THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY EST. 1980 THE TUFTS DAILY VOLUME LXXX, ISSUE 50 MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020 tuftsdaily.com Half of undergraduate student body completes Marriage Pact, almost 3,000 receive matches by Flora Meng Contributing Writer Tufts students participating in the school-wide Marriage Pact were notified via email on Nov. 23 of their most optimal “match” on campus. A “marriage pact” is considered to be an agreement between two people in which they decide to marry each other, if they do not marry within a certain period of time. A document reviewed by the Daily provides details about the Marriage Pact. “Based on your values, the Marriage Pact algorithmically ‘interviews’ all other partici- pants at Tufts on your behalf to find the best person with whom you could make a marriage pact,” the document reads. Anne Lau, a senior work- ing on the initiative at Tufts, EMMA BOERSMA / THE TUFTS DAILY see MARRIAGE, page 2 Students are pictured together on the Tisch Library roof on Oct. 18. Green Line Extention project to move FEATURES forward amid MBTA proposed budget Police reform: How is it cuts, service changes for 2021 achieved? by Chris Duncan and Abby Stern cation, jobs and mental health Staff Writer and Contributing Writer services for members of margin- alized communities. Calls for police reform have Others advocate to partially erupted across the country in the defund the police. Many support wake of the murders of George taking money police use to buy Floyd and Breonna Taylor among weapons and investing it in social many others. Americans are and mental health services. demanding systemic change in David Art, professor who the policing system, and protests teaches the course Political for police reform have become Perspectives on Race, Policing, national news. How exactly is and the Demonstrations in the police reform achieved? Here are U.S., prefers the latter definition. four approaches. “Policing serves a very import- Defund the police ant function, and I can’t imag- At almost every rally across ine a society without something the nation following the murders that resembles policing, partic- of unarmed African Americans ularly in this country while we at the hands of officers, a cry are awash with guns,” Art said. to “defund the police” can be “Major reforms need to happen, heard. However, people often many of which will involve a shift mean different things when they of resources … The answer will say “defund the police.” be putting resources in different Some urge to abolish the directions.” EVAN SLACK / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES police completely, advocating Instead, Art proposes real- A sign promoting the MBTA Green Line Extension project is pictured on April 17, 2018. that to create a new model of location of training resources by Chloe Courtney Bohl Orange Lines and many bus The proposed service changes community-led public safety is and increasing funds for men- Contributing Writer routes will operate at reduced would be phased in beginning to start the system from scratch. tal health resources. Being a frequency, while the Green Line spring 2021. Many supporters of defunding police officer is a middle class The Massachusetts Bay Extension (GLX) project and The MBTA is holding a series believe divesting from police can job that does not require a col- Transportation Authority other already-underway capital of virtual public meetings to help end cruelty within the crim- lege degree. Police officers in (MBTA) is proposing bud- projects will continue as planned. gauge support and collect feed- inal justice system. Starting a America only train for about get cuts and service changes Bus routes deemed “non-es- back from its host communities new system where first respond- four months, while European in response to unprecedent- sential” will operate at reduced in the greater Boston area on ers include mental health profes- officers train for at least a year edly low ridership during the frequency, be consolidated or the subject of the upcoming ser- sionals, social workers or com- and attend university. To gener- COVID-19 pandemic. be eliminated. All changes are vice changes. On Nov. 17, the munity members could help end ate better police officers, Art says According to the MBTA web- meant to be temporary, and fares violence and hostility across the site, the Red, Blue, Green and will not be raised. see PROJECT, page 2 nation and lead to more edu- see REFORM, page 3 NEWS 1 ARTS / page 5 SPORTS / page 9 FEATURES 3 Miley Cyrus’ newest album proves MLS prepares for ARTS & POP CULTURE 5 her art has no boundaries COVID-19 finals FUN & GAMES 7 OPINION 8 SPORTS 9 2 THE TUFTS DAILY | NEWS | Wednesday, December 2, 2020 tuftsdaily.com THE TUFTS DAILY Marriage Pact team addresses data, privacy concerns ALEX VIVEROS Editor in Chief MARRIAGE Given strict guidelines for She also emphasized the privacy policy at the bottom of its EDITORIAL continued from page 1 social gatherings during the team’s efforts to promote safe website to ease such concerns. Rebecca Barker described her role as a school pandemic, Lai said that the ways to socialize during the Ashley Jones, a first-year, Hannah Harris ambassador for the event. Marriage Pact could serve as a pandemic. spoke about her own experience Managing Editors “The Marriage Pact team unique social opportunity for “We came up with six date filling out the questionnaire Jake Freudberg Associate Editors wanted to launch at Tufts and students. ideas for meeting your match and privacy concerns with the Jilly Rolnick so they reached out and tried “I think the Marriage Pact for the first time in a COVID-safe Marriage Pact. Alejandra Carrillo Executive News Editor Maddie Aitken Deputy News Editor to find people to serve as seeds came to Tufts at a very import- way. Some of them were play “At first, I was [concerned Jessica Blough News Editors Tom Guan to spread the word about the ant and useful time because Among Us with your roommates about privacy] because you Liza Harris [Pact]. So my housemates and with the new COVID rules com- and their matches, or show your obviously are divulging very pri- Alex Janoff Matt McGovern I are like the seeds for it,” Lau ing out … everyone’s being iso- match around your hometown vate information about yourself Sara Renkert Sarah Sandlow said. “We put the posters up, we lated in their dorms or some, on Google Maps,” Lai said. and your preferences, but then Anton Shenk created the Instagram and talk- even in quarantine,” she said. Because students must com- I was reaffirmed by a friend who Carolina Espinal Assistant News Editors Sam Klugherz ed to our friends about it.” “Everyone’s just been feeling a plete a questionnaire to indi- was active on the project that Alexander Thompson Alicia Zou By the end of the week, after little lonely to some extent and cate their values and prefer- … even the people who were Ryan Shaffer Executive Features Editor the Pact was released, up to 50% missing social interaction and ences, some users have raised pairing up partners didn’t have Sid Anand Features Editors Amelia Becker of the undergraduate student human connection, whether questions regarding data use. In the opportunity to look at your Jillian Collins body participated and over 2,950 that’s in person or digitally.” response to these concerns, Lai details, so that was reassuring,” Claire Fraise Evelyn McClure individuals received matches, To promote it, Lai explained said that the Marriage Pact team Jones said. Kayla Butera Assistant Features Editor according to Lau. that the team began numer- does not have access to individ- Lai expressed excitement at Megan Szostak Executive Arts Editor Devina Bhalla Arts Editors Emai Lai, a senior who col- ous advertising initiatives both uals’ data. the Marriage Pact’s ability to Ryan Eggers laborated with Lau in bringing online and across campus. “I, nor even our launch Pact connect students with others on Steph Hoechst Tuna Margalit the Pact to Tufts, explained that “In addition to meeting with team, can go in and see the campus. Chris Panella Yas Salon the initiative originated from the official Marriage Pact peo- actual data or answers. I can’t “It was really cool that we Elizabeth Sander Colette Smith Stanford University as a proj- ple at Stanford, we’ve done a see who got matched with who, were able to provide some sort Rebecca Tang ect for a marketing design class lot of calling up our friends, I can’t see anyone’s individual of connection and excitement Geoff Tobia Drew Weisberg Assistant Arts Editor three years ago. texting any club group chats responses. [The Marriage Pact] to people on campus, espe- Liz Shelbred Executive Opinion Editor “They’ve continued doing that we’re a part of,” Lai said. makes a clear point in their pri- cially freshmen and sopho- Priya Padhye Senior Editorialists Paloma Delgado it at Stanford every year since, “We have pushed out platforms vacy policy that they’ll never sell mores who, like a lot of them Amulya Mutnuri and they’ve started branch- on Instagram and created a the data or use our information have expressed, haven’t been Mike Wilkinson Caroline Wolinsky ing out to other schools like Facebook event … and printed against us,” she said. able to make friends because Abhilasha Bhasin Editorialists Eliza Dickson UVA, Columbia, Yale and out dozens of posters and put She noted that the Marriage they aren’t really leaving their Sara Kessel Northwestern,” she said. them up around campus.” Pact team specifically included a dorms,” she said.