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Investments, legal agreements at stake due to possible Green Line Extension cuts, cancellation see FEATURES / PAGE 7

In photos: Winter Storm Jonas comes to Tufts

David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ an impressive, enigmatic goodbye to fans and musical world see ARTS AND LIVING / PAGE 10

see FEATURE S / Page 8

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXI, NUMBER 2

Monday, January 25, 2016

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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Former SigEp brothers establish Pi Rho Omega as independent fraternity by Arin Kerstein

Executive News Editor

The brothers of the former Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) chapter announced last Thursday the establishment of Pi Rho Omega (Pi Rho), the local and independent fraternity the brothers are transitioning to. According to Pi Rho Spokesperson Ben Kaplan, the brothers voted on the new name on Dec. 11 after formally disaffiliating from the national SigEp organization on Nov. 15. He said they waited until the start of the semester to make information about the new name public so the announcement would correspond with the start of classes. Kaplan, a junior, explained in an email to the Daily that all brothers were invited to

cess of restructuring, Kaplan explained. Since the formal disaffiliation in the fall, the fraternity has undergone a period of self-reflection and rebuilding, he said. “We felt that the structure and the dynamic provided for us by a previous affiliation was not best serving our own needs and the needs of Tufts,” he said. “What this whole process has really been about is just kind of bringing things in line with what we’re about and what Tufts is about… As an independent fraternity, we have more [discretion] to choose the broad path that our fraternity takes on campus and the values that we embrace.” Kaplan explained that the fraternity aims to restructure by realigning itself with a set of core principles the brothers identified in the reflection process.

Evan Sayles / Tufts Daily

The final executive board of Sigma Phi Epsilon (from left: Yotam Bentov A17, Adrian Chu E16, Jacob Lebovic A18, Andre Chuong A18, Herluf Gyde Lund III E16, Shawn Patterson A17, Benjamin Kaplan A17, Matthew Masi-Phelps E17, Arman Smigielski A18 and Samuel Berzok A16) pose in front of their house at 92 Professors Row on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, days before announcing their intention to disaffiliate from their national organization. submit new potential names for the fraternity and the group quickly formed a consensus around the name Pi Rho Omega. The selection of a new name is just one step in the fraternity’s larger pro-

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“After our decision to disaffiliate, we immediately formed a number of internal committees to kind of go over the structure, the values, the principles and the practices of our fraternity,” Kaplan

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said. “Each of these different groups of people all kind of formed a part of what is now Pi Rho Omega.” Kaplan explained that the group hopes to align itself with values such as inclusivity and diversity. These core values serve as the roots of the newly established fraternity, according to Pi Rho President Matt Masi-Phelps. “Our brotherhood is founded on a diverse membership and the principles of Ambition, Integrity and Resilience,” Masi-Phelps, a junior, wrote in a letter posted on the fraternity’s website. Kaplan said financial inclusivity is a main priority for the fraternity moving forward. By disaffiliating, the group is no longer bound to national dues, which had previously proven as an obstacle for some brothers, he said. “By becoming an independent organization, we have been able to significantly lower our dues and become much more flexible with financial aid,” he said. “In terms of financial inclusivity and the ability to accept all members, regardless of their financial situation, we’ve been successful in that.” According to Kaplan, the next steps in Pi Rho’s restructuring phase will center on its first recruitment phase this week. “We’re approaching this upcoming rush week with a degree of intentionality that says ‘we want to build as diverse of a new member class as possible,’” he said. “What’s most important is that we’re really looking at rush and our recruitment as an opportunity to build a strong and inclusive new member class that will allow us to continue to play this positive role on campus.” While an all-gender membership policy was up for consideration in the rebuilding process, Kaplan said there are no immediate plans to make this change. “Right now, we’re just focused on reintroducing ourselves to the Tufts community,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I can say that as an independent organization, we have quite a bit more leeway to decide the long term trajectory of our fraternity. I don’t think it will ever be something that we’ll take off the table.” Kaplan said that despite these overarching changes, there will not be a significant difference in the fraternity’s day-to-day behavior. He added that fra-

Tufts Alumni hosts first-ever Global Reach symposium in Hong Kong by Vibhav Prakasam Assistant News Editor

Tufts Alumni hosted the first-ever Global Reach event for alumni, a symposium in Hong Kong, featuring programs led by University President Anthony Monaco, Provost David Harris and the International Board of Advisors from Jan. 15 to Jan. 17. Students studying abroad in Hong Kong and several alumni attended the event to learn about the progress of the university and to build connections with other attendees. The symposium, titled “Tufts Global Reach: Hong Kong”, began on a Friday evening with a cocktail reception and dinner at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, where Monaco made opening remarks about innovation in higher education. “Our university’s motto is Pax et Lux—Peace and Light,” Monaco said. “When I reflect on that motto, I think of light as a metaphor for education, and more broadly, the search for knowledge … These are how we, as an institution, through our teaching and research mission, make the world a better place.” According to Ming Zhong, director of Asia Relations and Development, the symposium’s programming continued on Jan. 16 with events such as a session on international finance, a panel on entrepreneurship and innovation in China and a conversation surrounding university leadership. Speeches were also made throughout the day by Harris, Dean of Engineering Jianmin Qu and various alumni. In the afternoon, Monaco and Harris met with Peter Mathieson, vice chancellor and president of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and Dong Qi, president of Beijing Normal University (BNU), as part of a University Presidents Forum. Both HKU and BNU are highly-ranked within China and have exchange programs with Tufts, Zhong said. The Jan. 16 events concluded with a casual dinner, serving as a networking and community-building opportunity, according to Zhong.

see PI RHO, page 2

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Newly established local fraternity focuses on reflecting, restructuring PI RHO

continued from page 1 ternity’s code of conduct policies have remained very similar to their previous policies, but he declined to comment on specific bylaw changes that may have resulted from the restructuring process. There will be no differences in how the fraternity interacts with the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the InterGreek Council (IGC) and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, which have all supported Pi Rho throughout its transitional period, Kaplan said. According to a Nov. 18 2015 article in the Daily, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Su McGlone expressed the university’s approval for the decision of the brothers to disaffiliate from the SigEp national fraternity. “The university fully supports their decision and looks forward to working with them in their efforts as a local organization,” she told the Daily in an email.

According to IFC President Robert Jacobson, the IFC is fully supportive of Pi Rho’s decision to choose their new fraternity letters. He said that while the IFC had no role in the fraternity’s restructuring process, the council is excited to work with the newly established Pi Rho. “I think that the students that make up these organizations are very thoughtful and able to reflect on the values that they want to represent and that are actually reflective of who they are as individuals,” Jacobson, a senior, said. “When an organization is able to do that reflection and realize that the values of their national organization no longer align with what they want to present to the Tufts community, then it’s important that they are able to take a step away and create something that is actually in their own image.” Jacobson said that the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life’s responsive-

ness to the unique needs of members of Greek life at Tufts has been central to Pi Rho’s restructuring process. He added that he believes that the office prioritizes Tufts students before the national fraternity organizations, which he said is crucial to a healthy Greek community at Tufts. Jacobson explained that the actions of the brothers of Pi Rho and Pi Delta, the local fraternity that disaffiliated from national fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPI) last year, demonstrate the self-reflective nature of the overall Greek community. “What we’re seeing with these two houses is a reflection of the students that are part of the Greek life as a whole,” he said. “In the Greek community, you’ll find very thoughtful and aware students of what they want to project to the greater Tufts community, the values that they want to represent and be a part of, and continue to pass on through their organization.”

University leadership travels to Hong Kong for alumni event HONG KONG

continued from page 1 The symposium concluded on Jan. 17 with an excursion to a nearby island, where attendees hiked and had lunch in a local fishing village, she said. Zhong said the goals of the symposium were to “provide content-rich, intellectually stimulating, fun Tufts community-building experiences” and to “build specific awareness of Tufts’ outstanding strengths in scholarship, teaching, global presence and community outreach.” A significant part of the symposium consisted of speakers giving updates on university news, networking opportunities and the administration to students studying abroad in Hong Kong and Fletcher students conducting research in Asia, she explained. “Networking is always a major goal,” Zhong said. “Juniors and seniors need to get to know as many alumni as possible…even younger alumni who are looking for more connections have an opportunity.” According to Jonathan Kaplan, senior director of Alumni Relations, Hong Kong was chosen as the location for this first Global Reach event because of the large presence of alumni in the area. Kaplan said that there are over 300 alumni in Hong Kong, roughly 400 in mainland China and approximately 2,000 in areas such as Japan, Thailand, India and etc. The idea for the alumni programming stemmed from the fact that most alumni from China are not easily able to visit Tufts after they graduate, Zhong said. “We wanted to bring Tufts to their doorstep,” she said. “These sorts of events are common on campus and closer to home, but for faraway communities, it is important [for the university] to have a strong presence.” According to Zhong, planning for the event began roughly 18 months ago. Both Zhong and Kaplan collaborated with local alumni in the United States, alumni in Hong Kong and individuals on committees such as the Hong Kong Host Committee, a division of the Tufts Alumni International chapter in Hong Kong. Tufts Alumni is planning on hosting a similar Global Reach event in London from Apr. 29 to May 1, according to

Vikki Garth and Ivy Vo, co-chairs of the Tufts Alumni International Committee. Monaco said the symposium provided an opportunity to engage with members of the Tufts community who are normally harder to reach. “Tufts Global Reach enables us to engage with alumni and friends who would find it difficult to come back to Tufts but are eager to talk with us about what is going on at Tufts and

share their ideas and experiences,” Monaco told the Daily in an email via Kim Thurler, executive director of public relations. “It is always exhilarating for me to meet with members of Tufts’ extended family. It was particularly rewarding to speak with current Jumbos studying abroad through Tufts in Hong Kong as well as with alumni, parents and other friends.”

Courtesy of Gina Regonini

Hong Kong on Jan. 17, 2016 during a Tufts Global Reach trip sponsored by Tufts Alumni International.

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Forbes recognizes senior in annual ‘30 Under 30’ list by Juliana Furgala Contributing Writer

Senior Sharad Sagar was featured in the annual Forbes “30 Under 30” list for the second year in a row, for his work as CEO and founder of the nonprofit organization Dexterity Global. Sagar’s efforts to promote education among children and teenagers in South Asia landed him on the list for notable social entrepreneurs under the age of 30. The 24-year-old was selected for the 2016 list, released on Jan. 4, from a pool of over 15,000 nominations worldwide, according to a press release by Dexterity Global. The list was later confirmed by a panel of judges that included actress Sarah Jessica Parker, former Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, business executive Laurene Powell Jobs and the founders of AOL. According to the press release, previous Forbes “30 Under 30” lists have also honored prominent individuals such as Malala Yousafzai and Mark Zuckerberg. Sagar said he built Dexterity Global to address inadequate education, particularly in rural parts of South Asia, where access to the internet and online resources can be sparse and education is not as standardized. The organization seeks to fill gaps in education and to promote a positive set of ideals, including public speaking, leadership skills and critical thinking, he said. Sagar first started Dexterity Global at the age of 16 in order to create a way for students to connect to resources such as scholarships and competitions. “There needed to be a system so that kids did not have to miss out on opportunities because they did not know about them,” Sagar said. He explained that after founding Dexterity, he expanded his focus to working with middle school students on building skills throughout their education all the way to college. Trustee Emeritus of Tufts Bruce Male, who serves on the Dexterity Global Board of Directors, said that the organization’s mission is to democratize education for “students who without the opportunities that the Dexterity Global platforms offer, would not perhaps have the hope and incentives to achieve their potential in life.” Dexterity Global currently serves over 1.2 million students every year through four separate platforms, each of which focuses on a different area of educational development. The platforms all involve an extensive program that provides resources for students to achieve their potential, Sagar said. The nonprofit began with a single platform, DexChallenges, which helps students prepare for educational opportunities by training them to “build their critical thinking skills, their communication skills and their leadership skills through a set of creative challenges…and project-based learning.” These connections may be both “scholastic and co-curricular,” Sagar said. A second Dexterity platform is DexConnect, which aims to serve as the bond between students and these opportunities, according to Sagar. The third platform Sagar designed is known as DexSchool, or the Dexterity School of Leadership and Entrepreneurship, which Sagar described as “Harvard Business School for a 14-yearold.” He explained that DexSchool has a curriculum that involves analyzing

speeches of well-known individuals and interactions with volunteer mentors from various corporate and social backgrounds. Most recently, the organization has developed the Dexterity to College (D2C) platform, which helps teenagers with transition to college, Sagar said. Sagar explained that the platforms have proven their effectiveness by producing graduates who go on to work on the United Nation’s Children and Youth Board and become ambassadors to the United Nurses and Allied Professional’s (UNAP) children wing. Alex Knapp / Tufts Daily He added that one Senior Sharad Sagar recently made Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30’ list. DexSchool graduate was listed amongNewsweek’s “25 Sagar explained that the nonprofit Sagar explained that he has utilized Under 25″ most promising young women in Tufts resources throughout the years to hopes to revolutionize three fields over the world. win scholarships that helped him extend the next few decades: education, healthThe nonprofit’s Chief Operations the reach of his company and efforts in the care and microfinance. He hopes that his Officer Swaraj Priyadarshi is a self-de- area of education. In 2013, Sagar was the enterprise can continue to grow and proclared “proud Dexterity [alumnus]” and only first-year student to have ever won the vide the resources to help children reach was heavily impacted by Dexterity Global Tufts $100K New Ventures Competition at its full potential as students. as a student. “My end goal is very micro,” Sagar that time. The following year, he was a win“I fortunately won at one of Dexterity ner of the Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize. said. “I want to make sure my organizaGlobal’s talent identification platforms, Looking ahead, Sagar said he is confident tion comes in the moment [children]…are and this brought me close to an amazing that Dexterity Global will continue to thrive. born in that family … We want to make team of exceptionally successful and inspi“I completely believe that if you are cre- sure that child sees his fifth birthday and rational entrepreneurs, mentors and board ating value, someone will pay for it,” he said. many more after that.” members,” he told the Daily in an email. Priyadarshi said he was only 13 when he was brought in by Dexterity as a camMINI-COURSES SPRING 2016 paign manager. “It was an exciting time,” he said. “The Registration: https://secure.touchnet.net/C21525_ustores/web/index.jsp learning curve was unimaginable… From Register by February 5th for 10 weeks. Classes Begin Week of February 9th being a student who lacked a support system to being able to create opportunities for millions of students now, the journey YOGALATES Monday 6-7pm KRAV MAGA SELF-DEFENSE Thursday 5-6pm has simply been fabulous.” Instructor: Sharon Graves Instructor: Yankel Polack Male said the incredible talents of Location: Jackson Gym Location: Jackson Gym Dexterity Global’s team have propelled Fee: $60 Fee: $60 the company to succeed as a movement. Pilates infused with yoga poses. All levels. Self defense class for all levels. “A key to entrepreneurship is to see a CARDIO CORE Wednesday 6-7pm STRONGWOMAN Tues & Thurs 5:15-6:15pm need and then fulfill it,” he said. “To do Instructor: Sharon Graves Instructor: Marten Vandervelde so takes creativity, innovation, teamwork, Location: Jackson Gym Location: Chase Gym incredible drive and most importantly, Fee: $60 Fee: $110 ($60 for 1 class) passion … Sharad, Swaraj and their team Exercises with steps, weights, core balls, rings. Circuit exercises to help increase bone density. in India possess them and because of this Dexterity Global continues to grow, if not SPINNING Tuesday 12-1pm STAFF/FACULTY YOGA Wednesday 12-1pm thrive, along with its record of achieveInstructor: Amy Piantedosi Instructor: Pam Gaither ment and acknowledgement by socially Location: Tisch Multi-Puprose Room Location: Tisch Multi-Purpose Room aware organizations here in the U.S. and Fee: $60 Fee: $60 abroad.” Stationary bike with popular music and energy. Moderate poses for strength, relaxation & healing. Sagar added that one of his main goals SPINNING "EXPRESS" Wednesday 8:00-8:30am POWER YOGA Monday 12-1pm is to ensure that the company remains Instructor: Amy Piantedosi Instructor: Elliott McEldowney self-sufficient by maintaining sustainable Location: Tisch Multi-Purpose Room Location: Jackson Gym funding. To do so, Sagar has reached out Fee: $30 Fee: $60 to various businesses to acquire sponStationary bike with popular music and energy. Heat, breath, movement for energizing experience. sorships for different platforms. He said Dexterity appeals to businesses by demonSPINNING (Students Only) Wednesday 4:30-5:30pm POWER YOGA Tuesday 7:30-8:30am strating that sponsorships are excellent Instructor: Jennifer Gewant Instructor: Elliott McEldowney marketing opportunities to show young Location: Multi-Purpose Room Location: Tisch Multi Purpose Room people that the businesses support eduFee: $60 Fee: $60 cational growth. Stationary bike with popular music and energy. Heat, breath, movement for energizing experience. “We kept building on that and today SPINNING Friday 7:00-8:00 am FLOW YOGA Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm that model has evolved into a need-blind Instructor: Sara Folta Instructor: Pam Gaither financial aid policy in the organization,” Location: Tisch Multi-Puprose Room Location: Tisch Multi-Purpose Room he said. Fee: $60 Fee: $60 Sagar explained that for larger Dexterity Stationary bike with popular music and energy. Moderate poses for strength, relaxation & healing. programs that provide services for over 10,000 students, the educational opporZUMBA Monday 5:30-6:30pm POWER YOGA Wednesday 12-1pm tunities are fully funded and sponsored Instructor: Daniella DiDiego Instructor: Elliott McEldowney by larger corporations. The organization’s Location: Tisch Multi-Purpose Room Location: Jackson Gym smaller programs do have nominal fees Fee: $60 Fee: $60 for participation when participants can Exercise through dance with popular music. Heat, breath, movement for energizing experience. afford it, he said.

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GREEN LINE EXTENSION PROJECT

Overbudgeted Green Line Extension remains a vital project by Jake Taber

Features Editor

This article is the second of two parts. Ask any Boston resident to name a massively expensive transportation project, and they’ll probably tell you about the Big Dig. That project, known officially as the Central Artery/ Third Harbor Tunnel Project (CA/T), is ultimately costing the commonwealth $22 billion: costs ballooned to $15 billion as construction peaked and an additional $7 billion in interest payments won’t be paid off until 2038, according to a July 17, 2008 Boston. com story. Almost 10 years after the completion of the Big Dig construction in 2006, the long-awaited Green Line Extension project (GLX) is also massively over budget, with outright cancellation still on the table, a Jan. 11 Boston.com story said. Some blame the legacy of the Big Dig for the MBTA’s current budgetary woes, according to a Dec. 29, 2015 Boston Globe story. Christine Cousineau, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning, explained that the MBTA has been struggling to pay off accumulated debt for years. Some of this debt, which was the equivalent of the cost of various public transit-related developments that coincided with the Big

Dig, was transferred by the state to the MBTA from the Central Artery Project, she said. According to a statement from the Greater Boston Transportation Justice Coalition, the MBTA spends 30 percent of its annual operating expenses on debt, with some from the central artery and some from the agency’s capital plan, a Dec. 24, 2015 Boston Magazine article said. Cousineau said that the debt will make finding more funds for the costly GLX difficult. “The MBTA is saddled with the [debt]… [now] the project costs more than they had budgeted for, and so they have to find new money on top of all of it, so it’s a story of woes piling on top of each other,” she said.

Creeping costs Brad Rawson, director of transportation and infrastructure at the city of Somerville, said that some of the overrun could likely be attributed to “scope creep.” “We essentially, collectively – as a commonwealth, as a region, as stakeholders – inched our way towards a project that got beyond, I think, its core functionality,” he said. “As a result, we have, I think, the opportunity to trim pieces of it down.” According to Rawson, a planned maintenance facility for the extension’s light rail car fleet could be reduced in size.

He also points to some of the proposed stations’ futuristic designs as areas where costs could be reduced. “[The designs] are relatively elaborate, and clearly there are opportunities to slim them down,” he said. “Enclosed buildings might be nice to have, but if it’s a question between these more ornate station designs and something that just retains a core functionality… clearly collectively we’re going to chose the latter.” Rawson said that the nature of the GLX corridor has meant that the project was bound to be expensive relative to similar light rail projects in other American cities. One explanation is that Somerville is the most densely populated community in New England. “This is a really, really complex project. We are in a dense, old part of the country,” Rawson said. “When you say, cross the Cedar Street Bridge or the School Street Bridge… take a look at that rail corridor and imagine trying to get massive earthworks moving there, and then think about the time and cost of money if you can’t have your construction crews work for more than a couple hours because it’s so important to keep the Commuter Rail running.” Rawson pointed out that drainage improvements along the rail rights-ofway that the T has purchased will exceed $100 million by themselves.

“That’s not to say that the costs are acceptable; they’re not,” he said. “We have to get the costs down to restore public faith, to ensure that we are building the core function of the project.” For her part, Cousineau is not surprised that the project is over budget. She explained that the final costs of large transportation projects are difficult to predict and that first estimates are often incorrect. “You don’t know about the underground conditions of the soil; you don’t know what other projects are going to be committed along the way,” she said. “For instance, in the Big Dig, there were mitigation measures… projects negotiated with surrounding communities to offset the negative impacts. There are modifications that are brought about by the public review process, those extra design costs, when engineers have to go back to the drawing board and redo plans, that is very expensive.” A MBTA presentation from August 2015 also identifies market forces as potential cost drivers; estimates were made when costs in the post-recession American construction industry were much lower than they are today.

Best practices? Along with design overreach and forcsee GLX, page 8

CIRO DURAN VIA FLICKR

The Boston Green Line Hynes Convention Center stop.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Features | Monday, January 25, 2016

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F e at u r e s F e at u r e s

ALEX KNAPP / THE TUFTS DAILY OTHER TWO ON THE RIGHT: SOFIE HECHT / THE TUFTS DAILY

This past weekend, Massachusetts received its first major snowstorm, as Somerville experienced 4.2 inches of snow. While Tufts students celebrated their first weekend back on campus, families from the Somerville/Medford community enjoyed sledding and snowball fights on the President’s Lawn. Tufts Daily photographers Alex Knapp and Sofie Hecht ventured in the snow and captured these moments.

Green Line Extension changes may put Union Square station in jeopardy GLX

continued from page 7 es beyond the T’s control, many cite problems with the implementation of a controversial new contract procurement method as a significant contributor to the overrun. According to a Sept. 14, 2015 Boston Globe article, the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/ GC) procurement method, used by the MBTA to find the GLX contractor, split a major part of the project up into phases, selected a construction company and allowed them to submit bids for each phase independently. The T negotiated with the help of an outside company that provided its own estimates. Critics of CM/GC say it drives up costs by reducing competition, as more traditional methods take multiple bids from competing companies into consideration before making a selection. Rawson explained that the T and the Commonwealth initially went with CM/ GC because it was a speedier process that put the GLX in a stronger position to compete for its federal grant. “The State legislature endorsed it, took a special legislative action to design and administer [it] in a very public process about four years ago,” he said. “It served a purpose; the idea was that it would allow certain elements of the advanced engineering to proceed while certain elements of the early table-setting construction were happening, and so essentially it put Massachusetts on a path to competing for the Federal New Starts grant.” A study commissioned by MassDOT and the MBTA boiled CM/GC method’s

issues down to ineffective implementation. According to Rawson, the fact that CM/GC was untested in Massachusetts and that it was being used for the first time on a large and complicated process likely contributed to an atmosphere of disorder in which best practices went out the window. “The MBTA and MassDOT consultants that have been working for the last six…or eight weeks…have found that the procedure was not followed as intended,” he said. “Elements of protection were baked into the legislation that involved what is known as guaranteed maximum prices… and that those guaranteed maximum prices were essentially not treated that way.” That is to say, Rawson explained, that contractor White-Skanska-Kiewit’s supposed “guaranteed” price ceilings for phase bids were surpassed as they continued to submit change orders. “They were knowing very well that this was hugely favorable and there’s no resistance because everybody’s anxious to see this; [they] figured maybe there won’t be as much political attention.” Somerville Alderman-at-large Jack Connolly said. Four contractors, including WhiteSkanska-Kiewit, were dropped from the project last month, the Sept. 14, 2015 Globe story said. After that, the MassDOT and the MBTA resolved to move forward with a different procurement method.

Union Square In the aforementioned resolution, the twin boards overseeing the project made it clear that all options, including cancellation, will remain on the table until costs can be reduced.

Last week, MBTA Fiscal Control Board Chairman Joseph Aiello said that cutbacks will have to be “on the side of brutal,” as reported in a Jan. 21 Boston Globe article. Aside from cancellation, one of the more “brutal” steps being considered is the elimination of the planned station at Somerville’s Union Square, replacing the rail link with shuttle bus service, according to a Dec. 9 Boston Globe article. Somerville Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang said the step would be disastrous. “The release of a draft neighborhood plan and a fiscal impact analysis… shows that there will be tens of billions of dollars invested in Union Square over the next generation based on the T station being there,” he said. “If the T station isn’t there, then all the work that we’ve done, I think, will be for naught.” Somerville’s “Somerville by Design” draft plans for future buildup in Union Square say that planned development could bring over 10,000 jobs to that area alone. But that’s not the only reason why Rawson thinks the MBTA won’t cut Union; cutting the station could jeopardize the GLX’s billion-dollar federal grant. “The federal grant is a legal contract between the Federal government and the Commonwealth that says we will build the Green Line with a total of six stations,” he said. “The idea of substituting a different mode of transportation is problematic.” This problem is not just because of the federal contract, however, but also because of the Union Square stop’s role in fulfilling the terms of the air quality law-

suit that is the GLX’s mandate, he said. “There was tremendous opportunity for pent up demand of ridership in… Union Square,” Rawson said. “The numbers were run… [Union Square] was the air quality reduction item that pushed the Green Line into the place where it needed to be. Union Square literally is the difference between the Green Line achieving its emissions reductions and not.”

A necessary project Given the project’s potential value, locals are worried about the possibility of cancellation. The mobility benefits are unquestionable: ridership is expected to reach 49,000 daily trips, according to a Dec. 14, 2015 Streetsblog USA article. “There’s a reason that the Federal government chose to fund it,” Rawson said. “The project will deliver so many tangible benefits for mobility, for public health, for economic development, [for] job creation.” Christine Barber, 34th Middlesex District state representative, is willing to work through the hurdles to keep the project going. “We’ve been working hard to advocate and hold [the Baker administration’s] feet to the fire to continue working on it, even though there have been challenges in the last year especially,” she said. New budget estimates are expected this April, and a new financing plan this May, according to a Jan. 16 Boston Globe article. Until then, as Secretary of Transporation Stephanie Pollack said in a Dec. 9 Boston.com article, all options “will remain on the table.”

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ARTS&LIVING

Monday, January 25, 2016

ALBUM REVIEW

With ‘Blackstar,’ Bowie leaves a beautiful, haunting farewell by Cassidy Olsen

Assistant Arts Editor

Three days before his death on Jan. 11, David Bowie released “Blackstar” (2016), an experimental rock and jazz album produced by long-time collaborator Tony Visconti. Fans, critics and fellow musicians found the 25th studio album from the legendary English pop and rock star to be a welcome arrival, and many were eager to pore over the complex rhythms, instrumentation and lyrics of its seven tracks. What no one understood at the time was that “Blackstar” is so much more than just a rock album. It’s the work of a dying man channeling his energies, fears and talents into his art, crafting a “parting gift” for himself and the world. Because of our retrospective understanding, it’s challenging to treat each song like we would any other. But why should we? There is an intentional poignancy granted by hindsight to each bleat of a saxophone, each drumbeat, each word sung. Bowie, who kept his terminal cancer a secret from the public and most of his collaborators, was probably cognizant of the possibility that “Blackstar” would be his last work. The album is not above scrutiny, but this element of performance art tied to the music elevates it to a different level. Even without this elevation, which has given Bowie his first ever No. 1 album in the United States, “Blackstar” more than holds its own as a haunting, experimental work that melds hip-hop and jazz influences into rock songs about mortality, resurrection and self-reflection. The title track, a nearly 10-minute piece full of uneasy percussion and wandering jazz sax, is eerily prophetic. “Something happened on the day he died / Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside / Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried / I’m a blackstar,” Bowie croons at the first tempo change. With intense atmosphere and lyrics delving into the occult, the track clearly establishes the anxiety and tension that carries throughout the album. “’Tis A Pity She Was A Whore,” originally released in November as the B-side of “Sue (Or In Season of a Crime),” delves into themes of war and

showcases classic Bowie storytelling. Titled after a 17th century tragedy by John Ford, the track offers a refreshing shift in tempo and subject matter from the meandering “Blackstar.” “Sue” is actually a modern retelling of the play referenced in “’Tis A Pity She Was A Whore,” and was the lead single of the 2014 Bowie compilation album “Nothing Has Changed.” Originally penned for the eponymous off-Broadway show, “Lazarus” displays some of the most powerful vocals by Bowie on the album as he sings of his own mortality. Grizzly electric guitar and more complex work by saxophonist Danny McCaslin mesh with the underlying synths that have been prominent in Bowie’s work since his prolific Berlin period. The use of saxophone may also be self-reflective, as it was Bowie’s instrument of choice as a young boy learning to play music. The final three tracks of “Blackstar” offer both its lowest and highest points. “Girl Loves Me,” with its lyrical and stylistic influences from rappers like Young Thug and Kendrick Lamar, is an interesting if not wholly successful exploration of sexuality and anger. In an album about death and mourning, anger has its place, but lyrics mixing the fictional Nadsat language from “A Clockwork Orange” (1962) and Polari slang from gay clubs in seventies London make for a muddled, opaque message. Following “Girl Loves Me” are two songs so strong they will surely enter Bowie’s legacy of greats. On “Dollar Days,” the artist contemplates his career —both successes and regrets—while simultaneously looking forward into the unknowable future. “I Can’t Give Everything Away” is shiver-inducing. Bowie croons, “I know something is very wrong,” gliding over synth and melding with harmonica sampled from his 1977 album “Low.” Dealing with themes of self-preservation and letting go, the track is as much an end as it is a beginning. It’s beautiful, moving, classic Bowie. As a musician and as a fixture of popular culture, David Bowie has regularly been described as a chameleon because of his tendency to pick up, inhabit and drop personas and styles throughout his career. But what “Blackstar” makes clear is that, unlike a chameleon, Bowie

(NICOLAS KHAYAT VIA TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE)

David Bowie performs live on the Plaza at Rockefeller center as part of NBC’s Today show Toyota concert series on Thursday, Sep. 18, 2003. wasn’t hiding from anything with these styles. Each one was true to his sense of self, to his musical and cultural interests and to his vision of the future. “Blackstar” is a testament to his artistic honesty and vulnerability, making the themes of the album all the more beautiful and deeply challenging for listeners to come to terms with. To us, Bowie

seemed immortal: an alien rock god, a bluesy duke, a goblin king, a queer icon, an addict, an inspiration. But through it all, David Bowie was a human being who was afraid of death like everyone else. That fact is difficult and painful to accept, but it’s real. see , page 11

MOVIE REVIEW

David O’Russell’s ‘Joy’ Inspires Anything But by Jonah Allon

Assistant Arts Editor

The premise is daring: can the genesis of a mop that revolutionized the household cleaning industry and the story of the determined woman behind it make for a compelling drama? That is the gamble David O’Russell takes in “Joy” (2015), which premiered on Dec. 25, 2015. Starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, the famous inventor of the Miracle Mop, the film tracks her real-life rise from de facto family matriarch to successful entrepreneur. By the film’s end, we are expected to breathe a sigh of relief that Joy has traversed a rocky path to success, laden with jealous stepsisters, incompetent QVC

hawkers and greedy parts suppliers. But unlike Ms. Mangano’s improbable success, that sigh doesn’t feel wellearned. The greatest failure of “Joy” is that it can’t invest the viewer in any of its characters’ trajectories—even that of the headstrong woman at its center. The epic atmosphere O’Russell establishes from the outset with the voiceover of Joy’s grandmother (Diane Ladd) doesn’t help. We are introduced to a young Joy, whose dollhouse fantasies envision a picture of domestic happiness in which there’s no need for men and Joy’s left free to create. The morass Joy finds herself in nearly 20 years later—single mother raising three children, working at an airport, with a deadbeat ex-husband Tony (a

charming Edgar Ramirez) living in the basement, mother Terry (a heavily made-up Virginia Madsen) effectively immobilized by daytime soap operas (which become a murky metaphor for the film, abruptly dropped halfway through) and father Rudy (Robert DeNiro) moving back in, fresh off his second divorce—is a far cry from the boundless dreams she entertained growing up. Joy has become a blue-collar Cinderella. When her salvation does finally come, it is in the form of glass, but it’s no magically-conjured slipper. Rudy takes up with a new woman, a wealthy widow named Trudy (Isabella Rosselini). While aboard Trudy’s late husband’s yacht, Joy drops a bottle of red wine, spreading shards of glass and

splashes of wine across the deck. She gets down on her hands and knees to clean up the mess, lodging shards of glass in her hand whenever she wrings the mop. You can see the epiphany blooming in her head as she looks from the mop to her hands and from her hands to the deck. Thus, the Miracle Mop is born, and the plot set in motion. Or so we think. First, Joy has to haggle over some parts, deal with her jealous half-sister Peggy (Elisabeth Rohm), who sees the opportunities Joy has received as evidence of favoritism, and meet with QVC executive Neil Walker (an underutilized Bradley Cooper) to pitch her product. see JOY, page 11

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O'Russell's ‘Joy’ falls at hands of slow, chaotic plot JOY

continued from page 10 All of these challenges present interesting potential paths for the movie to go down—especially Joy’s relationship with Walker. Despite the transparently feminist tone of the film, the relationship might have benefited from a more traditional romantic storyline, even if that meant taking liberties with the actual story of Mangano’s life (though as a co-producer of the film, the real Mangano probably would have objected). The chemistry between Lawrence and Cooper is certainly there, but the plot remains maddeningly indecisive, packing each new development in like another shirt crammed into an

already-overstuffed carry-on. The film never seems to stop to take stock of its internal chaos. We’ve seen O’Russell pull off this brand of frenetic filmmaking in his previous two films, “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) and “American Hustle” (2013). Seeing it come apart here gives you a sense of how difficult it was to balance all of the elements in those films and somehow make them coherent. That’s not to say “Joy” is totally irredeemable; Lawrence once again showcases her considerable talents and O’Russell’s camera follows her lovingly, staying tight on her face while allowing her ample room to experiment. To call her his muse at this point would

be an understatement—she buoys this film while it sags. Thanks in large part to Lawrence’s charisma as a performer, the film does pick up by the third act, starting with a magnificent scene in which Joy, who insists on sporting her typical working mother outfit of a blouse and slacks, appears before the QVC cameras to tout her new product to the viewers at home. A bundle of nerves, she falters at first, then hits her stride, and after watching gleefully as the sales numbers climb on the digital monitor, she finishes with a bang. In some ways, this scene is representative of the whole movie. The only difference being that by the time O’Russell finally gets around to selling us his product, we’ve already tuned out.

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Jennifer Lawrence backstage at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016.

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

‘That Dragon, Cancer’ is heart wrenching and unconventional by John Gallagher

Executive Arts Editor

“Are video games art?” is a question that is being asked with increasing frequency as the medium matures. The debate surrounding the artistic merits of video games is not black and white, but unfortunately often degenerates into simple comparisons between unconventional indie games made by small developers, held up as paragons of video-games-as-art, and the greeddriven monotony of the “Call of Duty”

series (2003 – present), that are commonly derided as being hollow and without depth. If ever there was a title that goes some way towards settling this debate and answering the question of whether or not video games have the capacity to make their players feel, it is “That Dragon, Cancer” (2016). “That Dragon, Cancer” is the outgrowth of the grief of two parents, Ryan and Amy Green, who lost their fiveyear-old son Joel to cancer in 2014. The Greens sought to memorialize Joel through a video game that recounts

their experience raising Joel as he battled cancer. After a somewhat troubled development, including delays and an initially timed exclusivity deal with the ill-fated Ouya microconsole, “That Dragon, Cancer” released on Jan. 12 and took the shape of a point-and-click adventure game made up of a collection of mechanically simple vignettes. The actual game portion of “That Dragon, Cancer” is relatively thin. Each of the vignettes the player must encounter is an episode in the lives of the Greens and Joel’s battle with cancer

and necessitates almost no substantial player thought or skill to complete, with many simply requiring the player to click the mouse. One level, for example, in a kart racer-esque sequence, has the player take control of a child’s wagon and race with Joel around the children’s cancer ward collecting colorful, floating objects and avoiding obstacles. The wagon automatically accelerates, and the player must simply use the mouse to shift it to the left see THAT DRAGON CANCER, page 13

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‘That Dragon, Cancer’ tugs heartstrings THAT DRAGON CANCER

continued from page 11 or right. However, the player needs to do very little to successfully complete the sequence, as there is no meaningful penalty for crashing into obstacles, and the objects the player must collect are so large that they are nearly impossible to miss. This sequence, despite being thoroughly uninteresting and unchallenging to play, ends on a poignant note, as the screen that shows the player’s “score” reveals that each object they collected represents one of the many painful medical procedures, from blood transfusions to surgeries, that Joel underwent. This sequence, which minimizes challenge and gameplay in the interest of conveying the Greens’ experience illustrates the game’s philosophy. Beyond the deliberately unchallenging gameplay, “That Dragon, Cancer” benefits from outstanding presentation both visually and aurally. Visually, the game’s art employs a blocky style that makes it appear as if its brightly colored characters and environments were hewn from Play-Doh. The one deviation from this style is the pitchblack, jagged, tree-like forms that represent cancer. The contrast is striking and uncomfortable to behold. The audio in “That Dragon, Cancer” is impeccably executed, with voice actors delivering their lines with an

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A screenshot from “That Dragon, Cancer.” authenticity that rivals that of games with multi-million dollar budgets. Beyond the excellent delivery, the game’s dialogue is also impeccably well written and is suffused with the Greens’ Christian faith, particularly their belief in grace and the goodness of God’s plan, both of which are communicat-

ed with heartbreaking sincerity. The soundtrack on the other hand, while competently executed, never intrusive and always tonally appropriate, verges into cliché “bittersweet piano” territory a little too often. On the surface, $15 may seem like a lot to ask for a short game that offers very

little in the way of traditional gameplay, but the quality of the art direction and the sheer uniqueness of the emotional intensity that “That Dragon, Cancer” brings make it well worth your time. “That Dragon, Cancer” is available on Mac, Windows, and the Ouya / Forge TV for $14.99

THE TUFTS DAILY | Comics | Monday, January 25, 2016

Comics

tuftsdaily.com LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Evan: “It’s more like sandwich lubricant ... I don’t want to taste it.”

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Opinion

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Monday, January 25, 2016

EDITORIAL

Sean Penn, El Chapo and Journalists in Danger The allure of Hollywood is, for some people, overpowering—sometimes to a fault. The world’s most notorious drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is no exception. El Chapo became a figure larger than life in the media after his escapes from prison and eventual recapture became national and international news. Hollywood, too, came around to find the headlines and cameras. Actor Sean Penn, with the help of telenovela actress Kate del Castillo, interviewed El Chapo in his jungle hideout for Rolling Stone magazine last October. Penn’s odd choice to interview the drug lord may have led to El Chapo’s eventual capture, but it must be said that his casual and haphazard foray into journalism is a dangerously misleading example.

When playing the role of a reporter, Sean Penn, as a well-known celebrity, did not have to face the same risks that a career journalist would. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 95 journalists and media workers were killed in 2015, 49 murdered intentionally, all across the world. Journalists were shown being beheaded on international television by ISIS or had their faces plastered across TV screens after being killed by cartels in Mexico or in the war zone of eastern Ukraine. These tragic deaths are overshadowed by Penn’s recklessness. The entire situation sounds as if it’s straight out a movie, which is the effect El Chapo—and Penn—sought. El Chapo wanted to portray himself as the dark anti-hero with a troubled

past, crusading against the institutional corruption in law enforcement and society at large. Penn condones the atrocities El Chapo has committed by giving the latter, unencumbered by difficult questions and uncomfortable truths, a platform to express his opinions. Penn even goes so far as to defend El Chapo directly, noting that the drug lord only kills in self-defense and does not intend to instigate violence. Penn’s defense of El Chapo looks atrocious in light of the circumstances around the meeting. Kate del Castillo, who arranged the meeting, has a history of condoning El Chapo’s actions. In fact, she tweeted in 2012 that he was more credible than the Mexican government. The criticism of governmental drug policy, though certainly warranted, should

not eclipse the frank discussion on the harm caused by the drug trade. Penn defended his irresponsible journalism in a TV conversation with “CBS This Morning” co-host Charlie Rose.“I have a regret that the entire discussion about this article ignores its purpose, which was to try to contribute to this discussion about the policy in the war on drugs.” Penn said. Although he has a point—that the war on drugs must be carefully evaluated and reflected upon—he could have conveyed it in a more responsible manner without exploiting an unsafe situation for his own personal gain in popularity. The journalists who risk their lives in war zones and natural disasters should be recognized for their work, not the actors pretending to their jobs.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY ALLIE MEROLA

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.

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OP-ED

You Can Call Us by Ears for Peers You found out about us while you were sitting in a bathroom stall. You saw our name on a flyer in the Campus Center or in the stairway of your dorm. We gave you our phone number and our AIM. You may have taken note of our rhyming name—Ears for Peers (E4P)—and our tagline: “Here to listen.” However, you might have had some lingering questions about Tufts’ completely confidential peer support hotline: Who answers the calls? How are we different from Counseling Services? Why are we here? Ears for Peers was founded in 1988 by a Tufts student and a group of her friends. They recognized students’ need for a peer-driven support system on campus and an outlet to talk about issues that they find easier to discuss anonymously with a peer than with a family member, a friend or a professional. Ears for Peers now receives an average of 100 calls and IMs per semester from students who are experiencing various challenges, including depres-

sion, coming to terms with their sexual identity, trying to get over an ex-partner or hook-up or fighting with a roommate. These are only a few examples; students can (and do) call us about anything that is on their minds! Our anonymity allows callers to feel comfortable sharing with us; we will never ask who you are, and you won’t know the identity of the Ear who answers your call— just that we care about you. We are here first and foremost to listen and to empathize and, when it’s helpful, to refer callers to additional resources. Our volunteers are current Tufts students who have actively sought out the position. To apply, we fill out applications, are interviewed by current E4P members and, once accepted, are trained by Counseling and Mental Health Services. We come from different class years, majors and campus groups, but all of us have in common a desire to connect with our peers, offering support when they feel most alone. We all have felt alone or overwhelmed or homesick or confused or scared sometimes during our col-

lege careers. These issues in students’ lives—relationships, failed exams, fear of not finding a job— can be debilitating, especially because we are compelled to cope with these issues on top of our other commitments. That isn’t even to mention those other prevalent and often unacknowledged occupants of college campuses: chronic anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and trauma resulting from sexual assault, to name only a few. We don’t speak enough about mental health issues, even though the majority of us will experience them firsthand during our college careers. In a survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 73 percent of college student respondents reported having experienced a mental health crisis while in college. In the same survey, peer-to-peer support and mentoring was ranked as being extremely important by 61 percent of respondents. When we are confronted with issues that unsettle our mental and emotional health, there is power in having someone to talk to—in having

someone listening to us. According to researcher and author Brené Brown, who has made a career out of studying vulnerability, shame and authenticity, “if we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.” When you are unable to fall asleep and it’s 4 a.m. and you need someone to talk to, dial our number. When you’re ready to say something out loud for the first time, but not to anyone who knows you, we’re here. When you’re having a panic attack at 6 a.m. about an exam, we will be there for you. Our hope is that wherever you are on campus and whatever issue you are coping with, when faced with the thought, “I really need to talk to someone about this, but I don’t know who,” you will know that you can call us. Ears for Peers operates every night between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. They can be reached by calling (617) 627-3888 or messaging us through AIM at “tuftsE4P.” For more information, visit their website: http://ase.tufts. edu/earsforpeers/.

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THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Monday, January 25, 2016

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Sports Sports

WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Tufts bests Wheaton College on Seniors Day by Soven Bery Staff Writer

On Saturday, Tufts women’s swimming and diving welcomed Wheaton College to Hamilton Pool for its only home meet of the season. The meet also served as Tufts’ Seniors Day, honoring the accomplishments of nine members of the Class of 2016. Seniors Shivani Bigler, Maddie Golison, Randi Katz, Moira Lavelle, Molly Levene, Sarah Mahoney, Claire Mullany, Katharine Pong and Samantha Swinton were recognized during the meet. The team sent its seniors out on a high note, dominating the Wheaton College Lyons by winning 19 of 20 events en route to a 194149 win. Mahoney turned in one of the team’s best performances, as she was able to garner three wins, two individual and one as part of a relay team. Mahoney’s 2:00.81 time was good for first place in the 200 freestyle and a 5:27.01 time allowed her to finish first in the 500 freestyle. Additionally, the 200 freestyle relay team was comprised of Mahoney, sophomore Jess Lee, first-year Alexandra Good and junior Sophia Lin. That team posted a 1:43.15 time, which gave Mahoney another win. “We had a fantastic meet yesterday. Due to the fact that our team has limited home meets, we try to raise the energy levels, and that absolutely showed in everyone’s performance,” said Mahoney. “Personally, I had really strong swims for one of the first meets of the semester and I was definitely excited given that it was my final race in

Hamilton Pool. It was pretty bittersweet to see my classmates in their last races ever at Tufts.” First-year Colleen Doolan continued a strong rookie season with another impressive day on Saturday as she won the 200 butterfly, the 100 freestyle, the 100 butterfly and was part of a first place 200 medley relay team. Doolan’s three solo victories led the team. Other great first-year outings include Jen Lucius winning the the 1,000 meters and Caroline McCormick winning the 100 backstroke, the 50 backstroke and being part of the winning 200 medley relay team. Junior Amanda Gottschalk also turned in a solid performance with a 2:26.78 time in the 200 breaststroke and a 4:42.67 time in the 400 individual medley, giving her a pair of wins. “I felt like both myself and the team swam great. We have swimmers in all different places: some coming off a difficult week training double sessions and another group who is halfway through their taper for the Middlebury Invite next weekend,” Gottschalk said. “After completing our training trip in Puerto Rico, we have gotten through much of the difficult aerobic training of the season.” The team’s rigorous training schedule has prepared it for the upcoming championship season. “We are very excited looking forward. At this point in the year we are extremely exhausted as we have just finished a training trip, which included four to five hours of training a day,” Mahoney said. “Overall, I think all of the women are proud of our performances this season

and looking forward to racing at our championship meets,” Gottschalk added. Tufts will send its non-NESCAC competitors to the Middlebury College Invitational on Jan. 29 and 30 as its 24-woman NESCAC roster prepares to compete in next month’s conference championship meet. “The women’s team is stronger than ever and we definitely have some fire in our bellies for NESCACs,” Mahoney said. “Beating Connecticut College at our dual meet and being edged out by Middlebury by only two points was a huge accomplishment for us. We rival them in depth and speed and will no doubt be ready come NESCAC weekend.

I haven’t seen this strong of a [first-year] class in years and that’s just the beginning. Our juniors, sophomores and seniors are performing better than ever and definitely are coming back this year with some fight.” “Before championship season, we will be looking to fine-tune the technical aspects of our races such as our starts, turns and relay exchanges,” Gottschalk said when asked what aspects the team would seek to improve. Overall, the Jumbos will try to carry over their performances from Saturday into the final leg of the season. A commanding victory over Wheaton on Seniors Day sets the team up for its final two months of competition.

(JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY)

Tufts first-year Colleen Doolan swims butterfly for the Swimming & Diving team as it faces off against Wheaton on Saturday, Jan. 23.

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Monday, January 25, 2016 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

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Sports

Jumbos win at home, take third at Bowdoin MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

continued from page 20 and a different workout style from what some of us are used to, but everyone’s really adjusting to it well.” Williams has been equally pleased with his team’s performance and has settled into his new position well, in his first season with the Jumbos. “The last several weeks were a transition period from training to competing plus me being new to the Jumbo family,” Williams told the Daily in an e-mail. “The team was really ready to start competing, and I could feel the energy in the building, and the guys built off of each other’s performances. The

upperclassmen set the tone, and the new guys fell right into line.” Those “new guys” have been stellar to start the season. Many of the first-year athletes have been performing quite well in the first meets of their college careers. First-year Josh Etkind, who competes in both the hurdles and the triple jump, has been one of the squad’s rookie standouts. “All of the freshmen really did well,” said Kasemir. “A lot of them stepped up. Josh Etkind did a great job. He set a freshman record in the hurdles and got us in the top ten in a few events.”

Coach Williams also had high praise for Etkind, as the coach named him the athlete of the week for his efforts, citing his first place-finish in the triple jump, his fourth place-finish in the 60 meter hurdles and his contribution to the all-freshman 4×200 relay that placed second. Along the way he picked up two Tufts freshman top 10 marks, two Div. III New England marks, and one Tufts alltime top 10 mark. Coach Williams feels that during the team’s early success, the athletes have been supportive of each other, and they must continue to do so if they want to keep up that success.

“We have to continue to rally for each other,” Williams told the Daily in an email. “Circling the track to cheer, lining up along the jumps runways and throwing circles to make sure our teammates know we are there for each other. Each guy from the national level guys to the guys learning how to be a jumper. Each one needs to know that every teammate has their back and vice versa.” The Jumbos next compete on Friday night, sending part of their team athletes to the John Thomas Invitational at Boston University. Most of the team, however, will compete at Saturday’s Tufts Stampede Invitational, held at the Gantcher Center, where the team will look to continue its strong opening.

Jumbos to prepare for NESCAC championships next MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

continued from page 20 of the Week for the week of Jan. 18. Bowen is the third Tufts recipient of the award this season, following Winget and Jinn. The award came after the firstyear’s impressive performances at MIT and Boston College in December and early January, respectively. Bowen came away with a combined two wins, three second place-finishes and one individual third, while also being part of a pair of relay teams that placed second and third. At the Boston College dual-meet, also held over winter break, Bowen broke a 20-year-old Tufts record in the 100-yard individual medley by over a second, setting a time that is now second fastest in the NESCAC this season.

“It was obviously an honor to win the swimmer of the week,” said Bowen. “My personal goal for NESCACs is to place topthree in all of my events and qualify for NCAAs.” In the men’s diving competition there were no competitors from Wheaton, so sophomore Aaron Idelson and junior Matt Rohrer competed in a set of more relaxed diving events. In the one-meter and three-meter dives Rohrer scored 330.90 and 365.85 points, respectively, while Idelson scored 195.00 and 285.83 points. “This meet was a good opportunity for us to try new dives that we’ve never really done while competing because there was very little pressure,” said Idelson. “My main goal right now is to fine-tune everything and

work on consistency. Our biggest concern right now is the NCAA Regional Zone meet to qualify for nationals.” Coach Hoyt will soon be selecting his 24-man NESCAC roster in preparation for the conference championships that begin on Feb. 19. With the smaller roster, Hoyt will be able to personalize the training for individual swimmers to tweak and improve specific aspects of his swimmers’ racing going into NESCACs. “At this point in our season, half the team starts to rest for the championship meet at Middlebury next weekend,” senior tri-captain Harry Wood said. “They decrease their amount of daily yardage so that their muscles can start to recover.” Tufts has been consistent in the NESCAC championships the past few

years, coming in fourth behind Williams, Amherst and Conn. College each of the past 3 seasons. This year, the Jumbos seek to better their finish, with coach Hoyt saying that he would be disappointed if the Jumbos were unable to improve their standings. Winget was also optimistic about the championships. “We have put ourselves in a really good position for NESCACs, we have put in a lot of hard work, and I think it will pay off,” Winget said. “I think we have a very realistic shot at competing with Conn. College and it should be a great meet for our team.” Tufts will participate in the Middlebury Invitational-an individual competition-this weekend before beginning its final preparations for the NESCAC championships.

20 tuftsdaily.com

Sports

Monday, January 25, 2016

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Men’s track starts season off strong by Bradley Schussel Staff Writer

Following a hot start to the season, there seems to be a different mentality on the Tufts men’s track and field team this year. The Jumbos opened the season at home with the Tufts Invitational on Jan. 16 and came away with the win, placing first out of nine teams. At Bowdoin on Saturday, the team placed third out of 10 teams. New head coach Joel Williams helms one of the strongest teams that Tufts has had in a long time. With all that talent, the expectations have been set high this season for the Jumbos, though they did not disappoint in their first two meets. The Jumbos most recently traveled to Brunswick, Maine for the annual Bowdoin Invitational this past weekend. Senior tri-captain sprinter, Alex Kasemir, who is dealing with an injury, did not run in the meet. His fellow tri-captains, seniors Atticus Swett and Mitch Black, both won their events and helped propel the team to the third-place finish. But the Jumbos are more excited about their impressive victory in their season opener at home. “Especially early in the season, we really focus on individual performanc-

es,” said Kasemir. “Because there were so many great performances the team score ended up being in our favor, but we weren’t thinking about it the whole time. We were more excited about people that stood out, and winning a meet is great, but the individual performances are definitely the highlight of the day.” “Winning the first meet at home was a huge morale booster for us,” added sophomore Drew DiMaiti. “I think we were all really excited. We’ve been training a long time. We started practicing in the fall, so we were really fired up to come out on our own track and get the win.” DiMaiti was a major point scorer for the Jumbos at the Tufts Invitational. He was part of the squad that placed first in the 4×400 meter race, and he finished first as an individual in the 600 meter. “That was my first time running the 600, and that was the farthest distance I’ve run while in college,” said DiMaiti. “I was a little nervous for how it would go because I usually run the 400. It actually went really well, I went out at a good pace.” It appears that Williams’ coaching has been another factor in Tufts’ success. “Joel has been great for this team,” said DiMaiti. “He’s brought a lot of new intensity see MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD, page 19

CAROLINE AMBROS / THE TUFTS DAILY

Tufts men’s track and field competed in the Tufts Stampede Invitational in the Gantcher Center at Tufts University on Jan. 31, 2015.

MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Jumbos shine in season’s lone home meet by Maddie Payne

Assistant Sports Editor

Tufts secured a definitive victory over Wheaton College in their only home meet of the season Saturday afternoon. The meet, which also featured the team’s annual Seniors Day, ended in success; the team scored the best marks in 19 of the 20 events, racking up 198 points to Wheaton’s 136. As the team customarily does in its annual Wheaton meet, Tufts swam the last five events as exhibitions, ceding all points while still competing.

The dual-meet began with a solid win in the 200 medley relay for the Jumbo A-team, comprised of first-year Kingsley Bowen, sophomores Morgan Ciliv and Michael Brienza, as well as senior tri-captain Michael Winget. The quartet won the event by a comfortable five seconds, with the Tufts relay B-team coming in second. Winget set a new record with his 50 backstroke section of the relay, recording a 24.13 second lap and beating his previous best in the 50 back by nearly half a second. “At this point in the season, I feel confident about my strokes and endurance,

so mostly I’m just working on the minute things in my stroke,” said Winget. Winget recorded two individual wins in the the 100 backstroke and in the 50 backstroke, while posting the best time in the 100 IM as well, though the latter was an exhibition. Especially impressive was Winget win in the 100 backstroke event, in which he beat Wheaton first-year Jacob Cost by three full seconds. “There was some good leadership [from Winget] the whole season, along with the other seniors,” head coach Adam Hoyt said. “They certain-

(JULIA PRESS / THE TUFTS DAILY)

Tufts junior Russell Weeks swims breaststroke against Wheaton on Saturday, Jan. 23.

ly stepped up and pulled it together today.” The day saw several new records set, a good sign as the Jumbos put up their personal bests in the lead-up to the NESCAC championships in late February. Tufts sophomore Zachary Wallace recorded a Hamilton pool record of 4:13.53 in the 400yard individual medley. “It’s always impressive when you can break a pool record at the end of the meet because most people are pretty tired,” said Hoyt. Ciliv had two individual victories in the 50-yard and 100-yard breaststroke, winning the latter by a comfortable margin of four seconds. Although the 50-yard was a much closer race, Ciliv managed to perform under pressure, beating out Wheaton sophomore Jonathan Dunnett by three-tenths of a second. First-year Brandon Jinn impressed in the 1000-yard freestyle. He started the long race steadily, but by the 10th lap was increasing his lead by a body length each turn. By the 30th lap, Jinn had a 15-second lead, and by the 35th lap had begun to lap his opponents. Jinn recorded a final time of 9:59.72, finishing a full 25 seconds ahead of Tufts sophomore James McElduff who came in second. Continuing the trend of first-years impressing in the pool, Bowen also had a successful day. In addition to being part of the team that won the 200 medley relay, he also set his season-best in the 100 fly with a time of 51.71. Despite a nagging rotator cuff injury, Bowen still managed to make a strong point contribution for the Jumbos. “Typically we swim pretty well against Wheaton,” said Hoyt. “They always race us hard and keep the energy level up. Our one home meet of the year is pretty special and I think it brought out the best in our swimmers.” Over winter break, Bowen received recognition as the NESCAC Swimmer see MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING, page 19