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Thursday, October 15, 2026

VOLUME XCIV, ISSUE 6

Tufts Student Services introduces ‘Ellie,’ new AI assistant

Medford/Somerville, Mass.

Amara Nwankwo Contributing Writer

Tufts University Student Services is piloting an Artificial Intelligence chatbot, known as Ellie, that will assist students in accessing resources and services, including financial aid, residential life information and student record materials. Ellie, which is powered through CollegeVine’s AI One Stop platform, will be accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and The Fletcher School. Michael Hemment, the senior director of library technology and faculty information systems at Tufts, explained that Ellie is being trained on official university websites and calendars and being tailored to answer university-specific questions. “Rather than deploying a general-purpose chatbot and asking it to answer anything, we are working with Student Services on a purpose-built AI service that has a defined set

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Dowling Hall is pictured. of information, clear boundaries, and human oversight,” he wrote in a statement to the Daily. “An important part of the implementation is that Ellie has been grounded in Tufts information rather than simply

being released as an open-ended AI chatbot,” he added. According to JoAnn Jack, associate dean for student administrative services at Tufts, the purpose of building and implementing Ellie is to increase students’ access to information and resources.

Ellie is available 24/7 and can pull information from across Tufts’ various websites. Students can ask Ellie questions any time of day without having to wait hours or days for a response. While Ellie might be able to produce responses to popular

questions quickly, Jack concedes that Ellie is AI and therefore may still make some mistakes. “Ellie, like any form of generative AI, has the potential to misunderstand a question, provide see ELLIE, page 3

ICE remains active in Medford as activists report increase in sightings Theo Weller

Deputy News Editor

Originally published Oct. 14. Since March 1, activists have reported 26 verified sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and 10 verified abductions in Medford, according to Julia Hendrix, a member of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts’ Medford Hub. ICE activity has been concentrated at the Malden and Cambridge District Courthouses at 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway in Medford, potentially in collaboration with court officers. These sightings come amid the August passage of the PROTECT Act, a Massachusetts law which limits collaboration between the state and ICE. Sections of the PROTECT Act that restrict unwarranted civil arrests in courthouses become effective on Nov. 3. “People are fearful of ICE, so they are afraid to go to some of the things that they would have been open to going to before — like open to going to events in public, open to going to things in large gatherings, because there’s that fear,” Catherine Dhingra,

COURTESY OF LUCE IMMIGRANT JUSTICE NETWORK OF MASSACHUSETTS

ICE agents are seen outside of the Cambridge District Courthouse. Medford’s assistant director of health and human services, said.

According to Hendrix, Medford LUCE Hub has

publicly reported more ICE abductions than most other

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nearby LUCE hubs, including Boston, Somerville and Lynn. Since last summer, members of Medford LUCE Hub have conducted regular patrols at 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway. “What we would see a lot of the time is that ICE agents come in advance. They know who they’re looking for. They’re looking for a specific person, and usually two or more vehicles would show up. Officers would go incognito,” Rob, a coordinator for Medford LUCE Hub, explained. Rob chose to appear only by first name and noted he does not speak on behalf of LUCE. “They’re usually wearing street clothes, and they would wait for someone to come out of a courtroom, and if that happens, they would arrest them and just whisk them away into one of their cars.” According to Rob, ICE officers have used the courthouse’s garage or “sallyport” — an enclosed garage common in courthouses and prisons for transporting detainees — to detain defendants in custody following their hearings. The public is not allowed to record in the sallyport, leading to see ICE, page 3 News Features ARTS & Pop CULTURE fun & Games opinion Science Sports

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THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

T he T ufts D aily Editorial Julian Glickman Editor in Chief

Olivia Bye Sadie Roraback-Meagher Managing Editors

Julia Segal Maya Godard Associate Editors Amelia Sammons Executive News Editor Sera Kwon Executive Features Editor Sophie Herron Executive Arts Editor Olivia Zambrano Executive Opinion Editor Luke Fredericks Executive Sports Editor Addison Dion Executive Science Editor Gus Gladstein Executive Investigative Editor Max Lerner Editorial Board Chair

Multimedia Ellie Broscow Executive Audio Editor Elliot Riseman Executive Video Editor Christina Jamieson Executive Photo Editors Josué Pérez Elise Lea Samson Executive Graphics Editor Sophie Penenberg Executive Fun & Games Editor

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Business Julia Critz Business Director Samantha Mascera Assistant Business Carol Wu Directors Claire Wood Alumni Liaisons Aisha Karim

Tufts set to roll out Beyond 175 strategic plan initiatives as anniversary approaches Lucy Wood

Contributing Writer

With Tufts University’s 175th anniversary coming up next year, the university is looking ahead with plans to improve beyond this milestone. In January 2026, President Sunil Kumar shared the final form of the Tufts Beyond 175 strategic plan, which aims to recommit the university to its mission of education, research and civic engagement as the university celebrates its anniversary and looks to the future. The Office of the President recently announced in a schoolwide email that the plan’s first initiatives are taking effect this year, largely supported by savings from the Operating Model Transformation, a university effort that has streamlined financial processes. In a statement to the Daily, Executive Vice President Michael Howard explained that savings from this model have been critical in financing the strategic plan and noted that the university is steadily making progress toward its fiscal goal. “As of September, we have already identified $13 million in operating savings toward our $40 million target,” Howard wrote. The remaining funds will be sourced from operating funds and philanthropy. “Philanthropic support, including endowed gifts, will be especially important because endowment funding provides a permanent source of support for new programs

and initiatives that advance the university’s mission,” Howard added. The Beyond 175 strategic plan is organized in four distinct pillars, each centered on a unique aspect of the Tufts experience. Pillar one focuses on academic resources and expanding access to education, including a reevaluation of financial aid systems. Pillar two is concentrated on student life beyond the classroom, aimed at expanding opportunities for career advancement and promoting new residential and communal spaces for students to gather socially. Pillar three focuses on research and scholarship, prioritizing strengthening Tufts’ position as a leading research institution in the nation. The fourth and final pillar centers around civic engagement and seeks to prepare scholars to give back to their communities through service, education and research. Across all four pillars, university leaders have emphasized the importance of the cohesive student experience. Joseph Auner, provost and senior vice president ad interim, and Professor of Music Austin Fletcher described how shaping students as future leaders is an integral part of the Beyond 175 plan, highlighting the values of a Tufts education after graduation. “Pillars 1 and 2 are centered on strengthening both the curricular and cocurricular experience to help students develop the skills and perspectives needed to lead thoughtfully

in an increasingly complex world,” Auner wrote in a statement to the Daily. Auner emphasized that there will be an increase in opportunities across schools and disciplines, as well as a commitment to maintaining the university’s liberal arts foundation. “Students may see greater opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, experiential education, and civic engagement, all while building on Tufts’ foundation in the liberal arts,” he wrote. “The goal is not only to expose students to emerging areas of interest and inquiry but also to equip them with enduring skills through more coordinated programming.” Initiatives such as the Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education and Tufts Talk Openly were highlighted as programs that are complementary to expanding leadership and pluralism outside of the classroom. The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life was also referenced as an exemplary representation of this goal. Bernard Arulanandam, vice president for research and innovation, also spoke to how the mission to provide research opportunities will emerge in student life, a priority outlined by pillar three. “Pillar 3 will create more opportunities for students to engage in hands-on research, internships, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied learning alongside faculty,” he wrote in a statement

to the Daily. “Investments in facilities, innovation programs, and external partnerships will connect classroom learning with real-world challenges and emerging career paths.” Arulanandam expressed that research will be emphasized across schools, supporting the unique strengths of each discipline and “will embrace the full breadth of Tufts scholarship, including the arts and humanities.” Beyond the university’s mission to enhance academic life, Auner acknowledged the importance of residential and social experiences, citing the developing Pachyderm Place on Boston Avenue and other efforts to rethink existing social and communal spaces. “These efforts reflect the belief that what students learn outside the classroom is just as important as what they learn within it,” he wrote. “By creating more opportunities for connection, these initiatives aim to have a visible and lasting impact on the overall student experience.” For those interested in following progress and implementation, Marty Ray, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, wrote in a statement to the Daily that the plan will post updates on its designated website, with the first update expected before the end of the year. “We plan to publish updates by drivers and pillars, combining both school-based and university-wide progress on the TB175 website,” Ray wrote.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

NEWS

New chatbot rolled out amid AI uncertainty ELLIE continued from the front incomplete information or occasionally be wrong. Ellie also cannot currently look at an individual’s student record,” she wrote. She acknowledges that although AI has the potential to be a beneficial tool for identifying deadlines or locating a form, humans should still be the go-to source for more in-depth, accurate information and nuanced cases. Dr. Karen Panetta, dean of graduate education in the School of Engineering at Tufts, says Ellie could be implemented in the School of Engineering to give students information on a range

of topics, from program requirements to career development. “There’s so many really impactful services. I call them hidden gems,” she said. “The list is so deep and broad, you only want to know about it when you need it, so when you need it, you’re like ‘How do I find it again?’” Carlos Schober, a junior majoring in computer science and a teaching assistant for Programming Languages, has already seen AI implemented in educational services. According to him, one computer science class has started using a student-built AI teaching assistant to help students work through specific concepts and problems taught in the class.

“My networks class rolled out its own AI for that purpose,” Schober said. “It’s specifically trained on the spec for every week, and so in that sense, it can actually be more helpful than these AIs that are trained on much more broader scopes.” “It knows how to point out reference code that the instructor has provided it ... [because] unlike ChatGPT, which is trained on everything, this thing is being trained specifically on course material.” Schober felt that the AI teaching assistant is valuable when students have questions and TAs aren’t around, but it may also make it too easy to ask AI for help immediately

instead of struggling with the problem first. “At least with human TAs, people oftentimes don’t want to bother them too much, so they’ll go out of their way to try and solve a problem, and only once it’s really come to a dead end, they’ll seek help,” he said. “Whereas with AIs like this, people are more willing to resort to using them.” Junior Esha Wanzakhade, a mechanical engineering student, says several of her engineering professors agree that AI can be a helpful learning tool but should not be used to complete assignments that would otherwise foster critical thinking and creativity. “Across the board, I do believe a lot of the professors

I have now believe that AI can be helpful for learning, but it also can be a hindrance to your learning in the sense that they don’t want students immediately referring to generative AI when doing a problem set and not using their own brains to think,” she said. Ellie is another piece of the puzzle to understanding where and how to use AI in universities. In an ever-evolving world of new technology, Panetta is optimistic about AI’s applications and reiterated the importance of being flexible. “In order for us to change the world, we have to be willing to embrace things that we’re uncomfortable with,” she said.

With the passage of the PROTECT Act, though, the nature of ICE activity at the courthouses has changed. The PROTECT Act restricts local and state involvement in immigration enforcement, including prohibiting tipping off agents about a person’s release date, time or location unless required by law, warrant or court order. According to Rob, ICE agents have stopped appearing at the court to pick up defendants at precise times, indicating less collaboration with court officers. “What we’ve been seeing is ICE agents showing up slightly before the docketed start time of like 9 a.m. [or] 11, and then

they just have to hang out and wait,” Rob said. Still, according to Hendrix’s article, ICE sightings have not become any less frequent at the courthouse. “On August 24, 25, and 26 there was one abduction each day,” Hendrix wrote. In a statement to the Daily, Medford City Council President Zac Bears wrote, “The City Council’s Public Health and Community Safety Committee is working to update our Welcoming City Ordinance to reflect the [PROTECT] Act and ensure our city’s laws are as strong as possible to protect residents from the unlawful actions of

ICE and Trump’s federal attack on cities and towns like Medford.” Medford passed the Welcoming City Ordinance in January 2025 to prohibit using city resources to enforce federal immigration law, but the city has little power over activity at the courthouse. “The city really doesn’t have any jurisdiction or involvement in any way in the courts,” Medford Director of Communications Steve Smirti said in an interview with the Daily. Dhingra explained that Medford supports immigrant residents through its multilingual community liaison program. “If someone has any

kind of problem or any kind of question, they can call the multilingual line, and then they’re going to get a call back from someone that speaks their language, that lives in their community and can help answer their questions,” Dhingra said. With the PROTECT Act’s full effective date approaching, tensions remain over ICE activity in Medford. “Hundreds of residents have been asking the Mayor to take stronger action to enforce the city’s ordinances, stand up for our city, and support all of the residents who have been harmed by ICE actions or are living in fear on a daily basis,” Bears wrote.

ICE active in Medford ICE continued from the front

challenges for Medford LUCE Hub activists. To some, this activity suggests cooperation by court officers. “They’ve used the parking garage, which is court property, which they can only get into if court officers let them into it, to take people,” Hendrix explained in an interview with the Daily. The Massachusetts Trial Court declined to comment on whether officers at the Malden and Cambridge District Courthouses are working with ICE.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

Features A Jumbo’s Journey

September sickness, October outbreak

Ben Rachel

very single semester for the past three and a half years, I have gotten sick. Without fail. No matter how many Emergen-C packets I drink in the morning or zinc pills I pop, the black plague eventually gets me. When I was an underclassman, I was able to attribute the sickness to dorm living. Between breathing the poop-filled air circulating through the dorms, not knowing how to clean my room (which was on me) and essentially living with 25 other guys, it wasn’t exactly the healthiest environment. The types of sicknesses I get are very abnormal. I got very sick early in the spring semester of my first year. I woke up at 5 a.m. in a puddle of sweat with trouble breathing. To

my dismay, I felt my neck and had a huge bump on the left side of it. It was a swollen lymph node that was impeding my trachea, making my breathing very short and rough. I called my parents, and my dad told me to go to Tufts University Health Service — which didn’t open until 9:45 a.m. (crazy time) — and to pack a bag just in case I had to go to the emergency room. Hearing those words as a first-year was very scary. I went to Health Service huffing and puffing. Three different doctors came to check me out (I think they thought I was pregnant). They asked me everything from “When was the last time you did a keg stand?” to “When was the last time you cleaned your room?” My answer to both questions? Never. After extensive blood tests, it turned out I just had a very abnormal and extreme case of the flu. They sent me home with some Tamiflu pills, steroids and a dustbuster for my room. As scary as the whole experience was, what I remember most isn’t the swollen lymph node or the three doctors questioning my keg stand history; it’s how many people were there to help me through it. My parents

immediately jumped into action, making sure I knew what to do, and my friends who lived around me in Hodgdon Hall were equally understanding (outside of when they were taking pictures of my lump). Looking back on the many times I’ve gotten sick since then, I’ve realized that this kindness isn’t an isolated experience. I just recovered from another sickness (hence the delayed publication). It was inevitable. Once one of my housemates got sick, it was essentially dominoes. When I was sick, it was horrible. I skipped my classes, I missed a hike with a friend and I essentially laid in my own piss and s--- for two whole days. But while I was sick, my friends brought me medicine, offered to pick up anything I needed and tucked me into bed with a goodnight kiss. It was very sweet. After I recovered, it was my turn. One of my friends was coming down with a sickness during our class together. Without hesitation, I gave them my Tylenol cold pills, my leftover zinc pills and some wondrous advice. It got me thinking about why this happens. Why is it that, when someone gets sick, people are so quick to offer help? I think part of

it is that sickness is one of the few experiences that almost everyone can relate to. We’ve all had those days when getting out of bed feels like running a marathon, when even looking at food makes us nauseous and when the thought of going to class feels like climbing Mount Everest. We know how miserable it is, and we know how much even the smallest gesture can mean. But I don’t think this just stops at being sick. When someone is sick, it’s visible. They’re coughing, sneezing, sniffling and looking like they’ve just been resurrected from the dead. It’s easy to recognize when a sickly person is struggling and even easier to justify helping them. But some struggles aren’t that visible. Someone might be having a rough week, stressing about their future or dealing with something they don’t feel comfortable sharing. They might not have a swollen lymph node the size of an apple hanging off their neck to signal that something is wrong. And yet, they still might need that same kindness and empathy. We often wait for someone to tell us they’re struggling before helping them. We wait for someone to ask for help, admit they are having a

hard time or give us obvious signs they need support. But maybe we shouldn’t have to wait for that. Being a good friend, classmate or just a good person should mean checking in before someone has to ask. It doesn’t have to be a grandiose gesture either; perhaps just a quick text, an invite to get dinner or simply asking how they are doing and actually listening. If getting sick has taught me anything, it’s that the smallest gestures can make miserable situations a little bit more bearable. Knowing that you are supported, thought about and loved goes a long way when the world seems to be collapsing. So, while I will probably continue getting the black plague once a semester for the rest of my life, at least I know that I’ll have people around me to help me through it. And hopefully, I can do the same for them. Remember, kindness is contagious. Unfortunately, so is whatever the hell I keep getting. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing, Ben Rachel

that maybe are a little bit challenging,” she said. For students hoping to study abroad, the process begins by narrowing down program choices between November and February. According to Armstrong, applications require two letters of recommendation, a personal statement explaining why a student chose a particular program and how they plan to meet academic requirements abroad, and an academic transcript. Choosing to study abroad is a big step that requires careful consideration. However, Tufts’ diverse programs offer options for everyone, with over 150 pre-approved programs plus a selection of Tuftsled programs, ranging from a program tailored to the nuances of communications and journalism in Seville, Spain, to a journey in civil and environmental engineering in Istanbul, Turkey. Global Education also works to curate ten Tufts-led study abroad programs, with locations including Madrid, Ghana, Japan and Germany. They also work to ensure that studying abroad isn’t restricted to students who can afford an entire semester away from the Hill, offering options for students who prefer to study abroad during their summer break. Senior Nancy Chen, a student representative for Tufts’ summer programs in Taiwan and Hong Kong, understands the value of pursuing academic passions in another country. Both programs offer a wide variety of networking opportunities while also helping students become familiar with a new, rich culture. Taiwan’s research program lets students work with professors and graduate students across departments at National Cheng Kung University. “I believe it’s a very good opportunity just to see what you can do as part of your research program, as

well as just to understand the culture and language differences there,” she said. “It’s one of the two programs that offer research over the summer.” While Taiwan offers an opportunity to develop language skills, Tufts in Hong Kong offers the flexibility to spend a month or two abroad while pursuing a wide variety of academic, personal and professional interests. “You have the opportunity to be in Hong Kong for either four or eight weeks, and for four weeks, you can take classes depending on how many classes you want,” Chen said. “You can also choose to do research in Hong Kong.” Throughout the program, students can enjoy a variety of academic and cultural opportunities without meeting a language requirement beforehand. “Everyone there speaks English, so it’s just a good opportunity to adapt yourself to a new city, a new culture and a new society,” Chen said. Like Tufts in Hong Kong, sophomore Henry Haug reflected on his time over the summer with Tufts Chile, where he studied global health in indigenous communities. “It really represents a great, easy, accessible and quick way to really enrich your perspective on great global culture, as well as even just the specific lessons you might learn in the program,” Haug said. “It’s in a Spanish-speaking country, but you don’t actually have to speak Spanish to go.” He also emphasized the program’s interdisciplinary nature, which he can later apply to his medical studies in the United States. While Haug dedicated himself to Tufts Chile, he acknowledged the flexibility and wide range of possibilities across Tufts programs throughout South and Central America. “There [are] also programs on ecology in Costa Rica [and] a studio

fresco class in Mexico,” Haug said. “There’s really a wide range of things you can do depending on your interest, your skill level and your language level. But I think overall they’re pretty accessible.” Fresco in Mexico is a summer program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts that covers the study and practice of the Fresco artistic technique, a 3,500-year-old cross-cultural painting method rooted in traditions ranging from Italian murals to Mayan temple paintings. Incorporating disciplines such as chemistry, painting and woodworking, this program allows students to study fresco in Mexico from Nahuatl, Mixtec, Zapotec and Western approaches. Sean Glover, an assistant professor of practice at SMFA and the designer of the Fresco in Mexico course, explains the hands-on experiences that students get in the program and how it goes beyond simply studying murals. “Many of these materials overlap with cooking, with weaving, with daily life there,” Glover said. “We’ll be working with a pre-Columbian expert who will teach some of the techniques that have been going on for thousands of years in pre-Columbian America or Mexico.” Fresco, as seen in non-Western cultures such as India, Mexico, China and Ethiopia, has greater significance, and this unique program reflects that. Glover welcomes participants of all artistic backgrounds and experience, as it is more than just a painting program. “There’s also a cultural component of actually seeing [and] understanding how these materials have value in different places,” Glover said. “This [is] a first step forward to decentering the conversation from thinking about it as something that belongs to ... strictly the Mediterranean.”

Along with the experiences Tufts offers, external options are also available — such as study abroad programs at Maastricht University. Located in the heart of the Netherlands, Maastricht University offers an interdisciplinary experience in politics, business, public health, psychology and more, while students experience a classic European city. Antonio Sanchez Ibarra, a student affairs officer at the Maastricht University Center for European Studies, emphasizes that both the university and the Dutch city are accessible, benefiting students looking for a less adventurous lifestyle. “It’s a perfect landing for American students and, in general, students that are not used to being abroad,” Sánchez Ibarra said. “It’s very easy to travel to other bigger cities, [so] the experience doesn’t become overwhelming.” Offering experiences that last for a semester, a summer or even for a January term, Sánchez Ibarra emphasizes the value of independent exploration while providing constant guidance and support. “The programs are non-restrictive, so we allow our students to go to any faculty and take any course they want, as long as they cover one core course for their program,” Sánchez Ibarra said. “So they are free to explore, and they get personalized guidance from one of our course advisors. We are there to help them all the way.” While each study abroad experience offers different academic opportunities, students agree that their new perspectives go beyond what they learn in the classroom. “The biggest takeaway ... isn’t what you’re necessarily going to learn in the classes, but more just being in a country and forcing yourself to adapt while learning about these things is invaluable,” Haug said.

Beyond borders: Studying abroad Jumbo-style Maia Goldman Features Editor

If you’re a student at Tufts University, chances are that you’ve at least dabbled in the diverse world of studying abroad. According to Global Tufts, 40% to 45% of Tufts students will partake in a study abroad program during their undergraduate career. Studying abroad gives students the chance to grow and broaden their experiences by immersing themselves in a new culture and lifestyle. From trying new cuisines to living in a world with a completely different mother tongue, studying in another country adds to cross-cultural competence, open-mindedness and a broader global perspective. Melanie Armstrong, associate director of Tufts Global Education Programs & Outreach, viewed studying abroad as an opportunity not only to learn about a new culture but to expand students’ horizons. “Study abroad or education abroad is something that we feel very strongly contributes to both academic and personal growth for students,” Armstrong said. “We find that students really develop a lot of personal skills while they’re having this experience being abroad: learning how to navigate a new environment ... or doing things that are outside of the typical experience on the Tufts campus.” Armstrong also noted the life skills and personal development that living in a foreign nation encourages, as the experience can push students out of their comfort zone in challenging and unfamiliar ways, such as learning a new language. “We find that students really come back changed in ways that they feel more confident, more capable of dealing with unknown situations or things

Ben Rachel is a senior studying economics and computer science. He can be reached at benjamin.rachel@ tufts.edu.

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

ARTS & POP CULTURE ‘Over the Garden Wall,’ the perfect autumn watch, is an allegory for the loss of youth Mark Tytell Staff Writer

This review contains spoilers for “Over the Garden Wall” by Patrick McHale. With the leaves changing color on Tufts campus, it’s time to talk about the perfect cozy fall mini-series. Patrick McHale’s 2014 animated television series “Over the Garden Wall” is a modern classic; its 10 episodes, each only 11 minutes long, overflow with whimsy and wonder. But behind it all, the show grapples with themes of changing seasons and stages of life, dreams versus reality and childhood wonder. “Over the Garden Wall” tells the tale of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, and their journey through “The Unknown,” a magical, dream-like forest world containing a vast cast of interesting and diverse autumnal characters. In episode 2, the brothers meet Beatrice, a talking bluebird whom Wirt, voiced by Elijah Wood, initially discredits as fake, since “a bird’s brain isn’t big enough for cognizant speech.” He gets over this quickly, however, once they encounter more fantastical creatures like the Pottsfield pumpkin-headed skeletons, Miss

Langtree and her animal schoolhouse, Fred the talking horse, the enormously wealthy Quincy Endicott and the Beast. The first half of the show is very whimsical but leaves some surreal aspects to be explained, like why Greg has a tea kettle on his head. Later, we learn that Beatrice was once a human, and that she had mistakenly gotten her and her family placed under a curse which turned them into bluebirds. She is searching for Adelaide, a witch who possesses a pair of magical scissors with which she can cut off her wings to return her and her family to a human state. Cutting off her wings is symbolic of losing the ability to dream and to fly. Beatrice encounters so much wonder on her journey with Greg and Wirt that it’s disappointing to know that her goal is this loss. This is one aspect of the show’s allegory for the downsides of maturing and conforming to society. Similarly, Greg’s pet frog, who remains unnamed and ambiguous throughout most of the show, is yet another metaphor for growing up. Throughout their journey, Greg is constantly coming up with new names for the frog, trying to find the one that sticks. In life, not only

are you trying to make a name for yourself, but you’re trying to find out who you even are. The frog not having any name for the majority of the show teaches us that it is okay to not know who you are and to have multiple different ideas of yourself. It is only near the end of the show, in episode 9, that it is revealed that the entirety of Wirt and Greg’s adventures occurred in a brief liminal space while the brothers sank into a freezing lake on Halloween night. We learn of Wirt’s anxious plan to talk to his crush at a Halloween party and Greg’s attempts to help, how the nameless frog was found and that Greg’s tea kettle hat is actually an elephant trunk costume! Waiting until the end of the show to give us this much-needed context is a powerful decision. Because of this, the viewer spends the majority of the show without answers, and learns to accept and appreciate the unexplained wonder of “The Unknown.” Greg embodies the idea of youthful, ignorant wonder at the world. His ability to instantly accept and connect with the fantastical elements of the forest contrasts Wirt’s fear and skepticism, and helps to get them out of trouble on many occasions.

As the brothers’ relationship begins to strain in the final episodes of the show, the season shifts from autumn to winter. The once warm, whimsical landscape turns a cold blue. This represents growing up, maturing and losing your childhood because of the expectations of the “real world.” Greg finally realizes what Wirt had been emphasizing the whole show — that they are, in fact, lost. The show concludes with Greg giving in to the Beast — further representing the loss of childhood wonder — to try and save Wirt, and Wirt ultimately rejecting the Beast to save Greg and escape “The Unknown.” There is a quote from Greg in episode 8: “You can do anything if you set your mind to it, that’s what the old people say!” Ultimately, it’s actually the “old people” who lose sight of that very concept, and it is up to the children to maintain the wonder and believe in their dreams. It is this very realization that helps Wirt defeat the Beast. Speaking of dreams, they are another key element of “Over the Garden Wall.” “The Unknown” itself is very dreamlike in nature, and the entirety of episode 8 is a dream taking place inside Greg’s mind. Only at the end does the story emerge into

GRAPHIC BY ELISE LEA SAMSON

the “Real World,” with its stark lack of fantastical characters. Furthermore, in the opening sequence of the show, and again at the end, there is a brief shot of a few of its characters, such as Quincy Endicott and Auntie Whispers, portrayed as toy dolls on a shelf. These two frames are easily missable, but could reframe one’s entire perception of the show. Are Greg and Wirt simply playing with dolls and making it all up? Or are they lucid dreaming while sinking in the lake? This ambiguity furthers the core message of the show that it is okay not to have all the answers. As adults, we are constantly searching for the solutions to our problems and striving to “fit in” to the arbitrary societal structures that surround us. “Over the Garden Wall” reminds us to think like we did when we were children. You don’t need to have all the answers, care what others think or fit into a certain societal mold. Sometimes, the most important thing is to simply pay attention to the wonder and beauty all around us. So, take the crisp autumn wind and changing leaves as a sign to give this show a try. Plus, you can watch it free on Amazon Prime Video! What are you waiting for?

ARTS & POP CULTURE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

THE TUFTS DAILY

‘The Social Network’ sequel fails to deliver the reckoning it promises Samantha Eng

Senior News Editor

When “The Social Reckoning” hit box offices on Friday, it was met with undeniably high audience expectations. With advertisements labeling it as a “companion piece” to the critically acclaimed “The Social Network” (2010), early criticism for new film seemed almost inevitable. The 2010 modern classic, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, won three Academy Awards and was widely acclaimed as one of the defining films of the decade. Even if it’s not a true sequel, “The Social Reckoning” certainly follows in the shadow of its reputation. The story follows whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), whose realization that Facebook was misleading the public leads to the Wall Street Journal’s 2021 investigative series “The Facebook Files.” Haugen is a data scientist on Facebook’s Civic Integrity team and a true believer in Facebook’s power to connect people — until she finds out that the company is

Terrific Tea

Clavicular challenged

Zoey Qin

igh-tier normie, true Eve, canthal tilt — these terms, which have propagated throughout the looksmaxxing community, take the already complex English lexicon to a new level. Currently, a new distinction is being drawn between ordinary self-care and the hardcore, ultra-technical ‘blackpill’ nature of the online looksmaxxing niche. Looksmaxxing — a portmanteau of “looks” and “maximizing” — traces its origins back to discussion boards in the 2010s. It’s best defined as focusing on making one’s physical appearance as conventionally attractive as possible, while ridiculing those considered particularly unattractive. Though the term has existed for fifteen years, looksmaxxing’s current recognizability in the American mainstream can be attributed largely to one influencer: Clavicular. Born Braden Eric Peters, Clavicular’s embrace of looksmaxxing has turned his online persona into a brand. In fact, Clavicular has candidly discussed a variety of dangerous looksmaxxing methods, including ‘bonesmashing,’ the practice of hitting one’s face with a hammer to gain a more chiseled jaw, and taking methamphetamine to suppress his appetite. Within a year, Clavicular has amassed 1 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million on TikTok. Yet outside of the

driving political extremism to boost user engagement. That’s when Haugen is approached by investigative reporter Jeff Horowitz ( Jeremy Allen White), who has just begun covering Facebook for The Journal. Its framing makes “The Social Reckoning” a journalism-focused movie that’s more akin to “The Post” (2017) or “Snowden” (2016) than its predecessor. Sorkin redirects our attention to Haugen’s disillusionment and departure from Facebook. It’s perhaps meant to mirror our own rude awakening to the issues discussed in the film — Meta’s deliberate promotion of disinformation, rage bait, conspiracy and extremist groups. Except, none of this is new. A major disadvantage of “The Social Reckoning” is the fact that we already know the outcome and have lived through the consequences. I won’t be the first to say that the story feels outdated and limited in scope. So why does this film feel like too little too late? There are many ways Sorkin could have reintroduced us to the subject of Facebook, and

algorithmic echo chamber of his fans, Clavicular has an overwhelming number of critics. From his usage of racial slurs to his misogynistic ideology, Clavicular has always faced immense opposition from the general public. The looksmaxxing community also tends to problematically link conventional attractiveness — rooted in Eurocentric beauty standards — with an individual’s actual value. This effectively ostracizes the majority while idolizing the select ‘attractive’ few deemed worthy of respect. And this backlash has only grown in recent weeks. In September, Clavicular was charged by the Massachusetts government with supplying a minor with alcohol and sexually assaulting her. This marks a stark contrast to Clavicular’s past incidents; although he’s faced legal trouble before, the vast majority of cases were dropped. This time, his arraignment is on Oct. 14 — and, if found guilty, he could be facing years of jail time. Furthermore, the charges are a solemn reminder of the impact of Clavicular’s content and what looksmaxxing represents. Having built his platform on hypermasculinity, Clavicular’s violation of women tragically echoes the overall objectification women experience from the looksmaxxing community. For some internet users, these charges aren’t entirely unexpected and seem like a natural byproduct of the looksmaxxing pipeline. Others, however, have critiqued this blasé attitude. Popular Twitch streamer Vanillamace commented that acting as if Clavicular was bound to commit some level

Haugen’s perspective could have been a compelling way forward. The problem is that the script withholds Haugen’s character’s depth and personal experience as a Facebook employee. The generic picture of corporate greed and indifference shows us what we already assume the company’s leadership looks like. The catalyst for Haugen’s contribution to the investigation, which jeopardizes her career, is a video she finds of her friend who had been radicalized by Facebook’s algorithm. She claims that she does this to help Facebook and that she still believes in its ability to connect people. But her choice to leave the company and eventually put her name on the record — which feels like a major turning point — is reduced to the idea that Facebook’s leadership would find out she was the one leaking documents anyway. “The Social Network” is set about 20 years before “The Social Reckoning” but stands the test of time because it is, at its core, an exploration of timeless themes of class, jealousy

and betrayal. The movie suggests that Facebook’s founding was Zuckerberg’s window into social exclusivity, to build a social arena where he was in control. The Zuckerberg of “The Social Network” was, in some ways, the portrait of an angry adolescent out for blood, armed with a punk attitude and undeniable genius. There’s something reductive about the new film’s overhaul of character depth that feeds into the David and Goliath of it all — public interest versus private corporation — failing to show us anything more nuanced. In the new film, Sorkin tries to prove its importance by grounding itself in the dramatization of the events surrounding the narrative, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection. Yet even with the slow-motion montage of rioters at the Capitol, the “Social Reckoning” feels more biographical than dramatic, as it recounts the events of our recent memory. And, partly due to its asymmetrical storyline that cuts between 2019 and 2021, it

Braden Eric Peters, also known as Clavicular, is pictured. of crime against women “takes away from the victim” and implies his behavior was predictable, paralleling past victim-blaming rhetoric. While a significant portion of the internet demands retribution, Clavicular has shown no remorse in the wake of these charges. From livestreaming his

“Camp Looksmax” series to posting TikToks trying to ‘mog’ (look aesthetically superior), he has made little effort to acknowledge the incident beyond briefly denying the charges in September. Overall, the charges against Clavicular remind us that radical ideologies can have real-world impact. While it may be easy to scoff

feels more like we’re waiting very patiently for Haugen to approach Horowitz with every lead. We are as frustrated as she is when she pushes him to, well, investigate them. You can feel the film’s ethos reaching toward “All the President’s Men” (1976), widely recognized as the journalism movie of all journalism movies. But we are left grasping for the thrill and suspense of watching Woodward in the pitchblack parking lot as his source tells him to “follow the money.” Nonetheless, “The Social Reckoning,” through Madison’s character, asks how we should be speaking truth to power, a question we should be trying to answer today. The sheer relevance of “The Social Reckoning” is still notable, considering how high-profile whistleblowers from OpenAI have recently sparked conversations about the company leadership’s irresponsibility in handling the development of artificial intelligence. While this film is not the anticipated sequel to “The Social Network,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial” might be. Here’s to hoping.

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

at the almost absurdly exaggerated content of people like Clavicular, these pipelines unironically lure in many, and staying aware of what we’re consuming is a crucial defense. Zoey is a first-year planning to study quantitative economics. She can be reached at zoey.qin@tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

PHOTO

PHOTOS BY LAILA TARAPOREVALA GRAPHICS BY JAMIE SONG

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

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THE TUFTS DAILY

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‘Required Reading’ by Thea Katz Interested in submitting a puzzle? Reach out to fandg@tuftsdaily.com.

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THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

OPINION

OPINION Sydney Sweeney, Novig and the commodification of the male gaze Jachin Lam

Opinion Editor

Another Sydney Sweeney advertisement seems to have been caught in the whirlwind of internet controversy. The “Euphoria” actress’s campaign with the newly launched sports betting app, Novig, came out earlier last month. Many of you may have seen the campaign billboard in Boston during the shuttle ride to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University or even in Times Square. However, much of the attention came when the advertisement dropped on social media platforms. The shocking, or perhaps not-so-surprising, factor regarding the advertisement was the nudity and sexualization of Sweeney. The actress came under fire for the commercial’s excessive nudity. Throughout the video, Sweeney is seen ‘playing sports’ in little to no clothing, from holding two American footballs in front of her breasts to ‘spinning’ a

basketball while spreading her legs apart, sitting on a basketball hoop naked. If you see only the still images from the clip or the billboards in real life, the message about what they are trying to sell is unclear. With the advertisement prioritizes the shock value and appeal of Sweeney’s body, it’s easy to forget that it’s an ad for a sports betting app. It’s not surprising to find Sweeney profiting off her sexualized public image. From the controversial American Eagle jeans advertisement last year to the highly criticized ‘OnlyFans-ification’ of her “Euphoria” character, the actress clearly knows her public perception. The issue with the Novig advertisement isn’t simply the commodification of women — although that is an important commentary — but rather with Sweeney’s use of her image and its role in perpetuating how media portrays and perceives women. Some may assume that the actress shouldn’t be blamed.

After all, the advertisement was another paycheck, and she cannot control the way the media sexualizes her appearance. While that is true to a certain degree, Sweeney is often in control of the narrative surrounding these controversies. The relationship between the actress and Novig isn’t simply that the company hired her to shoot the advertisement. In fact, she is a strategic partner and equity holder. The campaign was a deliberate choice — Sweeney, of her own volition, chose to promote this sports betting app in this way. Furthermore, sports betting is an addictive platform that comes with major financial repercussions for users. A recently published study from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that in states that legalized sports gambling online, bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increased by about 25%. This makes Sweeney’s choice of promoting the company — as well as being an equity holder of Novig — even more problematic.

Despite the public backlash and outrage, particularly from female athletes, the advertisement actually helped Novig gain more attention. This led their user population to climb 96%, while app downloads jumped more than 187%, according to the company’s co-founder, Jacob Fortinsky. This reflects the successful effect of the sexualization of women, particularly in the male-dominated industry of sports betting. But what does that say about how we still cater to the male gaze? Maybe there is a feminist way of looking at Sweeney’s actions. Perhaps she is taking control of the way men already sexualize her body by profiting off of it. But what are her choices at the expense of? Already, there is a fundamentally flawed outlook on beauty standards and representation of women in the media. A 2008 study by the University of Buffalo found that there has been a disparity between

how men and women are portrayed in popular media, with the portrayal of women in particular becoming increasingly sexualized over the past several decades. In the study, they analyzed more than 1,000 images of men and women on Rolling Stone covers over the course of 43 years. They found that in the 2000s, there were 10 times more hypersexualized images of women than men and 11 times more non-sexualized images of men than of women. Sweeney is perpetuating the commodification of women’s bodies and the reliance on the male gaze for financial gain. Her nude advertisement for Novig is offensive to many, and for good reason. Even beyond the moral qualms of promoting what essentially is a gambling app, it is the use of her physical attractiveness to lure people into a betting app that she herself is an equity holder in. This pattern of connection is striking, and the problem is that it works.

The Tufts Daily is a nonprofit, independent newspaper, published Monday through Friday during the academic year and distributed free of charge 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 Editorial Board. Individual editorialists are not necessarily responsible for, or in agreement with, the policies and editorials of The Editorial Board. Editorials are submitted for review to The Tufts Daily Executive Board before publication. VIEWPOINTS AND COLUMNS: Viewpoints and columns represent the opinions of individual Opinion editors, staff writers, contributing writers and columnists for the Daily’s Opinion section. Positions published in Viewpoints and columns are the opinions of the writers who penned them alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Daily itself. All material is subject to editorial discretion. OP-EDS: Op-Eds provide an open forum for campus editorial commentary and are published Monday through Friday. 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 opinion@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. ADVERTISEMENTS: All advertising copy is subject to the approval of the editor in chief, executive board and business director. Reach out to business@tuftsdaily.com with advertising inquiries.

SCIENCE

THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

SCIENCE Lighting up the brain: Groundbreaking optogenetics research wins Nobel Prize Hannah Merritt Staff Writer

On Oct. 5, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their groundbreaking work in optogenetics, a technology that uses light to map and control cells in the brain. Each year, the Nobel Foundation awards prizes for six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences. These categories, the first five specified by Alfred Nobel in his will and the final added in 1968 by the Swedish Central Bank, represent the life and work of Nobel. Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833; that same year, his father, Immanuel Nobel, went bankrupt. In an attempt to restart his career, Immanuel moved to St. Petersburg, where he found success designing equipment for the Russian army. Immanuel moved his family to Russia in 1842, where he provided his sons a world-class education. During this time, Nobel developed a love for English literature and poetry. His father, who wanted Nobel to work for his business, sent him abroad to study chemical engineering. This period of Nobel’s life, in which he traveled to Sweden, Germany, France and the

United States, laid the groundwork for his later success. While working at Professor T. J. Pelouze’s lab in Paris, France, Nobel met Ascanio Sobrero, an Italian chemist who had synthesized nitroglycerin three years earlier. Though now used to treat chest pain, nitroglycerin is a highly energetic and unstable molecule prone to powerful and uncontrolled explosions. Sobrero, horrified at the deadly possibilities of his invention, destroyed his notes on its synthesis. It was too late, though. Word of nitroglycerin’s explosive power had already gotten out to the public. Nobel was interested in how nitroglycerin could be used for construction and therefore dedicated his early career to its research. By 1867, he had a patent for dynamite, which combined nitroglycerin with the silica stabilizer kieselguhr to form a much safer product. This patent, combined with the other 354 he earned across his career, built Nobel’s fortune. This fortune was used to create the Nobel Foundation, an organization meant to use Nobel’s assets “to constitute a fund, the interest on which is to be distributed annually as prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,” according to Nobel’s will.

Deissroth, Hegemann and Nagel’s discoveries within optogenetics, leading to this year’s prize win, offer scientists the opportunity to better understand the brain. This is particularly notable given that the brain remains one of the least understood parts of the human body. Developments in our knowledge of where and how it works offer tremendous potential for understanding the pathophysiology of and creating treatments for neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Hegemann, a biophysicist at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and Nagel, a biophysicist at the University of Würzburg, built the foundation of this work. In 2003, the pair discovered that under blue light, the protein channel channelrhodopsin opened to allow charged ions into the cell. Deisseroth, a bioengineer and psychiatrist at Stanford University, applied this research to create the field of optogenetics. He inserted the gene for channelrhodopsin into cultured rodent neurons. The modified neurons responded to light instantly, precisely and completely on command. This type of control allows neuroscientists and engineers to map specific brain circuits, including those implicated in disease, and switch on and off specific cells. Since its inception, optogenetics has been primarily used for basic science research.

Slowly, however, it has moved into the clinical space. In a recent clinical trial, researchers JoséAlain Sahel and Botond Roska led the intraocular injection of Adeno-Associated Virus into patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of diseases that cause progressive vision loss and eventual blindness through the breakdown of light-sensitive cells in the retina. The AAV that Sahel and Roska used encoded for ChrimsonR, a type of channelrhodopsin. Four and a half months after the injection of the ChrimsonR AAV, once the patient’s ganglion cells had time to produce the protein, the researchers used light-stimulating goggles to provide visual training to the patient. Seven months later, the patient reported visual improvements.

The patient was able to use the goggles to orient toward and reach for objects, including identifying the white stripes of a crosswalk. Scientists are attempting to apply optogenetics to other diseases, too. Viviana Gradinaru, now a professor of neuroscience and bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology, worked with Deisseroth to study the use of optogenetics in parkinsonism and depression. Across the world, optogenetics is being applied to oral and craniofacial research, epilepsy treatment, Alzheimer’s disease and more. More than 20 years after its inception, optogenetics has been recognized as one of the most important discoveries for humankind.

professor of biomedical engineering whose pioneering work helped inspire the hub’s creation. Emerging from growing student interest in issues ranging from animal welfare to food equity and security, the initiative sought to answer a new question: How can tissue engineering techniques traditionally used in medicine be applied to food production? As the program expanded, however, translating scientific breakthroughs into commercially viable products presented a new challenge. “[The hub was created] with the idea of being like a segue between the research that we do in the labs here to industry and commercialization,” Kaplan explained. For startups, this transition requires expensive equipment, specialized expertise and resources beyond traditional academic laboratories. “Having the infrastructure around you means you don’t have to do it all yourself,” Kaplan said. To combat these barriers, the hub houses approximately $5 million in specialized equipment supporting cell culture, fermentation, food processing, materials processing and advanced characterization work. Its facilities also include a startup incubator professionally managed by

BioLabs, extending an existing partnership with Tufts. Among its most distinctive resources is an open-access cell bank, providing researchers and companies with established cell lines for scientific development. According to McNulty, the hub offers animal cell lines developed at Tufts, alongside the world’s largest plant cell culture collection, comprising more than 1,000 cell lines and the only collection of its kind in North America. For startups, accessing these biological resources can significantly shorten the early stages of development. “It can take years to go from a cell isolation to a cell line ready for scale up,” Kaplan said. “[Startups] don’t have to start from step one. They can start from step five because we can give them the cells to get started.” The hub also enables researchers to test their technologies at scales beyond those available in academic settings. McNulty described how researchers develop projects using cell culture equipment capable of supporting volumes ranging from half a liter to 50 liters. Yet, producing a commercially viable food product involves more than successfully growing cells. Consumer acceptance remains a

significant challenge for emerging food technologies. “If you don’t know if consumers like it, what’s the point?” Kaplan asked, emphasizing the importance of integrating product development with consumer feedback. To address this, the hub’s test kitchen connects scientific development with the practical experience of preparing and consuming food. McNulty highlighted the involvement of Suzannah Gerber, a research scientist and faculty fellow at the Auster Center, whose culinary expertise will help guide the facility’s operations. The kitchen is intended to provide opportunities for chefs and researchers to evaluate new ingredients, assess cooking characteristics and conduct small-scale sensory testing as the necessary approvals are obtained. When thinking about the biggest challenges facing the food cultivation industry, two priorities came to mind for Kaplan: flavor and taste, and scaling production while lowering costs. Beyond technological development, the hub also aims to create opportunities for Tufts students to engage directly with emerging technologies and entrepreneurship.

McNulty explained that the hub is developing programming to connect students with startups through networking, research collaborations and hands-on training. Kaplan similarly hopes the facility will expand access to internships, co-ops and career exploration. “My hope is [that] with this hub, not only will they have their research work, but they can also find opportunities for internships and co-ops with the companies,” Kaplan said. As the next chapter of food innovation takes shape, Kaplan envisions the hub becoming a thriving center for emerging companies, with successful startups eventually moving beyond Tufts and making room for future innovators. “My goal is [that] in five years, Tufts and Boston are now known as the center for food innovation moving forward,” Kaplan said. By bringing scientific research, industrial infrastructure and entrepreneurship into one space, the Innovation Hub for Food and Materials seeks to turn today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s innovations, equipping researchers and entrepreneurs to shape the next generation of food and materials technologies.

A portrait of Alfred Nobel is pictured.

VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Tufts Innovation Hub shapes the future of food, materials

Nevaeh Joseph Staff Writer

At Tufts University, the future of food may not begin on a farm, but instead in a laboratory. From meat cultivated directly from animal cells to chocolate produced without traditional agriculture, emerging technologies are redefining everyday products. With the establishment of the Innovation Hub for Food and Materials, Tufts aims to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and commercial application. Located at 200 Boston Avenue in Medford, the hub brings together researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners, offering specialized equipment, shared laboratory spaces and commercialization resources to support emerging food and materials technologies. “The innovation hub for food and materials is a one-stop shop [research and development] center. Really, it’s all about putting innovation into context,” Matt McNulty, associate director of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture and a key figure in the hub’s development, said. The initiative builds upon nearly a decade of research through the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture, directed by David Kaplan, a

THE TUFTS DAILY

SPORTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

SPORTS Women’s soccer secures five game win streak, beating Rivier Laila Taraporevala Staff Writer

“Joy, team first and compete.” Junior Maren Jones said that head coach Martha Whiting’s philosophy has helped the team thrive early on in the season. Additionally, she said Whiting encourages the players to play the game and “not be fearful of any opponent, no matter their ranking.” The nationally third-ranked Tufts women’s soccer team beat Rivier 2–0 on Monday. This was the team’s first game against Rivier. Starting strong, senior forward Hannah Batt went for the goal twice, but both attempts were blocked by Rivier goalkeeper Olivia Rosario. In the 20th minute, after senior midfielder Emily Nicholas kicked the ball into the box, junior midfielder Maren Jones scored her fifth goal of the season. Jones said the early goal was unusual for the team. “We hadn’t always scored pretty early in a game, so that gave a bit of relief to score in the first half,” Jones said. “We also had already created a bunch of chances by then, so it was nice to actually get a reward for it.”

Reflecting on the goal, Jones said the team provided multiple goal opportunities throughout the first half. “So many people had already been at the box and … fed the ball to me, and I was just in the right place at the right time and made good contact with it,” Jones said. Closing the first half of the game, the Jumbos made 13 attempts at goal with one going in, while the Raiders made zero shots at goal. Jones said the team was in control of the ball for the majority of the game. “We had the majority of the possession, and we were allowed to create a lot of chances,” Jones said. “We had around 35 opportunities, … they had [around] … three, so I think ... [our team] did a really good job of keeping it in our attacking third.” Returning from halftime, the Jumbos took 22 shots at the goal in hopes of getting an insurance goal. Junior goalkeeper Greta Steege saved Rivier’s first shot on goal in the 71st minute. Jones was close to her second goal of the game at the 74th minute but was blocked by a Raider defender. However, about a minute later, Nicholas shot the ball into the goal.

Jones said Nicholas helped the team get the safety goal. “We had been stuck at 1–0, … and as [Nicholas] does, she took it upon herself and just dribbled through five players and hit an amazing shot, which we needed because we weren’t comfortable at just a one-zero lead,” Jones said. Nicholas gained possession of the ball midfield and fought past four defenders to get to the goal, where she shot the ball straight to the bottom left corner of the goal. In an interview with the Daily, first-year defender Chloe Kung said a highlight was her almost “assist to Maren Jones in the game.” Furthermore, Kung said she has been playing a different position this season. “I’ve been playing outside back, but I started playing winger,” Kung said. “It’s been cool to start getting some games in playing winger in general.” Following in the 80th minute of the game, Jones got the Jumbos a clear shot at goal but was again blocked by a Raiders defender. In the 90th minute, Steege blocked another shot at goal by the Raiders, bringing the Jumbos’ fifth shutout of the season.

The Jumbos took 14 corner kicks during the game, making a season high for the team. On a more negative note, the team had nine fouls in comparison to the Raiders’ two fouls. Throughout the game, Jones said the team’s goals in practice were achieved. “We’ve been working a lot in practice on cutting [the] end line, getting to the end of the field and crossing the ball back,” Jones said. “Our wingers did that really well.” Kung said the coaches have helped support the team’s progress. “We have an amazing coaching staff,” Kung said. “We’re able to get very good one-on-one feedback and … we have great trainers to keep our team healthy, as well as strength … and weight training staff.” Through the guidance of their coaches, Jones said the team prioritizes bonding. “We’re very good about outside of practice doing team bonding,” Jones said. “Our team culture is all about compet[ing], but we’re also about … being goofy

and letting our personalities shine. … So you can see that through our laughing, and our bench is always dancing and having a great time.” The team is scheduled to play an away game at Bates on Oct. 17. Kung said the team is excited for the game. “We’re on a pretty good winning streak,” Kung said. “We had a little bit of a little rough patch with the two ties with … [Connecticut College] and Trinity, but … we’re all feeling very pumped up about everything with the winning streak, and … we’re taking it one game at a time.” The Jumbos have beaten the Bobcats the past three games. Despite their strong performance in the past years, Jones said the team is prepared for a hard game against Bates. “We’re going in pretty confident, but we also, as we’ve seen through a lot of games so far, the NESCAC is all over the place this year,” Jones said. “We’re not going to underestimate them at all. We’re expecting a really hard, competitive game, so we’re just going to go in … [and] practice every day until the game.”

Field hockey solidifies No. 1 ranking with 2–0 victory over Middlebury Leanna DeSousa Staff Writer

There was plenty to celebrate this past weekend on Ounjian field as Tufts’ No. 1-ranked field hockey team beat the No. 2, Middlebury, in a 2–0 victory, making it a perfect senior day. The win also established a record-breaking 16-game win streak for the program, continuing from last season. The Jumbos now have an 11–0 overall record with four games remaining in the regular season, a record that hasn’t been seen by the program since 2008. Additionally, senior goalkeeper Isabel Ginns put on a performance in the cage that earned her a NESCAC Player of the Week recognition — the second consecutive week that a Tufts field hockey player has received this honor. This matchup between the top two teams in the country was long anticipated, as both programs have not only dominated the NESCAC conference but all of Division III field hockey. These two powerhouse programs have won the last eight national championships, Middlebury owning seven and Tufts breaking their streak last season. It has been two years since the Jumbos terminated the Panther’s notorious 43-game win streak.

Middlebury came off of the first whistle ferociously, getting two shots off within the first two minutes of the game. Both attempts were denied by Tufts’ defense, along with a penalty corner and a shot a few minutes later. The rest of the first quarter remained indecisive as both teams held strong. The second period started looking like it would be a repeat of the first. The Panthers controlled possession and had four early looks to cage, which were thwarted by Ginns, the Jumbo defense and the goal post. However, unlike the first

than a minute left, senior forward Reagan Malo intercepted the ball near Middlebury’s goal, passing to sophomore forward Eleanor Helm, who earned the penalty corner. The initial shot by senior defender Claire Casey was blocked but earned the Jumbos another corner. This time, after the insert went to Casey, she passed back to Helm on the baseline, who expertly dodged a defender before sending the ball into the corner of the cage. Tu f t s

took the lead with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter. Tufts picked up in the fourth quarter right where they left off, relentlessly pushing the ball into Middlebury’s half. The sophomores once again delivered, with sophomore forward Scarlett Carpenter taking the ball along the baseline, dodging past multiple defenders to get in front of the cage and bringing the ball backhand to score cleanly around the Middlebury goalkeeper. The remaining 12 minutes of the game showcased the Jumbos’ unyielding defense as the Panthers desperately tried to match the Jumbos’ 2–0 lead. Middlebury had nine shots, all of which were either saved by Ginns or blocked and forced wide by the defenders. Ginns was a brick wall in goal, making five saves in the final quarter alone and nine total throughout the game. quarter, Tufts managed to push Middlebury even pulled out their way into the Middlebury their goalie in exchange for an circle to earn a few scoring extra field player a little more than opportunities in the final minhalfway through the fourth. At one utes of the half. In the last point, the Panthers were two playthree minutes, an impressive ers up because of a green card on offensive effort earned two Helm, but they were still unable penalty corners and four shots to break through the Jumbos’ on goal but was ultimately defense. unsuccessful. This Middlebury resumed their showcase possession for the first of Tufts’ few minutes of the incredthird quarter, getting a i b l e few more fruitless shots, talent JAMIE CHAGNON / THE TUFTS DAILY before back-and-forth against Katarina Villa is pictured during senior day on Oct. 10. play ensued. With less their

closest competition was the perfect way to celebrate the five Jumbo seniors: senior midfielder Katarina Villa, senior midfielder Lilly Ragusa, Malo, Casey and Ginns. Reflecting on her time on the team, Villa wrote: “The coolest part of my Tufts Field Hockey experience has been seeing our team achieve more each year, from reaching the NCAA Elite 8 my freshman year to winning the national championship last year.” As first-years in 2023, the current seniors reached the Elite 8 before falling to Babson. In their sophomore season, the team won their third NESCAC title and made it to their fourth NCAA final, where they fell to Middlebury. Last year, as juniors, they won the program’s second NCAA Championship. “Our success shows how hard work pays off and how each class sets a high standard for the next,” Villa wrote. All eyes are on the Jumbos and their seniors as the regular season starts coming to a close. Remaining No. 1 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s coaches poll for the third consecutive week and with their undefeated record, one can’t help bvaut wonder if the Jumbos will make a repeat of their NCAA run.

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