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(09/01/01 12:00am)
Complete with long-lost friends, extended family, turkey, and an occasional gift or two, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays offer joyous times to celebrate in the company of loved ones. How can the holidays offer anything but happiness? On the surface, it seems strange that happy times could be overshadowed by sadness, but many people get a little down over the holidays. Sudden reunions, impossible parental expectations, sibling rivalry, and lost relationships - they all contribute to a sense of sadness many experience during the holiday season. These feelings can build up, culminating in outbursts, gloominess, or even tears. The attacks of Sept. 11 may also contribute to the feelings of depression, according to Massachusetts Department of Health Commissioner Marylou Sudders, who predicted long-lasting effects of the tragedy in an October interview with the Boston Herald. "Our nation has suffered a great emotional and psychological trauma from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and will continue to do so in the aftermath," she said, adding that the patriotism many Americans felt in the aftermath of the events may give way to more morose feelings as terrorism threats continue into the holidays. Winter break is especially trying for returning college students. Tufts' "Hooper Health Beat," the newsletter put out by Health Services, advises students on how to deal with parents during the winter break. "Although your family may seem like they have all been invaded by alien beings, you are actually the one who is growing and changing at an enormous rate. Give them some time to get used to the new, independent you, and try to be patient." Holiday depression makes up a large part of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a winter-related depression marked by changes in behavior and mood. Many find the season difficult to begin with, but scientists say that a lack of sunlight can contribute to physical and emotional changes. Because winter days are shorter, wake-sleep cycles are sometimes thrown off. And over the winter holidays, those feelings of depression can be exacerbated. Experts have noticed a depression unique to the holidays, however. "We do know that holidays tend to be very difficult for many people," Betsy Schwartz, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, told The Houston Chronicle last December. "Because the winter holidays are so filled with sentiment and traditions of both a religious and family nature, the emotions we may be able to keep at bay the rest of the year tend to surface at this time." The absence of a loved one, either through death or distance, can make the holidays tough. Underlying depressions can also surface. Plus, the holidays are a time of great indulgence, from shopping to consuming food and alcohol. These can lead to empty wallets and full stomachs that leave people depressed after the season has passed. As if this isn't enough, an additional factor is the so-called "anniversary reaction," explains Julie Jampel, Supervising Senior Psychologist for the Tufts Counseling Center. Anniversary reactions occur when a specific event triggers a painful memory. Jampel provides the example of a student who has lost a parent. "If a student's parent has died, then holiday time might be particularly distressing for that student because the parent is no longer present at gatherings," she said. Schwartz says that acknowledging pent-up feelings is often the best way to overcome feelings of depression. For example, if someone constantly finds themselves bickering with the same sibling at the table, Schwartz recommends confronting the problem directly. Once that is done, it is fairly easy to gauge the gravity of the situation - or lack thereof - and move on. In addition to acknowledging holiday emotions, experts emphasize that it is important to keep busy and talk with family and friends about common anxieties. Staying away from alcohol and drugs, as well as avoiding major life changes are also strongly suggested. Many turn to drugs and alcohol as an escape from their unhappiness. Holiday depression can happen to anyone. The real question, especially in these trying times, is how we handle it. And if all else fails, the holiday season is only one month of the year - so hibernation is always an alternative. After all, there are eleven months to work up to the next season.
(09/01/01 12:00am)
Although he supports the US-led coalition against terror, Kennedy Library CEO John Shattuck said the Bush administration might be overlooking human and civil rights in its campaign to root out terrorism both domestically and abroad. "Sept. 11 is clearly a huge wake-up call of what was happening in the '90s," said Shattuck in his discussion, "Human Rights and Civil Rights At Home & Abroad After 9/11." Shattuck, a former US ambassador to the Czech Republic, said the public has not always supported human rights missions, but the post-Sept. 11 diplomacy would bring such abuses back into the public eye and that Americans would become more concerned with human rights crises such as those in Chechnya and East Timor. "I'm optimistic about the future of human rights," he said. While the public was previously characterized by a "lack of real support for the missions," Shattuck said that war would bring the issues into the public consciousness, creating an "opportunity for the human rights agenda to be integrated into defense." But, he added, promoting human rights would create short-term costs in the name of coalition building and crime fighting. "We are blind-siding ourselves in many of these places," he said. The US is cooperating with Pakistan and Russia - two nations guilty of human rights violations, according to Shattuck. He warned that double standards in US foreign policy and inconsistent enforcement of these policies would give some nations a "complete pass" on their actions. Shattuck said the current conflict is the result of heightening tensions that were left unchecked during the 1990s. While communication and globalization spread across certain regions, he said, other areas were left behind and enjoyed few advantages from global integration. In his government and non-government posts, Shattuck was exposed to the international "trajectory of terrorism." He was twice forced to close his embassy due to credible threats of terrorist acts. Although he said he was "shocked and outraged" by the Sept. 11 attacks, Shattuck said the US had knowledge of extremist groups' dissatisfaction with the US, and of their willingness to act. According to Shattuck, in recent years the US has encountered "plenty of evidence that something was underway."Shattuck was joined by Juliette Kayyem, executive director of the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness, as part of a series of Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) panels on the subject of terrorism. The 15 audience members asked questions and interacted directly with the speakers, a hallmark of IGL events. Kayyem said the current law enforcement trends, such as racial profiling, are "like nothing we've ever seen before" in the area of civil rights. Kayyem is a regular consultant on terrorism for the US and foreign countries, and has served as counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice. Freshman Daniel Mandell asked the speakers to comment on the tension between civil liberties and national security. "I have been greatly concerned over the conflicts and limitations being imposed on civil liberties," he said. Kayyem cited the detention of more than 1,000 people as an ethical blunder on the part of the administration, and called the questioning of 5,000 people by intelligence agencies a "joke." She was specifically concerned with the acceptance of racial profiling against Arabs and Muslims within the United States. Mandell, who is helping to organize an American Civil Liberties Union chapter at Tufts, said it was valuable to hear the presenters give their "experienced opinion about what is really going on." According to Kayyem, "antagonizing a community isn't going to get that community to help you." A more effective strategy, she said, would be to cooperate with the targeted groups. Kayyem also criticized the US intelligence community, citing a lack of coordination between different agencies, and calling them "extremely ineffective" at detecting potential attacks. "There's a lot of information out there, and it's not that we don't have enough. We just don't know how to get the gems from the noise," she said. Shattuck, who also served as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, DC, and vice president of Harvard University, drew on his experiences to discuss the conflict from a policy, legal, and academic perspective. He called on his experiences defending a victim of Watergate wiretapping to draw parallels to the current situation and likened Attorney General John Ashcroft's arguments justifying the expansion of intelligence agencies' capabilities to Richard Nixon's statements during the Watergate scandal.
(09/01/01 12:00am)
Struggling to come to terms with what has been called the worst terrorist attack in US history, hundreds of students gathered on the academic quad yesterday afternoon as part of a non-denominational religious service led by the University chaplaincy. Comparing the events to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the assassinations of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Martin Luther King, University President Larry Bacow said that he has faith in the nation's ability to survive the crisis. Bacow, Dean Kristine Dillon, and five of Tufts' religious leaders addressed a crowd that Dean of Students Bruce Reitman described as "the largest I've seen here since Kent State," referring to the 1970 shooting of four student anti-war protestors by the Ohio National Guard. Cautioning students not to react violently towards individuals of the same religion or nationality as those suspected of the attacks, the speakers offered prayers for the victims and their families and emphasized the need to pull together as a community. "[The attack] struck every citizen and resident - those who acted did not discriminate," Bacow said. "All of our lives have been changed forever." He also stressed the importance of maintaining a sense of normalcy throughout the Tufts community by not canceling classes and holding University events as scheduled. "Tufts is a strong community - a learning community that prides itself on engagement and active citizenship," he said. "Our job is to ensure that something positive comes out of this unspeakable tragedy." Dillon later reiterated Bacow's sentiments, outlining the University's plan for counseling students directly affected by the attacks. Reitman and Dean of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter joined other administrators at the campus center until early this morning, meeting with students who wished to voice feelings and concerns. Culture houses, residential lounges, and religious centers also served as hubs for students to gather and seek counseling. "We have ongoing centers for students to come together and show strength... it's a community experience," Dillon said. During their brief remarks, Tufts' religious chaplains also echoed the need for strength and unity. "This is not a time to lose faith but a time to come together with compassion and courage," said Interim University Chaplain Reverend Patricia Kepler, as she introduced the prayer portion of the service. Reverend Steven Bosey, the Protestant chaplain, also discussed themes of community and the need to "break down the walls that separate us," offering a "prayer for the human family." Muslim spiritual leader Imam Noureddine Hawat was especially vocal on this issue as he discussed the emotional impact of yesterday's events. "We must unite together and not serve the purpose struck upon us today," he said. "We must go against it and strike love." Both Rabbi Jeffrey Summit and Roman Catholic Reverend David O'Leary discussed how Tufts should proceed in the wake of yesterday's attacks. "There is much to remember now," Summit said. "We must make a commitment to sustaining communities of peace." Bacow said he was impressed by the way students were handling the situation and by the vast turnout at the vigil. "In some ways what is more important than what was said is that we all came together," he said. "I thought it was good how they had all the different chaplains say a prayer, and everyone could relate to all the prayers," sophomore Emily Rhodes said. "It's a delicate topic that you have to approach in a certain way and I thought they handled it very well."
(09/01/01 12:00am)
Dolled-up Tuftonians danced the night away at the sixth annual Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) Semi-Formal last Friday at the Back Bay Hilton. All proceeds from ticket sales went to the Unity Fund of Massachusetts, which will provide support for Massachusetts families affected by the Sept. 11 tragedy. About 576 students attended the event, according to LCS Vice-President senior Kristy Tough, who estimated that $6,900 in charity was collected. Tough and LCS president Allison Collins organized the event over the summer. The planning, they said, was not difficult because the dance does not change much from year to year. LCS is the largest student organization on campus. "It makes it a lot easier that it's been done before," Collins said. The Back Bay Hilton was helpful in accommodating LCS, Collins said. The hotel covers the cost of servers and bartenders after LCS buys a certain amount of food. "We offer only a certain budget and they help out," Collins said. This year the gourmet food offerings included sushi. School buses, departing from the campus center, transported students to and from the Hilton from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. With transportation provided, needed only to find semi-formal attire, which ranged from black pants and blouses to long dresses for women and ties and slacks for men. "It's a really classy event - a hassle-free time for a great cause," Tough said. But some students encountered some inconvenience when boarding the school buses. There was a large rush onto the buses when they first arrived at the campus center. "People were a little inconsiderate and pushy, and we got separated from our group," said sophomore Seth Groman, adding that he wished the transportation were better organized. But Groman emphasized that crowded buses could not ruin the evening. "Despite these things, we had a great time," he said. Freshman Caryn Harris agreed that there was some trouble with the buses. "Getting on the buses was a bit of a hassle, but I thought the dance overall was organized pretty well," Harris said. To Harris, the good cause made going to the dance worthwhile. "Knowing that it was raising money for the victims and victims' families of the tragedy made me want to go and help out," she said. Historically, the LCS semi-formal proceeds have gone to a local charity, alternating between Medford and Somerville charities every year, but the Sept. 11 attack made the organization look outside the local community. "This year, in response to what happened, we've done things like the blood drive, but we wanted to do something monetary that we could give to the [Unity Fund]," Tough said. Some students said that donating to the Unity Fund helped them justify the $12 ticket price for the semi-formal. Sophomore and Queens, NY native Vera Tatel made a last minute decision to attend. "I definitely was not going to go at first because I just hadn't planned on going," Tatel said. "I think [the Unity Fund] helped in making my decision." But there were some students who would have attended the semi-formal regardless of which charity LCS chose to receive the funds. "I had a really good time last year, and this year I knew a lot more of my friends were going, so I would've gone anyway," sophomore Valerie Wencis said. "But the fact that it is for the Sept.11 tragedy makes it all the more meaningful." For coordinators Collins and Tough, it was satisfying to see their plans materialize. "It's exciting from this standpoint to see that people are excited about it and how much money we're making for a charity," Collins said. "It's neat how so many people are willing to help out; people who are in LCS and people who might not even know what LCS is. It gets a lot of different people involved." Tough agreed: "It's exciting and nerve-wracking because we want it to go well," she said before Friday's event. Part of the LCS budget pays for the event, which is also sponsored by organizations and departments including the Office of the President, Community Relations Department, Office of the Provost, the student senate, Tufts Spirit Coalition, Tufts Republicans, and Hillel. Co-sponsors donate anywhere from $100 to $500. The Unity Fund, part of the United Way of Mass., will use the contribution to help people in Eastern Massachusetts affected by the Sept. 11 tragedy. Through approved agencies, donations are distributed to "helping families and children cope, providing counseling, and promoting tolerance and anti-violence in our local communities," according to the organization's website. For students, the evening was a chance to do something different, to get all dressed up, and to dance for a charitable cause. And to sophomore Lauren Weintraub, Friday's dance gave her a "break from the usual frat scene."
(09/01/01 12:00am)
A study of alcohol use at Tufts released in May shows that although four out of five Tufts students drink, most students think their peers drink more than they really do. Although national drinking statistics are widely available, The Tufts University Alcohol Study was the first focused on alcohol use on this campus. The report recommended the University run a "social norms" campaign to inform students about how much other students really drink. The study, released by the community health program, was conducted by department chair Edith Balbach, lecturer Charlene Galarneau, and students who took a year-long course devoted to the study, which began in September 1999. Galarneau said she and the students examined drinking in different situations - not just binge drinking - to characterize overall alcohol use on campus. "In general, Tufts students are like [those at] many other campuses," Galarneau said. At Tufts, overall alcohol use falls is consistent with statistics for similar-sized schools, where drinking is neither unusually light or nor heavy. At larger universities, Galarneau said, heavier drinking often occurs more frequently. The survey did find, however, that a significant number of the students surveyed - 15.8 percent - typically consumed six or more drinks at one time, which is characteristic of alcohol dependency. The study compiled students' drinking habits through written surveys, group discussions, and one-on-one interviews. The researchers also focused on first-year student's perceptions of drinking. "The first-year drinking experience in many ways is different from other drinking," Galarneau said. "When students first come to campus, they bring a lot of expectations about drinking." But these expectations often turn out to be false, Galarneau said. The study found that freshmen and other Tufts students, like other students around the nation, overestimate the amount of drinking their peers do. "I think to a certain extent, [students] think it's cool to drink a lot," said Steve Metzger, a senior and one of the student researchers. This makes student think that their peers drink more often than they really do, he added. In fact, the study found that 19 percent of students do not drink alcohol at all, a statistic that surprised junior Viola Manteufel, another student researcher. "That's a lot bigger than I had expected," she said, "and I think other students would be skeptical of it. But that's what we found."Manteufel pointed out that students may perceive heavy alcohol use among their peers because they are more likely to remember frequent drinkers than nondrinkers. "The people who do use alcohol are so visible," she reasoned. "It's easy to find the drunk people, but it's harder to find the people who aren't drunk."Although participation in the Greek system is high and fraternities are popular spots for freshman drinking, the study found that drinking often occurs elsewhere."It was... significant to validate the theory that students are drinking as often in their residence hall rooms as they are at the frats," said Armand Mickune-Santos, coordinator of the alcohol health education program. The student and faculty researchers ended the study with eight recommendations which address student well-being. "[The] emphasis is on how to create an environment that is safe and healthy as opposed to a punitive approach to drinking," Galarneau said. The University's underage drinking policy was recently relaxed for students caught drinking in dorms. The new policy puts students on residential life probation, keeping them in "good standing" with the university. Last year's policy, which Dean of Students Bruce Reitman called an "aberration," in a Daily interview earlier this month, placed students on university probation and took away good standing privileges, such as pledging fraternities and sororities. The recommendations include a social norms campaign that would correct misperceptions of student drinking, continuing research on campus alcohol use, and implementing a campus plan to address alcohol-related concerns."Designing and implementing a social norms campaign to compliment the educational and the counseling services we now offer would work well this year," Santos said.As the only alcohol health counselor on campus, Santos emphasized the need for others to become involved in campaigns on drinking awareness."This 'alcohol abuse drinking culture' is too significant of a problem that can only be addressed as a community effort," Santos said. "Social and non-drinkers should not have to tolerate other people's inappropriate and unwanted behaviors and attitudes." Santos recommends that Greek students in particular lead the campaign, because they are sometimes criticized for making alcohol widely available. "Fraternities spend a great deal of time defending and defining the great things they do for the community regarding campus life," he said. "Now would be a great time for fraternities to promote a lifestyle that has less emphasis on alcohol parties." The study, a result of Tufts' involvement in the Boston Coalition's Task Force on Underage & Problem Drinking and the University's own Alcohol Task Force, was sent to 45 to 50 administrators, faculty, staff, and student groups. "Now we have actual Tufts data that tells us how much Tufts drinks," Galarneau said. "It's really an at-home picture." "We hope that everyone involved with the University will pick up on this and pick up on a discussion and some sort of plan," Galarneau said.
(09/01/01 12:00am)
"High schools educate students about STDs, so by the time they get to college they can make informed decisions," junior Thomas Dionne said. But despite efforts to educate young adults about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, many college students still fall prey to the diseases, which tend to target the unsuspecting and unwary. Chlamydia is a group of infections caused by different strains of the chlamydia bacterium. Only one - chlamydia trachomatis - results in disease. The strain is one of the most widespread bacterial STDs in the US, with an estimated four million new infections each year. As many as one in ten adolescent girls tested for chlamydia is infected. Teenage girls have the highest rates of chlamydial infection (15 to 19-year old girls represent 46 percent of infections; 20 to 24-year-old women are 33 percent) regardless of demographics or location. People infected with chlamydia are often unaware they are infected and consequently do not seek professional health care. Approximately 75 percent of infected women and 50 percent of infected men experience no symptoms. Chlamydia can be contracted during sex with an infected partner or from a mother to baby during delivery. Once diagnosed, chlamydia can be easily treated and cured. But left untreated, the disease can cause serious long and short-term health problems in adults and newborn babies, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause infertility and sometimes fatal tubal pregnancy. Treatment includes a number of commonly used antibiotics, but partners must be treated at the same time. The chlamydia test at Health Services costs $40. Last year, Health Services was very involved in a campaign to promote the screening process for chlamydia. "Most men think the testing process is painful and invasive," Tufts University Medical Director Dr. Margaret Higham said. "They don't understand that it is as simple as urinating in a cup." Gonorrhea, second only to chlamydial infections in the number of reported cases, is an infection that is spread through sexual contact with another person caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea causes such long term conditions as epididymitis, an inflammation that may cause sterility in men and PID, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside of the uterus), perihepatitis (an infection around the liver), abscesses, and sterility in women. The gonorrhea germs are found in the mucous areas of the body (the vagina, penis, genital tract, throat, and rectum). In women, the opening to the womb from the birth canal is the first place of infection. But the disease can spread into the womb and fallopian tubes, resulting in PID, which may cause infertility in up to 10 percent of infected women and tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. Anyone sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea, but it is more common among younger people (ages 15-30) who have multiple sex partners. Increases in the incidence of gonorrhea have been found among men who have sex with other men. It is the most common reportable sexually transmitted infection in the US, with an estimated 800,000 cases of gonorrhea reported annually. The Molluscum Contagiosum virus is an STD that is part of the pox family. It is spread through touching (hand/genital or genital/genital) an infected person's lesions, which can transmit cells containing the virus. Intercourse is not necessary for the spread of this virus. The symptoms include small, round, raised lesions with a shiny surface and a white material inside, and the lesions maybe located on genital skin, thighs, abdomen, or even the chest. Usually there are no symptoms besides an itch near the lesion. Unfortunately, there is no test to detect Molluscum Contagiosum before lesions appear, and the lesions have to either be frozen off using a cryogenics process or with chemicals or scrapings. Health Services recommends that preventative measures be taken by all sexually active people, but people who have more than one sex partner should especially be tested regularly. Condoms or diaphragms should be used during sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal, and oral), and Health Services distributes free condoms and dental dams. Of course, for maximum protection, partners should form a monogamous relationship in which both are faithful - and are tested before sex. Limiting the number of sexual partners is also a wise idea; the risk for contacting a STD increases as the number of partners increases. Students do not need to wait for symptoms to appear before getting tested, and regular check-ups for STDs can be part of a regular examination. For more specific information, Health Services has detailed pamphlets, counseling, testing, and treatment for many types of STDs.
(09/01/01 12:00am)
Imagine a class where a student's presentation can be about the Boston Red Sox and where the lecture topic of the day could be the NBA salary cap. A class whose guest lecturers include a Boston Globe sports columnist, former professional athletes, and a former NBA coach. If that's not enough, the class's instructor wears an NBA World Championship ring."The Business of Sports: A Study of the National Basketball Association", an Experimental College class, is taught by Jan Volk, former general manager of the Boston Celtics. "Generally, I had the best job in America, except for maybe ten days a year," Volk said, reflecting on a position he held for 13 years. Ex. College Director Robin Gittleman contacted Volk by about teaching at Tufts. Previously, Volk has taught at Harvard's Business and Law Schools, Boston College Law School, Suffolk Law School, and the University of Connecticut. This is Volk's fifth time teaching the class at Tufts, and he says he still finds the material interesting. "The interaction with students is stimulating," Volk said. "I think I take as much away from the class as they do." Despite years of coordinating a professional sport team, Volk said organizing a college class is challenging. "There's a big difference between giving a lecture to a class or two, and creating a syllabus and implementing it," he said.Overall, however, Volk says he's satisfied. He loves the stimulating class participation and how insightful his students can be. "It's amazing to take a group of bright students and have them not be held back," he said. "Sometimes they ask questions that someone with my experience wouldn't think to ask," Volk added. "It is not uncommon to learn something about my business that I didn't know."Of the twenty students enrolled in the class, Volk says most of them are passionate about sports. Andy Hart, a former student of Volk's who graduated from Tufts last year, now works for the New England Patriots in the team's public relations department.If Volk learns from his students, they certainly learn plenty from him. Junior Andrew Hambelton says he is amazed how enjoyable he finds the class, especially as an athlete. But the course is not just fun for Hambelton, who says he's gaining real-world knowledge as well. Volk's stories are great, he said, "they are stories that are meant for us to hear in the academic sense [and are] not meant for the media.""We get a real inside view of the NBA," Hambelton added. Hambelton, who plays baseball at Tufts, hopes to attend law school. He says he wants to stay involved in sports, but realizes he can't always be a player. "I can't play baseball forever," he said.As a sports fan, junior Pete Berkowitz is getting a lot out of Volk's lectures. "It's interesting to hear his perspective on things [and] the stories he has to tell and the people he knows," Berkowitz said. The guest speakers for the class, some of Volk's personal friends, include TV broadcaster and former NBA player and coach Tom Heinsohn, Bob Ryan, a Globe columnist, and M.L. Carr, a former basketball player, NBA head coach, and team executive."I'm a huge sports fan, [and] if I could pick a dream job it would be to GM a team," Berkowitz said. "The class is [Volk] describing the dream to all of us and describing how very cool the job is."During his 26-year career with the Celtics, Volk was part of five NBA World Championship teams. He has also served on two distinguished committees: the 1992 United States Olympic Basketball Team (Dream Team I) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.Volk was excited to teach the subject matter his career involved: professional sports. "It's something almost everybody has an opinion on; people are very interested in what you do," he said."It can be a stressful business. Most businesses are concerned with the bottom line," he said. "In a pro sport franchise, you're just as concerned about the top line in the standings in the daily sport pages."Volk was born in Iowa, but grew up in Newton, MA. He attended Newton High School (now Newton North) and Colby College and played sports throughout high school and college. After graduating Colby in 1968, Volk attended Columbia Law School, and began work for a NYC law firm. It was his professional experience that caused Volk to rethink his plan to work as a traditional lawyer. "I knew what I didn't want to do," Volk said.After passing the Massachusetts Bar Exam, Volk learned of an opportunity to work for the Celtics in its sales department. Although he had never worked in the industry, he says he was "intrigued by the challenge." The job was very difficult, according to Volk, but soon after joining in 1971, he was named head of the season ticket office. Eventually, he was given legal projects by Red Auerbach, then-president of the Celtics, who wanted to test Volk's legal skills. Auerbach met Volk through his summer basketball camp where Volk worked for many summers; it was Auerbach who told Volk about the job in sales. Volk credits Auerbach for introducing him to another side of professional sports. "Auerbach exposed me to the business of sports through his eyes," Volk said. "The concept of the business of sports was evolving and my career evolved with it." In 1974, three years after he started at the Celtics, Volk became the team's legal counsel. Later, he began working with player contracts, making sure the team followed the league's contract rules. In 1976 he was named team vice-president, and in 1981 he assumed the responsibilities of assistant general manager before being promoted to general manager in 1984. He left the Celtics in 1997 to work for the Denver Nuggets for two years and now serves as a consultant to a number of NBA teams. Volk and his wife Lissa have two children, one of them - Shari - is a 1998 Tufts graduate. Shari helped her father's transition to teaching, working as a TA for her dad over three semesters.
(09/01/01 12:00am)
Two hijacked passenger planes crashed into New York City's World Trade Center towers and another hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC, yesterday. A fourth hijacked plane crashed outside Pittsburgh, in what appears to be the largest terrorist attack in US history. In New York, both towers collapsed from the collision, as did a nearby building. Government officials have named Osama bin Laden as the most likely organizer of yesterday's attacks, which killed thousands of Americans. At Tufts yesterday, stories circulated of personal tragedies, including accounts of one student who reportedly lost two brothers when their hijacked flights crashed into the buildings. The first plane hit the North Tower at 8:45 a.m. As rescue workers struggled to cope with an already devastating situation, a second plane struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. According to official estimates, 10,000 people were in each tower. 5,000 people are visiting the WTC at any given time. A third hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon at 9:43 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which controls civilian flights, closed New York area airports after the attack, and later halted all flights nationwide. President Bush addressed the nation on network television from Florida, in response to what he called an "apparent terrorist attack." He again addressed the nation last evening, saying that those responsible "cannot touch the foundation of America" and that the nation will make "no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." Last night, CNN reported bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghani political faction claimed responsibility for the acts. Bin Laden is believed to live in Afghanistan, where he is protected by the Taliban, a ruling party of Islamic fundamentalists. The two planes that crashed in New York left Boston's Logan airport yesterday morning. The plane that destroyed a section of the Pentagon departed Washington's Dulles airport. The fourth plane, which crashed outside Pittsburgh, originated in Newark, New Jersey. Americans across the nation - including Tufts students - spent the day in a state of shock, glued to their television and computer screens in search of the latest news reports and horrific images. About 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students at Tufts come from New York and the Greater Washington, DC area. Countless others have family and loved ones in these regions. Classes will continue as scheduled today, but University officials say they will make a concerted effort to support students, staff, and faculty. "We feel that it is important to move forward as a community of learning," Tufts administrators wrote in an e-mail yesterday. Many professors cancelled classes yesterday and one Tufts building on its downtown campus, the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, closed for security concerns. Tufts manages the federally-owned building. The ranking USDA official at the center, Kathy Wilhelm, was told that only essential personnel should remain in the building. Of the 270 people who work in the center, only six stayed, according to Bachir Petithomme, a building security officer. But on the Medford campus, the administration encouraged faculty and student organizations to continue with scheduled activities. "It is not a time to cancel everything," said Dean of Students Bruce Reitman. "We must use the structure of the calendar in place to come together and be a family." University chaplains and President Larry Bacow held a service on the academic quad at 5 p.m. [see ?, page ?]. Tufts announced that it would keep open the campus center until 3 a.m. and staff the lobby with counseling center staff. Dowling Hall telephone operators took calls until 9 p.m. Resident assistants and proctors were available in the dorms. The medical and dental schools in downtown Boston cancelled afternoon classes yesterday. The dental school also shortened today's morning classes to accommodate a noontime memorial service. The clinic also closed yesterday afternoon and evening sessions were rescheduled, said Donna Carrey, the associate director of student affairs. Busy telephone lines frustrated students trying to contact loved ones in or around New York and Washington, DC. Students calling the University's information line early yesterday morning received a recording that classes would be held as usual. Later in the day, the recording featured a message from Bacow, who also sent an e-mail to the Tufts community condemning the day's tragedies and calling for unity. Dean of the Fletcher School, Stephen Bosworth, held a meeting at 2:30 p.m. to express similar sentiments to graduate students. Both Bosworth and Bacow advised students to avoid assigning blame for the tragedy. "I urge you to not rush to judgment about those who might be responsible for these actions," Bacow wrote in an e-mail. "In due course, we may learn more. However, even at that point we must continue to demonstrate respect and compassion for all members of our community." Students on the Medford and Boston campuses huddled together in front of televisions all day. A radio broadcast news across the Tisch patio for most of the day. Across Boston, colleges and universities also interrupted official activities. Schools with smaller residential populations cancelled classes, while larger schools, like Boston University, encouraged students to remain on campus.
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While many students complain about the length of seminar classes, for some, paying attention for three hours is more than they can bare. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is just one of the many learning disabilities that make seemingly simple tasks, such as taking notes in a lecture and participating in class discussions difficult undertakings for some students. An estimated 150 students on campus have some form of disability, according to Sandra Baer, coordinator of Academic Services for Students with Disabilities. Few of these disabilities are physical, and the most-often diagnosed disabilities are ADD and dyslexia. Tufts provides many resources for student with such disabilities. After submitting proper documentation, students can meet with Baer to discuss solutions. They can get books on tape, note takers, and peer tutoring, in addition to academic counseling and support from the ARC. Baer's office can also contact professors to obtain extended test time for the student and can alert them to the fact that the student has a learning disability. While these services are helpful, some feel that they are not ample. Senior Mara Schanfield, who has ADD, is working on an independent study project about disabled services at Tufts and says they could use some improvement. "The improvement is two-fold. One is a student focus, having students come together with similar problems, and the other is educating the entire Tufts community," she said. For students who experience hearing and sight difficulties, note-takers are available. It is possible for students to employ professional stenographers to take notes on everything the professor says have that text fed into a laptop computer, but few students choose this option. Most of the time, a fellow classmate is asked to take notes for someone with a disability. Some students come to Baer because they are experiencing these issues for the first time. Often, they were able to "get by" in high school on hard work, but that became impossible with increased lecturing and reading. Diagnosis of learning disabilities can be tricky, however, because they are often "invisible," and neither the student nor the professor may realize the source of academic problems. Students may also feel some amount of embarrassment in reporting difficulties. Schanfield hosted an orientation event as an informal place for students to ask questions and let them voice their concerns. She proposes that a support group for disabled students would be a significant help and comfort for those students. According to Baer, having a student, not administrator, start such a group, would encourage much more involvement from people embarrassed or shy about their problems. "An important goal is to raise awareness of both faculty and students," Baer said. As part of Schanfield's project, she organized a screening of "Ennis's Gift," a movie that chronicles some famous cases of people with learning disabilities - notably James Earl Jones and Ralph Winkler - on Oct. 15. "It really was great way to see some interest in the problems of disabled people at Tufts," Schanfield said. "Many professors need to be made more aware of people with problems." When a disabled perspective student is considering matriculating to Tufts, Baer encourages him or her to ask other students who are disabled about their experiences on campus and to take a look at the campus before making a final decision. According to Baer, students with disabilities don't always list Tufts as their first choice school because of the hill and the lack of handicap accessible buildings. Students who have physical disabilities - both permanent and temporary - are entitled by law to have access to classrooms. Should a student break his leg, for example, he can submit a request to have a class moved to another location to accommodate his ability to move. Students interested in contacting being part of a student group about learning disabilities should contact Mara Schanfield at mschan01@emerald.tufts.edu<$>@s:Landscape makes life difficult for handicapped students
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It started in the 80s with a whisper. Two decades later, it's the sob of a wife watching her husband in writhe in pain. It's the cooing of a baby put up for adoption because of his disease. It's the wail of a mother, burying her only daughter who just lost a battle in the deadliest war on the planet. Meanwhile, college students unaware of their own immortality believe that they will not be affected by this epidemic. First reported in the US in 1981, AIDS has now infected more than 1 million people in the country, with 30 million people infected worldwide. In some African countries, over 20 percent of the population is infected. The epidemic is growing most rapidly among minority populations and is a leading killer of African-American males - that's six times higher in African-Americans and three times higher in Hispanics than among whites. Infection among females has risen. AIDS is now being recognized as the fourth leading cause of death in women while remaining one of the leading causes of death in males 25 to 44 years of age. Anyone can be infected, as the disease is no longer affecting any specific portion of the population. The AIDS virus can be transmitted from one person to another through several methods, which include: contact with contaminated blood or blood products, the sharing of needles or syringes, sexual contact, or from mother to infant. Sexually, the virus can be spread through body fluids including sperm, unprotected intercourse with an infected partner, artificial insemination with semen from an infected person, or oral sex. And if you already have another sexually transmitted disease such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or bacterial vaginosis, you are more susceptible to acquiring HIV infection during sex with an infected partner. It is also important to recognize the ways HIV is not spread. While HIV has been detected in the saliva of infected individuals, no evidence exists that the virus is spread by contact with saliva. There is no evidence that HIV can be transmitted through sweat, tears, urine, or feces. Furthermore, the virus can not be transmitted through touching an HIV-infected person, kissing, embracing or cuddling, sharing utensils, donating blood when sterile needles are used, or touching objects such as toilet seats, door knobs, or clothes. Typically HIV is not a quick killer. The virus does not immediately cause AIDS; it can lay dormant for years after infection. In untreated cases, the average time for the disease to develop is 10 years or more. An illness known as HIV infection is associated with an acute illness in some infected persons soon after infection. This illness begins within one to three weeks of exposure, and usually involves some combination of symptoms that can be mistaken for other viral infections, especially since the symptoms usually disappear shortly after they appear. Members of the Massachusetts HIV Counseling and Testing Hotline have compiled suggestions for HIV protection. Even though abstinence is the best method, not everyone adheres to that system, the organization says. More realistic safe-sex suggestions made by the hotline include always keeping a latex condom with you while knowing where to get more, practicing putting on a condom privately well before having sex, making condom usage a habit when having sex, and using a new latex condom every time you have sex. The advice is only intensified for those currently using no protection. The Centers for Disease Control acknowledges that many people, especially college students, are having unprotected sex. "Alcohol and drugs [should] be removed from the equation," advised a spokesman for the CDC. "Most unprotected sex happens when people have their inhibitions marred by this popular party ritual of getting inebriated and having sex." Dr. Margaret Higham, Tufts University Health Services Medical Director, recommends testing if a student is in any way at risk for contracting HIV. "If a student believes that they might be infected then they should get tested," Higham said. "[Someone] who is sexually active might be only sleeping with one partner, but how many partners has that person had? They are essentially sleeping with every partner that their current partner has had in the past." And Health Services has the ability to test for HIV. But while the $40 test is relatively inexpensive, the fact that the test was preformed - along with the results of the test - will appear on student records. "If [students] are worried about results appearing on their health records, they can go to free clinics where the results will not end up on their health records," Higham said. "The important issue is that the test is preformed so that if it is positive, treatments can be pursued." But Higham insists that no amount of protection can ensure students' safety. "There is no such thing as safe sex. There is only safer sex," Higham said. "Abstinence is the only foolproof way."
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Sex: Whether you joke about it, think about it all day, or simply treat it as a fact of life, it probably affects you in ways you may not even realize. This is the third in a three-part series examining the more serious side of sex. This week, the Daily looks at RU-486, commonly known as the abortion pill, and the morning after pill. Across the country, college students are often faced with difficult decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health. Unfortunately, many of these students are not fully aware of what health care and counseling resources are available. At Tufts, students have the Health Services facility at their disposal, but for some, the University provisions are insufficient. While Health Services offers free advice and counseling for pregnant students, students must look beyond Health Services to obtain further medical assistance. Health Services professionals, however, say they are prepared to present students with all applicable options. One option for pregnant students is terminating the pregnancy. And though Health Services employees can answer questions pertaining to the termination option, the facility is neither equipped nor authorized to terminate pregnancies, either medically or surgically. "[Planned Parenthood] can do a termination, either surgical or medical, but we do provide the rest of the range of regular gynecological care," said Margaret Higham, the Health Services director. A student seeking to terminate a pregnancy may herself at the Boston chapter of Planned Parenthood, located on Commonwealth Ave. Planned Parenthood offers a number of options for pregnancy termination and, like Health Services, also provides advice for patients who are unsure of how to proceed. Before undergoing any procedure, patients meet with Planned Parenthood advisors to review options and discuss lingering concerns, details of the procedure, and future contraception methods. Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486, is one option available at all Planned Parenthood locations. Drugs such as Mifepristone terminate pregnancy through what is known as a medical abortion. The pill is available to women less than seven-weeks pregnant. Some people call Mifepristone a dangerous addition to the field of reproductive and gynecological procedures, and Planned Parenthood adheres to a strict regiment before prescribing the controversial pill. A woman who chooses to use the drug first receives a guide provided by Danco, the manufacturer of the pill, which details how the pill works as well as possible side effects. Brooke W., who works at Planned Parenthood of Boston, said Mifepristone is not exceedingly popular with college students, nor has it become more popular than surgical abortions. On a given day, Planned Parenthood performs anywhere from 30 to 70 surgical abortions, but only administers ten to 15 doses of Mifepristone. College students generally do not seek medical abortions because they lack privacy in their dorms, where the termination of the pregnancy actually takes place. Surgical and medical terminations, however, are not the only procedures available at Planned Parenthood. Those seeking more permanent forms of birth control - such as a vasectomy or tubal ligation - may obtain counseling and referrals at Health Services, but not the equipment or practitioners to perform the procedures. For students seeking non-invasive birth-control methods, Health Services provides many birth control options in a convenient and inexpensive manner, offering benefits that more-equipped clinics cannot provide. Students examined at Health Services can schedule follow-ups with the same clinician, whereas Planned Parenthood cannot always offer this option. And Health Services provides birth control pills at an extremely low cost. "We get them for $5 a pack," Higham said. "That's unheard of." Planned Parenthood, though generally thought of as an economical provider, provides pills at $15 per month. Despite the conveniences and discount, some students, worried about the lack of anonymity at Health Services, are more comfortable seeing an off-campus health service provider. Higham assures students that none of the clinicians discuss personal medical information in the waiting room or in front of other students, but some at Tufts complain of feeling self-conscious at the women's health clinic, a required seminar for female students seeking oral contraception. "We're very careful about confidentiality, but if you don't want someone you know seeing you in the waiting room," then you may be more comfortable at another clinic, Higham said.Though some students say Health Services lacks privacy, others find Planned Parenthood even more disagreeable. Picketers protesting abortion procedures sometimes surround the building, making students feel unsafe when approaching the clinic, and Health Services has found that most students planning to have abortions go through private specialists rather than Planned Parenthood. "They're an awesome organization. They provide fabulous services for people. They do a lot of political work too, which is great. They've got all the up-to-date techniques. [But] the picketing thing is a problem," Higham said. Planned Parenthood of Boston says that picketing is not a significant problem. Picketing generally takes place during morning hours on days when abortions are performed, they claim. Students seeking private care can make afternoon or evening appointments to avoid picketers. There are also volunteers who can escort students through picketers. But for some young women, the anonymity that Planned Parenthood provides is more important than avoiding picketing. One freshman said her friend in high school turned to Planned Parenthood when she chose to have an abortion."She had to do it independently. She felt that if she went to a private doctor, she would have to go through her own doctor and [that] somehow her mom would find out," she explained. Planned Parenthood of Boston does, however, attract a large number of college students. According to Brooke W., students go to Planned Parenthood for emergency contraception - the "morning after" pill - when college clinics are closed. But Tufts' Health Services is open on Saturdays, when some colleges close their clinics. And Tufts also has an on-call doctor in the evening hours, who is available to students for emergencies at any time during the academic year.
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With a new president in the White House, especially one who is the former governor of the state with the most executions per year, a new dialogue concerning the death penalty in this country is necessary. I strongly believe that discussion of the death penalty in the Untied States often moves in the wrong direction, addressing the wrong issues. People go around and around in circles, debating over personal ideals and morals that most hold sacred and few will ever change. As interesting as philosophizing about morality, effectiveness and religious and political implications can be, our conversations about the death penalty need only to focus on one question of primary concern: is our criminal justice system of equal fairness and consequence for every citizen under its jurisdiction? The answer is a resounding no. First, there is the question of equal representation. Although all people accused of crimes have a right to legal counsel, the guarantee to representation alone is not enough to constitute equality. Those who can afford experienced and effective lawyers face a much more favorable result when dealing with a criminal charge. Underpaid, inexperienced and overworked public defenders do not entail equal representation. Private attorneys must build their practices and earn their salaries based on their reputation, hard work and results, whereas government appointed attorneys have much less incentive and time to do all that is possible for their clients. Even if a guilty verdict is unavoidable, the harshness of sentencing can be greatly affected by good legal tactics. Then there is the question of DNA evidence. As recently as a month ago, two men in Texas were released from life imprisonment after over ten years in prison due to DNA testing they had previously been denied. It is tedious and expensive to find and analyze this type of evidence. Until all those accused are able to utilize these tests for their defense, regardless of cost, the Criminal Justice System remains imbalanced. Why do some have the access to this evidence while others do not? It all comes down to a matter of socio-economics, the same factor effecting equal representation. Those who have the resources can purchase a better outcome. When money and justice are so closely linked in a country with such a discrepancy of wealth among its citizens, it is a good indication that the justice system cannot possibly be fair. I have not even begun to discuss the issues of racism and discrimination, but I could fill pages with documented evidence of unfair treatment in arrests and sentencing by police, juries and judges based on the race of both the defendant and the victim. In a country with such a heinous history of abusive treatment to those not considered white, it is shameful that a system possessing the ability to take away liberty, property and even life continues to discriminate against and punish citizens more severely because of their ethnicity. More than just a few men and women have been released from death row after successful appeals or the appearance of new evidence. From this we know that in our system, sometimes the innocent are found guilty and some of these innocents are sentenced to die. Can we be sure all these mistakes are caught? Why did these mistakes happen in the first place? These are the pertinent questions. It is important to remember that our justice system is controlled and run by human beings. Human beings are imperfect creatures who make mistakes and hold prejudices and opinions the effect everything they do. Some do this maliciously, others unconsciously, but the result is the same: error and injustice.Concerning an issue so controversial, there is a statement on which I think everyone can agree - life is a precious thing and the decision to take it away is a grave one. Death is irreversible. If we as a society wish to give the government the right to take away life as punishment without the use of system that will do it fairly and without prejudice or error, it seems to me that we are forgetting how serious taking away life really is. What right do we have to take life away when it is obvious that the system allotting this punishment is inherently flawed? Pick either side of the moral issue concerning the death penalty, but do not neglect the issue of flaws in our system. Unlike issues of right and wrong, the system can be empirically studied and can lead us to more certain conclusions. Emily Haus is a senior who is majoring in English.
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In the past three days, I've seen more Jumbos than I've seen in the past nine months. It's overwhelming, with classes starting and old friendships renewed - and helping new freshmen along their way to Brown and Brew and Sweet Creams. (You gotta help the freshmen, it's your bound duty seniors!) But, seriously: with the Jumbo alma mater dancing in my head, surviving on caffeine kicks and not much sleep through this first week of classes, one thought keeps returning. Among the many faces I have seen, there's one I haven't seen and haven't heard from and who will never return my calls. I went to see the "O"show, and though it's no Rent, I was reminded of this more forcefully when one of the characters began to speak and to sing of dying. He sang about his bewilderment at this new reality, never having taken drugs, slept around, never smoked, never drank. I felt the same this spring when I received a horrifying midnight call from one of my friends when I was in Paris. My friend Dave Medeiros had passed away, after a year struggling with pancreatic cancer. Though theoretically I knew that his time was limited, I was still bewildered. The last time I saw my friend before I went away, he was buff from the gym and in full form as an actor in the December shows. He told all of us that he was in remission and "healthy as a horse" according to the doctors. As the months went by I realized he wasn't coming back - no matter how healthy he had appeared before I left. But the one thing that continually struck me when I returned to the US this summer was "I won't see Dave when I go back to Tufts." Sometimes I feel as though I'm losing my memories of him. Other times they come back very strong. Among our group of friends, there is only a silent bond: we don't ask each other how we're dealing with his loss any longer. I still wanted to cry when I heard all of the Elvis songs on the radio during Elvis week, but instead I closed my eyes and thought of us watching an Elvis movie together. But after the "O" show I cried because I think that he could have been in it if he were still here. You have to move on with your life and remember people you've lost in the only ways that you can. There's a tradition in the Torah that you honor people's memories by celebrating life: a Rabbi still counseled my cousin to continue with her wedding a few days after September 11. So I guess my Jewish New Year's resolution is to honor Dave's memory by treasuring all the moments I have with friends in my last year at Tufts. After all, college is so short - and you never know how much time you have to be with the great friends that you've made these past four years.Liz Lash is a senior majoring in international relations.
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A student has been suspended for the semester after confessing to stealing a car from an Espresso's delivery person last fall. The driver called the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) from an emergency phone at 1 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2000 to report that his car had been stolen from the entrance to Carmichael Hall. He had left the car running while delivering food to the Carmichael residents when a student, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time, drove off with the vehicle. After placing the emergency call, the Espresso's driver chased after the car to the front of Olin, where the student exited the vehicle but continued running. The driver jumped in his car and pursued the student to Metcalf, at which point he abandoned the vehicle and continued the chase on foot. TUPD caught up with both the owner and the student at Powderhouse Blvd, near Haskell Hall. According to Espresso's cook Jerry Dottin, drivers are never supposed to leave their vehicles running when they deliver an order. While witnesses say the driver initially claimed that the student had grabbed his keys, the Espresso's employee admitted in the police report that the keys had been left in the ignition. The Espresso's driver positively identified the student in custody as the thief, but chose not to press charges. The TUPD officers did not record the offending student's Blood Alcohol Content, but did note that the underage student was under the influence of alcohol. The incident was referred to the Dean of Students Office, which charged the student with theft of an automobile, public intoxication, underage drinking, and driving to endanger. Because the student expressed remorse, Assistant for Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter elected to suspend the student for one semester, instead of the maximum year-long punishment. The student was also required to meet with an Alcohol and Health Educator to discuss the incident and to determine if any further counseling is necessary. "This meeting is mandatory anytime a student is intoxicated or involved in an alcohol-related incident," Carter said. The student appealed the decision to the Committee on Student Life (CSL) on the grounds that the consequence was too severe, but Carter's decision was upheld. The CSL, however, did say that the student could return for the summer session in order to make up classes. Tufts officials said that the student is lucky that no one was injured and that the punishment was so lenient. According to TUPD Captain Mark Keith, if anyone had been hurt as a result of the joy ride, the student would have been held responsible for the damage or injuries. Additionally, if the Espresso's driver had pressed charges, the student would have faced the charges of motor vehicle theft and driving under the influence, both felonies. Harassment of delivery people and theft of their vehicles are rare occurrences on campus, according to Carter. There was an almost identical vehicle theft incident a few years ago, but the TUPD did not receive a single motor vehicle report last year. In 1998, there were three reports, and there was only one in 1997. Most area restaurants say they have had only minor problems over the past few years. But the Domino's Pizza in Medford has reportedly been the victim of many thefts of their roof-top displays in recent weeks. "This school year alone, we've had four signs stolen, at a cost of $100 each," Assistant Manager Fabrico Aleixo said.
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Senior Lisa Goodman saw The Vagina Monologues, playwright Eve Ensler's Obie award-winning play, off-Broadway in New York. Three women - barefoot, clad solely in black, perched on stools a few feet from Goodman's seat - spoke frankly and openly about their vaginas. Goodman, already signed on to produce a version of the play for Tufts, felt that this sort of dialogue would be just what women on campus needed."When you stay silent about something, nothing gets accomplished. It's kind of like, if you own your body, you reclaim yourself, and stand up for yourself," Goodman said. For Goodman and others honoring V-Day today, being able to talk about their vaginas and bodies is an integral part of the fight to end violence against women. Rather than celebrating Valentine's Day, V-Day pushes romance aside and puts the focus on women's safety and personal issues.V-Day began in 1998 as a product of The Vagina Monologues. A group of women founded V-Day to demand an end to violence against women. V-Day puts Valentine's Day on hold until violence stops; the group also declared that when violence ends, V-Day will be known as Victory Over Violence Day. The V-Day College Initiative invites colleges to mount their own productions of The Vagina Monologues on or around Feb. 14 to raise money and awareness for violence against women. According to Goodman, over 250 colleges and universities are participating this year and over 50 cities throughout the world will also launch productions of the play. The proceeds from the college events are given to organizations in the schools' communities that work to stop violence against women. The Tufts group will donate their proceeds to Emerge, a domestic violence crisis center, and Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. The production is sponsored primarily by the Women's Center, along with other academic departments and culture centers. The Jackson Jills will perform in "Vulvapalooza", an event in the lobby of Balch Arena Theater preceding Sunday's production of The Vagina Monologues. Local charities will also be tabling side by side with games such as "Pin the Clit on the Vagina" and a silent auction offering vibrators - donated from Hubba Hubba and Condom World - as prizes. Goodman hopes that these activities along with the information available at the event will encourage women to speak more openly about their bodies. After becoming involved in the production, Goodman said that she has no qualms about screaming "vagina" across the academic quad to crew and cast members. "[The play is] really an experience," Goodman said. "It's basically listening to stuff you think about but never heard out loud before." And according to supporters of V-Day, this lack of discussion on issues surrounding the vagina hurts the movement to stop violence against women. In addition to discussing the more pleasant aspects of women's bodies, the play confronts issues such as genital mutilation, rape, and molestation. Sophomore Erin Dwyer, one of the play's directors, got involved because she felt that seeing The Vagina Monologues was "definitely something the campus needed." Violence, Dwyer said, will not stop "unless people can talk openly about it and are aware of it. When you stop talking about things, they get put into a closet." The play not only addresses the community at large but has also changed the perspectives of its own cast and crew. "I have so much more confidence in myself. I'm so much happier about myself," Goodman said about her involvement with the play. "I don't think twice about saying 'vagina'." Potential cast members also held some of the insecurities that Goodman has shed. Dwyer recalls that many audition applications often held some surprising answers to a question asking about conflicts - that is, scheduling conflicts. Some of those trying out interpreted this to mean personal conflicts, so instead of reading about class times and job obligations, Dwyer found that some of the auditioning women felt uncomfortable with the play's issues and their own bodies. "So many people came in and you would never think so much is going on under the surface," Dwyer said. "There are so many layers to what we're doing, having people on campus think about it, talk about it." Another layer to the V-Day event is the participation of men. Goodman and the rest of the crew were concerned about attracting male students to their audience and to the issue of violence, but they actually received a warm response. "It's surprising how many guys are into this," she said, adding that this is significant to the cause. "You can't stop violence against women without the guys," she said. Emerge also takes the male perspective into account with its counseling offerings. "They're not just blaming the man," Dwyer said, explaining that the counseling sessions for male offenders suggest that violence can be discussed and resolved. In order to continue addressing violence, the college initiative continues beyond this year as well. With the first V-Day initiative underway, Goodman hopes that a tradition has begun. "[The event] is going to happen every year now," she said. "We're supposed to do it annually." Goodman and others will pursue the creation of a club that will continue to perform The Vagina Monologues and other V-Day events annually, in hopes of getting Senate funding and increasing student participation, which is already enthusiastic. "People just jumped at it. There's a lot of interest on campus," she said.The Vagina Monologues will be performed on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8:30 p.m. in Cohen Auditorium. Tickets are $7. Vulvapalooza, a free event, will begin at 7 p.m. in the lobby of Balch Arena.
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Twenty-hour work weeks, building-wide nightly tours, emergency and crisis management, one-on-one counseling sessions, and reams of paperwork barely scratch the list of responsibilities required of resident assistants (RAs) at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. During a recent discussion about the duties the job requires compared to the compensation offered, the school's RAs voiced their dissatisfaction. And earlier this month, the RAs took steps to form the first undergraduate labor union. Moves toward unionizing arose from a series of complaints against the UMass residential life system. The RAs are calling for adequate compensation, protection from arbitrary termination, an end to their contract's "open-ended clause," and equitable duties across clusters (sets of residences). UMass says its RAs receive an ample $137 a week. But the RAs claim they receive only $50 per week, or $2.50 an hour for 20-hour work weeks, which is significantly below the state minimum wage of $6.75. "It is difficult to quantify the RA job... some might say it can never be fully compensated," said Bob Clark, assistant director of Tufts Residential Life. UMass administrators were unavaible to offer further comments, and UMass News Director Barbara Pitoniak refered reporters to a statement released last week by UMass Chancellor David Scott. "The administration does not support the effort to unionize, and will follow established procedures expressing our position on the petition for recognition to the state Labor Relations Commission," the press release stated. UMass has also declined to sign a neutrality agreement, which would block the university from engaging in an anti-union campaign. According to the UMass RAs, the assumption is that the institution plans to enjoin them from joining the union. Serious union talks were organized last spring when then-senior and three-year RA Gregory Essopos wrote a senior thesis regarding the RA system. "The results were staggering," said David Synnot, an RA and advocate for the union. He called the document "the boiling point" that acted as the impetus to motivate RAs to unionize. At UMass, 12 to 24 RAs work in each cluster, which consist of one to three buildings. Every night there are two RAs on duty and three RAs on weekends (at Tufts, only one RA is on duty on any given night). On-duty RA responsibilities include patrolling each floor and each building to survey the residential area and confront party situations. "It seems most partying happens in the halls [at UMass]. We don't necessarily need [more than one RA on duty]... most partying happens elsewhere," Clark said of Tufts. In response to growing unrest among UMass RAs, an RA Grievance Committee was formed last semester to address specific concerns and sought to protect RAs from unfair termination and to ensure due process. "It was futile and passive," RA Council Co-Chair Asif Sayani said of the committee. Sayani claimed that Res Life management did not respond effectively to the council's recommendations. Although this movement is the first in the undergraduate domain, a precedence of unionization exists with graduate students. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union deals with 30 different graduate student bargaining units nationwide. The UMass graduate students unionized and formed the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) 11 years ago, and now enjoy full medical and dental coverage, child care support, and eligibility for tuition waivers. Taking the lead from the graduate students, a majority of the 364 UMass RAs signed a petition to unionize early this month, which was then filed with the Massachsetts Labor Relations Board (MLRB) and the University. UMass had the option to either recognize the RAs as a union and proceed with contract negotiations or fight the petition with the MLRB - it chose the latter. If a renegotiated contract is signed by the RAs, they will begin paying union dues. These payments will cover various expenses, such as attorney fees, incurred by the union. Since UMass is a state university, the school's anti-union expense will be derived from tuition dollars, which may inflame the issue if costs add up. The MLRB will convene with UMass representatives, UAW union organizers, and RA witnesses on May 30 to decide the legitimacy of the union. UAW organizer Tim Scott is confident that the MLRB will decide in their favor. "The RAs' leverage is strength in numbers.... The university works because they do," he said. "From a risk management perspective, what RAs do is so important to the University," Clark said. "RAs are the ones to help identify students who need help. Without that staff, the University wouldn't be serving the educational function." In the event that the MLRB decides against the legitimacy of the union, the RAs still have other options, including going on strike. Incidentially, this is the bargaining tactic the graduate students chose when they initially began union talks. After the graduate students went on strike, the University responded quickly and recognized the union.The writer is an RA at Tufts.
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Several internationally prominent scholars and authors met Friday night at Cabot Auditorium to discuss globalization and its effects on Chinese and American cultures. The speakers presented distinct perspectives on Chinese culture and the fusion of Eastern and Western culture while shedding light on China's economy, art, and political and legal systems. The panel, which was titled "Global Culture: Mediating the Unique and the Universal," was part the China Institute's annual weekend symposium. China Institute fellows and students who attended the program spoke enthusiastically about diversity of opinions reflected during the panel. "I'm looking at the panel and it's a phenomenal set of people, people whose books we've been reading, who are so important in this discourse of the globalization in China and culture," China Institute fellow Sarada Peri said. Esther Won, Director and General Counsel of the Silk Road Project, spoke on behalf of Yo Yo Ma. The Silk Road Project founded by Yo Yo Ma to expand the horizons of his own musical experience and highlight the musical traditions of Asian countries. In the short film on the Silk Road Project, Yo Yo Ma asks, "We're trying to bring people together who are great advocates of the traditions they come from, and if we make them meet, what happens?" The panel served just that function, as great minds with varying opinions were brought together in order to create a dialogue about Chinese culture. Dr. Lawrence Harrison, an author and scholar at the Academy for International and Area Studies at Harvard University, pointed out the similarities between Western, East Asian, and Judaic values. The three are alike in their emphasis on the future, strong work ethic and achievements, and the importance of education, according to Harrison. New York University Law professor Dr. Jerome A. Cohen spoke about the modernizing changes that the Chinese legal system is undergoing. He speculated that is possibly becoming a more federal, centralized system. Not all of the panelists felt that to speak of cultures in terms of East and West was the best way to view global culture. Lionel Jansen of the department of East Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Notre Dame disapproved of the way the Chinese and the Americans create a cultural chasm by dividing the world into two halves, the East and the West. Kwame Anthony Appiah, a professor of Afro-American studies and Philosophy at Harvard University, delivered his perspective through a filmed presentation because he was unable to attend the panel. He stressed that cultures are not self-contained, closed-off unique entities, but are shaped by interactions with different people and societies. Despite the differences in opinion, there was a general consensus among the panelists that China is presently undergoing a significant transition politically, economically, and culturally. All the speakers addressed the need to address this within an international context. The students in attendance responded positively to the panel and praised it for presenting a diversity of opinions. Brian Cathcart, a Japanese major who is involved with Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) said that the panel was a good chance for students to learn about modernization and progress in China. "This panel was particularly about what is important to develop," he said. "I think one of the good aspects of it was while there were people here that I did not agree with at all, various points of view were presented, and that allowed a chance for a genuine debate to take place." "I've learned to appreciate that the intellectual community can really be fraught with dissent and disagreement which was certainly brought forth tonight at the panel," EPIIC student Matthew Isles said. "I am looking forward to discussion because I think there is going to be a lot of contention. I'm hoping for it, actually." The China Institute, formerly known as Tufts Institute for Leadership and International Perspective, offers 14-20 Tufts students the opportunity to collaborate with students from Chinese universities to develop business and leadership skills. The students spend six weeks during the summer doing an internship in Hong Kong with students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University, and Peking University. The Chinese students then come to Tufts later in the year for an international leadership symposium. China Institute students said that this weekend's programming gave them new insight into the culture of China. "I think the fact that we also have students from China and Tufts working together in this context is so important in informing the student body about what these issues are. I think that these are issues that are not necessarily discussed on an everyday basis and yet form the way we live our lives," Peri said. "The basis of the program, to create cross-cultural team building and leadership abilities, has been a success, basically," fellow Lisa Lake said. "I believe that each of us, though the exchange that we've had with someone from another culture, have gained an enormous amount, more than we even dreamed of coming into this program."
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It's 4 a.m. and you haven't even gotten the bulk of your homework done. You have three papers due at the same time, a class presentation to work on with several other classmates, and a midterm on a subject that you have never even heard of, let alone understand. On top of all of that, you have to go to sports practice in an hour and complete your resume for prospective summer internships. Stress and anxiety don't even come close to describing your state of mind.
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A nationwide manhunt led to the arrest of two Vermont teenagers wanted for the murders of two Dartmouth College professors. An Indiana police officer apprehended Robert Tulloch, 17, and James Parker, 16, at an Indiana truck stop on Monday. The pair will face charges on two counts of first-degree murder in New Hampshire court. Tulloch, who returned to New Hampshire yesterday, was arraigned in Lebanon District Court. Parker will remain in Indiana until a hearing on Feb. 27, at which point his lawyers say he will fight extradition. Both will be charged as adults, and if convicted could face life in prison. New Hampshire authorities allege that on Jan. 27, the suspects stabbed Susanne and Half Zantop to death in their home outside Hanover, N.H.. Susanne, 55, was the chair of the German department at Dartmouth, while Half, 62, was an earth sciences professor. Officials have not been forthcoming with the details of the investigation, which is being conducted by New Hampshire State Police, the Hanover police, and the FBI. No information has been released about the connection between the suspects and the victims. "We will be very guarded in the specific information we give from this point," N.H. Attorney General Phillip McLaughlin said. "We cannot provide the kind of case-specific evidentiary information that can in any way prejudice the trial of this case." The Dartmouth community is still recovering from the loss of the two popular professors. "While neither today's developments nor future proceedings in the case can diminish the pain caused by the loss of Susanne and Half Zantop, we hope that these arrests will bring some measure of relief to the Zantop family and the Dartmouth and Upper Valley communities," Dartmouth President James Wright said in a statement released Monday. A Zantop scholarship fund has been set up, and a memorial service was held on campus earlier this month. Tulloch and Parker are from Chelsea , Vt., a town of 1,300 people located about 25 miles north-west of Dartmouth. They became suspects after investigators learned that one of them had purchased a military-style knife on the Internet, according to Orange County, Vt. Sheriff Dennis McClure. The sheath from that type of weapon was reportedly found in the Zantop's home. Police questioned the suspects last Thursday and took their fingerprints. When they disappeared on Friday, warrants were issued for their arrest. A silver 1987 Audi belonging to Parker's mother was later found at a truck stop in Sturbridge, Mass., and authorities alerted police nationwide to search for the teens, whom they thought were hitchhiking to California. The fugitives were captured with the help of Indiana Sheriff Sergeant William Ward, who became suspicious after he heard a truck driver from New Jersey ask over his radio if anyone wanted to give the hitchhikers a ride to California. Ward told the driver to take his passengers to the Flying J truck stop near New Castle, Ind., where he and two other police officers apprehended them. New Hampshire authorities say the investigation is still active. Earlier this month, they questioned Arizona State University volcanology professor Stanley Williams in connection with the Zantop murders. Williams, a former visiting professor at Dartmouth, was in town the weekend of the crime to attend the 90th birthday party of his former dissertation advisor, Richard Stroiber. Police impounded the rental car he used that weekend, but Williams was never named a suspect in the case. An erroneous article in @italics:The Boston Globe last Friday reported that authorities believed an extramarital affair involving Half Zantop could have provided a motive for the killings. The New Hampshire attorney general's office fiercely denied this theory, and the Globe admitted its error on the newspaper's front page yesterday. "The sources said the information they supplied was correct to the best of their knowledge at the time it was provided. However, in light of the current focus on teenage suspects Robert W. Tulloch and James J. Parker, the sources now concede that the extramarital affair theory is not correct," editor Matthew Storin wrote. There are no known connections between the suspects and Dartmouth College. Security on campus has been heightened since the murders, and a number of counseling services continue to offer support to the community.
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@bodyhead: The search for a new University chaplain has been postponed because of the ongoing search to replace President John DiBiaggio, and Revered Patricia Budd Kempler will hold the interim position for at least another semester. After Reverend Scotty McLennan vacated his 16-year post this past January to accept a job at Stanford University, Kempler was appointed to hold the position until June 2001. Her tenure has been extended through December 2001, and could last longer if no official appointment is made. While the presidential search is not inhibiting the University from conducting a search for a new chaplain, the University is hesitant to make a selection without consulting the new president. Although the Board of Trustees is responsible for making the chaplain appointment, the person will have to work closely with the University president. "It seems appropriate to allow the new president the opportunity to make the decision regarding the future of the University chaplain position, since that position currently reports to the president," said Judy Olson, the executive associate to the president. Once the new president is chosen, the chaplain position could be filled immediately. Selecting a new chaplain is an important process because of the prominent role the figure plays on campus. "I see the University chaplain as a special resource when dealing with interfaith relations, ethical issues, and community conflicts... [as well as] promoting general sanity on campus, good relations among religious communities, and productive, civil discussion in the Tufts community," Rabbi Jeffrey Summit said. The position of University chaplain was created during the mid-1980s by then-President Jean Meyer to unify religious life on campus. Though its original job description included acting as a coordinator, resource, and mediator among Tufts' various religious communities, the role has since expanded. The University chaplain oversees the Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic associate chaplains, and is an advisor to other religious groups on campus, often serving to resolve inter-faith conflicts. The chaplain also often works with students who have no religious affiliation. During the Tufts Christian Fellowship controversy last spring and fall, McLennan was instrumental in helping the community deal with the sensitive issues that were raised. The University chaplain "serves as a mediator and spokesperson for all," Summit said. The University chaplain's other duties include "pastoral care and counseling... ceremonial functions at University events, consultation on religious and ethical issues, teaching, and administrative responsibility for Goddard Chapel," according to Protestant Chaplain Reverend Steven Bonsey. The new chaplain will have the opportunity to revamp details of the role, and Olson arranged several meetings earlier this semester at which students, faculty, and staff discussed the position. The dialogue focused on how and why the position is important to the community, and what changes they would make to the position to help foster further growth within the community. No major conclusions were reached. One concern Summit has is whether the new position will be a full or part-time job. "I believe very strongly that the role is very essential on campus, and so it is important to have a full-time chaplain. The right person could be extremely helpful to the school," he said.
