Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Features

Arts

Sports

Science

Magazine

Multimedia
Video
Photo
Audio

Newsletter

Cartoons

Print Edition

Archives

News

Final Four fanfare ends in dramatic NCAA championship game

August 31

With just 15 seconds remaining in the second half of yesterday's NCAA Championship game, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) forward Denise Buckley began a run down the left sideline that would ultimately put an end to the most successful season in Jumbo sports history. As the remaining seconds disappeared, Buckley reached the end line, turned the corner, and headed for the Tufts net. She dropped a perfect cross in front of the goal, where junior Lisa Pelligrino fired a shot at Tufts senior tri-captain Randee McArdle, who made the save, but sent the rebound straight to TCNJ sophomore midfielder Cara Gabage. Gabage headed the ball into the net with just three seconds remaining to give the Lions a 2-1 lead and secure their third NCAA Championship. "I was hoping the countdown would go a little faster," coach Martha Whiting said of the final seconds. "Randee initially made a really amazing save. When you make a save like that, though, it's really hard to hold on to, and all she could do was deflect it. And then they were there for the rebound and just played it in." "It was a magnificent finish; you couldn't have scripted it," TCNJ coach Joe Russo said. "It's a good feeling [to finally win]. We've come so close and battled so hard [over the past few years], and now we finally got it." TCNJ took an early lead in yesterday's game, scoring in the ninth minute. Sophomore forward Gia Rosamilla sent a long ball into the box to Buckley, who lifted a shot over a charging McArdle to give the Lions a 1-0 edge. New Jersey dominated the remainder of the half, maintaining a steady attack on the Tufts defense and generating a number of potential goals. "They scored really early, and we kind of retreated a little bit - we got scared," Whiting said. "And we played scared for the entire first half. They had a lot of opportunities after that, and I'll admit that I was nervous. I thought they could have scored a couple more. But I felt like if we could get to halftime 1-0, then we'd be ok." In the second half, the Jumbos came out much stronger. Unlike the opening period, when TCNJ used a fast pace and high passes to control play, the Jumbos asserted their style of play in the second half, slowing down the pace and playing the ball closer to the ground. "During halftime, we came together and regrouped," Whiting said. "They controlled the pace in the first half, and they're very quick and very athletic, and they ran at us like bats out of hell. I told the team that if we could slow it down and play the ball on the ground, we would have a better shot, because that's the way we play. We don't play their frenetic style." "We had a really good pep talk at halftime, just basically saying that we were definitely even with this team," McArdle said. "We just had to play our game, and as soon as we started [doing that] in the second half, we really controlled the play for the most part." Tufts stepped up its offensive attack, keeping the ball in Lions territory for a majority of the period. The Jumbos' increased intensity turned around a game that had gone almost completely in TCNJ's favor during the opening half. "We just came out harder," junior forward Lynn Cooper said. "A lot of times we just come out harder in the second half. It takes us a while to get going. We were getting pretty mad towards the end [of the first half], and we definitely raised our intensity level." "In the second half, they had the better of the play. I'd be lying if I said otherwise," Russo said. "They controlled the play, had us pinned in, and really took us out of what we wanted to do. We came unraveled at times, we stopped working, and we weren't winning any balls. "This is a tough environment to play in," he continued. "You're playing away from home, in front of over 1,000 people, mostly their fans. It's not easy, and our kids bent a little bit." The aggressive offense paid off for Tufts late in the half. With just under 15 minutes to play, Cooper took the ball up the left side of the field, ran into a tough Lion defender, and passed it to freshman phenom Jess Trombly. Trombly cut the ball towards the top of the box, and then sent a perfectly placed pass to sophomore midfielder Adie Sherwood. Sherwood redirected the pass into the net to tie the game at 1-1, sending the crowd into a frenzy. "Jess Trombly played a great ball across, and I just got in behind the defender," Sherwood said. "We didn't give up, and that was the most important part. We were down early, and we fought back hard." "Cooper and Trombly were awesome, especially when they worked together," Whiting said of her forwards. "Cooper, throughout the whole NCAA Tournament, has just been a force. She doesn't want to be denied, and the same with Trombly. If it wasn't one, it was the other, working hard to get the ball and to keep it." The goal, only the second scored off TCNJ keeper Victoria Nusse this season, and the third against the team as a whole, woke the Lions from their slumber. "The goal was a bit of a miscommunication in the back. We could have easily folded then, but that didn't happen," Russo said. The team charged down the field on the ensuing kickoff and put together a couple of scoring opportunities, including one shot off the crossbar and another that went just wide of the mark. Tufts rebounded from the push, though, and the play over the next ten minutes went back and forth, with each team threatening, until Buckley's run. "It was a really hard-fought game," Cooper siad. "Obviously it's a heart breaker. I think we gave them a great match, especially coming back. We've been known to come back after being down." "We worked really hard in the second half, and it finally resulted in a goal," Whiting said. "You pressure and you pressure, but sometimes it just takes one breakout from the other team, and that's it." Tufts advanced to the Championship game by defeating the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1-0 in overtime on Saturday. The semi-final match-up was marked by strong winds that gave a distinct advantage to the team with it blowing at its back. The Pointers had the wind during the opening period, and dominated play, keeping the ball in Jumbo territory. Tufts warmed up late in the period, however, and took over once it got the wind in its favor. "We get to halftime, and I told them we're the better team, let's just get it done," Whiting said. "Let's just do it - we're a better team, and we just need to keep fighting." But despite controlling play for most of the second half, the Jumbos could not put the ball into the net in regulation, sending the teams to a sudden-death overtime. "We weren't worried about the overtime," senior tri-captain Carmen Mikacenic said. "A lot of times, you're nervous going into it, but we knew that we'd been dominating the whole second half, so we were really excited just to get it done." Tufts won the coin toss for the overtime period, and kept the wind at its back. For the next ten minutes, the Brown and Blue kept up a constant attack on the Pointer defense, and finally scored in the 102nd minute. Junior midfielder Becky Mann made a run up the right side of the field, but was tripped up as she headed for the box. Mikacenic took the ensuing free kick, and blasted it towards the goal. The keeper made the stop, but couldn't hold onto the ball. Cooper was there following the shot, knocking the ball away from the goalie and sending the rebound into the net to give Tufts the victory. "I was sick and tired of missing the goal this game," Cooper said. "We had so many chances, and I just decided that I was going to go right through on that one. "It was unreal," Mikacenic said. "It was just a matter of when we were going to score or if we were going to have to go to PKs. I'm glad we got it done on the field." The goal was Cooper's seventh in NCAA play, bringing her to within three of the NCAA record, held by Lauren Johnson of UC-San Diego. The 1-0 victory lifted Tufts' record to 18-3-1, and advanced the team to yesterday's NCAA Championship game. "Whenever you go into overtime, you know you have two great teams. Somebody's going to make a mistake, and we made the mistake," UWSP coach Sheila Meich said of Saturday's game. "The wind was a big factor. We were hoping to get into the second period of overtime and have that wind going with us, but that didn't happen." Tufts finishes the season with an 18-4-1 record, including an impressive 11-1 mark at home, by far the best in the program's 21-year history. The Jumbos' final number-two ranking is also a team best, and Tufts will most likely begin next year near the top of the charts. Mikacenic, Cooper, and Sherwood were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. "Once everything settles down, [our players] will realize that and what a great job they did, and how much they really accomplished, and how good it was for this school," Whiting said. "We're the second best team in the whole entire country, and we need to be proud of that."

News

Sorry for making this campus safe

August 31

First and foremost I would like to thank Jon Halpert and Adam Ross for leaving the trappings of the silent majority and becoming involved in policies that affect their lives ("An open letter to the Tufts Community," 12/5). I strongly believe (but I don't accept) that people should be involved in shaping the policies that affect their lives. I would also like to thank Halpert and Ross for joining the civil discussion about the nondiscrimination policy, a discussion that has been ongoing since Julie Catalano filed a discrimination complaint against the TCF. I regret that you missed the discussion in Metcalf about the case during last year's spring semester. I regret that you didn't read the numerous Viewpoints that have constantly discussed this issue. I regret that you did not interact with anyone during the vigil during the second hearing of the case this year. I regret that you did not discuss the issue with any TSAD members while they were asking for letter signatures. I regret that you didn't talk to any TSAD members while they tabled in the dining halls. I regret that you didn't come across any TSAD members as they passed out literature and were more than willing to talk about the issue. I'm sorry that you missed these activities, but to say that, "...TSAD does not wish to have a civil discourse on this issue," is absolutely absurd. Civil discourse has been going on since the day this issue began, and TSAD members have been participating in it since the beginning. Since you missed all of our civil discourse - and I'm sure you're not alone - let me clarify some of TSAD's ideas for you. I apologize that somehow you slipped through the cracks of our education campaign. In the case of Julie Catalano vs. TCF, the TCUJ found the nondiscrimination policy to be ambiguous and separated one's identity from one's acceptance of identity. TSAD found this idea to be in discord with the spirit of the nondiscrimination policy, and since the TCUJ lacks the power to interpret the spirit of a university policy, TSAD turned to the administration to clarify this ambiguity. That's all TSAD has wanted this whole time: a clear nondiscrimination policy. That's it. TSAD doesn't want to kick any group off of campus, attack religion, or institute the "thought police" on campus. Many members of TSAD are very religious, so it's absurd for Halpert and Ross to say, "TSAD has instead preferred to stand against religion." As an active member of TSAD I'm sure of this - everything else that TSAD "wants" is just rumor or false speculation. TSAD began working on getting the University's clarification on the policy as soon as the decision came out; we didn't just decide to sit in a building at the end of the semester. We met with Dean Reitman and President DiBiaggio on numerous occasions. We showed student support for the issue through a rally and letter signing campaign. I apologize that the letter we asked people to sign was bland; however aesthetics was not our concern. Halpert and Ross's claim that we coerced people to sign the letter is ludicrous. People had a choice to sign that letter - many chose to sign and many did not. The fact that 500 people showed up to the rally (We coerced them too, right?) shows that there was serious student concern. Even after the biggest rally in the past three years, the administration refused to listen to our concerns. DiBiaggio would not address the issue of acceptance of one's identity. After several failed meetings, we decided to do a more drastic action in order to have a serious dialogue with the administration. Just as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and even our forefathers adapted more drastic tactics when the authorities failed to listen, so did TSAD.Even though Ross and Halpert say, "Don't protest, don't yell, don't chant, don't break the law; that is how tyranny is made," I have never heard a more baseless and utterly ridiculous statement at this university. It's not like Gandhi created the largest democracy in the world through protests, chants, yelling, and breaking the law; it's not like the achievements of the civil rights movement were won through protests, chants, yelling, and breaking the law; it's not like America gained its independence through protests, chants, yelling, and breaking the law. Wow, those protests sure caused a lot of tyranny. Ross and Halpert, please do your research in order to avoid making blatantly false statements in the near future. Finally, due to the sit-in, the administration began to listen to us. As a result, Tufts clarified its policy through DiBiaggio's letter to the community. TSAD is also working to clarify the policy by including the policy in the TCU constitution, so the TCUJ and the CSL can better interpret the policy. I find it extremely insulting to President DiBiaggio that Halpert and Ross feel they should ignore the president's letter. The president had the ability to remove us from that building through other means. It seems they only want the letter ignored because they disagree with it. DiBiaggio knew what he was saying. His statement was the university's interpretation, and therefore it should dictate future policy. However, the president's letter and Ross's and Halpert's viewpoint do bring up two valid issues, so let's clarify these questions:Now that the university has issued its interpretation via the president's letter that "the nondiscrimination policy is understood to include such self-acceptance of identity," what exactly does this mean? I disagree with Halpert and Ross's asinine assertion that one's beliefs and one's acceptance of identity are the same and that self-acceptance dictates beliefs. It just doesn't make sense. Let's take the question, "Who do you believe should be president?" I know plenty of self-accepting Caucasians, homosexuals, Afro- Americans, and Christians who have very different beliefs of who they think should be president. I'm sure everyone reading this article knows self-accepting people of the same race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, color, religion, or disability who have different beliefs about who should be president. Self-acceptance merely means that you cannot discriminate against someone because she or he finds nothing wrong with her/his traits mentioned in the nondiscrimination policy. Now that self-acceptance is covered in the non-discrimination policy, do groups have to have minority leadership? Absolutely not. All TSAD is trying to protect is the right of every student to try out for a leadership position. Members of any group are not bound by the nondiscrimination policy to vote or choose leaders without discrimination. TSAD is not trying to bring the thought police to campus. To say that this decision "...inhibit[s] the leadership selection of student groups and erode the freedom of belief that lies at the bedrock of our society" is preposterous. If anything, it will enhance leadership selection, because more people will have the chance to run, and one's belief is not being challenged at all. Leadership selection is not being challenged, but the idea that people can be refused the ability to participate in the process due to traits covered in the nondiscrimination policy is. TSAD is not dictating what anyone believes, but is instead making sure that everyone has equal access and leadership potential to student-funded organizations on this campus. DiBiaggio's letter to the Tufts community achieved Ross and Halpert's goal of "...protect[ing] all people from systemic discrimination.... [and] preserv[ing] the freedom of belief upon which this nation was founded." Thankfully, the loophole opened by the TCUJ decision has been closed. Roger Winn is a sophomore majoring in peace and justice studies and Russian literature and language.

News

Women's soccer team continues strong season by beating Bantams

August 31

The women's soccer team continued its strong season Saturday by knocking off the Trinity Bantams 3-1 in an important NESCAC match. The Jumbos received goals from three different scorers in the road victory. "It was not our best game," freshman Jess Trombly said. "They were a rough team, but we stuck with it and pulled through. It was an important win." Junior midfielder Becky Mann netted the game-winner, Tufts' second goal of the afternoon, five minutes into the second half, as junior midfielder Katie Kehrberger fed Mann for the tally. It was the first goal of the season and fifth of her career. Mann took the ball from Kehrberger and drove down the right side before shooting from a poor angle on the right side of the goal. Despite the degree of difficulty, Mann slipped the ball on the far side of the net. "It was an amazing goal," sophomore Adie Sherwood said. "She shot from a ridiculous angle." The goal exemplified the depth of coach Martha Whiting's team, as Mann became the eleventh Jumbo to score a goal this year. Perhaps more impressively is the fact that Mann is the seventh player on the team with just one tally, showing the timely scores the Jumbos have come up with this year. In fact, Tufts' scoring is so spread out that no one on the Jumbos is in the top nine in NESCAC offensive statistics, yet the team is third in the conference. "Coach always says that she has confidence putting anyone in from the bench," Trombly said. "I feel the same. Everybody is scoring, defenders have scored, it seems like someone new scores every game. It's important for a good team to have that." Mann's score broke a 1-1 tie, and ended Trinity's brief hopes of a comeback. Less than two minutes into the half, Trinity's Karen O'Keefe scored her first goal of the season and Trinity's first of the game. The goal was scored on a penalty kick after O'Keefe was taken down in the box. The Bantams had some momentum with the easy goal, but that was all shut down with Mann's score. "It was very important to score right after they did," Trombley said. "They were up mentally, and we needed to score on them so they couldn't use their momentum." Tufts sealed the deal as it added an insurance goal with 13 minutes to play, boosting the margin to two goals. Sophomore Cara Glassanos scored her first goal of her career off a corner, and Kehrberger grabbed her second assist of the day. "We controlled the game after the second goal," Trombley said. "And after the third goal, it was done." McArdle's play in net was solid again, as she let in only the penalty kick and made 12 saves. It has been her strong goalkeeping this year that has allowed the Jumbos to win as many close games as they have. The senior goalie is fourth in the NESCAC with a .95 goals against average and ten goals scored against. Sherwood got the scoring started with a goal eight minutes before the intermission. Sherwood scored from the 18 off a touch from Alle Sharlip, another sophomore receiving extensive playing time on Whiting's squad. In fact, the two sophomores are fifth and sixth in scoring on the team, as Sherwood scored her second goal of the season. "We have strong leadership from our senior captains," Sherwood said. "But it is good that everyone contributes, especially the younger players." The win brings the Jumbos to 10-2 overall and 6-2 within the conference. More importantly, though, is Tufts' third place standing in the NESCAC behind Bowdoin and Middlebury, also the two blemishes on Tufts' roster. The Jumbos are guaranteed now to finish in the top seven in the conference, qualifying the team for the NESCAC's season-ending tournament - the winner of which will go on to play in the NCAA's. "We would love to have a shot to play them [Bowdoin and Middlebury] again," Sherwood said. "We are all in the same league and we can all compete well." Before the season ends, though, Tufts will play a non-conference home game against WPI on Thursday at 4 p.m. This will merely be a precursor to Saturday's season finale showdown with Williams. The Ephmen are 4-3 in the conference, and with a win could surpass the Jumbos and steal home field advantage in the tournament. "We really want that home field advantage," Trombly said. "If we lose, Williams will probably get it. This is definitely one of the most important games of the season."

News

Fox needs to elaborate

August 31

To the Editor:In the Viewpoint "Members of the Academy turn race forum into Ego Fest" (10/3), Kim Fox discusses her views that the speakers used unnecessarily loaded academic jargon. While I agree with her point and would like subsequent forums to be less "loaded", I think there is a more profound issue which she mentions in the first portions of her article. Noting there have been courses to "understand and embrace our differences and similarities... to start 'effective dialogue'," Ms. Fox contests these have been "futile" and have produced few tangible changes. I agree. Following this, what kinds of situations, dialogues, etc., would she (and the Tufts community) like to see to create the possibilities for such understanding? As Fox mentions, as students are "interested in the subject" of race and other issues, we need to create some ways to construct situations to produce the change that Ms. Fox and I desire. With the recent attacks on women, minorities and homosexuals lately and the rally against homophobia on Tuesday as well as the disintegrating social scene on campus, what kind of concrete actions does she suggest we undertake to attempt to understand each other?Brian Cathcart, LA '01

News

Cell phones sell like crazy amid much safety speculation

August 31

With companies like GSM North America, a major cellular carrier, reporting an 80 percent increase in sales and one million new customers in the last eight months, it's apparent that cell phone use is on the rise everywhere - even on the Hill. But is it safe for people to be using cells? This issue is currently a hot topic among scientists and researchers. In June of this year, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, an organization that represents all of the major cell phone companies, required that consumers be alerted of the amount of radiation the body absorbs from these phones. Specific absorption rate, the technical term for the amount of energy emitted by a phone and subsequently taken in by the user, can potentially be dangerous, according to some scientists who say brain tumors and cancer are potential by-products of use. Others, however, are not as concerned, saying that if cell phone use is not excessive - longer than a couple hours a day - there's no real problem. According to the well-known consumer electronics Web site, CNET, "Cell phone radiation levels are well within the acceptable minimums for radiation exposure, as long as you don't hold your head within a few feet of a base antenna for a couple of hours." Despite safety concerns, cell phone use is still widespread on campus. New users strolling from class to class with cellulars at their ears say convenience prompted their recent purchase. "I've had my phone for four months. I bought it because I was traveling to and from work this summer and because it was really convenient to have. It's so much easier to just call your friends on your cell phone instead of looking around for a pay phone," junior Heather Rich said. "I was away all day at work this summer and I needed to have an easy way to get in touch with people. Now I take my cell phone with me everywhere because I'm not in my room a lot. I use it to make plans with people but not to have long conversations," said junior Beth Anne Katz, who got her phone in May. Others say they initially got a cell phone for safety reasons, though they use the device for other reasons. "I bought my phone to have in the car in case of emergencies, but now I make long distance calls on it as well, since it's cheaper," junior Melissa Small said. Junior Heather Kyle acquired a cell phone at the request of her parents. "I have a ten-hour drive home, so my parents thought it would be a good idea to have a phone for the car just in case anything happened," Kyle said. Many students travelling abroad find cells helpful as well. Freshman Tali Paransky spent last year in Israel where she found that a cell phone was a must have in order to get in touch with family and friends. "It's so much cheaper in Europe and Israel to have a cell phone. Even here at Tufts, if I lived off-campus I would definitely get a phone just because of the costs [of standard telephone service]," Paransky said. Junior Ethan Todras-Whitehill, who strongly opposes the high costs of phone companies like CampusLink, uses his cell as an alternative to regular phone service. "I got my phone because I despise CampusLink and because I wanted a phone for business contact. It's not necessarily cheaper, but it's cheaper than [having both] a cell phone and a normal phone," Todras-Whitehill said. Despite their economic benefits, some feel they have become a serious irritant and interruption in public places. "I think it is really distracting when cell phones ring in class - it is inappropriate to have them on at that time. I think it is appropriate at most times, but just as long as it is not disruptive to other people, such as in class or in the library where people should go outside when they receive a call or want to make one," Small said. Katz concurred with Small, indicating that cell phone etiquette is an added responsibility of having a phone. "It annoys me when phones go off in public. I bring my phone to the library and to class, but I turn the ringer off and I don't talk inside the library. I go outside instead," Katz said. "I'm not one of those people who hates people walking down the street talking on their phones, but when you're trying to concentrate in the library or in class, it can be extremely distracting," Paransky added. "I think it's just obnoxious and people should just turn their cell phones off while in the library. It's a basic courtesy to everyone else there," Rich said. Despite the annoyance the phones occasionally cause, Small believes cell phones will continue to be a necessity. "It has become more of a luxury item than something people use in case of an emergency. I think the number of cell phones will continue to increase as everyone begins to own one and then use it more than their home phones," Small said. Katz agreed. "I definitely think that the number of users will increase and I don't see it tapering off anytime soon. I've become more and more dependent on my phone the longer I have it and more and more of my friends are getting phones," Katz said. "It's a whole new culture," she exclaimed.

News

New program expands life-long learning opportunities

August 31

Last month marked the launch of Tufts Institute for Learning in Retirement (TILR), a program designed to provide intellectual stimulation and academic experiences to retired and semi-retired graduates and local community members. The program, through which close to 70 senior citizens gather for discussion groups on various topics every Friday, is part of an ongoing process to increase the life-long learning opportunities available to Tufts alumni. "We're trying to inform the alumni as best as we could about what really exists here in terms of life-long learning experiences," Director of Alumni Relations Tim Brooks said. "Through all these efforts, including TILR, we're trying to package things so that alumni realize that throughout their lives they have all these things to help them reconnect to Tufts."TILR is comprised of small study groups led by volunteer peer leaders. Approximately 60 percent of the participants are Tufts alumni, while others are members of local communities seeking new learning experiences. "It's basically a program for peer learning - older people teaching one another about their experiences, their interests, their hobbies, and their careers," TILR director Laura Kadish said. "There are no degrees or certificates; just intellectual stimulation, having fun together, having really deep conversations, and making connections together." Junior Alicia Grossman, who helps Kadish facilitate the program, described the program as "almost like an extra-curricular activity." Tufts alumni lead many of these study groups, while adult education specialists from the surrounding communities run others. TILR is different from traditional adult education programs, however, in that the emphasis is placed on the development of the community through interaction with peers. "I think what's nice about the classes offered is that they are all general topics where every member does have the opportunity to teach each other because they are all familiar with them, but this allows them to focus in on specific areas of details," Grossman said. Currently, ten different study groups are offered, and they focus on a variety of topics, from art history to investments to the Middle East. The subjects are chosen based on the individual interests of participants as well as the availability of expertise in particular areas. "For example, if we knew someone who knew a lot about opera, or theater, we'd have a discussion group focusing on that," Kadish said. "The goal in the future is to eventually have the members doing all of the teaching. Even though there are no exams, it's very reliant on members' participation, and there is actually quite a bit of homework." TILR has received a warm welcome from both participants and the Tufts community, and course offerings will be expanded next semester to accommodate its popularity. Classes will meet on both Mondays and Fridays in the spring, and the number of courses will increase to 15. This program is not unique to Tufts, and approximately 250 similar programs exist nationwide. Neighboring schools such as Harvard and Boston College have hosted similar programs for several years, and Brandeis just launched its own version this year. These programs have increased in popularity because more and more elderly people are choosing to remain active in their retirement. "This is becoming a huge trend - the Baby Boomers are just starting to approach retirement. However, these days retirement is almost a pass?© word," Kadish said. "People aren't necessarily retired; they may or may not be working, but they still have many, many years to fill with a lot of activity... people of today aren't into basket weaving anymore." Many participants are willing to travel long distances in order to attend TILR classes. One woman said that she commutes an hour-and-a-half each way. Senior citizens are not the only ones who benefit. Grossman noted that her time spent with TILR has been a great learning experience from a student's perspective. "I've enjoyed working with the elderly community, because at Tufts we don't have a lot of interaction with the community as a whole," she said. "I feel like I'm learning a lot just from their experiences. I let them know a little about my life and what I'm studying here and they're able to draw on that and they tell me about their lives, and I kind of take it in as advice."

News

Jumbo family reunion: Tufts' Parents Weekend

August 31

It is doubtful that there will be any more pro-drinking protests over the next few days, as many Tufts students will spend the weekend with their parents. Today begins the annual Parents Weekend on campus, which, in addition to newly cleaned dorm rooms, offers a host of special events that take place on campus.

News

Gordon speaks at Hillel on crisis in the Middle East

August 31

Following weeks of vigils, rallies, and general campus activism surrounding the Mid-East conflict, Tufts welcomed Brad Gordon, legislative director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), to speak at Tufts last Thursday. Gordon's address, "The US and the Middle East, Campaign 2000," gave an overview of the crisis and made predictions about the future of the region, including the significant influence that Tuesday's election will have on the foundering peace process. Friends of Israel, a student group that is "devoted to the cultural, political, and social aspects of Israel and the Middle East," sponsored Gordon's lecture, in which he proposed to explain, "where we are, how we got here, and where we go from here." On the eve of the 2000 election and in the wake of what appears to be the most horrifying violence in Israel since 1993, Gordon's opinion on the crisis was of great interest to members of the Tufts community. Gordon made it clear to the audience early on that the presidential election is certain to impact America's clout in peace negotiations, though he said that he "[doesn't] know if there's going to be a peace process." Gordon said that if Bush wins the election, it will take him time to learn the arduous process of negotiating international conflicts, since his career as governor did not provide him with the experience to handle international crises. However, he conceded that once-governor Bill Clinton quickly made such a transition after he was elected in 1992. Expressing his confidence in Gore, Gordon touted him as a seasoned diplomat who has already been involved in many global conflicts, enabling him to handle future responsibilities with greater ease and confidence. Whether the Israelis or the Palestinians will be open to involving the US in negotiations is unclear, said Gordon, as is Arafat's willingness to trust the nation as an honest broker of peace. Throughout his lecture, he repeated that "the Israelis and the Palestinians have to come to terms themselves." Gordon also offered his perspective on media coverage of the Mid-East conflict, stressing that he finds organizations such as CNN to be biased in favor of the Palestinians. "We are hardly getting a full picture of [the conflict] on national media," he said. Friends of Israel President Adrian Wilairat agreed with Gordon. "The media can be biased against Israel sometimes," he said. As an example, Gordon highlighted the fact that television coverage never shows the Palestinians with machine guns who stand behind the rock-throwing youths. Sophomore David Michaels, who attended the lecture and is an active member of Friends of Israel, also commented on media coverage of the recent fighting. "What I found most interesting about the lecture was the information Gordon shared that cannot be found in the news," he said. "He spoke about aspects of the crisis that CNN and front page photographs deliberately ignored." Though the lecture was highly publicized around campus, it was not very well attended. "It would have been nice to have had a bigger turnout at the lecture," sophomore David Michaels said. "In light of the current tensions in Israel, I expected more students to show up. It may have had to do with Colin Powell's presence on campus. A speaker like him certainly draws more attention than AIPAC's legislative director, at least for Tufts students." Those who did attend found the lecture interesting, but some, like freshman Nick Garrison, thought the address was highly "biased towards Israel," and at times Gordon appeared to "avoid questions." Other students noted positive reactions to the lecture. "He was more than prepared to handle questions from all sides about the current situation in the Middle East and the US role in Israel," Friends of Israel Treasurer Andy Leitner said. "I was pleasantly surprised at the audience's engagement with Brad," said Wilairat. "Nearly everyone asked a question. Many asked two." In introducing Gordon to the audience, Leitner commented that AIPAC is "one of the most influential lobbying associations in Washington today." As a pro-Israel Congressional lobby, AIPAC is particularly successful because it is largely a grassroots organization with nationwide membership. Gordon traced AIPAC's responsibilities back to the '30s when American Jews were largely silent about Hitler's rise in Germany because of their status as an immigrant community. This silence, Gordon said, contributed to the US failure to prevent the Holocaust. The organization was founded in the spirit of doing everything possible to ensure that Israel would never be destroyed. Gordon described one of its responsibilities as "teaching the peace process" to Congress, which may or may not be very knowledgeable on Middle East issues.

News

Whine cellar

August 31

Paris (Medford), France (USA) - Libert?©, fraternit?©, egalit?©, and apathi?©?

News

Peace with Justice

August 31

In his Viewpoint ("Peace with Security," 11/30) Howard Wolke assures us that amidst the recent violence in the occupied territories, he has "asked people here in Israel, and everybody wants peace." "Human life," he writes, "is sacred for the Israeli people." In a shameful paradox, however, Wolke uses this "sacred" moral foundation not as a basis to criticize Israeli government violence, but rather, to justify it. While Wolke may be correct in stating that an abstract "desire for peace" is not enough - the "peace" that Wolke supports in his article, what he calls "peace with security," amounts to the defense of illegal occupation, the rationalization of atrocity, and a case of selective amnesia. Although he is supposedly reacting to Dina Karam's Viewpoint ("Who is to blame for this Israeli/Palestinian conflict?" 11/28), Wolke fails to address the vast majority of the specific points that Karam brings to light. In her Viewpoint, for instance, Karam clearly documents the fact that the Israeli government has consciously and repeatedly violated peace accords (as well as international law) by expanding illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands. Wolke simply refuses to confront this ugly reality. He deals instead with stereotypes and simplifications; like many US media commentators, he concentrates almost exclusively on the "terrorism" that threatens Israeli "security." Fair enough, one might argue, terrorism is an important concern. But by abstracting Palestinian violence from the context of the Israeli government aggression and betrayal that Karam so clearly presents, "terrorism" becomes for Wolke an unintelligible pathology. "Terrorism," in this narrow-minded way of thinking, starts with the "terrorists;" it has no prior cause, no preventable conditions, nothing to do with anything else; it's just what evil people do; it must be stomped out of existence in the name of "security." But, contrary to what Wolke and the US State Department would have us believe, the "terrorism" and "riots" in the Palestinian territories are not the singular product of deranged and psychopathic savage Palestinian minds. Rock-throwing teen-agers in the streets are not the cause of the violence in the Middle East, but a response to prior violence, theft, and injustice. What mass media commentators continually reify and demonize as "terrorism" and "riots" are in reality the last resort of a people who want what any other oppressed people desire - justice, and the chance for a decent life. Palestinians want to return to their lands, in accordance with international law, and to determine their own destiny as a people, without having to worry about Israeli helicopters hovering outside their windows.These people live under conditions of foreign occupation. Forced to obey military curfews, they huddle in single-room hovels with upwards of ten family members. All the while Jewish settlers - with the aid of the Israeli government, and in violation of international law - continue to move into the Palestinian territories, appropriating the most valuable land and resources for themselves, depriving the Palestinian majority of access to even the water beneath its feet.Yet US "experts" prefer to ignore these ugly material realities. They ignore the basic fact that Israel has never fulfilled - indeed, has never intended to fulfill - its end of recent treaties. Or if they don't ignore it altogether, than like Wolke, they justify it retroactively by pointing to Palestinian violence, acts which are chiefly responses to those aforementioned Israeli betrayals. Israel is freed from blame, in essence, because the Palestinian "terrorists" simply cannot be trusted. "A true peace based on the agreements of the past is not what they really want," Wolke writes, implying quite clearly, that since those Palestinians don't want "peace," Israel may justifiably wage war by whatever means necessary for its "security." But whose "security" is really threatened here? The recent violence in the occupied territories indicates that it is the Palestinians who are confronting "insecurity," to put it mildly. Over ninety percent of the dead and wounded in the recent violence have been Palestinians, with children accounting for more than a quarter of the total. Amnesty International, in a detailed report scarcely mentioned in the US press, has concluded that during this most recent intifada, the Israeli Army has made "excessive use of lethal force in circumstances in which neither the lives of the security forces nor others were in imminent danger, resulting in unlawful killings." There is invasion, there is "security," and then there is slaughter. Wolke's rationalization, however, is familiar to anyone who pays attention to US media coverage of the Middle East, where the prevailing image of the current conflict is of Israel as an island of flowering civilization amidst a desert sea of rock-hurling Arab barbarity. In actuality, the situation is quite different; historically, it has been the state of Israel, not the Palestinians, that has been the aggressor in the region, as Basil Darwish makes exceedingly clear in his Viewpoint ("The Six Day War," 12/5). Israel - not the Palestinians - has illegally occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip since 1967, despite the repeated demands of the UN that it withdraw. Israel - not the Palestinians - has invaded both Lebanon and Egypt, killing thousands of civilians. Indeed, it is the state of Israel itself - not the Palestinians - that traces its very origin to the slaughter and mass dislocation of an entire population in 1948. The Palestinians, make no mistake about it, were there first. The Israeli and American peoples can "want peace" all they want, but until their governments are compelled to offer real concessions to the oppressed Palestinian people, such "desire for peace" will continue to signify little more than an apology for land theft and apartheid. As long as the United States government continues to back Israeli government policies, the deliberate depopulation and colonization of Palestinian lands will continue. US aid to Israel - this year slated at close to $3 billion -strengthens the military grip of the occupying army, and makes a mockery of the oft-touted "peace process:" Why should the Israeli state actually negotiate, after all, so long as it can simply impose its will by force? Until the US government's "blank check" to Israel is voided, Palestinian children will continue to suffer and struggle - throwing stones, though they confront tanks in the street. Picture it: The child with the rock, enraged by injustice. See it: The barrel of the gun as the soldier takes aim, his finger on the trigger, the child in the sight. He's ready to fire... and your tax dollar may have paid for the bullet.Joe Ramsey is a graduate student studying English.

News

Experiment with New Music Ensemble

August 31

What is an ensemble? One might perhaps think of a group larger and more musically diverse then the average band, but not big enough to be considered an orchestra. One might also imagine performances of tightly arranged and rigid pieces that offer little room for variety or experimentation - things like Baroque or Romantic staples. The Tufts New Music Ensemble (NME) takes all preconceived notions of what an ensemble is and should sound like and chucks them right out the proverbial window. In their performance Sunday night, they showed what a group of musicians can achieve by ignoring the limits of traditional Western musical doctrine. Instead, the NME hosts a style of music wherein a classical piano progression is just as valid a form of musical expression as the whisper of dropped flower petals. Sunday's show, "Noise and Speed" was an eye and ear-opening experience for every audience member in attendance - despite the fact that the title piece was not even performed in the set. The NME will celebrate its tenth anniversary this spring with a special show. Formed in 1990, the Ensemble consists of two co-directors and sixteen musicians (including alumni as well as both undergraduate and graduate students) playing a variety of traditional instruments like the guitar, piano, theramin, and clarinet. What makes the NME stand apart from most musical ensembles is its constant emphasis on improvisation and even making music with everyday items - such as in an original percussive piece played entirely by shaking packets of Sweet'N Low. When asked to describe the group and its style of music, John McDonald, co-director of the NME and chair of the music department, calls it "composing in real time," and co-director Donald Berman calls it a "playground for musicians." Even the musicians themselves extol the virtues of the group's seemingly limitless possibilities for experimentation and musicianship. Keyboardist and clarinet player Lee Todd Lacks, a graduate school alumnus who has played with the ensemble since 1992, is thrilled about the improvisational and innovative nature of the group. He describes the music as "beyond the realm of tonal Western classical music." Most of the pieces the Ensemble performed were quick and tense, often ending abruptly (and sometimes humorously) in an intense musical climax rather then just letting the piece wind down - which sometimes left the audience wondering if there was more to be performed. One of the more surprising elements from this show was the lack of a drummer performing with the ensemble to set the rhythm. However, just because they choose to experiment with instruments and noise does not mean the members of the Ensemble are complete musical anarchists altogether. They perform their own material as well as arranging pieces written by other ensembles or artists. One of the more memorable moments of the evening was their arrangement of Glenn Branca's Guitar Symphony (whose ensemble consists of a mind-boggling thirteen guitarists) into a great cacophony of noise that sounds like something off a Nine Inch Nails record. This was one of the few moments when all of the members of the ensemble played at once, with the rest of the show consisting primarily of two to five musicians playing at any given time. McDonald even played piano with the rest of the ensemble in an original piece titled "Like Rome" - the title being a reference to the fact that both Somerville and Rome were founded in an area within seven hills. To enjoy the show, one must take in the music and performance with an open mind. Try to ignore the idea of popular music in the form of a three-minute radio single with a catchy chorus; the Ensemble's willingness to be different and go against the norms and expectations of traditional music is what makes it a group worth listening to. If you truly want to hear something different from traditional classical or jazz pieces or the pop and rap-metal craze dominating mainstream music, then the Tufts New Music Ensemble is definitely worth giving a chance.

News

Shir Appeal's new album is more than up to par

August 31

First off: don't complain that you don't speak Hebrew. Shir Appeal is tired of hearing it, and so is everyone else. Catering only to fluent speakers of Hebrew would give the group a rather small market - and they're not that dumb. The group knows that not many people can understand Hebrew (especially when it's being sung), and the album presents itself accordingly - even with the title. Not only does What Are You Saying... include songs that are entirely in English, but it also works perfectly well as a purely musical album. And don't write the album off as purely religious, either. In fact, a good deal of the songs are straight from the canon of Israeli rock 'n roll and pop. Take "Nanua" - upon looking at the translated English lyrics conveniently placed in the lyric booklet (thanks, Shir Appeal), you'll find a tale of sweet seduction. This guy wants his love to fold laundry with him, and tell him all the little things about her day. And instead of the possibly trite English version, you're treated to a layered, beautifully-sung Hebrew song. Admittedly, though, there are more religious themes here than on, say, Matchbox 20's latest release. Even if you don't like preachy music, though, What Are You Saying... won't offend - chances are you can't understand the words anyway. Using a different language, though - especially one as recognizable as Hebrew - gives Shir Appeal a distinct sound that sets it apart from the multitude of other a cappella groups on campus. This is especially important now, when What Are You Saying... is in a bit of a bookstore-showdown with the recent release of the Jackson Jills' Snapshot and the Amalgamates' Juice. Maybe the group knows it, too. Shir Appeal uses its unique sound without apology: all the songs are similarly enjoyable. Each is quite pretty, and the tracks flow together to make a complete, smooth sound that's not just easy on the ears - it's truly beautiful. This is music that can fade away into the background, but also stands up to a closer listen. However, the group's distinctive sound serves as both a strength and a weakness. This same consistent level and mood also makes the songs themselves indistinct. Whether this is due to the songs that Shir Appeal selects or the way they're arranged and sung isn't clear, but it's a distinct theme on the album. It's easy to breeze through the first three tracks without even looking up to see them change. Of course, the group isn't planning to make the top ten on 98.5 FM, so it's not as though the songs need to be "radio-friendly." If you have to buy an album, it might as well be one that you can listen to all the way through without pausing even once to skip a track. Besides, you do tend to snap back to attention when the group lapses into one of its four English numbers. With selections as diverse as the '60s rock hit "Turn Turn Turn" by the Byrds and Sting's "Rock Steady" from 1987, Shir Appeal is aiming at a fairly wide target. It's a bit of a shame that it's so much easier to latch onto music that's in your native language, but it's hard to sing along in a foreign tongue. As effective and appropriate as these American musical numbers are - "Turn Turn Turn" being especially clever in that its lyrics are based on the Book of Ecclesiastes - this is not where the group's strength lies. The Hebrew numbers are more carefully arranged, including the hummable opener "Boh" and the complementing male-female solos in "Tutim." While the shots down to the English-speaking denomination are appreciated, redoing rock classics and pop music is more the forte of the Mates, Jills, and Beelzebubs. If you're going to sing Jewish a cappella, you don't have to apologize for it. Then again, it's not as though these selections stick out at all - the four English tracks are some of the most spiritual on the album. So again: don't write Shir Appeal off. It's just music like any other. Give What Are You Saying... a shot for some high-minded dorm room culture. People listen to Mexican rap and German techno... and this is far prettier than either of those.

News

Cuban speaker praises socialism for the environment

August 31

Dr. Richard Levins, a population science professor at Harvard, proposed using the economic model of socialism to promote sustainable development in his speech at Barnum last Wednesday. Levins, the director of the Human Ecology Program at the Harvard School of Public Health, spoke about Cuba's ecological path to development. In his discussion of Cuban ecological prosperity, Levins tried to clarify what he called misconceptions about Cuban economic development. Despite widely-held beliefs to the contrary, Levins said that Cuban development is not stagnant, citing the country's globally-acclaimed revolutions in the field of medicine and agriculture. Likewise, Levins insisted that Cuba is not an isolated country - in fact it attracts tourists from Spain and Italy, among other developing countries, he said. Levins visits Cuba for two weeks every year, where he conducts a series of sociological studies. On one such trip, he examined the racial disposition and sexual orientation of bus drivers for child day-care centers, concluding that a fair distribution of male and female bus drivers take children to school. This supported the assertion that, in comparison to the US, Cuba is a relatively sexually unbiased country.Levins supported Cuba's attempt to further enhance its economic prosperity while maintaining a high degree of ecological efficiency. "Expansion is a necessity for the economy," Levins said. "[Cuba should] follow the pathways of the United States and Europe." Levins' optimistic view of Cuba's future growth did not go uncontested. Sophomore Chris Goodchild felt that the lack of productivity in communist countries ultimately lead to their demise. "While the ideals set forth by Dr. Levins will be better for Cuba's development, Cuba should instead follow the examples of former communist countries," he said, explaining that the collapse of the Soviet Union was largely a product of the country's lack of industrial productivity and that in order to enhance the general welfare of a country, the country must first advance its economic development.Besides praising Cuba's socialist path to development, Levins pointed to what he referred to as the underlying flaws of capitalism. He alluded to the tendency of the US to overproduce, asserting that goods in a capitalist system become commodities. "Life is becoming commoditized," he told the audience. In Cuba, Dr. Levins said that goods are produced according to need rather than the demand for luxury goods. Their methods of production are ecologically efficient, he said, while production in the US and other more developed countries often does not take environmental concerns into account."On the one hand, people of the world want a higher standard of living. On the other hand, these higher standards of living are hazardous to the environment," Levins said. Levins also pointed out that, in comparison to the US, the degree of racism and sexism in Cuba is negligible, asserting that although there is still a noticeable lack of representation of black leadership, Cuba is "making room" for the youth, women, and blacks. "They are a model system for developing countries in Latin America," he said.In fact, Cubans have increasingly identified their society as Afro-Caribbean. Levins supported his argument, illustrating a specific example concerning a Spanish-owned hotel in Cuba. The firm was thrown out of the country because the employees were racially biased. According to capitalist standards, in its progression toward an environmentally scrupulous country, Cuban agricultural development has regressed. Cuba has taken action by significantly reducing the use of chemicals in its farming methods, utilizing the environmentally efficient practice of plant-mixing, having insects such as spiders and ants apply toxic chemicals, and using animal traction to employ motor-operated tractors. Freshman Robyn Bornstein proposed a solution to the dilemma of advancing technology while also maintaining a high degree of environmental efficiency. "The age-old controversy surrounding the utilization of technological efficiency, in contrast to methods that are cognizant of environmental standards, is a vast proliferation of that which is both sacred and sophisticated, often dealt with through the use of non-Euclidean economic consistency," he noted. "I prefer the utilization of a hybrid between environmental need and methods of technological efficiency."

News

Committee continues attempt to rewrite student govt. constitution

August 31

Last year's efforts to rewrite the Tufts Community Union (TCU) constitution in order to improve the government's connection with students have been continued by a TCU Senate committee this semester. The process for nominating the Senate president as well as the question of culture representatives' right to vote are the two major issues discussed thus far. In the Senate's second attempt to draft a new constitution, a twelve-member reform committee, chaired by Senate Parliamentarian Ben Lee, is responsible for writing the proposed revision and gathering student input in January before the campus-wide vote in April. A major proposed change in the new constitution is the method used to nominate and elect candidates for Senate president. The student body has little impact in the nominations process, as the 28-person Senate chooses two newly-elected senators to run. Committee members have discussed amending the process to allow any senator who completes a designated petition and receives a "vote of confidence" from the body to appear on the ballot. There would be no limit on the number of candidates from which students will pick. "[The current system] takes the decision out of the hands of the students and gives it to the Senate," said senior Alessandro Terenzoni, who ran for the presidential nomination last year. "Students are smart enough to pick between candidates, so they should be able to do so."The issue of whether the four culture representatives who sit on the Senate should have full voting power could be a point of contention during the referendum discussions. Currently these representatives may speak and give committee reports, but not vote on either in-house procedural nor regular votes. In the proposed constitutional revision, members of the reform committee plan to give the representatives the power to vote on procedural motions as well as in-house elections. "We can speak on an issue, but not vote on it which is really frustrating," said Association of Latino American Students (ALAS) representative Anabella Nieves. The Senate elects its own vice president among other officers, and Lee believes culture reps should have a say in that issue. This topic was highly controversial during referendum meetings last year, and has been a divisive issue during previous attempts at constitutional reform. An amendment to give culture representatives a vote was on the ballot in April 1996, but it failed by a narrow margin of 18 votes. In order to avoid jeopardizing passage of the entire constitution on just this issue, the clause giving culture representatives a vote will be left out of the constitution and voted on through a separate amendment. "The only fair way to do this is to have the whole community vote. It affects everybody," Lee said. While the culture groups are excited about the prospect of having full voting power, former co-parliamentarian Jesse Levey, one of the leaders in last year's reform efforts, is strongly against it. "It doesn't make sense," he said. "As a junior, I have seven members representing my class. A junior [class member who is a] culture rep with a vote now gives my class eight votes. It's not fair." Rewording the constitution to clarify ambiguities is another goal of the reform committee. Members of Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD) attended the most recent constitutional reform meeting and hope to have the University's nondiscrimination policy directly stated in the TCU constitution. Constitutional references to class councils will be removed, as it is a division of the Programming Board and not student government. The recent lack of student interest in the Elections Board has caused the committee to consider changing its role and structure. Director of Student Activities Jodie Nealley will be looking at how other schools run their elections over winter break in order to find a solution to Tufts' problem. "Every year there is a lack of student interest and there are structural problems with the system," Lee said. One area that was debated at length in last year's constitutional reform discussion, which is not being examined this time around, is the cloudy relationship between the Senate and the Committee on Student Life (CSL). The CSL is a faculty-student body that hears appeals of TCU Judiciary rulings, however there is no mention of the committee in the present constitution. While reform leaders last year sought to clarify the CSL's role, Lee said that the TCU constitution cannot simply include sections on the CSL because it is an independent group outside of Senate control. "The CSL is above us. They can make policy as they wish," said Lee. These changes are merely proposals, and the draft of the new constitution will most likely be altered once students are consulted. Two constitutions were written during the referendum discussions last year, but neither made it on to the ballot because senators felt there was not enough time to get input from the student body. Lee made sure that the process began early this year in order to avoid the same problem. "I want the process to evolve, instead of forcing it though," he said.The committee hopes to have a new constitution voted on during next April's presidential election. A constitutional amendment requires a turnout of 20 percent of the student body with a two-thirds vote in favor. If 25 percent of students or more turn out on Election Day, only a simple majority of votes is required.

News

Squash rolls to third straight win

August 31

The women's squash team extended their season opening winning streak to three games with an 8-1 win over Wellesley on Tuesday. The Jumbos have gotten off to a hot start, handily defeating their first three opponents. First off for the Jumbos was Vassar College, winners of the Division D NCAA title last year (Tufts plays in Division C), but winless so far this year. The Jumbos had no problem with the Vassar squad and did not give up a match in their 9-0 win. Assistant Coach Missy Meo enthusiastically described this first meet as being "Very good for this team. All the girls got a win under their belt in the first meet." Next up was Hamilton College, who Coach Doug Eng had called one of Tufts' major rivals going into the season. Last year, Hamilton handed Tufts two of its ten losses in some very disappointing meets. In their first meeting last year, the Continentals defeated the Jumbos 8-1 in a meet that Eng promised was much closer than the score implied. Later in the season, Hamilton again dismissed Tufts, although this time, Tufts lost by only one close match, 5-4.However, this year, Tufts turned the tide and sent a message to future opponents with a 7-2 win over Hamilton. In this meet, the Jumbos only dropped two matches, in close contests to Hamilton's three and four seeds. In collegiate squash, the first player to reach nine points wins a game, and the player to win three out of five games takes the match. Most recently, on Tuesday, the team defeated Wellesley 8-1. Upperclassmen Justine Kurland, a junior captain, and senior Kate Peterson led the team with 3-0 victories over Wellesley's five and six seeds. So far this season, the team has received solid contributions from all of its players, five of which are freshman or sophomores. Sophomore Winnie So is the number-one seed and has only lost one game during the first three matches of the season. Sophomore Abi Cushman is another highly-ranked undergraduate, who, despite some early tough losses, will contribute a lot to the team this year. Sophomores Iffy Saeed and Eileen Connors (the seven and eight seeds respectively) are undefeated so far this season and highlight the depth of this team. Freshman Leigh Checchio, the only freshman on the starting team, is also undefeated and promises to make a strong contribution to the team this year. Coach Eng describes his team as being, "young but very deep," and they have certainly proved to be solid in the first three matches of this young season. After the first couple of seeds, everyone's skill level is very close, and the lower seeds should prove an important commodity throughout the season. The five through nine seeds have not yet dropped a match. In addition, Eng described last year's team as being "top heavy," and the top two seeds from last year, sophomore Winnie So and graduate student Zaina Al-Awadi have returned and are both undefeated. The combination of these two stars and the depth at the lower seeds may prove to be a lethal combination this season. This convincing 3-0 start for the team makes its coaches and players optimistic, but the season is long, and difficult opponents lie ahead. Eng realistically predicts a national ranking of 17 for his team at the close of the season. This would be a two position improvement from its ranking of 19 last year. Eng expects a very strong start to the season while its entire team is in tact, and thinks their national ranking would be even higher if the team were to stay complete. "We could be competitive for the 11 or 12 seed [in the nation]," Eng said. Unfortunately, two of Tufts most consistent players, Zaina Al-Awadi and junior Anne Montesano, are not going to be able to play all of the season. Al-Awadi will likely miss about one third of the season due to the commitment to dental school. Montesano will be going abroad for the second semester of this year, so she will definitely miss all of the matches in the second half of the season. Eng and the rest of the team hope that they can ride their momentum from the first half of the season and their depth throughout the roster into a successful second half of the season. Overall, Eng is pleased with the squad's start, but he is not completely satisfied the play so far. Eng points out that, "All of our matches so far have been winnable," and he attributes the teams three individual losses to "not managing ourselves well on the court." "It's a matter of knowing ourselves," Eng said. He is optimistic that similar matches will be won as the season progresses and this young team learns more and more about itself. The team will participate in the Wesleyan Invitational on Friday, and will head down to Brown on Sunday to play one of the top teams in the country.

News

Nutritionists receive acclaim for research on vitamins

August 31

Several recent studies published by Tufts nutrition researchers earned the University national recognition, as their findings relating to geriatric health received wide-spread media coverage. The results of one of the studies by scientists at Tufts' Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) suggest that a multi-vitamin supplement may decrease the risk of heart disease and enhance the benefits of a healthy diet in older adults. The study's findings were published in the October issue of The Journal of the American College of Nutrition and captured the attention of The Washington Post, as well as health-related websites. Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at the HNRCA, spearheaded the study. Blumberg has studied the effects of dietary supplements for the last 20 years, but he said that little research had been conducted to determine the benefits of multivitamins for older adults. In the eight-week study, healthy adults already consuming a folate-fortified diet were given a nutritional supplement containing the complete recommended daily value of vitamins, including folate, which is typically found in fruits and vegetables. When participants took the vitamin, their folate levels increased, which caused blood homocysteine levels to drop ten percent. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is found naturally in blood. High homocysteine levels are a major risk factor for fatal heart attacks, stroke, or circulatory system disease. Lower levels of homocysteine are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. "This study confirms the research that while older adults may be able to consume enough folate in their diet, the amount they do eat may not be well-absorbed," Blumberg said. "While the ready absorption of these micronutrients from a supplement was not unexpected, its efficacy in raising nutritional status significantly in an already healthy group was somewhat surprising." The results suggest that the 40 to 60 percent of Americans age 50 and over who do take multivitamins are probably helping to promote their health - and "not wasting money as some people have proposed," according to Blumberg. But he said the study was too narrow and short to conclude that all older adults should take a multivitamin supplement and that he would be conducting further research. Similar research projects by faculty at the HNRCA made comparable discoveries about the necessity of vitamins and a good diet in old age. One study found that vitamin B may be associated with memory and other mental functions in the elderly. The results, which were published in a recent issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show a link between the development of neurologic symptoms and vitamin B deficiency in older Americans. Dr. Irving Rosenberg, Director of the HNRCA, spoke about the implications of his research findings at the USDA Conference on Aging in Washington, DC on Sept. 28. Another group of HNRCA scientists also recently discovered that elderly Hispanics with diabetes are more likely to lose muscle and the ability to move and take care of themselves. The findings underscore the need to better educate Hispanics on how to prevent diabetes or minimize its impact, according to a release from the Tufts School of Nutrition Science and Policy's public relations office. These newly recognized disorders - muscle wasting and functional impairment - increase the list of known complications that may result from uncontrolled blood sugar, according to study leader Dr. Carmen Castaneda. The HNRCA at Tufts is one of six research centers in the United States designed to study the impact of human nutrition on health. The center is operated by Tufts under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Agriculture.

News

This country needs Ralph

August 31

The recent doddering onslaught against Ralph Nader by the Democratic Party is as transparent and laughable as every other vacuous strategy of Gore's ill-fated campaign. As with "the kiss," the "I'm my own man" speech, and Gore's newfound populism, the recent attacks on Nader are another awkward attempt by Gore to deflect blame for his plummeting campaign and personal ineptitude. All political reasoning dictates that Al Gore could and should slam-dunk this election with the power of Shaquille O'Neil, but instead he has bricked the dunk with the cloddishness of Shawn Bradley. The economic prowess of Clinton-Gore, Gore's quasi-incumbency, and the weakest Republican competition since Gerald Ford should have carried Gore into the oval office with ease. However, Al Gore is spineless, heartless, and clumsy - a man with no convictions. Gore is wavering between solid stances on the issues, promising everything and nothing at the same time. Clinton and Gore have sold the Democratic Party to the Democratic Leadership Council, Trans-national corporations, and special interests. This corporate prostitution and protection of special interests dilutes all of his policy initiatives so much that he is powerless to attract a large portion of his base. It is no surprise that Gore is so devoid of convictions. Al Gore has been groomed for the Presidency since birth. Born an empty glass, Gore has been blended to perfection to become the newest mixed-drink craze sweeping the nation. Throw in a dash of calculated and staged Vietnam service, a hint of tobacco farming, and a shot of southern moderatism. Don't forget to add 1/4 ounce of guns, universal healthcare, and a pro-life formula (then quickly remove and pretend these ingredients were never included), sprinkle in false environmentalism and two dashes of World Trade Organization. Lastly, add in several corporations, lots of soft money, stir to the right with a silver spoon, always avoiding the left side of the glass and you can have your very own Al Gore! Therefore, when Gore, in the 11th hour so pretentiously claims Nader is spoiling the election for him, he is again trying to cover up his own failure. If Al Gore were half the candidate that Nader is, maybe Ralph could retire from his four decades of relentless public service. However, the silent majority of this country who will not vote this election day and the disillusioned and disgusted voters from the right and left who wish to have Capitol Hill transformed from an exclusive corporate brothel back to a people's democracy need Ralph Nader's voice. For those that say a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush- consider these words spoken by Ralph Nader at the Fleet Center on Oct. 1, "If, when you elect a Congressperson to office, you expect them to vote straight from their conscious and heart on every issue, then why do you expect less of yourself?" The differences between Gore and Bush are miniscule in comparison to their profoundly disappointing similarities. All voters should vote their conscious, because when you choose between the lesser of two evils, you end up with, in the words of Michael Moore, "the evil of two lessers." Further, the Supreme Court appointments argument is another transparent scare tactic from the Gore camp. Roe v. Wade will not be overturned simply because the power of the precedent is wholly strong and political litmus tests for Justices is an inexact science. Almost half of Reagan and Bush's appointments, most notably David Souter, are now considerably more liberal than expected. For those who submit to voting for Gore because of the fear of Bush, in order to play a game of Supreme Court cat and mouse or because a vote for Nader is throwing your vote away, I say a vote for Gore is throwing your freedom to choose away. Every vote for Gore is a vote for the status quo, more injustice in politics, and an increased corporate stranglehold over Washington and a No-Access Democracy. In contrast, every vote for Nader contributes substantially to building a grassroots movement in this country that demands social justice, equality, and accessibility in Government. If now is not the right time, then there never will be a right time. Our Democracy is on life support. Nader speaks up for such logical measures as cutting the exorbitant abyss that is the defense budget and spending a fraction of that $320 billion a year commitment on improving our dilapidated public school system. Nader advocates providing universal health care to all Americans, protecting labor rights to organize, enacting sensible drug laws, and eliminating this country's racist and structurally flawed death penalty. But, most importantly, Ralph will truly protect our environment and our people from insidious corporate domination by strengthening regulations, ending corporate welfare, and dropping America out of the World Trade Organization. Where is Al Gore on these issues? Consider what a vote for Gore really means. On the international front, a vote for Gore is a vote for more military spending, World Trade Organization monetary control over Washington, free trade prevailing over human rights, and increased corporate globalization. On the domestic front, a vote for Gore supports racist and arbitrary capital punishment, a militarized war on drugs including mandatory incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, an exponential expansion of the Prison Industrial Complex, managed care profits over the needs of 45 million Americans without Healthcare, further monopolization of the pharmaceutical industry, subversion of rights for unions to organize, and continued environmental degradation. In this world where what used to be called radical thinking is now called insane, what used to be called liberal is now called radical, what used to be called reactionary is now called moderate, and what used to be called insane is now called compassionate conservatism, there is only one choice in the upcoming election. This country needs the voice of the man who has devoted his entire life to protecting the people from the corruption and irresponsibility of a Corporate Government. This country needs Ralph.Jesse Harlan Alderman is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.

News

Jumbos finish up respectable season

August 31

The 2000 field hockey team boasted a 10-8 record on the season, 8-6 in NESCAC games and managed a late-season rally to qualify for both the NESCAC and ECAC Tournaments. But the Jumbos fell short of a championship title in either league, ending the season with a 1-0 loss to Wesleyan last Saturday. "We wanted to compete for a NESCAC championship, and we got to the semifinals finals and played a good game but lost," 15-year veteran coach Carol Rappoli said. "I thought the kids played well and we suffered a couple of tough losses." The squad crawled out of the starting gates this year, with tough expectations of becoming an NCAA-bound team. It dropped the first two games of its season, but quickly bounced back to win four in a row in late September. October proved to be somewhat of a roller-coaster ride, with wins and losses staggered along the way, and defeats by important NESCAC opponents. Heading into the last few weeks of the season, the women stood at a respectable 7-5. Despite blemishes on the team's record, it survived some impressive unexpected victories, like a 2-1 triumph Williams in an overtime thriller on Homecoming weekend. After falling in the semifinal round of the NESCAC Tournament to Bowdoin on Oct. 28 and losing out on an NCAA bid, Tufts hosted the ECAC Tournament last weekend. The squad advanced to the semifinal round of the playoffs, but succumbed to Wesleyan in the semifinal round on Saturday, missing out on the finals, in which Wesleyan topped Clark 2-1 in overtime. "They wanted to win those tournaments, our seniors have been to the NCAA Tournament, and they wanted to go back," Rappoli said. "So in that sense, it's a disappointment." Senior net-minder Dena Sloan echoed her coach's sentiments concerning the finale of the season. "I'd have preferred that we got a littler further," Sloan said. "Everyone's heart was into it and we put in a lot of pretty incredible games. A lot of people wrote us off when we didn't come out as strong as we should have. Oftentimes we didn't get the bounces our way... I'm not unsatisfied, just a little sad that it is over." Though the squad did not fare as well as it was expected to, certain players were recognized for their efforts on the season. On Nov. 1, senior co-captain Colette Gaudet and junior midfielder Lindsay Lionetti were named to the All-NESCAC first team. Senior defender and co-captain Amy Polverini was named to the All-NESCAC second team. Gaudet and Lionetti led the team in goals on the season, with Gaudet at the center back position and Lionetti filling the shoes of graduated All-American Meredith Leroux in center midfield. Last season, the team was blessed with a freshman, Dana Chivvis, who led the team in goals for the 1999 campaign, with twelve - second best in Tufts' history. But the 1999 NESCAC Rookie of the Year was limited to five goals this season. "It wasn't a matter of her not playing as well," said Lionetti, who has played with Chivvis since high school. "As a freshman, other teams did not know what to expect of her, so she had more leeway. This year, everyone was looking out for her and she was really well marked." The main problem the team faced over the course of the season was its inability to complete scoring opportunities. Although the team scored the same number of goals last season (27), putting the ball in the net was often a huge obstacles for the Jumbo offense. "We obviously needed to finish our plays off," Rappoli said. "We were one of the better teams in the region, and I think if some of the goals hadn't gone in the goalcage, you never know what would have happened." "It was really frustrating to watch my teammates work so hard and then not be able to score," Sloan said. "It doesn't matter where you are on the field, on the front line, on defense, in goal or on the sidelines... we all wanted it just as much" The Jumbos had 149 corner opportunities this fall, while their opponents had a combined total of 151. "It had nothing to do with our talent or ability," Lionetti said. "I think that sometimes we would just get impatient or a bit overanxious in finding the goal rather than taking a step back and making better decision." The team's stingy defense proved, however, to be one enough of a strength to balance the offensive troubles. Surprisingly, two of the squad's top scorers were both defenders. Senior co-captains Colette Gaudet and Amy Polverini did double duty this season, tallying six and three goals, respectively. "I think the whole team played pretty well," Rappoli said. "Colette and Amy played extremely well. The strength of our team was our defense and right up the center of the field." With the loss of four starting seniors, including Mia Baron, Gaudet, Polverini, and net-minder Sloan, the team will look to underclassmen and potential recruits to fill those positions. "We'll definitely be able to fill in some of those players," Rappoli said. "We don't have anyone to replace Colette and Amy right now... we'll have to create those positions." There are two underclassmen goalies, sophomore Lauren Rufino and freshmen Fara White, who will potentially fill Sloan's cleats. "They're going to do an incredible job," Sloan said. "They've been working really hard and I have complete confidence in them. It's very possible that there will be some division of time among them. I think that they are probably better than I am... I just happened to get there first." Lionetti concurred with Sloan's feelings about the future. "This season is far from a disappointment for us," she said. "We've come such a long way this season and have improved in so many ways, especially some of our underclassmen. Even though we're going to be losing some really important players, we can only look forward to next season."

News

Jumbo tennis secures third at New England Championships

August 31

The women's tennis team ended a successful fall season on a high note, taking third out of 25 teams in the New England Championships this past weekend at Amherst College. The Jumbos were beaten only by host Amherst, which took second, and perennial powerhouse Williams, which won the entire event. The Jumbos held onto a second place spot going into the final day of competition. On Sunday, Tufts lost three close matches in the second, third, and fourth singles spots - each to Williams. Sophomore Iffy Saeed, playing in the fourth singles spot, came the closest to winning out of these three, though she lost in one of the closest matches of the tournament. After losing the first set in a tiebreaker - she dropped the tiebreak 7-2 - Saeed rebounded to win the second set 7-5. Saeed was seeded first in the fourth singles bracket, but her opponent, Williams' Tina Howe was the second seed, so a split of the first two sets was not a disappointment in the least. The third set went much the same way as the first, as the two women battled to a 6-6 tie, before Howe knocked Saeed out with a 7-3 win in the tie breaker. Saeed had several chances to take the match, but the ball didn't bounce her way. Freshman Barclay Gang, playing in the third singles bracket, also went three sets before losing to Williams' Tracy Cheung. In Gang's case, the two sets she lost weren't close - she lost both 6-2 - but were sandwiched around an exciting tiebreak win in the second set. Tufts also saw an opportunity to gain points on Amherst and Williams in the second singles division, as junior Erika Lee fell in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2 to Williams' Caroline Wasserman. Those three losses, while certainly not the entire difference, could have catapulted Tufts over Amherst, which finished two points ahead of the Jumbos. "We would have liked to take first," coach Jim Watson said. "But it just didn't happen. Had we won those matches against Williams it would have been a different story." Aside from the disappointment of not placing first or second, Watson was happy with the way the girls played. "Everybody fought real hard," Watson said. "I was very proud of the way the girls played." Tufts got contributions from other players as well, though the finishes were not as high. Playing in the most difficult number one singles bracket, sophomore Katie Nordstrom breezed to the semifinals without dropping a set before falling to Amherst's top-seeded Jamie Cohen 6-3, 6-1. In five singles, sophomore Emily Warshauer matched Nordstrom's semifinal appearance but also fell to an Amherst foe, second seeded Heather Cole, 6-4, 6-2. In the final singles bracket, sophomore Rachel Hammerman also had an easy time of it until the semifinals until she fell in three sets to top-seeded Lord Jeff Paige Lawrence, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. There were three doubles flights as well, though no Jumbo team advanced to the semifinals. In the number one doubles bracket, Nordstrom and Lee won their first two matches but eventually lost in the quarters, 9-7, to an unseeded Wesleyan team. In the second doubles, Gang and Warshauer found one more round of success before falling 8-3 in the semis to the Amherst team. Juniors Heather Rich and Daniella Fontecilla, the two members of the travelling squad not to play singles, were ousted in the third round 8-6 by the fourth-seeded team from Bowdoin. Despite some of the mixed results, Watson was pleased with the team's effort. The women were happy with third place because it means they improved on last year's mark. A season ago the Jumbos took fourth place in the Championships behind Williams, Amherst, and Trinity. This year Tufts was able to beat Trinity by five points to seal third. "Last year we took fourth place," Sophomore Emily Warshauer said. "So we were happy with third but still a little disappointed. We were neck and neck with Amherst and we could have beaten them. We played a lot of close matches that could have gone either way." Taking third place in the New England championships has given the Tufts team confidence as it prepares for the second season in the spring, which will end with the NCAA tournament. "We had a great fall season," Watson said. "And I am looking forward to the spring." One thing that the girls can look forward to is that they will be playing Amherst next spring. "By playing this championship we saw that Amherst was beatable," Warshauer said. "Our goal next spring is to beat Amherst. We are really excited about next spring."

News

Students involved in heated debate about global warming

August 31

Although the New England weather of late has been unseasonably chilly, Tufts students are working to promote awareness about the dangers of global warming. Student participation in the International Day of Action on Global Climate Change last Thursday exemplifies a trend of increased environmental activism at Tufts.