The Tufts Daily

11/22/2024

SPORTS | Last week, after winning the NESCAC field hockey tournament, Tufts hosted the first three rounds of the Division III field hockey tournament.
“We had made it a goal to host the sweet sixteen and elite 8 so the players were really excited to play on our home field,” Head Coach Tina Mattera wrote in an email to the Daily.

The Jumbos, ranked at No. 3, automatically made it to the second round of the tournament, where they faced Rowan University on Nov. 16. Coach Mattera wrote that the team used their week off to rest, saying, “We took time to focus on more tactics instead of working out hard. We also watched film and worked on corners so that we were ready for both teams over the weekend.”

Leanna DeSousa writes.

Last week, after winning the NESCAC field hockey tournament, Tufts hosted the first three rounds of the Division III field hockey tournament.“We had made it a goal to host the sweet sixteen and elite 8 so the players were really excited to play on our home field,” Head Coach Tina Mattera&nb...

11/22/2024

GUEST OPINION | In response to recent news attention to the Tufts University Department of Political Science and in order to clear up any confusion, the faculty in this department unanimously issues the following statement:

The Tufts University Department of Political Science writes.

The independent student newspaper of Tufts University

11/22/2024

ARTS | In the roughly 150 years since the medium of the moving image was first put on screen, plenty of filmmakers have dealt with infamously difficult circumstances to execute their visions. Many of cinema’s most revered projects were, in fact, well-documented production disasters — consider the treacherous conditions of “Apocalypse Now” or the ballooning budget of “Jaws.” Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a film created with more at stake for its cast and crew than Iranian director Mohamed Rasoulof’s newest work, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”

Noah Goldstein writes.

In the roughly 150 years since the medium of the moving image was first put on screen, plenty of filmmakers have dealt with infamously difficult circumstances to execute their visions. Many of cinema’s most revered projects were, in fact, well-documented production disasters — con...

11/22/2024

NEWS | Sophomore and Tufts Community Union Senator Michael Glueck, along with other senators, has successfully pushed for periodic free weight deep cleans and the posting of additional hygiene signage in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center after many students raised concerns about the cleanliness of the equipment.
“The odor [from the weights] was pretty terrible — you could smell it from a mile away,” Glueck said. “I go to the gym actively, and I was hearing a lot from fellow students … that people were like, ‘Dang, these weights stink.’”

Alexandra Tse writes.

Sophomore and Tufts Community Union Senator Michael Glueck, along with other senators, has successfully pushed for periodic free weight deep cleans and the posting of additional hygiene signage in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center after many students raised concerns about the cleanlines...

11/21/2024

SPORTS | Head coach Kyle Dezotell called it the best season he ever had. The record will say 12-0-6, an undefeated season.

But after 110 minutes of enthralling play on the frigid terrain of Bello Field Sunday night, the number in the heads of the 2024 men's soccer team will be 4-3. That was the score by which they lost the penalty shootout to the Buffalo State University Bengals, ending their NCAA campaign two weeks after their NESCAC title hopes were ended the same way by the Bowdoin College Polar Bears.

Before the Jumbos advanced to Sunday's second round matchup, they defeated the Westfield State University Owls in the round of 64, a game which posed an unexpected challenge. Before the NCAA tournament, the Jumbos were ranked No.
2 in the country according to the NCAA's Power Index, while the Owls were ranked
No. 237.

Riley Daniel writes.

Head coach Kyle Dezotell called it the best season he ever had. The record will say 12–0–6, an undefeated season. But after 110 minutes of enthralling play on the frigid terrain of Bello Field Sunday night, the number in the heads of the 2024 men’s soccer team will be 4–3. That was the score...

11/21/2024

OPINION | I vividly remember last semester's protests. I remember the encampment first appearing on the Academic Quad in early April just as I remember the messy aftermath of the Tufts Community Union Senate resolution votes. But most of all, I remember the chill in the air that came after Tufts' administration first threatened to send in police to arrest the protestors - that icy April night on the eve of finals, being filled in my bones with the fear that many of my classmates would be leaving our campus in the back of cop cars.

Liam Chalfonte writes.

I vividly remember last semester’s protests. I remember the encampment first appearing on the Academic Quad in early April, I remember the messy aftermath of the TCU Senate resolution votes. But most of all, I remember the chill in the air that came after Tufts’ administration first threatened t...

11/21/2024

ARTS | The Riff-Off returned for a sequel this past Friday as Tufts' a ca****la groups once again vied for the top spot at the musical competition. This is the second Riff-Off that the Tufts University Student Collective has organized, with the first taking place in late November of last year at Breed Memorial Hall. This year, the event was held in Cohen Auditorium at the Aidekman Arts Center, with 10 on-campus a ca****la groups taking the stage: Full Sound, Jackson Jills, Beelzebubs, -Factor, Amalgamates, sQ!, Shir Appeal, Low-Keys, Ladies of Essence and Enchanted.

As with the customary Pitch Perfect-style Riff-Off format, the event was divided into several rounds in which the event's presenters would provide a series of randomly selected themes. The groups would then perform songs relevant to that theme.
For the first prompt, "One-Hit Wonders, Tufts' Full Sound - an a ca****la group specializing in Asian music - rushed onstage to perform Psy's viral K-pop hit
"Gangnam Style, a performance that was met with warm laughter and applause.
The Beelzebubs - the all-male a ca****la group who famously served as inspiration for Pitch Perfect's Treblemakers - followed closely behind in their signature red and black with We the King's "Check Yes, Juliet." The prompt closed with a performance from the Jackson Jills, Tufts' oldest all-femme a ca****la group, who stepped forward to perform Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."

Erin Zhu writes.

The Riff-Off returned for a sequel this past Friday as Tufts’ a ca****la groups once again vied for the top spot at the musical competition.

11/21/2024

FEATURES | This year's election granted Republicans leadership over the presidency and both chambers of Congress. However, a majority of Tufts students reside in blue states, where most residents voted for candidates from the Democratic Party. Students from red states, who will experience more policy changes amid a Republican sweep of the federal government, hold a smaller space on campus. Three Tufts students from different red states - Ashton Dudley, Alice Estrada and Clare Eddy - discussed their post-election reflections, their varying conservative cultures and how their home states affect their place in the Tufts community.

All three students expressed that their left-leaning views led to negative emotions in the wake of national elections.

"I was less sad and more just a little angry," Dudley, a senior from outside of Birmingham, Ala. said. "I'm kind of fearful of what's going to happen to people at home." Eddy, a sophomore from Jackson Hole, Wyo., agreed and added that she did not find the Republican victory unexpected.

Dylan Fee writes.

This year’s election granted Republicans leadership over the presidency and both chambers of Congress. However, a majority of Tufts students reside in blue states, where the majority of residents voted for candidates from the Democratic party. Students from red states, who will experience mor...

11/21/2024

NEWS | Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine announced its "formal break and disaffiliation from Tufts University" on Nov. 15, following the university's decision to officially suspend Tufts SJP through Jan. 2027.

In an Instagram post, Tufts SJP announced the suspension and reiterated its ongoing demands that Tufts disclose its investments in Israel, fully divest from Israeli companies and sever all "academic and research ties" with Israel. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed throughout Israel's war in Gaza, which began over a year ago when Hamas invaded Israel and took over 200 hostages. "As the zionist genocide of Palestine and Lebanon has escalated over the past year, tufts in turn has sought to repress our solidarity movement. The administration has threatened to suspend individual students over Instagram posts and vigils in an attempt to fracture the strength of our movement, Tufts SJP wrote in the post. "Whether or not SJP exists on campus, the student movement at tufts will never rest until tufts divests and cuts all institutional ties with the genocidal zionist project."

Estelle Anderson writes.

Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine announced its “formal break and disaffiliation from Tufts University” on Nov. 15, following the university’s decision to officially suspend Tufts SJP through Jan. 2027.

11/20/2024

SPORTS | Tufts women’s soccer traveled to William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y. last weekend to compete in the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament. In last year’s tournament, Tufts made it to the quarterfinals. On Saturday, they played Rowan University, who had a 13–2–2 record going into the game, in the first round of the tournament. Tufts’ record stood at 13–3–1 prior to the game.

Eliza Warren writes.

Tufts women’s soccer traveled to William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y. last weekend to compete in the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament. In last year’s tournament, Tufts made it to the quarterfinals. On Saturday, they played Rowan University, who had a 13–2–2 record going in...

11/20/2024

ARTS | The current exhibit spotlighting Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore at the Museum of Fine Arts is wonderful in many ways. Among other things, it offers a variety of works by these two artists; it displays models of the artists’ studios, which provide a window into their creative process, and it meditates in a particularly delightful way on how both artists use negative space. But it is at its most brilliant when it grapples with the question of what it means to depict reality. This aspect of the exhibit has so much depth that it demands the attention of the rest of this review. Regrettably, this means leaving out many other excellent elements of that exhibit. Readers should go and think about these elements themselves.

Teddy Schoneman writes.

The current exhibit spotlighting Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore at the Museum of Fine Arts is wonderful in many ways. Among other things, it offers a variety of works by these two artists; it displays models of the artists’ studios, which provide a window into their creative process, and it me...

11/20/2024

NEWS | Leaders of Tufts’ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement presented preliminary findings about the 2024 youth vote during a media briefing just two days after the Nov. 5 election. In line with national trends, the researchers found evidence of a rightward shift among voters ages 18 to 29, with particular declines in Democratic support among young white men and young Latine voters.

Founded in 2001, CIRCLE is a nonprofit research organization that focuses on youth civic engagement across the United States.

Estelle Anderson writes.

Leaders of Tufts’ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement presented preliminary findings about the 2024 youth vote during a media briefing just two days after the Nov. 5 election. In line with national trends, the researchers found evidence of a rightward shi...

11/19/2024

FEATURES | Porter Square is sometimes overshadowed by its neighbors Davis and Harvard Square, but it has a lot to offer. While many Tufts students may initially visit for practical reasons, such as a trip to Target or Star Market, the area is well worth exploring. Just over a mile from the Tufts campus and accessible via the Red Line, the 96 bus or even on foot, Porter Square is a vibrant and unique area that Tufts students should take the time to discover.

Sarah Firth writes. Link in bio for more.

11/19/2024

SPORTS | The bull always wins the ride. It’s quite difficult to stay atop the bucking mammal, so in the sport of bull riding, all the judges ask is for participants to remain on the animal for at least eight seconds. Even eight seconds, however, is often too steep a task, and riders are typically thrown onto the dirt floor of the arena before the required time expires. Even after the rider has been jettisoned from the bull, the rodeo doesn’t end. The rider still has to scamper to a safe location, whether inside the arena or out of it, while the rodeo clowns try to divert the bull’s attention and attempt to calm the raging bull.

Bull riding is perhaps one of the most dangerous sports ever invented. The idea that a man can ride a behemoth 10 times his weight does not seem to be an idea that resonates closely with safety. Even the safety equipment that is given to the riders seems largely inconsequential. Helmets are frequently ripped off heads (if riders even choose to wear them), riders get their hand stuck inside their bull ropes while the bulls continue their thrashing and the rodeo clowns seem to be unable to help the disoriented and hurt riders.

Max Sharf writes.
Graphic by Jaylin Cho.

The bull always wins the ride. It’s quite difficult to stay atop the bucking mammal, so in the sport of bull riding, all the judges ask is for participants to remain on the animal for at least eight seconds. Even eight seconds, however, is often too steep a task, and riders are typically...

11/19/2024

EDITORIAL | Since Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, the Democratic Party has searched for answers to explain Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat, pointing to the Democrats’ weak economic agenda, Harris’ failure to address voters’ concerns in the Middle East and Biden’s initial reluctance to leave the race. On Nov. 7, The New York Times published an article analyzing the Democrats’ defeat, in which Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts’ 6th congressional district, criticized the party’s stance on transgender rights.

Moulton told the Times, “I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.” Although he has faced backlash for his comments since the article’s publication, Moulton has only doubled down on his embrace of openly hateful, transphobic language. The congressman has embarked on an extensive press run of self-victimization, claiming that the backlash to his comments is the result of the Democratic Party’s inability to “have discussions about contentious issues that resonate with a lot of voters.”

The Editorial Board writes.

Since Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election, the Democratic Party has searched for answers to explain Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat, pointing to the Democrats’ weak economic agenda, Harris’ failure to address voters’ concerns in the Middle East and Biden’s initial re...

11/19/2024

FEATURES | Porter Square is sometimes overshadowed by its neighbors Davis and Harvard Square, but it has a lot to offer. While many Tufts students may initially visit for practical reasons, such as a trip to Target or Star Market, the area is well worth exploring. Just over a mile from the Tufts campus and accessible via the Red Line, the 96 bus or even on foot, Porter Square is a vibrant and unique area that Tufts students should take the time to discover.

Sarah Firth writes.

Porter Square is sometimes overshadowed by its neighbors Davis and Harvard Square, but it has a lot to offer. While many Tufts students may initially visit for practical reasons, such as a trip to Target or Star Market, the area is well worth exploring. Just over a mile from the Tufts camp...

11/19/2024

NEWS | The Somerville Public Health and Public Safety Committee discussed their ongoing efforts to address homelessness in Somerville in a meeting on Nov. 12.

Jeffrey DiGregorio, Somerville police department captain, shared the department’s initiatives to increase police presence.
“Beginning in August 2024 in partnership with Mayor Ballantyne and the administration, we instituted 24 hour [per] day, direct patrols in Davis Square, with emphasis on Seven Hills and Statue Park. As of [Nov. 7], several police officers have conducted 997 directed patrols.”

DiGregorio informed the council that 21 arrests have been made in Davis Square since August, including arrests for narcotic distribution and violent crime.
“In the last four weeks, we’ve actually seen a decrease in calls from the same period last year, so it is working,” DiGregorio said.

Anika Parr writes.

The Somerville Public Health and Public Safety Committee discussed their ongoing efforts to address homelessness in Somerville in a meeting on Nov. 12.

11/18/2024

OP-ED | The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President announced in an email to students on Friday afternoon that Tufts is exploring the option of a university-wide “Statement of Neutrality,” in which the university will attempt to distance itself from “taking positions on geopolitical or social matters.” Such an action would reflect poorly on the university, its administration, its alumni and the students. It demonstrates the worst tendencies of current-day institutions and should be opposed and scrapped for the following reasons.

Antero Mejr writes.

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President announced in an email to students on Friday afternoon that Tufts is exploring the option of a university-wide “Statement of Neutrality,” in which the university will attempt to distance itself from “taking positions on geopolitical or social ...