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Injuries, inexperience prove too much to overcome

August 31

A 2-6 season ending in five consecutive losses is not exactly the way Tufts' football team hoped to finish this season, but that's the way things look after the dust settled on Saturday's 27-0 thrashing by the Middlebury Panthers. Seventeen players from that squad will be lost to graduation, and some team members see the disappointing finish as a poor sendoff for the veterans. "The only thing that I was disappointed about this season was for the seniors," junior cornerback Evan Zupancic said. "If it was my senior year, I wouldn't want to go out like that." Other team members put a more positive spin on the season. "We had a really good group of seniors," sophomore quarterback Todd Scalia said. "A lot of guys really worked hard, and we fought in every game. The season was really impressive in that sense." Regardless of the team's final record, Tufts, which fielded an offense featuring several first-year starters, did not enter the season with the expectation of turning many heads. At best, the team had its sights set on topping last year's .500 record after the graduation of quarterback Chris Fahy and wide receiver Jon Troy. Meeting such expectations seemed likely in the opening stages of the season, after early wins over Bates and Bowdoin propelled Tufts to a 2-1 beginning. The Jumbos peaked with a 27-23 win over Bowdoin in week three, garnering a season high in points. In the final six games, an offense that hoped to mature as the season wore on could only average nine points a contest. That wasn't helped by injuries that sidelined fullback Jon Rodgers, quarterback Scott Treacy, running back Brian Holmes, and a good portion of the young offensive line. Rodgers, a senior starting for the first time, was lost for good against Bowdoin, while Holmes sat just one game but played with a bothered hamstring all season long. Treacy, meanwhile, never saw the game time he may have expected after backing up Fahy last year. After getting benched for the opener because of a hamstring problem, the sophomore replaced Scalia in the second game but threw just 12 passes, five of which were completions. Treacy's injury was re-aggravated in the third game, essentially ending his season. With Rodgers out and Holmes hurting, an offense expected to run first had to change its game plan midseason, and the untested Scalia was given freer reign to throw the ball. His completion and yardage numbers picked up, but along with that came more mistakes, excepting an interception-free performance against Middlebury on Saturday. Holmes, despite finishing with 620 yards rushing, did not have a touchdown all season, and the Jumbos didn't rush for a score at all after sophomore Chuck McGraw's two running touchdowns in week three. "At the beginning of the season, I thought we were going to be a contender to compete for the NESCAC Championship," Zupancic said. "But then we were just stricken with injuries and had third or fourth string guys in there." Scalia saw the stretch run differently. "Lots of guys stepped it up near the end," he said. "We really evolved as a team even though our record didn't show it." But that evolution certainly didn't occur on defense. While injury and inexperience hampered both the offense and the defense, something went awry on the defensive end of the field midway through the season. Perhaps the team's biggest feat was limiting Amherst, one of the NESCAC's three champions, to just eight points, its fewest point total of the season. But other than that, the Jumbos struggled the rest of the way down the stretch, as a once nationally-ranked run defense malfunctioned against some of the NESCAC's better rushers. Williams freshman Michael Hackett notched 148 yards rushing in the Jumbos' 21-10 Homecoming loss, Amherst's Okey Ugwonali ran for 151 yards a week later, and Middlebury's Bryan Sanchez broke the defense down all day long on Saturday on his way to 215 yards and three touchdowns. In between the losses to Amherst and Middlebury was a 28-14 defeat at the hands of Colby and sophomore sensation Pat Conley. The quarterback, who set the NESCAC all-time record this season with 1,996 yards passing, threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns against the Jumbos. Conley stunned a Tufts defense that had a somewhat easier time against the pass this season in the wake of several key quarterback graduations across the conference. The defensive problems could spell trouble for next season. If 2000 marked the rebuilding of Tufts' offense, 2001 might do the same for its defense. Linemen Pete Distaulo and Everett Dickerson, linebackers Joe McLean and Mike Marino and defensive back Jeff Karacz, among others, will be lost. A young nucleus led by Zupancic, who topped the squad in interceptions, lineman Caleb Hudak and defensive back Greg Devine will have a lot of weight on its shoulders next year. Zupancic, though, is confident that the returning players will translate into a better team in '01. "We're pretty much pulling back the entire offense," he said. "And we also have a base of returners on defense. It's not like we're going to be throwing in guys who have no experience. We'll be ready to compete with anyone in the league." The offense will return essentially everyone except hybrid defensive back/halfback Holmes and senior wideout Brett Cicchillo. McGraw was limited for most of the season but will likely be the team's top rushing option next year, while a plethora of young receivers, including freshman Matt Cerne and sophomore Bryan Pitko, impressed sporadically and will likely form the core of next year's offense. An offensive line decimated by injuries brings back everybody, including junior Mike Willey and sophomores Garret Roberts and Andy Dickerson. But this season's constant rotation on the line may have robbed some of the young players of a much-needed year of experience. Perhaps the biggest question to be asked about next season is the same one that surrounded the team a few months ago: who will start at quarterback? While Treacy's opportunities were limited and Scalia picked up his consistency towards the end of the year, nothing is certain for 2001. Uncertainties still abound for the Jumbos, and they'll have hurdles to get over next season if they are to avoid a fate similarly dismal to this year. A once-powerful defense will have to cope with vital losses, and an offense with a year of experience under its belt nonetheless remains unproven. Moreover, this NESCAC season was marked by an abundance of conference powerhouses and conference disappointments, but little in between. Climbing the NESCAC ladder to the upper echelon of teams likely remains at least a couple of seasons away. Still, the team feels that there is nowhere to go but up. "Good leaders are always hard to replace," Scalia said. "But next year our offense is only losing one guy and if everyone works hard we should do well." "Most great teams have to take a few years to build up before they peak and then continue to peak," Zupancic said. "It'll be hard to do worse than last season."

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News

Johnson, now in Tampa Bay, opens doors for Buccaneers

August 31

Not since Donald and Ivana has there been a nastier public divorce. It began with rumors swirling around the New York tabloids more fiercely than the dreaded Giants Stadium winds. But then, on April 12, the unthinkable happened. The New York Jets traded away Keyshawn Johnson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What followed was a one-way war of words between Johnson and his former team, namely coach Al Groh and wide receiver Wayne Chrebet. Johnson lambasted them on a weekly basis - Groh for not being the one to inform him of the trade and Chrebet because Johnson has always displayed a nonsensical antipathy toward the receiver that used to line up across the field from him, dating to Johnson's first days in New York. The opinionated receiver still has not gotten over the move, lashing out at Groh and Chrebet again on Monday and claiming that the Jets willingly transformed themselves from contenders to also-rans. The hatred and bitterness will come to a head on Sunday, when the Jets travel to Raymond James Stadium to face their former teammate. Oh, by the way, both teams are 3-0 and trying to get a stranglehold on their respective conferences. Beyond the hard feelings, Johnson has brought a dimension to the Bucs offense that was sorely needed last season. His toughness, height, and talent draw the respect of opposing defenses, opening up holes for the running game, helping other receivers get open, and allowing the Tampa offense, moribund a year ago, to show flashes of explosiveness. The addition of Johnson, along with the often overlooked acquisitions of center Jeff Christy and guard Randall McDaniel from the Minnesota Vikings, has also trickled down to second-year quarterback Shaun King, who has looked sharp this season. So far, King has thrown four touchdown passes without an interception. The multidimensional attack has paid off on the scoreboard. Tampa Bay has scored over 20 points in each of its first three games this year. Last year, the Bucs did that just five times in 16 games. They have scored more than 30 points twice, once more than in all of last season, and exceeded 40 in Week Two against the Chicago Bears, something they had not done since 1989, also against Chicago. But the real reason that the Bucs are so scary is that they combine a good offense with the NFL's most dominating defense. The unit has been so effective that it has produced the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in each of the first three weeks this season (linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerback Ronde Barber, and defensive tackle Warren Sapp). Led by Sapp, the best all-around defensive lineman in the game, the defense has completely shut down opposing offenses over the last two seasons. With a burgeoning offense to complement it, they are, at this moment, the best team in football. The Jets, on the other hand, may be the luckiest to this point in the season, a well-deserved change in fates after a 1999 campaign plagued by injuries to key players and an off-season which brought the loss of Johnson, Bill Parcells, and Bill Belichick. So far they have done just fine without those guys. New coach Al Groh's squad has been just good enough to win its first three games. The Jets opened the season by squeaking past the Green Bay Packers 20-16 and followed it with a come-from-behind 20-19 triumph over Belichick and the New England Patriots. A 27-14 win over the Buffalo Bills last week leaves the Jets alone atop not only the AFC East, but the entire conference, the only undefeated team left. That does not mean that the team has been without its trouble spots. Foremost is a drop-off in the passing game. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde has not been as sharp as he was in 1998, when he threw for 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in leading New York to a 12-4 record. That is partly due to his missing almost the entire 1999 season with a ruptured Achilles, but it has a lot to do with Johnson's absence as well. Chrebet and Dedric Ward, starting alongside him, have had trouble getting open, leaving Testaverde to complete less than half of his passes to this point in the season. But they have played well enough to win, invalidating predictions of gloom that surrounded the offense after Johnson's departure. Keyshawn, in fact, was not even the Jets' most valuable offensive player last season. Running back Curtis Martin was more important in each of the last two years, and while he has been slowed by a minor knee injury early in the season, he should prove more and more valuable as the season progresses. Until he does and the offense finds its form, the Jets will be forced to rely partially on dumb luck, like they did in averting a sure interception by New England cornerback Antonio Langham in Week Two that would have ended the game and completing a Hail Mary to Marcus Coleman last week. That, and a refurbished pass rush, led by first-round picks Shaun Ellis and John Abraham, the latter of whom was acquired with one of the draft picks the Jets received for Johnson. That the Bucs are for real is a pretty sure thing. We'll have a much clearer picture of whether or not the Jets are by Sunday night. Salute this: Little did Denver Broncos' running back Terrell Davis realize when he devised the Mile High Salute to celebrate touchdowns in the last few years that he was trying his hand, rather successfully, at predicting the future. When Davis hurt his knee last year, the Broncos turned to rookie Olandis Gary, who rushed for over 1,000 yards. When Davis' ankle was sprained in the team's opener, Denver once again turned to Gary, but he was lost for the season with a torn ACL on that night. That left the Broncos with former Marine Mike Anderson to carry the running game until Davis returned. After two games, the returns are in and Denver is three-for-three with running backs. While the Broncos' outstanding offensive line undoubtedly has played a part in the their ability to unearth great backs from out of oblivion, Anderson's story is still impressive. Considered a low-level prospect, the 27-year-old rookie latched onto the Broncos after two years at Utah. Since being pressed into action, he has responded big time. He chalked up 131 yards while scoring two touchdowns in a 42-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons in his debut. Anderson followed it up last week with a mind-boggling 187 yards on 32 carries in a critical 33-24 win over the Oakland Raiders that put Denver in the early driver's seat in the AFC West race. While Anderson's role may be limited once Davis returns, he has put in his claim to be this year's Kurt Warner, emerging from nowhere to become a star.Browns say goodbye to Brown A sad footnote to the incident in which referee Jeff Triplette accidentally threw a flag into the eye of Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Orlando Brown last December occurred this week. The Browns, who signed the 6-7, 350-pound lineman to a $27 million contract last year, released Brown, who still has serious vision problems today and is unable to do more than ride a stationary bike and walk. Brown, whose father lost his sight due to glaucoma, has reportedly hired lawyer Johnnie Cochran and may sue the NFL. The league has since asked officials to weigh their flags down with sand, not BBs, and cautioned them not to throw flags directly at players. But in Brown's case, it is too little too late. Growing up, how many times did we hear a teacher or parent say that it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye? Unfortunately, the NFL apparently never learned that lesson and Brown's career is, in all likelihood, over.

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News

The police's power trip

August 31

This viewpoint is in response to issues concerning the relationship between students and the police force on this campus. For returning Tufts students, the events of the preceding weekends have been indications of a decaying relationship. For first year students, the Tufts University Police Department has probably come to represent a bastion of self-importance and indomitable authority. From the student's standpoint, frustration is certainly the most prevalent emotion when interacting with the TUPD. As a brother in a fraternity, I understand the importance of public safety and police presence. We know that we need to comply with orders of the fire marshal and the University in order to carry out a social function. However, this semester relations with the Tufts Police force have been strained. Their presence at our house has been disrespectful and uncooperative. Their acts of enforcement have been crystal clear examples of what they are paid to prevent from occurring. For example an officer notices a student drinking a beer from a can and strikes the can with his steel Maglite flashlight. The officer does not verbally instruct the student to stop drinking or even ask for proper identification. I am not familiar with law enforcement techniques; however, this does not seem to be a reasonable solution to what is possibly not even a crime. Unwarranted violence is not a solution, and our attempts at cooperation have led us to an overwhelming emotion of frustration. Our point is simple, yet the police do not understand it. We service the Tufts student body by inviting them to our house free of charge. Our hope is that students can convene, uninhibited by academic burden, eager to socialize with friends about topics not discussed in Bio 13 or Chem 1. My brothers finance the gathering providing music and beverages. Essentially, this is a typical college get together. We believe that the police do not see the event as such. Their presence is characterized by a power trip. They seem to not understand that we are assembled for the sake of friendship and camaraderie. They act bossy, stubborn, and even vengeful of our good time. Our house officers fully understand the terms stated in Fire Marshal's "Greek Safety Fire Program." In this program there is a letter from the captains of the TUPD, Mark Keith and Ron Brevard. This letter includes a section entitled "Cooperation with Police Requests," in which our house officers are instructed to fully comply with a TUPD official's request for further assistance. As a house, we fully understand and we fully comply. What is not stated in this paragraph, or the entire program, is a pledge by the TUPD to work together with the house occupants to prevent further police arrivals. We are willing and able to obey the TUPD makes requests of our house, but sadly the converse scenario of the Fire Marshal's program is not true. I honestly believe that this is a relationship in need of improvement. Furthermore, I will not discount the possibility that this relationship can improve. We understand the importance of the police to our community. We expect them to sit outside our house when over a hundred students are assembled inside. But we do not expect them to infringe on our right to host a social function. And we do not expect officers to ridicule derisively our President's honest attempt at cooperation. When our house president, an economics major, is questioned to estimate the number of guests in the house, he does not expect to be crudely offended by the senior officer. It is rude and wholly uncooperative of the TUPD to make a joke of his economic aptitude and predict his bleak future in the professional ranks. It is counter-productive and outright ignorant of our public safety officials to impede the students' efforts of cooperation. When such is the case, there should be no doubt that the police chief and school administrators need to address this issue. Listening will prove to be the most valuable tool in forging a new relationship. It will be the conduit towards cooperation between public safety officials and students. Ultimately, two bodies will work together; students kept safe and contented by the TUPD, and the officers honored and favored by the students. But until this small step is taken, then students and the TUPD will face off with each other in a hostile environment. This viewpoint is an expression of concern. I can only hope that the students, the administration, and the Tufts University Police Department consider it. James Shatz is a senior majoring in history. He is a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity.

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News

A 'Merry' time in the Arena

August 31

A band of merry wives has invaded Tufts' Balch Arena Theater, and will be available for viewing at 8 p.m. both this coming weekend and the weekend of Nov. 2-4. Directed by Artist in Residence Anthony Cornish, these young Tufts actors will perform Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. The cast understands that - with the possible exception of a Shakespeare class - most students do not want to spend time out of their weekend watching some archaic English piece with hard to understand language. Addressing this issue, Cornish has separated his version Merry Wives from typical Shakespearean productions by bringing the play into a more familiar setting. The antique garb has been expelled, and the play's setting has moved from an English province into a modern New England town. With these changes, Cornish hopes that it should be easier for everyone to relate to and understand. "I think in a way, when [Shakespeare] is taught academically, people get lost behind the language," remarks Cornish. "In theater, it gives the piece a sense of immediacy that liberates the language." The play becomes more an experience of entertainment and enjoyment rather than something to be discussed in a classroom. The cast feels that there need be no debate over whether this classifies as a long, drawn out piece of traditional theater; the common consensus is that it is "light, comic, brief and enjoyable." Indeed, as one of Shakespeare's shortest pieces, it can remain exciting all the way through. The play has everything, from the expected acting and performing to music and singing - even cross-dressing finds its way into the action. Unlike more widely-known Shakespeare, this is a play concerned with domestic life. This means that Merry Wives lacks many of the aspects that often make Shakespeare confusing and instead focuses on entertaining the audience. "There are no kings and queens, lords and ladies," says Cornish. These are real people, "revealed in modern dress." This does not make the characters any less exciting, however, especially for the actors who portray them. Perhaps the modernity of the play has been one of the factors that has excited the actors into the frenzy visible in their rehearsals (or maybe they all just love acting). Whatever the reason, the cast exudes enthusiasm and excitement, and looks forward to showing off its talents. As an ensemble piece, the play has a fairly large cast with equal footing in the performance. Most all of the performers have been a part of Cornish's Drama 12 class and range in experience on the Tufts stage. Six of the cast members are freshmen performing here for the first time, while others are familiar sights to Tufts community. Tim Nelson comments that it has been a wonderful experience as a freshman getting to "be a part of a really prestigious group, with drama majors" and all. Whether new members or old, the cast abounds with energy. During rehearsal, they talk animatedly amongst themselves, gesturing wildly to make points, fighting to be heard above the generally high level of noise that accompanies the group. As Cornish directs them to "sing grand opera," they jump into song, complete with arms gesturing toward the sky. As soon as the direction changes to "sing very sad and beautiful grand opera," their faces drop to tearful grimaces as each student loses him or herself in the activity. They have been rehearsing together since mid-September, sometimes staying for four or five hours at a time to work on the production. As opening night draws near, the enthusiasm is growing and will surely be evident in the performances. Balch Arena should be filled with theatergoers, for, as sophomore Melissa Holman asked rhetorically, "How often do you get to see Shakespeare set in small town America?"'The Merry Wives of Windsor' opens this Thursday at the Balch Arena in the Aidekman Arts Center. The show runs at 8 p.m., Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 2-4. Tickets are $5 with a Tufts ID, except for the special rate of $1 for the Nov. 2 performance.

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News

Lights, camera, action

August 31

Tufts has served as the creative breeding ground for several of today's television personalities - though many of them admit that in college they had no idea they would eventually ascend the ladder to fame and fortune. Film and television actor Oliver Platt (LA '83) made his mark as a dynamic member of Tufts' drama department during his undergraduate years, dazzling audiences and peers with his outgoing personality and talent for invention. Assistant Professor of Drama Downing Cless recently reflected on Platt's days at Tufts. "Oliver was an outstanding and extremely talented student who established himself as one of our leading male actors," he said. Cless remembered Platt goofing off during rehearsals and constantly trying to entertain the cast and crew. "We did a lot of exercises about focus and trying to keep concentration, so Oliver always joked around about trying to get 'the focus,'" Cless said. Platt's most noteworthy achievements at Tufts were his role as Shylock in the Merchant of Venice and a supporting part in Waiting for Godot. In addition to his outstanding contributions to Tufts theater, Platt also forayed into music, spending his free time writing original blues songs and performing in a rock band. Since graduating, Platt has starred in several blockbuster films, including Simon Birch, A Time to Kill, Executive Decision, Indecent Proposal, and Working Girl. Most recently, he was cast as the lead in the NBC drama Deadline, where he played a tough-nosed investigative reporter. The show, however, was pulled after only four episodes aired. Some Tufts students in Hollywood work behind the scenes. Rob Burnett (LA '84) currently serves as president of the production company WorldWide Pants, and is in the midst of a very successful season. His new comedy Ed earned critical acclaim for its comic portrayal of the title character, a lawyer who leaves New York to return to his Ohio hometown to start his life over. The script of Ed reveals that Burnett, a writer and producer for the show, is never far from his Tufts roots. On one episode, when a character applies for a job at Ed's combination bowling alley and law office, Ed observes that his resume boasts a Tufts diploma. As Burnett told New Jersey's Bergen Record, Ed is loosely based on his own character and experiences. "If you're a guy like me... you write about stuff you know, and then you go out and get a guy that's better looking to pull it off," Burnett said. Burnett also produces Everybody Loves Raymond, the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and Late Show with David Letterman, for which he recently accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Music or Comedy Series for the third consecutive year. His work on Letterman necessitates a close relationship with the man himself. Last year, during Letterman's recovery from heart surgery, Burnett helped ease the star's transition back onto the air by organizing newly taped segments of repeat guests on the show as a mock tribute to Letterman. "We really try to load [Letterman] up with as much comedy as we can," said Burnett in an interview with Daily Variety. He enjoys his relationship with WorldWide Pants, "just because I love the name of the company," he joked. Also working behind the scenes is Tufts grad Eric Tannenbaum (LA '85), former president of Columbia TriStar. Tannenbaum left the company to form a television production venture, Artists Television Group (ATG), as a means to assert Columbia TriStar's presence on the small screen. "When we started this company, we decided on an aggressive strategy that would allow ATG to impact television right from the start," Tannenbaum said, according to the Tufts "eNews" website. Tannenbaum also arranged for Tufts students to experience the excitement of the television industry firsthand. Two summers ago, eight Tufts interns trekked to California to taste the flavor of Hollywood, which included everything from answering phones and assisting with production to mingling with celebrities and attending high-profile parties. Like Tannenbaum, Hank Azaria (LA '85), one of the most celebrated Tufts alums involved in television and film, continues to give back to the University, most recently during his return to campus last year. Along with singer-songwriter Eden White, Azaria was honored in a ceremony with the Light on the Hill Award for his acting achievements. Azaria acted along with Oliver Platt during his time at Tufts and played major roles in plays such as Uncle Vanya and Royal Hunt of the Sun. When he reflected during his Light on the Hill Award speech, Azaria said he had no idea his life would follow its present course. Though he enjoyed frequent success in the drama department, Azaria admitted that he was hesitant to take the leap of faith necessary to lead an actor's life. "When I was back here, I didn't know how things would turn out for me - it was very scary. And the idea of pursuing a career in acting, it's against the odds and it is horrifying. But what seemed more horrifying to me was never trying," Azaria said during his reception speech. In addition to his great respect for Platt, Cless also places Azaria at the top of his list of bright lights in the drama department. "I have a huge memory of Hank as a person with a tremendous sense of humor," he said. Cless said that while Azaria displayed his proclivity towards the hilarious and over-the-top here at Tufts, his natural talent for vocal impressions did not emerge until his stint on The Simpsons for which he currently provides the voices behind many popular characters. "Hank revealed himself as someone who could play a large variety of characters during his theater time at Tufts, but I had no idea he could do so many voices since it was never something he displayed in class," Cless said. Besides The Simpsons, Azaria also had a recurring role on Mad About You. His film credits include The Birdcage, Grosse Point Blank, and Heat. Most recently, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance in the TV drama Tuesdays with Morrie.

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News

T-U-F-T-S! School has a sonorous past

August 31

If you were at Senior Pub Night at the Aquarium bar on Wednesday, you couldn't help but notice that people were dancing to a techno version of the Tufts fight song. E.W. Hayes, class of 1916, and the composer of the famous "Tuftonia's Day," would quake in his boots if he were alive today. He shouldn't complain too much - at least his song is still being played! Homecoming is the ultimate display of school spirit, yet most students don't even know the words of any of the plethora of University songs. They might be familiar with Hayes' "Tuftonia's Day," and Lewis' "Dear Alma Mater" from convocation, but sadly, that is about as far as their knowledge goes. And the only people who know the words to any of the songs are members of the collegiate a cappella groups. Things are about to change. The following is some basic trivia factoids on the history of Tufts songs. This way, at Homecoming, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of Tufts music. The first Tufts song, "A Commencement Ode," was composed in 1876 by Frederick W. Eddy. This was just the beginning of a long tradition of Tufts songs. "Rally Cry," written by Charles W. Gevould (LA, 1882) with lyrics by Oscar H. Perry (LA, 1883), was the very first song to coin the famous cheer, T-U-F-T-S. Leo Rich Lewis (LA, 1887), professor and chair of the Tufts department of music for fifty years, was influential in making Tufts known as a "singing college." He composed the famous "Alma Mater" in 1898 following the first Tufts Night on the Hill on Sept. 26, 1898. D.L. Maulsby (LA, 1887) wrote the lyrics. Significantly, "Dear Alma Mater," did not make a stir when it was first performed. Lewis wrote in the Tufts College Graduate in Oct. 1910, "When it was sung at the Reunion concert of May 12, 1899, it made practically no impression on either singers or auditors.... On May 29, 1901, at the Tufts Night in Symphony Hall, when the organ came to give climax to the enthusiasm which had obviously been growing during the first two stanzas, it seemed clear that the song had found its place in the life of the college." Few students know that a plethora of Tufts songs were written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Luckily, these songs have been anthologized in the publication of four editions of the Tufts College Song Book, the earliest compiled in 1899 with a total of 96 pages and the last compiled in 1922 with a total of 384 pages. The edition published in 1915 was a total of 544 pages. Who knew we had so many tunes? Sadly, not all of these songs have found a lasting place in the life of the University. Certain songs were great hits in their day. "The Barnum Song," written by Lewis, was a popular Tufts tune. Kenneth S. Clark wrote in the Saturday Evening Post in 1934, "In some ways, the Tufts college 'Barnum Song' is the most flavorsome of the lot." This song was recorded by Columbia Studios in 1914. Another popular ditty was "The Brown and Blue," one of the most popular Tufts songs of its day. Professor Lewis called it the first "general song of Tufts" in his article in the Tufts College Graduate, Vol. XX, No. 3 Other gems of the Tufts song collection include "Aren't You Glad You're a Tufts Man?"; "For Tufts Hurrah"; "Forward Tufts!"; "Hymn to College Hill"; and "Victory Song." You can check out some of these songs in a CD of Tufts music that is available in the the University archives. Tufts certainly is not lacking for any spirit songs! "To sum up," Lewis wrote in the Graduate in 1921, "Tufts had not merely all necessary songs, but an over-plus of song-material for every imaginable occasion." Lyrics to "Rally Cry," the song Leo Rich Lewis called the "first Tufts song."Then let us make those old walls ring, To every heart so dear. And let us give while still we sing, our own brave college cheer. The sweetest song that we can sing, our own brave college cheer. T-U-F-T-S. Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah! St! Boom! Yah!

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News

Impact of president's statement on TCF constitution uncertain

August 31

When the sit-in at Bendetson last week ended with University President John DiBiaggio reaffirming Tufts' nondiscrimination policy, protesters were quick to celebrate their victory. But despite their claims, the applicability of the DiBiaggio interpretation to Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) - the original source of the controversy - remains unclear, as the president's clarification did not address the fundamental issue of a group's right to set criteria for its leaders based on beliefs. The TCF's constitution will be reviewed tonight by the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) to determine whether it complies with the University's nondiscrimination policy. The group was placed on probation pending a constitutional rewrite after the TCUJ ruled that it discriminated against Julie Catalano on the basis of sexual orientation. The TCF itself was never referred to directly in DiBiaggio's e-mail to the community, and he never addressed the collision of religious beliefs and freedom from discrimination. "I don't feel that the TCF situation changes at all as a result of President DiBiaggio's statement," said TCUJ Chair Robyn Herzog.Although TCF's new constitution contains a reaffirmation of the nondiscrimination policy, the group maintains that it was never discriminatory and that the protest was an assault on Christian beliefs. "The statement itself reaffirms a policy we already agree with. I think the protesters had a certain vision of what TCF stands for that does not comport with reality. I see it as a demonstration trying to kick Christians off campus," TCF lawyer David French said. After a two day sit-in at Bendetson by students in TSAD, the group formerly known as Tufts Students Against Discrimination, DiBiaggio acquiesced in demands for a clarification of the University's nondiscrimination policy to include self-acceptance of identity. Protesters interpreted a TCUJ ruling from October to imply that Catalano's acceptance of her own homosexuality was grounds for her disqualification from election as a senior leader of TCF. However, TCF maintains that they never discriminated based on self-acceptance. Rather, they believe that God does not want people to act on every impulse they feel. "We are by our nature many things, and not all of those things are things God wants us to act on," senior leader Jonathan Crowe said. "Whatever we are by nature should be submitted under the identities God wants for us."The TCUJ ruled that Catalano was discriminated against because it found inconsistencies in the practices that TCF used to choose its leaders through appointment by a small group of senior leaders. The newer constitution will provide for a more democratic process wherein all members participate in an election of leaders, and the group is less susceptible to the influence of outside advisors from the InterVarsity Christian fellowship, the national organization with which TCF is affiliated."We made sure the procedure followed more closely the nondiscrimination policy, so an advisor or a small amount of students can't go forward and say you can't be a leader. Due to the new constitution, each person has the right to run for whatever position they want, and it will be voted on by the entire organization, not just a few key people," Herzog said.The TCF needs recognition by the TCUJ in order to perform many of the activities that it does on campus. It would not be able to use University facilities for its prayer services or other activities, use the University's name, or receive University funding without authorization from the TCUJ. Despite the constitutional changes, TCF leaders say that they have the right to make beliefs and practice the criteria for its leaders. "Recognizing that people are born with certain pre-dispositions and orientations, TCF has always affirmed individuals' acceptance of their identity. The issue for us is one of the implications of this acceptance on beliefs and practice," Crowe said in a press release on Sunday.TSAD members, however, feel that DiBiaggio's statement made it clear that TCF cannot exclude someone from a leadership position because of their sexual orientation."Along with every other group on campus, TCF needs to keep in mind that self-acceptance of homosexuality is protected," senior Courtney Young said. "It could cause a difficult situation for them if they wanted to exclude someone from leadership. It makes it impossible for them to do that now.""They essentially now have to treat a lesbian who is running, or any other sexuality, with the same cadence that they would a heterosexual," sophomore Dan Barry said. "Essentially, they have to adhere to the nondiscrimination policy."Tufts is not the only school in the area struggling to deal with the clash of sexual orientation rights with religious rights in nondiscrimination politics. Students at Boston University held a protest on Thursday to push their administration to include homosexuality in their nondiscrimination policy. BU remains one of two private schools in the area who do not include a clause on homosexuality.While no single case of homosexual discrimination has arisen at BU, students believe that a statement from the University would make the school a safer place. "We don't have anything in our nondiscrimination policy about sexual orientation. That is the focus of what is going on now. For the most part, it is a statement," said Dan Feder, vice president of BU's student senate.

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Freshmen lead swimmers into break undefeated

August 31

The men's swimming team remains undefeated after defeating the Babson Beavers, 132-100, and the Bowdoin Polar Bears, 137-105, this past week. The Jumbos will now take a 4-0 record to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for their annual winter break training trip. The swimmers faced a strong Babson team that was 4-1 going into the meet last Thursday at Hamilton Pool. While the Jumbos entered the meet 2-0, those victories came against mediocre teams, and Babson proved to be their first true test. The Tufts men posted ten first place and seven second place finishes in the 13 events. The underclassmen were a deciding factor again as freshmen Aeric Solow and Tyler Duckworth, along with sophomore Ed Edson, all standouts at the team's first two meets, performed strongly. Each had two first place finishes and the three combined for 45 of Tufts' 132 points. "Our freshmen swam really well," Edson said. "We're not relying on them, but we have about six freshmen that score points. That's a lot." Solow swam a 10:16.32 to edge out Babson's Rich Chute for first place in the 1000-yd. freestyle and his 4:56.28 was 6 seconds faster than Chute's time for first place in the 500 free. Duckworth, who swam an impressive 2:14.49 in the 200 breaststroke against Bridgewater State on Nov. 20, only needed a 2:16.04 to take first against Babson. His time was more than ten seconds faster than second place finisher, Babson's Justin Phfister. With a 2:02.27, Duckworth also took first in the 200 butterfly. Edson captured first in the 100 and 200 freestyles. Edson's 1:48.58 in the 200 free was a significant improvement over his time against Bridgewater when he posted a 1:54.74 to finish second to teammate Nic Anderson. "[My time] is fine for now. It doesn't really matter what you swim now." Edson said, referring to how early in the season it still is. Anderson, a senior and tri-captain, had two second place finishes in the 200 free and the 200 butterfly. He also swam the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay which Tufts' won. The relay squad consisted of Anderson, Duckworth, freshman Kaili Mauricio and junior Scott Cohen. Other underclassmen also scored points in the Jumbos' victory. Sophomore Ryan Lahey finished second in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free. Sophomore Shane Mason contributed with a second place finish in the 200 individual medley and a third place finish in the 200 backstroke. Always dependable divers, senior Pat Girvin and sophomore David Liebenstein finished one-two, respectively, in the one- and three-meter contests. They combined for 26 of the team's points. Against Bowdoin, many swimmers swam different events than they had in the previous contests as coach Don Megerle tried to offset the opponents' strengths. Bowdoin, which held a 0-1 record, didn't pose much of a threat to the team. The Jumbos' succeeded in posting nine first place finishes in 16 events against the Polar Bears on December 2 meet. Solow swam the 200 free against the Bowdoin placing first with a time of 1:49.24, beating freshman teammate Kaili Mauricio to the wall by more than two seconds. Solow also had a second place finish in the 200 backstroke. Edson and Duckworth again had first place finishes in the 500 free and 200 butterfly, respectively. Duckworth was again part of the winning medley relay squad but was teamed with Solow, Lahey, and Cohen. Anderson scored the most individual points with two first place finishes, edging out Bowdoin's Elliot Dickson in the 100 free with a time of 49.11. He also took first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.08. Other first place finishes included Shane Mason's 10:39.49 in the 1000 free event, edging out teammate sophomore Scott Hanchar. Lahey led a one-two-three Jumbo assault in the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.41. Sophomore Jimmy Heagle and freshman Sam Burlingame finished second and third, respectively, with times of 58.49 and 58.89. Led by Edson, the Jumbos again took the top three spots in the 500 free with senior Brian Bettencourt (5:12.56) and sophomore Brendan Smyth (5:17.33). Divers Girvin and Liebenstein also contributed points. Girvin collected his seventh and eighth victories by sweeping the one- and three-meter events. He remains undefeated in both events so far this season. Liebenstein finished second in the one-meter and third in the three-meter event. The team will head to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for a week-long training trip over the winter break. While the team has started off strong, it cannot afford to relax. After the break, the season continues with meets against powerhouse MIT, the only other team to beat Babson, and perennial favorite Williams. "We come out of [the trip] in really good shape, ready to swim fast," said Edson. The Jumbos will need to swim fast to continue their winning ways next semester.

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Tufts fifth, Crofton second at Tufts Invitational in Grafton

August 31

The women's cross country team placed fifth out of 12 teams as senior co-captain Leslie Crofton took second overall at Saturday's Tufts Invitational at the home course in Grafton. The competitive race pitted Tufts against some of its toughest NESCAC rivals, including first place Middlebury and second place Williams.

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Vigil held for Palestinian, Israeli victims

August 31

An hour after Wednesday night's social life protest on the President's Lawn, about 50 students gathered quietly in front of Tisch Library for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the recent conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East. The vigil was organized by the Arab Students Association (ASA), which works to promote awareness of Israeli-Arab relations on the Tufts campus.

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Three-alarm fire scorches Boston Ave. apartment, five Tufts students displaced

August 31

Tufts' Catholic Center has set up a relief fund for the victims of a devastating fire that swept through the three-story Boston Ave. apartment of two Medford families and five Tufts students last Tuesday. While the immediate concern is for the residents who lost nearly everything in the fire, members of the community are advising students to take precautionary measures to reduce the chance of such tragedies occurring in the future. The Medford Fire Department determined that the fire was gas-induced, due to a problem with a faulty boiler in the basement of the apartment. The fire, which started at 4:30 p.m., spread quickly through the walls, chimney, and pipe chases blazing unchecked until 10:30 p.m. that evening. Fortunately, none of the residents of the household were injured, but two fire fighters were sent to the hospital and treated for exhaustion, which is not unusual according to Medford Fire Chief Frank Giliberti. The three-alarm fire required assistance from the Somerville, Medford, Malden, and Arlington fire departments. Tufts students Sean McDermott, Winder Holeman, Fernando Degwitz, Diana Uejbe, and their guest Estefania Elias lost 90 percent of their belongings in the disaster. In response, the Catholic Center is raising money for these students and the two families who inhabited the apartment building. Donations from yesterday and this Sunday's masses at Goddard Chapel will be sent to the relief fund. "It should be noted that we are not just caring for our own students," said Father David O'Leary, director of the Catholic Center. "We are also trying to help the two Medford families who also lost everything. The Catholic Center is storing the few items that the victims were able to save, seven peoples lives reduced to five green trash bags." In the aftermath of such a tragedy, the victims and members of the fire department are urging students to follow strict procedures to reduce the chance of future fires. Giliberti said that a poorly maintained heating system poses a substantial fire risk. "Especially just before the cold season, residents should have someone come out and check the heat system," he said. Many of the houses in the area are old, wooden structures, built before modern fire codes were written. The victims of the fire have encouraged students to thoroughly inspect apartment buildings before signing a lease and make sure the landlord is committed to maintaining the building. "If you live off campus, make sure before you rent a place that you look into what condition the building is in," said Winder Holeman. "Our apartment was really nice, and I don't think we really took enough time to look at the rest of the building." Though some of the residents knew that there was a problem with the boiler, they simply called the heating company, thinking nothing of it. In hindsight, McDermott wishes he had done more to get the boiler repaired. "If you have a concern, be more forceful in addressing it," he said. "We knew the boiler was old. At that point I really should have pursued it." Holeman also urged students not to hesitate before calling the fire department. "Don't assume that it's not a fire... because it very possibly could be. It's [the fire department's] job and they're not going to be irritated if you call them for a false alarm." The frequency of on-campus false alarms this semester has posed other safety concerns at the University, since they desensitize students to the importance of a quick exit from the building. There was a slew of fire alarms earlier in the semester in Latin Way, and just last night there were two false alarms during a theatre production in the Balch Arena. While McDermott explained that accidents such as this are difficult to prevent, it's important that students have insurance to cover their belongings. "People don't realize what the replacement costs add up to. You go to replace everything and you're astounded," said McDermott. "What's important is that if people aren't insured under their parents, they should look into renter's insurance." McDermott and Holeman had insurance, but the other three Tufts students did not. Holeman said residents should look at getting some sort of insurance plan, whether it be apartment insurance or renter's insurance. Even though the fire occurred off-campus, fires have occurred in Tufts' residence halls as well. Phil Surks, a proctor in Houston Hall, witnessed a fire in the kitchen of the dorm on Homecoming weekend two years ago. That fire was started accidentally on a kitchen stove by a student. Surks noted that the evacuation of Houston was far from perfect and said he would like to see more in the way of preparing students for an actual emergency at the beginning of the year. "Some people didn't leave the building until they smelled smoke. And even when they did get out they stood on the stoop and other people couldn't get out," he said. "I think the fire marshals need to do more about what to do in an emergency."While Tuesday's incident exemplified the potentially devastating impact of fires, Surks said that students do not take fire prevention seriously and often violate policy by hanging tapestries over lights and keeping candles, halogen lamps, and incense in their rooms."Life safety is a part of habitats, and they don't realize how quickly things can catch fire," he said. "It's not like it doesn't happen here. There was a fire in Lewis a few years ago and basically a whole room caught on fire."For students who would like to help the victims of the fire, monetary donations can be made through the Tufts Community Appeal directed to the Catholic Center at 58 Winthrop St.

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Examining the role of trustees

August 31

Although the Board of Trustees is likely the most powerful and influential body in the entire University, many students remain unaware of its very existence, let alone its role and connection to the Tufts community. Analogous to a corporation and its administration, the trustees work as a governing board with President John DiBiaggio presiding as chairman. They work to mold the most pressing needs of the community into an agenda by relying on the President to effectively carry out their plans. "Although the Board has an important role in the governance of the University, they are very respectful of the President's authority as the agent who carries out their agendas. There is a fine line that the trustees do not cross - they do not take on too much power," said Linda Dixon, direct liaison between the trustees and the University at large. Currently, 37 trustees sit on the Board, which meets three times a year and is divided into smaller committees that convene more frequently. There are two main avenues that lead to becoming a Trustee. The entire Alumni Association elects ten alumni trustees as well as four new candidates for trusteeship every two years. Of these candidates, two are elected. These staggered elections provide a consistent cycle of new trustees, and thus new ideas for the school. After extensive meetings with potential candidates, the remaining 27 members of the Board elect a trustee. The Board calls attention to individuals who might fit the necessary criteria and contribute constructively to the school. In addition, it maintains a diverse group and the tenets implicit in Tufts' mission statement. Many current trustees formerly served on smaller boards at both Tufts institutions and outside organizations, where they demonstrated their capabilities as volunteers and advisors. And there's one other prerequisite - a certain financial generosity. "The trustee would like to see a history of strong support, and when trustees become affiliated with Tufts, we would expect them to be generous to the school - within their means," Dixon said. While trustees often make large financial gifts and secure "naming rights" for new buildings like Dowling Hall and the Gantcher Center, Dixon stressed that this is not the prevailing factor in choosing a new trustee. "A common misconception is that we look only for people who have a vast amount of money to contribute. We look for people of distinction in their field who could help the University through services as well," Dixon said. Dixon explained that the trustees frequently re-evaluate Tufts' goals and values to keep their vision statement fresh and pertinent to the University's needs. "We sit down and discuss what is necessary to keep ourselves on track - this is the kind of place we want Tufts to be, we want the world to perceive us this way," Dixon said. These discussions occur when the trustees convene to learn about the issues facing the community, the recent accomplishments of the faculty, and student talent. In November, February and May, the Board holds weekend events that include dinners, luncheons, and presentations designed to accomplish the above goals in a relaxed and interactive manner. The Board makes an effort to visit all of the Tufts campuses. This November's retreat will take place at the Tufts School of Nutrition at the Human Nutrition Research Center. A tour of the school, separate committee meetings, and a reception to meet the faculty will take place. In addition, the trustees will begin discussions about the search for a new President. Although the trustees certainly strive to maintain Tufts as a small, intimate university with room for growth in teaching and research, some students feel disconnected from the trustees. Despite efforts like the up-coming meetings at the Nutrition School, there is still a gap between students and trustees. "I think the trustees are a little out of touch with students and what we want to see happen and what we need in order for us to have a good experience here," junior Emily Schaffer said. "Their agenda is different from the student agenda, and I think that they don't completely see that making students happy during their time at Tufts would definitely help to provide a good endowment and source of support after they have graduated," Schaffer said. An anonymous senior agreed with Schaffer. He too feels isolated from the trustee process. "I don't really know how to get in touch with the trustees. Where are they, and how can I talk to them? It would be great if during Matriculation, or at other points during my time here, the trustees could have time to talk specifically to students and find out what they are concerned about," the anonymous student said. Students emphasized the idea that a communication gap exists. "I don't even know what trustees really are - that alone should tell them something," sophomore Natasha Agrawal said. When asked how to rectify the problem, Agrawal could not pinpoint a concrete solution. "I'm not sure exactly how they could become more connected to the students. Meetings wouldn't work well, since many students would feel too busy to attend. But, maybe more advertising or a general exchange of information would help," she said. Disagreeing with Agrawal about the possibility of a solution, sophomore Liv Eales observed that students would become more connected to the trustees if relevant student concerns were the focus of trustee meetings. "People are probably not interested generally because they feel that what the trustees do doesn't affect them," she said. She mentioned her take on their duties and how these relate to students. "They mostly take care of stuff that we are not involved in so I can understand why many people just don't care that much. But in the case of the new presidential search, I think that students would be very interested in playing a role in that decision," Eales said.

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Israel's viewpoint discriminatory

August 31

To the Editor: It is hard to decide if Laura Israel's viewpoint ("Vote for Lieberman's Running Mate," 11/2) is more ignorant, idiotic, or racist - it's plenty of all three. Israel begins her litany of ridiculous bigotry by claiming some odd familial bond with Lieberman simply because she and the senator are both Jewish. This is as contemptible and utterly inaccurate as assuming all black people know Michael Jordan, or all Hispanics are friends with Ricky Martin. Why is it that when a member of the majority espouses patently discriminatory beliefs, it is justly noted as discrimination? Yet, when a minority does the same thing, it is some positive form of empowerment? Voting for Lieberman (and it should be noted that voting more for a Vice President than his running mate is about as intelligent as, well, Israel herself) simply because he is Jewish is as morally bankrupt as voting for, oh, a white German Christian man simply because he is white, male, German, and Christian. Israel implores the intelligentsia of Tufts to use their intellect in making their decision--and she's right about that. But anyone with properly functioning intellect should be able to spot the rest of Israel's argument for what it is: pure, brain-dead racism. If Gore/Lieberman appeals to you because of their stance on the issues and/or their abilities as leaders, then they are your obvious choice. But voting for the ticket because Lieberman is Jewish is as bad as not voting for them because he is Jewish.Lewis Titterton, '01 Zachary Bromer, '01

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Tufts leaves Bowdoin dead in the water

August 31

The women's swimming and diving team dominated its home meet against Bowdoin on Saturday, winning by 22 points. The Jumbos were led by strong performances by freshmen Mika Sumiyoshi and Amanda Bloom, and sophomore Emily Gordon. The relatively close final score of 152-130, however, is not indicative of the way that Tufts swam because once a team reaches 152, they automatically win the meet and points are only added to the losing team's score. Therefore, the margin of victory was actually much greater. Coach Nancy Bigelow was not expecting this to be a difficult meet. "This was a little more relaxed [than the meet against Wellesley]. Everyone did a great job," she said. As with last Wednesday's meet Sumiyoshi won all of her races. She kept her lead in the 500-yard freestyle through the whole race, finishing with a time of 5:19.93, 33 seconds faster than anyone else. She also came in first in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:19, seven seconds faster than anyone else. This was the first time in a while that she competed in this event. Also contributing to the team was Gordon, with an impressive race in the 1000 freestyle, winning the race by nine seconds, in 11:32. She continues to improve on her time in the event, swimming it a half a second faster at this meet than against Wellesley. "I pulled in my time so I was happy," Gordon said. While Gordon and Sumiyoshi took the long distance races, Bloom had a standout performance in the short races. She finished first in both the 50 and 100 freestyle with times of 26.46 and 56.86, respectively. She improved on her time in the 100 by a second compared to the Wellesley meet. Other race winners were freshman Bridget McElroy, sophomore Becky Ullman, sophomore Shayna Burke and freshman Kierstyn Thayer. McElroy won in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:16, an improvement from last week by a couple tenths of seconds. Ullman out-touched senior tri-captain Kristin Horton in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:44, beating Horton by a hundredth of a second. Burke contributed in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:06, bettering her previous time by a second. Thayer won in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:21. The relay teams also competed strongly, winning in the 200 medley relay and in the 200 freestyle relay. The 200 medley team, comprised of Thayer, Horton, Sumiyoshi, and Bloom, won by a second with a time of 1:59. The freestyle team, comprised of Bloom, Horton, Sumiyoshi, and freshman Danielle Blaney won by five seconds with a time of 1:47. The diving team ran into difficulties facing Bowdoin's four time All-American senior Maureen Singer. Singer was in the top eight at Nationals last year. She won both portions of the diving. Sophomore Lauren Reveley came in third place in the first portion and fifth place in the second portion. Freshman Beth Wecksell placed fourth in the first portion and second in the second portion. "The divers did a good job," Bigelow said, "but when competing against stars it's difficult."Since Bigelow was not expecting too much competition, she was able to mix around who competed in each race. This adds options for future meets and gives people chances to race in events they haven't been able to in a while. "It is good to have a little flexibility," Bigelow said. Overall, everyone was very happy with the meet. "There was a lot of spirit," Gordon said, "everyone was standing and cheering everyone on." The Jumbos now head into the break with a 2-1 record. The last week of the break, the Brown and Blue will be traveling to Aruba to train. "We are going to have a good season," Gordon said. "We will be practicing really hard and we will do well especially after the trip. Everyone is going to know each other a lot better and swim really fast."Bigelow knows the length of the road they have to travel, however. "We have a long way to go yet but we are in a good place. We have to stay mentally cognitive and get into the water and train."

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Opening up the airwaves

August 31

"Free Forum" - a new five-part WMFO series -begins tonight with a host of speakers, a unique format, and lecture topics which put a new spin on the many nuances of radio. "We're going to open the [radio station] doors to students," said senior Mike Dupuy, Director of WMFO. He hopes the format - an in-studio lecture series that will be broadcast over the airwaves - will be a hit. Dupuy thinks the lecture series will provide an insider's look at the radio industry. "People will get a chance to look at the disc jockey outside of his or her normal context, in a setting unlike the normal radio circumstance," Dupuy said. The lecture topics run the gamut, and the speakers are an eclectic bunch. Martin Voelker will focus on alternative news radio - a facet distinct from the NPR-esque news coverage familiar to many. "He tries to explore different types of news that you don't normally hear on the radio or TV - seemingly objective news," Dupuy said. Jazz lovers will appreciate Hank Faunce's words of wisdom. "[Faunce] knows a lot about New Orleans jazz," Dupuy said, hoping that the talk will evoke conversation. "He's probably going to stir up some controversy when he alludes to Charlie Parker as the cause of the death of jazz," Dupuy said. Senior Levi Novey's talk will rest on his experiences as a liaison between the music industry and WMFO. "He's going to talk about the music industry in a cynical light," Dupuy said. Ex-college professor Tim Leanse will use his course, Radio Art, as the crutch of his speech. "The talk will basically be a synopsis of his class," Dupuy said. Shying away from his forte in fish sales, Steve Howard, a fish vendor by trade, will concentrate on the idea of radio form. "He's going to talk about the philosophy of free form - what it means to be a free form DJ and a free form radio station," Dupuy said. The series will air every night this week from 7 to 8 p.m., and -if interest persists - will be offered each semester.

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TCUJ still does not understand discrimination

August 31

To the Editor: In the current debate about the non-discrimination policy, there are a few things which have gotten muddled. I hope that I can help to clarify these. First of all, many people seem to misunderstand what discrimination is. According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary, to discriminate is "to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual membership." Which means that when the Pachyderm says "Recognized student groups may not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or an individual's previous affiliations in criteria for membership, assignment of voting privileges, or rank, except as otherwise provided by federal or state law or university policy," it means that a student organization cannot have different treatment for gay people than for straight people. While not allowing gay members to serve as leaders is an example of discrimination, it is only the most severe form. Were an organization to say that gay members must attend six meetings to vote and straight members only four, this would also be discrimination that is disallowed under Tufts' policy. Similarly, to say that gay people must believe themselves to be biblically condemned to be a leader, while straight people must not believe this about themselves, is an example of discrimination. It is an example of a difference in treatment. Simply stated, if gay people are required to have different beliefs about themselves than straight people are about themselves, then they are being discriminated against. Michael Ferenczy stated in his Viewpoint ("TCUJ clarification," 10/24) "Obviously, we (the TCUJ) had no trouble deciding what the word 'discriminate' means." Perhaps they should have taken more trouble, because they seem to have missed the point.Laura Sheppard-Brick LA '01

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Field hockey hopes to tip Cows

August 31

The mission is clear for the Tufts field hockey team: Beat Williams on Saturday and guarantee a spot in the first-ever, season-ending NESCAC tournament, or lose and hope to get by with a little help from its NESCAC friends at Conn. College. The Jumbos enter Saturday's game at 3-5 in NESCAC play, good for seventh in the conference. If they beat the Purple Cows, they automatically qualify for the tournament. If Tufts loses to Williams, however, and Bates beats Conn. College, both the Jumbos and the Bobcats would be tied for seventh place with 3-6 marks. By virtue of Bates' 2-1 victory over Tufts on October 1, the Bobcats would earn the seventh and final NESCAC tournament spot, and the Jumbos would be forced to hang up their shoes for the season. If Conn. College can knock off Bates, a tournament spot for the Jumbos is ensured. Coach Carol Rappoli's team knows exactly what it will have to do when it takes the field on Homecoming, but knowing what to do and doing it are two separate issues, especially against a powerhouse like Williams. The Purple Cows come into the game ranked third in New England and bring a daunting 7-1 NESCAC record. Despite the impressive pedigree, the Jumbos remain unfazed, as they have played well against Williams in past years. "They're just like any other NESCAC team," Rappoli said. "Trinity is 1-12, Bowdoin is 12-1 and there aren't that many degrees of separation between them. The only difference is a few lucky breaks." Last year, the Jumbos posted a huge 4-1 road victory against the Purple Cows, which took Williams out of contention for an NCAA birth. Then, in the ECAC Tournament, the underdog Jumbos knocked off Williams again, ending its season and propelling Tufts into the ECAC finals. In fact, Tufts has beaten Williams three times in the past two years after a nine-year losing streak. "We're going to make it four Saturday," Rappoli said confidently. "A lot of kids [from last year's Williams' team] are gone, but the players that were there remember last year's game." The Purple Cows will be coming at Tufts with a fairly different team this time around. They are lead by several young stars including sophomore Stef Noering, who leads the team in scoring with 23 points, and two freshmen - Tori Scott and Molly Jennings - who are second and fourth on the team with 18 and 12 points, respectively. Williams also plays a sophomore in net. Monelle Quevillon has been between the posts every minute of action so far this season. She's spending quality time on the field, as well, recording seven shutouts and a .50 goals against average (GAA) on only six goals allowed, to go along with her 11-1 record. Tufts has the firepower to play with the Purple Cows but the Jumbos' leaders are a bit older. Senior defender and co-captain Colette Gaudet leads the way with 15 points. Gaudet has shown her leadership of late, scoring two goals and an assist in the past three games. The senior also has two game-winning goals this season. Behind Gaudet is junior midfielder Lindsey Lionetti, who has 11 points on the season to go along with a game-winning goal of her own. She is joined in second place on the team by sophomore Dana Chivvis. In goal, senior Dena Sloan has shown what experience can do for a defense, accumulating a .85 GAA in 822 minutes by stopping 90 of 100 shots this year. While Gaudet, Lionetti, and Chivvis may be atop the scoring chart for the team, it is going to take a group effort to beat Williams, and recover from Thursday's double-overtime loss to the Amherst Lord Jeffs. In that wrenching defeat, junior Robin Ackerman scored a goal with no time remaining on the clock in the second overtime, ending Tufts' hopes of upsetting the fourth-ranked team in the nation on the road. "It was a very heartbreaking loss," junior Christina Orf said. "We really deserved that game, we really wanted it." Tufts will have to shake off the disappointment of the Amherst loss and be focused on Williams if it will have any chance on Saturday. From what the players are saying, though, that should be possible. "It's just going to make everybody more pumped up to beat Williams," Orf said. "We don't lose on our home field to a NESCAC team, and I don't think that's going to happen. Any frustration will be taken out on them." Frustration or not, the Jumbos are probably going to have to play their best game of the year at 12 p.m. on Saturday if they plan to clinch a spot in the NESCAC tournament. If not, a loss will mean a lot of waiting and hoping. "If we lose on Saturday, we will be hanging ourselves," Rappoli said.

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Vote no on amendment A-Rod

August 31

As a New York Mets fan, here's to hoping they don't acquire Alex Rodriguez this coming off-season. This is probably my last chance to talk about baseball for a while, so here goes: kudos to the Yankees for winning the World Series. But let's not forget that it was the other New York team who put together a more impressive season, and nearly toppled the store-bought Yanks, getting outscored by just three runs in the five-game Series. The Mets brought an outfield consisting of Jay Payton, Benny Agbayani, and Timo Perez to the field. That is, a rookie, a second-year player not expected to even make the team at season's beginning, and a minor-leaguer brought up because of injury. None of those guys have ever played for another baseball team. Add second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo and shortstop Rey Ordonez to the mix, and you've got five of eight position players who've never donned another major league uniform. As expected, shortstop Mike Bordick filed for free agency already, meaning a decision is pending on whether to bring in A-Rod or keep Ordonez, who was out for most of this past season. Consensus seems to be that the team is heavily pursuing Rodriguez, which is only natural, because it is the "Steinbrenner-esque" thing to do. The Mets were just an inch short of beating the Yankees, so pull out the wallet and bring in a superstar to push the team over the top. But then the Yanks sign Manny Ramirez, the Braves bring in Mike Hampton from the Mets, and all the big-name, big-market teams continue the cycle of getting even bigger. Nothing changes in the business of sports. The Yankees earned their third straight championship, earned it real good by spending $113 million. This year's Mets provided some insight into how to build a team, not buy a team. New York had the right mix of rookies, lifetime Mets, and free agents, and even a scattering of actual New Yorkers, a team that fans could truly appreciate. Sure, the Mets had their store-bought names in Mike Piazza and Mike Hampton, big contributors to the run. But Piazza earned the respect of New Yorkers after a few seasons with the team and Hampton was arguably not an absolutely essential piece to the puzzle. Add dedicated New Yorkers Al Leiter and Jon Franco, the youngsters in the outfield, and veteran Robin Ventura, and you've got a pure blend of young and old, of players honed by the team they currently play for as well as players purchased or brought in via trade. That's not to say the Yankees are evil and only won because of recent acquisitions - in fact, many of the key elements are lifetime Yanks, including MVP Derek Jeter, Bernie Wiliams, and Orlando Hernadez. But bringing in David Justice and Denny Neagle at the break certainly played a role in the eventual World Series title, at least more so than the Mets' moves, which brought them Bordick, Rick White, and Bubba Trammel. So I'm hoping my team doesn't go out and buy a title, but instead brings back the same core, with the return of Ordonez, and maybe an addition to a pitching squad that will likely lose Hampton. That's probably not going to happen, but if it did, I bet you this would still be a squad capable of going to the World Series. When the worst outfield in baseball can nearly lead you to a World Championship, you've got to be impressed. So why fix it if it ain't broken, even if you could trade it in for a new, shinier model? As fun as it was to watch these Mets succeed, it's also great to see a team like the Dodgers spend megabucks only to disappoint and not make the playoffs. I wish the same would happen to the Yankees, and it almost did this year, as the team lost almost all of its late-season games. I would have loved to have seen the Red Sox overtake New York in those last couple of games, and I would have loved it even more if the A's beat them in the playoffs. Oakland is another team like the Mets, but even less store-bought, that deserves the respect of fans everywhere. This squad is full of youngsters and guys getting their first real break, and has really come out of nowhere to field an explosive offense and a fiery young pitching squad. The A's and Mets were not the only good stories this year in baseball; in fact, the season was full of them. Seattle sent Ken Griffey Jr. packing and still made the playoffs, while Griffey floundered in Cincinnati against NL pitching. The Reds had a tiny payroll in '99 and just missed the playoffs, but dished out big money for Griffey and actually got worse. The White Sox, too, turned heads this past season by emerging as the league's top team for most of the year, surpassing everyone's expectations and dethroning another baseball king, the Cleveland Indians. Even though we live in an era where money wins titles, underdog teams still impress us and small-market squads are still fan favorites. Granted the Mets are neither an underdog team nor a small-market squad, but they strike a balance between that and the Steinbrenner way of doing things. The Boss, I'm sure, will bring in Manny Ramirez to a team with Justice in the outfield, and a dynasty that appeared on the outs will remain the dominant club in the league. Unfortunately, for all my enthusiasm about the Mets, they're a business like anything else, so they'll probably sell out and buy Rodriguez.

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News

Falling off the Hill

August 31

We all know that Tufts is situated on the edge of one of the most exciting cities in the country - Boston's reputation as the "student city" is well deserved. But what many campus newcomers don't know is that there is plenty to do in our own backyard. When you're ready to roll off the Hill, Davis Square is ready and raring to tend to your every need.

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News

Campuslink future uncertain as Tufts explores options

August 31

In May of 2003, Tufts' eight-year contract with Campuslink will come up for renewal, offering the University a chance to renegotiate its contract for telephone, cable TV, and Internet services. As the deadline approaches, Tufts Computing and Communications Service (TCCS) has begun to think about alternatives to the existing network. The University entered into the contract with Campuslink in 1995, when the company agreed to hardwire all of Tufts' residential dorms with the understanding that the $3.5 million price tag would be paid off by revenue from long distance service. The payoff took much longer than expected, however, as a result of the dive long distance rates took months after Campuslink signed the contract. It took Campuslink until last year to recoup its initial investment. "What many students don't realize is that Campuslink has really never made any money off of Tufts," TCCS manager Marj Minnigh said. "Because long distance rates have fallen so much over the past few years, the whole idea of paying for data services through the phone service profits completely failed." TCCS is searching for methods of providing voice, cable, and data services to students, all while not increasing tuition, or charging students a technology fee. Tufts is one among a small handful of schools in the country that does not charge students in any manner for the upkeep of Internet connections. "In many ways, Campuslink has been a benefit to Tufts. Where other schools who tried to do everything 'in house' were hurt financially when long distance rates dropped so much, in our case Campuslink took that hit, not Tufts," said Tufts Network and Telecommunications Director Lesley Tolman. Barring a few voicemail glitches in September, the service has run exceptionally smoothly so far this year. "Aside from some small problems that were quickly fixed, we really haven't had many outages or complaints about the phone service since the beginning of the year," said Gil Matos, Tufts' account manager at Campuslink. Despite the increased reliability over past years, many students remain unsatisfied with Campuslink's high long-distance charges. Some have completely bypassed Campuslink and rely entirely on cell phones, further hurting Campuslink's bottom line. "For about $40 a month, I get 375 minutes on my cell phone, with free unlimited long distance after 8 p.m. on weekdays and the entire weekend. I get the convenience of a cell phone, free long distance, all features I'd get with Campuslink, at the same price," freshman Ronak Patel said. All of Campuslink's price and service adjustments must be approved by Tufts before going into effect, and the contract stipulates that all charges must be near market value - a clause that holds true in some respects and not in others. Verizon, one of the most prevalent local phone companies, charges $36.53 for monthly service, including voicemail and call waiting, which is almost identical to Campuslink's fee. While Verizon does charge a $40 installation fee, it offers customers more options. If a student cuts out certain premium options, the fee can be reduced to under $10 a month. Local cable operator RCN charges about $40 a month for basic cable, which is slightly more expensive than Campuslink's $36 fee. Campuslink also provides and maintains the equipment and wiring necessary for Tufts' Internet connection free of additional charge. Charges for similar high-speed Internet access from RCN are also approximately $40 a month. Dean of Students Bruce Reitman characterized the company's fulfillment of the contract as the "bare minimum." Many students are also disappointed with the service, citing a lack of calling plan choices, in addition to a poor cable lineup, as one of the service's biggest problems. Most students are displaying their unhappiness with the company by simply refusing purchase its services. Less than 40 percent of Tufts students receive cable - well below the number that Campuslink needs to meet its costs. Long distance usage is down as well, with a mere 57 percent of Tufts students making even one long-distance call last year, with many others opting for cell phones over hard wires. The main choices for Tufts are to continue with Campuslink, find a different company with similar offerings, or completely outsource everything, requiring students to call the telephone and cable companies on their own for service. While the benefits of better service and more cable programming would be welcome, chances are that features such as the four-digit campus extension would be difficult to retain. Over the next few years, Tufts will upgrade its Internet connection from the current 10Mbps connection to a much faster 100Mbps connection. TCCS is also investigating possible new technologies, such as a wireless network similar to the one Carnegie Mellon University recently installed, which allows students to access the Internet from anywhere on campus.

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