May 22, 2016 | Commencement

THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

N E W S PA P E R

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TUFTS

UNIVERSITY

E S T. 1 9 8 0

T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXI, NUMBER 66

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

COMMENCEMENT 2016

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THE TUFTS DAILY | INSIDE THE ISSUE | Sunday, May 22, 2016

T HE T UFTS D AILY Sarah Zheng Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL Nicholas Golden Mengqi Sun Managing Editors

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NEWS

Students, administrators address well-being of undocumented students on campus with working group

Faculty members support resolution calling for university to divest endowment from fossil fuels industry

Sherman Teichman, founding director of the Institute for Global Leadership, celebrated at IGL’s 30th anniversary

University President Anthony Monaco sits down, discusses issues including housing, diversity and the Green Line Extension Project

see UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, page 5

see DIVESTMENT, page 6

Nicholas Pfosi Associate Editor Arin Kerstein Executive News Editor Isha Fahad News Editors Abby Feldman Melissa Kain Sophie Lehrenbaum Emma Steiner Ariel Barbieri-Aghib Assistant News Editors Kyle Blacklock Gil Jacobson Robert Katz Liam Knox Catherine Perloff Vibhav Prakasam Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Kendall Todd Executive Features Editor Nicole Brooks Features Editors Nina Joung Jake Taber Diane Alexander Assistant Features Editors Constantinos Angelakis Emily Cheng Emma R. Rosenthal John Gallagher Executive Arts Editor Lancy Downs Arts Editors Justin Krakoff Josh Podolsky Jonah Allon Assistant Arts Editors Cassidy Olsen Eran Sabaner Hannah Hoang Dorie Campbell Emily Karl Erin Sifre Stephen Dennison Abigail Feldman Shannon Geary Allison Merola Cassie Bardos Miranda Chavez Frances DeFreitas Jake Goldberg Emma Henderson Michael Lefkowtiz Anita Ramaswamy Noah Weinflash

Executive Op-Ed Editor Op-Ed Editor

see IGL, page 6

2016 Commencement speaker Hank Azaria answers questions about his time as an actor at Tufts and in Hollywood

see MONACO, page 8

FEATURES

see AZARIA, page 13

see HISTORY, page 15

Fletcher professor Kelly Sims-Gallagher talks international climate negotiations, policy after Paris summit

The Daily profiles five members of the Class of 2016 on their Tufts experiences and their lives looking forward

see GALLAGHER, page 14

see SENIORS, pages 16-17

Cartoonists

Editorialists

Maclyn Senear Executive Sports Editor Ray-Paul Biron Sports Editors Ross Dember Phillip Goldberg Alex Schroeder Chris Warren Yuan Jun Chee Assistant Sports Editors Maddie Payne Eddie Samuels Noah Smith Sofie Hecht Executive Photo Editor Alex Knapp Caroline Ambros Picture Tufts Editor Ray Bernoff Staff Photographers Laura DeArmas Maria Ferraz Henry Hintermeister Katlyn Kreie Mia Lambert Jiaxun Li Nora Nord Nicholas Pfosi Julia Press Evan Sayles Angelie Xiong

OPINION

ARTS & LIVING

Daily arts editors Justin Krakoff and Cassidy Olsen sit down to discuss Beyoncé’s latest work, ‘Lemonade’

Editor-in-chief Sarah Zheng pens final Letter from the Editor, reflects on year in campus media

Cartoonist and author Alison Bechdel talks about the personal nature of her books, comics

President Monaco responds to open letter on tuition increases, status of financial aid at Tufts

see LEMONADE, page 21

see LETTER, page 34

see BECHDEL, page 22

see TUITION, page 40

SPORTS

Rising junior Lauren Dillon balances life as key part of women’s basketball, lacrosse teams

PRODUCTION

see DILLON, page 55

Julie Doten

Production Director

The Daily profiles seven graduating senior athletes on their athletic, academic careers on the Hill see SENIOR PROFILES, pages 48-49

The Daily lists some of this The Daily gives out superlayear’s top Jumbo sports tives for the year’s best male, moments female athletes and teams

Astrid Weng Executive Layout Editor Jewel Castle Layout Editors Abbie Gantner Leila Li Allie Merola Brianna Mignano Mandip Pokharel Ellie Powers Annabelle Roberts Emily Sharp Andrew Stephens Sebastian Torrente

see TOP MOMENTS, page 47

see AWARDS, page 45

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shirley Wang Creative Director Petrina Chan Executive Graphics Editor Allison Merola Graphics Editors Dana Pek Belinda Xian Jack Ronan Dan Strauss Meagan Adler Alison Beach Arthur Beckel Lancy Downs Alison Epstein Andrew Kager Melissa Kain Sarah Kalinowski Reena Karasin Sophie Lehrenbaum Rachel Salzberg Arielle Sigel Caroline Watson Maxwell Bernstein Nitesh Gupta Evan Sayles

Students, faculty work to develop an institutional history of African-American experiences at Tufts

Executive Copy Editors Copy Editors

see ACTIVISM PHOTOS, page 12

Executive Tech Manager Online Editor Social Media Editor

FRONT PHOTO BY SOFIE HECHT

BUSINESS Yiran Xu

For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit

Executive Business Director Qinyue Yu Receivables Manager Evan Sayles Online Advertising Eva Sachar Ad Managers Jay Hayes

see BEST PHOTOS, pages 27 and 30

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see BEST SPORTS PHOTOS, page 46

NEWS................................................3 FEATURES....................................13 ARTS & LIVING..........................21

BACK PHOTO BY ALEX KNAPP

FOUR YEARS IN REVIEW........28 OPINION.......................................34 SPORTS.........................................43

News

Sunday, May 22, 2016

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Students present DTD to face another year without its fraternity house demands on tuition, financial aid in rally

by Joe Walsh

Assistant News Editor

by Vibhav Prakasam Assistant News Editor

About 70 students gathered on the lower patio of Mayer Campus Center on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 4, as part of an organized rally to protest the raise of tuition expenses for the 2016-2017 academic year. The tuition increases were initially announced in an April 12 email from James Glaser, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Jianmin Qu, dean of the School of Engineering.

Rally organizers Parker Breza, Benya Kraus and Anna Del Castillo initiated the protest by expressing their disapproval of the tuition increase, a perspective they voiced earlier alongside other Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators through an April 25 op-ed piece in the Daily, which projected that a continued increase of 3.6 percent per year would lead to a $73,383 tuition for the 2019-2020 school year.

After their introduction, rising sophomores Dakota LeRoy and TCU Senator Charlie Zhen spoke about different aspects of their lives that will be impacted by the tuition hike. LeRoy discussed the negative impact of the raise on the socioeconomic diversity of the university, while Zhen explained that the university’s inaccessibility with regard to financial aid reflects a perceived lack of care about its students.

Following these speeches, the protestors then began to march to the upper patio of the Campus Center, along Professors Row and up the President’s Lawn, until they stopped outside of Ballou Hall, equipped with signs reading phrases such as “I’m more than my FAFSA,” “This tuition is wack” and “Do better.” see TUITION HIKES, page 4

Brothers from the Beta Mu chapter of the Delta Tau Delta (DTD) fraternity will not return to their on-campus fraternity house next fall, following a decision from the City of Somerville not to renew the fraternity house’s special lodging permit for the upcoming academic year. As a result, the fraternity’s housing corporation will lease the house to Tufts for use as non-fraternity housing for next year.

The DTD house at 98 Professors Row has stood empty for the past year, following a stabbing incident in May 2015, after which the City of Somerville chose not to renew DTD’s lodging license for the past academic year, according to a Sept. 25, 2015 Daily article.

According to the city’s zoning ordinance, a review board comprised of city officials must approve a special permit allowing a group residence to house more than four unrelated people.

In early February, the DTD fraternity was informed that the city would once again not renew its license for next year, DTD President Ian Bollag-Miller said.

According to University President Anthony Monaco, Mayor of Somerville Joseph Curtatone and Somerville Aldermen decided not to renew DTD’s lodging license this year because of the ongoing investigation into the stabbing incident, a case that may go to court soon. In the interim, the university will lease the house from DTD next year — which the fraternity will not have access to — and potentially use it to house transfer students, Monaco said.

“If the investigation comes to a close, then the mayor is willing to let the fraternity back in, and that will be the next phase,” Monaco said. “But that is certainly going to take a year, if not longer.”

Bollag-Miller, a rising senior, explained that the decision not to renew the permit was made by the city, not the university. Last fall, the university placed the fraternity on social and disciplinary probation because of the stabbing incident, but while DTD’s social pro-

bation ended in February and its disciplinary probation ends today, the status of the house is unrelated to Tufts’ punishments, he said.

“We reached an agreement with Tufts University that we would be on social probation and … [disciplinary probation] … and that was going to be our punishment for the events that happened, and we EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY were going to be allowed The DTD house's door was left ajar on Wednesday, March 9, when a to live in the house under board of the fraternity's alumni met to discuss the future of the house. those sanctions,” graduating senior Nolan Karpinski,fomer president the house for programs over the past year, of DTD, had explained in the September 2015 even though they could not house more than Daily article. four unrelated people. However, he said they Bollag-Miller said that over the past year, have not used the house at all because they DTD has communicated with various city want to maintain goodwill with the city. officials with the goal of rebuilding its relation“We really don’t want to take advantage of ship with the city. For that reason, members of … the people who are gracious enough within the fraternity were cautiously optimistic that the city to extend themselves to us to work they would be able to return to the house, with us,” Bollag-Miller said. he said. But even though members are not Bollag-Miller said that the decision to lease yet returning to the house, Bollag-Miller said the house was rooted partially in the need to that the fraternity still wants to work with the cover the house’s hefty operating costs. city and rethink its operations.

“Our housing corps has taken a pretty siz“We’ve done a lot of introspection about able financial hit this year with not being able ourselves and…the way the community per- to have any of us in the house, which we really ceives us,” Bollag-Miller said. “But I think it’s a appreciate,” he said. wider thing — it’s beyond just us as DTD; it’s According to Monaco, the lease currentbeyond just the Greek organizations — it’s real- ly only lasts one year, and the fate of the ly the entire Tufts student body. I think that we house for the 2017-2018 academic year will all, as a community, need to be more conscious hinge on the status of the stabbing incident’s and respectful of the neighbors we have.” investigation. In the meantime, Bollag-Miller According to Bollag-Miller, the fraterni- said that DTD is still optimistic that the fraty house is owned by a housing corporation ternity brothers will eventually return to the comprised of Tufts DTD alumni. For that rea- house, and it will continue its efforts to rebuild son, negotiations on the current lease have its relationship with the city. been between the corporation, the university, “The past year has caused us to be acutely and the City of Somerville. Dick Reynolds (A aware of the way that we are perceived by the ’67), who serves as president of the housing city of Somerville,” Bollag-Miller said. “We’ve corporation, did not respond to the Daily’s been really fortunate to connect with several requests for a comment. members of the Somerville city government Bollag-Miller explained that as a result of who have been helping us to figure out the the fraternity house’s independent ownership, best way in which we can continue to be DTD would have been legally allowed to use engaged with the community.”

Car fire, bomb threats undergoing investigation, impact finals schedule

by Joe Walsh, Nicholas Pfosi and Mengqi Sun Assistant News Editor, Associate Editor and Managing Editor

Multiple law enforcement agencies are involved in an ongoing investigation surrounding bomb threats and a suspected arson that occurred outside of Health Service in the early morning hours of Monday, May 9. The investigation is being carried out by a joint law enforcement team made up of the state Fire Marshal, Somerville Police, Medford Police, Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) and the Massachusetts State Police.

According to Carmen Lowe, dean of undergraduate studies, final exams for as many as 50 courses were impacted after the morning’s events, based on the Registrar’s schedule.

Police have since been conducting interviews with students to piece together details about the day, which began at 4:30 a.m. when a vehicle outside of Health Service near 124 Professors Row caught fire and a taped note was discovered outside the building indicating bomb threats to Cabot Hall, Braker Hall, Cohen Auditorium and Tisch Library.

The burning vehicle belonged to Senior Director of Health and Wellness Service at Health Service Michelle Bowdler. A May 9 EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Firefighters extinguish a car fire in the parking lot of the Tufts University Health Service on Monday, May 9.

see INVESTIGATION, page 10

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

University to reinstate off-campus housing coordinator position after five-year vacancy

by Kyle Blacklock

Director of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) Yolanda King, who is also part of the RSWG, said that the group is in the process of The Residential Strategies Working Group finalizing the job description and plans to hire (RSWG) is in the process of hiring a new the coordinator by August 1. off-campus housing (OCH) coordinator for “We’re doing a national search; a broad the fall semester, following the elimination search, but we don’t have anybody particular of the position five years ago. This coordina- in mind at the moment,” King told the Daily tor will provide counsel, resources and ongo- in an email. ing support for undergraduate and graduate According to King, the OCH coordinastudents regarding off-campus housing. tor’s duties will include liaising between the The RSWG — which is led by the Provost students and area landlords, communicatand Senior Vice President David Harris, in part- ing information regarding the rights and nership with Executive Vice President Patricia responsibilities of tenants and landlords as Campbell and Dean of Arts and Sciences James well as working with students on how to Glaser — will finalize details such as the duties read and interpret leases. The new coordinaof and the budget for the position within the tor will also provide assistance in developmonth, according to Harris. The working ing search strategies and education on availgroup was developed in the spring of 2015 to able housing resources, maintaining safety investigate housing options and provide stu- information on the ResLife website, coldents with a better residential experience. laborating with offices such as Community Relations and planning the annual OCH Fair, King said.

Dean of Student Affairs Mar y Pat McMahon, who serves on the RSWG, added that a major component to be considered when hiring for the position will be finding someone with strong communications COURTESY SOFIE HECHT FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY community The sun sets by Sunset Road in Somerville, where many Tufts students and live off-campus, on April 19. building skills.

Assistant News Editor

“The skills that this person is going to bring in are going to be helpful on the practical side,” she said. “This person will be able to support students navigating the lease process and assist them with finding off-campus housing.”

The position of OCH coordinator exists at other universities across the country, and was an official position at Tufts about five years ago before it was eliminated, King said. According to McMahon, the position was cut at the time due to “economic downturn.”

“We’re excited to have the position,” King said. “We know its something students are definitely interested in for the additional support for resources and services. What’s important about it is they will have someone who they will be able to sit down and talk to in person and work out individual needs.”

In addition to reinstating the position, the RSWG has been working closely with a separate working group comprised of representatives from Campus Planning, Facilities Services, ResLife, Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost to collect student feedback. According to McMahon, this team has been part of a parallel process in reaching out to students in the Tufts community to gather information and feedback about student housing and residential life.

According to McMahon, one major issue students have reported is the need for more support for finding housing in their junior and senior years. She added that another way the committee has been productive has been in strengthening the bond between the university and the surrounding communities of Medford and Somerville.

“Understanding neighbors, understanding long-term residence needs, I think the committee’s been helpful in giving us more direction in partnering with the immediate neighborhood associations,” McMahon said.

According to a March 10 article in the Daily, another goal of the RSWG is to examine the financial impact of these changes and compile a list of recommendations to send to University President Anthony Monaco this month.

Harris confirmed that the RSWG is currently in the process of following through with this goal, for the Board of Trustees meeting that will occur over the weekend of May 20 to 22.

“We are preparing a final report for the president, who will review it, and we will be briefing the trustees when they’re here, which is Commencement weekend,” he said.

Harris said that until the final report has been reviewed and presented to the trustees, the RSWG will not have any definitive findings to report.

“One of the things we’re talking about as part of the RSWG is how we can better manage the off-campus experience,” Harris said. “Everything from students having this feeling that they’re challenged identifying places and negotiating leases to how to deal with disputes that happen with the landlords, how they can be better neighbors in the community … all those kinds of things. And so we’re asking within our group … how can the university better partner with students on those issues.”

Monaco cites increased salaries as main driver in tuition hikes TUITION HIKES

continued from page 3 During the rally, rising sophomore Nick Cunetta told the Daily that he joined the protestors to express his disapproval over the planned tuition increase.

“I am appalled at the recent increases in tuition, and when I think about it, I think about trying to quantify how great Tufts is and trying to find a way to rationalize why I’m spending three times as much money here as I would at a public university,” Cunetta said.

RisingsophomoreCeliaKarpatkin expressed concerns over her family’s ability to keep up with the university’s tuition increases.

“Tufts doesn’t recognize the need that my family has, and I’m not sure I can continue to go to this university if they continue to raise prices, and I have a lot of friends who are in similar positions or worse positions than me,” Karpatkin said. “This is not the way Tufts should treat its students.”

Right outside of Ballou Hall, the group chanted, “you raised our tuition; now it’s time to listen,” and moved on to read a list of demands, which included calling on the administration to provide a clear justification of the raises and its specific line items, increase transparency in financial aid calculation, move to need-blind admission, freeze tuition for each graduating class, increase support from the financial aid office and provide a public explanation of the rationale for any noncompliance with any of these stipulations. These demands were first made in the April 25 Daily op-ed “An open letter to President Monaco and the Board of Trustees,” submitted by the group of TCU senators.

In an interview with the Daily, Kraus, a rising junior, explained the purpose for the protestors’ demands.

“I think the overall mission of all these demands is to express our frustration with the current system of higher education as it is, and Tufts is a part of that, but we are not alone,”

she said. “There are movements happening all over the nation of students saying this is unacceptable.”

Kraus further described what she saw as the role of the university in promoting education. “[The university] needs to foster a community that cares about our learning, and as these demands show and the student narratives we heard, when we keep on seeing these unexplained tuition increases and lack of transparency when it comes to financial matters, that really undermines the sense of community,” Kraus said.

Following the reading of the demands, the protestors then marched in a circle around Ballou Hall, repeating some of their earlier chants along with new ones such as, “the people, united, will never be defeated” and “stop this exploitation, respect our right to education.”

After chanting, “we see, we see our tuition soar, we demand that you come out the door” for several minutes, University President Anthony Monaco’s Chief of Staff, Michael Baener exited Ballou Hall to speak with Kraus and Breza. Baener told them that Monaco had read their list of demands and will make a response, but there was no set timeline for the release of the response, and it would be in an undisclosed manner. Once Baener went back inside, Breza and Kraus explained that this answer was not satisfactory.

Monaco authored a response to the senators’ open letter and list of demands in a May 6 op-ed in the Daily, in which he cited unique aspects of the Tufts experience such as small class sizes and a plethora of extracurricular opportunities as propellors of tuition hikes.

“The costs of delivering this experience continue to rise,” he wrote. “Expenses to recruit and retain excellent faculty and to maintain and improve our facilities are increasing.” He also noted that $122.8 million of the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering’s $355 million of expenses for last year went to instruction fees.

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students rally to protest planned tuition hikes and to demand clarity on university expenses.

In an interview with the Daily, Monaco explained that the increasing cost of keeping strong faculty members is the main reason for the increase in tuition cost.

“The cost of running the university, a large part of it, is salaries, and on average, we have to raise salaries every year somewhere in the 2.5 to 3 percent level, so you can see already, that the 3.6 percent increase, a large part of it is just covering the annual increase in salaries,” he said.

Monaco emphasized that financial aid is being raised at a much higher rate than tuition is increasing. While he agreed that costs are getting high, he noted that this increased cost must be balanced with an understanding of the role of financial aid in the overall picture.

“If you think about the net increase, that is, subtract the financial aid from [tuition], and that’s actually the true increase in the amount of money that’s coming into the university’s tuition, and that has gone up as a much lower level than the average of the full price,” he said.

Moving forward, Breza explained that he hopes to discuss these concerns with Monaco and other administrators, including Dean Glaser and Dean Qu, as well as with the Financial Aid Office and other offices that work to create the budget. He and four other students met with Monaco on May 12 to discuss students demands and to brainstorm solutions relating to tuition and financial transparency.

Luis Del Rosario, a rising junior TCU Senator who co-authored the April 25 op-ed, emphasized that the rally to protest tuition increases is not the end of the activists’ efforts.

“This happened [on Wednesday], but there will be more actions if they’re needed, and there will be people there, despite how many finals they have,” he said. “There will be people over the summer, there will be people around the area, so as it is necessary, people will show up to action.”

Jake Taber contributed to reporting on this article.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

Ne w s

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Tufts strives to build community, support system for undocumented students

by Liam Knox

Assistant News Editor

As more undocumented students have been accepted and have enrolled at Tufts in both the Class of 2019 and 2020, following the university’s 2015 decision to begin admitting undocumented students, Tufts continues to allocate resources to support these students’ college careers and beyond.

Over a year ago, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin announced that Tufts would change its admissions policy and openly welcome undocumented student applications and meet their demonstrated financial aid needs through university grants, according to an April 13, 2015 Daily article.

Followingthepolicychange,theAdmissions website’s class profile shows that six undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students enrolled into the Class of 2019. Eighteen undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students were accepted into the Class of 2020, according to an April 4 Tufts Now article. Though the final numbers of committed students yet have not been disclosed, Director of Diversity Recruitment and Associate Director of Admissions Edward Pickett III said that the incoming first-year class will have a larger group of undocumented students than the year before.

As more undocumented and DACA students arrive on campus, the university will need to closely examine obstacles students face as well as shortcomings in resource allocation in order to provide the best possible college experience for a new demographic of students with unique needs, Latino Center Director Rubén Stern said.

reach to undocumented students only after they are admitted.

“If I reach out to you in February but don’t admit you in March, how does that feel?” he said.

“Once you are admitted, then we reach out.”

He added that community outreach and support after students arrive at Tufts is out of the admissions office’s hands.

“Once we bring you here, we have to rely on the systems set up at Tufts,” he said.

“We are going to be talking ... about how we can best represent what the university has and what it doesn’t have.”

Resources and funding

As the university welcomed its first openly undocumented students on campus last fall, a working group was created to discuss and provide recommendations regarding the allocation of university resources to ease the transition process for these students into the Tufts community, according to an Oct. 23, 2015 Daily story. The working group, chaired

by Stern and Associate Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies Robert Mack, includes representatives from the Office of Residential Life and Learning, Counseling and Mental Health Service (CMHS) and Career Services, as well as students from United for Initial outreach Immigrant Justice (UIJ).

Pickett said the number of undocumented Beyond making enrollment at Tufts an students applying to Tufts is likely to grow as option for undocumented students, Mack more applicants become aware of the new emphasized the importance of following up policy and learn about the university. Since on this policy change by providing resources to announcing the policy change last spring, make sure undocumented students can have the admissions team has taken a number of the same opportunities as other students. steps to make the university more accessible “We’re working really hard to not just for undocumented students, including creat- open the door, but to think about all the ing a webpage specifically for undocumented things we need to do to make our commustudents highlighting how the admission pro- nity one that responds to having undocucess works. mented students here and allowing them to “The policy is out there and labels Tufts thrive,” he said. as DACA-friendly: that’s huge,” Pickett said.

According to Stern, undocumented stu“We also have a version of our admissions site dents have unique financial needs that are that’s entirely in Spanish. It walks you through not covered by their financial aid packages the whole admissions, financial aid process due to their status. He said that the Latino and the feeling [of] Tufts.”

Center and the working group will try to fundThe university’s updated admissions policy raise for any costs that arise for undocumented students by tapping alumni and donors through University Advancement.

“We want to meet with Advancement and raise these issues so we can strategize how to get money,” he said.

“I mean, just renewing DACA is $465 … these kids need to work.

I’m sure they’re going to want a list of possibiliNICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ties so that donors can Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin announces Tufts' support see that this is what the for equality in the education of undocumented students at UIJ's National Institutions Coming Out Day in Support of Undocumented Education money is going to be spent on, so part of our Equity at the Mayer Campus Center on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. plan is to present these enables the admissions team to reach out to recommendations to people high up, [who] students with undocumented status early deal with Advancement.” on in their college search process. While the Stern said that there are still many Common Application does not enable undoc- unsolved issues pertaining to fully incorpoumented students to directly identify them- rating undocumented students into the uniselves, undocumented students usually versity community that the working group is identify themselves in their supplementary discussing. essays or through QuestBridge if they have “How about work study, how about internDACA status, according to Pickett. ships, how about going abroad, I mean, how Pickett said that admissions begins out- about flying home?” he said. “Counseling is

big because all along the way, some people can’t go home and visit their families if there’s problems.”

Darleen Gracia, a group therapy coordinator at CMHS and a member of the working group, said that CMHS is working to improve counseling to fit the needs of undocumented students.

“We are examining what services and supports are already in place at Tufts to assist undocumented students through their particular experiences, while also looking at which areas need further development,” she said.

“We are aware that many of the traditional avenues of receiving care or services may be limited or inaccessible to folks who are undocumented, which is why CMHS and Health Service are continuing to work together to increase access to additional services, both on and off campus.”

Gracia, who described herself as the “point person” within CMHS for undocumented students, added that a work-study position for this summer has been created at CMHS for anyone interested in working to expand resources for undocumented students.

Stern said that a point person and support figure in administration would help foster a spirit of community, similar to the structure of the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts (BLAST) program, which aims to develop a strong cohort of scholars from multiple backgrounds. BLAST intends to “support, develop and retain students who may be first in their family to attend a four year college, and/or have attended under resourced high school and/or have been affiliated with a college access agency,” according to its website.

“Through BLAST, some of these students get a lot of attention, but not every undocumented student is in BLAST,” Stern said. “But in a lot of ways, they need something like that — where they always have someone to go to for support … They would have a constant connection with somebody.”

Mack, who also serves as the director of BLAST, said that next year he will no longer serve as an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising, so that he can focus on providing additional support for underrepresented or marginalized students, including those who are undocumented.

“I will also now be an official resource for undocumented students, continue to be the advisor for QuestBridge and I will also be overseeing the first-generation student council,” he said. “So in my new roles, I will have a lot of opportunity to work with our students.”

However, Stern insisted that undocumented students need an official on campus who is dedicated primarily to their needs, explaining that Mack may not be best-suited for this role because of his other commitments.

“What I would like to see from the [working group] is a job description: what is a point person’s job. And then we can think about, instead of just saying ‘let Dean Mack do it,’ because he

has so much else to do, see who would best fit that role,” he said. “And they’re going to need to have the time too. I’m concerned with some of those deans up at Dowling — they’re busy all the time.”

He added that such specificity in the case of resources for undocumented students is due to the specificity of their experience.

“Undocumented students are unique.

They have had an experience that makes them different, that scars them, and I don’t know if it’s ever completely going to go away,” he said. “They are defined by their situation: you can’t escape it. You can be Latino and try to assimilate or pretend you’re not, but you can’t pretend you’re [not] undocumented.”

A community in the shadows According to first-year Diego Espinoza, an undocumented student at Tufts and a member the undocumented students working group, there are a limited number of undocumented students who feel comfortable enough to identify themselves within the community.

“I don’t know a lot of the other undocumented students personally,” Espinoza said.

“I’ve actually been trying to find more undocumented students so that they can come to the meetings [and] so that I’m not the only one giving input, because I clearly don’t encompass all the experiences of undocumented students.”

However, he said he understands the hesitancy to openly identify oneself as undocumented.

“From my experience at least, the fact that you’re undocumented is quite sensitive information because once someone knows you’re undocumented, there’s almost like a handle that someone can have over you,” he said. “There’s always this fear, this thing we don’t talk about which maybe we should talk about.”

Stern acknowledged the difficulty of embracing one’s undocumented status.

“Students have been hiding all their lives, and they’re not going to come out of the shadows just like that,” he said.

However, Espinoza also said that after attending a camp led by Boston’s Student Immigrant Movement (SIM) from March 12 to 13, during which Espinoza said students participated in rallies at the State House chanting “undocumented and unafraid,” he felt far more comfortable publicly revealing his status.

“For me, it created this family — I knew that I wasn’t alone, and even though I might be afraid, there are those who are willing to fight despite all the difficulties they’ve been through,” he said. “It was really inspiring and made me want to join them, make a change and help others who are in the same situation as we are.”

Stern and Espinoza both explained that see UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, page 7

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THE TUFTS DAILY | NEWS | Sunday, May 22, 2016

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Institute for Global Leadership celebrates 30th anniversary, departure of founding director

by Liam Knox

Assistant News Editor

The Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a day of campus events, followed by an invitation-only 30th anniversary gala at the Boston Marriott in Cambridge on Saturday, May 7. The celebration not only honored the history and growth of the institute, but also the career of Founding Director Sherman Teichman, who will be retiring after this academic year.

The day’s events kicked off with a roundtable discussion among Teichman and IGL alumni in the Alumnae Lounge about the institute’s legacy. After the discussion, Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York — a major donor to both Tufts and the IGL — and Philip Bobbitt, director of Columbia Law School’s Center for National Security, delivered lectures titled, “Challenges to Higher Education” and “The Evolution of Terrorism,” respectively, in the Cabot Intercultural Center. The two speakers were both awarded the institute’s Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award.

Teichman said that Gregorian’s appearance at the event was an honor and an indicator of the unique relationship the IGL has developed with the Carnegie Corporation over the years.

“Gregorian said that the IGL is ‘a proven breeding ground for future world leaders,’” Teichman said. “He is the most significant expert in higher education in the U.S. … it’s pretty amazing that he came and gave a speech for us.”

Those who attended the day portion of the celebration also had a chance to see an exhibit in Tufts’ Slater Concourse Gallery titled “The IGL at 30,” which has been on display since April 1, in recognition of the anniversary.

The evening gala was packed with current students and alumni of the IGL, administrators such as Provost and Senior Vice President David Harris, professors and distinguished guests, including former Tufts President Lawrence Bacow and trustee and donor Robert Bendetson. Several alumni traveled long distances to attend the gala and celebrate Teichman’s career and legacy.

One such alumnus, Diego Villalobos (LA ’09), traveled from his home in Cleveland,

Ohio to celebrate Teichman’s formative impact on his life.

“Coming from Costa Rica, Sherman gave me a place to call home,” he said. “He got me my first job, paid for my first internship … he was my family away from my family, and I still feel that way.”

Bendetson, who also serves as co-chair of the IGL External Advisory Board, said that the high turnout at the event reflect on the strength of the institute.

“The camaraderie and enthusiasm of people coming back speaks volumes about the program,” Bendetson said. “I’ve been to a lot of Tufts events, and you don’t often see a turnout like this.”

The Beelzebubs a cappella group opened the dinner event with a performance, followed by the gala’s host Padraig O’Malley — a professor of peace and reconciliation at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and past speaker at the IGL — who commented on the legacy of the IGL and, in particular, its founding director.

Associate Director Heather Barry then tearfully introduced Teichman.

“What Sherman has meant to everyone, challenging them both to challenge themselves and to recognize everyone’s humanity … it’s meant a lot to me, and I know I speak for others as well,” she said.

Teichman then briefly took the microphone to a standing ovation.

Other speakers included Harris, who spoke in lieu of a traveling University President Anthony Monaco, and Justine Hardy, an Institute Scholars and Practitioners in Residence fellow at the IGL, both of whom praised the IGL and its founding director. Many IGL alumni spoke as well, some in person and others through a video message compilation played for the crowd.

Teichman was introduced a second time by alumnus Tovia Smith (LA ’87), a national correspondent for NPR. In his closing remarks, Teichman hailed the institute’s legacy in fostering globally active citizens.

“We knew that the conundrum issues of the world … would not be solved soon but refused to encourage you to avoid entering the fray,” he said. “What I understand with steely certainty is that we have hardly fallen short.”

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

Sherman Teichman, founding director of the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL), embraces graduating senior Abuzar Royesh at the 30th anniversary celebration luncheon for Tufts professors, students and alumni on May 9.

Despite the overall celebratory tone of the gala, there was an air of uncertainty surrounding the transition in leadership that will follow Teichman’s departure, which some feel could dilute the impact of the IGL. “The connections I’ve made through IGL programs have allowed me to get work over the summer and meet people in fields I’m interested in,” rising sophomore IGL participant Eva Kahan said. “After Sherman leaves, I’m concerned his fundraising power will leave with him, and things may not stay the same.”

Harris also commented on the difficulty of filling the role of the IGL director in his speech.

“I have had the unenviable job of finding a replacement for Sherman,” he said. “We will not try to replace him because that is impossible. But out of respect for his legacy, we won’t settle, either.”

Teichman told the Daily that his successor needs to be dedicated and open-minded, and ideally would be a member of the current IGL community of alumni and partners.

“My successor should be open to non-polemical thinking, and he should have a real reputation globally in order to contribute to the IGL’s legacy,” he said.

“They need networks in order to bring leaders and speakers into the program without the allure of an honorarium as well as a proven fundraising ability. More

Alex Bhak: remembering the boy who was ‘happy to be happy’

by Sophie Lehrenbaum News Editor

During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 2, first-year Alex Bhak passed away in a tragic accident in downtown Boston. He is survived by his mother, father and younger sister, Maya.

The Office of the President sent out an email to the Medford/Somerville campus community that day noting that the circumstances surrounding the death were still under investigation, and detailing that Counseling and Mental Health Services, as well as the University Chaplaincy and the Dean of Student Affairs Office, would be available to provide support for students. That evening, the university held a gathering in the Crane Room to give community members the chance to gather and process the news together, according to the university message.

Inthewakeofthenews,agroupof Bhak’s close friends painted the Cannon the following day in his honor, marking the ground beneath it with a quote from one of his favorite movies, “Fight Club,” which read, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

Funeral services were later held on April 10 at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Bhak’s

importantly, they have to be dedicated to their students.”

Barry explained that Sherman’s retirement will significantly impact the institute, but that the IGL’s strong foundations will make the transition easier.

“The IGL is at a significant transition point, as would be any organization having a leadership change from the founding director, especially someone who has built it and stayed with it for 30 years,” Barry told the Daily in an email. “Some things will change and many will continue, I believe, as long as the type of education that the IGL has embraced all these years…continues.”

After his retirement on July 1, Teichman said he will be starting a higher education consultancy called Trebuchet. Its mission, “encouraging transformative education for ethical global engagement,” is modeled on what Teichman has learned from leading the IGL, he said.

Teichman will be an emeritus of the IGL after his retirement, and he plans to “continue to help the institute thrive” in a new capacity.

He said he remains confident in the future of the institute.

“I believe the community is so vibrant, the human connections so intimate … there’s no doubt in my mind that the IGL will continue to thrive,” he said.

Faculty passes resolution in favor of divestment from fossil fuel industry

by Nicholas Pfosi Associate Editor

Office and some of Bhak’s close friends, held a candlelight vigil in Goddard Chapel on April 14 to correspond with Bhak’s birthday, as a celebration of his life and to remember the boy described by parents and friends as someone who was “happy to be happy.” “[At the vigil,] we viewed a memorial visual

Arts and Sciences and Engineering (AS&E) faculty passed a three-part resolution related to climate change during an all-faculty meeting in Ballou Hall on May 6. The resolution called for action on climate change — the first two proposals concerning divestment of the university’s endowment from the fossil fuel industry and the third urging for a plan to reduce Tufts’ carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

An overwhelming majority of faculty members supported the resolution, with 47 out of 61 voting members voting in favor of the first two proposals, and 59 out of the 61 voting for the third proposal.

see ALEX BHAK , page 10

see DIVESTMENT, page 11

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Snow falls on the Tufts Cannon on April 4, after it was painted to commemorate Alex Bhak (LA '19). hometown of New York City, and included a visual tribute, as well as words from University Chaplain Reverend Greg McGonigle and Bhak’s friends and family members from home and Tufts. The university provided a shuttle service to and from the services for 35 students, according to McGonigle.

Additionally, the University Chaplaincy, in cooperation with the Dean of Student Affairs

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Benjamin Hescott awarded Professor of the Year by TCU Senate

by Isha Fahad News Editor

Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate selected Benjamin Hescott, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, to receive the annual Professor of the Year Award, a prize distributed based on informal interviews and student nominations. Hescott’s name will be added to a plaque in the Mayer Campus Center, which lists all of the previous winners of the award.

Hescott’s previous teaching honors include membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society, the 2011 Computer Science and Engineering Undergraduate Teaching

Award and the 2013 Tufts Graduate Student Council Award for Outstanding Faculty Contribution to Graduate Studies.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win multiple awards in the past, but to win [Professor of the Year] directly from students … makes me very happy,” Hescott said.

The selection process for the honoree began with a campus-wide email asking undergraduates for nominations by March 9, according to TCU Senate Education Committee Chair Rati Srinivasan.

“The nomination form for Professor of the Year was simple and open-ended — it asked for the name of the nominee, their department and a description of why they should receive this award,” Srinivasan, a rising junior, told the Daily in an email.

She said that a group of TCU senators then ranked each of the 48 nominees on a scale between one and five, and after spring break, the three top-ranked nominees were interviewed by members of the TCU Education JIAXUN LI / THE TUFTS DAILY Committee.

“The goal of the interviews was to have more of an informal discussion than a formal interview, and everyone on [the] Education Committee had a wonderful time meeting these outstanding and inspiring professors,” Srinivasan said.

After the interview round, Hescott emerged as the winner, Srinivasan said.

Education Committee member and TCU Senator Chris Leaverton explained that Hescott’s dedication to his students was immediately apparent and impressive.

“I will say that from the first few minutes of our interview, it was clear to me that Professor Hescott prioritized his students above everything else,” rising sophomore Leaverton said.

“I was amazed by his kindness, humor and commitment to excellence … What struck me most was the importance he placed on adapting to the students in his classes.”

Hescott said that “teaching the class you have” is a key aspect of his teaching philosophy.

“Often people teach in order to primarily cover the syllabus they have in mind, but I think everyone has different preparation and skills,” Hescott said. “I focus more on people in the room, versus regimented topics.”

He explained that he draws on feedback from his students to best cater the course curriculum to the specific group of students.

“I [on the] draw participation of [the] class and listen to what they say; this is very import-

ant,” Hescott said. “Then, I teach only 75 percent of the material, I cut 25 percent of it.”

Beyond the classroom, Hescott also said that he enjoys conducting research with students.

“I really like doing research with undergrads,” Hescott said. “I was initially very passionate about physics and astronomy, but then I majored in mathematics; therefore, I like different areas of research and like engaging students in ways they like. I prefer students who come with a variety of interests.”

One of these students is Taher Mun, one of Hescott’s research advisees, who said that Hescott has an unwavering commitment to his students.

“There are times when I come into his office trying to figure out a research problem, and he drops everything he’s doing and directs his full attention at me in order to help me solve the problem,” Mun, a graduating senior, told the Daily in an email.

Other students like graduating senior Carly Reilly praised Hescott’s enthusiasm for the material he teaches.

“Ben is an incredible teacher in large part because his enthusiasm for the material is so palpable it becomes infectious,” Reilly told the Daily in an email. “He has endless energy, which makes what are fairly dense, theoretical topics more lively and interesting. It also helps that he’s super freaking funny and entertaining.”

University working group examines resources, support needed for undocumented students on campus UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS

continued from page 5 building a community is essential to feeling comfortable within the university environment and that “coming out” must be a part of this process.

“For Tufts to create an environment where undocumented students can be comfortable talking about their identity, we’re going to have to build that community,” Espinoza said.

“Because right now there is no community — all of us who are undocumented or who have undocumented family members or friends, there’s no community really, no way to bring us all together.”

Gracia explained that the process of “coming out” is often very intimidating for undocumented students used to protecting their identity in the face of negative public opinion towards undocumented immigrants.

“The discourse on the national front as well as in their own communities is one that paints a negative image of immigrants and makes for a hostile living environment,” she told the Daily in an email. “As you can imagine, the stress of living in fear and being constantly hyper-vigilant for years has very detrimental consequences to one’s mental health and sense of well being. That said, ‘coming out’ is a process and one that is unique to each individual. Our goal is always to meet students wherever they are in their journey and encourage and support them throughout that process.”

An unknown future Espinoza said that one of his major concerns moving forward is his future in the workforce after graduating from Tufts and that the working group is working on providing resources to students to find solutions in this area.

“It is a goal of the working group to see how to support undocumented students after graduation,” he said. “[The group has not] gotten there yet, really. We’re still working within Tufts, but we’re looking at working with the Career Center to find an answer to those kinds of questions. I’d like to know more information about what my life after college might be like. I don’t know how to get a job.”

Since attending the Boston SIM camp and speaking with undocumented students in the professional world, however, Espinoza has newfound hope for his and his peers’ futures.

“It’s a good feeling, to think I can do something. I’m not just going to leave college and have nowhere to go,” he said.

He also hopes that Tufts can organize a similar experience to instill that hope in its undocumented student community.

Stern agreed, saying that it is essential for Tufts to help undocumented students anticipate their futures after graduation, since the career opportunities for undocumented graduates are, as of now, legally limited.

“Right now, what undocumented people can do is start their own businesses, be consultants, contractors, freelancers,” he said.

“And obviously a big piece is gonna be counseling because if you’re an engineering student, what are your hopes for the future if you’re undocumented?”

According to Stern, adapting to life at Tufts and preparing for life after graduation is even more difficult for students who do not have DACA status. He explained that working opportunities for these students are limited even before graduation from the university. “[The working group] met with Financial Aid the other day to talk about how undocumented students can’t do work study using federal money, but can do work study within Tufts, but even within that there’s a difference between a DACA undocumented, who has some kind of card that gives him a right to work, versus undocumented that aren’t DACA,” he said. “We’re not only accepting student with DACA, we’re also accepting students who don’t have that paperwork.”

According to Espinoza, there is a significant difference between the legal capabilities and lifestyles of undocumented students with DACA versus those without it.

“DACA makes it easier to be a student because it gives you a working permit and a social security number,” he said. “If you don’t have DACA, it’s harder to get financial aid or any help at all. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have DACA.”

Follow the leader On March 2, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and undocumented American Jose Antonio Vargas gave a talk in the Cohen Auditorium on the plight of undocumented Americans and the way they are portrayed in the media. His visit to Tufts included conversations about the university’s new policy on accepting undocumented students, as well as a meeting with the working group, during which he provided insights based on his personal experiences, according to a March 4 Daily story.

During Vargas’ visit to Tufts, he sat down with the Daily to speak about the steps he felt Tufts still needed to take to support undocumented students.

“I just look forward to Tufts University taking a leadership role internally and externally, publicly, about their decisions when it comes to undocumented students at this campus,” he said.

Vargas also said that it is important for Tufts to take a leadership role among schools in the Boston area.

“I congratulate Tufts for getting to that place where they can talk publicly about it and welcome undocumented students. But how does Tufts now play a lead role and talk to BC, BU, Harvard, MIT, UMass Boston?” he said. “Now that they’ve made a decision, how do they leverage that and talk to other universities? Let’s get started in Boston. You know there’s no in-state tuition in Massachusetts.

Can we start there? The problem is absolutely systematic, but then again Tufts has decided to take this stance … It needs to go all the way, in the public and private realms.”

Massachusetts has an undocumented population of about 150,000, making up 3.4 percent of the state’s workforce, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center study on immigration. However, Vargas said the state has done little in the way of legislation to make these people’s lives easier, since undocumented residents still cannot get a driver’s license, although now those with DACA status can now apply for one.

According to Espinoza, other schools have expressed interest in looking to Tufts as a model for making their policies’ more inclusive following the policy change.

“Some other schools in Boston have expressed interest in getting to know the kind of work that Tufts’ working group is doing, and how we cooperate and communicate about undocumented students and coming out and supporting them, both financially and academically,” he said. “This could be a point to push other schools to work towards accepting undocumented students openly.”

While Stern recognizes a lack of active leadership on support for undocumented students outside the Tufts community, he said that since the admissions policy is still relatively new, there are still logistics needed to support admitted students.

“We first have to become a leader within our own campus in terms of following through on this policy,” he said. “Just admitting them is not enough, we need to … have a long-range view on what it means to have this new policy: how do we recruit students, what messages do we send out there, how many are we willing to support financially. We still have to get our house in order.”

Chief Diversity Officer Mark BrimhallVargas said that the new policy is still in its early stages, but that he has been involved in discussions about applying Tufts’ undocumented students policy to its graduate schools as well.

“We’re not really in a place to talk to other schools yet,” he said. “Let’s say another university asked us what’s the impact of having undocumented students, how much does this cost you … They’re going to ask us follow-up questions that we’re not prepared to answer yet, but we certainly want to be able to answer them soon.”

Mack said that while fixing issues internally is the priority, providing leadership for the Boston community is also highly important.

“The external-facing issues and the ideas that Jose [Vargas] talked about are so important … We have a lot of great schools in the area, and coalition building and collaborating will be key,” he said. “Connecting with the city and understanding the politics behind this movement and our connection to it is all going to be really valuable. But right now we have a responsibility to our students and our campus.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Monaco discusses issues surrounding housing, diversity on campus With an eventful academic year winding down and five years as University President under his belt, Anthony Monaco sat down with the Daily to discuss some of the major issues and events on campus.

Tufts Daily: What did you think about this academic year as a whole, and what are your thoughts moving forward?

Anthony Monaco: This was my fifth year — time has really flown by really quickly. I feel this year that we had a lot of momentum around our mission, which we describe as a student-centered research university … Across the university, we continue to push the idea of one Tufts, that we as a university, not a collection of schools, can really pool the expertise from our unique set of schools — the veterinary school, nutrition, medicine, dentistry, engineering, Fletcher — to work on global challenges.

TD: Where do you see the [Tufts-SMFA] merger going forward, and how do you see the two schools working together?

AM: Part of the success of this integration is because we’ve had such a longstanding relationship with them … Now that we have the school fully integrated, the curriculum will be integrated, and students will have many more courses they can take. Logistically, the building does need some renovation, and we will do that with the MFA, but they’re not moving … It’s not the SMFA if they relocate somewhere else because the beauty of it is the relationship with the museum, and being right adjacent to the museum.

TD: Tufts is one of the only three schools in the country that offers an organized gap year program [with the 1+4 Bridge-Year Service Learning Program] … How did the first year go, and how do you see this program continuing in the future?

AM: The first year, we had 15 students that took it up, and they were all at international sites. Next year, we think we’ll get more students, we added a domestic site through City Year … Much more than half [of the students] were on financial aid … In our goal of democratizing the gap year, I think that’s been hugely successful. For many of the students, it was [the] first time they’ve been out of the country because they didn’t have that accessibility to that type of travel before, so I think that experience, and bringing that back to the campus when they register and matriculate this year, will be great … Our goal is to grow that program to 50 students.

TD: International relations used to be the biggest major at Tufts, but now it is computer science. How is the university going to look to prioritize building up the computer science department’s resources and faculty?

AM: The unique thing about the computer science department is although it sits in engineering, it gets lots of students taking courses and majoring in it from Arts and Sciences. It’s one of the beautiful arrangements between the two schools that many universities don’t have, but what we’ve done to try to keep up with the demand — and it was almost exponential over the last two years … [is to] increase the number of faculty by three, and they’re also increasing the number of TAs. … [Dean of Engineering] Jianmin Qu is trying to think long-term how to deal with this. The other thing that we’ve been developing over the last year is working with faculty on what we want to do in the area of data science … It’s also showing our commitment to the area of data and computers going forward.

TD: Housing has been an issue for the past two years … how is the university addressing this issue and what are its next steps?

AM: There are concerns around housing, and not only the pressure of the quality of the housing, but also concerns about the number of students living off campus. Over the last couple of years, we [have], over the summers, renovate[d], [tried] to improve the quality of our existing housing stock. The Residential Strategies Working Group (RSWG) has

[looked] at the actual physical side of the dorms and the business case for any renovations or new dorms … [to] have a holistic look at where students are living, and what could change, and how would we plan going forward … Whatever we end up doing is going to have to be a phased approach — whether we renovate the oldest dorms to improve their condition, add some new rooms, think about neighborhoods in the different campus environment.

TD: There have been a lot of high-profile cases on campus relating to sexual assault or other types of safety concerns. How is the university going to move forward and maintain the safety of the dorms that are on campus?

AM: The Dean of Student Affairs, [Tufts University Police Department] TUPD, [Office of Equal Opportunity] and [Residential Life and Learning] are working together to evaluate and increase the security [particularly of Wren Hall] … In general, one of the biggest deterrents to that kind of thing happening is to have video security of the exit and entrance of dorms, that’s been a process that went forward starting a couple years ago. They actually hope that that’ll be finished in the next academic year.

TD: After #TheThreePercent protests, we understand that [administrators] met with [Black-identifying students] to try to come to agreements or connect with their demands.

AM: From our point of view, the meetings were very, very constructive. There were certain concerns that they had where we had already started to do things … One example is that [students] wanted more demographic data and transparency on numbers of students, faculty and staff around diversity.

This was a recommendation of the Diversity Council that I led, and the diversity dashboard is up [online] … that’s been very helpful to show as transparently as we can.

There was a category of concerns where the students very rightfully pointed out inequities or underfunding of certain areas, and we weren’t so aware of the concern before they voiced it, but when they did, it made complete sense to change the policy. One was around the TUPD coverage and metal detectors at certain events, and we decided to abandon that. … Also, the Africana Center wanted to have more funding for certain things, and we agreed to do a pre-orientation program with them on the African diaspora, and that’s being offered for the first time for the Class of 2020. The other thing was the mental health counselor, and we’re very pleased … we were able to hire … Linda Daniels, [who is] a great addition.

The biggest issue was around diversity in admissions and financial aid … The number of Black students — that’s all races — has gone from five percent to eight percent in the admissions class for next year, and I think a large part of that increase in yield is due to this partnership between the students and the Admissions office, so that to me is a win-win outcome of this conversation.

We continue to try to raise money for financial aid — it’s a huge priority — we have the Financial Aid Initiative, which will end this June … We hope we’ll get to the 90 million-dollar goal, but we continue to increase financial aid well above the rate of increasing tuition. Over a ten-year period, it’s probably been double the rate of the increase in the tuition, the rate by which financial aid is increased and for the entering class, we’ve been able to have the highest level in a long time of domestic students of color.

TD: Is the university going to do anything to improve retention rates among students of color?

AM: A lot of the transition programming — the [Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts] BEST and [Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts] BLAST programs — and just the general network in which the [Groups of Six] and the Dean of Student Affairs Office work is really about retaining students. We had some good

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

data in the last year around African-American students having comparable rates of retention. Historically, they’ve been slightly lower, but this last year, they were comparable [to other students]. We hope that we can [keep it at that level], but it’s really about that network of support, and the BEST and BLAST programs are wonderful examples about how you can have innovative programming to help transition students in, and keep them together as a group and provide support throughout their time here … The BLAST students have their first graduation this year, and their retention rates have been 100 percent.

TD: What about the demand for more faculty of color — is the university moving forward with that?

AM: We have a very strong policy [in Arts and Sciences and Engineering (AS&E)] that you’re not allowed to search [for new faculty members] unless you have a real plan on how you’re going to look at candidates with diverse backgrounds … We do much better in arts and humanities and social sciences in hiring faculty of color. In engineering and science, its been much lower … This is a national trend, and it’s a pipeline problem.

TD: What is the university going to do in the coming years in terms of Greek Life?

AM: Greek Life has grown somewhat in my time here; now something like 25 percent of students are involved … We want to make sure that they are inclusive. I have had conversations with them around diversity and how they give out financial aid … A couple areas where they’ve shown themselves to be a very positive force is the way they work on community partnerships and fundraising around good causes. And they’ve really stepped up in leadership around some of the alcohol issues, [and now have] sexual misconduct training, the Green Dot Program, the bystander program. They’ve take it seriously; their leadership is engaged, and their membership is engaged.

TD: On the topic of community engagement, Tufts has been working on the Green Line Extension — that’s been a cooperative effort as well — are there any updates on that?

AM: There [was] a sizable deficit in the original budget for the Green Line Extension.

My understanding at the moment is they are redesigning and rethinking how they procure the different stages of the project to try to overcome that deficit … My belief is that the Green Line Extension will happen. The question is what will they actually build and how much cost are they trying to push on people like the developers … That’s the big question mark — what can we afford to do?

TD: The Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) has continued to protest fairly actively for the past two years [in support of university janitors and union workers]. Can you respond to some of their labor demands?

AM: We procure, through a contract, custodial services from C&W, and they have a contract through SEIU, as the [union] representative of the janitors. By law, the university is not allowed to be the employer because the

contract between SEIU and those negotiations are between C&W and SEIU … We value the work that [the custodial workers] do, we value what they do for our community, but the way it’s set up, we don’t have a role in those negotiations.

Some of the concerns have been around union labor … Boston is 100 percent union, and on this campus right now, on the two big projects, it was 90 percent union. We’re not obligated here in Somerville and Medford to have all union, and we don’t … We certainly respect union labor, and we want to work with them and have them involved in our projects as much as we can, but in [the Science and Engineering Complex project], the one particular union just wasn’t competitive in their bid.

TD: There have been a lot of conversations lately on campus and across the nation about political correctness. What are your thoughts on the subject, given the [Jan. 13, 2015] op-ed you wrote for the Daily about freedom of speech?

AM: A college campus should be one of the great places where people should be able to express their different opinions … [There are] certain lines you shouldn’t cross — when you get into hate speech or racial slurs and things like that — but I do feel that people have to understand that people will get offended by some things you say, and you have to think about your moral imperative of living and being educated in this academic and residential environment. Yes, free speech is your right, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t think about and be sensitive to the people around you, and what the things that you say might hurt someone else’s feelings or make them feel further marginalized … That’s what we’re trying to educate students [about] during their time here, by having these conversations, for them and faculty members to understand that difference.

TD: What do you feel like your biggest accomplishments as president have been so far and what are your goals going into next year?

AM: It goes back to trying to articulate and get momentum on our mission. On the core, we’re student-centered, it is about the student experience, but we have quite a research university, and I really wanted to, in my time here, think about how we harness that to work on big, global challenges. I feel we’re in a good spot right now where we are, our students are coming in more selective, more engaged and getting involved in research …

We can’t expand everything, but we can be much smarter and more collaborative and interactive on how those things can work together to have a real impact on society.

TD: Is there anything else you want to add?

AM: Spring Fling went off really well this year … We want it to be safe, and it was the safest one in my five years here, and I think that’s something to celebrate. I don’t know how good the acts were, all I could hear was the bass vibrating.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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Join our newly-forming interfaith alumni association by emailing chaplaincy@tufts.edu or visiting http://chaplaincy.tufts.edu/alumni.

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* Networking * Alumni events * Support current students * Spiritual, ethical, interfaith, and social justice resources Pictured above (left to right): Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Jeffrey Summit G88, G95; Catholic Chaplain Lynn Cooper A02; Protestant Chaplain Chanta Bhan; Emily Bartlett A13, G15; University Chaplain The Reverend Greg McGonigle; Chaplaincy Coordinator Linda Karpowich; Humanist in Residence Walker Bristol A14; Muslim Chaplain Celene Ibrahim; Program and Outreach Specialist Zachary Cole. Not pictured: Buddhist in Residence The Venerable Upali Sraman; Music Director Christian Lane.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

University community mourns loss of first-year undergraduate ALEX BHAK

continued from page 6 tribute provided by Alex’s family, heard reflections by President Monaco, Dean [of Student Affairs Mary Pat] McMahon and International Center Director Jane Etish-Andrews, and listened to remembrances by Alex’s friends,” McGonigle said. “We then moved out onto the [Tisch] Library roof for a candlelight vigil and more remembrances, and we shared a reception in Alex’s honor.”

Bhak was, by all standards, a multifaceted and vivacious character, according to his friends.

“I don’t know where to start [with Alex],” Hisaam Mirza, a close friend of Bhak’s, said about his character. “He was a really, really nice guy, really generous, at times hilarious … he didn’t have a mean bone in his body.”

It was on the fourth floor of Miller Hall where Bhak unpacked his belongings for matriculation and forged close friendships with his neighbors, including Mirza, a firstyear, who had planned to live in West Hall with Bhak next year.

“He was in the room next to me, and we met on the first day of orientation week…”

Mirza said. “Just by virtue of the fact of living next to each other, we started hanging out more … What slowly started out as a friendship of proximity became something more meaningful, more like a bromance.”

He went on to explain that among those who knew him, Bhak was strongly associated with physical fitness. “[Alex] was really dedicated to the gym … if he was walking into Carm[ichael Hall], he was in

his gym gear, either grabbing a snack before the gym or coming back from the gym,” Mirza said.

The gym is precisely where rising sophomore Harrison Rubin believes his friendship with Bhak blossomed. Rubin explained that he and Bhak were part of a group of 10 students who worked out together consistently, which Bhak called a “really big team with really big rigs.” Almost every day, the group would exercise together for close to two hours, throughout which Bhak would coach his friends through elaborate workout routines that he had constructed, Rubin said.

“I met Alex during my first week of school here, at the freshman carnival, and we pretty much hit it off … and we became pretty close friends from working out. After that, our relationship took off,” Rubin said. “ I used to go to his room all the time, play FIFA with him, party with him, eat with him, go into Boston with him … we bonded over our love of Star Wars and celebrated our nerdy sides a little bit. We tried to one up each other … I wanted to buy a light saber, he already had two of them.”

Rubin sported a wristband printed in honor of Bhak, which read “happy to be happy” — a product which has been distributed across campus as a reminder of Bhak and his legacy.

“I never ever heard him talk negatively about anyone … [he was] just a really nice guy…[and] he was a coach to many,” Rubin said.

For Anna Tolette, Bhak’s girlfriend of five months, it was his generosity and genuine care for those around him that set Bhak apart from others. She explained his calm, rational pres-

ence often assuaged her stress and trepidations, and that he liked to surprise her with small, thoughtful tokens.

“One day, I was feeling really sad … and he literally came back [from Harvard] with a whole box of warm Insomnia cookies for me … he was just genuinely the nicest, most generous person I had ever met,” Tolette, a first-year, said.

According to Tolette, Bhak was a huge foodie, known as much for his weightlifting sessions at the gym as his love of late night Domino’s Pizza.

He was also fiercely proud of his diverse heritage, creating a pie-chart for Tolette to highlight his Korean-Indian-Polish-French and potentially German background, and ensuring that he took her to try “real, authentic” Korean barbecue, she said.

Tolette also explained that Bhak had a great passion for music and poetry, showing her a few of his own compositions on occasion.

She said that Bhak’s roommate had been teaching him how to DJ, walking him through how to spin everything from the electronic dance music (EDM) tracks he so loved to the music of Hozier, an artist that he and Tolette bonded over at Boston Calling last September.

Bhak also loved drawing and reading; Tolette laughed when she recalled her spring break trip to Florida with Bhak, where he took out Plato’s works for light beach reading.

“He is all of the best parts of both his parents, which is really amazing. They are the most wonderful people you will ever meet,” Tolette said. “They lost their son, but they were spending more time making sure I

was okay. The last people in the world…[who this should’ve happened to].”

For Tolette, Mirza and Rubin, as well as many of Bhak’s other friends, a critical part of the grieving process has been the support they have found in each other, their tight-knit group of friends and from other members of the community.

“It was one of the hardest things we have ever had to go through and hopefully will ever have to go through,” Mirza said. “The fact that we have each other truly helped us get through.

Everyone felt this. Sympathy is one thing.

Empathy? It’s a whole other entity.”

For now, Rubin seeks solace in his memories of playing FIFA in Bhak’s room, while Mirza fondly remembers strutting down College Avenue with Bhak on Halloween, dressed as Harold and Kumar. Tolette wears the necklace Bhak gave her for Christmas and speaks with Bhak’s younger sister every day. They all remember Bhak as the happy-golucky, bright presence he was during his life, and as Mirza explained, see a piece of him in everything they do.

“He has influenced us in ways I cannot describe. His mom said that Alex was ‘happy to be happy.’ I don’t think there is a more apt way to discuss his existence or legacy or memory … he loved … his experience at Tufts more than anything,” Mirza said. “He really liked his group of friends, was in a really happy relationship. He was really happy with his social life, routine, all the people he was meeting. He was incredibly happy here, and I think everyone in the community contributed to that.”

Suspected arson, bomb threats on campus TCU Senate year-in-review INVESTIGATION

continued from page 3 Boston Herald article stated that her car had been left outside the building for the weekend.

Over a dozen law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, were on campus throughout the day on May 9 to determine the cause of the fire and learn more about the threats. The buildings named in the note were evacuated and secured by 9:33 a.m., according to an email first sent through the Tufts Emergency Alert System.

The note contained language tying the burning car to the bomb threats, and alluded to ongoing tensions surrounding the university and its contracted janitors. It also threatened future bomb placements if not taken seriously.

Mary Jeka, senior vice president of University Relations and general counsel, said during a press conference on the day of the fire that the threats appeared to “be random.”

“At this juncture, the note did make some reference to janitors on campus,” she said at the press conference. “Law enforcement is investigating…if it is a member of the student groups or any outside organization.”

Jeka said TUPD had received information from a confidential source on May 8, the day before the events, that there would be a campus disruption, although she did not comment on the nature of the source or the disruption.

A May 9 press release from the Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC), a student group that has vocally supported Tufts janitors and labor, described the events of that morning to be, “completely contrary to the values of Tufts Labor Coalition.”

“Tufts Labor Coalition would never act in a way that would bring danger to any member of the Tufts community: workers, students, faculty and staff or administrators,” the release stated. “We are thankful for the first responders working to maintain the safety of our community and the essential employees remaining on campus.”

Support for Tufts’ janitors has been a major cause for the TLC, with highly visible non-violent actions on campus, including a week-long hunger strike and protests at the Commencement ceremony last spring, as well as recent protests at Jumbo Days to support janitors in their upcoming contract negotia-

tions. The note did not specifically name TLC, instead referencing the “labor movement.”

The union that represents janitorial staff at Tufts, 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 615, also sent out a press release condemning the morning’s events.

“The Union was shocked and dismayed to learn of the car fire and bomb threat at Tufts this morning,” the release read. “We pledge our full assistance with any official investigation, in whatever way we can help.”

As a result of the events, Tufts postponed exams scheduled for the morning, at noon and for 3:30 p.m. in Arts and Sciences and Engineering (AS&E) and all exams scheduled at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy until Thursday or Friday that week.

Lowe explained that Friday was chosen as a rescheduled date because few exams were originally scheduled to take place on that day, so that conflicts between exams and testing spaces could be minimized. Students who were inconvenienced because of preexisting travel plans were able to make arrangements with their professors and deans, she said.

“Rescheduling exams for some students who have situations come up is not an uncommon occurrence,” Jeka said during the press conference.

Rising sophomore Nick Golin said that although he first received an email about the bomb threats and fire at around 6:30 a.m., the notification about postponed noon final exams came three minutes before his scheduled exam for AST 009, Concepts of the Cosmos.

“It’s definitely unsettling because my test was supposed to be in Cabot, which was one of the suspected places,” Golin said.

Another rising sophomore, Judy Yau, had a final exam for Math 34, Calculus II, that morning. However, her exam took place as planned and she said there was no communication from the instructors beforehand.

“It’s kind of shocking as I learn more about the details, what they’ve given out, like the car fire,” Yau said. “I never expected that to happen here at a place like Tufts.”

Anyone with information about the May 9 incidents is encouraged to call the State Fire Marshal’s Arson Hotline at 1-800-682-9229 for rewards of up to $5,000.

by Vibhav Prakasam Assistant News Editor

Over the past year, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate has worked to make changes to campus and student life by passing several major resolutions, working on smaller projects and budgeting student group activities.

One of the first major developments of the year was the passage of the Indigenous People’s Day resolution and the faculty vote to officialize the holiday. The resolution, spearheaded by rising junior Benya Kraus and rising sophomore Parker Breza, called for the recognition of Indigenous People’s Day in place of Columbus Day, in order to celebrate indigenous peoples, on the Medford/Somerville campus.

Following the faculty vote that approved Indigenous People’s Day, Senate will continue to work on relevant programming, as well as work to enact this change at other locations.

Senate also took the major step to ensure the continuation of the Late Night Dining program and its extension to Carmichael Dining Center. The program’s started as a trial run and, based on its success, is going to continue in the future. There was much positive dialogue throughout the semester once it was introduced, according to graduating senior and outgoing TCU President Brian Tesser.

A few other significant resolutions were passed throughout the semester. The first resolution passed this year called on the university to allow students to select their gender pronouns on Tufts systems, such as Student Information System (SIS). A major one urged Tufts to act on demands laid out by #TheThreePercent student movement. Another called for the revision of graduation requirement distributions by the fall term of the 2018-19 academic year and a periodic review of these requirements on a four-year basis.

Other resolutions proposed the subsidization of printing for all undergradu-

ates through use of a third-party vendor, introduced the prospect of a program for Hindi-Urdu, two languages of India and Pakistan, as well as calls for dependent care services at Tufts, in which dependent care for faculty’s dependents would be reimbursed by Tufts.

Several project approvals also took place over the course of the semester.

Some of these included the attempt to revive the cognitive and brain sciences and linguistics minors, the establishment of a database where alumni and students can pair up in a mentor and mentee fashion, the development of an on-campus pub, improvements in Counseling and Mental Health Service (CMHS) treatment, the introduction of an indigenous studies minor, a trial program for free feminine hygiene products on campus and the request for more diversity on class reading lists.

TCU Senate also brought attention to changes in the housing system, including their involvement in the Residential Strategies Working Group (RSWG). There were four principal changes which Tesser was aiming for, including the revision of the first-year survey to more accurately reflect roommate compatibility, the introduction of a survey for rising sophomores to find roommates, more assistance in the search for off-campus housing and a closer inspection on mixedyear dorms. Progress is being made on all of these fronts, and relevant surveys have been sent out.

Elections for next year’s Senate body and executive board have also been finalized, with incoming TCU President Gauri Seth, a rising senior, as the first woman to be elected to the position since 2002.

“My time on Senate has been exciting because all of the dedicated people I’ve been able to collaborate with and the amazing projects I’ve been able to work on,” said Seth. “As President, I’m excited to continue that momentum and continue to work with other Senators and the wider student body to tackle the big challenges facing our campus.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | News | THE TUFTS DAILY

Ne w s

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Faculty endorse divestment from fossil fuels by wide margin DIVESTMENT

continued from page 6 While the faculty vote does not necessitate any vote or action from the Board of Trustees on divestment, Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell said the administration will share the results with the Board, and added that the trustees are “deeply interested in the views of faculty,” in a statement provided by Executive Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler. The university’s Board of Trustees meeting will occur later this month.

The faculty resolution comes in the wake of a series of actions carried out over the past year

by Tufts Climate Action (TCA) that began with a movement to occupy University President Anthony Monaco’s office in April 2015. The push for divestment at Tufts began in fall 2012 when the group was called Tufts Divest for Our Future, according to members of TCA. Monaco had stated during a 2014 announcement to the community that Tufts would not be divesting at the time, and that the university would initiate other sustainable infrastructure and financial changes. These initiatives include the Tufts Sustainability Fund — approved in November 2014 —which allows donors to exclude their contributions from investment in fossil fuels. In addition,

the university will open a new Central Energy Plant in early 2017.

Preceding the vote at the meeting, TCA member Luke Sherman and sociology professor Paul Joseph presented arguments for divestment, emphasizing the importance of the university’s leadership in pursuing climate justice.

Following their presentations, the body moved into a discussion, during which nearly a dozen faculty spoke about the resolution.

The majority spoke in favor of the resolution and two spoke in opposition.

Chair of the Department of Economics Dan Richards, who specializes in industrial organization and merger analysis, was one of the faculty members who expressed dissent. Richards argued that divesting from fossil fuels, which accounts for less than two percent of the endowment, is a weak signal to send on committing to combatting climate change. He added that the practice, at worst, could be seen as hypocritical since some faculty would still be conducting research that is funded by fossil fuel companies.

On the other hand, several faculty members said that, although divestment is not a panacea to climate change, the university has a moral obligation to divest. Urban and

Environmental Policy and Planning professor Julian Agyeman argued that the resolution is not just about climate change but about climate justice, saying that research shows that marginalized groups of people will be disproportionately affected by global changes.

“Climate change does not affect everyone equally,” Agyeman told the Daily in an email.

“Those in the U.S. and around the world who are least able to protect themselves, and have the lowest carbon footprints, are the first and worst affected. Seen this way, climate change is about climate justice. Divestment, while not a ‘silver bullet’, is, like divestment in the apartheid regime, an act of collective disapproval.”

Following the discussion portion of the meeting, the body moved into a paper-ballot vote on the three resolutions.

The first part of the resolution, calling for divestment from “fossil fuel holding in separately managed endowment funds” by the end of the 2016 – 2017 academic year, was passed with 47 in favor, 13 against and 1 abstaining. The second part, which asked the university to move to full divestment from all fossil fuel companies in the Tufts endowment with “proper consideration for the possible financial impact on the university,” was passed with a vote of 47-13-1. Finally, the

third part of the resolution, which asked Tufts to develop a “more deliberate, public action plan to place the university on track to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050,” was passed with a 59-1-1 vote.

Joseph said he was pleased with the results of the vote, noting that the overwhelming margin by which the resolutions passed is a good sign, since faculty often disagree on controversial issues.

“A greater than 75 percent vote is a clear and strong signal of the need to move away from business-as-usual and to place the university squarely in favor of making the transition away from dependency on the fossil fuel economy,” he told the Daily in an email.

Of a potential Trustee vote on divestment, Joseph said he is “cautiously optimistic,” adding that he is hoping to find a way to represent faculty opinion in a direct meeting with the Board of Trustees.

Sherman, a graduating senior, said he was thrilled by the outcome of the vote.

“It’s time that Tufts [demonstrate] real leadership on the issue of climate change by ceasing to finance an industry that is destroying the planet and disproportionately harming the most vulnerable members of society,” he said in a Facebook message to the Daily.

University offices look to centralize event registration process

by Hannah Uebele

Assistant News Editor

Various university offices will be working this summer to streamline their independent event registration processes into a centralized, simplified process by the beginning of the fall semester.

The new process — a collaboration between the Offices of the Dean of Student Affairs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) and Campus Life (OCL) — will impact the procedure by which students and organizations inform and request permission from the university for on and off-campus events.

According to Judicial Affairs Administrator Mickey Toogood, who is spearheading the centralization process, there are currently several different versions of the event registration process, each of which depend on the office through which a student chooses to register an event.

Toogood explained that students will be able to choose the office with which to register events but that registration will occur via a central registration portal through Tufts Student Life, which will direct the student to the proper resources. He said this will also better allow administrators to help guide students.

“It just keeps students from traipsing around from office to office,” Toogood said. “I think putting the burden on administrators to answer those questions — which they should be able to answer much faster than students will be able to — is I think a really important first step.”

Toogood said Tufts hopes to develop a website during the summer that would perform this centralizing function in order to make this process as easy and clear for students as possible.

“Hopefully a lot of these procedural changes will be invisible to students because they’ll just be taken care of,” he said. “You’ll just submit the form, and then everything that used to be done by hand or used to involve a couple different meetings will be taken care of by staff members who will then be back in contact with the student to say, ‘you’re ready to go.'”

Toogood said that administrators are also discussing the creation of a voluntary off-campus event registration system. This summer, they hope to work with both the Medford and Somerville communities to assess whether registering events, such as parties at students’ off-campus houses, would benefit all stakeholders, he said.

BELINDA XIAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

“For example, right now we have a program in Greek Life called RMAT,” he said.

“They’re the risk management assistant team, so they provide sober monitors for events, and we’ve gotten some interest from students who are hosting off-campus events for that kind of service. So they’d be able to say ‘yes, I’d like sober monitors at my party’ or something like that.”

Health Education Specialist Beth Farrow, who is co-chairing a committee focusing on the off-campus registration process as a part of the university’s Alcohol Task Force, explained that the committee has looked at the off-campus registration programs at other colleges and universities as models to help them develop a program for Tufts.

“We had a conference call with [Colorado State],” she said. “We have a lot of their materials … and they really stress kind of the community-university relation part of it, so that’s what we need to work towards now.”

Having an off-campus registration program can provide benefits to all parties involved, Farrow said.

“It’s been beneficial for the student’s who participated; it’s been beneficial for the local

police departments that have collaborated, the communities’ neighbors have had a very positive response to this and the university has benefited, so it’s been sort of a win-winwin for all involved,” she said.

Farrow explained that that students would be incentivized to register off-campus events, rather than keeping them private from the university, such as the implementation of a warning system where students would not be penalized as severely for first-time noise violations.

“If there is a noise complaint [from a neighbor], if you’re a registered party, potentially you get a warning from [Tufts University Police Department] TUPD or the local police department to say, ‘Hey, we got a noise complaint. We’ll give you X amount of time to kind of straighten this out before we come by,’” she said.

While some students may hesitate to allow the administration to oversee off-campus events and parties, Toogood said he feels registering for off-campus events would be advantageous to students. “[Colorado State] has had a very successful program where students are able to register

events with the university and sort of partner with the university and the local police department and manage their events better, so they’ve had fewer events that have gotten shut down and students have faced lesser penalties for violations and things like that,” he said.

Toogood said he believes the university’s program can serve as an instructive model.

“I don’t think we can exactly copy what they’re doing in Colorado because their community is different than the Medford/ Somerville community, but I think that model is something that we’re looking at when we think about going forward,” Toogood said.

As the administrators move forward with this planning, Farrow said that her committee is hoping to begin collecting student input on the program.

Toogood added that he is excited about the coming changes to the event registration process.

“I think it could be a really great thing for students, and I hope it becomes a resource and that the students feel that it is actually useful to them, and that it has simplified their lives as far as registering for events,” he said.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

CAPTURED: ACTIVISM AT TUFTS

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Protesters march around Ballou Hall during the #TheThreePercent rally on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. Students organized to protest anti-Black racism on the Tufts campus and other college campuses across the United States.

NORA NORD / THE TUFTS DAILY

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) protest the annual “Taste of Israel” event in the Carmichael Hall lounge on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating senior Margaret Ringler explains the Israeli Apartheid Week event on Tisch Patio to onlookers, while graduating senior Johnny Auld stands near a tent representing Gaza on March 9.

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

Student organizers celebrate the news that faculty voted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day on the Tufts Unviersity calendar outside of Ballou Hall on Feb. 24.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts Labor Coalition protests changes to the custodial staff outside Gifford house while the custodians' kids trick-or-treat. President Monaco stands in the back dressed as Gumby for Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015.

Members of the Tufts Climate Action demonstrate during a Tufts University Board of Trustees meeting outside Ballou Hall on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015.

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY ANA SOFIA AMIEVA-WANG / THE TUFTS DAILY

Workers protest the university’s use of non-union labor outside the Mayer Campus Center on Oct. 17, 2015.

Protest leaders deliver a list of demands to President Monaco's Chief of Staff, Michael Baenen during a protest against this year's 3.6 percent tuition increase outside Ballou Hall on Wednesday, May 4.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Features

Hank Azaria discusses time at Tufts, acting career

by Andrew Stephens Staff Writer

Comedian and actor Hank Azaria, the Commencement speaker for the Class of 2016, graduated from Tufts in 1987 with majors in drama and psychology. He went on to have a successful acting and voice acting career, notably voicing a number of characters on “The Simpsons” (1989-present) including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy. Azaria spoke with the Daily about his journey from performing in the Balch Arena Theater to working on a number of high-profile productions.

Tufts Daily (TD): Can you talk a bit about your experience while you attended Tufts?

Hank Azaria (HA): I really loved it … I came to school interested in drama, psychology and journalism, and ended up spending most of my time in the theater, and made a lot of really good friends through the drama department and a lot of really good friends uphill — guys who mostly went into finance, became doctors, lawyers. And many of them from both those worlds are still really close friends of mine … I really, really loved being on my own and being up there; I loved Boston.

TD: How has your Tufts experience influenced your career?

HA: [The process of] doing shows in the drama department at the [Balch] Arena Theater wasn’t that different when I got into the professional world … Knowing how much work goes into it, what the rhythms of it are,and what it takes personally and professionally to do it really made a big impression on me, and I learned that I really did love it. I don’t think I even realized how much I loved it until I looked back and thought, “boy, I really spent every waking hour in that theater,” so I must have really enjoyed it.

TD: Tell us a bit about your career path after graduating from Tufts.

HA: Leaving Tufts I was kind of a theater snob. I’d only really worked in theater, I thought that, really, theater was what I wanted to do as opposed to film or TV. [I thought] I wouldn’t turn down TV, I wouldn’t turn down any work, but that’s what I really wanted to pursue. So I went to New York, which is where I grew up, and I got an agent pretty quickly, but I didn’t get any theater jobs … Within a year of graduating, I moved out to LA and pursued television and film acting. And I did some theater, stand-up, all kinds of things. And within a

year or two, I started working on “The Simpsons.” I was young, I think I was 23 when I auditioned for it.

TD: How do you feel about where you are now in your career?

HA: I’m really happy with where I’m at now. I’m still doing “The Simpsons.” I have a bunch of jobs, and I really love them all.

I just finished a play at the Public Theater, and hopefully going to be on Broadway doing a musical version of “The Honeymooners” either this fall or this spring. I work on “Ray Donovan” (2013 – present); I really love working on that TV show. I’m about to start my own series for IFC about a baseball announcer who loses his mind on the air, a character I’ve done since I was in junior year of high school. It only took about 40 years, but I finally got a show developed for him. I feel really fortunate that I get to do a lot of different stuff.

TD: How do you think voice work and the animation industry has changed over the years?

HA: “The Simpsons” ushered in a new era of animation. When we first premiered we were sort of edgy, and now we’re quite tame compared to shows like “Family Guy” (1999 – present) and “South Park” (1997 – present) … It’s really awesome to see how much you’re allowed to get away with in comedy and how much adult sensibility has been brought to it, even more so in live action stuff. Speaking on the process, not much has changed. Now all the animation’s digital; when I was first doing it it was still drawings … and it’s gotten much quicker. It used to take a year, year and a half to get a Simpsons episode out there, now it still takes a while but it’s a lot quicker than that.

But the process hasn’t really changed. People go record voices and then they animate; that’s basically how it goes.

TD: Who is your favorite voice to do on “The Simpsons?”

HA: Professor Frink, because it’s so silly, and once I start doing it I can’t stop. It’s based on Jerry Lewis, the originally nutty professor many years ago … which I loved as a child.

TD: What advice do you have for Jumbos who want to follow your path?

13 tuftsdaily.com

Melissa Feito The Story of Stories

The future of memory

R

COURTESY HANK AZARIA'S STAFF

HA: Find classes that you like (acting, voice, or whatever you want to do). That’s really important for a few reasons: one, it’s good to learn; two, it’s important to stay busy working at your craft. It’s extraordinarily important to start working right after school.

It’s important to find a place where you can keep working, even if you aren’t getting paid to do it yet … And have patience and be persistent. Good things don’t usually happen overnight … For every one “yes” you get, you get literally about a hundred “no”’s. If you stay with it and you work hard, you [still] need to get lucky, but I think luck presents itself over and over again. The business will let you know if it wants you to be part of it or not; that will become apparent after a few years.

And I think it’s good to have a Plan B. I was all fit to go back to grad school for psychology, and really assumed I would. I just wanted to try [acting]; I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t give it a shot while I was young, so I did.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

eaders, it’s been a great semester exploring stories with you all. In this final issue, I’d like to turn your attention to a more terrifyingly ephemeral topic: your memory. As we graduate and move onto this so called “real life,” what kind of narrative do we write for ourselves in order to remember our time at Tufts? We know that memory is imperfect, so inevitably, we will intentionally or unintentionally emphasize or even draw up stories to cement Tufts in our life experience.

The truth is, you can never really remember an experience — only reconstruct it. When I was about 11-years old, I remember sitting on a boat, and for whatever reason, I decided to begin an experiment that has lasted over a decade at this point. I wanted to see how perfectly I could recall a specific moment in my life. At that moment, a bucket of water was thrown onto the deck in order to wash away a chalk diagram of a jellyfish my camp counselor had drawn. This image has stayed with me for years, but in all honesty, I think by this point, most of this memory has been fabricated; the stormy skies, the bright blue (or pink?) chalk drawing dripping off the side of the craft. No matter how hard I try to remember my feelings, my reasoning or even the actual things I saw — my mind can only fill in those gaps.

Science tells us that memory is imperfect. As best as I understand it, the more we replay a memory in our head, the more fractured it becomes and the more fabricated we must make it in order to fill in the gaps. To no one’s surprise, there’s a fantastic RadioLab episode about this titled “Memory and Forgetting,” which I highly recommend. But anyways, humans unfortunately do not possess perfectly eidetic memory, so we cannot rely on memory alone to help us remember a place or an experience. This is why people take photos, journal and record video — to show them what their minds can only summarize.

Last month, I wrote about how we use social media to represent fictionalized and idealized versions of ourselves, rewriting our flawed selves into almost characters.

My concern with my Tufts experience is that most of what I have to remember my experience at Tufts by are these Facebook posts, Snapchats, Instagrams … What if I forget all the pain, all the doubt and all the struggling that happened in between?

Seniors, it’s not that I think that we should all be constantly reliving our imperfections, but I do think that our flawed stories are formative and make us who we are today.

What I’m trying to say to the class of 2016 — in my own kitschy way — is that we are never going to perfectly experience Tufts ever again. Our minds aren’t built that way. So as we record this highly ceremonial day forever into our family albums (or Facebook albums), don’t be afraid of documenting the sadness that comes with leaving friends behind, or the anxiety that comes with not knowing your next steps.

In the end, it will make you a much more complex person (or character, if you will?) in the unfolding drama of your own life.

Melissa Feito is a graduating senior majoring in English. Melissa can reached at Melissa.Feito@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Kelly Sims Gallagher discusses last year’s Paris agreement, future of international climate policy

A semester in review

L

by Jake Taber

Features Editor

This academic year saw the adoption and subsequent signing of what a Dec. 16, 2015 Atlantic article called “the most important piece of international diplomacy in years”. At the 21st Conference of Parties in Paris in Dec. 2015, 195 nations finally hammered out a deal on international cooperation on greenhouse gas mitigation; last month, on Earth Day, 175 nations signed it. If it remains intact, it could put the world on a path to getting serious about limiting emissions, and while many scientists say the agreement doesn’t go nearly far enough, most still see it as climate policy’s most important moment to date.

Hopes for the deal would have been slim, however, were it not for the success of another set of talks held a year prior. In November 2014, after nine months of bilateral talks, the United States and China announced joint action to mitigate their countries’ environmental impacts, signaling a mutual commitment to acting on climate change. The two countries’ combined greenhouse gas emissions account for more than a third of the global total. Without the say-so of either one, international deals tend to be ineffective, like the Kyoto Protocol post-1998, which wasn’t ratified by the United States.

Kelly Sims Gallagher, currently a professor of energy and environmental policy at Tufts’ Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, was one of the key members of the United States’ team during the talks with China. At the time of the negotiations, she was serving both in the White House as a senior policy advisor in its Office of Science and Technology Policy and in the State Department as a senior China advisor with its Special Envoy for Climate Change.

“The fact that [the US and China] came together gave the world a lot of hope that we could get a global agreement,” Gallagher said of the 2014 deal’s effect on the Paris talks. “It didn’t guarantee it, but it was a big infusion of excitement and energy, and the plausibility of getting an agreement in Paris suddenly grew dramatically.”

Gallagher is an expert on the Chinese energy system, a subject of vital importance when it comes to global warming policy. China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest emitter in 2007, and today it produces about twice as much CO2 as the US does. Gallagher, who recognized China’s importance early on, studied US-China cooperation on energy for her master’s degree at the Fletcher School. In 2003, she completed her doctorate at Fletcher as well, studying the Chinese automotive industry.

“At some point, I realized how important China was going to be in the future just because of its sheer size,” Gallagher said. “I decided in graduate school to focus on China … My hope and ambition was to become really more of an expert on the Chinese energy system.”

After spending 7 years at Harvard, first as a predoctoral research fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and then as a lecturer, she returned to Fletcher as a faculty member in 2009. Her involvement with the White House and the State Department began in 2013, when she

Kinsey Drake Channeling Ina

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

Professor of energy and environmental policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Kelly Sims Gallagher poses for a portrait on April 24. sent them a memo advocating for an agreement with China.

“Both countries were domestically doing a lot of progressive stuff for climate policy, but it hadn’t really translated into international agreements … I sent in a memo recommending a US-China agreement in November 2013 — both [to] the White House and the State Department — and they invited me to come down and talk about it and defend [it],” Gallagher said. “I think it played some role in their decision to do this with the Chinese.”

Once she proposed the agreement to China, which supported it, she was brought on by the White House and the State Department in an advisory role.

“The negotiations were led in the White House by [former counselor to President Obama] John Podesta and in the State Department by [former U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change] Todd Stern, and I was an advisor to both of them,” Gallagher said.

“There was a relatively small group of people on the US side.”

The 2014 deal gave the United States a target of a 26 to 28 percent reduction in their emissions by 2025, relative to 2005 levels.

China aims to peak their emissions around 2030; this marked the first time they’d agreed to set a time at which their emissions will begin to reduce.

Some weren’t excited about the deal. At the time, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) lamented that “it requires the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years.” His complaint represents a common point of resistance in the United States to bilateral action on greenhouse gas emissions with developing countries: there’s an idea that the measures will do nothing but harm the US economy while China and India get a free ride, spending nothing on mitigation and continuing to pollute.

Gallagher, however, said that when it comes to climate policy, China is more progressive than they’re given credit for.

“In terms of policy, the Chinese are definitely moving faster than we [the United States] are,” she said. “There’s no question they’re building renewable energy faster than any other country in the world.”

China has announced that it plans to triple its installed solar power capacity by

2020, according to a March 21 Bloomberg article. Last fall, in the lead-up to Paris, they announced plans for the implementation of a nationwide carbon cap and trade system, according to an Oct. 6, 2015 piece in Foreign Policy. An April 25 New York Times article noted that China has halted plans for new coal-fired power stations in many parts of the country.

“The challenge for China is that their existing system relies on coal much more heavily than ours does, about 70 percent of their existing energy system,” Gallagher said.

“Somehow, they have to transform their existing energy infrastructure in order to achieve reduction … we don’t have that challenge because coal only accounts for 20 percent of electricity in the United States.”

A Dec. 10, 2015 US News article noted that China’s push to cut carbon emissions has been largely driven by its staggering nationwide pollution crisis. An August 2015 paper released by members of California research organization Berkeley Earth found that outdoor air pollution contributes to the death of 1.6 million people every year in China.

Gallagher said that China came to the 2014 talks ready to make a deal.

“It was clear throughout the negotiations that both sides were interested in reaching an agreement,” she said. “This was not a situation of a zero sum game, where you’re trying to divide up a pie, but it was rather a situation where we both wanted to exercise and demonstrate leadership.”

With the success of the US-China talks, the groundwork was laid for success in Paris.

Gallagher attended the talks, which ran from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 of last year, along with a “Tufts delegation” of 10 students and faculty organized and supported by the Tufts Institute of the Environment.

“You have the actual negotiations taking place, then you have what you call the country pavilions … and then there was a whole NGO space, where there were a whole lot of side events, and people hosting workshops and panel discussions and so forth,” Gallagher said. “Anyone could go to the NGO pavilion, [but] you had to have a special pass to get into see GALLAGHER, page 18

adies and gentlemen, I would like to paint for you the picture of where we have been and where we are going, so that your education does not pass by you like a warm summer’s day. And by education, I mean all of the extensive (i.e. potentially interesting but mostly superfluous) information about food, cooking and the Boston culinary scene that I have given you over the course of the semester. (Aside: I took that first sentence from my high school physics teacher, Mr. Dunbar, and I have found it at times to be a great transition sentence. Professor Chris Gregg has also been known to use a similar sentiment in his final lectures. Try it out sometime and see for yourself.)

After writing “Channeling Ina” for the past semester, there are a few things that I hope have stayed with you. I hope that you have the knowledge to put on a fancy appetizer spread in Carm or Dewick. I hope that you now understand that as a college student, you should really know how to bake chocolate chip cookies and throw together a platter of nachos. If you still do not know how to use your microwave to make oatmeal, go back and read my column from Feb. 17. I hope that you know how to improvise sauces and fancy salads in the dining halls and will do so confidently, even when faced with the perils of open block.

We have been through bakeries and cookbooks, podcasts and Instagrams. I have forced you to think about chemistry in the context of food, and if you know me, chances are I have made you learn the recipe for Chez Carmichael’s Thai peanut sauce. It has been quite the gastronomic spring.

Most importantly, however, I hope that where “we are going” is a destination of culinary exploration and pleasure. Appreciating good food should never be an exclusionary activity. If your idea of a great meal is cold leftover pizza while someone else’s favorite meal is a fancy 11-course meal — guess what? Neither experience is more important than the other one.

The reason why food is so complex and interesting for so many people is because there are so many types of food and food experiences that make all kinds of people happy. My wish for all of you is that you find that type of food that makes you jump for joy. Search for it in dining halls, farmers’ markets, grocery store aisles or even social media.

Maybe it will be Sour Patch Kids or maybe it might be sous-vide beef tenderloin. And once you find your culinary nirvana, share it with everyone.

Heck, become that cuisine or recipe’s food evangelist. Share your food passion with the world, and let’s strive to make this world a tastier place.

Kinsey Drake is a rising junior majoring in biochemistry. Kinsey can be reached at kinsey.drake@tufts.edu.

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Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

F e at u r e s

Developing an institutional memory at Tufts: African-American history on the Hill

by Nina Joung Features Editor

For most Tufts students, time on the Hill lasts only four years, and their memory of Tufts only includes the people they met and the experiences they had within that time. However, some students and faculty — both current and late — have devoted their time to looking back decades, even centuries, into Tufts’ history to integrate the people and experiences of the past into Tufts’ current collective memory.

Professor Gerald Gill, who passed away on July 26, 2007, spent his career educating the Tufts community about the history of African-Americans at Tufts. Since then, many Tufts students and faculty from the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD), Africana Center, Africana studies and Tufts Digital Collections and Archives, just to name a few, have worked to continue his work of encouraging greater awareness of African-American history at Tufts as part of the broader Tufts experience.

According to those who have read this history, knowing the African-American history

House, the Lena D. Bruce (E ’92) and Anita Y. Griffey (LA ’89) Bench and Goddard Chapel Plaque.

“It makes the Black presence at Tufts a natural part of the landscape,” Pearl Robinson, professor of political science, said in a March 7 Daily article.

Another important part of the significant community history marked by the trail is the Royall House and Slave Quarters. Even though Tufts was founded in 1852, African-American history at Tufts goes back as early as 1737, when the Royall family — the largest slaveholding family in Massachusetts — built an estate on current Tufts land, according to a March 7 Daily article. This shared piece of land sits on the east side of College Avenue across from the gym, according to Peter Gittleman, co-president of the Royall House Association. The Royall House is open for tours and still sits between Tufts’ gym and Medford Square.

“We hope visitors walk away with a deeper understanding of slavery in the North,” Gittleman told the Daily in March.

“So many people think of slavery as a

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Royall House and Slave Quarters were home to the largest slaveholding family in Massachusetts and over twenty enslaved Africans. of Tufts has the power to inspire activism and community among each generation of students.

To encourage others to understand this history and honor the physical markers of the impactful Black presence at Tufts, Gill put together a photo exhibit that chronicled African-American history at Tufts called “Another Light on the Hill: A History of Black Undergraduate Students,” according to a Feb. 4, 1988 Tufts Journal article.

The exhibit was first displayed in 1988, then again in 1989, and was expanded and displayed again in 2003, according to the Tufts University Art Gallery website. The exhibit included photos, yearbooks and newspapers that portray eras and individuals important to Black student life at Tufts.

In the article, Gill said that this was the first time that anyone had documented the history of Black students at Tufts, which he believed should be an interest of the entire community. He added that most of the history he had uncovered had been forgotten or never really known.

“The lessons of history are always important to understanding the present,” Gill said in the Tufts Journal article. “Part of what I hope this exhibit accomplishes is giving today’s students some context by which to judge the current state of race relations both here at Tufts and nationally.”

In addition to the exhibit, Gill’s documentation work helped form the Tufts/ Medford Black Freedom Trail, a path of on-campus sites that signal important stories and moments in African-American history at Tufts. These include the Capen

al celebration edition of Tufts Magazine, Black students left Tufts during the Great Depression because of financial setbacks, and fewer Black students enrolled in comparison to the decade before. This decreased enrollment of Black students was seen in colleges and universities nationwide.

Decades later during the civil rights movement, students of all races questioned the small Black student population at Tufts, according to Gill. In the fall of 1964, psychology professor Bernard Harleston established the Committee on Negro Education to encourage recruitment of Black students. Harleston was the first African-American tenure-track professor, and South Hall will be renamed as Bernard Harleston Hall this fall in his honor, according to a May 2 Daily article.

Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, students at Tufts were spurred to create a student organization called Students Concerned About Racism (SCAR) whose goals were to increase recruitment of Black students and to raise money for scholarships, according to Gill. As a result, the Black student population increased by 700 percent from 1966 to 1972.

In addition to low Black enrollment, the African-American community at Tufts had to deal with other instances of discrimination and violence. According to Gill, in the early 1950s, there was concern about the racially exclusionary practices of most fraternities and sororities on campus. It wasn’t until 1963 that all campus fraternities and sororities adopted non-discriminatory clauses.

Junior Andrew Wofford, a history major who works at CSRD, also documented a 1975 hate crime committed against members of the Carpenter House, originally the African-American Cultural House, by members of the Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity. Past documents from the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) and the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, as well as open letters from representatives of the African American Society as well as Head Resident of the African American Cultural House Hilda Holloman, describe the lack of concern TUPD had for the Carpenter residents and the light punishment of the hate crime’s perpetrators, according to Wofford’s Nov. 16, 2015 Tufts Postscript article on the incident.

In addition to documenting discrimination, Gill also highlighted Black students’ historic involvement in Tufts activities and organizations. Black students in the mid1950s through the mid-1960s who were involved in student government, drama productions and choral groups, student publications and numerous campus organizations. In the 1970s, Black students served on Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and starred or co-starred in campus productions as well.

southern issue, but in the 18th century, slavery was quite common in the northern states. The Royalls were certainly on an unusually large scale … but many New Englanders were involved in some aspect of slavery.”

Kendra Field, interim director of the CSRD and an assistant professor of history and Africana studies, described how Tufts’ relative distance from the period of slavery, its convergence with the abolitionist movement and its Universalist founding make the university better known for its connections to abolitionism.

One of these connections is a memorial stone commemorating prominent Medford abolitionist family, husband and wife George and Mary Stearns, whose estate was a waystation on the Underground Railroad between 1850 and 1860. The memorial, which is located by Cousens Gym, describes the estate as a “haven for see HISTORY, page 18 slaves seeking freedom,” according to a Feb. 9, 2015 Tufts Now article.

The legacy of slavery continued to be present nationally at at Tufts, with Gill’s research of Black historical presence on campus showing the university to be a microcosm of national social trends in many ways.

According to Gill’s article, “Another Light on the ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY Hill: Black Undergraduates A portrait of Tufts alumnus and student athlete Edward and Tufts,” which appeared Dugger Jr. (A ‘41) at a gathering to dedicate a plaque in in the sesquicentenni- Dugger’s honor on April 23.

15

John Russell Bridge the Gap

Stay the course

W

e live in an era when more and more people are choosing to live in urbanized areas. These people are also more likely than their predecessors to eschew car ownership in favor of transit pass ownership. As such, cities around the country have been investing in a wave of transit infrastructure projects.

This is a worthy trend that ought to continue, both around the country and in the Boston area.

The reasons for this trend extend beyond just meeting demand for transportation. By creating a transportation network that does not rely on individual car ownership, cities across the country become more sustainable and find more room for green space. The positive effects of transit go beyond adding transportation options; transit helps make the city a more pleasant place to live.

But despite the trend of transit expansion, there is more that could and should be done.

I wrote earlier this semester about the signal system problems on the MBTA’s Red Line that prevent higher frequencies during rush hour, despite overcrowded trains. This is an example of a common sense transit project that should be prioritized.

Another incomplete — but logical — project for the Boston area would be an expansion of traffic signal priority which adjusts the duration of traffic light cycles to reduce the waiting time of transit vehicles. Since transit vehicles usually carry far more people than cars, traffic signal priority has the power to decrease cumulative waiting time among all people passing through the intersection. By improving transit speeds, transit agency operating costs would decrease and transit services would be more attractive to potential customers. But right now, only twelve MBTA locations have traffic signal priority.

The lesson to be learned is that although transit projects are important and should continue, they should also be done right, and with an eye toward maximizing the total public benefit. This means making transit more efficient whenever possible, as Amtrak’s spectacularly inefficient long distance routes demonstrate. And regarding the sustainability of transit funding, Rayn has written in a number of his columns about how transit agencies should acknowledge that they have a cost problem, and should consider partnering with real estate developers to utilize transit-owned land to generate additional revenue streams. Rayn has also discussed the ways in which transit agencies should coordinate better within cohesive geographic regions. These, too, represent common sense ways to maximize the benefits from our transit networks.

I recently wrote about what people like me actually want when we say that this country needs more transit. In that article, I concluded that, on some level, there really is no substitute for on-demand personal transportation, such as the automobile (or a taxi). But consider this: imagine what Boston would look like without its transit network. Not only would traffic congestion rule the day, but it would take longer to get around without the T. Streets would be wider and sidewalks narrower. Parking lots would mushroom. Simply put, we can’t afford to not have a vibrant transit system, and in this world of high oil prices and higher demand for transit, it is only right that we continue to invest in transportation solutions that help sustain our cities into the future.

Rayn and I have enjoyed writing this column this semester. Thank you to those who have taken the time to read it.

John Russell is a graduating senior majoring in mathematics. John can reached at john.russell@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Class of 2016 SENIOR PROFILES Phillip David Ellison

Phillip David Ellison is not your average graduating senior. A transfer student, Ellison found his passion creating educational opportunities for others through his time at Tufts. Now graduating with a double major in Africana studies and history and a minor in entrepreneurial leadership studies, his list of accomplishments includes winning the Gordon Institute 100K competition and receiving the Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service this year.

Before Ellison came to Tufts, he had dropped out from Pennsylvania State University after three years due to a lack of health care and financial aid. He then spent five years working in various places ranging from liquor stores to construction sites. From 2009 to 2010, Ellison worked in City Year’s oneyear national service program, which led to his interest in attending Hostos Community College in the South Bronx, where had did his service, in 2011.

“Lots of skill sets [I gained] from service [at City Year] are entrepreneurial skill sets ... like learn how to be collaborative [and] how to be adaptable,” he said. “I learned about education and commu-

nities but also learned how to be an entrepreneur.”

Driven by these experiences working in education and politics, Ellison eventually chose to come to Tufts in 2013 through Resumed Education for Adult Learning (REAL) — a program for returning students — to study entrepreneurship and ZIQING XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY technology.

“Tufts is a liberal arts college, but more,” he said. “My dad was an entrepreneur, so I have always had this idea of coming to school to explore social entrepreneurship and technology.”

When Ellison took a social entrepreneurship class in Tufts’ Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies (ELS) program, he realized that many of his former classmates had limited access to resources and opportunities. As a Tisch College scholar, he began working on creating a mobile app that could make transfer processes for community college students more efficient and effective.

“I used my Tisch Scholar projects to mentor in community colleges,” he said. “I went to Roxbury Community College in Roxbury, Boston. I met with a transfer advisor, and she connected with my stories and experiences and how I want to help with community college students ... That’s how they became my first pilot partnership.”

Ellison applied to the Gordon Institute’s Tufts Ideas Competition twice with his mobile app idea but was rejected both times.

“People questioned [me]... they didn’t think it’s feasible, and not many people are

interested in the product for community college,” Ellison said. “People were not focusing on community college. What changed was...

President Obama has put emphasis on the community college in [the] last two years.”

After Tufts didn’t accept his idea, Ellison and his team went in August 2015 to Smarter in the City, an incubator that helps diverse, lower-income entrepreneurs create companies. With the incubator’s help, they were introduced to mentors and learned how to build a mobile app.

“We are developing a mobile app first, but that’s only the first product,” Ellison said. “The bigger vision is to create a digital ecosystem around educational, career and life opportunities for community college students. We are going to sell data to fouryear colleges so that four-year schools can recruit and send scholarships depending on the data of community college students. We are going to charge community colleges and a four-year school, and hopefully, we can get money from employers, so students can use it for free.”

He explained that after this initial step, he and his team will work on things such as geo-notification, where the app will automatically send out relevant notifications based on the student’s location. Ellison and his team hope the app can solve accessibility issues, connecting community college students to relevant and important information, such as visiting schools on campus, internship opportunities or financial aid application deadlines.

“We are building a product that we want all community college students [to] use, but we also hope [our product] really benefits first-generation, low-income and non-white students because often these students have little money or limited knowledge about college application processes,” Ellison said.

Following his graduation from Tufts, Ellison will work on his startup full-time,

and plans to test this mobile app this summer. City Year, Comcast and NBC Universal have given him a $5,000 fellowship to participate in the Millennial Trains Project, which leads crowd-funded transcontinental train journeys for diverse groups of young entrepreneurs to launch their products along the way.

“I am going to live on a train for 10 days [traveling to] six cities from L.A. to Detroit to test the mobile app,” he said. “I am going to different schools and meet with the administrator and get user feedback for the mobile app.”

While at Tufts, Ellison said that while he had access to a lot of resources, Tufts does not prioritize the needs of Black students. Ellison participated in #TheThreePercent movement last fall.

“As an Africana [studies] major who works at the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, I know the history of Black students at Tufts since [1909], when the first Black student graduated at Tufts,” Ellison said. “When in 1968 Mather Luther King [Jr.] died, Tufts had 20 Black students. Since then, it used to be 100 to 120 Black students at Tufts; however, the number of Blackidentified students in the whole freshman class this year is 68.”

Ellison said that being older than his peers and being a non-traditional student made his transition to Tufts somewhat difficult.

However, he said he has made a variety friends on campus over time.

“Those friendships I made through Africana Center, Tisch Scholar Program, the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and my study abroad experience in Hong Kong and people who really inspired me to continue learning have been really important to me,” he said. “I think I am leaving Tufts more global and [with] a better understanding of how the world works.”

— By Yunan Zhang

Jehan Madhani Watch out, Tina and Amy — there is new talent on the scene. Graduating senior Jehan Madhani, a Tufts/SMFA Dual Degree student, co-founded the all-female comedy group, Tufts Funny Ladies (TFL). Madhani has certainly made her mark on the Tufts comedy scene and plans to further her comedic and artistic talents after graduation.

A Texas native, Madhani grew up loving to draw. In middle school, she aimed to draw “the best ‘Harry Potter’ fan art” there could be, subsequently becoming interested in animation in high school.

The transition from animation to comedy in college was natural, although she never lost her passion for the former, continuing to study it through the SMFA, she said.

“Animation, for me, was always a way to make people laugh … I came to [comedy] pretty late, but it was always in the back of my mind. It went from posting funny Facebook statuses I thought my friends’ moms would like to joining [Tufts sketch comedy group] The Institute,” she said.

According to her, Madhani started comedy during her eighth semester. She mentioned that although she had been to stand-up and Major: Undecided meetings her first year in college, she had not felt comfortable until her senior year.

Instead, throughout her first three and a half years, she pursued activities such as a WFMO radio show and the Quidditch

team. Finally, during her senior year, she auditioned for The Institute. She succeeded and has been a member since.

In addition to receiving encouragement from friends and family, Madhani points to a certain female comedian as being a driving force behind her decision to do comedy.

“I think, for me, a big thing was seeing Mindy Kaling, someone of South Asian descent, making comedy and deciding [for myself] that I could do that and that I wanted to do that,” she said.

She noted that joining Tufts’ comedy groups was a great decision. She said that although the Quidditch team provided her a community she loved, the comedy scene provides her with a community while simultaneously serving her passions.

Besides The Institute, Madhani also lent a hand in shaping TFL, the newest all-female comedy group on campus.

Regarding its creation, Madhani said that the original idea was not her own. She noted that Aliza Small (LA ’16), first female director of The Institute, created a TFL Facebook page and added the women from comedy groups such as Cheap Sox, Major: Undecided, The Institute and Tufts StandUp Comedy Collective. Madhani said that the original purpose of TFL was much different than its current one. “[Small] wanted to create a digital space, essentially, for everyone to talk about their struggles because being a

woman in comedy isn’t necessarily easy,” she said.

With Madhani and others’ help, the group shifted its purpose, realizing they could showcase the comedy they had to offer to the Tufts community. She aided in its becoming an on-campus group this semester. Since then, Tufts Funny Ladies has held its first show. Madhani noted that with TFL, the members not only could make comedy together, but comedians from many different groups get to know each other and provide a supportive environment for one another.

“We [in Tufts Funny Ladies] all love our individual comedy groups, but with this group, I think we all have this immediate comfort,” she said.

As for the future of TFL, Madhani pointed to two of her fellow co-founders, rising seniors Ilana Hamer and Isha Patnaik.

She said she feels confident in leaving the group into the hands of two very dedicated, hardworking individuals.

Madhani said that she wants to do comedy in some form after graduation.

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

She mentioned that she has previously held a variety of internships, including one at the Jim Henson Company in Los Angeles. Now, however, she said she is aiming for a more full-time position as a production assistant, possibly in New York City. Madhani said that her end goal is to professionally write television and possibly film comedy.

“I’m eager to create and tell stories that I would want to see and identify with,” she said. “While I’m not quite sure what that would look like (creating a television show, writing a graphic novel, directing a film) I’m eager to share the type of diverse narratives that I would’ve wanted to see on screen when I was younger.”

— By Siddharth Divakaruni

F e at u r e s Graduating senior Henry Hooper Gleason was looking through scrapbooks that his aunt found under hats and books in the back of a closet when he came across an article about his grandmother, Elizabeth Gertrude Gleason.

This article dubbed her the longest legacy student at Tufts, with 17 diplomas in her family.

Today, that title has been passed on to Henry Gleason, who is the 32nd person in his family to go to Tufts.

“I had always grown up with Tufts everywhere — sweatshirts, blankets, stuffed animals — so I knew that Tufts was in the family, and that my dad went to Tufts,” Gleason said. “When I thought of college I just thought of Tufts.”

The first member of Gleason’s family to attend Tufts was William Leslie Hooper, who graduated from Tufts in 1877, and served as interim president from 1912-1914 and founded the electrical engineering department. His name can be found on a plaque in Halligan Hall and within the frames of Health Service, which used to be Hooper House.

Gleason says he is also distantly related to Charles Tufts, who donated the land to create Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus in the 1840s.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Features | THE TUFTS DAILY

17

Henry Hooper Gleason Recounting Gleason’s relatives’ experiences here is like hearing the version of Tufts history told on prospective student tours. There’s a picture of his grandparents in front of Bowen Gate before they got married at Goddard Chapel. His grandmother recalls swimming in the Mystic Reservoir — now the Residential Quad — his aunt remembers when the South Hall area used to just be open fields and Henry’s dad watched Barnum Hall burn down with the taxidermied Jumbo inside from his dorm room in Miller Hall.

When Gleason’s relatives talk to him about school, their conversations are often about what’s happening to Tufts as the university continues to expand its spaces and transform its landscape. The new Jumbo statute, the Science and Engineering Complex that’s currently under construction and other changes are all part of what Gleason called Tufts trying to “beautify the campus” in a scramble to catch up with its increasingly exclusive national ranking.

Even when he was applying in 2012, Gleason’s parents were surprised to see how rapidly Tufts was changing.

“My optional essay question was something like ‘Celebrate your nerdy side’,” Gleason said. “I

showed my parents and they were like, ‘Wow, that’s strange.’ They were not expecting that Tufts had become such a politically correct, embraceyour-quirky-side place since my dad was here.”

As Tufts has transformed, several of Gleason’s relatives’ beloved traditions have faded. Gleason remembers a moment over Thanksgiving break during his first year of college when his great aunt came into the room singing a song from football games at Tufts.

“She started singing it to me expecting me to join in, but I was like, I don’t know what you’re doing there,” Gleason said.

His grandpa recounted to Gleason that when he was in college, he and his friends would wear tuxedos or coats with tails to parties, which Henry attributes to their social events being “a little more fancy and a little less racks-of-Natty-Light.”

Despite all of these changes, Tufts’ history and Gleason’s family history have long been intertwined. If it wasn’t for Professors Row, his mother, who lived in the Chi Omega sorority house, wouldn’t have met her husband, who lived in the Sigma Nu house next door.

Gleason’s father wouldn’t have become a judge

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

for windsurfing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 if WMFO hadn’t held a fundraiser — at which he won a windsurfing board — after a serious studio fire in 1977, and Gleason himself wouldn’t have developed what he describes as a deeper connection to his family if so many of his relatives hadn’t gone to Tufts.

Henry hopes that someday, his future relatives will stumble across this article and want to continue their family’s Tufts legacy.

— By Shirley Wang

Janna Karatas two majors, Karatas found time to explore her other interests, such as her strong love of literature and religion. Last year, Karatas was awarded first place in Tisch Library’s 2015 Undergraduate Research Award for her research project “Caesar Says, ‘Do this,’ and it is Performed: Political Implications in the Faith of the Centurion in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.”

Karatas conducted most of this research over her sophomore year summer under the Tisch Summer ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY Scholars program, where she gained A common theme throughout graduating significant research experience after taking a senior Janna Karatas’ four years at Tufts is her class called Shakespeare’s Rome, which united strong interest and commitment towards com- political, religious and literary themes found munity and culture. As a FOCUS pre-orienta- within Shakespearean texts. tion leader, former Tufts Community Union “It was a really incredible experience ... get(TCU) senator, resident of the Spanish House ting to stay at Tufts over the summer and use and a member of the Indian and classical the library,” Karatas said. “I probably wouldn’t dance group Pulse, she has been able to explore have been able to stay here if it weren’t for that her interests on Tufts campus in a variety of scholarship. I was working with my political capacities. science advisor, Vickie Sullivan, researching Karatas, originally from Rochester, NY, political implications of biblical allusions in is graduating as a double major in politi- Shakespeare. So literature, religion and polcal science and Spanish. Even with these itics are things that I’m interested in. It was

Graduating senior Xander Landen knew he wanted to pursue journalism at age 17 when, as a writer for his hometown newspaper in Weston, Mass., he was given the agency to cover the events that captivated him.

“That kind of got me going; it just felt right,” he said. “I loved journalism because it’s something that society needs, and it’s something that involves a lot of the skills that I like to exercise myself — I love talking to people and interviewing people.”

At Tufts, Landen has continued on his journalistic path with his work on the Tufts Observer and as co-founder of the Tufts Podcast Network in 2013 with graduating senior Cooper McKim, where Landen spends time educating his peers on the basics of producing audio, reporting, interviewing and structuring stories.

“A lot of students had no experience in journalism … and now some of them are working in radio,” he said. “We’ve inspired a lot of students and shared our passion for this kind of work.”

The subjects of Landen’s stories range widely, including in his work on the Observer, where he has previously been the editor of the poetry and prose, arts and culture and news sections.

As the Observer’s current news editor, he said he is particularly proud of editing a story on environmental racism in Medford and

definitely challenging but very rewarding and the relationship I got to build with my advisor was great.”

Another part of Karatas’s life at Tufts has been her contributions as a TCU senator and leader of FOCUS, a pre-orientation program that allows students to serve and explore the Boston area. Some of her first experiences in her hometown of Rochester, where she worked with homeless women and children, helped spark her involvement with volunteering at and around Tufts throughout her four years.

“Coming back and being a support staff [member] for FOCUS really made the experience of doing community service in Boston a lot more meaningful,” Karatas said. “Being able to contextualize that there is this problem that I saw in Rochester, but it’s also equally present here in Boston community ... The work with FOCUS ... really influenced and reinforced my desire to work in more low-income communities.”

As a TCU senator, Karatas was involved with organizing shuttles to the airport during Thanksgiving as well as Appreciation Dinners for the Tufts dining hall and custodial staffs.

After graduating, Karatas is looking forward to working more with low-income and

immigrant communities, particularly in her hometown.

“I think of eventually going to grad school or law school, but I definitely want to take some time to work in between,” Karatas said. “Whether that’s teaching for a couple of years, working in Rochester or working with a pro bono immigration organization also in Rochester where I’ve worked the past few years. I’m really interested in working with immigrants and ... immigration law.”

Through Karatas’ time at Tufts, her connections between language, culture and community have rung true throughout both her academic accomplishments and dedication to her diverse extracurricular activities. The unifying thread of most of these groups for Karatas was her increased appreciation for and knowledge of her peers.

“Reaching out to people and having honest conversations and being vulnerable emotionally really can go a long way in supporting other people, even if you might not necessarily know them,” Karatas said. “It creates this bond of empathy that I hope people continue ... because that type of raw one-on-one human connection is probably what has most shaped my time here.”

— By Nicole Brooks

Xander Landen

Somerville, and writing one on a rehabilitative program for heroin addicts in Gloucester, Mass.

His piece “Boxed In” on the dangers of solitary confinement, was a finalist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ regional Mark of Excellence Award.

One particular class at Tufts that influenced Landen was the Experimental College course he took in his sophomore spring called “800 Words,” taught by James Geary, former Europe editor of TIME Magazine and deputy curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

“It was just so good to have a professional come in and really just change the way I think about writing and the structure,” Landen said.

“I learned how to make a piece flow better than I ever had before in writing.”

During the winter of his first year in college, Landen interned at the public radio station, WSHU, and since then, he has continued to delve deeper into the field, exploring both print and radio media.

“I was reporting and writing and voicing my own radio stories about politics, transportation, education, all these different issues,” Landen said. “I love that as a journalist, you have to be able to understand what’s going on in the world and explain it to people. You have to understand complicated subjects [and] break

it down for your listeners or your readers.”

This past summer, Landen interned at WNYC, public radio station and NPR affiliate of New York City, and joined a team of reporters investigating the lack of transparency surrounding police misconduct records.

He explained that this process entailed contacting over 100 sources and combing through public record laws in all 50 states. “[What] I found with the other reporters is that when these records are not accessible to the public, it has repercussions in the sense that there isn’t the same amount of police accountability that you have in states where there is transparency,” he said.

The story received a variety of accolades, including the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service and the DuPont Columbia Award, and was a finalist for the Deadline Club Award.

As for deciding between a future in either print or radio, he said he is conflicted about which medium he would like to pursue in his career.

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

“I think radio is a better medium for storytelling than print is, but I think that print is a better medium for really diving into a complex story,” Landen said.

Landen said that after graduation, he will miss the amalgamation of passion and unique interests that Tufts students have.

“I hope that I’ll continue to find that diversity in interests wherever I go, and I think that I might be able to with journalism because you’re talking to new people every day,” Landen said.

— By Emily Cheng

18

THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Fletcher School professor explains recent history of climate change policy GALLAGHER

continued from page 14 the actual negotiations, and that’s what we had, we had 10 passes.”

Essentially, the Paris agreement aims to hold the increase in the global average temperature to “well below” 2ºC above pre-industrial levels. Each country decides their own commitments towards reaching this goal: their “Nationally Determined Contribution” (NDC), which sets their emissions target.

These aren’t bound by international law.

Gallagher said that the agreement is impressive but doesn’t go far enough as it stands.

“If all of the NDCs are adhered to, there will be a significant reduction relative to business as usual, but it will not be enough,” she said. “It was a great step forward, but it took too long to reach and we still have a very long way to go to be able to limit warming to two degrees centigrade … I’m so honored to have been part of [the 2014 agreement] but I also find my self feeling very sober about how much work there is to do.”

Gallagher is hopeful about the fact that the Paris agreement allows for a spectrum of responses based on countries’ abilities, rath-

er than simply dividing nations into those with and without binding commitments, as the Kyoto Protocol did.

“It is true that the already-industrialized countries, including the U.S., bear most of the historical responsibility for the cumulative emissions in the atmosphere,” she said. “They obviously bear a responsibility to act first in terms of reducing emissions, and in fact that’s what the Kyoto Protocol was supposed to do,” she said. “Now we’re moving into a world where it’s less black and white.”

Here on campus, during the first week of the Paris conference, Tufts Climate Action (TCA) held a “reality week,” a series of events that focused on climate change and climate justice, according to a Dec. 8, 2015 article in the Daily. TCA supports Tufts’ divestment from fossil fuel companies. Debate over divestment has been a contentious issue on campus for years.

Gallagher said she has a nuanced opinion on divestment.

“I do believe we should be moving away from fossil fuels over time, and especially away from coal, and I positively support a investment strategy in clean energy, but I believe that some companies are trying to

diversify, and for those companies that are doing so, it doesn’t make sense to fully divest from them,” she said. “In other words, we should support those companies that are trying to make that transition [to renewable energy] and who are not actively undermining climate policy.”

She encouraged Tufts students to find work in the fields of clean energy and climate policy, which she said are growing quickly.

“Its just so different from before,” she said.

“There wouldn’t have been those private sector jobs when I was graduating from college, and that’s a big transformation in this job market, clean energy and climate, so it’s a really exciting time to be in this space as a student.”

Rhetoric about climate change has become increasingly bleak as the science has become clearer. Warming effects like sea rise, stronger storms and droughts are expected to create millions of refugees within the century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2014 report said that the earth is locked on an “irreversible” course of climate disruption. Though she acknowledged that huge challenges await future negotiators and policymakers, Gallagher remains optimistic about the future of the world.

“Think how much has changed in just a few years,” she said. “We have the two largest emitters having made commitments to reduce their emissions, and even more than that, agreeing to cooperate with each other in doing so, we have an international agreement that has just been signed by 175 countries; we have renewable energy costs that have come down dramatically. I believe that as the impacts begin to show themselves more we’ll have more popular pressure for action, and I think that we’ll continue to see international leadership because it’s morally the right thing to do … I don’t think we can completely stop climate change, but we can slow it down and avoid the worst of it.”

When it comes to what drives her to keep fighting for climate policy, Gallagher said that she’s motivated by the moral imperative of leaving a better world.

“I think when I first realized that, through ozone depletion and climate change, we were literally altering the course of nature, that profoundly disturbed me … ethically that seemed wrong,” she said. “I feel a great sense of urgency to try and limit the impacts of climate change, even for the foreseeable future of my own lifetime.”

Faculty, staff continue to document African-American history at Tufts HISTORY

is not only a quiet place for study, but it also holds a small portion of Gill’s photo exhibit.

“We always use the opportunity when we’re meeting with freshmen to talk about Gerald Gill and show them the exhibit so that they understand there were lots of students here before them, and the sacrifices they made and the things they were involved in that make it easier for students today to be here,” Moore said.

Tufts faculty and students today have worked to continue Gill’s legacy of research and documentary of the university’s African-American history. Wofford said he worked with Field to organize an alumni panel at Tufts for the Consortium of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora’s (RCD) symposium on “Social Movements and the Black Intellectual Tradition” last November. He also worked on a photo exhibit of African-American history that was on display at both the symposium last fall and the Africana Distinguished Lecture in February.

Wofford said that his interest in working with CSRD and the symposium started when he took Field’s class, Family Histories and American Culture, last spring.

According to the course description, this course allowed students to develop the skills and perspective to perform scholarly research on family histories including their own.

Through this class, Wofford researched his father’s family history of slave ownership and their involvement on the Confederate side of the American Civil War, which opened his eyes to a different side of American history.

In addition to looking through Tufts archives to find documents on the 1975 hate crime, Wofford SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY The plaque commemorating African-American alumni is also worked with Field on displayed in Goddard Chapel on April 29. research over the summer and took her summer sesSenate, and all the things they, the stu- sion class, Black and Native New England. dents, were involved in helped the students Recent efforts from students like Wofford feel like they can feel a sense of belonging and historians like Field to establish a here, and they encourage the students to stronger memory of African-American really make this a place that they want to public history reflects what Director of the be for four years.”

Tufts Digital Collections and Archives Dan Part of how the Africana Center con- Santamaria identifies as a wider movenects students to the African-American ment in the archivist world. Santamaria history at Tufts is through the Gerald Gill has been working with Field and her stuReading Room, a study space named after dents, including Wofford, on multiple projGill. According to Moore, the reading room ects related to African-American history at continued from page 15 “While many on the Tufts campus viewed Black students as separatists, Black students remained as involved, if not more involved, in campus-wide activities as in earlier decades,” Gill wrote in the Tufts Magazine article.

Edward Dugger Jr., Class of 1941, is one example of an accomplished athlete, student and student leader of color at Tufts. Dugger received national titles as a sprinter and hurdler, served as secretary of the senior class and was a member of the Senior Honor Society for Men. A plaque in his honor was rededicated to him last month at an event co-hosted by the Africana Center and Athletes of Color, according to an April 24 article in the Daily.

Katrina Moore, director of the Africana Center, said that there is importance in recognizing these significant students like Dugger.

Moore said she was happy to have many Black alumni come back to Tufts to speak to current students at the Africana Center.

“I think that was really helpful for students to make that connection that there were students that were here before them, and to hear the stories of the things that they were involved in,” Moore said. “They talked about students that were in the

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

The tree with a plaque honoring African-American alumni on April 29.

Tufts and in the surrounding area. He said that there are efforts in the archivist world to think more critically about the information being offered to archives, and the implications for marginalized groups when they are not adequately represented.

“Without that representation, it’s harder for people to make those connections to the past, that there were people here before them grappling with similar issues, that they are part of communities that stretch back for decades,” Santamaria said.

Making those connections as a community is part of public history, which Wofford described as the manner in which a community or an institution decides to present its collective history in a publicly accessible manner.

Wofford referenced #TheThreePercent movement of Black students at Tufts last semester as an example of the power of public history. The numbers on historically low population of Black students at Tufts — eight percent in 2003 and down to three percent this year, according to a Nov. 18, 2015 Daily article — were part of what inspired activism around the campus.

Field also connected #TheThreePercent movement with the power of Tufts’ institutional memory, or passing down the narrative of people and events at Tufts, in order to understand how Tufts has evolved as an institution. For Field, one purpose of building Tufts’ institutional memory is to help students fill the voids they often perceive in their history, in racial justice or in their communities.

“If we’re only three percent of the student population, that feels one way,” Field said. “But if we’re three percent but then we have African-American alumni from [as far back as the 50s] visit every few weeks, it might not feel quite as small. You might feel like you’re part of a bigger community — part of a history, which can do a lot.”

Santamaria said that the Tufts archives have plans to work more with students at Tufts, specifically student groups that are active on campus, to help document the issues they’re engaged with, as well as research the history of those issues.

Moore said she has plans to continue recognizing African-American history at Tufts with the Africana Center, including working to make more students aware of the Black Freedom Trail. Additionally, the new pre-orientation program Students’ Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora (SQUAD) for incoming Black students will introducing first-years to this history, Moore said. She also hopes to create an event that will focus on Black leadership in Boston that would bring community organizers, politicians and other Black leaders to campus.

Field believes that, whether they know it or not, every student at Tufts has a direct connection to the university’s AfricanAmerican history.

“Everyone has a direct tie to this history because you’re here,” Field said. “I think this is about knowing where you’re spending these four years, and the possibilities for place-based learning are immense here.”

P

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | PHOTOGRAPHY | THE TUFTS DAILY

19

2016 Boston Marathon

April 18 Boston and Natick, Mass.

Photos by Sofie Hecht

Graduating senior Adrian Chu embraces coach Donald Megerle at the finish of the 2016 Boston Marathon.

Graduating seniors Mauri Honickman and Miriam Gladstone and Fletcher student Monica Ruiz run past friends and family at Mile 9.

Mother of graduating senior Eitan Scheinthal holds a sign for runners to tap.

Graduating senior Meg Nichols is embraced by friends at Mile 9.

Kyle Backstrom and Tufts Marathon Team coach Donald Megerle embrace at Mile 9.

Stacey Lancaster hugs coach Donald Megerle after the finish.

Graduating senior Shoshana Weiner walks away from the finish.

Graduating senior Colin Burnett runs past cheering friends at Mile 9.

20

THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

Spring Fling 2016

Photos by Alex Knapp

tuftsdaily.com

ARTS&LIVING

Sunday, May 22, 2016

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

21 tuftsdaily.com

Stina Stannik After Years

Chapter 12 Editor’s note: This column is part of a fictional weekly serial.

N SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE

How Beyoncé out-Beyoncé’d herself: a Daily conversation about ‘Lemonade’

by Cassidy Olsen and Justin Krakoff Assistant Arts Editor and Arts Editor

On April 23, the queen of the world-stopping digital drop, Beyoncé, released her sixth studio album, “Lemonade.” The 12-track record, which dropped on the music streaming service Tidal during the HBO broadcast of an accompanying hourlong visual experience, surprised fans, just as her self-titled “Beyoncé” did in 2013. Pop music aficionado and Daily arts editor Justin Krakoff sat down with Daily assistant arts editor Cassidy Olsen to discuss their reactions and the album’s samplings, politics and place in the history of Beyoncé and the greater pop landscape.

Justin Krakoff (JK): Cassidy, how are you doing? It’s been a couple weeks now … How are we feeling about “Lemonade?”

Cassidy Olsen (CO): Honestly, I’m not fully recovered. I’ve been listening to “Sorry” on repeat — I can’t get it out of my head, and I’m sure it’s going to be playing at every party I attend for the next two years.

How are you?

JK: I’ve seen the error of my ways.

Originally, I liked the back half better than the first, but now I can’t stop listening to “Hold Up” and “Don’t Hurt Yourself.”

The first few tracks are arguably the most consistent run on a Beyoncé album in her entire career.

CO: I didn’t think about it like that, but I feel the same way. While I was writing my “Lemonade” visual album commentary, I watched the first third nonstop because my new favorite Beyoncé is angsty, introspective Beyoncé.

JK: I think the fact that all of the opening songs are mid-tempo in nature is an inter-

esting choice on her part. It suits her intent to make a full album statement and not just a few hit singles. Compared to [Kanye West’s] “The Life of Pablo” (2016), which was this big, disjointed mess, “Lemonade” is a cohesive artistic statement and a big middle finger to everyone who thinks the album as an art form is dead.

CO: I just wasn’t expecting this. After the surprise drop of “Beyoncé” in 2013, she became an entirely different figure, way more than this major pop artist. I feel as though the jump from “4” (2011) to her self-titled album was much bigger than this jump to “Lemonade,” despite the politics she’s bringing in now. I’m still trying to reconcile how I feel. As far as I can tell at this point, this album doesn’t feature a “Heaven” (2013) that will bring me to tears see LEMONADE, page 24

RESTAURANT REVIEW

SENIOR PROFILE

Senior filmmaker Danny Garfield The Elephant reflects on his time at Tufts Walk’s flavorful food is worth steep prices

by Jonah Allon Arts Editor

The first time graduating senior Danny Garfield picked up a video camera and started recording, he was seven-years old. His earliest forays into film were animations of his toys.

Film continued to be both a hobby and a fascination for Garfield throughout his childhood and into his high school years. He took classes and worked on side projects outside of school, even collaborating with his cousins on an amateur movie. He also fondly remembers playing around with lightning effects on iMovie when he got his first iMac computer. As “the only kid with an iMac on the block,” his house became a hub for friends who needed to edit their school video projects.

Still, film remained little more than a fun creative outlet.

“I never thought of myself as a filmmaker until I got to Tufts.”

Garfield said.

Now at the end of his undergraduate career, with a short film he wrote and directed which was released after finals, a semester-long internship in Los Angeles on the Comedy Central show “Nathan for You” and a summer spent working on the film set under his belt, it’s safe to say he’s earned the title.

by Deepa Patil Staff Writer

Along the way, Garfield’s conception of himself as an artist has evolved.

“I came in [to Tufts] wanting to make short films that were artistically driven sort of as a path to the independent film world,” he said.

When he first arrived at Tufts, he got involved with projects at the Experimental College, which served as an entry point into the broader film community on campus. Working at the ExCollege also allowed him to become familiar with the resources

It is a classic weekend dilemma at Tufts. The older relatives are in town, and they are sick of going to the same restaurant in the North End every time they visit. It would be foolish, however, to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a delicious, pricey meal. After a semester of bringing Tupperware to every Tufts event with free food, an exquisite meal is well deserved. Avoid the stress of last-minute Yelping and waiting for that foodie friend to offer suggestions. Dare to impress and head to The Elephant Walk.

Just a short walk from the Porter Square T station, The Elephant Walk’s décor blends the modern with the elegant. It is simultaneously minimalist and visually stimulating, making use of bold colors and frequent displays of its namesake. A large, three-dimensional elephant mural emerges from the wall with a torch in its trunk, welcoming guests into the unusually situated waiting area. Two red couches right in the middle of the restaurant take up a

see GARFIELD, page 26

see ELEPHANT WALK, page 23

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

othing had gone the way Edgar had planned, which in his experience was rather par for the course when one was dealing with hotheaded criminals and international intrigue, but it was still an enormous disappointment. He had to accept that some of it was his own fault; he had certainly let it all go on too long, given them too many liberties when he should have reasserted some subtle semblance of control over the proceedings. Instead, he had let his granddaughter research a little too deeply, even stirring up the interest of the national security services; he had let his own daughter kidnap and threaten him, all to see how far they would take it and what they would do.

He had invited them here on the pretense of straightening out his affairs at the end of his life in order to groom a successor. His daughter knew the business, but his granddaughter’s lack of exposure to the syndicate could itself have been an asset. Ultimately, though, they had both failed him. Alicia had gone deeper into a persona of violence and chaos than he had ever experienced, even when he had run the criminal underworld. And Cecilia proved too innocuous: intuitive and talented, to be sure, with a streak of defiance which could have served them well, but entirely devoid of the weaknesses he would normally have manipulated to bring her into the business.

So this was where it would end, the three of them in a darkened laboratory, soldiers with automatic weapons on the other side of the door. In this moment he had finally taken control of the situation, mixing a toxic combination of compounds that would kill them all if he released it. Alicia had released Cecilia and they both watched him warily from the far side of the room. He retrieved the volatile biological samples, the cause of all this fuss, from the locked freezer. They had not changed the keycode in the 30 years since he had programmed it — they probably had not known how, he thought with grim satisfaction.

There was really no way out of this, as he saw it. The samples could not go to Alicia’s people or there would be biological warfare. Nor could they land in the government’s possession: Alicia’s assertion that the government or its corporate allies would manipulate medicine prices for personal gain was spot-on.

Then Edgar looked at Cecilia and realized that he could leave her still believing he was a mad old man, that there was a way to keep her refreshing acceptance of the world intact while destroying the samples. It wasn’t the ending he would have chosen for himself, but there was a certain idiotic poetry to it, really.

So he uncapped the test tubes, gave them a swirl as if they held a martini instead of almost-instant death and drank them in one swallow, exiting on his own terms.

Stina Stannik is a graduating senior majoring in peace and justice studies. Stina can be reached at stina.stannik@tufts.edu.

22

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com COURTESY THE JOHN D. & CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

ACCLAIMED CARTOONIST, GRAPHIC MEMOIR AUTHOR ALISON BECHDEL REFLECTS ON EVOLUTION OF DECADES-LONG CAREER

by Lancy Downs and Stina Stannik Arts Editor and Staff Writer

For much of her career, Alison Bechdel was a little-known cartoonist whose comic strip, “Dykes to Watch Out For” (1983-2008), could be found in the pages of alternative gay and lesbian newspapers.

In 2006, however, the release of her acclaimed graphic memoir, “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” a highly personal autobiography about Bechdel’s relationship with her father, launched the cartoonist into commercial success. Her works now find themselves listed on the syllabi for college English classes across the country, and in 2013, “Fun Home” was adapted into a Broadway musical. Bechdel’s work also brought into pop cultural prominence the Bechdel test, sometimes called the Bechdel-Wallace test, a popular shorthand way to gauge whether or not a given TV show or film is particularly feminist. In 2012, Bechdel published a second graphic memoir, “Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama,” which details her relationship with her mother, who died the year after the book’s release.

Recently, the Daily had a chance to chat with Bechdel about the trajectory of her career, the evolution of her drawing and narrative styles, as well as what she is working on next.

Tufts Daily (TD): “Fun Home” and “Are You My Mother?” are both very personal works. Where does creating for yourself meet communicating to others in those works, and how do you reconcile those different purposes?

Alison Bechdel (AB): Yes, my work is absurdly personal. I can’t believe that I write some of this stuff … My great fear is always that … it’s self-reflexive and hopelessly internal. But my hope is … that it’s a way of connecting with other people. I’m not very good at connecting with other people; that’s one of my weak points. Just socially, I’m kind of a shy person … I know I write this really personal stuff, but I feel like it’s a way of getting out of myself. Like if I go deeply enough into myself, I can somehow come back out with something of value to share with other people. That’s the fantasy anyway — I don’t know if it’s true.

TD: I’m also wondering in what ways you think your drawing style and or your narrative technique have changed over the course of your career, and sort of specifically as you’ve moved from sort of the more general work of “Dykes to Watch Out For” into “Fun Home” and “Are You My Mother?”

AB: It’s funny for me to look at the progression of my drawing style over the years because it really changes a lot. I like to think it gets better. When I was first doing “Dykes” in the early ’80s, it was really pretty crude. I was basically just doing one quick pencil sketch and then inking it … I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just kind of making it up.

Over the years, I just started putting more and more effort into it, would do more sketches, more studies, more visual research

and the drawing got better, but they also got more complicated. They started getting quite busy, almost illegibly busy by the end. And then my drawing gets a little different when I start doing this autobiographical stuff. I’m no longer drawing made-up characters … but I’m drawing myself and my actual family members, and I think the style gets a little more cartoony and a little more realistic. And [in] “Are You My Mother?” the drawing gets even more almost photographic … because … I was looking at photographs as I [drew].

But I feel like — I don’t really like that. I want to move back into some kind of more cartoony way of drawing and that’s what I’m struggling to do now, rely less on photographs in that way.

TD: When you were drawing “Dykes to Watch Out For,” were you basing it on real people, like friends or anybody you knew, or was it totally from your own head?

AB: It’s totally from my own head. I mean [for] a couple people in there … I just stole the appearance of someone in my community, but mostly I just made them up. In fact, they’re all just different version of myself, aspects of my own psyche.

TD: Kind of on a similar theme of the evolution of your work, how did the climate for producing this kind of content change over the 25 years you were self-syndicating “Dykes to Watch Out For?” … Did you find there was a greater reception for it as time went on?

AB: Well, there were a lot of things going on over the 25 years or so that I was drawing “Dykes to Watch Out For.” In the ‘80s, as I was getting started, it was a big era for newspapers, for alternative newspapers all over the country, and especially gay and lesbian newspapers which were just beginning to start up in most large cities by the late ‘70s early ‘80s. It was the existence of those papers that made my comic strip possible. I started you know writing to the different editors and seeing they’d run my comic strip in their papers … At the high point there were 40 or 50 papers … carrying my comic strip.

Looking back now, it’s kind of amazing that that happened because then it all started to implode, partly because of the internet, partly because of just what was happening in gay and lesbian culture. There was no longer the same need for this tight-knit sort of subculture that we had for many years because there was more and more mainstream acceptance of gay stuff … That community became less necessary. Institutions started falling away, like these newspapers [that] started folding, [or the] many queer bookstores or women’s bookstores [that] started closing. And that too was largely compounded by the internet and by Amazon. And by the early 2000s, it was getting much harder for me to make a living from the comic strip. It was hard to figure out how to get money for it on the internet — no one had quite figured that out yet. I was losing all these papers. The bookstores that sold my

books were folding. It was getting pretty scary.

So fortunately, I had this other project on the back burner, this graphic novel ... all of a sudden comic books and graphic novels were becoming a big publishing trend. The fact that I had that graphic novel coming up sort of saved my bacon.

TD: In “Are You My Mother?” there is a line, “You can’t live and write at the same time.”

Yet journaling and writing seem to have been quite central to your life. Can you expand on that reflection and how you reconcile the impulses to experience and record?

AB: I am struggling to do that right now in the book I am writing, a new graphic memoir I’m writing, which is kind of about how I think too much. How I have this hyperactive mind that’s always thinking and narrating and writing and how I long to just be more spontaneous, to just exist and do things. But the fact is, I could not be writing this book if I did not have all these crazy, excessively detailed diary entries from my whole life, which I’m using to figure out the story, figure out why things happened the way they did in my life. So it’s a funny conundrum.

I’m using all those observations, all that hyper-thinking and trying to keep track of myself, as a way of pushing through it, trying to find my way to a place where I don’t need to do that.

TD: So it’s an on-going process.

AB: It is, but I would say that I’m less — well, I don’t know — the one way I’m still keeping track of my life is I’m sitting here in my basement writing memoirs, but I’m also keeping less track in a way because I’m not writing these minute journal entries about every move I make like I did when I was younger. So that seems like some improvement.

TD: Do you think you’ll always be drawn to doing this sort of personal, introspective work?

Is that the trajectory [you see for] your career?

AB: I don’t know. I don’t really feel a pull to write fiction. I feel so much more interested in the real stuff of life. I don’t rule out that I would go back to some kind of fiction, but I don’t really see that as necessarily. I guess I used to see that as some kind of evolution or forward movement, but I’m not so sure now. I feel like it’s perfectly legitimate to write about yourself as long as you feel like. So maybe that’s what I’m going to do.

I’m trying to remember what I was going to say before. I do know that when I was, I

used to get criticized a lot for not drawing more femme characters, that my characters were too butch or too unattractive. And I would struggle to balance it out and have more femme characters.

TD: Did you feel obligated to balance it out? Or would that not have occurred to you without those outside voices telling you that you were doing it wrong?

AB: I always felt like I wanted to — I wasn’t just telling my story, I was kind of reporting on the community, and I knew I could only report on a tiny swath of the lesbian community. I tried to be diverse in as many ways as I could. So I had a little bit of obligation to listen to people when they said they wanted more femme characters.

TD: How have your feelings on “Ulysses” (1922) changed since that first reading in college?

AB: My feelings about “Ulysses” changed when I realized I could use it to my own ends in telling that story about my dad …

I had been very sort of dismissive of it, like it seemed like this crazy, unreadable, elitist project. But as I found myself reading it, since I was going to attempt to write about it, I understood more of how it worked as literature … I would say that writing “Fun Home” for me redeemed all of that literature for me, that I’d been put off by for one reason or another … It was like a graduate course that I pushed myself through. I came to understand something about literature in writing that book that I had not understood from all of my English classes.

TD: What was that?

AB: I guess I never could really understand how a story could be about more than what it appeared to be on the page. I was very literal in college. It was just like, oh, this is a story about this guy walking around Dublin.

But then with my more adult perspective, I could understand this more mythological aspect of it.

TD: I wonder if the mediums of drawing and writing, which are your bread and butter, were helpful to making that connection.

AB: At that point in my life I had learned how to tell stories with pictures and that enabled me to think about stuff in this combined way, this image-and-text way that enabled me to get somewhere that I hadn’t been able to do with just words.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

A&L MOVIE PREVIEWS

Natalie Girshman The ABC's of Literature

Top sizzling blockbusters this summer

by John J. Gallagher

The summer has traditionally been a season dense with entertainment, and 2016 is no exception. Hollywood, as per usual, is rolling out its heavy hitters just as the weather starts to get warm, and audiences can expect a crop of pictures brimming with CGI, pyrotechnics and often so-so acting. Cerebral these films are not, but there is an undeniable appeal to watching superheroes save the world from maniacal villains and enormous robots punch each other. The Daily recommends that you see at least some of these movies in between job hunting, interning or even just to add variety to an aggressive schedule of relaxation.

crafted over the past decade. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016), DC’s latest attempt at cinematic competence, received a critical kicking after its release in March and raised the question of why DC continues to squander its roster of fantastic characters.

Despite DC’s awful cinematic record, there is hope that “Suicide Squad” could break the litany of train wrecks that proceeded it. If Jared Leto can put his own spin on the Joker, a character that Heath Ledger built into a cultural phenomenon, and, if Ayer can bring the gritty intensity that defined “Fury,” “Suicide Squad” might actually be worth watching. Or it could degenerate into ham-fisted character studies and meditations on why villains are villainous; only time will tell.

Suicide Squad

X-Men Apocalypse

Release Date: Aug. 5 Directed by “Fury” (2015) maestro David Ayer, “Suicide Squad” follows a band of supervillains from the DC universe who are sent on a secret, world-saving mission by the government in exchange for clemency.

The premise of the film is intriguing, as villains are often forced to play second fiddle to heroes who inevitably defeat them. “Suicide Squad” also features an all-star cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie are stand outs, but this list of Hollywood heavyweights is sullied by the unfortunate addition of the painfully wooden Jai Courtney.

With the exception of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman”(2005 – 2012) trilogy, DC’s cinematic efforts have been undeniably heinous and have paled in comparison to the sprawling and adored film universe that Marvel has

Release Date: May 27 The “X-Men” films have been a mixed bag since the series debuted in 2000. Bryan Singer directed the first two excellent films in the series before director Brett Ratner took over and bungled “X-Men: The Last Stand” in 2006. The fourth “X-Men” film, a spin-off entitled “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” was a cinematic crime.

Thankfully, the series turned itself around in 2011 with the release of “X-Men: First Class,” a surprisingly fun prequel set during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Follow-up “X-Men: Days of Future Past” was also well received, despite having perhaps the silliest (and most accurate) title of all time.

The next installment in the series, “X-Men: Apocalypse,” sees the X-Men face off against Apocalypse, the first mutant. The film stars

Executive Arts Editor

James McAvoy, as professor Charles Xavier, and Michael Fassbender, as Magneto, as they take the reins respectively from series stalwarts Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, who were featured in “First Class” as alternate timeline versions of the characters.

Director Bryan Singer’s record with the “X-Men” series is unimpeachable, and, hence, moviegoers can be rest assured that “Apocalypse” will be worth the price of admission.

Warcraft Release Date: June 10 The outrageous success of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft” (2004) sparked a moral panic among the uninformed and turned the series into the butt of many jokes. Despite being overshadowed by “World Of Warcraft’s” success, the “Warcraft” series has a rich lore primarily woven by writer and voice actor Chris Metzen, meaning the series is chock-full of stories aching to play out on the big screen.

The upcoming “Warcraft” movie chronicles events that happened prior to those depicted in “World of Warcraft” and features the series’ signature eternal conflict between orcs and humans.

Directed by “Moon” (2009) director Duncan Jones and with a script by Metzen, “Warcraft” has looked visually impressive in the trailers released to date and is certainly based on exciting source material. While there has never been a good video game movie to date, “Warcraft” may change that — or enrage a legion of fans while also disappointing the general public.

Pricey Cambridge spot The Elephant Walk worth every penny ELEPHANT WALK

continued from page 21 considerable amount of floor space, as if the giant elephant in the room was not enough to grab a guest’s attention.

A waiter leads the way to a table, and the pillows on the seats are decorated with elephant designs. For a Jumbo, it is all too comforting.

A Prix Fixe menu offers three courses for $34 with a dessert added for an additional $4. Ordering à la carte is an option for those who desire more choice. The menu is divided into starters and entrées, separated into Cambodian and French cuisines. Yet there is clear linguistic and flavor crossover, drawing from the blended cuisine that arose with the French colonial empire in Southeast Asia. Without expertise in — or frankly, familiarity with — either cuisine, it is difficult to ascertain the authenticity of The Elephant Walk’s dishes. But one claim can be made without a doubt: the food is delectable.

The Rouleaux, normally filled with pork, is available vegan with shitake mushroom. These crispy spring rolls are also filled with onions, carrots and crunchy peanuts. It is served with a variety of accompaniments, and the waiter instructs how to experience the dish properly. Wrap a rouleaux, a few bean sprouts and a bit of fresh basil in a leaf of lettuce and dip in a peanut and fish sauce before taking a bite. One small bite encompasses an immense complexity of flavor and texture with the umami from the mushroom, acidity from the sauce, herby basil and crunchy peanut. A second appetizer, Salade de Chèvre Chaud, is just as pleasing.

Two toasted baguettes of goat cheese, honey, dried cranberry and walnuts rest atop a bed of an arugula and chickpea salad coated with fig vinaigrette. It is an experiment in interactions — the subtle

DEEPA PATIL FOR THE TUFTS DAILY

The Meet Siem Au Pollute dish at The Elephant Walk, a French-Cambodian fusion restaurant. interaction of sweet with sour and the interaction of hearty cheese and bread with light greens. The experiment is exceedingly successful, evident from how quickly the plate empties.

Entrées at The Elephant Walk live up to the expectations promised by the starters. Crevettes Amrita, with organic tofu in lieu of shrimp, arrives with button mushrooms and onions cooked in a sweet and spicy satay sauce. The Elephant Walk illustrates its ability to layer a great depth of flavor in this seemingly simple dish through its use of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger and lemongrass to elevate the coconut milk base. While the generous amount of turmeric may be slightly overpowering in terms of flavor, this is what gives the dish its vibrant yellow color, emphasized by beautifully plating it against plain white rice. The addition of peanuts on top provides needed textural contrast. The Mee Siem Au Poulet

23

is a great option for those who crave something less creamy. The dish’s vegan interpretation features rice noodles in a sauce of salted soybeans, tofu, shredded vegetables and pickled shallots.

The acidity of the noodles provides a refreshing balance to The Elephant Walk’s richer dishes.

The food is by no means affordable, but the flavors are worth the cost.

Cambridge local and Tufts graduating senior Kayla Blackborow puts it best, “On a college student’s budget, I can’t eat at The Elephant Walk regularly. But for a special occasion, its food is well worth the price. In fact, I had my bat mitzvah dinner there!” Next time there is a reason to celebrate, indulge with family and friends at The Elephant Walk.

The Elephant Walk is located at 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass. They are open weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and weekends from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

A summer reading alphabet

S

ummer is fast approaching, and whether you’re working an internship, doing research or even moving into the adult world, there should always be some time in summer for reading.

So here’s an almost alphabet of books for the summer (as long as word counts will allow).

Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (1978 – 1980): A hilarious, very British science fiction classic that follows a whole cast of eccentric characters from planet to planet.

A.S. Byatt, “Possession” (1990): The parallel story of two Victorian writers who fall in love and the scholars who uncover the mystery of their love affair over a hundred years later.

M.R. Carey, “The Girl with all the Gifts” (2014): A very human, very thought-provoking and refreshingly original zombie novel that delivers on both the emotion and the action.

Lydia Davis, “The Collected Short Stories” (2010): Exquisitely crafted short stories that deliver quite a punch in the space of a paragraph.

Hermione Eyre, “Viper Wine” (2015): Historical fiction that blends contemporary references, clever twists and an examination of the high price women pay for beauty.

Tana French, the “Dublin Murder Squad” (2008) series: Quite possibly the best literary crime fiction out there.

William Goldman, “The Princess Bride” (1973): Giants, sword fights, monsters and true love. (And yes, it is a kissing book.)

Rosamund Hodge, “Crimson Bound” (2015): A strikingly original take on Little Red Riding Hood with a world inspired by the French court at Versailles, a deadly heroine and a love interest with no hands.

Eva Ibbotson, “A Countess Below Stairs” (1981): A delightful romance set between the two world wars.

Diana Wynne Jones, “Dark Lord of Derkholm” (1998): What happens when your world, which just happens to possess dwarves, elves and magicians, gets turned into a theme park for Pilgrim Parties from another world?

Lily King, “Euphoria” (2014): A beautifully written, concise tale of a dangerous love triangle between three anthropologists in 1930’s New Guinea.

E. Lockhart, “The Boyfriend List” (2005): An absolutely delightful, real and funny novel, with a distinctive heroine and smart take on the reality of being a teenage girl.

Garth Nix, “Sabriel” (1995): A sweeping high fantasy that features an intricately developed world, a strong-minded heroine and a truly chilling villain who commands the dead.

Michael Ondaatje, “The English Patient” (1992): A quiet but incredibly powerful book about a nurse, a thief, a sapper and the titular patient gathered in an Italian villa in the last days of World War I. Ann Patchett, “Bel Canto”(2001): An elegant and elegiac story about opera, terrorists and everything in between.

Julia Quinn, “The Duke and I”(2000): Don’t let the cover fool you. This book possesses a charming and clever heroine, touching love story, and lively supporting cast.

Rainbow Rowell, “Fangirl” (2013): A story about first love, family and fandom that’ll appeal to any college student (and many adults) still trying to figure it all out.

Helen Simonson, “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand”(2010): The unlikely love story of Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Jasmina Ali and a portrait of an English village and its uneasy relationship with change.

Laini Taylor, “Daughter of Smoke and Bone”(2011): The beginning to a sweeping fantasy trilogy about angels, monsters and the blurred boundaries between the two.

Natalie Girshman is a graduating senior majoring in history and drama. Natalie can be reached at natalie.girshman@tufts.edu

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Beyoncé shows her vulnerable side on ‘Lemonade’ LEMONADE

continued from page 21 while cleaning the bathroom floor. Or anywhere, really.

JK: I disagree. I think “Lemonade” as a whole presents the trajectory of actual heartbreak and resentment. I found it easier to connect with some of these tracks than I did on the self-titled album, which I just view as a great pop album. Nothing is more powerful than when she sings “If you try this shit again / You gon’ lose your wife” on “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” I’ve definitely been there before, metaphorically speaking.

CO: I was surprised to see “Sorry,” this trap-influenced club song about ignoring your no-good cheating husband, in the middle of her narrative.

JK: I think that’s the point though. She wants the listener to think she doesn’t care about this situation, but why else would she make an album out of it? However, it says a lot that many, including ourselves, are assuming that this is about her relationship with Jay Z. We’re projecting our own image of what her life looks like onto the tracks.

CO: She’s always been so guarded with her personal life and extremely private as a celebrity. We have to remember that, as a pop artist, she has the ability to craft and sell a narrative that isn’t necessarily her own.

Beyoncé is a persona, even more so a brand.

Since she’s working with so many songwriters and other collaborators, does it even matter if her songs are about herself?

JK: I don’t think so. The fact that she can collaborate with so many people and still sell this story as her own proves she’s doing something right. That is what pop music is.

CO: Is it truly a pop album? There’s nothing like “Single Ladies” (2008) or “Drunk in Love” (2013), or the hits that made her last albums. Don’t get me wrong; I think “Lemonade” is beautiful, but where does it fall in the greater pop landscape?

JK: Well, I don’t think Beyoncé is interested in making big radio singles anymore, after “Run the World (Girls)” (2011) flopped.

She’s at a point in her career where she has the resources and artistic drive to put out the best albums she’s ever made. Both “Beyoncé” and “Lemonade” draw upon many influences but still manage to be cohesive artistic statements. “Lemonade” begins as a breakup album but ultimately reveals itself to be redemptive.

CO: Well, I feel that the whole redemption [aspect] undermines what makes the rest of the album so strong, [and the] frustrations [Beyoncé conveys] are incredibly powerful.

First we get to see behind the iconic, goddess-like facade of Beyoncé into something really dark. But the minute the album hits the “Dreamgirls” (2006)-esque “Sandcastles” is where it begins to lose me. I don’t want to deny her narrative but, when Jay Z quite literally comes back into the frame, something shifts. It feels wrong to me. And it [continues with] “All Night,” which looks like the end of “Love Actually” (2003) with a happy couples sequence.

It’s hopeful and beautiful, but something feels false.

JK: Well, nowhere on “All Night” does she forgive him.

CO: Doesn’t she?

JK: No! She never says “I forgive you.”

If anything, the story isn’t complete. It’s a transition forward, about once more finding your voice in the world. To me, this juxtaposition of both themes is nuanced, and it’s a credit to Beyoncé that she pulls it off so well.

CO: Well then how do you explain the “All Night” lyric, “Found the truth beneath your lies / But true love never has to hide.” Why was it hiding, Justin?

JK: Well… it has to do with this idea from the film, when a title card flashes, “GOD IS GOD AND I AM NOT.” CO: Oh, my jaw dropped.

JK: I threw my phone when I first saw it.

But I think it’s her response to the reverence she receives as this unblemished icon. She’s not preaching flawless anymore — she’s just human.

CO: I can see that. The self-titled was a celebration of her marriage as this fully-formed, sexual, adult relationship, and “Lemonade” is a definite shift towards something more vulnerable. Beyoncé has never struggled to resonate with her fans, but I think they expect something ultimately positive out of her, which is what we end up getting here. The general public doesn’t want or expect angry, pessimistic Beyoncé, even if she has every right to produce that music. Although they don’t make up the whole album, her moody songs are what resonated best with me. I bop along to “Hold Up,” but “Love Drought” is next-level emotional.

JK: “Hold Up” is a continuation of what she’s been doing since “Say My Name” (1999). That fast-paced syncopation still sounds thrilling almost two decades later.

It’s a real testament to her talents that she can be keeping that fresh while sounding better than Jay Z has in a while.

CO: While she’s able to maintain some of those sounds, we see her being political in her music in a way we haven’t in the past. Of course, as an incredibly powerful Black female artist, she’s always been making a political statement, but her support of the Black Lives Matter movement has now been incorporated into her art.

This is more clear in the visual album than in the lyrics of the tracks themselves, but, with the poetry of a young Somali-British writer Warsan Shire capping each section, the visual album brings Black female bodies and voices to the forefront. We also saw this type of declaration in “Formation” when it was released in February. It’s one of just a few explicitly political songs on the album. How do you feel about it being tacked on at the end as the last track, post-reconciliation?

JK: In the context of this album, “Formation” is about coming through this struggle of marital strife and reasserting yourself in the world. It means something more now in the context of the album than it did out of context when it was originally released. Coming from Beyoncé, the assertion of agency in a three-and-a-half minute pop song is her unapologetic declaration of what it means to be a Black woman in America, which speaks to her use of the quote from Malcolm X in the visual album that, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman.”

CO: She seems to both celebrate Black female experience in the U.S. and point to a history of degradation. And on “Lemonade,” she samples work from poets and these figures like Malcolm X almost as much as she does from other musicians.

JK: Yeah, let’s talk about her samples. On “Hold Up,” she interpolates Soulja Boy and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs while sampling from Andy Williams’ 1962 hit “I Can’t Get Used to Losing You.” CO: Oh my God, I didn’t pick up on the ones besides Soulja Boy. And Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend) wrote it, so that’s

Isaac Brown Pop Filter

Not sticking to the status quo

I

DOUG PETERS VIA TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Beyoncé attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Met Gala in New York on Monday, May 2. why [there are so many references]. All Vampire Weekend songs are packed with lyrics from old songs, literary and historical references and interpolations from so many genres. So Ezra is partially responsible for that.

JK: Even “Freedom” has this really obscure sampling from Kaleidoscope, a Puerto Rican rock band from the ‘60s.

In addition to all these samples, Beyoncé worked with over 100 collaborators on the album, from songwriters to producers.

Beyoncé is not interested in being a true singer-songwriter and has never shied away from collaboration with other artists that have their own experiences to bring to the table, creating a balance between the personal and the collective in the music.

CO: Agreed. Okay, I think we’ve talked enough. Are you ready to give it a rating?

We disagree on “4” (I’m a much bigger fan than you are), so I feel like we might disagree on this.

JK: I’m giving it 4.5. I know it’s not a perfect album by any stretch of the imagination.

But compared to previous releases this year from Rihanna and Kanye West, Beyoncé is not only more successful in implementing her vision, but she’s also demanding we pay attention to uncomfortable issues like infidelity and the marginalization of Black female experiences. To me, that is the hallmark of a living legend at this point.

CO: I wanted to give this a 4 because my initial reaction was caught up in the visual and not the music itself. However, I’ve never cared so much about something and given it a 4. Beyoncé’s got me questioning myself and our society in a major way, and so much of “Lemonade” is incredibly vulnerable while still technically flawless. This is a 4.5.

Rating: 4.5/5 Top Picks: Best at a party: “Sorry,” “Formation” Best for ugly crying: “Pray You Catch Me,” “Sandcastles” Best for wielding a bat in anger: “Hold Up,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself”

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n my time in Enchanted, I haven’t spent much time reflecting on the past and instead looked to the future. Part of that is because I’m never completely satisfied with my own performance, and I continuously search for ways to improve. For better or for worse, I approach the whole group with the same mentality: yesterday we were pretty good, but tomorrow we can be even better.

If you want to sing a cappella at Tufts, that’s the kind of thought process you need to have in order to keep motivated, motivated to continue singing and finding ways to move the group forward. As the latest addition to the a cappella scene, formed entirely by wide-eyed freshmen, we’ve had to rethink a lot of ideas about what it means to be an a cappella group. The founders of Enchanted had crazy, half-baked ideas that led to a lot of trial and error. Emphasis on the error. We had a general goal in mind and no idea how to get there.

During our first few meetings we had no songs planned, we weren’t sure how we would learn music or obtain arrangements and yet we were already expected to perform at Spookapella in less than three weeks. Things had to happen quickly and our own progress as a group could not keep pace.

Early on I got the sense that people had high expectations for us. Perhaps a little too high. A cappella (and Disney appreciation) at Tufts is serious business and people are accustomed to a high level of polish. The reality was we were rough around the edges, and that kind of polish takes years to build up, not months. Enthusiasm steadily waned. At some point, we realized that we weren’t taking Enchanted seriously enough and that we would all have to be willing to make more sacrifices if we hoped to really get this group off the ground. A lot of that first year was spent figuring out how significant of a commitment Enchanted should be, and only once everyone was on the same page were we able to start building up our sound.

Competition is what reminds us how much further we need to go in order to keep up. When we’re all fighting to get the attention of the incoming freshmen at the O-show, we’re sort of like next-door neighbors all trying to outdo each other’s lawns. The sense of competition keeps us focused on delivering strong performances and looking for ways we can learn from each other.

Though we’ve all got our competitive streaks, the other a cappella groups on campus have consistently encouraged us throughout these foundational years, and I am thankful for their kindness. I hope that, in time, we can make ourselves an a cappella group everyone at Tufts and beyond can be proud of.

Isaac Brown is a rising senior majoring in English and a contributing writer at the Tufts Daily. Isaac can be reached at isaac.brown@tufts.edu.

A&L

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Arts & Living | THE TUFTS DAILY

RESTAURANT ROUNDUP

Parker Selman Style Spotlight

Top 10 restaurants for graduation time

Eliza Hamilton-Fairley

by Justin Krakoff Arts Editor

With commencement finally upon us, the Daily has compiled a list of 10 of the Boston area’s best restaurants worth exploring with your family and friends this weekend:

E

liza Hamilton-Fairley is a firstyear from the U.K. who spoke with me about her passion for face painting, British fashion and her favorite London shops.

1. Alden & Harlow While Michael Scelfo’s critically acclaimed Harvard Square hotspot features a well-rounded menu inspired by New American cuisine, the real star of the show is the Secret Burger ($16). Only available in limited qualities, Alden & Harlow’s burger has been the talk of the Boston food scene ever since its debut two years ago. Featuring a unique beef blend consisting of short ribs and ground brisket, the burger’s smokiness is the key to its success and is complemented by a buttery, flakey bun and a ridiculously addictive secret sauce. Be sure to arrive on the early side (6 p.m.) or plan on attending Alden & Harlow’s weekend brunch to snag one.

2. Giulia This cozy Cambridge spot is known for producing some of the tastiest pasta in all of Boston, so much so that it was recently featured in Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston 2016. Whether it be the luscious pappardelle with wild boar ($23) or the simple-but-perfect bucatini all’amatriciana ($17), chef Michael Pagliarini always keeps his menu fresh and innovative, and Giulia’s pasta selections never cease to amaze. Though on the pricier side, this Porter Square staple offers a fantastic dining experience that will leave guests completely stuffed and imagining themselves on the Italian vacation of a lifetime.

COURTESY NICOLE KANNER

The restaurant Alden and Harlow in Harvard Square.

5. Picco

8. Toro

On their own, pizza and ice cream are two delicious items, yet nothing one would call particularly upscale. Together? Now, that is genius. Picco transforms these two college staples and presents them in a warm setting, quite literally, with its Italian wood burning oven. On the pizza side, the Alsatian ($14.50 for a small and $23.50 for a large) stands out as the perfect combination of cheesy, bacony deliciousness. For dessert, be sure to try the comforting cinnamon ice cream. Dishes and cones are $4.25 for a small and $5.25 for a large, though a small is plenty for one person to enjoy. Pro-tip: if the wait is long, and it usually is, grab a quick cone to go.

Known for its classic Spanish tapas, this South End landmark lives up to its title as one Boston’s best longstanding restaurants.

Traditional dishes such as the Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija, the wonderful grilled corn, ($9) and Patatas Bravas, classic fried Spanish potatoes, ($8) pair well with some of the menu’s more unique dishes, including the Pato con Membrillo, or duck drumettes ($10). Toro does not take reservations, making it perfect for those seeking to find a restaurant for large parties on relatively short notice.

6. Sarma

A chef makes a plate of sushi at Café Sushi, Cambridge, Mass. on April 25.

3. Café Sushi Boston is known for having a fantastic range of high-end sushi restaurants, yet none of them are noted for having particularly low price tags. Café Sushi manages not to break the bank while simultaneously offering one of the most authentic sushi experiences in the Boston area. Menu highlights include the wonderfully inventive Sushi Dinner ($20) and Signature Sampler ($15), which feature some of the freshest fish outside of Japan. While the restaurant’s ambience leaves something to be desired, Café Sushi’s wonderful cuisine and usually quick wait more than make up for any other faults at this Cambridge highlight.

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Featuring a creative take on Turkish and Me d i t e r ra n e a n meze, Sarma has positioned itself as one of Somerville’s most revered restaurants. Chef Cassie Piuma is a master at crafting dishes that will leave JIAXUN LI / THE TUFTS DAILY diners begging a Japanese restaurant in for more, and indeed, one will be hard-pressed to order poorly as nearly every dish is expertly constructed on this exhaustive menu. The harissa barbeque duck ($17) and lamb köfte sliders ($11) are two of Sarma’s best, fusing together the restaurant’s Middle Eastern influences and immediate American location. It also is vital to save room for the sinfully delicious ricotta doughnuts called loukoumades ($5) with halva caramel (for an extra $2) and the special plates that Piuma randomly puts out without notice.

9. Island Creek Oyster Bar Just like the name suggests, Island Creek Oyster Bar is known for its fresh, expansive raw bar that never fails to impress. However, the menu features other hidden gems, namely in the form of the Crispy Oyster Slider ($4 each) and Lobster Roe Noodles ($38). The sliders are the perfect bite of fried seafood, further enhanced by a masterfully baked bun and lime chile aioli. The noodles, however, are truly a sight to behold, even though the mixture of braised short rib, grilled lobster, oyster mushrooms and Pecorino may seem intimidating for first-timers.

10. Coppa At Coppa, prepare to feast. This muchbuzzed-about South End joint believes that small plates are the best vehicle to convey its interpretation of modern Italian food.

Named the Boston’s best restaurant of 2016 by Boston Magazine, Coppa inspires with its inventive pizzas, namely the spicy, calamari-rich Nduja ($16) and creamy Bone Marrow ($16). Coppa’s Zeppole,

4. Neptune Oyster

7. Spoke

Believe the hype and prepare to endure a terrible wait: Neptune Oyster serves up some of the, if not the absolute, best seafood in Boston. In true New England fashion, the decadent Maine Lobster Roll ($29), prepared with either hot butter or cold mayo, is the clear must-have here. The butter option, in particular, offers a divine dining experience — but may threaten to stop your heart. Whatever you choose, the lobster goodness cannot be overstated here. Make sure to arrive later in the afternoon (around 3 p.m.) ready to camp out for the long haul in order to have a chance at consuming this masterful creation.

Located right in Davis Square, Spoke is an elegant wine bar that pairs simple New SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY England plates with The seven-layer hummus dish at the Mediterranean Restaurant wonderful beverag- Sarma in Somerville, Mass. on May 10. es. Though the plates are on the small side, dishes such as the lemon ricotta doughnuts with Nutella and braised lamb neck ($16) and farro risotto chopped hazelnuts ($9/three pieces or ($15) are perfectly executed, leaving diners $12/five pieces), ought to end any meal craving seconds. Due to the relatively small here. These treats are denser than beignets size of the restaurant, make sure to make a but not nearly as heavy as a traditional reservation in advance or plan on taking a American doughnut; in other words, they larger party elsewhere. are the perfect send-off.

Parker Selman (PS): How would you describe your personal style?

Eliza Hamilton-Fairley (EHF): I don’t really know how to describe my style because I basically wear anything that I think is cool and I like, meaning it varies a lot. I would say it’s quite individual. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on clothes, so the stores I go to at home are normally one-off shops I find. However, I do buy clothing and accessories off of Amazon quite often.

They’re not super high quality, but they’re cheap and often kind of weird which I like.

PS: What is your favorite piece of clothing?

EHF: My favorite piece of clothing would have to be a maxi yellow wrap skirt because it’s very loose and has a vibrant pattern PS: Where are you from?

EHF: I’m from Hampshire, which is about 40 minutes outside of London.

PS: Does being from London change your personal style?

EHF: It definitely has influenced my fashion sense because you can literally find anything there. Whatever style you go for, you can find it. I wouldn’t say my style is necessarily British or classic London, because the two main styles for young people in London are either high fashion or grunge, whereas I am more experimental. I would also say I’m not typical British and more American in the sense I love dressing up. I always have a series of costumes and accessories for any occasion; basically half my clothes coming out to the States were things I could wear as costumes. I am a face paint fanatic, so it’s really fun to be in a country where holidays like Halloween are taken so seriously, so I am not alone in going all out.

PS: How did you get into face painting?

EHF: It just started as a hobby and eventually grew into a passion. I can pretty much do any design, pattern or artwork when it comes to face paint.

I absolutely love doing face paint on others as well, so if anyone is interested, message me on Facebook for face paint work at a fair price.

PS: Has being at Tufts changed your style?

EHF: I went through a lot of phases before what I wear now, some were pretty horrendous. My style probably has changed a bit because I don’t have any of my local stores to go to, so I haven’t really done any shopping since I’ve been here, meaning I haven’t been able to find new weird stuff to wear.

PS: What is your favorite store?

EHF: Well, the only store I’ve basically been to since I’ve arrived in Boston is the Buffalo Exchange, which I’m sure most people know. To be fair though, you can find some great prices in there, and it’s only in Davis, which is great if you’re as lazy as I am. London does have incredible shopping, so it’s hard to name only a few shops, but I guess my favorites would be the Goodhood and Dolls Kill.

Parker Sellman is a rising sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Parker can be reached at parker.sellman@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Sunday, May 22, 2016

Danny Garfield releases Kickstarterfunded short film ‘Laser Man 3’ GARFIELD

continued from page 21 they offered to students, most notably a hidden gem of an editing lab.

But it wasn’t until his sophomore year that he made a discovery, which would shape the rest of his undergraduate career.

“I ended up realizing I really liked comedy,” Garfield said.

This newfound interest spurred him to join sketch comedy group, The Institute, as a video-sketch writer and editor. The role afforded him a lot of creative freedom, as well as the opportunity to hone his filmmaking chops.

“You can get pretty weird with it because it’s a small group of people,” he said.

How weird, exactly?

“I was on a rowboat shooting a talking fish once, and I built the inside of a spaceship in [ Tufts University Television] TUTV another time,” Garfield said.

Garfield is a physics major, a field which at first blush might not seem like an intuitive combination with film. But this was part of the draw of a liberal arts education for him, as opposed to, say, film school: the ability to pursue disparate passions.

“I liked the idea of liberal arts and also being indecisive,” he said.

Beyond that, though, the discipline of physics dovetails with the more technical challenges of making a film, a side of the creative process that especially interests him. The summer after his sophomore year, Garfield got some hands-on experience, working on a film set in the Berkshires, where

he helped with designing props and creating visual effects.

He brought some of the skills he acquired that summer to bear on the short film and apocalyptic comedy he wrote and directed titled “Laser Man 3: The Last Blast.” Funded entirely through a Kickstarter campaign and made in collaboration with some close friends, the film is set in a gas station and takes place in the 48 hours before a civilization-ending comet strikes the Earth.

Despite the condensed diegesis, Garfield has invested a lot of time in this project.

“I’ve been living and breathing ‘Laser Man’ for the past six months,” he said.

Garfield, who released the film last week, is also looking to enter it into some indie film festivals, which could serve as a springboard into the industry.

Looking back on his past four years at Tufts, Garfield is grateful for how his education — both on campus and beyond — has broadened his creative horizons. Certainly, there are certain programs he wishes he had taken more advantage of.

“I regret not taking more poetry and ILVS [International Literary and Visual Studies] courses because I think that informs film in a great way,” he said.

More than anything, though, his time here has vindicated the choice he made four years ago — as well as his indecision.

“Now that I’m leaving this place,” he said, “I think I’m beginning to get why it’s so important for aspiring artists to go to a liberal arts school.”

tuftsdaily.com

SENIOR PROFILE

Sedef Şeker shares Turkish identity, culture through music, film at Tufts

by Eran Sabaner

Assistant Arts Editor

At Tufts Takht’s seasonal show, senior Sedef ŞŞeŞ ker sang “Düğün Dernek,” a folk song from the Turkish indie rock band Pinhani.

“Düğün Dernek” is one of the Arabic Music Ensemble’s signature pieces, and Ş Ş eŞ ker has been performing it ever since she joined the group her sophomore year. Performing the song for the last time was an affecting experience for Ş Ş eŞ ker — it was her farewell to the ensemble.

“In our last show, we sang the same songs in three different languages,” she said. “Even though most of us are from different countries and cultures, we truly created a shared community in the ensemble. It will be difficult for me to let go what I call family for three years. The Arabic Music Ensemble has been the pinnacle of my Tufts experience.”

Double majoring in economics and English and minoring in music, Ş Ş eker is the kind of student whose divergent interests span the arts, sciences and humanities. A musician, film enthusiast and writer, Ş Ş eŞ ker has spent the past four years mastering different artistic mediums. In addition to the Arabic Music Ensemble, Ş Ş eŞ ker is a member of Tufts Jazz Choir. She is also a volunteer for Boston Turkish Film and Music Festival and currently interns at Women in Film and Video New England. Her past experiences include an internship at Filmmakers Collaborative, a Boston-area association of non-profit documentary filmmakers, and a columnist position at the now defunct, Istanbul-based Internet radio and blog Radiorgasm.

“I’ve always been interested in music, film and other media of art,” she said. “I got

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

accepted to Berklee College of Music but decided to go to Tufts since I wanted a more academic college experience. This does not mean I value art any less. I try to join as many clubs and choirs as I can.” Ş Ş eŞ ker also explained that Turkish identity has influenced her art.

“Even though it is called Tufts Takht, [the] Arabic [Music] Ensemble, we sing many songs from different geographies in Middle East,” she said. “I love being able to sing songs from my country and language. In a sense, I am promoting my culture to those who are not familiar with it. Volunteering for the Boston Turkish Film and Music Festival more or less allows me to do the same thing.” ŞŞeŞ ker recently got accepted to a teaching job in Brighton, Mass. She will spend next year teaching at a middle school, in addition to preparing her application for graduate schools.

“My plan is to do a five-year English Ph.D. program somewhere near Boston,” ŞŞeŞ ker said. “I eventually want a career in which I can combine my passion for arts with academia. Tufts professors, particularly Lee Edelman, truly changed my outlook on art. I aspire to be them.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | PHOTOGRAPHY | THE TUFTS DAILY

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THE TUFTS DAILY’S

BEST PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts students rally for racial justice with Harvard students in Porter Square as part of the #TheThreePercent protests on Nov. 18, 2015.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Professor of animal science at Colorado State University Temple Grandin speaks to the Medford community in Cohen Auditorium on Nov. 30, 2015. Grandin is an autism activist as well as an expert in the field of animal research. She has written multiple books on these issues.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Current Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin has accepted a job as vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid at Dartmouth College.

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Students study on the President’s Lawn on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

The Jumbos run to a huddle before a game against the Bowdoin Polar Bears on Wednesday, April 27.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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Four Years

THE TUFTS DAILY | FOUR YEARS IN REVIEW | Sunday, May 22, 2016

2012-2013 The Class of 2016 came to Tufts in the midst of big events happening both on and off campus. New Jumbos arrived on the Hill in time for the reopening of a renovated Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, an advantage for outdoor runners thwarted by Hurricane Sandy’s sweeping motion across the East Coast. While the hurricane affected many members of the Tufts community from New York City and New Jersey, it left most of campus unscathed aside from canceled classes and minor power issues on the Grafton and the Medford/ Somerville campuses.

In addition to the new gym was the arrival of the “Colossal AcornHead,” a public art installation celebrated by students for the artwork’s bizarre skyward gaze. Students’ positive

2013-2014 This year was defined by steady change that brought important discussions about the relationships between and among students. After the chaos of Winter Bash at the Westin Copley the year before, and the banning of the Naked Quad Run two years before, university administrators took to transforming students’ myriad social events to lessen alcohol-related misconduct. Fall Ball and Winter Bash became Fall Gala and Winter Ball, with commensurate changes to start times and the number of tickets sold for the events.

At the top of each of these reforms came a clash between the university and another beloved campus social event, the Tufts Dance Collective’s (TDC) biannual show at the end of each semester. Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) arrived at the event at Cohen Auditorium after multiple alcohol-related medical calls, as well as reports of unsafe and unsanitary conditions inside the performance hall. The event was ultimately restructured in the spring with small fixes, such as an earlier start time.

While the Tufts community reexamined some of its social traditions, quality of life on campus was

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

responses to the installation were significant enough that the university commissioned its very own Colossal AcornHead, a near-perfect replica of the original by artist Leslie Fry. Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF), then the university’s chapter of a nationwide evangelical Christian organization, was in the middle of a storm of controversy over discrimination and religious liberty. The Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) officially de-recognized the group after it became apparent that the group’s leadership was required to hold to tenets of “Basis of Faith,” which prevented religious Christians in LGBT relationships from holding executive roles. The news about TCF led the Committee on Student Life (CSL) to announce a new “religious exemption” for groups should they satisfy certain middle ground rules.

improved when the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) opened late-night weekend service until 3 a.m. On the Medford/ Somerville campus, TCU senator Isabella Kahhalé, currently a rising senior, worked with Tufts Dining to pilot and institute late-night dining as an option at the Commons Deli and Grill in January. The Late Night Dining program was popular, but students’ misbehavior, messiness and general rowdiness led the hours to be rolled back to close at 1 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. in April. Another TCU initiative was for an on-campus pub, with TCU senator Andrew Hunter (LA ’14) organizing “buyouts” of the Hotung Café’s stock of alcohol to display demand.

Tufts said goodbye to several long-time members of the community, as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Joanne BergerSweeney announced in March that she would leave Tufts in June of that year to become the next president of Trinity College. Associate Provost Mary Lee also announced her departure, after 27 years of service. Tufts also mourned the passing of three members of the faculty and community: Assistant Director of Career Services Donna Milmore, Fletcher Professor of English Emeritus Jesper

COURTESY MICHAEL JAMES

Other issues surrounding freedom of expression arose when the Primary Source, a conservative on-campus publication, printed a Christmas carol that mocked and blamed survivors of sexual assault.

The December issue that year was the publication’s last before it entered into a self-imposed hiatus.

Provost and Senior Vice President David Harris arrived to begin his tenure at Tufts while the search continued for a new dean of then-named Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service. On and off campus, the 2012 election reached a fever pitch. Tufts Democrats and Republicans both worked hard for their candidates for Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Republican Senator Scott Brown (LA ’81), respectively. Tufts Votes, a nonpartisan group, worked to increase voter registration and assist students on election day.

Many gathered later on that night at the Mayer Campus Center to watch the results roll in showing Warren’s victory and President Barack Obama’s reelection.

While national politics fired up the campus, so too did campus politics, as the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate added a community representative for the Women’s Center to its ranks and

tuftsdaily.com

pushed forward resolutions to create a Good Samaritan amnesty policy regarding alcohol use and medical emergencies on campus.

Public safety problems also prevailed as SafeRide, the nighttime ride service for students, returned in a new incarnation, and the installation of a new video security system began on campus. Somerville and Tufts public safety officials also collaborated on new safety measures at the intersection of Powderhouse Boulevard and Packard Avenue, including a speed radar sign and a new LED traffic light.

Tufts students were on the local news after then-named Winter Bash took a turn for the chaotic, with approximately 15 students needing treatment for intoxication. Boston’s

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) classified the occurrence as a mass casualty event, leading the Westin Copley Place Boston Hotel to refuse to ever host the event again.

The year was defined, however, by tragedy just across the square from the Westin. As Tufts Marathon Team members ran in the Boston Marathon, two young men from Massachusetts placed and exploded two bombs at the finish line, leading to a multi-day man hunt and lockdown on campus and throughout Boston. Although thankfully no one in the Tufts community was harmed physically, four people, including MIT police officer Sean Collier and Medford resident, died and many more were injured.

MASTER SGT. MARK C. OLSEN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

Rosenmeier and Tufts Hillel board member Anne Heyman.

Tufts welcomed a number of figures from politics and media, some of whom were met with controversy. Speaking to an eager audience at the ninth annual Edward R. Murrow Forum, Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, discussed the changing nature of journalism and online media. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson visited campus in April for the Entertainment Board’s spring event.

Visits by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia were both met with controversy. Around 20 students protested the visit of Justice Scalia, who spoke on constitutional originalism as part of the Richard E. Snyder President’s Lecture Series, due to his conservative leanings and opinions.

Controversy continued, as hotly-debated issues from the previous year returned. The Committee on Student Life (CSL) announced major changes to its “justified departure” policy for campus religious groups, pertaining to the 2012-2013 controversy over the Tufts Christian

Fellowship’s (TCF) “Basis of Faith” requirements for group leaders, which some argued were discriminatory. The CSL’s change now requires that all Religious and Philosophical Organizations (RPSOs) follow the TCU Judiciary’s non-discrimination policy, while redefining the roles of the TCU Judiciary and the University Chaplaincy in the RPSO recognition process.

The TCU presidential election between Andrew Núñez and Robert Joseph incited drama over their approximately two-week long campaign. Similarities between the two candidates’ platforms was highlighted by the entrance of then-rising senior Ben Kurland as “Generic Candidate.” All the buzz of the race also saw the Tufts Election Commission (ECOM) experience technological problems with its new electronic voting system that delayed the announcement of results until 12 hours after voting had concluded. Joseph was eventually declared the victor and next TCU President.

Tufts’ issues with sexual assault emerged as one of the defining issues of the year. In the fall,

University President Anthony Monaco addressed sexual assault on campus, calling it a pressing issue, and announced a university-wide sexual assault task force. Students got together on their own to host “It Happens Here,” a forum where survivors of sexual assault shared their experiences to bring more attention to sexual assault on campus.

Later that month, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced that Tufts was one of a number of universities and colleges that was in violation of Title IX standards after receiving a Title IX complaint filed by a student in 2010. Tufts volunteered to change its policies before it was publicly announced that it was in violation, at which point the university backed out of its agreement to update its standards. In Tufts’ largest protest since the 1980s, students crowded around Ballou Hall to demand that the university comply with Title IX requirements, leading the university to agree on a plan to move forward with the students, and Monaco stated that the changes agreed upon would put Tufts back into the parameters of Title IX.

in Review

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | FOUR YEARS IN REVIEW | THE TUFTS DAILY

29

-by Sarah Zheng, Mengqi Sun and Nicholas Golden

2014-2015

From events on the sports field to weather to campus activism, 2014-2015 was an intense and active year on the Hill.

Tufts sports teams, by putting in solid exceptional individual years and a few great team seasons, rose to new heights. Jumbo football kicked off the year by breaking its infamous 31-game losing streak at the team’s home opener at the Ellis Oval, beating the Hamilton Continentals 24-17 before dedicated fans rushed the field to celebrate the win. The team did exceptionally well at home, going 4-0 at the Oval.

The men’s soccer team produced one of the year’s highlight campaigns by beating all-comers on its quest for a first-ever NCAA Div. III National Championship title.

The team’s unlikely run saw it defeat powerhouse Messiah College in the quarterfinals and Ohio Wesleyan University in the semifinals before

eliminating Wheaton College in the final with a scoreline of 4-2.

While Tufts soccer crushed all before them across Div. III, students, faculty and staff on campus hunkered down for one of the most difficult winters in memory, with an unprecedented amount of snow, including a record-high five snow days in the spring. Professors cut the fun short, however, by rescheduling makeup classes to Patriot’s Day and the first two days of reading period.

The snowpocalypse’s end brought with it changes to campus. In the spring, Kesha headlined Tufts’ first-ever Spring Fling made up entirely of women as the artists, including MisterWives and Lauren Lane, while a more inclusive twist on “The Vagina Monologues” (1996), “Not Your Mother’s Monologues,” was held on campus. TEDxTufts brought the TEDTalks format of lectures and discussion of hot topics to the Hill, allowing students to share their intellectual and creative pas-

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

2015-2016 The Class of 2016’s last year on the Hill saw a number of significant events and issues raised.

With a tumultuous 2016 presidential election cycle in full gear, Tufts students have been actively engaged in the political process, including canvassing in New Hampshire, attending candidate rallies and protesting at Donald Trump’s Massachusetts rally. In April, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship received a $15 million gift from Jonathan (A’ 76) and Lizzie Tisch, and was renamed to refocus on civic engagement.

This year was marked by visits from notable speakers, from economist Lawrence Summers to television journalist David Gregory to social activist Dr. Noam Chomsky.

The 11th annual Edward R. Murrow Forum featured television journalist Anderson Cooper, who discussed his career and opinions on the current presidential election. Other speakers included congressman and civil

rights activist John Lewis and political strategists David Axelrod and Beth Myers (LA ’79).

Students saw academic expansions this year, with a new film and media studies major and the acquisition of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. While the linguistics and cognitive brain sciences minors were suspended in the fall due to staffing changes, a new Portuguese minor became available in the spring and an environmental studies minor focusing on food and nutrition systems will be offered in the fall.

Mark Brimhall-Vargas began working as the Chief Diversity Officer and associate provost in May 2015.

Brimhall-Vargas chaired the new Diversity and Inclusion Working Group in the fall 2015, and helped launch a new “Diversity Dashboard” in March to improve transparency.

Following nationwide protests against campus racism, #TheThreePercent organized a march in November, and outlined a list of demands relating to Black students and faculty at Tufts. The Tufts

COURTESY ALONSO NICHOLS FOR TUFTS UNIVERSITY

sions while practicing oratory and storytelling skills.

TCU Senate witnessed and participated in big changes, as graduating senior Brian Tesser was elected as TCU President in the only uncontested election in recent memory.

Senate also found itself at the center of controversy due to its budgeting and club funding decisions. Many student groups, particularly Tufts Mock Trial, were angered to discover that there would be new limitations to travel support from the Senate, which responded by saying that past levels of funding had only been possible because of a large one-time compensation following an administrative embezzlement scandal years back. Senate and the TCU Treasury were both unpopular institutions as they tried to balance their budgets, in a move that continues to hold on-campus ramifications.

Greek life also saw big changes, as the brothers in Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) made the decision to disaffiliate from their national organization and rename themselves Pi Delta. The decision, they explained, came after realizing that their interests no longer aligned with those of the national chapter. The brothers move forward as a local chapter and maintain their residence at 45 Sawyer Avenue.

While the newly-dubbed Pi Delta fraternity kept its house, many students discovered they would have a more difficult time finding off-campus housing due to the University Accountability Ordinance passed by the City of Somerville. The ordi-

Labor Coalition (TLC) continued to support fair labor practices for Tufts janitors in protests outside Gifford House, at town-hall meetings and during Jumbo Days. TLC also supported union-only hiring on the Medford/Somerville campus, and the Boston Building Trades Council (BTC) used billboard trucks to protest Tufts’ use of non-union workers. Meanwhile, Tufts Climate Action (TCA) hosted a two-day symposium on climate change in April, following a protest outside the Board of Trustees November meeting. TCA saw success with faculty passing a resolution in May favoring divestment from the fossil fuel industry.

While 200 students accepted sorority bids, Alpha Gamma Delta, the sixth sorority to come to Tufts, delayed its extension efforts to this fall. The brothers of Sigma Epsilon (SigEp) disaffiliated from their national organization in January, establishing local fraternity Pi Rho Omega.

Campus safety proved to be a heated topic. Following the DTD stabbing incident last May, Tufts saw various incidents in campus dorms, from sexual assault to other incidents of misconduct. Two Norovirus outbreaks also hit campus, infecting approximately 72 students in the outbreak in February. At the semester’s end, final exams were postponed following bomb threats and a burning car outside Health Service.

After two years, the MBTA ended its late night service in March, and the Green Line Extension project, saddled with excess costs, saw cuts in scope. Despite that delay,

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

nance mandated that any university in Somerville — namely Tufts — would be required to submit a report that lists students and their addresses in order to better enforce an existing zoning ordinance about overcrowding in residential areas.

The zoning laws, which prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living in the same apartment, continue to hover over students trying to find housing in an increasingly expensive Somerville area.

Student activism also reached new levels over the academic year. Conflicts between Black Americans and police in Ferguson, Missouri over the death of Michael Brown provoked protests nationwide, prompting Tufts students and others in the Boston area to participate in marches and protests. These protests against racial oppression were led by the student group Indict Tufts, and included a march to the Charles River from campus with multiple “die-ins.” The group’s efforts were paralleled by the sit-in and hunger strike by the Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC), in protest of the university’s plans to restructure its janitorial services. In April, Tufts unveiled a new, 5000-pound bronze Jumbo statue amid TLC actions, weeks before the group began a week-long hunger

strike against job losses for janitors in a move that earned local and regional news attention. Another group of students, Tufts Climate Action, also held a sit-in in the spring to take the university to task for not divesting its endowment from fossil fuels.

The year was also marked by endings and loss. Professor Sol Gittleman ended his 51-year career on the Hill, after teaching countless Tufts students with passion and verve. In February, Tufts lost and mourned the passing of then-junior Julia Lee and her parents, who were killed in a car crash while traveling in New Zealand, and Samuel Murray, who matriculated with the Class of 2014 and was on leave. Tufts also memorialized the loss of then-junior HyunJae Kim at the end of the spring semester.

Speakers who visited campus included the parents of Trayvon Martin, ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos and Senator Elizabeth Warren, drawing large audiences of students, alumni and local community members. Tufts Hillel’s choice to invite Martin’s parents to speak was controversial, with critics deeming Hillel an inappropriate host.

At the end of May, the campus was placed on a temporary lockdown after a stabbing incident inside the Delta Tau Delta (DTD) house.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

campus building projects continued in full force, with the reopening of 574 Boston Ave., the newly renovated Memorial Steps and extensive work on the Science and Engineering Complex. At the end of the year, Tufts announced that it would rededicate South Hall to Bernard Harleston, former dean of arts and sciences and the first African-American tenure-track professor at Tufts.

At the end of the academic year, several long-serving faculty members will leave Tufts. Dean

of Undergraduate Admissions Lee Coffin will leave his position of 13 years for Dartmouth College, while Director of the Institute of Global Leadership (IGL) Sherman Teichman will leave Tufts after more than three decades. Robyn Gittleman, director of the Experimental College, retired from her position after 40 years of service in December, while Steph Gauchel, director of the Women’s Center, left her position of more than seven years for a job at the Harvard Divinity School.

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

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THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

BEST PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

On Jan. 31, the night before the Iowa caucus, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally at Grand View University’s Sisam Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

As fall begins, a student walks under a vibrantly colored tree on the Academic Quad on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015.

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY

Members of the community sled down the President’s Lawn after the first snow of the semester on Sunday, Jan. 24.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating senior Cameron Flowers performs spoken word at the Annual University Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Goddard Chapel on Jan. 26.

JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating seniors Amanda Hutter and Max Greenhouse practice for a ballroom competition on Oct. 21, 2015.

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

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THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

“It’s poignant, it makes it real ... It’s important to end it with a bang.”

— Lee Coffin

tuftsdaily.com

PROSPECTIVE

perspectives

Every April, hundreds of accepted prospective students and families visit the Hill to learn more about the campus, majors, clubs and student life that Tufts has to offer. We asked some of them what they had to say about their visit and what they like about Tufts.

“I think the community is really warm and nice.

It’s not cliquey, and I can get to know a lot of people.”

— Rose Smith, Medford, MA

“I’m interested in clubs and internships and research opportunities that you can’t get in high school, [and] also meeting people around the world and the country.”

— Amel Hassan, Medford, MA

“I like seeing all the clubs ... I might join the pep band ... I like this independently organized TED event ... The fact that they have so many things I would want to study: Economics, French, music, study abroad.”

—Kirt Thorne, Brooklyn, NY

“Everyone seems genuinely happy.” ­­— Fiona Lewis, Piedmont, CA

“I want to be an artist, and my artwork is centered on biological concepts. So through the dual-degree program I would be getting a degree in bio and, through the SMFA, fine arts...so I think that Tufts offers an opportunity [that] you can’t get anywhere else in terms of those two things that I want to do.”

— Alana Barrett, Miami, FL “Walking around and talking to people is what’s sold me, because you don’t get to do that when you’re researching the school.”

— Isabella Moncada, Los Angeles, CA “I think this decided it.”

— Nicholas, New York

PHOTOS BY SOFIE HECHT AND ZIQING XIONG

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | PHOTOGRAPHY | THE TUFTS DAILY

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“This is my fourth time visiting. I like it better every time I visit. So far I just like meeting admitted students who will be my classmates next year ... Everyone always talks about the people and how kind they are and how close the community is, which kind of reminds of the school that I am at right now, and I love my school.”

— Meha Elhence, Dallas, TX

“I think it was really cool ... the whole picture of the university...you get a feel for the people too ... It’s beautiful...Everyone’s super driven ... you can share what you know and what you love.”

— Talia Smith, Minneapolis, MI

“Everyone’s really nice here. [I like] the liberal arts idea; you can kind of decide what you want to become. I’m like not really sure what I want to do yet, and I think it’s nice you can explore.”

— Ethan Bernstein, Woodbridge, CT “I feel like Tufts has a great atmosphere. It’s intellectually driven, but everyone here is so unique and quirky ... It’s good to be quirky!”

— Brandon Lewis, Montclair, NJ

“Very relaxed ... I got to see both academic things and social life ... Engineers without Borders is something I looked at...Everyone’s very happy, laid-back, not pretentious.”

— Darius Niskayuna, New York

“Overall free feel ... plenty of room to check out the campus, explore ... [I am] planning on joining [the] Model UN ... Lot of people that seem very engaged in what they’re doing and very passionate.”

— Nico Avalle-Embree, Vermont

“The LUX fashion show seemed really interesting to me because I really like fashion and stuff. I would want to style.”

— Kevin Li, Belmont, MA

Opinion

34 tuftsdaily.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear members of the Tufts community, This semester has been one with many ups and downs, both at Tufts and on the Daily. As our current managing board, made up entirely of graduating seniors, prepare to enter the real world, we look back on the legacy that we have helped build at this paper. We have had shining moments in our coverage, from breaking public safety stories and closely following campus and national politics, to featuring outstanding individuals in the community and capturing the energy of regional and national sports wins. Our photographers have spearheaded stories at the break of dawn and our reporters have sacrificed parts of their personal and academic lives for more comprehensive and timely coverage. We have pushed the envelope and engaged with the Tufts campus more consistently and actively than ever before. And we have developed an increasing awareness at all levels of the Daily of the impact of who we cover and how we cover them.

But we still have room to grow. Being at the helm of the Daily this semester has been incredibly humbling, to realize both the power and influence that

this paper holds on campus in creating change, telling narratives and documenting history, and the ways in which we still fall short of ideal reporting.

It is difficult for us to put our hearts and souls into this paper, and to still be criticized by administrators, faculty, fellow students and Daily staffers, but it reminds us of the responsibility and agency that we have to be better than the "mainstream media," because we can be, and we should be.

Without enormous financial pressures, competition from other outlets or the draconic supervision of an ownership with an agenda, we have the ability to tell stories accurately, representatively and responsibly, to be at the forefront of journalistic innovation — proven time and time again in our breaking coverage or in-depth features — and to not constrain ourselves within the traditional axioms of media. We see ourselves moving away from being an "institution" trying to cover the entire university and towards being a collective paper created for and by everyone in the Tufts community.

We hear rhetoric about how traditional print journalism is dying, and

we at the Daily see that to be true. We are excited to be one of the pioneers of the new media landscape, looking digital-first and digging deeper beneath the headlines to tell the campus' stories in the best possible way. We look ahead to next year with the establishment of our very own "Spotlight" investigative team and the eventual debut of a mobile presence.

It has been an absolute pleasure to see how much the paper has grown over the years. While I complain about waking up in the morning to Slack messages about breaking news events, needing to consistently hydrate with coffee or spending most of my waking hours in the Curtis Hall basement, I would not have traded this experience for the world. To work alongside dedicated, passionate and visionary journalists and creators every day, telling the multitude of vibrant stories at Tufts, has been an honor and a privilege. I am excited to see where the Daily will go next, and I hope you are too.

Cheers, Sarah Zheng, Editor in Chief

CARTOON

Azaria and the Simpsons ABIGAIL FELDMAN

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISING All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Board and Executive Business Director.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Jake Lawicki Jumbo Steps

The GPA List

S

tanding alone, 52 is but a freckle of quantitative information.

But slap a unit after it, and all hell may break loose — especially if it’s a percentage sign.

This, friends, was my grade on the infamous BIO13’s first test.

In hindsight, my study plan can be chalked up as a method whose guaranteed result is an F; I allocated a mere two days before test day to begin studying.

So, yeah. I failed.

No, it wasn’t Dr. Koegel’s fault. She’s a fantastic lecturer who conveys the material in an understandable manner.

It wasn’t the test itself: It was an accurate representation of what was taught.

And no, it wasn’t even my lack of dedication. I’d attended every class, printed lecture slides to re-annotate my notes by hand and read the textbook.

It was (cue facepalm) my own ego.

Rewind to high school, where I took biology classes freshman, junior and senior years. Having established such a familiarity with the subject, I thought I’d do just fine on the test. After all, my AP Biology score was high enough to get me placed out of BIO13 in the first place. Hence, with my fat nose in the air, I declared that 48 hours of crunch time was just crunchy enough.

Fast-forward again. I finished the test thinking I’d handed over the long-lost twin of the answer key. But the gradebook on SIS revealed a different story.

A great portion of my past academic career, and an even greater one of my future, has been tailored toward learning biology. But, if my grade served as any indication of whether to persist in such a field, I’d better start reconsidering my future plans.

After receiving advice from my parents and roommate, it struck me: I remembered why I love biology in the first place — it’s my thing, and no grade can take that away.

I ended up with a B- in the class, a relatively decent grade.

But it rendered my GPA too low for the Dean’s List.

Regardless, I’m glad I failed the test; failure pried my eyes open to see this was just freshman year, part deux. I started high school as a freshie (duh) and ended as a 12-grader on the top of the GPA ladder. But BIO13 showed me that my place on the top rung as a 12-grader never guaranteed a 12-grader-plus-three-months the same spot.

While I didn’t make the list, I accomplished a monumental academic accolade. What was my merit badge?

Knowing it was due time to deflate my big head and realizing I could transform a failure into an opportunity to do better in the course.

I’m super proud of my friends who made the Dean’s List, but I refuse to beat myself up because I didn’t.

And if I don’t make the cut this semester, that’s fine because it may mean something better is in store. If 52 is rather insignificant without its precious unit backing it, can ≥3.4 be that different?

Jake Lawicki is a rising sophomore who has not yet declared a major. Jake can be reached at jake.lawicki@tufts.edu.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion CARTOON

Once a Jumbo, forever a Jumbo SHANNON GEARY

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Pooja Sivaraman and Rebecca Solomon New York Style Dehli

If this isn’t nice, what is?

EDITORIAL

Finding a solution for tuition hikes As this year comes to a close, Tufts students and their families are starting to worry about paying next year’s tuition, which, as the decade-long pattern would predict, has been raised yet again by nearly $2,000, reaffirming Tufts’ position among the most expensive schools in the country. And although the increase is at a four-year low of 3.6 percent, there has been heavy backlash from the community, the most organized of which has taken the form of an online petition.

The petition rightly criticizes the letter that the administration sent to all Tufts students via email on April 12, which detailed the increase in tuition and provided a brief and arguably vague attempt at explaining the reasons for the hike. Not only did the administration neglect to send the letter to parents of Tufts students (who more often than not are part of the payment process), but its explanation for the increase also assumed a cloudy and idealistic tone about maintaining Tufts’ prestige in place of the needed transparency about where our money is going.

Commendably, the letter did address the issue of diversity; the boost in cost was framed as a tool to achieve student diversification. Yes, it is logical that a higher tuition could allow for more money to go towards financial aid

funds, but with the lack of transparency, we are left to wonder if that is actually the case.

The student leaders spearheading the petition have presented these issues in their list of demands to the administration, which include but are not limited to: “justification and explanation for all tuition increases,” “a tuition freeze for class year,” “greater support from the financial aid office” and that “Tufts move to a need-blind admission policy.”

These demands do not seem entirely unreasonable or difficult to meet.

But while these demands seem just, they also subtly conflict with other realms of activism on campus. For the past several years at Tufts, student groups have fought for social justice causes that come in conflict with the desire to halt swelling tuition costs. For example, should the demand to divest from fossil fuels be met, Tufts will not receive the added financial boost needed to lower tuition. Investment in outside entities is a cornerstone in Tufts’ financial framework. Likewise, requests to raise the minimum wage for on-campus jobs and to hire more full-time faculty rather than part-time also drag down funds. If the tuition were to remain the same from here on out, Tufts would likely have to find money elsewhere

CARTOON

Words of gratitude ALLISON MEROLA

and perhaps in places that lack social justice outlooks.

That is not to say that students should refrain from fighting other injustices. We absolutely should. Rather, the conflict between these demands is something that we, as students, must understand and reconcile. Preventing hikes in tuition has no clear-cut path; it is naive to think that keeping tuition at the same rate is as simple as meeting a few demands. A low minimum wage, investments and part-time jobs, as insidious as they seem, are ways that Tufts maintains a functioning university. On this campus, there is an intense drive to create positive change in the world, but sometimes we so desperately want everything to be ideal that we forget positive change in one aspect of life often has some consequence in another. So, while this petition is a great step in the right direction, the tuition increase represents a mammoth issue with a complex solution that transcends the petition.

Before we demand anything of the administration, we must completely understand the implications of eradicating tuition hikes.

This requires an open, transparent discussion between concerned students and the Tufts administration. Without transparency, we will see little progress in years to come.

Rebecca: New York Style Dehli is the longest running Opinion column the Daily has had. Not only is it the longest running, but it is the only column written by two people. Seeing as we’re seasoned Daily writers, Pooja and I have written a Commencement issue before. However, we have never written for Commencement this close to home. We’re graduating. We have no clue how this happened, two girls from big cities who found each other in the suburb of Somerville. Our relationship was love at first sight, and Pooja has stayed by my side as I simultaneously evolve and devolve. When we first met, I was 12 pounds lighter and 10 shades darker; however, my brain did not yet have the over $200,000 worth of knowledge in it that it does now. Pooja and I bonded over our hatred of mastering chemistry and our love of watching our hallmates fall in and out of lust with each other.

In our four years of college, Pooja has been my constant, not only my best friend and confidante but also my sister. The hardest part about graduating will be living in a different timezone from hers, but we’re in contact every minute of the day, so we can make it through this. We have to thank the Tufts community for its support in the form of questions, kind words and readership, and as always, we must thank Annabelle Roberts for giving us the opportunity to shine, recognizing the talent Pooja and I always knew we had.

Pooja: “Don’t take life for granted.” I feel like that term has been force-fed to me a lot lately, but it took me a while to figure out what it really means. I recently came to an artless realization: it’s not your own life they’re talking about. People say to live life to the fullest and to enjoy every moment like it is your last. But that’s just it — not everyone can afford to live life to the fullest, and most of your moments will not be your last. These next couple of months are going to be lonely and terrifying and downright core-shaking. Who we are will no longer be defined by the lives we’ve made together these past four years. We are, after all, commencing; our lives are trajectories that keep moving forward.

So, it’s not our lives we must not take for granted, it’s the lives we have made together as students, roommates, mentors and allies. It’s the relationships we have built with our favorite nutty professors, with the sweet women who give us coffee in Tower during our greatest hours of need or with those certain people you’d always wanted to ask for lunch but never got the chance. Our individual lives are moving forward, but these lives, these days or hours or even minutes of interactions are the ones we are saying goodbye to. There are fractions of lives we’ve made with people on this hill that we barely know, and there are lives we have carefully built with people on this campus that have found a way into who we call family. These are the lives, big and small, that we must not take for granted.

So, how do we do that? We carry them with us. To use the words of my favorite writer, Kurt Vonnegut, I’m asking you to notice when you were happy. Think, at some point, about the ways in which each life has contributed to yours, and exclaim or murmur, “If this isn’t nice, what is?”. It’s as simple as that, Class of 2016, and the last piece of advice from your two favorite longest-running columnists.

I don’t know what I’m doing to do without Rebecca either next year, but all I can say is, these past four years have been pretty damn nice. On that note, we’re tuning out for the last and final time (always serving non-kosher advice in Jumbo-sized servings).s Your very own, New York Style Delhi

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THE TUFTS DAILY | ADVERTISEMENT | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

As a new graduate, you automatically become a member of the Tufts University Alumni Association Welcome from Kate A. Kaplan, AG95

President, Tufts University Alumni Association

To the class of 2016, On behalf of all Jumbos, congratulations!

As members of our worldwide alumni community, you will continue to strengthen Tufts after you leave Medford. You will find fellow Jumbos in all corners of the world, and staying connected with your classmates and Tufts is easy! Check out tuftsalumni.org/site/tufts-online-community/ to update your contact information within the Online Community, to stay up to date on events in your area, and to learn about our other benefits and services.

On behalf of the entire Tufts community, we wish you all the best as you begin this new and exciting chapter.

Congratulations and Go Jumbos!

Sincerely,

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Kate A. Kaplan, AG95

The Alumni Association hosts some of your favorite events including Freshman Welcome to Campus, the Sophomore Halfway There celebration, Welcome Back Seniors, 100 Days ‘till Graduation, Senior Dinners at the President’s house, the Senior Gala and so much more!

Welcome Back Seniors - September, 2015 100 Days - February, 2016

Homecoming - October, 2015

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | ADVERTISEMENT | THE TUFTS DAILY

tuftsdaily.com

NEVER FEAR!

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Wherever you go,

are near!

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Alumni chapters around the world are constantly gathering to share Tufts memories both old and new. Join one of these existing chapters or create a new one wherever you end up on your global adventures.

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Argentina Arizona Australia Belgium Brazil California Canada China Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida France Georgia Germany Greece

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Join the Tufts Alumni Career Networking Group!

Exclusively for Tufts students, alumni, faculty, and staff, this LinkedIn group is a forum to share and request career-related information, referrals, and advice across industries and geographic locations.

Advice from a young alumna: “You don’t have to find the perfect job right off the bat. Sometimes you start with something small and it leads into an incredible opportunity. Remember to stay open.”

You may be leaving the Hill, but your interests won’t get left behind!

Shared Interest Groups (SIG) are communities of alumni with a common affinity based on experience, identity and background, organizational or academic affiliation, profession, or other Tufts -related interests. SIGs are a tangible way to stay connected through events, communications, and networks.

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Megan Sullivan, A10 Citigroup Business Analyst Alumni reunite at a Tufts Black Alumni Association event

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THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

HENRY HINTERMEISTER / THE TUFTS DAILY

Rising junior Lillianna Levonick of the comedy group Tufts Funny Ladies opens for comedian Natasha Leggero at Cohen Auditorium on March 16.

tuftsdaily.com

COURTESY LIAM BRADY

The Tufts Hindu Students Council celebrates Holi, the festival of colors and spring, on the Residential Quad with other Tufts students on April 23.

CAPTURED: STUDENT CLUBS

JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating seniors Max Greenhouse and Amanda Hutter dance at a competition as part of the Tufts Ballroom Team.

COURTESY SOFIE HECHT

Tufts Pulse, a classical Indian dance group, performs in Alumnae Lounge on April 22.

NICHOLAS PFOSI / THE TUFTS DAILY

A student band performs in Hotung during Battle of the Bands on Thursday, April 7.

MAX LALANNE / THE TUFTS DAILY

ENVY, Tufts’ all-female step team, performs in Cohen Auditorium during the 32nd annual Parade of Nations show presented by the International Club on March 5.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion EDITORIAL

Reassessing selectivity Tufts issued a triumphant news release in April titled, “Tufts Gets More Selective — Again,” priding itself on the fact that this year’s acceptance rate is at an all-time low of 14 percent. The article explains the reasons behind the drop, citing a six percent increase in undergraduate applications. It also says that the Class of 2020 is the “most diverse” class of admitted students in over a decade. As a top-tier university, Tufts has a responsibility to think about its admissions process and the implications for students and academia as a whole. It is not necessarily a positive development that Tufts has joined the race of dropping acceptance rates among top-tier colleges. Students and administrations continue to be enamored by misguided U.S. News & World Report college rankings, which incentivize low acceptance rates and elitism, rewarding schools for rejecting large numbers of applicants. The university should be promoting diversity, opportunity and educational quality over selectivity, and a quickly dwindling acceptance rate may be counterproductive to these goals.

When the university says “most diverse,” Tufts is still referring to an accepted class comprised of only 34 percent students of color. Only six percent of those students identify as Black, an incredibly low number in comparison to other selective schools and national proportions. By patting our-

selves on the back for this admissions cycle, we are actually detracting from the greater problem — that Tufts, like most esteemed universities, is a bastion of privilege. After #TheThreePercent protests last fall, which urged Tufts to provide greater support and admissions spaces for Black students, this issue is even more timely to assess. Tufts openly admits that it has more qualified applicants than spaces in the class. So, it is entirely possible that within that pool of qualified applicants, the university could be doing more to ensure higher acceptance rates for students of color. Because of these underlying issues, Tufts’ claim that diversity rose in conjunction with a drop in acceptance rate must be evaluated with scrutiny.

Overall, mid-size universities like Tufts, as well as Ivy League schools, are getting more selective. Part of this decline is due to rising competition from students from overseas, particularly Asia. Colleges have increased their international recruitment and outreach, a smart strategy for the majority of universities, which do not provide financial aid to international students. Schools’ declining acceptance rates, therefore, are not always indicative of an increase in academic rigor and intensity, but rather of an increase in money’s influence on the admissions process. While admissions is supposedly “need-blind” at many schools, Tufts remains “need-aware,” a status

it has held since 2009. Tufts claims that it helps admitted students by making sure that the university can meet 100 percent of students’ demonstrated financial need. However, this also means that those students the university cannot afford to take on are not offered the chance of having a Tufts education in the first place. Theoretically, Tufts says that no student would be rejected solely on the basis of their financial need. However, the fact that financial status is still an influential factor perpetuates economic elitism within our university. Unfortunately, Tufts’ “need-aware” admissions process is currently necessary due to its small endowment and high rate of selectivity, but it is worth examining the possibility for Tufts to switch back to a need-blind status, which many other top-tier schools guarantee.

Rather than blindly lauding our declining acceptance rate for propagating a culture of academic exclusivity, we must examine the underlying factors behind the drop. If diversity and quality of education are values that Tufts finds important, the school must focus on strategies to improve these areas and understand why increasing selectivity might be at odds with the general welfare of the school.

Although rankings and publicity do matter, the quality of the educational experience students receive should remain the university’s most important goal.

CARTOON

Start Of The Rest Of Our Lives STEPHEN DENNISON

EDITORIAL

Tufts’ failures on sexual assault extend beyond Title IX Tufts and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Education have been at loggerheads over the last few years.

Passed in 1972, Title IX is a federal statute that mandates gender equity in educational programs receiving federal funding. Many people view Title IX as a federal statute solely linked to gender equity for collegiate sports teams, but this law also governs activities ranging from access to higher education as well as laws pertaining to sexual harassment and assault. Universities and colleges that fail to meet standards set by Title IX risk losing federal research money, which Tufts encountered when the OCR released a report accusing the university of failing to reach Title IX standards.

According to an Aug. 31 Daily article, the university’s debacle with Title IX began in 2010, when a student filed a complaint with the OCR alleging discrimination surrounding her report of sexual assault. A subsequent 2014 report by OCR found that Tufts had “allowed for the continuation of a

hostile environment and denied [students] access to educational opportunities at the university.” The report noted that if the university did not properly correct its procedures and rework the wording of its policies, the Office for Civil Rights had the ability “to terminate federal funding” for the school.

After much student protest and national and local media attention, the university came to a a 16-page agreement detailing the new university policies. Although the university continually creates new standards and new positions to combat sexual assault, there are strong disincentives — protecting the university’s reputation by avoiding acknowledgement of sexual assault cases and avoiding the legal gauntlet of perpetrators and victims — that discourage the scale of reform needed on our campus.

Less than a year after the investigation and agreement with the OCR, in the spring semester of 2015, Tufts’ Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) issued the “Tufts Attitudes About Sexual Conduct Survey.”

The survey itself revealed that 21 percent of Tufts students do not agree with the claim that the administration is genuinely concerned about their welfare. If one in five respondents feel as though the university is not genuinely concerned with their safety and well-being, then significant problems clearly exist. The university has updated its regulations to match Title IX, whether dragging its feet or not, but there remain serious questions as to whether those changes are meaningful. The university has significant tools, but for people like Wagatwe Wanjuki — whom the university asked to withdraw for “academic reasons” after failing to bring legal action against the person who sexually assaulted her — they were not employed. We, the student body, not only owe it to ourselves and our peers, but to future Jumbos, to advocate for Tufts to follow Title IX’s stipulations both in spirit and in letter of the law, especially today as many of us graduate and new Jumbos arrive in the fall.

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Luke Sherman Earth On Fire

Challenging active citizenship

S

tudents have long played a key role in the advancement of social and environmental change in our country. Propelled by a desire to transform the world for the better, they have exerted their influence on issues ranging from the proliferation of nuclear weapons to institutionalized segregation. As I prepare to graduate this month, I’ve begun to think more deeply about the ways in which Tufts University treats students seeking to effect positive social change.

Our university prides itself on a commitment to active citizenship. In his 2012 baccalaureate address, President Anthony Monaco implored graduates to “take your active citizenship into the world to make a difference” because “active citizenship and public service are part of our Jumbo DNA.” And yet, when the undergraduate student body attempts to reform the administration’s treatment of sexual assault victims, improve the working conditions for the custodial staff or increase racial and ethnic diversity on campus, administrators appear more willing to punish the activists than engage in substantive dialogue with them. In the context of the fossil fuel divestment campaign on campus, spearheaded by Tufts Climate Action (TCA), this certainly seems to be the case.

The university’s investments in coal, oil and natural gas companies — totaling up to tens of millions of dollars — constitute a grave moral failure, which TCA seeks to rectify. On the whole, the student body knows this: in a referendum in 2013, 74 percent of undergraduates who voted called on Tufts to divest from fossil fuel companies over a period of five years.

But petitions — the aforementioned referendum and direct appeals to the Board of Trustees — yielded nothing more than an analysis of the cost of divestment that was biased against divestment activists from the start, as the administration did not permit an independent review of these costs.

Last year, over 30 students and alumni occupied President Monaco’s office to protest Tufts’ refusal to divest. Although the university lessened the punishment for some students, it placed a number of the activists on disciplinary probation after the sit-in ended. This runs directly counter to its mission to inspire active citizenship among its students.

Powerful groups and institutions rarely, if ever, substantively modify their behavior or actions because activists ask nicely.

A cursory analysis of social movements will reveal that boycotts, sit-ins, marches, protests and other demonstrations against the status quo have catalyzed the major changes in society.

In my opinion, active citizenship entails not only voting and attendance at city council meetings but also direct confrontation with powerful societal actors.

This became increasingly evident to me at a lecture last month, during which civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis stated that he had been arrested more than 40 times for committing acts of non-violent civil disobedience — including while as a federal representative.

On paper, the administration may value active citizenship. But in practice, it undermines its own professed values.

Luke Sherman is a graduating senior majoring in environmental studies. Luke can be reached at luke.sherman@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Opinion | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

OP-ED

An update on tuition and financial aid at Tufts

by Anthony P. Monaco Dear concerned Tufts students, Thank you for your open letter of April 25 and for sharing your concerns about the rising cost of tuition.

We realize that tuition is a significant investment for our students and families.

We have worked very hard to control our expenses and increase efficiencies so that we can minimize tuition increases. We have also focused on fundraising for financial aid.

We understand that any tuition increase is difficult. In this letter, we will try to explain what goes into setting tuition, how our financial aid supports current students and what we are doing to raise more aid.

In considering tuition increases for a given year, we look closely at the resources needed to deliver an excellent educational experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. We strive to maintain small classes taught by outstanding faculty who are leaders in their fields, enhance student services; enrich curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, build new and improved facilities such as the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center and improve residential life on campus.

The costs of delivering this experience continue to rise. Expenses to recruit and retain excellent faculty and maintain and improve our facilities are increasing. At the same time, federal research dollars are decreasing, requiring us to invest more to ensure that faculty are able to pursue their research. We also face rising costs for health care and for meeting new and expanding government regulations.

Last year, the expenses for the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering totaled

$355 million. The largest expenses related to instruction, at $122.8 million. The cost of running auxiliary services — which includes the dining halls and dormitories — was $54.2 million. Other expenses included academic and student services (e.g., library, athletics, student services operations) at $39.5 million; institutional support (e.g., central university departments such as Human Resources and Tufts Technology Services) at $54.6 million; operation and maintenance of our physical plant (e.g., electricity, water, maintenance of facilities and grounds) at $38.1 million; sponsored programs (e.g., faculty research) at $42.1 million; and clinical and other educational activities at $3.8 million.

As tuition has risen, we have increased the financial aid available to students. The average annual increase in undergraduate financial aid over the past 10 years has been 7.3 percent. The average increase in such aid has outpaced the average increase in tuition and total student costs by three percent. In fiscal year 2015, the increase in undergraduate financial aid over the previous year was 9.1 percent. Tufts awarded $69 million in undergraduate grants and scholarships last year, with 39 percent of undergraduates receiving a Tufts grant. The average scholarship for a Tufts student was $36,253. Total student aid for undergraduates — which included federal and state grants and loans — was $101 million.

We have continued to make financial aid a fundraising priority. In the past five years, we have raised $80 million in endowment gifts and pledges for scholarships for students at all of Tufts’ schools, including our graduate and professional schools.

These efforts will significantly reinforce our

commitment to access and to building a diverse community of students. While this is a substantial amount of money, it is far less than we would require to be need-blind. To become need-blind would require an estimated increase of $400 million in support for undergraduate aid over our current $1.6 billion endowment.

Tufts remains one of a small group of colleges and universities committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of all enrolled undergraduates and to awarding only need-based undergraduate aid. Need is determined according to a federal formula.

We meet the full need of all our students each year, even if a student’s need increases. This means that our limited financial aid dollars go to those who would be unable to attend Tufts without aid. This approach contrasts with many schools that compete for students by providing scholarships even if a student is able to pay.

Financial aid will continue to be a top priority as the university prepares to launch a new comprehensive fundraising campaign.

We appreciate how hard it is for students and their families to pay for college. We will continue to strive to reduce costs, to raise financial aid and to minimize tuition increases.

Thank you again for your letter.

On this Commencement day, I am surrounded by lovely, strange creatures called “seniors” who are exhausted by going from one event to another. It must feel like freshman orientation again, being unsure of the schedule, frantically texting friends to coordinate where to meet while trying to answer parents’ 101 questions. Today, I am falling in love with their smiles and tears and hugs. I also see a lot of uncertainty behind these passionate expressions, and I have some thoughts for you to prepare for your own graduation.

Learning to be comfortable with uncertainty is one of the most important life skills that you can learn; yet the structure of the school may not help you much with that. Don’t blame the school though — it was never intended for that goal in the first place. You have to learn it on your own. Graduation is aptly just the beginning of your learning journey.

You aren’t sure if you want to go to this graduate school or to take this job or to move to this city. You aren’t sure if you should continue or start or end a relationship. Being independent in the world is a scary thing. It leaves us feeling insecure, and when we feel insecure, we often ask ourselves, “am I right?”

Please have the courage to ask a different question. When you have a decision about something as fuzzy as your life, in a world that is as unpredictable as today, remember that you don’t make the right choice. You make the choice right. A better question to ask, and I mean really asking it so that the question will do its own magic in the back of your mind, is “what do I truly desire?”

D

Boldly yours, Junior self Khuyen Bui is a rising senior majoring in Computer Science. Khuyen can be reached at Khuyen.Bui@tufts.edu.

Aren Torikian is a rising junior who has not yet declared a major. Aren can be reached at aren.torikian@tufts.edu.

Sincerely, Anthony P. Monaco, University President James M. Glaser, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences Jianmin Qu, Dean, School of Engineering Anthony P. Monaco has served as president of Tufts University since August 2011.

Not knowing When you first ask this question, you will first be confronted with this daunting feeling of not knowing. Why is this so hard to stay in the “not knowing” zone? One reason may be how it is linked to your identity: it may mean you are not smart enough or not trying hard enough to find out the answers. As students we were rewarded by our correct answers, but you should know well by now that your performance in classes is nowhere as important as the quality of your questions and how well you have engaged with them. So ask the good ones anyway and stay with them.

The second and more important reason is that this feeling of not knowing is simply hard. Asking you to stay with this feeling instead of putting it aside and getting busy again is as hard as asking you to not scratch at a mosquito bite. You may yell “what the hell is this person thinking?” or “what on earth am I doing with my life?” In those moments, remember that life is teaching you patience again. There is often a tendency to fight through this discomfort of not knowing. Don’t think of it as a fight because life is too busy to conspire against you. Instead of fighting an uphill battle, why not choose to roll downhill? I’m not asking you to be lazy, but whenever you sense resistance within yourself, be gentle and curious. “What else is going on here? What are you whispering to me, my dear self?”

Please embrace this not knowing feeling, because as Rainer Rilke once wrote, “the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” Giving yourself the permission to not know is the most empowering gesture you can have because then you

Democracy in America

uring its time at Tufts, this year’s graduating class got to witness some pretty cool events. Tufts had its snowiest winter ever, and President Monaco sledded down the President’s Lawn. The Sox won yet another World Series and the Patriots won yet another Superbowl (#FreeBrady). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts elected a new governor.

But the Class of 2016 got to start and finish its time at Tufts during presidential election years. From passive aggressive arguments among hallmates to hungover Democrats the day after midterm elections, any Jumbo can attest that there’s nothing quite like Tufts around elections.

Compared to this year’s circus, the 2012 election looked boring. Sure, Clint Eastwood spoke to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention. And sure, Mitt Romney insulted about 47 percent of the population with one sound bite. But by November, an Obama victory was pretty obvious. Romney himself was a very logical choice for nominee and led a mostly textbook campaign.

The year 2016 tore that textbook up.

Conventional wisdom dictates that candidates like Romney will rise to the top with support from the rest of the party.

One by one, Donald Trump steamrolled Republican candidates that I thought had this support. From making fun of Marco Rubio’s perspiration to throwing Jeb Bush into a metaphorical locker, Trump’s rise has been beyond unprecedented.

Flashes in the pan like Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina petered out. But Trump’s blend of lowest common denominator politics combined with an angry electorate has proved lasting. The blame for this really ought to lie with the Republican establishment, which has preached an anti-Washington line since Obama’s election. Trump is the logical conclusion of this sentiment. Of course, the GOP could ignore the voters and try to unite against Trump at the national convention. But this party as it stands probably wouldn’t be able to settle on the convention gift bags, let alone a new candidate.

On the other side, the Democrats just can’t seem to get behind Hillary Clinton.

Sure, she’ll win the nomination comfortably, but it says something that she’s struggling so much. Bernie Sanders has brought issues to the forefront that many Democrats, particularly younger ones, care deeply about. It will be interesting to see just how much he pulled Clinton to the left and whether Republicans will use this against her.

All I know about a Trump vs. Clinton campaign is that the debates are going to be electric. I’m not sure how Trump is going to address the fact he’s donated to Clinton in the past. I’m also not sure how Clinton is going to deal with Trump’s incessant attacks on her email scandal.

Smart money would be on Clinton, but I’ve learned not to count out the Trump machine too quickly.

And as the Class of 2016 graduates and enters the real world (whatever that means), I urge everybody who hasn’t yet registered to vote to do so. Participate in this crazy, exciting and special soap opera we call American democracy.

OP-ED

by Khuyen Bui

Aren Torikian The Arena

can listen to the answer, perhaps from the universe or from a deity of your own.

The more not knowing you can embrace, the larger you become, the even more you can embrace again. Hold this virtuous cycle for other people too, so that we can all live everything.

Independence ceases to be scary when you realize you are not alone, not only in the solidarity sense that other people are going through the same thing but also in the real sense of the phrase, that you truly are not alone in this world of seven billion people and countless other living beings.

Independence doesn’t mean doing everything on your own. Rather, it means realizing what you can and cannot do alone and take responsibility to reach out for help.

Ask and you will receive.

I won’t tell you what specific course of actions to take because I too am embracing not knowing myself, but I can tell you to do. You may likely be doing cost-benefit analyses on your decisions till things go wild. That’s great, and I’m asking you to supplement this love of overthinking with a bias towards action, so that you can learn faster what you want. Remember what Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay and one of Tufts most illustrious alumni, shared about how he went about his life and work?

“Ready, Fire, Aim.” Yes, Fire before Aiming.

Bring that spirit of “not 100-percent ready, do anyway, recalibrate right after” into life.

That is not knowing in action and that will be how you step into future — by creating it.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Opinion | THE TUFTS DAILY

Opinion

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OP-ED

Trigger warning — free speech

by Rayn Riel We are all extremely lucky to be surrounded by our bright peers, friends and families as we graduate this weekend. For a few years, we had the privilege of sharing unique perspectives with each other. I certainly learned a lot, and I look forward to continuing to grow.

Thus, it is unfortunate that some were afraid to share their perspectives on campus.

Even if one may disagree, it is important to listen and try to understand. Everyone has value and something to add; yet I have noticed that some of the people most involved in social justice advocacy are quick to judge and feel entitled, certain that they are right and that others are not only wrong but deserve to be shunned, censored and disrespected. In fact, I have spoken with many who are afraid to disagree with activists because they fear that they’ll reply by yelling, rather than respectfully debating ideas grounded in fact.

Many can easily resort to black-or-white, polarizing thinking and demonization, when the reality is far more nuanced and gray; social justice itself is a vague term. For instance, the trigger warning camp and the free speech camp are both right and wrong. Some people can truly become physically sick if they are triggered; thus, it is important to be sensitive.

But this is simply the right way to treat our peers, and it should not be forced. People should want to communicate effectively and frame their discussions so that others want to listen. We do not have a right to not be offended, but we should not be trying to offend if we want to get our points across. And sometimes, we just need to relax and live lightly. Activists would hope that their audience is open-minded, humble and respectful; activists should share these traits and be less focused on turf and pride, which often harm their causes.

These are the safe spaces that work — not spaces that require “muscle” to exclude, discriminate and oppress expression. If activists are seeking to change society, they must seek to change individuals. That begins from within, not from censoring the world. To change individuals, one must bridge the gap between them, helping people come together to solve problems, question assumptions and connect, learn and grow. One should never be afraid to express oneself — be it through

humor, artwork or fashion — and groups that seek to quell thought, rather than question it, are wrong. We have freedom of speech, not freedom from speech. Government belongs to us; we do not belong to government.

When safe spaces are created for certain agendas and those who disagree are silenced, they become ironically unsafe, and they do not change any hearts and minds. Who gets to decide what’s discussed or what counts as appropriation? After all, for students with suicidal tendencies, a die-in, when activists pretend to be dead in order to disrupt events, could be triggering. For others, simply hearing the term ‘trigger warning’ could be triggering! Clearly, we cannot coddle ourselves away from all triggers and microaggressions.

A balance needs to be struck. And especially on a left-leaning campus, with the majority of faculty identifying as liberal, all perspectives need to be heard. On our campus, advocacy is generally one-sided and often not challenged, leading to an echo chamber of radical ideas.

But societies do not change if individuals do not decide to change. We should be challenging ourselves and seeking discomfort in order to grow. The world can be a triggering place, but one can choose, from within, how to not be a victim and how to deal with external stimuli in order to become a stronger, more resilient and more empowered person.

Our century is far more interconnected, and it requires interdisciplinary, integrated collaboration and constructive communication in order to solve problems and think beyond boundaries. Indeed, our newest academic buildings are physically breaking down walls but also breaking the boundaries between fields, faculty and students in order to foster creativity.

I recommend that activists also seek to bridge the gap. Activist groups should not only consider their positions but how they express themselves and the narrative — the framework — that they choose. Words need to be chosen carefully, and efforts need to be conducted professionally. Perhaps, these groups could also implement tangible, practical and productive goals, strategies and priorities, rather than impractical demands. And could they send out surveys in order to measure their success?

Tactics are as important as the message, and often, tactics can become the message.

Martin Luther King, Jr. fused his tactics with his message, urging all Americans to bridge the gap between Black and white people and love those who hated them. He walked over to his opposition, listened and acknowledged their beliefs and framed his argument assertively but compassionately. Jumbos should lead by this example and reach out to each other personally, with kindness, in order to make a positive impact and change minds.

We should be questioning each other with disarming friendliness, not correcting each other with hostile rants.

Few at Tufts are consciously trying to oppress, and attacking them on the basis of their identity is ironically oppressive.

For instance, declaring that white, straight, wealthy, American males do not know what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes, so they do not matter, is wrong. This belief would assume that people can be generalized into categories (the opposite message activists present for those who identify into unprivileged groups), and it also means that entire groups of people can be devalued. It is difficult to navigate complex social relationships, but everyone should be valued — none should be valued less, or more.

I certainly need to learn how to listen better, and I have noticed that many of my peers could improve, too. As an example, while Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) may disagree with the ideas of an Israeli speaker, they should not seek to shut down the event, especially if they host controversial events themselves. Also, many SJP members support trigger warnings and safe spaces but not for their events. When walking around campus with fake guns — literally with triggers — perhaps SJP could place warnings around their protest sites for students with PTSD? Either trigger warnings should be applied to all discussions, regardless of ideology, or they should not be applied at all. Either everyone should be able to express their political preferences, or no one. At Emory University, students were triggered by chalk messages supporting Donald Trump, and many expressed that they were hurt and no longer felt safe. Of course, their emotions are valid, but they should not lead to censorship.

Plus, perhaps the Trump supporters also felt unsafe, because their chalk messages were

drawn at night? I do realize that power and privilege are extremely important factors to consider, and I certainly do not assume that because a group has more power, they’re more virtuous. But I also do not believe that those without power or wealth are necessarily more righteous. However, this is an assumption that many activists share, and it is often how they justify their tactics.

To be clear, activists should be making us uncomfortable, and they should express themselves — including Trump supporters.

However, in almost every respect, some of our activists are doing the exact opposite required of effective communicators, which requires a respect for the audience. Good communicators realize that it is not just about their message but about how it is received. They spend their time listening actively, making sure that everyone is heard so that trust and tolerance are built. They speak honestly and assertively, not aggressively, and with more focus, rather than force. They know that communication is about understanding and finding middle ground, not about winning and forcing an opinion, or interrupting, judging, blaming, and criticizing.

Perhaps these lessons are learned by the end of one’s college career, but they’re often not passed down. Our transient community recycles the same arguments every year. Our campus bubble may not be broken, but within it, we’re certainly broken records because perspective is not retained, and history is not remembered.

Here is some history: in the 19th century, Jumbo was sent across the newly constructed Brooklyn Bridge in order to convince citizens that it was stable. That physical bridge helped to bridge the social, economic and political divide between New York and Brooklyn, eventually leading to the consolidation into greater New York. Similarly, rather than demonize and shut out difficult conversations, 21st century Jumbos should reach across the aisle and try to respectfully express sensitive, controversial ideas. The more ideas that are expressed, the better we’ll be informed as a whole, and the more we’ll connect our polarized society.

Rayn Riel is a graduate student in city/ urban, community and regional planning.

Rayn can be reached at rayn.riel@tufts.edu.

OP-ED

Tufts should fulfill progressive values, hire union-only labor

by Priyanka Padidam, Edwin Jain and Anna Gaebler Why did you choose Tufts? Was it in part because of its reputation for responsible, active citizenship? Or were you drawn to its values of social justice and progressivism?

Us too. But much to our disappointment, our administration’s actions have shown the opposite to be true. While the Tufts administration claims to foster a society for active citizens, it continues to disrespect the working people who keep our campus clean and growing — especially construction workers. In fact, they’ve expressed a callous disregard for the livelihood of these workers. In a meeting with the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, Vice President of Operations Linda Snyder said, “You’re going to have to come to terms with the fact that your members won’t be able to send their kids to a school like Tufts.” This blatant classism behind closed doors is the manifestation of an attitude that is accepted by the administration in both philosophy and practice.

Every time Tufts decides to build a new building, the administration is faced with a choice between hiring a contractor that uses union-only labor or one that does not. The difference is significant — non-unionized workers are not guaranteed an adequate benefits

package, proper safety training and equipment and an avenue to address grievances in the workplace. And the difference in wages is astounding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, housed by the U.S. Department of Labor, union workers on average made $1,099 a week in 2015 while non-unionized workers made only $743.

Where does Tufts stand? According to the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, only one of Tufts current construction projects on the Medford campus uses union-only labor.

The next time you pass by the new Science and Engineering Complex, slated to open in 2017, know that Tufts refused to hire unionized electricians, despite the fact that the union and non-union deal would have the same price tag. Tufts cuts these corners in the name of convenience and a higher profit margin. This not-for-profit institution certainly doesn’t act like one. Keep in mind that President Monaco pocketed a whopping $845,690 in 2014, while Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell and Linda Snyder followed closely behind with annual compensations of $535,984 and $296,126, respectively. Not to mention, Tufts’ endowment has risen sky-high in recent years, now totaling $1.6 billion. While Campbell and Snyder have stated that the university’s budget is too tight to hire unions, the numbers show otherwise. This choice isn’t about saving

money for students — it’s about deepening the pockets of administrators at the expense of working class people.

Students from Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC) have raised these concerns to the administration only to be met with evasive non-answers and a lack of transparency about their hiring standards. In multiple meetings with representatives from the Building Trades Council and from TLC, Linda Snyder and Patricia Campbell have hidden their supposed standards for wages, benefits and workplace practices during the bidding process for a contract. Their documentation of having hired fair labor, they say, is private. The only available proof points to the contrary: Turner Construction, the company contracted for the Science and Engineering Complex, was fined nearly $95,000 for 90 safety violations during a project in 2012.

In a meeting in April, Linda Snyder said it herself — she told two TLC representatives that she “would prefer to hire unions” to build Tufts campus. But President Monaco has defended their practices saying, “we’re not obligated to hire unions.” In practice, Tufts goes against the very values it claim to instill in its students, whether it is an “obligation” or not. What’s clear is the administration’s complete disregard for working class people.

It wouldn’t be difficult for Tufts to prioritize the safety and dignity of building trades

workers. In fact, Tufts would merely be following in the footsteps of nearly every comparable school in the Boston area. Boston College, MIT and Northeastern University all hire union-only labor for their major building projects. And these aren’t new policies — our neighbor down the road in Cambridge, Harvard University, signed a formal agreement to hire union-only labor way back in the early ’90s. Compared to neighboring schools, Tufts’ poor hiring practices stick out like a sore thumb — especially in light of our supposed commitment to social justice.

Who do you consider to be part of the Tufts community? Do you include not just students, faculty and staff but also the people who work tirelessly to ensure that your student experience is clean and safe? Administrators like Tony Monaco, Linda Snyder and Patricia Campbell don’t. This is happening on our watch, and we won’t stand for it.

Priyanka Padidam is a rising junior majoring in community health and a member of Tufts Labor Coalition. Priyanka can be reached at priyanka. padidam@tufts.edu. Edwin Jain is a rising sophomore who has not yet declared a major and a member of Tufts Labor Coalition. Edwin can be reached at edwin.jain@tufts.edu. Anna Gaebler is a graduating senior majoring in American studies and a member of Tufts Labor Coalition.

Anna can be reached at anna.gaebler@tufts.edu.

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Congratulations Community Health Seniors Ifeoluwa Adebayo Naomi Ali Harsha Amaravadi Devyn Andrews Fani Avramopoulos Olivia Bacon Shannon Ball Eva Batalla-Mann Carolina Berger Kayla Blackborrow Haley Bliss Corey Burns Jacques Charlier Stephanie Cleland Hannah Collins Aislinn Cook Soerny Cruz Thomas Cunningham Kyle Daniels Aparna Dasaraju Jessica Dimas Nii-Ofei Dodoo Emily Eibl Joanna Emerson Arthur Fields Xiomara Garcia Kathryn Gibb Jacqueline Gillis Miriam Gladstone Annalise Grammerstorf Madison Hafitz Emily Hahn Steven Hefter Sophia Herzlinger Cassidy Heverling Claire Hoffman Anna Hymanson

2016

Kaitlyn Johnson Amy Kaplan Elissa Ladwig Adrienne Larson Margaret Levene Hannah Lieberman Emily Miller Brianna Moody Jessica Muganza Jessica Newfield Chelsea Newman Yolaine Nkamga Keneolisa Ogamba Meghan Olsen Chidinma Osuagwu Danielle Poindexter Hira Qureshi John Ramatowski Maia Raynor-French Abigail Ryland Rachel Salzberg Jimena Sanchez Gallego Leah Shaw Montane Silverman Julia Slater Rhiana Smith Kathleen Tang Benjaman Thai Julia Turock Paige Tweedy Emma Wells Charles Wiebe Helen Xu Emily Zhang Gregory Zhang Winnie Zhang

Mazal bueno - Congratulations and good luck to this year’s recipients of the Joseph and Sara Stone Prize in Judaic Studies, both my advisees and both speakers of Ladino: *Sara M. Gardner, major in International Literary and Visual Studies and Spanish and minor in Hebrew, who will be continuing her pioneering exploration of Sephardic food and its cultural significance next year in Spain on a Fulbright. *Leah B. Wittenberg, major in Judaic Studies and Spanish and minor in Hebrew, who excelled in creative writing in Spanish and demonstrated courage and commitment by studying in Israel during an especially dangerous time.

Gloria J. Ascher, Co-Director, Judaic Studies

2016 Tufts Jumbo Senior Memory Book For Sale - Deadline for purchase is May 31, 2016!

To purchase go to http://ocl.tufts.edu/memorybook/ Memory Books are mailed to home addresses in late summer.

Contact Campus Life at ocl@tufts.edu with questions!

2016 Jumbo

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sports

Women’s track and field grabs fourth at Div. III New Englands indoors, third at NESCACs outdoors

by Chris Warren Sports Editor

The first five months of 2016 have seen the women’s track and field team maintain the same level of success that it has had over the last few years. However, the season also heralded in a new era of top nationally-ranked athletes, as Tufts had a number of national stars lead the way.

The indoor season started off on Jan. 16 for the entire squad with a first-place finish at the Tufts Invite, held at the Gantcher Center. As the season progressed, the team came together and had stronger performances at the Bowdoin Invitational, Tufts Stampede and Tufts Cupid, culminating in a fourth-place finish at Div. III New England’s. At Div. III New England’s, graduating senior quint-captain Alexis Harrison, who was on fire throughout the indoor season, set a new meet record in the 60-meter dash, running 7.63 seconds for the win. Other notable performances from the day included graduating senior quint-captain Marilyn Allen’s runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles and classmate quint-captain Sydney Smith’s fifthplace finish in the one-mile run. The captains helped lead their team to their best finish at the meet since landing third in 2014.

Harrison, Allen and Smith also qualified for the NCAA Div. III Indoor National Championships, held this year in Grinnell,

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating senior Marilyn Allen competes in the 100-Meter Hurdles at the Tufts Sunshine Classic at the Dussault Outdoor Track on April 23.

Iowa. Harrison had possibly one of the greatest performances by a Tufts athlete ever, running a 7.55-second 60-meter dash in the prelims, the fourth-fastest time in Div. III history. She almost duplicated this performance with a 7.57 in the final, grabbing second overall. Smith also received her first All-American honor in the onemile run, placing eighth after getting into the final by the narrowest of margins (0.002 seconds)

the Jumbos maintained a lead throughout the entire game; the win put the Jumbos on the fast-track for the conference title.

The No. 28 Jumbos, having finished the The Jumbos would then play Sunday regular season on top of the NESCAC’s Eastern against the Trinity Bantams, knowing that Conference, are taking the postseason one if they won the morning game they would game at a time. Tufts recently cracked the Div. win the NESCAC for the first time since 2011, III top 30 rankings, leaving open the possibili- when they were awarded the title as a result ty of an at large bid regardless of the outcome of poor weather. The Jumbos fought hard in of the NESCAC tournament. the game, jumping out to a 5-1 lead by the Tufts finished the regular season with four top of the fourth inning as a result of a trio of straight wins, which, despite its anomalous unearned runs, as well as an inside-the-park late April losses to Keene State College and homer from rising junior Mike McLaughlin.

Bowdoin, puts it in great position to hold The team would only extend their lead, scorsteady in the national rankings. ing seven in the sixth inning. Trinity would Tufts played the first round of the NESCAC do their best to answer, with five runs in tournament against Amherst on Friday, May the top of the seventh, but their comeback 13. Amherst is a special opponent for Tufts; the wouldn’t be enough and Tufts would claim teams have faced off in the first round of the the NESCAC title 18-6.

NESCAC tournament for three straight years. “[Amherst] beat us in the first round last The team’s closest game of the NESCAC year,” rising senior Harry Brown said. “It was tournament came against the Lord Jeffs, with Bates who eliminated us, but I’m definitely a 5-4 win over their perennial rivals. The win- excited to play them again. It’s almost the ning run came in the seventh inning thanks same matchup. Obviously the teams are a litto an outfield RBI single from rising sopho- tle bit different, but they’re a really good team.” more Tommy O’Hara.

The Jumbos have played well this season, Friday’s game was followed by a match- albeit not always consistently. Their offense, up Saturday against Wesleyan, in which Tufts led by Brown and O’Hara with batting avercruised to an easy victory, 6-1. The majority ages of .396 and .331 respectively, has proven of the scoring came in the final innings, but itself explosive when the team desperately needs runs.

Pitching was the other area of strength for the Jumbos, who finished with the lowest combined ERA in the NESCAC at 3.36. Tufts also struck out 286 batters on the season to lead the NESCAC. With rising sophomore standout R.J. Hall (6-0) and rising senior Speros Varinos (6-1) leading the rotation, the pitching staff will be on full display throughout the ZIQING XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY Rising senior Tim Superko pitches during a baseball game postseason.

The Jumbos came into the against Brandeis on April 9.

Assistant Sports Editor

tuftsdaily.com

Eric Smiley Flashes of Brilliance

Saying goodbye

I

and making the best of the opportunity with a time of 4:56.59, 0.08 seconds ahead of ninth place. Allen also had a solid performance on the weekend, taking 12th in the prelims in 8.86 seconds. Normally, her time would have made the final, but this year’s championships featured one of the deepest hurdle fields in recent history. see WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD, page 44

Baseball looks to make deep postseason run after dominating NESCAC East

by Eddie Samuels

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season with high expectations, having finished well in the NESCAC East over the last two years. “[Our expectations] are the same as every year,” coach John Casey said. “We’re just going to go out and compete as well as we can. We were trying to figure ourselves out, find out who can play where and who can do what. We were a little disappointed with the previous year, and the guys knew that, but outside of that, we approach it the same way all the time.”

Tufts started the season in decent form.

The team went 7-3 in its March games over a 12-day road trip, and, while it wasn’t the ideal start for the Jumbos, this initial run gave the team some valuable information.

“Our goal [in Virginia] was to figure out who was going to step up and take over what spots,” Casey said. “We came out of there feeling like we had a lot of guys who could compete and [that] we had some depth. Going into the season we felt like pitching would be a strength, and that was certainly the case.”

The Jumbos staked their claim as the best team in the NESCAC in April. The team went 18-3, and more importantly, 10-0 in conference play. Tufts dropped a single conference game to Bowdoin on April 30.

The team locked up its first-place spot toward the end of April, and, as a result, knew their postseason seed far earlier than usual.

The team refused to just sit back on the firstseed spot, finishing the regular season strong and allowing their momentum to carry them deep into the postseason. Now the NESCAC champions, the Jumbos have their eyes on the NCAA tournament.

“We’ve done our job; they’re all just another baseball game,” Casey said. “We’ll play how we play, and [our opponents are] going to have to beat our best. It doesn’t matter who we play; we’ve got to control ourselves and how we play.”

t was my 13th birthday. I woke up to the sound and sight of steady rain. I figured that my scheduled Little League game would be cancelled, and the sinking depression of a possible postponement crept into my mind. In those days, I would go to bed laughably early the night before games because sleep was a cheat code, a time traveling wormhole to get to the next morning, to the grass and dirt field, to bat second and play shortstop and wear my uniform with the local sponsor’s name on the front and the number 2 on the back. That morning, my game wasn’t cancelled. I don’t remember how I figured that out. I don’t really remember how I got to the game. I know that my parents were away, and so I likely walked. I think I showed up only 5 to 10 minutes before game time.

The field was damp; the game was even sloppier than most. In the 5th inning, we trailed by two. I came up to bat with two runners on base.

I wasn’t a very good hitter in Little League. I was small and often scared of the faster pitchers in my town. I loved baseball because I got to play the field. If there were a designated fielder position, I would’ve gladly accepted it. This time, though, I turned on a ball and hit it well to left field. I sprinted out of the batter’s box because that’s what Derek Jeter always did. I rounded first and picked my head up to find the ball. The left fielder wasn’t moving. Neither was anyone else on the opposing team. The umpire was twirling his finger above his head. I could slow down. I don’t believe what I did. I touched second and then third, probably. I high-fived my coach and stepped on home plate.

I had hit my first home run. We won the game by one run.

I remember my first at bat for my high school’s varsity team. I thought I crushed the ball. The right fielder took one step in and caught it. I remember my first at bat for the Tufts club team; it was freezing and wet and I got jammed, and I couldn’t feel my hand for two innings.

I also remember what will be, barring a men’s league comeback in the future, my very last at bat. This spring we trailed by two runs in the playoffs and I hit into a double play to end the game. I thought I beat the ball to first base. The umpire disagreed.

Over the last 16 years, I’ve played a lot of baseball. I’ve made my share of errors and swung and missed more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve had coaches yell at me and bench me. I’ve worn different words across my chest and have changed my batting stance during every slump.

A few days ago, it was my birthday again. The only thing I wanted was to wake up in the morning with a game to play.

Eric Smiley is a graduating senior majoring in mathematics. Eric can be reached at eric.smiley@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Men’s track and field comes up short at NESCACs, aims for strong finish

by Soven Bery Staff Writer

The men’s track and field team had its eye on a fourth consecutive NESCAC championship this season, but in a surprising turn of events, lost the NESCAC crown to Williams. The championship meet on April 30 at Amherst saw Williams finish with 207 points, ahead of Tufts’ 182 score. Still, the second-place finish in the NESCAC doesn’t diminish what has been an impressive 2016 campaign for the Jumbos.

Rising senior Luke O’Connor won the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the second straight year. His 9:12.08 time was a full 10 seconds ahead of second place.

“I don’t feel there was anything I could have done to score [higher] last Saturday,” O’Connor said. “It may not have been the result that the team was looking for, but the guys really put it on the line and gave it all we had.”

Graduating senior tri-captain Mitchell Black did not disappoint at NESCACs, pacing the Jumbos with two of the team’s six wins, taking first in the 800 and the 1,500.

Black is not only an All-American and threetime NCAA champion, but his 1:48.60 time in the 800-meter from earlier this season is

ranked first nationally. Classmate Veer Bhalla was close behind Black’s 1:51.36 time in the 800 meter race with a 1:51:71 time for the 1-2 Tufts finish.

“I ran a personal best in the 800 for the first time in a while and I couldn’t be happier,” Bhalla said. “I was also proud of our team’s performance. We may have lost to Williams, but it was not due to a lack of performance on our part. We really stepped up and had an almost perfect meet.”

The Tufts 4×100-meter relay team of rising junior Peter Clark, graduating senior Bryson Hoover-Hankerson and rising sophomores Thomas Miller and Anthony Kardonsky, finished first with a time of 41.61 seconds, good for 13th nationally.

“I was incredibly proud of our team’s performance at the meet,” Miller said. “Every member of the team gave it their all, and at the end of the day, that’s all we could really ask for ... By being able to get the baton around quicker we were able to show that we are a team that can be competitive at a national level.”

Other standout performances at the NESCACs included Hoover-Hankerson winning the long jump with a 7.04 meter leap and rising junior Stefan Duvivier winning the high jump, tying his season record with a 1.98 meter jump.

“It’s hard to be too down about the loss because so many people raced their hearts out,” graduating senior Alex Kasemir said.

Overall, the season was highly successful, with the Jumbos winning the April 23 Sunshine Classic, the April 15 to 16 Silfen Invitational at Conn. College and the Jan. 16 Tufts Invitational, while also racking up some of the best individual marks in the nation. The team impressively finished sixth overall at the All-New England Championship Meet, where Division I, II and III teams compete. Tufts was second when it came to DIII, finishing behind only MIT. Black was named the NESCAC Track Performer of the Week and USTFCCCA Men’s Div. III National Athlete of the Week, after clocking his nation-leading 1:48.60 time in the 800-meter at the April 22 Larry Ellis Invitational. His finish stands as the ninth-fastest in Div. III history.

Bhalla finished in eighth in that same race and Tufts finished 21st in the NCAAs. The April 2 Tufts Snowflake Classic kicked off the outdoor season and Tufts was able to take third out of 16 teams, despite the majority of the team resting. The following weekend at the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton University saw rising senior Tim Nichols run the 10,000-meter in 30:12.19

minutes — the second-fastest time in Div. III at the time — for which he was honored with the NESCAC Men’s Track Performer of the Week.

At the Silfen Invitational, Miller posted a 10.86 time in the 100-meter dash. That time set the new school outdoor record, breaking the previous record of 10.90 seconds, set by both Daniel Lange Vagle in 2013 and Phil Rotella in 2009.

“Our senior class is full of extremely talented athletes and it will be sad to see them go, but I am thankful to have had them to help me through my own rookie season,” Miller said.

The team finished 15th at the New England DIII Championships on May 7. While some on the team, like Black and Clark, are guaranteed to go to the NCAA Championships on May 26 to 28, others are still waiting. “[The season] was a mixed bag … some guys killed it all season and improved,” O’Connor said. “Then there are those who may not have done as well as they would have liked to individually, but competing for the team and its success has given them solace.”

The strong rising sophomore and junior classes will pave the way for the team in the upcoming seasons. The goal for the 2016-17 campaign? Win back the NESCAC crown from Williams.

Seniors lead scoring effort for Jumbos in the midst of championship season WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

continued from page 43 After a few weeks of no racing, the Jumbos got back to competing after spring break.

Graduating seniors quint-captain Audrey Gould and Olivia Beltrani traveled down to Princeton University to run the 10,000-meter for the early season Sam Howell Invitational.

Gould ran 36:19.86, a time ranking 21st nationally, while Beltrani ran 36:44.14, good for 30th nationally.

After a few “dress rehearsals,” the team traveled to Amherst for the NESCAC Championships on April 30. The Jumbos led for most of the day, but were outpaced by both Williams and Middlebury toward the end to take third overall. Harrison won four events, including the 100-meter dash in 11.88 seconds, which ranks it third nationally. Allen also added a title in the 100-meter hurdles to the Tufts NESCAC win total, running 14.48 seconds, a time currently 18th on the national qualifier list. Smith was just narrowly defeated in the

1,500-meter run with a time of 4:31.23, ranking 11th nationally. Other key performers included Gould in the 10,000-meter run (second, 36:50.00) and rising junior Amylee Anyoha in the hammer throw (second, 147 ft. and six in.).

“The team actually had a great mentality throughout the entire [NESCAC] meet — focus on out-performing seeds and use the fact that we were ahead to provide extra motivation,” Smith told the Daily in an email.

“Unfortunately, we had a few events not go our way and were missing a few key people to injuries. In our conference, that is the difference between first- and third-place finishes.”

She explained that despite this, many on the team still performed strongly at the meet.

“It’s obviously hard to watch the underdog victory slip away, but the vast majority of the team, and particularly the seniors, delivered career performances that day,” Smith said.

“They left it all on the track and raced with pride.

As a captain, it’s the best attitude I could ask for.”

“We were excited and ready to score

in the events where we had an advantage over Williams and Middlebury,” Allen said.

“Personally, I felt that everyone made an honest effort at NESCACs and was working toward the goal of peaking the top three at the meet.”

After NESCACs, the team focus of the season ended, and the individual focus began.

On May 7, many Jumbos competed at the Div. III New England Outdoor Championships, held at Springfield College. Smith won her first Div. III New England title in the 1,500-meter run, running 4:32.92 to beat out Williams’ first-year Victoria Kingham at the line. Rising junior Brittany Bowman also made a stellar debut in the 10,000-meter run, running a fast 36:38.87 for third place to jump into the top 27 nationally. Additionally, rising senior Sam Cox, rising junior Evie Heffernan and rising sophomore Julia Noble teamed up with Smith to place second in the 4×800 meter relay, running a swift 9:17.76 for second overall.

“It was a great feeling to finally win a championship race,” Smith said. “To have not only

the fitness, [but also] the ‘racing smarts’ all come together has really just made this season a great conclusion to college racing. Leading from the gun all the way to the finish was definitely a good mental confidence boost for heading into NCAAs in a few weeks.”

As for the rest of the season, Harrison, Smith and most likely Allen and Gould will travel to Wartburg College in Iowa for the NCAA Div. III National Championships this coming weekend. All of them will be vying for All-American finishes as they close out their collegiate careers.

Allen had some encouraging words for the teammates that she will be leaving behind upon graduation.

“I would encourage the women’s track and field team to maintain a competitive spirit and to not settle for anything less than excellent,” she said. “I am proud of the strides that TUTF [Tufts University track and field] has been able to accomplish over the course of my tenure, and I look forward to hearing about the new accomplishments of the TUTF team in the near future.”

Women’s crew closes season among best teams in Div. III

by Onat Tarimcilar Staff Writer

The women’s crew team wrapped up a long and impressive season earlier this month, driven by steady improvement from a young lineup. The main focus of the fall portion of the season was bringing the team together and finding a lineup that meshed the experienced rowers with the talented younger core.

“We worked to integrate all rowers onto the varsity squad and continually raise the standards we set for ourselves,” graduating senior tri-captain and coxswain of the first varsity eight Kellie King said.

The first big regatta of the fall was October’s Head of the Charles — the famous nationwide race featuring all college divisions and overseas clubs. Of the 22 Div. III boats competing, the Jumbos finished eighth with a time of 18:11.05. Tufts was only 46 seconds off the pace of the winner, Williams.

As a testament to the team’s ability to bring together young talent with senior leadership, the crew included five graduating seniors — Kate Ainsworth, Claire Sleigh, Emma Wells, Rachel Siegler and Leah Forston — two rookies (now rising sophomores) — Maddie Orzeske and Libby Lichter — and sophomore (now rising junior) Emma Conroy.

The crew began the three-mile race in 24th

place, but King guided the boat efficiently through the course to their eventual eighthplace finish, Tufts’ best in its 12 years of competing in the Head of the Charles. Most importantly, the finish guaranteed Tufts a place in next year’s regatta.

“They are learning to work well with their efficiency, and visually it looks like the boat is moving on top instead of plowing through the water,” coach Brian Dawe said.

Having picked up momentum going into the second big regatta of the fall season, the Head of the Fish, Tufts again turned in its best finish in the history of the event, racking up seven of the possible 12 medals. After earning just two medals last year, the improvement and emergence of the younger rowers was apparent during the October weekend.

At the end of the fall season, the Jumbos shifted their focus to offseason training and erg work for an eventful spring.

The spring season opened on April 2 with a series of one-on-one regattas for Tufts, with races against Trinity, Hamilton and Mount Holyoke College on the team’s home waters, the Malden River.

Tufts battled hard against a solid Trinity boat, falling short by just 3.8 seconds. It was a tightly contested race until the very end, and a strong showing for the Jumbos in the first race of the spring. Joining the varsity eight

this spring were coxswain King, Lichter, rising sophomore Dana Books and rising juniors Arielle Mann and Serra Busse.

Hamilton edged Tufts out for fifth place in the NCAA tournament last spring, and Tufts was able to exact a measure of revenge by besting them in a tight race by 4.1 seconds, almost a full length, right after the Trinity race.

The second varsity eight turned in a dominant performance, racing to an 18.4 second victory over Mount Holyoke. It was the ideal start for the Jumbos, brushing off the offseason rust and allowing younger rowers to demonstrate their abilities as the season’s most critical period got underway.

“It was important for us to get the confidence for the rest of the season and really showed our improvement and hard work in the offseason,” rising sophomore Natalie Lowenstein said.

In the following two weeks, Tufts raced against stiff competition at home, facing NESCAC teams like defending national champion Bates. These races provided the team with great preparation for the New England Championships, which came in the final weekend of April.

“We continued to challenge ourselves to develop deeper as athletes and individuals throughout the spring,” King said.

Tufts raced with eight of the top 10

teams in the nation at the New England Championships, earning a strong seventh place finish. The Jumbos’ first and third varsity boats were able to place into the grand final and both boats finished in sixth. The second varsity boat finished third in the petite final.

Combined, Tufts finished seventh of 29 with a 47.12 score.

In the team’s final race of the season, the Jumbos placed eighth out of 21 in the National Invitational Rowing Championships. Tufts’ score was also good enough for fifth in the NESCAC, in a fiercely competitive conference where NESCAC teams claimed the top four spots in the nation, led by first-place Williams.

The Jumbos’ first varsity boat fell just .462 seconds shy of a spot in the grand final, but went on to win the petite final, granting them a seventh place finish in the first varsity eight category. The second and third varsity boats finished in ninth and seventh respectively, earning the Jumbos eighth place overall in the team point standings.

Though the team did not earn a spot in the NCAA championships, Tufts consistently showed why it is one of the top 10 teams in the nation throughout the year, earning strong finishes in the season’s biggest races. The team is still quite young, with a strong core of first and second years that the Jumbos look to build from next season.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

45

Daily sports section 2015-2016 awards

by Maclyn Senear

and remain a Final Four competitor for the foreseeable future.

The Daily’s team of savvy sports writers and editors — all knowledgeable Tufts athletics enthusiasts — have been dutifully following every team wearing the brown and blue throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons.

After another exciting year on the Hill, we’d like to recognize those Jumbo athletes who are some of the best at what they do.

Overall Male Athlete of the Year:

Executive Sports Editor

Men’s Team of the Year: Men’s Lacrosse It says a lot about the men’s lacrosse team that it has turned greatness into an expectation. Once again, the squad headed into the NCAA tournament as one of the top seeds, this season ranking No. 4 overall. The team won the NESCACs for the seventh year in a row, this time defeating Middlebury 20-14.

The Jumbos only lost two games all year, going 16-2 overall and 9-1 in the NESCAC. They responded to those losses by putting together strings of dominant wins over other top-ranked teams. This year, they have done it with firepower on offense, ranking No. 3 in the nation in goals per game with 16.83 points per game, led by graduating senior co-captain John Uppgren — a contender for the Tewaaraton Award for the best lacrosse player in the nation across all divisions — and New England Div. III Player of the Year and graduating senior Jake Gillespie.

Graduating senior goalie Alex Salazar and the team’s defense have been similarly impressive, stifling the top offensive players that have come their way.

In the end, the season will be judged by whether the Jumbos can win their third straight NCAA title.

Women’s Team of the Year: Women’s Basketball It could have been easy to define the women’s basketball team by losses. The Jumbos lost three starters and captains from last season, some of the best to ever don the brown and blue. They fell to two conference rivals before the conference season had even started and then fell in a heartbreaker to Amherst in the NESCAC finals.

However, every loss was followed by a memorable gain. Replacing an All-American player, rising junior Melissa Baptista emerged as an all-around power forward in her first year as a starter. Rising junior Lauren Dillon continued her ascension as a team leader and point guard, and rising senior Michela North got her own All-American awards.

And after those two losses early in the season? The Jumbos won 18 straight games, taking all ten regular season matchups. They responded to the 50-49 loss in the NESCAC finals by going to the program’s first NCAA finals after two straight years of falling in the Final Four. The season ended in a loss to Thomas Moore College, which has a team that may go down as one of the best in Div. III history. Based on its past, expect Tufts women’s basketball to bounce back stronger than ever

Mitchell Black — tri-captain, men’s track & field Graduating senior Mitchell Black is ending his Tufts career as one of the most prolific male track and field athletes in program history.

Any number of impressive titles could describe his career: tri-captain, Academic All-American with a 3.72 grade point average, aspiring astronaut, nine-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion, to name just a few. Earlier this year, Black was named a NESCAC Track Performer of the Week and USTFCCCA Men’s Div. III National Athlete of the Week after finishing the 800 meters with a time of 1:48.60, the ninth-fastest in DIII history and currently the fastest in the nation. Black is also one of two student-athletes in the country to be awarded the NCAA’s 2016 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, a $24,000 scholarship given each year to one male and one female scholar-athlete from Div. I, II and III schools.

Overall Female Athletes of the Year: Alexis Harrison (quint-captain,women’s track & field) and Michela North (women’s basketball) Graudating senior Alexis Harrison’s season could be defined in two ways: consistent and spectacular. The sprinter and jumper started off the winter with three top-three performances at Tufts’ home opener in the high jump, long jump and 60-meter dash. After a season of top performances at the biggest meets in the northeast, the All-American ended her season as the runner-up in the 60 meters at NCAAs. Her spring has been no different, highlighted by first-place finishes in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump, along with a fourth place in the high jump. The graduating senior will once again be a contender at her last outdoor NCAAs later this week.

With the departure of forward Hayley Kanner (LA ’15), rising senior Michela North was expected to take on a starring role for the women’s basketball team. And she definitely did. Averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 10.5 rebounds, North led the team in points, rebounds and field goal percentages while protecting the paint for the No. 2 defense in the nation. The soft-handed center who dominated on the pick-and-roll and post ups, North was given an opportunity to take on a bigger role. It was her acceptance of the challenge that led the Jumbos to the national championship game, as well as being named conference co-Player of the Year and her first All-American award.

Male Offensive Athlete of the Year: Chance Brady — football Rising senior running back Chance Brady earned his NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year award. Not only did he gain a NESCAC leading 975 yards on the ground — almost 250 more yards than the runner-up — but Brady also topped 100 yards rushing in six of eight games. He scored 11 touchdowns, second in the NESCAC, and led the league in average

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

The women’s basketball team huddles before the NCAA Div. III championship on Monday, April 4.

yards per attempt at 5.2. His 121.9 yards per game is even more impressive considering he was the only NESCAC player to average over 100 yards on the ground per game. Brady was so dominant that it is difficult to pick his best game. The 8.8 yards per carry he posted while running through Bowdoin to a 123-yard three touchdown line is impressive, but so was his 212-yard, two-touchdown destruction of Colby.

As if this were not enough, Brady was also Tufts’ leading receiver in the Colby game with 49 yards through the air. Humble despite all of the success and accolades piled upon his shoulders this season, Brady routinely insisted that the lion’s share of credit go to his offensive line throughout the season.

Female Offensive Athlete of theYear: Caroline Ross — tri-captain, women’s lacrosse Graudating senior tri-captain Caroline Ross was the de facto offensive leader for Tufts women’s lacrosse this season. Ross led the Jumbos in points with 42 goals and 23 assists, and her 65 total points ranked third in the NESCAC. Not only was Ross prolific, but she was consistent, scoring five goals in three different games and earning NESCAC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career for a two-goal, four-assist effort against Trinity on March 26. Her scoring output is hardly new — she led the Jumbos in scoring each of her four seasons — but a career high in assists this season highlighted Ross’ conscious choice to involve her teammates more. The uptick in assists may also have been a result of opponents routinely double- and even triple-teaming her. Ross was Tufts’ offensive initiator, reset button and most dangerous threat.

Male Defensive Athlete of the Year: Tom Palleschi — tri-captain, men’s basketball Rising senior Tom Palleschi was the backbone of Tufts’ defense this year. As the only big man in the starting lineup, Palleschi proved himself more than capable in the post. Palleschi was at his best when he was able to leverage his 6 ft. 8 in. frame to force desperate or off-balance shots. A consistent performer on both sides of the ball during the regular season, Palleschi hit his defensive stride in the postseason, averaging 5.4 blocks per game in the NCAA tournament. Palleschi finished first in the NESCAC and second in the nation in blocks per game.

Palleschi’s thundering blocks more than once shifted the momentum of a playoff game, energizing both the crowd and the team.

Female Defensive Athlete of theYear: Emma Roberson — tri-captain, women’s basketball

It takes a team to be the No. 2 defense in the nation, but it certainly helps to have the best defender on the floor. With graduating senior Emma Roberson, the women’s basketball team entered every game with the best perimeter defender in Div. III. Tasked with shutting down guards and stretch-fours, Roberson was tough enough to guard taller, stronger players, quick enough to lock down the fastest guards and seemingly un-screenable. While Dillon led the team in steals and rising junior forward Melissa Baptista led the team in blocks, it was Roberson who set the tone for the defense, taking the other team’s best playmaker and turning them into a non-option. Take one blowout win before winter break, where Eastern Connecticut State propped its best perimeter player on the weak side, deciding to run its offense through its less-skilled players rather than attack Roberson. To see Roberson’s best stats, just check out those of the players she’s shut down.

Male Rookie of the Year: Kingsley Bowen — men’s swimming & diving Rising sophomore Kingsley Bowen was recruited out of Ohio as the reigning state twotime champion in the 100-back and 100-fly, and was cited early on by senior tri-captains Michael Winget and Cam Simko as one to watch. He lived up to these expectations, securing a place in the Medley Relay A-team and breaking records both on the medley team and in individual races, winning NESCAC Swimmer of the Week after a strong performance at Boston College in January. At the NESCAC Championships, Bowen came away with gold, silver and bronze medals, with the gold in the 100-fly. In recognition of his performance all season, he was awarded NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Rounding off the season, Bowen was the first first-year since 2008 to compete at the NCAA tournament. He came fourth in the 200back and eighth in the 100-fly, earning him two All-American finishes.

Female Rookie of the Year: Emily Bowers — women’s soccer Rising sophomore Emily Bowers may have been the only first-year starting in the defensive positions, but in no way did she let that stop her. Bowers made 84 saves this year, letting in just 18 goals as she finished with a 0.824 save percentage. Demonstrating experience and great decision-making, Bowers proved to be a rock for her team with some brilliant saves.

The best of her saves came at MIT, where she blocked the MIT Engineers in a narrow one-onone break to preserve the Jumbos’ lead going into halftime; the Jumbos would go on to win that match 2-0.

Men’s tennis makes strides in conference after 2015-16 season

by Alex Schroeder Sports Editor

No. 13 Tufts men’s tennis ended the season with promising results. The Jumbos took down the Bowdoin Polar Bears — ranked No. 4 in the country and No. 2 in the NESCAC — in their last game of the regular season with a 5-4 win at home. This locked down a No. 5 seed for Tufts in the NESCAC championship tournament, hosted at Bates on May 6 to 7.

Tufts had a strong showing in the opening round against national No. 11 Wesleyan, the NESCAC’s fourth seed. Though the Jumbos had aimed to avenge an 8-1 loss to the Wesleyan Cardinals at the beginning of April, the early lead they established in the NESCAC quarterfinal slipped away, and Wesleyan triumphed again, taking the match 5-3.

The Jumbos finished the season 13-7 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

Tufts entered the season’s final match having proved a week earlier against Bowdoin that it could take down higher conference seeds in

the highly competitive NESCAC. “We started off well,” Ali said. “We went up 2-1 after doubles. Even before the match, we knew although we lost 8-1 earlier in the season, that 8-1 didn’t really mean much because we’ve beaten teams that had beaten Wesleyan.”

The top two pairs for Tufts — graduating senior tri-captain Nick Cary and rising junior Rohan Gupte at No. 1, as well as graduating senior tri-captain Rob Jacobson and classmate Jay Glickman at No. 2 — got the job done with two 8-5 wins to start the match strong. Rising sophomore Joachim Samson and graduating senior co-captain Sam Rudovsky of Wesleyan managed to pull out a win in No. 3 doubles over rising juniors Zain Ali and Griffin Brockman to avoid a Tufts sweep of doubles.

“We knew coming into the match that Wesleyan is a very good team, and that in order to give ourselves a chance to win, we needed to come out and play strong doubles,” Jacobson told the Daily in an email. “Jay and I played an see MEN'S TENNIS, page 54

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THE TUFTS DAILY | PHOTOGRAPHY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

BEST OF SPORTS

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Michael Lefkowitz drives from the seventh tee at the Newbury Invitational on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts fans celebrate the men’s basketball team’s victory in the NCAA Sweet 16 tournament game against Johnson and Wales University on Friday, March 11.

ZIQING XIONG / THE TUFTS DAILY

A Tufts men’s lacrosse team member plays with a young fan at a game versus Endicott on April 12.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating senior Elly Day competes in the 200-Meter Dash at the Tufts Sunshine Classic at the Dussault Outdoor Track on April 23.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts midfielder Caroline Nowak, a rising junior, fights to regain possession of the ball in the game against Castleton on Monday, March 7.

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts graduating senior Esme Nulan, left, and rising senior Elizabeth Ahrens block a Springfield College player on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015.

Middlebury players tackle Tufts running back and rising senior Mike Rando during Tufts men’s football team’s 31-28 victory against Middlebury on Ellis Oval/Zimman Field on Nov. 14, 2015.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

Top sports moments from the 2015-2016 season Oct. 3: Women’s soccer upsets No. 15 Amherst in fierce NESCAC battle If there were any sign that the team could continue to make progress or as to how the first-years could be integrated, it could not be clearer than in the women’s soccer team’s 1-0 victory against then-No. 15 Amherst. Tufts outshot its opponent 13 to 11 and won on a first-half goal from rising senior forward Jessica Capone, whose shot near the penalty spot found the bottom right corner of the Amherst goal.

What was equally impressive was the team’s resolute defensive performance led by graduating senior co-captain Nicole Campellone, as the Jumbos pressed their opponents, giving them little time on the ball. Their fighting spirit would prove to be a defining feature for the team.

Nov. 14: Football takes down perennial NESCAC powerhouse Middlebury Tufts football saved its best for last in a showdown with Middlebury for third place in the NESCAC season finale. Muscling their way into the conference’s top echelon, the Jumbos defeated the Middlebury Panthers 31-28 to claim sole possession of third place and cap off a turnaround season. Graduating senior wide receiver Jack Cooleen caught rising senior quarterback Alex Snyder’s 14-yard pass for the first touchdown of the game. Four Tufts receivers caught touchdown passes and rising senior kicker Willie Holmquist broke the Tufts record for field goals in a season with his 11th, a 28-yarder. Rising senior wide receiver Mike Rando gained 63 yards on two kickoff returns and 29 yards on three punt returns to go with his team-leading 78 yards receiving and a touchdown. Three different Tufts players intercepted Middlebury graduating senior quarterback Matt Milano, and Tufts’ graduating senior co-captain Matt McCormack registered 14 tackles and a quarterback hit from the linebacker position. Tufts led 14-7 at halftime, but Middlebury briefly came back to take a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter before Snyder and the offense scored two touchdowns to go up 31-20. Despite converting for two points after a last minute touchdown, the Panthers were unable to surmount the Jumbo lead, and Tufts earned its sixth win and best record since 2001.

Feb. 27: Tufts hockey plays the dark horse in NESCAC quarterfinals again The Williams Ephs managed to hold the Jumbos scoreless in their first two meetings, winning 2-0 and 4-0, but that did not stop the eighth-seeded Jumbos from taking down the presumptive NESCAC champions in the first round of tournament play at the end of February.

Williams came into the game with a 14-2-2 in-conference record whereas Tufts was 5-8-5.

As the Jumbos have said all along, however, all they needed was a ticket to the dance and the playoffs are a clean slate. The Ephs managed 10 first-period shots to the Jumbos’ six, but neither team could find twine behind two of the best goalies in the league. Rising senior goaltender Mason Pulde saved 36 shots in a near-perfect game for the Jumbos and rising sophomore Michael Pinios saved 21 of 23 attempts for the Ephs. In the second period, the Ephs scored just one minute in and the game appeared to be going the way of the teams’ last two meetings. Rising senior defenseman Sean Kavanagh’s goal from the right point at 11:48 equalized the score before graduating senior forward Keith Campbell collected the rebound off rising senior Mike Leary’s shot, and scored the game-winner about a minute later. The Jumbos earned their second-ever playoff victory with the win and upset the first seed of the NESCAC tournament for the second year in a row.

March 11-12: Sydney Smith gets the clock on her side to become an All-American Graduating senior quint-captain Sydney Smith of women’s track and field went into the indoor season wanting to be an All-American in the one mile run. She grabbed 10th in the 1,500meter run during the 2015 outdoor campaign of the NCAA National Championship, narrowly missing All-American honors.

Atthisyear’sIndoorNationalChampionships, Smith, who qualified for the one mile run through the bubble, became an All-American in the most exciting fashion. In her preliminary race, she ran 5:03.67, identical to Susquehanna University graduating senior quad-captain Ashley West’s time down to the thousandths place, leading to controversy as to which runner would advance in the 10th and final qualifying spot. After a meeting of the officials and review of race video, it was determined that Smith had run 0.002 seconds faster than West, dramatically giving her the final spot in the one mile final.

In the next day’s final, Smith tested the clock again but finally got her All-American honor.

She moved up two crucial spots and finished with a 4:56.59 time for the eighth and final AllAmerican spot — just 0.08 seconds ahead of ninth-place finisher graduating senior Sharon Ng of Wellesley.

Night of March 11: Men’s and women’s basketball both make NCAA Elite 8 On March 11, Tufts basketball had its banner moment. In Scranton, Penn., the women’s team performed as expected, taking down Albright College 62-49 in the Sweet Sixteen. Rising senior Michela North dominated, scoring 17 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, while the defense forced Albright to take bad shots.

Back home at Cousens Gym, the men’s team was in new territory. Taking down Johnson & Wales 101-85 behind graduating senior Stephen Haladyna’s 30 points, the Jumbos showed that their four-out offense could run with any team in the country.

While the men fell in the Elite 8 the next day to Amherst, the women made it to the national championship game, and together, Tufts basketball stood at the Elite 8 milestone.

March 12: Mitch Black wins his third NCAA 800-meter title When you have two consecutive NCAA Div. III 800-meter titles, how much better can you get? For graduating senior tri-captain Mitchell Black, the answer was simple. Make it three.

On March 12, competing in the NCAA Div. III Indoor Championships hosted by Grinnell College, Black ran the 800-meter in an impressive 1:52.48 time. That performance was the best at the meet; Black captured his third straight 800meter crown and the ninth All-American honor of his career. The Jumbos’ star edged out second-place finisher, rising senior Deko Ricketts of Washington University, by 1.19 seconds. Black was as low as fifth with 200-meter left in the race, but a last-second sprint during the bell lap allowed him to pull away from the group and claim victory yet again.

March 19: Women’s basketball wins a Final Four game to make national championship If coach Carla Berube breathed a sigh of relief, you couldn’t blame her. After falling in the Final Four in each of the past two seasons, Tufts took down Wartburg College to reach the program’s first national championship game.

The squad did it with stifling defense; not only did the Jumbos shut out their opponents in the first quarter, they also forced 18 turnovers and turned the game into a defensive slugfest. It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but for a program that had continually run into the proverbial wall, it was the most beautiful.

May 15: Baseball slugs their way to the NESCAC title Tufts was already in a comfortable position entering the bottom of the eighth in the final game of the NESCAC championship tournament, up 12-6 and having not lost a game in the previous two weeks. But the Trinity Bantams had just started a potential comeback by putting up five unanswered runs, so the Jumbo hitters did what they’ve done all season and outslugged their opponents. With five straight hits from the top of the order, including a stretch of two doubles and a home run from the two through four hitters, the Jumbos tallied six more insurance runs to seal the 18-6 victory and their fourth NESCAC championship crown.

Women’s sailing closes solid season without ICSA bid

by Bradley Schussel Staff Writer

The women’s sailing team is one of Tufts’ smallest squads. Graduating seniors Kate Shaner and Amanda Sommi were the team’s two most experienced sailors, and the pair mentored the younger athletes — rising seniors Julia Fuller and MaryClaire Kiernan, rising juniors Molly Pleskus and Lucy Zwigard and rising sophomore Sabina Van Mell.

The women’s sailing team is not entirely separate from the much larger co-ed sailing team, since they are allowed to participate in the co-ed races but have additional races just for the women’s team. In those individual races, the women sailors have finished in the top half of their race eight times out of their 16 races between the spring and fall seasons.

The team’s highest place finish was at the Mrs. Hurst Bowl at Harvard University, where it placed second out of 17 teams on Oct. 25, losing only to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. To reopen their season in the spring, the Jumbos placed third at the NEISA Team Race at Yale University on March 6.

Rising junior Molly Pleskus cited the Joseph R. Duplin Regatta during the March 26 weekend as one of the season’s highlights.

Tufts managed fourth place out of eight but easily could have placed second; the second, third and fourth place teams were decided by tiebreak, all posting 6-4 records on the day.

“The Joseph R. Duplin Regatta is a slightly different kind of racing than normal in that rather than one boat from each team sailing against one boat from every other team as it is in fleet racing,” Pleskus said. “There are three boats from one team racing against three boats from another team. This gives us a chance to have all three of our women’s boats sailing at the same time.”

Pleskus said she was satisfied with the team’s overall performance this year, despite its failing to qualify for the ICSA Women’s Championship in San Diego, which will take place starting May 24 along with the co-ed championships. The Jumbos disappointed during the New England Championships at Yale the over April 23 weekend, and their 14th-place finish eliminated them from ICSA contention.

“Overall, I am fairly happy with how our team has performed,” Pleskus said. “The women’s team has had a pretty successful season and we have learned and improved greatly through the process. Sadly, the women’s team had an off weekend on the weekend

of national qualifiers, so we unfortunately did not qualify for Women’s Nationals.”

Now that the season is at its end, the team must bid farewell to its two senior sailors, Shaner and Sommi. The two will be graduating this spring, which means that the women’s sailing team will be losing one-third of its members, as well as its two most experienced sailors. Sommi had a particularly strong season this year, as she was named New England All Second Team Crew for Division III. The team will miss the production of their two graduating seniors, and their departure will be a big change for the team.

“On the women’s team specifically, there are only six of us, and we are a pretty close-knit group due to the amount of time we spend together, so losing two amazing girls is certainly going to leave a big hole,” Pleskus said. “But we know that they will succeed in all they chose to do post-college,and we look forward to being able to support them as they cheer us on.”

The women’s team moves on to the summer in preparation for the next fall season.

The team may be small, but perhaps that’s what makes them so strong. If Pleskus’ sentiments are correct, the team will be able to count on the support of its departing seniors as they move forward.

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Nicole Brooks Jersey Over Apron

Cause for pause

F

or many, sports are an escape. This attitude aligns with the ideals of American meritocracy, as the media often spotlights hoop dreams, and how athletes from low-income families are able to work hard and make it big. Sports documentaries highlighting the perseverance of sport in war-torn countries, run down concrete courts in low-income urban areas, or even clips of children pick up soccer games with troops in the background go along with this view as well. Sports for both participants and fans can, of course, be a place where personal dilemmas and dangerous realities can and are often placed aside. Nonetheless, this perspective can lead some to accept the false belief that sports are apolitical.

Many view sports as a platform of purity that should be distinctly separated from any political messages or issues. Examples of this attitude can be observed in the critique of BlackLivesMatter shirts worn by NBA stars last year, or even more historically the backlash against John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s Black power salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The backlash against these professional athletes gives cause to pause to understand how the sport can function as a media stage as some messages are allowed and others shunned. It’s a vehicle which athletes, when allowed, and professional leagues can use in order to promote discussion and lend support to certain issues.

A recent example of sports being used effectively as a tool can be summarized in the Bush administration’s involvement with the NFL and MLB post-9/11. The 9/11 attacks continue to be a tragic and emotionally salient part of American history, a point when many Americans realized the potential of war on US soil. The attacks helped give reason for the administration to pass several new policies under a climate of American fear to ensure security. Tensions were high and Americans were looking for a place to unite. This is where sports came in.

It can be argued that during this period the Bush administrated utilized both the NFL and MLB’s statuses’ as popular media stages to influence public interest and support for the new War on Terror.

The first example of this can be observed during Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, when President Bush threw out the first pitch. It was a symbolic gesture of American strength in the emotional backdrop of the recent crisis-ridden New York City. This involvement developed further with time as the NFL and MLB partnered to embed military commercials during games, inserted troops visually on the field, sponsored military charities, sold military-themed merchandise and even allowed camouflage-themed uniforms on players. The partnership has continued into today as the militarism of sport in the US is visually and more concretely paralleled which is generally accepted by the public without bias.

People being thankful for American military service and sacrifice is something that all Americans should be grateful for.

Nonetheless, we should also critique the now close relationship with sport and government to understand how public interest can be harnessed for both political power and profit. For the Bush administration its aim was to garner public support, but for professional leagues, the goal was to manipulate the military brand to profit off merchandise and event sales. Many of which may not continue to help the military and veterans.

Nicole Brooks is a graduating senior majoring in history and minoring in communications and media studies. Nicole can be reached at nicole.brooks@tufts.edu.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, May 22, 2016

Alexis Harrison

Senior Profiles Michael Winget

by Chris Warren

by Ross Dember

Graduating senior track quint-captain Alexis Harrison did not become the fourth fastest NCAA Div. III woman to ever compete in the 60-meter, or the national runner-up in the event, overnight; her accomplishments have been in the works since she first stepped foot onto the tracks at Gantcher and Ellis Oval a little over three years ago.

As a first-year, Harrison showed promise, qualifying for the Div. III New England Indoor Championships in the 55-meter and running 7.39 seconds. The highlight of her first year was the 2013 NESCAC Championships where she ran 12.38 seconds in the 100-meter to take second, 25.65 seconds in the 200-meter for third and leaped 17 ft. 6 1/4 in. in the long jump to take fourth. She also ran on the 4×100 meter relay team, comprised of Harrison, Christina Harvey (LA ’15), Anya Kaufmann (LA ’14) and Samantha Bissonnette (LA ’13), that won the meet with a time of 48.27 seconds. Tufts won the NESCAC Championship at home that year.

“Freshman year was really special for me along with that senior class,” Harrison said.

“Witnessing the thrower squad dominate at track meets was really impressive to me and definitely motivated me to play a big part on the team. In my own event group, Anya Kaufmann had a great athlete’s mindset to work hard every day and strive to be better which I looked up to and wanted to emulate. Christina Harvey had similar characteristics, and I always took note of her pristine running form.”

As a sophomore, Harrison improved greatly during indoors, but really hit her stride outdoors. She qualified for the NCAA Div. III outdoor national championships where she placed 12th in the 100-meter with a 12.11-second time.

“Qualifying for outdoor nationals my sophomore year was really new and exciting,” she said. “I remember being so nervous and honored to be among some of the best athletes in the country. I took in every moment I could because it was really special for me.”

Though her junior year indoor season was relatively quiet, she obliterated the outdoor

Graduating senior tri-captain Michael Winget began his swimming and diving career as a promising first-year with three topsix individual performances in the NESCAC Championships. He ended his career as an All-American, NESCAC champion and school record-holder.

Winget’s path from up-and-coming 18-year old to established national competitor was as much a result of his talent and consistency of some good, old-fashioned dining-hall food.

“I came in my freshman year, and I was 5 ft. 8 in. and about … 125 pounds,” Winget said.

“Now, I’m about 5 ft. 10 in., 155. I gained a lot of weight which helped, but I worked really hard and over my four years here I tried to fine-tune a lot of my races.”

It was attention to detail that won him his first-ever individual conference title this year in the 200-yard backstroke, a career-defining accomplishment after three years of making the finals. However, it is the team’s performance that has stayed on Winget’s mind.

“Every single year I had been here, we placed fourth at NESCAC,” Winget said. “This year we placed second. That was great to show how our program is really moving in the right direction.”

While Winget could compete in any of the four strokes, it was in the backstroke

Sports Editor

Caroline Ross

Sports Editor

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Graduating senior Alexis Harrison competes in the 200-Meter Dash at the Tufts Sunshine Classic on April 23. season, winning three of the five events she competed in at NESCACs and placing second in a fourth one. She again qualified for outdoor nationals, where she placed 20th overall in the 100-meter dash.

This season has been a coronation for Harrison. She steamrolled her way through the indoor season, running the fourth fastest 60-meter time in Division III history (7.55 seconds) and taking second in the event at nationals. So far in the outdoor season, she has run the third fastest 100-meter time in the nation at 11.88 seconds, but more is yet to come as the championship season continues.

Harrison believes her four years at Tufts gave her ample opportunity to develop.

“I’ve matured a lot mentally and physically over the last four years,” she said. “I’ve grown more confident in my abilities and myself, and I’ve studied the mentalities and techniques of my idols at Tufts and in professional track and field.”

As she graduates, Harrison leaves a few choice words of wisdom for her teammates.

“My final message would be to never doubt yourself and always believe that you are capable of greatness,” she said. “If you truly want something, you can get it.”

those alumni and … I’m sure they are the ones at the top. They’re really good role models on the field, off the field.”

by Phillip Goldberg Sports Editor As a first-year Ross led the Jumbos with 35 goals, and at the end of the team’s 7-8 seaGraduating senior Caroline Ross, a two- son she was named NESCAC Rookie of the year captain of Tufts women’s lacrosse, fin- Year and one of the Intercollegiate Women’s ishes her four years as a Jumbo fourth Lacrosse Coaches Association’s (IWLCA) picks in career goals at Tufts and sixth in total points for the All-Region Second Team.

“I think [rookie of the year] was just an scored. Considering the success of the program in the 1980s and ’90s, plus the fact that added plus,” Ross said. “I didn’t expect it. I don’t she plays in the NESCAC — arguably the think I knew it existed. It was nice to get, obvitoughest division for lacrosse in Div. III — ously, but I think everything came before that.”

The following year, Ross scored a that is no small feat. She is the most potent offensive player to represent Tufts in the 21st team-leading 34 goals, one fewer than her century, having led the team in scoring her first season, but her assist total increased from eight to 14. The 48 points she posted in Tufts’ entire collegiate career.

“I’m definitely honored [to be a Tufts all- first season under new coach Courtney Farrell time scorer],” Ross said. “Tufts was a pow- ranked sixth in the NESCAC and helped lead erhouse in the ’80s. We’ve reconnected with the Jumbos to a 10-6 finish. Unsurprisingly, Ross again made the IWLCA’s All-Region Second Team.

If it is possible for the Jumbos’ two-year offensive leader and a top 10 offensive player in the NESCAC to break out, then that is exactly what Ross did in her junior season.

She scored 56 goals in 19 games, an almost three goal-per-game average, and added 19 EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY Tufts attacker and graduating senior Caroline Ross attempts to move past assists. A mainstay at an opponent in the game against Castleton on Monday, March 7. the top of NESCAC stat

tuftsdaily.com

where he was one of the top competitors in Div. III. He reached NCAAs three of his four years, decorating him as one of the most accomplished swimmers in Tufts’ history. As a junior, he placed fifth in the 200-yard backstroke, earning his first outright All-American award. He also reached the final in the 100yard backstroke, picking up an honorable mention.

Winget’s senior season served as a fitting cap to an impressive career. After going through early-season dual meets and invitationals, competing in a wide array of races, he won the 200-yard backstroke conference title on top of a fourth place finish in the 50 and a second place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. At NCAAs, he placed seventh in the 200-yard backstroke and fourth in the 100yard backstroke to cap off his career with three All-American awards. The latter finish was the best performance by a Jumbo in 30 years.

When it comes to Winget, the analysis never ends with just his individual performance. At NCAAs this year, the team finished 12th in the nation, the best performance by the program in a decade. He leaves the program with a box full of medals and a long list of school records. He also leaves a team of young, promising swimmers, looking to match the career of their former captain.

A math major, Winget looks forward to working for United Technologies Aerospace System as a quality engineer after graduation. Never one to leave the pool, he will also help coach a local swimming team.

COURTESY MICHAEL WINGET

Graduating senior Michael Winget swims during a tri meet against Connecticut College and Middlebury on Nov. 21, 2015.

lists, Ross’s 56 goals and 75 points were both second in the conference. Ross ranked 20th from the bottom in turnovers, an exceptional mark for a player with her volume of on-ball possession time. She also led the conference in free-position goals with 19.

In her junior year Ross increased her draw-control attempts and excelled with 53 wins on the season, the seventh best mark in the NESCAC. “Taking draws is one thing we started focusing a lot on as a team my junior year,” Ross said. “There’s a lot of technique involved so I was proud of that. At the end of the season I was controlling when to put it in different spots, which I didn’t do freshman and sophomore year.”

On April 18, 2015, at home on Bello Field, Tufts found itself playing overtime against Amherst. Ross had scored five goals in regulation, adding an assist for good measure, and she perfectly placed a game-winning free-position shot in overtime, earning co-NESCAC Player of the Week honors for her effort.

Ross, who was elected a captain going into her junior season, sees differences between the roles of a junior captain and a senior captain.

“Being a junior captain was just a different experience because you had to balance being a captain with still respecting the seniors that weren’t captains, and finding a balance between being friends with the younger kids,” Ross said. “I think as a junior captain you really mentor the younger players more so than the seniors and other juniors. As a senior

you know it’s your last year so you have to get everybody on that same page regardless of their age and take control.”

Although Ross’s scoring took a slight step back in her senior season (42), she set a career high in assists for the fourth straight year with 23. Fifth in the NESCAC in both goals and assists, her 65 total points ranked her third in the conference. She also scored five goals on three separate occasions.

At home versus Trinity on March 26, Ross notched two goals and four assists. Her second goal, a game-winner with 13 seconds remaining in regulation, secured her the second NESCAC Player of the Week honor of her career.

Her accolades are too numerous to list, but some of the highlights include being named to the All-NESCAC First-Team (twice), the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Div. III Preseason All-American Team and the ICWLA First Team All-America. “[The awards] come after the season or during the end of the season when we are just so focused on the team and the next opponent,” Ross said. “They’re nice to get, but I don’t think they are too important.”

When asked what motivates her to play at such a high level, Ross credited her inner competitiveness.

“I think in general I’m just very competitive in everything and I don’t like to lose,” Ross said. “I like to have the ball and be in control of the offense, so I think having the ball allows you to do a lot of things with it, like set your teammates up. I think [it’s] just wanting to win.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

John Uppgren and Conor Helfrich

by Maddie Payne

NCAA title. Uppgren was the top goal and points scorer for both Tufts and the NESCAC. Helfrich improved his face-off percentage to In January, graduating seniors co-captain 65 percent, winning 359 of 552. This once John Uppgren and Conor Helfrich became again ranked him as the best face-off player in the first Tufts lacrosse players ever drafted in the NESCAC. Both Uppgren and Helfrich were the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft, a named to the All-Conference First Team for a testament to their prolific careers. second time.

Uppgren started off contributing his The two Jumbos went into their senior first year and has since then carried Tufts’ seasons earlier this spring with high expecoffense — consistently one of the best in the tations for another national championship, nation. In a powerhouse program that rarely with Uppgren named as a senior co-captain. Neither player disappointed expectations, as Uppgren again led both Tufts and the NESCAC in goals and points scored, taking over as the top scorer in Tufts lacrosse history early last month. He earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors twice this season and was named the NESCAC Player of the Year.

Helfrich has continued his reign at the faceEVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY Tufts attacker and graduating senior John Uppgren is a Major off position this spring, securing Tufts the attackLeague Lacrosse draft for the Boston Cannons. ing possessions they sees significant contributions from first-years, needed to wineach game. As of May 11, let alone places them in the starting lineup, he had won 310 of 504 face-offs in the 2016 Uppgren stood out from his first season. He season, good for an impressive 61 percent started three games as a first-year, scoring 23 win rate. goals and assisting 11, ranking fifth on the Both players cited the back-to-back team in points scored. In his sophomore year, national championships as the highlight of he netted the most points for Tufts with 124, their Tufts career, with both saying that spendleading the team with 59 assists and com- ing time with the team outside of practices ing in third on the team with 65 goals. This and games will be their fondest memories. impressive offensive output earned Uppgren a place on the NESCAC All-Conference First Team, a notable achievement for such a young collegiate player.

Helfrich, meanwhile, was sidelined his first season due to a serious injury sustained during the ice hockey season, but he started strong in his sophomore year and rose to become one of the best face-off speEVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY cialists in the country across Graduating senior and Tufts midfielder Conor Helfrich is a Major all divisions. He dominated League Lacrosse draft for the Denver Outlaws. the face-off position his sophomore season, winning 331 of 551 face“The legacy that we’re hoping to leave offs, and established himself as the best at behind as a senior class is that we took the the face-off position in the NESCAC, earning program farther than it had been when we him a spot on the NESCAC All-Conference came into it,” Uppgren said. “Hopefully this First team. The 2014 sophomore season saw year it will be reaching another national the team not only winning another NESCAC championship and winning another one. title but becoming NCAA Div. III champions Making sure that hard work, giving back as well. and contributing to the community, workIn a similarly impressive junior season, ing hard every day and loving lacrosse, that both players again were leading contributors we’ve built upon those standards, and set to a team that would win another NESCAC the bar even higher than when we found it Championship and a second consecutive as freshmen.”

Assistant Sports Editor

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts graduating senior Mitchell Black runs in the Men's Distance Medley during the Final Qualifying Meet in Gantcher Center on March 4. Black's time qualified him for nationals.

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Paget Stanco

by Yuan Jun Chee

Assistant Sports Editor

Graduating senior Paget Stanco women’s squash reign at Tufts would never have happened if she had not walked into coach Joe McManus’ office her sophomore year to ask to try out for the team.

Stanco came to Tufts as a student athlete from her high school in Connecticut, but took her first year off from athletics in college due to past injuries. By her second year, however, she was ready to enter the college squash scene, and the Tufts women’s squash program grew from year to year with Stanco’s leadership. The team rose from No. 27 her sophomore year to No. 23 this year, and won the “D” Division last year at the CSA Team Nationals, before moving up one division to compete in the “C” Division this year. This progress brought the squash program greater recognition from both the Athletics department and Tufts as a whole.

Stanco played as the No. 1 in the three years she was in the program, and is the only senior to graduate from either the men’s or women’s squash teams this year. “[Playing the number one position as well as being captain] was a lesson in itself, because there was a lot more emotional responsibility too,” she said. “Sometimes it felt like I played a role of ‘mom’ or ‘big sister’ — that was the really cool part of being captain these past two years. I felt like I had a leadership role outside of the squash court.”

Stanco is also a two-time All-NESCAC team member, and was the only Tufts player to make either of the ten-player all-NESCAC teams her junior year. Her best moment in squash came in her junior year when she finished with a winning record of 6-5, and was voted in as tri-captain. However, the most memorable part for Stanco was not her first victory, but her final three matches for the team, all three of which went to five games.

“For me, the Team Nationals were the best weekend of my squash career,” Stanco said.

“For all three years, it was always the weekend where it kind of clicked, where everything worked. I hit good shots, I kept my focus and I was just an overall great squash player … and

Mitchell Black

by Soven Bery Staff Writer

For most Tufts students, succeeding either in the classroom or on the athletic field is a significant achievement. However, there are very few Jumbos that are able to excel in both those realms. But graduating senior Mitchell Black, tri-captain of the men’s track and field team and member of the men’s cross country team, is unlike most Tufts students.

Black’s academic achievements alone make him stand out — he earned a 3.72 grade point average while pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and astrophysics, and received Tufts’ C.P. Ciaffone and L.W. Pote Scholarship for excellence in engineering.

But he’s also one of the most decorated runners in Tufts track and field program history.

Black is a nine-time All-American and threetime national champion, who won both the indoor 800-meter NCAA Div. III titles in 2015 and 2016 and the outdoor 800-meter title in 2015 — not to mention a four-year All-NESCAC honoree and a three-time NESCAC champion.

In April, Black was named a NESCAC Track Performer of the Week and USTFCCCA Men’s Div. III National Athlete of the Week after finishing the 800-meter with a time of 1:48.60, the ninth fastest in Div. III history and the current fastest in the nation. He is likely to add another NCAA title in the 800 and a few more All-American honors to that already impressive list at the NCAA Div. III outdoor national championships later this week.

After winning the Div. III 800-meter national championship race last spring, he told the

THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Graduating senior Paget Stanco hits the ball during a Squash meet against Boston College. just [left] it all out on the court.”

In two of those matches, the Jumbos lost.

Regardless of the result, however, Stanco demonstrated her resilience as she beat Amherst’s first-year Rachael Ang 7-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 and Hamilton’s senior Rachel Newman 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5.

Stanco played her final game for the Jumbos at the College Squash Association Individual Championships in Stamford, Conn. on March 5. Her swan song pitted her against one of her toughest opponents ever in Wellesley’s sophomore Sarah Zhang, losing 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5. At the end of the game, Stanco hugged her opponent, someone she feels that she has always played superb matches against, and left the court as a proud squash player.

“In my last game, I had tears running down my face in mid-point because I was so overwhelmed by the emotion [and support from the women’s and men’s team who were playing at Yale that day as well] and the support from my family, previous coaches and friends,” Stanco said. “I had come all this way, committed to the whole process and that it truly became such an important part of my life.”

Stanco, who will graduate with as an art history major, will be staying in the Boston area after Tufts. She hopes to continue to contribute to the program in a different capacity because she can’t imagine not being a part of the program.

“Oh no, I definitely need this,” she said.

Daily that his win was something he had been thinking about for over a year.

“It was a big culmination realizing that everything I have worked for paid off,” he said at the time.

His efforts continued to pay off over the years, with the achievements from his time at Tufts recently earning him the Sabasteanski Award for Most Outstanding Track and Field Performer in the NESCAC. He is only the third Tufts athlete to win the award after Graham Beutler (LA ’14) in 2013 and Greg Devine (LA ’03) in 2002.

Black, an aspiring astronaut, is also one of just two student-athletes in the country to be awarded the NCAA’s 2016 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, a $24,000 scholarship given each year to one male and one female scholar-athlete from Div. I, II and III schools.

Black is not only Tufts’ first recipient but also the first recipient ever from a NESCAC school. He’s currently choosing between Ph.D. programs in aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan.

“Mitchell’s accomplishments in the classroom, on the track and in the community have set him up to reach for the stars as he pursues his goal of becoming an astronaut,” Andrew Alia, chair of the NCAA Walter Byers Scholarship Committee, told gotuftsjumbos.com.

Black led the men’s track and field team to three straight NESCAC championships his first three years and to a second-place finish in the conference this year. Black has dominated the 400, 800 and 1,500-meter races and has risen to among the best in the nation.

As the perfect embodiment of the student-athlete, Black will undoubtedly go down as one of the most accomplished Jumbos in Tufts history.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Fall and Winter Sports Recaps WOMEN’S SOCCER

The women’s soccer team’s overall season record of 6-8-2 (4-5-1 NESCAC) belied the consistent performances of the team all season long. Led by graduating senior co-captains Nicole Campellone and Emily Morton, the Jumbos’ strong defense was unfortunately overshadowed by their difficulties finding the back of the net all season.

The season began in September with a tough overtime loss to Lesley University, the team’s only loss in overtime in the four overtime games played this season (1-1-2). The team rebounded nicely with a three-goal display to defeat Colby, but only scored two goals over the next four following games — one in a double overtime win against Conn. College — while losing the other three matchups.

The season’s highlight game was a 1-0 away win against conference rivals No. 15 Amherst, the first time since 2002 that the team won on Amherst’s field. Tufts followed up the win soon after with a double overtime thriller at homecoming on Oct. 10 which ended in a 1-1 draw against Middlebury. Ultimately, the high quality of NESCAC competition was evident at the end of the season, with defeats from perennial powers and rivals Bowdoin and Williams sinking Tufts’ postseason seed. The Bowdoin Polar Bears ended the Jumbos season for the second straight year in a 3-0 away loss in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinals.

Contributions from rookies were key in the season for the team, particularly from rising sophomores and midfield partners Sarah Grubman and Emma Ranalli, as well as classmates winger Alessandra Sadler and goalkeeper Emily Bowers. Behind a solid defensive core, the young team will continue to develop and look to put the ball into the back of the net at a rate higher than .88 goals per game next season.

GOLF Tufts golf, despite seeming to have struggled on paper, continued to develop its program through the 2015 – 16 season. The team finished in the bottom half of the standings in all but three of its 15 tournaments in the fall and spring seasons. Nonetheless, the season did have a few bright spots.

Perhaps the best moment of the year for the squad was its only first-place finish of the season at the Newbury Invitational on Sept.

23. The Jumbos finished first of the 11 teams competing.

Rising senior Owen Elliot and rising junior Aaron Corn have been big contributors for the team all season, exemplified by their performances at Newbury. Corn and Elliot each shot 70 on the day to lead the team. Right behind the two leaders at that event was rising junior Michael Lefkowitz, who finished one over par with a score of 71. The efforts of these three golfers, along with those of graduating senior co-captain Jay Wong and rising junior Glenn VanWinkle, propelled the Jumbos to the win at Newbury.

One of the other two top-half finishes came a month later at the New England Championships at Brewster, Mass. a month later. In that tournament, the Jumbos finished ninth out of 22 teams competing.

Despite the limited team success, the team had strong leadership from graduating senior co-captains Wong and Brendan Koh, who have competed hard throughout their careers. Their leadership and contributions helped the younger players develop and will likely have an effect on the team’s results in the next few years. Wong and Koh both believe the team will produce a stronger season next year.

MEN'S SOCCER

The men’s soccer team eschewed any postNCAA title hangover to start this season, electing instead to win its first five games. However, the Jumbos’ chances for another postseason berth took a dive in their next four games, in which they went 0-3-1 against a cascade of top NESCAC and non-conference opponents.

Hewes advanced the furthest on the day, making it to the third round of the event. Six other Jumbos made it to the second round of the event, including Boden, Marturano, Gooch, rising junior Nayab Ajaz, graduating senior Julia Malleck and rising junior Julia O’Gara. Though none of the Jumbos made it far enough to qualify for the national NCAA Championships, the season was still a strong showing for an oft-overlooked program.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Following their rough stretch, the Jumbos did not lose a game for the rest of the regular season, going 4-0-2 and ending their regular season at 9-3-3, good for third in the NESCAC. Tufts failed to guarantee a NCAA bid in conference playoffs, as the team fell to Bowdoin 1-0 in the NESCAC quarterfinals. Regardless, the selection committee awarded the Jumbos an NCAA bid on the strength of their schedule and victories over top teams.

Rising senior forward Nathan Majumder earned second team All-Region honors with his team-leading 11 goals, and graduating senior defender Monil Patel earned All-Region third team honors.

In their first-round game, Tufts fell behind early to Salisbury, but a header from rising senior Daniel Sullivan off graduating senior Rui Pinheiro’s corner tied it up in the second half. Graduating senior tri-captain Connor Brown scored the game-winner off a pass from rising senior Gaston Becherano.

The Jumbos were in an even more dire situation in the second round, down 2-1 with under 10 minutes of play. However, with a feeling of déjà vu, Sullivan tied it up, and Brown scored on another Becherano pass to advance Tufts to the Sweet Sixteen. However, Tufts fell to Kenyon College 3-2 on a goal in the 90th minute.

But in a year where many expected them to regress, the team very much remained in the national championship picture.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

The 2015-2016 season was a resurgent one for the women’s swimming and diving team. The Jumbos finished seventh overall at the NESCAC championship for the third straight year, but were able to send swimmers to the NCAA Championships after failing to for the last two seasons. Rising senior Amanda Gottschalk and rising sophomore Colleen Doolan represented the team at the NCAAs and the pair earned Tufts 46th place, the program’s best result since finishing 28th in 2012.

The season delivered a number of improvements for the program. The team’s 4-3 record in head-to-head meets was their best since the 2011-2012 season, and Doolan, Gottschalk and rising sophomore Caroline McCormick went on to break a combined five Tufts records at the NESCAC championships.

Season highlights include finally beating Conn. College in the season opener trimeet on Nov. 21 as well as dominant wins over Wheaton College on Jan. 3 — where the Jumbos won 19 of 20 events — and over Wesleyan and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a Dec. 11 tri-meet — where ten Jumbo swimmers won events.

All season coach Adam Hoyt tried to find a balance in the team. Ultimately, he was rewarded as the younger swimmers broke records and won meets while the junior and senior athletes provided much-needed guidance and came away with a number of career bests. Tufts women’s swimming and diving is poised to keep climbing in both the NESCAC and the NCAAs.

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

The men’s swimming and diving team had one of its best seasons in program history this winter, with six Jumbos competing at the NCAA Championships in March, where they racked up multiple All-American Honors and placed 12th as a team, their best finish since 2006.

Graduating senior tri-captain Michael Winget anchored the team in his final season as a Jumbo. In February, he won the 200-backstroke title at the NESCAC Championships and was a two-time finalist in the 100-back and 50-back. He qualified to swim at the NCAAs again after swimming under the NCAA B-cut time and was ultimately a twotime finalist, coming fourth in the 100-back and seventh in the 200-back earning two AllAmerican awards.

Rising sophomores Kingsley Bowen and Brandon Jinn made significant contributions as rookies, with Bowen being named NESCAC Rookie of the Year and earning an All-American Award at the NCAA finals. Both Bowen and Jinn earned NESCAC Swimmer of the Week honors during the regular season.

Rising senior Matt Rohrer returned from a semester abroad to the diving board, where he won his third conference title, this time in the three-meter. He travelled again to the NCAAs, where he earned two All-American finishes by placing seventh in both the oneand three-meter.

The Jumbos will have a talented core of returners next season, as they look to keep making a name for themselves on the national stage next season.

FENCING The women’s fencing team had a successful season, which was off with a fourth-place finish at the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Championships (NEIFC) in February. The team finished 6-7 in head-tohead matches during the regular season, but 10-10 including scrimmages.

The season began with scrimmages at the Vassar Multi-Meet on Nov. 15, where Tufts won four of the seven bouts they participated in. From there, the Jumbos were off until the Jan. 23 Boston College Multi-Meet, where, like much of the season, the team was led by graduating senior captain Alex Boden. Despite the seniors’ excellent play, Tufts struggled against a host of some of the strongest teams in the nation, finishing 1-5 overall on the day.

However, the Jumbos turned their fortunes around at Smith College on Feb. 6, bouncing back to go 5-1 at the multi-meet.

The Jumbos carried that momentum into the postseason two weeks later, finishing fourth place out of 13 teams at the pivotal NEIFC Championships. The team was led by rising senior Anna Gooch in the epee, Boden and rising junior Bridget Marturano in the saber and rising senior Juliet Hewes in the foil.

The team ended the season by sending its best fencers to the NCAA Regional Championships, an individual-based event.

This fall, the women’s cross country team had one of its best seasons in program history.

The team finished in the top two at almost every Div. III-only race they ran in, culminating in an impressive postseason in which they finished second at NESCACs, second at the Div. III Regional Championships (the team’s best ever result at the meet) and seventh at the National Championships in Winnecone, Wisconsin (the team’s second best finish at NCAAs in program history).

Graduating senior co-captain Audrey Gould led the way for the Jumbos for the entire season. She took sixth at both the NESCAC Championships and the Regional Championships and just missed All-American honors at the National Championships in taking 50th overall. She leaves Tufts as one of the program’s best distance runners in its history.

Rising junior Brittany Bowman was a new face in the top seven. Bowman improved significantly since her freshman year as she was consistently among the top three for Tufts.

It was in large part because of her impressive improvement that the Jumbos were able to make such a significant leap to arguably the best season in the history of the program.

Graduating seniors Olivia Beltrani and Sydney Smith, rising senior co-captain Alice Wasserman and her classmates Kelly Fahey, Sam Cox and Lindsay Atkeson — the team’s other major contributors — all got faster this year as well to help propel TUXC to a place among the best teams in Div. III.

HOCKEY

Tufts hockey finished 2-4-3 in the fall portion of its season (1-3-2 in conference) but snuck into the NESCAC playoffs as the eighth seed after improving to 10-10-6 overall and 5-8-5 in conference play this spring. This season, Tufts avenged two regular season 2-0 and 4-0 losses to first-seeded Williams with a 2-1 upset in the NESCAC quarterfinals. The Jumbos’ season this year ended in the NESCAC semifinals, losing 4-3 to the No. 2-seeded Bantams after a late game comeback fell just short. Regardless of the loss, Tufts earned its second-ever NESCAC quarterfinal win and exceeded expectations to become one of the final four teams in the NESCAC tournament.

The Jumbos boasted an effective rising junior trio in Brian Brown, Chad Goldberg and Nick Flanagan. Brown led the team with 12 assists while Goldberg and Flanagan each had nine. Rising sophomore David Lackner’s eight goals, including two shorthanded scores, paced the team, and his six conference goals tied him with graduating senior co-captain Stewart Bell and Goldberg. Graduating senior co-captain Brian Ouellette added four goals and eight assists of his own, despite being a defender. Rising senior goalie Mason Pulde was named to D3hockey.com’s National Team of the Week on March 1 for his 36-save performance against the Ephs in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. Pulde’s .946 conference save percentage ranked second in the NESCAC and sophomore goalie Nik Nugnes, with whom Pulde split time, ranked third with a .943 save percentage.

With an embarrassment of riches at goalie, serious offensive potency — which steadily improved after learning coach Pat Norton’s fast break system — and the gritty leadership of Stewart and Ouellette, it is no surprise the Jumbos upset the NESCAC tournament’s presumptive favorite for the second year in a row.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Coach Carla Berube’s Tufts women’s basketball team once again pushed the program to new heights this season. After consecutive NCAA Div. III semifinals appearances in 2014 and 2015, the Jumbos finally broke through to the national championship game in 2016 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. After strong performances in the Elite Eight and Final Four, defending national champion Thomas More proved a different challenge.

Despite the Jumbos tying the game at 49 in the fourth quarter, the Saints ran away with the game in the final five minutes of play to secure back-to-back championships.

Standout players for the Jumbos included rising senior Michela North, who led the team in points and rebounds and averaged a double-double on the season. North collected a mountain of accolades over the course of the Jumbos’ season: D3hoops.com All-America in second team honors, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American honors, the D3hoops.com Northeast Region Player of the Year award and the NESCAC Co-Player of the Year award to name just a few. Rising juniors Melissa Baptista and Lauren Dillon grew into new leadership roles in the starting lineup, while rising senior tri-captain Josie Lee and graduating senior tri-captain Emma Roberson provided consistent play on both ends of the court. The Jumbos are graduating four seniors: Roberson, tri-captain Nicole Brooks, Maura Folliard and Michelle Wu — each of whom has made a lasting impact on the program.

With a loss in the championship game, Tufts has proven itself a perennial contender at the highest level in Div. III women’s basketball, and will surely be back next year to exceed the high standard set this season.

match with Wellesley, giving up just three sets out of 24. In fact, the Jumbos were perfect at home all season, winning all 10 of their matches at Cousens Gym. Graduating senior Maddie Kuppe impressed with her attacking display, as she recorded the thirdmost kills in the conference with 299 and ranked fourth in kills per set in the NESCAC with an average of 3.48. Graduating senior co-captains Esme Nulan and Carolina Berger led the team with their experience, with Berger averaging 3.84 digs per set — seventh in the conference — to contribute to the defensive side of the Jumbos’ play.

Overall, the Jumbos tallied an average of 16.85 digs per set this year, up from 15.06 last year. Offensively, the Jumbos recorded 11.99 kills per set, up from 11.42 last year.

Other highlights included their narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of the MIT Engineers at the New England Challenge, where the Jumbos and Engineers exchanged leads on multiple occasions. Playing against the Div. III No. 1 team in the New England region, Tufts pushed MIT to extra points in the final set before falling 16-14. Tufts earned the No. 5 seed for the NESCAC championship tournament, but the Jumbos’ season ended prematurely with their quarterfinal 3-1 loss to the fourth-seeded Middlebury Panthers.

WOMEN'S SQUASH Tufts women’s squash ended the season with a winning record of 13-9, a reverse of last year’s 9-13 record. The 13 wins are the highest ever recorded by the program, which dates back to 1999.

Tufts erased memories of last year’s opening defeats to Wesleyan, Mount Holyoke College and William Smith College, opening this season in January by sweeping all three contests this time around.

The team was also impressive on the road, where it won six of its seven matches. Despite falling in the first round of the NESCAC Championships to Bates, Tufts recovered to beat Wesleyan and Conn. College in the consolation rounds. A strong late season run saw the team promoted to a higher bracket than in past years at the CSA Team Nationals in February, facing the likes of Amherst and Hamilton in the “C” Division Walkers Cup instead of competing in the “D” Division Epps Cup, which they won last year. The Jumbos found some success against the stronger competition, earning a 6-3 victory over the Wellesley Blue in the consolation round to avenge a early season loss, which moved the Jumbos up one spot in the national rankings to No. 23.

MEN'S SQUASH The men’s squash team engineered a dramatic turnaround in its 2015-2016 campaign as the program, revitalized by young talent, saw its first winning season since 2007-2008 and the best season in program history. The Jumbos had never finished more than one game above .500, which they had only done three times since 1999. But Tufts battled to a 14-9 record this year, in a huge improvement over last year’s 6-15 finish, proving that the team could play at a high level despite lacking senior players. Captained by rising senior Danny Fischer, the team’s rookies — rising sophomores Cameron Ewan, Alan Litman, Matt Memmo, Aiden Porges, Brett Raskopf and Imran Trehan — improved over the course of the season and became the Jumbos’ biggest contributors. The team started the season off with two tough losses against Harvard University and the University of Virginia, but progressed to beat Boston College, Brandeis University, Vassar and a host of other top-ranked schools en route to ending the season ranked 33rd in the nation.

In the highlight of the season, the team won the Chaffee Cup in the E division of the CSA Team Championships, hosted by Yale University, in late February. In the first position, sophomore Braden Chiulli impressed during the event, and Tufts bested Lehigh University and New York University (NYU) before avenging a 5-4 loss to Conn. College in the NESCAC Championships by beating them 5-4 to take the cup.

Trehan received NESCAC AllSportsmanship Team honors, while Chiulli and rising junior Sandeep Rishi were selected to the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team. Porges finished the season ranked 78th nationally. With all of the team’s talent returning, the Jumbos look to follow up on this season’s success starting again in the fall.

VOLLEYBALL

After another strong season competing against some of New England’s best teams, Tufts volleyball finished 17-8 overall and 7-3 in NESCAC play this fall. In one of the most dominant runs in program history, Tufts won seven straight home matches from Oct. 7 against Endicott to Oct. 23’s

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts guard and rising senior Tarik Smith charges through two UMass Dartmouth players in the men’s basketball game against UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday, Feb. 2

FOOTBALL

Tufts finished third in the NESCAC with its first 6-2 record since 2001. The Jumbos started the season off with a 24-21 overtime win at Hamilton as rising senior kicker Willie Holmquist earned NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his 28-yard game-winning field goal.

In its home opener, Tufts proceeded to dominate Bowdoin 43-24 behind rising senior running back Chance Brady’s 123 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries.

Shattering an almost 35-year winless streak at Williams, Tufts thoroughly dominated en route to a 30-15 victory. To clinch third place in the NESCAC and the best Tufts record since 2001, the team fought to a 31-28 win over Middlebury behind a huge defensive effort and Snyder’s three touchdowns.

Brady, the NESCAC’s Offensive Player of the Year, elevated Tufts’ running game with over 100 yards in six of eight games and 11 touchdowns. Rising senior wide receiver Mike Rando netted the third most all-purpose yards in the NESCAC returning punts and kicks on top of his slot duties, and graduating senior wide receiver Jack Cooleen led the Jumbos in receiving yards with 370.

On defense, graduating senior linebacker Patrick Williams joins Brady on the Div. III All-American Teams for his 61 tackles, two interceptions and fumble recovery. Tufts boasts talented players up-front and in the secondary, as rising junior linebacker Zach Thomas led the NESCAC with nine sacks and Preston led the league with six interceptions.

Holmquist broke the Tufts record for most field goals in a season with 11. Dominant in each phase of play, Tufts finished ranked seventh in the Div. III New England poll, a season after breaking the infamous 31-game losing streak.

The team will feel the loss of graduating senior captain Paget Stanco, who anchored the team this season, finishing her career at the CSA Individual Nationals in March, where she lost to the eventual national champion from Trinity. Still, the Jumbos are set to have a promising future ahead.

FIELD HOCKEY The field hockey team posted another strong season this year, reaching the NESCAC semifinals before falling to Middlebury. The Jumbos improved their NESCAC performance to 7-3 after last year’s 6-4 record.

The season started with five wins in seven games in the month of September. Highlights include convincing five-goal winning margins at Hamilton and Bates, as well as avenging last year’s homecoming defeat at the hands of Amherst 1-0. Others include the late game-winning goals scored by graduating senior Dakota Sikes-Keilp against Christopher Newport University and Williams. The Jumbos were able to dig deep late in games to pull out wins several times this season, most notably in their 2-1 overtime victory against the Williams Ephs.

Tufts’ games were more high-scoring this year as the team went on the offensive more than in the past, putting 1.6 more shots on goal per game over the 2014 season. While the Jumbos may have conceded more goals this year, they received a strong rookie showing in goal from rising sophomore Emily Polinski, who stepped in after an injury early in the season to starter and rising junior Libby DesRuisseaux.

But nowhere was the progress clearer than in the final game of the season. In a fierce battle against the No. 1 team in the nation, Tufts narrowly lost 4-3 to eventual NESCAC champions Bowdoin. Despite being seeming-

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ly overmatched, the Jumbos took a 3-2 lead with two goals from the team’s leading scorer and rising senior tri-captain Dominique Zarrella before the Polar Bears’ onslaught eventually netted two late goals to take the win. The Jumbos look to bounce back next year, led again by Zarrella and a strong rising senior class.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

The Tufts men’s cross-country team finished third at the NESCAC Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships this past season. The Jumbos finished 17th out of 32, an improvement on 2014’s 22nd-place finish.

Tufts’ began the season at the Bates Invitational, beating Bates and RPI. Rising senior Luke O’Connor won the 8k race in a blistering time of 25:39.8., coming just under his time last year of 25:39.4.

The Jumobs started postseason in the NESCAC Championship at Wesleyan finishing third out of 11 teams. Nichols led Tufts, finishing the 8k race in fifth place with a time of 25:08.97. O’Connor finished in sixth at 25:10.94. Rising junior Ty Enos placed 20th out of 129 competitors with his 25:55.01 time.

The team finished 5th out of 40 teams at the NESCAC Championship, as rising sophomores Dylan Jones and Matthew McDermott finished 7th and 14th respectively out of a field of 277.

In the NCAA Regional Championship at Conn. College, Tufts finished third out of 55 teams was more than enough to qualify for the NCAA championship and Tufts’ best placement since 2007. Seven Jumbos ran in the meet, including rising sophomore Christian Swenson who finished the 8k race in 33rd place with a time of 25:35.7.

At the NCAA Championship the team finished in 17th place out of 32 teams, capping off a successful season. Rising senior Tim Nichols led the Jumbo squad finishing in 19th place, earning the first All-American honors for Tufts since 2011. His time of 24:46.20 tied for the fifth-best placement at Nationals in Tufts history.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished its season this March 23-7 overall, its best record since the 2005-2006 campaign. The Jumbos’ 86 points per game led the NESCAC, thanks in large part to the team’s focus on fast-paced movement with rising senior point guard Tarik Smith distributing the ball.

The starting lineup consisted of remarkably consistent scorers; all five starters, graduating senior tri-captain guards Ryan Spadaford and Stephen Haladyna, rising seniors Smith and tri-captain center Tom Palleschi and rising junior guard Vincent Pace averaged double -digit points per game.

Advancing to the NESCAC playoffs, the team managed a 77-71 quarterfinal win over Williams, only to fall to Amherst 86-83 in a back-and-forth semifinals match-up. Tufts had won the regular season meeting between the teams 84-73, so the loss was especially disappointing. Receiving an NCAA bid and regionals and sectionals hosting privileges for the first time ever at Cousens Gym, though, the team hit its stride in the NCAA tournament.

Hosting all of their NCAA games at home, Tufts had the crowd at their backs while beating Southern Vermont College 78-76 and Skidmore College 88-80 during regionals weekend. Just minutes into the Southern Vermont game, the Jumbos lost leading scorer Pace to a knee injury, dampening their postseason outlook.

Despite the costly loss of Pace, the team continued its run into the NCAA Sectionals, defeating Johnson and Wales 101-85 in the round of 16. The Jumbos faced their NESCAC rival, the Amherst Purple & White, the next day in the quarterfinal round, but in the third meeting of the year the Jumbos fell 86-73. Despite both their losses to Amherst in the postseason match-ups, the Jumbos ended their season in front of some of the largest crowds Cousens Gym has ever seen, topping 1,500 against Johnson & Wales University.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, May 22, 2016

Men’s crew improves in new coach’s first year

by Andre Chuong Staff Writer

The men’s rowing team entered its fall season under new leadership, optimistic about continued improvement in both meters and hardware. The recent hires to the crew program — head varsity coach Noel Wanner and novice coach George Munger — brought years of storied coaching experience and a deep understanding of rowing to Tufts, setting the crews up for success these past fall and spring seasons.

The crews started their fall season strong at the Head of the Snake Regatta on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. The varsity eight entry took a bronze-medal victory early in the day’s races, and the varsity four ranked in the top third of entries in its event.

Riding their wave of success from the Head of the Snake, the rowing teams then took on crews in the world-renowned Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass., where Tufts overtook NESCAC rivals like Colby and other collegiate programs such as the University of North Carolina — all while rowing against world-ranked and nationally-recognized crews. To finish off itsfall season, the rowing team traveled to Saratoga, N.Y. to participate in the Head of the Fish Regatta where rising junior Andrew MacMillen won the Collegiate Single in 12:50.11.

After a rigorous winter training program and spring break training trip in Deland, Fla., the men’s rowing team was back in action on its home water of the Malden River at the Shoemaker Boathouse to compete in a series of home regattas before entering its championship season. In its first races against Hamilton, University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Coast Guard, the first varsity entry eight swept its competition to walk away with wins across the board. The following weekend, the varsity eight defeated Wesleyan, the second varsity eight beat the University of New Hampshire and the novice eight entry won against Bates, continuing the teams’ bright prospects moving forward into their championship races.

The men’s rowing team returned to Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. for its two championship regattas and final races of the season.

Tufts’ crews raced in the New England Championships on April 30 and finished eighth out of 24 in overall points scoring — a major improvement over its 15th place finish last year, especially considering the varsity eight

was unable to participate in the petite final because members of the team fell ill. It was back in action on Lake Quinsigamond on May 8 at the National Invitational Rowing Championships for its final regatta of the season.

The first varsity eight entry was comprised of rising senior stroke and tri-captain Zach Merchant, graduating senior Andrew Warren, rising sophomore Richard Gilland, graduating senior tri-captain Jon Williams, rising sophomore Isaac Mudge, rising junior Tyler Hagedorn, rising senior Douglas Burt, rising sophomore bow Ryan Bell and rising senior coxswain Connor Fallon. Ranked 18th in its field with a time of 6:25.253, the crew was placed in the third final based on its heat time. The University of Michigan won the overall event with a time of 6:16.667, and Tufts varsity eight finished seventh.

The second varsity eight entry was comprised of graduating senior stroke Jackson Horwitz, rising junior Ashton Knight, graduating senior JJ Zhou, rising junior Thomas Hendrickson, graduating senior Spencer Moslow, rising sophomore Chandler Glass, graduating senior tri-captain Jon Lapadula, rising junior bow Matt Cohen and graduating senior coxswain Maria Karam. Ranked 14th in its field, the second varsity eight also raced in the third final based on their heat time. It finished with a time of 6:26.068, just nine seconds off of the winning crew from Hobart College.

The novice eight entry was comprised of rising sophomore stroke Ryan Magnuson, rising sophomore Rohail Rai, rising sophomore Reed Collins, rising sophomore Nick Hartman, rising junior Hani Chkess, rising sophomore James Miller, rising senior Jeremy Slavitz, rising sophomore bow Tamas Takata and rising sophomore coxswain James Grant. In a field of nine, the novice entry finished with a silver-medal and a time of 6:33.339, narrowly missing Michigan by a margin of five seconds. This marked the end of a successful season for the novice men, who will be fully integrated into the varsity team next season.

Overall, the men’s rowing team saw its fair share of victories over the past fall and spring seasons. Thanks to its renewed commitment to practice and its new coaching leadership, it earned plenty of medals and wins over the past year. A rigorous summer training program will set the team up to continue its successful streak when it returns to the Shoemaker Boathouse in the fall.

SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts men’s crew team rows against Middlebury College on Malden River on April 16.

tuftsdaily.com

Despite prolonged basketball season, Dillon finds second home in lacrosse DILLON

continued from page 54 Transitioning to Tufts, Dillon’s sports career at first seemed to be heading in a different direction. She joined the women’s basketball team for the 2014-15 season and started out getting minutes as backup point guard behind Kelsey Morehead (LA ‘15), the Jumbos’ longtime offensive orchestrator. Morehead and her classmates led Tufts to its first NESCAC championship and first Final Four appearance in the national spotlight in 2014 and returned as seniors looking to take the Jumbos even further.

Though Dillon was still adjusting and finding her role on the team, her contributions off the bench throughout the initial two months of her first season were substantial for a rookie.

Before NESCAC play even started, however, Dillon was thrust into a starting role — Morehead went down with a leg injury in late December, and Dillon had to step up and shoulder the responsibility of running the offense. She picked up right where Morehead left off, guiding Tufts to another 10-0 NESCAC regular season. Morehead returned in time for postseason play and Tufts — now equipped with two dynamic guards capable of controlling the game — earned a second consecutive NESCAC championship title and again advanced to the Final Four.

Although Dillon grew tremendously in her role on the basketball team as a rookie, she had her sights set on adding lacrosse to her collegiate sports rotation from early on.

“I had had a couple conversations with my basketball coach about [playing lacrosse]...and she was kind of hesitant at first,” Dillon said.

“And then I came to her after the [2014-15 basketball] season ended and...she gave me the go-ahead.”

Though Tufts women’s basketball coach Carla Berube would have been understandably hesitant to let her starting point guard out into another sport, with increased risk of injury or other possible scheduling or commitment complications, Berube was supportive of Dillon’s plans. She knew that Dillon was a strong all-around athlete with a passion for multiple sports and encouraged her point guard to follow her interests.

“It wasn’t a big discussion,” Berube said. “I want her to have the best experience she could possibly have here.”

Because the basketball season ran late in 2015, though, Dillon ultimately decided not to join the lacrosse team during her first year at Tufts. She would have had to transition to the new team right in the middle of the spring season, making the process too rushed.

“I tried out and decided not to play just because I wasn’t sure I could handle it,” she said. “I just wasn’t sure it was going to be healthy for me mentally and physically. I wasn’t sure I was gonna even be able to get all my skills back ... and it was such a big commitment that I just wanted to take my time with the decision, and I didn’t have time.”

As soon as she decided to hold off, though, Dillon’s real desires became clear.

“Throughout the spring it was clear to me that I regretted my decision, and I knew I wanted to play the next coming year,” she said.

From that point on, it was all but settled. By Fall 2015, Dillon arranged with both Berube and coach Courtney Farrell for women’s lacrosse to play lacrosse from the beginning of her sophomore year. Dillon said that this put her more at ease to join the new team and allowed her to get to know her future teammates, and begin preparing to resume her career on the field.

She went to lacrosse practices in the fall to get touches and learned the team’s drills with the help of her new teammates.

“We knew she was a talented lacrosse player, so when she told us that she really wished she had played last year, after giving some time to think about it, we were excited about that,” Farrell said. “We let her know that whenever basketball season was done she was welcome

to join our team and that we would welcome her with open arms.”

Dillon took her roster spot and made her way back to lacrosse this season. However, because the Jumbos advanced to the NCAA Div. III women’s basketball championship this year, and that championship was held two weeks later than usual due to the 35th anniversary celebrations of the women’s basketball championships, Dillon missed about half of the lacrosse team’s regular spring season games.

Basketball is Dillon’s first sport at Tufts, she explained, and that becomes an issue when the winter and spring sports schedules overlap. Regardless, the women’s lacrosse program has welcomed Dillon as a member of the team’s family all the same, making it a seamless transition.

“It was a special year and sort of a unique year in terms of the timing of things,” Farrell said. “For basketball, that’s a one-time thing and a really special opportunity for women’s basketball to be a part of that national championship with all three divisions there, and we were cheering them on the whole way. So we knew it was a possibility that we wouldn’t get [Dillon] until a couple of weeks left in our season, [but] she’s a talented athlete and she’s transitioned really nicely into the team.”

Most impressive of all has been the dedication with which Dillon has navigated her twosport undertaking.

“I think we got back from Indianapolis on Wednesday morning and I practiced Thursday,” Dillon said. “We had a game on Saturday so I felt like I needed to get out there.”

Not only has she made time to practice and play as a committed member of both teams — sometimes even running from basketball practice to lacrosse practice — but she’s made a noticeable impact across the board.

“We have her playing low defense for us right now,” Farrell said. “And after having played defense for coach Berube, I think she was well prepared to play defense for us. The games really aren’t too different, especially defensively.”

For Dillon, taking on this new endeavor has felt like a smooth adjustment, both in embracing her defensively-minded role on the field and in connecting with her teammates and coaches.

“I think it can be a very hard thing to welcome this person who hasn’t been with you for the entire year,” Dillon said. “I think they’ve ... been together for six months now, and I just haven’t been as available and haven’t been a part of it. I think it can be really hard to accept someone new, but I feel so welcome by them.

They’ve made me feel like I’ve been there the entire time. I really enjoyed getting to know all of them and I do feel like I fit in.”

The lacrosse season ended for the women’s team in the NESCAC tournament’s quarterfinals, when they fell to Middlebury 14-10 on April 30. Although lacrosse provides Dillon an extra season to stay in shape and develop athletically, it’s a lot of wear and tear for Dillon to manage. She looks to rest up and heal some nagging injuries — an elbow problem that has plagued her since she’s been at Tufts and plantar fasciitis in both of her feet — over the summer.

Berube said that Dillon’s drive and spirit keep her point guard eager to take on the challenges that playing two sports presents.

“She’s such a competitor and wants to compete at everything she does and sitting around — not that we sit around because we have our post-season — but she’s always wanting to play and to compete,” Berube said.

While playing two college sports gives Dillon extra championship opportunities, teammates and athletic accolades, her reasons for playing both basketball and lacrosse boil down to simply following her passions.

“Just doing what you love,” she said. “I love sports, I don’t just love basketball, and having the chance to do it all year long has been really great for me.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

Close-fought losses belie strong performances by women’s lacrosse team WOMEN'S LACROSSE

continued from page 54 it to the last five minutes to really rev up our energy,” Adamec said.

In the April 27 regular season finale, Bowser led Tufts to a 17-8 victory over Bowdoin with five goals, while both Ross and rising junior Taylor Meek added three. The Jumbos jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back, bringing their NESCAC record to 5-5 and earning them the seventh seed for the conference tournament.

Despite being ranked 16th in the nation at the season’s end, the team did not earn a bid to the NCAA tournament.

“We are definitely better than what our record says,” Adamec said. “We like to be at least breaking even because breaking even means that you don’t get a good seed, and it’s only an uphill battle. We aren’t a breaking even team — we are one that is a lot better than that.”

Although the team loses some of its biggest offensive weapons this year in Ross, the program’s leading scorer of the last four years, and in Bowser, the younger players now have more experience and seem poised to drive the team higher next spring.

What a year

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hat a year it’s been. From Chelsea’s meltdown to Leicester’s meteoric rise, it’s been a magical year. Thankfully it continues in the summer with the various regional tournaments. We’ve taken some of your questions and added our own as we look back at yet another amazing season.

Best Moments of the Season Ryan: Jamie Vardy’s record breaking goal against Manchester United. With a goal in his 12th consecutive game, he broke a record which had stood since 1932. Not bad for a player who was working at a local factory earlier in his career…

YJ: That, and just the rise of the underdogs — Leicester, West Ham and Tottenham.

It’s been a refreshing change.

Other Off-field Moments EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts midfielder and graduating senior Brigid Bowser scores in the game against Castleton on Monday, March 7.

Co-ed sailing cruises to national sailing championships

by Onat Tarimcilar Staff Writer

The co-ed sailing team is nearing the end of a rollercoaster year, which culminates with a trip to San Diego next week for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s National Championships. The team is ultimately where it wants to be at the end of the season, but the journey was not an easy one.

The preseason mindset for the team seemed bleak in the fall after five of the team’s most experienced sailors graduated last year.

“The transition left us with a team that was relatively inexperienced in major and championship events. And the fall season reflected that,” graduating senior skipper Casey Gowrie said.

The fall season presented the challenge of quickly meshing a team that had hardly raced together, resulting in Tufts falling short of qualifying for the Atlantic Coast Championships, the biggest race of the fall. The fall season also presents teams with an opportunity to qualify for some of the spring season’s biggest races, but poor showings hindered Tufts’ ability to lock up those spots.

“Not qualifying early only made the spring season harder,” Gowrie said.

In the fall, the team failed to qualify for the New England Team Race championships, which occur in the spring, meaning they had to fight for the last two spots. Nonetheless, the team came into the spring focused and confident.

“Throughout the whole year, even the offseason, we just continued to focus on getting better and building chemistry as a team,” rising sophomore Cameron Holley said.

Tufts faced a steady dose of tough competition early in the spring season and remained especially focused on team racing.

The Jumbos entered team race competitions every weekend, tying for a third place finish at the Sharpe Trophy Regatta at Brown and locking down first place at the Arctic Circle Invite, which Tufts hosts.

For spring break, the team traveled to Maryland for a week of intense practice and tough competition.

“It gave us a chance to face some good teams that we otherwise would not have been able to race against,” Holley said.

This was also the final tune-up before the biggest team race of the season for the Jumbos,

Yuan Jun Chee and Ryan Schneiderman On the Spot/Outside of the Boot

the Staake Trophy Regatta at Conn. College.

The Staake regatta serves as the qualifier for the final two spots in the New England Championships. It features five schools and the top two advance. Tufts finished third behind Rhode Island and Conn. College, failing to advance to New England’s and ending its team racing season. This proved to be the lowest point of the season for the Jumbos.

The team shifted its focus to fleet racing season in the beginning of April and have continued to have success.

“Without team racing, we could focus all of our energy on fleet racing practice early.

We sailed in some big fleet racing events and had awesome finishes in all of them, so things were starting to come together,” Gowrie said.

Fleet racing features either two of three divisions with each school fielding one boat in each division. The Jumbos relied on strong upperclassmen leadership from their skippers, rising seniors Scott Barbano and Griffin Rolander as well as Gowrie.

The hard work of the fleet racing season culminated the weekend of May 1 in the fleet racing New England championships, which serve as a qualifier for the fleet Nationals in San Diego. There were 18 teams in the regatta, and the top nine advanced to Nationals.

“Going into the New England Fleet Racing Championship, we felt pretty confident in our odds to qualify,” Gowrie explained.

Tufts entered a boat in each of the two divisions, with Rolander and Barbano skippering alongside their crews, rising junior Emily Shanley-Roberts and graduating tri-captain Caroline Atwood, respectively. Both boats raced smartly and efficiently, earning the Jumbos a sixth place finish and qualifying the team for a trip to San Diego.

“We couldn’t be any happier with the result to finish our season, and we’re very excited to be attending fleet race nationals in San Diego,” Gowrie said.

With almost the entire season behind them, the Jumbos will look back on a year with some rocky results, and a remaining opportunity to race against the best in the country at the finale of their season. Tufts is now fully focused on preparing for Nationals at the end of May and hopes to contend with the best teams in the nation for a full week of sailing. The Jumbos are returning a majority of their starters next year and aim to build on the progress they made late in the spring season.

Ryan: My favorite off-the-pitch moment is a Claudio Ranieri quote. After being asked what he got his squad for Christmas, he responded, “From the beginning when something was wrong I’ve been saying: ‘Dillyding, dilly-dong, wake up, wake up!’ So on Christmas Day I bought for all the players and all the staff a little bell, just as a joke.”

YJ: And dilly-ding, dilly-dong, they’re Champions. LVG’s flop was hilarious — it was about time he showed some emotion.

José’s outburst against his players and medical team comes a close second. The start of a long downfall.

Biggest disappointment: Hazard, Sterling or Memphis?

Ryan: For me it has to be Hazard. To go from Player of the Year to not scoring a goal until Gameweek 34 is an absolute failure. Sterling hasn’t shown the consistency expected with his £50 million price tag, but at least he can say he is City’s leading goalscorer in the Champions league. Memphis has been a big disappointment as well but at least he has the excuse of moving to a new league.

Hazard has no excuse.

YJ: Hey, at least he won Leicester the title — two king-making moments in a row. I think it’s Sterling. You can’t have that price tag on your head and be an abject disappointment with finishing and decision-making all season. If I had my way, he would not be on the plane to France.

LvG in or out? Who should worry more for next year — Man U or Chelsea?

Ryan: For me, LVG should walk. His sides have been mediocre at best since he joined United. I think Chelsea will be aggressive in the transfer window. I predict that they will buy Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez — and will bounce back well next year with Antonio Conte at the helm. Not so sure about United.

YJ: Same. When you’ve spent close to $500 million and still say expectations are too high you’re clearly clueless. United should worry more — especially if van Gaal remains in charge. Chelsea will strengthen vastly this summer.

Best and Worst Signings of the Season Ryan: The worst’s Chelsea’s Falcao. His days as a world-class striker are now a distant memory and any notion of him reviving his career at Chelsea was squashed with his performances this year. One goal, zero assists in 15 appearances.

As for the best, Dimitri Payet. He has been the catalyst to West Ham’s rise this season, dazzling with his incredible free kicks and dribbling skills. In 28 games this

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season he has scored nine and assisted 10 for West Ham. YJ: I just cannot see Leicester winning the title without N’Golo Kanté. He has been all-action covering almost every inch of grass.

But you’re right though, Falcao’s stock has just fallen tremendously. Although you could probably just dump the entire Aston Villa squad list and just pick a random name out and you’d still probably get your pick for Worst Player of the Year.

Best Goal Ryan: Dimitri Payet and Riyad Mahrez have received plaudits for breakout players this season, but Dele Alli has to be in the conversation as well. He scored some brilliant goals this season, but none were better than his two-touch over-the-shoulder control and volley past Crystal Palace’s Wayne Hennessy.

YJ: Harry Kane’s goal against Arsenal epitomized Pochettino’s work-rate, chasing down a lost cause, before showing his strength, pace and finesse to curl a shot from outside the box.

Most-improved player YJ: Pochettino’s gotten the best out of Mousa Dembélé and Kyle Walker; they’ve been crucial both offensively and defensively in getting Spurs to their highest ever League finish.

Ryan: This may seem like a strange one, but my most improved player is Bacary Sagna. Last season he was on the fringes of the Man City first team, appearing in just nine games, but this season he has been a rock in defense. He has started in 25 games and even has three assists to his name.

MVP YJ: David de Gea. I may be biased here, but this guy’s been tremendous this year for United. Imagine where they’d be without him. And Rashford’s goals saved van Gaal’s career.

Ryan: Mahrez has been nothing short of incredible all season. He has scored 17 and assisted 11 this season and has been the central figure to Leicester’s success this season. He was rightly awarded the PFA player of the year and is my MVP. The reported £400,000 transfer fee is looking like the biggest bargain ever.

What are the odds that Sunderland will be next season’s Leicester?

Ryan: 1 percent. Effectively there is no chance. But with the new TV deal coming into effect next year, don’t be surprised to see more parity in the League in years to come.

YJ: Nowhere. This is not going to happen again next year — the moneybags won’t allow it. You can bet that the big boys will spend HUGE this summer to ensure that doesn’t happen again. Even Ranieri knows that. They’re offering 5000/1 for Burnley though.

Pivoting to next season, what are you most looking forward to?

YJ: I really don’t want to say this, but I’m almost scared of Liverpool next season.

Klopp’s arrival has energized them, and believe you me, he’d find exactly the right players to plug the gaps.

Ryan: What I’m looking forward to most about next season is the new dynamic among the top clubs. Two clubs have already confirmed new managers in Pep Guardiola for Man City and Antonio Conte for Chelsea, with José Mourinho heavily linked to United.

With so many big personalities already in the Premier League, next year should be even more exciting.

Yuan Jun Chee is a rising sophomore majoring in history. YJ can be reached yuan.chee@tufts.edu. Ryan Schneiderman is a rising junior majoring in computer science. Ryan can be reached at ryan. schneiderman@tufts.edu

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Sunday, May 22, 2016

tuftsdaily.com

Softball unable to extend NESCAC and NCAA title streaks

by Isabel Banta Staff Writer

Tufts softball’s season ended on May 15, with a 4-2 loss to WPI in the NCAA tournament’s regional championship. After three consecutive NCAA titles, the early exit was disappointing for coach Cheryl Milligan’s talent-packed team.

Tufts fell to Williams in the final game of the NESCAC championships on May 6-8. As the four-time defending NESCAC champions, the Jumbos entered the tournament as the favorites to take their fifth title. After beating Amherst to advance to the winner’s bracket and then losing to Williams, Tufts had to beat host Williams twice in the double-elimination tournament to take the title.

Facing off against the Ephs in Game 6 of the tournament on May 8, the Jumbos kept their title hopes alive, coming out on top 13-6, thanks to an 11-run first inning capped off by a grand slam from rising senior Cassie Ruscz.

The win set up a high stakes winner-take-all final Game 7 of the tournament later that day.

Tufts started the second game where it left off when Ruscz drilled a two-run home run in the top of the first, her fourth home run of the tour-

nament. But the Ephs flipped the script on the Jumbos, tying the game in the bottom of the first and then taking the lead in the second. While rising sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Murphy held Tufts scoreless for the next five innings, Williams added four more runs in the bottom of the third inning to seal the 8-3 win and steal the NESCAC crown.

Despite the end of Tufts’ NESCAC title streak, Ruscz made history with her four home runs and 12 RBIs in the tournament, the most in those categories in NESCAC championship history. She won NESCAC Player of the Week for her heroics and — after finishing the season leading the NESCAC in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage — was named NESCAC Co-Player of the Year for the second straight season. While Ruscz is the first Jumbo to win the award twice, she joins a long history of distinguished Jumbo softball players, who have together claimed 12 of the 16 conference Player of the Year awards since 2001.

Joining Ruscz on the all-conference first team were graduating senior co-captain Christina Raso — also the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 — and rising junior Raven Fournier. Rising junior pitcher Raina Galbiati

and rising sophomore shortstop Christian Cain were named to the second team.

After the NESCAC tournament, the Jumbos moved on to host an NCAA Regional at Spicer Field the weekend of May 13-15, but were unable to move past the regionals round after losing to WPI in the final game, ending the season 30-12.

Tufts began the season slowly, going 7-6 in the first two weeks after having not lost a game in all of 2015. However, the recovery from this start to NESCAC play was strong, as the team went on to successively beat Bowdoin, Colby, Bates and Trinity three times each to secure their fifth consecutive 12-0 season in the NESCAC East. Outside of NESCAC East play, Tufts was successful, with two wins against Endicott, and wins against Babson and MIT. The program has consistently had one of the best offenses in the nation and, during the Allyson Fournier (LA ‘15) era, unquestionably the best pitching staff in Div. III. But this year’s team, even with their main offensive weapons from last year like Ruscz and Raven Fournier, struggled to limit opposing teams’ offenses without Allyson Fournier, despite strong pitching from Galbiati and graduating senior co-captain Erica County. Still, coach Milligan is pleased that,

up and down the roster, the Jumbos made positive contributions.

“What always impresses me most is the players who give so much to our team every day in practice but don’t necessarily see the field as much on game day,” Milligan told the Daily in an email. “Our program is in constant gratitude to them ... It is pretty extraordinary and humbling and I don’t thank them enough.”

Though their season ended earlier than they have come to expect given the strength of their program, the Jumbos are set on bouncing back for another strong season in 2017. The team loses strong leaders in Raso and County, but Ruscz will be back again to lead the Jumbo offense. With Galbiati and the team’s other young pitchers building confidence and gaining experience, Tufts softball still seems poised to stay in the national championship conversation again next year.

“Our goal is to get better every game and continue to battle to stay in it,” Milligan said.

“Our team has a history of having culture that is all-in and we ask a lot of our players in terms of commitment and focus. Our team is into having fun, but we think winning is pretty fun, so that is a priority for us.

Women’s tennis records most wins in recent years

by Yuan Jun Chee

Assistant Sports Editor

No. 17 ranked Tufts women’s tennis finished an impressive year with an 11-6 regular season record — its best since the 2010-11 season.

Tufts’ 5-4 record in conference play qualified the team as the sixth seed at the NESCAC tournament. Despite falling 5-4 to Amherst in the first round of the NESCAC Championship, Tufts received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, but was eventually defeated in the third round by Bowdoin 5-1 on May 14, after having secured a 5-0 second round victory over Colby-Sawyer a day earlier.

“This season has personally been my best season at Tufts and also the best of any team I’ve had in my three years,” rising senior co-captain Conner Calabro said. “Resultswise, dynamic-wise, motivation-wise, just like all in all, it’s been really great.”

In particular, Tufts team’s chemistry and doubles performance have been solid all year.

“We’re so much stronger now than where we were [at] beginning of the season, and I truly feel we’ve improved in every single match,” coach Kate Bayard said. “The team is a lot more comfortable on the doubles court ... in terms of positioning and shot selection.”

The Jumbos started the season off posting a 4-1 record in March, including a successful trip to California. Back home, Tufts rattled off three NESCAC victories in a row to kick off April, ruined only by a loss to MIT. Despite

defeating Colby, Bates and Trinity 9-0, 8-1 and 9-0 respectively, Middlebury surprised Tufts 5-4 on April 10, giving the team its first conference loss. Wins over Wellesley and Brandeis helped the team’s overall record, but after Amherst defeated Tufts 6-3, Tufts’ NESCAC record fell into question. Finishing out the regular season 2-2, including a 9-0 victory over Conn. College, kept the Jumbos above a .500 win rate.

In the first round of the NESCAC Championships, Tufts had sought to avenge their regular-season loss to third-seed Amherst, but eventually fell to a 5-4 defeat.

Tufts lost second and third position doubles, but in first doubles, rising junior Lauren Louks and rising sophomore Mina Karamercan displayed excellent teamwork and chemistry in defeating Amherst graduating seniors Sue Ghosh and Sarah Monteagudo 8-3. The Jumbos battled back from their 2-1 doubles deficit, taking a 3-1 lead in singles matches. Louks completed her singles victory over Ghosh 6-4, 6-2, and Karamercan beat rising junior Vicki Ip 6-2, 6-3, while rising junior Zoe Miller saw off the challenge of classmate Avery Wagman 6-3, 6-0 for Tufts. Amherst then leveled the scores at 4-4 as rising sophomore Kelsey Chen beat Tufts’ classmate Tomo Iwasaki 7-6 (1), 6-0. The contest was eventually settled when Amherst rising senior Jackie Calla defeated Calabro 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

“The amount of heart my team played with, I’m just very proud of how we fought,” Bayard said. “Our doubles, unfortunately, we made

a few too many unforced errors.

Amherst did play well, but I felt we had our chances in the doubles and that really hurt us.”

Despite the defeat, Calabro had immense praise for Karamercan and Louks.

“Our top two players played extremely well in singles and RAY BERNOFF / THE TUFTS DAILY doubles,” Calabro Rising junior Lauren Louks hits the ball during the Tufts women's said. “They came out tennis matches against Colby on the Voute Tennis Courts on April 1. really hot in the doubles, they beat theteam they had last time. Championships. Tufts secured a 3-0 lead with And in singles, they really got the job done ... strong play in its doubles again, giving up just They started off their matches really well, so I’m two games across their three matches. Calabro really proud of them.” and rising senior Chelsea Hayashi made sure Unfortunately, the Jumbos were unable to of the victory in their singles matches, with repeat their upset in April over the Bowdoin Calabro beating rising sophomore Aislinn Polar Bears, as their NCAA bid ended in a 5-1 O’Connor 6-0, 6-1 and Hayashi beating rising defeat. Tufts fell behind 2-1 in doubles play, junior Lauren Blanchard 6-1, 6-0. with the tie of the round arguably being Louks’ With no graduating seniors, the team and Karamercan’s 8-6 loss to rising senior, No. looks forward to a strong returning class.

12 Joulia Likhanskaia and graduating senior “The young talent combined with the expeTiffany Cheng. Calabro and Iwasaki recorded rience of the returners has been a really good the Jumbos’ only win as they saw off the pair of combo in terms of performance and also team rising seniors Kyra Silitch and Pilar Giffenig 8-2. dynamics,” Calabro said. “We’re just a really A day earlier, Tufts comfortably beat Colby- close team, we want to win for one another, Sawyer 5-0 in the second round of the NCAA which I think makes a huge difference.”

Seniors leave behind legacy of success at the national level for men's tennis program MEN'S TENNIS

continued from page 45 inspired match — we both knew that the stakes were incredibly high and were determined to win what we knew could potentially be our last doubles match.”

The tides began to turn, though, during the singles matches. At No. 1, Glickman fell to rising junior Steven Chen, the No. 14 singles player in the country, 6-3, 6-4. Gupte was able to reclaim the Tufts lead at 3-2 with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles over rising senior Michael Liu. From there, though, Wesleyan swept the rest of the singles matches and put Tufts away.

“All season our singles has been very strong and usually if we go down in doubles, we pick it up in singles,” Ali said. “But against Wesleyan we were only able to pick up one match on the singles courts.”

Despite the setback, the Tufts showing against Wesleyan — and against the higher

seeds in not only the NESCAC but in the country — is a testament to the team’s progress.

“From the beginning of the season, we all had high goals,” Ali said. “We all wanted to have our ranking move up, we all wanted to beat the top teams and we all wanted to beat teams that we lost to last year, maybe teams that we had never beaten. And we did that.”

In the first half of the season,the Jumbos focused on individual and tournament play to prepare for the spring competition. They took home various individual and doubles pair titles in invitational tournaments and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships, and hosted the Boston Invitational.

The meat of the Jumbos’ season began over spring break when the team made its annual trip to California, posting a 5-2 record. In April, Tufts played a tough schedule against opponents in the New England region. Among definitive wins against teams like Conn. College

(8-1) and Trinity (8-1), Tufts faced adversity against national powerhouses, losing to No. 3 Middlebury (7-2) and No. 9 Williams (7-2).

In addition to the Bowdoin win, Tufts’ April 2 win over No. 14 Amherst was the highlight of the season. The Jumbos had not beaten the Purple and White since 2004.

“The senior class came together as five strong leaders with a common goal to lead the team to the highest level,” Jacobson said. “As a result, we accomplished more this season than any other season in reaching No. 13 in the rankings and gaining our first top five win over Bowdoin. Every victory along the way was a total team effort.”

With little change to the roster from last year, the Jumbos have stepped up this year as a full unit and put in the work to improve their play and national ranking.

“Coach [Karl] Gregor has exceeded all expectations in creating a culture of excellence, turning around this program in just two sea-

sons, where his players don’t only expect to win, but have put in the requisite hard work to succeed at the highest level,” Jacobson said.

Ali is confident that the team, which has shown consistent improvement, can win a national title in the near future.

“We became one big family, and we all really know that we have an opportunity ... to do something big or do something that hasn’t been done for the program in a while,” Ali said.

The team will undoubtedly look different next year with the exit of five seniors who have all made substantial contributions — Jacobson, Glickman, Cary, Nik Telkedzhiev and Roy Peleg. The culture change that this year’s seniors were part of creating, however, has established strong roots for the team.

“When we started four years ago, the team was excited just to win a point or two against a team like Bowdoin or Amherst,” Jacobson said.

“Now, the team not only believes we can win but expects to win.”

Sunday, May 22, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Sports

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Women’s lacrosse continues to From the basketball court to the lacrosse field, Dillon builds duke it out in nation’s toughest on prolific Tufts sports career conference

by Alex Schroeder Sports Editor

Entering Tufts as a member of the Class of 2018, rising junior Lauren Dillon may not have expected to take over as point guard for the women’s basketball team — a 2014 NESCAC Champion and Final Four participant — especially before conference play even started. She also may not have expected to be a two-sport varsity athlete, competing both on the court and on the lacrosse field, by her sophomore year.

“I played lacrosse all four years of high school. It was kind of always thought of as like my second sport, to both soccer and basketball, but toward the end I really started to love it,” Dillon said. “I see a lot of basketball and soccer in lacrosse, and both of those are sports which I really love. Going into the college process, I did want to play multiple sports. It just didn’t turn out that way and I ended up at Tufts with basketball.”

After two years at Tufts, Dillon has locked down a starting spot on the women’s basketball team, who advanced to the NCAA Div. III championship in Indianapolis this year, and joined the women’s lacrosse team this season, playing in one of the country’s toughest conferences.

Dillon came to Tufts with four years of varsity sports experience from nearby boarding

school Noble and Greenough in Dedham, Mass. A member of the soccer team in the fall, the basketball team in the winter and the lacrosse team in the spring at Nobles, Dillon was no stranger to a full athletic schedule.

She stressed that playing all of the sports she loved and not just specializing in one sport at a young age has been the most rewarding part of her athletic career. It has indeed paid off — the Boston Globe named Dillon the 2014 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Female Athlete of the Year, awarded to a “standout three-sport athlete who has demonstrated success in both the classroom and on the field or the court,” the Nobles school website said.

Dillon claimed that the diversity of her athletic experiences prepared her for the challenge of competing at the collegiate level.

“From season to season in high school, I couldn’t tell what my favorite sport was ... I wanted to keep doing each of these three, and whichever one I was in was my favorite sport,” she said. “Sports teach you so many different things, and I think I gain the intangibles in sports as a person more than I do as a player ...

The intangibles are what’s important to me and I think you learn that when you play multiple sports.” see DILLON, page 52

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY

Rising junior Lauren Dillon keeps possession of the ball from Emmanuel defenders on Jan. 26.

by Phillip Goldberg Sports Editor

Tufts women’s lacrosse team remained competitive in the NESCAC, Div. III’s toughest conference, despite the program’s relatively young and inexperienced roster. The Jumbos posted at 9-7 record on the season, going 5-5 against NESCAC opponents to finish tied for sixth in the conference before falling to No. 2-seeded Middlebury 14-10 in the NESCAC quarterfinals. “[The season] really went by quickly,” graduating senior tri-captain Caroline Ross said.

“We had so many games and there were really a lot of ups and downs all season. We had great moments and games that we wish went the other way. A lot of one goal games. It was a very emotional season, but it was a fun season.”

Scoring the first two goals against No. 6 Middlebury boded well for Tufts in its NESCAC quarterfinals. Tufts clung to a slight lead for most of the first 25 minutes, but Middlebury tied the game at 4-4 with just under four minutes remaining in the first half and pulled away to take a 7-4 lead at halftime.

Middlebury grew its lead in the second half, but Tufts never quit playing and whittled the score to a final 14-10.

The quarterfinals loss marked a step back from last season when the team was able to make the NESCAC semifinals. But for the firstyears on the team, their first NESCAC playoff game was a valuable learning experience.

“Our three captains had a huge job in taking on 13 freshmen and I don’t think it could have gone any better,” rising sophomore Dakota Adamec said. “They welcomed all of us with open arms.”

Coach Courtney Farrell front-loaded Tufts’ schedule with home games against opponents from outside the NESCAC to allow her 13 rising sophomores a few games to acclimate to the collegiate level of competition. In the first game of the season, Tufts dominated Castleton 23-5 with graduating senior tri-captains Brigid Bowser and Ross leading the way offensively as they would all season, with six and five goals, respectively.

“I think that exposure to those good teams really helped us later in the season with all the

NESCAC opponents,” Ross said.

Tufts then beat MIT 13-9 on Bello Field in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. But in Tufts’ first NESCAC meeting, Middlebury blindsided Tufts, opening up a six to zero lead in the game’s first 13 minutes.

Despite Ross’ five goals, Tufts was unable to regain ground and fell 17-9 — a rude welcome to the NESCAC for the team’s rookies.

Unable to rebound from its first loss of the season, Tufts fell 18-10 to Cortland State and then to Colby in a 13-8 loss, falling 0-2 against NESCAC opponents.

The team broke its slump in an 11-10 win over Stevenson before a matchup with Trinity at home on March 26. Coming into the game, the Jumbos were desperate to win in the NESCAC and hoped to avenge last year’s overtime loss to the Trinity Bantams in the NESCAC semifinals.

The game saw numerous lead changes, but Ross scored to put the Jumbos up 10-9 with just 13 seconds remaining. She earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career for her late-game heroics and a two goal, four assist performance.

Unable to build momentum three days after defeating the Williams Ephs, the Jumbos fell 13-12 to the Hamilton Continentals, then suffered another one-point heartbreak against Amherst on April 16, losing 7-6. The Jumbos led in both games at halftime but gave up strong second-half runs to their opponents.

With a 2-5 record against NESCAC opponents, Tufts needed to win two of its three remaining games in order to advance to the playoffs. Tufts’ last home game of the season saw them eking out a tough 6-5 win over Bates, with the go-ahead goal from rising junior Caroline Nowak in the last 10 seconds.

In yet another tight contest, Tufts defeated Wesleyan 13-10. Adamec played the hero, scoring three of her five goals in the last five minutes of the second half to effectively end the game and earn NESCAC Player of the Week honors for the first time.

“The team definitely learned from the one-point battles that every NESCAC game is going to be difficult and that we always have to push it during the game, and we can’t leave see WOMEN'S LACROSSE, page 53

Men’s lacrosse back in familiar territory deep in NCAA tournament

by Maddie Payne

Assistant Sports Editor

Tufts men’s lacrosse was a formidable force heading into this season, riding six consecutive NESCAC titles and back-to-back NCAA Div. III titles while searching for still more accolades. Before the season even began, graduating senior co-captain John Uppgren and classmate Conor Helfrich became the first Jumbos to be selected in the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft in Tufts history. Their 15-man graduating senior class, one of the strongest the program has ever seen, led the team to at least a 17-2 record throughout the regular and post season, with the Jumbos still competing in the NCAA tournament at press time.

The Jumbos have achieved the same record as the past two seasons, with only two regular season losses. They started off the season with four wins, beating Stevens Institute, Keene St., Middlebury and Colby.

The graduating senior class — Ben Andreycak, Garrett Clarke, Kyle HowardJohnson, Jake Gillespie, Conor Bilby and Uppgren — made big contributions to the scoresheet. Although this will mean that an entire attack starting lineup will have graduated at the end of the season, rising seniors Zach Richman and Austin Carbone will have to grow to anchor the attack next year.

At the faceoff position, Helfrich shone. He has won 299 of 470 faceoffs, earning a record of 0.61, and putting him in the number one spot for most faceoffs won in the NESCAC. Rising senior Tucker Mathers also performed well at the faceoff position, winning 43 of 73 giving him a 0.58 win rate.

In the defense, only graduating senior Blake Wood returned to his starting role, with classmates Jon Sax and AJ Enchill and rising junior Tyler Olney called up to start.

Other defensemen like rising junior Connor Lansdale and rising seniors Tyler Carbone and Mathers will look to make their mark next season.

The beginning of the season saw the Jumbos either go down early to their opponents, or nearly give up a lead that they had developed early on. Therefore, the second half of the season was very focused on orchestrating the “complete game” that pushed for a full 60 minutes of spotless game play. This was carried out successfully against Conn. College, Williams, Hamilton and Amherst in the regular season, and against Conn. College and Williams again and Middlebury in the post season that culminated in the team being crowned NESCAC Champions for the seventh time.

After the weekend’s games, AJ Enchill was named NESCAC Player of the Week for his stellar defensive performance.

“We are getting closer to playing our best lacrosse as a team,” Uppgren said. “Every game this season has been really tough. We had a huge target on our backs going into the season; every team tried to play their best game against us, and we needed to expect that. It took us a little bit to find our team chemistry and have all three phases all playing well and playing the same game. But we’re peaking right now and heading in the right direction, and I’m just excited for the next couple of weeks.”

One highlight of the season came in the NESCAC semi-final against Williams on May 7, where Richman tied the record for most goals in a game, netting eight. His signature move of receiving in front of the goal, turning and shooting was unstoppable, with all eight shots ending up in the net.

Other highlights of the season included Uppgren surpassing DJ Hessler’s (LA ’14) point record, being named NESCAC Player of the Year and being named to the NESCAC All-Conference first team alongside Andreycak and Gillespie. Wood was named to the AllConference second team. Gillespie had a standout season, going from not starting a single game last season to becoming the conference’s second highest scorer, only one behind Uppgren. On May 10, Gillespie was also named as the New England Div. III Player of the Year.

“A lot of our success can be attributed to our seniors,” Richman said. “They all have been great leaders on and off the field, and they bring the energy that we need every day. I can’t say enough about this senior class and everything they’ve done for our program this year.”

Needless to say, the senior class will be sorely missed.

The Jumbos faced the Emmanuel College Saints in the first round of the NCAA tournament on May 11. Coach Mike Daly confidently put out a starting lineup that included only three regular starters, giving almost the entire bench playing time. Even so, the Jumbos, in a different class from the Saints, easily dominated en route to their 25-5 win. The game saw rising sophomore Ben Connelly score his first collegiate goal, and classmate Danny Murphy net his second and third of his career.

On May 14, the Jumbos dominated the Cortland St. Blazes in a 16-9 victory. The highlight of the game came when the Jumbos successfully defended a Cortland three-man advantage, with only three Jumbos forced to defend six attackers. The Jumbos even turned the tables to score on a fast break seconds after the penalty was over.

Tufts will face Ithaca College in the quarter-finals of the NCAA tournament on May 18.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sunday, May 22, 2016

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