, the team played two local schools in a row: Boston University and Northeastern.

Against Boston University, the team notched its fifth win of the year with a clinical 7-2 victory. Once again, Tufts fell just short against Northeastern, losing 5-4 before rebounding quickly to beat Denison, 6-3, the day after in its season finale.

In the offseason, the players will train in hopes of improving on their solid performances this season.

“We’ve already started lifting, and I’m ... proud of the hustling so far,” Schweitzer said. “These are the kind of ... moves that a potentially big team has to make.”

Lee wants to make sure he puts in the time and the effort that is required to be able to compete against other top squash schools.

“My goal this offseason is to work a lot on strengthening and conditioning,” Lee said. “The time I have spent on the athletic field is relatively short compared to other college athletes.

Hence, I am looking to cut the gap between them by putting quality hours in this off-season.”

For a team that will return its top six players next season, a strong level of offseason commitment will make a big difference moving forward, and could potentially propel Tufts into the upper echelon of New England squash teams.

Coach, players reflect on Moynihan’s buzzer-beater WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued from back

a huge impact, but I was 0-for-8 before [the game-winner],” she said. “Most of my shots felt good, so I think it was more a matter of me getting my feet set and having confidence.”

On the Jumbos’ previous possession, sophomore guard Emma Roberson had been fouled as she drove to the paint and kicked out to Moynihan on the left wing.

Moynihan took a 3-pointer and drained it — after the whistle.

“It was actually a relief to see that go through the hoop,” she said. “It was kind of like, ‘Thank God, there’s not just a lid for me here.’”

On the final play, Moynihan reached the top of the key with about two seconds remaining. Roberson was wide open in the right corner, but Moynihan had only one thought: shoot.

“To be honest, I didn’t even see her,” Moynihan said. “[Liz is] trained to take that last shot,” Berube said. “That [was] probably a good decision. Emma might have been able to catch it and square up and get a good shot, but Liz [was] going towards the hoop.”

As Moynihan pulled up to shoot, UNE sophomore Meghan Gribbin caught up to her from behind. Gribbin stuck out her left hand in an attempt to disrupt the shot, but she quickly pulled away to avoid a foul.

“She hit me, and then she kind of stood straight up,” Moynihan said. “I remember everyone telling me that everyone was [yelling], ‘She got hit! She got hit!’”

“All of our parents did that, yeah,” Morehead added.

But there was no whistle. Moynihan thrust a line drive toward the hoop, her left leg kicking back, her right foot

landing just inside the 3-point line. As the ball approached the rim, Moynihan fell backward.

“I kind of just had some momentum going backwards, I guess,” she said.

“I think it’s a flop,” Berube added.

It was an off-balance, contested, last-second, line-drive 3-pointer in overtime of the NCAA tournament. No way it would fall.

“I released it, and I think I had this split second of [wondering], ‘What if this goes in?’” Moynihan said. “And then I fell to the ground, and I didn’t take my eyes off it.”

Mayhem The ball rattled through the hoop as Moynihan lay horizontal on the ground.

Pandemonium ensued.

“I saw it go in, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten up faster in my life,” Moynihan said.

“I have this thumb, and I was so excited that I just slammed the floor and had immediate pain. But I didn’t care.”

“I just couldn’t believe that went in,” Berube said. “I was in shock. I think I hugged [assistant coaches] Colleen [Hart (E ‘11)] and KB [Kate Barnosky (LA ‘12)] right after. There was a rush of everybody going on the floor.”

“I had to stop to look around to see if that really counted,” Morehead said.

When the ball dropped through the net, the buzzer had not yet gone off. The red backboard light didn’t flash until the ball hit the ground, meaning there may technically have been a few tenths of a second remaining.

“I thought some time should have maybe been put back on the clock,” Berube said.

“The clock should stop as soon as the ball goes through the net. But I wasn’t [going to] say anything.”

The game was over. The Jumbos had

won, 57-54. Moynihan’s teammates mobbed her around the 3-point line, jumping uncontrollably toward the front row of seats where the track and field team waved cardboard cutouts of their faces.

Moynihan’s mom, Jane, joined in the celebration, running from her front-row seat at half-court to the huddle to find her daughter.

“I’ve never seen her move so fast,” Moynihan said, before amending her statement. “Actually, I didn’t even see her get there until she tackled me.”

Berube raised her arms, hugged her assistants and returned to her signature handson-hips pose. The Jumbos jumped back to the bench, shook hands and then continued the celebration in the locker room.

Reflecting on the experience on Monday, Moynihan was quick to deflect praise away from herself and toward her teammates — Kanner, who had 16 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, and Morehead, who played all 45 minutes and hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 1:18 left in overtime.

“I definitely want to make it clear that this was an entire team effort,” Moynihan began. “I’m getting a lot of credit...”

Then her coach cut her off.

“Who’s giving you credit?” Berube said, drawing laughs from her players.

A few minutes later, Berube, Kanner and Morehead headed for the locker room.

Moynihan lagged behind, collecting her things, and then walked across the court alone. As she walked down the exit ramp, five students descended the Cousens Gym steps to play pickup.

“Nice shot!” one yelled to her.

“Yeah,” another agreed. “That was incredible.”

“Thank you,” Moynihan replied, and then she walked through the door.

Tyler Maher | Beantown Beat

Boston’s dynamic duo

T

he 2014 Red Sox is generally an old team. With a few key exceptions, most of their players are in their 30s.

But a veteran-heavy roster doesn’t mean one that lacks exciting young talent.

For example, Jackie Bradley, Jr., who is 23-years-old, is ready to take over as centerfielder — and put last season’s false start behind him. It looked like it was going to be his year in 2013 after a sizzling spring training catapulted him into the Opening Day lineup. But it quickly became clear that he was overmatched against big league pitching. After he batted below .100 in the first two weeks, and David Ortiz came off the disabled list, Bradley was demoted to Triple-A in mid-April.

Bradley played sparingly after that, bouncing up and down between the majors and minors and not seeing regular at-bats again until September. Despite hitting well with the PawSox, he failed to distinguish himself after he was left off the postseason roster.

His debut was very different from Xander Bogaerts’, the crown jewel of Boston’s farm system. Bogaerts didn’t get his first taste of the Show until Aug. 20, but showed flashes of promise in the late-season. He earned the confidence of manager John Farrell and went on to play a key part in Boston’s postseason run, hitting .296 with a .412 on-base percentage and scoring nine runs in the playoffs.

Despite their varied levels of success last year, both have starting roles with the 2014 Red Sox. Bradley has big shoes to fill as Jacoby Ellsbury’s replacement in center field, while Bogaerts is expected to be Boston’s first long-term homegrown shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra.

Just 21-years-old, Bogaerts ranks second in this year’s top-100 prospect lists compiled by “Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus,” FanGraphs and MLB.com (Bradley, on the other hand, was between 23 and 50.) The polished offensive skills, strong defense and overall maturity he showcased during last year’s playoffs indicate he’s ready to become a star, possibly as soon as this year. There’s every reason to believe Bogaerts will break out and emerge as one of the league’s top rookies.

Bradley is not projected for the same level of stardom, but should be able to hold his own. If he struggles again, at least the Red Sox have alternatives. In right field they have Shane Victorino, who won three straight Gold Gloves while patrolling center field for the Philadelphia Phillies and is still agile enough to play the position.

There’s also Grady Sizemore, an intriguing possibility given his past levels of excellence and recent injury history.

But for Bogaerts, failure isn’t really an option.

Boston traded away Jose Iglesias, their other young shortstop, to acquire Jake Peavy from the Chicago White Sox last summer. They’ve been unable to persuade Stephen Drew, last year’s shortstop and still a free agent, to return.

The only other player with major league shortstop experience is utility infielder Jonathan Herrera, but using him as a full-time player would diminish Boston’s infield depth. He’s more valuable as a backup.

But the Red Sox can cross those bridges if, or when, they get to them. Meanwhile, they should be excited about their best rookie tandem since Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia helped spark the 2007 team to a World Series championship. If Bradley and Bogaerts make a similar impact, the Red Sox could do something they haven’t done in almost 100 years: win back-toback World Series.

Tyler is a junior who is majoring in economics. He can be reached at Tyler.

Maher@tufts.edu.

Sports

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tuftsdaily.com

Women’s Basketball

The shot: Jumbos relive Moynihan’s miraculous buzzer-beater Breaking down the play that sent Tufts to the Sweet 16 by

Aaron Leibowitz

Daily Editorial Board

Duke has Christian Laettner.

North Carolina State has Lorenzo Charles.

Tufts has Liz Moynihan.

The senior tri-captain hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime against the University of New England on Saturday. Advancing the Jumbos to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III tournament with a 57-54 victory, she sent Cousens Gym into a frenzy and set the Hill abuzz. Everyone was talking about the same thing: the shot.

After practice on Monday, as the Jumbos began preparation for Friday’s third-round matchup against Castleton State (Cousens Gym, 7 p.m.), Moynihan sat down with the Daily to rewatch and dissect the final moments against UNE. She was joined by head coach Carla Berube and junior teammates Kelsey Morehead and Hayley Kanner, the crucial contributors in the game-winning play.

Together, they attempted to make sense of 4.6 seconds that felt like a blur.

The inbound The score was 54-54 with 4.6 seconds left in overtime. UNE had just committed a shot clock violation — thanks in part to the screaming and stomping of an electric Cousens crowd. Tufts got the ball on the right sideline, just beyond the top of the key on its own end.

Berube chose not to call a timeout.

“My thought was, calling a timeout might let them set up their defense and really think about how they’re [going to] defend it,” Berube said.

In fact, the head coach, in her twelfth year at Tufts, didn’t even call an inbound play. She left that to her players, who had a blueprint in mind.

“We’ve been put in a situation like that,” Moynihan said. “Five-ish seconds on the clock; inbounds.”

“It usually involves some kind of streaker to the middle through the court, looking for the shot,” Kanner said.

“And usually there’s a screen involved,” Berube added.

Kanner stood out of bounds.

Morehead stood a few feet from her, fronted by UNE sophomore Sadie DiPierro. Moynihan stood several feet behind Morehead.

Before the referee handed Kanner the ball, Moynihan motioned to Morehead — a subtle thumb-point — to suggest Morehead should come through a screen.

“I had it in my head that I was [going to] set this amazing screen, and she was [going to] sort of just get it and go,” Moynihan said.

Kanner had a similar idea.

“I was trying to get the ball to Kelsey,” she said. “That was the first instinct.”

When the referee tossed Kanner the ball, Morehead darted toward the Jumbos’ basket before Moynihan could set an effective screen. Morehead was open for a split second, but two of the three UNE defenders in the area jumped toward her. Then

Moynihan’s defender stepped up to guard Kanner, leaving Moynihan all alone behind a trio of UNE players.

“I saw Kelsey trying to get open, and I saw her being denied,” Moynihan said. “So I actually went up originally to set a screen for her, and then I realized that another girl had come. Kelsey kind of moved and three people went with her.”

Moynihan abandoned the screen and focused on getting the ball.

“I was like, ‘I’m going the other way,’” she said.

Once again, Kanner and Moynihan were on the same page.

“I saw Liz’s defender come up and try and guard the ball,” Kanner said. “It was just a pass right over the top.”

Kanner tossed a two-handed, overhead pass to the streaking Moynihan, who jumped and pulled it down with her left hand.

It was a tough pass to handle, but it placed her in perfect position to move down the court.

“The way I landed, in my head, for some reason I thought there was another defender and I was [going to] get hit by somebody,” Moynihan said. “When I actually landed and turned and had room, I was surprised.”

The shot Once Moynihan saw daylight, her instincts kicked in.

“At this point, I actually have to say that all of the training we’ve done on this court — five seconds left — really sunk in,” she said. “I stopped thinking, which is what

Women’s Squash

Jumbos show improvement on, off court

by Steven

Hefter

Daily Staff Writer

The women’s squash team entered the 2014 spring campaign with high hopes after a promising fall season. Although the team secured solid wins in the NESCAC, it was unable to achieve its larger goals, as it failed to win its division at the College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships.

Overall, the team progressed individually and as a unit. But the most important growth was in its camaraderie, junior cocaptain Ann Bellinger said.

“It was about so much more than just winning,” Bellinger said. “We really bonded as a team. We started with four returning players [from] a roster of 14 and stepped up and moved up seven [spots in the] rankings.”

The biggest moments of the Jumbos’ season came in NESCAC play. The first NESCAC competition of the season was against Colby on Jan. 25 in New Haven, Conn., where the Jumbos fell to the White Mules, 6-3. The match was close, as five of the nine games needed more than the minimum three games to determine the victor.

Junior Paige Dahlman began her dominant season with a four-game win over Colby sophomore Mikaela Johnson by scores of 15-13, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7. The Jumbos then battled Connecticut College later that day and emerged victorious by a match score of 5-4.

“I was really impressed with a lot of the younger members of the team,” said Caroline Howe, the team’s only senior. “We have a lot of freshmen and

a lot of sophomores, and I thought that they did such a good job of stepping up.

[This season] was a really great part of my senior year.”

After a mid-week win over Boston College on Jan. 29, Tufts entered the NESCAC tournament as the No. 10 seed slated to face seventh-seeded Bowdoin College in the first round. Even though the Jumbos fell to the Polar Bears by a match score of 9-0, many of the games went down to the wire.

The performance gave Tufts momentum heading into its consolation match against Conn. College. The Jumbos beat the Camels for the second time this season, this time by a match score of 7-2.

Sophomore Paget Stanco won her match in the No. 1 position in three games; Dahlman won in the No. 2 position in four games; and Bellinger won in the No. 3 position in three games. In the No. 5 position, freshman Lynn Cheng won her match in four games, winning three straight after dropping the first game to her Conn. College counterpart. In the No. 6 position, Howe also won in four games.

Tufts came in 10th place out of 11 teams in the NESCAC championships after losing its third match against Colby College.

Despite the result, team members said they continued to believe in themselves.

Before Nationals occurred, three players competed in the Div. III Individual Championships: Dahlman, Stanco and Bellinger. The lone bright spot for the Jumbos was Dahlman, who won the B division with four straight victories to win the draw. see WOMEN’S SQUASH, page 11

Caroline Geiling / The Tufts Daily

The women’s basketball team celebrates after senior tri-captain Liz Moynihan hit the game-winning shot in the second round of the NCAA tournament. happens when I make most of my shots. My goal was just to cover as much ground as possible and get the shot off before the buzzer.”

Moynihan caught the ball shy of half-court. Then, with three dribbles, she pushed her way to the top of the key: one dribble with her right hand, one big crossover from right to left and a third dribble with her left hand. She jump-stopped in an attempt to square up, but

her right foot landed well in front of her left.

To that point, Moynihan — a 32 percent 3-point shooter entering the game — was 0-for-7 on 3-pointers and 0-for-8 from the field. She had played 30 minutes with a wrap around her right hand after jamming her thumb in shootaround earlier that day.

“I don’t like to think that it had see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, page 11

Men’s Squash

Team shows improvement in second half of season

by Jorge

Monroy-Palacio

Daily Editorial Board

At the end of the fall season, the men’s squash team eagerly awaited the return of two key players: Juniors Hugo Meggitt and Zachary Schweitzer. Both studied abroad in their fall semesters, leaving the Jumbos without two of their top players as they played a fall schedule that resulted in a single win.

Once second semester began, the wins started to roll in.

In the first eight matches of its winter season, Tufts went 3-5 against top teams, including No. 35 Denison, No. 40 Haverford, and No. 53 Vassar.

The match against Denison was the season opener, and proved to be a challenge for the team’s stamina. The players had to compete in three matches in one day.

Against Denison, Tufts pulled off an impressive 6-3 victory in which the topfive players notched wins. Sophomore No. 1 Aditya Advani had the cleanest win of the day, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9. The sixth win came at the No. 7 position from senior Jeremy Aronson, who also had a decisive victory, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

Later on the same day, the team traveled to Drexel to play, where they first matched up against the Drexel Dragons, and played the Bucknell Bison in the same location. The match against Drexel was a 9-0 loss, but Tufts played a much closer match against Bucknell, in which Tufts lost three of its matches in four or more sets and lost overall, 7-2.

The Jumbos were able to capitalize on early-season momentum with wins

over their next two opponents. Tufts beat Haverford on Jan. 19, and followed that victory up the next weekend with a dominating 9-0 performance against Vassar.

The next three matches were all close loses against Colby, Connecticut College and Boston College. The loss against Boston College was especially rough because of the rivalry that Boston schools have in squash.

“We want to beat rivals,” Schweitzer said. “It’s one of the key tenets of the Tufts squash team.”

Next up for the team was the NESCAC Championship at Hamilton College.

While the team as a whole went home winless, Advani and Schwietzer were able to win two of their three matches.

It wasn’t easy, however, as both players were extended to more than three games in each match.

Following another difficult loss to instate rival Northeastern, 5-4, the top players on the team had a chance to showcase their talents at the Div. III Individual Championships, which put the talents of the team on full display.

Advani, and Schweitzer both competed in the A draw, and the pair was joined by freshman Josh Lee who competed in the B draw. Advani advanced after a routine win against Bates sophomore Caran Arora, before falling to Bowdoin senior Stephen Danyluk in the second round of play. Schweitzer and Lee both fell in the first round of the tournament.

Despite the first round loss, Schweitzer views Lee as an important contributor to the team moving forward. see MEN’S SQUASH, page 11