The Tufts Daily - Thursday, October 8, 2026 - Parent's Weekend

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VOLUME XCIV, ISSUE 5

Welcome, Parents & Families! Fraternities, sororities, administration respond to growing concerns around campus safety Sophie Herron and Justin Katayama Executive Arts Editor and Contributing Writer

Fo l l ow i n g allegations of gang rape against seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University, Tufts fraternities and sororities, including Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Delta Upsilon, Alpha Tau Omega, Thalia and The Ivy, issued statements on social media expressing concern about the case and offering support to students. In addition to their individual posts, Mary Kate Kelley, fraternity and sorority advisor at

Tufts, said in a statement to the Daily that Greek Council leadership discussed the events at Cornell in their meeting on Monday. “It is important to the Fraternity and Sorority Greek Council Leadership that Greek Life and their houses be places where all students are comfortable,” she wrote. “Each group is having conversations about how to ensure that is the case.” ATO President Jackie Brand and DEI Chair Nyapal Chuol circulated a message internally to reset norms and share reporting resources. The fraternity requires members to

complete semesterly trainings, including implicit bias training, social training, hazing workshops and Green Dot training. Tufts implements Green Dot, a national bystander intervention training program, through a student-led group that provides organization-specific training. Maggie Newman and Zara Riaz, Green Dot coordinators at Tufts, said that while no Tufts fraternity is required to receive training, most do voluntarily. Brand said that if any member was accused of sexual misconduct, they would be removed from ATO “no questions asked.”

"[ We will] always side with the person affected, take their word for it, because if something happened, we need to take it 100% seriously, no matter what,” she said. ATO disaffiliated from the national organization in 1974 to become co-ed and distance themselves from certain aspects of fraternity culture, including hazing, exclusivity and acts of sexual assault. Brand said that disaffiliation may make it easier for ATO to prevent sexual misconduct by distancing them from a “hive mind.” However, she emphasized the importance of proper training for all fraternity chapters.

“I think it is absolutely [possible] to have a safe and inclusive culture if you’re still affiliated,” Brand said. “Putting emphasis on the trainings, every brother should know what to do if a situation arises.” Many of ATO’s policies, including risk management training and the creation of a DEI chair, originated in response to accusations of misconduct leveled against Tufts fraternities in 2016. An investigation into Tufts Greek life resulted in the suspension of seven fraternities in 2017 see GREEK LIFE, page 3

Tufts professor’s book among illegally pirated works in Anthropic copyright settlement Girumkal Allehone and Dariush Raissi Contributing Writer and Staff Writer

Professors and scholars nationwide were recently involved in a 2025 class-action settlement over the use of copyrighted books and research to train Anthropic’s artificial intelligence models. The lawsuit, Bartz v. Anthropic, resulted in a ruling that $1.5 billion would be paid to authors and publishers across the country, including Associate Professor Craig Cipolla in the Department of Anthropology at Tufts University, among other academics, primarily in social science and humanities departments. The lawsuit ruled that Anthropic’s use of legally acquired books was protected by fair use, but that Anthropic’s creation of a “central library” of some of these pirated works was not protected under copyright law. The settlement covers materials that were accessed

SOPHIA KHAN / THE TUFTS DAILY

Eaton Hall is pictured on Nov. 19, 2025. through copyright infringement to train models. In Cipolla’s case, he was notified

that Anthropic’s dataset used his 2013 book, “Becoming Brothertown”.

“I was disappointed ... just because [of ] the amount of hours that particular book —

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which is my first book — represents to me,” he said. “My own human hours.” “In one fell swoop, essentially, a company took [the book] and uploaded it to train their AI,” Cipolla added. “It feels like they take it away and use it however they want, forever. They can’t take it out.” Cipolla refrained from naming specific professors but explained his impression was that the impact of this infringement was widespread. “They stole a lot — many, many, many books ... I would say it’s probably more than just tens of people [at Tufts]. I think it’s probably bigger than that, but I could be wrong.” Cipolla explained that using books in AI development has implications beyond copyright law. He felt the case shows how AI use can reduce the need for critical thinking in producing research and writing, especially among students.

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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

Committees Sorsha Khitikian Ethics & Inclusion Chair Zach Halverstam Education Chairs Dylan Tanouye Shea Tomac Social Chair

Production Angelina Moy Josh Solomon Production Directors Jamie Song Executive Layout Editors Diego Rodriguez Caroline Baker Executive Copy Editors Elyssa Cabey Max Lerner Executive Social Media Shea Tomac Managers Keira Krisburg Executive Newsletter Editor

Business Julia Critz Business Director Samantha Mascera Assistant Business Carol Wu Directors Claire Wood Alumni Liaisons Aisha Karim visit tuftsdaily.com/masthead

Founded in 1980, The Tufts Daily is the entirely student-run newspaper of record at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. An editorially and financially independent organization, the Daily’s staff of more than 100 covers news, features, arts and sports on Tufts’ four campuses and in its host communities.

Somerville approves $255,045 for Vision Zero as bike network deadline slips Alex Boyle

Deputy News Editor

Originally published Oct. 6. The Somerville City Council approved more than $250,000 on Sept. 24 for the city’s Vision Zero traffic safety program, drawing on fees collected from transportation companies like Uber and Lyft. The appropriation comes as Somerville’s annual report — as required by the Safe Streets Ordinance — acknowledges that the protected bicycle lane network the city is obligated to complete by 2030 will take longer than that to build. Somerville has not recorded a traffic fatality since 2022, a record that has drawn national attention. In an email to the Daily, Grace Munns, Somerville’s deputy director of communications, called the milestone “encouraging” but said it “requires continued work to sustain.” The money will pay for design and engineering on three projects the city expects to advance in 2027, according to Brad Rawson, Somerville’s director of transportation and infrastructure. The first, the Broadway-Magoun Reconstruction, will rebuild street and sidewalk infrastructure on Broadway roughly between Cedar and Central streets, with construction beginning in 2027 and finishing in 2028. The second and third are quick-build projects installing separated bicycle facilities on Somerville Avenue, as well as on Washington Street. Both are scheduled to begin and finish in 2027. Rawson wrote in an email to the Daily that under the city’s standard delivery model, in-house staff lead community engagement and prepare conceptual designs, while outside consultants produce advanced and final designs. The appropriation supports that later stage of work. According to Munns, the funding supplements the Vision Zero budget, which also draws on the city’s annual operating budget, longterm capital funding and state and federal grants. She wrote that safety improvements are coordinated

alongside utility work and street resurfacing. Vision Zero is an international framework that cities may opt into, committing to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Somerville committed to the framework in September 2017. Ward 3 Councilor Ben EwenCampen, who serves as the council’s liaison to the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, said the approach reframes what streets are for. “Traffic deaths are preventable. Traffic deaths are public health emergencies and should be treated as such,” Ewen-Campen said. Somerville codified their commitment to reducing traffic deaths in the Safe Streets Ordinance, adopted in June 2024. The ordinance requires the city to install all protected bike lanes in the Bicycle Network Plan’s priority network — 28.79 miles as currently mapped — by Dec. 31, 2030. The city’s 2026 Safe Streets Ordinance Annual Report lists 14.83 of those miles as remaining to be built between 2028 and 2030, and notes in several places that staff resources, engagement timelines and project funding will require extending the timeline beyond 2030. The ordinance allows the city a oneyear extension, which it must exercise by March 1, 2029. EwenCampen attributed the delay to rising municipal expenditures rather than any retreat from the policy, e x p re s s i n g

confidence that the network will be completed. “We were not foreseeing that there would be massive interest rate spikes, and that the Winter Hill School would need to be rebuilt,” he said. “If I thought that this slowdown was for political reasons, or for cowardice, then you would hear me saying that clearly.” Alessandra Seiter, who chairs the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, offered a similar account and pointed to the size of the staff carrying out the work. “They are incredible public servants, but there are only eight of them,” Seiter said of the Mobility Division. “The people who work in Mobility are kind of maxed out.” Seiter, who previously sat on the city’s Municipal Compensation Advisory Board, said that the constraint is not based around pay. She said the compensation study reviewed during her term established a $65,000 baseline for city employees and that some Mobility staff have worked there for more than a decade. “There is a certain amount of stability in those roles. I think it’s more so that it is difficult to add positions,” Seiter said.

The city says it is meeting its yearly target for new separated bicycle facilities. In the 2026 annual report, Somerville met the annual benchmark of 3.26 miles of separated facilities specified in the Bicycle Network Plan and the Safe Streets Ordinance. Munns said 3.2 miles are planned for 2026. According to Seiter, public response to the roughly dozen engagement meetings the committee holds each year has been broadly positive, with residents asking for more traffic calming and faster progress. Criticism, she mentioned, tends to focus on parking spaces removed for sidewalk bumpouts or floating bus stops. “We also hear from seniors who I think experience a feeling of unsafety when they are using the sidewalks alongside people who are biking or using scooters,” Seiter said. Seiter said she supports the ridehail fees — a flat $0.20 rate on all rideshares — funding the work. “Most folks who would be taking an Uber or a Lyft ride probably have money to spare for a flat fee or a percentage of their ride to go towards making streets safer for everyone,”

Land Acknowledgement The Tufts Daily office is located on the colonized land of the Massachusett people and within the territories of the Nipmuc and Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) tribes.

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The protected bike lane on Powderhouse Boulevard in Somerville is pictured on Monday. P.O. Box 53018, Medford, MA 02155

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Tufts Greek life responds to Cornell case GREEK LIFE continued from the front and found DU, Delta Tau Delta and Theta Chi responsible for sexual misconduct. “That history is part of our chapter’s story, and we don’t ignore it,” Theta Chi president Kevin Lu said. “Our new member process is now outlined and approved by our advisor at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we’re willing to act early to stay out of bad situations instead of waiting for problems to come to us.” “I don’t know what their policies were back then. I know what ours are now, and I think we do a really good job,” Nolan Marcus, DU vice president of

external affairs, said, adding that there has been no sexual misconduct during his time with DU. “That [2017] incident has put us in not the best light with the school, and rightfully so. And we have to work to earn the trust back.” Today, all DU brothers receive Green Dot and sexual misconduct training. Additionally, DU is a dry house, has sober monitors at every party and screens pledges through an interview process that involves responding to scenarios relating to sexual misconduct. “We are extremely intentional with who we recruit and admit into the fraternity,” Marcus said, emphasizing that DU has a zero tolerance policy

for sexual violence and holds all accused brothers accountable. Layla Eisenzimmer, vice president of operations for Kappa Alpha Theta, wrote in a statement to the Daily that ensuring student safety goes beyond periodic training and public statements condemning misconduct. “Ultimately, I think the question should not be whether Greek Life is inherently safe or inherently unsafe,” she wrote. “It is whether the people and institutions within it are willing to continually examine themselves, hold one another accountable, and make the safety of their members a condition of the community they want to build.”

Yolanda Smith, associate vice president of public safety and chief of police for the Tufts University Police Department, noted that TUPD has officers specially trained to work with survivors of sexual assault and to help students file reports if an incident occurs off campus, should the survivor wish to do so. The Office of Equal Opportunity enforces Tufts’ Sexual Misconduct Policy, which requires first-year undergraduate and graduate students to complete sexual assault prevention models and trains student organizations on university policies and safety resources before social

events. The OEO also supports students through housing changes, academic flexibility, no-contact orders and interim suspensions following the termination of an investigation. “With Halloweekend coming up, I want to remind students to watch out for their friends, especially if they see someone who is intoxicated or incapacitated,” Jill Zellmer, associate vice president and Title IX coordinator of the Office of Equal Opportunity, said. “Be an upstander; call TUPD, check in with someone if you’re concerned or if something doesn’t feel right. And if you’re going off campus to party, don’t leave anyone behind.”

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The Delta Upsilon fraternity house is pictured on Aug. 29.

Professor’s book pirated by Anthropic ANTHROPIC continued from the front Si m i l a r l y, Jo s e p h i n e Wolff, director of the Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs and associate dean for research at The Fletcher School, spoke about the main concerns that arise in academia regarding copyright infringement. “Writing is, for almost every field, an important component of what we do, and that matters from a personal perspective: This is my writing, these are my thoughts and I want them to be attributed to me properly.” Anthropic settled the case instead of going to trial, meaning it never reached a verdict that would set a

legal precedent for other AI companies. “Because we don’t get a legal ruling here, there remains some ambiguity about if I want to build a new LLM and compete with all of the existing ones, am I able to do this?” Wolff said. Additionally, Wolff said preventing copyrighted research from being accessed for training is not straightforward for both future professors and current academics looking to publish. “I guess you could think about which publisher you’re publishing with. ... You could try to find a publisher that doesn’t make any deals with any online or e-book distributors, but it would be pretty extreme,” said Wolff.

The difficulty in addressing and preventing copyright issues is partly rooted in the intense competition within the international AI race, which undermines the importance of copyright infringement. “Chinese companies are still training their models on anything they feel like because they’re not subject to the same set of U.S. laws. Then we’re going to fall behind, and we’re going to lose the AI race. ... There’s sort of a sense [that] this isn’t great from a copyright standpoint, but we’ve got to do it anyway,” Wolff said. Beyond the AI race, another factor in the difficulty of enforcing copyright laws is the immense resources of companies like Anthropic.

“These large corporations, ... this is a drop in the bucket for them. But that book was fundamental to making my career,” Cipolla said. “But they can steal it. They can pay a nominal fee, from their perspective.” Tufts University, for now, has not given any specific guidance or counsel to most professors. However, an AI working group within Tufts has been developing a framework that defines the university’s overall approach to AI, Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts, explained in an email to the Daily. “A clear, centralized framework will help ensure that faculty, staff, and students

can use AI in ways that are consistent with Tufts’ mission and values while supporting innovation, collaboration, and informed decision-making across the institution,” Collins wrote. Collins also pointed out that Tufts libraries have written guidance on publishing and AI. Topics include an explanation of copyright and how authors can retain their rights. Cipolla spoke about the future of open access and how that may become increasingly important in an AI world. “My last book, which was 2024, is an open access book. I think that’s the future ... me giving it to the world rather than someone else stealing it.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

Features As U.S. midterms near, international students vote in home elections Sofia McGee

Contributing Writer

With the 2026 U.S. midterm elections less than a month away, it’s easy to get caught up in domestic politics. But U.S. elections are not the only ones on students’ radar; for the international students who make up 15% of the Tufts University student body, elections often mean finding a way to vote in their home country — a process that tends to be far more challenging than voting domestically. Lenka Smiljanic, a senior from Serbia, has to organize herself well in advance to vote. “It does require a lot of personal motivation and dedication to take time off work to pay for these trips [to the Serbian Consulate] … to be able to vote,” Smiljanic said. Smiljanic’s process starts with applying before the elections and sending paperwork in advance to the consulate where she changes her voting location — a process she repeats each time she votes in an election. Another matter is the difficulty of finding a voting site. "[T]here needs to be at least 100 people who are registered to vote within that specific city or area in order for them to open up a voting site,” Smiljanic said. “There’s no mail-in ballots in Serbia, and so I cannot vote from anywhere in the world and just send a ballot in. I have to physically go to a place where there’s a voting site in order to be able to vote for the Serbian elections.” The closest site to her is the New York Consulate. She explains that they have had a voting site before, while Boston has not, so applying here would risk them not opening one. The government is not guaranteed to open a site even if it receives the necessary registrations. For Smiljanic, this election is too important to take that risk. “Everybody from Boston sent their information to the New York [consulate] and is going to travel down to New York to vote,” Smiljanic said. “Everybody’s paying out of pocket,” she added. Senior Nica Gojan, a dual citizen of Romania and Moldova, faces similar obstacles to accessing voting locations. For her, however, an important difference is that she does not have to vote at a consulate. Both countries open temporary voting sites in seemingly unconventional locations to give diaspora members more options.

“For Moldova, for the past couple of years, [the voting site] used to be at this restaurant called the Moldova Restaurant,” Gojan said. ”[It was] very cool because you go vote and then you can have Moldovan food.” Although these locations were not originally intended for voting, Gojan feels she can trust them because the governments of the respective countries vetted and inspected them. Opening these locations allows voting to take place in the Boston area, but they are still a drive away — usually 40 to 50 minutes from campus. For Gojan and her Romanian and Moldovan friends without cars, it is a burden. But Gojan said the trip is worth it. When asked why she feels it is important to vote while studying abroad, Gojan shared that voting is especially necessary because of the rise of far-right politics across Europe. “We have felt that push coming towards us, especially people in the diaspora,” Gojan said. “It does feel very urgent because we have seen how it played out in different countries, and because it does happen to be an overarching phenomenon. I think we’re all very scared that it might happen to us.” If ever there was a time to vote, Gojan believes it is now. “In Moldova, it’s always been pro-Russia versus pro-EU, and we have had the democratic [pro-EU] president for our last two mandates, which really did change how people view … participating as active citizens and voting and knowing that your voting matters,” Gojan said.

But that has not always been the case. “During the socialist regimes that we’ve experienced, or when the socialist party was in power, people had to be convinced to go vote because they’re like, ‘My vote doesn’t matter.’” Smiljanic similarly feels her vote is worth the extra organizing, especially because of its potential to unseat the Serbian Progressive Party, which has held power for the past 14 years. “These parliamentary elections … seem to be the first time in a long time that we might be able to change something, and they come after almost two years of active student protests and great mobilization of the general public,” Smiljanic said. One example of public mobilization Smiljanic described is a student initiative to compile a list of public representatives or experts in their fields to run as an independent, non-party option. These professionals are not representatives of political parties, but they recognize the importance of the student protest movement — a movement with far-reaching impacts that has allowed Smiljanic to find community with other members of the Serbian diaspora living in Boston. “I think it gave people a way to realize that they’re not alone, and there’s a lot of people in their surrounding that still care about their country and that there [are] reasons why we moved out

of Serbia, but that doesn’t mean that we are not affected by and not a part of the society back there,” Smiljanic said. For senior Zayyan Abbas, who voted in the last Bangladeshi election by mail while studying abroad in London, voting is about civic engagement. “I feel like voting is your minimum civic responsibility. And I think most Bangladeshis would agree with the sentiment, we don’t trust a single politician,” Abbas said. “It’s a weird culture shock in America because it does seem like people care about their politicians, or they trust them inherently.” However, mistrust in the federal government is widespread among Americans as well. According to the Pew Research Center, only 16% of the American public say they trust the federal government always or most of the time. When asked to describe their feelings about politics, only 2% use positive terms while 79% use negative words, with “divisive” and “corrupt” coming up most frequently. Voting is where action begins for Abbas, but he thinks it should not stop there. For him, continuing to question those in power and engage critically with politics is necessary. Junior Amos Tiyo, who will participate in Kenyan elections for the first time in 2027, also believes in the importance of voting in his home country. “Of course, you would think about your constitutional right to vote, right?

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Because it’s something that you would want to do. Also, you’re trying to be patriotic. You’re trying to help in the best interest of the country, because you want to see these changes as well,” Tiyo said. “So putting [these reasons] together, they are motivations of wanting to also do something and be part of a change, if a change happens at all.” When thinking about improving the voting process, Abbas said there are certainly changes that can be made. For him, registering to vote was relatively easy because he already had his National ID and was in a large capital city for the last election. Still, he noted that this is not the case for everyone. “Having a National ID is a difficult process that a lot of people haven’t gone through, so I think that was probably a limiting thing for some people,” Abbas said. As for voting in Moldova and Romania, Gojan points out that the respective governments are getting better at reaching out to people and communicating voting information. But to a large degree, voters need to learn about steps on their own. “We can do so much better at this in terms of disseminating information [and] making sure that it’s a streamlined process,” Gojan said. Given that significant populations of Moldova and Romania are in diasporic communities, she believes it is important to improve these systems even more. Gojan also said the government should focus more on education about the voting process. “Moldova has been increasingly taking more steps of [putting] electoral simulations in high school. But it’s always an extracurricular thing; it’s never a mandatory thing. So it doesn’t get to everyone, unfortunately,” Gojan said. While voting processes vary considerably between countries and can be improved, the effort to vote despite these challenges remains steadfast. Whether out of a sense of civic duty, hoping to change the status quo, or holding strong so the tide does not change, students all said voting lets citizens use their voice and engage actively in their communities. “You want to be part of the generation that want[s] to make a change and that’s mostly the motivation. That’s the driving force,” Tiyo said.

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‘I know more about psychology than I do about law’: Alex Spiro’s path from Tufts to the courtroom Gabrielle Levine

Contributing Writer

In April 2015, Thabo Sefolosha, then-forward for the Atlanta Hawks, found himself out of the playoffs after a police encounter outside of a nightclub left him with a broken leg. Although Sefolosha was initially charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, he was offered a deal that would have avoided a criminal record. Instead, he was adamant about going to trial to clear his name — leading to the acquittal of all three charges. Immediately following the verdict, Sefolosha embraced his defense attorney, Alex Spiro. Spiro (LA’05) describes this as one of the memories he looks back on the most as a lawyer. As a current partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Spiro has made a prominent name for himself as a trial lawyer. Besides Sefolosha, he has represented many high-profile clients, including Elon Musk, Jay-Z and Naomi Osaka. He describes himself as having worked in almost every area of litigation. Despite his argumentative nature, Spiro did not grow up planning to be a lawyer; on the

contrary, he expected to head to medical school after graduating from Tufts. Spiro majored in psychology, studying behavioral psychology and biopsychology. He worked in labs where he studied both students and animals. His interest in why people act the way they do continues to shape how Spiro works in business, in courtrooms and across all areas of his life. “I think I know more about psychology than I do about law,” Spiro said. When it came to choosing a college, Spiro knew he had to stay near Boston due to familial circumstances. Spiro said that at Tufts, something clicked for him academically — something he did not experience in high school. He explained that Tufts caused this “aha moment,” making him feel indebted to the school. "[My time at Tufts] was a fun, enjoyable and energizing experience,” Spiro said. When Spiro wasn’t doing schoolwork, he volunteered his time at McLean Hospital during all four years of college. He assisted in the adolescent treatment facility, providing an extra set of hands for the staff, working with the patients and

providing a perspective from someone closer in age who could relate to the kids. He became the supervisor within the adolescent treatment facility, leading to him working overnight shifts and attending class the following mornings. After Spiro graduated summa cum laude from Tufts, he continued to work at McLean and started learning more about people with various autism-related syndromes. He was able to understand the ingenuity of the human mind and how people with these syndromes navigate life differently. He eventually developed a children’s program to get social pragmatic training for kids on the autism spectrum. While running this program, Spiro became more experienced in advocacy and management. His mentors at the hospital took note of this, telling Spiro that his skillset was leading him in a different direction. “You are not a scientist — you are an advocate, a leader,” Spiro recalled being told. Spiro went on to attend Harvard Law School, realizing he wanted to be able to make change directly through the law. From his courses, he developed a specific interest in trial law, practicum and

Alex Spiro is pictured following the arraignment of then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams in Sept. 2024.

advocating for people. He also gained trial experience through volunteering to represent homeless people on their social security benefits. As a lawyer, Spiro knew he wanted to contribute to ‘changethe-world’ types of work because advocacy energizes him. While he began his career as a prosecutor, he now describes himself as a trial lawyer and litigator. For Spiro, psychology helps his job every day. “The world is not black and white — it’s gray and nuanced,” Spiro said. “If you understand the subjects of the scenario, you can better understand why they did what they did.” Because of his profile, Spiro has to be selective with the cases he chooses to represent. He makes it a point to take on cases that he feels passionate about. While he has worked on many high-profile cases, Spiro explained that he also makes it a priority to work on pro bono cases as well as civil justice cases. When preparing for his cases, Spiro likes to start his process backward. He poses what he wants the result of the case to be, whether a resolution or trial, and then works backward from there on his argument points.

When working with high-profile individuals, Spiro has to make sure he gets his points across in his own way. “People are complicated. A lot of clients are not used to people pushing back on them, and I push back on them pretty hard,” Spiro said. In terms of the public spotlight that follows with some of these cases, Spiro stays very confident in his own arguments. He accepts this spotlight as a part of the job and tries to tune it out, instead focusing on framing his case in the way he wants to. Spiro believes his honesty is what makes him a successful attorney. “I tell my clients the truth, and I think I’m an okay litigator and trial lawyer,” said Spiro. In the future, Spiro plans to tackle certain social justice issues, one of them being women’s rights; however, he is still exploring what he can do with his life and with his career outside of law. For any students unaware of what their next move may be, Spiro’s story is a reminder that life paths often don’t unfold as expected — and, according to Spiro, “Tufts is a good place to find where you want to go.”

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ARTS & POP CULTURE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

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ARTS & POP CULTURE Artist Mary Mattingly explores commoning Tufts’ campus ecology Evan Kelly Staff Writer

Mary Mattingly’s visual art tackles more than some would ever think is possible. Mattingly, a New York-based interdisciplinary artist, has begun working with The Center for Humanities at Tufts in the University Ecologies and the Question of the Commons project to imagine the future of the campus as a commons. “For a long time I’ve been trying to work at the intersection of art and ecology, with a focus on climate, and sometimes that means living structures,” Mattingly said. “I like to say that I intentionally co-create ecological living systems that people can partake in in some way. They’re usually interdependent, so you need some inputs to allow them to work and see them function.” One of Mattingly’s works, “Swale,” is a barge-based floating food forest in New York City which was open to the public for foraging. The project was initiated in 2016 in opposition to a long-standing NYC Parks Department rule against foraging and helped catalyze the city’s first public “foodway” for legal foraging in the Bronx. Right before the COVID-19 pandemic, Silvia Bottinelli, a teaching professor at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, reached out to interview Mattingly about “Swale” while working on a book about artists’ work with food. Bottinelli recognized the work as a good case study for SMFA students, and Mattingly accepted an invitation from Bottinelli to come and talk with the students. A couple of years later, Bottinelli, along with Alex Blanchette, associate professor of anthropology, pursued a Mellon Foundation grant for the three-year University Ecologies and the Question of the Commons project, which is hosted by the Center for the Humanities at Tufts. The project explores re-commoning the ecological monocultures that have been developed by American universities. At the beginning of the project, Bottinelli and Blanchette invited Mattingly to be on a panel around food and farming, which took place on April 10. When there was an opening for a longer-term position as a visiting artist, Mattingly jumped at the opportunity. “I was thrilled at the chance to apply because it had all of the things that I hope for when doing a project, which is lots of

Artist Mary Mattingly is pictured.

involvement,” she said. “So it starts as one idea, but then it gets to iterate and change the more people contribute to it.” “The question I’m starting my time off with here is: If universities helped build and circulate the agricultural systems that we have now, what role might they play in cultivating the systems that we now need?” Mattingly said, speaking at the Hoch Cunningham Environmental Lecture on Sept. 10. The project in question is a developing proposal for an accessible, edible perennial landscape, with the lawn southwest of Bromfield-Pearson Hall currently being considered as a location. Such an installation — even in the form of portable gardens — could serve as a place for gathering and teaching, and would be an experiment in what can grow on campus and “what relationships and responsibilities might grow with it.” The work draws upon Mattingly’s work at the Pratt Institute: a small series of ‘public spheres’ — temporary, geodesic dome structures, built and rebuilt by students each semester, which serve as flexible classrooms and spaces for students to organize community events and have become a space for agroforestry work. Since the beginning of her residency, Mattingly has worked with other fellows at the Center for the Humanities to see how their research can feed into this work, as well as leading design charrettes. Beginning with two larger-scale design charrettes on the lawn at Bromfield-Pearson in September, the public was invited to help with visioning for the proposal. Now, interested participants have been broken into smaller groups of three to five people, working on specific areas of exploration, like the plant species that could be grown or the architecture and design of the proposal. “This lawn design is definitely a work in progress, and I think that the process itself of getting to a final design and staging, I hope, can reveal how different members of the Tufts community could envision outdoor campus spaces,” Mattingly said. The first design sessions already revealed integral ideas from the participants, including creating a windbreak from passing vehicles and engaging neighbors with and without Tufts affiliations with different seating arrangements. Mobile planters, something Mattingly “had hoped would continue through the design,” and an arch — possibly

made by repurposing geodesic dome pieces from an SMFA class — would be core components of the design. Now, Mattingly is working with students from the Tufts Architecture and Design Society to develop a design out of these concepts. “I came into this project thinking that I would love to co-build more public food forests, because I think that is a way to bring people from outside campus [to campus], but it’s also a form of food security and something that students can learn from and enjoy,” Mattingly said. “What I learned was there’s a lot more that people want than that, and I think it has to do with just convening and having space that people feel is accessible on the lawn. ... There [were] equal amounts of excitement around being together, and I was thinking of it more as an access point. It’s made me really reconsider the importance of those other spaces that are outside the classroom but you feel welcomed into.” As the design process continues, Mattingly is meeting with faculty and staff to explore the logistical roadmap to get the necessary permissions for an eventual installation. She is hoping to submit a permit proposal and collect more materials over the next few weeks, and start building components later this month. Her goal is to finish the building this November, while continuing outreach as part of the building process. The installation built this fall would be installed when the weather warms next April, at which point it can be evaluated in practice. “If people are excited about it, hopefully it can stay,” Mattingly said. “The permit proposal that we’d like to submit for is one to four years, and from there we can test again and see if anything needs to change.” “Everybody who I’ve talked with is pretty excited to be involved, and I think that there aren’t that many opportunities to sometimes actually make something,” Mattingly said. “A lot of the students and professors I’ve talked with have said, ‘Maybe this could be part of a future class? How could it continue into the future?’ So I think really thinking about the long-term plan has been something that has come out of the process for me.” As Mattingly continues her collaborative work through November, the University Ecologies project continues to host public events exploring and rethinking agricultural and food systems across disciplines, scheduled every week for the rest of the fall.

COURTESY PRATT INSTITUTE

Terrific Tea

Samyra vs. Cardi B

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Zoey Qin

t might seem bizarre that a popular online influencer and platinum-record rapper would ever interact, but in the chaos of social media, anything is possible. A Harvard graduate with over 2.3 million followers on TikTok, plus-size influencer Samyra Miller’s catchphrase is “If it look like you can fit it, then you better go and get it.” This succinctly encapsulates Samyra’s attitude on her platform, which is to encourage the plus-size community and staunchly oppose fatphobia in America. Despite her many accomplishments (including a published “Forever 21 Diss” and a cover of “Defying Gravity”), Samyra has gained both fame and notoriety in recent months for her blunt, controversial discussions of fatphobia. In August 2026, Samyra posted a series of TikToks pointing out the innate anti-fat message of The Cheesecake Factory’s “Skinnylicious” menu. By combining the words “skinny” and “delicious,” she argued, the Cheesecake Factory uplifted skinny bodies while implying fat individuals were lesser. While Samyra’s message was clear to many of her existing followers, some viewers believed she complained too much about menu jargon rather than focusing on the world’s “more important” problems. Samyra’s critics have extended this philosophy to the battle against fatphobia as a whole, contending that the things Samyra considers fatphobic are merely normalizing healthy bodies. Though a few sentences cannot capture the nuances of fatphobia (and the backlash people like Samyra receive simply for standing up against it), the resulting online discussion has sparked genuine conversations about intersectionality. More importantly, it has also rekindled a year-long feud between Samyra and Cardi B. Cardi B likely needs little introduction; known for her diamond-certified songs like “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It,” she is a pioneer for women of color in the rap space. In August 2025, however, she was caught under fire for jokingly calling some of her fans “fat” for selling out the larger sizes of her merchandise. At the time, Samyra posted a video criticizing Cardi B, which is not new; Samyra has built a significant part of her platform around highlighting comments she considers fatphobic when she sees them. But Cardi B responded with a TikTok, irritatedly dismissing Samyra as overly sensitive. That was over a year ago. Now, the drama has resurfaced, both because Cardi B’s response video has gone viral and because Samyra has launched a lengthy slew of videos criticizing Old Navy for partnering with Cardi B in a sponsorship, considering Cardi B’s supposed history of fatphobia. It may be tempting to summarize the feud as superficial Internet business, but the question remains: Who is right? There is still no clear-cut ethical answer, mostly because Western society is still evolving in its ideas of diet culture and body positivity. In fact, the harder conclusion to swallow may be that both sides have some validity: Cardi B’s comment could have been insensitive, and Samyra’s prolonged reaction could be inflammatory. Regardless, as the tea boils over, it remains up to our discretion who we support. Zoey Qin is a first-year who has yet to declare a major. You can reach Zoey at zoey. qin@tufts.edu

THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

ARTS & POP CULTURE

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Goethe String Quartet performs for Granoff’s 20th anniversary Sarin Chaimattayompol Deputy Arts Editor

On Oct. 2, the Goethe String Quartet performed at Distler Performance Hall in the Granoff Music Center, playing Michael Gilbertson’s “Striking Distance,” William David Cooper’s “Skizzen” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2.” The Goethe String Quartet takes its name from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who described quartets as “a conversation between four intelligent people.” The four performers include violinists Luke Hsu and Laura Rickard, violist Marthe Husum and cellist Rainer Crosett. Each is an accomplished soloist with international recognition. As a quartet, they have performed across the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe, playing repertoire from the standard canon to contemporary works. Within the Greater Boston area, the quartet has performed in Wayland, Mass. and Wellesley, Mass. as part of its 2025 American Tour. At Wayland, they premiered Cooper’s “Notturno,” Eun Young Lee’s “Non Più Mesta” and Reinaldo Moya’s “Farbkreis” alongside Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 15 Op. 132.” On Oct. 2 at Tufts, they played works by Gilbertson, an associate professor of composition at Berklee, and Cooper, a lecturer in the Department of Music at Tufts University. Gilbertson writes music that critics have called “elegant,” “vivid, tightly woven,” “delectably subtle” and a “compelling fusion of new and ancient.” His compositions made him one of three

finalists for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music; and ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and the choir, The Crossing, have performed his work. Gilbertson’s “Striking Distance” plays with drama and contrast, and, as a whole, sounds akin to a film score, though not one for a single film. I found myself picturing pieces of it as separate scenes. The piece seems to value unpredictability above all else. The dissonance is jarring, but in a way that evokes mystery and the unknown. No two sections neatly resemble each other, and yet the whole piece holds together nicely. The resulting effect is a dynamic, yet memorable piece. Cooper is best known for his vocal and choral music, including his opera “Hagar and Ishmael”; its “richly soaring vocal lines” have been praised by critics. His commissioned works include “St. Luke Passion” and “Requiem” for St. Peter’s Church in New York City, and his work has been presented by Fort Worth Opera and West Edge Opera. He collaborated with the Goethe String Quartet for his 2025 premiere of “Notturno.” Cooper’s newly released “Skizzen” takes its inspiration from the intervallic progressions of John McDonald, a Tufts emeritus professor of music, who was in the audience Friday night. While introducing his piece, Cooper described the ending as “sort of the anti-climax of the piece. It builds and builds, and it suddenly arcs high.” Another source of inspiration was his brother. “This [piece] is a kind of reflection on my brother who went through a difficult experience this summer,” Cooper said.

COURTESY OF RICHIE KYAW

The Goethe String Quartet is pictured. Listening to the quartet play “Skizzen,” I felt an almost unending tension. The plucked strings, interval progressions and harmonics lend the piece an eerie quality. At the time, it was difficult to know whether the tension would break or continue. It did not end. The concluding section, as Cooper foreshadowed in his introduction, is anticlimactic. The audience is left with a harmonic grace note in the air. Perhaps the arrangement speaks to the larger theme of conflict when there is no resolution. The final piece contrasts with the earlier contemporary pieces

before it. The quartet played all four movements of Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2”: Allegro, Molto Adagio, Allegretto and Finale. The first movement opens with nervous energy, beginning softly and swelling louder to heighten the anxiety and keep listeners hooked. The second movement washes that unease away. The Quartet gave it a lush and calm performance, and yet the movement of the players on stage remained dynamic. The third movement is lighter and livelier, though its E minor key hints at the underlying uneasiness from the previous two movements. To

end the night, Finale was bouncy, playful and extroverted. Its notes were short and detached, and there was constant movement throughout the piece, among the players and the audience, ending the night with a standing ovation. The Goethe String Quartet’s concert was part of the Granoff Music Center’s 20th anniversary season, which continues this fall with a colloquium series and concerts. Upcoming events include “A Journey Home with the Khmer Urban Ballet” on Oct. 21 and “The ‘Making Of’ the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center” on Oct. 26.

Somos: A cutout of Hispanic creativity engraved on paper Alonso Bocanegra Contributing Writer

Empanadas, Latin music and materials like magazines, newspapers and markers flooded the tables. Regarded as one of the more ‘niche’ Tufts University clubs, Somos shares its expertise in making mini zines with its latest annual “Zine Workshop” event, carrying the heartfelt fruit of Hispanic culture along with it. The event offered students an opportunity to explore artistic expression while connecting with

others through a shared interest in art and culture. Before the workshop began, the board members introduced Somos’ history and plans. The student organization promotes pan-Latinx consciousness and solidarity in the Tufts community through creative events, including its zine workshop, fashion shows and an end-of-the-year art exhibit. Founded in 2023, Somos began as a zine created by a student completing an independent study in the Department of

A collage poster from Somos Zine is pictured.

COURTESY SOMOS

Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora; now, Somos publishes its final zine every year. Historically, zines — small self-published booklets often combining writing and visual art — started in science fiction, then appeared throughout the punk movement and are now common in many genres, such as feminism and queer media. Mariana Porras, co-editor-in-chief of Somos Zine, said the club’s appeal began with its founder. “I saw [the founder at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University], and she told me, ‘Oh, I’m printing the first issue.’ … So I started to help her through that, and then the next year she contacted me, and she was like, ‘Hey, I think we’re gonna make it a real club,’” Porras said. “I think that was the main draw, just having [the founder] who drew me in.” Since then, Somos has provided a space for Porras to connect with other students through art and writing. She said she appreciates meeting people who share her interest and cultural background.

“It’s always nice to see new people [who] are also interested in art and writing, [who] are also part of the Latino community,” she said. “It’s nice to find people that I can relate to.” Porras said working with different materials allows students to express themselves in different ways while bringing people together in a shared environment. “It’s really nice to see how everyone thinks differently through materials,” she said. “The objective is for people to get together in a different environment because doing craft[s] together always unites people.” Ramon Suzuki Lopez, co-editor-in-chief of Somos Zine, said the club represents a significant part of today’s political ecosystem. “It’d be really cool to just build solidarity within people of color based on art, especially with all the things that are going on in the news,” Lopez said. “I think art is very political, and so I think building [a] coalition based on art across ethnicities and racial groups is really, really important at this time.” For future events, Somos’ co-editors plan to collaborate

with other clubs to unify and build a community with a shared interest in art. “We’re planning three different events as of now. [We’re collaborating] with the Digital Fabrication Club at SMFA, so we can make prints, and also with Print Club, so we can have a workshop on how to print. ... We’re also talking to Onyx, the literature magazine by the Black community at Tufts,” Porras said. “One of the goals that I’ve been working on is interconnectedness with ... other [like] organizations and groups on campus,” Lopez said. “We’ve been talking about having a Black and Latinx art mixer.” Maitane Cordova, a first-year who attended the workshop, said the event created an inviting atmosphere that allowed her to express her creativity. “I thought it was really cool to be able to express ourselves creatively like this,” she said. “It’s something different that I haven’t done before, but it was really nice.” Through the specific art of zine-making, Somos continues to foster creativity, cultural expression and community at Tufts.

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THE TUFTS DAILY

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THE TUFTS DAILY

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Key Players

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The call is coming from inside the house Harper Stone and Sophie Penenberg

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ver the past year or so, we’ve spent a lot of time with https://wordsearchlabs.com/view/1874052 all of you Tufts students, listening to all the problems in your lives. We’ve heard about every roommate feud, every ambiguous “so what are we?” conversation, and every friendship debacle. But this weekend, as the campus fills with excited parents wearing Tufts sweatshirts they bought forty minutes ago, we’re turning to the people who raised you, and who, we can only assume, are responsible for all of this. We did some outreach: a few emails, some awkward phone calls, and a text blast to every parent we know. And let me tell you, they had a lot to say. iew/1874052 Q: I’m paying for a degree in biology, and my son just told me he “might” switch to theater. Do I panic now or wait until it’s official? A: Definitely panic now. However, we think there is a gentle way to approach this conversation. Instead of telling him that the world has enough starving artists, maybe ask him what’s pushing him towards this decision. Everyone thinks they can be the next Lin-Manuel Miranda in college, but trust us, we’ve seen enough 24-hour musicals to know that that’s not the case. You could encourage

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him to join one of the student theater groups where theater could be more of a hobby than a career move. And if biology just isn’t cutting it, there are plenty of majors in the sea. Q: Why does my child keep saying they need a “DTD” wristband? Is DTD a band? A: Great question. The packs of 500 wristbands that keep popping up in your Amazon account do indeed serve a purpose. DTD is, in fact, a fraternity whose greatest contribution to campus culture may be convincing thousands of students every year that a 3-cent strip of plastic is a highly coveted status symbol. Without it, your child may be forced to endure the humiliation of attending a subpar frat party—as if they aren’t all subpar. Q: My son’s girlfriend has basically moved into his dorm, and now they want to spend winter break together at our house. Same room? Separate rooms? Do I have to have The Talk with a 20-year-old? A: We’re definitely past the point of “The Talk.” For now, a simple reminder to use protection will do. As for this break, that may be a bigger conversation. But more importantly, how much do you like this girl? Because if she’s already living in his dorm room, winter break may be a trial run for a new daughter-in-law. Q: My kid dropped a casual “my situationship and I…” into conversation, and I smiled and nodded like I knew what that meant. Do I ask, or keep pretending? A: We get it, Gen Z lingo can be confusing. For that reason, we’re going to offer you a rapid-fire rundown on some of the words your child may toss into conversation.

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N G C A N N O N W B M V E T U F T O N I A R N W S N P N N G Y W L O W H C M E D F O R D N W A I A E P JA Jumbo P K Weekend K F U N L L C L H N PG C NA NCN OBN WNB MTV A Z L E L E SE PNT PU HNF NTAGO YNNWI LATOR WNNHW N E W F U B AC UEM PE JJD PFXKO KRWFD UNCNW LAILI D R J C P Z EC SLL EH ZPP HNUAC NBWTN NTINA EZWWL B P T P T I F SU B CU JHX WMC IWD RMJ L Z E C P Z S Z U W I W B P T G O D P DT I AS CRH MDW MBL ZSE U N K G O D D A R D B S U N K D A R D BA R YB YAA WWK OKE QOX E Q X

Difficulty Level: Finding a chair in the Residential Quad 9. Medford 10. Walnut 11. Tuftonia

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Maya: “I’m giving him the benefit of8the doubt.” Julian: “Can’t be doing that with men.”

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GRAPHIC BY ISRAEL HERNANDEZ Rizz: Urban Dictionary defines “rizz” as spitting game or one’s ability to pull b*tches. To put it in terms that may be more familiar to you, your child is getting a lot of play. Sus: Short for “suspicious” — this word is used to describe a person, behavior, or situation that seems dishonest, shady, or untrustworthy. Feel free to use this word when your kid leaves the house with bottles clinking from their tote bag. Slink: Contrary to popular belief, this does not, in fact, mean “sex link.” The word is derived from the term “sneaky link,” which refers to a secret romantic or casual sexual partner whom you meet up with on the “down-low,” keeping the connection quiet and off social media. Ate: To do something exceptionally well, nail a task, or look incredible. Used in a sentence, one could say, “You ate with that.”

Hard launch: An announcement of a romantic relationship specifically through Instagram, probably plotted for weeks. Not to be confused with the “Soft launch” where your child posts a photo of someone’s hand, back, or just flowers, through increasingly 1/1 obvious “clues”. And last but not least… Situationship: A romantic or sexual connection that lacks a formal label, clear commitment, or a defined future. AKA: every parent’s worst nightmare. Q: What is Jumbocash, and why does my child keep saying they need more? A: Ah, Jumbocash — the number one way to scam your parents out of money. My freshman year, I told my mother that Jumbocash was solely for laundry, which made her more inclined to fund my $7 lattes from The Sink every day. Because we believe that

Interested in submitting a puzzle? Reach out to production@tuftsdaily.com.

we Tufts students are entitled to a little secrecy, we are going to refrain from answering this question and say that Jumbocash is a necessary and vital thing. If your child’s account is low, it is your duty to fill it right back up. Q: Is it acceptable to track my child’s location in college? A: Unless it is a matter of safety, we implore you to ease off and let this 18+ individual make their own choices. Preferably choices you aren’t watching in real time from your couch. Your desire to track them stems from deep mistrust. And why should they trust you if you don’t trust them? Harper is a junior studying biopsychology and can be reached at harper.stone@tufts.edu. Sophie is a junior studying community health and can be reached at sophia.penenberg@ tufts.edu.

THE TUFTS DAILY

OPINION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

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OPINION The boogeyman of the performative reader Henry Max

Deputy Opinion Editor

When you think of the term ‘performative reading,’ what do you picture? If you’re like me, it’s probably someone sitting in a coffee shop, wearing a chunky sweater, boots and wiry glasses, reading “The Bell Jar,” “Infinite Jest” or “The Metamorphosis,” sipping matcha. The connotation is certainly not a positive one. The term ‘performative reading’ has popped up in the last five or so years with the growth of celebrity book clubs and the influence of ‘BookTok.’ People are becoming inclined to signal that they read, and more importantly, have good taste, in the hopes of accruing social capital. This has gamified the practice of reading and, specifically, reading for pleasure, which is already precipitously declining among America’s youth. So, as reading rates have continued to plummet over the last five years during the era of so-called ‘performative reading,’ serious literature has been demonized as ‘performative.’ Our current cultural landscape assumes that social recognition is the primary motivation for reading altogether. In a culture dominated by short-form content, the very notion of ‘performative reading’ has been taken and run with as the main

incentive for reading. This has led one blogger to blatantly declare, “I wouldn’t date a man reading ‘Catcher in the Rye.’” Why would we decry someone who wants to read a book at a time when people aren’t reading? It strikes me as remarkably counterintuitive to construe reading as a commodified token of status, because it takes an anti-intellectual culture as a foregone conclusion. The idea that someone reads only to show off their good taste is just a straw man created by a culture that is increasingly unread. If what we entertain ourselves with has a seemingly ever-growing influence on serious sociopolitical decisions, then we have all the more reason to promote rather than debase a mode of entertainment that increases human empathy at a time when that is progressively harder to come by. Look, some people flip to one page of “Pride and Prejudice” and linger there as they nurse a latte, hoping their crush finds their ‘reading’ habits attractive. But the extent to which this concept has been adopted over the last five years online has blown it way out of proportion. Even if someone starts to read because they think it makes them more attractive, or because they think it will make them look cool, who cares? Isn’t that why people act, dress and behave certain ways anyway? Why does it matter why

VIA PICKPICK

A person is pictured reading. someone starts reading, so long as they’re doing it? The main problem with ridiculing purely performative reading is that it may have a counterintuitive effect. The blogger who really hates “Catcher in the Rye” has a valid fear that our lack of media literacy means that men who read the book may “overly identify” with its proto-incel protagonist, Holden Caulfield. However, treating this misinterpretation as a foundational assumption is not only cynical but also a reductive way of thinking about reading. The implication is that because people have not been properly

taught to interpret literature, we shouldn’t try at all. I reject this notion. If an anti-intellectual culture has produced a somewhat illusory conception of the average reader — of which there are dwindling numbers — as more driven by social posturing than anything, what better way to combat it than to genuinely engage the literature people purport others to be reading performatively? Honest discussion of a book’s central ideas is the best way to avoid such straw men from popping up in the future. Weaponized incompetence on the part of a culture

that lashes out at the first display of intellectual activity is not. Discussion demystifies a text, presenting it as something anyone can engage with. These works are not always impossibly dense, rigorously academic objects of study. If it were this perceived barrier of entry that made it seem impossible to honestly discuss these works without being performative, then it is discussion that can help make reading feel more accessible. If schools did not teach us media literacy, the next best thing we can do is try to teach it to ourselves.

Is the ‘Ozempic Epidemic’ here to stay? Jachin Lam

Opinion Editor

Originally published Sept. 22. Women’s bodies have always been subject to waves of trends, but this year’s ‘Ozempic epidemic’ has brought them back to the forefront of public discourse. Widespread discussions online have noted the changing physical appearances of various celebrities, especially Ariana Grande, in conjunction with conversations about the prominence of GLP-1 drugs. Originally developed to lower blood sugar levels in diabetes patients, several of these medications have been approved by the FDA for weight loss. GLP-1s have become especially accessible and normalized, with drugstores like Walgreens and CVS promoting their use. Increasing GLP-1 usage has prompted varied responses, ranging from public praise for celebrities’ ‘healthier’ appearances to criticism of celebrities who use GLP-1s

instead of losing weight the ‘traditional way.’ In conversations surrounding GLP-1 drugs, some of the buzz has become a witch-hunt to deduce which celebrities seemed to have used Ozempic or other medications for drastic weight loss. Terms like “Ozempic face” and “Ozempic bodies” have become widespread across the Internet. To me, the ‘Ozempic epidemic’ indicates that the notion of an ideal body type never went away, even after social movements focused on body positivity. The way we, as women or as a society, have viewed our own or others’ bodies is still plagued by these prejudices. Conversations around GLP-1 usage often center on Ariana Grande’s appearance, with many people pointing out her apparent drastic weight loss. Online comments like “Don’t comment on peoples bodies’ soon y’all will be commenting on peoples corpses” highlight a true concern people have for Grande’s wellness. There are also other posts that want to

hold Grande accountable for her appearance, with comments like “I think it’s extremely worrying that young girls will begin to see this as a beauty standard to try to achieve.” The statements seem to ignore the fact that we, the public, know nothing about these individuals’ private lives. “I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies,” Grande said, addressing the concerns on TikTok. “The body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body. I was on a lot of antidepressants … and eating poorly,” she added. The public reaction to her appearance has affected Grande so much that she has withdrawn from the upcoming revival of the musical “Sunday In The Park with George.” She made the announcement as part of her decision to take a break from the spotlight. After the announcement, she stated on tour that “I heard my fans were worried negativity was ruining things for me but … that could not be more

than the opposite.” She added that “boundaries need to be set, human beings do need a break sometimes.” If she is indeed suffering from some kind of eating disorder, these overwhelming and critical comments would not help her in any way. In fact, the public’s spotlighting seemed to have even worsened her mental health. Some may not have been malicious, but there is a lack of sensitivity in these public conversations. Meghan Trainor, a singer-songwriter famous for promoting selflove and body positivity in the 2010s, including in her hit song “All About That Bass,” has also been in the spotlight for her use of GLP-1 medications. Recently, many have noted that she seems to have lost a significant amount of weight. In 2025, she gave a “shoutout” to Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection used to treat type 2 diabetes, for helping her after her second pregnancy. My critique is not necessarily about her weight loss journey. These celebrities likely have the

financial resources to employ a team of nutritionists, doctors and personal trainers to support their health. Yet, Trainor’s entire brand and image was built around promoting curves. Her case highlights a key issue with the era of body positivity, which is that many people — especially celebrities at the forefront of the social movement — don’t seem to believe their own message. Ultimately, the notion that the ideal body type is skinny persists. The issue with the ‘Ozempic epidemic’ is that the public seems consistently unable to converse about people’s bodies, especially women’s. The use of GLP-1s also underscores that societal expectations and outlooks still shape how we view our own bodies, even among those who have promoted the acceptance of different-looking body types. Indeed, we have generally moved away from the toxic female body standards of the 2000s, but with the progression and normalization of Ozempic-like GLP-1 drugs, the future seems unclear.

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.

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OPINION

Through Indigenous Eyes

The consequences of a ‘bad’ education

O

Sorsha Khitikian

n Sept. 20, journalist Nikole HannahJones followed up on a piece she published in 2016 reflecting on her choice to enroll her Black daughter in an underresourced, underfunded New York public school with a predominantly Black student population. Hannah-Jones’ journalistic focus is on the inequality of education in the United States, and her own educational experiences speak to how entrance into interracial, higher-funded schools gave her a promising education that she has leveraged to access higher education, a promising career and a middle-class lifestyle. Even so, she made the conscious choice to send her daughter to an underfunded school because, however naively, she believed that using her money to

THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

support such a school would raise educational quality for all kids in the school, not just her own. When she published the initial article, there was a widespread reckoning with issues of individual advancement and community needs. While Black people who receive opportunities to ‘escape’ the cycle of poverty through access to better schools gain social capital, the community they have ‘escaped from’ is left to sit with the reality of continued segregation and a lack of monetary support. But Hannah-Jones’ new article shows that her rather altruistic choice did not raise the school’s quality and, according to her daughter, she made the wrong choice. Now, she goes to a predominantly white, highly-regarded public high school where she initially struggled due to gaps in her previous education. These questions of individual versus community needs are also heavily affecting Native communities across the United States. I’ve written before about how the education system is designed for Indigenous students to fail. Indigenous students are suspended at higher rates and drop out at higher rates than any other racial group in the United States. Like Hannah-Jones notes, segregation and isolation is a major source of

educational inequality. Forty percent of Indigenous people live in rural areas, and 13% live on reservations. For Indigenous students, this might mean long commutes to a public school in their county (over 70% of Indigenous students attend a public school), or it could mean education at a school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education or a tribal-run school. In any of these scenarios, Indigenous people are largely isolated. Additionally, over one in three Native students live below the poverty line, which affects their ability to function within academic contexts. For most students, traditional public schools are the only options in their districts. In these public school systems, 49% of Indigenous students attend a school where less than 10% of the student body is Indigenous. When a BIE school is available, they have been found by the Department of Education to have repeatedly failed their students, who are substantially behind academically. Students in the public school system generally attend schools with staffing shortages, limited funding and little to no outside support. And compared to every other race, Indigenous students have worse educational outcomes; the high school graduation rate for Indigenous students was 74% in 2022, lower than

the U.S. average in every other racial category. By third grade, we see Indigenous students falling behind academically. My home county of Los Angeles, for example, sees Indigenous students averaging a grade behind where they are expected to be. Native students also have to manage added hardships stemming from the historical development of American education. In 2020, about 2,000 schools used Native mascots; my own public high school was one of them. These mascots caricature our existence, making it clear that school is not a safe space for us. The historical use of education as a genocidal tool against Indigenous peoples has also led to intergenerational trauma surrounding education. Just one week ago, Orange Shirt Day publicized the documented history of residential school survivors and the thousands of children murdered at these institutions in Canada and the United States. Indigenous and Black students face very similar struggles, and as Hannah-Jones has found, there is no good solution that brings marginalized populations out of this unequal system without sacrificing our own opportunities — at least not one that individuals can choose by themselves. I say this as an Indigenous student who

GRAPHIC BY ELISE LEA SAMSON

experienced immense educational privilege. I was born to an Indigenous parent who was a generation away from poverty and two generations from the last member of our family to live on our reservation. I went to both private and public school, and I lived in a city with a well-funded school system. Like Black students who ‘got out’ of poverty, I live a privileged Urban Indian life off my reservation; I now attend Tufts University, one of the top universities in the country. I know so many Indigenous people who never had opportunities like mine because they did not have access to an education system that could help them succeed. While it is rather useless to change this system through our individual choices, it is even more harmful to lose hope that change is possible. The lesson I’m choosing to take away from HannahJones is that the interrelation of our collective educational struggles creates solidarity. As more people learn about educational inequality and fight for collective liberation, as Hannah-Jones tried to, there is a chance, however slim, that we can end educational segregation. Sorsha Khitikian is a senior studying history, civic studies, psychology, and child studies and human development. She can be reached at sorsha.khitikian@tufts.edu

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

SCIENCE

13

SCIENCE

Your daily dose: Think twice before trusting Dr. TikTok Grace Lee Staff Writer

Between supplement stacks for “biohacking” your way to a near-perfect body and mind, “proteinmaxxing” and “fibermaxxing” to improve muscle growth and gut health and using beef tallow as a skincare product, advice on how to live a healthier life is everywhere on TikTok. No matter the topic — skincare, nutrition, mental health, fitness and beyond — what’s considered “healthy” seems to change every time you scroll. For college students, TikTok can be an easy place to turn to with questions about health. A growing number of physicians and other health professionals have launched successful social media careers, making health content accessible to millions of people. That same platform can also offer a sense of community, where people living with chronic conditions can connect with others and share their experiences. But the platform’s accessibility also means that reliable, valuable medical information can appear alongside misinformation. In fact, The Guardian’s 2025 investigation reviewed 100 trending TikToks under #mentalhealthtips and

found that over half contained misinformation. So, how can you tell the difference? Here are some things to keep in mind when medical advice comes across your “For You page”: One of the first things to consider is who is making the health claim. Look for a licensed physician, registered nurse or other health professional with relevant training. While credentials do not automatically make someone’s claims true, they can provide some important context into their expertise. In addition, be sure to consider where the information comes from. Personal experiences are valuable, but “this worked for me” is not the same as “research shows this works.” An intervention that was effective for one person does not necessarily produce the same result across a broader population. Look for references to peer-reviewed studies in reputable scientific journals. Consider even looking at the referenced study itself — you may find that the actual research is much less definitive than the TikTok suggests. The motivation behind a video can offer another clue. Is the creator making this video just to spread health

GRAPHIC BY ELISE LEA SAMSON information, or are they also promoting some sort of supplement, fitness program or other product? Videos tagged with #ads are not inherently dishonest, but be aware that financial incentives may influence the information presented. Even beyond ads, always consider if there are any other intentions that may bias the video’s content.

The growing culture around fermentation Whitney Turner

Contributing Writer

Fermentation is all the rage these days, it seems. Whether it’s “gut-healthy” recipes that dominate your social media feed, “live culture” labels that stare back at you in the grocery store aisles or your best friend’s sourdough obsession, this fermentation craze has likely permeated your daily life. From homesteaders to political leaders, eating fermented foods is the hot new thing. But how new is it, really? Long before influencers began touting “gut-healthy” sourdough bagels, and before Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. secretary of health and human services, began speaking out about his diet consisting heavily of sauerkraut, many different cultures were engaging in fermentation practices. For thousands of years, humans have maintained diets that included fermented foods. Originally evolved to preserve food, fermentation has now become a social craze. But what exactly is fermentation, and how does it work? Fermentation is a process in which microbes break down food components to create various compounds — acids and alcohols — and ultimately produce energy. These microbes increase the food’s acidity, which prevents the growth of other microorganisms. This is why fermentation

has its origins in food preservation and safety. The microbes that carry out this process can be either naturally present or intentionally added to promote fermentation. Naturally present microbes carry out what we call wild or spontaneous fermentation. Examples of foods that use this process are sauerkraut and kimchi. Added microbes are used to grow culture-dependent ferments such as sourdough. You can add microbes using a natural or commercial starter culture, or through a process known as “backslopping,” where you add a small amount of previously fermented culture to the mixture. If you’ve ever made sourdough, adding your starter to the dough is considered “backslopping.” The increased accessibility of these starter cultures has sparked a resurgence in at-home fermentation. When it comes to health benefits, the science is less clear. One major obstacle to research is the inconsistency of microorganisms that exist in any given batch of fermented food. The health benefits of a given fermented food vary depending on the microorganisms present. So if these microorganisms differ between batches, it’s difficult to prove that there are consistent health benefits. Probiotic is a term that often is central to discussions of the possible health benefits of fermented food. A probiotic refers

It’s also important to consider how realistic a claim seems. You don’t need to be a medical expert to recognize some obvious red flags: If someone promises that you can lose 10 pounds in a day, then it’s reasonable to be skeptical. Quick fixes and ‘miracle cures’ are almost always untrue. Lastly, and more importantly, do not stop at TikTok.

Always consult another reliable source, and remember that TikTok content should not be considered official medical advice. Ultimately, every person is different, so when it comes to your own health, check in with your primary care provider. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a TikTok a day (or 100) should not.

GRAPHIC BY GRACE CHO to live microorganisms that positively affect an individual’s health when consumed. Scientifically, we tend to refer to a food’s probiotic potential because the formation of probiotic microorganisms largely depends on other properties of the food, such as the fermentation environment. This isn’t to say there are no benefits to a diet that includes fermented foods. Kefir is a well-researched example. Kefir is a fermented milk drink that

can be mildly fizzy. Researchers found that the drink may help eradicate Helicobacter pylori — a bacterium that causes common stomach infections — and help with lactose malabsorption (the failure to break down lactose molecules found in food). There have been an array of studies examining the probiotic potential of fermented foods. Some have found fermented foods to help with weight management, some have found a reduced risk of

cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and others claim alteration of the gut microbiome. One literature review states that “reports have identified a lack of sufficient clinical trials, variation in the different fermented foods being investigated, and inconsistencies among ethnic groups.” Until new scientific studies can fill these knowledge gaps, the benefits of fermentation remain largely mysterious.

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THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

SCIENCE

Measles, the outbreak at the intersection of politics and medicine Em Li

Contributing Writer

Most of us have never had to worry about measles. The name itself sounds rather medieval, and we’re happy to adopt a similar attitude toward the disease. It seems like something that plagues the history books, but has no bearing on our daily lives, yet you may have heard it discussed more often lately. So, what exactly is going on with measles in America? What is measles? Measles is an airborne virus spread by coughing and sneezing. It is highly contagious because the virus can stay active outside of a host for up to two hours, creating many opportunities to infect new hosts. Common symptoms include rashes, coughs and runny noses, but measles has the potential to develop into more severe complications, such as blindness, encephalitis, diarrhea, dehydration and even death. Treatment consists of supportive care, such as fluids and supplements to prevent vitamin A deficiency. Despite this, no specific antiviral drugs are approved to ‘cure’ measles. To date, the most effective strategy against measles has been prevention-based vaccination programs, which, by exposing the immune system to a weakened version of the virus, prepare the individual to fight off actual measles infections strongly and quickly.

Young children and pregnant individuals are most at risk for measles, which is why the vaccine program emphasizes childhood vaccination. Children are usually vaccinated within or around the first year after birth, and again at between four and six years old. The measles vaccine is delivered either alone or in combination with the rubella and mumps vaccines (together called the “MMR vaccine”) and has been very effective in preventing transmission and slowing outbreaks. The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000, yet it remains prevalent around the globe in low-resource countries with weaker healthcare infrastructure. Still, outbreak risk in the U.S. remains when infected travelers return from abroad. What’s happening with the current outbreak? According to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 2, the United States has recorded 3,887 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, compared with 2,289 during all of 2025. Pennsylvania has experienced the country’s largest measles outbreak, with 1,078 cases as of Oct. 7. These cases tend to cluster in more insular religious communities that historically have had lower vaccination rates, whether because of misinformation or lack of outreach around the benefits

of vaccination. Pennsylvania health authorities report that fewer than 1% of cases were in vaccinated individuals, with 31% of cases in individuals younger than 18 years old. After the first two deaths, Governor Josh Shapiro held a press conference where he accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current U.S. secretary of health and human services, of contributing to the outbreak by disseminating misinformation about the MMR vaccine. RFK Jr. has affirmed the MMR vaccine’s efficacy before the Senate and on social media, urging Americans to get vaccinated, though he has also repeatedly made misleading claims about vaccine safety. As skepticism about vaccine safety has grown in recent years, childhood immunization rates have declined. Vaccine opponents, in particular, have found political refuge in the current administration as U.S. President Donald Trump himself perpetuates unsubstantiated claims about the connection between vaccination and autism. Recently, Trump also claimed the MMR vaccine could be “lethal” and would overwhelm a child’s body with fluids, and has signed an executive order recommending separate vaccines once they become available domestically. Experts warn that this advice is detached from evidence and may create logistical barriers that

further decrease measles immunization rates. Although the Pennsylvania Department of Health has recorded five deaths this year to date, the CDC’s official website acknowledges only two nationwide, with an asterisk saying it “will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.” This has been an ongoing area of contention within the public health sphere. The CDC also refused to add several cases reported by the Pennsylvania DOH to its count of deaths from measles, claiming that their relation to measles is unverified. RFK Jr. has also fired back on X (formerly Twitter), claiming Shapiro’s “giddy delight in announcing two measles deaths was ... fearmongering, misinformation, finger-pointing, and the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain”, adding that “the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated.” Although initially resistant to federal intervention at the start of the outbreak, the Pennsylvania DOH has since begun requesting the CDC’s help and resources to manage the outbreak, on the condition that the CDC acknowledge the aforementioned deaths in its measles death reports. To date, the two parties have not come to a resolution. Pennsylvania has bolstered its vaccination

GRAPHIC BY ELISE LEA SAMSON

programs and outreach, but cases are still increasing at an alarming rate. The CDC has questioned whether measles contributed to some of the deaths Pennsylvania reported. The agency has also changed its reporting methodology, relying on verified death records rather than state health department reports to compile its national tally. Pennsylvania health officials, meanwhile, stand by their classification of the five deaths as measles-associated. In an interview with Atlanta News First, Dr. Erica Schwartz, the director of the CDC, says it is difficult to arbitrate what can actually be considered a “measles-related fatality.” She cites an example from the early COVID-19 pandemic: “If someone got hit by a bus, and they happened to have COVID, often that was called a COVID-related death.” The World Health Organization, however, states that “most deaths from measles are from complications related to the disease.” As measles cases continue to rise, public health officials face the challenge of containing a disease that was declared eliminated in the United States more than 25 years ago. The outbreak shows once again how important immunization is in preventing the reemergence of a highly contagious but mostly preventable disease.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

SPORTS

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Tufts women’s soccer remains unbeaten with road wins over Amherst, Hamilton Luke Fredericks

Executive Sports Editor

Tufts women’s soccer returned from a conference road trip with its unbeaten record intact, defeating Amherst 3–1 on Saturday before shutting out Hamilton 3–0 on Sunday. Ranked No. 3 entering the weekend, the Jumbos improved to a 6–2 record overall and 4–2 in NESCAC play. First-year defender Maile Lung opened the scoring at Amherst in the seventh minute, recording her second goal of the season. After her goal against MIT, the finish gave Lung goals in consecutive games and provided another attacking contribution from the Jumbos’ back line. Amherst answered around the 11th minute through forward Jessica Lomo, assisted by midfielder Katie Pedersen. Pedersen intercepted a pass in midfield and released Lomo behind the defense, where she finished past senior goalkeeper Gigi Edwards. The equalizer briefly erased Tufts’ advantage, but the Jumbos continued to generate opportunities. Senior forward Waverly Sumner restored the lead at 27:04 with a long-range strike. After receiving a throw-in from sophomore defender Alyssa Ruiz, Sumner advanced and sent a shot into the upper-left from roughly 40 yards out.

“I did see her quick check, so I hit her feet hoping she would turn. I didn’t expect the shot, but that’s just Wavey. She puts those in,” Ruiz wrote to the Daily. The Jumbos entered halftime with a 14–4 advantage in shots and a 4–1 edge in corner kicks. Their pressure gave Amherst little margin for error, although the narrow lead meant Tufts still had work to do after the interval. Senior forward Hannah Batt supplied the insurance goal at 48:59. Capitalizing on a miscommunication between Amherst players, Batt collected the loose ball, rounded goalkeeper Corina Bellermann and finished into an open net. The goal rewarded Tufts’ quick restart and made Amherst’s route back into the game considerably harder. Tufts finished with advantages of 23–9 in shots and 6–3 in corners. Senior midfielder Reese Birch led the Jumbos with seven attempts, including four on target. Edwards made six saves, while Bellermann recorded nine. The result reflected Tufts’ attacking volume without diminishing its goalkeeper’s role in protecting the lead. The following morning, Tufts faced a different challenge in Clinton, N.Y.. Hamilton outshot Tufts 13–6 before halftime and forced Edwards into four saves. The Jumbos kept

First-year forward Gussie Robillard vs. Amherst on Oct. 3.

the game scoreless, but the Continentals’ pressure made the opening half a test of their defensive organization. Edwards’ most consequential intervention came just before the break, when she denied a header from midfielder Sarah Flood following a corner. The diving stop kept Hamilton from converting its late pressure into a lead and allowed Tufts to begin the second half on level terms. Senior defender Rachel Arcella credited Hamilton’s high press with disrupting Tufts’ distribution in the opening half. “At halftime we talked about being more intentional with our passes, creative with our runs, and communicating more all over the field,” Arcella wrote. Junior midfielder Maren Jones broke the deadlock at 48:57 after combining with Birch. Jones carried the ball forward, passed to Birch in the penalty area and received the return ball before finishing low into the far side. The move gave the Jumbos the breakthrough they had been unable to find before halftime. Jones then helped create the next goal. A throw-in from Ruiz reached Jones, who slipped a pass to senior midfielder Emily Nicholas for a finish at 58:08. Nicholas’ fourth goal of the season extended the lead and rewarded another attacking sequence.

Sumner completed the scoring at 61:24, running onto Batt’s pass over the defense and finishing into the upper-right corner. The goal brought her season total to a team-leading five and completed a three-goal burst in just over 12 minutes. The change after halftime extended beyond the scoring. Tufts outshot Hamilton 11–1 in the second half, finishing up 17–14 overall and up 9–4 in shots on goal. Edwards needed no additional saves after the break, as Tufts’ defense limited Hamilton’s opportunities to respond. Lung and junior defender Phoebe Marsick each played the full match against both Amherst and Hamilton, providing continuity through the quick turnaround. Marsick has played every minute of Tufts’ season, a steady presence behind an attack drawing contributions from several positions. The weekend also highlighted the variety in Tufts’ attacks. Sumner led the team in goals afterward, while Jones’ three goals and five assists gave her 11 points, tied with Sumner for the team lead. Nicholas followed with four goals. Their production offers different routes to goal as the conference schedule continues. For Arcella, managing the road schedule draws on the senior class’ experience

adapting to unfamiliar facilities, meals and conditions. “However, the main thing that affects if we win or lose is our attitude and grit,” Arcella wrote. “So it is our job to keep people excited and intense and bring our best game to these other teams.” Tufts now turns toward the closing stretch of the regular season in a strong position. Tufts sits second in the NESCAC standings with 14 points, behind Williams’ 18, although Williams has played one more conference game. Tufts remains the only team without a conference loss. Next comes Middlebury at Bello Field on Saturday at 11 a.m., when Tufts will celebrate Senior Day. The Panthers will enter with a 3–1–2 conference record, making the matchup another opportunity for the Jumbos to strengthen their position near the top of the standings. After Middlebury, Tufts’ remaining conference games are road visits to Bates, Williams and Bowdoin, alongside home nonconference matches against Rivier and Bridgewater State. The Amherst and Hamilton wins give the Tufts momentum heading into that stretch. Maintaining the attacking efficiency and defensive control they showed after halftime at Hamilton will be central to extending it.

COURTESY OF TUFTS ATHLETICS

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THE TUFTS DAILY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026

SPORTS

SPORTS

Field hockey undefeated after back-to-back wins against ranked Amherst, Hamilton Izzy Fagone

Contributing Writer

The No. 1 ranked Tufts University field hockey team faced two tough challenges this weekend: No. 14 ranked Amherst and No. 11 ranked Hamilton. But the Jumbos extended their winning streak to an impressive 15 games since last season, making this their best start since 2009. The weekend began Saturday against the Amherst Mammoths, where the Jumbos faced the first of their two ranked opponents. Both teams were coming off wins, Tufts a 2–0 win over No. 7 Babson and Amherst wins over MIT and No. 4 Williams. Amherst controlled much of the possession in the opening quarter, with forward Genevieve Caruso getting an early chance in front of the goal, but Tufts’ defense kept the game scoreless. Neither team could find the back of the net in the first, setting up a tight match between two nationally ranked teams. However, the Jumbos broke through the Mammoths’ defense with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter. Junior midfielder Riley

Schmidt drove baseline, then sent the ball up to the stroke, where senior forward Reagan Malo redirected it into the net, giving the Jumbos a 1–0 lead going into the half. The Jumbos added to their lead in the third quarter. After earning three penalty corners, Tufts finally capitalized on the third opportunity, with senior midfielder Katarina Villa’s shot from the top of the circle giving the Jumbos a 2–0 lead. However, the Mammoths did not go quietly in the fourth. They cut the deficit to one when midfielder Cate LaFreniere tipped a ground pass into the goal for her first goal of the season. The Mammoths kept pressure in the fourth, but the Jumbos held out for a 2–1 victory, improving their win rate to 9–0 for the season. “Amherst is an amazing team and I feel like they always give us a battle,” said head coach Tina Mattera. “So I knew they were going to play us tough, and they did.” Less than 24 hours after defeating Amherst, Tufts travelled to Clinton, N.Y. to face the No. 11 Hamilton Continentals. Hamilton was also coming off a

game the previous day, having defeated No. 13 Wesleyan 2–1 in overtime. Tufts struck first and quickly. A penalty corner led to a penalty stroke for Tufts, which senior defender Claire Casey took with 8 minutes left in the first quarter. Her shot to the left of the net flew past the Continentals’ goalie, giving the Jumbos a 1–0 lead early on. Both teams had opportunities in the second quarter, but neither could capitalize on any. The Jumbos carried their lead into halftime. Hamilton eventually found an equalizer with four seconds left in the third quarter. Following a penalty corner, Tufts senior goalkeeper Isabel Ginns saved defender Morgan Clarke’s shot, but the rebound found Hamilton forward Shaw Huston near the left post. Huston poked the ball into the net for her second goal of the season, tying the game at 1–1. Neither team could find a winner in the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. Hamilton had a yellow card carry over into overtime, so they played shorthanded for the first four-plus minutes. With this,

Senior midfielder Katarina Villa is pictured during Tufts’ game against Amherst on Oct. 3.

Tufts created scoring opportunities, but Hamilton goalkeeper Kelly Janssen made a save to keep the Continentals alive. With three seconds remaining in overtime, the Jumbos got a penalty corner. A Hamilton foul during the play gave Tufts another corner with no time left on the clock. Sophomore forward Eleanor Helm tipped in Villa’s shot, giving Helm her 11th goal of the season and the Jumbos the 2–1 overtime victory against the Continentals. Facing two ranked opponents is a challenge in and of itself, but Tufts faced these opponents on back-to-back days, adding another layer of difficulty. Mattera said the demanding stretch of travel and competition had left the team tired. She praised the players for “pushing through the exhaustion.” This grit was paired with a team-wide effort. Rather than relying on one star player, the Jumbos have found contributions from different players in different moments throughout the season. Against Amherst, Malo and Villa provided the goals, while Casey scored against Hamilton before Helm

finished the weekend by delivering the overtime winner. “There’s no stars,” Mattera said. “Everybody’s good and we’re all in it together and pushing for each other.” That team mentality has also allowed Tufts’ younger players to learn from the team’s veteran leaders. Mattera pointed to the seniors’ leadership and the underclassmen’s willingness to follow their example as another crucial part in the team’s success thus far. “For Katarina to get the assist on the game winner on Sunday was really cool to see. I think she’s been really stepping up as a senior. Our seniors have been great leaders, and I think the underclassmen are just kind of following their lead, which has been great,” Mattera said. These two victories brought Tufts to 10–0 on the season and extended their winning streak to 15 games dating back to last season. Looking ahead, all eyes are on next weekend’s tough matchup between No. 1 Tufts and No. 2 Middlebury, as Middlebury comes to Ounjian Field on Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. for the Jumbos’ senior day.

COURTESY TUFTS ATHLETICS